Reviews – Page 27

Swing For The Fences

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Here’s a five track demo from Swing for the Fences, a pop punk band outta the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights. Pretty straight forward power pop riffs, snappy drum beats and rocking riffs, some solid sing-a-long chorus parts and emo enough lyrics that your girlfriend will totally make you take her to the show. (you know, if you have a girlfriend that is)

The band isn’t breaking much in the way of new ground. It is very Blink 182 influenced from my limited experience with the genre. The vocals strangely make me think that they’d be what Weird Al would sound like if he were singing in a pop punk band. I suspect that Swing for the Fences take themselves a bit more seriously, but then again, maybe not.

The production quality is excellent for a demo, so kudos to everyone that played and produced this. I’m not sure what bandwidth is left in the market for more material of this variety, but since Blink tours again there is always hope. While the demo has plenty of polish and skills, it is all a little too saccharin for me, but if pop punk is your thing, check the band out at their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/sftfmusic

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Running Away
2. Spill Your Heart
3. You Shoot For The Stars Because You’re Afraid To Land
4. Just Being Honest
5. If Only You Knew

Dead Dick Hammer – Welcome Home Babydoll

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Dead Dick Hammer and the TBA Band is a ghoulish undead trio from the hellbilly area of Kentucky’s Temple Hill. Apparently the band died in their rockabilly prime sometime, I gather, around All Hallows Eve, 1957. The opening haunt, 10.30.57 is an eerie tribute to their demise.

Welcome Home Babydoll unearths eight rocking tracks (and a mystery number) all very much focusing on the macabre. Themes center on such pleasantries as stalking, domestic violence, murder and necrophilia; All the things that you love, of course. Presumably tongue-in-cheek, but the disc does have an overwhelming air of misogyny about it. I suspect it is merely thematic, but if it were any other genre of band, it would sit pretty uneasy.

The music is a dark combination of 50s style rock and rockabilly. Think of perhaps: Big Bopper meets Elvis Hitler with a bit more hillbilly swagger in the mix. The sound is a mix of rockabilly and harder more distorted punk ala many psychobilly acts. It is solid, performed and recorded well and certainly blends well to the dark nature of the subject matter.

Overall, a solid debut from Dead Dick Hammer, though I should certainly hope that they’d be able to hone their craft in the over 50 years of practice time they’ve had. At any rate if you like your rockabilly server dark cold and dead, then Dead Dick Hammer has got just what (whether you want it or not)

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Elvis Hitler, Sour Mash Whiskey, Stabbing

Tracks:
1. 10.30.57
2. Elcumino
3. Welcome Home Babydoll
4. She Likes It Ruff (My Baby)
5. Sweet Connie
6. Creep’r Creep’n
7. Girl I Won’t Hit You
8. Black & Blue

Tom Page Trio – Dust Bowl Demos part 1

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This demo from Wichita KS country/blues/other act goes a bit outside the scope of what I generally review, so I apologize in advance if I step on too many toes.

Dust Bowl Demos part one features 5 tracks of guitar (ala namesake Tom Page) driven folksy/bluesy/rock tinged country. The first 3 penned by page with the trailing two being attributed as “traditional” It reminds me considerably of Townes Van Zandt / Guy Clark style Southwest Texas rambling cowboy music especially on the opening track, Alpine. The guitar work is impressive in quality and range and the rhythm section backs the solid lead ably.

The tracks are a mix of both instrumental and with vocals. The vocals have a unique quality for the musical stylings. I almost want to draw a comparison to either John Linnell or John Flansburgh, but I can’t quite decide which; maybe both.

At any rate, a decent demo and I’m glad to see that the Wichita music scene is alive and keeping and keeping it real to its roots.

www.facebook.com/tompagetrio

-Jerry Actually

For fans of: Townes Van Zandt, TMBG, Lowsome wailing cowboy songs.

Tracks:
1. Alpine
2. Walk All Over Me
3. Spicy Tomato Puree
4. Nobody’s Fault
5. G Boogie

Can Toker – Six Sick Sixty Second Songs

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Assuming that they made it through the recent tidal waves, Can Toker is a low-fi punk rock quintent from outta Santa Cruz, CA. The band consists of: Jack Mehauf (raging vocals), Chappy Left Standing (blazing guitar), Bon Gripper (thunderous bass) and JT Murdoc (earth shaking drums).

Six Sick Sixty Second Songs is the new demo out by the band and in all fairness, the songs, all six of them are sick, however not a single one of them is, in fact, sixty seconds long. This, to me, seems like a glaring oversight. I’m willing to let this slide because I like the raw garage punk thats barreling into my eardrums right now.

In truth, you get six tracks that clock (mostly) in around the minute mark. Snarly vocals, snarly guitar, snarly bass, drums (not snarly) The tracks are mostly about day-to-day goings on. Life in a tiny town. Smoking out a improvised can pipe. You know, living the American dream.

