Category: Reviews

All reviews

Burning Streets – Sit Still

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[rating:7/10]
© 2011 Sailor’s Grave Records

Boston band Burning Streets has a new release. “Sit Still” is out now on Sailor’s Grave Records and with it you get 11 tracks of emotionally charged rock and roll. On the whole, Sit Still hovers in the punk rock vein, but is heavily laced with a melancholy that accompanies other similar acts like The Loved Ones or American Steel and to a lesser degree, Dead to Me.

The songs, averaging around the four minute mark, tend to be longer than what usually sits well with me. However the individual tracks have enough variety to maintain interest. The album is also well arranged, so the lengthy tracks aren’t as much a hindrance as they might otherwise be.
Nearly all the tracks are of the emotive and moody variety. In the right frame of mind I can get into this more mellow side of punk rock. The album begins to gain momentum around track five, “The Safety”. After which the velocity appears to be too much and begins to lose control of itself as it careens into the oddly Black Crows gone glam rock sounding “Let Me Go”.

Once the wreck is over “Sit Still” falls back into its more familiar, and frankly more enjoyable, paces. The disc winds down through a few more tracks and culminates into the feedback and tape hiss of its final track leaving you, I can only hope, feeling cathartic.

So as a final note, while I prefer my punk faster, a bit more raw, and a little less emo, this is still pretty good stuff and great if you’re a fan of the sub-genre. Don’t believe me? Check out some tracks for yourself over at Sailor’s Grave Records

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1 Distance Between
2 Disappointed
3 Blood I Need
4 Different Drums
5 The Safety
6 Let Me Go
7 Comfort In Confusion
8 Simplicity
9 Full-Time Gamblers
10 Strange Me
11 M.I.A. (Hold On)

Holding Onto Sound – The Tempest

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© 2011 GC Records
[rating:7/10]

When you think of musical entertainment in Las Vegas, there’s a pretty good (or bad) chance that you’re conjuring up images of Beatles tributes bands, performers in drag, or heaven forbid, Celine Dion. Well, if this describes you, you can extract yourself from the turnip truck right now.

Holding Onto Sound (or HOTS) are stalwarts of the Vegas music scene and over the last eight years have honed their brand of progressive punk rock to a fine edge. The music is filled with intensity and sincerity alongside its punk rock core. The band elicits a comparison to bands like Dead to Me and American Steel, but with enough distinction that you’d not want to pass over one for the other.

The Tempest is the bands newest release and provides three tracks of the aforementioned intense and sincere punk rock. In just about 9 minutes you get a showcase of some of the best efforts for HOTS that I’ve heard to date. If you get a chance, check out their live show. The band plays fairly frequently around the West and of course, Las Vegas.

… and while I know that it is only a 7” with a sparse three tracks, and sure, that probably won’t fill you up, instead, they give you enough to leave you wanting more.

You can pre-order the new release from GC Records.

–Jerry Actually

Dan P. & The Bricks – Watch Where You Walk

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©2011 Asian Man Records
[rating:9/10]

When I first heard about this band I was quite excited. The group is a bit of a ska dream team, if you will. When I heard that there was going to be a release this year I was even more exited. “Watch Where You Walk” is the new album by Dan P and the Bricks; You’re going to have to be patient though the album drops on 11/29/2011 on Asian Man Records, natch.

For those of you unfamiliar, Dan P is, of course, Dan Potthast of MU330 fame. The Bricks, not to be out-pedigreed, feature members of Slow Gherkin. Combined, the results are that mythical situation where the result is greater than the sum of the parts. But with a 5 piece horn section, dual guitars, organ bass and drums, the math can’t be too far off.

The music is straight up ska goodness with everything I love about the respective members bands, and about ska overall. On top of the tradition, Dan P & The Bricks make the style their own, and an awesome style it is.

While each track is pretty much a gem, a couple of the best are: 1. Watch Where You Walk, 4. Set Sail (Which is a new version from Dan’s Eyeballs release) and 5. One Reason (has great point/counter point male female vocals). Honestly I’m having a hard time pulling favorites.

