Polar Bear Club

Has anyone heard the new Polar Bear Club? I got the new record in the mail. I gave it a spin. It's absolutely amazing. It has everything I wanted in the new record; catchy hooks, urgent delivery, and best of all, the great lyrics. I will be seeing PBC in a few hours, so I'm excited for that.

Aside from the new Polar Bear Club, has anyone heard Joyce Manor? They released their debut album this year, and it's amazing. Hands down, my favorite album of this year. Well, they've teamed up with Asian Man records to do their next album, so I'm pretty stoked for that.

Twenty-two days and I leave for the Fest. I've never been, so I'm super excited to go. My must-sees include Lifetime, Hot Water Music, and Defiance, Ohio. However, I'll be seeing plenty more bands than that.

So, to sum up; get the new Polar Bear Club. Get Joyce Manor. Fest rocks.

Night.

Green Day rant

I like Green Day, if you take each album for what it is face value. American Idiot was a good rock album, as was 21st Century Breakdown. But calling them punk would be a stretch for those records. That said, their first four records, 39/Smooth, Kerplunk!, Dookie, and Insomniac are all catchy pop punk albums. The first two are great Lookout-era albums. Nimrod and Warning are good albums, but can hardly be called pop punk. So basically, 1/4 of Green Day's albums are great, half are above average, and another quarter are listenable. The last two, skip them.

/rant

(I wrote this at 3 am, after thinking over how they were Rolling Stone magazine's top punk band)

Fake Problems

Let's face it; Florida has some of the best punk. Hated Youth, Against Me!, Less Than Jake, and my current love: Fake Problems. I saw Fake Problems on Warped Tour of last year. They put on my favorite performance and quickly became a favorite band of mine. Aside from making great music, the band is super nice. Right now I have How Far our Bodies Go spinning on my record player. I can never tell which record is my favorite. Each album is different from the others, and that's definitely a huge plus for me. If you get a chance, listen to some of their songs; they're a great band and great guys. Buy some of their stuff too, it's pretty great.

http://fakeproblems.tumblr.com/

P.S. -I'd like to give a shout out to Sarah Saturday. She started a kickstarter campaign and has successfully raised enough money! I'm stoked to hear her second album. Sarah's pretty much the most down to earth and nicest musician I have ever met. I also saw her at Warped last year and then ventured up to La Crosse to see her a second time. She has very intimate shows and really cares for her fans. If you wanna help her out, you can still donate money to her kickstarter campaign! It's a great thing to donate to!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gna/send-gardening-not-architecture-to-record-her-seco

Morning.

This morning I've been doing nothing but listening to Against Me!. I felt the need to listen to "Russian Spies", and I guess I didn't stop. I went back and listened to White Crosses, and it's still an absolutely amazing record. As of right now, my favorite track is definitely "Because of the Shame". Tom Gabel can write some great tracks, and I'm super excited to see them in October.

That is all.

Crutches

The Copyrights; ever since starting in 2002, they've rocked all over the place playing their Screeching Weasel influenced pop punk. Nine years later the band is releasing a new EP, Crutches. It's four tracks of pop punk goodness, the EP's double-edged sword. All four songs are all infectiously catchy; they make you want to sing and dance along. However, they're all very similar and follow the standard pop punk formula. It's not a bad formula to stick to, but it doesn't leave much room for experimentation. That being said, the EP itself is a well-done release. As previously stated, it's catchy, an EP you can listen to the whole way through a few times over. But, if you don't pay too close attention, the tracks do run together and it can be tough to discern one song from another.

Look at it this way though: It's the Copyrights. It's Red Scare. It's pop punk. When you look at these three facts it's pretty easy to fall in love with the EP. Despite the few flaws it has, it's good. It's damn good really, and helps solidify the Copyrights as one of the best pop punk bands around.

7/10

 

 http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/crutches-single/id442001027

 Guys, come on. It's Red Scare, one of the best labels around, releasing the Copyrights, one of the best pop punk bands around. It's like, two bucks, for four tracks. Four! That's fifty cents a song. Get it.

Turntable

Turntable.fm is pretty the best site ever right now. I've always though that listening to music with other people made it better, and this is a chance for people to listen together. Plus, you can upload your own songs. It's a sweet site; check it out.

http://turntable.fm

2:30 AM thoughts

So, it's 2:30 in the morning, and I'm watching a re-run of Robot Chicken. Well, kinda watching it; I also have Paul Baribeau playing. At any rate, I decided to put down some thoughts I've had lately.

First: Summer thus far, albeit not too exciting, has been fun. I do miss Kyle and Cole a great deal, but, it's nice to have a lot more free time. I've been reading, writing, and playing guitar more. I've been playing a lot of ultimate frisbee too. I guess I've always done that, but, I've gotten much better. Along with the ultimate, I've also entered my way into frisbee golf, which I suck at it. I think I spend more time in the woods than actually playing.

Second thought: I'm super stoked for October. Three days after my 20th birthday, I will be attending my first ever Fest. Anyone who's talked to me know that I've been talking about this forever. Well, i've looked forward to this more than pretty much anything else. Three days of non-stop music, with the coolest people ever. Not to mention that a few bands I've wanted to see forever are playing, like Lifetime, Hot Water Music, and Defiance, Ohio. I'm so stoked.

