Columns - "The Landing Party" 09.07.03

CONTACT-------TAKE OFF!!!!
 
Send stuff to the party for the party TO party..... Heres my personal snail mail address you no good for nothing dumb-chit’s....
 
Shawn Abnoxious c/o The Neus Subjex PO Box 18051 Fairfield, Ohio. 45018-0051
 
Prologe #1:
 
At the race track... Horse racing. none of that fucking NASCAR shit here...I’m with my supervisor from work and The Juice By Jerry. It was about the fifth race when I switched my stratagy from playing three horses EXACTA BOX to playing just two horses SHOW/PLACE . Juice looks to me and sez : "You know, Charles Bukowski would fail you if he was a college professor for placing SHOW bets..."
 
Bukowski. The whole reason whay I came this day. Bukowski. I never been to the track but read about it enough in Bukowski stuff that when my supervisor asked me to tag along on a Saturday afternoon, I accepted the challenge. My supervisor is alot like Bukowski. I will refer to him only as J.R.M.; JRM has had a VERY INTERESTING life and still does. He has smoked, drank whiskey, chased women, and bet on horses for the better part of his life. To me and The Juice, JRM IS Bukowski....
 
I been doing pretty good for my first time at the track. I hit two EXACTA BOXES right away, lost a third but also had a horse SHOW so It wasnt all in vain. I respodned to The Juice by saying "yeah, that might be so but I think Chuck would be even mroe glad that I made it to the track".
 
"Yeah, your right" said The Juice... "Now who do you like in the 7th?"
 
Prologe #2
 
The Setting: Sitting around watching TV on a thursday night; something about a chick with cystic-fibrosis dying. im trying to make myself cry on command (again) using the story as a catalyst.
 
Andy Assault-Rifle: Sometimes I look at my economic status and really feel like a loser.
 
Shawn Abnoxious: Your not a loser...
 
Andy Assault-Rifle: I broke up with my girlfriend, havent had a job in a month, owe people money.... I dont have any money to go drink on or buy records with....
 
Shawn Abnoxious: Your not a Loser! Andy, Dont EVER let anyone call you a loser for anything! Especially all of that chit! You, your a classic Go-Nowhere!!!! You might not think it but there is a difference. You have your spot, you ahve your independence and you like it... Your happy no matter how you try to convince me and others your not. You dont want to go ANYWHERE and with the current state of ‘society’ who can much less blame you!.... Your now a loser and dont ever settle for that. Remember, your a GO-NOWHERE. Show some fucking pride...
 
Andy Assault-Rifle: Hey, is there any of that Miller High Life left in the refrigerator?
 
Prologe #3:
 
Setting: Outside the back entrence of Sudsy Malones Rock and Roll laundry. Night-time.
 
Girl: Come home Mike!
 
Mike: I’m not coming home!
 
Girl: Oh, you’ll be begging! You’ll be begging! ......Be BEGGING to come home!
 
Mike: What makes you think I want to go home with a bitch like you?
 
---Then I went Inside...
 
_________________________________________
 
WELCOME to the Landing Party. As promised this landing is PACKED with reviews. I went on and on in the last LANDING about how I was in the process of re-worlking the ABNOXIOUS MUSIC PITH SCALE to bring about a scale that was adaptable and comprehensive for primarily ZINES and MUSIC and really, it was much easier than I thought. in fact, I just began writing this intoduction just after re-working the MUSIC PITH SCALE into what I am now calling THE SHAWN ABNOXIOUS SCALE OF PITH. In case your wondering, using my thesaurus for the word PITH I get other words like gist, heart, essence, soul, root, core...So, THE SHAWN ABNOXIOUS SCALE OF PITH is a register of ESSENCE, SOUL, something to measure signifigance by... I could just as easily put these reviews in the Blank Generation main reviews page, without my PITH SCALE but its that same side of me that enjoys sports pages for STATISTICS that pushes me to have my own way of stacking one band or one zine up against the other, despite what being said reveals: TRUE WORTH. bear with me and my ramblings... Before I lose your interest lets get on with the REVISED scale. I will use this scale to measure ZINES and MUSIC. In the near future, Look for movie reviews maybe... I dunno. Im likeing the way this is looking form here...
 
THE SHAWN ABNOXIOUS SCALE OF PITH
 
1 >>>>>> Horrid. A Waste of time, effort and money
 
2 - 3 >>>>
 
Not much to offer but some bad is better than other bad.
 
4 - 5 >>>>
 
A Few Redeeming Qualities; A couple good points. Not a compelte connection though. So-So.
 
6 - 7 >>>>
 
Interesting. Some of moments are better than others. A Score of 6 or 7 isnt a bad score, but also non-essential to ones life. Take it or leave it for what you will. Whereas one could say a release scoreing this SHOULD be on your list, it wont get TOP FIVE priority status from someone like me.......
 
8 >>>>>> Above average. More good points than bad here. And the bad isnt really all that ‘bad’, maybe interest wanes from time to time but nothing all serious... An eight is a good score! Is this a must have? Maybe.... If you have the bucks.
 
9 >>>>>> Very interesting. Very strong release... Lots of ‘great’ points. I Suggest you get a copy.
 
10 >>>>> Go and get one NOW! A MUST-HAVE! Changes perceptions and creates new definitions.
 
