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CD reviews from issue 9
Full of thick guitars, punchy bass and BIG drums, it is a good thing that Cave In spent some time in the studio perfecting their major label debut. It is a great record with hard melodies that are subtle in places and rolling and crashing drums. Never a band to stay in one place too long, the growth factor here is upped big time as these songs feature the band's most mature songwriting and arranging. The two singles "Anchor" ('Are you safe to leave behind?' asks singer Stephen Brodsky) and "Inspire" really are the two best tracks in the current arsenal with the dirgey ballad "Beautiful Son"(with some beautiful guitar passages) and "seafrost" running close by. There is a special edition that contains a DVD that is well worth tracking down. 
When "Automatic" plays in my car stereo, I have an irresistable urge to drive 110 miles per hour, blowing through the crowded L.A. streets without looking back. The speeding bass lines and non-stop thunder of drums gets my adrenaline rushing like a straight injection of caffeine. The energy and power pakced into each of the 12 songs comes not only from the streamline music they've created, but seeps from the vocals of Kevin Cole who rattles my rib cage with his cries of defiance. Kevin Prunty isthe hardest working drummer in the music business today, with his continuous drum rolls, spontaneous fills, and relentless beat. The clean, sharp and precision bass playing of Michael Dolan gives every song a rolling pyschobilly touch and intensifies the racing feeling on tracks like, "Way of the Devil" and "Nightmare." The instrumental "Apache" makes the perfect background music for screeching off into a desert sunset. "Automatic" is a Mustang G.T. supped up on pure rock n roll. 
Good Riddance is back with another powerful CD produced by Bill Steveson feom All, Descendants and Black Flag fame. Good Riddance have been putting out freat music since 1995 but have been playing around the scene since 1986. These guys sing and play with such passion their lyrics range from politics to social life. These guys don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk. They give a lot to different charities and support the underground scene. 
Felt brings a little something for almost every type of music fan on Desert Center, as long as your taste is not limited to the redundancy of commercial radio rock. This is a band for music lovers, with diverse collections and a taste for history's classics. Felt is a band of five individual music lovers, not money-driven hit-makers. The result; an eclectic mix of styles from a score of musical influences including The Beatles, Radiohead, AC/DC, Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick, Dada, and Jeff Buckley, just to name a few. Felt's debut release is a reinvention of pop style. From piano ballads like "Here is Nowhere Now" to foot tapping, "Travis Bickell Day", Felt is upping the bar on music quality with a constantly creative approach to song format. Originality and uniqueness in the Felt style is evident by the song "Killing Time" which features a harpsichord solo mixed with the guitar and drums of a traditional rock song. Every track has picturesque story telling and poetic emotion. The keyboards compliment the message, and add a layer of complexity that differentiates this band from many other. Songwriters Mark Wein and Scott Fancisco weave tales of self-realization and discovery with the metaphors of desert life and travel. This is the artistic outlet of five, well-rounded music fans, and their finished product is a tight mosaic of all their favourite sounds and strongest talents. 
Dry River Fishing Has to be one of the most brilliant new releases I've heard this year. This band is great. Their lyrics are very political, personal and intelligent. No Choice sounds a little like Stiff Little Fingers, Bad Religion, Naked Raygun and classic Dag Nasty, but they also have their own unique sound. No Choice comes from the UK and have been together since 1981. 
OK now I have got to go buy a soccer ball and a case of Guiness and go play some football. The Business have been around longer than most punk/oi bands, they've played with bands like Blitz, The Exploited, GBH, etc ... All 12 songs on this disc are classic Street Oi!/Punk. On Hardcore Hooligan, The Business sing about Football, hanging with the boys and drinking my favorite beer Guiness. This disc should be in every Punk/Oi! Hooligan's collection. Cheers mates 
With 29 tracks you'd think the law of averages would be that there are a few songs that suck, but when I put this CD in on the way home from the post office, I almost wrecked a couple times trying to find the cover to see "Who's this? What band is that??" It starts off with an assault by D.O.O. with "Fuck the Badge", then tears through bands like Custom Made Scare, Los Creepers, Speedbuggy, Calavera, Union 13 and so many more head-splitting tracks, this CD makes me proud to be from within the LA county lines. 
