November 2002 CD Reviews

JASON LOEWENSTEIN
At Sixes And Sevens
SUB POP

   You may recognize Jason Loewenstein from the established indie-rock band Sebadoh. His latest effort is a solo-project that further demonstrates his talents as a musician and songwriter. The new album encompasses many different genres of rock, consisting mostly of the type of indie rock you've come to know from his prior work. He does everything on this album, from guitar and vocals to the actual recording of the CD. This is definitely a DIY effort in the truest sense of the word.
- ADF


GONE HAZEL
s/t
RED RECORDS

    Well, the Christian music industry has found its own version of The Gin Blossoms—four years too late. Gone Hazel is a rock band from Orange County (go figure!) that plays pop/rock in the vein of The Gin Blossoms meet Dishwalla. The musical construction of these songs is tight. The members of Gone Hazel are no doubt good musicians. This two-song sampler has been sent in anticipation of the band's upcoming full-length release. If you like your pop/rock to have religious overtones, then these guys are definitely for you.
- ADF

RETISONIC
Lean Beat
SILVERTHREE RECORDS

   Featuring ex-members of Bluetip and Garden Variety, Retisonic has a decent-looking resume. The duo plays a kind of music that can only be described as eclectic rock. If you take the vocals of Jets to Brazil, and mix in the rock-inspiration of Fugazi and At the Drive-In, you'd get Retisonic. The songs are melodic and well-written and are not watered down so that they can be played on radio. Retisonic will be touring the East Coast with Jets to Brazil in November, so you may want to keep a look out for this young band.
- ADF

NINETY NINE
Anatomy Of Distance
PATSY / STICKFIGURE RECORDS

   Fronted by original drummer of Sleater-Kinney, this is another Australian band to grace us with innovative indie rock in the vein of the aforementioned band. The smooth, female vocals backed by talented musicianship really offer a dreamy landscape for your listening pleasure. This is a good pop/rock album—although the vocalist does become a little monotonous by its end. Although the music is very versatile, her vocals are not. If you like bands like Sleater-Kinney or Rilo Kiley, then you'll like Ninetynine.
-ADF

JEFF GRIMES AND THE BROKEN STRINGS
Violent Girl
ROCKETSHIP BOOKS AND RECORDS

   Jeff Grimes is a singer/songwriter from Ventura, California, who has a love for indie rock. His band's latest effort, VIOLENT GIRL, is an eclectic mix of many different instruments playing a mellow kind of progressive rock. I hear various influences in this, ranging from The Violent Femmes to Tom Petty. Grimes's vocals are very calm and soothing. The music is creative, in the sense that it flawlessly incorporates elements from other styles of music (such as country) into the finished product. However, this is the kind of album you play in the background of a dinner party or when you're in bed at night.
- ADF

THE BAD VIBES
Hate Your Everything
STEEL CAGE RECORDS

   Here's a Philadelphia band with lots of attitude. The Bad Vibes plays straight-ahead, furious punk rock that's pissed off and isn't afraid to let you know. The sound reminds me of bands like Toxic Narcotic and Sick of It All. This isn't anything new or groundbreaking, but it's definitely good for the style of punk rock it is. If you like your punk fast and aggressive, then the Bad Vibes is worth your attention.
- ADF

LIARS ACADEMY
Trading My Life
EQUAL VISION RECORDS

   I'm not sure what's cooler: the music or the packaging. The actual disc looks much like NOFX's THE DECLINE, but that's where any similarities to NOFX end for Liar's Academy. If anything, this four-track sampler serves as a big tease more than letting the fans hear a few new tracks. I guess it's good when a release—no matter how short it is—does that. Before TRADING MY LIFE, I had no clue who this band was, but I'm glad I know now. The album is filled with four wholesome, angst-ridden indie-rock tracks that will make the listeners bob their heads and come back for more. The songs are crafted in such a way that the tempo changes never seem out of place. Instead, it's more like a natural progression. "Chainsmoke the Night Away" and "Now Is the Time" are my two favorites.
- Dane Jackson

