Issue 9--Music Reviews

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

BICKLEY- Kiss the Bunny (Fearless)
Whoa, Butthead, that’s a lot of punk rock! 23 songs to be exact, celebrating the kitsch that we Americans call culture. Not serious in any way, and that’s a good thing. Punk shouldn’t be serious.
-John

BOUNCING SOULS- Tie One On! (Epitaph)
I like the Bouncing Souls well enough, but frankly, I don’t get the point of this album. First, it’s really short (9 songs, about 20 minutes), it’s choppy, has what I guess would be termed their “big hits”, and has one new song. But why??? At least with the Guttermouth album, there’s the fact that it’s pretty old stuff, and the band sounds like they’re really into it. But here, it just sounds like they’re making a record to make a record. Nothing special. Fans will love this, but if you’re just a casual listener, this won’t do much for you.
-John

BRAID—Frame & Canvas (Polyvinyl)
BRAID—First Day Back b/w Hugs From Boys 7" (Polyvinyl)
Hmm. I’m definitely digging it. It doesn’t sound just like two other bands mixed together. Unless it’s two bands I don’t know. There’s maybe some Sideshow, some Cap’n Jazz, a little old Promise Ring, some screaming, some singing, some beauty, no bullshit. And It’s produced by J. Robbins of Jawbox/Burning Airlines, who has produced just about all my favorite albums (Texas Is The Reason, Kerosene 454, Promise Ring, the list is endless...) What else is there to say? I like this album more with every listen. The 7-inch is one song from the album, with “Hugs From Boys” as the B-side. I think I actually like the B-side better. Consider Braid, if you will. Thank you.
-Wade

BUCKWILD- Full Metal Overdrive (Lobster)
Hands down best cover of the year! Of course, wildly misleading, but that’s OK (I’m not going to tell you what’s on it so you have to buy it yerself). Buckwild is pretty much pop punk, though their songs are a bit more creative than most. Recommended.
-John

BURNING AIRLINES/BRAID—split 7"/CDep (DeSoto/Polyvinyl)
The 7" is from DeSoto and the CDep version is out on Polyvinyl. Burning Airlines and Braid celebrate their joint European tour with this split. Burning Airlines covers “Back of Love” by Echo & the Bunnymen, and kick ass on all fronts. The Braid side is a cover of “Always Something There To Remind Me” by... Burt Bacharach? Didn’t somebody else have the hit with it? I’m not really into the Braid side, as much as I love ‘em. Recommended for budding Burning Airlines completists.
-Wade

BURNING AIRLINES - Mission: Control! (DeSoto)
It’s definitely not Jawbox (although it is J. Robbins and Bill Barbot from Jawbox). Some of the songs on this album aren’t too far away from the kind of thing Jawbox used to do. Others are way, way poppier than anything Jawbox ever did, and others are... well, completely beyond categorization Burning Airlines has this mutant-pop/indie-rock-does-The-Beatles sort of feel. All in all, it feels like a mix of DC hardcore and smart pop sensibilities. I don’t think old Jawbox fans will be too disappointed (I’m one and I like it). The only thing I don’t like about this album is that it was the first place that I heard Kerosene 454 broke up. Goddammit! Well, maybe they’ll reform in a band as good as Burning Airlines. Here’s hoping.
-Wade

EBS vs. WAZOO - split 7" (Town Hall)
You know, EBS (and Wazoo, to an extent) makes me remember why I got into pop-punk in the first place. The down and out, unpretentious ethos, but sometimes with punky attitudes of those bands like The Queers and Screeching Weasel speak to me directly, are very real and no-nonsense. EBS’ two songs here are depressing - about girls of course. (“You know the whole thing with girls is pain. And it seems like it just keeps getting more painful and less easier,” - from “Diner”) Kevin, EBS’ singer/guitarist, and I have traded countless e-mails with each other about our troubles in this department, so I guess that is why both of these songs knocked me on my ass when I first heard them. They’re called “Ice Cream Headache” and “Mistake” — short and sometimes outta tune bursts of frustration. But they are good because they’re from the heart. Wazoo was pretty good too, but the production quality leaves something to be desired. If you’re interested, send $2 to: Town Hall Records, P.O. Box 974, Harriman, NY 109260974, or e-mail me at: bjdabkow@syr.edu to get a copy.
-Brendan

