Reglar Wiglar's Famous Record Reviews
Record Review Archives
ADAM ARCURAGI
Adam Arcuragi (High Two)
This is Philadelphian singer/songwriter, Adam Arcuragi's untitled first album.
And you know, I don't typically go for such earnest and heartfelt crooning such
as this, but after giving this CD a couple plays that still hold true. The effort,
nonetheless, is appreciated—Bow Diddley
HEALTHY WHITE BABY
Healthy White Baby (Broadmoor)
I'm not familiar with the bands The Blacks or Blue Mountain from whence HWB
members once hailed, but I do enjoy the sound on this recording. Kinda folksy,
kinda rock, gots kind of a 70s feel to it for some reason I can't exaclty pinpoint.
70s in a good way, though. Don't mistake my meaning. Don't care much for the
name, but even so the HWB done right by me musically, and in a my advanced age
that's all I ask—Irresistbile Frank
THE KRUNCHIES
In De Winkel (Criminal IQ)
Holy shit. Holy shitt. Hot shittt. Krunchies lay it down fast and furious. Don't
know what a In De Winkel is. I know what a Rip Van Winkle is. I know what a
Rob Van Winkle is but I sure don't know what a In DeWinkel is. I think I knew
in college but anyway, I think it must surely mean the music made when three
freaks make punk rock music—Joey Germ
M.O.T.O.
Raw Power (Criminal IQ)
Oh, the M.O.T.O. and that rock and roll they do so well, so effortlessly. Granted,
this ain't the wheel Caporino and crew are reinventing here but it satisfies
a certain part of the brain that finds comfort in the familiar. Songs about
physics class ("Getting It Up for Physics"), meeting by the flagpole
("Meet Me by the Flagpole") and getting drunk alone ("Gonna Get
Drunk Tonight"), generate a certain and undeniable nostalgic feeling in
the listeners synapses. That's raw power, professor—Jimminy Van Tuffet
THE PHENOMS
Home Brain Surgery Kit (Beer Can)
Home-made rock and roll from Chicago. Dirty, sloppy, crude, spastic, unrelenting,
stoopid, mind melting home-made rock and roll from Chicago. The Phenoms aren't
just owners of the Home Brain Surgery Kit, they're also a client—Joey T.
Germ
THE POLKAHOLICS
Polka Uber Alles (seff-released)
(Pretend there's an umlat up there on the U in Uber.) The Reglar Wiglar has
been a Polkaholics booster for years, since back in the days when Jumpin' George
and Merry Mike were the Polka-nist rhythm section on the nort' side or the sout'
side for that matter. But it's not just polka, there's elements of rock and
roll thrown in there so even the baby boomers can dig it. And am I crazy or
is that a tip of the hat to Television's "Marquee Moon" on "Pimps
of Polka"? Brilliant. Now if you'll excuse me, my brat is ready—P.C.
Jones
SELF-EVIDENT
Self-Evident's Epistemology (DPG)
As everyone knows epistemology is the part of philosophy that studies the nature
knowlege and shit like that. What is self-evident is that this is some indie
math rock from Oklahoma. It's like a prog rock emo band. That is what is self
evident. What may not be so self-evident is that I am not a flag waiver of any
of those particular genres. Well, I do have a few Yes albums, but I bought those
mostly for the album covers (you know what I'm talking about) so listening to
Self-Evident's treatise on the nature of knowledge is not something that I am
enjoying—Pig Patterson
THE WILLIS
Bathtub, Lightbulb, Heartattack (DPG)
The Willis have kind of an early 90s indie rock sound. It's reminding me at
times of American Music Club and Pavement which are two bands that I dig but
have not listened to in quite awhile. It's ago ok to go back there. Some of
my mid 90s wounds have healed and I can listen to this and deal with the painful
memories. Beside if the 80s are back now, can the 90s be far behind. We just
have to get through the grunge revival first. Look for that to start hitting
in 2008—Sneaky Petes
A18
Dear
Furious
www.victoryrecords.com
Would someone kindly, please tell me just what the FUCK everybody is so angry
about? For Christ's sake, people, lighten up. A18 is a SoCal hardcore/metal
band that's been growling around the scene for about a half dozen years or so.
Heavier than some, angrier than most. Don't worry. No new ground was broken
in the making of this record-Irresistible Frank
ABATTOIR 3000
Road Trip to Oblivion (Kommy Elektra)
I took a road trip to oblivion once. Fifteen years later and here I am working
for this shitty magazine. So the deal on this CD, in case it ever comes up in
conver-sation, is that it's a companion to the book, Road Trip to Oblivion by
Kent Messer (also featured on this CD) which is about a dude growing up during
the Cold War. Since this is a companion to a book I've never heard of, much
less read, I'm kinda jumping in with no reference point and I gotta tell ya,
I ain't following it. But if you've ever read Road Trip to Oblivion by Kent
Messer and you wish there was a CD featuring lines from the book put to music,
well then. . .-P.C. Jones
AGAINST ALL AUTHORITY/ COMMON RIDER
AAA/Common Rider split CD (Hopeless)
www.hopelessrecords.com
This is a split release between two punk rock stalwarts. First up is Against
All Authority who give us four-on-the-floor for your punk ass. Although I don't
think their attempt at ska/reggae on "World Dominator" works, Common Rider (lead
by Operation Ivy's Jesse Michael) on the other hand, pull it off with ease on
"Where the Waves are Highest" and thus are a little more melodic in general
and therefore more to my tastes-Joey Germ
ALEXISONFIRE
Watch
Out!
www.equalvision.com
AOF are a Canadian hardcore/emo hybrid that I'm told (by their press kit) is
named after a lactating contor-tionist-the world's only lactating contortionist!
I think they're really milking that angle though. Ha! Get it? Anyway, these
guys are pretty good musicians and a tight band to boot, but personally, I don't
like this blending of musical genres, this emo and this hardcore. It's like
reggae and western, man, they don't mix-Joey Germ
AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN
Print is Dead (Double Zero)
Maybe it's the six Old Style tall boys I drank last night, but I wanted to hate
this band as soon as I slapped it into the CD player. Don't get me wrong, I
did hate it, I'm just saying that I wanted to hate it first and that's not right.
I'm sorry-Joey Germ
AMBER PACIFIC
Fading Days (Hopeless)
www.hopelessrecords.com
The bad news is that this is five songs of pretty mediocre, if not downright
awful, unoriginal emo rock. The good news is it's only five songs. The great
news is is that it's going out the window just as soon as I'm done typing this
sentence (and signing my name)-Joey Germ
AMPS II ELEVEN
Amps II Eleven (Smog Veil)
www.smogveil.com
This hard rock band with a whiff of stoner rock to it arose from three other
Cleveland ensembles: Step-sister, Southern Trespass and Shuteye. This is loud
and proud rock 'n' roll in the tradition of Pink Fairies, Motšrhead, and Kyuss.