 
 
HOT HOT HEAT
 
"Make Up the Breakdown"
 
Subpop/Sire :::: www.subpop.com ::: www.hothotheat.com
 
Quirky new wave here. I really want to like this band, and Im not sure why I dont. I got one of their early CDs and it was OK. I mean like nowhere near as good as this, and let me say it early, this disc aint all that and a forgotten depot of WMD in the Iraqi desert. I get the feeling that HOT HOT HEAT are to 2003 what JOE JACKSON was to 1981; at first you think its groundbreaking but you been fooled. Nothing about this band is groundbreaking. What they do, other bands do better. If you want some GREAT shit, go get Q and Not U... Dont get the wrong impression, I like this disc. I mean, I seen the video for "Bandages" on MTVs SUBTERRANEAN and I liked it. That song is really good. So is "Naked in the City Again" but other than that this disc is only MILDLY interesting. I guess what it boils down to is this band is a bit to PREDICTABLE and SAFE when they try to show you that they are otherwise.... PITH RATING: 6
 
GREEN FORMICA TABLE
 
"Net WT 16oz (1LB) (453g)" CD-R
 
(Self-Released) ::::
 
I think if Andy Warhol was alive today he would spend the majority of his time in some luxurious RV traveling the interstate highways from one end of North America to the other. Being on the road is very ‘pop art’ if you think about it; all the fast food chains and billboards, all the truck-stops, all the rest areas...Its all surreal. You see, I think Andy Warhol would agree with me in saying art isn’t what you necessarily DO, that PART OF IT, but art is mostly made up of what you NOTICE. Garbage is JUST garbage until you think of it as ART. Then, that garbage is art, no matter what you do. In short, keep your eyes open! Art of the Sonic variety is no different. Here you have a Louisville quartet, GREEN FORMICA TABLE that really knocks me for a loop. As you can see, this is a CD-R made BY the band.. its composed of four "very rough mixes" of an up and coming full-length that the band sez will be out in the fall. its pretty damn cool though, really. I mean SOME of these songs I have on a ancient demo of theirs but since those dark ages, when they were drums, and guitars ONLY. They have since added a bass player. It really evens out the sound too. What they had before was FINE but now, the guitars can really go off and flex to their up-most ability. Vocal duties are traded off with the three original members of the band with one being the fem drummer, Salena who I discovered recently can out drink the band at a ratio of nearly 2:1! If you MUST have a starting point, I am going to say.... THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. Green Formica Table are soft, but edgy... They are multi-layered and delay ridden. I am lucky to know such bands like this one. Im lucky to have seen them as much as I have. bands like this are MY heroes. And MY heroes dont have flags, they have self-made CD-Rs and they gots somes plans! Of all the ‘sounds’ or whatever that hit on the radio or wherever, I have MY OWN place.... I have MY OWN bands... I have MY OWN reality. In my opinion, in my definition, GREEN FORMICA TABLE are TITANS. You, YOU! You get it or you dont. No bother to me. I doubt your intelligence in such matters as bands like this. PITH RATING: 9
 
SIDE NOTE: At a Recent UNION of GFT and I, the band gave me a handful of these CD-Rs to distribute as i see fit. if you would like one, Send $2 to me and I will send you one (as long as supplys last). Send money to: The neus Subjex Po Box 18051 Fairfield, ohio 45018
 
TAXI "Like a Dog" CD
 
$11ppd from Deadbeat Records PO Box 283 LA, CA. 90078 :::: www.dead-beat-records.com :::: deadbeatrx@aol.com
 
In true tradition TAXI; an Italian band, unleashes eleven dittys of pure Killed by Death type punk bringing to mind a mix between UK’s VIBRATORS, Boston’s UNNATURAL AXE and as the dead-on press release sez, Sonny Vincent’s TESTORS stuff... DeadbeatRecords: a label OF the pros FOR the pros... TAXI have some real ragers on this one, with most of the songs (all except for two) sang in ENGLISH for your needs of comprehension. The songs of Like a Dog are mean, loud, and bleeding raw. Taxi is the kind of band you put on when you wake up on a Monday morning, call in sick and send for a 12 pack of cheap beer. You put on a disc like this and just pound one right after the other until even Jerry Springer is no longer comprehensible. Like a Dog is a soundtrack for go-nowheres NATION-WIDE!!!! I am partial to "Rabies is a Killer", the drink-a-long masterpiece of "Slot Machine" and "Cheater".... and I thought 77 re-vivalist punk rock was dead! Shame on me! Ohh-wa! PITH RATING: 8
 
THE SMUT PEDDLERS "Ten Inch" (Advance CD-R ‘Demo’of a) 10"
 
(Vinyl Release)
 
$8 ppd from Deadbeat Records PO Box 283 LA, CA. 90078 :::: www.dead-beat-records.com :::: deadbeatrx@aol.com
 
I really wanted to like this one because Deadbeat Records sends their promos out in bunches of three.... I got The Knockout Pills, and Taxi along with this and was looking for a ‘tripple’ to go down but it just wasnt ment to be. If you like New beach punk ala SMOGTOWN or the US BOMBS then yeah, you shoudl get a copy because this is right up your alley.... or if you were a REAL fan, you already have it... Its political and all... It just dont speak to me... I discussed it with the Deadbeat CEO too; because Hey, I’m just one fucker in the midwest. No air-conditioner, just a fan blowing on me as I write this review in my boxer underwear. I am no one ‘important’. Just one hot sweaty guy of millions. I’m all about ‘REAL’ though, and even though The Smut Peddlers brim with realness, I JUST DONT FUCKING GET IT. I cant help but to see this band as a modern day Dead Kennedys...Like maybe Jello Biafra if he did a LP with Smogtown in the way he did one with DOA and No Means No.... Yep. PITH RATING: 5
 
