Suburban Voice blog #32

I’m not an expert on record production or recording quality but I know what I like at this point. I especially think about these things when digging out records/CDs from the late 80s. Why was it necessary for those albums to feature such cavernous, echo-laden (for want of a better term) production, especially on the drums? It’s funny—there’s the infamous Judge “Chung King” sessions album that was released in an ultra-limited quantity of 100 copies as Chung King Can Suck It.” It later got issued as part of the Judge discography CD. It’s not that great a recording, in all honesty—the drums sound like shit--but there’s still something appealing to the roughness of the mix. Of course, the production for “Bringin’ It Down” was cavernous and bombastic. It does make “The Storm” sound pretty fuckin’ powerful, though.

For loud music—whether it was hardcore, metal or something in between, that type of mixing was favored during that time period. In the past few months, I noticed those sonic properties with albums by Wrecking Crew, Wargasm and Wrathchild America (and that’s just some W’s!). It also occurred when older material was remixed for reissue—in particular, I’m thinking about the pointless remixes of the first two Articles of Faith EPs for their “Core” reissue in the late 80s (the same mixes were later used for the Alternative Tentacles reissues, as well) and the absolutely horrendous remixes for Discharge’s “Never Again” anthology. There were remixes for the songs on “Hear Hothing See Nothing Say Nothing,” the “Never Again,” “Decontrol” and “State Violence State Control” 7”s. A disgrace. A disgusting defilation and ruination of classic records. Lest people think I’m being hyperbolic, it’s the goddamned truth. When I asked Discharge member Tezz about the remixes, he said, in a disgusted tone, that it was their (now former) vocalist Cal’s idea. Cal should have been brought up on charges of artistic butchery for what he did to those songs. Unfortunately, the remixes for the 7”s also showed up on the double CD anthology, “Decontrol.” However, I do believe that the original mix is available for “Hear Nothing” and it remains one of the best punk albums of all time. Crushing from start to finish and the “State Violence/Doomsday” 7” is also perfection. Hopefully the original mixes of those EPs will be restored because that’s the way they were MEANT to be heard.

These days, there’s also overproduction for hardcore records. It’s not a style of music that needs to be that slickly recorded. It doesn’t have to sound completely lo-fi either although that can also be highly effective. I love the production (or lack of it) on the EPs by Formaldehyde Junkies and Chronic Seizure, for instance. A lot of the records recorded at Will Killingsworth’s Dead Air studios in Western Mass. have a warm, gripping sound without being overproduced. At least there less of that goddamned echo, these days.

MUSIC REVIEWS

COMPLETE WASTE-s/t (demo)
Five song cassette demo (also available on CD-R) from this Minneapolis hardcore band. Another band who fit the loud/fast thrash mode and screaming out the standard themes of alienation. They sometimes double up on the speed and it may not be a good idea for the guitarist to try a solo, as on “Why Do I Bother.” Not bad and it’s got good production, as well. (Cavan Reilly, 14 Oak Grove St., #306, Minneapolis, MN 55403, brian@tchardcorejournal.com)

FUK/CHAOS UK-split (HG Fact, split CD single)
Two songs apiece from UK band Fuk and expatriates Chaos UK and sharing ¾ of the lineups. An intertangled history, too confusing to detail but Mower and Gabba are both longtime Chaos UK people. Moving on to the music (that’s the point, right?) Fuk have a fast, ferocious sound—I know how to turn a phrase, eh? The Chaos UK’s songs are a medley, essentially, starting with a sample saying “you are free to do as we tell you,” a moment of Japanese music and then careeening into a sound closer to speed metal on “All or Nothing,” although “Hearts Of Noize” has some of the early 80s spirit. Blazing fodder from both bands. (http://www.interq.or.jp/japan/hgfact)

JILTED/BEYOND DESCRIPTION-split (Forest, CD)
VARIOUS-The Path To True Independence (Forest, CD)
A two-way split and a four way split. First, Italian band Jilted tear through their three songs with flail and scream and adequate ferocity. Beyond Description hammer away with a veteran band’s skill—aggressive, rampaging hardcore. They show up again on the four way split, along with Asbestos, Totsugeki Sensya and Destruction. The best band here is Totsugeki Sensya—a raw distorted attack that eschews the metal. Beyond Description introduce more of a metallic side on these songs. They have better releases and there’s the bass-pedal distraction but the songs aren’t bad. The tracks on the split with Jilted are better, though. Asbestos follow with an excessive, overwrought song, both in length and vocally. Once again, they have better material elsewhere. Finally, Destruction’s fast ‘n heavy opus is pretty good and it’s a shame they’re limited to one song here. (c/o Hideyuki Okahara, Ceramica 2 #301, 2-1-37 Minami, Kokubunji, Tokyo, JAPAN, okahara@pop02.odn.ne.jp)

LES HATEPINKS-Tête Malade/Sick In The Head (TKO, CD-EP)
Tres malade, tres bon. Vous écouterez ceci ou vous êtes stupide. I think you can probably figure out what I just typed. If not, all you need to know is this is a fuckin’ cool EP. Les Hatepinks put ’77 punk snot and post-punk into a scintillating mélange, uh, mix. Jabbing songs with a hit ‘n run quality and an edgy quirkiness. “Sweep The Shit” adds a little roche de garage to wind things up. Les Hatepinks had two previous albums and 2005’s “Plastic Bag Ambitions” (also on TKO) is worthy of your time, as well. (8941 Atlanta Ave., #505, Huntington Beach, CA 92646, www.tkorecords.com)

MEHKAGO N.T.-s/t (S.O.Y., CD)
Blazing lower-tuned Swedish-style hardcore-meets-metal (at least to my ears), recorded in a no doubt hot/humid summer environment in Florida. So it’s natural they’d sound mighty agitated. The growly/distorted vocals make me thing of Gordo from Ratos De Porao. Five fast-paced, punishing songs with brutalizing breakdowns. (www.mehkagont.com)

MISS 45-s/t (No Talent, CD)
OOO-WE-OOO-OOO… You hear that a lot on this five songer by Miss 45. Trash punk/rock ‘n roll outta Sweden. The guitar licks are occasionally Thundersy but they aren’t that campy looking. The drummer has a beard, for fuck’s sake. In any case, “High Heeled Bitches” may be a tad puerile in the lyric department but it’s catchy. So is the creatively-titled, rockin’ “(Everything’s More Fun) When You’re High.” “Don’t Wanna Be Like That” takes a quieter turn and, at nearly 5 minutes, isn’t nearly as scintillating. Good, if nothing to make you lose your marbles. (www.notalentrec.com)

NIGHTSTICK JUSTICE-s/t (CD-R)
Pure negativity, anger, outrage—and the music matches the attitude. Four songs of full-tilt thrash without a break. The guitar lines have plenty of sizzle-wizzle without being excessive. I mean, there are only so many ways to describe straight-ahead hardcore punk but I’ll say that this demo begs for a vinyl release. (www.myspace.com/nightstickjusticeba)

OUT WITH A BANG-I’m Against It EP (Fashionable Idiots, 7” EP)
Whoaah. I may tend to overuse the term scorching but it fits here. Out With A Bang, from Italy and featuring the snotty vocals of former Grabbies’ mouth Alessandro, play with a devil-may-care ferocity. A middle finger proudly raised as they bash through these short, adrenalin charged blasts, with no breaks between the songs, except when you pause to flip the record over. Garage, hardcore and punk on a collision course, even getting a tad weirder for “Hurt Yourself.” A little better produced than the Grabbies but still rough. A US pressing of their limited-run 12” and with one extra song. Punk fucking rock. (PO Box 580131, Minneapolis, MN 55458, www.fashionableidiots.com)

RAW RADAR WAR

RAW RADAR WAR-s/t (self-released, CD)
If there’s an intersection of ultra-heavy, thick metallized riffage and hardcore thrash, Raw Radar War have found it. If anything, these guys make me think of the Melvins in terms of the crush factor. The vocalist is Jonah Jenkins, formerly of Only Living Witness, Miltown and Milligram and he unleashes the anger in a ripthroat style hadn’t used before. There’s a brevity to the compositions until the band get to punishing epic “Truckloads Of Ammunition.” A sound to open the terrain and swallow you whole. RRW are a loud, chaotic dynamo live and this disc gives you a pretty good indication of that. (http://rawradarwar.com)

SPLITTING HEADACHE

SPLITTING HEADACHE-Night Terrors (Collapse, LP)
To recap, Splitting Headache include people from Tear It Up, Forward To Death, Dead Nation and Full Speed Ahead. I think that covers it. All that matters is what’s on the turntable anyway, right? And this album has been on there quite a bit since I acquired it. As you’d probably imagine, it’s a loud, aggressive hardcore punk sound. Not blindingly fast, either, although they do stick to a quick pace and there are some hot guitar licks. It’s a common, perhaps simplistic thing to point out but when there’s a punk and rock ‘n roll drive to this style, it works well. The lyrics convey alienation, uncertainty, fear and outrage, looking both inward and outward—for instance, the shattered lives of veterans that is the subject of “Another Headstone.” Lest it get completely heavy, their cover of the Big Boys’ “Narrow View” is an inspired choice and conclusion to this solid effort. (collapserecords@gmail.com)

TOTAL ABUSE-s/t (Drug Money, tape)
A 7” is due from this Texas band pretty soon but, in the meantime, here’s an 8 song cassette. The letter says it includes ex-members of the Snobs, who put out a couple of pretty cool 7”s in the early ‘00s (hard to believe I’m using that term now). Raw, basic hopped-up hardcore punk with aggro and adrenalin. Some early Boston HC, DRI and Poison Idea influences—nowhere near that level yet, of course, and, as usual, the double speed doesn’t always work to their advantage. But they definitely get it right on some songs here. (3703 Werner Ave., Austin, TX 78722, www.geocities.com/drugmoneyrecs)

TOTAL CHAOS-17 Years Of Chaos (SOS, CD)
This anthology disc actually covers 13 years of releases, going back to ‘94’s “Pledge Of Defiance” up until the recent “Freedom Kills” plus a few new and unreleased songs. 100% pure punk, in case you didn’t know—mainly in the UK82-inspired vein, although not strictly following that form. There’s the occasional ’77-styled song, as well, such as “Baby I Hate You.” In fact, most of the songs in that vein come from 1996’s “Anthems From The Alleyway,” where they come across with a Rancid vibe and represented a jump from the spottier “Pledge Of Defiance.” The lyrics get right to the point—painting the sentiments in broad strokes so you can’t possibly misunderstand them. The liner notes are way too tiny for me to read but, glancing at them, it tells the band’s story. The band’s spirited punk style is on the guilty pleasure side and 28 songs at once a bit much but a spiky dose from time to time isn’t such a bad thing. (PO Box 3017, Corona, CA 92878, www.sosrecords.us)

Suburban Voice blog #31

So how y’all doing? Three weeks, this time. Well, it’s better than a month between installments, which occurred last time. And it’s MUCH quicker than how quickly I get the print version out. The last one of those was—oh, never mind. Also, to once again assuage everyone’s concerns, YES, I’m still planning on publishing in the print form. It’s a new year, a fresh start and, besides, it’s too fucking cold outside to want to go out and play, baseball doesn’t start for over a month and there’s only one football game left.

