Hands Tied • s/t • Equal Vision Records • This band has a load of old school influence in their music. They are punk to the hilt, but their lyrics are far from the norm. Sean, the lead singer has apparently had some love problems in his life, which he now bellows out the stories to in their songs. If you like old-style punk with new fresh drum kicks and power guitars mixed with insightful lyrics, pick up Hands Tied.
Mister Edd • Jump in the Pool • Indierific Records • A soothing collection of funky jazz and blues. It just makes me wanna put on my smokin’ jacket and some sunglasses and just, ya, know, kick it or whatever. Great album.
The Best Parts of a Cow • Tres Carnes • Sonic Jubilee • These guys impressed the hell out of me. They’re a local Central Florida band from St. Petersburg. The band consists of two bassists(not the only instruments they play) and a guitarist. They take turns with the percussion and lend their own abilities on keyboards, woodwinds, violin, and harmonica tossed around with kickass lyrics and occasionally scat and yodel. They do some sampling of sounds that remind me of Love and Rockets and the Beatles, believe it or not. Don’t be afraid, it is a fantastic sound you’re sure to dig.
Peter and the Test Tube Babies • The Mating Sounds of South American Frogs • Doctor Strange Records •It’s about time someone tried to mix it up a little with the normal sounds of punk. Pete does a great job of it. They have the sounds of old-school Euro-punk, Surf-punk and Rockabilly. They even have a slower track on which a girl does some singing on. They remind me a lot of the Sex Pistols and The Stray Cats. When was the last time you heard a piano on a punk album?
Gladhands • La Di Da • Big Deal • Smooth alternative rock reminiscent of Urge Overkill. Good harmonies and some catchy bass lines.
Tricia and the Supersonics • King Bravo Selects Ska Authentics • Moon Ska Records • When they titled this CD Ska Authentics they meant it. No, it’s not No Doubt kids. This is the real shit. Some members of the Supersonics were in a band called The Skatalites back in the early 60’s. They were the pioneers of the movement, bringing into existence such talent as one Robert Marley—Bob Marley in case you were puzzled—and now utilizing the talents of Miss Jamaica 1996. This is the way it was meant to be, for a time anyways.
Various Artists • Used to Be: Blues from the Pacific Delta • Undercover • These aren’t the kind of blues to which we are typically accustomed. They’re more country-ish blues, with twangin’ gee-tars and strangely, an absence of hee-hawin’ which I was doing a lot of while listening. Geddalong, little doggay!
THE FEDS • Classified 7" • Dr. Strange Records • Angry-I’m-better-off-alone-cuz-people-suck disillusioned sing/screamy sung guitar driven fast tempo punk. If you’re in a F.T.W. mood, this is awesome!
The Verge • Phenomenon • Big Deal • This music is Phenomenal. This trio from the Northeast have the makings of a great 60’s rock band and then they throw in some samples and keyboards to bring us up to date. This music is the true sounds of retro, but they don’t outright steal sounds like other bands.
Heronymus • s/t • Icarus Records • Quick-paced funk with hints of ska. This local bunch will appease Bosstones-lovers everywhere and offer something quite new of their own.
Lenny • Please, Oh Please • Rock Fetish • Make those guitars wail! Yeah! Lenny is a powerful pop rock band with in-your-face opinions. Sounds like Schleprock, but a bit more tame.
Skankin’ Pickle • SKAFUNKRASTAPUNK • Dill Records • The title says it all. This band has all the above and more; a talented horn section, a fantastic female guitarist and a shit-load of fun. You will bounce off the walls if Skankin’ Pickle has anything to say about it. But, as well as those music styles mentioned in the title, they left out speed metal, metal, hip-hop, polka, and vaudeville. See what I mean about never being bored?
The Frogs • Starjob EP • Scratchie Records • 6-song EP of emotional alternative rock. This band recently toured with Smashing Pumpkins, and shares many attributes. Well-thought lyrics.