THE KNOCKOUT PILLS "The Knockout Pills" CD
 
$11 ppd from Deadbeat Records PO Box 283 LA, CA. 90078 :::: www.dead-beat-records.com :::: deadbeatrx@aol.com
 
Here’s some great shit. The Knockout Pills are new to my ears and ah, such a treat! They have a classic Killed by Death punk sound, like AFRIKA CORPS or GIZMOS or something but unleash one fab track right after the other. All rage on the stage with this one... and you cant help but to turn it up WAY loud on a great one like this. You know, its on some records... PLAY LOUD... really though, there needs to be a council created that bands submit releases to and after a few listens a vote is cast seeking majority for a classifying of the term PLAY LOUD on a new release. A unanimous vote would bring about Capital letters in BOLD type with an exclamation mark ( PLAY LOUD! ). Either way, I think the Play Loud Council would vote unanimously, this Knockout Pills CD is definitly a PLAY LOUD! release even though they didn’t even go that route!!!! Such humbleness! No PLAY LOUD! anywhere! Lets face facts: fans of ‘garage rock’ and all that Rip Off Records stuff take note of this CD. Quite honestly, this is one of the best records I have heard in a long while, like since when I first heard The Registrators! Song after song...Hit after fucking hit! Man, this is such a good CD. A Definite Nu-Classic! This is the kind of CD you want playing when you have 200 soldiers outside YOUR palace shooting missiles at you and you know your time is near but hopefully the grim reaper dont call before the last track is played.... The End is the E-N-D! Hit the Deck! PITH RATING: 10
 
V/A "Dirtnap Across the Northwest" CD
 
Dirtnap Records PO Box 21249 Seattle, WA. 98111 :::: www.dirtnaprecs.com
 
What you got here is a collection of bands from the pacific Northwest as brought to you by Seattles own Dirtnap Records... I like Dirtnap. They are one of my fav labels... As always with a CD packed with thirty-one bands, no ones going to like EVERYTHING one here. Yeah, I will safely say its all listenable but some stuff sticks out more than others. Bands like THE EPOXIES, THE INTELLIGENCE, THE ROTTEN APPLES, THE CRIPPLES and THE MEXICAN BLACKBIRDS are bands that I previously heard that surrender more great tracks on this disc and add to eachs’ overall sonic library (Note: In fact, look for a Mexican Blackbirds full length on Dirtnap by next landing). Some real surprises came from bands that I previously heard that initially left little impression on me but were successful in getting me to re-think their place in my rotation of music. These bands include THE GLORYHOLES, MIDNIGHT THUNDER EXPRESS and THE HIGH BEAMS, who come in a close second behind The Blackbirds with ‘Best Songs on the Comp’ award and quite possibly one of the best songs EVER written "Hate You"). The High Beams did with this song what I expected THE SPITS to do: FLOOR ME. The Spits song on here (a song dissing The Briefs and Epoxies with tongue-in-cheek rap) WAS A BORE! But hey, I know where THE SPITS are coming from and dont get the wrong impression, They are still fucking titans above most titans with what they have did to date. I also expected something tougher from THE PULSES but they failed to deal (AMAZING Dirtnap Full-length but un-interesting song here)..... Yet still, some more bands on this disc were totally new to me...I am keeping a close eye on THE POPULAR SHAPES, THE STUCK UPS, THE PISTUNS (great shit), THE EARACHES (Whoa-Whoah), and SHANGHAI JUNK. This is a great CD to get to preview tons of regional bands.... I mean, FUCK! You listen to a CD and wish your scene had bands like this and the CD is successful in at least one way.... A good listen. PITH RATING: 7
 
THE SOVIETTES "LP" CD
 
Adeline Records 5245 College Ave. #318 Oakland, CA. 94618 :::: adelinerecords.net
 
I seen this band recently and really got into their live set.... The Soviettes play mid-paced nearly all-fem punk with a VERY polished edge on this CD... It doesent do the band justice either... Really, it comes nowhere close to capturing even a fraction of this bands true sound. This CD is good, it has some strong moments with tracks like "Blue Stars", "Cuff Wars", "The Land of Clear Blue Radio" but theres a polished aspect to this CD... Like no feedback ANYWHERE... Its too SAFE. its not the melody I have a problem with, I commend that.... This CD needs more chaos, more uncertain-ness than the existant quantities of those whoa-ohs I hear. I get so frustrated because I KNOW this bands better than this cause I seen it with my own two eyes. I highly suggest this band live... Gimmie danger. Gimmie sharp edges. Screams where theres whispers. PITH RATING: 6
 
EL SOB "Welcome to El Sob" CD
 
Abominable Records 5637 Circle Drive El Sobrante, CA. 94803 :::: www.elsob.net :::: elsob@elsob.net
 