As 2006 turned into 2007, it made me realize a couple of things. I first got into punk rock in 1977 and, in 1982, hardcore also became an integral part of my life. It hasn’t loosened its grip on me, ever since. So it’ll be the 30th anniversary of the first time I heard the Sex Pistols, Clash, Damned, Ramones, DMZ, Dead Boys, Real Kids, etc… There will be 25th anniversaries of shows that completely changed my life. Even though I often felt like an outsider in the local hardcore punk scene (at first, anyway), it was where I belonged. It was the perfect place for someone who didn’t connect with the so-called normal world, who felt different, out of step. I felt even less of an affinity with the people involved in the early Boston punk scene, since I started going to shows awhile after it was well-established. Most of the people involved in the late 70s were a few years older than me, anyway, and it was a tad intimidating. Especially because the few friends I had weren’t into punk rock at all and I was too shy to get to know those who were already involved. But it felt like the right thing, musically. It was exciting and pushed the aggression and energy I liked in my rock ‘n roll to what felt like an extreme, at the time. The fact that it annoyed most people I knew was a big plus.

Fortunately, my girlfriend (now wife) Ellen, who had no familiarity with punk before she started dating me in 1979, was willing to accompany me when I ventured into the clubs. I remember that on my 20th birthday in 1980, she took me to see the Neighborhoods at a club called Jonathan Swift’s in Harvard Square. That may have been one of the first shows we saw together—it was the first I’d gone to in quite awhile because, in April of ‘79, they raised the drinking age from 18 to 20 and didn’t grandfather in those who had already been “legal” after turning 18. So that show was a celebration at my regained entry into the local punk rock demimonde—by the way, there was a show on the MIT station WTBS (now WMBR) called the Demimonde that nurtured my punk obsession, starting around March of 1978 and the mix tapes I made from that show still provide the basis for some of my sets on the radio show.

When I think of that Neighborhoods show, I can still see David Minehan jumping around, with a sinister grin, making scissor kicks with his legs, the guitar angled like a weapon—it was overpowering and their single that came out around then, “Prettiest Girl” b/w (backed with, for those who don’t know) “No Place Like Home,” was damned good but didn’t capture their live sound at all. Still, Ellen loves hearing that single and other records from that time because she says it reminds her of when we were first dating. Certain records from that time period have the same effect on me. I just found a video on YouTube of those two songs, performed live for a Boston TV show and that'll give you an idea of what they were like at the time:

That’s what makes this punk rock thing special to me. Even if that wide-eyed feeling of newness is never going to be completely recaptured, there’s still enough that’s going on now to inspire me and fend off that aging process. Well, somewhat!

And now, some of those newer sounds…

CREATURES OF THE GOLDEN DAWN-An Incident At Owl Creek Bridge (Get Hip, CD)
The band’s first album in over a decade and offering up light garage/psych//beat pop—more melodic than raunchy and that neutralizes the desired buzz. The final track, a cover of the Red Crayola’s “Hurricane Fighter Plane” does have a higher energy level and I wish the rest had that much “oomph” to it. Listenable, but with more sting, I have a feeling it could have been killer (PO Box 666, Canonsburg, PA 15317, www.gethip.com)

DEADFALL-Mass Destruction (Six Weeks, CD)
Collecting all the 7”s, comp tracks and a rough-sounding demo track. Bay Area thrash—raw and unadorned, angry, etc. Early DRI is a clear influence —short, fast songs and it might be a tad more effective if they eased up on the ultra-fast speed from time to time. The occasional curve-ball, such as the surf-flavored “What A Bogus.” You get your bile’s worth, here and don’t expect a lot of melody, just fury. (225 Lincoln Ave., Cotati, CA 94931, www.sixweeksrecords.com)

GENERATIONS-Our Times (Mankind, CD-EP)
I hate to say it but this is pretty laughable. That’s what pops into my head while playing 5 song plus an intro CD. An earnest, emotional vocal delivery, gang backups, sweeping riffs, floorpunchin’ breakdowns and this Connecticut band also add a melodic quotient. OK, as simple as the lyrics are, I’ll give ‘em credit for the critique of government policy on “Perdition” but the rest is edge boilerplate. (PO Box 265, Bellflower, CA 90707, www.mankindrecords.com)

GOLDBLADE-Punk Rockers In The Dance Hall (SOS, CD)
Jack of all trades, master of… well, you probably know the rest. If not, this is a wide-ranging collection (a compilation of their previous four albums) incorporating everything from Clash-ized punk to Hellacopters-inspired rawk to soul to reggae to pop. Goldblade play with enthusiasm—punchy production, a certain tunefulness but it doesn’t do a thing for me. It’s more like a revue than punk rock—there’s something cheesy about it and not in a particularly good way. (www.sosrecords.us)

MIDNIGHT RESURRECTOR-Life and Definition (HG Fact, CD)
M-E-T-A-L! The real stuff, man. Well, thrash/power metal and Midnight Resurrector haven’t completely left hardcore behind. “Revert To The Brains” is a sub-minute blast. Kid brays out the vocals in a hoarse cadence—some of the enunciation reminds me of Tom G. Warrior. The axeman, Daisuke Yamaguchi wields an impressive Flying-V. There’s even an acoustic interlude that avoids pretentiousness (not an easy feat). The English lyrics do seem clumsy and it may have made more sense to sing in their native language but, in all honesty, it’s more a way they read than sound. At least he encourages knowledge, chiding people with “Intellect-Phobia.” Maybe they’re inventing their own language. Midnight Resurrector aren’t writing a new musical language but it’s a scorching one, nonetheless. (www.interq.or.jp/hgfact)

PULLING TEETH-Vicious Skin (A389, 10”/Chainsaw Safety, CD)
Vocalist Mike Riley logged time as the vocalist of the Spark and this band is decidedly more metal sounding, while hanging on to some of the hardcore influence. But there’s a Slayer-like charge to “Prepare For The Worst,” especially the opening segment which takes a few notes from “Piece By Piece.” That’s not the only Slayer-esque moment, either. Plenty of adrenlain and the metal is convincing, instead of some lunkheaded chug chug approximation. The 10” comes with a huge fold-out poster that replicates the cover art. (A389: PO Box 12058, Baltimore, MD 21281, www.a389records.com/Chainsaw Safety: PO Box 260318, Bellerose, NY 11426, www.chainsawsafetyrecords.com)

SHORT FUSE

SHORT FUSE-s/t (Assault/Underestimated, LP)
This album’s been out for awhile but I just got a copy and it’s been on the ‘ol turntable quite a bit since then. Short Fuse are from Germany but have a decidedly US hardcore approach. The sharp, back-to-basics sound with a clean, slashing guitar tone and agitated vocals. And while the sound is familiar, sometimes a chaotic element is added to a guitar or bass riff. “Confused,” for instance, has a bumblebee bass line that instantly brings Void’s “Explode” to mind. I’m going to stop overanalyzing now. Confrontational music, confrontational lyrics—for one thing, they’re not fans of Turbojugend (Turbonegro)…and they don’t hold back. (1349 N. Bell, Chicago, IL 60622, underestimatedrecords@gmail.com)

SICK ON THE BUS-Go To Hell (SOS, CD)
You know, Sick On The Bus need a little less subtlety in their lyrics. I mean, there’s a poetic quality to the opening line “So Jesus is coming to save me, well he can suck my cock.” Abstract words from a sensitive muse. You can stop laughing now. Punk/thrash/metal crossin’ over and back from this grizzled unit. The album was originally released in 2002 and catches SOTB in high energy mode. A whole lotta GBH and Broken Bones in the sound—especially the warped wit of the former. It won’t make you forget either band, though. (www.sosrecords.us)

TERMINAL YOUTH-s/t (To Live A Lie/DeRok/Give Praise, LP)
With their first album, Terminal Youth have taken it up a notch. Hammering thrash and grind/powerviolence moves that don’t overwhelm things. Tight playing, easily able to navigate the tempo transitions and the addition of a second guitarist adds to the band’s overpowering qualities, as well. Elements of early Dropdead, Crossed Out, while the songs that close each side of the LP have more of an anthemic, mid-paced style that bring 9 Shocks Terror to mind. Will Killingsworth’s recording is full-sounding without being too slick. Terminal Youth have evolved into a raging band. (www.terminalyouth.tk)

TERMINAL YOUTH

VIOLENT ARREST-s/t (Deranged, LP)
When I first played this record on my radio show, I said the members of Violent Arrest were grizzled UK veterans and that’s an apt description. I could list some of the pedigrees here—Excrement Of War, Heresy, Ripcord—three quarters of the band, here—and a couple of ‘em were in Dumbstruck a few years back. As you’d guess, these guys play it loud and fast but there’s an inherent tunefulness—well, in a hardcore punk framework. Work with me here. They’re not completely reliant on speed, either—“Cannon Fodder” pounds away at a more measured pace. “Leavin’ With Fuck All,” meantime, has more of a DisScandiThrash (© Quint, 2007) feel. I’m around the same age as these guys (maybe a little older) and it’s always good to see that, for some, the urge to rage, the need to have an outlet to exorcise life’s frustrations, irritations and disappointments doesn’t end when you hit 25 or 30. People who scoff at those sentiments are invited to go fuck themselves. Good job by these chaps. (www.derangedrecords.com)

Suburban Voice blog #30

Happy New Year! Sorry for taking so fucking long this time. I won’t let this blog turn into the print version of SV, where it disappears for long stretches of time. And, yes, I’m still doing a print version. Eventually. Don’t know when. I’ll let you know.

In any case, here’s my wrap-up of 2006. Well, a musical roundup. For a personal roundup, please refer to my MySpace blog (http://blog.myspace.com/poisonidea82) Let’s just say, in addition to the support of my wife and friends, music once again helped me through it, although there have been stronger years for releases. I probably played the Black SS album more than any other this past year. Blowfly’s cover of a certain Ramones song, re-titled “I Wanna Be Fellated” deserves song of the year honors. Maybe not but, the first time I heard it, I literally couldn’t stop laughing for ten minutes. When I played it on the radio show for the first time, I had to take a break until I stopped laughing. There are only a few other truly memorable songs on the album but it earns its way on the list, anyway.