Third: If you're into music, I definitely suggest reading "Our Band Could Be Your Life". It's a great book, with some cool stories and insights into bands. I'm on Husker Du right now, and I'm pumped to start reading about the Replacements.

On a music review related note (somewhat), I've really been listening to a lot of Motion City Soundtrack lately. I had seen them last October with Greg, Allison, and Ty, but, I wasn't too into them since I didn't listen to them. Half a year later, Pat got me into them. My Dinosaur Life is definitely one amazing album. It's got some great cuts, specifically the last five tracks and track two. These six tracks are some of the greatest pop punk songs recorded. Lyric wise, they've got some fancy and witty word. The lyrics are pretty introspective at times, without losing the fun the band has. If you're interested in that type of stuff at all, definitely check out some Motion City. You won't regret it at all.

Today, me and my mother cleaned my room. Pretty amazing for anyone that's seen how it used to look. To celebrate, we bought a new A-Frame bookcase. It's for all of my records so I can store them properly, and also for extra CDs I have. I've got a lot of CDs recently, and my old rack has become too small. For reference, I can only hold from Against Me! to MxPx, so...a lot of goodies left off the decision field. Tomorrow's plan is to build and organize with Lauren.

That's about everything for late night thoughts.

-Rob

Sorry

Sorry to anyone that actually reads this. I completely forgot about it to be honest. But, I will be back soon but instead of only reviews, I'll start expanding into a little bit of everything. So, stay tuned for new stuff.

-Rob

The Acoustic EP

Another Against Me! review is due. This time it's the Acoustic EP, released in 2001. It's 6 tracks (4 on the vinyl) of only Tom's acoustic and Dustin Fridkin on the bass. Some of the songs were later re-recorded for Reinventing Axl Rose but are solely acoustic on here.

If there's one thing Against Me! can do, it's acoustic tracks. For every acoustic song, Tom still manages to pour the same amount of heart, soul, and energy into them as he does for electric tracks. These stripped down versions are powerful and heartfelt, with each song being just as good as the previous. All six songs are a great insight of what Against Me! started as, with topics from love to politics to just life in general. Being both personal and political, Tom's songs are able to really find a spot in the heart of everyone. Even fans of country are in for a treat with "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong".

Overall, the EP itself encompasses everything Against Me! do; make music, play music, and love music. It's a great album and rocks just as hard as any other release by Against Me!, or any other band in general. Seriously, this EP is amazing.

10/10

http://sabotproductions.net/catalog/item/ACT002/

Five whole dollars. That's it. All you pay for perfection.

White Crosses

Against Me! have become one of the popular punk acts of the millennium, and rightfully so. Starting with the very rough sounding recordings of Against Me! and Tom's First Demo Tape, to major label releases such as New Wave and White Crosses, there's no doubt the band has progressed with both their instrumentation and their overall sound. This evolution has resulted in garnering more fans but alienating others. However, regardless of the production value put into each album, there's no doubt that Tom Gabel and company love what they do and put heart into every song, every record, every show. White Crosses is no different.

The follow-up to the popular New Wave, their second major label release, White Crosses expands upon the more straight-forward punk rock of the aforementioned as opposed to the more acoustic/folk punk of early albums. Opening with the title-track, the album starts with a strong song. A strong chorus, catchy guitar riff; it's pretty easy to tell it's Against Me!. Though a strong song, it seems as if Tom stumbles a bit on his songwriting. It's a good lead song, but it seems to be missing something. That's where track two comes in. "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" acknowledges the evolution that the band has made. One of the strongest songs on the entire album, it's structure is similar to "White Crosses", but Tom's songwriting is definitely spot on for this song. Not only that, it's an even catchier sing-along than before, with a great chorus and fantastic verses. "Because of the Shame" really shows the progress the band has made as musicians by featuring a piano throughout the whole track. The downside is that, like the other two before, it's the exact same structure. Catchy intro, build up, strong chorus, repeat; in fact, the formula doesn't change until "We're Breaking Up". A much slower-paced song, it's essentially a ballad. It's placed nicely though. Helping change the pace of the album, it becomes a memorable song. "High Pressure Low" returns back to the catchy rock featured previously. The energy is right up front with this track (which makes sense why it would be released as a single). The next track however, is what makes the album an Against Me! album: the acoustic song. "Ache With Me" is a throwback to the older days of Against Me! and is a powerful song. Lyrically, it's one of the best written by Tom, and the backing acoustics during the chorus are haunting, but fit right in. The song shows that Against Me! still know their roots and can still write intelligent, acoustic tracks like the old days. "Spanish Moss" serves as the follow-up to "Ache With Me", and it's gang "Whoa's" seem like a follow-up that just make sense. It's similar to the other tracks, however, the odd-guitar tone throughout verses helps set it apart. The next track, "Rapid Decompression" is the shortest, fastest song on the album. The intro guitar is very bluesy, and Tom's voice is just as powerful as ever. However, it's not Tom's voice but the guitar that really drives this track home. The album closes with "Bamboo Bones", and it's a good closer. It's a song with a positive message and really shows that while Tom does stumble with some lyrics, he still knows how to write a song with a message.

