Upstarter – Page 54 – PUNK | SKA

The Johnny Five – Stay Black!

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Stay Black! is a peppy little EP from The Johnny Five, a three-piece get up outta Texas. Musically in the vein of Screechin Weasel, Queers, Teenage Bottlerocket … [insert modern era Ramones-core band name here]

Don’t let the “Ramones-core” label throw ya though. The songs are quick little pop punk bursts with clever, albeit somewhat juvenile lyrics complemented with three-chord riffery and a solid rhythm section backing them up.

The Johnny Five has been around since 2000, but as life tends to do, life got in the way. School was attended. Degrees were conferred. Children were born. Now that life has jammed its ugly head back in the sand, The Johnny Five are back with this new EP, plans for a new full length and some touring.

If you’re down with the poppy punk thang and you especially dig tongue-in-cheek tales of robot legs and David Hasselhoff, Stay Black! is right the hell up your alley.

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Queers, Riverdales, Ramones, Bands that sound like the Ramones.

Band Links: http://www.myspace.com/thejohnnyfive

Phat Meegz – M.S.G. To Rudy

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[rating:3/5]

Damn, sometimes I wish this was my job so I could be all like, “Damn, I love my job!” As it is, the only payment I get from this little hobby is the whole world of music that I get left on my doorstep, if you will.

What I’m listening to right now is “M.S.G. To Rudy” (as in the oh so delicious seasoning that makes you crave the Colonel’s chicken fortnightly) from the band Phat Meegz. The band hails from that tiny island at the bottom of Australia. You know the one famous for devils and commercial meat slicers? (ok, maybe Hobart Corp isn’t from Australia, but Hobart is the capital of Tasmania, therefore it should be from there.) At any rate, straight outta Tasmania, Phat Meegz is self-described as, “crusty reggae hardcore shit on like, a sublime/crack rock steady tip, with all the retarded braindead flavour so typical to Australia.” I will not disagree.

M.S.G. To Rudy delivers 12 gritty tracks with a heavy dose reggae swagger (and maybe Old Spice Swagger) as well as the more crack rocksteady punkish flavor of Leftover Crack, INDK, Morning Glory etc. On top of that, track 11 reminds me of the ska/punk band, Knowledge (a Link 80 related project off of Asianman a few years back) It is intriguing though, beneath the rather convoluted veneer, there seems to be some genuine soul. Track six, for instance, with a title like “For a Girl” things might seem immediately trite. However, I feel like there is a little more going on there. Damnit, there is some emotion going on in these songs. … I guess that isn’t so crack rocksteady after all, is it?

When you boil it all down though, M.S.G To Rudy has got enough back beat and horns to please the ska kids and a generous amount of down note calypso for those that prefer their island sound a bit slower. As if that wasn’t already enough, there is still the whole crust-o-matic throat sheering thrash explosion that graces a few tracks. If you like reggae and/or ska at all, or if you’re just some kind of d-bag hater, check Phat Meegz out, why don’t ya?

–Jerry Actually

Check the band out and stream the album here: www.phatmeegz.bandcamp.com or if you want to order a real object made out of plastic and other space age polymers, try sending an email here: emandc at gmail dot com

Scream – Complete Control Sessions

Washington DC’s punk rock is back!
By Stella Bruk

The boy’s grew up and went their separate ways, and now they return, and come back with surprises.

Since 1993’s Fumble album which was actually recorded in 1990, Pete, Franz, Skeeter and Kent haven’t met for a single project.

The idea of getting together began to take shape in 2009 when Pete and Franz played together at Black Cat in Washington on December 2009 and again almost a year later in October 2010 at the Echo in LA. They all met at the Redwood last February to an insane audience, with the presence of former band member Dave Grohl, as the ordinary fan. When Dave joined Scream in 1987 he lied about his age claiming he was 20 when he was actually 17. On that night they played old songs “Still Screaming” and “This Side Up,” and new ones that included – “Stopwatch” and the one off “Jammin’ at Redwood” (originally titled Jammin’ at 606). The barrier separating the audience from the band no longer mattered because Pete Stahl and members of the audience were crowd surfing in true punk rock style.