It seems as though I’m always writing about how alternative spaces for shows come and go around here, although seems to be a slight improvement lately. On the other hand, the bad news is that Regeneration Records has shut its doors. It was a record store/tattoo parlor/show space. They had to stop doing shows in late June after receiving a noise complaint. Sue, one of the store’s co-owners, posted this on a local message board: “After the shows ended in June, the record store suffered, as well as the finances. The tattoo shop carried the store and it was in bad shape; falling apart, needing new paint, fixtures, etc. We decided to remove the records and put money into adding more tattoo booths and fixing up the place, which would cost an insane amount of money, which we don’t have. Ross and I are just burned out, broke and ready to end this before it destroys us.
Thank you, everyone for you support and kindness.” Regen was only one part of Boston’s DIY punk scene but it’s still a loss. Sue and Ross deserve a lot of credit for what they did.

LA PIOVRA

I still haven’t been making out to that many shows of late but there were a couple in mid to late December worth mentioning. First, at the Cambridge Elks, Italian band La Pivora were mesmerizing. I still need to scribble a review of their 12” but that record and their new 7” on Punks Before Profits both kick ass. They have the presentation of fellow Italians Raw Power, with “the moves,” so to speak, but the sound merges thrash, garage and rock ‘n roll. A lot of bands do that, I know, but La Piovra totally brought it. As for the other bands, hit and miss. Crusty Craig Lewis’ new band Weapons Grade don’t really grab me, at this point, like his last couple of bands (Keep Laughing and Melee) but it’s a different type of sound, varying from fast punk to slightly more brooding material. I’ll give ‘em time. Fruit Salad, as always, dished out a cacophonous assault. Raw Radar War, with former Only Living Witness vocalist Jonah Jenkins, have a loud, heavy sound that fuses crushing, distorted heaviness with hardcore aggression. Showing some crusty roots with a Doom cover and Boston hardcore tribute with a Jerry’s Kids cover. Glad I had my earplugs ‘cause they were LOUD.

TERMINAL YOUTH

The final show I saw in 2006 was at Castle Greyskull, the current basement space in Allston that’s been hosting a fair number of shows lately. This one, with Terminal Youth, Aerosols and Civil Crisis, was off the hook. Maybe a little too off the hook, since the thrashing throngs nearly pulled down the overhead pipe and some asbestos dust did sprinkle over our heads. Yep, we’re doomed. In any case, Civil Crisis, from the ‘boibs (Chelmsford, to be exact) rip out fast hardcore with youthful energy. The Aerosols, from Amherst, play whirlwind hardcore ala Das Oath and that’s where the audience mayhem began. The same sort of mayhem for Terminal Youth, who were celebrating the release of their album and the start of a tour. The double-speed attack remains but other songs are at a more reasonable pace and the band sound more focused. Craziest response I’ve ever seen them get and it could have been partially due to the close quarters. In any case, after they played, the show had to be stopped because a cop car was slowly cruising up the street. That meant that Social Circkle didn’t get to play—and that sucks—but it was still a raging way to end the year.

Without further ado, I present the best of 2006, all sections in alphabetical order:

BEST LIVE BANDS:

Brutal Knights (practice space show in Boston)
Fucked Up (Regeneration Records, Boston)
Government Warning/Pissed Jeans (Pointless Fest, Philly)
Hero Dishonest (basement show in Boston)
Kohu-63 (basement show in Boston)
Limp Wrist (Redrum loft space, Providence)
Look Back and Laugh and Army of Jesus (last show at Regeneration Records)
New Bomb Turks (Abbey Lounge, Somerville, MA)
Nine Shocks Terror, Black SS, The Jury (Valentine’s, Albany)
No Hope for The Kids (Millcreek Tavern, Philly)
Out Cold (Regeneration Records, Boston)
La Piovra (Elks Lodge, Cambridge, MA)
Victims (Democracy Center, Cambridge, MA)

LP’S/CD’S/12”:

BLACK SS-Foreign Object
BLANK ITS-Happy Accidents
BLOWFLY-Blowfly’s Punk Rock Party
CAUSTIC CHRIST-Lycanthropy
GOVERNMENT WARNING-No Moderation
HERO DISHONEST-When The Shit Hits The Man
LA PIOVRA-one sided 12”
MIKA MIKO-C.Y.S.L.A.B.F.
POISON IDEA-Latest Will And Testament
REPOS-Hearts and Heads Explode
SHELL SHOCK-Born To Kill
SLAYER-Christ Illusion
SMARTUT KAHOL LAVAN-Spontaneous Violence
THE SPARK-Nobody’s Laughing
STATE-All Wrong
STRAIGHT TO HELL-Commence The Apocalypse
WITCH HUNT-Blood-Red States
WORLD BURNS TO DEATH-Totalitarian Sodomy

7”:

ARMY OF JESUS-Book Bomb
BLANK STARE-both s/t EPs
CARDIAC ARREST-Life’s A Dead End
CHRONIC SEIZURE-Brainsick and s/t EPs
CLOAK/DAGGER-Pinata
CONVERSIONS/WITCHES WITH DICKS-split
CONVERSIONS-s/t
DEEP SLEEP-You’re Screwed
FORMALDEHYDE JUNKIES-s/t
HOMOSTUPIDS-The Glow
THE JURY-I Hate The Future
KIELTOLAKI-s/t
LIMP WRIST-Just Like You
LOOK BACK AND LAUGH-Street Terrorism
TODAY’S OVERDOSE-s/t
VOLENDAM DISEASE-At War With God
WASTED TIME-s/t

Demos:

CIVIL CRISIS
POISON CONTROL
THE YOUTHS

… AND NOW, THE REGULAR REVIEW SECTION…

AMERICA’S DIRTY THIRTYS-Movement For Tomorrow (Yellow Dog, CD)
OK—there aren’t any surprises here. Hailing from the Bay Area, cut from the mold of Discharge or Varukers or Final Conflict, with a vocalist who affects a British accent (if he is British, my apologies). In other words, this is utterly generic, cookie-cutter, etc. That said, I kind of like it—I’ll always be a sucker for this style of punk. So, um, up da punx and turn it up. They’ve recently changed their name to ADT (Attack Disarm Takeover). (PO Box 550208, 10372 Berlin, GERMANY, www.yellowdog.de)

BLACK BEAUTIES-Catch A Beat (Full Breach Kicks, CD)
The power pop revival continues. Well, power pop with a punk snottiness and also including glam-rock touches, without it being a completely dominant factor. Candy Canderson aims to exude bravado and cool, even though he does that with a higher, yelping voice. Sure, the guitar sound has the standard 70s influence (rock ‘n roll, not histrionics) but it gets the job more than done and the bass-lines are the underrated element here—supporting the songs and adding its own melodic dynamic. In other words, it makes the songs move—gets ‘ya bouncing around. I’m still bouncing here. Enjoyable cheez-whiz without getting overly sugary—most of the time. (2060 N. Carolina Ave., Chicago, IL 60647, www.fullbreach77.com)

GEE STRINGS-A Bunch Of Bugs (Dead Beat, CD)
Completely enjoyable garage/punk/rock ‘n roll. The German-accented vocals from Ingi are endearing, as are the snappy tunes. While every record in this style seems to have at least one cover version, the Gee Strings’ choice of the Nervous Eaters’ “Just Head” is inspired. And when I hear the opening guitar chords to “Go Skid Rock,” it makes me want to shake it for all it’s worth, even though it probably shouldn’t be shaken at this point. “Let’s Make Up & Screw” is a title you’re likely to remember and I won’t snitch and say the first guitar lick sounds quite a bit like New Bomb Turks’ “Professional Againster.” The album ends with two more melodic songs—“Love Shock” still packs a punch but “So Messed Up,” while tough, isn’t that mesmerizing a conclusion, even with its Dead Boys inspiration. In any case, this is still plenty satisfying. (PO Box 361392, Cleveland, OH 44136, www.dead-beat-records.com)

HERO DISHONEST-When The Shit Hits The Man (ACME, CD)
When Hero Dishonest played a basement show in Boston in late ’06, it wasn’t necessary shit flying but there was plenty of dust ‘n dirt. Flailing hardcore punk from the veteran Finnish crew, but with nuance. Not just thrash-a-mania. Since the last album, “Let Your Poison Scream,” Hero Dishonest have shed a vocalist (it used to be a dual screamer set-up) but the sound remains as boisterous as ever. Fast, tight and navigating some wild twists and turns—for instance, there’s a rhythmic tribal flavor to “Road To The Arctic Ocean.” One also hears a hint of Black Flag guitar strafe—in fact, these guys have a substantial US hardcore influence. There’s the obligatory cover version and it’s Deep Wound’s “I Saw It”—not a band everyone covers, though. The lyrics, mainly in English, have a sarcastic bent, especially when discussing certain elements of punk rock. I get the feeling they don’t have a lot of patience for some folks’ stridency of belief or humorlessness—kind of summed up on “Bring Your Own Toilet Paper: with “no no no, don’t believe the crust/life ain’t that bad, the sky won’t fall/it’s just too much d-beat, broken toilets, bad attitude and a wrong diet.” Hero Dishonest don’t merely try to fit a certain mold, opting instead to create an atmosphere of pure burn. (PO Box 441, Dracut, MA 01826, www.acmerecords.net)

PEDESTRIANS-Ideal Divide (A Wrench In The Gears, 12” EP)
Someone recently joked that Pedestrians only know one tempo but play it very well. That’s true. This band stick to a medium speed but imbue it with plenty of punch and catchiness. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, their songs have that tuneful yet brawny punk sound that’s been a Chicago tradition for the past two decades. While there’s a political angle in the lyrics, they don’t hit you over the head with it although Jordan’s vocals are far from passive-sounding. Bright, bristling guitars and a floor-stomping bass-drums tandem that really propel things. (PO Box 476903, Chicago, IL 60647)

SOCIAL CIRCKLE-Static Eyes (No Way, 7” EP)
Debut vinyl for Boston’s Social Circkle and it’s sharp, catchy punk rock. I imagine that’s a catch-all, vague description. Influenced by an older west coast punk sound—think of what the Regulations or No Hope For The Kids are doing, although with a little more snottiness and not as poppy. “USSA” and “Cut Loose” have more of a UK style to them. Some hot bands have emerged around here over the past year or so and Social Circkle are definitely one of those. (www.nowayrecords.com)

THIN THE HERD-Mournful and Overcast (A Wrench In The Gears, LP)
Tune it low, bash it out, with crusty aplomb. A Swedish-influenced blast, accompanied by howling from a pair of vocalists (one of ‘em doubles on guitar) and it’s a pretty powerful assault. Only 7 songs here so it’s stretched out a bit but doesn’t become ponderous. Mournful and overcast fits the mood—the guitars kind of hang over everything like a thick dark cloud and the lyrics, railing against a decaying world (as you’d expect) complement the heaviness. Sometimes, such as on “Bitter Ashes,” there’s no buildup, just an immediate speed-driven pillage. Quite an impressive package, too, with a gatefold sleeve, haunting artwork and fold-out poster. You can’t get THAT from an MP3 download! (PO Box 476903, Chicago, IL 60647)