In addition to the great music, the band is down for a cause. Their focus is to play locally and raise money for local charities. How’s that for rad music with a conscious and a voice for change! (Fund raisers so far have included benefit concerts for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, Haitian earthquake relief, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, Doctors without Borders, and The Surf City AIDS Ride benefiting The Santa Cruz AIDS Project.)

So let’s hear it for some fresh off the shelf ska at its shiny new best. Maybe we’re finally gonna get the next wave. You can get more info about the band and get yourself a copy over at asianmanrecords.com

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Ska, MU330, Slow Gherkin, The Slackers, The Toasters

Watch Where You Walk Tracklisting:
1. Watch Where You Walk
2. Fan
3. Footdown
4. Set Sail
5. One Reason
6. Map of the Stars
7. Mess It Up
8. Heartbeat Survival
9. Completely True
10. Connecting Four
11. Sweat For It
12. Quit On Me

Shoot the Hostage – So Polite

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© 2011 Shoot the Hostage
[rating:6/10]

I’m listening to “So Polite” the debut release by Seattle’s Shoot the Hostage. My initial reaction is that this release sounds much like Helmet, albeit in a less directly aggressive and staccato fashion. There is almost a pre-grunge quality about it. (And that’s nice, because Seattle owes the world a tremendous debt for having effectively killed thrash metal with their fancy grunge bands. … ok ok, they also saved the world from the scourge of hair metal, so maybe we owe them a debt of gratitude too.)

“So Polite” is grounded in rock and roll hooks and musically it is well put together. The tracks are a little on the lengthy side for my preference, but they are dynamic enough that the length doesn’t become a drag. I also appreciate the maturity of the song writing. It can be easy for younger bands to come across as juvenile. Shoot the Hostage is crafting songs that deftly maneuver around age brackets. (not that I really have any clue how old they are. They could all be senior citizens for all I know.)

A few of the stand out tracks at #3 Fire California and #9 Hard to Say. All together a competent and listenable release outta the Pacific Northwest.

–Jerry Actually

MayOrWest – We, Reborn

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© 2011
[rating:6/10]

I’ve got a new release here from Hoboken New Jersey’s MayOrWest and well, things are looking up. The last time I reviewed this band, I had a bit of a beef with the lengthy tracks. Much to my preference, “We, Reborn” does, for the most pat, deliver on shorter track length. I also made some assumptions about sound and influence. I’m happy to report that the band is starting to find their ground. Whereas in the last review, I likened them to a mix of AFI and Queensryche, this time around I’m confident that MayOrWest is really paving new ground with their sonic dimensions. So, um, yeah, advice partially taken.

Positive leanings aside, I still find the band a bit operatic. As well There is a busy quality surrounding a lot of the tracks. It really strikes me as an audio version of MTV fast camera. It’s as though everything is a cut scene and because there is so much going on in the background, it makes it really hard to focus.

I won’t belabor my minimalist critique. Either you get it or you don’t, but here’s the take away; MayOrWest: definitely better over time; Still going in a direction that leads them more towards radio than any other direction. If that is what they are aiming for though, then, by all accounts, this is a successful release.

–Jerry Actually

Up For Nothing – Twelve Stories Down

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© 2011
[rating:8/10]

I’m listening to Twelve Stories Down, the brand sparkin’ new release from Up For Nothing. Straight away, I’m going to lead in a specific direction; I don’t know if these guys ever listened to Pistol Grip at all, but there is a serious similarity there, not in a rip-off way, but in the way that Up For Nothing is awesome like Pistol Grip is awesome. I’m not trying to type-cast, mind you; I’m just saying that there is an influence here that I dig.

The title “Twelve Stories Down” coincides nicely with the twelve tracks, stories, if you will, on the new disc. There are few epic ballads, clocking in over 3 minutes, but the rest are of the short attention span friendly < 3:00 mark. All of them, even the “ballads”, have an underlying aggression musically, yet retain coherence. A.k.a. no horrid scream-o vocals over the top of wanking solos. I know I tend to pigeonhole and compartmentalize bands when I review them. It is solely for conveyance of what I’m hearing. To that end, and inclusive of prior references, the songs are a lot like mixing Pistol Grip with American Steel: Hardcore edge mixed with loads of punk, yet a very tangible emotional level to the songs. In other words, there are “hey heys” and “whoa whoa whoas”, but they are simultaneously rowdy and encouraging while being heartfelt and sincere. At the end of it all, what you get is twelve tracks of punk rock, some more hardcore, some more emo, but all of it damn good. I defy you to listen to this disc and not like it. If you don’t, I think maybe you’re not paying attention at all. --Jerry Actually

Dead End Story

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[rating:3/5]
© 2011 Dead End Story

I feel so privileged to get to listen to all the music (from all over the world) that I do. Right now I’m listening to a new single from Finland’s Dead End Story. They are a reasonably aggressive punk band with quite a bit of hardcore influence.