The two guitar quartet is getting great press for its live set, but this debut
album fails to capture enough energy to separate Amps II Eleven from the legions
of other bands crowding this genre-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
ANADIVINE
Zoo (The Militia Group)
www.themilitiagroup.com
Didn't U2 already make a record called Zoo or am I completely off my nut? A
quick Google search would probably reveal the answer but it is much, much easier
to lazily speculate. Anadivine, the OC (New York) band, may be stretching themselves
out musically and straying a bit from the emo formula on their self-titled debut,
but the vocals have a way of making it all sound the same in the end-Jake the
Two-Eyed Snake
ANAGRAM
Songs from Far Away (Scenery)
www.anagrammusic.com
Mragana, Gramana, Nagarma, these would be anagrams for anagram if they were
actual words, which they are not. Anagram is a fitting name for this duo of
Bay Area musicians in the sense that if you were to take the elements (or letters)
of their songs (or words) and rearrange them, you would have different songs
(or words). But why would you want to do that?-The Puzzler
ATOMIC 7
En Hillbilly Caliente (Mint)
www.mintrecs.com
The Atomic 7 are back with another piping hot batch of instrumental snacks (seventeen
in all) running the gamut of Western-style to surf-flavored jams (had to get
that surf part in there). And if you think this Canadian band sounds a bit like
Shadowy Men from a Shadowy Planet, it might just be because guitarist Brian
Connelly headed up that project too. In fact, that is the reason-Irresistible
Frank
ATREYU
The Curse (Victory)
www.victoryrecords.com
Music for vampires by vampires. Atreyu is at the forefront of the new brand
of "hard" music that is determined to make "nŸ metal" look like "Ÿld metal."
But I must say, as innovative as people tell me this new hybrid of "hard" music
is, I can't get with it in its entirety. I like parts of this kinda shit and
I dislike parts, but I think Atreyu is at the forefront of what-ever the hell
this thing that I shouldn't categorize or pigeon-hole is called. I'm stymied.
Hogtied. Ham-strung on this one-Irresistible Frank
THE BAMBOO KIDS
The Bamboo Kids (Get Hip)
www.gethip.com
The Bamboo Kids serve up the garage rock in the vein of the Kinks and the Stones.
Eleven chunky rocking foot stompers. Get Hip has been doin' the garage rock
thing for years. Years! Are you people even aware of this fact?-Slim Jim
MARK B.
Things Marc B (Agent Records)
www.agentrecords.com
Even though this cd sounds like Pee Wee Herman singing for Dag Nasty (not much
different from regular Dag Nasty - I never realized how similar Mssrs. Smalley
and Ruebens sounded), and the lyrics are literally about the wonderfulness of
a mall-punk life, I like it. Wait, I've revised my opinion slightly. Replace
"Even though" with "Maybe because" and you can quote me on that-Reviewer: Mike
Owens
BAGHEERA
Twelves (Asian Man)
www.asianmanrecords.com
For some reason Bagheera sounds like a metal name which is probably why they
gave this CD to me to review, but metal Bagheera is not. I do not hold that
against Bagheera as I like saying the name Bagheera, but that is neither Bagheera
nor Bagthera. Bagheera is Heather Dallape and Todd Moll and this St. Louis duo
write some pretty laid-back, catchy, indy-type rock that even I, Boots McMurphy,
don't mind listening to on a Saturday night curled up in front of the fire with
a good book. And if you tell anybody I said that I'll cut your throat-Muggsy
McMurphy
BAMBIX
What's in a Name (Daemon)
www.daemonrecords.com
Until I checked the press sheet-which one should never do by the way-I was pretty
confident that Bambix was from the sticks of the American Midwest. Maybe not
the sticks necessarily but they definitely have that Midwest bar band sound,
and by bar band I mean punk rock bar band. In fact, Wicks Bambix, the husky
voiced singer, reminded me of Toledo, Ohio's (late?) great Gone Daddy Finch.
Turns out however, Wicks and crew are from The Netherlands and not The Ohio.
So there you have it, if you like that Midwestern melodic beer soaked punk rock
then check out the Bambix-Jayne Wayne
BENCARBEN
Demo (no label)
BenCarBen is a band of teenagers from suburban Northbrook, Illinois. This is
their badly recorded demo. Included with this CD-R are the lyrics to their songs.
They have a photocopied band photo. The drummer is wearing a Harry Potter t-shirt
which won't be ironic until 2019 at the earliest. I was once a teenager in a
band and if some jerkoff zine writer would have said my music sucked I would
have been crushed (and very vengeful). Therefore: BenCarBen Rules!!! Their demo
is awesome!!!-Slinky Bob Neil
BLOOD FOR BLOOD
Serenity... (Thorp)
www.thorprecords.com
My what a serene record. Not! This is some angry Boston hardcore. After four
records on Victory, Blood Blood is back and they're looking for all you little
hardcore poseurs to wipe their sweaty, veiny brows with. You know who you are.
No, you probably don't do you? Ha! That figures!-Muggsy McMurphy
BLUEPRINT CAR CRASH
Rhetoric of a Marionette (The Militia Group)
www.themilitiagroup.com
Some interesting, heavy guitar at play here. Loud/soft, noisy and heavy at times
and a little more melodic in places. Not bad for this kind of music that mixes
the screaming with the singing with the anger with the angst. I'm gonna go ahead
and give them props for this EP: Props, dudes!-Goose Neck
BOTTOM LINE
Eloquence (Nice Guy)
www.niceguyrecords.com
Press sheet says that Bottom Line is "one of the most explosive acts in punk
rock today." Which is funny because there is nothing punk rock or explosive
about them. They're a pretty well-coifed, safe, unoriginal, pop band. Yeah,
they have an edge but only compared to Yellowcard or New Found Glory. I think
the bottom line here is that kids tend to buy this watered-down punk rock in
greater numbers than really explosive punk rock bands like Fleshies . . .or,
or. . . shit, I don't know, name one-Joey Germ
BRANDTSON
Send Us a Signal (The Militia Group)
www.themilitiagroup.com
If you want to hear a young man emoting to some pretty generic rock then this
piece of music might be just what you've been waiting for all these years. Hey
Brandston, let Aaron Carter sing this shit, but PLEASE, keep it away from The
Kid-The Kid
THE BRIEFS
Sex Objects (BYO)
www.byorecords.com
Love it. Love it. Love. It. The Briefs are a living, breathing homage to the
best punk rock of the Seventies and somehow they do it without sounding clichŽd,
out dated or too terribly derivative. A welcome blast from the past that's planted
firmly right here in the present. IF you have one Good Charlotte CD in your
collection you should buy three copies of Sex Objects to get your punk rock
karma back on track. . . and so you won't burn in hell-Irresistible Frank
BULLETS AND OCTANE
The Revelry (Criterion)
www.criterionrecords.com
I can hear the Misfits and it definitely has the octane, but the B&O dance with
a little more straightforward rock sound that can come off as a little generic
at times. It pulls no new tricks out of the old hat, but I couldn't sit here
and tell you that it doesn't rock or that I thought the passion wasn't there.
A guilty pleasure for old punk rockers and not a bad gig if you can get it-Jayne
Wayne
CATCH 22
Live (Victory)
www.victoryrecords.com
This is a live Catch 22 CD/DVD. Yes, audio and video documentation of this New
Jersey ska band and their performance at The Downtown in Farmingdale, New York
in August of 2004. As New Jersey ska goes, this is probably pretty good, but
I don't really know what that means. Let me break it down like this, because
it's easier for me: I like Less than Jake less but I like the Slackers way more-Inconsiderate
Boy
CLASSICAL ASS
After Lunch We Kill Tony
(Diaphragm)
www.diaphragmrecords.com
Part hard rock freak out with Big Black flourishes, part schizo surf rock. This
band has an identity crisis but its members seem to be dealing with it OK and
I say we kill Tony right freakin' now!-PC Jones
COMEBACK KID
Wake the Dead (Victory)
www.victoryrecords.com
Comeback Kid are a heavy band that may be from Canada. Alternative Press listed
them among their "100 Bands to Know." I gotta know a hundred bands? Life just
keeps getting harder and harder. Is CBK that "must-knowable." Perhaps if you
like this kind of heavy punk, melodic hardcore music, then perhaps they are
"must knowable." Maybe I'll call them up and get to know them-Joey Germ
THE C*NUTS
Eat My Nuts (Disturbing)
The C Nuts have done it again! Back with eleven new songs and six bonus tracks,
the Sout' Side's most enduring punk rock legacy persevere, or should it be pervertsever?
