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PUNK Magazine Listening Party #17 (5/3/2003)
Jolly's Birthday Bash Part Two
By Jolly Prochnik, John Holmstrom, SheenaGirl1 and Lou Copeland
Notes by John Holmstrom
Jolly got so drunk last night I am not sure if he's gonna show up! Jackie Penny (aka SheenaGirl1, moderator at joeyramone.com and ramones.com) shows up so we start to listen to CDs - we got a ton of 'em!
Send CDs for review to: |
PUNK Magazine Listening Party
PMB 675
200 East 10th Street
New York, NY 10003 |
Allstonians | The Generators | Lorelei | Single Handed | Kitestringing: Prison Literature Project | Bulldog Spirit | Subincision | Thea | Stalag 13 | Snow Bud & The Flower People | The Earaches | Death By Stereo | Master Mechanic | Gary Valentine | Blacklist | The Boneheads | Estrogenocide | 2 Turds & A Golf Ball | Powerknobs | Kill The Hippies | Edison Rocket Train | Combat Junkies | Snuff | The Reckless | Michal Kahan | Barse | So The Story Goes | Dick Panthers | Sonny Vincent | Alternative TV | Dee Dee Ramone/TerrorGrupe
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JOHN HOLMSTROM:
Ska band. I don't like ska. I dunno... If you like ska you'll probably like this band. They dress like Wall Street execs, though. They play a song called "Sean Connery" - cool song title! Sean Connery is the coolest!
SHEENAGIRL1:
The vocals were good, the band harmonized well. The music (ska with jazz undertones) is fun and danceable. The song titled "Sean Connery" drew my attention. It is basically the same as the rest of the CD overdubbed with Sean Connery talking. The only negative is they were repetitious.
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HOLMSTROM:
One of those Clash-like punk bands. "Hanoi '68" is, from what I'm hearing, a song about how great it would have been to hang out in Hanoi around 1968. I don't think so. I guess I just don't understand this political stuff. The music is good, though, they try to write real songs.
JOLLY:
Very nice. Good, quite good. Kinda Clashy thinks I and the next song comes on and I was right. They gotta song about ethnics and cleansing and wow in Kosovo they put the two phenomena together the result was not what the doctor ordered: "They're gonna take our freedom away" the chorus says. That's not good. Nope. Getting your freedom taken away will never be popular.
SHEENAGIRL1:
:Sigh: The vocalist sounds like someone who sounds like John Lydon. They play typical punk/garage. The lyrics are interesting. Songs such as "Tranquilized" (about our lives in the millennium as tranquilized beings - tranqs and anxiety meds are the top selling meds). Another one about breaking out of a small American town. The ska beat in "City of Angels" is a nice touch. One song, "Freedom" is noteworthy - a ballad written regarding the ethnic wars in the Former Yugoslavia. "Never thought it could happen here." Interesting.
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HOLMSTROM:
I don't like this band. Nope. Those wheezy, whiny alt-grrl band vocals always grate on me. And the plaintive, earnest, boring music leaves me cold. This is just awful! Their promotional material compares them to the White Stripes - I think that gives you an idea just how bad this band is. Their gimmick is that they have two bass players. Eh!
JOLLY:
A song they got is called "Joan Jett." That's about the best title since "Cadillac Faggot" you must fucking admit. It's like calling your band "The Who" - it's cool weird and interesting. Still drunk from lass nite's Brew-ha-ha. Whoosh. The music's OK. I kinda like it. They sound like they're good at sex. It was - John just told me that they have two fuckin' bass players. Need a beer. Hang on arf a mo, Mr. Hitler, I'll be right back. "Angel" part of my conscience in a high, squeaky, goody two shoes voice: "Don't drink a Bud - it has more alcohol than a Rolling Rock. Besides, every time you drink Rolling Rock Himmler rejoices secretly." I tell my beloved conscience to shut the fuck up and I grab a Bud (wotta man!). Okay, I think two basses is a really cool move. I heartily approve.
SHEENAGIRL1:
Good lyrics, but the band needs tightening. A band that would have played CBGB's maybe once? The recording was distorted, so really it was hard to judge.
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HOLMSTROM:
Fast, loud, punk rock. It's OK. I don't want to pick on these guys, but it sounds like rubber stamp punk. Nothing you haven't heard before. Good, old, familiar, dependable, punk rock. But really, what would they have to lose by trying to do something original? Apparently, they kick major ass live, so maybe that's why... Waitaminnit... They fooled me. The third song "Made" is a weird rant by someone about $200 grand. Something new has been added! Good! And the sixth song is just some dude saying "This place is dead anyway." Good stuff! Now I like Single Handed.
