Upstarter – Page 55 – PUNK | SKA

The Snallygasters – Black Aggie EP

[ad]

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

[ad]

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

[ad]

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

DB and the Catastrophe – Don’t Look Back

[ad]

Here is a band i recommend. Honestly they are worth listening to. They are a band out of Fort Collins, Colorado. They started recording in 2009 and continue to.

The band is a four piece band and I think their sound is not quite like anybody I’ve heard before; punk and a little like ska. The vocals are not growling punk or hard core punk but definitely in there, and clear.

I enjoyed the four songs on this EP entitled “Don’t Look Back”, and think everyone who likes a different and unique style should listen and like “DB AND THE CATASTROPHE”.

–Super Leslie

Nekromantix – New Release and Tour

[ad]

NEKROMANTIX UNLEASH “WHAT HAPPENS IN HELL, STAYS IN HELL” AUG 2nd

North American Tour Begins July 26^th/VIP Packages Available May 26th
Revered psychobilly trio Nekromantix have emerged from the depths of isolation to unleash their latest sonic creation, a monstrous slab of demonic rock and roll entitled “What Happens In Hell, Stays In Hell.” This dangerously hypnotic album careens into stores on August 2, 2011 via Hellcat Records and includes thirteen songs of blistering death defying rock. In anticipation, the band will be offering special VIP Packages to their most dedicated fans on May 26^th through the website below.

Led by charismatic rock and roll rebel Kim Nekroman and his legendary coffin bass, the Nekromantix have emerged as preeminent purveyors of a powerful and haunting psychobilly sound, an intoxicating mixture of surging anthemic punk and seductive reverb soaked rockabilly. The new record What Happens In Hell, Stays In Hell offers up frantic energetic romps like lead off track “Bats In My Pants,” the riotous revelry moves along with the ominous anthem “Sleepwalker With A Gun,” followed by a tribute to the immortal Hollywood horror legend with “Bela Lugosi’s Star.”

In support of the new album, Nekromantix will be loading up their hot-rod hearse to blaze across North America, igniting the festivities with a performance in the scorched desert landscape of Southern California on July 26^th.

The band will also be offering special presale VIP packages for their most dedicated fans. These packages will include:

– A CD copy of What Happens In Hell, Stays In Hell
– One general admission ticket
– Access to meet & greet Nekromantix
– One Nekromantix 3D Laminate
– An autographed Nekromantix tour poster
– Anyone who pre-orders tickets and the VIP package or tickets and CD will get a free download of “Bats In My Pants”
– VIP packages are limited 30 per market

Purchase presale tickets for the tour at: http://tixx1.artistarena.com/nekromantix

Nekromantix Tour Dates:

