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I am not displeased to be introduced to Blk Galaga. I will keep them, as an arrow in my quiver, for a while. They are tight, with nice harmonies. The band has a future touring in cramped quarters, and rocking the venue. What they need is a deal with fat records. I like the band and their sounds, but I expect more out of a band from east of the Rockies. You be the judge.
Jimmy Bile
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© 2012 Hounds and Harlots
[rating:9/10]
Hot on the tail of their most recent demo release, Bay area street punk trio, Hounds & Harlots are back at it with a brand new full length. The record dropped around the tail end of 2012 and is set to be in heavy rotation for me in 2013.
The Good Fight comes fully equipped with 12 tracks of sing-a-long, rowdy, rollicking punk rock and roll. The songs are just like I like ‘em, upper tempo punk rock numbers all hitting around the two minute mark. Lyrically the music is firmly planted in punk culture; life on the road, coming back home, loss, loneliness, the daily grind of a working class life. It is relatable and heartfelt.
Musically, the songs are tight and focused. This is consistently the reason that I tend to like trios. With fewer working parts, each member is forced to be both solid and inventive to create a larger/bigger sound that belies the minimal nature; Crisp guitar, solid bass, snappy drums and articulate vocals complement the arrangements well.
At the end of the day, this is what punk rock is all about. Anger and energy lashed together with a fierce loyalty and albeit battered and bruised, a glimmer of hope at the end of a dark night. So cheers to the fellas from Divisadero on a spot on new release, one that I helps take them up a rung or two higher in rock and roll echelons.
–Jerry Actually
Let the reviews begin!
Band Announces North American Spring Tour
To stream the new record, please go to: http://bit.ly/VGb3O1
True North celebrates the power of cogent punk in the face of personal pain and adversity. It is one of the band’s most emotionally accessible albums to date. Beneath the bristling guitars and surging drums exists one of the most cathartic works of the band’s career. With True North, Bad Religion deliberately revisits and refines the fast melodic Southern California sound they helped to define on albums such as Suffer, No Control and Recipe For Hate.
With a new album around the corner, Bad Religion cements their place in punk rock history with 16 studio albums, worldwide critical acclaim and countless world tours and will continue the celebration of their distinguished career with extensive touring in 2013, a rare intimate show in Los Angeles on January 23rd at The Echo in Los Angeles and their first ever appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon this January 30th.
Fans can pre-order True North by going here: http://www.kingsroadmerch.com/bad-religion/region/ and can check out the single “True North” via YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKflTc_RT6U
Bad Religion Tour Dates:
| 1/23/2013 | The Echo | Los Angeles | CA |
| 3/8/2013 | OC Fair & Event Center | Costa Mesa | CA |
| 3/9/2013 | Soma | San Diego | CA |
| 3/12/2013 | Backstage Live | San Antonio | TX |
| 3/13/2013 | House of Blues | Houston | TX |
| 3/14/2013 | House of Blues | Dallas | TX |
| 3/16/2013 | The Ritz Ybor | Tampa | FL |
| 3/17/2013 | House of Blues- Orlando | Orlando | FL |
| 3/19/2013 | The Masquerade | Atlanta | GA |
| 3/20/2013 | War Memorial Auditorium | Nashville | TN |
| 3/22/2013 | 9:30 Club | Washington | DC |
| 3/23/2013 | The Wellmont Theatre | Montclair | NJ |
| 3/24/2013 | Electric Factory | Philadelphia | PA |
| 3/26/2013 | Terminal 5 | New York | NY |
| 3/28/2013 | House of Blues | Boston | MA |
| 3/29/2013 | State Theatre | Portland | ME |
| 3/30/2013 | Metropolis | Montreal | QC |
| 3/31/2013 | Kool Haus | Toronto | ON |
| 4/2/2013 | St. Andrews Hall | Detroit | MI |
| 4/4/2013 | Newport Music Hall | Columbus | OH |
| 4/5/2013 | Congress Theatre | Chicago | IL |
| 4/6/2013 | Pops Nightclub | Sauget | IL |
| 4/8/2013 | Granada Theater | Lawrence | KS |
| 4/10/2013 | The Fillmore | Denver | CO |
| 4/11/2013 | In The Venue | Salt Lake City | UT |
| 4/13/2013 | Vogue Theater | Vancouver | BC |
| 4/14/2013 | Roseland Theater | Portland | OR |
| 4/15/2013 | Showbox SoDo | Seattle | WA |
| 4/18/2013 | Hollywood Palladium | Hollywood | CA |
| 4/20/2013 | TBD | Pheonix | AZ |
| 5/26/2013 | Punk Rock Bowling | Las Vegas | NV |
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© 2012
[rating:8/10]
Ah ah Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso. (known further as JCFHA) what wacky blend of ska/funk/punk/calypso have you crafted for us? Well, I suppose that actually rather describes it. The new release by Tampa’s JCFHA, “Curse of the Unsinkable Ship” is, in fact, a blend of Ska, Funk, Punk, and Calypso.
The album holds 15 tracks. This includes both a prologue and epilogue, so consider it 13 musical numbers and some guidance. Conceptually it reminds me of the ska classic, Full Trucker Effect, by Johnny Socko. The tracks are often a bit lower tempo, but that story telling vibe is there. Granted, the storyline is slightly less cohesive. JCFHA seems to be a bit more focused on the comedic elements of their “theme” album. That’s fine. Not judging. Just saying.
Comparisons aside, the album is fun. It has an exceedingly casual vibe and is very very party. However, I’m only halfway through. Things could take a darker turn. I’ll go get a refreshing beverage and let you know.