White Crosses is an odd release. On one hand, the fancy production, the stumbling songwriting, and the annoying "chick-a-chick-ah" aren't really Against Me! at all. But, on the other hand, the album packs so much energy and so much heart into every song, it can't be anyone else but Against Me!. The album itself is solid; as mentioned before, lots of energy. It's unfortunate there's only one acoustic song, the band writes great ones, but, the one that is present is a solid one for sure. And though Tom does stumble, everything needed in an album is here. It may not be perfect or the band's best, but Against Me! sure as hell can play music.

7.5/10

http://totaltreble.bigcartel.com/product/against-me-white-crosses-cd-pre-order

Ten dollars. It's Against Me!, do it. Sure, they've changed their sound a bit, but they still rock. And for cheap.

Hold On, Dodge

Talk about a band that's made waves. A relatively young band, Scranton's Menzingers formed in 2006. Last year, they released the critically acclaimed Chamberlain Waits on Red Scare. The album was considered one of the best of the year, and got them national acclaim. Before that album however, there was this EP.

Released in '09, the five song EP ("Kentucky Gentleman" is a bonus track) is a great one. The Menzingers really have everything going for song-writing ability. Between lyrical content, dual vocals, and great instrument playing, The Menzingers can pay. Not only that, but songs like "Lilith Avi" expand upon the typical punk sound, with a guitar that sounds more like the Dire Straits' "Walk of Life". The last song, "Kentucky Gentleman", is a wonderfully done acoustic ballad and makes a great sing-a-long.

Hold On, Dodge is a great EP. It's short and sweet and gives a great taste of what this band can do. There's not a single bad song on the EP. The only downside is that it's an EP; much too short for the Menzingers.

8/10

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hold-on-dodge/id312441237

Boom. $3.99. Purchase. Now.

I Lied My Face Off

Released in '99 on Asian Man, I Lied My Face Off was Alkaline Trio's fourth release, later re-released on the compilation Alkaline Trio. The band themselves formed in '96 in Chicago, and have been releasing music since then. They've always had a way with words, writing some of the greatest songs lyrically of anyone. Most of their songs pertain to heart-ache and sorrow, and this EP is no different.

Opening with "Goodbye Forever", it's pretty clear that the band knows how to write music. Aside from the great fills provided by drummer Glenn Porter, Dan's bass playing is some of the best he's ever done. Matt's voice in the chorus is so urgent and emotional; it's hard to not sing along. The band plows right on into track number two, "This Is Getting Over You". Driven by another one of Dan's bass lines, the lyrics are, again, fantastic. The spoken line of "this is getting over you" over and over during the bridge really helps this song stick in your mind. "Bleeder" is the poppiest song on the EP, with dual vocals and a more upbeat guitar tone. The singing is much more upbeat too; rather than shout the lyrics with urgency, the song has real singing. "I Lied My Face" is the most heart-wrenching song on the whole EP. The chorus alone could make sad kids cry. Mixed in with the very intense drumming, Matt's guitar work sounds just right.

There really is no downside to this EP. Every song is solid, whether it's the fast paced "Goodbye Forever" or the poppy "Bleeder", the band can play. Not only that, but the lyrics are some of the greatest lyrics written by a band. It's a great EP, but, the band has better songs. That being said, the EP is four solid, tear-jerking songs about lost love, sadness, and ways to cope.

8.5/10

http://www.asianmanrecords.com/basket/alkalinetrio.html

The actual EP is out of print, however, for 10 bucks you can get the collection of early Alkaline Trio. Get it.

Tinnitus

It's tough to find a band as influential as Lifetime. Despite never being on a major label, and never really being that well known, the band has been a countless influence on so many bands. In fact, many bands that have been influenced by Lifetime have gone on to be more influential, i.e. Saves The Day, and the Canadian band Silverstein even covered them. Still, without all of the fame they deserve, Lifetime have made an obvious mark on the hardcore scene with their impeccable albums, Hello Bastards and Jersey's Best Dancers. Before Jade Tree though, Lifetime were a different band. Possessing a darker sound, Ari's vocals weren't as there as on later releases, and the ever-changing line-up didn't help solidify a sound. By the time Tinnitus was released Lifetime had the line-up of Ari, Dan, Dave, David, and Pete, which changed again by the next year. This '94 EP serves as the middle ground between their dark days, and the melodic hardcore the band became known for.

The EP is four solid tracks, each with a distinct feature. The opener, "Isae Aldy Beausoleil" kicks in with a furious amount of energy. Ari has always had distinct vocals, and they're very present in the track. It's a solid opener, a great sing-a-long, but, it doesn't have the same power as the others. "Ferret" comes in as the next track and is one wonderful song. The dual-guitar really helps move the track along, and the lyrics are some of the best. "Don't hold your head up so high/you won't see what's coming next". The song's energy really builds up throughout the track too. The fast-pace returns with "Starsixtynine", one of their most well-known songs, and rightfully so. Dan's shouting, Ari's vocals, and the instruments mix up perfectly. The song itself is an energy-filled burst of melodies, anger, and angst. It shows the direction the band was headed. But, the closer, "Ampersand", the band heads back to their early style; very dark lyrics, a build-up style of playing and Ari sounds like he's close to tears when singing the verses.

