Hey, old man! What's in the bag? - Trixine

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Fugazi “The Argument” In reviewing this record, you’ve got to put it all in perspective. This is a band that most of us have grown up with in some way, going from a hardcore punk band that always strayed from the norm, to running one of the most diverse studios, meanwhile maintaining a strong and respectable work ethic. So I wonder what the guys who are recording all these other not-so-punk punk bands are doing themselves. The first half of this is album is faster and noisier than their past couple albums, which have been more relaxed and experimental, and the second half slows down a little, but still doesn’t let up. There’s noticably more singing and, like most of the current bands of the DC area, they still focus heavily on weird syncopation and dissonance. (Dischord) Nation of Ulysses “The Embassy Tapes” Lo-fidelity 4-track sessions from their Embassy, recorded back in1992, now finally mixed and produced by Ian MacKaye. Nine unadulterated, out of control songs, along with the endless, yet always intriguing, ramblings of Mr. Svenonius. You can definitely pick out the certain lovable pieces that stayed with them when they matured. This is an endearing and eventually essential album for any long-term fan, but if you’re just getting into it, I’d stick with something newer and discernable by, say, the Make-Up. (Dischord) Bluetip “Post Mortem Anthem” Five hard-to-find tracks from 7-inches and comps, and five previously unreleased tracks. Bluetip are more rock than anything, but as I was saying before, they concentrate on weird syncopation and tight breaks, along with lots of half-note singing and chromatics. I think I like them because it’s really hard to bob your head to- you can tell that they put loads of effort into their songwriting. Though their songs are seamless, you can still feel the underlying complexities. (Dischord) Love As Laughter “Sea To Shining Sea” LAL sound like a definite cross between 70’s and 90’s guitar rock. My first impression was possibly something along the lines of the Meat Puppets, but LAL’s music is a little more serious, progressively focusing on tighter grooves, and the lyrics are surely deeper. I know I’m putting my foot in my mouth by saying this, but there is no denying their ‘Seattle sound’, from where they hail. This is pretty much a straightforward rock album, and I personally enjoyed it very much, and I think others will, too. On a side note, Mr. Jayne’s voice sounds like Tom Petty in a few of these songs. (Sub Pop) Beachwood Sparks “Once We Were Trees” The CSN&Y, Simon & Garfunkel, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, or any tripped out 60’s band reference is inevitable, so what about the album production, in terms of back then? Imagine if CSN never got all cheesy, and kept making incredible albums like Deja Vu, and as studio quality became crisper and brighter with no cracks, hisses, or pops, the music still stayed the same, just with ever-changing chord patterns and lyrics. That might be a good description of the Beachwood Sparks. However, the night before I wrote this review, I just happened to be listening to Dark Side of The Moon on my friend’s 8-track player, and there was an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. This album is pretty hard not to like, but it’s difficult to say if people are really going to take it all in. (Sub Pop) Flag Of Democracy “Fodworld” The last time I got anything by PA’s FOD was at a punk show in Wilmington circa 1988, and it was a 4-way split 7”...I think Trained Attack Dogs were on it. This latest album is their first US release in over a decade, so you can see that I was sort of blown away when I saw it. The CD bangs into super fast Dead Kennedys style punk, and continues to thrash away like nobody’s business. There’s also some general noise intermissions to keep things interesting. FOD have an ever-lasting style that you just don’t get from newer punk bands. (Creep) Super High Five “Songs For Working” I’m don’t want to call this hardcore, because that will have too many connotations. If anything, this is a punk CD that really rocks out, using cool melodies and hooks. There’s lots of both screaming and singing, and the guitar is both fierce and catchy at the same time. Either way, the lyrics seem to come from the heart, and the music goes right along with it. These Downingtown natives have been playing in this area for quite some time now, and have another release on Creep. (Creep, pmb 220, 252 E. Market , West Chester, PA 19382) Apparatus Engine “Save” This album starts out distinctively different than the rest of it. It initially sounds like it’s going to be hardcore, but as the CD quickly moves on, it slows down and starts to remind me of