Jerry Actually – Page 43

Chotto Ghetto – Sparkles

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I’m not immediately sure what to make of Chotto Ghetto. Their music is a bit of a mystery, the good kind of mystery though. I’ve heard folks say that they are “progressive hardcore”. I suppose that is as reasonable a description as is needed for the time being. Reasonable, that is, if you think that unusual structures, instrumentation and odd melodies are progressive.

Vague descriptions aside (to be followed by vague postulation) Chotto Ghetto brings an interesting amalgam of sounds that you are sure you like but aren’t quite sure where they are from. If I had to try to pigeon hole this, which will be hard, I’d go with this. The band is a largely unidentifiable hybrid of Yes, Death by Stereo, The Police, Sound Garden, Pink Floyd and Voivod, only with more hardcore riffs and beats. You’re probably thinking, wtf, but I assure you that it works. I think their website says it all, “Chotto Ghetto is a band from Los Angeles California.”

Anyhow, their new release, “Sparkles”, out now on Asian Man Records, offers 15 tracks of musical diversity and a rare fresh sound that you just aren’t hearing much of these days. Some of the stand out tracks, at least for me are 3. Ghost Finders and 5. These Kids Crave Discipline.

Overall, this release is a winner and a great choice for any serious fan of the arcane art of music collection. It may not be for everyone. However, if you like you music (mostly) fast, diverse and complex, then this is a must have for you.

–Jerry Actually

PROPAGANDHI STREAM NEW RECORD

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Failed States Out 9/4

Band To Tour North America This Fall
August 27, 2012 – Los Angeles, CA – In anticipation of the September 4th Epitaph release, Propagandhi are streaming their brand new record Failed States in its entirety. The album stream comes as the band prepares for an all-out North American tour beginning in September.

Fans can stream the new record by going to Propagandhi’s Facebook page:http://on.fb.me/U6csdA and are also invited to share the stream by posting this embeddable code:

Failed States is a milestone in Propagandhi’s musical journey as they willfully careen between brazen metallic tendencies and the ragged punk rock roots of their earlier work, picking up where their critically-acclaimed 2009 release,Supporting Caste, left off.

The first surprise for listeners will be the opening salvo “Note To Self”, a sprawling, swerving, cinematic journey through the mind of a smoldering first-world inmate, escalating into the full throttle siege of the title track, “Failed States”. The ride doesn’t get any less outrageous from there, reaching new levels of volatility with fierce, exacting tracks like the album closer “Duplicate Keys Icaro (An Interim Report)” and the borderline barbaric “Rattan Cane”. Keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times, people.

Propagandhi has created a truly monumental sixth album that is the band’s most forward thinking and musically varied albums to date. Failed States is not simply proof of Propagandhi’s continued dedication to pushing their musical boundaries, but an evocative (and provocative) meditation on human nature, meaning and life under an expanding, planet-wide technocracy.

Fans can pre-order Failed States now at The Epitaph Store. Additionally, Propagandhi will kick off a North American tour in September with support from Comback Kid. Dates are listed below.

Stay tuned to www.propagandhi.com and www.epitaph.com to hear more news about Propagandhi!

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Propagandhi Tour Dates:

9/25/12	London Music Hall	London	ON
9/26/12	Phoenix Theatre	Toronto	ON
9/27/12	Ritual	Ottawa	ON
9/28/12	La Tulipe	Montreal	QC
9/29/12	Hotel la Sagueneenne	Chicoutimi	QC
9/30/12	Imperial de Quebec	Quebec City	QC
10/2/12	Middle East Club	Cambridge	MA
10/3/12	Highline Ballroom	New York	NY
10/4/12	Le Poisson Rouge	New York	NY
10/5/12	Union Transfer	Philadelphia	PA
10/6/12	Otto Bar	Baltimore	MD
10/7/12	Altar Bar	Pittsburgh	PA
10/9/12	Grog Shop	Cleveland Heights	OH
10/10/12	Magic Stick	Detroit	MI
10/11/12	Town Ballroom	Buffalo	NY

No Means No – Close Minded (EP)

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[rating:9/10]

Agro eighties hardcore. Very syncopated. Short and sweet! I guess if you want some pissed off hardcore, this will float your boat. If you aren’t into that, then never mind. You’ve read it all before. You’ve heard it all before. So you’re saying, “what’s there for me?” nothing! You’re a jaded prick that doesn’t’ like anything. So go! Rock it! If you have made it past that section, then maybe, just maybe, this is for you.

It is hardcore punk. It’s rowdy. It’s angry. It’ll shake the floorboards a bit if your stereo plays along.

Enjoy while you can. The Fascist state will take it away soon enough.!

