Month: July 2008

Chris Murray Combo – Why So Rude

(c) 2008 Unstrictly Roots
[rating:5/5]

If you’ve been reading the reviews on !upstarter for any length of time, you would realize by now that I’m a big fan of Chris Murray. Ever since I saw him open for Skavoovie and the Epitones and Less Than Jake in Lawrence, KS ages ago (1996 maybe?), I’ve been hooked. Time has seen several new releases since the 4-Track Adventures of Venice Shoreline Chris, each of which has been rock solid in its own way. Why So Rude is no exception.

If anything Chris Murray, now as a three piece combo, is more solid than ever. The new release is a culmination of time spent playing as CMC over the last few years and newly recorded versions from the Chris Murray and King Apparatus back catalog. The band consists of Ben Farrar on percussion/backing vocals, Eddie “Chiquis” Lozoya on bass/backing vocals and Chris Murray on vocals/guitar. Frankly all three of these guys bust out the stops at their respective musical posts. The bass is smooth and rolling. The symbol hits are second to none, and the vocals compliment the songs like a glove to a hand. Though this is a slightly different lineup than when I last saw the CMC. Bass duties were once upon a time performed by Jeff Roffredo, but that was a few years back.

None the less Why So Rude lays down 13 tracks: some new, some old, all good. Personal Favorites include the opener: I need Water and the title track: Why So Rude. The cover of Maga Dog and the re-recording of Michael and Anne are top notch as well. If you like your Ska, Roots and Reggae full of genuine soul, compelling song writing, sincere vocals and subtle harmonies, do check out the Chris Murray Combo. You shan’t be disappointed.

–Jerry Actually

Zebrahead – Phoenix

Zebrahead – Phoenix (c) 2008 Icon MusicWow! someone forgot to take their ritalin. Orange County band Zebrahead brings your their fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and maybe eighth releases all on one disc. Ok ok maybe it is technically just their fourth release, but holy crap this disc is all over the place. Because of that I think that it suffers a severe identity crisis. Phoenix carries a sound that is nearly equal parts Rage Against the Machine, 311, Sugar Ray, P.O.D. and not so equal parts of bands so banal that I can’t remember them, only their typical nature. It leaves me to wonder who/what they are attempting to be. I’m not saying it is all bad, just not half good. The musicianship is top notch and the songs are performed admirably. They just don’t know what they want to accomplish sonically (or maybe I’m just not getting the point)… full of sound and fury signifying nothing perhaps. However, if you suffer from short attention span, then perhaps Zebrahead are just the ticket. Phoenix is so incongruous that you just might come away with a whole lot of new favorites.–Jerry Actually

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – Have Another Ball (c) 2008 Fat Wreck ChordsDid you ever have to hate your friends or your friend’s sister because they had the K-Tel version of that sweet BTO song you totally loved? Do you remember wtf K-Tel was? Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a more modern punk rock incarnate of the very same ideals. They take all your favorite songs (originally by the original artist) and they make them better.This time (and the times before) around the joke’s on those K-Tel chumps. Me first and the Gimme Gimmes punk the heck outta those “original classics” For the folk that are familiar, Have Another Ball is the second installment of tracks off of the original recordings from a decade ago. So, if you are indeed familiar, odds are good that you’ve heard a lot of these tracks on other releases. Does it matter that they’ve made better versions of their own versions of other peoples songs? Probably not. Is it still all the same fun punked up karaoke that you were looking for? Most likely… I don’t know what you were looking for, but if it was a punk cover of “Mahogany” or “The Boxer” well then, godammit, this is it. I can’t say it is best of breed, but out of all the cd’s I’m playing right at the very moment, it takes a close second.–Jerry Actually