I guess I get the weird stuff. Someone’s got to do it so why not me? I bet this CD would make some Blank Genners just shudder IN A BAD WAY. It takes a special something to UNDERSTAND a CD like this... Take it for what you will but I guess that I have that SOEMTHING because this CD was really interesting and a fun listen. I dont know much about El Sob... Their CD arrived one day and I been listening to it on a regular basis ever since. Imagine, if you will, a classic circle-pit punk band thats grown up and quit all their drugs and now just drink Sierra-Nevada pale ale and eat psychedelic mushrooms... After 10 or so years you would get something like El Sob... Musically they fall somewhere in-between AGENT ORANGE, DEAD MOON, THE EMBARASSMENT and last but not least, because of the down to earth REAL-NESS, I’m going to throw in some ABSENTEES too... No, El Sob stuff isn’t as OUT-THERE as The ABSENTEES, and on Welcome to El Sob theres absolutely NO mention of The Long Beach police or Flat people, so I’m sticking with my groove. This disc isn’t all HIT but man, it definitly isn’t mostly MISSES either... You listen to the songs, and whereas some might not be as good as others, the good songs are REAL good and the ones not quite that good are at the very least TOLERBLE until another kick ass tune comes along. I mean, "Lay Me Down", placed just over the halfway mark of the CD, is a song thats so well written and brutally bleeding raw with honesty that I get the cold chills when it plays. My nipples get hard too...... I talked about how this happens with certain songs that I like in past Blank Generation writings and still, I dont have an answer for it. The boys in the Lab insist that its not harmful in any way to my personal well-being. They tell me: "Just Roll with it man"... Fucking hippies. I also cant end this review without mentioning the third track, "Your Strange" that mentions something about Love being a drug. That reminded me of the Roxy Music song "Love is a Drug" and after rethinking this CD I can see some similarities in vocal styling between El Sob and Roxy Music.... The more you listen to this CD, the more interesting it gets. Great song writing, Honestly brutal delivery. Weird guitars, steady rhythm section.... The more you listen, the more you WILL CONTINUE to listen... In the Clouds above us.... PITH RATING: 8
 
ARCADE "Into the Light" CD
 
Modern Man Records :::: www.arcadetheband.com
 
They are STILL finding me. Searching me out... From a dark abyss. I’m not even to sure they know what they are doing exactly. Invisible forces bring all of ‘us’ together. Across miles. Lines of communication. Bands. Good bands; great bands. Arcade is this. A great band! This CD is a delight. Eleven songs all fem, in the post Kill Rock Stars type vein. Arcade have melody and have some welcomed edginess that I crave when listening to music. Production is good and the band really flexxes out song after song with minimalism leading to extensialism within a moments notice. Arcades music is like a infrequent wind hitting you while you stand on a crumbling cliff... This, that, this....I’m glad this band is from Indiana and NOT on Kill Rock Stars. Its bands like Arcade that get people looking at places like their hometown of Muncie Indiana saying "Wow, What in the fuck ELSE is there around that place?". Big Mess in the Midwest. look at our mess. If you know of my Neoteric Punk/Wave movement or are a recent fan of Green Formica Table or are a fan of such musical concepts as ‘alternative’ or ‘indy’ (which in this case could stand for Indy-anna, HaHa), then check this out. Into the Light rages until about the fifth and sixth songs, they are a little slow, but the seventh track, the title track, "Into the Light" was well worth the wait. This is a great CD... I enjoy the uneasiness Into the Light gives me... Everything is layered and listenable. A sonic-battle with only one winner... Let the pith speak for itself on this one. PITH RATING: 9
 
THE NEW CHRIST "We Got This" CD
 
Smog Veil Records 316 California Ave. #207 Reno, NV. 89509 :::: www.smogveil.com :::: www.laughingoutlaw.com.au :::: coupe@laughingoutlaw.com.au
 
I seem to remember something being said about this band having ex-Radio Birdman members or something. I dunno, I might be making that up and I’m sweating way to much to try and find the press release OR go and get my Radio Birdman records out. Here’s the list of people in this band.... Rob Younger, Mark Wilkinson, Alan Creed, Stuart Wilson, and last but not least, good ol’ Christan Houllemare. Those names sound familiar to me but to be completely honest, I was never really into the whole Birdman thing. I thought I would really get into it, being sort of militaristic with the armbands and all, but it just didn’t happen. This CD does look like its representative of a domestic release here in the states of an originally Australian release... We Got This is definitly listenable. The New Christ have some thick delivery. They come off like a Australian version of Richard Hell and the Voidoids on tracks like "Impeachment" and "Nadir". I DO hear some Wah in there at places... The New Christ have an urgency to their songs, like a ticking timebomb.... The production is slick and they play their songs like they mean it. Catchy and addictive.... This CD SOUNDS Australian... Big, desolate...Bouncy.... I dont know what it is. Maybe its something with humidity there or the strange marsupials.... Whats in your pouch man? WHATS IN YOUR POUCH?!?! Comparing this band with Richard hell and the Voidoids should spark some interest out there. Me? Im surprised I made such a cool connection.... PITH RATING: 8
 
