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© 2013
[rating:8/10]

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

I always told myself that I didn’t want to write a review on anything when I couldn’t be completely positive.  I had a bit of a change of heart today.  I was reading Dying Scene’s Sacred Cow column today and today they were discussing Rancid’s…And Out Come the Wolves.  I read both sides, and I wanted to attack the guy who disputed the album’s greatness.  Then I came to my senses.  The one thing about punk music that other genres don’t have is fans who are passionate enough about the music to actually discuss what constitutes real greatness.  I will often read reviews of new albums, but I won’t always take what is said to heart.  That is another beautiful thing about punk rock, it promotes critical thinking and making your own decisions. 

That brings me to The Adjectives debut album, Bam! The Belgian group’s offering is comprised of 10 tracks and comes in at under 14 minutes in length.  It is like something out of Mall’d to Death’s playbook, almost.  The longest track runs about 2:30, and the shortest track about 10 seconds.  But while Mall’d to Death is quite skilled at making the most out of their songs and never really leaving the listener wanting more, The Adjectives need a little work on this. 

Bam!‘s opening track “Bulgarian Pancakes” is probably the band’s finest melody and could have made a great song, but it ends as just a short instrumental.  While others are longer and more complete, they still lack the impact that you would want or expect out of songs that are so short.  But there is an upside, the songs most powerful track, “Fuck You” is just ten seconds long and in all of its simplicity gets straight to the point and gets it across quite clear. 

The album’s title, Bam!, seems to imply that the listener will be hit hard and quick.  While it is quick, I wouldn’t say it hits hard.  This is a debut album, so these young men can do a lot more, and I think that if they follow the formula they have, they will.

I’ve been learning a lot about writing lately, and have gained a different perspective on it. Some view writing as a conversation had among people interested in the same topic with every piece building upon and influenced by the last.  I never thought of it like that before.  What does it have to do with The Enders latest album?  Well I never liked comparing bands to other bands, and saying this sounds like this or that because I always felt like it was taking away from the band and their efforts.  After taking on the new view of writing, I applied it to music.  What is music if not a culmination of different influences? 

On their Reverb Nation Page the band has NOFX, Sick of it All, Agnostic Front, Motorhead, and Minor Threat listed in their Sounds Like category.  That is a fairly diverse sound if all of those groups were put together.  But it’s true, the group weaves seamlessly between more hardcore offerings like “The Ruins of Ambition” and “The Path”, to more punk tunes like “Stand Your Ground” and  “Songs for the Working Class.”  “Pragmatic ” actually is my vision of what a song would sound like if Pennywise collaborated with Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent. Songs like “Manifesto” even remind me of another favourite of mine, Broadcast Zero.

If punk music really is a conversation, The Enders have paid close attention.  They have listened and gathered as much information before crafting their own reply, The Ruins of Ambition.  What results is a well crafted album that draws on those that came before and add their own voice to the conversation.