issue #02 pdf - Razorcake

five bands play hardcore of varying
speeds and all are really good at
what they do, even the Statistics,
whose 7-incher I remember, in a fit
of really bad judgement, I gave a bad
review a while back. Sorry, but
snorting grape Kool Aid does things
to the mind. -Jimmy Alvarado
(Rodent Popsicle)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
“Toxic Narcotic/The Unseen...” CD
With song titles such as “Metal
Mosh Maniac,” it’s not hard to
describe this CD at all. -Pete
Hucklebuck (Rodent Popsicle)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
“Wild News from Frenchy Radio
Punk Rock” 7” EP
This features Jerry Spider Gang,
Jerky Turkey, Gasolheads, Machine
Gun Kelly, Sugarfix, Exxon Valdez
and Sonic Assassin. All sound like
they spent way too much time overanalyzing
those Killed By Death
comps. In all, they were all pretty
good if not particularly original. -
Jimmy Alvarado (Lollipop)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
“You Call This Music?!” CD
The theory behind this comp is that
every punk has been listening to
something he really digs and someone
else has come along and said
“You call this music?” In response,
Geykido Comet throw up their middle
fingers and scream, “Fuck yeah.
Just listen to this shit.” There’s a
pretty diverse collection of bands on
this comp, from old, famous bands
like DOA and Citizen Fish to cool
former bands like Falling Sickness
and Jon Cougar Concentration Camp
to the-next-big-thing bands like the
Eyeliners to a bunch of bands I’ve
never heard of. The only thing all the
songs have in common is they’re
pretty good. This is what punk rock
radio would be on a good day. And,
just to keep the DIY spirit strong and
do something really cool, they price
this CD at $3.00. And it’s almost
seventy minutes long. It just don’t
see how you could go wrong. -Sean
Carswell (Geykido Comet)
WARM JETS
Self-titled 7”
“She Says” sounds like a variation
on the Effigies’ “Security.” “Diabla”
sounds like a variation on virtually
any Nirvana riff. -Jimmy Alvarado
(Acme)
WEIRD LOVEMAKERS, THE
“Back 20” CD
The Weird Lovemakers have been
around for about five years. They’ve
written a ton of songs, put out two
albums on Empty, and a third one is
coming out in July. Beyond all of
that, they have a bunch of songs that
never made it onto comps or seven
inches or anything, and apparently,
the guitarist/singer Greg got sick of
having all of these songs in his head
and never being able to listen to
them. So the band went into the studio,
recorded this gem, and released
it themselves. It’s got that raw, trashy
rock’n’roll sound that I’ve come to
love about the Weird Lovemakers,
and the DIY recording definitely
sounds like it’s shaking the garage
door off its tracks. But it’s so much
more than that. There’s a doo-wop
song here (though Weird Lovemaker
doo-wop is tantamount to Picasso
portrait painting). There’s an eighties
new wave song (see comment about
Picasso), and there’s just a lot of
good rock’n’roll. There’s even a
sample from one of the greatest
movies of all time - “Miller’s
Crossing.” Thumbing through the
lyric sheet, trying to sift through
Greg or Jaime’s screaming antics, I
was even amazed to find that the
lyrics are really good. They tell stories
about a drug runner waiting out
the statute of limitations in Mexico
(“flipping my finger at the USA”)
and about being the homely roommate/best
friend to a really pretty
girl. Things like that. Because they
were less cautious and doing it themselves,
this album is more diverse
than their previous two Empty ones.
It’s highly recommended. The Weird
Lovemakers are, without a doubt,
the best band that you’ve never
heard of. I’d say more good things
about them, but it already sounds
like I’m gushing on their payroll. -
Sean Carswell (Star Time)
X-IMPOSSIBLES
“White Knuckle Ride” CD
Boring rock’n’roll dressed up nice
and dirty for all you big, tough,
leather jacket-wearing punkers. -
Jimmy Alvarado
(Headhunter/Cargo)
YIDCORE
Self-titled CD
Well, here’s some inspired lunacy: as
the band name suggests, this is a set
of traditional Jewish songs (and a
couple of originals, I believe) given
the hardcore treatment. The whole
thing is pretty riotous, although I
don’t think the Hassidim are going to
find it the least bit funny, seeing as
some of the songs are supposed to be
sung directly to God hisself. Still,
you gotta give these guys their propers
for being comfortable enough in
their faith to have a little fun with it.
My obligatory gripe? Where’s the
dreidel song? Highly recommended,
even for goy-boys like you and I. -
Jimmy Alvarado (Swell)