The Cast Outs – S/T EP (c) 2006Cleveland's Cast Outs come correct. Their self-titled EP is a 7 track, dark and gritty punk dirge. The Cast Outs bring elements of early crossover (for those of you out there that think that crossover refers to crap like NuMetal … you couldn't be more wrong) along with the unusual addition of dense heavy keyboards to the sound. The disc is raw, but it has grit and substance. What could easily have been just another garage band transcends to a new level with quality riffs and well layered arrangements. Their sound becomes even more intricate if you consider that they operate as a three piece. Though claiming influence from the likes of Napalm Death and NOFX, I think they may have forgotten to include TSOL and Econochrist in that list. The bottom line is raw punk that holds plenty of promise.–Jerry Actually
Month: January 2007
Blinded Black [Under the Sunrise]
Blinded Black – Under the Sunrise (c) 2007 SideCho Records”Sir?”, “Yes minion. What is it this time?”, “Sir, there seems to be a problem with the Bandtronic.”, “The Band what?”, “The Bandtronic, Sir.”, “The Band Tronic? Didn’t I fire them in the 80’s?”, “No Sir, the Bandtronic 7431XR Talent Emulation Variable Audio Copier.”, “You know, that very expensive piece of equipment that we have that takes ideas from a bunch of current bands and then makes any band in the world seem palatable and sincere to the 14 – 25 year old New Rock demographic.”, “Well then, out with it boy. What is the problem?”, “Well Sir, it … it seems to be making every band sound exactly the same.” Welcome to “Under the Sunrise by Blinded Black. Out now on SideCho Records. It’s sudo aggressive. It’s melodic sometimes. It’s totally emotional. It makes me sick. I guess people tend to emulate what they like. It is too bad that Blinded Black seem to emulate so many of the sounds I hate. If you like to listen to New Rock Radio, then, by all mean, go get yourself a copy of Under the Sunrise and listen to it six times and pretend that it is your six bestest favoritist new bands.–Jerry Actually
Sin Voz [Death to the IMF]
Sin Voz – Death to the IMF (c) 2006 Sin VozStraight outta Berkeley comes Sin Voz (that's Without Voice for those of you too inept to use an online translator). They submit for your approval "Death to the IMF" I can only assume that they are referring to the "Interplanetary Magnetic Field" when they espouse their desire to destroy something that bears its initials. Aside from plotting something that would obviously irreversibly alter the world as we know it, "Death to the IMF" is also a sonicaly diverse eight song E.P. Vaguely like a cross species of Morrisey and Sublime, yet oddly Sonic Youth. Add a splash of some post Grundge Eddie Vetter. Speed it up a notch, on some of the tracks, and you've got some sort of idea of what I'm listening to right now. It seems to me that Sin Voz is working on making some rather transcendent music. I should expect no less from folks that haunt the UC Berkely campus. Overall a refreshing sound in comparison to much of the tripe slid across my desk, however it also is a bit on the depressive side. I think the mix would benefit from a little more edge. It seems as though it was softened up a wee bit too much. That aside if you like moody tempermental alternative, give ol' Sin Voz back some of their voice in the form of cold hard cash. Their E.P. is available via iTunes and CD Baby . –Jerry Actually
Headed for the Smoke
Headed for the Smoke – Dance & Destroy (c) 2006 A.T.S. RecordsHello hard rockin' 70's. Welcome back. Where ya been? Well Jerry, we've been hangin' out with Headed for the Smoke and teaching them our guitar powered, arena drummin, thunder bass, Bon Scott vocal ways. I see. I see. Yes indeed, Dance & Destroy, the new EP from Headed for the Smoke contains some serious Rock & Roll. As with a lot of rock from both yesterday and today, Headed for the Smoke hails from Boston. It seems as though you can't shake a stick at Boston these days with out knocking the weed out of the hands of some Rock & Roll band. I'm not the biggest fan of rock out there by any stretch of the imagination, but these fellas seem pretty genuine and they got some catchy hooks. If you like the rock, you go buy this EP now and support a few workin' class rockers.–Jerry Actually
Blood Vessels
Blood Vessels – S/T (c) 2006 Teenage Heart Records They were just another band out of Boston. Livin' out of bars, sleepin' in their cars. They practiced every night in the street. Well ok, maybe they didn't go to MIT or have day jobs at Polaroid, but Blood Vessels is, in fact, outta Boston. Blood Vessel's self-titled release out now on Teenage Heart Records evoke a more rock version of some of Zeke's better material. Along with that rock however, you get some of the elements of rock that I could live with out: wankin solos, songs over a brazillian years long. I can get past the former if they are short, but having the epic four plus minute tracks make this disc seem a lot longer than its 35 minutes. All of this aside, this is good rock. It beats the shit out of The Strokes or The Hives or The Vines or any of the radio rock crap your likely to hear. Bottom line: punk flavored rock that sometimes rocks too hard. –Jerry Actually