Tinnitus is definitely an awkward release for Lifetime. As the bridge between old and new, the EP is put in an odd spot. When stacked up against their old stuff, it seems like something completely different, when up against the Jade Tree-era, it can't hold a candle. But, when looked at as just an EP, it becomes a good release. Four solid songs, all there lyrically, musically; the EP is a good release. However, some of Ari's singing is completely incoherent, which is a shame since the lyrics are wonderful. Also, the band didn't have a solid line-up, so there's not a perfect mesh between all members. Still, being Lifetime, the EP manages to be very enjoyable and most of all; good.

6.5/10

http://jadetree.merchnow.com/products/65271

The EP itself is out of print, but, for 14 bucks you can purchase Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey. It's a collection of all their early stuff. Double CD, 14 bucks. That's 7 dollars per CD. Awesome deal.

Can't Slow Down

Saves The Day; since 1997 the Jersey band’s been touring, releasing records and changing members. Can't Slow Down is the band's first album, recorded back when Chris was still in high school. Upon first listen, it sounds like an exact clone of Jersey counterparts, Lifetime. Though it sounds similar, the vocals are much poppier and cleaner, and the guitar seems to be a lot heavier.

The album itself is full of catchy songs with chorus sing-alongs and gang vocals. The instruments are played quickly, the drumming is precise, and Chris Conley's voice is young and whiny. All of these things create great sounding songs that sound amazing thirteen years later. Songs like "Handsome Boy", "Sometimes, New Jersey", and "Collision" are quick little songs packed with so much energy, you can't help but shout along to it. Other tracks, like "Blindfolded" and "Jodie" are longer tracks that help fill out the album. "Jodie" features a fantastic bass and drum intro, before breaking into a great melodic hardcore track. The tracks on here suffer from sounding too similar. The lyrics aren't quite as "there" as they are with the later tracks, although this could be since Chris was still in high school.

Still, despite the lackluster lyrical content and the generic melodic/Jersey hardcore instrumentation, the album is a solid debut for Saves The Day. While the band may have grown up, and out of being hardcore kids, we're still left with young Chris Conley and company and the fantastic music they can write.

7.5/10

http://equalvision.merchnow.com/products/63594

Ten dollars for this gem. Also, ten dollars for Through Being Cool. Get them both.

The Drama of Alienation

Prior to Lance Hahn's death in 2007, J Church were very busy in the punk scene. Releasing numerous amounts of albums and EPs, appearing on comps, J Church really made a name for themselves. Sadly, Lance Hahn passed away in 2007, but, through his love of music, we have J Church, as well as previous bands, like Cringer. The Drama of Alienation was released in 1996, on Honest Don's. The album is twelve tracks of catchy pop punk, with all but one track under three minutes.

The album opens with "A Simple Gesture", a two-minute pop punk blast that really sets up what the album is to follow. Lance has a very distinct voice that shines over the album, and Gardner's bass is mixed in well. The next song, "Smell it Rot" is a very poppy song, making a more memorable one on the album. The only song over three (it's actually over four), "Santa Cruz", reminds me a lot of Lagwagon. It's a lot slower than the rest of album. It abandons the catchy pop punk on the other eleven tracks, instead focusing on the words and the actual instrument work.

Aside from "Santa Cruz", the entirety of Drama is really catchy pop punk, but, the lyrics are much more in depth than your standard pop punk. The album has introspective lyrics that are very personal. Lance really knew how to write lyrics, and it's really evident on songs like "Alone When She Dies" and the aforementioned "Santa Cruz". This album isn't perfect by any means; the songs tend to follow a really similar structure. But, the band knows how to play their music well, and thanks to Lance's lyrics, J Church really set themselves apart from other pop punks that were around not only at the time, but those that are around today. The album is good, as are the rest of them.

8/10

http://www.fatwreck.com/record/detail/003

Yes. Get it.

At Our Worst

Evergreen Terrace; hardcore from Florida. The band went through a phase of not releasing any new material, and this is one of those albums (except for one track). At Our Worst is a collection of live tracks, demo tracks, and one unreleased song. The first give songs are live songs; which have great sound quality. What's always been good about Evergreen Terrace is their ability to mix Drew's and Craig's vocals together. Though a majority of the vocals are screamed, the clean mixed in is nice. And the screamed vocals aren't completely incoherent either. The live songs are all recorded well, and there's nothing that really over powers in the mix, although Drew's screaming does tend to be a little loud and the bass is slightly soft. Overall, the live tracks are well performed, though "In My Dreams I Can Fly" has some sloppy backing vocals at the start. As with most metalcore bands, the drumming gets redundant, as there only so many things you can do with a double bass pedal...most of it resulting in the repetitive *dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun*.