Somewhere in Surf Heaven there is a mythical jukebox where all of these seven-inch records reside. A few of the tracks contain organ and raunchy sax and are played by top-notch session musicians so fans of any sort of vintage, exotic music will love this. Broken down into three short and sweet discs, each one contains twenty songs that are about two minutes long so the discs don't wear out their wlecome. Disc one BIG NOISE FROM WAIMEA! is the best bet for the budget concious buyer. Never ones to skimp on the booklets and photos Sndazed have really outdone themselves on the pakcaging for these three gems. The fold out notes contain such fun items as a surf production primer by industry guy/Manson survivor Terry Melkcher, the Trashmen spilling the secrets of their trademark sounds and a tribute to three track mono recorders just to name a few. Pure surf euphoria from the likes of the Surfaris, the Challengers, the Royal coachmen and many others. 
I Farm has a new fan. I hdan't heard of these guys before throwing in "Lying to Be Popular" and I was completely blown away! These guys site influences such as Dillenger Escape Plan, Suicidal Tendencies, Converge, Nomeansno and Mr. Bungle (in an interview on www.pastepunk.com) - creating an aural assualt of punding drums, weird stops and time changes blended with choruses and an overall hardcore sound that's familiar. I would personally add a similarity to Refused and anyone that liked "The Shape of Punk to Come" will eat up this new I Farm disc. To add to the power and intricacy that will stimulate your ears, I Farm are also a politically charged DIY ethic band without a soap box. I Farm's subtle and even esoteric lyrics are worth a read as they add to the complexity of their approach. Some song titles to the point: "Shut Up and Read", "Other Faces/Other People are Hell", "If I Ran the Zoo", "Wills from Without" and "If You Don't Watch Your Fingers You Can Type Faster" 
Wow I thought it was 1982 when I put this CD on! These guys have the old school sound, thier songs reminded me of GBH meets Battalion Of Saints. These guys really rock and are very powerful. They sing about things that really matter like War, Death and the American Dream... or Nightmare. I strongly recommend this CD it's a classic. Keep up The Havoc. 
Sultry, salient, beguiling, enchanting; there just isn't one perfect adjective to describe, not only the looks, but the vocal flair of the captivating Devil Doll. In 18 songs she takes you through a wide spectrum of musical class. Her caressing croons will float down your spine on romantic and heartbreaking tracks like "Walk With Me" and "It Was Raining." "Queen of Pain" with its organ and horn backing brings the feeling of a small, barely lit club and the smell of whiskey and cigarette smoke right through the melody. The opening chords of "Bourbon in Your Eyes" set the seen for a swanky burlesque review, and as the song builds and falls with sexy saxophone stresses, the playful piano punctuates every imaginable hip-bump and shake. But it's not all lounge and sex appeal. The sweet songstress easily gives way to an angry, aggressive tigress that you'd be sorry to scorn. "Liquor Store" starts with Chuck Berry-esque riffs and swings along on 50's blues beats as she belts with a snarl, "five me a hard time I'll spit in your eye/cuz I just want a drink, and that's it, and I ain't takin' no one's shit/so get your hand off my ass, you think I'm bitch?/man you ain't seen nothin' yet!" Devil Doll's vocal range and classic beauty makes her the quintessential lounge singer and rock n roller all in one. The emotional level in the music and lyrics makes every song on this album a pleasure to enjoy over and over again! 
Splits and compilations are always my favourite kinds of albums. I think it's the mixing of sounds that even two bands labled 'punk' can have. And the coolest new split to slide into my cd player is Seven and Seven, a mixing of the Out-Ons and Deadbeat Sinatra. The Put-Ons lead the album with seven foot-tapping ditties reminiscent of the poppy punk of the 70's, but with all the originality and spunk of a new generation. With almost three years as a band under their belt, the Put-Ons are not the typical hardcore punk band that Orange County is famous for. They have a cleaner, more upbeat feel. In the last seven tracks on this split, the happy-poppy feeling fades into a more aggressive, Agent Orange meets X kind of style as Deadbeat Sinatra takes control. In its seven songs, the Los Angeles based band changes style, but never intensity. You experience straightforward and heavy punk rock of "Baby Doll" followed shortly after by the go-go backbeat of "Do the Monster." Both bands pay tribute to infulences, the Put-Ons covering Billy Idol's, "From the Heart" and Deadbeat Sinatra rockin' out to "Chinese Rock" by the Ramones. The Put-Ons and Deadbeat Sinatra are a refreshing change from the pointless, style-less bubble punk coming from the commercial corner. One shot on some major radio station, and these bands would blow all the rest right off the airwaves. 