WIRE "Send" CD
 
www.pinkflag.com :::: www.posteverything.com/pinkflag :::: www.midheaven.com
 
Beware! The band that sez "We can do what we want the way we want to NOW because of current technology." Someone told me the reformed WIRE had said that. Me? Im much to busy to spend my time with my nose crammed into magazines reading what people say, its my duty (not job) to give those poor fuckers something to read. Really though, to be quite honest, I was hesitant to get this release. A local record store bloke told me to get it cause he had liked it. I asked him to describe it and he told me "Industrial, but not TOO industrial." That alone was enough to make me wait a week... Wait a week and really discover how much of a fucking fool I could actually be. Wire, (the new) (old) Wire pick up exactly where they left off. Read & Burn , the predecessor to Send was good, but this shit is even better! In fact, another contributing factor to me waiting a week to get Send was the fact that Send has some repeating songs that first appeared on Read & Burn . No matter how I was to end up feeling about stunts like this (because in the end it all worked out and I wasn’t bothered by it at all) I feel like a CON-SUMER who has been TRI-CKED. Really though, I dived into Send headfirst and ended up not feeling so bad just like I said woudl happen. One track in particular, "The Agfers of Kodack" ended up being improved upon and one of my favorite tracks. Then also, on Send is a track titled "Read and Burn." I am not surprised about the weird quandary that Read & Burn the EP and Send (with re-did; remixed, re-recorded-- I dont know) with songsFROM Read & Burn with a track titled "Read and Burn."!!! In fact maybe I should take some time and read some shit on the new (the new) (old) Wire myself--- I had even heard reports of a SECOND EP that supposedly followed Read & Burn that I had never seen...Ah, living life with a whole lot of ‘I heard’; true mid-west! Whereas three of six total tracks from Read & Burn appear on Send , if a second EP the came before Send is out there somewhere there’s maybe three or four sonic gems hidden within the behemoth of THE MUSIC INDISTRY for me yet! and Only ME! Just then, I felt like THE MUSIC INDUSTRY cared about me.... it was JUST a lil’ bit, but still, CARE!!!! Send is a great fucking CD. I was pleasantly surprised. Wire successfully mix elements from each past release drawing mostly from Chairs Missing and 154 but none-the-less really deal out a whopper of a CD here. Let Wire stand as a testament that when you have IT, IT never really leaves you. IT might go into suspended animation or deep hiding in some fucking Asia-Minor cave with a collection of fundamentalist Islamic doctrine or something but IT is still there... Wire just FOUND it.... After all, really, how much of all of this REVIVALIST stuff is actually as powerful as the day it originally broke? The Sex Pistols. I seen their reunion with my own two eyes and three ears. They did the same old stuff. Wire. They did a whole new something else with Send under the banner of what once WAS... and proved... still IS! Wire, a proven promise of what can be! Enjoy! PITH RATING: 10
 
HINT HINT "Sex is Everything" CD
 
Cold Crush PO Box 348 LA, CA. 90078 :::: www.hinthint.org
 
I just love bragging about my local hometwon. Cincinnati, Ohio! Mentioning my local alternative station isn’t new either... 97X: "the (self-proclaimed) FUTURE of Rock and Roll". I heard a track from this CD while driving around in my auto-mobiles fabulous AIR-CONDITIONING (its what I do when I get REALLY hot; I go driving around and listen to the radio or something). Theres only six songs on this disc but its not like I will really shelled out a regular CD price for this or anything... Soundwise, they fall somewhere on the tracks with Q AND NOT U on one side, the HOT SNAKES on the other side. I mean, I can hear similarities between this band and Hot Hot Heat, its just that Hint Hint do this thing BETTER! My track on this is the seemingly private eye-esq "Plastic and Whores." I think its telling a story.... I hear some cool keyboards in there... Sex is Everything is arty. Its Neoteric. Its three-dimensional and true but yet powerfully sinuous in its ultimate delivery. Bouncy enough to keep ones mind reeling. This is the sort of band that one wants to follow and keep tabs on future happenings. Good stuff. PITH RATING: 8
 
INTERMISSION:
 
A guy wakes up from being in a comma after 19 years. His first word is ‘Mom’. His second word is ‘Pepsi’ his third word was ‘drink’. Later, he would go on to say that Ronald Reagan was president. He had a daughter he had never seen because she was born just after his accident... In Florida, near Tampa Bay, a man found a note in a bottle while cleaning out from around his boat in a canal behind his house. The Note had an address on it (from Fairfield, Ohio none-the-less, my hometown) so he tracked down the person who had written the note, just as the note asked. The note was written by a fellow 19 years ago who had died in a motorcycle wreck just a couple years after putting the note in a bottle and throwing it into the ocean near Clearwater Beach. The man and the family of the deceased letter writer became good friends and talk on a regular basis. Guess what bottle the note was placed in? Yep. A Pepsi Bottle. Ok, everyone knows How Uday and Qusai Hussein were taken out right? Yeah, I suppose over all this WMD stuff and how Little Bush was looking bad, he had to do something. So he pulled a couple aces out of his sleeve and moved against ‘the boys’ who the government proly knew where they were the whole time. They were just waiting for an opportunity to cash in to make their boss look good. So, after a day long gun battle between over 200 US soldiers, gunships and over 10 TOW missles (one TOW Missle can obliterate a tank, but 10 were shot at this house), the Boys were killed. What did they find beside them in their stronghold? A box of Mars bars candy bars and, you guessed it, a bottle of Pepsi!
 
