I’m totally excited to check out the new Hellraiser Hybrid Collection from Schecter at NAMM 2014. The new series is a best of both worlds between the Hellraiser and SLS series of guitars.
‘A unique fusing of our infamous HELLRAISER and SLS models, the ‘Hybrid’ will be just that… a combination of the most sought after features of both!’
You can read more here: Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid Collection
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[rating: 8/10]
© 2014
It’s been a bit since I’ve done any reviews. I guess I kind of hit a wall with words. Occasionally, something shows up in the mail box that makes me remember why I keep doing this. A few weeks ago I received a CD from Poland. Here’s some more words about that experience:
Szewska Pasja is a four piece punk band from Łódź Poland. If you are from the USA, chances are you’re saying Where the hell is that? Well, I looked it up, ‘cause I didn’t know either. It looks to be about smack in the middle of country. Since we’re taking a bit of an instructional turn, Google Translate indicates that the band and album are: Shoemaker Passion – three, two … Take that with a grain of salt. I don’t speak Polish. Enough with the lesson though.
Szewska Pasja seems like a pretty rocking band with a mix of surf and street into their brand of punk rock. All the vocals are in Polish, which is pretty rad. It gives me a sense of how it feels to be a kid rocking out and singing along phonetically to some big pop hit from another country, well minus the pop part I guess.
Trzy, dwa provides 11 tracks of fun and often bouncy punk, heightened for me by virtue of understanding nothing but the language of the music. The musicianship is solid and the recording is quite acceptable for what, as far as I can tell, is a DIY effort from a seemingly young band.
I wish I had some mp3 links for you, but alas, all I have is this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/szewskapasja.12 Perhaps if you speak Polish you can find some on your own.
The takeaway: Sweet Punk Rock from the (former) Eastern Bloc!
–Jerry Actually
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© 2013
[rating:8.5/10]
I miss the days of 3rd wave ska. I’m pretty sure that any other fun lovin’, skankin’, also liken punk sorta folks feel the same. Well I’ll be damned if life doesn’t sometimes provide it’s own time machine, ‘cause ska (in a decidedly 3rd wave variety) is making its rounds again.
I’m listening to “To Victory!” the new E.P. by The Skashank Redemption (not to be confused with The Skaskank Redemption … I know, confusing, right?) but I digress. These boys, Skashank, not Skaskank are from the bustling, 14th largest city in the USA, Columbus, OH. Maybe there’s something about the midwest? The beer, the weather, the sassy ladies? There’s something that brings out the pep in the horns, the plink of the strings and the silly antics of high number of member bands.
Enough of that though, To Victory! makes good with six tracks of solid ska. Among other influences, The Skashank Redemption sound reminds me so much of Spring Heeled Jack (USA) yet without coming off as derivative or posing. They’ve got plenty of their own spin in the mix. The songs are peppy and danceable and well polished. There’s an effort being put forth by the musicians that shines through in the recording. It takes a lot of talent to coordinate a seven member band with the level of precision that To Victory! provides. To that I say cheers and keep on skankin’
The only detractor for me are a bit too much of the joke banter. Some folks may like it. I’m not a fan. That aside, a solid release.
Bottom line is that if you’ve not been getting your fill of fresh ska, head on over and check out The Skashank Redemption over on their page here: https://www.facebook.com/theskashankredemption
Cheers,
Jerry Actually
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© 2013 Sailor’s Grave Records
[rating:8.5/10]
I’m currently rocking out to some high quality Detroit built psychobilly. Motown rockers The Koffin Kats have a brand new album out and a damn fine one at that. Born of the Motor is both haunting and rocking, serious and intense.
The new release powers through 12 tracks of swagger. It is both fresh and familiar at the same time. It makes me think of what the world might be like if Elvis sang for The Smiths. The bass thumps. The drums rattle your brain. The guitar both soars and cuts. The vocals are haunting, in a good way.
If you are a fan of psychobilly, rockabilly, punk, rock and roll, there’s likely to be something on Born of the Motor to draw you in. Personal favorites include Track 3. Giving Blood. Track 4. Born of the Motor, and Track 8. Twist Apart.
Bottom line is some kick ass psychobilly, brand new for you.
–Jerry Actually
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(c) 2014
[rating:7/10]
Florida has been a stronghold for ska punk since the mid 90’s. Just check out the “Closer Than You” compilations that were released in ’96 and ’98 if you need proof. Florida ska band After The Fact fights to keep this legacy alive with their freshman release titled “Limit Break”.
The overall sound of the album is decidedly ska with heavy elements of punk, some screamo, and metal thrown in for good measure. Opening the record is “Sick as a Dog” which starts with guitar that immediately makes me think of MU330 and their big tune “LA”. The difference in this song, however, is that it soon kicks it up a notch with Reel Big Fish-style horn breaks, and Bosstones-esque vocals.
