Music Reviews - September 2003
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With Honor - With Honor
Martyr Records Such a pretty intro... and then BAM! Straight into some harsh voiced fast paced Screamo that’s pretty much the standard for today's so called Alternative bands. These guys were really good live, and were much better sounding in that element than on this 4 song CD-EP. It just sounds like poo to me. Their drummer is one hard hitting motherfucker, and it was on that fact alone that I decided to buy this after seeing them play at The Hammer House. Reminds me of Hatebreed at times, which isn't a good thing. It’s energetic, Metal sounding, very East coast style of music. I really like the song The Mirror... it’s definitely the best song on here. If you haven’t checked these guys out, I’d definitely recommend it to you to make the effort to see them. I think they’re one of the better new bands out there. |
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Billy Talent - Billy Talent
Atlantic Records This is them... the band that was opening up for the Buzzcocks on their last trek through California. I wondered who the Hell they were, and what the fuck they were doing opening up for such an amazing band, and now that I’ve heard this album from Billy Talent... all I can do is still wonder why they got the opening slot. This album is absolute shit. It’s like if you took 311 and crossed them with Rage Against The Machine. Their music is funky and angry. Actually, the more that I listen to this, the more that it reminds me of that stupid band Thursday. Or maybe At The Drive In. In any case, this band didn’t do shit for me live, and on CD they do even less for me. I’m gonna give this CD to my dog Kenny for a new chew toy. That’s about all it’s good for. |
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The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs - Maximum Overdrive
Bomp Records This is a re-issue to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs. This re-release of their first album Overdrive comes with lots of extras, like 3 songs from that recording session as well as the singles they recorded with Cherie Curry and ex-Radio Birdman guitarist Deniz Tek. After reading the liner notes that came with this CD, I gotta totally agree with Frank when he says that the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs were rocking before it was suddenly "cool" to be doing so, before the Hives... before Nashville Pussy... before the Hellacopters... not that they were so original or groundbreaking, but still. Some bands play Rock And Roll because they love it, and some bands play Rock And Roll because they’re trendy fucks who want to be rock stars. The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs play Punk Rock And Soul 'cuz they walk it like they talk it, and this is an awesome release showing the band doing just that. Seek this out immediately and buy it at any cost. |
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T.S.O.L. - Divided We Stand
Nitro Records This album’s OK... nothing they do will ever compare to the Dance With Me LP but this album has a cool feel all of it’s own. Divided We Stand is a very political album, and I guess this is what got Jack Grisham thinking about and un-successfully running to become Governor of California. The album sounds real good, and Billy Blaze on drums adds a good solid base for Ron & Mike to build upon. The music style continues along the lines of Disappear, their previous Nitro Records release, and Jack’s voice has always sounded good to me... I'm a huge fan of T.S.O.L., and I always have been. This release celebrates the fact that T.S.O.L. have been a band for 25 years, and I for one love that fact. If you pop this CD into your computer a cool interview with Jack begins, where he comes off as an apolitical, arrogant apathetic asshole... which is exactly what he is! Believe me... I know. And by the way, what on Earth is Blaze James doing listed on the credits as the "Band Navigator"? Heh heh heh |
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The Mummies - Death By Unga Bunga
Estrus Records They sounded like shit... they looked like shit... they smelled like shit in those road weary, stained costumes they had to wear, but man, once those costumes were on and they became the Mummies... no one could touch them. No one. Simply one of the most amazing bands I ever saw live, this collection covers the entire short career of this phenomenal band from Northern California. Death By Unga Bunga is a mind blowing collection of the bands early singles, compilations cuts and some unreleased live stuff buried at the end. At one time I had most of the Mummies records, and I honestly think that the CD sounds better than any of their vinyl output ever did. You can actually hear the fucking bass on these recordings, and then when you factor in the whole convenience thing of having all this beautiful music on CD, well I guess that just makes this an even more crucial release. If you go to www.themummies.com, you can read all about this amazing band and see a few pictures of the boys in action and learn everything you want to about the band. Hell, I even found the flier that Shane White did to the show that the Mummies played at U-Gene’s on their web site... when Bob Cantu (then of Flipside, now of Razorcake) almost got into a drunken fight with the band. God I miss these guys. Anyways, go out and buy this CD, and support the boys into their perverted old age. |
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Red Hot Chili Peppers - Greatest Hits
