October 2002 CD Reviews

GBH
HA HA
GO-KART RECORDS

   GBH plateaued early in its buzz-saw guitar hardcore with the period known as the Mike Clay years (documented in the compilation of that name). In the past decade GBH streamlined into a lean, fast, skate-punk sound that left much to be desired to their legions of early, purist fans. With HA HA the British group leans back and laughs at that dichotomy by easily melding the two styles into a new formula. This synthesized version of the GBH sound is a brilliant middle ground between the group's two periods, and equals a record that beats out the middle years and rivals the early classics.
- Tom "Tearaway" Schulte


COMMON RIDER
This Is Unity Music
HOPELESS RECORDS

    Many of you must remember his first band. I mean, how could you possibly forget a band like Operation Ivy? Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman would go on to form Rancid in later years. But whatever happened to lead singer Jesse Michaels? Well, he's had a project or two going on here and there, but now he is back with Common Rider. With one record under its belt (THE CLASSICS OF LOVE, released on Panic Button/Lookout Records a couple years back), Common Rider has now hooked up with Hopeless Records and released THIS IS UNITY MUSIC. Blending styles as broad pop, rock 'n' roll, and reggae (in a still very punk-rock fashion), Common Rider has produced another awesome record chock full of hooks and catchy numbers that you wont soon forget. Lyrically Jesse has managed to become even more insightful and heartfeltÑand is backed by a kick-ass band: with players like Mass Giorgini on bass and Dan Lumley on drums (both of Squirtgun and Screeching Weasel fame), the band couldn't get any better. Added help from the boys of Alkaline Trio and The Lawrence Arms on backup vocals, and extra guitar and vocals courtesy of Phillip Hill (Teen Idols, Screeching Weasel) makes this record an all-star affair. I totally encourage the purchase of this record. In fact, it demand it of you.
- Mike G.

EXIT ONE EIGHTY
demo
SELF RELEASED

   Exit One Eighty is a band that plays music that would be funny if I was still in junior high and my favorite band was Guttermouth; however, neither of these are true. The card that came with the disc exclaims, in bold type, "punk rock at its best" is also quite untrue. These four songs sound vaguely similar to anything off of any The Vandals album released in the last 10 years: take that as you will. Silly songs about teenage girls, being naked, and whatnot isn't exactly what I look for in a band...but if it that's your thing, then you might want to look for these guys playing around wherever it is that they're from. I tried to do a little research on them, but unfortunately the link to www.exitoneeighty.com comes up as an error. Maybe this is a sign?
-J. Johnson

RADIATE
Transmission
SELF RELEASED

   Radiate makes the most of today's technological advances in the hard-rock world on its three-song EP. Mixing the tribal aggression of Soulfly with the technical melodics of Filter, this New Jersey-based quartet combines a lot of different styles of heavy music successfully, maximizing its sonic output. Industrial strength percussion helps the band break the mold, while the NIN-inspired vocals and angst keeps it right at the brink of relaying the pent-up emotions of teenagers everywhere. www.doyouradiate.com
-Mike SOS

POP UNKNOWN
The August Division
SESSIONS RECORDS

   Judging from the group's press sheet alone, Pop Unknown is a very qualified band. Having played show dates with bands like Jimmy Eat World, The Get Up Kids, and At The Drive-In; and featuring the former drummer of the legendary indie-rock band Mineral, Pop Unknown has already made a name for itself. The band's latest effort, THE AUGUST DIVISION, blends elements of early '90s post-punk, with pop-rock sensibilities. Lead vocalist Tim Lasater sounds like he came from an '80s Brit-rock band. The songs are simple but very well-written. The musicianship is tight, and the CD has a lot of dynamics, which prevents you from getting bored. As if that's not enough, the infectious choruses will have you humming for days.
- Aland

CONQUISTADOR
What's Up Fireball?
SELF RELEASED

   Conquistador is a NYC-based outfit whose 13-track, left-of-center approach to music should give it mad props on the college-rock circuit. Conquistador is seven members strong, and its mix of horns, keyboards, and straight-ahead rock 'n' roll is pleasantly concocted for everyone's listening enjoyment. Need a fist-pumping anthem to get the team rolling? They've got it: "Lotion". How about a mid-tempo rocker with Moog effects and a Brit-rock gloss? Check "Sharkskin Mouth". Maybe a country-fried rap tune? Let's not get carried away, but damn, this band is versatile enough to be thrown on at a house party throw down ("6116", "Bad Dancing License") or be listened to alone during some pensive moments. If Weezer, Smashmouth, The Beatles, and the latest MTV shoe-gazer band were to share a stage, it'd be in the form of Conquistador. www.conquistador.com
- Mike SOS