One of the original Los Angeles punk bands was Los Plugz lef by Mexican perofrmer Tito Larriva. They had a real sense of rock n' roll, style and mature street smarts that was appealing to all fans of real rock music. The Dragons may prefer a comparison with the Heartbreakers but the fact of the matter is that the Dragons are from California and have two Mexicans, a White boy and and Asian in the band. The Plugz were two Mexicans and a White boy and hung out in Hollywood. The Heartbreakers were Irish/Italian hoods and would-be hoods from New York and you weren't really invited to their party after the gig unless you were a miserable sewer rat bearing gifts that came in small bundles. The Dragons are a different kind of good time rock n' roll band. From their sense of rock n' roll style and coolness they radiate a certain sense of accessibility that a lot of the coolest bands have. "Hey bartender! Line up the shots of whiskey. We playin' Toledo tomorrow night and I wanna have a good time before we gotta hit the road." Moving from Junk to Gearhead was a sensible move for the band in that they are at another label that understands them and celebrates the rock n' roll they specialize in. The nice Latin rhythm of "Tragedy" and the dark "Claire" are nice flavors alongside the punk rock n' roll normally associated with the Dragons. The solid rythms of Jarrod on drums and Steve on bass propel the band like a steam engine. Ken's lead playing is tasty and Mario's vocals are strong. The new batch of songs shows a growth without losing any of the band's rock n' roll essence. The aforementioned "Claire" could be a crossover hit for the band but for its slithering dark nature. Many bands claim to be Stones influenced punk rock n' roll but the Dragons are the authentic article.
In some ways Cooker's sound is similar to bands like Big Drill Car and Husker Du with some tasteful hardcore stylings thrown into the mix as well. They are accomplished musicians and don't let the fact that they are a punk band inhibit their playing. Songs like "Blinded" and "Her Fixx" are pretty great rock songs without losing any punk energy. With a thick guitar sound and sometimes shaky but sincere harmony vocals, Cooker will satisfy your yearnings for mature punk rock. Disc also contains live tracks. 
Two bands, twelve tracks and a whole lot of talent make Six Shooter a CD that will stay in my collection. The first six tracks showcase Speedbuggy's high energy and versatility, with singer Timbo's honeytonk vocals and an assortment of folk instruments (mandolin, accordian, etc.) combining to produce a modern jamboree experience. One question - what sounds does a taquito make? Wait, don't answer that... The last six tracks featuree the very tight and clean sound of Black Monday, with Jorge Rosa's raspy vocals fronting the musical charge produced by Rusty, Dave and Herman. These guys work hard, and the proof is in the pudding. Excellent production makes the bands' live kick come through loud and clear, with this CD giving you the feeling that the guys are putting on an intimate show just for you. Hell, that don't suck! 
This CD came out in May 2003, but if you haven't heard it yet, at least cruise to the Kung Fu site and DL an MP3. Call it "Russian Coldfusion", call it Power Pop, call it Art Rock, call it Tuna Salad, but "Spending Time on the Borderline" is one of the most original cool collection of songs you will have heard in a while. These kids from Pasadena have been rocking together since High School, all the while working up to what might be the best Pop record of 2003 you haven't heard yet. And it calls to wonder why, considering Rivers Cuomo brought them along for two nationwide Weezer tours in 2000-2001 before they were signed and there's the internet fan base including www.ozmafans.com. The Weezer sounds might be the first thing you hear (in the vocals as well as the general song writing approach), but keep listening because Ozma is the shiny gold ring in a pile of homogenized "punk" and "pseudo metal" musical poop that is today's music. You'll find originality and creativity from song to song. 
Dust off your mod suit and lace up those dancing shoes, because The Agenda is here with a 'Shake, Shake, Scream' to reinstate your love for hip-shaking R&B! Reminiscent of early British rock like the Rolling Stone and The Faces, The Agenda combined the bluesy sounds of early rock, with the Detriot garage rock of the same era. The result, is a soulful-hard rock with so much vigor, you need the Energizer Bunny as your go-go dancer! Crashing cymbols battle bang after bang of the kick drum while lead and bass guitars slilp and slide along. Start the Panic does indeed heighten the sense, puts a spring in your step and sweat on your brow. With titles like, "Crash! Crash!" "Hot Pants!" and "Last Chance For Action" it's clear The Agenda are a non-stop, lust ridden, rock n roll show blowing through town for nothing but ruckus and womanizing. It is ready so shake the blues and boredom from your feet, right out through your ears! It's guaranteed to turn any event into a backyard dance off. 