VALSE TRISTE-Madon Luku (If Society, CD)
Bass-driven as fuck—that’s the instrument that’s dominant here, although there’s also some six-string mangling, as it’s described on the case. Bottom-heavy aggro from this long-time Finnish band. Comparisons to NoMeansNo are kind of inevitable, given that bass-dominance, but Valse Triste favor a pure attack—not much ebb and flow or subtle shadings. These guys go from straight-ahead speed bombs to rhythmically complex arrangements. One constant is the ranting dual vocals that have the harsh inflection that’s been a mainstay of Finnish hardcore. Pumping up the thunder. (PO Box 6, 00511 Helsinki, FINLAND, www.ifsociety.com)

VARIOUS-Battle Of The Worst Bands (Noncommercial, LP)
It comes down to this—hardcore punk rock was meant to be angry, meant to be anti-social. Sure, there’s room for positivity, community, etc etc but there’s community in a bunch of misfits gathering together to blow off steam, to let out the rage. The Cleveland bands on this LP understood that and came around at a time in the 90s when this kind of fuzz-blare wasn’t in style. The H-100s and, later, 9 Shocks Terror also drew from that well. A 12” pressing of three 7” EPs from the Darvocets (their tracks also appear on their recent Gloom CD anthology), Cider and the Ruiners. Brainwashed Youth’s songs weren’t released on vinyl, previously. The commonality here is the raw, in your face sound and raspy vocals, affecting an English accent for the BY and Cider songs. The first BY song is called “I Don’t Really Like You” and that’s an understatement. Cider and BY both have an oi-inspired sound strained through mid-western hardcore nastiness. The Ruiners opt for more of a pure hardcore approach while the Darvocets are the semi-oddballs in the bunch, especially with Larry’s higher-pitched vocals. You won’t forget the “I’m a little teacup” exultation at the start of their cover of the Authorities’ “Radiationmasturbation” and KBD punk is part of the equation here. Damn—if I’d heard these bands earlier, there’s a good chance I would have been weaned off some regrettable ‘90s musical pursuits. This record will hopefully wean people off ‘00s lameness. Well, 300 of ‘em because that’s all there are. (1028 Kenilworth Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113, www.noncommercialrecords.com)

WORLD BURNS TO DEATH-Totalitarian Sodomy (Hardcore Holocaust, LP)
Intense in every facet—the music, the lyrics, the descriptions and, especially, the cover art, drawn by Sakevi from GISM. The latter element caused a delay for the album’s release, since one company refused to print the cover. A demonic Bush at the center, surrounded by all sorts of chaotic imagery of fire, dead bodies, nudity, photos of Cheney, Kissinger, Anne Frank, an Israeli flag, the twin towers. A lot to take in, as are the wrenching essays that accompany the songs’ lyrics in the booklet. Someone I used to work with would always mention “man’s inhumanity to man” and these songs are a historical document of it—Rwanda, Armenia, China, Bosnia—the list, sadly, continues to grow. Musically, WBTD keep some of the bruising Swedish-inspired elements but there’s more metal in the engine and “All The Young Turks” is a fuckin’ speed metal anthem , albeit with the band’s own twist on it. Hell, the concluding song “Pigs Get Fat While Hogs Get Slaughtered” is damn near catchy, riff wise—if a World Burns To Death song could ever be that way, although the hammer gets laid down as the song progresses. Jack Control’s vocals convey the venom in the hoarse, angry cadence you’d expect. Worth the wait. (www.hardcoreholocaust.com)

Suburban Voice blog #29

REAGAN YOUTH

I finally got out to a show again. There were a few gigs here and there that I could have attended but didn’t make it for one reason or another. In any case, Reagan Youth played the Cambridge Elks on December 2. As with any reunion, there’s always skepticism, a question about motivation. Plus, in Reagan Youth’s case, they’re doing it without their original vocalist, the late Dave Insurgent. Some people say—the Dead Kennedys without Jello? The Germs without Darby? etc etc... so the new mouth for the reconstituted Reagan Youth is 27 year old Pat Distraction and he did a decent job—he did sound a bit like Dave, at times. No new stuff, just songs from the first two albums. Sloppy from time to time but it was still a good time. The audience was 90% youngsters, too—not a lot of us “old-timers.” They were preceded by a completely raging set from Mouth Sewn Shut, who threw in two Toxic Narcotic songs. Bile-filled rawness and the reggae-oriented songs pack just as much anger. As with Bill and Will’s other band (that’s TN, in case you weren’t paying attention), it’s the release of pure anger that makes it enjoyable.

If you read this before December 17, there’s a show to tell you about, also at the Elks (located at 55 Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge) featuring Italian band La Piovra, plus the Epidemic, Fruit Salad, Skulls With Wings, Weapons Grade (my man Crusty Craig’s new band) and Raw Radar War. $10, 3 PM...

MUSIC REVIEWS:

BEAT BEAT BEAT-Living In The Future (Dirtnap, CD)
There are only so many ways to describe bands who write catchy songs and hit the pop/punk/rock ‘n roll sweet spot. In any case, that’s what Beat Beat Beat are all about. The openings to just about every song here make an immediate impression—the pop joy of “Don’t Tell Me Now,” the ringing notes of “Sinking Slow” that echo the Exploding Hearts’ “Making Teenage Faces,” the tough drive of “Leave Me Out.” The earlier 7” I have by them is rougher and better conveys their brashness—it’s better, in all honesty, but I’m not complaining too much about the cleaned-up production here, since the songs carry it. (2615 SE Clinton, Portland, OR 97202, http://www.dirtnaprecs.com/)

BORROWED TIME-No Escape From This Life (Reaper, CD)
The stern faces stare at you from the jewel box tray. The songs are chuggy, the vocals stentorian, the tempos mainly lumbering. 100% tough-guy hardcore perfect for a beatdown. Something I’m hoping to avoid when I say this heavy metallic style bores the living hell out of me. (PO Box 2935, Liverpool, NY 13089, http://www.reaperhardcore.com/)

CHEATS-Life’s Short (Da’ Core, CD)
As an old friend used to say, this CD is “wicked average.” Wicked is a MassHole modifier. Straightforward boisterous street punk, throwing all the classic rock ‘n roll licks along with the hearty punk attitude. Todd’s vocals are a combination of Mark Lind from the Ducky Boys and B.A. from Sloppy Seconds. There are a few cover versions and it makes me wonder--does the world need yet another cover of Cheap Trick’s “Surrender”? I mean, the Tricksters have a wider catalog to choose from. There’s a Pabst can on the back and I imagine that’s what their audience is swilling while watching the Cheats rock out live. Maybe if I drank more, I’d like it better. (4407 Bowes Ave., West Mifflin, PA 15122, http://www.myspace.com/dacorerecords)

COBRA NOIR-Barricades (Chainsaw Safety, CD)
The second missive from Cobra Noir. Dark, howling and heavy, but there’s also an affecting warmth here, an enveloping quality on the slower songs. The lyrics are fragmentary, expressing feelings of helplessness in a decaying world. OK, that sounds kind of pretentious—I suppose it’s a different way of saying, holy shit, the world is fucked up and the doominess of the music captures that mood. A reliance on speed on several tracks, although the mid-tempo pound of “Monuments” stands out here. I’m not always into this heavier sound but these guys make it memorable. (PO Box 260318, Bellrose, NY 11426, http://www.chainsawsafetyrecords.com/)

EXPLODING HEARTS-Shattered (Dirtnap, CD)
Kind of a chilling title for the album (even though it’s the title of one of the songs here), since three-quarters of this band were killed in a van accident in 2003, all of them in their early 20s. “Shattered” is a collection of unreleased, single and comp tracks. There’s no way to describe the Exploding Hearts’ music other than power-pop and there are echoes of early 70s glam/rock ‘n roll, as well. Sometimes, it’s a little too sugary than I like. But, man, when a song like “Making Teenage Faces” comes on, it’s hard to resist that guitar line or sing along to the chorus, although there’s no way I can sing in that high a voice. Also, the less-produced demo songs and alternate takes have a tougher musical ambiance. That means it rocks a bit harder. The Hearts seemed on the verge of a huge breakthrough.. There’s a video on the disc with five songs recorded live three days before Adam Cox, Matt Fitzgerald and Jeremy Gage were killed and they come across much harder-edged live. The whole “fuck, I wish I’d seen them” situation, even though the one time they made it to my area, it was a college gig that I never even heard about. It’s pointless to speculate how far they would have gone. Very sad—what else can be said? (2615 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR 97202, http://www.dirtnaprecs.com/)

MACHINE GUN ROMANTICS-Everything So Far (625, CD)
Slightly more reasonably-paced grindcore though still hitting the blast zone and shrieking vocals. They’ll toss in a few unexpected twists and turns, such as the Rorschach-like “Death... and Other Problems.” There’s some self-referential humor with “Where’s The Breakdowns” and there are a few in there, including a catchy one where there’s actually some singing. Tight playing and not taking themselves too seriously, although recommended only for the blast-heads. Oh yeah---includes their EP, tour CD, demo and a live set. (http://www.625thrash.com/)

MODERAT LIKVIDATION-Nitad/Marionett I Kedjor/Köttahuva (Havoc, 7” EPs)
So what we have are three 7” EPs from this early 80s Swedish hardcore band—the “Nitad” EP was pressed on vinyl in ’83, “Marionett” was originally a tape demo and “Köttahuva” was also a tape-only release recorded by Swedish Public Service radio. Somehow, I can’t image NPR recording this kind of band and, if they did, all the Republipukes plus Joe Lieberman would be calling it filth and want to zero-fund it yet again. Anyway, all three of these EPs are also combined onto a CD. So what’s it sound like, you ask? Raw hardcore inspired by Discharge and the other UK suspects and they mix the tempos a bit. “Enola Gay,” for instance, is slow and brooding and “Anti Fag” (an anti-smoking song) has a similar tempo to Discharge’s “Protest and Survive,” albeit without the guitar pyrotechnics. The Finnish bands also drew inspiration from similar influences but the vocals here have a rougher cadence. “Marionnet” is my favorite of the three—the rougher sound works to its advantage. Taken together, it’ll provide the minimum daily rippin’ requirement. (PO Box 8585, Minneapolis, MN 55408, http://www.havocrex.com/)

