Category: Reviews

All reviews

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

Sugar Louise – Everything’s Better With Sugar

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© 2011 Naked Hollywood Records
[rating:7/10]

So, I’m listening to Norwegian Pop-punk. Um, yeah, you read that right. Sugar Louise is a newer band from Norway. They’ve been around since 2009 and deliver a catchy, bono hating variety of happy poppy punk.

Everything’s Better With Sugar brings 12 up-tempo smile-inducing tracks. The songs clock in at mostly the twoish minute mark and are heavily influenced by 60’s pop. In fact, the influence is so pronounced that if you didn’t know it was a cover, Sugar Louise’s version of Henry the Eighth would feel like an original.

At any rate, the songs are quirky, catchy and incredibly likable. And while I like this band, there are a few drawbacks: 1. Guitar solos. 2. The music feels a little safe. (If you can write a song about telling your parents that you’ve become a porn star, I think there should be a bit more grit.) … My gripes are pretty minor though. Sugar Louise has a solid grip on peppy pop punk and are a great departure from the Black Metal that I generally expect from bands near and above the Arctic Circle.

Bottom line: Pop punk with a little more pop than punk. Likely a fun live band.

–Jerry Actually

20 Bulls Each – A Glorious and Bloody Revolution

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© 2011 Thorp Records
[rating:4/5]

Hell f-ing yeah! Dublin, Ireland band 20 Bulls Each rips it up on A Glorious and Bloody Revolution with a fusion of hardcore, punk and metal. The band has been channeling these influences for nearly a decade. All that time and work has culminated in this brand new release.

Borrowing as heavily from NYHC as it does from late 80’s thrash/metal, the album is a whirlwind of guts and fury. The tracks are articulate and precise with great breakdowns and a spit in your face delivery ala Blood for Blood. However, the outlook on the tracks doesn’t always take the same pissed off at the world path as the aforementioned band. Don’t get me wrong, the band is pissed, they’re just not going about it as many complaints about how they have to live.

11 tracks, just under 30 minutes of modern classic hardcore that won’t weigh down your soul on a Saturday afternoon and more than enough to get you fully revved up for more on a Saturday night. 20 Bulls Each is weighing in heavily as one of the best new (to me) bands that I’ve heard in 2011 and if you’d like to check out more, you can hit up their bio on the Thorp site: http://thorprecords.com/bands/20bullseach.php

So by all means, scream, shout, and let some aggression out because after all it will be a Glorious and Bloody Revolution. Mosh to this and enjoy as 20 Bulls Each turns the Emerald Isle a bit closer to black and blue.

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Blood for Blood, Gallows, M.O.D.

Lineup:
Vocals, Guitar: Gareth Cummins
Guitar: Gavin Husselbury
Bass: Ciaran Mangan
Drums: Paul Duffy

The Smears – Freak Show

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[rating:2.5/5]

I don’t generally review singles, but ok, here’s a go at it. Freak Show by The Smears. This all female punk / rock and roll trio hearkens back to the RIOTGRRL sounds of the 90’s ala L7, 7 Year Bitch and Bratmobile. The difference being that The Smears are from Nottingham (you know, like the sheriff)

The music is solid three chord punk; rhythmically choppy, a bit staccato, if you will. The vocals are of the speak-as-sing variety and production-wise the feel is very garage / lo-fi. It certainly isn’t bad, but I’d really have to listen to more to make a more informed opinion.

–Jerry Actually

Mall’d to Death – The Process of Reaching Out

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(c) 2011 GC Records
[rating:3.5/5]

I’m listening to the tracks off the new Mall’d To Death 7” “The Process of Reaching Out”. Mind you I’m not actually listening to the 7” because I’m some sort of dirt bag that doesn’t have a turntable. (which sucks) My audio challenges aside, I’m still digging on this band.

The new release is six short but catchy tracks, each clocking in at around a minute in length, with the exception of the opening ballad. It is 1:30 … epic! The tracks have snot filled snarl and requisite distortion. Fast breaks and short takes; That is what it is all about. It does however leave me in the position of wanting more. I guess the bonus is that you can listen to this more than eight times an hour. For you OCD kids out there, that should really float your boat. … Wash, rinse repeat. I suppose that is a damn fine marketing strategy.

Based on the brevity of the material, I will keep my review brief in kind. Mall’d To Death rocks it. Go buy yourself a copy. http://www.gcrecords.com/

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Standard and Poor
2. Migraine Belt
3. Throwing in the Moist Towelette
4. Hardcore 64
5. Guilty of Being Black
6. Spray Can Sam

For fans of: Short form punk rock and catchy hooks.

Flatout Jones – Closed Doors and Weird Situations

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©2010 Flatout Jones

A. I love punk rock.
B. I love skapunk.
C. I love comedic overtones (and undertones)

Flatout Jones provides all of the above.