…
Ok, so the album does take a darker and a bit unusual turn around track 10, Suburban Wasteland. If you’re from the suburbs, then you know the specific kind of hell the song speaks of. I suspect that in their haste to escape the ‘burbs, JCFHA took a wrong turn and ended up in the sticks as track 11 gets decidedly country. Humor still intact, the release travels on.
At the end of the day, what you in Curse of the Unsinkable Ship is a none-too-serious, but seriously fun blend of ska heavy rock-n-roll. If you’re at all curious, check ‘em out here: http://www.reverbnation.com/johnnycakes Seriously check ‘em out. This band has a steel drum player. How cool is that?
-Jerry Actually
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© 2013
[rating:8/10]
Brooklyn’s best kept secret, or so I’m lead to believe by their bio, is a little band called Up For Nothing. Perhaps you remember them from last year’s “Twelve Stories Down”. If not, never fear as there is always time to pick up on what you’ve been missing out on. 2013 brings us a new batch of tunes, five to be exact, in the form of “In Trance” The new EP brings more beloved punk rock sounds with a bit more polish that only comes with hard earned time.
The tracks have a positive vibe, even in situations where the content may be squarely in the opposite direction; up-tempo and nicely orchestrated. Part of this overall goodness must surely due to incredible production. From the band’s bio, “these songs were recorded and mixed by Pete Steinkopf (The Bouncing Souls) and mastered by Stephen Egerton (The Descendents)”. If that doesn’t pique your interest right there, you might wanna just keep on walking.
At the end of it, you get five new punk rock tracks by a solid punk rock band. If you’d like to hear more, check out some of the band’s tracks here: http://www.reverbnation.com/upfornothing
–Jerry Actually
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Wow, would you look at the time? Just do it, ok? By it I mean take a look at a calendar. It is almost 2013. Seriously, what happened to 2012? I’m old. I comment on the passage of time. Get over it. Truly though I wish I had been a little more productive here at !upstarter in 2012. I’m sure that a great number of awesome tunes slipped through my tenuous grasp.
Sometime between a day job and a band project of my own I managed to squeeze in time for 25 reviews this year. That’s one per fortnight, I guess I shouldn’t sell myself short on production. I’m sure that last year wasn’t much different. But down to the guts and glory, if you made the list, a big round of applause. If you sent something in for review and I missed out on something awesome, there is no penalty for re-submission. Without further adieu, I present the best of 2012:
1. Morning Glory – Poets Were My Heroes
2. The Downtown Struts – Victoria!
4. The Atom Age – The Hottest Thing That’s Cool
6. Harrington Saints – Pride & Tradition
7. The Real McKenzies – Westwinds
8. The Ducky Boys – Chasing The Ghost
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© 2012 Red Scare Records
[rating:8.5/10]
I’m big time late to the game. That generally seems to be the case. I’m finally getting around to listening to Masked Intruder. I’m speaking, of course, about the self-title release on Red Scare. I know they have some new stuff coming out in cooperation with Fat, but I’m not talking about that right now ok?
Anywhat, this new release busts 13 tracks of pop punk that is way too Descendents for a band named Masked Intruder, especially a band bedecked in a rainbow of ski masks, with songs of felonious intent. I was seriously expecting to hear some Blood for Blood style hardcore come pummeling out of my speakers. Instead I was gently assaulted by pleasant pop punk sounds that have a feeling of Descendents, Queers, Teenage Bottle Rocket and other bands that in essence sound zero like hardcore.
This is not a bad thing by any means. I’m fully digging on this disc and like the subtle trickery that I really brought on myself by making name based assumptions. I, as usual, like the fact that the songs are geared for short attention spans. Nothing hits the three minute mark, though some do come damn close, but never at or over … that is the key, right?
Ok, so bottom line, pop punk as only pop punk can be. The legacy of Buddy Holly and the Beach Boys lives on in a new form that has more distortion and guitar riffery, yet charmingly still has coordinated outfits, which as we all know, is critical.
–Jerry Actually
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© 2012 Fat Wreck Chords
[rating:8/10]
NOFX has a new album out. I’m sure you’ve all heard it by now, or at least heard people talking about it. I know I have. People have said things, and I’m paraphrasing, like “back to their roots” and “sounds like ribbed”. In retrospect, that person could have easily said, “smells like ribs”. I’m not sure. I haven’t been really paying attention lately.
At any rate, NOFX have been at it a while; not quite the elder statesmen of punk rock, but damn if their not a heartbeat or two away from that title. So, grizzled and well into middle age, the gentlemen dusted themselves off and kicked out their 12th studio album.
Self Entitled give you twelve tracks of music that sounds a damn lot like NOFX. It’s snotty punk rock with a mix of social commentary, self-deprecation and politics all entwined. So I suppose you could say, “back to their roots” or “these guys are still around?”, because the new release really kind of works on all those levels.
I guess the sum of it is that if you’re a NOFX fan, you’ll likely enjoy this. If you’re out of loop, you’ll probably stay out of the loop, unless of course you’re in faraway lands where the band seems to like to tour a bunch nowadays.
Seriously though, Self Entitle is a fine record that undoubtedly no one but NOFX could have put out. It’s got their scent all over it.
–Jerry Actually
So, it looks like Schecter, as in Schecter Guitar Research is going to be introducing a new line of amps. I’ve got limited details at this point, but as a big fan of their guitars, I’m extremely excited about the upcoming products. I hope to check them out first hand at the upcoming 2013 NAMM show.
