Reviews For
April/May
2004
Reviewers for this batch are
Benny Brylcreem (bb), Wayne K.
Machine (wkm), Dale Merrill (dm)
and Sleeve (slv)
Reviews For
April/May
2004
Reviewers for this batch are
Benny Brylcreem (bb), Wayne K.
Machine (wkm), Dale Merrill (dm)
and Sleeve (slv)
KILLER'S KISS "Gotta Lotta Love" (Blue Bus 7in) Ever since the likes of the Gories and the Oblivians first banged out their versions of Soul music tainted with trash can toxins gobs of others have fallen over their tongues and tripped over their toes trying to emulate it with their own take on the Rhythm-n-Blues receiving a punk rockin' lambasting. Some have succeeded in leaving lurid pockmarks in the brain but the ones that seem to never have that much luck are the bands based outta California. This record manage to scratch that idea out of my head. The tune "Gotta Lotta Love" is one goddamned of a salacious affair. A throat sardined with vocal fold nodules lays it down over sweat drenched organ honks and dirt smokin' guitar coughs while the drums harass every lame-o that refuses to move their hips. Flip it over to "Backslider" and as the opening riff first sounds like it's peeling the dead skin off the Cars "Good Times Roll" but that mind set is shattered by a the sound of mortar and bricks being demolished. Walking into the living room Killer's Kiss see through a cloud of thick cement dust that an old beat up Lincoln Mark IV has crashed through the wall and someone staggering around the wreck holding something to their head. They take a few steps closer and see that it's Ron Wood using the LP jacket to the Compulsive Gamblers "Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing" to sop up the blood running from his split open head. (Killer's Kiss) dm
the OSCARS "American Idol" (Bootleg CD) The Oscars? Where do you think they got their name from? From the Academy Awards? I highly doubt it. Shit like that is too shiny and bright for the sound that is on this disc.
What about other Oscars? Oscar the grouch? Oscar Madison? The fish (especially the fish-bands all through the ages have named themselves after fish)?
Uh huh. All 3 of those work.
Oscar the grouch-he loves trash. Anything dirty or dingy or dusty. Anything ragged or rotten or rusty. Yes! He loves trash! There's all those things on this.
Oscar Madison liked to smoke and drink and was a slob. It's probably a way of life for the band as well. They sure doesn't sound neat and clean. I wonder if the have some ambiguously gay and uptight jerkass always giving them grief.
Growing up my grandparents had two huge Oscars in a tank in their family room. Whenever someone would walk into the room the fish would follow them with their eyes. They'd always seemed to be hungry. My grandpops would pitch pieces of braunschweiger and chunks of cheese into the tank and the fish would come to the top and snatch them up. Once, one of 'em jumped out of the tank and on to the carpet and started flopping around LIKE 5 FEET UP INTO THE AIR. It freaked me out for a couple of years. (The Oscars) wkm
the ATOMIKS "Motordeath" (Slovenly Records CD) BOWIE era IGGY vocals over some pretty poppy music isn’t what i’m into. I don’t know if their trying to fall into a rut well worn by the likes of the VELVET UNDERGROUND or what? What they do they do well but I’ve heard it done better. But this one is more a personal preference thing with me, someone else might say just the opposite. Good cure for insomnia though. (The Atomiks) bb
BONA ROBA "Cunningham Park" (Sonico 7in) With souls as ragged as their jeans and Fenders slung low enough to feel right (but not too low where it look's like a joke) Bona Roba sound like New York City. Not the present day co-opted by Disney "safe" New York City either. It's the New York that Iggy Pop tried to escape back into on his return to the US after fluttering off with Bowie to Berlin. A New York where Richard Hell would've stuck around in Television long enough to record "Marquee Moon" but would branded the idea that instead of neandering into some soporific guitar opera keep the songs loose and play them bare, brittle and terse. It's the sound of Martin Scorsese New York City not the trust fund, look at my hair, I'm a real life version of a charecter from a "Friends" episode New York. The scuzzy and decadent New York that Mick Jagger became so enamored in while writing lyrics for the "Some Girls" album but actually walking the streets and catching the subway instead of safely obeserving it from his limousine window. (Bona Roba) dm
