ing and I’m still bummed that theybroke up. That Watts album (which featuredCrider and Aaron Roeder fromthe Mono Men) never got the credit itdeserves, and now Crider is back withthis five-song DT’s EP. His tight andfuzzy garage-rockin’ guitar is immediatelyrecognizable, and the first song onthis EP sounds like it could’ve been alost Mono Men track. Then, on “Eyesto the Sun,” DT’s vocalist DianaYoung-Blanchard steps in and throwsthe band in a whole new direction.She’s got a voice like whiskey and cigarettesand Aretha Franklin blurred intoone, and her voice gives the album ablues-y punk quality that I’ve onlyheard before in the BellRays. This EPcomes and goes way too quickly, andthe CD itself is only about three and ahalf inches in diameter, which makes itan easy one to lose. Other than that, Ihave no complaints about the DT’s. Ina perfect world, I could see them live atTom’s Strip and Bowl. –Sean (Estrus)DUKES OFHILLSBOROUGH: If OnlyWe Had Someplace to Go: CDI am inching closer and closer to likingthe Dukes, but I’m still not yet there,and I can’t place my finger on it. Themusic: very similar to Hot WaterMusic. Definitely not a direct rip, butthe similarities are startling. They cancapture claustrophobic moments thatbreak open to wide-open rides of songsthat aren’t afraid to let the bass ride inthe front seat. Jeff’s voice is the biggestdeparture and it sounds like a blownoutspeaker. Maybe it’s the pitch, but itmakes me wince. I feel my brow furrowas I type this. I do, however, givefull props to the album art. It’s so simple– a picture of a 32 oz. beer beingpoured into a gas tank. That’s poetic.So many of my friends like these guys,and I want to wave the banner too, butI just can’t. –Todd(Attention Deficit Disorder)DYSRHYTHMIA: Pretest: CDInstrumental math rock in jazzy shadesof non-punk Bad Brain and lesserspecies, wherein you can be pretty surethey’re playing with their eyes closed,grooving on the groovy vibes, AKAthey never play or practice uninformedby bong hits (though, while being highundoubtedly makes making this shitfun or sweetly satisfying, no amount ofrecreational drugs is gonna make it funto listen to). –Cuss Baxter (Relapse)ECHOBOY: Giraffe: CDBloody amazing. I’ve only recentlyfound Echoboy – but he has quite a history.This is his third release on Mute,where he has called on the always finetalents of producer Flood to assist. Amixture of post punk meets electro in afucking remarkable album. You get alittle bit of this and a little bit of that –and it makes for a very accessiblealbum compared to his past releases.From folkish electro tracks to borderlinedisco songs that would appeal tothose “electroclash” kids. It’s great forpeople like me who have terribly schizophrenictastes in music – and tend tobe a little more open minded when itcomes to the evolution of music. Threecheers for Echoboy. –Sarah (Mute)ED GEIN: It’s a Shame that aFamily Can Be Torn Apart bySomething as Simple as aPack of Wild Dogs: CDShit. I thought these guys were emo forsome reason, but somehow it was in mypile. I turned it on and the yelling started.Pretty potent hardcore with a strongmetal influence, but definitely not runof-the-millby any means. There’s a lotgoing on in there. The biggest distractionis the frequency of the samplesbetween songs, especially when I’d listenedto it enough to know that most, ifnot all, are from Donnie Darko.–Megan (Hex)ELLIOTT:Song in the Air: CDHo. Ly. Shit. To my way of thinking,Elliott has been that band for a longtime now, the band that I expect greatnessof, the band that I expect to transcendwhatever musical limitations Ican imagine and blow my mind with analbum that I couldn’t have evendreamed of hearing. I’ve been expectingthat since 2000’s False Cathedralswhich was the single best artisticachievement I heard that year. It wasmajestic, soaring, transcendent – allthose big fluffy words which seem reallyimportant and convey really bigideas. It was a pop record, it was emo,it side-stepped every sub-genre as soonI had managed to pin it down; itremains one of my favorite albums tothis day. I’m sure I reveal my bias assoon as I note that I have been waitingfor this new record for three years. I’vebeen tracking the songs which haveleaked onto the internet. I’ve beenanticipating hearing the whole goddamnthing on my headphones andwhen it showed up in my mail thismorning, I knew how I’d be spendingmy afternoon – headphones on, listeningto Elliott. And simply put, thethree-year wait was worth it. While“Song