THE CINEMA EYE & AUDION split CD-EP
 
www.sound-virus.com :::: www.thecinemaeys.com
 
This is a short CD-EP but its pretty cool. Neoteric Punk/Wave from both bands with Cinema Eye coming across as part GLASS CANDY and part SLEETER-KINNY. Both Cinema Eye Songs sort of revolve around the synth but dont rely SOLELY on the synth to get the job done... Theres some pretty trim guitar work in there too. Audion is the more chaotic of the two reminding me of a more electric Q AND NOT U but I also hear som classic BRAINIAC type structure to their stuff. Both bands sound pretty similar, especially where guitars are concerned. I wonder if some member sharing dont exist.... PITH RATING: 8
 
GAZELLES "Demo Demo" CD-R
 
$5ppd from 533 Howell #1 Cincinnati, Ohio. 45220 :::: www.gazelles.hyperquake.com
 
Ha! The Gazelles, Cincinnati’s claim to dirty fame. The Gazelles have been ripping up shit for the past two years. This isn’t their first time recording but each time it all just gets better and better. This CD-R has five songs including many crowd favorites like "Jagged" and "Pink Notions" including some newer dittys like "Plastic Panthers" and a soon to be hit that puts Gazelles exactly where they are, the Midwest! The song is called "Why Dont You Move to New York" and dismays the whole art scene and their contemptuous attitudes about what art IS and SHOULD be. On songs like "New York" The Gazelles deal out a humbling measure and tells BOTH coast that in-between its mean and no oceans is the only way to live! Muddy Rivers! Maybe, just maybe its this same mid-west pride that has kept the band from getting on a label. After all, the closer you get to an ocean, the more money is thrown around and used to wipe ones ass with... But one thing that the Gazelles is definitly keen to is doing what THEY want HOW they want it. In a tradition of classic mid-west punk The Gazelles make no sacrifices on the battle field. Its the same THING that keeps the attention of terrorist out of our sky scrappers and the earthquake machines long from targeting us. No one wants the mid-west and bands like The Gazelles because there isn’t a factoring of control involved. The wild-wild un west. The beast not of the east. The Gazelles! PITH RATING: 10
 
BLACK EYES "Black Eyes" CD
 
$10 from Dischord Records 3819 Beecher Street NW Washington DC. 20007 :::: www.dischord.com
 
Sonic art. Neoteric Punk/Wave. Uncertain. I think if GANG OF FOUR were a new band, if they formed tomorrow, this is what they would sound like. Black Eyes come off talking about stuff that you know is deep but its not like you really understand it on a conscious level. its like the sleeping part of my mind is awakening when I hear their music. Riddles, paths. This Invisible Invasion is getting stronger and at the same time. Less apparent. In one sweeping motion one day it all will be explained. The lines will cease being grey and be clearly defined. The Expanded and the demanded, the proclaimed and Estranged. The Defined and the Mined. This CD has layers upon layers. Im going back to Q AND NOT U (a band really starting something), another Dischord artist, for comparison and starting points. Black Eyes do what comes naturally to this band, this organization, this inconvenience store that should be on every block; they do what must be done. Out-there, out-there. Black Eyes is definitly happening. PITH RATING: 10
 
THE WATCHERS "To the Rooftops" CD
 
Gern Blandsten PO Box 356 River Edge, NJ. 07661 :::: www.gernblandsten.com
 
With elements of funk, soul and dub and GANG OF FOUR type stops and starts, The watchers are a band that I am getting more and more into. If you like what you heard from GO GO GO AIRHEART then The Watchers will also amaze. It was real refreshing to hear a dub ridden song like "The Dirty Sponsor" after my latest marathon of The Exploited...Or to hear such a sing along as "Two Worlds" (fav track) that seems listen friendly to the point of drawing you into this band. Proly my second msot liked song on this disc is a song called "Taxiland" that sort of reminds me of a mid era Pere Ubu song. Definitly accessable. It should have been the first song; it really draws you in. The Watchers some across as an intelligent band with a purpose. I’m game. PITH RATING: 8
 
THE BOURBON LEGENDS "West Texas Justice" CD-R
 
The Bindi Corp.
 
Here is a Cincinnati local paying homage to the Appalachian in them all. Country fried punk with some banjo, some mandolin and even some fiddle too! pretty interesting shit...Its good, damn good actually. I guess a couple tracks on here like "Dont Take My Gun" and "One Cup of Coffee" are either originals or very obscure country songs that I know nothing about. I know ‘Eastbound and Down" is from the Smokey and the Bandit movies, "High Voltage and Dirty Deeds" is what I thought a AC/DC medley at first (with all the weird instrumentation thrown in) but if it is, I dont notice it. "Blue Christmas" follows in tradition of sounding like a cover but I am just not to sure... Playing covers and sprinkling them with your own flavor is what doing covers is all about so if this be the case, good job. Writing original songs that SOUND like covers is a talent too... Either way, this is a pretty cool CD-R that deserves to be a REAL CD. PITH RATING: 8
 
