(c) 2008 Horns Up Records
[rating: 3.5/5]
Have you ever, as an ever tough punk rocker wanted to let you inner-emo out? But how could you and still save face with all your extra tough punk rock friends? San Francisco’s Get Dead holds the answers to your fears. Their “punkcoustic” anthems reek with their innermost feelings but still come across as cool and nonchalant. I venture to say that you can safely listen to Letters Home and you will still command the respect of your spike-bedazzled friends and maybe you’ll even show that cute little pale girl all dressed in black a little bit of your own tortured soul (but not too much) Aside all that, Get Dead brings some fine non-electrical punk rock in an anthemic and almost piratical way. If I had to make up some adjectives that you can use to tell your friends about them, I’d go so far as to say that they are both Clashtastic and SwinginUtteriffic. For those of you back east, you can say that they’re wicked sweet!
–Jerry Actually
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Welcome to the B-side. What have we here but no less than 32 tracks of B-side, demos, 4-track takes and BS schlock from none other than Swingin’ Utters. It is generally easy to dismiss B-side compilations as strictly for the die hard fan. Generally they consist of crap to lackluster to otherwise distribute. That is only partially true for Hatest Grits. Instead of the usual 90% garbage 10% diamond, the Utters give you a sketchbook chronology of one of the best bands of the hybrid folk punk genre. Of course you also get some crap to lackluster to otherwise distribute, meant only for the die hard fan. But thanks to the good graces of the band, the ratio is more like 75% kick ass takes and 25% filler. You slice it how you like it though. I for one am down with their brand of rock and roll. Highly recommended from your friends at !upstarter.
The Dram Club offers, yes, you guessed it, DRAMA! … They are the soundtrack to whatever crappy new MTV reality show du jour. This disc is pretty damn milk toast. If you have sold your soul to the devil, listening to this is the price that you must pay! Maybe when you do what you can to get played, that feeling projects out from you where ever you go … if ya know what I mean.
What do we have here? Lots o’ metal for damn sure. Not the worst I’ve heard, but not necessarily something I’m down with. It has some decent riffage but it also has a lot of wankin emo mello crap interludes. I guess you get what you pay for huh? At any rate if you like modern metal then you’ll love the livin’ daylights out of Adversary.
Fire the guns and Roll the Tanks! Here’s the new disc from (now) L.A. based band Roll the Tanks. Suffer City is the sophomore effort from the band. Originally from the Boston area, the band now contends with sunshine and smog. I’m not familiar with the bands prior work, but what I’m hearing on the new disc is enjoyable so far. What you get is 11 tracks of somewhat unique sounding punkish rock somewhere between The Clash and Modest Mouse. In all honesty, I’m rushing through this, but for real I do like what I’m hearing. It (the disc) has a distinct early 80’s vibe to it. I’d even go so far as to say I’ll listen to it again.
So I’ve been listening to the new Dillinger Four disc quite a bit lately. Up until recently I can’t say that I was really all that familiar with them. I had heard their name and probably have them on some comps, but hadn’t really listened to them. Based on that I have no real idea of what they’re all about. But just ’cause I’m not familiar with them doesn’t in any way mean that they aren’t from Minneapolis. It should also in no way detracts from the fact they are a pretty kick ass band. My lack of knowledge aside, this new release has apparently been a long time coming. Something on the order of six years since their last full length. All I can say is, “About Time! I suppose.” Seriously though, CIVIL WAR is a solid release featuring 13 tracks that while rockin’ also seem to be trying to re-capture times past. But with the “halcyon days” long gone by, there is still ample opportunity for scathing commentary on modern times. Any ways, if you’re like me, you’ll like this disc. It reminds me a bit of Larry Arms, though a bit more up beat. It’s Sunday. It’s early. Just go listen to it already.