Brown Hill Spirit • Kosmic • Magnetic • 3-piece alternative band with a distinct relation to Pearl Jam’s post-Ten stuff. Excellent vocals and a really badass album cover, I might add.
Alpha Stone • Soulweed • Bomp! • Great English beat music numbing the senses with synthesizers, samples, and conventional instruments. Put Depeche Mode and "the new" U2 together, alone in a 10’ X 10’ room and this is what you’d end up with. It has a catchy trance ambiant sound that flows seamlessly from track 1 to 9.
30footFALL • Acme-143 • Fearless Records • This power-punk band from Texas has a fantastic sound. There’s a whopping 18 tracks on this great CD, one of which is titled “People Are Stupid.” How can one go wrong with that?
Jack and Jill • Fancy Birdhouse • Magnetic • Mellow folk music for chillin’ ta. Sweet, slow groovin’. Ahh yeah. Dig it. Mmmm hmmm.
Fear Factory • Remanufacture (Cloning Technology) • Roadrunner Records • Definitely an interesting mix of sounds. A few songs get close to agro/thrash/techno with lyrics that ring in like old time death metal band Celtic Frost. But, the majority of the music is ambiant techno-if that makes any sense-with a resemblance to Prodigy, Codine, Consolidated, Nostromo Dept., DOA, Delta Nine, The Orb, and Skinny Puppy to round it off into a more raw approach.
Bracket • “E” is for Everything • Fat Wreck Chords • This is a collection of everything pop-punky Bracket ever recorded for Fat Wreck. It’s half good and half unimpressive. I was expecting more.
Iggy and the Stooges • Year of the Iguana • Bomp! • We all know who Iggy Pop is and it seems he’s more popular now-with breaking into films and such than he was back in the 60’s and 70’s at the forefront of the punk rock movement. Well, now you can get a taste of some old Iggy that many people have never heard before. Year of the Iguana is made up of tunes that were either never released, only recorded live, or just recorded during rehearsals for the Stooges' never completed fourth album.
Ten Yard Fight • Hardcore Pride • Equal Vision Records • These guys stick to their album title like their tunes stick in your head. Ten Yard Fight is comprised of hardcore/punk musicians that are proud to be part of the Straight Edge movement. The disc is made up of the Hardcore Pride EP and Demo 1995, so there’s 13 kickass tracks that will make you go agro on your furniture, car, and whatever else is around when you listen to this.
The UK Subs • 20th Anniversary Issue Parts I & II (Quintessentials/Riot) • New Red Archives/Cleopatra • 20 Years later, one of the world's hottest punk rock bands is still going. The UK Subs got together in October of 1996 and recorded a collection of some of their best work, as they culminate in the punk scene of the 90’s. The discs contain 30 new/old songs that will forever influence new bands on the scene.
Watershed/Hoarse • split EP • Idol Records • Hoarse starts it off with a couple great power pop pieces. They have great melodies and are worth your time. Watershed, on the other hand, are not terribly exciting rock and roll.
Various Artists • Empty Sampler 2 • Empty Records • Empty has been very consistent over the years. This sampler is a great look at some of the more recent bands and songs. Tracks from: Sicko, Gas Huffer, Zipgun, Scared of Chaka, The Motards and more. Great punk/garage stuff.
OS 101 • self-titled EP • Resurrection AD Records • This is a six-song EP that captures some great old style hardcore but sheds creative light on the genre. Overall, this is a tight, fast paced hardcore release that is bound to impress.
Shai Hulud • A Profound Hatred of Man • Revelation/Crisis Records • Three songs of angry hardcore with good lyrics, growling vocals and tight song construction. Well worth a listen.
Purse • 10,000 miles of turntable monotony • Lucky Garage Recording Company • Experimental noise rock that makes use of loops and found sounds. Unfortunately, the lead female vocalist sounds too much like Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, making the influence of Sonic Youth too obvious to the point of Purse mirroring what Sonic Youth did in the 80’s. I appreciate that this is a challenging recording. However, it hasn’t been so long that I’ve forgotten how great Sonic Youth’s records are, and I’m disappointed that Purse didn’t expand on the groundwork Sonic Youth laid.