With this being a single, there are only two tracks, so I won’t draw this out so much, but what I’m hearing I mostly like. The guitar work is a little more melodic that I normally go for, but not so over the top that it detracts from the rest of the music. The tracks are still solid and I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to go see this band live.

It’s a more modern style of punk rock; It makes me think a bit of Rise Against.

Bottom line: new model punkcore from Finland.

–Jerry Actually

Society’s Ills – Full Length

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© 2011 Society’s Ills
[rating:3.5/5]

I don’t want to be the guy that throws labels around. Honestly, there are just too many of them, but since I’m a jerk, I’ll throw one more in the mix. Montreal’s Society’s Ills is (and you can quote me on this) “post-punk-core/hardcore/semi-melodic”

No, but really, I’m listening to the new full length by Society’s Ills and it is pretty damn rockin’. My goofy labels aside, it is 14 tracks of short burst hardcore laced punk with a lot of energy and decent amount of grit. As I listen to this, the tracks get better and better. I can see this becoming a regular rotation release on my car ride to work, ‘cause nothing makes the ride into work better than some kickass fastbreak punk rock.

So, um yeah, 14 fast tracks of hardcore punk with great guitar work, intelligible vocals, and a rock solid rhythm section. It reminds me of H2O a bit with undertones of way fast Black Sabbath, but more punk less posicore (regarding H2O, not Sabbath) if you know what I’m saying.
Bottom line is, great stuff, buy it now!

–Jerry Actually

Armed For A Crisis “Progressions”

Armed For A Crisis are a melodic hardcore band from Nottingham U.K. They have quite an interesting approach to the heavier side of things. Technical, while yet letting the music breathe with layered and building juxtaposing tones.

I very much enjoy this album because I do not get the sense it is driven to achieve anything outside of the satisfaction of its members. Odd clean passages that build into heavy groove laden swells of distortion, that then are met with angst ridden vocals and very tightly accomplished time pushes and pulls.

The production is well done to boot. Original, heavy, impressive, the only downside is it is short and leaves me wanting to hear more. All in all Armed For A Crisis meld awesome musical thoughts together to form a coherent drive that is textured to make you listen and you should.

– Ry-Not

Andrew Jackson Jihad – Knife Man

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© 2011 Asianman Records
[rating:9/10]

If you do not love this band, you are a fool!

Knifeman is the brand new release from Phoenix band Andrew Jackson Jihad. For those unfamiliar, check ‘em out at their internets page http://www.andrewjacksonjihad.com/

Musically the band is a bit unusual and hard to quite define. I think freneticly obtuse and awkawardly scathing might come close. The tracks are laced with biting social commentary and presented in an in-your-face interface. Folks have said that AJJ is Americana and I suppose I can see that, however it is a new manner of American both jaded and tempered by an Internet age. You know, kind of like if Neil Young (yeah yeah yeah, I know he’s Canadian … so, um North Americana, right?) and Charlie the Unicorn went on a quest to meet Ween or something. … A stretch? Perhaps.

Musings aside, what you do get is 16 tracks of keepin’ it real music; Music that is leaps and bounds outside a generally narrow scope of music, and track titles like: Gift of the Magi 2: Return of the Magi … how awesome is that? If you’re not aware of the context of Gift of the Magi, you should probably watch Emmitt Otter’s Jug Band Christmas. (or you could read the original story, but that one has no muppets. You’ve been warned.)

So yeah, the breakdown; If you like your music loaded with quirks and off-the-wall genius; If you want to impress your grandparents friends by your appreciation of president named bands that don’t involve Reagan Youth or Dead Kennedys, this is the game to get in on.

–Jerry Actually