The unreleased song; "You're Entering A World Of Pain". It didn't make the cut for Burned Alive By Time, but despite this, it remains a solid song. Now the demos. These were all written, according the liner notes, within two months of forming. The result is very forced vocals, off-sounding drums, and rough mixes. The songs still have something to them and are still forceful, they're just not as polished as they could be. Overall though, for being demos, they're good.

Despite having no new material, At Our Worst is a nice glimpse at what the band started as and what they can do live. Instrument wise, the drumming is, as stated before, repetitive. The vocals are sometimes too loud, and the bass can rarely be heard; only when by itself. It's not really a necessity, but, if you are a fan of Evergreen Terrace, it is worth getting, even if only for the awesome cover art.

6/10

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/at-our-worst/id284044870

Enjoy it.

Homeless Wonders

Homeless Wonders seem to be a very obscure ska/punk band from the 90s. Ray and Brandon from Teenage Bottlerocket used to be in the band, but that's about as well-known as they'll get. They appeared on a few comps, most famous of which is Ska Sucks, but aside from that, they're two albums seem to be unknown gems. Their first album, Another One of Those Days featured a horn section. Well, for their self-titled, the band dropped the horns and became what sounds like a cross between the Assorted Jellybeans, American Steel's first album, and their future music outlet.

Most of the songs are generally short, angry songs. Some of the lyrics, like the opener "I Can't Think", are very childish and immature. However, the band does possess some great musicianship, and the vocals aren't too bad. The fourth song, "Progress", is the first one over two minutes. It sounds like a Texas is the Reason influenced track. It's got the dual, strained vocals, and it's loaded with drum fills. It serves as a nice break from three fast-paced punk tracks, but right after though, the band switches back to the straightforward punk. However, it's traded off vocals, but, it sounds a little forced. The voices don't match up well. It's not bad; it just doesn't fit with their style. "Unorthodox" is one of only two songs to be over three minutes, and features a slow build-up into the bands style of heavy pop punk. It's not until about half-way through that the band's vocals actually kick-in, but it's great when they do. This is when everything fits together perfect, and creates a really powerful track that seems to outshine the others. The singing is very earnest and urgent.

The maturity couldn't last forever on the album, as the band reverts right back into the speedy, snotty punk that seems to dominate the album. It's not too bad though; the band does have a solid amount of intros that display the talent they have and their ability to play catchy music. This is especially shown on "Session 11" and "Wimpy", two instrumental tracks. "Session 11" is barely over a minute, and is more or less a taste at what's to come. "Wimpy" is an epic six minute instrumental song, complete with build-ups, outros, and more build-ups galore.

Homeless Wonders; it's a shame a band with so much talent and fun is so forgotten. The album is a nice glimpse at their punk side, with the short songs, their mature side, with "Unorthodox", and their general talent, with their instrumentals. The downside to the album is the annoying intros that plague the last half, as well as how most of the album isn't too mature. All-in-all though, Homeless Wonders is still a good album worth giving a listen to. It's a change from their ska side, and shows the gradual evolution the Carlisle brothers have into the pop punk heroes they are today
.

7/10

http://www.suburbanhomerecords.com/releases/homeless-wonders-st/

There seems to be a very limited amount of physical releases, but, under 10 for a digital copy, not bad

Tiger Army II

Psychobilly is an odd genre; a lot of terrible bands, some good bands. Here we have one of the good bands. Tiger Army formed in the mid-90s in California. Fronted by Nick 13, this album features Geoff Kresge (yes, from the good AFI) playing bass, and London May (yes, from Samhain) on drums.

The album contains a lot of energy from all three members, with Nick 13's distinct vocals present, and Geoff's upright bass possessing a lot of power. The songs are plainly psychobilly, however, a more typical rockabilly sound is laced in (such as "In the Orchard") creating a sort of punk/country mix. The first few songs follow the same pattern, which is a bit repetitive, but, given the bands energy, isn't too bad. The fourth song, "Power of Moonlite", contains a country-tinged guitar bridge, showing the bands vast influences. Track seven, "Cupid's Victim", really shows how well Nick 13 and company can play a standard rockabilly song. Everything about it; Nick's vocals and guitars, Geoff's bass, and London's drumming, really give off that 50's rockabilly vibe, and it's a nice change from the fast-paced psychobilly contained on most of the album. "In The Orchard" is another song that's like nothing else on the album. It sounds more like a country song than anything else, which isn't a bad thing at all. It sounds mainly like a Johnny Cash influenced song; not a bad thing by any means. The following song, "Under Saturn's Shadow" goes right back into the psychobilly, and features vocals courtesy of Davey Havok. Nick's and Davey's voices are remarkably similar and the ability they have to play off each other brings the track a whole new dimension.

Tiger Army, while playing mainly psychobilly, show off their other influences on this album, and the result is an album that separates them from the sea of similar psychobilly. Rather than stick to the usual psychobilly formula, the band makes use of country and standard rockabilly, and it helps them. Nick 13's vocals are fantastic, as are the rest of the instrumentation. Some of the songs drag on a bit, or are just too similar to other ones to stand-out (F.T.W. has some laughable lyrics), but overall, this is a fine album to pick-up for anyone into that kind of music.

6/10

http://www.kingsroadmerch.com/epitaph-records/view/?id=572&artist=168

10 bucks; Epitaph. Good label, cheap price.