DON'T BE SCARED (various artists)
Volume 2
FEARLESS RECORDS

   Fearless Records, a label that I know and respect, has sent us a compilation CD to be reviewed. And because I have never reviewed a compilation before, I am going to do this how I see fit. Each band (of 11 total) has contributed two songs each for DON'T BE SCARED, which features both bigger and up-and-coming bands in the indie-pop sub-genre. Junction 18, which happens to be the first band up, really caught my attention with melodic vocals and an awesome sound. "Little Joey" is a great opening track. The third band, Plain White T's, had some good tunes to contribute, but I found myself listening to this and hearing the same thing over and over. Some of the stronger tracks were contributed by Glasseater ("Weekend Sellout"), Bigwig ("Sink or Swim"), Lonely Kings ("Santa Cruz"), and Dynamite Boys "Little Bobby". Honorable mentions to Near Miss, Knockout, Brazil, Keepsake, and Rock Kills Kid. (Sorry, guys, I just couldn't find anything to really write about these bands: I can only say pop-rock or indie-core or indie-pop so many times in one review.) In any case, this is a good compilation for any fan of the aforementioned bands.
- J. Johnson

FAT DAY
IV
DARK BELOVED CLOUD

   When Boston's Fat Day was selling its last album BURREGA!, the band included an "Order Your Own Fat Song!" postcard. As a result of the postcards it got back, this CD has 21 songs written by 21 Fat Day fans. This is basically experimental weirdness; it reminds me of the old SST band Zoogz Rift. I would recommend this CD only to the 21 people who sent in postcards (and thus co-wrote this album). I found this to be quite an interesting listen, especially if you go to the band's Website and check out the postcards that inspired the songs. I could hear the influences of Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, and The Rezillos fairly clearly, but personally I think that the novelty of this wears thin after the first listen. On the other hand, if you a huge fan of experimental music and you've been looking for a punk rock version of Captain Beefheart, by all means pick up this album.
- Joey Housewrecker

THE ISRAELITES
Roots
JUMP UP! RECORDS

   This tribute to the Los Angeles and Jamaican ska and reggae scene is a fitting homage, with The Israelites blowing its way through 15 old-school-sounding reggae tunes. The eight-piece band's sound is dead-on Channel One reggae, but it upbeats that sound a bit with Madness-like horns. "Aslan", one of the most dramatic songs on the album, is a great shout-out to the Lion of Judah. That's just a typical Reggae theme like Babylon or the Israelites, yet this band takes it one step further and gets fairly didactic with some of its Christian exhortations. Go ahead and bring it on, guys, as long as you bring it with some of the rock-steady jams. I'm voting the group one of the best scooter bands in the U.S. Check The Israelites out at a local church, a ska gig, or its Website at Jump Up! Records.
- Dug

SCARROTS
Peace Of Sunshine
GREEN LEAF RECORDS

   Okay, so I put this disc in my player, and I could've sworn it was indie. The next thing I knew, it was ska. Then it was indie...and so on and so forth. I don't know if I hate this CD or if I love it, but regardless of my own opinion I can clearly see the swelling of potential that this band has just from the 10 tracks on PEACE OF SUN SHINE. Opening with "Burn the Pages", this disc starts on a high point and ends on one (with a rather neat-o cover of Operation Ivy's "Smiling"Ñwhich I think features Matt Freeman on a guest vocal spot). The keyboards that I would normally find rather annoying here are a quaint addition to some of the better pop tunes I have heard in my lifetime. "A 1000 Pieces" is one of those ear-candy songs, which borrows a lick and a line from a Police song (a rather nice little tribute, I thought). Although some of the songs tend to run a little long (around five minutes each), they still maintain their credibility and have a very Weezer-meets-The Specials feeling to them. Mixing it up is a nice change in a world of generic music. So pick this up if you're looking for something out of the ordinary that still rocks.
- J. Johnson