SHOCK NAGASAKI-Year Of The Spy (TKO, CD)
The opening line for “Year Of The Spy” is a dead ringer for the Sex Pistols’ “God Save The Queen” and there’s no question that’s a huge influence. Actually, it’s more like the Professionals than the Pistols, since the punk is fused to a poppier approach, along with a little glam (the song “Shock Nagasaki”) and some street punk, mainly in the boisterous vocals. Some appealing songs here. (8941 Atlanta Ave., Suite 505, Huntington Beach, CA 92646, http://www.tkorecords.com/)

THE SPARK-Nobody’s Laughing (Mike Fitzgerald, LP)
There are clowns lowering a casket into the ground in the cover illustration and this is the Spark’s burial party. On this 12” release, it’s more of the band’s fast, energetic hardcore punk. They admit up front, on “Same Old Story,” “we’re not out to break new ground, don’t wanna be the next big thing/we just play our hearts out every night, and we’re still fucking pissed.” Some may chuckle at those lines, a smarmy grin on their faces. That is an accurate description for this band, it’s a sentiment simply stated but the enthusiasm in the playing and direct lyrics make for an enjoyable combination. “To The Lions” takes on so-called “conservative punk,” lamenting the replacement of content with image. I do have to say that this style of hardcore is something of a conservative approach, fitting a pattern and for some people, it’s been about image, looking a certain way. Still, it’s an approach that continues to appeal to this grizzled, jaded music fan. (653 Evelyn Ave., East Meadow, NY 11554-5427)

SWELL MAPS-Wastrels and Whippersnappers (Overground, CD)
Swell Maps were always a haphazard proposition and this disc of home recordings, created from ’74 to ’77, is no different. There was a penchant for both conventionality (relatively speaking) and unconventiality. In the liner notes, Nikki Sudden (who passed away in ’06) writes about the different influences, from the glam rock of Bowie, T.Rex, Mott et al and the more experimental sounds of Can, for instance. There are a few songs here that rock out in more or less a “conventional” fashion—“Dresden Style” is rough and so is “Full Moon-Blam-Full Moon.” Both of these songs were released later on in studio-recorded versions but the grittiness here, particularly for the latter song, has a winning primitivism. I suppose I should use the “for fans only” caveat. The casual listener is likely to have a “what the fuck?” reaction to a good amount of the material here. (distr. by Get Hip, PO Box 666, Canonsburg, PA 15317, http://www.gethip.com/)

Suburban Voice blog #28

A long time ago, my next-door neighbor in my junior year dorm at Boston University said that every band had one good song, no matter how crappy they might be otherwise. I don’t know if that’s completely true—I mean, if Panic! At The Disco or Taking Back Sunday or Fall Out Boy have one worthwhile song, I haven’t heard it yet and I seriously doubt it exists. But the bands I’m going to list here have one essential, knockout song that I keep going back to and there ain’t much more, if anything, I desire to hear by them. Oh, there may be some other listenable music from the artist in question, but this is the ONE song that stands head and shoulders above anything else they do/did.

I got the idea to write about this when listening to “King Of Cha-Cha” by the Slammin’ Watusis on my MP3 player today. Who, you ask? They were a Chicago punk/blues/jazz skronk band from the late 80s and they somehow ended up on Epic Records and released not one, but two albums. This song comes from their 1988 debut. A bit of google-ing reveals they actually recorded demos for a third album with Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick producing but it wasn’t released. I was curious about how they got signed, since I’d never heard of them before, and a friend of mine at the time said something to the effect of they knew the right people or got a break. I forget exactly what it was. I first heard of them by seeing a video for that song on MTV’s “120 Minutes.” Vocalist Frank Raven doubled on sax but he switched to harmonica for that particular song and it has a hard-edged raunchier sound. It checks in at under two minutes and it’s the only song you probably ever need to hear from that band. I have it on BOTH CD and LP, motherfucker! There’s the classic band that has one great song. Here are a few others I thought up off the top of my head.

SECRET AFFAIR, “Let Your Heart Dance.” This song appeared on Secret Affair’s debut album “Glory Boys.” Ian Page (aka Paine) and David Cairns were previously in the punk band New Hearts, whose single “Just Another Teenage Anthem” is a lost gem. Then they caught the mod revival bug, put on suits and scowls and dismissed their punk rock past. Page was only 19 or so when cutting this song. It’s introduced with a booming drumbeat and then the horns kick in for this soulful R&B stomp. I didn’t even really like this song when I first heard it in 1980 but it grew on me over the years and the whole song is so goddamned catchy, it gets into your head without fail. Nothing else came close to measuring up to this song.

DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS, “Dance Stance.” The single version of this song was called “Burn It Down” but I like the album version a lot better. It’s on Dexy’s debut album, “Searching For The Young Soul Rebels” and it was a different sound before vocalist Kevin Rowland got rid of his bandmates, put together another lineup and turned to Celtic music for “Come On Eileen,” et al a few years later. Rowland was another guy with a punk background (Killjoys) who turned his back on that and also cultivated a chip-on-shoulder attitude. There’s something ingratiating about how he sneers “shut your fuckin’ mouth” during the middle of the song. Punchy horns and Rowland’s voice really carries the chorus hook.

SLAPSTICK, “Not Tonight.” Goddamn did third wave ska suck. It was just awful. Slapstick were part of that whole thing but, right in the middle of the album of theirs that I have is this tuneful punk scorcher. No horns, no skank beat, just one minute and six seconds of joyous energy. People were surprised when I played this on my radio show recently—“you played Slapstick??!!” but I explained the reason—this band’s one good song.

THE BUOYS, “Timothy.” This may also be one of the greatest “one hit wonder” records, as well. From 1971 and a song about cannibalism. That’s right. I’ve discussed this song before but it’s about an accident with three guys “caught in a mine that had caved in” and when they’re rescued, only two of them are left. Sweeping horns and strings melded to a killer pop hook. I have the LP. Trust me—just the single will suffice, even with the album’s cool gatefold sleeve and the picture on the back cover of the band dining with “Dinner Music” emblazoned in the lower left corner.

THAT PETROL EMOTION, “Can’t Stop.” The O’Neill brothers from the Undertones were in this band and TPE were around for quite awhile. David Hannigan, my former co-worker at Rockit Records, tipped me off to this band. While there are a few other OK songs on their debut album “Manic Pop Thrill,” “Can’t Stop” completely and unequivocally blows anything else they ever did out of the water. A nervy 2:50 of manic pop (sorry) grandness, punctuated by Buzzcocksian guitar lines. These guys had a mainly post-punk meets dance pop sound and, as I said, it wasn’t all shit, not as dramatic a case of black and white as the other bands here but “Can’t Stop” is unbelievable.

SLAMBOOK, “Hollywood Ten.” From 1995, indy/math rock following the soft/loud dynamic. Not all of it that bad, either, but this slice of tense Wire-inspired rock really hits home. A throbbing bass and fuzzed out guitar line, a sturdy beat underneath, and the chorus envelops the ears with warmth—but there’s also an assaultive mid-section to shake things up, before fading off into a gentle conclusion. A great late-night song.

SHIRTS, “Poe.” Somehow, this mainly crappy NYC band got lumped in with the punk/new wave thing even though most of The Shirts’ first album was wimpy swill. “Poe,” the album’s closer is the exception. This is the most punk-sounding song they ever did, even throwing in some hearty “hey hey heys.” The vocals hardly have any sneer in them but the mesh of guitar and keyboards work great. In this band’s case, it’s definitely the only song I’d want to hear.

That’ll do for now. I’d like to know if you folks have any songs that fit that description for you. I may revisit this topic at a future date but let’s move on to the reviews...

MUSIC REVIEWS

A GLOBAL THREAT-Where The Sun Never Sets (BYO, CD)
I sat on this one awhile—almost broke it too. Shut up. The coffee hasn’t had its desired effect yet. Getting to the album, it’s a good effort. Not life-changing but decent overall. That may not seem like a strong recommendation—the album doesn’t elicit a strong response but some of these songs catch the ear. AGT have moved away from the shadow of the Unseen (in spite of that band’s vocalist Mark’s appearance here) and found a sound that incorporates fired-up, sometimes melodic punk and also has a hardcore edge at times. That may be due to the fact that Bryan’s voice makes me think of a less-rabid version of Mark from Out Cold and the stripped-down energy of “Scalped By Pop” and “Making Energy” fit that description. That’s where AGT are at their best, here. (PO Box 67609, LA, CA 90067, http://www.byorecords.com/)

ANOTHER BREATH-Mill City (Rivalry, CD)
Recorded about 10 minutes from my house, in Salem, in Kurt Ballou’s studio, so it’s a good-sounding album. Maybe too good sounding. As I’ve said in the past, overproduction may increase the dramatic effect, but the rawness is lost in the translation. Another Breath don’t have much to do with the older hardcore sound, anyway. It’s a more modern approach—fast, heavy, melodic at times and with a howling emotionalism in the vocals. Stone-faced. Overly serious. In other words, a little of their angst goes a long way. (http://www.rivalryrecords.com/)

A WARM GUN-Panic In The Face Of Time (Yellow Dog, CD)
Hammering hardcore/metal/grind, suffering from mono-rhythm syndrome on the faster parts. The type of band people will go “BRUTAL!” There are some hot riffs—the Slayer-ish “Running Into Walls,” for instance. It’s the standard lament—less grind and it’d work better, at least for me. (PO Box 55028, 10372 Berlin, GERMANY, http://www.yellowdog.de/)

BAD BRAINS-Live At CBGB 1982 (MVD, DVD)
One of my favorite stories to tell the young’uns is about how I saw the Bad Brains in the spring of ’82 at a tiny club called Maverick’s. Don’t go looking for it, it’s not there (thank you Marty DiBergi—look it up, if you don’t know what I’m talking about). They show up close to last call, set up, plug in and play one of the greatest sets I’ve ever seen in my life. 15-20 minutes of all hardcore. No rose-colored glasses. Seeing the performances on the DVD, recorded at three shows around Christmas of ’82, proves my point. Even with the occasional bad camera angles, lights going out, sound issues, the chaos is captured. In fact, it’s apropos for that to happen because that’s an accurate reflection of a Bad Brains show, at that point, anyway. I’m still not a fan of their reggae songs but that’s what the skip button on the remote is for—OK, I DID watch a bit of the reggae but, sorry, it remains boring. The Brains were in peak form. Incredible musicianship—Earl flailing away with precision even at the high velocity, thundering bass-lines from the invisible Darryl Jennifer (I don’t think he’s in the shot at anytime) and Dr. Know knocking out sick power-chords and lead runs, looking as if he’s having the time of his life playing those riffs. HR, of course, moves around like a maniac, sings out the words at a rapid-fire clip and works himself into a frenzy. I’m using hyperbole here—maybe overdoing it but, damn, it’s killer and one of the coolest things is to see the faces of the people in the audience, dancing, diving, singing along—then there’s one kid playing air drums on the side of the stage. Not too many extras—just a brief interview segment with a few fans. In any case, this is an essential release. A document, not a documentary and just seeing the source material, without commentary, is a better experience. (PO Box 280, Oaks, PA 19456, http://www.musicvideodistributors.com/)