(I would normally take points away for band name reuse, but this time, it is unnecessary.)

Cheers,

Jerry Actually

Money In The Banana Stand – Giant Steps II

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[rating:8/10]

Do you like subtle irony? Do you? I don’t care what your response was. Listen to this band. A reference to one of the most genius TV shows is enough to garner a listen, but wait, there’s more.

Money In The Banana Stand crafts clever songs; songs which are both well instrumented and well articulated. It is poetry done with music and done quite well.

I’m doing the micro review thing here, so get this CD (EP) ok? OK!

–Jerry Actually

Backyard Surgeons – No Anesthetic

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[rating:9/10]

It’s been a while since I’ve done a DVD review. This one is well worth the wait. (the DVD, not the review)

If you are a fan of travel, roadtrip movies and things like NOFX: Backstage Pass, this little travel doc from Melbourne’s Backyard Surgeons is a must see.

DIY funded and booked, a largely unknown band (at least here in USA) sets out to bring their brand of poppy punk rock to China. It’s heartfelt and real. Train rides, beers and good times abound.

Sorry for the bevity, but I’m on a tight deadline (self-imposed)

At any rate, this is so worth seeing. If you’re a fan of making your own way in this world and would like to bring punk rock to the masses, by all means, get a hold of this DVD. I think you can find them here for the time being: https://www.facebook.com/Backyardsurgeons

On a more personal note, having owned a Gibson Explorer for 20+ years, I know what a bitch it can be lugging that thing around, kudos to you brother. I never had to lug mine that far in such a short time.

–Jerry Actually

PROBLEMS – Make it Through the Night

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[rating:8/10]

Life is shitty. We all have problems. Life would be less shitty if we all had the new CD by Portland punk rock and rollers, P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. ! (well, I suspect life would be piled with cash for the band if everyone in the world bought a copy of this, but I digress) Out in time for the summer west coast tour and the up and coming European tour, P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S has a shiny new compact disc available for your listening pleasure. (as a side note, I have no idea if P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. stands for anything or if they fellas are just totally down with the full stop.)

Make it Through the Night is the latest release from P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. The disc kicks down 18 tracks of sonic bombast that reminds me a combination of Zeke and Nerve Agents. For those of you that know (and enjoy) those other bands, I suspect that this is right up your alley. Technically, Make It Through The Night is 9 official tracks and 9 “Bonus” tracks of previously released material. Technically you could put it in a box and call it box set, so you do what you want with that information.

The important thing is that P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. is badass and they have a pedigree to back that shit up. Some might dare to say they are a bit of a “Super Group”. Featuring former members of bands such as: Resist, Poison Idea, Detestation, The Weaklings, Masskontrol and Defiance might bring a certain amount of credibility to the aforementioned, but unlike other “Super Groups”, like the Damn Yankees, P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. is not all about the douchebaggery. (as far as I can tell). There is another band I know of that has members of some of these same bands. Oh sure, they’re good, but not nearly as cool.

Some of the stand out tracks include the opener, “D.U.M.B” and track 6, Bad News. For the cover fans among you, there is also a great cover of The Cortinas “Fascist Dictator”.

The bottom line is that Portland, OR is still kicking out some hard rocking tunes and P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S is right there at its gritty rain-soaked core.

If you’re interested in picking up a copy of this disc, I suppose you could contact the band here: http://problemspdx.com/contact of course there is a link to their MySpace page, so I wouldn’t blame you if you thought they broke up half a decade ago.

–Jerry Actually

Harrington Saints – Pride & Tradition

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With a name like “Harrington Saints”, I’m immediately struck with the idea that this is a serious business, no holds barred, blue collar, in your face, working man’s street punk band. Maybe it’s familiarity with the genre, but there was no mistake in my assumption. These particular saints hail out of a little east bay town know as Oakland. You may have heard of it.

The band has been around since 2005 and Pride and Tradition is their second full-length. This one is produced by Lars Frederiksen. You may have heard of him. With it you get 11 tracks planted firmly in the vein of Oi and Street Punk; Blue collar rock and roll for the poor souls that have had their back broken by the man and get nothing in return.

The music is short, crisp, poignant, and timely yet timeless. (until such a time as people aren’t getting the short end of the stick I guess … so yeah, timeless.) That said, Street Punk isn’t the be all, end all for me. There is a strong tendency to get a bit repetitive. The Harrington Saints work to remedy this by not sticking strictly by the books. Tempos shift and not every track is a full on shout along. The themes run constant though; A desire for more, the tenuous grasp on the American Dream, white collar bandits, the ones who don’t put the effort in for their fair share.

