The Queers – Beat Off (re-release) (c) 2007 Asian Man Records A classic punk rock favorite from quintessential pop punkers The Queers is brand new again courtesy of Asian Man Records. Originally released on Lookout back in 1994, Beat Off is once again available for all off you punks young and old that are still totally retarded for The Queers. It features all your favorites including: Teenage Gluesniffer, Ben Weasel and Live This Life. The CD also contains updated 2006 liner notes from Ben Weasel himself. The Queers – Beat Off is a refreshing blast from the past. Go get a new copy, I'm sure yours is all tore up by now.–Jerry Actually
Category: Punk
Punk Reviews
Senior Discount
Senior Discount – There Were Four Who Tried (c) 2006 Senior Discount So just the other day I was thinking why aren't there any bands ever coming out of Rhode Island? As it turns out I must have just been off of their radar, cause not too long after pondering this, I received "There Were Four Who Tried" from Senior Discount. Lo and behold, they are straight out of Providence. The disc offers up 16 tracks of eclectic punk, pop punk, ska(ish) punk and more punk. The more I listen to this CD, the more I thoroughly enjoy it. It has pop punk sensibility without all the emo sensitivity. It also carries enough horns to please most fans of the thrid wave. Lyrically it is largely the antithesis of the traditional pop punk with lot sof rants and comical tongue in cheek coarseness. "There Were Four Who Tried" is a bang up job by Providence punks Senior Discount. The bottom line is one kick ass record with more hooks than a pirate convention. Buy This CD Here – -Jerry Actually
Beijing to Boston
Brain Failure/Big D & The Kids Table – Beijing to Boston (c) 2007 Bad News Records Hell fucking yeah! Beijing to Boston is a split CD featuring Brain Failure—the first honest to goodness punk band outta China—and Boston's Big D and The Kid's Table. I have to say that I'm awfully impressed with Brain Failure. Their opening six tracks on the split evoke memories of Rancid, Dropkick, Social D and The Clash. Dickie Barrett (of Bosstones fame) lends a hand on the intro track “Come on Down to Beijing”. Despite the Clash reference, don't expect anything too political though, given how things seem to work in China regarding dissent, Brain Failure keeps the subject matter pretty light: songs about inviting you down to Beijing and living in a city and being brainless etc… No matter what though, it is freaking awesome to hear brothers in arms from another country breaking it out like the rest of us. Go world unity! Let us not forget our brothers from a different East. Boston's Big D & The Kid's Table shore up the final six tracks on the split. The tracks from Big D are all new and as always are nothing short of stellar. They start us out with the trippy and spacial "Faded" and then bring us back in to the more familiar and infectious ska punk that we've come to love these last 10 years. Here's the big breakdown, this disc is the mad note on a whole lot of levels. Two great bands, 12 great songs and a monumental cultural bridge. In a word, brilliant!–Team !upstarter
The Queers [Munki Brain]
The Queers – Munki Brain (c) 2007 Asian Man Records Hello Munki Brain! – Brand new bubble gum surf (Beach Boys style) pop punk, festive fun from perennial fav's The Queers. It is good to see a band stay true to its roots as opposed to the atrocities that could have befallen them. Let it be know that The Queers serve as a much better gateway band than say, New Found Glory. The lyrics are catchy the songs are peppy and god damn it, they're fun. As an added bonus, if you couldn't find that brand new Beach Boys or Ramone's CD that you knew that was out there somewhere, look no further, Munki Brain is it. It is the epitome of pop punk without the baggage that comes en tow with the usual tripe. Bottom line: Totally sweet! you get 13 tracks of classic Queers, only its brand sparkin' new. What a deal! (They also get an extra thumb's up from Jimmy 'cause they said, “Fuck”) –Team !upstarter
The Cast Outs [S/T EP]
