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Swingin’ Utters – Here, Under Protest

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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

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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

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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

Dead Dick Hammer – Welcome Home Babydoll

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Dead Dick Hammer and the TBA Band is a ghoulish undead trio from the hellbilly area of Kentucky’s Temple Hill. Apparently the band died in their rockabilly prime sometime, I gather, around All Hallows Eve, 1957. The opening haunt, 10.30.57 is an eerie tribute to their demise.

Welcome Home Babydoll unearths eight rocking tracks (and a mystery number) all very much focusing on the macabre. Themes center on such pleasantries as stalking, domestic violence, murder and necrophilia; All the things that you love, of course. Presumably tongue-in-cheek, but the disc does have an overwhelming air of misogyny about it. I suspect it is merely thematic, but if it were any other genre of band, it would sit pretty uneasy.

The music is a dark combination of 50s style rock and rockabilly. Think of perhaps: Big Bopper meets Elvis Hitler with a bit more hillbilly swagger in the mix. The sound is a mix of rockabilly and harder more distorted punk ala many psychobilly acts. It is solid, performed and recorded well and certainly blends well to the dark nature of the subject matter.

Overall, a solid debut from Dead Dick Hammer, though I should certainly hope that they’d be able to hone their craft in the over 50 years of practice time they’ve had. At any rate if you like your rockabilly server dark cold and dead, then Dead Dick Hammer has got just what (whether you want it or not)

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Elvis Hitler, Sour Mash Whiskey, Stabbing

Tracks:
1. 10.30.57
2. Elcumino
3. Welcome Home Babydoll
4. She Likes It Ruff (My Baby)
5. Sweet Connie
6. Creep’r Creep’n
7. Girl I Won’t Hit You
8. Black & Blue

SET YOUR GOALS NEW ALBUM OUT JUNE 28TH

BURNING AT BOTH ENDS PRE-ORDER STARTS TODAY!

The Bay Area’s busiest pop punk heroes, Set Your Goals will release their highly anticipated new album, Burning At Both Ends on June 28th via Epitaph Records. Produced by Brian McTernan, the album features thirteen powerful tracks available now for pre-order at www.sygstore.com. Check out their newest song “Exit Summer” here.

Back in full force, Set Your Goals will keep the momentum going with the follow-up to their infectious and dynamic album, This Will Be The Death of Us. Duel vocalists Matt Wilson and Jordan Brown’s flawless delivery on the opening track “Cure For Apathy” captures the SYG sound and energy we know so well as they trade off singing duties. “Certain,” a soon to be fan favorite, highlights Joe Saucedo’s solid bass lines with passionate lyrics and engaging guitar solos.

Keeping it real for die hard fans, Burning At Both Ends has a definitive Set Your Goals sound with their energetic, head-bobbing riffs and gang vocals while staying completely fresh with sing-along choruses and lyrics everyone can relate to. The album delivers with the fast and hard-hitting track, “Trenches” that showcases Dan Coddaire and Audelio Flores’ catchy melodies and guitar riffs. “Exit Summer,” brings back 90’s hardcore with a melodic twist, an irresistible combination. SYG finishes the album with “Not As Bad” where Mike Ambrose demonstrates his tightknit drumming with crazy fills on top of pleasant harmonies – a great way to close out the album.

Don’t miss your chance to see one of the most energized performances of the summer as Set Your Goals will hit the road for the entire Vans Warped Tour this year.

CD Track Listing:

Cure For Apathy– 2:22
Start The Reactor– 2:42
Certain– 3:02
Happy New Year– 3:16
London Heathrow– 2:59
Trenches– 3:03
The Last American Virgin– 3:07
Exit Summer– 2:25
Unconditional– 3:26
Product Of The 80’s– 2:42
Raphael– 3:12
Illuminated Youth– 2:48
Not As Bad– 18:53

For more information please visit:
www.epitaph.com
www.sygstore.com

Tom Page Trio – Dust Bowl Demos part 1

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This demo from Wichita KS country/blues/other act goes a bit outside the scope of what I generally review, so I apologize in advance if I step on too many toes.