JOLLY:
Are they talking masturbation or Kurosawa? The music is too fast for me to keep up with - not bad but it's kinda difficult-to-keep-goin'-listenin'!-to-it-wise, that is. I like "Donald Rumsfleld" in the ninth at Aqueduct. I sore a horse once listed in the racing pages called "I heartily approve." It didn't win. That's the kind of humor you get "the day after."
SHEENAGIRL1:
Fast paced hardcore. Wake up time! They have song titles such as "Drafted" and "Somewhere South of Tahoe." Interesting. They are a tight band, but the guitars are a bit off. One song was called "Made." It was just talking... pointless really. Couldn't even make out what they were saying.
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Jolly's good friend Lou joins in.
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Kitestringing: Prison Literature Project Compilation
Versus Press
PO Box 170197, San Francisco, CA 94117
www.versuspress.com
Substandard Records
PO Box 310, Berkeley, CA 94701
www.substandard.com |
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HOLMSTROM:
This is a benefit CD that's trying to raise $$$ for a great cause - improving prison libraries. Back when PUNK was actually being published we offered it free to all prison libraries, but none of them ordered it (for obvious reasons, I'd have to think). There's a lot of different songs/people on this CD ("Booze Can" by The Smugglers is the best song IMO, there's also good stuff by Ward Churchill), and it's a good cause so buy it!
JOLLY:
One in three black people either:
A) Has been
B) Goin' to
C) IN
Jail.
SHEENAGIRL1:
This project has been around since the 1980's and has grown considerably. It
started when a California prison complained there were not enough books for the growing population of prisoners in the system. So this group formed to raise money to purchase books. The bands of note on this CD are Big In Japan (good vocals and vocal harmonies), The Plus Ones, The Blank Fight, and the Swagglers who had good lyrics, and good guitar work. The song they covered was "Boozecan"" "Need a drink, don't see one in sight - Boozecan." Sounds real enough for me.
LOU:
Sounds like a solid compilation. Above average ratio of good material.
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HOLMSTROM:
"Australia's finest Oi!-influenced hardcore band!" So sez their press sheet. And since the record was produced in Italy, who am I to argue with their press sheet? I like their lyrics and their political stance and the music's good too!
JOLLY:
Looking: Ace graphix
Listening: Like it.
Believe you me that's saying a lot for this band 'cos I ain't really like this type o' music.
SHEENAGIRL1:
This is good hardcore! This band even has a theme song "Bulldog Spirit." I always think a punk band should have a theme song. They did a great hardcore cover of Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down." Better than Petty's! They also covered Agnostic Front's "Last Warning." One song I found interesting was "Junkie," a negative outlook on being an addict. This band is Mosh Pit Central!!!
LOU:
Nobody's reinventing the wheel here, but they deliver a decent listening experience. "Junkie" injects a much-needed sense of humor into the proceedings.
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HOLMSTROM:
Some good song titles: "1983 Teenage Car Crash," "Endless Summer of Our Love Together," "Kill the Principal." The music sounds a bit different. And the lyrics are a bit offbeat. Original AND fun to listen too-there's a rare combination! Their "Infidel Fight Song" has got to be the best 9/11 song ever written. I want to listen to this again and again and again!
JOLLY:
"1983 Teenage Car Crash" - like the title. Hate the song. They have an Israeli-ish sound. They have a sarcastic attitude. But deep down it has a Nazi propaganda approach - it has "The Finest War Song" on it.
SHEENAGIRL1:
This band has some good guitar mixes but the drumming is weak. Typical hardcore with more guitar riffs and even keyboards. Notable songs: "Kill The Principal" (about a misfit who "thinks he'll kill the principal") and "Infidel Fight Song" (a hardcore song about 9/11 and Al Queda). Excellent song, should have been on a 9/11 compilation. This is the band's 3rd full length CD.
LOU:
Tries too hard to be fun and quirky. Just plain silly. Bouncy pub rock stylings work against more serious but unenlightening lyrics.
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HOLMSTROM:
Thea wrote us a letter asking us to review her CD and said she's "looking forward to getting grilled" at the Listening Party. Well, okay, Thea, here you go:
I don't like your CD. It's ordinary, uninteresting, commercial rock. You have a limited vocal range and your music seems to emphasize this since you sing in a monotone. Even your backing musicians are unexciting and bland. Sorry, Thea, better luck next time.
SHEENAGIRL1:
I actually like her!! She's a good vocalist. The lyrics were not bad. One lyric, from "Damaged Goods" stands out in my mind: "I'm damaged goods, but not for sale." Gee, I know those days. LOL. Her supporting band was dull and lifeless though. Hope they're at least cute. The band seemed to have a gothic style to them, didn't really suit her.
LOU:
I don't care for this at all. Throaty female vocalist co-writes what would be fairly radio-friendly material, then records her tracks with a decidedly heavy metal backbeat.
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HOLMSTROM:
This is a re-issue of a classic 1980s hardcore record. It's OK. I've mentioned that I'm not a huge fan of 1980s hardcore, but I'm sure there are many people out there who are and they'd be interested in tracking down this CD.
SHEENAGIRL1:
This band has a sound very much like the early 80's hardcore punk with some added guitar riffs.
LOU:
Standard 80's hardcore. The highlight for me was seeing the extraordinary Jaime Hernandez cover art.
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HOLMSTROM:
I like Snow Bud. In reality Snow Bud is Chris Newman, who played in a hardcore punk band in Portland, OR called Napalm Beach, but his fun side project has been Snow Bud, where he plays hippie music about getting stoned on pot - silly stuff. He even produced a comic book, written and drawn by Snow Bud, full of funny strips based on his songs. Snow Bud's early stuff sounded like Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and The Stooges. (Don't forget they were originally called The Psychedelic Stooges!) But now Snow Bud is spending too much time in the studio, and the songs are all overproduced and serious. I recommend checking out Snow Bud's Biggest Hits - Authentic Masters, which has his best stuff like "Bong Hit," "Killer Bud," "Dick in the Dirt," and "Hitchin' in the Nude." He's like The Ramones of the hippie set - funny lyrics, short, simple songs.
SHEENAGIRL1:
Stupid hippie name. LOL. Very obviously fans of drugs. This band is more rock-oriented than punk - lots of guitar. Light One Up and Listen, that's about it. LOL. Sounds like the band that plays first at 8 PM (i.e. the opening band). The only crowd are the girlfriends from the suburbs. They should call themselves Smoke Butt.
LOU:
Bluesy and bourbon drenched. Not to my taste.
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HOLMSTROM:
Formerly known as the Reckless Bastards (a much cooler name IMHO)... Good, loud RNR! They get my official seal of approval! "I Used to Be a Loser" reminds me of 1966 garage, other songs remind me of the Dead Boys or Johnny Thunders (in a good way)! Great guitar noise, great beat, good lyrics - these guys got it together.
JOLLY:
Like it. A lot. Slow songs rule. Bro', there's no gettin' around it. Slow is much, much fuckin' BETTER. Don't fuckin' LIE! To me. Know why? Guess. Secret but True Answer is: 'Cos fast songs take too much energy. Case in point: This record has a song with chords in it that remind a motherfucker of "Steppin' Stone" by The Monkees, The Pistols and Thunders (plus Walter Lure, Jerry Nolan (the best RNR drummer since Ringo Starr), Ty Stix (also great drumming-wise), Billy Rath (the OTHER punk bassist besides the acknowledged greats: Dee Dee, Simenon and Magnum) - speakin' of Rath. "How great?" you energetically ask. Okay, I'll tell you (he sez, downing the first real beer of the evening).
(TO BE CONTINUED...)
SHEENAGIRL1:
Good guitar work, but mediocre drumming. Could be the recording quality though. Very fast paced. Singing needs more power, can't decipher the lyrics. I had to follow the lyric sheet which I hate doing.
LOU:
Wha... Hey... I like this! The band melds an interesting mélange of influences, but carves their own territory. Sounds fresh to my ears.
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HOLMSTROM:
Another by-the-numbers punk band. They do have one GREAT song title: "I Wouldn't Piss In Your Ear If Your Brain Was on Fire." But otherwise it's very predictable and boring. I'm sure they have a huge following of 15-year-olds (not that there's anything wrong with that) who will disagree completely.
SHEENAGIRL1:
More hardcore. Great song titles such as "I Wouldn't Piss In Your Ear If Your Brain Was On Fire" He obviously didn't like that girl. LOVE IT!!! Gotta remember to quote that one. Great and original lyrics for a hardcore band.
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HOLMSTROM:
Ted from the Mud City Manglers (the All-Time Listening Party Champions) suggested to these guys that they send us their CD for review. Good band, not nearly as good as the Manglers (but then again, who is?). Pretty good female singer, straight ahead RNR, good guitars.
SHEENAGIRL1:
This is an actual band. They just called this "Compilation" because they put out various 45's and now have compiled them into this CD. Vocals are not good, basically she drones. She's also off key. WAY off key. The band is not much of an improvement either. Dull, lifeless bunch.
LOU:
Bleh. Jolly, I need a beer, mister.
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HOLMSTROM:
I remember Gary! Geez, I think I was at Debbie and Chris's apartment the night they sacked him. It was a kick in the ass since it was the first time I saw any CBGBs bands lineups change like that. It was one big "happy family" until that moment...I think they were pissed off that he kept jumping up and down on stage because he was stepping on Debbie or something. Gary wrote a book about his experiences (New York Rocker: My Life in the Blank Generation with Blondie, Iggy Pop and Others, 1975-1981); one of these days I'll have to read it - I hear it's good. This "greatest hits" CD is OK, I think he's a better songwriter ("X-Offender," "Presence Dear"), than singer. His bands often have that thin, tinny, amateurish "new wave" sound, it sounds like The Mumps which figures, he used most of The Mumps for his backing band.
According to the liner notes, Gary single-handedly got Blondie their first record deal and was responsible for all of their early hit records! And then he was kicked out of the band because everybody ELSE had such a big ego. Then he forged ahead, moved to Los Angeles and created the punk scene there. Sounds sensible. Anyhow this CD is worth a listen or two. Good for Gary that he got a deal, he was a decent guy back in the day. And like I said he's a good songwriter so there's some good stuff on this CD.
JOLLY:
(CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)
"Gary Valentine is better," you say. And I say, "Not so fast, partner." Why do I say that? Is it because that's the record playin' right now? Nope. So you're sayin' (to yerself, natch), "I love pop music. I love punk rock. And this guy Valentine, right, (puff. puff), he, like, UNDERSTANDS BOTH. And how many people can you say that about?" He usedta be in Blondie and THIS record is what he's been doing since. Okay. Do yourself a favor and listen to this version of "Roadrunner" - better than the original if you can fuckin' goddamn believe it. Impossible? Check it out and git back to me. And now you're asking about the whole Jimmy Zero question? Yes. As Molly Bloom who was quoted as sayin' such in a (short) article I actually read about Finnegan's Wake or the other Joyce novel. I'm not THAT well read, motherfucka. "Yes," said Molly, "that's what I say." Bringing it all back home for a sec: YES - the pop/punk/Zero question: Answer: Solution.
SHEENAGIRL1:
The band is a cross between Blondie and the Pretenders. Gary covers "Roadrunner" quite well and Lou Reed's "Heroin", not so very well. I guess ya gotta leave that song alone. Considering the passage of time, Gary Valentine comes back with a punch!!
LOU:
Playful and upbeat pop. Doesn't really hold my interest. Thin, sparse, and tinny. The later stuff with the horns works a little better. Live tracks are sequenced amidst studio material, which is always a detraction for me.
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HOLMSTROM:
Okay, it's getting deep into the evening now... Blacklist is a good, high-energy band, but I can't think of anything clever to say about them. So I'll just quote from the press sheet: "The BLACKLIST play pure punk rock 'n' roll." No argument there. "The BLACKLIST are a fast and furious no bullshit affair." No problem. "The BLACKLIST take the stage, fuck shit up and leave ears bleeding all before the blood on your (insert new rock logo) t-shirt has dried." Huh? Okay, they're good. But not that good.
JOLLY:
Good name. Great promo. The real meaning of Cadillac Faggot comes to mind. Roy Cohn, baby.
And, by the sound, "loving it" when.
Song #5: Raw Power under control. Song #6: "Sunset Writing." It's tough doing covert psychological ops agin' your own countrymen during a war. No sweat involved (... just sitting here listening to records. It hurts to gitcher brains blown all over the carpet. Plus (huff puff jogging), it takes what - as they say in the Black American Church - [The Answer Question/Question Answer] What was I talking about?
SHEENAGIRL1:
Good ole punk sound from a good, tight band. For once, the drumming actually keeps the backbeat! Packaging: Their official merchandise is a list of guns. Hilarious. I found the lyrics catchy, could almost sing along with the first listen. Also danceable. I like these guys, I hope they move on up!!
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HOLMSTROM:
All right! Here's some stuff from the late 1970s! I guess you'd call it New Wave! Philadelphia New Wave. I guess not much was happening in Philadelphia back then... I am gonna check out their Website when I need a nostalgia hit. I like the "Surfin' UFO" song (I like most surf music), it's so good it would fit into most surf compilations (especially one from the late 1970s featuring New Wave bands). The other 3 songs are... Eh!
JOLLY:
Bloody good name, eh wot? An' the song is even better than it. Next song: "Adam &Eve." Bad title. An' the song is much worse than it.
SHEENAGIRL1:
:Sigh: One word, YUCK. Hard to believe they opened for B52's, Richard Hell and Nico.
LOU:
Ineptly recorded. There's low-fi and there's incompetent, and this is the latter. Poor production values only make the importance of the material itself have to struggle that much harder, and this stuff fails to impress. Another attempt at quirky songwriting, which just doesn't pan out.
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HOLMSTROM:
Misogynist techno rock. They call it "synthpopgrindcore." They sound like Suicide on a bum trip. The most fucked up lyrics ever. (Sample: "Balls:" I wish that you had balls/so that I could kick you in them/but you don't have balls/so I will cut your nipples off) Sick, sick, sick. Well, even if it doesn't manage to be funny at least it's original!
SHEENAGIRL1:
Synth-pop grind core. Craaazzzyy song titles: "Kick That Cunt In The Cunt," "Your Bloody Anus," "Balls" etc. Hilarious, but to be taken seriously?? NOT!
LOU:
Lordy, is this a mess! Sounds like something created by a kid in Wisconsin at 4:00 AM on a PC.
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HOLMSTROM:
I suspect this is some kind of sick joke perpetrated by Anal Cunt - one of the great punk bands of all time and the first contributor to this mess. This is one of the great concept albums of all time. If you don't rush out immediately and buy ten copies of this CD to give to all the important people in your life then you totally miss the whole meaning of life and why we were put on this planet.
JOLLY:
Takes the space age music of the youngstas and turns it into senility space age music minus disco. Good.
SHEENAGIRL1:
Can't be taken seriously, but a helluva lot of fun! Songs titles such as "2 Turds And A Dog With An Enormous Head" (which sounds almost classical, definitely Broadway); "Getting Closer To 2 Turds And A Golf Ball." This comp. is a great concept. LOL. Buy it, and play it, after a multitude of beers, like we did. Great fun!!! Trip to put on during a party!!! Watch the reaction. The best tune is by the Dick Panthers (to be reviewed later on):
"Everybody's got shoes, all God's children got shoes... Everyone's got turds, all God's children got turds." Priceless.
LOU:
This type of sonic experimentation is way more fun to record than it is to listen to. The Dick Panther's contribution is a hoot, the rest is just plain tedious.
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HOLMSTROM:
"Five piece band from Chicago... primarily influenced by '60s garage and freakbeat (Sonics, Who, Creation) '70s punk (Stooges/MC5) surf and rockabilly." Shit - their press sheet named most of my favorite stuff! The good news is that these guys actually pull it off! Great band, great music, great great great! Why is a GREAT band like this being ignored while no talent SHIT like the White Stripes and those MTV "punk" bands like The Used get all the attention??? PISSES ME OFF!!! THIS BAND RULES!!! Go to their Website and check out their MP3s RIGHT NOW!!!
JOLLY:
YES. PERIOD.
(Bad name though.)
SHEENAGIRL1:
My faves of the night!!! 60's garage revived. Song such as "Testosterone Twist," "I'm Bored" (with lyrics such as "I flunked Driver's Ed, so I can't even drive") and "My Baby's In The CIA." Rockabilly meets 1965. GREAT STUFF!
LOU:
Hard-edged attempt at updating some standard Jerry Lee Lewis chops. The other listeners were visibly impressed, but I found this to be brainless recycling. Give me the real stuff, please.
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HOLMSTROM:
Here we go - from the penthouse to the nuthouse! Great band name, good attitude, below average music. Funny song titles ("Kid Kisser," "Sit Down Shut Up," "Stalin's Balloon," "I Hate Money"), but hey, it's getting late and there's a half dozen CDs I want to listen to...
SHEENAGIRL1:
Hard to follow. Nothing special here. For friends of the band only.
LOU:
A gettin'-on-your-nerves special deluxe. Made me want to join the Hippies.