The Cast Outs – S/T EP (c) 2006Cleveland's Cast Outs come correct. Their self-titled EP is a 7 track, dark and gritty punk dirge. The Cast Outs bring elements of early crossover (for those of you out there that think that crossover refers to crap like NuMetal … you couldn't be more wrong) along with the unusual addition of dense heavy keyboards to the sound. The disc is raw, but it has grit and substance. What could easily have been just another garage band transcends to a new level with quality riffs and well layered arrangements. Their sound becomes even more intricate if you consider that they operate as a three piece. Though claiming influence from the likes of Napalm Death and NOFX, I think they may have forgotten to include TSOL and Econochrist in that list. The bottom line is raw punk that holds plenty of promise.–Jerry Actually
Headed for the Smoke
Headed for the Smoke – Dance & Destroy (c) 2006 A.T.S. RecordsHello hard rockin' 70's. Welcome back. Where ya been? Well Jerry, we've been hangin' out with Headed for the Smoke and teaching them our guitar powered, arena drummin, thunder bass, Bon Scott vocal ways. I see. I see. Yes indeed, Dance & Destroy, the new EP from Headed for the Smoke contains some serious Rock & Roll. As with a lot of rock from both yesterday and today, Headed for the Smoke hails from Boston. It seems as though you can't shake a stick at Boston these days with out knocking the weed out of the hands of some Rock & Roll band. I'm not the biggest fan of rock out there by any stretch of the imagination, but these fellas seem pretty genuine and they got some catchy hooks. If you like the rock, you go buy this EP now and support a few workin' class rockers.–Jerry Actually
Blood Vessels
Blood Vessels – S/T (c) 2006 Teenage Heart Records They were just another band out of Boston. Livin' out of bars, sleepin' in their cars. They practiced every night in the street. Well ok, maybe they didn't go to MIT or have day jobs at Polaroid, but Blood Vessels is, in fact, outta Boston. Blood Vessel's self-titled release out now on Teenage Heart Records evoke a more rock version of some of Zeke's better material. Along with that rock however, you get some of the elements of rock that I could live with out: wankin solos, songs over a brazillian years long. I can get past the former if they are short, but having the epic four plus minute tracks make this disc seem a lot longer than its 35 minutes. All of this aside, this is good rock. It beats the shit out of The Strokes or The Hives or The Vines or any of the radio rock crap your likely to hear. Bottom line: punk flavored rock that sometimes rocks too hard. –Jerry Actually
The Generators
The Generators – The Winter Of Discontent (c) 2006 Sailor's Grave RecordsSo I receive this CD with a band named the Generators and I think sweet that is a great name. I put the CD in and give it a listen. The first thing that comes to mind is that these guys sound familiar and I am right they do. They sound like everyone else that came before them and I understand that this is not their first CD but all this music doesn't sound very original. I am sure they are great at what they do but it is just not for me. If you like music that everyone else has done you should go out and buy it. Although if you like you music a little more original then look elsewhere.
No Respect
No Respect – Excuse My Smile (c) 2006 Mad Butcher RecordsWhat we have here is a gem of a re-release from the pioneering German Ska/Punk band No Respect. Originally released almost a decade ago and re-pressed earlier this year, Excuse My Smile offers you 14 tracks of wicked good anti-nazi anti-fascist Ska/Punk. This was pretty ground breaking stuff back in '97 and the message and the music have stood the test of time. Though sometimes the sentiment seems a little less popular and a little worse for wear, the world still needs music with a positive message and the ability to rock and the same time. Because of that need, No Respect is still going strong with new material and their own flavor of rock. Keep up the grand work fellas.
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade (c) 2006 Reprise RecordsWell, I guess I should be in fear for my life. I have a copy of "The Black Parade", the new release from My Chemical Romance, and well, I like it. Either I'm slippin' or someone actually let some good music out to the public. "The Black Parade" strives to the level of classic rock epics from Pink Floyd or Queen but with a crisp modern edge. As well MCR shows a musical maturity and a knack for showmanship. Beyond that they boldly stand out from their contemporaries, offering something well better than the heaps of mindless drivel that constantly assualt our senses. Rock on MCR I say. Rock on!–Jerry Actually