TUE, JUL 26, 2011 VICTORVILLE CA VVEC
WED, JUL 27, 2011 SAN LUIS OBISPO CA Downtown Brew
THU, JUL 28, 2011 SANTA CRUZ CA The Catalyst- The AtriumRoom
FRI, JUL 29, 2011 OAKLAND CA Oakland Metro Operahouse
SAT, JUL 30, 2011 SACRAMENTO CA Ace of Spades
SUN, JUL 31, 2011 RENO NV Knitting Factory – Reno
TUE, AUG 2, 2011 SEATTLE WA El Corazon
WED, AUG 3, 2011 PORTLAND OR Hawthorne Theater
TUE, AUG 9, 2011 BOISE ID Knitting Factory
WED, AUG 10, 2011 SALT LAKE CITY UT The Complex- Grand Room
THU, AUG 11, 2011 LAS VEGAS NV House of Blues – Las Vegas
FRI, AUG 12, 2011 LOS ANGELES CA House of Blues Los Angeles
SAT, AUG 13, 2011 SAN DIEGO CA Epicenter
SUN, AUG 14, 2011 SANTA ANA CA Yost Theater
WED, AUG 24, 2011 TUCSON AZ The Rock
THU, AUG 25, 2011 EL PASO TX Badland Billiards
FRI, AUG 26, 2011 AUSTIN TX Red Seven
SAT, AUG 27, 2011 CORPUS CHRISTI TX Theo’s
SUN, AUG 28, 2011 SAN ANTONIO TX , White Rabbit
TUE, AUG 30, 2011 DALLAS TX LaGrange
WED, AUG 31, 2011 HOUSTON TX Warehouse Live
THU, SEP 1, 2011 NEW ORLEANS LA House Of Blues NO-Parish
FRI, SEP 2, 2011 PENSACOLA FL Vinyl Music Hall
SUN, SEP 4, 2011 TAMPA FL The Local 662
TUE, SEP 6, 2011 ORLANDO FL The Social
WED, SEP 7, 2011 JACKSONVIILLE FL Jack Rabbits
THU, SEP 8, 2011 GREENSBORO NC Green Street
FRI, SEP 9, 2011 VIRGINIA BEACH VA Jewish Mother
SAT, SEP 10, 2011 BALTIMORE MD Otto Bar
SUN, SEP 11, 2011 WEST CHESTER PA The Note- West Chester
TUE, SEP 13, 2011 NEW YORK NY The Lounge @ Gramercy
WED, SEP 14, 2011 ASBURY PARK NJ Asbury Lanes
THU, SEP 15, 2011 ALLSTON MA Great Scott
TUE, SEP 20, 2011 CLEVELAND OH Beachland Ballroom
WED, SEP 21, 2011 DETROIT MI Small’s
THU, SEP 22, 2011 NEWPORT KY The Southgate House
FRI, SEP 23, 2011 CHICAGO IL Reggies Rock Club
SUN, SEP 25, 2011 DES MOINES IA House Of Bricks
MON, SEP 26, 2011 ST. LOUIS MO Firebird
WED, SEP 28, 2011 DENVER CO Bluebird Theater
THU, SEP 29, 2011 ALBUQUERQUE NM Launchpad
FRI, SEP 30, 2011 TEMPE AZ Club House

Swingin’ Utters – Here, Under Protest

[ad]

I won’t belabor the historical info about Swingin’ Utters. You truly should know who they are already, but if you don’t, well, you should. (be ashamed of yourself) If you want to learn more about them, by all means check their official bio here: http://swinginutters.com/bio/ (notice the sexy url? sexy websites don’t use the www no mores)

Onto the important bits. Here, Under Protest is the first full length release from the band in eight years. That is a damn long time in punkdom. Most bands won’t even last an eighth as long, let alone have that many years between releases.

The new album is a mid-tempo rocker with some tactical velocity diversions thrown in. It is replete with all the expected hooks and chorus lines that you’ve came to love. They years have tempered the lads a bit, but not for the worse. The songs have the kind of difficult-to-define quality that pegs them as instant classics. I guess that it is a sort of timelessness that makes the songs both enjoyable and enduring. Though I gush a bit as an admitted fan, you really have to hear this one. It kicks some serious ass even after repeated listening.

So here’s what you get: 14 tracks, just under 35 minutes. Pure punk rock goodness. Oh, by the way. This is also your new favorite CD as of right now if not sooner.

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Stiff little fingers, The last weird Let’s Go Bowling CD, Swingin’ Utters.

Tracks:
1. Brand New Lungs
2. Taking the Long Way
3. Bent Collector of 1,000 Limbs
4. Kick It Over
5. Good Thing
6. Sketch Squandered Teen
7. Heavy Head
8. (You’ve Got To) Give It All To the Man
9. Time On My Own
10. Lepers, Thieves and Whores
11. Blindness Is Kind
12. Reds and Blues and Beggars
13. Scary Brittle Frame
14. Effortless Amnesiac

Getting to know Holding Onto Sound

Where are you from and when did you get started?

We’re Holding Onto Sound from Las Vegas, NV. We formed in 2003 and have been playing live almost every weekend since. We were drawn together by our love of certain bands & styles. Punk, reggae (not ska), Metal, Hip-Hop. We wanted to make something new, while using all the old styles.

Who are you and who does what in the band?

I am Senor Bennett Mains. I sing lead vocals and am one of the many guitar players for HOTS. We’ve also got Zabi Naqshband on the low end, he’s a bass playing maniac. He also brings the backing vocals and sings lead on a few tracks. Sitting behind the drum kit is Vanessa Tidwell. She blows my mind and the minds of all around with her drumtastic beat bangin’. Last but not least, our brand new addition, Bob Gates. Bob lends both rythym and lead guitars and some backing vocals, also. We tracked Bob down like an animal and captured him, forcing him to play guitar for us. We’re fuckin’ savage.

