Punk – Page 13 – Upstarter

Trash Monsters – There’s a Rat in the Tunnel of Love

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[rating: 8/10]

I’ve been wanting to write up a review of this release for the past couple of weeks and just haven’t found the words. I still haven’t found them, but I figured that you probably shouldn’t miss out on a gem of a release just because I’ve got writer’s block. (or a severe mental deficiency) Never the less, I’m listening to “There’s a Rat in the Tunnel of Love” the sophomore release from OC’s Trash Monsters and it’s good.

As I mentioned, the band hails from Orange County and offers a blend of punk, rock and a slight hint of pop. The influences are almost too far ranging to pick up on. I hear hints of Swingin’ Utters, Rancid, Cheap Trick, and The Cure. There’s plenty more where that came from, all washed down with a health dose of swagger. (I don’t quite know what an unhealthy dose would be. Maybe cutting tracks with the Old Spice guy would be too much.)

The 15 tracks on the release tend to run a bit long for my short attention span, but they are catchy, diverse, and well constructed to the point that boredom doesn’t set in. The pace varies a bit throughout, from mid-tempo slow on track 6, “This City” to the more breakneck pace of track 8, “I Hate Everything”. Overall the effect works.

Bottom line is that this band rocks it! Check them out or forever go ignorant at your peril. http://trashmonsters.net

–Jerry Actually

The Vandon Arms – No Loyalty Among Thieves

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[rating:8.5/10]

Did you realize there was Celtic style “folk” punk coming outta Des Moines, IA? I sure didn’t. I’m rather pleased and completely taken by surprise with “No Loyalty Among Thieves”, a new release by The Vandon Arms.

The disc offers 13 tracks of mostly original (and original arrangements) of rollicking drunken barroom fare. I’m blasting it in the living right now and it sure is making these beers go down faster.

I’ll say this, the band is not paving new ground. If you wanted to, you could probably call them The Poguing Mollys. Don’t let that dissuade you though, because I don’t believe that paving a new way is their goal. The important part is the fun, and The Vandon Arms has that in spades.

Bottom line is that if you like celtic inspired tunes to drink and be rowdy to, and you’re tired of listening to the same releases that you’ve got laying around, then please do give “No Loyaly Among Thieves” a spin.

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Pogues, Flogging Molly, The Tossers

The Welch Boys – Bring Back The Fight

[rating:9/10]

The Welch Boys are indeed bringing back the fight. Hand’s down my favorite release so far this year brings back these Boston stalwarts. I haven’t taken much time to write as of late, but I felt I owed it to you to tell you about this. If you haven’t caught on by now, I’m talking about “Bring Back The Fight”, the brand new album from The Welch Boys. Grit, vitriol, and punk rock are all well intact in the new one. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This time around, the tunes bring a whole new level of polish. Not that things were shabby before, but time, and time well spent, bring about the next level of songcraft. It’s fucking here. It’s fucking now. It lets you realize that hardcore punk rock and roll is still alive!

Slight aside, but I’m a little bit concerned that The Welch Boys are so poorly represented here on the left coast, and hopefully my little bit of lip service will help to remedy that. Maybe it’s California where the sun never sets and it never gets cold where folks just don’t appreciate anthems of angst, hardship, and hope? I don’t know. Maybe I have an east coast soul that draws me to the aforementioned. No matter what it is, this is the real deal.

I’ll quit boring you with my gushing. At the end of the of a hard working day, what more do you need than a fist full of beers and a new album to ease you back into the world of the living?

–Jerry Actually

Los Gatos Negros

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I’m listening to some new vinyl. The self-titled from Los Gatos Negros showed up in my mailbox today. Of course, I threw it down on the turntable.

Garage style punk. Can’t quite make out if it’s kids or girls singing half the time, but I don’t care. I like how it sounds. It’s crunchy and fresh. The tracks are short and fun.

I’d tell you more about the band, but well, the album cover is all black, front and back and there is no record jacket. I like the mystery of it. Speaking of mystery it seems like the “B” side is blank. That’s kinda crazy.