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HOLMSTROM:
DISCLAIMER: I've known Mike Edison, the main creative force behind Edison Rocket Train, for a long time. He wrote for High Times magazine when I worked there ("Shoot The Tube," a very funny TV column), I worked at HT on the Website when he was publisher/editor, and I've been to professional wrestling shows with the guy. (He used to edit Wrestling's Main Event magazine when I worked at Video Games magazine which were published by the same company.) So we go back a long way. But hey - he's a great rock 'n' roller. He used to play drums for The Raunch Hands - one of the all-time great NYC rock 'n' roll bands back in the 1980s. He also fronted Sharkey's Machine and toured Europe with The Pleasure Fuckers. Recently he started the New York Sheiks, but after 9/11 he decided to change their name to Rocket Train (a move I encouraged - Mike doesn't need to worry about angry Muslim protesters nor right wing nuts for the sake of his art). Edison is pure Rock And Roll, and this record proves it. It's great stuff. Well-produced, fast and loud, rockin', shakin' and bakin'. And if the Edison Rocket Train ever visits your neighborhood - don't miss them!
JOLLY:
Sharky OK. Now we straight. No point. No precision. Christ. He's called Sharky for a reason, apparently. Yes, too rockabilly but, yes, like Hitler after whutever it was that fucked him up. I a'ready to cave. Rockabilly tribute. My ex useta. Now we straight. But he has good RNR instincts and the record is plenty good.
SHEENAGIRL1:
Another great band! Mix of garage, punk with some rockabilly thrown in. Sign these guys up!! The singer growls throughout, which is a great effect. They are a tight, rockin' band!! Great guitar riffs, good jazz drumming.
LOU:
Mining the same vein of 50's classics as the Powerknobs, but far more successful at it. A fun record.
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HOLMSTROM:
"Armed with God's word and their faith, The Combat Junkies are spreading Paul's message of spiritual warfare across this nation and is raising up an army against Satan who threatens to destroy us etc. blah blah blah..." Great. Just what we need: The Christian Punk Taliban force-feeding their stupid fundamentalist dogma down our throats... Do these guys have any idea how pathetic this shit sounds to normal people? Well, they are more energetic than most Christian punk bands, I'll give them that. But they're still self-satisifed, arrogant wimps who don't rock out as hard as most non-Christian bands. In fact, they're so boring they might as well be a Satanic heavy metal band - they're both equally useless.
JOLLY:
I owned a bitch once who liked this group called the Cowboy Junkies. Shoulda known. From that alone it was fated to end in "Yer Oswald!" "Shut up Oswaldina!" But sex intervened.
SHEENAGIRL1:
These guys fight Satan with a hardcore beat with influences such as the Clash, Ramones, Social Distortion, Minor Threat. They do it pretty well. Holy Oi!!!!
LOU:
Buckets of anthemic chanting to a generic hardcore beat. "We are the revolution."
Well, okay... but I'm gonna hold off a little bit before I start storing canned goods and investing in a backyard generator.
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HOLMSTROM:
Yet another boring Christian punk band. Why do they think that being another rubber stamp punk band that sings about God makes them special? Maybe these Christian punk bands should have a Battle of the Bands against Satanic heavy metal bands and call it Armageddon. It would be interesting to see the Christians and Satanists fighting it out in the mosh pit! Only problem would be - the music would really suck!
PS I ain't reviewing any more CDs that don't have cover graphics anymore.
JOLLY:
Jolly good title. Remember Viv Stanshall Smith - the Real Godfather of Punk. Nothing bad better happen to him - TODAY. Bitch. What about Keith Richard?
SHEENAGIRL1:
Singers voice a bit too whiny. Typical punk of today. Not bad, nothing to write home about though.
LOU:
Tailor-made for adolescent boys.
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HOLMSTROM:
This is the "Israeli Queen of Garage Rock" who sings in Spanish. You have to love the worldwide appeal of punk rock! This is good stuff! This chick can really sing! The band rocks out! This is enjoyable music. Here in NYC people make a big deal out of the 9/11 terror attack but you have to give it up to the party people in Israel - they face suicide bombers every day, but they still party at clubs and bars. Very cool.
JOLLY:
Puerto Rican rock. Yes. At motherfuckin' last. Dude. Fin-a-fuckin'-LEE! Hear this and become instantly healed. NO ES una historica del ghetto. "ES UNA Historica de MI."
John: Atonal, baby! Thass where it's at!
Jolly: A\Wow... Albert Ayler apology. AAA.
Three
times
in
one
night. This WAY too! Strange.
SHEENAGIRL1:
Israeli garage singer who sings in Spanish. Strange, but not bad. I hope Spain likes her!!
LOU:
Outstanding!!! What a surprise. Eclectic and original.