in the Air” seems to be a radicaldeparture from the poppier textures andconceits of False Cathedrals, it’s reallyan extension and advancement of theideas which were set out and tentativelyexplored within that album’s confines.False Cathedrals was, to anapparently large degree, a bridgebetween the more straight-forward emoand pop of Elliott’s debut, U.S. Songs,and this sonic experiment which seemsto ignore emo altogether in favor ofexpressing more symphonic and classicaltendencies (perhaps best acknowledgedby the addition of a string quartetfronted by The Rachel’s ChristianFrederickson). The loops and beatswhich helped characterize parts ofFalse Cathedrals are still present; thatinstrumentation now helps shape asoundscape which pays more attentionto shoegazing bands like Slowdive andMy Bloody Valentine than punk bandslike Rites Of Spring or Embrace, whichowes a large debt to bands like Placeboand almost no debt at all to ones likeHankshaw. And what it boils down to isthis – despite changing two members(Jay Palumbo, now playing in Thirty-Two Frames, and Jonathan Mobley),Chris Higdon and Kevin Rattermanhave created a masterful work,drenched in reverb and layers, crisp andclear yet still dripping with mystery.Higdon’s angelic, soaring, childlikevocals still sound more like a choirboy’sthan a singer for what is ostensiblya rock and roll band; while it stillsounds like Higdon is yearning forsomething, his vocal tones also suggestthat he knows exactly what he wants…and that he won’t be denied.Ratterman, the other remainingholdover from the False Cathedralssessions, is still wielding his studio likean instrument, seemingly treating therecording process as another possibletrack. Frankly, I can’t begin to imaginehow Elliott could perform these songslive without taking stringed instrumentson tour and even if that were thecase, these songs would still be difficultto perform live. There’s simply toomuch here, a embarrassment of musicalwealth to hear, explore and mine, a hostof new ideas which have yet to seebirth in a rather insular, self-absorbedscene. And while it’s true that Song inthe Air is a studio album in the bestsense of the term – which in turn meansthat the band must necessarily turninward and close the door to the outsideworld – what emerges is a map ofuncharted musical territory which challengeseven the best and brightest songwritersto explore it. –Puckett(Revelation)ENDS, THE:Sorry XOXOXO: CDSince the whatever wave of streetpunk/ catchy oi – fronted and fortifiedby Rancid, The US Bombs, and theDropkick Murphys – has seemed to letsome of the fire burn from its torch,there’s quietly a new cadre of bandsthat have taken a lot of the now-familiarcues of CockSparrer, Blitz, the SexPistols, 999, and Peter and the TestTube Babies. The Ends are right at thetop. What’s cool is that they’re notafraid to add the less-than-strictlystreet-punkelements, opening the dilationto include Elvis Costello and Eater,infusing the moodiness of JohnnyThunders without the self-indulgence,and the slash and fun of new wave.Instead of watering down or beingwanky, a new bounce makes it fresh.Other bands – that have nothing reallyin common with The Ends, except theysomehow vaulted out of a dead-enddrive that so many brick in as their owntombs – would be Wednesday NightHeroes, the GC5, Mea Culpa, andBroken Bottles. There’s some trulytranscendent tracks on this. Highly suggested.–Todd (Pelado)ENGLISH SOFTHEARTS:Double Platinum: CDI’ve noticed a lot of the discs I’vepicked up of late have taken a bit of ashift toward the “arty” end of the punkspectrum. While this isn’t always a badthing (especially when it’s obvious thatthe band in question is trying, for goodor ill, to “do something different”),some bands can end up wallowing in asea of their own excesses and egos.Luckily, this ain’t the case here.Granted, some of the songs may be alittle longer than is good for ‘em, butthe bulk of what’s here is blissfullysloppy, skewed, minimalist to the brinkof incompetence and played withtongue planted firmly in cheek. Theresult is something that would soundgreat sandwiched between SuburbanLawns and Flipper on one o’ themweekend late night “underground punkrock” shows. –Jimmy Alvarado(Magic Spot Productions)ENVY:A Dead Sinking Story: CDI picked this up because it reminded meof a Rare Form 7” that I picked up inMaine (which you should too if youever see it). Envy, however, plays the Iscream, I whisper, I scream game inevery song. Longest song I’ve seen