Jerry Actually – Page 47

Getting to know Phat Meegz

Where are you from and when did you get started?

We’re a band from Tasmania, Australia, and all of us live here, albeit a bit scattered across the island at the moment. We got started sometime in early 2009, right after I moved to Tassie from Sydney. I was 16 and just moved out of my parent’s house to live with a friend halfway across the country.

At the time Tassie was a bit of a hotspot for traveller crusties and other such riffraff cause of these massive protests over the logging of the upper florentine, which is an old-growth forest that was getting turned into wood chips and chopsticks. So, living here, I quickly gravitated to a few other out-of-town punks that had just stopped by to fulfill their rent-a-riot duties, one of which (Joey) became the bassist of the band. We used to jam even though he claimed he hated reggae, and wrote a bunch of songs. We then found a drummer and enlisted him cause he was wearing an Op Ivy shirt, and a second guitarist just cause we could. Eventually we found a music nerd to play trombone for us. After about 3 months we decided to go on tour around Australia and all spent a bunch of money and met a bunch of people, which was cool.

Who are you and who does what in the band?

Well, I’m Ethan, I sing and play guitar. Joey is our bassist, he gets naked a lot on stage. Sam is our drummer and he’s the level-headed one. At the moment our Second guitarist is Jono, he’s 17 or something and has to sneak into all our shows. Luis is our trombone player, he lives on the other side of the island and handles all the complicated musical stuff, he doubles as our sound engineer and tambourine player.

How would you best describe the sound?

Old school reggae, if everyone in Jamaica was high on tweak instead of weed, and also white, angry and underage.

Dream rock moment (real or not)?

Real: Having the power cut at a show for playing too long, Joey being completely naked, and everyone in the crowd singing the words anyway.
Not Real: Brad Nowell somehow being alive and us opening for Sublime, and Joey flashing his balls to the entire crowd.

Still got day jobs?

Sortof. I’m usually unemployed but I just started work at a lettuce farm, picking and planting little lettuce babies. Joey goes to university and works at a fancy art gallery, Sam does furniture design at the same uni. Luis goes to Uni in Launceston, the other, shittier major city in Tasmania. Johno is still in year 12.

Any regrets?

Too many to count.

MXRCXL – Dump

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[rating:3.5/5]

Dump, from MXRCXL, is a two track demo that leaves me wanting more. The music is punk with indy leanings and a lot of articulation. It is modern in a very post-grunge way. Almost Helmet meats Nirvana, yet with more songcraft. … fans of King’s X might enjoy this.

It’s challenging to put forth volumes of critique (at least as far as my critique style goes) on a demo discs, but it does make it easier to be more direct. I like the two tracks and I genuinely hope there will be more forthcoming.

–Jerry Actually

Vultures – I’m Bad

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Here I am in a position, once again, where I get to both critique and possibly introduce music from around the world to an entire new audience. At the moment, I’m listening to “I’m Bad”, a three track demo of macabre punk-a-billy from Ruma, Serbia. How freakin’ cool is that? Pretty freakin’ cool if you ask me.

The three tracks have the death and ghoulishness of Psychobilly down pat with a little metallic tinge on the guitar work. The tracks are in English and the vocals are articulate. Musically, I’d be hard pressed to distinguish Vultures as being from any particular region or not. I suppose that is neither here nor there, but it certainly is a testament to the impact that rock and roll music has had around the globe.

At any rate, Psychobilly is (dead) alive and well the world over and Serbia’s Vultures are proof to that. Let’s hope that there is a full-length release in the works.

–Jerry Actually

Blue Collar Convicts – $2 and Change

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Well, I’m a sucker for the MA sound. Not sure quite what it is. Maybe it is something in the water, but that state produces some of the best punk rock and roll around.

Anyways, “$2 and Change” from Blue Collar Convicts is no shame to the form and a pretty damn rad release. It is full of guts and emotion without being sappy. The tracks feel true and from the heart. Maybe it’s my lower middle class upbringing, maybe it’s not, but I’m picking up on the sentiment of these tracks. As well, I think I get the idea of being trapped in the lower middle class workaday drudgery of existence.

