November 2010 – Upstarter

Rob Lind speaks out about the reunited Blood For Blood. An official statement.

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This week, on Thursday December 3rd, Blood For Blood is kicking off their, long awaited, European Tour, as part of the 2010 Persistence Tour. This will mark the first time since 2004 that Blood For Blood fans have been able to see the band live on stage. As previously announced by the band on June 19th 2010 (statement hereunder), Rob Lind decided not to join the rest of the band and Billy Graziadei, from Biohazard, will be filling in for him.

Today Rob Lind wants to share this official statement about not joining Blood For Blood (for now), the future of the band and his relationship with his band mates.

Hello there children!

It’s been long time…

A few months ago it was announced in the press that Blood For Blood would be touring again. Specifically it was announced that BFB would be doing this years annual Persistence Tour in Europe (with Sick Of It All, D.R.I., Unearth, Evergreen Terrace and others). It was also announced that Blood For Blood would be doing this tour and future shows without me.
In absence of a response or statement on my part, there was an immediate deluge of speculation, invective and hostility in reaction to the announcement online and in the scene. And it is ongoing.
Continue reading Rob Lind speaks out about the reunited Blood For Blood. An official statement.

The Spoilers – Loaded to the Gunwales

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© 2010 Vaccaro and the Spoilers

[rating:3:5]

Here’s a fun little EP. Punkish yet poppy; assuming but not precocious. Ok probably a lame little lead in. I’m ok with that. I feel the way I said.

The Spoilers have nice rock chops and the songs are catchy and danceable. I have said in the past that I’m not a big fan of female fronted rock, but I think The Spoilers make it work. There is no obvious attempt to force things into place that need not be there (vocally). On the other hand, I think that some of the guitar work seems a bit show-boaty and may be unnecessary, but hey that’s just me. I’m pretty sure the world knows that I’m anti solo.

What it all boils down to is a pretty catchy punk rock EP with a lot of rock edge. I was going to go into a big thing about how its hard to not draw comparisons and things like that, but here’s the truth: I like this EP. I would listen to more.

As a bonus, I think the cover on the end is likely the anthem to kick ass drunks everywhere, and damn well done!

–Jerry Actually

Billy Brown – The Best of Tragedies

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Billy Brown (Deadly Sins, Ashers, Unseen, Crash and Burn) is getting ready to release his first solo album, The Best Of Tragedies. We are streaming 2 songs as free as a preview to the upcoming release.

Enjoy.

Track: 02 The Space

Track: 03 Sacrifice

Prison Break 2438

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Do you like sci-fi? Wanna help somebody get the capital together to publish a book? (It isn’t me) Take a look here and decide if you’d like to help: http://kck.st/cc4UbN

Here’s the premise:

The book is about a man who lives in southern California in 2438 AD. His friend from way back gets taken to the world’s worst prison as a political prisoner. It’s his job to save his friend before he gets executed.

Limozine – Siamese Twins

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Limozine release their new single Siamese Twins via Beatatlas Records on Nov 22nd.

Limozine’s new single ‘Siamese Twins’, with B-side ‘Jennifer X’, is the bands fourth single and the first single to be taken from their forthcoming third album ‘Full Service’. Limozine were first picked up by BBC6’s Tom Robinson who chose the bands second single ‘You Da Boss’, and the B-side ‘Honey Yeah,’ to feature on his Fresh on the Net show. ‘You Da Boss’ also featured on the new music playlist on BFBS Worldwide Radio, was chosen for the A list on Total Rock Radio and received multiple plays by Gideon Coe on 6 Music. The single was featured on the ‘Classic Rock Jukebox’ in the March issue of Classic Rock magazine.
Continue reading Limozine – Siamese Twins

Mrs Skanotto – The Long Dark Road

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[rating:3.5/5]
© 2010 Mrs Skanotto

Well folks, I am sonofabitchin impressed. I wrote something; someone actually read it; new audio shows up in the mail. (Specifically I said that I miss ska. Less specifically, I think I screamed it into the night sky.). So here’s what’s shakin’ bacon. I’m listening to the new release, The Long Dark Road by Rochester’s own Mrs Skanotto.

