Punk CD Reviews – Page 11

Hounds & Harlots – Demo

[rating:4/5]

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“What and or who are these Hounds & Harlots”, you may ask. “Am I with or am I not with them”, that is another damn fine question, one of several I fix on answering to some degree in the next few sentences. Well let’s start with the former. Hounds & Harlots is a punk rock band rising up outta the San Francisco Bay.

The punk rock quartet consists of (at the time of this recording) Greg De Hoot on Bass and Vox, Bryan Zimmerman on Guitar and Vox, “Nice Guy” Brandon on Guitar and Vox and Cory Cunningham on Drums. What you have here is the basic ingredients for punk rock, four strapping young lads from the dark heart of the city by the bay.

The demo disc that I received is done up in modern era DIY fashion; A burned 3-track CD, hand markered for identification purpose and a b/w photocopy liner. I applaud the effort and am glad it wasn’t on cassette, ‘cause I don’t even have a cassette deck anymore. Something more to mention about the DIY ethic of the band, they are constantly rocking the social media. I, in fact, first heard of them through some mutual friends on Twitter. Way to capitalize on the new means to network.

The aforementioned disc contains three tracks: Divisadero, Wasted and Lots to Learn. They are all strong, but the clear leader is the opener, Divisadero. The track is a rollicking sing-a-long punk rock number that’ll like have you packing your bags for the neighborhood for which the band espouses so much pride. The two following tracks are both solid in their own right, but lack the catchy chorus of the lead-in number.

I will leave you with this, am I with them? Yes I am.

–Jerry Actually

The Assasinators – Weaving Spiders Come Not Here

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The Assisantors started out in Shelton, Wa in 2004. They recorded their first album later that year, having already played with UK Subs, Agent Orange and Poison Idea to name a few. After taking a year off playing shows in ’07 and a line-up change, they officially released their debut album, Rumour Of War in 2008. They then recorded ‘Weaving Spiders Come Not Here’, with help from Mike Herrera of Christian pop-punkers MxPx. The (ever changing) line-up currently consists of Paul- Vocals, Parris- Guitar, Zebrana (of now defunct Bastard Child)- Bass, and Drew- Drums.

As soon as you press play, the impression is given that this is on the borderline of punk and metal. It’s very heavy and fast, and the guitar riffs would fit in on a metal record. Paul’s vocals would even be suited to a metal band, but there’s a snarly and in-your-face attitude to their sound, and that’s what makes them punk rock.

‘Econarchy’ is, even though it’s heavy, a middle finger in the air number, and is one of those songs that has such a ‘fuck you’ attitude, it makes you feel like you’re not punk if you don’t sing along. ‘Got A Deal WIth The FBI’ has the same effect.

There’s a bit of a political and socio-political theme to many of the songs on this album. They manage to demonstrate their opinions, on topics most of us can relate to, but aren’t pushing their beliefs onto the listener. A good example of this is ‘Welfare Checks And Balances’.

There are two covers on Weaving Spiders…, the first is GG Allin’s ‘Drink, Fight And Fuck’ a great choice, and they manage to make it work for them well. The 2nd is ‘Out Of Control’, by the legendary Rancid- a daring choice for an underground band, but they do it justice, as the heavier Rancid sound fits the Assasinators’ sound. Not quite as good as the original, but covers rarely are.

‘Badge And Gun’ and ‘Doin’ Fine’ are the punkiest tunes on the album, with their attitude and sound, and will go down brilliantly live.

The title track is the slowest, showing there’s more to them than heavy punk/metal. This one is the closest to traditional new-school punk, and is definitely the highlight of the record.

The Assasinators have lots of potential. Expect to hear a lot more from this band in the near future, especially if they can write more songs like the title track to this impressive sophomore release.

-Frankii

Ubermanoeuvre – Burn This

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Ubermanoeuvre are a five-piece band, from South East London, UK. They have been compared to Rage Against The Machine and Enter Shikari, to name a few, and dub their own style as high energy rock.

There’s so much going on, and so many differences between each track, that it’s only fair to mention (nearly) every one.