CD TRUTH "Chemically Dependent" CD
 
F.I.M.P 610 Phillip Ave., Akron, OH. 44305 :::: www.cdtruth.com
 
This is a band among bands. Quite possibly one of the best doing their thing in modern society. I cant say enough good things about this band because they are great live and on this, their second CD, really prove themselves to be elite among elite! I kind of joke around about CD Truth being the punk version of Cheap Trick but its sort of fitting. Their songs seem familiar in a way that its almost like they are singing TO you because of YOU and the things you do. Its that familiarity that makes this stuff stick. This CD is packed with track after track of full-on ragers. From "Fact of Life" to the athemic "My Friends are Doing bad Things Again" to the exalted "King of the Highland Square Losers" and beyond... Thick production, this is one of those disc that you listen to song by song with each tune being a worthy treat... One right after the other. An Live, this band is great live.... Some great shit here, some great shit. Highly recommended. Learn from stuff like this! Let CD Truth take you to school. Get one NOW! PITH RATING: 10
 
MISSILE TOE "Christmas in July" CD-R
 
www.missiletoe.com :::: xmastoe@netscape.net
 
This is a holiday band centered around christmas. They play punked out Christmas songs around Christmas and in July they do a ‘Christmas in July’ thing which is represented by this disc of all covers. Included is covers from Sweet, Thunders, Ramones, Stooges, Deep Purple Buzzcocks, Rubber City Rebels, Little Richard, The Beatles and David Bowie. The band is made up of people around the Cleveland Kent/Akron area including Jeff, the singer and guitarist from CD Truth so you know its pretty damn good.... PITH RATING: 6
 
BRODY’S MILITIA & THE CRUNKY KIDS "Ohio Skullcrushers Union" split 7" EP
 
Distort Ohio 818 North Metcalf St. Lima, OH. 45801
 
Interesting split between two Ohio bands. BRODYS MILITIA play fast throaty/thrashy hardcore and sing about censorship, record stores becoming porn stores and Jim Beam among other subjects and do it fast, loud and mean! Its definitly hardcore and something your not going to fall asleep while listening to. Members of this band are stretched from one end of the state to the other but manage to keep it all together somehow... I know some of the other bands that some members of Brody’s were in before like THE FILTHY CREEPS, ZOMBIE TERRORIST, REKT and JOHN BENDER but I like what they are doing here better than all of that..... THE CRUNKY KIDS sort of remind me of a Cincinnati local called THE TWERPS or Oberlin Ohio’s BIPPY if both bands had more hardcore punk in them. Singing about politics of the inner and outer variety, The Crunky Kids really amazed me in the fact that they arent just ‘another’ hardcore band.... Lets face it, I have a place for hardcore in my heart; from the OLD DAYS... I dont know to much about it in the --HERE.NOW -- or anything but still enjoy it. Most of the hardcore I hear is... How you Say? TYPICAL. This 7" really sparked my interest and was great to listen to...I like it when stuff like this is sent my way. PITH RATING: 7
 
CABATOLF "Cabatolf" CD-R
 
$3 ppd from R/A/M 1475 Weigold Ave. Cincinnati, OH. 45223 :::: meowmofo@hotmail.com
 
In the April installment of The Landing party I talked about a new local project called EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC NIGHT at a local bar in Cincinnati called Shirley’s. In following I talked about appearing at the opening of this function that was to appear every other Thursday night as my solo project called EXXON. Well, since then and with help from my own zine, I suppose a scene has found its stomping ground because since that first show and with each one that follows Experimental Music Night has grown and grown. it seems more projects are appearing everyday with Cabatolf being one of those.... Cabatolf is a three piece and deal out three tracks on this CD-r. Theres a small sticker that describes their sound as ‘Experimental acid jazz with loops and samples.’ That pretty much does it... If your thinking ‘IRRITATING’ then quell those thoughts! Expand your mind, After several listens I actually like it... Its definitly different. Pretty fresh. If you would have told me I would like something like this three or four years ago I would have called you crazy. But I suppose I have grown with help of this CD and such concepts as ‘experimental’. Cincinnati is a very interesting place and its because of groups like Cabatolf. Sonic-art! PITH RATING: 7
 
D.W. CONFIDENTIAL "The Society Files" CD-R
 
$3 ppd from R/A/M 1475 Weigold Ave. Cincinnati, OH. 45223 :::: meowmofo@hotmail.com
 
Dave Hilshorst is his name. He is behind R/A/M and has his hands in some other projects including places in Cabatolf and another local Cincinnati project called Meow Motherfucker to name a few...I am sure he proly does more because people who do this much usually do more but all of that and DW Confidential is enough isn’t it? Dave sends along another descriptive sticker on this CD-R saying "minimal atmospheric drone." I would say thats pretty close. Coming nothing close to actual ‘music’, dont be afraid of this stuff. I like to put it on while I work on some art myself.... it wouldn’t be that bad to listen to while reading... "Robot Restaurant" is my track! Dave usually has all RAM releases available at Shake it Records in Cincinnati for free. If you are reading this outside the metro Cincinnati area and would like a copy, I suggest sending anywhere from $2-$3 to cover postage to the address (I just listed $3 to be nice). You want to act fast too because DW Confidential is limited to 150 copies and even though no limit of the Cabatolf release is mentioned, I am sure its similar. I said it before and I will say it again, Cincinnati is an interesting place. Even more so with stuff like this around. Sonic-art! PITH RATING: 6
 