LISBOA / KID BROTHER COLLECTIVE
split CD
ACUTEST RECORDS

   Somehow, Acutest Records got two of the more well-known Michigan indie bands to contribute on this split. While Lisboa (which is also on Vertical Verve Records) contributes three new tracks, and Kid Brother Collective treats the fans to an unused track from its latest album. So for all you Kid Brother Collective completists out there, this split is a must-have. Speaking of "Necessary Evelyn", this is a good track to start out the album because it has a very upbeat tempo and a catchy chorus. It's a complete sing-along. The guys in Lisboa also show a bit of their experimental side on this split, with an electronics-laden instrumental called "L'empire Des Lumieres", named after the painting that inspired it. While more on the emo side, the three tracks contributed by Kid Brother Collective are equally good. Kid Brother Collective also shows a bit of its experimental side by giving the fans an acoustic track to close out the disc. In a way, while only six tracks long, this split starts with a bang and lets the listener down slow with a soothing rendition of "The Small of Her Back". Well-crafted and worth the money. If you're interested in some of the best independent music that Michigan has to offer, you should really take some time out to check out Acutest and Vertical Verve Records on the Web.
- Dane Jackson

BITCHIN'
The Night Life, The Tight Style
NO IDEA

   When I get sent a female-fronted band to review, I usually cringe. As a rule, I hate female punk rock—from the Lunachicks all the way down to any local upstart band. So when I saw Bitchin' in my package this month, I couldn't wait to tear it to shreds in this review. Besides a few moments when the dual lead singers' vocals grinded on my ears, this is a very solid album. Damn you Caroline and Todd and Samantha! You have broken my streak of hating predominantly-female punk bands. The musicianship is solid, the songs are relevant, and the intensity never really falters. From the opening riffs of "Bargained" to the end of the heart-wrenching lyrics of "Smokestacks", I'm sure you'll find something you'll like on THE NIGHT LIFE, THE TIGHT STYLE.
- Dane Jackson

DIES IRAE
The Sin War
METAL BLADE

   You know, when I listen to heavier-than-usual metal, it never ceases to amaze me how vocalists can maintain their guttural growls for so long. When I try to do that, I end up coughing after a minute or two. It's even more amazing to think that they maintain that shit for an entire live set. Anyway, when it comes to heavy metal, Dies Irae is pretty damn brutal. And since I'm talking about metal, that's a good thing. The band's lyrics are about death, gore, devils, and all the other wholesome subjects your parents' favorite bands sing about. Vocals from Novy are slightly incomprehensible, but after reading along with the liner notes, you'll be growling along in no time. All kidding aside, I did enjoy THE SIN WAR. It's heavy, it's loud, and it's an album to put on when you want your anger and aggression to intensify.
- Dane Jackson

JAMES AND THE DEAD WHALES
self-titled EP
DEAD AT WILL RECORDS

   The only thing James and the Dead Whales have going for it is its unique name. Because of its obscurity, people are prone to remember it and talk a bit about it. Unfortunately, the three tracks the band treats you to on this EP just can't live up to the band's name. At first, on "It Still Burns", for example, the melody starts off innocently enough—a little melodic punk with a post-punk emo flair. But it just gets fucked up towards the end, when someone lets out a jolting scream that ruins the song. Shame, shame. It all just goes down from there, and with three songs, one-half of one-third of the EP being good just doesn't cut it. If you like crappy, annoying emo mixed with unnecessary hardcore yelling, then check these guys out. They sure made it easy to not forget their name.
- Dane Jackson

STARING BACK
On
LOBSTER RECORDS

   I think Lobster Records may just be one of my new favorite record labels. So far, the bands I've heard from Lobster are pretty solid—and Staring Back is no exception. The band's new album ON clocks in at just over 40 minutes, and for the most part I enjoyed everything. It seems like the lines between rock, emo, and punk have been blurred with bands like Staring Back, so in the interest of fairness I'll just call it rock. With a sound reminiscent of The Starting Line and Midtown, Staring Back is a band that knows how to utilize the conventions of its genre to the fullest to create a dynamic sound. At one point the band is belting out a straightforward rock tune about love, but then comes back with some heavy three-chord punk like on "X Out". If you like some of the Drive-Thru bands, then you'll definitely like Staring Back. (Personally, I think the band sounds a lot better than the stuff on Drive-Thru.)
- Dane Jackson

