Upstarter

(c) 2011

[rating: 8.5/10]

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We Hate You is an album that clocked in late 2011 from Spanish punk rockers, The Pink Elephants. This new disc is the follow up to the 2009 release of 100% R&R Liquor. On the new album, this Barcelona band offers 13 tracks of punk / pop punk blend in a manner similar to a lot of early 90s punk (at least to my American ears) The accent brings a nice new spin to it that keeps it fresh.

The tracks are mid-tempo and clocking in around the late two to three minute mark. A bit lengthy for me, but by no means a stretch of the attention span. The sounds are familiar (hard to not have that anymore) but the band is plenty able to make those familiar sounds their own.

At the end of it all, what I get from this is the grand idea that if I ever visit Barcelona, and The Pink Elephants are playing, I know I’m going to try to catch that show.

–Jerry Actually

So a while back I asked Jerry if he had anything that he needed reviewed, he told me he would send me something over.  He sent me a link for a German pop punk band named One Mile Left. I didn’t have anything else I wanted to write about, plus Jerry buttered me up a bit by telling me they liked my Pennywise review.  So I took a listen without knowing anything about them, and not reading their bio. From the first few bars all I could think was Blink 182 circa Enema of the State. The guitar and vocal melodies were eerily reminiscent, and I could only picture the webcam scene from American Pie where Jim is trying to get it on with Nadia and the guys from Blink 182 are watching with a monkey.  Well the funny thing about that is that I later went back and read their bio that they sent and they mentioned being inspired by the pop-punk of The same time and actually mentioned American Pie as being an influence.

Don’t get me wrong, these guys aren’t carbon copies of Blink or anything like that, in fact they don’t  have the same use of humor in their music, but when you listen to the music there is no doubt about the bands and time that the music was influenced by.

With all that said, I like them, maybe it is just nostalgia and longing for my younger years considering I turned 32 today but this is something I could listen to.  I have loved pop-punk since the first time I heard “Longview” and this brings me back to those earlier years. Check them out, for fans of those late 90’s pop-punk years they are definitely worth a listen.

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© 2012 Asian Man Records
[rating:8/10]

Please join me in saying welcome to Sundials. Relatively new to the Asian Man Records roster and totally new to !upstarter, this Richmond, VA based outfit makes nice with their 90s alt vibe.

“When I Couldn’t Breathe” is jammed to the gills with alt-pop-rock melody laden goodness. At the core, isn’t that all you really need to know? I suppose you want to hear things about their casual cool rockishness, or maybe some bits about how college generates a lifestyle that begets band such as Sundials. Maybe I will say something about that. … Really, I generally like to offer something in the way of directional guidance, but Sundials’ sound is hanging just beyond my periphery. it’s a good sound though, one that could just as easily rock you as rock you to sleep (track dependent of course). Some people have made reference to the Lemonheads, personally, I’m thinking Short Round. Do with that what you wish.

At the end of it, what you get is 13 tracks of quality music that, at least for me, takes a time machine ride back to the dreamy 90s alt rock of days gone by.

–Jerry Actually