BURIAL-Hungry Wolves (HeartFirst, 7” EP)
The latest from the powerhouse known as Burial. Bruising songs with angrily spat out vocals and a tandem of hardcore, crust and some metal—kind of a modern-day Japanese hardcore sound, if I had to pinpoint it. In any case, the rampaging qualities are in full effect and the cowbell for “Insanity” is a cool touch. (Landsberger Str. 146, 80339, München GERMANY, http://www.heartfirst.net/)

DT’S-Nice ‘N’ Ruff—Hard Soul Hits Vol. 1 (Get Hip, CD)
Rocked-up cover versions of not just soul songs but CCR, AC/DC and Roky Erickson. Diana Young-Blanchard is an over-the-top, gritty shouter and the band competently play through the songs with strong musicianship. One of the people in this band is Dave Crider, late of the Mono Men. Those are the facts—the reality is I’d rather hear the originals although the opposite gender take on AC/DC’s “What’s Next To The Moon” is momentarily interesting. It gives me the same feeling as the Bell-Rays, another hard rock/soulful outfit with a dominant female vocalist—well played but a dirtier, nastier sound with more musical and vocal snarl would be much better. (PO Box 666, Canonsburg, PA 15317, http://www.gethip.com/)

FPO-Giving Birth In Order To Kill (Third Party, 7” EP)
The problem with FPO, who hail from Macedonia, is they have some great slower riffs that are wasted when the blast comes in. A common malady for this kind of hardcore. “You Call It Life,” for instance, flows from moody quietude into double-speed mayhem. Once and for all, CONTROL THE SPEED... slow down a bit. It works a lot better. (21 Nancy Lane, Amherst, NY 14228, http://www.thirdxparty.com/)

PERMANENT TRIP-s/t (Shock To The System, 7” EP)
The vinyl debut for Albany’s Permanent Trip and the last recording with guitarist Nate Wilson. Jason Krak voices the words (warning—alliteration alert) like a bear with his paw caught in a trap. Twists and turns—“Divider” starts as a dirge and ends with some double-speed thrash. “Losing Ground” begins with hammering stop/start riffing and then settles in a mid-tempo jam with wah-wah (is it?) on the guitar—maybe it’s weed-induced because the only thank yous on the list are the guy who put out the record and marijuana. “Stasi” takes on more of a mid-to-fast attack. Not the catchiest songs but they have presence. (PO Box 300991, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, http://www.shocktothesystemrecords.com/)

RABIES-Disease Core (Sorry State, 7” EP)
Skate-thrash-punk and repeat. Actually, these guys have a “Jealous Again” period Black Flag feel, as well and let’s not forget the bass calisthenics for “The Man With The Flute (Is Drilling My Head)”—huh? That’s about as poetic as they get—otherwise, you have sentiments such as “I have RABIES and I fucked you mom.” I remember how snotty some of those skate punk kids could be and carry it over into whatever band they chose to start. Rabies fit that bill and fit it well. (1102 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro, NC 27510, http://www.deepfrybonanza.com/sorrystate)

RATOS DE PORAO-Homem Inimigo Do Homem (Alternative, Tentacles, CD)
Well, I tried to find the English lyrics on-line, but no luck. It doesn’t really matter. You see words like pedofilia, involuntario, apocalipse and forca in the titles, the subject matter isn’t hard to figure out. Neither is the music. RDP went back to the hardcore roots, in recent years, while hanging onto the metal/crossover thing as well. Some of the guitar riffs here conjure up Die Kreuzen and Voivod (and Away from Voivod once told me they got their guitar sound from Die Kreuzen). Gordo still growls as if he’s permanently consptipated, accompanied by the band’s murderous assault. And they look so content in a field of flowers on the back cover. I imagine the machetes are hidden away for later use. Maybe on the audience. (PO Box 419092, SF, CA 94141, http://www.alternativetentacles.com/)

RIBZY-’81-’85 Recordings (Vinehell, CD)
This San Jose band didn’t release much during its tenure but here’s a collection of 30 songs, including one recorded in 2004 and it doesn’t sound dissimilar to the 80s era material. The band were originally called Ribsy. They made an appearance on the “Not So Quiet On The Western Front,” but there’s a different version of that song, “Collapse,” featured here. Snarly skate punk that was certainly influenced by Black Flag to an extent. Interestingly, the band changed vocalists around ’82 and the two voices (Derek Csimma, followed by Dion Trottier) don’t sound radically different from each other—adolescent snot ‘n rant.. Standard west coast punk although they could branch out on occasion—“Sugar Sugar” (not the Archies song) was gloomier sounding, for instance. A punk rock footnote and that’s meant in a positive sense. (PO Box 36131, San Jose, CA 95158, http://www.vinehell.com/)

RIVER CITY TANLINES-I’m Your Negative (Dirtnap, CD)
Another band including Alicja Trout (Lost Sounds, etc) and a wide-ranging array of material—foot stomping boogie/bluesy rock on the first two tracks, taking a poppier direction for “Shoot The Eye Out” and “No Gonna Think About It Anymore,” dabbling in hardcore (not very well) for “Whenever I Rot” and adding a nervier edge for “My Reflection” and “Drowning Dreams.” A lack of predictability and, while not every song is a success—the Richard Hell-ish strut of “Cryin’ Bleedin’ Dyin’” drags a bit—there’s some solid fired-up rock here. (2615 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR 97202, http://www.dirtnaprecs.com/)

RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA-De Ana Vez (Thought Crime, 7” EP)
Heart-racing hardcore. Fast all the way through, with the occasional slowdown. The rabid vocals are along the same lines as Saira from Detestation, except angrier sounding and trading off with a male counterpart. The band is from Austria but the lyrics in Spanish and two of the members are from Chile, originally. Literally no space between songs, one rager after another, applied lethally. (Thomas Franke, Muskauer Strasse 19, 10997 Berlin GERMANY, distributed by HeartFirst, http://www.heartfirst.net/)

SGT. SLAUGHTER-s/t (demo)
There are some good bands hiding in the outlying burbs of Boston and Sgt. Slaughter is one of them. Four songs of raw hardcore influenced by early Boston stuff and Poison Idea, though that’s not the entire story. “Home On The Strange,” the song that leads off this tape, has an ominous intro to get the blood flowing and then it kicks into high gear, where it stays. Good thrashin’ hardcore with hot riffing and string-scraping leads. (PO Box 696, Carlisle, MA 01741, commuterxman@yahoo.com)

SOLID DECLINE-Adorning The Void (HeartFirst, dbl. 7” EP)
10 songs spread over two 7”s and packaged in a triple panel foldout for this German band’s latest release. Three of the guys from Solid Decline used to be in Y and I like this band a lot more. The band’s speed is better controlled and there are some killer melodic guitar lines to go along with the burn. The 80s-era German band Inferno used to do something similar—aggression but also managing to add, for want of a better term, a tuneful sting. In any case, it’s impressive. (Landsberger Str. 146, 80339, München GERMANY, http://www.heartfirst.net/)

VERSE-From Anger and Rage (Rivalry, CD)
There’s an “epic” element to Verse’s music. It got me thinking that the term “epi-crust” has come into usage in the past few years, usually referring to bands that stretch out their songs through melodic passages, along with the heaviness and faster elements. There are differences, though. Bands like Verse come from more of a newer-style hardcore realm (i.e. devoid of a punk influence, at least musically) while the crustier bands take their cue from the Scandinavian hardcore punk bands. I tend to gravitate towards the latter because the punk element fuels the whole package. In any case, Verse express strong sentiments about a crumbling world from a personalized perspective, along with a recommended reading/web/viewing list that covers the standard works of Chomsky, Zinn, Leonard Peletier et al. It’s kind of unusual for bands from this side of the hardcore aisle to offer much political analysis, so that’s commendable. But this musical approach leaves me cold. (http://www.rivalryrecords.com/)

Suburban Voice blog #27

We begin this blog with a quote lauding my reviewing prowess:

“Al, you write the fucking most boring, irrelevant, two-line "this rocks” reviews in MRR every fucking month. give me a break. you are barely an improvement on Slug and Lettuce.”

Hey, what can I say? My reviews do emphasize brevity. I sometimes run out of things to say about multiple records that have a similar musical style. Sometimes, in-depth analysis isn’t necessary. In any case, the person (who I’m not naming here) is entitled to his opinion. I do have one beef about Slug and Lettuce (Christine Boarts’ long term ‘zine out of Richmond, VA)—the print is so fucking small and hard on my aging eyes. I realize it’s done for the sake of economy—including as much information as possible in a small space. Same for CD lyric booklets. I suppose I should invest in a magnifying glass at some point.

It’s a musical dead-zone in terms of shows—well, shows I’m interested in, at least. I have missed a few here and there due to inertia—i.e. I can’t get off the recliner or there’s a good football game on. Sorry—I’m just being honest. It’d have to be show-of-the-year or once-in-a-lifetime fodder for me to miss a Pats’ game. Those of you from the 7 Seconds “I Hate Sports” school may not understand that. And, incidentally, Kevin Seconds had a change of heart, since he did thank the Sacramento Kings on one of their albums and has a basketball tattooed on his leg. I hope he’s changed his mind about Howard Cosell, too—“Humble” Howard may have had one of the biggest egos in sports and journalistic history, but he was far from a wimp.

Ah, but this is mainly a music blog. And, if you’re curious, 7 Seconds’ best song is the “We Got Party” version of “Wasted Life Ain’t No Crime.” Every time I hear that song, I go damn near into giddy convulsions. It’s the perfect adrenalin song for those daily walks. Hell, I even play air bass when they get to Steve’s mini-solo towards the end.

There was one killer show I attended a few weeks ago, at an Allston basement space. The Finnish band Hero Dishonest returned for the first time in a few years and played an explosive set. Their vocalist Vellu loves to get up in people’s faces and it became a big scrum, with bodies flying, but without any sort of macho vibe. Straight-on thrash with an American bent and their Deep Wound cover, “I Saw It,” paid tribute to local hardcore history (Okay, Western Mass—close enough)... I’m just embarrassed that when Vellu shoved the mike in my face to sing along, I drew a blank. Oh well... Acts of Sedition played some hot hardcore/crossover while Positive Reinforcement played a much better set than their return-home show at MassArt in September, emphasizing the more punk-oriented material. The revamped Sgt. Slaughter laid down some vicious thrash. Thankfully, there wasn’t the cloud of smoke this time, although some asbestos fell out of a pipe during Sgt. Slaughter’s set. See you in the cancer ward.

