Punk – Page 20 – Upstarter

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

The Johnny Five – Stay Black!

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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

Scream – Complete Control Sessions

Washington DC’s punk rock is back!
By Stella Bruk

The boy’s grew up and went their separate ways, and now they return, and come back with surprises.

Since 1993’s Fumble album which was actually recorded in 1990, Pete, Franz, Skeeter and Kent haven’t met for a single project.

The idea of getting together began to take shape in 2009 when Pete and Franz played together at Black Cat in Washington on December 2009 and again almost a year later in October 2010 at the Echo in LA. They all met at the Redwood last February to an insane audience, with the presence of former band member Dave Grohl, as the ordinary fan. When Dave joined Scream in 1987 he lied about his age claiming he was 20 when he was actually 17. On that night they played old songs “Still Screaming” and “This Side Up,” and new ones that included – “Stopwatch” and the one off “Jammin’ at Redwood” (originally titled Jammin’ at 606). The barrier separating the audience from the band no longer mattered because Pete Stahl and members of the audience were crowd surfing in true punk rock style.

In February2011, the four original band members Pete Stahl (vocals), Franz Stahl (guitar), Skeeter Thompson (bass) and Kent Stax (drums), went in the studio to record plus the new guitarist Clint Walsh and Dave Grohl, who ‘indirectly participated’, coz the new album was recorded entirely at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606. They met and practised what would be the second album of the project Complete Control Session. These series of studio recordings are on Side One of Dummy Records co-owners nationally syndicated all punk rock “Complete Control Radio” show. The music is released on 10” vinyl and via digital download on August 16th, 2011 via Side One Dummy Records. The first official release in the series was done by The Bouncing Souls in April 2011.

To complete this and give the album the Midas touch, John Lousteau was in charge of producing the seven-track EP Scream’s Complete Control Session which features the following tracks : Stopwatch, Get Free, Jamin at 606, Elevate, The Year Bald Head Singers Were In, Move All, Demolition Dancing.

With loads of post-hardcore riffs, power chords, multi-tracked duelling guitar tones and raw screams, the EP makes us push the furniture to the side of the room and mosh like we did years ago.

Listen the track “Stopwatch”, on their website http://www.screamdc.com/

Punk rock is not dead that’s for sure!

Blue Collar Convicts – $2 and Change

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Well, I’m a sucker for the MA sound. Not sure quite what it is. Maybe it is something in the water, but that state produces some of the best punk rock and roll around.

Anyways, “$2 and Change” from Blue Collar Convicts is no shame to the form and a pretty damn rad release. It is full of guts and emotion without being sappy. The tracks feel true and from the heart. Maybe it’s my lower middle class upbringing, maybe it’s not, but I’m picking up on the sentiment of these tracks. As well, I think I get the idea of being trapped in the lower middle class workaday drudgery of existence.

On the comparison note, ‘cause I like to do that, think of an unusual hybrid of Social D, Op Ivy and Cadillac Tramps. It truly is a weird mashup, but it works.

I think the big sell here is that Blue Collar Convicts ring true. The music is exactly what you’d want when you’re slamming a few brews in your neighbor’s garage, or on occasion, a Sunday morning when you’ve decided that Saturday wasn’t quite enough.

Perhaps I’m rambling a little bit here, but I think this band has something, in a good way. I don’t see mega-stardom, but I won’t discount the idea that this band will be a go to when someone asks for some badass newish punk/rock(abilly)/anthemic rock and roll. At any rate, I gave it four out of five stars. I would have go higher, but well, I really wanted more tracks! Enjoy!

–Jerry Actually

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bluecollarconvicts@gmail.com

bluecollarconvicts.bandcamp.com/

The Snallygasters – Black Aggie EP

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Aiaight, here’s a fun one. The “Black Aggie” EP is a new 5 shot disc from Baltimore’s The Snallygasters. I don’t know what a “snallygaster” is, but if this is the kind of smack they’re throwing down in the home of Edgar Allan Poe and John Waters, I want some more of this junk.

The sound is old school punk; an unsual mix of US Bombs, Dead Milkmen and a strange resemblance to Awesome and the Asskickers. There are some bits that start to drag on, and some solo-wanking but overall not a deal breaker, and there is a track entitled “Ragnarocknrolla” and if you’ve ever listened to Hulk Hogan and the Traveling Wrestling Boot band, I think you might get a alter-universe sense of deja vu.

It’s an EP, so you get what you get: a five song montage of the band’s range and style. Pretty much all diggable, so what the hell are you waiting for, go, find a freaking copy and commence to rocking.

–Jerry Actually

Part Time Killers – People. Religion. Death

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One of the best parts of doing what I do (whatever that is) is getting music from across the globe. Right now I’m listening to People. Religion. Death from Finnish band Part Time Killers, a punk rock quartet from Lahti Finland.

