Day: February 18, 2013

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I have some nerdy pastimes.  I collect records.  I collect comic books.  I play fantasy baseball.  It is because of this last hobby that I tuned into the fantasy sports station on Sirius Radio.  I have been getting smacked around in my league for the last five years since winning the inaugural league championship in 2007 so I was just trying to get some expert info to help me regain my place among the fantasy elite.  Either way, they gave me some valuable advice that I will use to help me write this review.  They were talking about players who everyone thinks are going to finally have their breakout season after being fairly pedestrian over the course of their career (I don’t think the band I am talking about is at all pedestrian).  Basically what was said was that is unwise to anticipate a player to be much different than they have over the last five (or more) years.

What I am getting at is the to expect True North from Bad Religion to be a whole lot different than they have been over the course of their career would border that common definition of insanity.  That isn’t a bad thing.  How many bands are out there can claim that they have been consistently good for over 30 years?  Not a whole lot.  Even fewer have been able to stick to the same formula for that long without sounding tired and old.  What I think amazes me even more is that a band can write a song (“True North”) about the angst of a person who has been alive for fewer years than they have been a band without sounding pretentious or contrived.

That is what makes the leaders of the 2^nd generation of punk special, they are ageless.  There has been talk of retirement following this release, but if the record is any indication, there is still plenty left in the gas tank.  Among the 16 tracks lies a collection of Bad Religion songs that if it was placed in a time capsule and buried for 30 years would be able to stand beside any Bad Religion song.  The same could be said if it was placed in a time machine and sent back 30 years.  That is why I will keep on listening as long as they are still making music, the past isn’t dead and there is still a lot to hope for.

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© 2013
[rating:8/10]

I’m listening to a new EP by DBTB, aka Dani Band Traveling Band, aaka Dani Barstad. Maybe you’ve heard of Dani? Maybe you have heard some of his other projects. He’s the drummer for acts like Mall’d To Death and The Terrordactyls. Well, this go around is a bit different in that Dani busts out the “one man band” action for his 2nd relase, “Super!!” (There are some additional vocals not performed by Dani, but instead performed by Caiti Allison. So, you know, it’s still technically a one man band.)

What you get on Super!! is 5 fresh tracks of punkish indie alternarock. For the ancient (or the retro) among us, It’s got a huge 120 Minutes vibe, lo-fi like old school Sonic Youth, but without as much of the whole noise thing. The tracks, in general, are mid-tempo rockers running the clock anywhere between a minute and six. There is an overall garage-ish feel that is not without it’s charm. Lyrically, I would suggest the songs are done as a bit of a catharsis. The content is somber and seems sincere by virtue of the insecurity that is interlaced into the context of the songs. I like that. The world could use a bit more humility.

I guess that the bottom line is that whether you are fans of Dani’s other bands, or totally wax nostalgic for the alternative days of yore, then check out Super!!. You can listen to the tracks here: http://dbtb.bandcamp.com/

Tracks:
1. BackPack 01:43
2. Sweating, Crying 03:13
3. Let the Butthurt Flow 01:00
4. Super!! 03:21
5. Shut Up & Go Pie! 05:52

–Jerry Actually