Warner Brothers Records I’ve always had a soft spot for these guys. I’ve seen them play or attempt to play a zillion times, from opening up for every shitty punk band that played the Cathay De Grande or Fender’s Ballroom, to seeing them play in huge places as well, with Nirvana opening, and the one thing they never were was boring. I like their early funk-punk stuff with Hillel, and I think that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are an unconventional, creative band... willing to take risks and they’ve carved out a sound that’s uniquely their own, love it or hate it. When you hear a Red Hot Chili Peppers song on the radio you can tell that it's them. This Greatest Hits compilation focuses primarily on the latter day releases from the band, and doesn’t include a single song from anything before Mother’s Milk (I guess they figured that era was covered in The Best Of release, which is a much better compilation to me). Why, there’s even a song on here from One Hot Minute, the album they did with Dave Navarro. Of course it's the single, but what can ya do? The 2 new songs on here, Fortune Faded and Save The Population, are pretty good... they got a good beat and I can dance to them, so that’s cool with me. I’m sure a few songs on this compilation are gonna end up as theme music for some TV commercial sometime soon, but that’s OK, it still won’t change the fact that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are a good band, and this CD only goes to prove it. |
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The New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon
Omnibus Press One of the saddest books I’ve ever read. It’s well written, a very easy read and it contains lots of information on this seminal band, and I think that’s the problem. I found myself reading this book about how the New York Dolls just had to overcome all sorts of adversity and record company bullshit just to play the music that they loved to play, and like I didn’t want to read any farther. I mean I know that it got worse towards the end, but still, to just read about it in black & white like this will break your fucking heart. It’s a wonder that they were even able to get out the 2 albums that they did! This book also comes with what is probably the definitive discography on the New York Dolls, including a full section devoted to Bootlegs, naturally. The band has over 100 known bootlegs, and hopefully more keep popping up from out of the wood work. This band seriously changed my life, from the time I was a kid and I begged my dad to let me stay up and watch them on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, to when I started playing in bands myself. Hats off to Nina Antonia for writing what is for me, the best book about the New York Dolls ever written. Absolutely brilliant. |
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Foo Fighters - Everywhere but Home
Roswell / RCA Records Christmas time bought lots of music DVD’s, and I thought I’d bring a few of the more worthy ones to your attention. Like this Foo Fighters DVD. It’s got over 3 hours of live concert footage, filmed all over the world and includes an acoustic set they played in Washington D.C., which is really good. This DVD also comes with the almost mandatory photo gallery full of shots of the band goofing off when not playing a show and of the band recording in the studio, but it also comes with an excellent audio-only concert CD that was recorded in Iceland, which is killer stuff. The band is playing super fast and obnoxious and the crowd is going nuts for them! Too bad there was no video footage of that. The concert footage from Toronto looks and sounds great, but I had a stoned revelation while watching this particular show. I’m kinda glad I flaked on seeing them when they were just here in Vegas. Man, the Foo Fighters have turned a lot of their songs into arena rock style lengthy jams, like on Have It All, For All The Cows, and of course all the radio friendly hits like My Hero, Everlong & Monkey Wrench. It bored me watching it, and I can only guess how boring it would be live, without a fast forward button. |
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Ziggy Marley - Dragonfly
Interscope Records I’ve never been a big fan of Ziggy Marley. I've listened to his stuff before, but it’s all about Brother Bob to me, but still... for what it’s worth, this record is OK. Ziggy Marley has a lot of talent, but his music isn’t all that good. As a matter of fact, it's just kind of blah to me. It sounds like anything that you’d hear in some college bar band playing on $5 keg night in Anytown, USA. Real poppy, laid back sounding songs with that voice that sounds A LOT like his fathers... which is scary. I'm thankful that he's sharing his love of music with us all, cuz he seems to be having fun doing it. And even when he tries to play some real reggae, like on the song I Get Out or on Shalom Salaam, it shows a glimpse of his bloodline genius. Maybe I’m putting too much on Ziggy Marley's shoulders... maybe I'm expecting too much from him... but when you’re the son of Bob Marley, it’s kinda hard not to. |
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Supagroup - Supagroup
Food Chain Records Man... where the fuck did these guys come from, and why haven’t I heard of them before dammit? lol This is seriously a fucking MONSTER of a kick ass Rock and Roll record, and I’m definitely bummed that I missed them when they played at the Double Down. This record sounds killer, and considering that they used Pro Tools on it, that fact is even more incredible. There’s 2 brothers in this band and they both play guitars, and they were definitely raised on some classic music... I can hear all sorts of influences on here, especially the riff that they "borrowed" from AC/DC's Rock And Roll Singer (they re-named it Rock And Roll Star on this album), but other than those few annoyances, this is still a cool record. It’s got some great songs, lots of hooks, and is real good to listen to. I really like this release from Supagroup, and I can’t wait to hear more from them. |
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Curl Up And Die - ...But The Past Ain't Through With Us