ERRORTYPE: 11—s/t (Some Records)
Imagine Quicksand. Now imagine Hum or Compound Red. Now picture Shift. Now jump up and down and spin around some. Bingo! The picture in your head is now Errortype: 11. No, that’s not a criticism. Good, solid, harmonious rock n’ roll in that NYC “post-hardcore” vein. Post-post-hardcore, perhaps? Oh god, not another sub-genre. Let’s stick to the staples like “emo” and “rock,” shall we? Thank you. I like it. It reminds me of good bands. How much more can you ask for?
-Wade

FIRESIDE—Uomini D’Onore (Crank!)
This album is FUCKING AMAZING. Crank! sent a dubbed tape of the record to me for free, and I liked it so much I went out and bought the CD. The last time I heard material by Fireside they sounded kind of like the Swedish Quicksand. Fireside is way beyond comparison to other bands now. Heavy, intense, occasionally upbeat, sometimes dredging the depths of despair, always beautiful. I especially like the vibraphone part on “Dos.” I liked it so much I used it in a film project, and everybody loved my film, so you know it must be a good song. If you only buy one album all year—and assuming your Promise Ring collection is up to date—consider this new Fireside album. Oh, and watch for a possible interview in the next NIMBY.
-Wade

THE GLORIA RECORD - grace, the snow is here 7" (Crank!)
So The Gloria Record, from what I hear, is all the members of Mineral but one, back together as a band. Unfortunately, my knowledge of Mineral is very slight, but I really love what I’ve heard. (Ironically, the only Mineral record I own is the “Gloria” record. So many good records, so little money!) But from this small sample of The Gloria Record, I think I can safely say their sound is not too far from Mineral, but maybe less heavy. The Gloria Record has a CDep out on Crank! as well, but I think I should invest in some Mineral CDs before I go after that. And then there’s all those Pixies records I need...
-Wade

GUTTERMOUTH- Live From the Pharmacy (Nitro)
Wow, Guttermouth live- from 1994! I’m a huge Guttermouth fan, and if you are, I’m sure this will float your boat. The best part is that its all stuff off of “Formerly Known As…” and “Friendly People”, which is perfect since I didn’t care for “Teri Yakimoto” and, though I love the new stuff, I think they’d be overexposing it if they did a new live album so soon. It’s one of those good live albums where the music is great and there’s a lot of band energy. Really, this is a rare combo. Anyhow, it’s got 16 live songs, including “Derek”, “Marco Polo”, and “1,2,3 Slam”, and 4 new songs that are pretty decent (especially “This Won’t Hurt A Bit”). It gets two thumbs up your ass.
–John

JAWBOX - My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents (DeSoto)
Okay, I admit it, this is the first full-length Jawbox album I have ever bought and Jawbox are now dead. R.I.P. But this posthumous release has whet my appetite for more Jawbox. ‘My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents’ is very enjoyable. I guess it is a compilation of bunches of the unreleased, the live, and the tracks found on 7-inches spanning Jawbox’s entire career. 22 tracks in fact! And even a weird cover of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by some famous, cool old black guy I am causing myself actual physical pain trying to remember but it ain’t coming. Good stuff here, makes me wish I would have gotten into Jawbox when they were still around. Very pretty layout and lots of artsy pictures of the band. A must for any longtime fan.
-Brendan

JEJUNE—This Afternoon’s Malady (Big Wheel Recreation)
Jejune is the soundtrack to the prom you never went to. OK, I’ll admit that’s a pretty obscure description but it’s the first thing that always pops into my mind. There’s just something very romantic and sad about Jejune that’s amazingly moving. So emo you’ll cry. This isn’t the type of album you can put a finger on and name the two other bands it sounds exactly like. There’s some shades of REM here and there (actually, only for two songs really) but otherwise I’m stumped. The other thing I like about this album: good lyrics, which is something many bands are lacking in. The lyrics aren’t always that literal but the imagery is beautiful and you don’t come away going, “What the fuck?” This one is definitely for the fuzz-pop kids today.
-Wade

JETS TO BRAZIL - orange rhyming dictionary (Jade Tree)
Believe the hype. This is some depressingly good shit. But try to check your Jawbreaker-labelled suitcases of sound at the door. Hard as that may be. It may be depressing what depression does to some, but certainly not to Blake Schwarzenbach and the rest of this highly-touted ‘emo-supergroup’ (a description the press have tagged them with). “Orange Rhyming Dictionary” is kinda like the last Jawbreaker album; “Dear You” which I must say, lyrically at least, was my favorite. The music here is way more upbeat and new-wavish, but the lyrics are even more amazing in their depressiveness. Awaiting Blake’s is lyrics is like lighting a candle for a downpour: you know they’re gonna be dark and brooding and painfully saddening (most of the time), but you can’t help looking forward to them. Edward Munch has a painting called simply ‘Melancholy’. If you were to view this painting and say, needed some background music, JTB’s “Sea Anemone” would be the perfect track to set the mood. Another of my favorites, “I Typed for Miles” seems to bring together themes of writer’s block and love lost, in a very clever way. But hey, not every song here is personal and introspective. Other topics JTB hit on are dead authors, with “Conrad” and “Lemon Yellow Black” and even drugs and the ’60s with “Crown of the Valley”. And it ain’t all depressing either. The album ends with a shivering ray of hope — a very sweet love song “Sweet Avenue” that will bring a tear to your already watery eyes. This is my personal favorite album of 1998. Buy it.
-Brendan

JIMMY EAT WORLD—Clarity (Capitol)
(In the interest of dialectic conflict, there will be two reviews for this album.)
Slick production, but not many good songs. Some of them are very tepid and I’d even go as far as saying weak. What purpose is served by having a sixteen minute song where the same guitar riff is played over and over and over again, when you could have included two or three more short songs instead? What the hell happened here since “Static Prevails”? Lots of bells, chimes, cellos and other instruments on many songs make for a variety of sounds. “On A Sunday” and “Crush” are awesome songs, but “Secret Crush” sounded sooo much better on a 7" on my record player. I hear you can also get this album on vinyl on Big Wheel Recreation, so maybe check that out instead of the Capitol version. I am waiting for this to grow on me, but the seeds just aren’t germinating yet.
-Brendan

Hmm. This album definitely is slicker then Jimmy Eat World’s last. There’s a lot of extra instruments on this album (strings, vibraphone, piano, etc.). It’s not like Jimmy Eat World’s last album (“Static Prevails”) was all guitar, voice, and drums, but what I liked most about it was the guitar and vocal interplay. I think sometimes the orchestral stuff and the drum loops get in the way of some songs on this album. All in all, this album might remind you more of something like Radiohead than something like Christine Front Drive. Some of it even reminds me of Jejune—it’s slower and less all-out rock than their previous stuff. I really like the new version of “Crush,” though. It took some time, but I think this album has grown on me.
-Wade

JOAN OF ARC - How Memory Works (Jade Tree)
Wow, I really seem to be kissing Jade Tree’s ass this issue. Time to throw that sentiment like a bone to dogs. Most of the stuff on this album is dull and uninspiring, not to mention the fact that the singer’s voice is unforgivably whiny and cracking most of the time. Oh, the lyrics are good - JOA seem to be obsessed with language & semiotics & bible verses and other weird-ass shit and stupid double entendres. It’s very interesting to read distorted lines from “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, but I’d imagine only a very select few very pathetic English majors (yes, like me) are going to get allusions like this (“In the rooms women come and go talking about leonardo dicaprio.” Its so true, that’s the ’90s, man!). There are also some weird computer-generated sounds on this album that at least make it different from stuff on the radio. Its funny though, I’d probably rather listen to a ‘math rock’ band rather than this whiny, but at times pretty music of these language-meisters Joan of Arc. Brendan to world: Eh, I don’t know what I’m talkin’ about. Definitely not for everyone.
-Brendan

KARATE - The Bed Is In The Ocean (Southern)
Very minimal, very lo-fi, chill sounds here. At times you just want them to break out screaming. Intelligent lyrics. Karate seems to notice the little things in life and finds no shame in writing songs about them. I liked “there are ghosts” a lot because I listened to it while reading a Freud essay called “The Uncanny” where he mentioned ‘ghosts coming out of the walls’ and this was one of the lyrics in the song. I tell you, it was uncanny. I had to sleep with the lights on. OK, I got my orange belt, now I’m ready for intermediate Karate. I’ll be on my way to a black belt in no time! Good music to study or space out to.
-Brendan

KNAPSACK—This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now (Alias)
Chalk up another winner from Knapsack. With the addition of Samiam guitarist Sergie Loobkoff to the lineup, you might figure this album might be closer to their first effort, which sounds just like Samiam. Oddly enough, it actually sounds a hell of a lot like their second album (the superb “Day Three of my New Life”). I was a little distracted by the similarity at first, but after a few spins I began to appreciate this album on its own merit. This album is maybe a touch less straight-out-rock than their last album, and I think they snuck some strings in on one track, but if you like emotional, bullshit-free guitar rock you’re probably gonna love this. Marvellous, marvellous.
-Wade

LAGWAGON- Let’s Talk About Feelings (Fat)
What’s with this new, grown up Lagwagon? I noticed this on their last album, with all the songs about how great being friends is and shit, and this one seems like more of the same. I mean, it’s not a bad album by any means, but it doesn’t “rock out with its cock out” like “Hoss” or “Trashed.” It’s likeable, and fun to listen to, but it’s not one of the best.
–John

LOOPER - Up A Tree (Jeepster)
What do you remember of your childhood? Looper, a trio from Glasgow, Scotland seem to remember quite a bit of theirs, owing perhaps to their never having really grown up. In listening to Looper’s spoken word/short stories (in Stuart David’s somewhat subdued but oh-so- soothing Scottish voice, as it glides over looped beats and samples of children’s laughter) you too may begin to recall those days when your biggest cares were running around the playground making up imaginary games with other kids, and scampering off home when your mum called you for dinner. But those kids are now young adults who probably haven’t picked up a crayon or played freeze tag in years. Sniff sniff. Which is why you should listen to “Up A Tree” and then turn your friends on to the refreshingly childish innocence of Looper! After seeing Looper in London and listening to this album, I feel rejuvenated and youthful once again! It’s that good. The ‘band’, if you can call it that, consists of Stuart David of the wildly popular (OK, in England) Belle & Sebastian, his wife Karn, and his younger brother. Yeah, it’s a family affair. In fact, the most touching song here, “Impossible Things”, chronicles Stuart and Karn’s strange, eight year long pen-pal relationship that ended up with their marrying. Other tracks have this same sense of spirit and sappiness to them as well. “Up A Tree” has definite kindergarten sensibilities, aww yeah! The samplings of children’s laughter, the playfully mischievous songs, children’s stories, and other neat stuff all make for a wistfully fun album. Check out your childhood again -- it made you what you are today..
-Brendan

NEW RISING SONS—s/t EP (GrapeOS)
I liked these guys when I saw them live last spring, but I’m really not very happy with the EP. To keep you hip to what’s going on, the New Rising Sons are the ex-singer from Texas Is The Reason and the ex-drummer from Into Another, along with two other guys. What surprises me is that one of the new guys—not Garret from TITR—is the one who wrote most of the songs. When I saw the band I thought they sounded kind of Brit-poppy, but this four song EP just sounds... weak. Only one of the four songs is definitely good (that would be “Now I Agree”) and two of the others have these wacky unnecessary trumpets which just make them go from mediocre to bad. Well, the band has already hopped onto Virgin so I guess somebody likes them. Garret should write more of the songs.
-Wade

NO MOTIV- and the sadness prevails… (Vagrant)
On a certain NOFX album, there’s a blurb from Howard Stern after hearing one of their songs, saying, “NOFX? No talent.” Now all of us punk rawkers know that’s not true. As for No Motiv, my comment would be “No impression.” I just listened to this album, and nothing about it stands out as being in any way remarkable. This isn’t to say that it’s bad, but it’s only as good as pretty much everything else out there.
-John

ONE HIT WONDER- Who the Hell Is… (Nitro)
You can tell by listening to this band that they have a lot of talent, and a sound like they could be a crossover band like Green Day or Offspring, but still maintain that punk thing. I got all of this from their first album, which was a masterpiece, but yet heavily flawed. They took their Pieta and chipped the head off with a hammer and chisel. Translation: the lyrics were so dumb I could have vomited. Anyway, this album sounds just as good as the first one; better, in fact. And the lyrics... well, they’re getting better, but this band still doesn’t have a lot that’s creative to say. Pretty by the book, but at least not ostentatiously dumb. Some really good songs too, like “Dipsomaniac”, “Four Letter Words”, and “Go Postal”. Still, this is a band with a lot of promise, so if they can only really capture some of the things they’re trying to say and craft them in an original way, they’ll be on their way to stardom. Well, maybe not that far, but you get the picture.
-John

THE PISSANTS- Nothing Looks Better Every Day (Sour Records)
It’s punk—young, raw, pissed off and in love. That’s right, love. In a strictly pissed off sort of way, mind you. The Pissants play punk rock fast and tight but with a raw, nasty intensity, sort of an East Coast attitude meets West Coast style kinda thing. (Not that coasts have anything to do with a band from Dunkirk, NY.) It’s good, and I’m not just saying that because they sent me stickers. My only criticism... no one, for any reason, should cover Operation Ivy anymore. When will you kids learn—no more Op Ivy covers!
-Wade

THE PROMISE RING—Girls & Boys 7" (Jade Tree)
Two offerings here, three if you buy it on CD which I didn’t. Well, I love the P-Ring, but “Best Looking Boys” seems a mite self-indulgent even if it is damn catchy. “Tell Everyone We’re Dead” is awesome. You know what I love best about this album? The cover. It just screams “emo.” It’s so fucking on target it cracks me up. Kind of ironic, the two kids are in identical bathrooms, in almost identical poses, dressed in their most stylish finery, on opposite sides of a mirror—yet are they even aware of each other’s existences? Will they ever meet? Of course not, because they’re on opposite sides of the record, and they can’t go into each others’ bathrooms anyway! And yet they’re so perfect for each other! It makes me wanna laugh and cry at the same time. Only time will tell. I think it would be neat if the P-Ring released a bunch of 7"s with these two on the covers to show us the progress or demise of their ‘relationship’, kind of like that Maxwell House coffee commercial couple back in the day. Say, that’s a dumb idea! Good record though.
-Wade & Brendan

RAINER MARIA/HAL AL SHEDAD - Post Marked Stamps (split 7") (Tree)
So first off, there’s this fantastic band from Madison, Wisconsin caller Rainer Maria that you should all get into. Their song on this split, “Pincushion,” is slow and moody, very minimal and very pretty. I like it. The Hal al Shedad, as they call themselves, are a lot louder than Rainer Maria, more in a Quicksand or Fugazi vein. I also like their song. So let’s talk packaging. This 7" came in a paper sleeve with an actual U.S. 10 cent stamp and a dated post mark. The lyrics came printed on cards that came sealed into a little green envelope. Somehow it seems weird having to rip open the packaging on a 7", maybe that’s just the record collector whore in me shining through. Anyway, two good bands and one darn fine record.
-Wade