Lyrics are well written and songs are structured really well around the vocals. Clean backing vocals are everywhere on this album and if you’re anything like me you catch yourself singing along with them more than the main lines more often than not. The tune “Take a Hint” is a perfect example of the call-and-answer between the primary vocal line and gang vocals + horns that ATF does really well. There are some really sick guitar solos that blew me away and the layered harmonies made them even better.
With all of the good that’s in this album, there are some areas for improvement. Vocal performances sometimes seem pushed to their limits, horn blend is off regardless of solid performance by the players, themselves, and while listening through the CD I could occasionally hear the trademark click that can happen with digital editing.
With stand out songs like “Ridiculous” and “Last Fight”, ATF might just be going places if they continue to polish their sound. As someone who listens to a lot of ska (probably more than I should), I really enjoyed hearing all the influences that these guys have. I suggest you go like them on Facebook (at https://www.facebook.com/atffla) and check out if they’re playing a show near you.
THE TL;DR is..
After the Fact’s freshman album “Limit Break” scored 7/10 with me. The songs are killer and well written. The members are talented and bring some great moments to the album. That said, there are some recording issues that hold this back from being really top notch.
-Joe Ska
© 2013 Heap O’ Trouble Records
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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
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Vannen Watches, Epitaph Records & LB Art Theatre
Present First So-Cal Screening of
FILMAGE: The Story of DESCENDENTS/ALL
Plus: Filmmaker Intro/Post Q&A
Sunday, August 25th @ 11AM at The Art Theatre of Long Beach
Vannen Watches, Epitaph Records, and the Art Theatre [2025 E. 4th, Long Beach] are excited to bring FILMAGE: The Story of DESCENDENTS/ALLto Southern California for a FREE fan screening on Sunday, August 25th at 11AM at the Art Theatre [2025 E. 4th Street, LBC 90814].
Long before Green Day and Blink-182 inflicted punk-rock’s puncture wound on the map of mainstream music, the Descendents were in a garage concocting the perfect mix of pop, angst, love, and coffee. FILMAGE: The Story of DESCENDENTS/ALL follows band leader/drummer/square-peg Bill Stevenson and his “caffeinated retardedness” as he pushes his rotating door of bandmates to “achieve ALL,” his philosophy of going for greatness at all costs. Stevenson is a force to be reckoned with, proving that not even a grapefruit-sized brain tumor can keep him down. Featuring interviews with the band, along with Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Mike Watt (Minutemen), Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion) and many more reveal the story of a band – if not THE band – responsible for pop-punk as you know it.
TICKETS: This is will be the FIRST Southern California showing ofFILMAGE: The Story of DESCENDENTS/ALL, unfortunately space and tickets are limited, so we’re holding a lottery and picking people at random to attend. Please register by visiting the following link:
http://filmagesun.eventbrite.com
Click on “Register” button and once entered, your name will be added to the lottery list. We’ll pick the lucky attendees at random on August 21st, and all winners will be notified immediately by email. If you are not contacted, or not sure that you were contacted, you can go to VannenWatches.com to see the full list of lottery winners.
Support your community! The filmmakers encourage you to support our great community resource by making a donation to the Art Theatre of Long Beach (a public corporation for the arts), which generously donates its time and space to worthy arts-oriented organizations and causes. While donationsdo not guarantee you’ll be granted entry to FILMAGE, you’ll be a hero by supporting a great institution. Click the PayPal link HERE to contribute to this wonderful neighborhood resource. Or, if you’re one of the lucky ones who’ll be attending the screening, you can make a donation (in cash or via credit) at the theatre. Thanks for your support, and good luck!
Disclaimer: By registering for this lottery it does not guarantee entrance into the screening; you are only registering to be entered into a lottery to win tickets. Winners will be chosen at random. By entering the lottery your info will also be added to our mailing list. If you do not want to be added to our list, please let us know. No purchase necessary, but lottery entries are limited to one per person. Thanks for entering, and good luck!
FILMAGE TICKET LOTTERY: http://filmagesun.eventbrite.com/
FILMAGE WEBSITE: http://www.filmagemovie.com
FILMAGE TRAILERS:
http://vimeo.com/43951523
http://vimeo.com/67954204
http://vimeo.com/23539352
THEATRE DONATIONS
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=B2DDXTNXU4M7C
One year ago today, on July 31, 2012, we lost a true original, Tony Sly. While we continue to mourn Tony our friend, we also celebrate Tony the artist through his songs. On October 29th, we will officially release The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute. we can’t express how much it means to us and Tony’s family that each of the artists and bands on this album took the time and effort to contribute such meaningful and interesting interpretations of Tony’s songs. All proceeds from this compilation will go to the Tony Sly Memorial Fund.
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If you ever loved Operation Ivy, here’s a little treat for you.
[youtube 0YWLJlmBihI]
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© 2013 The Vandon Arms
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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