THE MINUS TIDE
The Rock Autopsy Has Begun
ACTION DRIVER RECORDED WORKS

   On the six-track CD titled THE ROCK AUTOPSY HAS BEGUN, The Minus Tide—a sextet from Wheeling, WV—establishes itself as a don't-fuck-with-us metal band…sort of. While dodging the confines of nu-metal, this band gives more of a Metallica/Iron Maiden vibe through melodic rhythms, synths, and dual leads ("I Smell Blood and I Like What I Smell" and "Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun" are good examples). It almost sounds too hard rock to be metal. But if you listen to later tracks such as "Do Drop Dead" and "Trap Door to Oblivion", we get some grind-like guitar wallops from Mikey and Chris, along with Dallas's nails-on-the-chalkboard screech. Overall, whether the group "makes music" or pounds out some chords, the instrumentals are key to the album's success; they're well arranged and just plain catchy. Vocals, lyrics, or whatever else seem purely coincidental.
- Darren Ratner

ISIS
Oceanic
IPECAC

   By the daunting seventh track of Isis's second album, OCEANIC, it was clear that this was something out of an erotic horror film. Never mind that this is a practically pause-free CD. With inspirations that cover the experimental realms of Godflesh and power of Neurosis, OCEANIC becomes a bit much. Its finest moments are from the untitled track five, through "Marritime", and on to "Weight", where the band touches on everything from samplings to echoes and bongos. The album shoots in the raw emotion while sporadically coming up for air, the experimentation managing to peak its head. But most of the tracks, even the first couple ("The Other" and "False Light"), seem way too long and just do a number on the nerves…not to mention the head. Aaron Turner—founder of Hydra Head Records and brainchild behind this ensemble—has put together five exuberant metallers. You've been warned.
- Darren Ratner

SNAPCASE
End Transmission
VICTORY

   A stimulating record of both emo and alt-metal, straight-edge group Snapcase looks to continue what it started in 1995. The quintet's 2002 effort, titled END TRANSMISSION, is a non-stop revolt against the indulgers, the easily-persuaded, and those who think they're "better." In other words, nothing's changed. Given lyrics such as "We've got the plan / We've got the escape plan blueprint / It's not for those who believe / It's not for the self-indulgent"("Believe, Revolt"), you can see where it's coming from. Otherwise, the music jumps back and forth from kick-ass guitar drives (such as the ones in "First Word") to slower, smoother verve (the middle of "New Kata" and "A Synthesis of…"). Many describe Snapcase as a hardcore band, but the group seems to lean more towards alt-metal. Maybe this is a step back from the ferocity of previous work. I wouldn't know: sadly, this is the first Snapcase album I've ever heard.
- Darren Ratner

KNUT
Challenger
HYDRA HEAD

   Picture Slipknot having a seizure. Seems hard to do? Well, this is exactly what CHALLENGER by the Geneva's Knut sounds like. It's an absolutely earth-shattering album that is supremely based on cutting hardcore style and standard, over-the-top anger. Pick a song, any song, on this record: "Whacked Out", "El Nino", "Repressed", "Neon Guide"—you'll get the same tinnitus-inducing tones over and over. I won't say Knut is a bad group given its genre of choice. In fact, fans of hardcore may see this album as a godsend. Heh, all power to you, folks.
- Darren Ratner

STEP KINGS
3 The Hard Way
FANTASTIC PLASTIC

   New York's Step Kings has been rocking the Fantastic Plastic kingdom since 1999. So why is it STILL on the independent tip? It might be that its modern metal antics carry too much indie style for major-league labels. The band's second effort, 3 THE HARD WAY, proves the point. Amongst the hardcore yelps of vocalist/bassist Bob Mclynn, who also manages to sing (as on "The Dove"), the group stomps around with tracks that include rap rock ("The Dove"), hardcore ("The Nucleus"), and even jazz ("Palisades"). The smack Step Kings hands the listener is a powerful one. As far I can see, the band just does it its way—to the point that industry scouts look away.
- Darren Ratner