ORIGIN
Informas Infinitas Inhumanitas
RELAPSE

   Yes, Dorothy, we are in Kansas. It has been renamed Hell, with much of the thanks going to the quintet known as Origin and its blistering nine tracks of death-metal insanity. Nothing can prepare you for the onslaught that these Midwestern metalmongers have got in store for you. They slice and dice riffs faster than a Quisinart, implement as many blast beats as the law allows, and will by far pound the ever living hell out of you. Brutal and dangerous, you need a bouncing ball to follow the lyrics, which are just as morbid as the guttural vocals; and a neck brace when you're through to rest up from the whiplash that the twin-guitar attack unleashes upon you. American death metal hasn't sounded this extreme in a very long time, so brace yourself for the maelstrom that is Origin. www.relapse.com
- Mike SOS

DETOX DARLINGS
two-song sampler
SELF RELEASED

   Good old-fashioned dirty rock 'n' roll straight from the bowels of NYC, the home of CBGB and The Ramones, is what the Detox Darlings is all about. This two-song sampler is loud, obnoxious, rude, and raucous, with a big guitar sound and a lot of drug references. If that's not rock 'n' roll, what is? www.detoxdarlings.com
- Mike SOS

SUPERCHINCHILLARESCUEMISSION
/THE TIM VERSION
...Go Halves On A Bastard
ADD RECORDS

   Some bands that I have never heard of in my life do a split together on a record label with a name that several other record labels have been using for some years now. Very interesting this is, yes indeed. Not too shabby if you're looking for the next Good Riddance-type band. Superchinchillarescuemission gets points for having one of the most original names I have seen in a long time. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily make for the most original music. The band's got that hardcore indie fusion sound that seems to be the new, hip thing to sweep the nation. Once again, I find myself too outdated to appreciate it, but oh well. Four songs from this band on this split, the best being "60 Hour Greyhound". Next, is The Tim Version, which sounds almost identical to the first band on the disc, except I would have to say that the singer has a little bit more "umph" to his vocal contributions.
- J. Johnson

MISURA
The Subtle Kiss Of A Sledgehammer
TOO DAMN HYPE

   The title says it all, folks. Virginia is a state that's supposed to be for lovers. Apparently, no one let Misura is in on the movement, as this ferocious quintet take its home state's slogan and leaves it in the dust. The latest 11 tracks from these barons of brutality find the band hitting as hard as Hatebreed (as on "Empty Footprints" and "Finally"), but at the same time finding a melodic stride in a very metal kind of way. Don't worry, hardcore kids, they can still grind it out with the best of them (check out "Targeting My Greatest Weakness"). For a potent shot of East Coast hardcore, check out the no-frills audio destruction that Misura causes. www.misura1.com
- Mike SOS

GLASSJAW
Worship And Tribute
WARNER BROS. RECORDS, INC.

   Before I even listened to Glassjaw, I was impressed. The layout for its CD was pretty damn cool. The cover was the needle from a record player, the CD was the record, the inside cover was the turntable, and the back cover was the bottom of the record player. Cool shit. Now that I'm done being a dork, here's what I thought of Glassjaw the band: Honestly, the music took a while to get into, because I'm not as into the whole indie post-punk scene as most people are. After I became accustomed to the noise and vocals, Glassjaw started to grow on me. I didn't understand what the band was saying half the time, but I couldn't help bobbing my head along with the music. In essence, Glassjaw is organized noise. That sounds bad, but it takes a talented band to make noise sound good. Some of the better songs include "The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" and "Trailer Park Jesus". While my ear isn't as in tune to indie as it is to other genres of music, Glassjaw still impressed me.
- Dane Jackson

THE FUCKING CHAMPS
V
DRAG CITY

   The Fucking Champs continue its silent reign over the rock world with another brilliant instrumental masterpiece. This 14-track gem picks up right where IV left off, in the true majestic fashion that bands that can name albums simply with Roman numerals can only offer. Armed with more instruments and equipment than NASA, this powerful trio takes the guitar riffs and the subtle nuances of hard rock that we've all grown up on and twists them into instrumental gold. An arduous task? You bet your ass it is, but these guys make it sound so easy, combining the Hetfieldian crunch with the '70s arena-rock swagger of Boston and a slew of guitar-hero antics to produce yet another essential album for all serious rock fans to own and adore. Yanni, Zamfir, and those post-hippie Windham Hill artists ain't got nothing on the baddest band without vocals in the land.
- Mike SOS