SEAWEED - Actions and Indications (Merge)
Seaweed—back with a vengeance! I should admit that I used to think that “Spanaway” (Seaweed’s last album, their major label debut) was Seaweed’s best album. Well, the boys weaseled out of their contract with Hollywood Records, thank god (good bands really shouldn’t sign to majors), and their new record reminds me a little more of their old Sub Pop stuff. There are less straightforward big rock songs on this album, and instead there are some really interesting-sounding tracks that are closer to the “indie” vein of things. Y’know, noisy guitars, etc. People who like the new Jets To Brazil album or the new Knapsack album should check this out. I like it a lot.
-Wade

SHORT ROUND - Is It Really? (independently produced)
Wade and I once entertained the notion of starting a ska-punk band. We were gonna call ourselves The Trend Hoppers and dub our first release “15 Minutes Starting NOW!” Of course that never happened, but we just wanted to point out how big ska-punk in all its lameness became like two years ago while not being really the biggest fans of certain Buffalo-based groups of the genre (“The Creepers” come to mind.) This may be a weird way to start a positive review, but don’t worry. Short Round isn’t lame at all, they are a lot of fun, though I know for a fact there are members of this band who don’t even really like the kind of music (ska-punk) they play. (!) But they do play it well and the songs are amusing if you happen to A. go to a college with frats and sororities B. live in Syracuse or C. like Indiana Jones or Twisted Sister! (who doesn’t?) I figure this must include all of you out there by hook or by crook in some category. Well, this is an impressively produced release - 12 tracks of pure, fast-paced, energetic FUN. And then a bonus cover of Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It!”. Strap your skankin’ creepers on, and check out Short Round, live or now on CD! is it really (all that)? yeah, I guess it is. SR don’t have an address anywhere in the CD sleeve, so if you’re interested contact ‘em on the web at: www.shortround.ska.com.
-Brendan

THE SHYNESS CLINIC - The Pleasures of Beginning (Espo)
Wow, what a fantastic album. A friend of mine introduced me to the phrase “cookie-cutter emo” the other day in passing. I think it’s pretty descriptive of some of the bands kicking around the emo scene these days. In any genre there are bound to be imitators, but aren’t there enough Sunny Day/Promise Ring/Texas is the Reason clones already? That’s what I like about this record I picked up by The Shyness Clinic. I don’t think it’s incredibly avant-garde or revolutionary, but it’s just enough different from every other band out there that I like it. In other words, it doesn’t fit the cookie cutter. It’s original. I recommend this for your turntable or CD playing device. One more thing—the band has a really phat website. Check it out at <https://members.tripod.com/~theshynessclinic>.
-Wade

SICK OF IT ALL- Potential For a Fall (Fat)
Yeah, I don’t believe they’re on Fat either. Well, maybe I do, since SOIA hasn’t ever been quite so tied to the typical hardcore style. This is only a 3 song EP (I’m assuming a longer album is coming), and it’s pretty good. Nothing different, just same old Sick of it All, so if you know what that sounds like, then you know what I mean. No surprises, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
-John

SIX GOING ON SEVEN/HOT WATER MUSIC—split 7" (Some)
Boy howdy, everywhere I go these days it’s Six Going On Seven this and Hot Water Music that... Pretty convenient that they have a split 7", huh? A little too convenient, if you ask me... just kidding. Jokes aside, it’s not a bad little split, but then again I’m not purely excited about it either. In my opinion I’ve heard a lot better stuff by Hot Water Music than “The Bitter End,” but I don’t know what to say about Six Going On Seven since this the song on this record is the only one I’ve ever heard by them. Well, it’s a seven-inch so if you don’t like it you’re only out about four bucks.
-Wade