Lando

Kudrow; a mix of musicians from pretty well-known bands (Bomb The Music Industry!, Latterman, Halo Fauna) recorded this 7" in 2009. The EP itself is a mix of fuzzy guitar, quickly shouted lyrics, and generally catchiness. "Commutilation!" opens up the EP, and you can tell right away what you're in for. Between the guitar and bass tones, the song reeks of fun. It's a loud, noisy song, but somehow retains the same catchiness you would expect from the band members. The intro to the next track reminds me a lot The Black Lips. The guitar is just as fuzzy as the previous one, however, Jeff's vocals are a lot more clear. This works pretty well with the bass line and backing drums, as does the usual Jeff shouting during the chorus. The song is a stronger one than what came before; however, the solos tend to get a bit annoying.

"Favreau" is the third song, and it's not too bad. Jeff's vocals are clean, and it features a clapping set to the rhythm of the drums, however, it seems to lack the fun as the previous tracks. "Brooklyn Pool" closes, and features a really slow intro, with a slow beat throughout the verse. The song is a really nice way to close the EP which featured speedy, fuzz-filled guitar riffs and shouting vocals. The EP isn't too bad, considering it was recorded live. The overall tone of the guitar gets annoying sometimes, but, the EP is solid, though that's expected from these musicians.

6.5/10

http://quoteunquoterecords.com/qur037.htm

Quote Unquote is an awesome label. Donate some money and pick this thing up.

Roads!...

Young Tom Fury, a four-piece punk band from South Carolina. They play something similar to a more aggressive Promise Ring. The EP is a solid one, with all the instruments and vocals mixed will and pretty spot on. The EP opens with "I'm Still Here Asshole". The dual guitar really sets off what the rest of the album is going to sound like. The chorus is catchy with faint background vocals. The song would have been stronger with the background vocals more upfront, but, it's a good starting point.

"Sixteen Stitcher" is the second song, and it sounds a lot like Finding Westerly. The bass has a "twang" sound, and it meshes in with the guitar very well. The structure is pretty similar to the previous, with a catchy chorus that has the words repeated. It doesn't take away from the song at all; it's just a little similar. "Mixtape Medicine" comes up next, and the vocals are much different. They're cleaner, much more melodic. Even though the chorus is similar, yet again, to the others, the vocals are different enough to keep the song sounding great. The bridge at the end of the song serves as a nice transition into another chorus, as the song fades out and into "Do It Not", which is much harder than the songs that came before. The vocals are angrier, the music is heavier, and there are even gang vocals. "Do It Not" really helps move the EP along by offering up something different. The instrumental outro drags on a little bit, but shows what the band can accomplish with their instruments. The instrumentation continues on into "Rocketship Rebellion" as do the gang vocals. It's a nice song, but the inclusion of the random audio clip is a little cheesy and seems out of place. Roads! closes with "The Wrong Sort", which has the band ditch the gang vocals and return back what they played before. It's a decent song, but, forgettable as the EP comes to an end.

All in all, Young Tom Fury's EP is a solid one. They're all competent musicians and song-writers. The shared vocals help keep things different between songs. Some of the music becomes redundant at times, but overall, a good effort.

6/10

http://www.deathtofalsehoperecords.com/downloads/dtfh056.html

Another from the always awesome label, Death To False Hope. Grab it, it's good.



Castle Songs

Mixtapes have not been a band for long, but they're already become quite popular. Hailing from Ohio, the band plays some catchy pop punk with vocals from male and female. They also mix in acoustic songs with full band. This release is just a two song release from Death To False Help. They're short but catchy songs.

Song one is the very brief "Cause I'm A Genius". It features ska guitar playing backed with a nice bass line. Like I mentioned though, the song is just too brief to get into. The second song though; it's an acoustic number that just makes the listener laugh. "Hey Baby" is a great song on so many levels. The lyrics are hilarious and the guitar is soft and sweet. Castle Songs features two catchy little numbers by Mixtapes, but, it's really hurt by the short length of both. However, even with the short songs, Mixtapes shows that they can write catchy numbers and it's easy to understand why they're gaining popularity. It's a good thing, too.

7/10

http://www.deathtofalsehoperecords.com/downloads/dtfh080.html

Death To False Hope records; super awesome label. Pick it up.

Bakenal

Mischief Brew; Erik Peterson and crew, they're a fine folk punk band in the same vein as Andrew Jackson Jihad, Johnny Hobo, etc. Started in 2000 as solely Erik, it's evolved into a full band. This is EP came out in 2003, and as is typical for Mischief Brew, it features catchy music and searing, intelligent lyrics.

The EP opens with "Devil Of A Time"; the instrumentation of which reminds of something that would play during the introduction of a Disney villain. The song is driven by the drums, playing a sort-of sped up country beat. It's good, but, it doesn't have the same power as other songs by the band. "Rambler's Ghost" is song number two, and starts with much more speed than the previous. Erik's vocals are a lot more strained for this track, and it sounds better. There's not nearly as much drums either; instead the country drums are replaced by a country bass. The way Erik's guitar sounds reminds me a lot of old Against Me!, which isn't a bad thing. The lyrics are well-written too; Erik knows exactly how to tell a story with his words.

The album continues on to "The Drunk of Three Nights", sounding a lot softer than the others. It's an oddly structured song, but, it sounds right where it's placed, however, it sounds pretty similar to "Devil of a Time". "Roll Me Through The Gates" sounds like Mischief Brew. Erik shouting while furiously strumming his guitar. Somehow the mixing on his songs always have the perfect mix of his vocals and his guitar, and it's a good thing. His voice is something to marvel; even though it always sounds like it's ready to crack, it works so well with the lyrics and lyric delivery. "Anti-Lullaby", the last song on the EP, is an acoustic ballad. The intro a slow build up into the singing, which sounds so heartfelt and honest. Even though it is an acoustic song, it still has a lot of power packed into it.

Lyrically, Mischief Brew are experts at writing songs. Musically though, the songs seem to follow a similar song pattern. It's good, but it isn't until later releases that the band really hits their stride. The EP is a solid effort by all accounts, but, with the length of some of the songs, it's easy to get bored with it. There are enough differences between songs to tell them apart, but there's not enough difference to really pick a standout track. It's good, but the band has better.

6/10

The EP is out of print, so, better start checking online.

Turn Up The Punk, We'll Be Singing

Latterman; I don't think any band has spawned more fantastic bands. The band broke up in 2007 and since then have been involved in the likes of RVIVR, Shorebirds, Iron Chic, and every other amazing band post-2007. Latterman also made use of the dual vocals, though it's much more upbeat. Take the first song from Turn Up The Punk, We'll Be Singing for example. "My Dreams About Not Sleeping Until 3 PM" features bass with very light and melodic guitar, followed up powerful vocals. The track really sets off the tone the rest of the album follows. It's catchy, upbeat punk, and it makes you happy to listen to it. "He's A Good Sposato (I Love Ya Blue-Blue)" ups the happy even more, featuring clapping and general fun. Something that impresses me about the band is that they never let up on the energy. Each song has as much packed into it as possible; booming drums, catchy bass lines, and dual vocals/guitars that mesh well together. Some songs may slow down for a bit, "There's No Way "Punk Was Meant To Be Done" (You Clown Doctor)" for example, but then speed right back up. By the time the album gets to "King Tough Is My New Idol", Latterman has you dancing around in excitement and smiling. Every song also features the dual vocals, and it definitely helps them out. The songs have something more to offer. By the time the album's closer comes in, you're day has been made, you're in a good mood, and Latterman have proven themselves to be the happiest band ever.

When listening to any recording by the band, you can tell they enjoy making music and really put their heart into it. It very much shines in this release and it's a great album worth getting. The songs do tend to follow the same structure and have similar instrumentation throughout. If you can get past the similarly structured songs however, the album is worth listening to. Oh, and Latterman will make you happy.

8/10

http://www.deepelm.com/sum/443_sum.html

Reissued by Deep Elm, available for download. Awesome.

Nail Yourself To The Ground

Small Brown Bike, who recently got back together, are a post-hardcore band from Michigan. They feature dual vocals, much like Avail and Hot Water Music, interlaces with very melodic instrumentation. The EP opens with "Trains All Talk", and after a small guitar only intro, has the rest of the band kick in. The bass is heavily focused on for this track, with spacey guitar in the background. It's a nice lead song, but doesn't completely show what the band can do. The next song however, "Fami(liar) to You" really shows what they do. Though the guitar keeps the same spacey tone, the drumming, especially on the intro is completely different. The vocals are also different, sounding more like Braid. This is when the band also shows off their dual vocal abilities. The vocals really complement each other nicely, playing off the differences in styles. The third song drops the spacey guitar tones completely; this is when the band sounds a lot like Hot Water Music but with less gruff vocals. The chorus is very powerful featuring the dual vocals again, this time with more shouting. But, it's not incoherent shouting, it's very melodic shouting.

"So I Fall" is the next song and is an acoustic ballad. The guitar sounds a lot like country; but not bad country. Sort of like when the Replacements had a country influence. It's a slow song, with soft drumming as a back up. It's a great song and offers up something different than the rest of the EP. The band goes back into the post-hardcore melodies with the final cut, "A Table For Four". It starts with a hushed, slow intro, before breaking into the great tunes they can play. It's got the dual vocals again, but this time, they're done differently. Mixed with singing are the same words, but spoken instead. The chorus is another powerful one, with back and forth shouting. The only downside to the song is that it's six minutes long.

All in all, the EP is great. As mentioned, the last song loses it's steam a bit, but is still good. The acoustic track is worth it for the EP alone, but the first three tracks are all good in their own right. Small Brown Bike can really write catchy songs and a great at mixing in separate vocals.

8/10

http://www.noidearecords.com/bands/releases/smallbrownbike_nail.php

It seems to vary between in and out of stock for a physical copy, but there's a digital one, and it's wicked cheap.