Kicking off this, their debut album, is the title track, with an electro intro, leading into a hip-hop (with underlying synths) verse and shouty chorus, I guarantee you will never have heard anything like this before. And it will be a total mind fuck. There’s so many different elements to the one song, but don’t dismiss it yet.

Track two, ‘If I Were You (I Wouldn’t Be Me)’ opens with a very brief piece of acoustic guitar, then it’s straight into the (quite heavy) thrashing guitars. There’s also a creepy keyboard riff, adding an eerie element to the track. Even though there’s not as much going on, it’s still hard to place under a specific genre.

‘Call To Arms’ marks another change in sound, this one’s more emo, but still electro. Think HelloGoodbye meets Taking Back Sunday- cheesy cheerful, but screamo. Adding to this is the piano breakdown and the screamy choruses.

Track four, ‘Apathy Loves Company’ is one of the catchiest on the record. It’s still really odd, but by now you’ll have got used to the sheer weirdness of it all. Track five is more guitar driven, which suits them more, but then it’s back into the crazy mix with ‘Never Bring Your Girlfriend Flowers’- jazz piano under a hip-hop beat. But, somehow, it works. ‘9am: Monday’ is more hip-hop-y, with a emo/screamo chorus.

Then there’s track eight and 10, (‘Now! That’s What I Call Karma, ‘2378’) that are more downbeat and simple hip-hop rock.

As it’s so unusual compared to anything you’ll have ever heard, it’s impossible to really sum it up- so just check it out and decide for yourselves.

But, to recap, Ubermanoeuvre play screamo- electro- hip-hop, with synths- a- plenty.

There’s way too many dashes in that last sentence.

–Frankii

The Flatliners – Cavalcade

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[rating:3/5]

Call me confused. When I saw this CD in the ‘inbox’ I was super excited that I had some new psychobilly from “Thee Flatliners” … turns out that an extra e makes all the difference in the world. Immediately I was disappointed. Have you ever gone to take a drink of soda or beer or whatever and grabbed someone else’s beverage instead? Even if it isn’t something bad, the initial confusion of it not being what you expected can leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Well that is what I was experiencing with The Flatliners right off the bat. I’m glad that I stuck it out. I’ve been listening to Cavalcade for the last few days on my way to and from work. Over these last few days I’ve found a lot to enjoy. I also found some things to be concerned about, but I’ll discuss that later.

The disc provides 14 tracks of surprisingly diverse punk flavored tracks, each one with its own distinct flavor. There is a subtle Lawrence Arms quality as well as touches of Bracket. I think it speaks wonders for the roster consistency of Fat, no? Aside from the label mate similarities I hear bits of Bruce (Springsteen) and the other Bruce (Dickinson). Maybe I read too much into things though.

Aside from my initial disenchantment and eventual rock and roll epiphany, I can offer these words for The Flatliners – Cavalcade: Don’t be like me by almost not giving it a chance. That is wrong and I should know better and so should you.

A final word for the band, while I now appreciate what you’ve got going on, you’re flying dangerously close to the radio rock sun. Be careful Icarus. Be careful.

–Jerry

Good Riddance

GOOD RIDDANCE, the legendary pioneers of melodic hardcore, are set to releaseCapricorn One on July 6th. In between putting out many acclaimed full-length albums,GOOD RIDDANCE kept themselves busy releasing a bevy of material via 7” singles.Capricorn One is a comprehensive collection of all these singles, as well as 6 previously unreleased tracks and other rarities. All the songs on the album have been digitally remastered by Jason Livermore of Blasting Room (Rise Against, Descendents, NOFX) fame. To complete the package, Capricorn One features a track by track commentary written by singer Russ Rankin. Here’s a little taste of what he penned regarding the album as a whole:

Throughout the history of Good Riddance there have been numerous songs which, for whatever reason, we weren’t able to include on our primary releases. Many of these tunes were frequently played live and most of them are still some of our own personal favorites.

Now that we are finished we felt it would be cool for our fans to be able to check out these hidden or obscurely released snapshots of our band during the apex of it’s existence. We hope they bring back fond memories for our fans and that, even if just for a moment, they can be transported back to a different time and place.

