Review: 52 Lessons on Life

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Various Artists
“52 Lessons on Life”
(Reinforcement Records)

Yep, a double CD with tons of hardcore, indie, punk, and emo.

Let’s get started: Teen Idols’ “Backstabber” is awesome-straight up punk with class, speed, and catchiness to boot.

The Adventures of Jet is a fun band with some serious synthesizer action-don’t hate.

The Stereo and The Bouncing Souls don’t need much of an introduction, the latter here boasts a demo version of “Quickcheck Girl” that you East Coasters will want to pick up.

I like The Thumbs and so should you; fast, heavy without being ponderous, and damn handsome.

Countdown to Life is a multi-layered act in the vein of Taking Back Sunday off State of Grace Records that you should check out.  Victory has got a melodic band like Somehow Hollow?  No way.

Moral Crux’s “Imitation of Life” rocks in the most effortless way possible.

Haven’t heard The Queers in a while and it’s nice to hear they still sound like The Beach Boys on acid.

The Reunion Show is a cool band, have you been listening to them like I told you to last year?  You had better because they are about as fun as you can get.

If you like Gameface you’ll like Digger.

The Commercials remind me quite a bit of Brand New, with a slightly less talented singer but still pretty cool.

Besides all these acts there’s a ton of other stuff on here that you’ll want to listen to again and again but I’m out of space and if you haven’t figured out that you should buy this by now then you’re a bigger schmuck than I thought.