24 Hour Revenge Therapy

Jawbreaker; one of the most influential bands of all time. The three-piece mix of Blake Schwarzenbach on guitar/vocals, Chris Bauermesiter on the bass, and Adam Pfahler on the drums played punk music featuring raspy vocals (due in part to Blake's smoking), lyrics filled with passion and emotion, and just generally great tunes. 24 Hour Revenge Therapy is their third album, released in 1994, and was produced by the legendary Steve Albini.

The album opens with "The Boat Dreams From The Hill"; the intro is very bass heavy and the chorus is a very catchy one. Blake's voice is very unique, not many vocalists have a similar one, though they often draw comparisons to The Lawrence Arms and Hot Water Music. "Indictment", the next song, is much softer compared to the previous. The drums aren't as pounding and Blake is softer with his singing. The track shows the variety of ways the band can play. The third song, "Boxcar", is one of their most famous. Following a similar structure to "Indictment", the lyrics are very critical of the punk scene and shows off Blake's lyricism.

When "Outpatient" comes on, the album completely changes. It's verses are much slower than the previous offerings, thought the chorus speeds up. It's driven by a bass line from Chris and features an interesting bridge in the middle that seems to be a mess of noise before returning back to the bass line. For "Ashtray Monument", the band really seems to be working together really well. The instruments mesh perfectly, and Adam's drum fills just fit perfectly. "Condition Oakland" is the longest song on the whole album, and seems to be the most different too. The opening guitar has a very odd tone, and Blake's singing is unlike the rest of the album. The rest of the band also contributes vocals. The Kerouac in the middle of the song read over the bass and drums helps to show the bands influence. Blake is a well-read musician and in incorporating his influences into his songs, isn't afraid to show these influences. The next song is the true "slow song" on the album. It's a very mellow song, with dual vocals. "Ache" features some of the most heartfelt lyrics to any song (Lean your head on mine like you used to/I don't mind if you're faking it). "Do You Still Hate Me?" comes up next as the band continues to show the emotion in their songs. This is another one where all the instruments mesh together perfectly creating a sound that's distinctly their own.

The band slows things down a bit with "West Bay Invitational"; another track driven by the bass. The guitar seems a little quiet during the verses, however, it really picks up, along with the drumming, during the verses. "Jinx Removing" is another great song about relationships; Blake has a tendency to write songs about relationships that anyone can relate to. The album closes with "In Sadding Around". It's another depressing song by Blake, but it seems appropriate to close with album with.

24 Hour Revenge Therapy really shows what a band with emotion and talent can do. Blake's lyrics are intelligent, and the playing by all is done very well. You can really tell that the band took their time to right songs that sounded right and that mixed together well. The production really works for them, showing the raspy voice Blake has and mixing in the bass well. The album is one that can be listened to over and over again without skipping a single song. It's an excellent album.

10/10

 

http://www.amazon.com/24-Hour-Revenge-Therapy-Jawbreaker/dp/B000001BES

10 bucks for the mp3s, 14 for a physical. Get it.

Teaching You The Fear

Really Red formed in Houston in 1978. By this release in 1982, the band had essentially jump started the Houston hardcore scene and toured with some hardcore greats. They seem to be a generally forgotten hardcore band from the 80s (though a song from this EP was on the American Hardcore soundtrack), which is a shame. The band steered away from the typical less than a minute punk blasts and had some very intelligent lyrics.


The EP starts with "I Refuse To Sing", which clocks in at just under three minutes. U-Ron has very distinct vocals' his Southern drawl slightly comes through but to a large extent. His voice is also good; it doesn't crack, like he actually knows how to sing, which is something rare in punk music. Another thing to note of the band is that all the instruments, and now just on this EP, are mixed evenly. You can plainly hear the drums, plainly hear the bass, and plainly hear the guitar, without having one over power the other. The production quality is solid as well throughout the whole album. Robert Weber is a very capable drummer, keeping the rhythm and timing well in the track. John Williams' bass is something to really pay attention to. He knows exactly what to play and knows to play it well. About two-thirds of the way through, Kelly Younger's guitar skills come through, showing that each member is talented on just this track alone. The second song, "No More Art", is a much faster song. The snare rolls in the chorus mix well with the gang vocals, and U-Ron's vocals seem to change for this song, sounding like a less visceral Vic Bondi. The next song continues the gang vocals, this time on the intro and the choruses. They seem to overpower the verses though and do get rather annoying over the two minute song. The next song is arguably their most well. "I Was A Teenage Fuckup" is a really fast paced song, featuring snare rolls and down strokes galore. The words are very repetitive, but for the intended crowd, the lyrics are relate-able and for those listening are easy to sing along to. It's a fun song.

 The EP closes with "Ode To Kurt Kren", one of the few songs Really Red has that's under a minute. It's a loud, fast, short blast of music featuring angry vocals and blistering musicianship. The EP is a good one; it's one of those that stick out after a listen. However, the album's songs all follow the same; albeit one for good tracks. Compared to their albums though, the album just doesn't have the same diversity among songs. The EP is good, but a little redudant.

7/10

 http://www.amazon.com/Really-Red/e/B001LHB2OY/ref=sr_tc_img_2_0?qid=1298917472&sr=1-2-ent

 The EP is out of print, and the discography release is difficult to come across. Worth it if you do.