Swingin’ Utters – Brand New Lungs

Brand New Lungs marks the first release of new material from the Swingin’ Utters in seven years! The 7” will be available via vinyl and digitally and will feature two songs from their upcoming fall full-length and one exclusive to the 7”. Additionally, we’ve pressed this 7” in two different colors, one you can procure from our mail order, the other will be available exclusively at the Swingin’ Utters shows. Check their tour dates below and stay tuned for details on their upcoming full-length. Please let me know if you would like a copy for review, or would like to attend a show. Best, Vanessa

06/11/10 Apple Valley, CA Angel’s Roadhouse w/ Hurry Up and Die
06/12/10 Long Beach, CA INK & IRON FEST w/ Hepcat, Stiff Little Fingers, X
06/13/10 Carlsbad, CA Hensley’s Flying Elephants Pub & Grill
06/25/10 Carson, CA Home Depot Center VAN’S WARPED TOUR
06/26/10 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre VAN’S WARPED TOUR
06/27/10 Ventura , CA Seaside Park VAN’S WARPED TOUR
07/16/10 Portland, OR Dante’s w/ The Cute Lepers
07/17/10 Seattle, WA Funhouse w/ The Cute Lepers
07/18/10 Vancouver, BC Canada Venue 19+ w/ The jolts
07/22/10 Boise, ID The Red Room w/ The Cute Lepers
07/23/10 Salt Lake City, UT Burt’s Tiki Lounge w/ The Cute Lepers
07/24/10 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre w/ The Cute Lepers
07/28/10 San Diego, CA The Casbah w/ The Cute Lepers
07/29/10 Riverside, CA The Vibe 18+ w/ The Cute Lepers, Lost Cabras, Madison Bloodbath
07/30/10 West Hollywood, CA Troubador w/ The Cute Lepers
07/31/10 San Francisco, CA Slim’s w/ The Cute Lepers

The Hollowpoints – Old Haunts on the Horizon

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[rating:4.5/5]

Generally speaking, I don’t gush. I’ll take a small exception this time. I cannot stop listening to this CD. The Hollowpoints are one of the most energizing bands I’ve heard in a quite some time and quite possibly the best band I’ve heard so far this year.

Outside of my personal accolades (slightly), this disc offers 12 tracks of punk rock combined with solid songwriting ability. Perhaps I’m getting older, maybe my tastes have changed, but I appreciate quality arrangements and songwriting more than I ever used to. The Hollowpoints have both. (Maybe it’s because I listen to music on headphones before I review it now.)

What makes someone like something vs. something else? I often wonder this when I’m trying to put pen to paper (so to speak) … well here’s my amateur psychoanalysis of the phenomenon. Certain sounds correlate to how you feel. The affectation that you get when you listen to things that enforce how you are feeling making them rise above the others.

Outside of my minor league pontification, this is one quality disc from start to finish; Great riffs, intelligent lyrics, quality instrumentation and a lot of references that I just can’t help but think might just be about me. As a point of reference (for those who need it) The Hollowpoints remind me of the following: American Steel, The Clash, Dead to Me and Cheaptrick … so there.

The bottom line: If you buy one punk rock CD this year, make it The Hollowpoints – Old Haunts on the Horizon.

–Jerry Actually

Social Distortion Signs With Epitaph Records

May 11, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA – Epitaph Records is proud to welcome Southern California’s iconic rock ‘n’ roll group Social Distortion to the label with plans to release their first studio album since 2004 in fall 2010. The signing pairs one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most renowned bands with one of the most respected independent labels for what could be the greatest match in decades.

“We feel that Epitaph has a natural understanding of Social Distortion; both the history of the band and the direction we want to go,” says frontman Mike Ness. “Combine that with their successful track record and it felt like a good next step for us. We’ve always been open to new ideas and pushing the envelope, but we have also been very conscientious about the decisions we’ve made. We considered a lot of options, but in the end, Epitaph feels like the right home for us. We’re looking forward to taking this step forward, opening some new doors with this upcoming album and this next chapter of Social Distortion.”