the MOJOMATICS "Devil Got My Woman" (Shake Your Ass 7in EP) If you were just to glance at this record's cover ya might think "Oh, It's the Detroit Cobras 'Village Of Love' single that came out on Human Fly records" (provided that you've seen the cover of course.) Then ya might be thinking "I thought they used blue ink not black though." Yeah...both singles use the same source as their artwork. Another record that Human Fly released was a basementy blues duo called Henry and June (who's guitar player/singer is Johnny Walker who later went on to form the Soledad Brothers) which predated the White Stripes and even Bantam Rooster in the Detroit blues-punk duo sweepstakes by a couple of years. The two songs on side one here remind me alot of that slab. Wiggly and sometimes manic slide guitar, rimshot snare drum beats and harmonica honkin'. The big difference between the two bands though is that the Mojomatics like to kick in the overdrive instead of sticking with the trad purism of simple amplification. Think as if John Lee Hooker, while working on the Cadillac assembly line, snuck a motor out a back door and took down to the recording studio to power the speaker his guitar was going through. On the flipside they open up the windows and let things air out a bit with a more poppy thing yet it's like if the Knack decided to loosen their skinny ties and had Billy Childish produce 'em. (the Mojomatics) dm
the DEFECTORS "Turn Me On!" (Bad Afro CD) Whoa, not what I was expecting. Kind of a Fuzzed out Psychedelic ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT meets the freakin’ Munster's. I know its bad of me to stereotype but I was lookin’ for some HELLACOPTERS or some GLUECIFER so it took me a minute to adjust. Not bad overall, I’m sure some little garage scenesters were lovin’ it at SXSW. Little too much on the fuzz for me tho’ starts to remind you of SMASHMOUTH after awhile. (Bad Afro) bb
CLOROX GIRLS "Baby" (Jonny Cat 7in. EP) Well, the first thing that pops up when talking about the Clorox Girls is mentions of early Redd Kross. Ya gotta admit that it's a pretty easy to do right off the bat. After all, they (probably) did take their name from a song written by the band. They do have a the teenage spirit teetering between exuberance and gawkiness of the young Redd Kross stuff as well...even a couple songs start off with a clunky bassline ala Steve McDonald at 15. Having said all though, one then has to wonder about what made early Redd Kross SOUND they way they did. It was their youthful ardor, jumping head first into a racket trying to kill afterschool latchkey kid boredom with something a bit more volatile than TV reruns, video games and junk food. Blare it out & blast it up and not wasting a single second more than what is needed! Yeah! That's what the Clorox Girls have the most! (Clorox Girls) dm
SAVAGE LUCY "Dead Boys Stay Dead" (Squirrel 7in EP) Two very pissed off girls playing 4 really pissed off songs. It's rat-a-tat-tat and chord banging gives it an Eater (if they were two very pissed off American girls) amateur go for it thing. My better half came in the room while this was playing and said "they sound like they want to twist the heads off Barbie dolls." (Savage Lucy) dm
the HEATSEEKERS "In Praise Of" (Ohev CD) Man! This sounds ALOT like the Didjits. I would say it sounds JUST LIKE the Didjits but it's not quite THAT much. Gaza Strippers maybe. The gayest record the Supersuckers ever made was the one Rick Simms played on but this is better than the Gaza Strippers. Not better than the Didjits though. Tomorrow I might be thinking "This sounds ALOT like the Candy Snatchers". They sounded like a redneck version of the Didjits. Maybe that's what I was thinking all along. (Heatseekers) wkm
IfIHadAHiFi "No More Music" (Contraphonic CD) HiFi's are the type of you'd would meet at a company picnic. Let's say you're newer to the job and are wandering around with a joint in your pocket trying to find someone and somewhere to spark it up. You don't want to bring it up at random cuz ya never know who's the workplace fun governor. With an indifferent smile standing by other folks from your department milling around the taco salad says "What are the IT guys doing way over there anyway's?"
Another co-worker replies "Probably smoking dope. You know how those tech department people are." You say something about finding the restroom then wander off in the direction they were talking about. Sauntering over there you spot 'em and think they look more like guys you'd see on a church league softball team or at a Comic-Con than some dudes who look like they're reading to toke down on some reefer.
But the sickly sweet scent wafts through the air and there's seems to be no other place it could be coming from. Stepping closer you notice some weird ass sounds coming out of a boombox and overhear discussion's debating the importance of Van Der Graff Generator's entire catalog vs. Sonic Youth's early releases, installing a car horn, pop art and who's got the best submarine sandwiches in town. Hardly a mention of dungeon masters, twelve sided dice, Linux interfaced applications or Todd McFarlane selling out pathetically more everyday. Yeah, they make be geek's but it sure alot more interesting than conversing about 401K's, auto leasing plans and the best tasting bottled waters that you just walked away from.
