Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

There’s a common theme in music and especially punk music where band’s that have been around for awhile will have fans who will say “their music was better when…..” and they yearn for the “the good old days.”. Enter Blossom Hill, a pop punk band from Finland who released their debut LP, Sidetracks, in October.

On Sidetracks, the group seems to have (fairly successfully whether intentional or not) melded together what sounds like two different eras of Green Day inspired music. From the get go a listener can expect vocals that sound like they are inspired by 39/Smooth or Kerplunk eras and guitar riffs that sound derived right from the Insomniac/Nimrod timeline.

This is what I hear when I listen, and is what I am going to base my critique on. To me they sound like one my favorite Green Day eras (Insomniac/Nimrod) and my least favorite (39/Smooth). Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy Sidetracks, but my feelings are very mixed. I hate to make direct comparisons to bands as they take time to create something their own but I can’t get over my first impressions of the album, and for a person who can still tell you what he was doing when he first heard Dookie in ’94, nothing will ever compare. At the same time, I can’t think of another band that has brought me back in time to a groups (so-called) glory days the way they have.

With that said, Sidetracks does not really have tracks that stand out in my mind either good or bad, and it had things I liked and things I didn’t. But if you are one of those nostalgic Green Day fans who thinks “they were better when….” check out Blossom Hill, maybe they can transport you back there.

T.J.

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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
© 2011 Dead End Story

I feel so privileged to get to listen to all the music (from all over the world) that I do. Right now I’m listening to a new single from Finland’s Dead End Story. They are a reasonably aggressive punk band with quite a bit of hardcore influence.

With this being a single, there are only two tracks, so I won’t draw this out so much, but what I’m hearing I mostly like. The guitar work is a little more melodic that I normally go for, but not so over the top that it detracts from the rest of the music. The tracks are still solid and I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to go see this band live.

It’s a more modern style of punk rock; It makes me think a bit of Rise Against.

Bottom line: new model punkcore from Finland.

–Jerry Actually

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Ok, so here’s some weird cool stuff if you’re a punk rock fan that doesn’t speak German, but doesn’t mind or thinks it’s neat when others do. From the best I can tell, this release is called “Salto” from the German band, Hirnsäule. The band’s name appears to mean “brain pillar”, which I take to probably mean “spine” … I could be way the hell off. This “disc” was a digital download, so I don’t have any concrete publishing information, so I just attributed it to the band.

On to the music though. Salto contains 15 tracks of DK/Dickies-esque warbling vocal frenzied punk. Some of the tracks are in English, some in German. Honestly it isn’t the easiest to decipher which are which. This doesn’t detract in any way from the enjoyment. I’d venture to guess that the tracks with the English titles are the ones that are done in English. I’ll let you be the judge of that though. http://www.hirnsaeule.de

The similarity to Dead Kennedys is both apparent and apparently genuine. That aside, the music is quick paced and quirky. The overall feel is garagey with just enough polish to make you want a catch a live show to compare the difference.

This is good stuff and just goes to show that in the crazy digital age, music is more accessible than ever. Maybe that takes some of the eliteist fun out of it, but so what. It’s a big damn world get out there and explore it a bit, even it you never leave your house.

–Jerry Actually

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I know that I’m pretty lax on getting reviews up promptly a lot of the time, but from the copyright date to my door took two years, so I guess I’m not so bad… but on to the review. Queens New York natives, Dead On A Friday certainly have tenacity. Founded in 2002 they went through three drummers, several hazardous apartments, a nervous breakdown and countless hours of therapy (according to their bio) Finally after five long years, the band finally put it to wax so to speak. Hope It Was Worth It is 13 tracks of melodic punk. They have a very Bad Religion feel to me, but with the kind of cold gray edge you’d expect from East Coast winters. The music is tight, good quick pace, no epic length (over 3 minute) BS tracks. For sake of brevity, go find these guys and like them. Like them as much as your little heart can muster. Hope It Was Worth It does in fact seem every bit worth it.

–Jerry Actually

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Hot damn, it’s good to listen to old-fashioned, ass-kicking hardcore punk!  I hope these guys have stock in bass drum heads and throat lozenges; I’m sure they go through a lot of them. 

So Say We All is an 11-track musical masterpiece. You get screamish vocals from a frontman who can also sing, classic punk guitar notched up with nu-metal riffs, staunch and strumbly bass support, and insanely exceptional drumming.  Clever nuggets of movie quotes pop up between songs with lyrics ranging from introspective, self-abasing, life-loving and regime challenging — brilliant.

Heads Held High deliver an album that makes you want to go out and drive fast, drink hard, and kiss beautiful strangers.  I can’t wait til they tour the West Coast — go get this CD, learn the lyrics so we can go sing along when they’re here.

-HK-47

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bosterdamian group Jaya the Cat deliver a unique fusion of punk, reggae, rock, and ska that took a few listens before it gelled into awesome.  More Late Night Transmissions With… bounces across the Atlantic like Cannabis Cup winning weed followed by a dram of 20 yr barrel aged Glensomething whiskey — oh-so-hazy and smoother than a mo’fo’.

Gravelly-voiced Geoff growls, croons, and skanks his way through this 13+1 track album. With songs ranging from band-on-the-road observations through to political outcries, their lyrics are a potent hit. Grumbly drums, rockin’ guitar, subtly layered bass and flowy keyboards make this fivesome a crafty crew that surely deliver more of a party at their live gigs.

Boston love song “Government Center” struck this ex-Mass girl especially: “The speaker’s blown and the needle’s worn…they say when you leave, you can never go home.”  The jem atop this crown of an album is Jaya’s bonus-track cover of “The Harder They Come”, one of the best I’ve heard.  It’s hard to draw a comparison to other bands, as there aren’t any in Jaya the Cats’s realm. Give them a try if you like Boston punk, reggae, and songs about Amsterdam — you’ll be impressed.

-HK-47

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We’re just about 5 weeks away for the best party all year long: The  11th ANNUAL PUNK ROCK BOWLING TOURNAMENT!! There are still rooms available, so please head over to www.punkrockbowling to book ‘em  before they’re gone.

New venues and updated lineups for our shows are below.  Tickets can be purchased at www.punkrockbowling.com on the shows page:

FRIDAY JANUARY 16, 2009
Premiere Nightclub
3015 Fremont St, Las Vegas
Doors: 8pm / 18 and over / Full Bar with ID Bowlers get in for FREE / Free Shuttle buses Tickets $16 COCKNEY REJECTS THE DWARVES AMERICAN STEEL OFF WITH THEIR HEADS THE IGNORANT

SATURDAY JANUARY 17, 2009
Special Show
Tickets on Sale Dec. 15

SUNDAY JANUARY 18, 2009
Premiere Nightclub
3015 Fremont St, Las Vegas
Doors: 8pm / 18 and over / Full Bar with ID Bowlers get in for FREE / Free Shuttle buses Tickets $15 MANIC HISPANIC
CH3
THE BODIES
TILTWHEEL

**please note, if you previously purchased tickets we are working on  contacting you directly, or you can email: bowling@byorecords.com

See you Vegas!

Love,
PRB

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