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Record Reviews
- December, 1999 A//Political "Punk is a Ghetto" 7" These
rockers are a fucking cool crust punk band outta Baltimore. Carrying Crass'
sound, A//Political features female vocals and ongoing power beats of
a society in chaos. This band is ultra energetic and incensed as fuck.
(JD) Beerzone "They Came, They Saw, They Conquered" CD All
the way from the UK comes Beerzone! I'm willing to look over their really
shitty band name on the count that these boys rock! Beerzone is a 70's
punk rock band for today's society. Their songs are about today's problems
and their write them with wit and kick ass punk tunes. No sir, this ain't
no cookie cutter punk band, Beerzone have British influences stemming
from '77 to '82. Legends like the Angelic Upstarts and Cockney Rejects
would be proud to hear such a facetious punk/pub band. There's 17 songs
on this disc including, "20th Century", "Scandal",
and "Jerry Springer". Right! (JD) Bulemics/River City Rapists CD Two
Texan bands coming together, right now, for a hard punk rock fest. The
Bulemics fall short on power and devotion towards their music and many
of these songs have been already released on a 10". The 'Rapists
are the defiant winners on this disc. Their way more punk 'n' roll and
have speed to boot. The singer is an ex-Motard, so you’re all in
for a real treat. Any fan of the Candy Snatchers would be drunk and in
love with the River City Rapists. Sixteen songs in all! (JD) Bulemics "Blurred Visions & Twisted Thoughts" 10" The
Bulemics are a hard punk rock outfit from Texas and have the punk 'n'
roll thang goin' for 'em. The vocalist does his job, but he should put
more emphasis of on the power behind the lyrics. The rest of the band
is, again, fair. The Bulemics give you 6 songs including "It ain't
easy being easy" and "Until the end of Time". This falls
short by my standards and I doubt I'll remember this record in six months.
(JD) Clash "From Here to Eternity" CD/2XLP The
Clash, one of the greatest punk rock bands in the history of punk rock.
The UK definitely had a prominent punk scene in the late 70's, and the
Clash were right in the midst of it all. This live double album has been
well designed visually. There are some great shots of the band, linear
notes from fans, and pictures of old merchandise. Did you know there was
a Clash puzzle set? This double album also contains the best live recordings
of the Clash I've ever heard. Some songs sound even better than some studio
recorded tracks. Many of these songs like, "Clash City Rockers",
"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais", "Train in Vain",
"and "Should I Stay or Should I Go", are from different
concerts. Sadly, this is something only a Clash super fan would buy. Why?
Because this bloody LP cost more than $30 dollars! Fuck major labels,
but if you have the cash it's worth it. (JD) Combat 84/Last Resort LP Combat
84 is an old Oi group that sounds similar to many street punk bands today,
like utter shit! Like I want to hear a bunch of ugly losers screaming
about how hard life is being a skinhead. Christ! Then don't shave your
fucking head! I think these kids need more political oppression so they
can come up with some better lyrics. Well, least they're better than this
band, Last Resort. God, could someone tell me why these guys are so well
remembered? This is boring! Oi can be so much better than this load of
shit! The music is sluggish and the lyrics are so uninspired. If you buy
into this your a fucking tool! (JD) Criminals "Burning Flesh & Broken Fingers" LP/CD Did
these guys leave Lookout? Well, the Criminals play like a LA punk band
from the '80s. The vocalist is paying some homage to Darby Crash and I'm
not sure if that's a good or bad thing :) If you’re into these snotty
fuck's earlier shit, this is just as good. Thirteen tracks including,
"I'm Vintage Baby" and "Scene Monkey". Now go break
some bottles! (JD) Deep Reduction "S/T" CD/LP Here
is the "long awaited debut album" of Deniz Tek, from Radio Birdman.
This definitely has some psychedelic post punk and 70's punk songs in
it. But, 60's Rock 'N' Roll is what I hear the most. If you don't like
psychedelic rock 'n' roll I would advise against getting this record.
Twelve songs including the Vibrators "Whips and Furs, "Downwind
of Yourself", and "Mirror." Deniz is a great musician and
that's the kind of music you’re going to get on this record. (JD) Defiance "No Time" 7" Hey!