A conversation is started and ya find out that they dig getting high. You also find out that they don't work in your company's tech department but are in a band. Ironically enough though, the music that HiFi makes would appeal to those in that crowd who are of an Acid Mothers Temple persuation. Information get perverted as it flies through the air. Soundwaves throb then rattle trailing off here and there to return then return with another cranium shaking whoosh. Underneath all the audio mutations there's a something catchy...a groove if ya will. Though the Wisconsin frequency fryers making the noise love the bleeps and bloops, distortion, phase and pitch shifters perverting every sound they make they know that beneath the squall the has to be that hook casted out in to the boiling pot that takes hold of the big chunky soup bone. They're clever enough to know that without it there just ain't much there..nothing the teeth can sink into. By the time "No More Music" is finished one may think "Was that nothing but a squall fest?" but soon afterwards they find themselves tapping out a beat on the streering wheel at a stoplight thinking of a strange bit of catchiness and wondering "What is that and why is it stuck inside my mind"? (IfIHadAHifi) dm
the FOXX s/t (demo CD) An antsy sun baked groove ala the Drags is the base ingredient in the blender then a couple of handfuls of honky tonk are thrown in for flavoring before the switch is flipped to grind. Marc Bolan is added for flavor and the blues for color. The guitar players share lead vocals. Isaac does a commendable job but Juliet's Wanda Jackson in the jet age meets Neko Case if she shook the indie rockisms and got down & dirty purrs and weeps really make this shine. "Too Much Love", "Sad Desperation" and especially "Ready To Go", where both of them share the mic, are miles above some particular releases that Sympathy has put out over the last couple of years. (The Foxx) dm
the STRONG COME ONS "Yell Alot and Suck" (Big Neck 7in Ep) Looking at the title I was wondering if Casey, nickg and Gus were thumbing their noses at the naysayers who reside in their fishermen's dream of a hometown. Then I was thinking maybe they were giving out some free advice to lesser bands.
"Ha Ha! What lesser bands are you talking about? They're from Algoma, Wisconsin for Christ sakes!!! Who the fuck ever gets out of a desolate pasture like that???" you are probably thinking but let me tell ya, whenever someone like Todd "These are FRESH bratwurst I brought from Green Bay so I am going to explain to you how to cook them properly" Trickknee in twenty years gets around to writing the definitive history of the Wisconsin Rock-n-Roll scene '95 to 2005 the Strong Come Ons BETTER be something more than just a footnote. What started out as three high school foul ups getting together to be an Oblivians tribute band for one night ended up spreading the seedlings that lead to the likes of the Tears, the Blueballs and the Catholic Boys.
With Harmony Rockets in need of new strings, speakers pulled of out of an old Dodge truck powered by amplifiers held together with the ride's old audio wire and duct tape that wouldn't even get 20 bucks on Ebay and a drum kit coated with puke & dried up blood and all sticky from spilt beer, the Strong Come Ons scream-n-yell, deep frying the sound in used motor oil and make a big huge mess. (the Strong Come Ons) dm
the KRUNCHIES "Interrobang" (Criminal IQ 7in EP) Very fast moving angst riddled guitars. I can't really put my finger on who these threesome sound like but they have a spark to them. This records has a wild drivin' pace and flow. "Cherry Bomb!" is a sweet punk rocking romance duet thing and "Urban Chic" has a fast marching Crass type of beat. Here's some insane punk rock not to be ignored. (the Krunchies) slv
NINE POUND HAMMER "Kentucky Breakdown" (Acetate CD) If I still had a way to record music to an 8 Track cartridge I'd make a copy of this for my uncle Cyril to play in his old truck on Saturdays when my aunt Doris let's him drive it a 3 miles down their dirt road to the tavern at the crossroads where he tries to hustle the pool table. More times than not he tries to pick a fight and everyone in the bar humors him because he's older than dirt and starts staggering after his second jigger. His always ends with his head on the bar and aunt Doris taking the tractor down there, slumping him over a fender and hauling him back so he can sleep it off on the back sun porch til she makes him get up and drag his hungover ass to the early morning chuch service. (Nine Pound Hammer) dm
ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN "We Will Bury You" (TKO CD) If anyone out there has been trying to put together an ultimate CD-R compilation of all the songs that Electric Frankenstein have covered through the years STOP RIGHT NOW because the folks at TKO have taken care of it. I started working on one but I only had 13 songs and there's 31 on this 2 disc set. It has songs you would could imagine EF doing (Circle Jerks, Dictators, Dead Boys, Motorhead, Joan Jett etc) but there's also some stuff I wouldn't in a million years expect them to play-Iron Maiden's "Ace's High", Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" "The Chain"??? What the fuck?!?! I was worrying it would sound all retarded and faggy like Me First and the Gimme Gimme Gimmes (and when you cover retarded songs in the first place it's hard to make them good let alone worth the time even learning how to play them. And don't use that 'It's Irony" bullshit on me either) but Electric Frankenstein do it Electric Frankenstein way so it's all cool. (TKO) wkm
the RADIO BEATS "Blow You Up" (Big Neck 7in EP) What happens when hi-school pop punk losers from the West Virginia Appalachian region (Wheeling, who's other contribution to the world of music is Brad Paisley, to be more exact) hear Teengenerate, the Devil Dogs and the Problematics for the first time? Well, in the Radio Beats case, it totally turned their heads around. Instead of boo-hoo-hoo'ing about how some girl broke up with them for someone who they thought was their best friend, finding words that rhyme with chocolate malt and practicing their Johnny Ramones pose in front of their bedroom mirror they turn everything up as loud as it will go start kicking everything over. To hell with that girl in science class who left 'em for the football player. The Radio Beats are gonna get even when they crash a jock party and set fire to haircut boy's parents $3,000 designer leather couch! (Big Neck) dm
JAWBONE "Dang Blues" (Jawbone CD) One man band, now there’s an original thought...One man street corner/ subway band powered by a car battery and some jumper cables, now that’s impressive. If you haven’t heard of Jawbone you must live under a rock because I live in the armpit of the earth and I’ve heard of him. This is some good ass trashy street corner blues and I’m digging the hell out of it, hell I wish he’d come play on my street corner and chase away those pesky little thugs that run my neighborhood, damn 6 year olds. Put the power of the Blues into the little shits. Beat them senseless with pure, raw trashy slide blues. TEACH ‘EM A FUCKIN’ LESSON!!!(Jawbone) bb
the WHITE LIARS "Pharmacia" (24 Carrot CD) A few years back I had to get some serious surgery and the doc gave me Demerol for the pain. I thought "Cool. Elvis liked that shit. It made him all loopy...It's probably a good buzz" but it wasn't fun at all. It made me itchy, ornery and irritated by the simplest of things. It didn't make me want to go on stage and show off some karate moves between songs. It just made me want to have everybody leave me the fuck alone.This is having the same effect. Anybody here feeling nostalgic for Mother Love Bone??? (the White Liars) dm
the LEG HOUNDS "Ready To Go" (Alien Snatch LP) The final chapter of this Sheboygan, Wisconsin skirt chasin' trio's "Let's record 3 full lengths in one weekend" trilogy now available on vinyl. Yeah, it's been out on CD for awhile now but anything good always sounds better on record. Gunslingers carve a notch into their 6 shooter for everyone it's taken down-the Leg Hounds do the same on their instruments for every panty shot they get while playing. They don't even bring it up to the dolls in the crowd. Their tunes do it for 'em. I reviewed the CD version a few months back but it is NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL (Have I made that point to ya yet?) and different cover design. The cover design doesn't really fit their style though (it's kinda ugly too) still the music inside is a loaded with harmonies sounding like the illegit sons of the Shangri Las raised on a diet of bacon cheeseburgers, bottomless cups of coffee, 151 proof rum and nicotine (which is probably not too far off from the Shangri Las actual diet now that I get thinking about it) hoppin' in their ride with all four barrels open, heading down to the bowling alley where the jukebox is heavily stocked with Chuck Berry, obscure power pop and the Real Kids to flirt with chicks with potty mouths and even dirtier minds. (Check out the Smashin' Transistors interview with the Leg Hounds here) dm
the 7-10 SPLITS "Yard Sale" (Big Neck CD) All the songs have a nice switch/ variety. Reminds me of Dead Milkmen meets Meatmen. Late 80's punk style with a thrift shop rock sound and some acoustic,mellow and jazzish instrumental's too (Big Neck) slv
RODRIGUEZ s/t (Swindlebra CD) It's a time like now where I think a CD artwork should include a free scratch and sniff somewhere in it. One for this would be smelling like Jack & cokes and Marlboros and would burn the sinuses like meth manufactured in some shack out in Ruby. Snottin' up the Hellacopters sound by stripping away a bunch of the flash solos (but still spurting out distorted venom) and/or if the Supersuckers were all 19 years old and listened to way more things like the Dirtys and Sonic's Rendezvous and way less things like Kiss & Judas Priest. (Rodriguez) wkm
BATTERY LIFE "Shotgun Loudmouth" (Avebury CD) Fans of the new EDDIE SPAGHETTI solo album should like this album. The track “Typical Thinking Man Blues” reminds me a bit of MAN OR ASTROMAN but for some unfathomable reason it also puts me slightly in the mood of THE POUGES if MICHAEL STIPE was singing. Not my cup of tea (or brand of beer as the case may be). (Battery Life) bb