In February2011, the four original band members Pete Stahl (vocals), Franz Stahl (guitar), Skeeter Thompson (bass) and Kent Stax (drums), went in the studio to record plus the new guitarist Clint Walsh and Dave Grohl, who ‘indirectly participated’, coz the new album was recorded entirely at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606. They met and practised what would be the second album of the project Complete Control Session. These series of studio recordings are on Side One of Dummy Records co-owners nationally syndicated all punk rock “Complete Control Radio” show. The music is released on 10” vinyl and via digital download on August 16th, 2011 via Side One Dummy Records. The first official release in the series was done by The Bouncing Souls in April 2011.

To complete this and give the album the Midas touch, John Lousteau was in charge of producing the seven-track EP Scream’s Complete Control Session which features the following tracks : Stopwatch, Get Free, Jamin at 606, Elevate, The Year Bald Head Singers Were In, Move All, Demolition Dancing.

With loads of post-hardcore riffs, power chords, multi-tracked duelling guitar tones and raw screams, the EP makes us push the furniture to the side of the room and mosh like we did years ago.

Listen the track “Stopwatch”, on their website http://www.screamdc.com/

Punk rock is not dead that’s for sure!

Blue Collar Convicts – $2 and Change

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Well, I’m a sucker for the MA sound. Not sure quite what it is. Maybe it is something in the water, but that state produces some of the best punk rock and roll around.

Anyways, “$2 and Change” from Blue Collar Convicts is no shame to the form and a pretty damn rad release. It is full of guts and emotion without being sappy. The tracks feel true and from the heart. Maybe it’s my lower middle class upbringing, maybe it’s not, but I’m picking up on the sentiment of these tracks. As well, I think I get the idea of being trapped in the lower middle class workaday drudgery of existence.

On the comparison note, ‘cause I like to do that, think of an unusual hybrid of Social D, Op Ivy and Cadillac Tramps. It truly is a weird mashup, but it works.

I think the big sell here is that Blue Collar Convicts ring true. The music is exactly what you’d want when you’re slamming a few brews in your neighbor’s garage, or on occasion, a Sunday morning when you’ve decided that Saturday wasn’t quite enough.

Perhaps I’m rambling a little bit here, but I think this band has something, in a good way. I don’t see mega-stardom, but I won’t discount the idea that this band will be a go to when someone asks for some badass newish punk/rock(abilly)/anthemic rock and roll. At any rate, I gave it four out of five stars. I would have go higher, but well, I really wanted more tracks! Enjoy!

–Jerry Actually

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bluecollarconvicts@gmail.com

bluecollarconvicts.bandcamp.com/

The Crisis Kings

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[rating:2.5/5]

The Crisis Kings are a new band in the old familiar genres of thrash/grind/hardcore metal. Newly formed in 2011, the East U.K. quartet wasted no time in busting out a 7 track EP. The seven tracks do an adequate job of showcasing the band’s skills and for a debut effort recorded in a pig shed, it really deserves praise just for sheer effort.

The music is great. It is aggressive and brutal with overtones of Sick of it All, but tempered with more plodding riffs and screamo / growl vocals in the vein of Superjoint Ritual and perhaps Crowbar. There is also a certain dissonance that I enjoy. This style is especially prevalent on track 4 – S.O.W. the overall effect really reminds me of Leatherface.

However, (and here’s where we bring in the down note kids) As with so many things musical, the major detractor for me is screaming vocals. I just don’t like ‘em. So take that in stride if you’re reading this review. Again, the music lives up to its brutal roots, but takes it over the top with too much throat sandpaper. Seriously man, you’re gonna snap a vocal cord or something.