The sound is familiar punk with a hardcore backbone much like H2O with a more melodic core and the charming accented vocals that you only get with someone singing in English with a pronounced accent. As a side note, the Finnish language is one of the most isolated languages in the world with only very loose ties to an old Hungarian dialect. (If any linguists are reading this, I hope I didn’t butcher that. It just came to mind from something I read a while back)

People. Religion. Death kicks out 12 tracks, all of which clock in at under three minutes. I’m a fan of that. In today’s modern age, who has time for longer songs? Not this guy. Of note, I’m never a big fan of pointless guitar solos. The solos on this disc are short, discreet and compliment the tunes. They are an added bonus instead of the pointless wanking that so much guitar work can be.

To sum it up, Part Time Killers = good. People. Religion. Death = good new CD with a fresh coat of paint on a familiar sound.

–Jerry Actually

The Carry-Ons – Succession

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Straight outta muthafuckin’ Hotlanta is The Carry-Ons with their brand new rocker, “Succession”, and boy let me tell you what: Succession brings it in a whole lot of directions.

Musically The Carry-Ons are a blend of rock and punk with more emphasis on the punk. The songs are mid to upper mid tempo jobs that all feel pretty solid. They big draw though is the range. In addition to a great level of dynamics in the music, the song styles and vocals range between influences like AFI, Gogol Bordello, Meatloaf, Millencolin and a track that could damn well be a Street Dogs cover. I’d say they got the musical ground pretty well covered.

The CD offers 12 tracks ranging from around a minute to just over four, ya know, for the ballad lovers out there. The epic track length aside, I’ve been rolling this disc in my car for a while now and the more I listen, the more I like.

Bottom line is this, branch out from your radio-rock douchbaggery and hit some new tunes with The Carry-Ons new CD Succession. I triple dog dare you.

You can find out more at www.thecarryons.com

–Jerry Actually

DB and the Catastrophe – Don’t Look Back

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Here is a band i recommend. Honestly they are worth listening to. They are a band out of Fort Collins, Colorado. They started recording in 2009 and continue to.

The band is a four piece band and I think their sound is not quite like anybody I’ve heard before; punk and a little like ska. The vocals are not growling punk or hard core punk but definitely in there, and clear.

I enjoyed the four songs on this EP entitled “Don’t Look Back”, and think everyone who likes a different and unique style should listen and like “DB AND THE CATASTROPHE”.

–Super Leslie

Swingin’ Utters – Here, Under Protest

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I won’t belabor the historical info about Swingin’ Utters. You truly should know who they are already, but if you don’t, well, you should. (be ashamed of yourself) If you want to learn more about them, by all means check their official bio here: http://swinginutters.com/bio/ (notice the sexy url? sexy websites don’t use the www no mores)

Onto the important bits. Here, Under Protest is the first full length release from the band in eight years. That is a damn long time in punkdom. Most bands won’t even last an eighth as long, let alone have that many years between releases.

The new album is a mid-tempo rocker with some tactical velocity diversions thrown in. It is replete with all the expected hooks and chorus lines that you’ve came to love. They years have tempered the lads a bit, but not for the worse. The songs have the kind of difficult-to-define quality that pegs them as instant classics. I guess that it is a sort of timelessness that makes the songs both enjoyable and enduring. Though I gush a bit as an admitted fan, you really have to hear this one. It kicks some serious ass even after repeated listening.

So here’s what you get: 14 tracks, just under 35 minutes. Pure punk rock goodness. Oh, by the way. This is also your new favorite CD as of right now if not sooner.

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Stiff little fingers, The last weird Let’s Go Bowling CD, Swingin’ Utters.

Tracks:
1. Brand New Lungs
2. Taking the Long Way
3. Bent Collector of 1,000 Limbs
4. Kick It Over
5. Good Thing
6. Sketch Squandered Teen
7. Heavy Head
8. (You’ve Got To) Give It All To the Man
9. Time On My Own
10. Lepers, Thieves and Whores
11. Blindness Is Kind
12. Reds and Blues and Beggars
13. Scary Brittle Frame
14. Effortless Amnesiac

Swing For The Fences “If You Only Knew…”

Well, let’s start off with the fact that I am not usually a pop punk fan. To my surprise, after giving this disc a few spins, it has grown on me. These gents from Detroit have a strong sound, good writing, and the production captures what I would guess is a tight live band. The lyric matter is usually what isn’t my cup o’ punk rock tea with regards to the pop end of the genre, but this EP strikes so much musically and vocally that I can overlook this with ease. The last two tracks really stand out to me, with their punch and nods to hardcore. If pop punk is you thing, check this release out. If it isn’t, give it a chance or check out their live shows and see what happens, you never know, right? Kudos on the title track gents.

–Ry-Not