Author: Jerry Actually

Barren Womb – Kill Hicks

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SPARTAN RECORDS SIGNS NORWEGIAN HARDCORE BAND BARREN WOMB;
NEW ALBUM OUT MARCH 11TH
Stream Barren Womb’s Hard Hitting New Track “Kill Hicks” Today At BrooklynVegan.com
January 28, 2014 – Los Angeles, CA – Seattle based indie label Spartan Records is proud to announce the signing of Norwegian hardcore band Barren Womb and the upcoming release of their debut full-length album, The sun’s not yellow, it’s chicken, onMarch 11th .  The record will be available digitally and on limited edition vinyl, which can be pre-ordered now athttp://spr.tn/barrenwomb.
In anticipation for the upcoming release, BrooklynVegan.com has premiered the first new track, “Kill Hicks,” today.  Stream it now at http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2014/01/norwegian_hardc.html.
“”Kill Hicks” was one of the last songs we finished up for the record, and it came together fast,” says guitarist/vocalist Tony Gonzahl.  “We had this kind of bluegrass influenced riff kicking about for a little while, but hadn’t really had the chance to do much with it. Then one day we started jamming and that riff came up. A couple of hours later we had the song pretty much done.  Although there is a lot of beauty to humanity, I feel that right now the negative far outweighs the positive. This is not a holier-than-thou attitude, I most definitely see myself as part of the problem.  Lyrically Kill Hicks deals with apathy and the bleak future ahead of us if we continue on this path.”

Continue reading Barren Womb – Kill Hicks

15 Years

I was checking on my domain registration recently and it turns out that upstarter.com is officially 15 years old today.

I’d like to say thank you to all the bands and labels and fans and friends that have helped make !upstarter what it is through good times and bad.

Cheers,
Jerry Actually

Booze & Glory – As Bold As Brass

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© 2014 Sailor’s Grave Records

[rating:8/10]

booze_and_gloryFresh off the presses! (as of 01/28/2014) “As Bold As Brass”, the brand new LP from London’s hard working Oi! band Booze & Glory. It’s a rollicking and rowdy one indeed and sure to be a hit with all you street punks and Oi! fans out there. To be honest, this is my first listen to the band, but I like what I’ve heard thus far.

Seriously though, as fans of Oi! and street punk know, any self-respecting band of the genre is going to have driving rhythms, blue collar themes, a whole lot of loyalty to friends and fans, and of course, choruses that are chock full of, “Oi! Oi! Oi!”. “As Bold As Brass” doesn’t disappoint in that department at all.

The songs are solid and well played. This is a band that, while admittedly crafts simple, straight-forward songs, does what they do well. You know what? There’s nothing in the world wrong with that. I like my rock and roll to have a little bit of street edge and a chorus that I can scream along with at the top of my lungs to the point where the next day I’m so hoarse that you can barely understand a word that I’m saying. That’s what the fun’s all about, isn’t it?

Speaking of “about”, as a sidebar, the band’s vocals and syncopation reminds me subtly of Scottish/Canadian punk rockers the Real McKenzies. Odd perhaps, but I guess not entirely out of the vein. At any rate, this an album worth checking out for fans of both Oi! and punk rock.

Cheers!
Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Off We Go!
2. Leave The Kids Alone
3. Down and Out
4. Waiting For Tomorrow
5. One of Them
6. Julie
7. Only Fools Get Caught
8. Sick of You
9. Farewell Goodbye
10. I Hope You Still Remember
11. Cock & Bull Story
12. We’ll Stick Together
13. Always on the Wrong Side (Bonus Acoustic Track)

Booze & Glory – Only Fools Get Caught

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BOOZE & GLORY suffer no curiosity towards anything but their tried and true brand of hook-laden, red-brick sidewalk stompin’, Skinhead Oi! Rock ‘N’ Roll. They have no interest in detouring into awkward metal riffs, compromising mainstream tendencies or any other fraudulent leanings.  BOOZE & GLORY stick to who they are, what they know, and what they love — working class Oi!
They herald their love of their favorite football team, West Ham United. They recant the tales of pub sessions with good friends and cold booze and the struggles of being a drinking man on a workingman’s wage. And they tell the stories of friends gone wrong and life gone astray. Influenced by their English forefathers such as The Cockney Rejects, The Business and the 4-Skins, BOOZE & GLORY are poised to charge forward hard and far as the primary contemporary carriers of the British Oi! torch.
Follow BOOZE & GLORY for upcoming news and information at http://boozeandglory.com.