Admittedly, I am not familiar with Mrs. Skanotto. I feel a bit like I have been missing out, this being their 5th release and all. Apparently the Continental Divide does more that determine where water ends up. However, now that I’m in the know, so to speak, I’m digging the new grooves.

The Long Dark Road is a full on New England (maybe NE would be more accurate) 3rd wave ska CD. The disc delivers on 12 tracks of soulful down beat horn dripping ska. Seriously, what can you not like about music that elevates the mind and soul and makes you want to skank to boot.

The more I listen to this CD, the more it makes me think that I’ve heard this band before. On some comps maybe? For lack of any official remembrance, I’ll try to liken the sound to something I’m more familiar with. I’m thinking that an artful blend of Spring Heeled Jack (USA) and Deals Gone Bad (albeit with less Piratude) would be a reasonable assumption.

So here is the big breakdown. The Long Dark Road delivers really solid ska. The content ranges from love and longing to pompous posturing to camp to the dark depths of suicide. Despite the darkness the disc stays on the lighter side musically and keeps you dancing throughout. Oh, and did I mention horns? Honestly, the horns bring it!

-Jerry Actually

For fans of: Spring Heeled Jack, Deals Gone Bad, Toasters, Ska

Track Listing:

1. The Other Man
2. Girlfriend
3. Long Dark Road
4. Smashed Against the Wall
5. Ordinary Girl
6. Girl Come Back
7. Self-Appointed King
8. Get Off the Fence
9. Time to Play
10. Mainstream
11. Finally Happy
12. The 86th Floor

NOFX – The Longest EP

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[rating:4/5]
© 2010 Fat Wreck Chords

Do you even remotely enjoy NOFX? Have you? Might you? … If you’ve answered in the affirmative to any and/or all of these questions, then what is not to like about The Longest EP? I know that I’m a bit tardy in getting this review out, but better late than some other thing, right?

At any rate, The Longest EP brings together a career-spanning collection of many of the best EP’s the band has offered up to date. From the one-sheet, it contains, “NOFX’s first Fat Wreck Chords release The PMRC Can Suck On This to their latest Cokie the Clown.” As an added bonus, you also get 8 tunes that have heretofore been unavailable on anything but vinyl (or maybe cassette).

But I digress. If you’re in anyway a fan of NOFX and would like a 30-pack of classic (old and new) tracks on one damn fine compendium, than The Longest EP is the shizzle for you. … I won’t break down the original source material. You can check the track listing below and back-reference on your own if you’re so inclined. … but wait there’s more. It also has a monster of an insert w/ lyrics some that you’ve barely understood until now.

-Jerry Actually

For fans of: NOFX, Punk, Everything that’s good.

Track listing:

1: The Death of John Smith
2: The Longest Line
3: Stranded
4: Remnants
5: Kill All the White Man
6: I Wanna Be an Alcoholic
7: Perverted
8: My Name Is Bud
9: Hardcore 84
10: War on Errorism Commercial
11: 13 Stitches (Acoustic)
12: Glass War
13: Jaw Knee Music
14: Concerns of a GOP Neo-phyte
15: Golden Boys
16: You’re Wrong
17: Everything in Moderation (Especially Moderation)
18: I’m Going to Hell for This One
19: I’ve Become a Cliché
20: Cokie the Clown
21: Straight Outta Massachusetts
22: Fermented and Flailing
23: Codependence Day
24: My Orphan Year (Acoustic)
25: S&M Airlines (7″ version)
26: Dueling Retards
27: On the Rag
28: A200 Club
29: Shut Up Already
30: The Punk Song

Them Damned Young Livers – Psalms of Ill-Repute

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Kansas City’s finest cow punks are back with a new one boys. Time to circle the pickup trucks, tap the kegs and have one hell of a throw down. I assure that it is exactly what Jesus would do. Psalms of Ill-repute picks up off where 2008’s Let The Sin Begin Leaves off, more or less hung over praying to the lord while drinking booze hoping to avoid that next DUI.

Where the current release takes a departure from previous material is in the raw DIY 60’s garage sound. This new, more rough hewn, sound is readily picked up on the first track. The swirling Hammond sounds on “White Bride Escort Service Inc.” primes the listener for a different TDYL experience. This is further augmented by the 70s rebel outlaw rocking of track 8 “Armed and Crazy”. But don’t fear, the same rowdy, drunken, preaching and rocking is still very much present in Psalms of Ill-repute.