STAVESACRE
Stavz-a-ker
NITRO RECORDS

   This is the fourth release from SoCal's Stavesacre, whose first three records were released by Tooth & Nail. The band plays melodic rock that features exceptionally strong vocals by Mark Salomon, who is backed up by Ryan Dennee on guitar, Dirk Lemmenes on bass, Neil Samoy on guitar, and Sam West on drums. The group's music has a real wall of sound feel to it; there are a lot of layers and texture here. Imagine The Lassie Foundation with lots more muscle. Lyrics sometimes focus on overtly Christian themes, as in "Why Good People Suffer". When Stavesacre wasn't busy recording, the band toured relentlessly, so its sound is definitely polished and confident. My only cavil is that some of the songs sound too similar to each other; I'd like to hear a little more variety in the band's sound. My favorite numbers were "Witch Trial" and "World to Wait".
- Tekolote

DAMNATION
The Unholy Sounds of Damnation
R.A.F.R. RECORDS

   SoCal band Damnation has a new release replete with lyrics about evil, death, hell, and demons—the group's usual fare. However, the intensity and precision that band members Al G on bass and vocals, Shaun Kama on vocals, Robert Shawn on drums and vocals, and Tod on guitar and vocals bring to the music make this a standout disc. Also, the sense of humor in the lyrics (as in "California Demons", which borrows the tune of the all-too-familiar "California Dreamin'") keeps the record entertaining. My favorite songs are "Spell on Me", "Formaldehyde", "Fuel-Injected Priest", and "R.I.P." ( which has a really catchy little riff). Highly recommended for purchase (unless you're some sort of emo freak or hardcore Christian).
- Tekolote

PITCH BLACK
self-titled
REVELATION

  Pitch Black mixes B-movie horror themes and music with punk speed—and gets mixed results. The four-piece from the Bay Area features Kevin Cross on guitar and vocals, Daniel Homer on keyboards and theremin, Jamie Morrison on drums, and Martin Munroe on bass and vocals. Lyrics are about lost love, death, laboratories, blood, and misery. I liked the music in "Resting Place" (about a guy digging up his dead love). However, with the exception of this song, I thought the others were similar enough that they blended together. Also, I find horror-movie lyrics to be like rockabilly lyrics: lacking in originality and imagination due to the confines of the genre. In other words, those who are going to get into this kind of music are probably going to be limited to people who are fans of the genre, rather than a wider audience. Your best bet is to catch the band live so you can enjoy its pyrotechnically-enhanced stage show.
- Tekolote

D.O.A.
Win The Battle
SUDDEN DEATH RECORDS

   First, let's stop and give these three Canadians props for still caring about what's going on in the world after playing music for 24 years—and I don't mean just caring about where they're gonna get their next beer. There are some serious songs on here: "Just Say No to the WTO", which is a simple, anthemic number; and "Warmonger"; as well as some party songs: "Beer Liberation Army", "Mexican Holiday", "If I Were a Redneck", etc. Obviously the guys have a sense of humor and proportion. The sound is old-school punk with metal-guitar overtones. Just about every number is catchy as hell—you'll be singing along before you know it. Players on the disc are original members Joey Keithley on guitar and vocals and Randy Rampage on bass, with the Great Baldini on drums. Recommended, especially for road trips.
- Tekolote

THE PARKINSONS
A Long Way To Nowhere
ELEVATOR MUSIC

   The Parkinsons comes to us from Elevator Music, home to Portuguese rock 'n' roll. Three of the four-piece's members—Al Zheimer on vocals, Victor Torpedo on guitar, Pedro Xau on bass—played together from 1994 to 1998 in a band called Tedio. The three joined forces again in 2000 with the addition of Chris Low (which does not sound like a Portuguese name to me) on drums. The Parkinsons' music reminds me of early '60s British/American garage rock—raw and basic—with a few songs having more of a Sex Pistols feel to them (e.g., "Scientists" and "Bad Girl"). According to the press release, the guys' live performances are insane. There's only one live track here, "Pill", which sounded rather rowdy but wasn't excessively long. If you like The Ramones or The Sex Pistols or even The Strokes, you'll probably like The Parkinsons. If you can't find the disc locally, you can order it from www.elevatormusic.com.
- Tekolote