Karate, where the singer sounds breathy, and the music becomes tight, melodic indie-rock. Is this what they call emo? Enter to win this CD by answering my simple survey a few pages back! (apparatusengine@yahoo.com PO Box 768, Downingtown, PA 19335 or visit www.creeprecords.com) Faith And The Muse “Vera Causa” (2xCD) “The Morning CD” features out-takes and demos, acoustic versions, comp. appearances, and a few covers of songs originally by Kate Bush, Bauhaus, Christian Death, and others. “The Night CD” features live pieces from their European tour last year, plus 7 remixes of their songs by other bands that are part of that circle, like Rhea’s Obsession. FATM manage to create goth music that isn’t horribly original (go figure), but is still both memorable and stylistic, both of which are characteristics not easily obtainable in that genre. Their talent as musicians shines through in their songs, and it’s pretty obvious why they are quickly becoming a favorite for the new breed of teenage vampires. (Metropolis)
The Dismemberment Plan “Change” The Plan seem to be one of the more important influences on me lately. It may have been that last time I saw them play. It was completely off the hook, where singer Travis Morrison had his belt off, wavin’ it in air like a helicopta’. Or maybe it’s that this new CD is so distant from that. It even moves further away from any of their past releases. Rather than spazzing out, everything settles down, becoming more reflective and pensive. It holds some sort of mature anticipation; you can feel a backdrop that could explode into a frenzy at any moment, but manages to hold steady. (Desoto) Shiner “The Egg” It’s a good thing Kansas City’s Shiner is on Desoto, where they seem to find a good set of contemporaries. They’ve got a heavy post-grunge sound like Juno, while still keeping up with the strange guitar lines of Burning Airlines. I can’t say they totally dropped the bomb on this release, but it’s definitely a good listen if you’re craving some of the more popular early 90’s guitar rock, but still want something that takes it to a slightly new level. Their website is awesome. www.shiner.net Fin Fang Foom “Texture, Structure, and The Condition of Moods” My friend got to hang out with these guys, and swears that they’re bunch of wingnuts, but their music is nothing like that. They use lots of odd time signatures, plus piano and a flute. You could definitely slap the math-rock slogan on it, but it’s got a dark, barreling creativity that allows it to be placed on another shelf, rather than having it slopped together with the mess of Chicago-style bands. I think I’d be able to call it more intense if it were a little more defined, but I’m not even sure if that’s a good thing. The looseness of it all definitely gives it more character. (Lovitt, PO Box 248, Arlington, VA 22210) Engine Down “A Sign of Breath” (EP) For all you ED fans, you can get this Czech import through the Lovitt website (www.lovitt.com), from Insound, or, if you’re lucky enough, you’re local mom-and-pop store. It’s got three new songs, and one remix of Two Tone, renamed “Retone”. There is a 7”, too, but it’s only got 2 of the tracks. I’m sure it won’t be around for long, and the Day After website (the import label) isn’t up yet. If you haven’t heard Engine Down, they’ve been a staple band in the Virginia/DC scene for some time. While they focus on a moving downbeat, they tend to bring in a more poppy vocal style, which makes for a delightful listen, while you still got your rock on. (Day After, PO Box 153, 321 01 AS, Czech Republic) TKO Records “Punch Drunk III” (Compilation) There are so many freakin’ punk bands in the world today, and TKO gives you 26 of ‘em... Beltones, Generators, Reducers S.F., US Bombs, Forgotten, Partisans, Thug Murder, Sixer, Bodies, Stitches, Class Assassins, Guitar Gangsters, Niblick Henbane, Those Unknown, Workin’ Stiffs, Terminus City, Bonecrusher, AntiSeen, Limecell, Electric Frankinstein, Riffs, East Bay Crashers, American Pig, Bloody Mutants, Hard Skin, and Angelic Upstarts. Add a couple of “The’s” in there, too. More than half the tracks on this disk are either previously unreleased or previously available on vinyl only. Only @ $5!
Page 1: Casey Yells at Everybody! Hey, old
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Page 7 and 8: (tbtmo18) and it got great reviews.
Page 9 and 10: Rudy’s Page! Just Ask Rudy! A Too
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Page 15 and 16: Artwork by Juliet Salvato SchNusic
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Page 21 and 22: Survey time! Hey y’all, I’ve go
Page 23 and 24: DIE YUPPIE SCUM By: Mark Phaler R
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Hey, old man! What's in the bag? - Trixine

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