Revelation Records Heh heh heh...it looks funny that Curl Up And Die is on the same page as Ziggy Marley, but that’s just the kind of freak that I am. Anyways, I’ve been waiting a long time for this EP to come out, and I’m finally glad that it’s here. Curl Up And Die deliver 6 songs that are just soooo beautiful to listen to that it’s not even funny. Except for that last song, God Is In Heaven…, man... that song is like a nightmare raga that just don’t end. I didn’t care for that song at all, but the rest of this CD, it’s awesome. I finally know the name of that song I like that they’ve been playing live all the time (Nuclear Waste ? Bring That Shit !...). I know these guys get compared to Converge a lot, especially because of their producer Kurt Ballou, but I don’t see or hear it myself. Matts guitar sound on here is thick... Mike’s vocals are as sick as ever... Gus actually plays his bass on this EP, instead of just thrashing riffs out... and Jesse, well... Jesse is an amazing drummer. This is a great release from Curl Up And Die, and it shows that the potential is there for this band to excel to even greater heights. |
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Supersuckers - Motherfucker's Be Trippin'
Mid-Fi Records Fuck yeah! It’s the long awaited return of the Rock and Roll Punks the Supersuckers!!! Long forgotten is their little foray into country & western music (which wasn’t half bad, actually). Instead Motherfucker’s Be Trippin’ finds the band back to sounding like a cross between Thin Lizzy & Motorhead, with a touch of the Ramones for good measure (especially in Eddie Spaghetti’s lyrics), and I for one couldn’t be happier. I’m always blasting The Evil Powers Of Rock And Roll, and this one is almost in the same category... notice how I said almost? Motherfucker’s Be Trippin’ sure does sound better than that album though, and on songs like Are You Ready?, Someday I Will Kill You and Rock And Roll Records (Ain’t Sellin' This Year) the Supersuckers just fucking rock the fuck out and make no apologizes for any of it. The guitars sound killer (Jesse says it’s the Zinky heads that they use) and on a song like Goodbye, the guitars sound like a well oiled machine... running wide open in 4th gear. Fucking beautiful. The Supersuckers are playing here in February... by any means necessary go and see this band... you won’t regret it. |
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Give Up The Ghost - Love American Style
Bridge Nine Records Wowsers! Some Screamo-Hardcore music that sounds really crunchy and has lots of interesting changes and sounds going on... I can dig it! Never heard of this band before, but I'm glad I got this. it's recorded really good and the singer sounds like the dude for Sick Of It All but better! Some great break downs on here that will have the kids swinging their arms around acting all tuff and shit. The Title song is really fucking good... singing something about blowing up small towns that go nowhere. Second song is good, but I didn't care for the last song on here (You And Me)... too 'Metal' for me dooood. Actually, it reminds me of Korn... boooooooooo. Anyways, good release from Give Up The Ghost. Can't wait for the full length to come out. |
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Primus - Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People
Interscope Records I was so disappointed when I plopped this into my CD player in my car. Musically it's poor. But it is a kick ass CD in a way, if you consider that when you buy this CD you also get a bonus DVD that features every video that Primus ever did, and it also contains some amazing live footage, both from their early days in the small clubs to their acid trip live arena shows, fucking beautiful stuff. I’m telling you that you gotta go out and get this release. I was majorly hyped to finally be able to see all of the Primus videos at once, and the live stuff is on the DVD is simply amazing. Musically, this release features the original classic Primusline up of Les, Tim and Ler, and it’s not a good thing. Lengthy, uninteresting jams that go nowhere and just had me scratching my head and going "Huh?". I’m a major fan and I couldn't find one good song that was on this CD, and believe me, I tried! They all bored me to tears. Maybe I didn’t take enough drugs. Maybe I took too many drugs. But the funny thing is, you never used to have to take drugs to listen to Primus... and now you do. And that’s sad. |
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MXPX - Before Everything And After
A & M Records Now I don’t know fuck all about this band, and I don't know why I was sent this, but I had a really bad feeling from just looking at the cover alone.MXPX are like the trendiest, most totally safe playing band I’ve ever heard, and that says allot. It’s like the stuff that 12 year old girls think is cool and "Punk". The singer sounds a lot like Dave Grohl, especially on the song Brokenhearted, and I don't think it's an accident. There’s some interesting sound things going on in here, but then it just ends up as another crappy alternative song. I mean, Quit Your Life sounds like a Dashboard Confessional song! lol Some of these songs sound like they could of come off a Blink 182 CD, and that’s not good. And Kings Of Hollywood is such a bad song with the cheesiest words I’ve ever heard. It’s really really sad that people listen to this. I guess if your 12 and think Good Charlotte is just the coolest thing ever, then you might like this MXPX album. My only question is... if you are one of those Hot Topic Mall Punks who think that, what the fuck are you doing reading my web site. Get the fuck out of here! Take your pre-pubescent eyes elsewhere, damn you! |
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Bullet Train To Vegas - Profile This
Letterbomb Records Man, this is a really good album... EP... whatever. Take a healthy dose of Gang Of Four... add some Nomeansno into the mix... a little Shellac... throw in some Screamo for good measure and you have Bullet Train To Vegas. Love the back up singer... dude screams his head off! My CD or the insert is labeled wrong, but that song Bedding With Swine (or is it called This Heart Could Crush You?) is Beautiful... like Music for a Bad Dream. Easily my favorite song off of this album. The other songs aren't as good as that one, but there's lots of time changes and stop/starts to keep you from getting bored. Great album. Check it out. Not too many bands playing now that I like, but I like Bullet Train To Vegas, especially after seeing them live. |
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