Classics of Love

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© 2012 Asian Man Records
[rating:8.5/10]

Firstly I have to admit that I’ve been waiting for this release since I first caught wind of it last year. I’ve been a fan of much of the past efforts that have lead to this release and I can’t say that I am disappointed by what the new album has to offer. Secondly, here is some good news. Punk’s not dead. For real this time.

For those who are unaware, Classics of Love is the current musical project of Jesse Michaels of Operation Ivy, Big Rig and more recently Common Rider. Jesse and co., a.k.a. the San Jose band, Hard Girls, combine to form the whole of this newest venture. The self-titled release is follow up to the Walking in Shadows EP. With 13 tracks on the new full length, we’re offered a bit more substance this time around, just for sheer virtue of quantity. (Quality notwithstanding)

Musically, the sound offers a nice split between the early sounds of Op Ivy and the more sophisticated sounds of Common Rider but with a decidedly more raw punk edge. As a side note, if you get the chance, see this band live. While the recorded material is completely rad, it pales in comparison to the songs performed live. I dare say they are one of the best bands I’ve seen perform.

Lyrically, the album is very socially aware. I’ve read some interviews with Jesse Michaels and while he asserts that he isn’t trying to be overtly political, the songs certainly have their finger on the pulse of some modern western problems. The songs, however, aren’t trying to cram ideas down your gob, as much as they are throwing out a point of view. They are bringing voice to the current state of hypocrisy in a world that really could use the change we’ve all been promised.

Anyway, if you’ve ever been a fan of any of the bands mentioned, this album would be hard pressed to disappoint. The bottom line is: 13 tracks of punk rock with a skapunk pedigree and a strong sense of society, political or otherwise, to boot.

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Operation Ivy, Big Rig, Common Rider, Hard Girls

Tracks:
1.What A Shame
2.Castle In The Sky
3.World of the Known
4.Gun Show
5.Stronghold
6.Moving Pictures
7.It Will Not Be Moved
8.Bandstand
9.Would-Be Kings
10.Last Strike
11.Light Rail
12.Dissolve
13.We Need A Change

Eli Whitney & The Sound Machine – Mickey

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© 2011
[rating:8/10]

Mickey is a 10 track punk infused ska release by long island band Eli Whitney & The Sound Machine. The band positions itself as a skapunk outfit, and I suppose I can see that. However I think they lean, on this release at least, more towards the ska end of the spectrum. I am totally cool with that.

Mickey came out at the tail end of 2011 and from what I can tell is the third release from the band. The tracks on the album typify what I’ve come to think of as the 4th wave sound. Ska, if you know anything of its history, tends to take the traditional calypso rhythms and styles and blend them with both popular and less popular music of the current era, e.g. punk and metal of the respective 2nd and 3rd waves.

The current incarnation is to some extent bridging the divide over from the 3rd wave with a ska punk sound that has become more rooted in a less aggressive punk style and to a certain degree almost a blend of vaguely folkish rock. Eli Whitney & The Sound Machine do an admirable job with this style and easily recall their influences and contemporaries like Streetlight Manifesto and Big D. and the Kids Table.

On the whole, Mickey is a great release. You can download it from the bandcamp site for whatever price you feel it’s worth. If you can afford to, I’d suggest dropping some coin for this release and in return for your download you’re donating to the honorable cause of supporting independent music.

–Jerry Actually

Blossom Hill – Sidetracks

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[rating:6/10]

There’s a common theme in music and especially punk music where band’s that have been around for awhile will have fans who will say “their music was better when…..” and they yearn for the “the good old days.”. Enter Blossom Hill, a pop punk band from Finland who released their debut LP, Sidetracks, in October.

On Sidetracks, the group seems to have (fairly successfully whether intentional or not) melded together what sounds like two different eras of Green Day inspired music. From the get go a listener can expect vocals that sound like they are inspired by 39/Smooth or Kerplunk eras and guitar riffs that sound derived right from the Insomniac/Nimrod timeline.

This is what I hear when I listen, and is what I am going to base my critique on. To me they sound like one my favorite Green Day eras (Insomniac/Nimrod) and my least favorite (39/Smooth). Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy Sidetracks, but my feelings are very mixed. I hate to make direct comparisons to bands as they take time to create something their own but I can’t get over my first impressions of the album, and for a person who can still tell you what he was doing when he first heard Dookie in ’94, nothing will ever compare. At the same time, I can’t think of another band that has brought me back in time to a groups (so-called) glory days the way they have.

With that said, Sidetracks does not really have tracks that stand out in my mind either good or bad, and it had things I liked and things I didn’t. But if you are one of those nostalgic Green Day fans who thinks “they were better when….” check out Blossom Hill, maybe they can transport you back there.

