Month: December 2011

Year End Top 10

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It’s that time of year again when everyone is posting their “best of” year end lists.  For me, it would be ridiculous to think that my list is going to be a whole lot different in content then somebody elses, there may be some differences, but mostly I just want to feel important by posting my list for everyone else to read:

1)  Polar Bear Club–Clash Battle Guilt Pride-This was was not my favourite album of the year, although it would definitely be near the top, I think it is the best written album of the year and really shows the group coming into their own.

2) The Horrible Crowes–Elsie-This album contains some of my favourite Brian Fallon songs, as well as some of my least favourite, but what I respect most about this album is that Fallon and bandmate Ian Perkins were able to step out of the shadow cast by The Gaslight Anthem and create something uniquely their own.

3) The Rebel Spell-It’s A Beautiful Future-My personal favourite album of the year, it has all the ferocity of their prior releases plus a sense of urgency that is a direct reflection of the time it was written.

4)  Red City Radio-The Dangers of Standing Still-The bands Paper and Plastick debut built off of their earlier EP and showed that they are continuing to get better.

5) Mall’d to Death–The Process of Reaching Out-This was another of my favourite releases and also contains my favourite song of the year “Migraine Belt.”

6) Banner Pilot–Heart Beats Pacific-This album is currently on repeat in my truck and I blame it for my speeding.

7) The Slow Death–Born Ugly Got Worse-This is the album I turn to if I just want to enjoy listening to music.

8) Junior Battles–Idle Ages-It took me a long time to catch onto this album, but when I did it was as close to a revelation as I came this year.

9) Have Nots–Proud-This album was the one I anticipated the most, and it did not disappoint me.

10) Against Me!-Total Clarity-I know this album was made up of mainly demos that weren’t all that different then the songs that went on the album, but the unreleased tracks brought me back to when I first heard them and was quite inspired.

Top 10 of 2011

It’s been a long and productive year here at !upstarter and a lot of good music came across this desk. I regret that I didn’t have the time to review each and every release. I can only hope that in 2012 the music keeps on coming in and that I once again have the privilege of listening to the hopes, dreams, and efforts of musicians and bands from around the world.

People love lists, so once again I’ve compiled a top ten for this year’s reviews. There were so many great releases to choose from, but after some deliberation I’ve narrowed it down to the following:

#1. Dan P. & The Bricks – Watch Where You Walk

#2. 20 Bulls Each – A Glorious and Bloody Revolution

#3. Swingin’ Utters – Here, Under Protest

#4. The Snallygasters – Black Aggie EP

#5. Cubicle – The Severance Package

#6. Shoot the Hostage – So Polite

#7. Überband – Live In Poland

#8. Prize The Doubt – This Will Die Unrecognized

#9. Do It With Malice – The Burned Over District

#10. Flatout Jones – Closed Doors and Weird Situations

There you have it, the top ten reviews for 2011. Let’s have a big round of applause for all the bands that made the cut.

I’d also like to give honorable mention to a few bands that didn’t hit the top ten. Holding Onto Sound for their EP – The Tempest and to Darrow Chemical Company who sent in a kick ass release that I didn’t have time to review.

–Jerry Actually

Cubicle – The Severance Package

[rating:4/5]

Cubicle is an L.A. based punk band, rocking out with near total corporate schtick; Songs of coffee, languishing in noward* mobility, and Ponzi Scheme greed abound. The sound is somewhat comical ala Guttermouth and certainly classic punk reminiscent of Circle Jerks. The later influence goes even so far as to include a very convincing cover of “Beverly Hills”

The band certainly isn’t a tribute band though. While harnessing much of the energy of the early California punk sound, they manage to admirably infuse their roots with a new burst of energy and a style of their own. The EP offers up five originals and the aforementioned cover. The tracks keep up the pace and remain edgy throughout without sounding either too garage-y or over-produced.

Overall a fun release with a decidedly anti white collar wage slave agenda. You can listen to some tracks on the band’s MySpace page (whatever that is)

-Jerry Actually

*noward is neither upward or downward. lateral.