Listen up! These guys are an awesome punk band! I mean, compared to most
of the pogo punk rockers, Defiance blows them out of the circle pit. The
can write some extremely catchy songs protesting about this country and
the population in general. If that's your bag you'll dig these kids. Three
tunes including, "Your Country Is Shit." (JD) Detestation "Blood of the Gods" 7" Detestation
are a wicked fast hardcore punk/crust outfit. They have a very dark disposition
and scream about like it's the end of the world, and they're probably
right. However, I can't say that their songs will excite you in any way,
shape, or form. They just aren't coherent enough for my selective self.
You get two songs including, "Twilight of my Sanity." (JD) Dirtys "Teenage Teenage Problem Child" 7" The
Dirtys must be doing speed! Because these hellions will take you on a
rock 'n' roll thrill ride! This is psycho punk 'n' roll at it's finest.
Very much equivalent to the B-Movie Rats, Supercharger, etc... These cats
are cool. Four tunes to trash out to including, "Rock 'N' Roll Hum"
and "Take it off". (JD) Double Nuthins "Got Into a Fight in Special Ed (and the Retard's Winning) 7" The
Double Nuthins are here! A suitable 70's styled pop punk effort in 3-chords.
These Rhode Islander's lyrics have improved since I've last taken a listen
to their material, but the production was better on the Baby Doll 7".
Two songs here including, "So Glad I Don't Care About You".
If you’re a pop punker you should go see these guys live, I've heard
their shows are phenomenal. (JD) Drags "Bombshelter" 7" The
Drags are one cool garage Rock 'n' Roll band from way out west. The A-side
starts of in classic Drags, me thinks the Makers, me thinks the Stallions,
and all that great dirty rock 'n' roll that I adore. Then, I get to the
B-Side... What the fuck!!! Is supposed to be a joke? Maybe it was produced
by Beck cause this is some looped bebop fucking nonsense. You don't go
from kick ass rock to retro beats! It just doesn't mesh. And so I conclude,
for 2 songs, one of which sucks assholes, this 7" is a rip off. (JD) Grandprixx "33 MPH" 7" The
Grandprixx are a snotty pop punk band from MA. This is off the wall hyper
catchy and totally immature, you know, punk rock. They remind me of the
late and great Snotboy 77 and some early Screeching Weasel. Six, count
'em, six songs including, "Don't Wanna Work" and "Wish
I Could Say". This is a hell of a lot better than some of that whinny
music you like to call "pop punk". Hey, get a clue and get this.
(JD) Highschool Sweethearts "Passing Notes" CD These
sweethearts aren't really that sweet. Buncha songs about dumping guys
and going out and partying...seriously, this is cool garage pop punk.
Rock 'N' Roll with chicks = cool! There are organs, fast guitar solos,
pounding drums, and angst-ridden lyrics, my kinda record. Sixteen tracks
including, "Cat Got Your Tongue", "Honeymoon City",
and "Class Dismissed." Fans of the Muffs, Eyeliners, and Joan
Jett will dig this CD lots. (JD) Intrepid A.A.F. "Songs of Battle" 7" Here's
some Californian street punk for ya. The music and vocals are basic for
this form of punk. They carry the political/working class ethics into
their songs and voice against Nazi skinheads. These guys could be really
good, but their chorus needs work. This 7" gets too mundane after
a couple listens. Four songs including, "Shadows of Swastikas"
and "The Hard-way" by United Blood. (JD) Kermit's Finger "Negative Mental Images" 7"
Lombardies "Throw Your Love Away" LP The
Lombardies hey, hey! These juvenile delinquents fire short blasts of punk
rock for the kids. Musically speaking, they have the same sound as the
Queers "Love Songs for the Retarded" album. The buzz saw guitars
are crunchy and astonishingly catchy. But what really makes this LP stand
out are the vocals. Few punk vocalists have that vociferous power. He
really sticks out with the likes of Showcase Showdown, Snotboy 77, Teengenerate.