RATHER HONEY "Bushysneezelovetoad" CD-R
 
(330) 542-2652 :::: kangerland@aol.com
 
More from Ohio with this band... From the same chemical pollution that brought you bands such as Kill the Hippies, CD Truth, Radar Secret Service and Sexual Tension comes RATHER HONEY. In the same soul-punk funk as Sexual Tension, Rather Honey go a bit more Lewis & Clark with the guitars but I still wanna bring out a fact that if you like what THE MAKE UP do, then you will like this. Some of it is dreamy, like classic NY punk PATTI SMITH or something but man, its all good. imagine CREEM mixed with THE FAMILY STONE... Just five songs here and since this is so good I am going to say that you should act fast and get a copy because stuff this good dont last. I see tragedy in the future for this band. Not because they are seemingly dangerous or anything, they are just that damn good.... The good ones never live long. True Neoteric Punk/Wave titan grade material. PITH RATING: 9
 
ARCHIE & THE PUKES "Pukes Corrupt Children" CD-R
 
Contact me... ShawnAbnoxious@aol.com
 
This is the last ever Archie and the Pukes recording. Five years in the making the final nail has been put in the coffin... Pukes leader and founder, the illustrious Matt Puke is off to graduate school in Austin Texas. He has left me as the sole holder of this CD-R to sell and do with as I wish. He has done so because he knows that I haven’t ever faltered in my love of The Pukes and will do whatever I have left in my blood to keep the flame alive. This disc really begins round the 12 minute 24 seconds mark. A hidden track right at the beginning of the Disc! Classic! This was a song that was originally released on a Christmas CD-R compilation... They failed to give the Pukes a time limit or anything so The Pukes gave them a shuddering rendition of ‘The Night before Christmas’ that would make Will Shatter of Flipper proud. In following is ten more tracks all of great sounding psych-punk like a mix between early Red Kross and Flipper. Brutally honest, so sonically ugly that its beautiful, Archie and the Pukes are really fucking amazing... Everything about their existence glorifies the DAMAGE AND CELEBRATION of TRUE LIFE! Reverb, feedback..."Single Liver Station" YEAH! Archie and The Pukes are the boatload of plundering Vikings heading to your village... Let the fact that they are no more fool you. Lets just consider it a hiatus. After all, if you know anyone in Austin, tell them to LOOK OUT and GRAB HOLD! I miss this band already...The ORIGINAL Big Mess in the Midwest! Punk-Rock! PITH RATING: 10
 
THE NOT "The Not" CD
 
Shake It! Records 4156 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH. 45223 :::: www.shakeitrecords.com
 
Yeah, like I told you, Cincinnati is full of fucking great bands, The Not included! This is a short follow up to their self-released 7" that I wrote about a while back... Seven songs on this one. Guitars, fronting keyboards, male vocals, minimal fem backing vocals. Neoteric Punk/Wave! The tunes are moody and drag you all over the spectrum. From the fast and furious "Runnin’ from Midnite" to the angular jerky-ness of "I Guess So" and "See You on the Bottom" to the dark horizon gloom of "One More Beer" in all of its Royal Tennenbaums depression (a song that captures the scene where The Baumer shaves his beard and kills himself-Hell yeah!). This is a well thought out release. It flows nicely. I miss the dangerous element that was more apparent on their 7" but I can deal with it and all... I hope it isn’t long until their next release.... PITH RATING: 10
 
CONNER "The White Cube" CD-R (Advance of upcoming CD)
 
So this band contacts me and ask me if they could send me their CD to review... I told them of course so and after a little bit of back and forth stuff comes out about this band that gets me really hungry for their CD. They are from Lawrence Kansas, the same place as one of my favorite bands, THE EMBARRASSMENT! I ask them if they ever heard of them and they first say yes, heard of them. then as we exchange more e-mails they talk about how Embarrassment stuff is played on the radio there! FUCK! I thought my local radio was cool... Anyway, this is a pretty rocking CD. I liked it from my very first listen and its only gotten better with time. Conner’s sound is wedged somewhere in-between the aforementioned EMBARASSMENT (song three, "Eyed Eyes Eye") with nods towards THE CURE, early-on ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN, ZIGGY STARDUST and last but not least THE VELVET UNDERGROUND by way of THE STROKES....Definitly ‘blister-pop’ Definitly Neoteric Punk/Wave!!!! Keep and eye on this band... They have some potential for mainstream alternative success but thats not going to keep me from liking them... PITH RATING: 9
 
_________________________________
 
NEXT TIME:
 
Thistle CD. DMT CD. The White Outs 7". The Fuses 7" and whatever else you send me. Plus some zine reviews using my pith scale. should be interesting. Perhaps.
 
Around FALL I am going to try and work it out with Joe to do a radio show episode for a installment of The Landing Party.
 
N-CLOSING:
 
I would like to send an extended thank you to THE MEDEA CONNECTION. They sent me THREE of their CDs that span their career from 1998-2001 and the shit is TIGHT. I been grooving on it since they sent it to me on a regular basis. You should take some time out and search for some of their material.... Start at their official website www.medeaconnection.com ... a great fucking band... Check out the artwork by guitarist Alexander Brockman. It sprinkles all their releases too.
 
I would also like to dedicate this episode of The Landing Party to the aforementioned Matt Puke. Be kind to him Austin Texas or ELSE...also, someone tell Amy Babich I wish I could ride a bike now... Thanks.
 
Later Days.
 
-Shawn Abnoxious
 
shawnabnoxious@aol.com
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
show/place.