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Ramones Forever: An International Tribute
RADICAL RECORDS

   Ramones inspired thousands of kids around the world to buy guitars and start bands. This tribute album is a good mix of the positive and negative results of their hard work. There are eight countries represented here, including groups from France, Hungary, Germany, U.S.A., and predominantly Belgium (where the album was originally released). This disc starts off with a montage of "1-2-3-4" count-offs by Ramones, a live show staple and call to arms. Some of the best examples of rocking covers are Golden Green's "I Wanna Live", 5 Cent Deposit's "We Want the Airwaves", and a very cool treat: Marky Ramone Group doing a textbook version of "I Don't Wanna Grow Up". These bands all come to the table with guitars blazing Ramones-style. The rest of the album, which is the majority, is not in that classic rock 'n' roll tradition. Some of the best of these are Neven's bizarre lo-fi/techno instrumental version of "I Wanna Be Sedated", No Bluff Sound's Devo-like "Psycho Therapy", De Bossen's Weenesque's "Little Ramona", and Cortina's sensitive popish handling of "Danny Says". Tribute discs, for the most part, bore me silly, but, this one has just enough rock to make you proud and just enough oddities to keep you listening. Besides, a portion of the proceeds are going to the Joey Ramone Fund to help fund research and wipe out lymphoma cancer. Ramones forever, you bet.
- H. Barry Zimmerman

SPIRITU
Spiritu
METEOR CITY

   Spiritu amply displays the sounds of the desert on its debut, six-track disc. Picking up where Sabbath and Kyuss left off, and with a smattering of Tool's progressive edge and Clutch's creative flow for good measure, this New Mexico quartet's got its game face on from the onset. Mainly, it's all about the jam for these guys, as half of the disc's tunes clock in at over six minutes: yet they don't tax any of your already short attention span. And they know how to fire up the burners and smack out some stoned out, whiskey soaked guitar riffs. If you dig the sounds that accompany bong hits and black lights, Spiritu will do you just fine. www.meteorcity.com
- Mike SOS

SUNDAY'S BEST
The Californian
POLYVINYL RECORD CO.

   The second full-length release by this L.A.-based pop/emo quartet is a catchy piece of work that found its genesis in despair. The band seemed to be in trouble and on the verge of a break-up after their tour for its debut album. Various members of the band quit, went into rehab, suffered marital problems, and seemed to drift off. Yet the time spent regrouping was definitely a creative time. The pathos on this album is real, yet the music still offers some melodic pop and a nice, soft, emo hope. The opening track, "The Try", is one of the best signature tunes on this album. The song alternates between free-soaring Byrds-type melodies and lilting vocal harmonies. Check out the band's website at www.polyvinylrecords.com.
- Dug

SEREBUS
Descension
CRASH

   Serberus is a straight-up metal band from Colorado whose seven-track disc sizzles with rapid-fire guitars, thunderous rhythms, and deep, growling vocals that are intelligible only to the trained metalhead ear. No costumes, no crazy DJ scratching, and no gimmicks are needed by this outfit, as it shows that it can say its peace by steamrolling over you with its metal assault (as on "In Eternity"). Mixing old-school sentiments of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden with some of the hottest current metal sounds (like that of In Flames), this quartet may not have its own unique sound, but it kicks serious ass meshing all of the epic metal sounds together. Who says that American metal has gone to pot? After listening to the stirring sounds of Serberus, you'll be quick to forget about all of those bands currently passing themselves off as metal. www.serberus.com
- Mike SOS

THE PAY-BACKS
Knock Loud
GET HIP RECORDINGS

   The Paybacks is the latest group fronted by Detroit garage-rock siren Wendy Case (formerly of Ten High). Less out of control and more focused, this streamlined Case sound is vocally like middle-period Joan Jett mixed with post-Beck Rod Stewart. This is a step back in energy from the post-punk psych maven who wowed Detroit club audiences a decade ago. She's got excellent musical support in this rock quartet from guitarist Marco Delicato (of Rocket 455), who contributes riffs from the first few Alice Cooper albums.
- Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