But, here, check ‘em out for yourself: http://www.facebook.com/thecrisiskings

–Jerry Actually

ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD TO RELEASE “KNIFE MAN” IN SEPTEMBER

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July 28, 2011 – Los Angeles, CA – Andrew Jackson Jihad have announced the release of their fourth studio album, Knife Man, on September 20 via Asian Man Records. The band has debuted a new track, “Hate, Rain on me,” today exclusively at Altpress.com:

http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/exclusive_stream_andrew_jackson_jihads_hate_rain_on_me/

Continue reading ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD TO RELEASE “KNIFE MAN” IN SEPTEMBER

The Headshots – Listen Listen Listen

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The band seems to resemble many bands that are on the radio, of course depending on the station, not like Lady Gaga or any trendy stations. Each song sounds closely the same but still have catchy vocals and an ok sound, however i would not buy this cd, Maybe if they changed it up a little bit i would give them another shot, but i do suggest u give them a listen and make your own decision.

–Super Leslie

(Editor’s Note: The Headshots are from Belgium. How cool is that? Punk rock from Belgium! And you thought they only had delicious beers.)

The Snallygasters – Black Aggie EP

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Aiaight, here’s a fun one. The “Black Aggie” EP is a new 5 shot disc from Baltimore’s The Snallygasters. I don’t know what a “snallygaster” is, but if this is the kind of smack they’re throwing down in the home of Edgar Allan Poe and John Waters, I want some more of this junk.

The sound is old school punk; an unsual mix of US Bombs, Dead Milkmen and a strange resemblance to Awesome and the Asskickers. There are some bits that start to drag on, and some solo-wanking but overall not a deal breaker, and there is a track entitled “Ragnarocknrolla” and if you’ve ever listened to Hulk Hogan and the Traveling Wrestling Boot band, I think you might get a alter-universe sense of deja vu.

It’s an EP, so you get what you get: a five song montage of the band’s range and style. Pretty much all diggable, so what the hell are you waiting for, go, find a freaking copy and commence to rocking.

–Jerry Actually

Part Time Killers – People. Religion. Death

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One of the best parts of doing what I do (whatever that is) is getting music from across the globe. Right now I’m listening to People. Religion. Death from Finnish band Part Time Killers, a punk rock quartet from Lahti Finland.

The sound is familiar punk with a hardcore backbone much like H2O with a more melodic core and the charming accented vocals that you only get with someone singing in English with a pronounced accent. As a side note, the Finnish language is one of the most isolated languages in the world with only very loose ties to an old Hungarian dialect. (If any linguists are reading this, I hope I didn’t butcher that. It just came to mind from something I read a while back)

People. Religion. Death kicks out 12 tracks, all of which clock in at under three minutes. I’m a fan of that. In today’s modern age, who has time for longer songs? Not this guy. Of note, I’m never a big fan of pointless guitar solos. The solos on this disc are short, discreet and compliment the tunes. They are an added bonus instead of the pointless wanking that so much guitar work can be.

To sum it up, Part Time Killers = good. People. Religion. Death = good new CD with a fresh coat of paint on a familiar sound.

–Jerry Actually

The Carry-Ons – Succession

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Straight outta muthafuckin’ Hotlanta is The Carry-Ons with their brand new rocker, “Succession”, and boy let me tell you what: Succession brings it in a whole lot of directions.

Musically The Carry-Ons are a blend of rock and punk with more emphasis on the punk. The songs are mid to upper mid tempo jobs that all feel pretty solid. They big draw though is the range. In addition to a great level of dynamics in the music, the song styles and vocals range between influences like AFI, Gogol Bordello, Meatloaf, Millencolin and a track that could damn well be a Street Dogs cover. I’d say they got the musical ground pretty well covered.

The CD offers 12 tracks ranging from around a minute to just over four, ya know, for the ballad lovers out there. The epic track length aside, I’ve been rolling this disc in my car for a while now and the more I listen, the more I like.

Bottom line is this, branch out from your radio-rock douchbaggery and hit some new tunes with The Carry-Ons new CD Succession. I triple dog dare you.

You can find out more at www.thecarryons.com

–Jerry Actually