“My relationship with Mike goes way back to the beginnings of our careers in the LA music scene,” adds Epitaph owner and president Brett Gurewitz. “Through the years Social Distortion have been a matchless voice in American rock and roll and I couldn’t be more thrilled to play a part in the next chapter for this great band.”

In March the band entered a Burbank studio to record their yet to be titled seventh studio album, produced by Mike Ness, which is slated for release this fall.

“We went back to tape, old compressors and old microphones,” Ness recently told Spinner.com. “We’re just really trying to fight modern technology as much as possible.”

“The record reminds me very much of Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell (the band’s 1992 release), but also I’m bringing elements of early New York ’70s punk,” said Ness.

Social Distortion also recently announced a U.S. summer tour with Dan Sartain and The Action Design. The tour kicks off July 27 in Poughkeepsie, NY and makes seven stops in the Northeast before the band heads to Chicago for an August 7 main stage performance at this year’s Lollapalooza. Dates with Dan Sartain and The Action Design resume in Green Bay, Wisconsin on August 8. A complete list of tour dates follows.

Formed in Fullerton, CA in 1979, Social Distortion have spent the last three decades performing their signature style of roots driven rock ‘n’ roll and hard luck stories for fans worldwide while recording six classic, critically heralded albums including Mommy’s Little Monster, Prison Bound, Social Distortion, Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, White Light, White Heat, White Trash and Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

###

Social Distortion Tour Dates:
July 27 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance
July 28 – Hampton Beach, NH – Casino Ballroom
July 30 – Providence, RI – Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
July 31 – Hartford, CT – The Webster
Aug 1 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
Aug 3 – Wantagh, NY – Mulcahy’s
Aug 4 – Lancaster, PA – Chameleon Club
Aug 5 – Rochester, NY – Nola’s BBQ
Aug 7 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
Aug 8 – Green Bay, WI – Oneida Casino
Aug 10 – Council Bluffs, IA – Stir Cove @ Harrah’s
Aug 11 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
Aug 13 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
Aug 14 – Medford, OR – Medford Armory

For More Information:
www.socialdistortion.com
www.myspace.com/socialdistortion
www.epitaph.com

Cobra Skulls Join Fat

We’re stoked: Cobra Skulls have an urgent political message and are one of the hottest bands in the punk scene. And with a name like Cobra Skulls, their music has to be extra good, right?!? Originally from Reno, they released a couple great LPs with Red Scare and have been playing clubs and basements in North America and Europe over the past couple years. Their dynamic sound takes influences from all sorts of bands: classic punk like Misfits and Clash mixed with newer stuff akin to Against Me! and Bad Religion. Whether it’s leftist anthems or punky love songs, Cobra Skulls craft the hits for the pit. These guys are busy in 2010 as they will be on tour from March through June and already have upcoming shows with Dead To Me, Strike Anywhere, Flatliners, and some dates on Warped Tour. We welcome these sexy serpents to the Fat family and hope to bring you a new record from them soon.

Sadplant – The Kids Are Alright

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[rating:3/5]

The prolific Connecticut punks of Sadplant are back at it again with another DIY release. This one entitled, “The Kids Are Alright.” 14 tracks of driving punk with short track lengths with matter of fact lyrics and a straight for the throat attack. Sadplant has a definite consistency in their sound. This is certainly not a bad thing, but as opposed to very distinct releases, the albums (that I’ve heard) seem more of a continuation on a theme. There is, of note, some of the rippinist harmonica jams on track nine, “Total Piece of Shit” … so enjoy that!

What I admire the most is the tenacity in which this band attacks the DIY punk scene. They take a no holds barred approach to writing, recording and distributing rock solid punk on no terms but their own. “The Kids Are Alright” starts with the requisite intro and briskly jumps into the remaining tracks, including a gem of a cover in Suicidal’s “Possessed to Skate.” This, of course, occurs directly after the “bonus” bash the bass player segment.

So, the bottom line, Sadplant continues to deliver a consistent high quality product that doesn’t drift too far from the scope of what I’ve come to expect of the Sadplant sound. Of course by the time I finish typing these words they will have at least four new releases. Take it for what it’s worth.

–Jerry Actually