Consider this: the more punk side of Less Than Jake and the ska side of the Suicide Machines; add those together, recalibrate to those settings, set the dial a bit more towards punk rock, plant tongue firmly in cheek and I think you’ll get a decent idea of what I’m picking up from Flatout Jones.

Once again I’m faced with some music outta Mass that sounds badass. Closed Doors and Weird Situations from Boston quartet Flatout Jones has it where it counts. (See the above list)

In a nutshell you’ve got a punk rock band that isn’t afraid to bring the ska and interject an ample amount of humor into the tracks. Don’t, however, let the idea of humor scare you off, ya know if you’re a totally serious jackhole that can’t for a second let down your guard and everything has to be toughguy or die. … you know who you are. I like party songs. So sue me.

The intro track/song makes me think of Killface, that muscular talon-footed fella from Frisky Dingo, Not so much from direction more from intonation and intent. For my money you don’t get better sarcastic humor than that. I digress. You’ll probably want to know a bit more about the music contained on said release.

Certainly the band offers bang for the buck. 17, count ‘em, 17 tracks contained on one release. If you we’re to compare that to, oh say The Decline from NOFX, you’d have 16 more tracks. Beat that! Really though, the tracks rip, they’re played well and the mix of mostly punk with the occasional ska break doesn’t disappoint. (Assuming that sort of thing doesn’t disappoint you.)
If you wanna hear a bit for yourself, you can check the band out here in their online cemetery/museum: http://www.myspace.com/flatoutjones

Step 1. Listen
Step 2. Rock

–Jerry Actually

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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©2010
[rating:3/5]

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

The Johnny Five – Stay Black!

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(c) 2010
[rating:3/5]

Stay Black! is a peppy little EP from The Johnny Five, a three-piece get up outta Texas. Musically in the vein of Screechin Weasel, Queers, Teenage Bottlerocket … [insert modern era Ramones-core band name here]

Don’t let the “Ramones-core” label throw ya though. The songs are quick little pop punk bursts with clever, albeit somewhat juvenile lyrics complemented with three-chord riffery and a solid rhythm section backing them up.

The Johnny Five has been around since 2000, but as life tends to do, life got in the way. School was attended. Degrees were conferred. Children were born. Now that life has jammed its ugly head back in the sand, The Johnny Five are back with this new EP, plans for a new full length and some touring.

If you’re down with the poppy punk thang and you especially dig tongue-in-cheek tales of robot legs and David Hasselhoff, Stay Black! is right the hell up your alley.

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Queers, Riverdales, Ramones, Bands that sound like the Ramones.

Band Links: http://www.myspace.com/thejohnnyfive

Phat Meegz – M.S.G. To Rudy

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[rating:3/5]

Damn, sometimes I wish this was my job so I could be all like, “Damn, I love my job!” As it is, the only payment I get from this little hobby is the whole world of music that I get left on my doorstep, if you will.

What I’m listening to right now is “M.S.G. To Rudy” (as in the oh so delicious seasoning that makes you crave the Colonel’s chicken fortnightly) from the band Phat Meegz. The band hails from that tiny island at the bottom of Australia. You know the one famous for devils and commercial meat slicers? (ok, maybe Hobart Corp isn’t from Australia, but Hobart is the capital of Tasmania, therefore it should be from there.) At any rate, straight outta Tasmania, Phat Meegz is self-described as, “crusty reggae hardcore shit on like, a sublime/crack rock steady tip, with all the retarded braindead flavour so typical to Australia.” I will not disagree.

M.S.G. To Rudy delivers 12 gritty tracks with a heavy dose reggae swagger (and maybe Old Spice Swagger) as well as the more crack rocksteady punkish flavor of Leftover Crack, INDK, Morning Glory etc. On top of that, track 11 reminds me of the ska/punk band, Knowledge (a Link 80 related project off of Asianman a few years back) It is intriguing though, beneath the rather convoluted veneer, there seems to be some genuine soul. Track six, for instance, with a title like “For a Girl” things might seem immediately trite. However, I feel like there is a little more going on there. Damnit, there is some emotion going on in these songs. … I guess that isn’t so crack rocksteady after all, is it?

When you boil it all down though, M.S.G To Rudy has got enough back beat and horns to please the ska kids and a generous amount of down note calypso for those that prefer their island sound a bit slower. As if that wasn’t already enough, there is still the whole crust-o-matic throat sheering thrash explosion that graces a few tracks. If you like reggae and/or ska at all, or if you’re just some kind of d-bag hater, check Phat Meegz out, why don’t ya?

–Jerry Actually

Check the band out and stream the album here: www.phatmeegz.bandcamp.com or if you want to order a real object made out of plastic and other space age polymers, try sending an email here: emandc at gmail dot com