THE SEX PISTOLS
Sex Box 1
VIRGIN

   This three-disc set is available only as an import right now, so you're going to have to shell out $65 to $70 to purchase it. It comes with an 80-page book, which has many good pictures, a complete discography, lyrics to the songs, copies of posters &c., as well as a history of the band written by Scott Murphy. The first disc has 20 tracks on it, all either studio tracks (the majority) or early demos. Disc 2 has 22 tracks, all demos and rarities. Disc 3 has 14 songs recorded live at Screen on the Green in 1976, plus five additional live tracks recorded elsewhere. If you count everything up, although there are 61 tracks altogether, there are just 28 songs. Obviously, you're getting several versions of quite a few of the songs here, with "No Feelings" topping the list at six versions (followed by four versions each of "Problems", "Anarchy in the U.K.", "Submission", and "Pretty Vacant"). Some of the versions are instrumentals. The first disc is the best: all the material sounds good, and it has almost all of the songs on it. The second disc has a couple of songs missing from the first disc, and the quality is good on most of the cuts (although most of the songs are played at a slower tempo). The third disc, which is all live, doesn't sound very good, especially if you play it in the car; and there isn't enough Lydon wit during the set to make hearing the same songs over again worthwhile. Is it worth the price tag? Probably, if you're a huge fan; but otherwise, you probably could live with a cheaper compilation and a live video.
- Tekolote

ONEIDA
Each One Teach One
JAGJAGUWAR

   Oneida continued to add to its discography in 2000 with EACH ONE TEACH ONE, a now-legendary album of truly brutal psych rock that set the bar for all other stoner-rock bands entering the new millennium. The first edition released by Version City had only 500 double-LP copies. Now Jagjaguwar makes available a two-CD edition of the same magnificent opus. Here, Oneida writes the book on fusing mind-numbing noise with beguiling melody.
- Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE WARLOCKS
Phoenix EP
BIRDMAN

   The Warlocks has long been superlative as a space-rock band, given to those fuzzy jams. However, this record leaves behind some of that cosmic sound, instead featuring a purer form of space rock—with the emphasis on rock—with added focus on the vocals. These are delivered sincerely and poignantly. The Warlocks offers space-soul with trippy, flee-floating psychedelic rock; and PHOENIX is definitely another plateau for this ambitious ensemble.
- Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

ONE MAN ARMY
Rumors And Headlines
BYO RECORDS

   The band's third album (and first on BYO Records) is rooted in old-school punk. The opener, "Victoria", is anthemic and recalls early melodic Brit post-punk styles (Toy Dolls, for example), while the buzz saw of "It's Empty" recalls another class in that school (the one populated by G.B.H., The Exploited, and the like). Still, the jaunty, melodic style is highly accessible (as on "S.O.S."), and this might be partly due to the production efforts of Kevin Army. Through his work with Green Day and Operation Ivy, Army knows well styles with both popular appeal and still within the context of punk. Indeed, the band's first two albums came out on Adeline Records, the label of Green Day's Billy Joe Armstrong. While it remains to be seen if the San Francisco trio will gain the heights of popularity attained by Green Day, its upbeat U.K. sound guarantees this record will long be called upon as a touchstone of West Coast neo-punk.
- Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE N.Y. REL-X
She's Got A Gun / Paranoia
TKO RECORDS

   The debut CD release from this New York City punk-rock act brims with energy and vigor like an old-school classic. The group definitely knows the old-school ways, and shows it on its take on The Avengers' "Open Your Eyes". Similar to how that group is led by Penelope Houston, this group has a dynamic lead in vocalist in Erika (last name not given). The band brings in the West Coast punk sound—which is pretty fresh coming from a New York group. This CD combines the group's PARANOIA and SHE'S GOT A GUN EPs.
- Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Bosse Sound: Swedish Hardcore, Punk, and New Wave 1979-1986.
DIONYSUS

   This compilation gathers the underground sounds of Sweden spanning nearly a decade. We have 30 tracks from 18 distinct groups. The birthplace of the great rowdy and raw sounds from power pop to hardcore was a small basement in Linköping, Sweden. "Bosse" was actually the name of the engineer who created the "B-Sound" of these groups. While some of these tracks saw limited Swedish vinyl release at that time, none of them were issued in the U.S. and most are now officially making their debut in any format. Some of they lyrics are Swedish, of course, but regardless, all the music is good rock 'n' roll for the era and still resonates today with vitality.
- Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

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