issue #02 pdf - Razorcake

Liz’s voice is in fine form, Ivan’s
guitar noodling is top notch and
Rickles and Kevin lay down one hell
of a solid backbeat. The production
is excellent and the whole effort
seems to have considerably more
punch than their last effort. As if
quality punk rock noise wasn’t
enough, the damn thing is also filled
with a bunch of CD-ROM stuff,
including pictures of tours and other
bands (Hey, ain’t that Beast and
“Halfers” George from Media Blitz?
Ron TSOL? Jula Bell?!), live
footage and an unnerving loop of a
severed finger. Coming from a person
who notoriously talks shit even
to his friends, this is one impressive
release, kids. Dos lenguas sticking
straight up, way up, courtesy of the
East Los chapter of the Bitter Old
Punk Bastard Brigade. There Rick,
you got your good review. Where’s
the 20 bucks you promised me in
exchange for singing your band’s
praises in print? -Jimmy Alvarado
(Hello)
TRAM
“Frequently Asked Questions” CD
Really mellow, almost lullaby-type
stuff that was pretty, but, seeing as
I’m at work right now, it got dull
pretty damn quick. Perfect for those
late nights when one is plagued with
insomnia. -Jimmy Alvarado (Jetset)
TRENCHCOAT ARMY
Self-titled 7” EP
Any record with a crucified football
player on its cover automatically
warrants a thumbs-up from this end.
The music here is thrash without all
the wanky metal parts that have permeated
the genre for the last 15 years
or so. -Jimmy Alvarado
(Mad at the World)
TURNEDOWN
Self-titled CD
“Radio-friendly” comes to mind, but
where I come from, that’s usually
not a good thing. I turned it down. -
Pete Hucklebuck (Sessions)
UNKNOWN, THE
“Pop Art” CD
Picture, if you will: a castrated All
with a not-so-secret love for later
period Cars. -Jimmy Alvarado (Boss
Tuneage)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
“33 Cheap Shots and Low Blows”
CD
A collection of TKO singles and EPs
from 1997/98, most of which are out
of print, I think. Bands making an
appearance here are One Man Army,
the Forgotten, Workin’ Stiffs,
Templars, Lower Class Brats, Anti-
Heroes, Dropkick Murphys, the
Bodies, Dead End Cruisers, the
Randumbs and the Truents, respectively.
While all the bands are more
than adequate at what they do (shit,
even the bands I usually loathe
sound pretty cool here), the real
gems here that make the whole thing
worth the green are the tracks by the
Bodies and the Randumbs, especially
the latter’s “Money Shot,” which
still sounds as cool as when my
friend Art Munoz first taped it for me
two years ago. -Jimmy Alvarado
(TKO)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
“All Ages” CD
No Redeeming Social Value, Ensign,
Indecision, Double Crossed, Kill
Your Idols, Vitamin X, Destroyed by
Anger and a gaggle of other hardcore
groups cover songs by the
Descendents, Underdog, the Rolling
Stones, GG Allin, Raw Deal and others.
Some of it’s good, most of it’s
pretty bad, especially the Peeping
Toms and Milhouse, who should be
kneecapped for their crimes against
the Descendents. The Putrid
Flowers’ ‘80s medley, however, was
an absolute riot, especially their
segue from Billy Joel’s “The
Longest Time” to Metallica’s “One.”
-Jimmy Alvarado (DIY)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
“Boston Punk 2000” CD
An overview, I guess, of what’s
going on in Boston’s hardcore scene
lately. Features Toxic Narcotic, A
Poor Excuse, August Spies,
Indignation, A Global Threat, Lost
Cause, Dead Pedestrians and a boatload
of others. Things tend to stay on
the speedy side of things, but there is
the occasional oi song here and there
to break up the monotony. From the
sound of things, I bet that the shows
in Boston are pretty rockin’. A good
listen here, kids. -Jimmy Alvarado
(Rodent Popsicle)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
“Delphonic Sounds Today!” CD
Bob Keane... hmmm... he’s one of
those pop/cult names synonymous
with record collectors everywhere.
I’m not one of them, but even a
dumbnut like me can tell you this
guy rocks. Why? Well, he founded
Del-Fi Records, one of the world’s
most successful and unforgettable
independent record labels of all time.
Although Del-Fi closed its doors
after their thoroughbred Bobby
Fuller’s tragic demise, the music of
Del-Fi continued to live on in the
hearts and minds of pop music fans
everywhere. Mr. Keane also takes
mucho credit for signing a diverse
cross section artists such as Ritchie
Valens, Chan Romero, Barry White
(!) and The Lively Ones (you know,
Pulp Fiction) and The Centurions to
name a few. Let’s just safely assume
that without this guy, oldies radio
would not be the same. Cholos and
playas would have no make-out
music to call their own. Surfers
would be trapped in Jan and Dean
hell. Surprisingly, Mr. Keane is still
very much alive today and continues
the innovative traditions of Del-Fi
with a rowdy bunch of music enthu-