 

Gold Daggers

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[rating:8.5/10]

gold_daggersHere’s an interesting one. Gold Daggers are a two piece self-described “alternative/punk/shred” band from Los Angeles, CA. The new self-titled release is largely as described: “drums, bass, and yelling, which is rad.”

I’ve got to tell ya, I was both concerned and intrigued by the description. I’m glad I took the chance to give it a listen. The combination of sludging distorted bass and frenzied drums really works. I’m also happy to report that despite the description, there yelling isn’t omnipresent. The band mentions Fugazi, Deftones, Mastodon, Black Flag and Retox as references, but at the moment, I’m really thinking a more punkish Sonic Youth (with considerably less Kim Gordon), Helmet, and definitely some Motorhead bass influence.

Sometimes working with a minimal palette yields incredible results. By forcing the medium, the overly derivative and trite can sometimes be overcome. Not to gloss over things, but I’m writing this as I listen, and trying to play catch up (as always), so I’ll keep it to this: Great stuff with a refreshingly different sonic profile. Bass heavy with some amount of yelling, albeit less yelling than anticipated.

Check out the new self-title release from Gold Daggers here: golddaggers.bandcamp.com

Looters – s/t 45

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(c) 2013 Full Tilt Recordings

lootersI’ve got my hot little hands on some new vinyl; the self-titled 45 from Brooklyn New York’s Looters. The band is a four piece consisting of Eliot Pride on guitar/vocals, Shane E. Kerton on drums/backing vocals, Gerard Smith on bass/backing vocals, and Dante Tuxedo on guitar. As mentioned, the band is outta Brooklyn NYC. The 45 showcases two tracks of Looters chops, with Fall Alone on the A-side and Looters on the flip.

The cuts on the record are very heavy rock influenced as much by punk as by 60s garage and 70s heavy metal. The 70s can be distinctly heard in both the bass lines and the guitar solos. Perhaps oddly, the vocals, at least in the way words are drawn out and certain line breaks, I find reminiscent of Danzig. Not the style/tone mind you, just a certain approach. Combined, it adds up to a pretty decent sound. It’s fresh and new. Not in a new car smell sort of way, but in a full on restoration way. New paint on old parts if you will.

If you’re interested, you can listed to seven full tracks on their Bandcamp site.

Cheers,

Jerry Actually

The End of 2013

Just wanted to drop a quick note to say thanks to all the bands, promoters, and labels who have submitted material for review to !upstarter in 2013. I’m humbled that you appreciate our reviews enough to send your hard work in for critique.

Thank you too to fans of the site and music in general. We wouldn’t keep doing this without you.

It’s been a rough slog this year and I apologize to all the bands that we were unable to review. I promise that we will make a better effort in the years to come.

Thanks again for your support and have a brilliant new year!

-Jerry Actually

Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid Collection

I’m totally excited to check out the new Hellraiser Hybrid Collection from Schecter at NAMM 2014. The new series is a best of both worlds between the Hellraiser and SLS series of guitars.

‘A unique fusing of our infamous HELLRAISER and SLS models, the ‘Hybrid’ will be just that… a combination of the most sought after features of both!’

You can read more here: Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid Collection

Szewska Pasja – trzy, dwa…

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[rating: 8/10]

© 2014

szewska_pasjaIt’s been a bit since I’ve done any reviews. I guess I kind of hit a wall with words. Occasionally, something shows up in the mail box that makes me remember why I keep doing this. A few weeks ago I received a CD from Poland. Here’s some more words about that experience:

Szewska Pasja is a four piece punk band from Łódź Poland. If you are from the USA, chances are you’re saying Where the hell is that? Well, I looked it up, ‘cause I didn’t know either. It looks to be about smack in the middle of country. Since we’re taking a bit of an instructional turn, Google Translate indicates that the band and album are: Shoemaker Passion – three, two … Take that with a grain of salt. I don’t speak Polish. Enough with the lesson though.

Szewska Pasja seems like a pretty rocking band with a mix of surf and street into their brand of punk rock. All the vocals are in Polish, which is pretty rad. It gives me a sense of how it feels to be a kid rocking out and singing along phonetically to some big pop hit from another country, well minus the pop part I guess.

Trzy, dwa provides 11 tracks of fun and often bouncy punk, heightened for me by virtue of understanding nothing but the language of the music. The musicianship is solid and the recording is quite acceptable for what, as far as I can tell, is a DIY effort from a seemingly young band.

I wish I had some mp3 links for you, but alas, all I have is this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/szewskapasja.12 Perhaps if you speak Polish you can find some on your own.

The takeaway: Sweet Punk Rock from the (former) Eastern Bloc!

–Jerry Actually