No, it shouldn't. That would be retarded. The album cover features a squirrel
made out of wood or quite possibly coconuts. Need I say more. No, I needn't-PC
Jones
THE DEXATEENS
Red Dust Rising (Estrus)
www.estrus.com
The Dexateens are a four piece bluesy, swoozy rock band from somewhere in this
country. They play a laid-back Exile-era Stones kinda homegrown rock that sounds
good on a Saturday morning. It being both a Saturday and morning right now-Captain
Krunch
THE DIPLOMATS OF SOLID SOUND
Destination...Get Down! (Estrus)
www.estrus.com
The DOSS keep it groovy. Dig it. These cats play a mellow, groovin' dance party
that will keep the cool kids dancing all night long. The DOS are thee Ambassadors
of Instrumental Soul, baby, and they're outa' site-Captain Krunch
DIRTY BLUE
Out of the Blue sessions (no label)
www.thedirtyblue.com
And you thought Alan Keyes was the only rocker in Cal City, huh? The Dirty Blue
are also from Calumet City, Illinois and like Alan Keyes, they prefer to keep
their rock blue and perhaps a little dirty-Irresistible Frank
D.O.A.
Live Free or Die (Sudden Death)
www.suddendeath.com
This is a new studio album from D.O.A., but some of the best tracks on the album
are newly recorded versions of earlier material: "Agony and the Ecstasy" and
"The Concrete Beach." Speaking of re-recording songs, there is a trio of anti-war
classics here: "Masters of War" (Bob Dylan), "Bad Moon Rising" (Creedence Clearwater
Revival) and Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction." All in all, this album is
nineteen tracks of punk rock bucking the system-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
DOWN TO EARTH APPROACH
Another Intervention (Vagrant)
www.vagrant.com
This CD was sent without any cover art or any press kit which means I don't
have to spend any time on it. Thank God-Sloppy Seconds
DYNAMITE MASTERS BLUES QUARTET
The Essential Sounds from the Far East (Estrus)
www.estrus.com
The "Dynomite Masters Blues Quartet"'s a great and nutty heavy psychedelic demolition
team from Japan. To my ears, they do a more tightly composed, though no more
"in control" sounding, take on whatever it is that Comets on Fire are supposed
to be doing. The berzerkest moments of early (but not Rod Evans-early (if you
know what I mean)) Deep Purple could be a useful reference point for where these
three gents and one lady lift off from. Whew, the sheer gonzo-ness of the band's
attack-wild riffs, wandering fuzz bass, wailing he-man vox, and drums that may
be operated by an unusually limber octopus-is just alot of fun to listen to.
The musical action doesn't barrel forward so much as float above the ground
erratically like a hot-air balloon that's lost its captain overboard. While
a band this great and uncategorizable may seem a little out of place on the
Estrus label. I'm not going to complain or hold it against anybody. More people
should make records like this-Country Joe McDonald's
ESTEE LOUDER
Ohio's Best (Diaphragm)
www.diaphragmrecords.com
The album cover has boobs on it. I don't know how you feel about that but it
doesn't bother me. The music is what matters though, right? This is some Columbus
rock and roll the likes of which that town never seems to run out of. Fast,
rockin' tunes, fronted by Big Daddy Ray Ray and backed three rockin' ladies
who also provide the backing vocals. Also features an amped up cover of Bowie's
Moonage Daydream to boot-Muggsy McMurphy
THE FIGHT
Nothing New Since Rock 'n' Roll (Repossession)
www.repossessionrecords.com
The Fight are a British band that seem more influenced by bands who were influenced
by old school Brit punk rock than the original source. They sound like they
could be from Southern California and that's not necessarily a good thing. In
fact, it is absolutely not a good thing. In fact, if it wasn't for the twist
on the SoCal punk rock formula in singer K8's gender being F instead of M, they
could pass for any bouncy pop rock band you're likely to see come down the pike.
It's not bad in that it follows the rules of that rather limited genre but it
ain't all that-Joey Germ
THE FIRST STEP
Open Hearts and Clear Minds (Livewire)
www.livewire-records.com
Not too many open hearts and clear minds around the Wiglar Compound. Nope. Nor
are there many open, friendly people, or a lot clear skin for that matter, but
enough of my co-workers' many shortcomings. The First Step is back with another
round of hardcore punk rock, which I would be negligent if I did not mention
at least in passing, sounds like what most eighties hardcore sounded like. No
new twists, but for those whose first step into hardcore is this band, you could
do a lot worse. Hardcore was always was for the kids anyway-Irresistible Frank
FOUR HORSE
Demo (no label)
From Providence, Rhode Island, where a hot dog covered in ground hamburger and
onion is considered a delicacy, (hot ween-ahs) Four Horse come to kick your
ass back a year or two. Back to the AmRep pig-boinking, nut scalding days of
the early 90s. A full-on noise assault on the ears and a fine piece of meat
for the dining table-The Turkey Slayer Joey Germ's
ONE WORD RECORD REVIEWS
Hey, I'm a minimalist, why mince words when saying petty, vindictive things, or nice ass-kissey things about an artist and their work? One word can often sum up our feelings about someone or something whether we like or no like. It worked for our hairy, cave-dwelling ancestors didn't it? Sure it did. Ê
BURY YOUR DEAD
Cover Your Tracks (Victory)
Murderous.
DENVER HARBOR
Scenic (Universal)
Landlubbers.
FOREVER CHANGED
The Need to Feel Alive (Flood Gate)
Pubescent.
GLORY OF THIS
Adoration (Indianola)
Vainglorious.
THE KNOCKOUT PILLS
1 + 1 + Ate (Estrus)
Knocked-up.
SLEEPYKID
Monday Morning Smile (Get Hip)
Zzzzzzzzzzzz.
THE NEW TRANSIT DIRECTION
Wonderful Defense Mechanisms (Some Records)
Southerly.
FOREVER FORGOTTEN
Dying Beautiful (Thorp)
Recalled.
THE REASON
Ravenna (SmallMan)
Exscream-o.
FROM SATELLITE
From Satellite (Pat's Record Company)
www.patsrecordcompany.com
Dear Record Label, Thanks for sending this insignificant pissant zine a CD without
any cover art. Are you trying to suggest that I, as a record reviewer, should
do an incomplete record review? Point taken. Sincerely, Ê Record Reviewer
FUCK
Those Are Not My Bongos (Future Farmer)
www.futurefarmer.com
This band has a moniker that usually lends to the offensive, but the group creates
eminently pleasant lyrics under this rubric. The opening track combines all
these elements into the memorable introduction "Motherfuckeroos." Beautiful
to hear but hard to repeat in mixed company, this may be the audio equivalent
of dirty pillow talk. The brevity of the sixteen selections adds to the humor
of such pieces as the instrumental "Jazz Idiodyssey" and such first date highpoints
as "fingers locked in caramel corn goo" in the song "Her Plastic Acupuncture
Foot." Melancholy and magical in a lo-fi and perverse way, this wants to be
your favorite album with oboe on it-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
RACHEL FULLER
Cigarettes & Housework (Universal)
www.universalrecords.com
What in the Wide World of Sports would make Universal Records send this Rachel
Fuller to us? To us!-Joey Germ
THE GAMITS
Antidote (Suburban Home)
www.suburbanhomerecords.com
The Gamits kinda float to the top of the bowl in the power pop/punk genre in
my esteemed and much sought after opinion. It's got some catchy hooks and singer
Chris Fogel doesn't milk the whine so much. Not like some of these guys, know
what I'm sayin'? Antidote starts off with the "Dotted Lines," a high note not
duplicated on the rest of the album, although some moments come close. "Golden
Sometimes" being an example-PC Jones
GATSBY'S AMERICAN DREAM
In the Land of Lost Monsters (LLR)
www.llrrecords.com
Don't really know what the GAD is going for on this one but I do know this:
I don't particularly care for it. -Irresistible Frank
THE GHOST
This Pen is a Weapon (Some Records)
www.some.com
The pen is mightier than the sword, someone once said. I wanna say it was Shakespeare,
but that sounds too-I don't know-obvious? Well, for The Ghost their pen is their
weapon (they play pens onstage, you see). The press sheet says that The Ghost
in This Pen has written "the most sincere album of this generation." But Spin
(and everyone else in the mainstream music press) has been telling me Connor
Oberst already did that. Now I don't know what to think-Irresistible Frank
GONE WITHOUT A TRACE
Gone without a Trace (Thorp)
www.thorprecords.com
This record actually vanished from my memory without a trace a few seconds after
the last song played. It is not very inventive or original, but it is heavy,
and brutal, and quite possibly sick. It's also like a White Castle Hamburger
in the sense that you may enjoy it while you're ingesting it, but it ain't gonna
be with you very long-Frankie The Boot
THE HUNCHES
Hobo Sunrise (In The Red)
www.intheredrecords.com
The sonic excess and the extreme
volume that this over-the-top recording suggests may be just the thing for some.
This may be the "amplified heat' Cream advertised for sale in "Pressed Rat &
Warthog," or it may be prickly sludge falling all over you. Whatever your analogy,
this is an album that hits you over the head track after track-Tom "Tearaway"
Schulte
THE INSOMNIACS
Switched On! (Estrus)
www.estrus.com
Either Mike Wing (Vambo Marble Eye, Team Satan, Caboose, Booker Noe, Leghorn)
sings in like twenty-five hundred freakin' rock bands or the populace is coping
his vocal style. Anyway, The Insomniacs are exploring the more pop-oriented,
jangly, psychedelic side of the garage in which the more rockin', distorted
and spazzy bands have been hogging all the outlets lately. It's switched on,
so switch over, Grease Monkeys-Irresistible Frank
HAIKU REVIEWS
by Gin-su
Continuing in our effort to inject our readers with a shot of culture now and then, we here at the Reglar Wiglar are proud to introduce another installment of haiku record reviews. Classy, ain't it? Ê
DAMAGE CONTROL
What it Takes (Livewire)
damage has been done
with crunchy, distorted chords
control is not lost
ENGINE DOWN
Engine Down (Lookout!)
Emotional rock
fighting angst and ennui
living is hard, no?
GREENLAWN ABBEY
Greenlawn Abbey (Diaphragm)
Sixties-style rocking
Toe-tapping and head-bobbing
strongly encouraged
HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS
The Silence in Black and White (Victory)
current hot genre
rough and smooth vocal hybrid
doesn't work for me
MY REVENGE
Less Plot, More Blood (Thorp)
The plot does thicken
punk rock drama soon unfolds
my revenge served cold
PIANO DRAG
Send Us a Signal (One Cell/Ethospine)
jagged sharp edges
recognizable yet new
drag this piano
STRUNG OUT
Exile in Oblivion (Fat Wreck Chords)
melodic punk rock
ala SoCal to be sure
quintet and Vans vets
IN THE HOUSE THAT LORDS BUILT
In the House That Lords Built (Initial)
www.intialrecords.com
The cover art and ridiculously long name had me fooled that this was some gothy,
egghead-psychedelic Radiohead shit. I couldn't have been more mistaken in my
prejudgement. This is hardcore simple and plain, like Rollins era Black Flag
only sped up to Keith Morris (and the rest of them) era Black Flag. Pretty ferocious,
raw, loud...you know the drill. You've heard it before, but now you can hear
it done well again-Joey Germ
KANE HODDER
The Pleasure to Remain so Heartless (Suburban/ Cowboy
v. Sailor)
www.suburbanhomerecords.com
www.cowboyversussailor.com
I like this record right up to the point where vocalist Andrew Moore shifts
into the throat wrenching screaming that seems so popular with the kids these
days, like that band My Chemical Romance and that other band whose name I can't
think of right now but the singer is a mormon who drinks a lot and so everybody's
real worried about him. What's their name, dude used to go out with out with
that fucking spoiled brat Kelly Osbourne? The Used, that's it! Anyway, vocal
somersaults and comparisons to next big thing on Fuse bands aside, this is pretty
good compelling rock music-Irresistible Frank
KARATE
Pockets (Southern)
www.southern.com
Karate play jazz-tinged chops. They sound like an indie rock Steely Dan and
if that hasn't turned you punkers off then you've been frontin' all this time.
Karate is to jazz what Ted Leo is to punk rock, neither label fits but it's
the closest comparison I can force upon them, and force I must for that is how
our brains process abstract ideas. Anyway, if that makes any sense you're a
lot smarter than the Kid-The Kid
JUSTIN KATKO
Pixel Cloak (no label)
A collage of sounds and spoken word diatribes/poetry comprise the short burst
of chaotic and creative energy that is this CD-R from zinester, Justin Katko.
Politcal. Edgy. Wierd. I like it-P. Wolfowitz
LAST AMANDA
Last Amanda (FEA)
www.lastamanda.com
Awww, dudes, you must not have gotten the memo about how you're not supposed
to use a girl's name in your band's name anymore on account of that fact that
it's been done to fucking death. Anyway. It's a good thing that you can't judge
a band by their band photo. Well you can, but you shouldn't. I do, but it's
not right. Do as I say not as I do. Last Amanda, despite their being from Sweden,
are neither black metal nor are they the Hellacopters, which is okay, but they
just happened to be a little too straight-forward and radio-friendly for my
tastes-Muggsy McMurphy
TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS
Shake the Sheets (Lookout!)
www.lookoutrecords.com
An accomplished guitar player in his own right and a literate lyricist, Ted
Leo and his RX buddies, The Pharmacists, create a sound not unlike his predecessors,
Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, and others in the angry young man, singer/songwriter
category. Perhaps angry is a bit overstated. More like disappointed. Disappointment
in people or things (or governments maybe?) that don't live up to their own
high expectations can lead to anger, which can in turn lead to such cathartic
measures as Shake the Sheets -Jayne Wayne
LETHAL REJECTION
2,1,2,2 (Day 51)
www.day51records.com
Lethal Rejection kick out the short bursts of old school (overdone?) punk rock.
Don't make me list the bands they sound like, please. The important thing is
that they rock sufficiently enough to wake me up after listening to some of
that godawful boy band punk rock they can't seem to send us enough of around
here-Joey Germ
LITTLE WINGS
Magic Wand (K)
www.krecs.com
Kyle Field, a.k.a. Little Wings, has a childlike vision: pure and direct into
a world magical and present. Listening to these simple and honest songs is overhearing
Little Wings relate his personal and unique view of the world. For what is surreal
he brings a clarity that is a rarity. Field is an experienced hand at creating
Little Wings albums, but the lyrical content of "demos" and singing and "I am
your local band" all make it sounds like a first time effort, an exercise in
confidence building. Rather than becoming amateurish, this honest reflection
("the music brings me back to life") adds authenticity to this quirky electro-folk,
lo-fi odyssey. For this album, Field worked with producer Calvin Johnson at
Dub Narcotic Studio in Olympia. Among the guests that showed up during the process
are Phil Elverum, Bobby Birdman, Lee Baggett, Genevieve Elverum, Miggy Littleton
and more. However, none of this overwhelms the sparse, stripped down approach
Little Wings is known for -Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
MANHANDLERS
Manhandlers (Criminal IQ)
www.criminaliq.com
I want to be manhandled! That didn't sound too gay, did it? The Manhandlers
are a Chicago manifestation of nasty estrogen fueled rudimentary rock and roll.
These ain't sophisticated ladies, although they may say thank you for allowing
them to dig a stiletto heel into your scrotal you-know-what-Sam Doodle
M.O.T.O.
Single File (Criminal IQ)
www.criminaliq.com
A collections of singles that range from the silly to the absurd, from the sloppy
to the divine, but all catchy poppy gems by the New Orleans via Boston via Chicago
ever-morphing M.O.T.O. phenomenon. This is a re-issue of the mid-90s Mind of
a Child release by Chicago's hardworking Criminal IQ label. R.I.Y.L: M.O.T.O.
(I forgot what that means or why I typed it, but I'm leaving it in. If anybody
figures it out, let me know)-PC Jones
MAXIMUM RNR
Maximum RNR (no label)
www.maximumrnr.com
After you hit the play button, this six song CD will already have blown by you
before you even reach the couch, but you will have have been shaking your ass
all the way there-Irresistible Frank
MIDNIGHT EVILS
Breakin' It Down (Estrus)
www.estrus.com
Man, do the Midnight Evils kick a donkey's ass (to coin a term from the late
Wesley Willis). There is no such thing as a let up or a let down on this CD.
I wanna walk in the garden of the midnight evils-Sam Doodle Ê
*******************
GUEST REVIEW
The American Idolª Judges Randy Jacksonª, Paula Abdulª, and Simon Cowellª
MOMENTS IN GRACE
Moonlight Survived (Atlantic)
www.atlantic-records.com
Randy Jacksonª What's up, dog? How you doin', baby? You my dog, man. You my dog. What's up, man? I gotta tell you man, I wasn't feeling that. I wasn't feeling it tonight, man.
Paula Abdulª You have a great voice. You're terrific. You're a terrific singer and a terrific band. This material isn't for you though. This just isn't your strength.
Simon Cowellª I'm going to have to agree with Paula and Randy on this one. If I can be honest, that was the most atrocious thing-I won't even call it music-I've ever heard. Horrible.
*******************
NONE MORE BLACK
Loud About Loathing (Sabot Productions)
www.sabotproductions.net
This EP will tide over None More Black fans until the Fat Wreck Chords full-length
release later this year. The raspy voiced vocalist fits well with the tight
and punchy hard rock music that covers the spectrum from Dischord-like progressive
hardcore to Southern boogie hard rock. This postpunk indie rock band benefits
from effectual use of such rock'n'roll tricks as cool breaks and catchy choruses
on such standout tracks as "iScrapbook" (video in production as I write) and
"I'll buy you the Fucking Single"-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
OVER IT
Silverstrand (Lobster Records)
www.lobsterrecords.com
I really am over it. Seriously, they're right, I'm over it-Joey Germ
Dunc the Punk
In the interest of keeping things interesting, we here at the Reglar Wiglar Record Review Dept. are always on the lookout for a new way to kill off a couple of reviews, and what better way to do that than to give them to a real life Brit punk rocker? So here he is, he's Dunc the Punk and he's pissed* Ê
CAST ASIDE
The Struggle (Deathwish)
www.deathwish.com
Dunc's pot and pan Ray always used to say "if you can't say something nasty,
don't say anything at all." So Dunc will cast this record aside without further
comment and head down to his local battle. A
FAITH CALLED CHAOS
#999999
www.volcoment.com
The drummer in Dunc's band, Shit The Bed, is nicknamed Chaos because he's a
no-talent shit sack who can't keep time. Dunc only keeps him around because
he owns a working slice. Amazingly, these metal no-marks are so bad they make
him look like a fucking rock god. Unforgivably wank.
KILL VERONA
#999999
www.livewire-records.com
Dunc would rather catch knobrot off a soap-dodging slapper
than sit through another emo album ever again. So, the fact that Dunc had to
listen to this record after getting the bad news from the doc was a particularly
cruel slice of Donald Duck. Traumatic indeed.
MOTION PICTURE DEMISE
Rebuild/Reform (Orange Peal)
www.orangepeal.com
Dunc's favourite movie death is in Wanted: Dead or Alive, where Rutger Hauer
shoves a grenade in Gene Simmons' North 'n' South, and pulls the pin. This troop
of sod apes are so bad, they deserve at least five grenades each, and maybe
some dynamite up the ringpiece for good measure.
NORTHSIDE KINGS
Organizing Our Neighborhood (Thorp)
www.thorprecords.com
This lot obviously think they are hard as monkeys. Well, if they think that
they have a chance of organizing Dunc's neighbourhood, they'll have to take
on the Inter City Firm, and that ain't gonna be pretty. Better watch your Fleetwoods,
North Side Queens.
PAULSON
Variations (Initial)
www.initialrecords.com
The cover of this record has a naked bint wrapped in cling film on it. Which
reminds Dunc of a website he stumbled across while trying to download the latest
Abi Titmuss home movie. In it some Bacardi, who is clearly Patrick Swayze, writes
stories about Roy Orbison being wrapped in cling-film (www.michaelkelly.fsnet.co.uk/karl.htm).
Fuck knows why, but it's infinitely more interesting than listening to these
indie cock socks.
A PERFECT MURDER
Unbroken (Victory)
www.victoryrecords.com
Dunc has always thought that hypnotizing someone into topping themselves would
be a perfect murder. Although for it to be truly perfect, it'd be best not to
reveal the plan in a world-renowned music publica-tion. No problem mentioning
it here then.
THIS PROVIDENCE
Our Worlds Divorce (RocketStar)
Don't get Dunc started on his divorce. The scabby old tart runs off with her
boss and then expects to get half of Dunc's crosby. Just Dunc's luck that he
ends up with a female garden gate, who buys into the argument that pressuring
your missus into wife-swapping some-how constitutes emotional distress.
RAZORLIGHT
Up All Night (Universal)
www.universalrecords.com
Up All Night? Sounds like a Viagra ad campaign slogan or something. You'd need
it too, if you wanted to come anywhere close to getting a lob on for these limp-dick
Jam rip-off merchants. Razorlight? Razor shite, more like.
STRAYLIGHT RUN
Straylight Run (Victory)
www.victoryrecords.com
This record is so fucking bland you'd expect to hear it on one of those poxy
shows on the KY Jelly where nancy boys over-intellectualize every fucking aspect
of their lives in the hopes they might get to cop a feel of a set of carpets.
With song titles like 'Existentialism on Prom Night' you won't need Dunc to
tell you what tremendous cunts they are, but he will anyway: Cunts!
The Reglar Wiglar Guide to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Cockney Rhyming Slang)
Slice (Pan) = Van
Pot and Pan = Old Man, Father
Battle (Cruiser) = Boozer, Pub
Donald Duck = Luck
North 'n' South = Mouth
Monkey's (Tails) = Nails
Fleetwood (Mac) = Back
Bacardi Breezer = Geezer
Patrick Swayze = Crazy
KY Jelly = Telly, TV
Carpets (and Rugs) = Jugs, Tits
Crosby (Stills & Nash) = Cash
Garden Gate = Magistrate, Judge
*The opinions of Dunc the Punk do not reflect those of the Reglar Wiglar or, quite possibly, anyone, anywhere.
THE PAYBACKS
Harder and Harder (Get Hip)
www.gethip.com
Detroit's legendary Wendy Case (Ten High) continues to burn bright in the neo-garage
constellation. Some of the hard-driving songs continue her projected persona
of hard drink and hard sex ("Can You Drive," "Scotch Love"). To paraphrase Abraham
Lincoln in regards General Ulysses S. Grant, find out what she is drinking and
send a case to all the other ladies leading garage punk rock'n'roll bands, because
this album swings as well as it rocks. A lot of that swing is undoubtedly due
to the presence of the rhythm section from The Hentchmen: bassist John "Johnny
Volare" Szymanski and drummer Mike "Audi" Latulippe-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
THE PEACOCKS
It's Time for the Peacocks (Asian Man)
www.asianmanrecords.com
What's that you say? You've never heard a Swiss rock band before? Well, today
is your lucky day Ugly, the Peacocks are Swiss like holy cheese. Unfortunately,
they are not quite as flamboyant as a peacock, nor are they quite as versatile
as a Swiss Army knife. Alas, it is a tad generic and a bit derivative. Buy a
Swiss clock, 'cause Swiss rock ain't as precise-Irresistible Frank
THE PEELERS
The Peelers (Orange Recordings)
www.orangerecordings.com
This Tim Kerr-recorded slab of aluminum is a deceptively massive collection
of hard edged-garage revival rock. The Chicago band includes former members
of Gaza Strippers, The Hodads, and The Hired Goons. The group's sound features
a driving drum beat, clamorous guitars and fevered group vocals. The group is
at its best when it dives headlong into a rough and psychedelic jam like "Into
the Sun"-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
THE POWER AND THE GLORY
Call Me Armageddon (Deathwish)
www.deathwish.com
Call me apocalyptic but this music would make me wanna end it if the end was
in sight. Like in real plain site, right out there coming over the plain, Four
Horsemen and the whole nine. Actually, this would drive me out of the bar pretty
fast if I saw this band playing. You know what? No, it wouldn't. I can deal
with this shit. Who am I kidding? No I can't--PC Jones
THE PRIESTS
Tall Tales (Get Hip)
www.gethip.com
Totally competent and by-the-numbers. If someone (an alien? The Pope?) asked
you what rock music sounded like, you could play them this. This would do. No
doubt about that. The Priests have every stock move down pat and show professional
courtesy by executing them at each and every exact moment listeners are accustomed
to hearing them. They always stay inside the lines of their Seeds Coloring Book.
Um. . . it's like they've got one of those old-fashioned dance-step diagrams,
but it says "garage rock" on top of it. How many more ways should I come up
with to say "this is really generic and uninteresting"? The only thing less
original and uninspired than The Priests music, is the lame 'Unleashed in the
East' send-up on the back cover of their CD. Okay, I'm done-Larry "Burger" King
RAT BLOOD
Demo (no label)
Rat Blood has got a kind of lo-fi bluesy feel to it on this three song demo.
It reminds me at times of the Modern Lovers or perhaps one of those bands from
down the road there in New York circa the same time. -Joey Germ
THE REPUTATION
To Force a Fate (Lookout!)
www.lookoutrecords.com
This band has a reputation for being quite amazing: excellent songwriting, brilliant
lyrics, stunning production, but I'm not gettin' it. It's actually kind of boring
if you would like me to be perfectly, if not irresistibly, frank-Irresistible
Frank RIGHTEOUS JAMS Rage of Discipline (Kung Fu) www.kungfurecords.com First
let me just say that I think it takes some balls to name your band Righteous
Jams 'cause if you do that you got something to prove right out of the gate.
Yeah, you gotta prove you don't suck with a name like that. Righteous Jams are
pretty much a straight forward hardcore band in the Boston tradition and they
have proven to me on this CD that they don't suck and that was all I required
of them-Joey Germ
THE ROCKET SUMMER
Hello, Good Friend (The Militia Group)
www.themilitiagroup.com
My first reaction upon hearing this CD was, "Oh my god I hate it." But that
seemed like a pretty knee-jerk reaction, so I made a promise to myself and The
Rocket Summer (even though they couldn't hear me) that I would listen to this
CD until I appreciated it. What could it hurt, right? Well, I'm still trying
to come to grips with this band, which I think is one guy, Bryce Avery. This
sounds like a young Richard Simmons singing over bouncy guitar and piano pop.
I think that's a fair assessment. I'm just gonna leave it there and let ya'll
decide for yourselves what you wanna do with that information-Irresistible Frank
SAINT VITUS
V (Southern Lord)
www.southernlord.com
The death metal heroes rise like a flaming phoenix to reclaim their throne in
V. The key elements of Mark Adams' prevalent fuzzed out bass, Armando Acosta's
dead-thud drums and the ghostly transparent ectoplasmic haunting of Dave Chandler's
lurking guitar bring us back to the classic five song self-titled debut from
the doom metal band. Shades of early Black Sabbath, but even more primitive
and visceral, are preserved here and that makes this reunion Vitus classic Vitus-Tom
"Tearaway" Schulte
SCREECHING WEASEL
boogadaboogadaboogada! (Asian Man)
www.asianmanrecords.com
The re-re-release of the 1988 Screeching Weasel album, boogadaboogadaboogada!
is here kiddies. I bet you thought you'd never see the day when boogada-boogadaboogada!
would be re-re-released. Hell, it's been seventeen years since boogadaboogadaboogada!
was released and thirteen years since boogadaboogada-boogada! was re-released,
but now boogadaboogada-boogada! has been re-re-released! And now you can own
the re-rerelease of boogadaboogadaboogada! So boogadaboogadaboogada! boogadaboogadaboogada!
boogadaboogadaboogada!-Boogada Boogada Boogada
THE SEXY MAGAZINES
Sex, Murder, Music (no label)
www.thesexymagazines.com
Imagine The Strokes only really, really bad-Jayne Wayne
COYOTE SHIVERS
Gives it to Ya. Twice. 2 CD Set (Foodchain)
www.foodchainrecords.com
With a wit like gothic rocker Voltaire ("Live to Regret It," "You're Mine"),
Coyote Shivers has a hip New York postpunk rock sound that gives him the ability
to reduce the whole spectrum of Lou Reed's career through the Mistrial album
on "Secretly Jealous." The decadent humor of the opening "Plus One" sets the
funny and ridiculous Disc 1 One Sick Pup of this double CD release. Says singer/guitarist
Coyote Shivers, "In that absolute first moment when I heard The Ramones and
realized there was music out there that wasn't on the radio, my life changed."
Coyote Shivers hasn't let go of that feeling and expresses it in a way we can
all still pick up on on this album. The second disc is an acoustic opus entitled
From My Bedroom to Yours. Just like it says, this was recorded with only an
acoustic guitar in his bedroom. When you realize the delightful, opening song
"Sugarhigh" is an ode to oral sex it is like that moment when Nigel Tufnel tells
us the name of his baroque piano piece is "Lick My Love Pump." We all need moments
like that-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
THE SIRENS
The Sirens (Get Hip)
www.gethip.com
The ladies of Detroit's quartet The Sirens dress the part, harmonize like The
Shangri-Las and rock out with a great selection of covers on this twelve track
garage rock album. We have here Gary Glitter, Suzi Quatro ("Glycerine Queen"),
Ike Turner ("I'm Blue"), Roky Erickson ("Don't Slander Me") and more. This is
all delivered in a burst of fuzzed out '70s glam energy. Singer is Muffy Kroha,
little sister to Dan Kroha (Gories, Demolition Doll Rods). (Muffy has come quite
a ways from teaching theater to youths in Africa.) Playing guitar is Melodylicious
(Gore Gore Girls)-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
SLIM CESSNA'S AUTO CLUB
Bloudy Tenent Truth Peace (Alternative Tentacles)
www.alternativetentacles.com
Choosing a pre-'60s country sound more like Hank Williams than anything in FM
country today, Slim Cessna offers a refreshing take on Americana. The sound
is big and eerie, like the open country at night with a blend of Johnny Cash
and Nick Cave-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
SOUR DELUXE
White Noise (no label)
www.sourdeluxe.com
Sour? Not necessarily. Deluxe? It's all relative. Noise? That's very subjective.
White? Probably white, yes. Sour Deluxe play a kind of lush, female-fronted
(Carly Simon, maybe, at times?) pop music that has been described as a mix of
shoegazing and Brit-pop which is not off the mark-Irresistible Frank
THE SOVIETTES
LP II (Adeline)
www.adelinerecords.com
Like their fellow Twin City counterparts, Selby Tigers, The Soviettes play a
similar brand of punk that rocks and pops and even slows down on occasion. And
they bring it all in in under twenty-five minutes so you don't have to spend
all day listening to it, but you could if you wanted to-Jayne Wayne
STEREOTYPERIDER
Prolonging the Inevitable (Suburban Home)
www.suburbanhomerecords.com
Quadruple play-on-words band name aside, these guys play a kind of hard edge
indie rock that reminds me in spots of Archers of Loaf. There's some melody
roughed up with some distorted guitars. It took a couple listens until it sunk
in but that was just prolonging the inevitable (which is that I would like this
eventually)-Jasper Maltby
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS
Guitar and Drum (Kung Fu)
www.kingfurecords.com
Thee SLF? Yes, apparently Guitar and Drum is the return of the venerated 70s
Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers. The lads have mellowed a bit in spots,
but not completely and there's some quality stuff here. SLF capture the sound
of their contemporaries in the 70s punk scene; The Ramones, The Jam, The Ruts,
and of course their old selves. Much better than the bulk of the derivative
punk rock that's been pumped out in stockpile quantities since SLF first hit
the scene almost twenty years ago-Joey Germ
SWITCHBLADE
Switchblade (Icarus/Trust No One)
www.trustnoonerecordings.com
"Scary" cover art, no song titles, and unintentionally hilarious lyrics printed
on the CD case (example: "Bring your needles and glasspipes for meditation in
contempt / Stone yourself to heaven as another pitstop to Hell") made putting
this one on a dicey proposition, especially with all those unheard Cheap Trick
bootlegs to listen to, but duty called. Not bad at all. I was expecting some
pitiful nu-style-metal, but instead, Switchblade brings it heavy and droney
with the mathematical, mostly instrumental spider-metal. Nice! Turns out they're
from Sweden, which goes a long way toward explaining the lack of ironic B.S.
posturing. -Rick Pencilman, Rock and Roll Dad
TIME IN MALTA
Alone with the Alone (Equal Vision)
www.equalvision.com
I don't remember my time in Malta being this extreme. Time in Malta is a Bay
Area metalcore band that lets a little melody seep into their sound every once
in awhile. Sure it sounds like a lot of bands playing in this genre, but when
you want to hear country you listen to a country band, when you want to hear
klezmer you listen to a klezmer band, and when you want to hear a metalcore
that lets a little melody seep in every once in awhile you listen to a a metalcore
band that lets a little melody seep in every once in awhile. Like Time in Malta
for instance-Muggsy McMurphy
TUB RING
Zoo Hypothesis (Underground, Inc.)
www.undergroundinc.com
Speaking of rings around the tub, if Dunc the Punk ever asks you if he can "kip
on your couch for a few nights, mate," don't let him. But seriously folks, don't
do it. It's never a few nights and you will always regret it. Anyway, Tub Ring
is a chaotic (yet quite tight) mess of instruments and lightening quick style
changes that run the gamut of...well, let's just say they run the gamut. Kinda
like Mr. Bungle in their spastic, manic energy. They would probably be quite
a site to see live but I would stay off the hard drugs if I were you-Joey Germ
THE UGLY BEATS!
Bring on the Beats! (Get Hip)
www.gethip.com
Nobody understands my pain. Maybe God does, but he lives way up in space and
is therefore removed from my mortal sufferings. But maybe, maybe The Ugly Beats!
understand my pain. They certainly sound like the do-Irresistible Frank
UNDERMINDED
Hail Unamerican! (Kung Fu Records)
www.kingfurecords.com
Once again, I assumed when I shouldn't've, and made an ass out of u and me.
I was expecting-I don't know, what I think Fall Out Boy and Taking Back Sunday
and all that bullshit sounds like, even though I've never heard any of it. Instead
I got what Metallica should probably be doing these days. Which is what Metallica
used to do. Excellent, precision-guided, stop-start, boomboom, wheedley-wheedley
feats of inhuman crunch and crush. The tunes are nice and short, and boy oh
boy do these gents have the chops. My only complaint is that the singer's throat-shredding
howl sounds a little thin. Guys: promise me next album you'll put a little reverb
on the vox. That'd be great-S.B. Sweaty
THE VALLEY ARENA
Take Comfort in Strangers (Astro Magnetics)
www.astromagnetics.com
Yeah, The Valley Arena got kind of a 90s DC-era feel to them due to the angularity
and sparseness of their instrumentory arrangements. Sounds like Fugazi only
British. Sounds like a British Fugazi, although not really. Know what I mean?
They're not British either. I hope that helped-Don Rumsfeld
VEE DEE
Further (Criminal IQ)
www.criminaliq.com
Vee Dee is a Chicago band that play the stripped down punk rock with some sixties
garage rock influences ("Flashes of Her" reminds me of something the Screaming
Trees would have attempted, them being influenced by the more psychedelic of
the sixties garage rock canon). Vee Dee add yet another dimension to this town's
3D garage rock scene. This is the only kind of Vee Dee you wouldn't mind contracting
at the Mutiny on a drunken Saturday night-Irresistible Frank
VOODOO GLOW SKULLS
Adiccion, Tradicion, Revolucion (Victory)
www.victoryrecords.com
Remind me again what the horn section is supposed to add to bad punk rock-Joey
Germ
WORLD WAR IX
Panic Attack (Elis Eil)
www.eliseil.com
You catch that, Gomer Pyle? World War IX! We're skipping III through VIII motherfuckers
so get yer boots on! Pardon that outburst. This New York quartet play an old
school brand of the punk rock music that is refreshing in its lack of overproduction.
"Body Dump" reminds me of vintage TSOL and the song "Hungry for Beer" makes
me thirsty for pizza for some reason-Joey Titanium Germ
YELLOW SECOND
Attitude (Flood Gate)
www.floodgaterecords.com
More like bad attitude-Irresistible Frank
7" VINYL:
STALKERS
Sun's Coming Up b/w I Couldn't Wait to Get Home (Dollar
Record)
www.dollarrecord.com
I've done a little stalking myself so I can relate. Light stalking though, not
anything real intense and weird or anything. Anyway, these NYC stalkers serve
up two heaping chunks of 60s garage rock and roll that sounds great on popping
vinyl and would probably sound even better in a dark, bleary bar-Pope "Lil'
John" Paul
SONIC LOVE AFFAIR
Sonic Love Affair Dble 7" (Dollar Record)
www.dollarrecord.com
Ahhh, the double seven inch. Such a rare and fascinating beast. A beauty to
behold. Indeed is there anything tastier or more rare than the double seven
inch served in a gatefold sleeve. SLA provide the listener with four songs on
this project, two covers (Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Reverberation" and "Bad
Attitude" by Boston punk band DMZ [known to cover the a Roky Erikson tune or
two themselves]) as well as two of their own rockers. Dollar Records claims
to be the home of lifers, people who are in it for life. Those labels tend to
be broke, yet they got heart what can I tell you-Pope "Lil' John" Paul
DVDs:
DEAD BOYS
Live at CBGB's 1977 (Music Video Distributors)
www.musicvideodistributors.com
Video producer Rod Swenson (Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith) used three cameras
to capture (contain?) the explosive, crass, and wild energy of Stiv Bators leading
his band through an important incarnation of the rebellious punk spirit at the
legendary CBGB's. The dangerous nine song set includes 'Sonic Reducer," "All
This and More," and "Search & Destroy." Special features include an interview
with the band from that year as well as present day reflections by guitarist
Cheetah Chrome and manager Hilly Kristal. Also not to be missed is a bonus video
clip of Steel Tips; a bizarre no wave circus fronted by a dancing schoolgirl
and a beefy biker type-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
CIRCLE JERKS
The Show Must Go Off! Episode Sixteen: Live at the House
of Blues (Kung Fu Films)
www.kungfurecords.com
Multiple cameras and excellent sound contribute to this excellent punk rock
concert from the long-lived and potent Circle Jerks. The thirty song set is
a worthy document of how punk rock used to be, and still should be. It is very
tight for a punk rock live show, as Zander Schloss points out in the commentary.
These guys may not look punk rock any more, but they sure are at the top of
their game musically. Once you have this DVD, be certain to enjoy the self deprecating
commentary from Keith Morris and Zander Schloss-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
CULTURE CLUB
Live at the Royal Albert Hall: 20th Anniversary Concert
(Angel Air)
The show opens with Scottish actor Euan Morton as Boy George, the role he played
in the Boy George stage biopic musical Taboo. Morton delivers an excellent "Do
You Really Want to Hurt Me?" although he seems to falter at the end. We are
then treated to the real Boy George looking monstrous in a black and white dress
and tie-on liberty spikes that all accentuate his weight gain. Indeed, "this
is parody." After delivering lackluster vocal performances for several songs,
Boy George goes for a costume change handing the stage over to the eminently
capable Lyn Paul (Taboo, The Seekers). Freed from that ridiculous getup, Boy
George seems much more comfortable and is much better during this portion on
such songs as "That's the Way" with Zee Asha (yet another Taboo reference),
"Black Money," "Move Away" and more. Despite the highpoints, which include a
version of "Starman," this is not an exceptional concert film and the word from
many hardcore fans is there is no comparison to the Culture Club concert film
from two decades previous, Kiss Across the Ocean. I also wonder about how the
older attendees felt who brought their children to hear their hero of the past
berate the audience in four-letter language for not being quite during the ballad
"Miss Me Blind." Boy George himself wrote a history of Culture Club and comments
on this concert in bonus material that makes for entertaining and enlightening
reading-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
EVAN EMGE
Along Came a Guitar (Orange Peal)
www.orangepeal.com
There was a burned copy of a Yellow Card CD in this DVD case. I hope that was
an accident 'cause otherwise, I don't get it. I will say this about Yellow Card
however, while we're still on the subject, and I did pop it into the stereo
out of curiosity: awful, awful music. Lord Jesus, was it awful-Jayne Wayne
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
Breakthrough (Oh Boy)
www.ohboy.com
This documentary is more concert footage than documentary, which works very
well. The documentary is largely just enough Kristofferson interview to get
his personal background and validation for defending American honor by criticizing
militarist foreign policy of the U.S. government. Performance by Kris Kristofferson
& The Borderlords include "Don't let the Bastards Get Your Down," "Me and Bobby
McGee," "The Pilgrim" and "To Beat the Devil"-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
THE MATCHES
The Show Must Go Off! Episode Fourteen: Live at the House
of Blues (Kung Fu Films)
www.kungfurecords.com
Never mind the apparent fashion identity crisis going on with these guys, but
The Matches sure front like they're laying down some hard-ass shit. They may
run around and jump up and down like complete idiots but the end result is just
some pretty bad pop punk-PC Jones
MURDER CITY DEVILS
Rock & Roll Won't Wait (Music Video Distributors)
www.musicvideodistributors.com
Just about an hour in length, this documentary profiles the touring band Murder
City Devils of Seattle. The organ-fueled, dark, and clamorous rock of the band
is a backdrop through live footage to antics and anecdotes. Interviews and candid,
off-stage footage slices into the music segments giving this documentary balance.
Included is some footage of the band's 1998 gig with Pearl Jam which includes
the band on stage with Pearl Jam for "Sonic Reducer." Bonus features include
two videos: "18 Wheels" and "Bunkhouse"-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
SEEMOREBUDS
Experience Growing Marijuana Cannabis Cultivation (Eazy
Green Productions)
www.seemorebuds.com
This is an instructional video on how to hook yourself up with the ultimate
indoor pot growing empire. The disclaimer of course suggests that you check
with the laws in your country before undertaking such an endeavor just to make
sure it's legal. Lemme save you the trouble my fellow Americans, it ain't. But
if the mere thought of a lengthy prison sentence doesn't deter you from dreams
of harvesting over $180,000 dollars worth of ganja a year, then this is the
how-to video you've been waiting for. Just don't tell 'em I told ya about it,
got it?-John P. Walters
SUBHUMANS
All Gone Live (Cleopatra Records)
www.cleorecs.com
The fury, excitement, and slight sense of danger found at really good punk shows
just does not translate to the small screen when extruded through the lens of
a video camera. That is the weakness of this uninterrupted, unblinking portrayal
of three gigs on a '03 tour mashed into a single concert experience. For the
die-hard Subhumans fan, this has something to offer, I am sure, but for the
general punk rock aficionado, what is there to get excited about? Well, like
with most DVD titles, the action is in the special features. While it could
have benefited from post production editing, the road video footage here is
fascinating. It is a behind-the-scenes look of what the fan never sees. From
collecting receipts, to combating boredom, to traveling, the mechanics of reviving
punk rock has better eye appeal than looking at the show through a microscope
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte
BOB SWITZER
Second Chance
www.bertswitzer.com
Bob Switzer is a Boston drummer. . . and he's wicked awesome. Switzer played
in Monster Island, with noise guitarist Henry Kaiser, as well as the 70s Boston
punk band, The Destroyed. This DVD features Bob rocking his kits (he's got a
couple) in some free form skin bashing in between interview snippets about drums,
drumming and past projects. Switzer also visits former band members and does
some split screen remote jams. Also included is some old Destroyed footage which
is lacking in audio and visual-what's the word?-quality, but you can imagine
yourself drunk at the bar thirty years ago and you'll be all right-PC Jones
THROW RAG
The Show Must Go Off! Episode Fifteen: Live at the House
of Blues (Kung Fu Films)
www.kungfurecords.com
You know there's roughly a twenty percent chance that I'm going to like any
band in this Show Must Go Off! series, but finally Kung Fu delivers with this
group of ugly, dirty cretins. Unlike a lot of bands on Kung Fu, Throwrag not
only have hair on their balls, they probably have scars on them too. Throw Rag
live in the desert, play sailor rock, and they even have some nutcase in the
band who plays a strap-on washboard with cow bells hanging where his bells are.
What's not to love? What?-Dirty Streets
ZEBRAHEAD
The Show Must Go Off! Episode Twelve: Live at the House
of Blues (Kung Fu Films)
www.kungfurecords.com
Kung Fu must kick out three or four of these DVDs a night. All shot pretty much
the same and delivered in the same format and sold to kids, I would imagine.
That's capitalism baby. Gotta love it. I think this was shot at the same show
as the Matches (see my review above). Zebrahead is a pop punk band that for
some reason, in addition to a singer, has a dude who inserts a shouted rap into
each song. This serves as a way to really fuck up the rhythm of the song and
to be really grating on my nerves-PC Jones