How would you best describe the sound?

Aggressive and passionate and energetic. We love everything from The Clash to The Deftones to Genghis Tron to Bob Marley to Johnny Cash to Rx Bandits to Thrice to the Moody Blues to Interpol. haha. Some of us like Lady Gaga & Kesha. I don’t think we sound like any of them though. Maybe a little like Kesha. I often find myself wearing blue lipstick, with a pound of eyeliner running down my cheeks. And that has alot to do with our sound. We go for that ‘recently drugged & fucked’ sound.

Dream rock moment (real or not)?

Very real. We opened for the greatest band of all time, NoFx, January 2009. For me that was my moment. It’s all down hill after that. Any time you catch someone you’ve never met singing the words to your song with you, that’s a dream moment for anybody who ever decided they wanted to be in a band. Gotta love it man.

Still got day jobs?

But of course. Collectively we sell clothes, fix bikes and clean pools. What a life.

Any regrets?

Nope. Well….Maybe my ‘recently drugged & fucked’ remark earlier. Love you mom.

Swing For The Fences “If You Only Knew…”

Well, let’s start off with the fact that I am not usually a pop punk fan. To my surprise, after giving this disc a few spins, it has grown on me. These gents from Detroit have a strong sound, good writing, and the production captures what I would guess is a tight live band. The lyric matter is usually what isn’t my cup o’ punk rock tea with regards to the pop end of the genre, but this EP strikes so much musically and vocally that I can overlook this with ease. The last two tracks really stand out to me, with their punch and nods to hardcore. If pop punk is you thing, check this release out. If it isn’t, give it a chance or check out their live shows and see what happens, you never know, right? Kudos on the title track gents.

–Ry-Not

The Rumblers – Resistor Radio

[ad]

Right now I’m listening to Resistor Radio, the new full-length release from The Rumblers. The release marks eight years since the band’s debut. While I’m not familiar with “Hold On Tight”, I can only assume that the new work represents a more focused and enlightened version of the past.

Resistor Radio features 12 tracks of politically tinged American punk rock. It isn’t quite to the level of social commentary as The Clash for instance. Instead it feels like a sampling of Social Distortion, Pennywise and Bad Religion. The sonic structure has a great level of depth with the blend of horn and organ sounds of the more expected drum/bass/guitar experience. The dynamic and well crafted songs lend to easy enjoyment. It is the type of disc that gains appreciation and respect the more you listen to it.

Aside from the more greaser style punk rock and roll there are tracks like “Bring Me Back” which are more in the vein of newer bands like Dead to Me, Menzingers and American Steel. Additional deviations are the low cowboy ballad, “The Long Con” and the slightly ska/reggae/punk “Final Words”. It shows an excellent level of diversity and writing ability for the band. Like I said, the more I listen, the more I appreciate The Rumblers.

You can find more here: www.therumblers.com

-Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Your Future’s Been Determined
2. Days Gone By
3. Smash Your Television
4. Border Town
5. Bring Me Back
6. Time Can Have a Way
7. The Long Con
8. Final Words
9. You’ve Got Your Guns
10. download 10. Rebel Heart
11. Run Away
12. City Lights

Swing For The Fences

[ad]

Here’s a five track demo from Swing for the Fences, a pop punk band outta the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights. Pretty straight forward power pop riffs, snappy drum beats and rocking riffs, some solid sing-a-long chorus parts and emo enough lyrics that your girlfriend will totally make you take her to the show. (you know, if you have a girlfriend that is)

The band isn’t breaking much in the way of new ground. It is very Blink 182 influenced from my limited experience with the genre. The vocals strangely make me think that they’d be what Weird Al would sound like if he were singing in a pop punk band. I suspect that Swing for the Fences take themselves a bit more seriously, but then again, maybe not.

The production quality is excellent for a demo, so kudos to everyone that played and produced this. I’m not sure what bandwidth is left in the market for more material of this variety, but since Blink tours again there is always hope. While the demo has plenty of polish and skills, it is all a little too saccharin for me, but if pop punk is your thing, check the band out at their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/sftfmusic

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Running Away
2. Spill Your Heart
3. You Shoot For The Stars Because You’re Afraid To Land
4. Just Being Honest
5. If Only You Knew