issue #07 pdf - Razorcake

proves it. There’s twenty-two songshere from some of the best hardcorebands around today: Tear It Up,Limp Wrist, Vitamin X, Esperanza,Pac-Men, and F-Minus. DillingerFour even make an appearance onthis comp with an unlikely DYScover. It’s fucking awesome. This iswhat the radio would sound like ina perfect world. Probably thecoolest thing about this comp is thatit only costs five bucks, and you getthe latest issue of Suburban Voicewith it. –Sean (Suburban Voice)VARIOUS ARTISTS:The Best of SunRecords Vol. 1, Vol. 2 :50th - AnniversaryEdition: CDs, andThe Best of SunRockabilly – 50thAnniversary Edition:CDTo celebrate a half century ofnotable and influential aural offeringsfrom the legendary SunRecords of Memphis-town, eightseparate CDs have recently beenreleased in reverent recognition ofsuch an illustrious achievement andhonorable milestone. Way backyonder ways in early 1952, SamPhillips first flung open the doorsof Sun Studio and began regularlyrecording the loud’n’lively sonicswagger of the restless jukejointcarousin’locals, ragtag rhythmand-bluesboogie-blasters, and guitar-slingin’,piano-pummellin’ hillbillyhellcats. Mr. Phillips eagerlyembraced the colorful eclecticsounds that raucously rolled outtathe cotton fields, shanty towns, andhonky-tonks in and aroundMemphis. He diligently and enthusiasticallydevoted a strenuous,mind-boggling amount of time andeffort to forever preserve theunique auditory racket that waswildly oozing from the murkyswirling mud-waters of the mightyMississippi River during that era. Itwas a magnificent new sound thatwas all-at-once raw, primitive, individualistic,and distinctly original;a moving, jaw-crackin’ mixture ofcountry, blues, gospel, and ruralold-time folk music. Soon to becalled rock’n’roll, it would unleashan almighty roaring wallop thatwould ultimately alter the entiremusic world indelibly. And SamPhillips unknowingly possessed aninnate ability to perfectly capturethis new generation of noise as ithappened. So here they are as theywere, the inimitable bad-ass granddaddiesof rock’n’roll: CarlPerkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry LeeLewis, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich,Billy Lee Riley, and ConwayTwitty (when he used his birthgivenname, Harold Jenkins), pluslesser known, but equally prolific,rockin’ cool-cats like Bill Justiss,Carl Mann, Ray Smith, SonnyBurgess, Little Junior’s BlueFlames, Sleepy LaBeef, WarrenSmith, and Carl McVoy. My onlycertifiable complaint is the obviousomission of stellar inspirationaltracks by Jackie Brenston with IkeTurner (their “Rocket 88” is thedefinitive and first recorded releaseto ever be categorized as rock-’n’roll), Rufus Thomas (his “BearCat” and “Walkin’ the Dog” are theultimate skull-rattlin’ R&B classics!),and, of course, Elvis “TheThrustin’ Pelvis” Presley (hisrough-and-rowdy Sun output aurallyepitomizes the frenzied energeticexuberance of rock’n’roll’s earlyexplosive outbursts). Anyway, I’msure the noticeable exclusion of theaforementioned musical geniuseshas a lot to do with the usual tangledweb of licensing legalitiesmore than anything else. Damn, Ijust wish the pencil-pushin’ suitand-tiecorporate types could setaside their differences for once andkeep their shady conflicts-of-interestbusiness dealings the hell outtarock’n’roll! With that so firmlystated and out of the way, I religiouslyrecommend these threediscs (as well as the other five companionpieces: The Best of SunCountry, Johnny Cash, CarlPerkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and RoyOrbison). Each CD is an incrediblyaffordable bargain at six-to-sevenbucks a pop! Sure as shit, SunRecords is where it all began.Rock’n’roll was born, bred, andultimately shaped there some fiftywhirlwind years ago. Yep, kiddies,it’s way past high-time to pay yourrespects where they are damn welldue. –Roger Moser, Jr. (DirectSource Special Products Inc.)VIRGIN MEGA WHORE:Self-titled: 7”They’re from Chicago, but I cansee why they’re on a San Diegolabel, what with the postmoderncollision of the post-prepunkskrang of Pussy Galore and thepost-post-postpunk floomp ofMen’s Recovery Project. Loud guitarsfill the spaces between electronicpiano blurts and samples andyelling and stuff. Nasty sex packagingand colored vinyl rounds out asplendid unit. –Cuss Baxter (YouthAttack)VIRULENT STRAIN:Torture Tools: CDWhen I hear the Virulent Strainsinger scream and shred her vocalchords, yet still stay in key (mostly)and actually have some range, it’shard for me to not think of theDistillers. But the more I listen tothis album, I further I get from thatcomparison. For one thing, VirulentStrain have a more hardcore soundthan the Distillers. Also, where thesinger for the Distillers will sometimesslow the songs down so shecan hit a bad-eighties-metal-soundingscream, the singer for VirulentStrain will speed the song up so shecan rip through some fast-as-hell,intelligent lyrics. Virulent Strain’ssongs are full of hooks but stillcharge with a lot of power and nononsense. They’re on to somethingnew and really cool here. I highlyrecommend this album. –Sean(Rodent Popsicle)VIVA MAXITONE:Taking Up Serpents: CDThis is blazing balls-out rock’n’rollmadness that’s more thunderouslyferocious than a fully revved ‘57Chevy tanked and topped-off withhigh-octane rubber-burnin’ rocketfuel! It’s the blistering assaultingsound of volcanic guitar-crunchin’fury (with a bit of East Bay Raystylesiren-wail guitar leads), ominouslyloud bone-rattlin’ bassthumpin’bravado, an unruly arrayof drum-pummeling nuclear explosionsthat’d deafen the dead, andlasciviously snarling vocals nastilydrippin’ with snotty bitch-withballsattitude. Viva Maxitone areraucously comparable to a liveliermore crazed X, an angrier moreabrasive Joan Jett, early Hole withmuch more of a lethal meanstreakof rock’n’roll originality, L7drenched in a flaming vat of dragsterfuel and bootleg whiskey, abouncier more bad-ass Breeders,and The Paper Tulips if they hadbeen born, bred, and branded inTexas. Whooooo-doggy shit yes,this flesh-mangling CD vigorouslyboils the blood, relentlessly scorchesthe skin straight down to thebone, and mercilessly melts theears into a wax-ridden pile of mush.Not even the first atomic bombunleashed this much combustiblepower; nor did Muhammad Aliever pack this fierce of a jawcrackin’punch; and Godzilla couldnever begin to roar with such unbridledraging passion as that which isso uniquely contained herein. Myears have just witnessed the wrathfulspine-snappin’ future of rock-’n’roll, and it’s Viva Maxitone!–Roger Moser, Jr. (Idol)”Check outeight-sixbrand spankingnew recordreviews atwww.razorcake.com