Dust Bowl Demos part one features 5 tracks of guitar (ala namesake Tom Page) driven folksy/bluesy/rock tinged country. The first 3 penned by page with the trailing two being attributed as “traditional” It reminds me considerably of Townes Van Zandt / Guy Clark style Southwest Texas rambling cowboy music especially on the opening track, Alpine. The guitar work is impressive in quality and range and the rhythm section backs the solid lead ably.

The tracks are a mix of both instrumental and with vocals. The vocals have a unique quality for the musical stylings. I almost want to draw a comparison to either John Linnell or John Flansburgh, but I can’t quite decide which; maybe both.

At any rate, a decent demo and I’m glad to see that the Wichita music scene is alive and keeping and keeping it real to its roots.

www.facebook.com/tompagetrio

-Jerry Actually

For fans of: Townes Van Zandt, TMBG, Lowsome wailing cowboy songs.

Tracks:
1. Alpine
2. Walk All Over Me
3. Spicy Tomato Puree
4. Nobody’s Fault
5. G Boogie

Can Toker – Six Sick Sixty Second Songs

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Assuming that they made it through the recent tidal waves, Can Toker is a low-fi punk rock quintent from outta Santa Cruz, CA. The band consists of: Jack Mehauf (raging vocals), Chappy Left Standing (blazing guitar), Bon Gripper (thunderous bass) and JT Murdoc (earth shaking drums).

Six Sick Sixty Second Songs is the new demo out by the band and in all fairness, the songs, all six of them are sick, however not a single one of them is, in fact, sixty seconds long. This, to me, seems like a glaring oversight. I’m willing to let this slide because I like the raw garage punk thats barreling into my eardrums right now.

In truth, you get six tracks that clock (mostly) in around the minute mark. Snarly vocals, snarly guitar, snarly bass, drums (not snarly) The tracks are mostly about day-to-day goings on. Life in a tiny town. Smoking out a improvised can pipe. You know, living the American dream.

You can find more about ’em on the wide wide world of webs: http://cantoker.com/

-Jerry Actually

For fans of: The Meatmen, Awesome and the Asskickers, smoking things from cans.

Tracks:
1. Just My Job
2. Wheelbite
3. Decay
4. Implant
5. Fishbowl Town
6. Can Toker

BAD RELIGION RELEASE MUSIC VIDEO FOR WRONG WAY KIDS

Band Celebrates Fans and Band History with Song & New Video

Influential punk rockers Bad Religion have released a moving video for the new single, “Wrong Way Kids” from the group’s critically heralded album, The Dissent of Man. The song is an up-tempo, powerfully melodic tribute to the band and their fan’s shared histories as rebellious yet durable outsiders.The new video can be viewed here.

The footage begins in present day with lead singer Greg Graffin offering a knowing message of hope for Bad Religion’s many fans: “Even though they’re misfits,” he states, “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” A subsequent shot reveals a defiantly unconventional Graffin on stage with the band back in 1984 counting down the song intro. From there it’s a surging beat, powerful guitars and signature sing-along chorus set against a stirring non stop montage of found footage showing the band’s remarkable rise from teen rebels to international punk luminaries.

Bad Religion is continuing to inspire generations and earning enthusiastic reviews on a tour of North America with hardcore stars Rise Against.

Bad Religion Tour Dates (with Rise Against)

Apr. 20 – Concrete Street Amphitheater – Corpus Christi, TX
Apr. 22 – St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL
Apr. 23 – Sunset Cove Amphitheater – Boca Raton, FL
Apr. 25 – House of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC
Apr. 26 – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
Apr. 27 – Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD
Apr. 29 – House of Blues – Boston, MA
May 02 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
May 03 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
May 05 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
May 06 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
May 07 – Nautica Pavilion – Cleveland, OH
May 08 – Assembly Hall – Champaign, IL
May 10 – Pops – Sauget, IL
May 11 – Midland Theatre – Kansas City, MO
May 13 – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL
May 14 – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL