issue #02 pdf - Razorcake

FAIRLANES, THE
“Welcome to Nowhere” CD
The first couple of times I listened to
this, it sounded like pretty generic
pop punk somewhere between
Screeching Weasel and Lagwagon. I
decided I’d give it one more listen,
figuring, if I don’t hear something in
it this time, I’m gonna send it to
someone else who may like it. And,
for some reason, it stuck. I heard
something. A touch of the Thumbs
rawness. A touch of D4 drum beats. I
don’t know what it is, but there’s
definitely something deeper going
on in these songs. It’s growing on
me. Then I read the liner notes. The
bassist tells the story of how the
Fairlanes graduated college and
started moving away from the band
and into the world of careers and
other such nonsense, then realized
that their hearts were really in this
band and dedicated themselves to it
full time. Maybe that’s it. Maybe it’s
that random sense of sincerity that
makes this a good album. Maybe I’m
starting to sound like a football
announcer talking about Warrick
Dunn’s “heart.” I’m gonna stop now.
-Sean Carswell (Suburban Home)
FAST AND THE COOL, THE
“4-Track Demos” CD
This is new wavish super-distorto
janglish stargazin’ sonic splendor
that’s all-at-once trippy, poppy,
funky, sludgy, and feel-good giddy.
In an unusually odd display of audi-
al diversity, the succulently sweet
songs contained herein are a magical
mishmash of infinitely mind-reeling
instrumentation ala Cheap Trick,
Badfinger, Stereolab, Smashing
Pumpkins, Devo, Spacemen 3, and
even a bit of “Rubber Soul”-era
Beatles. I especially enjoyed the
invigorating spontaneity of the spastic
tribal drumming, the sporadic
eruptions of a synthesizer’s ebullient
emotings, and the intermittent effervescence
of fuzz effects. The whiney
bratty schoolboy vocals are strainfully
similar to The Judys, Violent
Femmes, and Dead Milkmen
(annoying at times, but certainly
unique and vividly impressive). All
in all, this delightful lil’ disc possesses
a euphoric childlike innocent
quality to it that’s both endearing
and uniquely divine... -Roger Moser,
Jr. (Crystal Clear Sound)
FORWARD
“We Need the Truth” CDEP
If you have followed my reviews
through the time I have been with
Flipside and now with Razorcake, I
am very biased towards Japanese
punk. I absolutely love it. I set it on
a pedestal and worship it like it was
the best shit I ever took. You know
the type. The bowl filler that took the
least amount of effort to expel. Not
sloppy and takes the minimum
amount of wiping to make yourself
ready for the day. There I go again
talking shit again. Here is a four
song blast from the mighty Forward
from Japan. They play a sort of sloppy
old school style of punk that has
no intentions of sounding professional.
Fun is had by all by not being
too serious but play to keep the energy
alive. Some now may say that it
sounds street punk while others
would say old school. I would say
the old school vein. One thing I need
to do is learn more Japanese to be
able to understand the songs.
Japanese does not always translate
well into English. -Donofthedead
(HG Fact)
FOUNDATION
Self-titled CD
Rare has been the occasion when a
CD hits the bottom of a trashcan as
fast as this one did. Neo-hippie shit
with non-fuzzed guitars, a song
named after a Cocteau Twins EP and
a Tom Waits cover, dressed up in
packaging that gives the impression
that they’re either straight edge hardcore
(which ain’t much better) or
noise metal. -Jimmy Alvarado (Ann
Beretta)
FRENZAL RHOMB
“Shut Your Mouth” CD
An average band in my opinion.
They never seem to float my boat
with their melodicore and silly
lyrics. I know people must like them
because they are on Fat. But I am not
one of them. -Donofthedead (Fat)
GINA GO FASTER/
THE THIRTEENS
Split 7” EP
Gina Go Faster have been a sleeper
favorite of mine for awhile. I forget
about them for six months at a time
because the name’s kinda weird, but
the songs are a-rockin’, and I’m
always pleased when I pop one of
their releases on. “Here We Go” and
“2 Steps from Home” are low-fi,
high-energy songs that are sweet and
crunchy like bubblegum dropped on
a sidewalk, and re-popped into your
mouth. Real fun garage power pop.
The Thirteens are pretty standard
and straddle the line between punk
and hardcore (screamed vocals,
trapped drummer syndrome, soaring
guitar chords). To be sure, the songs
are competently played, but there’s
at least fifteen current bands that do
it better. Their effort’s not piss, but
not as good as a two 40 ozs (which
would be in the same price range). -
Todd (King Bee)
H2O
“It was a Good Day” 7”
Two covers here, side one being an
embarrassing, punked up cover of
Cube’s “Good Day” and side two
being a shitty cover of a shitty
Suicidal song, “I Want More.” If
there is a God, someone’s gonna do
some serious time in punk rock hell
for this release. -Jimmy Alvarado
(Sideonedummy)