SKI-MASK/LOBOTOMIZERS- Ski-Mask Plays New Wave for Perverts, Degenerates and Scum-Bags
Finally, something new from Mr. Ski-Mask. On this split with noise band The Lobotomizers, Ski-Mask blends his synthesizer and lyrics to create a real masterpiece. I’ve never been a big fan of synthesizer music (mainly because I’ve never been exposed to it), but this one is hard to stop listening to. Yeah, it’s new wave, but it’s got the Ski-Mask edge to it with wonderful ditties like “Gacy” and “Urinal Mint”. Best song is definitely “Synthesize Her”, which is fucking great. Sorry I can’t provide more musical analysis, but really do pick this up, even if you don’t think you’d like it. The Lobotomizers side is pretty good too, but a little more formulaic. Listen for cool excerpts from He-Man.
-John
Ski-Mask, PO Box 638, Kenmore NY, 14217

THE SPECIALS—Guilty ‘Til Proven Innocent! (Way Cool Music/MCA)
I was surprised by this album. A lot of The Specials’s material since their first album has been sketchy in quality, but this album is pretty solid. The Specials’s new material is decidedly lacking in horns (whatever happened to Rico, anyway?) but they make up for it with two very solid guitarists. It doesn’t live up to their early stuff but it’s better than a lot of other Specials stuff I’ve heard. Also contains three unlisted live classics—”Rat Race”, “Concrete Jungle”, and “Gangsters”.
-Wade

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE—How To Be Something On (Sub-Pop)
The first thing that’s going to distract you about this album is the fact that nothing on it really rocks. Ignore that. The second thing that’s going to distract you is the wacky chanting thing on “The Prophet,” and the part of that song that sounds like U2. Ignore that too. Otherwise, this is an amazing album. I suppose if I wanted to be critical, I could say that it might be a little overproduced (that’s such a fun term to throw around). Maybe they could have resisted a couple of the piano and acoustic guitar parts. And maybe it’s not quite as good as “Diary.” But that small criticism aside, I recommend that everyone put their fears aside and get hold of this album, for it is truly beautiful, and I like it a lot more than the pink album. Sunny Days is here again.
-Wade

TWO MAN ADVANTAGE- Drafted (Royalty/Winged Disk)
So I get this random e-mail asking me if I want to get this CD by a bunch of NY Islanders loving punks for free. Naturally, I said yes, but with low expectations since anyone who is an Islanders fan obviously has low expectations themselves. Well, this band certainly surprised me in the sense that they are fucking great. Wild, crazy, over the top music, and from what I can tell, their live show is pretty similar to what they sound like on CD. WARNING: this is by no means intellectual or intelligent in any way. They sing about hockey, hockey fights, Captain Morgan spiced rum, beer, porno, and... more hockey. But if you want to listen to some good fucking hard music, then this is it. Enjoy.
-John

V/A- Deep Thoughts (Nitro)
Yes folks, it’s a compilation album! Pretty good one too, at least I thought so. It all depends if you like who’s on it. If you’re a fan of the Vandals, Guttermouth, TSOL, One Hit Wonder, AFI, the Offspring, and other Nitro bands, then this is for you. Songs are a good mix of new and old, but I was a little disappointed that there weren’t more unreleased or hard to find tracks, since practically everything is found on other albums (most of which I have). But if you’re looking for a nice punk rock mix album to relax to, then this is a good choice.
-John

V/A- Five Years On the Streets (Vagrant)
Another comp! This one celebrates the fifth anniversary of Vagrant Records (yay!) and it includes tracks from many Vagrant releases from the label’s inception. Lots of big names here (Face to Face, Blink 182, Unwritten Law, MXPX), but it’s the lesser known bands that steal the show. There’s a great track from Boxer and two from another favorite of mine, Automatic 7. Again, only a few unreleased tracks, but this is still worth it for the listen.
-John

V/A- Til Death (Lookout)
Comp album, better than most. Bonus points for having lots of unreleased tracks by Pansy Division, The Donnas, Mr. T Experience, and others. I like it. You’d better.
-John