Fourteen tunes including, "Third Rail for You", "I Wanna
Take Advantage Of You Baby", and "Women Are The Problem"
that'll getcha pogoing in no time. Fans of snot filled pop punk will be
clamoring for this record. (JD) Muffs "No Action" 7" Any
Muffs fan should pick this up. The Muffs have been pumping out solid pop
punk for many years now. Their brand of melodic guitars and unpolished
vocals have are rockin' America. However, this particular 7" is not
for the average pop punk enthusiast because it just contains two cover
songs; which doesn't showcase the Muffs greatness. (JD) One Man Army "Dead End Stories" CD/LP I
dig these guys. This is by no means heavy on the rock. It's more of a
"I just got home from work and I wanna chill" record. A potent
showing of great street punk along the lines of the Swingin' Utters, Dropkick
Murphys, and Workin' Stiffs. The guitar chords are catchy and the songs
are sung in that "street punk" styled raspy vox. Twelve songs
including, "They Never Call It Quits", "Fate At Fourteen",
and "Back Then." Good Stuff. (JD) Real Estate Fraud "F-Word" 7" Real
Estate Fraud are a remarkably great cross between Bikini Kill and Crass,
the punk shit. The female vox spilling shit about society is the tops!
The drummer in this band happens to be amazing. This is superior political
punk with a viscid bite. Four songs including, "The Customer is Always
Wrong" and "Belief doesn't = Relief", oh, and some good
artwork too. (JD) Reatards "Grown Up, Fucked Up" CD/LP The
Reatards embody everything I look for in a punk group. The vocals are
thrashy and bitter! The backups chime in at just the right moments! And
the guitars are catchy, simplex, and totally fuzzed out! Wow, 16 rock
'n' roll tracks including, "You'll See Me", "No One Stands
Me", and "Eat Your Heart Out"! If you like 1977 punk along
the lines of Teengenerate, Eater, or the Heartbreakers, you'll flip over
the Reatards! (JD) Smogtown "Beach City Butchers" 10" Here's
some pretty cool late 70's styled punk rock. In the same vein as the Stitches,
this Californian band has a bad attitude and rock 'n' roll to back it
up. Some songs could even be compared to Devo, which means they kick!
Smogtown grace us with 6 tunes including, "Berlin Girls" and
"That's the Difference." (JD) Templars "Phase II" LP/CD Fair
oi from these chaps. Musically, they can fuckin' play, but they don't
rock it for me. A lot of punks dig these guys, I don't. They are different,
but their music put me in a bad mood and now I wanna break stuff. If that's
what your looking for, kudos. Fifteen songs including, "City Traffic",
"Freedom has it's Price", and "Make Your Mark" (JD) V/A "Graveyard Drag Race" 2X7" Maybe
I'm a little late to enjoy this Halloween release since it's Christmas,
but whatever. There are some cool bands on this scary orange colored vinyl
including, The Candy Snatchers, Street Walkin' Cheetahs, and the B-Movie
Rats. This is a great sampler for someone wanting to check out the 90's
punk 'n' roll scene. All the bands here are doing spooky tunes daddy-O!
(JD) Vindictives "Hypno Punko" CD/LP Wow,
Joey Vindictive's voice is still as irritating as ever! Well, they haven't
changed much since I've last heard them. The Vindictives still have the
snotty pop punk sound kickin'. The production is real sharp, as most pop
punk records are, sigh. I'm guessing the theme here is early 1900's showbiz.
It says 17 track on here, but after you flip through all the crap, which
is very annoying, there's like 4 or 5 songs. This CD is for the more dedicated
Vindictives fans. (JD) Wongs "Reanimate My Baby" CD/LP
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"Dad,
what's a Muppet?" Oops, um, anyway... Kermit's Finger reaches their
maximum speed of this 7". Most of these songs are a little over a
minute long. With a very 80's hardcore punk personality, Kermit's Finger
are aggressive yet hilarious. They remind me of the Zero Boys with gruffy
vox. Good, good stuff, especially with 6 rockin' songs including, "Not
a Goddamn Word" and "Kicked the Bed". (JD)
Everyone
should've heard of these cats by now! The Wongs, or the Rip Offs II, will
rock your world! This total '77 garage punk full of slime and puss! Hyped
up vox and ribald guitars will give you the boot in the ass you've been
waiting for! Twelve kickin' songs including, "Got the Urge",
"I'm a Heartbreaker", and "Your Going Down"! Anyone
who thinks punk is dead need only listen to the Wongs to get their wake
up call! (JD)