At any rate, the “A” side is fun. So if you can track it down, check out the new self-titled album from Los Gatos Negros.

–Jerry Actually

Bracket – Rare Cuts Vol. 1

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Well, it’s been a long dang time since I listened to Bracket. Honestly I didn’t know that they were still around. A few weeks ago, outta the blue, I get an email inquiring if I’d review their latest material. Given the horrible job I did back in 2000 reviewing the Fat Wreck Chords release “When All Else Fails” I figure I owe them at least this much.

Bracket, if you aren’t old enough to remember, is a pop-punkish band from the North Bay town of Forestville. Their tracks generally had the sounds familiar to the pop punk genre, but with a bit more of an emo factor, if you will. Rare Cuts Vol. 1 is no different in this regard. That stands well to reason, given that the tracks on the recent effort are all rarities and/or previously unreleased material. Also of note is that this release is the first in a series to be released exclusively through Bandcamp in order to fund two future Bracket projects. So, by all means check out their Bandcamp page and support some DIY rock! http://bracket.bandcamp.com/

For better or worse, Rare Cuts Vol. 1 offers 10 tracks of vintage and/or rare Bracket tracks. You get things like string mixes, live acoustic versions, 4-track demos, alternate mixes and covers. For the discriminating Bracket fan, what more could you want?

If you’re not already a past or present fan, I recommend you start with my introduction to the band, the aforementioned “When All Else Fails” to get you started. After that you can transition into some of these more challenging tracks. Beyond that there’s some good stuff on here. The John Wilkes Isolation Booth (Demo) with its juxtaposed blues breakdown is particularly intriguing.

If you’re curious, hit the Bandcamp link about and help support one of your old, or possibly new, favorite bands. Seriously, what have you got to lose? For your $10 bucks, no matter what, you get the warm all over feeling of having helped a band put out records DIY and what’s more, a Bracket cover of “Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio?”! Enjoy.

–Jerry Actually

Touch My Rash – Destined for Disaster

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Here’s a little freakin’ slice of awesome for ya. I’m listening to “Destined for Disaster” by a charming little trio called Touch My Rash. The name alone draws you in. It’s like a car wreck. You can’t not look, or in this case, listen.

Here’s the skinny. 12 tracks of multi-vocal layered punk rock and roll. A good time feel while the bad times roll. The songs are peppy and poppy but infused with guts and power. The trio makes great use of their respective abilities. The vocals are sweet yet snotty. The guitar riffs are solid. The bass thumps. The percussion pops. The use of the the call/report vocals are used to quite excellent effect. What more could you ask for?

The one sheet indicates that Touch My Rash is most likely a Ramones-core band with a RIYL of “Ramones, Screeching Weasel, Copyrights, Teenage Bottlerocket, Masked Intruder”. Sure there is some of that, but what modern pop punk bands don’t owe a bit to bands like the Ramones? I say that the band is more than a pigeonhole derivative reference list can define though. This group has charisma. I should add, this band reminds me a shit-ton of The Acrobrats. Shared/past members? I don’t know. Either way both great.

With that I say, check this band out. Check the hell outta them. They’re a lot of fun and a refreshing blast of energy in what can be a pretty stodgy punk rock scene these days. http://www.touchmyrash.com

-Jerry Actually

Broadway Calls-Comfort/Distraction

Since the beginning of the year many of my favourite bands have either announced release dates or have released a new record. I have to admit Comfort/ Distraction was probably the album I have anticipated most. It was worth every second I waited for it.

Broadway Calls are not a group that is ashamed of their influences and it shines through on numbers like “Minus One”, the Green Day influence is unmistakable as well as undeniable. At the same time they are not afraid to add their own voice to the punk rock conversation with the Jimmy Stadt referencing lyric from Zombie World “James was only half correct. Year our friends are saints, but their all toxic train wrecks.”