Auntie Christ • Life Could Be A Dream • Lookout Records • Excene Cervenkova is doing her vocal/guitar thing with this three piece garage-ish punk outfit. They are mostly characterized by their socio/political attitude that comes across, not only in lyrics, but also in the music. This is their first full length release.
DELERIUM • Karma • Netwerk Records • Back in the day, we had Prince records to fornicate to until he overdid that “I wanna be your fantasy” line over 20 various songs. Lucky for us, DELERIUM has put out some heavy-petting music. There is an obvious middle-eastern influence in the chants, instrumentation and rhythms that meld well with dance-beats and synthesizers. If you’re a fan of Enigma, you’ll probably love this. And if you want to have a soundtrack to your sexcapades, I’d recommend this over hardcore, ska or punk. (Prince is outdated anyhow.)
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes • Have A Ball • Fat Wreck Chords • This is bound to be all the rage. A super group of punk rockers playing classics such as: Leaving On A Jet Plane, Uptown Girl, Sweet Caroline, Seasons In The Sun and more (a total of 12 hits!). It’s a five piece: Spike Slawson, Joey Cape, Dave, Fat Mike and Jake “Chris” Jackson. They’ve taken some great tunes and added that lovable punk rock feel all the kids dig.
Broken Hearts Are Blue • The Truth About Love • Caulfield Records • Some emo works, other emo drags on. This emo works. Not sure how to describe the vocals. They're infused with emotion (obviously), have a slight Brit feel, maybe even a Superchunk-ish immaturity to them. But they are solid. The music is driving and complete. Every instrument plays an important role in defining the feel. The lyrics are sincere, sometimes deep. It’s a completely superb package.
Pennywise • Full Circle • Epitaph Records • This album is dedicated to Jason Thirsk, the founding member of the band who passed away last year. It is another solid release from the Cali power punk rockers. Quick, melodic, well-sung vocals characterize this release. There is also a new version of their "hit" BroHymn that is dedicated to Jason (it gave me chills, seriously).
Walker • Actually Being Lonely...Isn't All That Bad • Harmless Records • These boys from Indiana play super cool pop punk. It's smooth, melodic, fun, just the way it should be. The lyrics are fairly personal and well written. Lookin' forward to more from them.
Pansy Division • Queer to the Core 7" • Lookout Records • These silly queers are back with their tunes about homosexuality. However, musically, this 4-song 7" doesn't do it for me. A little too grungy/garage-ish. It's not nearly as poppy/twangy as past stuff. The lyrics are still great.
NOBODYS • Welcome to the Springs - Fuck You 7" • Hopeless Records • Very fast punk rock with snotty male vocals (heard that review before?). This 7" is saved by the cool female vocals on the poppier numbers, and an instrumental track.
Various Artists • Boxcar Freebie 7" • Boxcar Records • Stizzle’s ska punk track “Pointless Pencil” has great vocals, which is followed by perfect female vocals on The Flatspots track. Wolfdaddies and Discount also have tracks. Send $1 or request it from Andrew Chadwick at shows.
Lick 57 • ...And The Band Played On! • OneFoot Records • Who would’ve thought that Pensacola, Florida could harbor such punk rockers? This is Queers/Screeching Weasel influenced stuff. This album has 23 tracks and clocks in at well over 40 minutes. There are a lot of bands that try this, but LICK pulls it off.
BILLYCLUB • It’s better to be pissed off • Idol Records • Fast punk rock with distorto-processed vocals at times. The vocal delivery is super-fast at times, and I’m all about that. I regret missing their show when they toured through this state a couple of months ago. A big and heavy CD with enough sarcasm and anger to live up to its title.
Pep Rally • Deadline • OneFoot Records • Those crazy British punksters! Pep is a four-piece pop punk group from London. They love to sing about girls, and mostly about how unhappy girls have made them. It’s cute. And the music is perfect for it. They aren’t “just another” punk band. The music is creative and the sound and lyrics are fun. Reminds me of the Miami band Quit (no longer around).