Matchbook Romance shoot out of the gate with thier first full length "Stories and Alibis" with the sound of a mature band that has been rocking the punk/emo sound for years. In fact, these kids just came up in 2001 (calling themselves The Getaway) but fully took advantage of the marketing opportunities on the web, pushing their music on message boards, MP3.com ... you name it. Then Mr. Brett at Epitaph gets a hold of one of their tracks and flys them out to LA to sign a deal which resulted in the name change and their EP "West for Wishing". Then the Warped Tour, then a European tour with the Ataris, then the full-length "Stories and Alibis" (produced by Joe Carresi - Queens of the Stone Age, Pennywise, Weezer, The Jesus Lizard, Melvins)... you get the idea. Matchbook Romance has had a relatively quick rise and you could say it's because they've worked hard or you could say it might be because their sounds is "in demand" now with the Ataris on the radio (and even being played in baseball stadiums over the summer), Thrice, the Used, etc. The production and musicianship on "Stories and Alibis" are full and strong. The lead-track catches your ear right away - interesting arrangements and powerful sound. "She'll Never Understand" is a SoCal sounding pop-punk track (not bad for some NY kids). You might become uninterested, though, at times unless you're down for that semi-whining sometimes screaming emo/pop-punk vocal approach which might get some young girls feeling warm and fuzzy all over but which would make your hard working street punk want to break something. "Stories and Alibies" has its strengths and the sounds is definitely accessible (it's not hard to picture the dollar signs in Gurewitz' eyes when he heard that first MP#), but, at the end of the day, there's something to be said for longevity, hard work and multiple efforts before a band hits the fast track. Coming soon! Look for Matchbook Romance on MTV2, "the OC" and car commercials ... 
Hilarity. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes have swirled together yet another classic collection of poppy punk covers of weird songs that haven't seen the light of day in year - and rightly so. NOFX bassist Fat Mike, Lagwagon singer/guitarist Joey Cape, No Use for a Name guitarist Chris Shifflet, and Lagwagon drummer Dave Raun are fronted by the "previously world famous white R&B artist" Spike Slawson. Together they have been doing pop-punk covers of bad 60s and 70s songs ranging from Neil Diamond and John Denver to Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens. "Take a Break" is new, refreshing and forward-thinking as the guys unearth cheesy 80s and 90s songs from Seal, Sinded O'Connor, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, R. Kelly and more. 
What can I say? I'm just a sucker for a band with a shtick. So if you're headin' off to see the Lords of Altamont, lace up those Harley boots and dust off your colours, because this band is ridin' in and Hell's coming with them! To Hell With the Lords, the band's first full-length release has been a part of my record collection for almost a year now, but I haven't tired of its 12 tracks of thrashing, melodic, b-movie biker style rock n roll. It's full of foot tapping, hip-dipping back beats married with go-go inspired organ melodies. Feed it all through a fuzz pedal and you have a Mudhoney meets Murder City Devils style garage rock band with simple, catchy party anthems reveling in one night stands and rockin' all-nighters. There are the butt-shaking remnants of front-man Jake Cavaliere's previous band, The Bomboras, but rather than fun in the sun, it's more like having your beach blanket bingo bash crashed by the Straight Satan's! 
Two releases chronicling the Johnny and the Tennessee Two performing live on television broadcasts from Compton, California in 1958 and 1959! As stated in the rich liner notes this Johnny Cash is loose and rowdy compared to the sullen "Man in Black" he would later become. Cash dressed in flashy outfits, cracked wise with the crowd and rocked out like a demon. With rip-snortin' back-up by Luther Perkins on "boom-chucka" GIT-tar and Marshall Grant on the slappin' bass, these real rockablly recordings should satisfy every fan of Cash, Coutnry and rebel Rockabilly. Highlights on "1958" include a rowdy "Get Rhythm", an early run-through of "Dont's Take Your Guns to Town" and the heartfelt spiritual "It Was Jesus". The sound quality is actually much better that could be expected from a television broadcast in the late-fifties. Johnny's voice is way up there and the band's unique string percussion is right in your face. "1959" adds a drummer to the band for a thicker sound with great versions of "I Got Stripes", "Frankie's Man Johnny" (where the girls go crazy!) and "Folsom County Blues". 
Oh my god I haven't heard a band who does such a great job with 70's style punk. This record is great, it gets your ass moving and you think you're back in 1976. The vocals and music sounds so clean these guys are The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Ramones all rolled up in one. I highly recommend this disc to anyone who loves the bands listed above. This is Punk Rock at it's best. |
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Varla #11 is OUT NOW! Tiger Army, Monster Magnet, The Black Halos, The Bronx, The New York Dolls (show review), Wasted UK Festival coverage and ... OH yea... plenty of the Varla models.  See Neil Heddings, Brian Patch, Omar Hassan, Mark Partain, Dave Ruel, Lance Mountain, Jake Piaseki, & Benji Galloway, just to name a few, shredding pools around Cali. The soundtrack includes legendary punkers, Duane Peters and the Hunns, D.I., The Dimwits, and many other punk and hardcore skater bands. Click here to see some video clips and buy it! |
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