T.J.

REFUSED NOT F***ING DEAD

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Groundbreaking Band To Play Coachella and Way Out West Festival

The groundbreaking, highly influential Swedish hardcore band Refused have announced a series of shows scheduled for summer 2012. This is the band’s first appearance since their breakup in the late ‘90s and will include performances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 13th and 20th and the Way Out West Festival in Sweden Aug 9-11.

Refused have released the following statement and the full statement can be found here:   www.officialrefused.com 

…It’s been a motley 14 years since our band came apart. We’ve all kept busy in our respective endeavors but we’ve all remained friends and kept in touch. There have been offers, and lots of jokes about these offers. We’ve sort of looked down from our high horses and made fun of people who’ve just wanted to share the psychopathic intensity that we would deliver on a nightly basis in our post-pubescent prime. A reunion has just seemed irrelevant to us. Too much other shit to do…

 …We never did “The Shape of Punk To Come” justice back when it came out, too tangled up in petty internal bickering to really focus on the job. And suddenly there’s this possibility to do it like it was intended. We wanna do it over, do it right. For the people who’ve kept the music alive through the years, but also for our own sakes…

Originally released in 1998, The Shape of Punk to Come  “blurred the lines that separate punk, metal and hardcore, while peppering this brutal fusion with bits of techno percussion, jazzy rhythmic change-ups and long, complex song structures that support politically-charged messages,” (CMJ,1998).  Refused’s most critically acclaimed and final album exploded on the scene with the jaw-dropping hardcore anthem “New Noise,” which helped change the game forever by influencing a range of genres to this day, which includes being named “Best New Re-issue” by Pitchfork.com in 2010.

New Menzingers Release and Tour 2012

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THE MENZINGERS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM

Band To Tour In Support Of Anticipated Epitaph Records Debut

Rising punk rock band The Menzingers create a rousing sound featuring crashing power chords, rock steady drumming and anthemic sing-along choruses alongside powerfully poetic everyman lyrics. The group is set to release their Epitaph Records debut album On The Impossible Past this February 21st. Fans are invited to pre-order the album by going to www.themenzingersstore.com.

On The Impossible Past was recorded at Atlas Studios in Chicago with longtime collaborators Matt Allison (Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms) and Justin Yates. While the record retains all the raucous spirit of the band’s earlier efforts sonically, it’s a monumental step forward. “I think that ‘Gates’ is one of the most mature songs on the album,” guitarist/vocalist Tom May explains, referencing the tender rock song sung by Barnett that truly transcends genres. “I hope it surprises people because it’s not a straight-forward punk song with gang vocals or anything like that but it still definitely sounds like us.”
Continue reading New Menzingers Release and Tour 2012

Year End Top 10

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It’s that time of year again when everyone is posting their “best of” year end lists.  For me, it would be ridiculous to think that my list is going to be a whole lot different in content then somebody elses, there may be some differences, but mostly I just want to feel important by posting my list for everyone else to read:

1)  Polar Bear Club–Clash Battle Guilt Pride-This was was not my favourite album of the year, although it would definitely be near the top, I think it is the best written album of the year and really shows the group coming into their own.

2) The Horrible Crowes–Elsie-This album contains some of my favourite Brian Fallon songs, as well as some of my least favourite, but what I respect most about this album is that Fallon and bandmate Ian Perkins were able to step out of the shadow cast by The Gaslight Anthem and create something uniquely their own.

3) The Rebel Spell-It’s A Beautiful Future-My personal favourite album of the year, it has all the ferocity of their prior releases plus a sense of urgency that is a direct reflection of the time it was written.

4)  Red City Radio-The Dangers of Standing Still-The bands Paper and Plastick debut built off of their earlier EP and showed that they are continuing to get better.

5) Mall’d to Death–The Process of Reaching Out-This was another of my favourite releases and also contains my favourite song of the year “Migraine Belt.”

6) Banner Pilot–Heart Beats Pacific-This album is currently on repeat in my truck and I blame it for my speeding.

7) The Slow Death–Born Ugly Got Worse-This is the album I turn to if I just want to enjoy listening to music.

8) Junior Battles–Idle Ages-It took me a long time to catch onto this album, but when I did it was as close to a revelation as I came this year.

9) Have Nots–Proud-This album was the one I anticipated the most, and it did not disappoint me.

10) Against Me!-Total Clarity-I know this album was made up of mainly demos that weren’t all that different then the songs that went on the album, but the unreleased tracks brought me back to when I first heard them and was quite inspired.