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HOLMSTROM:
Another Finnish punk band. BTW, the name of their record is taken from a Sinclair Lewis novel called It Can't Happen Here which is loosely based on Huey Long, America's favorite fascist dictator. (I doubt the band even knows this tidbit.) The novel used to be considered as important as 1984 and Brave New World but seems a bit dated now, like most of Lewis's novels, but I enjoy his stuff anyhow. Back to the CD - the singer reminds me of Tenpole Tudor - all English accent and "dumb yob" attitude. Here's something I can get on: the third song is called "I Hate Amerikka." Well, fuck you then. I hate "Finnaziland" then. You're Finnished here. I'm taking your CD off right now! No one likes it anyhow.
JOLLY:
White people she is crazy. Y'ever notice that when you get drunk as you get drunker y' gets more an' more accurate. This is ALWAYS true. Period.
SHEENAGIRL1:
Other than being very fast and pretty tight, there was nothing overly special to report here.
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HOLMSTROM:
What's with all the dot-dot-dots? Say it, don't spray it! Okay - hardcore punk/thrash here. From Duluth, MN. I guess they live so far up north that they haven't heard that "punk is dead!"
Well, they seem like
Such nice, sincere types
So I just can't
Bring myself to
Write a bad review
Of their music...
JOLLY:
Got a letter: Print this in your fuckin' zeen. Zeenwise we straight. Let's listen. Okay. I don't like "punk rock." Get that straight first. I (personally) prefer hip hop. But I work here so, let me review. Like 'm s'poseta. Duluth: It's cold in Minnesota.
SHEENAGIRL1:
Edgy, energetic, tight guitar. Very rock and roll.
LOU:
Nothing in this material to distinguish it.
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Dick Panthers
Differently Abled
Self-produced
www.importantrecords.com.
(You can also buy this via mail by sending $4 cash to The Dick Panthers, PO Box 419, Jamaica Plain, Ma 02130.) |
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HOLMSTROM:
This was the best band on the most interesting CD of the night - the Two Turds and a Golf Ball compilation. But can they sustain interest for an entire CD? First off, the packaging is so low-tech that it's a joke. They wrapped it in the kind of baggie that dealers use for ounces of pot. The CD booklet is some photocopied shit, mostly trannie jokes, I can't tell what's on the CD from reading it. And the sounds on the CD aren't exactly what you'd call music. It's more like a Frank Zappa record. Sound bytes, weird musical interludes, strange dialogue (mostly from porno movies!)... This has to be the most interesting CD we've ever listened to. Whoever made it has a very unique talent. According to the cheesy CD cover the music was produced by a transsexual cartoonist named Christine Jane Wilson - this explains the "Differently Abled" title - but when you listen to the music you become convinced it's just an inside joke. This is just too weird to describe. We've listened to around 30 CDs tonight, most of them we want to take off after two or three songs because we're drunk and tired and burnt out from listening to so much music. But here we are, listening intently to every single song on this CD and playing some of the tracks over again. This CD is just insane. It's the strangest, most perverted thing I've ever heard.
JOLLY:
Death is very important. I know, I know. Okay, okay. Yes, yes. I agree, I agree. Affirmative, affirmative. Check, check. Why not? I say we make murder legal. This song reminds me of when MOSES AKA The messiah was up "there" wif de Lord. ZION. STRAIGHT. OK. The beer has taken effect.
Punk version of "She's a Lady." Okay. Straight. This is sick. Who needs ELVIS when you get songs about "babys" who "suck?" Plus "God" "Jesus" "Social manners" "Psychodelic Murder Christianity" which you never heard of. Justly.
SHEENAGIRL1:
I can't figure out this band. There was a sheet with the CD that has various info on a crossdresser named Christine Jane Wilson - now, is she/he the singer? Doesn't quite add up. This CD is more performance art, VERY strange stuff. Two of the songs ("Up With People" and "Cat Scratch Fever") sound like background music for a porno flick. LOL! Interesting to say the least.
LOU:
Solid guitar work over a bed of samples. Interesting, but it wears thin pretty fast.
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Sonny Vincent
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Acetate Records
www.acetate.com |
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HOLMSTROM:
This came out to great acclaim and commotion a bunch of months ago. Sonny Vincent was in a great punk band called The Testors and he hired a whole bunch of punk legends to appear on his CD. It's OK. I wish it was better. But it's not bad! It's just that when you got names like Wayne Kramer, Bob Quine, Richard Lloyd, and Walter Lure you wish it were the Ultimate Rock Album Of All Time. Instead, it's a really good record. Sometimes, it seems like these guys were buried. You can't really single out their contributions and say "Wow! What a great Richard Lloyd guitar solo!" But it's still a great showcase of some amazing punk rock talent. It does work! Just not as well as I had hoped from the all-star talent roster.