Bottom line: If you like punk rock and you feel like you’ve constantly got the boot against your neck, rock the hell out and shout along with the Harrington Saints when they come crushing through your town.

–Jerry Actually

Dead Ellington – Refuse

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[rating:8/10]

Refuse is the 3^rd release from Boston’s Dead Ellington and the first EP in a three part series. Recorded at Little Eden Studios, Asbury Park, NJ with Pete Steinkopf (of Bouncing Souls), the EP delivers 5 solid punk rock tracks.

The recording, upon listening, is obviously punk rock, but there is definitely an emo-ish feel to it in both the vocals and the tempo downturns on the majority of the tracks. As well, there is a very 80’s poppy feel on the closer, “Miracle”. I’m thinking Plimsouls maybe, but what do I know? I’m not familiar with previous material from the band, so I can’t suggest that this is normal for them or otherwise. Either way, it isn’t my cup of tea, but not an unpleasant experience either.

Lyrically, the band brings a very positive message. To wit, from track three, “Network”, “There ain’t no power like the power of people, ‘cause the power of people don’t stop.” I think the band sums up their message well from their website with these words: ‘Refuse, Rethink, Rebuild is a new way of thinking. It is about looking at the reality of ones surroundings and creating something new. It’s all about refusing the present, rethinking the future, and rebuilding the past. “It’s a way of life not just music, it’s our manifesto, embracing the D.I.Y scene from street art to punk rock.”’

So, in the end, heartfelt punk rock, coming at ya straight outta Boston; Support your local scene and pick up a copy for yourself and/or your mother. You can find out more here: http://www.deadellington.com

–Jerry Actually

The Atom Age – The Hottest Thing That’s Cool

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[rating:9/10]

It is a rather rare occurrence when an AMR release doesn’t just thrill the hell out of me when I listen to it. The Hottest Thing That’s Cool, the new release by Oakland’s The Atom Age is no exception. To that I say, “Hooray for rock and roll!”

The Atom Age is a 5-piece punk/rock band with a lot of horn laced garage punk cache. Don’t let the garage moniker throw you though; the tracks are by no means lo-fi. It is merely a designation, like a map marker to help you locate things that have some Hammond B3 in there somewhere 😉 If it’ll help you get a better idea of the sound, I’m thinking immediately of Rocket From The Crypt. That influence is inescapable, however the overall vibe is decidedly more aggressive. The additional punk-rockery (when combined with the horns) makes me think more along the lines of King’s of Nuthin’. I also guess that on a purely on a rock plus horns level, they also make me fondly remember a late 90s Portland band. So a nod to The Sauce, for all who remember.

The tracks run around the three minute mark, on average, with the occasional number clocking in at the three and half mark. This works out well with my appreciation of compact tracks. In conjunction with shortish track length, most of the songs are up tempo, with exception of track five, “I’ve Been Thinking.” For this release, I’m a fan of the faster pace as well. The structure of the music isn’t overly complex, but the addition of horns, effects, and strong arrangements make for a larger soundscape than might otherwise be imagined.

So, in a nutshell, five piece horn-laced punk rock with an intriguing and solid sound. The Hottest Thing That’s Cool is out now on Asian Man Records. The band is on tour in June, so check them out if you can. You can get more tour dates on the webs: http://theatomage.com/

–Jerry Actually

The Downtown Struts – Victoria!

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Ok folks, here it is, Victoria! the brand new full length from Chicago’s Downtown Struts. I’ve long been a fan of the punk rock sounds coming out of the Windy City and this newest venture doesn’t disappoint; equal parts rock and roll and angst all rolled together with enough ennui to bend the ear of the most cynical among us.

The tracks are longer and a tad slower than my attention span generally allows for, but the song writing and delivery is in a such a manner that I’ll sit transfixed through the entire album (and on a bad traffic day, I’ll sit through it twice) I’ve talked about bands that are wearing this new mantle before: Dead to Me, The Loved Ones, Hollowpoints. The list could go on, but I hope you get the point. The music is full on rock and roll but loaded with introspection and damn I do love some introspection.

What you get with Victoria! is 10 tracks that set a great stage for sad story telling; telling tales of a life lost in America. To me it symbolizes lost glory, a pining for halcyon days but retaking the faded sense of hope. The album encompasses a dying ember on a still burning torch. Not everything is lost, but what exactly does it take to rekindle that waning flame?

The bottom line is one of the best new releases that I’ve heard so far this year. If you’re a punk fan that also gives a shit about song writing and you can feel the heavy weight of words, especially in combination with music that matches the spirit of the lyrics, then grab a copy of Victoria! You can find more info on the band here: http://www.facebook.com/thedowntownstruts

–Jerry Actually