DIVISION OF LAURA LEE
Black City
EPITAPH / BURNING HEART RECORDS

   Per, Jonas, Henrik, and Hakan have put together a rock 'n' roll renaissance in the frozen wilds of Scandinavia. This Swedish quartet has mastered a sound that crosses The Black Crowes with early Mott the Hoople. As always, it's weird to think that the vocalist is singing in what is a foreign language to him, but the dominant, Jagger-like vocals sound perfectly natural. D.O.L.L. (as they affectionately call themselves) is a band set to share the stage with likes of the latest neo-rock revival bands like The Hives and The Vines. BLACK CITY, the band's debut full-length, is a great opening salvo from one of Northern Europe's premier rock bands. It's about time we heard some good music from across the ocean again. Find out more about D.O.L.L. from its humble frontman Per Stalberg, who says, "I think D.O.L.L. will be one of the most important bands in the history of all rock." Or maybe just check out the Website at www.divisionoflauralee.com.
- Dug

SUPERBEES
High Volume
ACETATE

   Feeling not just a little bit like the MC5, The Superbees earned the accolades of Wayne Kramer as "real rivethead rock." Thoroughly enmeshed in the '60s hard rock sound and in good company, The Superbees includes guests Sonny Vincent singing backup on two cuts and way-early Detroit scenester Skip Van Winkl provides a dose of vitamin B3 on two other tracks. (Under various cognomens he has played with Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Burdon, among others; and is the "Rambin', Gamblin' Man.") This is the debut full-length from the group and is a pulsating, thundering slab of revival psych-rock.
- Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

DAYS OF LESS
Ad Hoc
RISE RECORDS

   Imagine a time and place where emo bands are fronted by the likes of Fred Durst or Rob Zombie. If you can hear the soft guitar licks over the throaty, demonic howling, you have an idea of what this band sounds like. Not all of its songs are as creepy as the growling a capella that opens the first 20 seconds of "Regrets? Failed Excuses", but the band makes good use of haunted-house vocals while weaving soft melodies together. This Salt Lake City band sounds like a cross of Tool and Lanemeyer. The talent and maturity are definitely here on this album...if you can just get by the growling. Find out more about these serious up-and-comers at www.riserecords.com.
- Dug

JERRY CANTRELL
Degredation Trip
ROADRUNNER

   Jerry Cantrell is an artist who has experienced all of the ups and downs of the rock music industry. From platinum albums to personal tragedies, Cantrell's 14-track release shows a man who has weathered the storm and is resilient enough to pick up where his commercially disappointing yet spiritually uplifting BOGGY DEPOT left off. This time around, he enlists the amazing talents of Ozzy's current sidemen (Robert Trujillo on bass and Mike Bordin on drums) and lets loose with some of his most stunning music to date. Sounding a lot more like the early, riff-heavy Alice in Chains, Cantrell shows why he is quite possibly one of rock's most underrated performers. Showcasing his solid fretwork as usual, the dirty rock sound that we've come to expect is back. But Cantrell even goes a bit acoustic (as on "Solitude"), creating jarringly haunting moments of melody. Cantrell always had his hand in a lot of different musical pies, and DEGRADATION TRIP is no different, as Jerry mixes the down-home sounds of country rock with some of the more searing metal sounds heard today. Judging by this album, Cantrell isn't going away anytime soon, as he retains his place in the annals of rock as not only one of the most talented guitarists of the '90s but also as one of the most prolific solo acts on the scene today. Is he the new version of John Fogerty, a man who tasted success both in an amazing rock band and solo? There's no denying the parallels between them both, and only time will tell if Cantrell can persevere through the pitfalls his career has undergone. Let's hope he deals with his demons by creating more gems like DEGRADATION TRIP. www.roadrunnerrecords.com
- MIKE SOS

ALOHA
SUGAR
POLYVINYL RECORD CO.

   The main appeal of Aloha is that the band employs a vibraphone on its album. To my musically-untrained ears a vibraphone sounds suspiciously similar to a xylophone...except I think I like xylophones better. "Fractures (part one)", the first song on SUGAR, is a rock song with a giant vibraphone banging away in the foreground, and it sounds alright. The rest of the album is kinda jazzy, with the vibraphone banging away throughout: except on the occasional bongo drum number similar to a hippie drum-circle encounter. I think SUGAR is good background music for a party you're throwing for eccentric vibraphone enthusiasts, but it's kinda boring...and yet the band is still more famous then me.
- CHAD

» BACK TO TOP

---

---