MORE BRIEF, UNINFORMATIVE MUSIC REVIEWS!

COLDBRINGER-Lust and Ambition (DeadIdeas, LP)
I’ve been getting a fair number of records these days with hand-screened covers and the Coldbringer LP has some striking artwork. A stingingly melodic punk sound that sounds like a cross between Born Dead Icons’ doomy sound with Leatherface’s tuneful properties. Vocalist John Wilkerson (formerly with From Ashes Rise) has Frankie Stubbs’ timbre, albeit in a lower register. I know comparisons suck but that’s the best way I can describe it. The people in this band have played in more “crusty” or thrashy bands and this marks a departure away from D-beat and epic qualities. A warmth along with the power and vigor. (PO Box 851, Austin, TX 78767, http://www.deadideas.com/)

CONQUEST FOR DEATH-s/t (Wajlemac, 7” EP)
Three of these dudes—Devon, Craigums and Robert—used to be in the What Happens Next and the drummer, Kiku, was in Assfort and now plays in Charm. His playing really shines here and tightens up the thrash attack quite a bit. It’s still speedy and there are some hot guitar licks, as well (it’s a two-guitar lineup). Lyrical cynicism—“I love life, but hate society” is a motto of sorts and one I also subscribe to. That’s from the song “The Unbridled Disgust Of Being Human, The Pure Joy Of Being Alive” and it’s the best-formed song here. Good tempo shifts and starting with a shimmering intro. They’re also unafraid to tweak self-righteous DIY trumpeters for being hypocritical for shopping at chain stores (“Double Standard Bearer”). A good debut. (PO Box 8039, Emeryville, CA 94662, http://www.wajlemac.com/)

DARVOCETS-Have Landed (Gloom, CD)
This CD combines the recent “Authentic Music From Another Planet” 12” EP on Painkiller Records along with their 1996 “Do The Crop Circle 7” EP and two live songs—one from ’94 with horrible sound quality and a marginally better one from ‘04. Cleveland miscreants doing a punk rock take on tinfoil hat/black helicopter/conspiracy theory fodder. Oh, and alien abductions. Larry’s vocals are high pitched and against-the-grain, fused to nervy three chord punk and that carries over from old to new, although the ’04 recording has cleaner production. All this may be something of an acquired taste but it’s an enjoyable schtick—if it is a schtick. You never know with these Clevelanders! Having a sound sample from “The Beverly Hillbillies” doesn’t hurt, either. (PO Box 14253, Albany, NY 12212, http://www.gloomrecords.com/ /Painkiller: http://www.painkillerrecords.com/)

FOR THE WORSE-Blood, Guts, Going Nuts (Bridge Nine, CD)
Mike McCarthy and his merry band of chaos-makers return and the title is a good description of their live show. It also goes for the attitude—confrontational, blunt but also with a sense of humor. For The Worse could stand for Fuck The World—or is it the world is fucked? Either way, the sentiment is there and it’s summed up by “We’re All Going To Die.” There’s also something of a poop fixation—their “Couldn’t Give Two Shits About The Kids” album visualized it on the front cover and “#2” and “When The Shit Hits The Fans” cover that topic. Slapshot is a strong musical influence on this band, except that McCarthy’s vocals sound like a yippy dog with a case of distemper, instead of Choke’s bellicose growl. Thrash and more anthemic punk share space here and it’s a careening ride. (35 Congress st. #336 Salem, MA 01970, http://www.bridge9.com/)

FREEZE-Guilty Face (Schizophrenic, 7” EP)
The Freeze’s 1983 EP, reissued again with two bonus tracks, outtakes from “This Is Boston, Not LA.” There was a 10” re-pressing in the late 80s on Ax/ction Records with different bonus tracks. “Gulty Face” followed their appearances on “BNL” and “Unsafe At Any Speed,” moving the band in a hardcore punk direction, especially on “Voices From My Window.” I get the impression that vocalist Clif Hanger wasn’t too into the loud/fast style—that point is made on the liner notes--but I think the EP holds up well and the songs are memorable. The breakdown in the middle of “Voices” has a similar feel to the same part in the FU’s’ “What You Pay For.” The two earlier songs have a snottier punk style. All of these songs appeared on the “Token Bones” CD anthology but, come on, you want the vinyl. (17 W. 4th Street, Hamilton, ON CANADA, L9C 3M2, http://www.schizophrenicrex.com/)

GO!-Reactive (self-released, CD/7” EP)
Mike BS is back for the first time in over a decade with a revamped Go! and I imagine that’s the reason for the title—yep, I’m a perceptive genius, aren’t I? Or maybe not--I imagine I'm thinking of the term reactivate and Mike informed me that it's a reaction, in his words, "to the political landscape in this country." Moving along, the music is solid melodic hardcore and I’m recommending it because of that, but Mike’s tepid vocals kind of lack presence. The subject matter would be better with an angrier approach. “With This Ring,” about gay marriage (Mike is openly gay) has the line “We are a political football/Our lives up for a vote.” This sentiment needs to be put across as vehemently as possible, given the fact that 7 out of 8 states recently passed referendum questions outlawing gay marriage. It’s not all weighty lyrical matter, though—“That Rare 7” EP” pokes fun at record collector hoarding/nerdiness. Available as two different 7” EPs (the other is titled “With This Ring”) and the CD adds live material from 1990. (540 Leland Ave., San Jose, CA 95128, www.myspace.com/gonyhc)

GUILT LUST-s/t (Fun With Smack, LP)
Imagine a combination of Fucked Up’s muscular punk with driving 80s-era DC emo-core as the main melodic element. That’s what you have from this Western Mass. band. The vocalist DJ Podolski was with the raging hardcore band Last In Line (he’s also with the Irritators now) and this is something slightly different. The vocals still sound angry, although DJ actually sings on occasion and, at its heart, Guilt Lust are a hardcore band. And already a pretty damned good one, at that. (29 Westgate Rd., Apt. 2, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, www.myspace.com/funwithsmack)

IN DEFENCE-Twin Cities Crew (Give Praise, 7” EP)
IN DEFENCE/GUNS N’ ROSA PARKS (Give Praise, 7” EP)
Minneapolis band In Defence features the vocal talents of one Ben Crew, former guitar player for Damage Deposit. Enthusiastic youth-crew (of course) hardcore and there’s clear improvement between their EP and the split with Guns N’ Rosa Parks. The former had the tinny-snare-up-front problem but, on the split, the mix is better and the songs have more punch. Both are worth your time, if you like the upbeat, positive sound, yet without a hint of self-righteousness. Guns N’ Rosa Parks, in addition to having one cool-as-fuck name, bring on the aggro themselves. Thrashy hardcore punk from these Coloradoans (?), working best on the last two songs, “Frontier Mentality” and “Can’t Relate,” where the songs are a little slower and have more impact. (PO Box 494, Barnstable, MA 02630-0494, http://www.givepraiserecords.com/)

KIDS OF CARNAGE-s/t (Give Praise, 7” EP)
Plenty of cah-nage. Hey, since these young men are from Cape Cod, it calls for the appropriate MassHole pronunciation. Hardcore with both a punk attitude and heavier floorpunch elements. Brian spits and snarls along with the band’s rough attack. When the speed is emphasized, the songs fare better. Their theme-song “Kids Of Carnage” is the best one here. (PO Box 494, Barnstable, MA 02630, http://www.givepraiserecords.com/)

KORO-Speed Kills (Sorry State, 12”)/700 Club (Sorry State, 7” EP)
Koro were an early 80s hardcore band from Knoxville, TN and what we have here is a long-overdue reissue of their 7” EP and the first release of their unissued 12”. The latter is a true hardcore archaeological find. Speedy yet incredibly tight--great playing all around. Occasional metal guitar licks pop through and this was ahead of the “crossover” thing.. None of the songs on “700 Club” exceed a minute and the impact is pure hit and run. The 12” has primitive sound quality in comparison but the rawness works to Koro’s advantage. Some of the songs are repeated from the 7” and there’s also a bit more diversity in the arrangements. “Hello, Mom and Dad!” has a slight Big Boys and Minutemen flavor with the funkier rhythm on the verses. And a few of the songs exceed the one minute mark. A few of the songs cover the anti-Reagan/anti-evangelist topics of the day but there are also lyrics about odd and obnoxious people they encounter the their theme song “Koro” is about a penis disease, which is where the band took their name. The 12” is accompanied by an insert that has an extensive interview with their guitarist Carl Snow. Classic, essential hardcore. (1102 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro, NC 27510, http://www.deepfrybonanza.com/sorrystate)

NO SLOGAN-Obredos Al Poder (A Wrench In The Gears, 7” EP)
The second EP from this Chicago band. It finally dawned on me that their fast-paced, tuneful sound reminds me a bit of Articles Of Faith around the time of “What We Want Is Free,” particularly for “No Pasaran.” “Smash The Scene” states “when are you going to realize that it’s all been said. It’s all been done.” They have a good point, there. I mean, No Slogan echo what’s come before yet the lack of pretense and the band’s heartfelt aggression still feels genuine. still energizes. (http://www.wrenchrecords.com/)

THIRD DEATH-s/t (Culturevoid, 7” EP)
When I put on this 7”, I thought 45 was the wrong speed because of the high vocals but then I remembered that their vocalist Buddy rants in that style. Debut vinyl for this Providence band and it’s hyper-paced thrashy hardcore with slower parts. Sometimes, the speed gets the best of them but it’s an enjoyable, youthful blast, one song after another in quick succession. By the way, there are hand-screened covers, 100 each done by three different individuals—mine was done by Scoots Langlais and the skate monster drawing is pretty cool. (http://www.culturevoid.com/)

VARIOUS-Finding A Voice Volume Two (Repetitively Futile, LP)
Crust/grind benefit album for No Compromise and the Earth Liberation Prisoner Support Network and it comes with a booklet explaining their agenda and what the organizations are all about, along with pages for each band. In all honesty, my environmental/animal rights views are probably a lot more moderate than these folks (shhh... don’t tell them about my diet!). Yeah, I’m a wimpy, non-violent liberal person not given to direct action or sabotage although I’ll concur that the sentences for people involved in property destruction are often excessive. Getting to the musical portion, the grinding sounds of FUBAR, Hewhocorrupts, Black Market Fetus and Catheter are largely unlistenable dreck. The best band here are I Object, with their more straightforward hardcore punk sound—the songs here were also on a European 7”. The Dis-crust bands such as Security Threat, Wartorn, Thin The Herd, Words That Burn and Tower Of Rome, follow the hammering, low-tuned, usually dual vocal style—and those are better musical contributions than the other band. So, yeah, it’s the standard comp crap-shoot—some good material but not always that consistent. (PO Box 1311, Missoula, MT 59806, futile@beer.com)