the MINDS "Rip Out Your Eyes" (Alien Snatch 7in) Garage/basement punk with keyboards and a crazy fake Jap import looking cover. There's a Greg Ginn thing in the crankin' riffs and lyrics like "Rock critics are such a joke/hard rock just makes me choke/weekly papers make me sick/RIP OUT YOUR EYES!" A continuous flow of distortion & noise and rock hammering beats is going on. (Alien Snatch) slv
HOLY SHIT! "What The Fuck?" (Holy Shit 7in EP) This is Midwest mind frying in one of it's most feral forms. Seven twisted and disjointed blasts all clocking under a minute punch you in the heart and wring out your brain like the 1984 model Die Kreuzen tumbling down a hill as they fight over a stack of skin mags, their favorite song on the Piranhas "Erotic Grit Movies" and the last can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. So many jerkbags today claim to play some kind of "hardcore" but it nine times out of ten it ends up sounding like all the other whigger metal that dimwits blast out of their car stereos in the parking lot of my neighborhood liquor store. Holy Shit remind me of the days when I avoided the heshers cranking up the Judas Priest and looking for some "punker faggot ass" to beat up so I'd wait around til the coast was clear to get my potato chips and Faygo to compliment the grass and Black Flag records I had at home waiting for me. (Holy Shit) dm
the VEINS "Hollywoodland" (Garage Pop CD) I wonder if these guys all cash their paycheck at the same tavern then blow it on draft beers, cigarettes and pumping 5 dollar bills into the jukebox to play Cheap Trick, Tom Petty and power ballads over and over and over again. I think it's time to ask the bartender to call me a cab. (Garage Pop) wkm
the LIDS "Too Late" (Die Slaughterhaus 7in EP) Supercharger rooted bargain basement 3 chord fizzy rock-n-roll fitted for a reform school prom. Toilet paper used for streamers and the punch is spiked with whatever whoever snatched outta their parent's liquor cabinet. The truant officers would've shut the whole thing down if school hadn't already payed them off. He knows the chief of police's daughter is gonna be there with a couple of her friends to add some back-up "Rah Rah Rah's" and "C'mon C'mon C'mon's" til they're falling drunk on their asses and thier panties halfway down 'round the ankles. The band flails around sweating, drooling and thinking about how much it sucks that ephedra is no longer legally available in the USA as they rip out some trash that would make even the most cynical and jaded of lo-fi lovers think "Holy Fuck Yeah!!! They have to be the rulers of the short bus!!!" (Die Slaughterhaus) dm
BABY WOODROSE "Pouring Water" (Bad Afro 1 song promo CD) If I'm understanding their press correctly Baby Woodrose is hot shit in their homeland of Denmark. It's probably unfair to base my impression off one song (which, for those keeping score at home, is taken from their full length "Money For Soul") but this sounds nothing more than a cock rock version of the Cynics. (Baby Woodrose) dm
SCRAGS "One With Everything" (WonTon CD) Yea haha...we’ve all heard the zen master hot dog joke “make me one with everything”. Well shit if this is one with everything then gimmie two of the mofo’s. I like me some stoner rock, well actually I just like getting stoned, and I think these guys do as well. They seem to like their pop, and I hear a bit o’ MUDHONEY as well. I won’t throw out the obvious stoner rock comparison to MONSTER MAGNET but I hear some great shit mixed in there. I even listened to the whole damn thing I didn’t skip any songs (if you’ve ever reviewed a bunch of records in one day you know what I mean). Thank god everything I got to review wasn’t crap, because I really needed to hear some rock n roll and this fits the bill. (contact the Scrags) bb
DROPZINES "Between Sheets and Walls" (Dropzines CD) Radio friendly pop emo. I bet they throw like a girl. (Dropzines) wkm
the ILLEGAL MOVERS/the COYOTEMEN split (Captians Of Industry CD) It's a tag team cage match on top of a mile high hill of trash. In one corner of the squared circle are the Illegal Movers. They've got the swing of legendary grapplers the Dictators and the fan favorite swagger of the Lazy Cowgirls so they got the classic moves down to get the crowd up on it's feet. The execute with enough of today's style to keep the young rowdies coming back for more....they also drop a Cheap Trick reference in a song lamenting their lives has high flying could 'ave beens.
In the other corner we have masked men the Coyotemen. They are absolutely the heels in this match. The don't fight fair! They're from an older school. One of bar brawling pummeling and hiding a hiding a safety razor in their waistband for dramatic effect. It's all about the caveman stomp than when on the mat. They wanna get it done with so they can go out and have 5 steaks and a gallon bottle of Sangria each after the final bell rings and they collect their pay. (Captains Of Industry) dm