Crank • Picking Up The Pieces • OneFoot Records • This is good, but it has been done before. However, they’re Australian, so maybe the fact that American bands have done it before doesn’t bother them. They sound like a faster, rougher Face To Face, Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, etc. Some of the stuff they do is creative, including some very cool rhythms. But, the vocals don’t do much for me. It’s good, just not great.
Heckle • The Complicated Futility of Ignorance • Hopeless Records • What an amazing fusion of hardcore and punk rock, resulting in a new brand of skaterock (ie: the ‘80s bands like Dag Nasty, 7Seconds, Gorilla Biscuits, etc...). There is an anger unlike most melodic punk, but a melody unlike much hardcore. It works very well. The vocals are smooth, sung, screamed and felt. This is good music to drive to, skate to, rock out to.
Reign of Terror • No One is Safe • ROTc Records • Although the these MC’s have decent voices and better than average beats, this tape falls off in message content. The weak rhymes on this tape focus on mass chaos and destruction without any hint as to why mass chaos would be necessary. Watch these guys—if they find someone else to write their lyrics, they could blow up the spot.
Machine Head • The More Things Change • Roadrunner Records • Machine Head, for those who don’t know, is a no-holds-barred, straight for the jugular metal band. Screeching, wailing, slamming and banging, this is a super disc. Songs like "Ten Ton Hammer" and "Violate" assault your ear drums from the start and never stop.
Starkweather • Into the Wire • Edison Records • Five long songs (the disc weighs in at almost 40 minutes) of power anthem type music. Songs like "Murder in Technicolor", "Slither", and "Shroud" start slow and build with fierce intensity. This is a band you’ll be hearing more from - watch out.
Peter and the Test Tube Babies • 3 song 7" • Dr. Strange Records • This limited colored vinyl pressing is well worth owning. “Shake My World” is a happy love song without any of the sap, and “U-Bore-Me” is aimed to deflate the egos of rock and roll superstars. The music is guitar driven with catchy choruses and an overall great feeling. If only all music were this good...
Ringworm • 7 inches the hard way 7" • Rat-Town Records • Heavy thick guitars create an 80’s hardcore wall of noise that is unexpectedly sing-a-longable at times, complete with that era’s tempo shifts. Feeling aggressive? Get this.
Iron Boss • Bullethole 7" • Reptilian Records • “Bullethole” has deep bluesy vocals and deep bass lines that make for pure sex-charged rock and roll. Unfortunately it goes on for two refrains too long. The other song is substandard by comparison to the title track as that distinctive voice is buried under the noise.
Supergirls • ...not in my country • Liberation Records • What a rockin' band. Supergirls remind me a bit of Propagandhi, but have a flavor all their own. Quick guitar changes, unsual melodies, great vocals and lyrics worth reading = good stuff.
Voodoo Glow Skulls • Baile De Los Locos • Epitaph Records • Being one of the most famous ska bands out there hasn’t stopped the Skulls from staying true to form. Instead of trying to bridge the mainstream gap, they keep on keeping on. Textbook stuff. Good stuff.
Open Defiance • Open Defiance • My Own Eyes Records • I know this is over-used, but these guys (and one girl) “have a lot of promise.” They play metal/hardcore almost as well as everyone else, but could stand to tighten up a little musically. Lyrically they’re excellent; their songs have much more meaning than the usual hardcore droll.
Splitsville • Ultrasound • Big Deal Records • This is the hookiest, most fun (and funniest) CD to come out in a long time. And, best of all, the music rocks. Power pop re-defined. These guys should be the new substitute for caffeine. Buy it now and thank me later.
Christie Front Drive • self-titled • Caulfield Records • You’re probably thinking, “With a name like this it’s gotta be ‘emo-rock’.” Ding-ding—you’re right. If you like it, buy this. If you don’t, you should give it another try. This CD is pretty darn good.