You can find more about ’em on the wide wide world of webs: http://cantoker.com/

-Jerry Actually

For fans of: The Meatmen, Awesome and the Asskickers, smoking things from cans.

Tracks:
1. Just My Job
2. Wheelbite
3. Decay
4. Implant
5. Fishbowl Town
6. Can Toker

Hay Perro – Eastern Ideas of Death

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More back than ever before, and better too even, Hay Perro resurges with a gauntlet of renaissance metal. Still from Chicago and rocking the four piece combo, Eastern Ideas of Death jams with a serious fury of doom tinged metalicious rock and roll.

The new release gives up nine tracks of Maiden/Sabbath-esque tracks that will damn near shred your face off. I think this latest effort reaps the benefit of time. The production is better and sound is much more coalesced. The trappings of Zeke are gone from this new effort replaced with a much more consistent foundation.

The funny thing is that while I re-read the review of 2008’s Summer of Destruction (EP), I am getting bits of deja vu. Their sound has definitely kept consistent over that last several year. Now in 2011, it is just that much more polished: The new razor edge of the sword lowered to impale your sniveling non-metal guts.

While the songs border on the too long side, for short attention span folks like me, they have enough musical diversity to keep things interesting. When it all boils down, the result is one strong ass rock record. I’d love to have this on vinyl, with the knobs on the stereo dimed, shaking the paint off the neighbors walls.

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. The Isopod
2. Vicious Beast
3. No Visions
4. Ride the Laser
5. Homunculus
6. Blue Mother
7. Mammal Disaster
8. He’s From Norway
9. Eastern Ideas of Death

Überband – Live In Poland

Uberband

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The end of the Cold War brought many things. For the West, a long hard battle was won. For the East, doors to unfamiliar lands and individual commerce were opened. Along with that came new freedoms. For instance, the freedom to rock! Flash forward a couple decades and the culmination of the good fight has finally been realized.

Live in Poland, from the planet’s, dare I say, most uber band, Überband. Is a frenetic electric rock monster of the highest order. I’m gonna drop a spoiler here, but, well… Originally released in 2009, and apparently taking several years to makes its way to the West, Überband’s new disc is neither live nor from Poland. This in no manner, stops the rock.

Nine tracks of inane madness are thrust forth with a level of attack that makes you think that Faith No More and Mr. Bungle have been condensed into a singularity. The vocals are hauntingly Pattonesque and the musical melange is both rock and roll, and carnival side show. Songs like, Fuck I’m Richard Marx and Heinz 57 and Cocaine are the slightest indications of the rock laced ironic humor that comprises this Überband.

All said, you get quality rock and roll with a serious Faith No More vibe. More humor based than the aforementioned is, but irony aside, a powerhouse of a disc. I recommend it to you, your mom, your mom’s friend Mary, your mailman, your buddy Steve.

Serve with ample liquor.

–Jerry Actually

Track listing:

1. Intro
2. Fuck! I’m Richard Marx
3. The Net
4. Yello Vulva
5. I Am an Attorney
6. Heinz 57 and Cocaine
7. Sperm
8. Ballad of the Intergalactic Hitman Underwear Fetishist
9. Tonight We’re Going to Drink Alcohol at a Party We Will Attend to Get Drunk [Explicit]

Only Fumes & Corpses Who really cares, what really lasts

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In a genre that has been around for quite a long time, with both great and sub-par examples, Only Fumes & Corpses exceed the marginal with piss and vinegar. Driving rhythms dressed in aggressive attitude, with a spirit of quality musicianship that shows they truly feel the passion for their music. I don’t think this album will make it to the top of the heap of the best hardcore albums, but it is far superior to the mass releases, and shows to me that I should keep a keen eye on this band and their development. I do not find a bad track on this album. It courses along with heaviness, emotion, heart, and a diverse arrangement of influence . If you like hardcore, pick this album up. You won’t be disappointed. Cheers to Only Fumes & Corpses!

–Ry-Not

Heads Held High – Dogs and Cats, Living Together

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Because I’m so disorganized as of late, I’m not only running behind on reviews, but losing bios and other materials. At least I didn’t lose the CD, right? At whatever rate, I present to you Heads Held High, a melodic hardcore band hailing from Cincinnati, OH. Turns out they are actually from Cleveland. My apologies. (at least the interwebs indicate as such) Dogs and Cats, Living Together is their new release, out now on Failsafe Records (not that I could find them on the Failsafe site)

Dogs and Cats, Living Together is 10 tracks of melodic yet rhythmic hardcore punk with a mid-fast tempo and angsty growling, yet articulate vocals. It isn’t quite hardcore in the sense of SOIA or Blood for Blood. As opposed to the initial punch in the face, it is more the linger pain as the bruises heal. At the time of recording, the band’s lineup consisted of Elliot, Jack, David, Kevin and Rob. The album related feats of these mono-named entities shall remain unknown.