On the comparison note, ‘cause I like to do that, think of an unusual hybrid of Social D, Op Ivy and Cadillac Tramps. It truly is a weird mashup, but it works.

I think the big sell here is that Blue Collar Convicts ring true. The music is exactly what you’d want when you’re slamming a few brews in your neighbor’s garage, or on occasion, a Sunday morning when you’ve decided that Saturday wasn’t quite enough.

Perhaps I’m rambling a little bit here, but I think this band has something, in a good way. I don’t see mega-stardom, but I won’t discount the idea that this band will be a go to when someone asks for some badass newish punk/rock(abilly)/anthemic rock and roll. At any rate, I gave it four out of five stars. I would have go higher, but well, I really wanted more tracks! Enjoy!

–Jerry Actually

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bluecollarconvicts@gmail.com

bluecollarconvicts.bandcamp.com/

The Crisis Kings

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[rating:2.5/5]

The Crisis Kings are a new band in the old familiar genres of thrash/grind/hardcore metal. Newly formed in 2011, the East U.K. quartet wasted no time in busting out a 7 track EP. The seven tracks do an adequate job of showcasing the band’s skills and for a debut effort recorded in a pig shed, it really deserves praise just for sheer effort.

The music is great. It is aggressive and brutal with overtones of Sick of it All, but tempered with more plodding riffs and screamo / growl vocals in the vein of Superjoint Ritual and perhaps Crowbar. There is also a certain dissonance that I enjoy. This style is especially prevalent on track 4 – S.O.W. the overall effect really reminds me of Leatherface.

However, (and here’s where we bring in the down note kids) As with so many things musical, the major detractor for me is screaming vocals. I just don’t like ‘em. So take that in stride if you’re reading this review. Again, the music lives up to its brutal roots, but takes it over the top with too much throat sandpaper. Seriously man, you’re gonna snap a vocal cord or something.

But, here, check ‘em out for yourself: http://www.facebook.com/thecrisiskings

–Jerry Actually

The Snallygasters – Black Aggie EP

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Aiaight, here’s a fun one. The “Black Aggie” EP is a new 5 shot disc from Baltimore’s The Snallygasters. I don’t know what a “snallygaster” is, but if this is the kind of smack they’re throwing down in the home of Edgar Allan Poe and John Waters, I want some more of this junk.

The sound is old school punk; an unsual mix of US Bombs, Dead Milkmen and a strange resemblance to Awesome and the Asskickers. There are some bits that start to drag on, and some solo-wanking but overall not a deal breaker, and there is a track entitled “Ragnarocknrolla” and if you’ve ever listened to Hulk Hogan and the Traveling Wrestling Boot band, I think you might get a alter-universe sense of deja vu.

It’s an EP, so you get what you get: a five song montage of the band’s range and style. Pretty much all diggable, so what the hell are you waiting for, go, find a freaking copy and commence to rocking.

–Jerry Actually

Part Time Killers – People. Religion. Death

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One of the best parts of doing what I do (whatever that is) is getting music from across the globe. Right now I’m listening to People. Religion. Death from Finnish band Part Time Killers, a punk rock quartet from Lahti Finland.

The sound is familiar punk with a hardcore backbone much like H2O with a more melodic core and the charming accented vocals that you only get with someone singing in English with a pronounced accent. As a side note, the Finnish language is one of the most isolated languages in the world with only very loose ties to an old Hungarian dialect. (If any linguists are reading this, I hope I didn’t butcher that. It just came to mind from something I read a while back)

People. Religion. Death kicks out 12 tracks, all of which clock in at under three minutes. I’m a fan of that. In today’s modern age, who has time for longer songs? Not this guy. Of note, I’m never a big fan of pointless guitar solos. The solos on this disc are short, discreet and compliment the tunes. They are an added bonus instead of the pointless wanking that so much guitar work can be.

To sum it up, Part Time Killers = good. People. Religion. Death = good new CD with a fresh coat of paint on a familiar sound.