The new disc delivers on 13 solid tracks of pasture-inspired booze-fueled rock and roll, the nefarious evil of which can only be tempered by desperate prayers and even more liquor. As a testament to the power of either the former or the latter, the songs of “Ill-repute”, while definitely more raw, are also better crafted. The combination of tighter composition and gritter production lends to on fine drinkin’ CD.

-Jerry Actually

For fans of: Hank III, Georgia Satellites, Reverend Horton Heat, Beer

Track Listing:
1. White Bride Escort Service Inc
2. Love Fight
3. Devil Out The Back
4. All Hell
5. Baby I’m Gone
6. Drinkin (Again)
7. Please Help Me Jesus (I Don’t Wanna Get Pulled Over Tonight)
8. Armed And Crazy
9. Please Stay
10. Georgia On A Fast Train
11. Bus Broke Down
12. Theme From Them Damned Young Livers (Another Song)
13. That Hip Hop You Speak Of

Knuckle Supper

[rating:3/5]

Los Angeles, present day. Gangs run rampant. Sex, money and drugs are the only economics. Gruesome serial murders, rape and robbery defile every street corner. The festering odor of blood shit and puke foul the air. So, you might as, “what’s makes this any different than reality?”

This time the whole fucking mess is controlled by brutal junkie vampires!

Erase any pictures you have of Lestat and his white ruffled Victorian charm or Edward with his dreamy tween-heartthrob looks. The vampires of Knuckle Supper are hardcore junkies that rape rob and kill for blood and drugs.

Drew Stepek’s gory depiction of modern vampire life delivers the reader into a world of factional gangs vying for control of the streets and the life-forestalling drugs. There is no glamor and no hope for immortality, only the next fix. The grim tale in Knuckle Supper centers around what can be best thought of as a two-bit gang of punks, goths and misfits, The Knucklers. In particular their leader RJ, a violent and grimy punk and his protégé Dez, a quick-tempered goth.

At the outset, RJ and Dez brutally murder and consume a pimp and kidnap his underage prostitute, Bait (short for jailbait). The original idea is to have the hooker lead johns back to their house to make the quest for blood and heroin, the Knuckler drug of choice much more clean and efficient. (Incidentally, their drug of choice is heroin, injected into the victim and then consumed during the imminent death. The consumption often takes to form of ripping off the victims arm and draining the drug laced blood from the end of a severed finger, the knuckle supper, if you will.)

Unsure of his reasons why, even after numerous provocations, RJ can’t or won’t bring himself to kill one of his latest victim, the young hooker. It is almost as if there he has a small spark of humanity. The developing relationship between RJ and Bait begins to unravel his other friendships and alienates Dez to an alarming degree.

Things go from bad to worse when The Knucklers end up with a bag or ill-gotten heroin and decide to sell it from underneath its rightful owner. The world as they know it starts to unravel. Rival vampires begin to battle for control of Los Angeles. The Knucklers are in danger of their very un-lives at the hands of the controlling gang, The Battlesnakes. The downward spiral culminates in a series of not necessarily expected twists.

At any rate, I enjoyed the book. I will state that it isn’t for the faint of heart, there are some serious depictions of violence and sexual abuse throughout the novel that may best be avoided by the sensitive. However, if you’re willing to get past that, there is a pretty good read lodged within. Think to yourself, West Side Story with vampires on heroin and without the music, or maybe its more like The Warriors.

On more of a critical note, I think that the characters were a bit shallow. Or perhaps it was that only the central characters of RJ and Bait were painted with much depth. All the rest seem almost as extras. Outside of that my other major gripe is with editing.

I caught a few text/typo variety errors, no big deal. What bothered me was that every so often a sentence would make a startling drop in continuity as though I had skipped a sentence. On more than one occasion I had to read and re-read the preceding material to be sure that I hadn’t missed something. This was even more awkward when it happened on a page turn.
Without creating too much of a spoiler, Knuckle Supper is a dark portrayal of addiction and life outside of mainstream society. It is potentially and allegory of man’s own inhumanity and the dearth of justice for the denizens of the edges.

-Jerry Actually