The Ataris • ...Anywhere But Here • Kung Fu Records • Incredibly catchy pop punk with similarities to Green Day. The music is quirky, fun, melodic and anything but generic. The lyrics are personal and worth reading. This band is really fucking good.
Janis Figure • Burn Out! • Flak Records • Unfortunately this is only a three-song CD. This band has a lot of influences and it’s hard to nail down their style. They’re part punk, funk and pop, with Jan and Dean guitar somewhere in there. Very addictive.
Various Artists • Skankaholics Unanimous - Under The Influence of Ska • Moon Ska Records • They’re all here and they’re all singing about alcohol. Magadog, Skinnerbox, The Pietasters, The Busters, more... a real who’s who of the best ska out there.
Walt Mink • Colossus • Deep Elm Records • Kind of like the DMB or Duncan Shiek, but with more edge and grit. This is a kick-ass CD that you’ll only hear on college radio because it’s too cool for the mainstream. You’d be wise to snag this one.
Various Artists • Ska: The Third Wave - Volume 1 • Beloved Recordings • Yep, another ska comp. This one features the Scofflaws, Skavoovie and the Epitones and a lot of other bands with "ska" incorporated in their name. Most of these songs have been released before, but if you're just getting into ska or you wanna know what all the kids are talking about, this is a good introduction.
Waiting For Rain • If You Must... • New Ink Records • Waiting For Rain, despite the lame band name, blow other pop/college/alternative bands out of the water. Light guitars, cool arrangements, the lyrics are personal, but not cliche, and the vocals are simply amazing. Every song is just one hook after another.
Dr. Ring-Ding and the Senior All Stars • Dandimite! • Moon Ska Records • Really good traditional ska ranging from rock steady to roots reggae. Fans of the Skatalites will appreciate this, and they even do a Don Drummond tune.
Blackhead • Smartmouth 7" • Rat Patriot • Delicious Orlando punk rock. There are definite Screeching Weasel influences, great melodies and loads of fun packed into one small slab of vinyl. And this 7" contains 4 rockin' songs. Worth more than $3.
The Tank • ...standing in your way 7" • Dr. Strange Records • This four-piece features members of Brown Lobster Tank and Welt. The first song is similar to Gameface. The second is a bit harder, angrier, yet good. The third track is a cover of "I'm The Man."
ADDRESSES - in alphabetical order TOO!! Please write them.
Gameface • Cupcakes EP • Dr. Strange Records • Is there a better band? Gameface has a melodic punk sound that can stir emotion. The lyrics are touching, genuine, heartfelt and real. The vocals are great. There is not enough I can say about this band. Listen to it and you’ll find yourself so drawn in, swept away. Read the words, hear the music, feel it. This EP has five songs, each brilliant.
Chainsuck • Angelscore • Wax Trax! Records • Vocalist Marydee Reynolds sounds like an angel. Her voice is so complimentary to the music that it’s all good. She, at first, reminded me of Poe, but, the more and more I listened the more she sounded simular to Siouxsie. The music itself is an amalgamation of many sounds from The Cure, Pink Floyd, The Orb, and The Mission UK with bass, drums, guitars,synths and samples. Chainsuck does not suck!!!
Big Wig • un Merry Melodies • Fearless Records • Mostly quick-paced melodic punk rock with good tempo changes and a bit of ska tossed in here and there. These guys are from New Jersey, but have a definite Cali feel to ‘em (sometimes they remind me of a faster Digger). The vocals are very good, especially when they harmonize. The music is not ground-breaking but it is quite enjoyable and a lot of fun.
Acme • ...to reduce the choir to one soloist • Edison Recordings • Look out! This is some of the most intense shit I have ever heard. It is full-on hardcore/metal insanity. The throaty vocals coupled with the thumping drums and anger make for an amazing piece of work. Not so fast as it is heavy.