–Jerry Actually

The Carry-Ons – Succession

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Straight outta muthafuckin’ Hotlanta is The Carry-Ons with their brand new rocker, “Succession”, and boy let me tell you what: Succession brings it in a whole lot of directions.

Musically The Carry-Ons are a blend of rock and punk with more emphasis on the punk. The songs are mid to upper mid tempo jobs that all feel pretty solid. They big draw though is the range. In addition to a great level of dynamics in the music, the song styles and vocals range between influences like AFI, Gogol Bordello, Meatloaf, Millencolin and a track that could damn well be a Street Dogs cover. I’d say they got the musical ground pretty well covered.

The CD offers 12 tracks ranging from around a minute to just over four, ya know, for the ballad lovers out there. The epic track length aside, I’ve been rolling this disc in my car for a while now and the more I listen, the more I like.

Bottom line is this, branch out from your radio-rock douchbaggery and hit some new tunes with The Carry-Ons new CD Succession. I triple dog dare you.

You can find out more at www.thecarryons.com

–Jerry Actually

Swingin’ Utters – Here, Under Protest

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I won’t belabor the historical info about Swingin’ Utters. You truly should know who they are already, but if you don’t, well, you should. (be ashamed of yourself) If you want to learn more about them, by all means check their official bio here: http://swinginutters.com/bio/ (notice the sexy url? sexy websites don’t use the www no mores)

Onto the important bits. Here, Under Protest is the first full length release from the band in eight years. That is a damn long time in punkdom. Most bands won’t even last an eighth as long, let alone have that many years between releases.

The new album is a mid-tempo rocker with some tactical velocity diversions thrown in. It is replete with all the expected hooks and chorus lines that you’ve came to love. They years have tempered the lads a bit, but not for the worse. The songs have the kind of difficult-to-define quality that pegs them as instant classics. I guess that it is a sort of timelessness that makes the songs both enjoyable and enduring. Though I gush a bit as an admitted fan, you really have to hear this one. It kicks some serious ass even after repeated listening.

So here’s what you get: 14 tracks, just under 35 minutes. Pure punk rock goodness. Oh, by the way. This is also your new favorite CD as of right now if not sooner.

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Stiff little fingers, The last weird Let’s Go Bowling CD, Swingin’ Utters.

Tracks:
1. Brand New Lungs
2. Taking the Long Way
3. Bent Collector of 1,000 Limbs
4. Kick It Over
5. Good Thing
6. Sketch Squandered Teen
7. Heavy Head
8. (You’ve Got To) Give It All To the Man
9. Time On My Own
10. Lepers, Thieves and Whores
11. Blindness Is Kind
12. Reds and Blues and Beggars
13. Scary Brittle Frame
14. Effortless Amnesiac

The Rumblers – Resistor Radio

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Right now I’m listening to Resistor Radio, the new full-length release from The Rumblers. The release marks eight years since the band’s debut. While I’m not familiar with “Hold On Tight”, I can only assume that the new work represents a more focused and enlightened version of the past.

Resistor Radio features 12 tracks of politically tinged American punk rock. It isn’t quite to the level of social commentary as The Clash for instance. Instead it feels like a sampling of Social Distortion, Pennywise and Bad Religion. The sonic structure has a great level of depth with the blend of horn and organ sounds of the more expected drum/bass/guitar experience. The dynamic and well crafted songs lend to easy enjoyment. It is the type of disc that gains appreciation and respect the more you listen to it.

Aside from the more greaser style punk rock and roll there are tracks like “Bring Me Back” which are more in the vein of newer bands like Dead to Me, Menzingers and American Steel. Additional deviations are the low cowboy ballad, “The Long Con” and the slightly ska/reggae/punk “Final Words”. It shows an excellent level of diversity and writing ability for the band. Like I said, the more I listen, the more I appreciate The Rumblers.

You can find more here: www.therumblers.com

-Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Your Future’s Been Determined
2. Days Gone By
3. Smash Your Television
4. Border Town
5. Bring Me Back
6. Time Can Have a Way
7. The Long Con
8. Final Words
9. You’ve Got Your Guns
10. download 10. Rebel Heart
11. Run Away
12. City Lights