Tracks:
1. Not Going Anywhere Fast
2. Brainwashed
3. Ponzi Scheme
4. Coffee Break
5. Beverly Hills
6. Yo-Yo

Kepi Ghoulie – I Bleed Rock N Roll

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[rating:8/10]
© 2011 Asian Man Records

Kepi Ghoulie is a Rock N Roll Shark who also happens to bleed Rock N Roll. Don’t believe me? Perhaps then you should check out Kepi’s new solo release, “I Bleed Rock N Roll”, out now on Asian Man Records. You might be familiar with Kepi as the frontman of the Groovie Ghoulies. Perhaps you’re not familiar with Kepi at all? Too bad I say. Either way Kepi is doing the solo thing now, and he’s doing it well.

I Bleed Rock N Roll is a 13 track testament to Kepi’s ability to create compelling, catchy, and very danceable pop-punk. The songs on the new album, in general, pay homage to 50s style rock albeit with more modern tones and pace laced in. There is, despite the pop-punk trappings, also an unusual dark side preset.

When Kepi’s singing, “What the world needs now is love sweet love”, it’s as if he’s possessed by the worlds friendliest devil; very much the lightest side of darkness ever. I’m even going to suggest that Kepi Ghoulie is the Bizarro counterpart to Rob Zombie, if you get where I’m going with that. If you want evidence to my assertion, track eight, “I Just Wanted You To Know” clocks in at precisely 3:33 and reminds me of the Cowboy Junkies, so, um take that.

All in all, I Bleed Rock N Roll does what it says; 13 tracks of pure rock and roll, each one nearly even in rocking as they are rolling. Balance is crucial. And as if the rock alone (and also the roll of course) wasn’t enough there are some awfully clever lyrics in play too. “Don’t try to figure me out because I’m rather unfigueroutable” and “I’m a rock n roll shark. I gotta keep moving’ I gotta keep swimmin’”’ are just some small examples. Damn fine wordsmithing inside indeed.

So if you were a fan of Groovie Ghoulies, or just want a tasty new Rock N Roll treat, stop over to Asian Man Records and pick up a copy or two. I swear you won’t regret it.

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Rock N Roll Shark
2. Nikki Lee
3. I Bleed Rock N Roll
4. The Fever
5. Part Time Romeo
6. When I’m Gone
7. Unfigureoutable
8. I Just Wanted You To Know
9. Love To Give
10. Break My Heart
11. Cupid Is Real
12. Blame It On Mom
13.Hard To Forget

Broadcast Zero – Some Concerns Regarding This Revolt

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[rating:8/10]

The album I have been listening to lately is one that I have been wanting to listen to for a long time, but so much music that I am interested, or have become interested has come out since its release date that it has been put on the back burner. But lately, I have been back on the hunt for new music and not finding anything of particular interest. Well about two weeks ago Rebel Time Records sent out a tweet seemingly from above about a sale that they were having. Their entire discography was put on sale for 5 dollars a cd (you can still take advantage of this deal until the new year), a price I couldn’t say no to. So I finally decided to do what I had set out to do in September 2010, and purchase a copy of Broadcast Zero’s Some Concerns Regarding This Revolt. Considering the album is over a year old and the band is no longer together, I’m not really sure if what I am about to write is a review or a revisit.

The album itself is very good and packed with 16 fast paced punk songs and if you have ever heard Broadcast Zero, the style of the songs does not stray too much from what you might expect from them. There are two major digressions from their norm although. The first, happened right at the time I pressed play, it was the Yellow Ledbetter-esque intro to “Wake me Up.” The change of pace (one that I found very interesting) only lasted 26 seconds and then it broke out into Broadcast Zero’s signature guitar sound that would continue to last for 16 songs with the endurance of a triathlete and speed and explosiveness of a 100 meter sprinter.

The second digression is the theme of the album, and I don’t think I could explain it better then the title of the album itself. I found it very interesting. Most of the time punk bands are very steadfast in their beliefs, opinions, and politics. Some concerns….. really calls this practice into question throughout the album with such songs as “On Freedom” where Nick Shrubsole sings from two perspectives where the status quo tells “Tommy Bones” “Tommy you are deaf you see because this revolution will set you free.” Tommy replies “freedom for you ain’t freedom for I because when you speak for me you take away my autonomy.”

I can’t really pick any particular favourite tracks as I do really like them all, but “Just Entertainment” really sticks out to me as it references one of my favourites and fellow Rebel Time band The Rebel Spell throughout the song. As I said, the album is very good, and I recommend it to anyone, so go ahead, take a chance, head on over to Rebel Time and pick it up for 5 bucks, you won’t be disappointed.

-T.J.