Upstarter – Page 40 – PUNK | SKA

The Koffin Kats – Born of the Motor

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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

After the Fact – Limit Break

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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

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

First So-Cal Screening of FILMAGE: The Story of DESCENDENTS/ALL

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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

Tony Sly Tribute Album Details

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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Living In A Dangerous Land – Tim Timebomb and Friends feat. Jesse Michaels

If you ever loved Operation Ivy, here’s a little treat for you.

[youtube 0YWLJlmBihI]

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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

Retox Documentary

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RETOX RELEASE NEW DOCUMENTARY

with guest appearances by Nick Zinner (Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs), Buzz Osbourne (The Melvins)

YPLL OUT MAY 28th via Epitaph

Band On Tour Now

(April 15th, Los Angeles, CA) RETOX have released a 60 minute documentary that is available with purchase of their forthcoming record, YPLL out May 28th. The documentary explores the realities of making an album, what it’s like to be in a touring band today and features interviews with Buzz Osborne from The Melvins and Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who also appears on the new record.

The full documentary is currently available to watch courtesy of alarm-magazine.com, who also named YPLL, one of their favorites of the week here: http://alarm-magazine.com/?p=63248

“You kind of have to ruin your life to be in a punk band,” states Justin Pearson, currently on tour with new band Retox and renowned for his work with groundbreaking noise outfit THE LOCUST. Retox, along with some high-profile guests, shed light on the hardships and rewards of doing what you love instead of what you’re “supposed to,” discuss days and nights of relentless touring and the intense emotions experienced on stage and making music.

With YPLL, Retox deliver a mission statement in 12 blistering tracks, the vast majority of them clocking in at two minutes or less. It’s the type of rallying battle cry that inspires lingering and dormant primal urges and too-long-suppressed societal dissatisfaction in those who encounter its punk rock lineage and postmodern crash-and-ban.

RETOX is on tour now.

RETOX Tour Dates:

5/15/2013	The Middle East Upstairs	Cambridge	MA
5/16/2013	The Acheron	Brooklyn	NY
5/17/2013	Pianos	New York	NY
5/18/2013	Philamoca	Philadelphia	PA
5/19/2013	Golden West Cafe	Baltimore	MD
5/20/2013	The Milestone	Charlotte	NC
5/21/2013	Purgatory at the Masquerade	Atlanta	GA
5/22/2013	Circle Bar	New Orleans	LA
5/23/2013	Rudyards	Houston	TX
5/24/2013	The Mohawk	Austin	TX
5/25/2013	Train Yard	Las Cruces	NM
5/26/2013	Trunk Space	Phoenix	AZ
5/27/2013	Punk Rock Bowling	Las Vegas	NV
5/28/2013	Che Cafe	San Diego	CA
5/29/2013	Vacation Vinyl	Los Angeles	CA
5/30/2013	The Smell	Los Angeles	CA