JOLLY:
"Skag" by Wayne Kramer
We're there. Dude. In jail w/blacks at the Aryan Nation. Interestingly enough not that many Jews. So what the FUCK is Wayne Kramer (A Jew and by the way Mister MC5 who Ross useta wake motherfuckers up at the crack o' dawn playin' uh, LOUD. Speakin' o' bassists, what about the great drummers? Who's Number One? Stu Boy King - Ringo but better. Rate 'em yourself according to the scorecard. Ya didn't bring yer scorecard. But yet ya got in. Why? H. Rap Brown. Now we INTERRUPTION! Courtesy of Thurston SONIC YOUTH Moore. Who, Basketball Diaries aside, turns out to be hey REAL and better than I thought. Protect the west coast from here, Thurston. Who played the piano on "Stooges Live?" Thurston: Scott Thurston. Who plays lead guitar? IT DOESN'T FUCKIN' MATTER!
"SOUTH BEACH"
Yes. And
SHEENAGIRL1:
Hardcore. Basically fronted by Sonny Vincent with the support of the greats of Scott Asheton, Captain Sensible, Richard Lloyd, Bob Quine/Ivan Julian (Voidoids), Wayne Kramer, Brian James (Lords, Dammed), Walter Lure (Heartbreakers), Greg Ginn (Black Flag), Thurston Moore, Don Flemming, Jim O'Rourke (Sonic Youth) and Dexter Holland. Very great old style punk. From the original roots of MC5, Stooges, to the 80's. Basically, the time punk was great.
LOU:
A few tracks fall flat, but there's some real gold here.
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HOLMSTROM:
Mark P and his band Alternative TV played at the PUNK Magazine 25th Anniversary party on 1/11/2001. Unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts they went on very late, and they ended up being one of the best bands of the night.
I had an interesting correspondence early on with Mark P when he was publishing Sniffin' Glue and I was editing PUNK. He sent me their first issue (which featured Blue Öyster Cult on the cover) and they worshipped NY rock. A few issues later, he hated the NYC scene with a passion and was promoting the English punk scene big time, talking about how everyone was "on the dole" and all that bullshit. Anyhow, soon afterwards Mark left Sniffin' Glue to start his band, Alternative TV - a terrible career move IMHO. Putting out a magazine is much cooler than being in a band. This CD is OK, but his Sniffin' Glue collection (available at finer bookstores such as See Hear) is much more interesting. It was a very intense, emotional and personal 'zine. They had ½ the budget we had and 1/100th the imagination but they had ten times more heart. Bad career move, Mark!
JOLLY:
Learning to play reggae takes a lot of time. And effort. I lack both.
SHEENAGIRL1:
This is a re-mastered version of the 1978 Alternative TV. Mix of reggae, punk, blues and even a bit of jazz. Whew. Interesting mixes. Clear vocals.
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HOLMSTROM:
Poor Dee Dee. He had a big heart but no brain. He's probably more responsible for starting punk rock than any other individual but outside of his amazing contributions to The Ramones, all we have to remember him by are some atrocious paintings, a few badly-written books and a few CDs - like this one. Dee Dee deserved better. This is a sad ending to a great career. There is one nice Dee Dee tribute song on here, so hooray for Dee Dee! Listen to it and you'll be happy for Dee Dee. But it's difficult to be happy for Dee Dee Ramone's solo career.
JOLLY:
True. But. Don't die. That's what Dee Dee really stands for. Straight. Ever read that novel he wrote? Chelsea Horror Hotel. You see, ultimately Dee Dee is/was and in Vented punk. We jus' hangin' out with Hitler's brain which they saved, unfriendily enough....
SHEENAGIRL1:
He is backed up by Terror Gruppe from Germany on the tune "Horror Hospital" which has a "Chelsea Hotel Horror" (Dee Dee's fictional novel) feel to it. The other number is "I've Got A Right To Love Her" where Dee Dee is backed by Barbara Zampini on bass and Paul Kostabi on drums.
LOU:
I saw this on the pile and was pretty stoked to hear it all night. A true disappointment. Dee Dee's vocals are terrible (and I mean TERRIBLE!), uninspired, and below the quality of the average demo. I'd like get the down and dirty on this stuff. I have a hard time believing these vocals were ever conceived for commercial release. The material without Dee Dee works a bit better (how could it not?), but it's best to just steer clear of the whole thing.
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