Top 10 of 2011

It’s been a long and productive year here at !upstarter and a lot of good music came across this desk. I regret that I didn’t have the time to review each and every release. I can only hope that in 2012 the music keeps on coming in and that I once again have the privilege of listening to the hopes, dreams, and efforts of musicians and bands from around the world.

People love lists, so once again I’ve compiled a top ten for this year’s reviews. There were so many great releases to choose from, but after some deliberation I’ve narrowed it down to the following:

#1. Dan P. & The Bricks – Watch Where You Walk

#2. 20 Bulls Each – A Glorious and Bloody Revolution

#3. Swingin’ Utters – Here, Under Protest

#4. The Snallygasters – Black Aggie EP

#5. Cubicle – The Severance Package

#6. Shoot the Hostage – So Polite

#7. Überband – Live In Poland

#8. Prize The Doubt – This Will Die Unrecognized

#9. Do It With Malice – The Burned Over District

#10. Flatout Jones – Closed Doors and Weird Situations

There you have it, the top ten reviews for 2011. Let’s have a big round of applause for all the bands that made the cut.

I’d also like to give honorable mention to a few bands that didn’t hit the top ten. Holding Onto Sound for their EP – The Tempest and to Darrow Chemical Company who sent in a kick ass release that I didn’t have time to review.

–Jerry Actually

Cubicle – The Severance Package

[rating:4/5]

Cubicle is an L.A. based punk band, rocking out with near total corporate schtick; Songs of coffee, languishing in noward* mobility, and Ponzi Scheme greed abound. The sound is somewhat comical ala Guttermouth and certainly classic punk reminiscent of Circle Jerks. The later influence goes even so far as to include a very convincing cover of “Beverly Hills”

The band certainly isn’t a tribute band though. While harnessing much of the energy of the early California punk sound, they manage to admirably infuse their roots with a new burst of energy and a style of their own. The EP offers up five originals and the aforementioned cover. The tracks keep up the pace and remain edgy throughout without sounding either too garage-y or over-produced.

Overall a fun release with a decidedly anti white collar wage slave agenda. You can listen to some tracks on the band’s MySpace page (whatever that is)

-Jerry Actually

*noward is neither upward or downward. lateral.

Tracks:
1. Not Going Anywhere Fast
2. Brainwashed
3. Ponzi Scheme
4. Coffee Break
5. Beverly Hills
6. Yo-Yo

Kepi Ghoulie – I Bleed Rock N Roll

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[rating:8/10]
© 2011 Asian Man Records

Kepi Ghoulie is a Rock N Roll Shark who also happens to bleed Rock N Roll. Don’t believe me? Perhaps then you should check out Kepi’s new solo release, “I Bleed Rock N Roll”, out now on Asian Man Records. You might be familiar with Kepi as the frontman of the Groovie Ghoulies. Perhaps you’re not familiar with Kepi at all? Too bad I say. Either way Kepi is doing the solo thing now, and he’s doing it well.

I Bleed Rock N Roll is a 13 track testament to Kepi’s ability to create compelling, catchy, and very danceable pop-punk. The songs on the new album, in general, pay homage to 50s style rock albeit with more modern tones and pace laced in. There is, despite the pop-punk trappings, also an unusual dark side preset.

When Kepi’s singing, “What the world needs now is love sweet love”, it’s as if he’s possessed by the worlds friendliest devil; very much the lightest side of darkness ever. I’m even going to suggest that Kepi Ghoulie is the Bizarro counterpart to Rob Zombie, if you get where I’m going with that. If you want evidence to my assertion, track eight, “I Just Wanted You To Know” clocks in at precisely 3:33 and reminds me of the Cowboy Junkies, so, um take that.

All in all, I Bleed Rock N Roll does what it says; 13 tracks of pure rock and roll, each one nearly even in rocking as they are rolling. Balance is crucial. And as if the rock alone (and also the roll of course) wasn’t enough there are some awfully clever lyrics in play too. “Don’t try to figure me out because I’m rather unfigueroutable” and “I’m a rock n roll shark. I gotta keep moving’ I gotta keep swimmin’”’ are just some small examples. Damn fine wordsmithing inside indeed.

So if you were a fan of Groovie Ghoulies, or just want a tasty new Rock N Roll treat, stop over to Asian Man Records and pick up a copy or two. I swear you won’t regret it.

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Rock N Roll Shark
2. Nikki Lee
3. I Bleed Rock N Roll
4. The Fever
5. Part Time Romeo
6. When I’m Gone
7. Unfigureoutable
8. I Just Wanted You To Know
9. Love To Give
10. Break My Heart
11. Cupid Is Real
12. Blame It On Mom
13.Hard To Forget