inabout five years, clocking in at twelveminutes and forty-four seconds. I’d hadenough at fifteen seconds. –Megan(Level Plane)ESCAPED, THE:Escaped Generation: CDEPOnce again, Bill from Rodent Popsiclebrings us another CD worth yourmoney. This time it’s a CDEP by a bandof lads called The Escaped. On thisCD’s eight tracks, some are fast hardcoreand some are street punk. Eitherway, they are all good. The band evenfeatures two vocalists. One is more of arough and tough vocalist and the otheris a fast, crusty type. Regardless of howyou label them, the main point is thatthey are really good and this combinationworks rather well! The musicianship,as well as lyrics, is great, too. Allin all, this CD gets a big thumbs up andis well worth your hard-earned cash. Iwon’t leave out that there’s a CD-Rvideo also included in this CD. Not badand all this is for only $5.98, too. Keepup the good work guys! –Mike Beer(Rodent Popsicle)EXERCISE:The Autumn Gentleman: CDThe guys on insert look like dirty bastards(which I mean as a compliment).The music isn’t. The music is firmly setin the mid-Dischord era of Jawbox andLungfish, which means there’s stillpower left in the punches, but Gang ofFour’s and Wire’s angles have foundtheir ways in. An example: Get amouse. Put it in a box. Roll it down ahill. (Not a big one. You don’t want tohurt it.) Release it. It can’t walk in astraight line, though it really tries.Thusly, are Exercise. Sometimes, I’mthinking, “Rock the fuck out. I can hearyou can. You know how to. You wantto. Do it.” And although this CD’s okayplus plus, and the people who put it outare fuckin’-a righteous (anyone whotakes you to a place that has a sausageas the door handle is A-OK in mybook), I hear afterburners that I constantlywant to be goosed but aren’t.–Todd (Learning Curve)EXPLODING HEARTS:Guitar Romantic: CDInteresting combination of sounds fromthis band. It took a while to put my fingeron it, but I soon realized theysounded like a super-group comprisedof members of the Crowd and theDickies covering old ‘70s mod/punkpop ditties. Mighty catchy tunes onlysweeten the deal. Three of ‘em are deadnow, which is a damn shame. –JimmyAlvarado (Dirtnap)EXPLOITED, THE:Fuck the System: CDIf you are an Exploited fan and you goout and buy this, don’t look at thelyrics. It might bum you out.Otherwise, if you can get past the badlyrics this is a good release. I, for one,usually pay more attention to the musicbefore I even look at the lyrics. Butwhen I picked this up, Jimmy Alvaradowas at Razorcake HQ and he fucked itup for me. He told me to look at thelyric sheet. My mouth dropped. I wasnow tainted and biased to what wasgoing to come out of my speakers onceI get this disc home. I did have anotherview from a long time fan and he hadmentioned something about the lyricsbeing stupid but the music was good.So let’s see which side of the fence Iwas going to go to. I didn’t go anywhereon the fence. I’m stuck on top.The lyrics are stupid and the music isgood. One thing I do have to say is theyseem to be leaning more in theDischarge camp than87
their own. The lyrics are structured thesame, in a sense. They’re simple and tothe point, even though the point is prettyblunt and not too thought provoking.For longtime fans who have stayed forthe long haul, they will enjoy this. If youare new to punk and want to check outthis band, I would steer you to thePunk’s Not Dead LP instead.–Donofthedead (Spitfire)EXPLOITED:Fuck the System: CDThis is pretty solid musically, with themid-tempo hardcore beats and crunchingguitars you’ve some to expect fromthe Exploited. Lyrically, though, we’retalking about a completely different ballof wax. Granted, The words that haveaccompanied the average Exploitedsong haven’t exactly been poetry or anything,and it seems that they’ve onlyworsened with age. Wattie’s voice is infine form here, but he’s wasted his talenton mediocre, hackneyed lyrics insteadof tackling specific <strong>issue</strong>s and taking totask the monoliths of the system he professesto despise. Sorry, but repeating“You’re a fucking bastard” some thirtyoddtimes and tossing in the occasional“and a shit cunt too” does not a songmake, and naming your songs afterother, better known tunes (“Holiday inthe Sun,” “Noize Annoys”) doesn’tmake ‘em good. Ultimately, you’re leftwondering, to quote one of the songshere, “What’s the fucking point?”Maybe he should refrain from hangingout with them poseurs in Total Chaos,‘cause that band’s eagerness to peddlecrap music is apparently rubbing off.