While their sound is firmly rooted in those that have come before them, they still manage to create music that doesn’t become too derivative. The vocals and melodies heard on Comfort/Distraction make the music stand out from their peers and create a style that is their own.

People who have followed the band’s previous efforts have long considered them among the best but Comfort /Distraction will further establish Broadway Calls as pop punk heavyweights and create a place for them among the elite of the genre all the while embracing where they come from as they move forward.

Moonraker – Pathetic Little Arsenal

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[rating:8/10]

Moonraker is a L.A. based 3-piece punk band, heavily influenced by some of the more well known emo-punk acts. If you’re a fan of bands like Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, and Dear Landlord, then there is no reason that you won’t like the bands new EP. Pathetic Little Arsenal kicks down 5 tracks of none-too-shabby punk in the vein of the aforementioned bands.

Go ahead, have a listen: http://moonraker.bandcamp.com/

-Jerry Actually

Bad Relgion-True North

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I have some nerdy pastimes. I collect records. I collect comic books. I play fantasy baseball. It is because of this last hobby that I tuned into the fantasy sports station on Sirius Radio. I have been getting smacked around in my league for the last five years since winning the inaugural league championship in 2007 so I was just trying to get some expert info to help me regain my place among the fantasy elite. Either way, they gave me some valuable advice that I will use to help me write this review. They were talking about players who everyone thinks are going to finally have their breakout season after being fairly pedestrian over the course of their career (I don’t think the band I am talking about is at all pedestrian). Basically what was said was that is unwise to anticipate a player to be much different than they have over the last five (or more) years.

What I am getting at is the to expect True North from Bad Religion to be a whole lot different than they have been over the course of their career would border that common definition of insanity. That isn’t a bad thing. How many bands are out there can claim that they have been consistently good for over 30 years? Not a whole lot. Even fewer have been able to stick to the same formula for that long without sounding tired and old. What I think amazes me even more is that a band can write a song (“True North”) about the angst of a person who has been alive for fewer years than they have been a band without sounding pretentious or contrived.

That is what makes the leaders of the 2^nd generation of punk special, they are ageless. There has been talk of retirement following this release, but if the record is any indication, there is still plenty left in the gas tank. Among the 16 tracks lies a collection of Bad Religion songs that if it was placed in a time capsule and buried for 30 years would be able to stand beside any Bad Religion song. The same could be said if it was placed in a time machine and sent back 30 years. That is why I will keep on listening as long as they are still making music, the past isn’t dead and there is still a lot to hope for.

DBTB – Super!!

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I’m listening to a new EP by DBTB, aka Dani Band Traveling Band, aaka Dani Barstad. Maybe you’ve heard of Dani? Maybe you have heard some of his other projects. He’s the drummer for acts like Mall’d To Death and The Terrordactyls. Well, this go around is a bit different in that Dani busts out the “one man band” action for his 2nd relase, “Super!!” (There are some additional vocals not performed by Dani, but instead performed by Caiti Allison. So, you know, it’s still technically a one man band.)

What you get on Super!! is 5 fresh tracks of punkish indie alternarock. For the ancient (or the retro) among us, It’s got a huge 120 Minutes vibe, lo-fi like old school Sonic Youth, but without as much of the whole noise thing. The tracks, in general, are mid-tempo rockers running the clock anywhere between a minute and six. There is an overall garage-ish feel that is not without it’s charm. Lyrically, I would suggest the songs are done as a bit of a catharsis. The content is somber and seems sincere by virtue of the insecurity that is interlaced into the context of the songs. I like that. The world could use a bit more humility.

I guess that the bottom line is that whether you are fans of Dani’s other bands, or totally wax nostalgic for the alternative days of yore, then check out Super!!. You can listen to the tracks here: http://dbtb.bandcamp.com/

Tracks:
1. BackPack 01:43
2. Sweating, Crying 03:13
3. Let the Butthurt Flow 01:00
4. Super!! 03:21
5. Shut Up & Go Pie! 05:52

–Jerry Actually

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