Poker Face • Next! • PhD Music • This is straight up college rock. And it is done well. However, I think they take themselves more seriously than they should. I feel an overly professional attitude for a small indie band. Not that being professional is bad, but it could come off as pretentiousness. They mention God a few times, and I don't really like that. But they are strong supporters of marijuana, so they get bonus points. And they seem to have some cool political attitudes. And good artwork.
Millencolin • For Monkeys • Epitaph Records • Sometimes foreign bands singing in English sound silly. But these Swedish lads do it very well. And, the accent works to their benefit. It adds a flavor to the music. They play, what they call, “soft core.” I suppose it’s the middle ground between pop punk and power punk. It has a greater edge than pop, but it definitely isn’t hardcore. Completely melodic, good vocal harmonies, medium paced, creative and tight.
Beloved Recordings, 318 E. 34th St., 6 Fl., NY, NY 10016-4946
Big Deal, PO Box 2072, Peter Stuyvesant Station, NY, NY 10009-9998
Bomp! Records, PO Box 7112, Burbank, CA 91510
Boxcar Records, P.O. Box 1141, Melbourne, Fl 32902-1141
BYO Records, PO Box 67A64, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Caufield Records, PO Box 84323, Lincoln, NE 68501
Deep Elm, PO Box 1965, NY, NY 10156
Dill Records, PO Box 347388, San Francisco, CA 94134-7388
Dr. Strange Records, PO Box 7000-117, Alta Loma, CA 91701
Edison Recordings, PO Box 42586, Philadelphia, PA 19101-2586
Empty Records, PO Box 12034, Seattle, WA 98102
Epitaph Records, 2798 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Equal Vision Records, P.O. Box 14, Hudson, NY 12534
Fat Wreck Chords, PO Box 193690, San Francisco, CA 94779-3690
Fearless Records, 13772 Goldenwest St. #545, Westminster, CA 92683
Flak Records, 2441 Grand Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55405
Harmless Records, 1437 W. Hood, Chicago, IL 60660
Hopeless Records, PO Box 7495, Van Nuys, CA 91409-7495
Icarus Records, PO Box 678156, Orlando, FL 32867
Idol Records, PO Box 720043, Dallas, TX 75372
Indierific Records, 3193 Willo Dr., Berrien Springs, MI 49103
Kung-Fu Records, PO Box 3061, Seal Beach, CA 90740
Liberation Records, PO Box 17746, Anaheim, CA 92817
Lookout! Records, PO Box 11374, Berkeley, CA 94712-2374
Lucky Garage Recording Co., 2716 MLK Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94703
Moon SKA Records, PO Box 1412, NYC, NY 10276
My Own Eyes Records, 2852 Bowes Lane, Dale City, VA 22193
New Ink, PO Box 541, Fogelsville, PA 18051
Magnetic, PO Box 460816, San Francisco, CA 94146-0816
Netwerk Records, 632 Broadway, Suite 301, NY NY
New Red Archives, PO Box 210501, San Francisco, CA 94121
OneFoot Records, PO Box 3834, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-0592
PhD Music, PO Box 127, Center Valley, PA 18034-0127
Rat-Town Records, P.O. Box 50803, Jax Beach, FL 32240
Rat Patriot Records, 125 E. New York Ave., Deland, FL 32724
Relapse Records, Box 251 Millersville, PA 17551
Reptilian Records, 403 S. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231
Ressurection AD, PO Box 763, Red Bank, NJ 07701
Revelation Records, PO Box 5232, Huntington Beach, CA 92615-5232
Roadrunner Records, 536 Broadway 4th Fl., NY, NY 10012
Rock Fetish, Box 1515, Nokomis, FL 34274
ROTc Records, 53 Peachtree Hills Ave., Atlanta, GA 30305
Scratchie Records, 825 Eighth Ave, NY, NY 10019
Sonic Jubilee, PO Box 60428, St. Pete, FL 33784
Undercover, Inc., PO Box 14561, Portland, OR 97293
WaxTrax, 23 E. 4th St., NY, NY 10003-7028