VERBAL ABUSE-Rocks Your Liver (Malt Soda, CD)
The band’s second album where the lineup was reshuffled, bringing in vocalist Scott Wilkins and some extra guitar players to complement Joie Mastrokalos. Recorded in ’86, at the time where the crossin’ over between metal and hardcore had begun. Verbal Abuse embraced that sound, holding onto the scrappy punk roots a bit. The title track is a faster rewrite of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” followed by “Metal Melissa The Pissa,” with a thrash sound sharing commonality with their first album. The flash-riffing emerges with more prominence for “Set Me Free,” “Worth A Try” and “The Chase.” The album is appended with bonus studio tracks and not-bad-sounding live material. It definitely comes across as a hardcore band trying to be more “metal” and, while a bit thin-sounding, production-wise, it’s a fun album. I’m still more likely to listen to the full-on hardcore of “Just An American Band,” though. (PO Box 617127, Orlando, FL 32861, http://www.maltsoda.com/)

Suburban Voice blog #26

This week is the annual CMJ (College Media Journal) “Music Marathon.” in New York City. It’s basically a music biz schmoozathon. Sure, there are panels about various topics covering digital media, radio (college, internet, etc), music retail (I imagine “Taps” will be heard at those conferences), visual media, music management and more. Of course, little gets accomplished with those panels. I’ve been one time since ’93, when I sat on the independent press panel in 2003, since I was invited by Jim Testa of the esteemed Jersey Beat. I did appreciate the fact that he got me on that panel so I got free admission to the conference. And was able to get my buddy Joan press credentials for Suburban Voice as well and we stayed at her aunt’s for free. So it was a low-cost mini-vacation. I did my panel, fielded a few silly questions and that was the extent of my obligations. I did get to see some decent bands—ATV with Mark Perry, TV Smith doing Adverts songs, Paint It Black and, uh, uh... I don’t remember much else being that memorable.

At one point, I thought I wanted a career in the so-called ‘music biz.’ I had spent some time in music retail, working for an independent store. Around ’89 or so, I actually interviewed for a label that was going to be distributed by Relativity distribution, which later became RED and major-label distributed. The label was to be called Urgent, which immediately makes the mediocre Foreigner song pop into my head. I decided not to pursue it mainly because I couldn’t see myself babysitting bands and also didn’t want to move to New York. Urgent was soon re-named In-Effect, which some of you may remember releasing albums by Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All and funk-metallers 24-7 Spyz and Scatterbrain (post-Ludichrist)—jesus, remember that trend? If you’re too young to remember the latter two bands or ignored them, be VERY grateful.

A few years after that, I interviewed for a marketing job at Mechanic Records, which was a boutique label created by MCA and put out mainly metal bands, some of ‘em OK, such as Voivod. Once again, though, I decided I couldn’t move to NYC. I think I’d be a fish out of water moving away from the Boston area. Also, by working in retail, I learned about how the machinations of the music business operated, how it was commerce above all. I dealt with promotional people aiming to get me to inflate the sales figures of their records for our reports to various trade publications. While I wasn’t above taking their swag—going to open-bar parties, getting free records, etc—something did feel dirty about it. The last one of those parties I went to (the first in a long time) was the Fat Wreck Chords party at the swanky BB King’s club in NYC and it felt odd to me. That was during the aforementioned ’03 CMJ conference.

But, man, what a whorefest. I went to the old New Music Seminar and one CMJ from ’89 to ’93. There were moments that, in retrospect, were pretty humorous, such as the encounter with a publicist named Laura, who I’d talked to at my retail job. In the early 90s when there was the funk/metal fad for a bit, Arista signed a band called the Freaky Fuckin Weirdos. They were from Germany. Anyway, at New Music Seminar, she spots me, runs up to me with the band and starts handing me their CD and a cheesy white t-shirt with "Get Fucked" or "Get Funked" in huge letters... the two band guys I met looked as though they'd rather be anywhere else and I can't blame them... Their "plug" song was called "Bitch Made Sandwich." You can probably find their CD in the 3 for $1 bin somewhere.

I don’t think all the free beer in the world could get me down to one of those things again...

MUSIC REVIEWS

ACTS OF SEDITION-s/t (Spacement, 7” EP)
Driving hardcore from the Bay Area... as with many of the current bands from the region, there’s an unvarnished, raw and aggressive sound. A three piece with a howling bassist/vocalist and incorporating thrash and occasional heaviness, such as on the lengthier “Sun or Death.” Interesting assortment of quotes on the lyric sheet, including war thug Donald Rumsfeld and Ben Franklin, with the timeless caveat about how people giving up liberty for safety deserve neither and that’s relevant to this day. (269 Wonder St., Reno, NV 89502, http://www.spacementreno.com/)

BAMBOO KIDS-Feel Like Hell (Empty, CD)
Power-pop straight from the 70s, both the revival in the late 70s and back to the glam-rock routes. If things get gooey on occasion, it’s counteracted by the pure joy of “Heartattack,” with the supple bassline and hand-clappin’ rhythm grabbing the ears. The older influences come in through the Dolls-ish (albeit with less endearing sloppiness) of “Low Life” and “Palpitations.” The volume gets turned up for “USA Out Of NYC” and things end nicely with the Bowie/T. Rex-ish stomp of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldier.” To borrow a line from the Blues Brothers, you’ve got both pop AND rock here. (PO Box 12301, Portland, OR 97212, http://www.emptyrecords.com/)

BATTLESHIP-s/t (On/On Switch, CD)
A battle with the senses. Abrasive, provocative rock and it ain’t the iced caffeine I just orally injected into my system. This is a cyclone that has shards of Jesus Lizard, Sonic Youth and early 90s AmRep style in the mix. They get to serious hammering for “Buster Keaton” and “This Town Wants You Skinny, while “The Blind Eating The Blind” begins with some jabbing guitar. A lot of jab here, uncontrolled aggression and doing it in a way that makes it stand out from the usual. This album quickly follows the band’s mini-album and the songs are a bit better-formed. Both provide a good jolt. (PO Box 641122, SF, CA 94164, http://www.ononswitch.com/)

CONTROL DE ESTADO-Acto Criminal (Burrito, 7” EP)
State control, state control, this really is state control, as the name translates from the Spanish. Raw bass-driven hardcore from Florida. That’s the fuel for this three piece although the guitar and drums share in the pillage. Not a lot of melody—just rage. While the drum mix emphasizes the snare more than I’d like and the tightness occasionally falters, the roughness of the sound works to their advantage. There’s room for improvement, though. (PO Box 3204, Brandon, FL 33509-3204, http://www.soundideadistribution.com/)

DÖDSDOMD-Seven Deadly Sins (Havoc, 7” EP)
A concept 7”, as this Swedish bands do one song each about the seven deadly sins (in case you couldn’t tell). There’s a Swedish version and an English version and I got the latter. Howling multiple vocals and a rampaging sound, as usual. The music doesn’t require deep analysis and neither do the lyrics. In the seven songs, Dödsdomd manage to encapsulate a lot of what causes the ills in this world—I suppose it can be boiled down to those items, although one doesn’t need religious baggage to be aware of them. And it seems as though “Wrath” may be the answer to the other six. In any case, you don’t need to appreciate the concept to be bowled over by the music here. (PO Box 8585, Minneapolis, MN 55408, http://www.havocrex.com/)

FOURTH ROTOR-Plain (Southkore, LP/Underground Communique, CD)
Not what you’d expect from Southkore (they did the vinyl and the CD came out on Underground Communique) and that’s fine with me—change-ups are always welcome as long as the musical results grab ones attention. That’s certainly the case with this Chicago trio and they’ve been around the block awhile. Vocalist/guitarist Douglas Ward was in ID Under and 8Bark, both of whom I remember from the late 80s/early 90s and his bandmates, Jacob Levee and Kammy Lee were in Ambition Mission, among other bands. Here, the sound is jolting post-punkish rock, with prominent bass-lines, jabbing guitar and vocals that bring to mind a late, much-missed portly guitarist for a band called the Minutemen. It’s hard to deny that band’s influence and there’s also the gnarled aggro of the old Amphetamine Reptile bands. Fourth Rotor are forceful but doing it without sticking to a punk rock playbook. (2814 S. Spaulding, Chicago, IL 60623, http://www.southkorerecords.com/1200 W. Hood, Apt. 1, Chicago, IL 60660, www.undercomm.org.)

HOPE YOU CHOKE (One Percent, CD)
Another disc that got regrettably neglected for awhile. Hope You Choke’s guitarist Pete logged time in Minneapolis ragers Holding On, a band that flirted with heaviness. His bandmates come from Bodies Lay Broken and the Real Enemy. A metallic/crossover sound—keeping some of the speedier hardcore trappings while crossing over into pure metal. Hope You Choke pull this off very well. No dull chug. Hope You Choke have figured out the way to keep a metallic sound from being lumbering and boring. (PO Box 141048, Minneapolis, MN 55414-1048, http://www.onepercentrecords.com/)

OVER THE EDGE-Tales From The Blacktop Burnout (Rotten Drunk, CD)
The history includes people from Out Cold and Blood For Blood, to name two bands, but this is in more of a street punk ‘n roll vein. A hearty dose of Rancid (without the ska), Tommy and Terrors and early Ducky Boys. Boisterous tuneful songs with a punchy guitar sound, sandpaper croonin’ lead vocals and boys-in-the-gang backups. Over The Edge aren’t reinventing the punk rock wheel but it’s an enjoyable half hour or so. (21 Wells Ave., Westwood, MA 02090, www.myspace.com/overtheedge)

TRAUMA (Eye Respect In The Dog End, CD)
Demo-quality double-speed thrash/semi crossover—that means it doesn’t sound all that great, sonically. Very tinny-sounding and monorhythmic. I’m not sure it’d improve with stronger production. These guys just aren’t that tight and flail away without leaving much of an impression, (www.myspace.com/warrenhardcore)

VARIOUS-Mal De Ojo (joint release, CD)
A compilation of four Latino bands—No Slogan and Intifada from Chicago and Tropiezo and Juventud Crasa from Puerto Rico. Mostly quality punk and hardcore here, although Intifada suffer a bit from tin-snare syndrome and their double-speed thrash doesn’t always hold up. All the other bands, though, mix the punk punch and add melody here and there. No Slogan fit this description, especially for their cover of Bhopal Stiffs’ “Too Many Things.” Juventud Crasa also have a somewhat more tuneful approach while Tropiezo, with whom they share members, have a thrashier take. Play it loud for your neighbors who always whine about all the people who dare to speak in Spanish. Hell, just play it loud for yourself and loved ones. (Benny Hernandez, 2814 Spaulding St., Chicago, IL 60623, http://www.southkorerecords.com/)