–Jimmy Alvarado (Spitfire)FANGS, THE:Metal Garage: LPWhen I first put this on, I thought thatthe title of this record was dead on.Indeed, for a few seconds, it soundedlike an unholy alliance of Venom andthe Gories. When the vocals kicked in, Irealized that I was playing this on thewrong speed. Whoops. Replace Venomwith Kiss and the Gories with theMooney Suzuki and you get an idea ofthe not good time I had listening to this.–Not Josh (Bad Reputation)FIGHT, THE: Self-titled: CDSometimes when you review stuff youhave to contrast how you much you likesomething with how good a job it doesof what it tries to do. I don’t see myselfthat impressed with this CD in contrastwith a lot of other music. However, I amsure that this band formed with theintention of impressing me. Even so,nobody I have played this for believesme when I show them the band photo –they look way too young to be makingmusic as well as they are, and everyoneis shocked the singer is female – shedoesn’t sound like a boy so much as shehas a really unique vocal style, especiallyto contrast her with most femalevocalists. I bet these guys will be a realhit with the kids, and I just hope theystick it out for a while. A few years fromnow, and with a better name, I can imaginebeing completely in awe here. I doworry. They walk a fine line away frombeing the next Blink 182 or whoever,but they are definitely on the right sideof that line. –Rich Mackin (Fat)FIGHTING CHANCE:Thus Hope Fades: CDThis month I got a lot of killer CDs toreview. This one is no exception.Thirteen tracks of excellent street punk,hardcore, and even a reggae tune. It’s alldone very well. Great vocals, greatmusic, great lyrics = a great full length.These guys very strongly support theworking class, which is evident in theirlyrics. That’s good by me. So, yes, bustout your wallet and buy this CD. I highlyrecommend it. –Mike Beer(Insurgence)FLAMETHROWER:Self-titled: CDI was ready to hate this, butFlamethrower opens the record with asong about The Super Bee and havepeaked my interest. It’s rock, no wayaround it, but the band seems like leantowards Motorhead in a way that I likeand, at the same time, giving me a feelingthat someone in this band listened toAgent Orange in high school. With thatsaid, and it’s nit picky, the vocals lean alittle away from Lemmy and towardsKurt Cobain. Fans of Zeke orMotorhead should seek this out. –WandaSpragg (Dead Teenager)FLATTBUSH:Smash the Octopus: CDSome thoroughly razed music here,melding equal parts metal, hardcore andfree jazz, and ending up with theFilipino/American equivalent of havingMelt Banana whooped upside your headby your favorite grindcore band. Whilecertainly spastic in every sense of theword, closer inspection reveals a levelof precision and technical prowess thatmight be lost on the casual listener.Definitely not for those who are faint ofheart, but a damn good listen if you’refeelin’ lucky, punk. –Jimmy Alvarado(Kool Arrow)FLIP TOPS/ TRIGGERS:Split 7”Man, this is a good split. Flip Topssound like Supercharger meets theDwarves meets the Motards. Both tracks(and the two on their split with theGloryholes) seem to show the Flip Topsmaturing as a band from their full-lengthreleased late last year. Everything worksso well now. The Triggers are so damngood. Female-fronted, no-nonsensepunk’n’roll. –Megan (Johnny Cat)FORFEIT THE DAY:Demo: CD-RSpeed metal that’s comparable to, um,other speed metal bands, I guess. Notexactly what I would call my area ofexpertise. I’ve got nothing but sympathyfor the singer, who sounds like he’s constipated.I’ve been there, dude, I feel foryou. –Not Josh (kosfsh@yahoo.com)FOUR SQUARE:Three Chords.. One Capo: CDYawn... Stretch... Rub my eyes... ThisR.E.M., indie band almost put me tosleep. –Donofthedead (Bad Taste)FREE VERSE: Inventing anArchetype: CDEPI reviewed their two-song EP awhileback. I actually kept it. It has survived acouple of clean outs of the collection.They have a dark, moody tone to themthat I am attracted to but can’t listen toall the time. This EP is a six-songer thatshows better production and progression.The band has remained intact withthe same three women grinding out theirrage. The songs remain dirgy, dark andangry while maintaining their rock edge.They still remind me of an old deathrock band from the ‘80s but add elements,this time around, that remind meof that metal band, Kittie. This is one Iwill keep. –Donofthedead (Demirep)
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