issue #02 pdf - Razorcake

LA before moving north to SF. J
Church used to pump out the releases
for awhile. I don’t see that many
advertisements for new releases anymore.
I saw them recently and
maybe due to lack of alcohol, I was
lackadaisical about their performance.
If anybody knows my brother
Katz and sees Lance, you would
swear they were twins now. This
release leaves me kind of unmoved.
I hear elements of REM and college
rock. It’s kind of folk-like with a
rock mix. Don’t get me wrong, but it
just does not grip me. J Church fans
should disregard all that I say and
continue on with their lives. -
Donofthedead (Honest Don’s)
JESSE
Self-titled CD
A sweet “re-release” (with the needle
surface noise between tracks,
nudge, nudge, wink, wink), from one
of the two projects Frankie Stubbs
did between Leatherface’s death and
resurrection. Originally recorded in
1997, quite a few of these songs, like
the opening track, “Indestructable,”
have already found their way into
Leatherface’s live set. The tight
instrument weave is there, along
with Frankie’s rope-burned vocals
and spot-on lyrics (i.e. “you are like
lots of pages taken from different
books.”), and the melancholy that
can play as a celebration or a funeral
dirge, depending on your mood. If
you’re not afraid of the occasional
acoustic number, like “Everwas,”
that’ll break your heart if you’re
feeling vulnerable, you really can’t
go wrong with this. I’d unabashedly
call this singer-songwriterly if that
genre of music wasn’t typically a
piece of crap. This, on the other
hand, is fantastic. -Todd (Big Fish,
no address.)
JOSH FREESE
“The Notorious One Man Orgy” CD
You know Josh Freese best as our
generation’s Jim Keltner or Kenny
Aronoff: he’s played behind, well,
everybody it seems, but off the top
of my head: Guns ‘N Roses, Paul
Westerberg, Devo, F.Y.P and he’s a
full-time member of both the
Vandals and A Perfect Circle. Here
he takes a solo tack that’s mostly a
Vandalsesque side project with Josh
playing all the instruments and writing
all the material but sports some
heavy-hitter guests like Stone
Gossard from Pearl Jam to throw in
a curve ball; the result is pretty damn
enjoyable. May not rise to the top of
your “favorites” pile but you won’t
regret putting it on - it’s a tremendously
witty record, from the dollarsigns
in his name on the cover (i.e.
Jo$h Free$e) to the album’s title to
the cut-up and looped answeringmachine
messages that are interspersed
throughout. And hey, if any
of Josh’s bands are so kind as to
allow him to do a song from this
record live, make it “Playboy
Mansion,” eh? -Aaron J. Poehler
(Kung Fu)
KNUT
“Basterdizer” CD
Pantera covers Unsane. I’m sure
you’re all as thrilled as I. -Jimmy
Alvarado (Hydrahead)
LARS FREDERIKSEN
& THE BASTARDS
Self-titled Advance CD
“Dead American” will be a hit,
packed with the energy you’ve come
to expect from bands such as Rancid.
Actually, there are quite a few good
tracks on this CD and I bet they’re a
great live band to see as well. -Pete
Hucklebuck (Hellcat)
LEATHERFACE
“The Last” CD
The first eight songs on this CD were
“the last” recordings of Leatherface
when they broke up in 1993. The
recording was never officially
released in the United States and
pretty much got executed right out of
the gate in Europe on Domino
Records. BYO’s done us a favor and
in this re-issue and have added eight
songs. If your panties get twisted
easy, the last eight songs aren’t technically
Leatherface songs, but Pope
songs (never officially released),
recorded in 1994 with two
Leatherface members (Frankie and
Andy) and drummer Chris
Mackintosh. While not as consistent-
ly stunning as “Mush,” you can’t go
wrong with any Leatherface release.
“The Last” oscillates from the forlorn
pop of “Little White God,” and
the stripped, piano-heavy
“Shipyards,” which get you ready
for the Louie Armstrong-esqe (or
choking Muppet, take your pick)
skat number, “Ba Ba Ba Ba Boo”
and the quirky disco, techno beat
breakdown flourishes and whistles
in “Winsome, Losesome.” It plays
like a band who’s eager to try new
things without abandoning what they
do best. The Pope material is very
reminiscent of Frankie Stubbs’ other
project, Jesse. Frankie’s rasp seems
to be the center point, and all of the
instruments surround and scrub at
him, which limits some of the crush
and crunch of full-on Leatherface,
but damn if it isn’t simply enjoyable
to listen to. My obligatory bitch is
that there isn’t a lyrics sheet. I mean,
who give two shits when bland pop
punk band’s yelping about losing
their girlfriend, but when one of the
most ingenious and literate men in
punk rock writes a song, it’d be nice
to read the exact words (especially
since eight of these songs were never
officially released.). -Todd (BYO)
LESS THAN JAKE
“Greased” CD
Repress of their cover of songs off
the classic music soundtrack of
“Grease.” I remember being in elementary
school going to see the orig-