The tracks tend towards guitar riff oriented with overlayed talk/sing vocals in a manner that reminds me of a more aggressive Bouncing Souls meets Hogan’s Heros, with the exception of track 9, Van on Fire, Head Hurt which has more of a jangly sing-a-long road track sound. Track length is quick with all 10 clocking in at just under 23 minutes. There are pithy movie sound clips on many tracks including personal favorite, track 5, Groundhog Day. (I’ll just bet you guess what movie gets referenced.) The lyrics are philosophical and searching. While I rarely comment on lyrics, I appreciate the thought and emotion that goes into work that seeks deeper meaning. That said, open your ears when you listen to Dogs and Cats, Living Together

Overall, a decent release. I generally prefer things more anthemic. (see track 9) I’d like a few more tunes in that flavor, but maybe I’m not singing along, ’cause I just haven’t read the words enough. I would absolutely see these guys live.

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Refurbished Kids
2. I’m Probably Wasting My Breath, But?
3. Ex Machina
4. Waiting for the Barbarians
5. Groundhog Day
6. Dear Kilgore Trout
7. Live Average, Die Average
8. Stay Mad, Stay Outrage, Stay Puft!
9. Van on Fire, Head Hurt
10. This Too Shall Pass

Cobra Skulls Bringing The War Home

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Bringing The War Home is the new five track E.P. From Reno’s boys done good, Cobra Skulls. In addition it is their first release on their new home at Fat Wreck Chords. I hope everyone welcomes them warmly to their new label by going out and buying the disc and supporting them at shows.

I’ve been listening the Cobra Skulls for a while now and I like the vibe they are throwing down. They have a sound and a presentation that I truly enjoy. It isn’t overtly aggressive punk, and it isn’t quite hard rock folk. It is somewhere slightly in between while being outside the scope of either. The songs are tinged with the politics of injustice and lash out at perceived ignorance. If I had to marginalize, I’d probably label them something on the order of “roots punk”, but I think the music is accessible beyond the confines of narrow genres.

The tracks offered on the EP serve up 4 originals of the variety previously noted as well as a very unique tack on Bad Religion’s I Give You Nothing, done with an interesting blend of rockabilly and something that reminds me of Stepping Stone. At any rate, I love the EP (I’d give more stars, but well, gimme more songs) and you get five tasty tracks in the vein of a few other bands of similar sound such as, Dead to Me, American Steel, Menzingers and The Loved Ones.

These bands all have something similar in their sound, and I think is is a strong reminiscence of The Clash: Punk rock with political overtones and a nature that encompasses more than one sound can confine. So maybe forget what I said about “roots punk” I think now I’m going with “Clash-ic Rock”. No, I kid, I kid. I’m not going to say that.

–Jerry Actually

Freedom Assault – Welcome to 1984

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Welcome to 1984 is a newer (Oct 2010) release from multi-regional (both Maine and Arizona) “peace punk” band Freedom Assault. From the band’s website: “We are a political and socially conscience punk rock influenced band. We play mid to fast paced music with dual female and male vocals. We are Travis, Les, Brand-o and Rob.” The sound is very very garage/lo-fi with distorted hyper-fuzz guitar and drum over low-in-the-mix vox. A very DIY sounding effort indeed. I’m not saying that is a bad thing, I like raw music, but if you like a little more polish, Welcome to 1984 may not be for you.

The lyrics are passionate and topical focusing on things like animal testing, terrorism and, you know, zombies. The tracks are quick almost entirely clocking in at under the two minute mark, just fine for me. Actually you get eight songs in just around 14 minutes. (a bonus Queers cover if you are one of the lucky ones to have the pre-order download.)

Overall, I like the spirit and I like the intensity. However, I would like just a little bit more control behind the production. The mix seems out of balance, way to guitar heavy and way too muddy in a way that it sounds like somebody hit record on a jam box during band practice. That said, Welcome to 1984 is a decent blast of DIY punk rock.

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1)Many Will Die…
2)Terror Front
3)Zombies!!!
4)Terrorized
5)DIY Pride
6)Survival of the Richest
7)System Failure*
8)Life Dogmatic With Pat Robertson*
9)Live This Life**

tracks 1-3, 8:
Travis – guitar, bass, vocals
les – vocals
Brand-O – drums, back up vocals

tracks 4-7, 9:
Travis – guitar, vocals
les – vocals
Rob – drums
Fernando – bass, back up vocals

*Included on the digital download
**Included on the preorder digital download, written by the Queers.
You can visit their website read more about Freedom Assault

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