U.S. Roughnecks “Twenty Dollars and Two Black Eyes” (Hell Cat) This is straight up greaser punk, with fast, throaty lyrics blurted out over simple progressions. Which, of course, means it’s fairly boring and extremely predicable. Most of the lyrics revolve…
Various Artists “Rock VS Rap” (Cleopatra Records) As the disc notes, it began with Anthrax and Public Enemy doing a metal version of “Bring the Noise” (which also starts out this comp). The merger of rap and rock, right or…
Zeke “‘Till The Livin’ End” (Relapse) The crystal meth equivalent to punk rock strikes again. If you want your rock super fast, overdriven and completely manic, Zeke is your band. It’s a no bullshit affair. They’ve got albums before this,…
The Paper Chase “God Bless Your Black Heart” (Kill Rock Stars) Beautifully ugly. If ever a band encompassed those adjectives, it’s The Paper Chase. The music is so instrumentally crafted (pianos add to that feeling) yet something is always slightly…
by tom maxwell Imagine a world where disco doesn’t suck and indie rockers went to shows to dance. This is the world of Chk Chk Chk. The seven-piece band form New York City comprised of Mario Andreoni (Guitars, bass, mixing),…
The Reigning Sound “Too Much Guitar” (In The Red) This fiery garage band is the current project led by Greg Cartwright (The Oblivians, Compulsive Gamblers). This album runs a spectrum from raucous explosion (“We Repel Each Other”) to soul-on-fire (“Your…
The Adolescents ““Live at the House of Blues”” (Kung Fu) These guys are all about the old school approach to punk rock. Play it loud, play it fast and lemme hear it raw as fuck! During the mid-80’s these guys…
The Beautiful Mistake “This is Who You Are” (The Militia Group) There’s a lot of ways to kick off your album, but a mid-tempo ballad probably isn’t the smartest. That’s the musical equivalent of you blurting out “I love you”…
The Casualties “On the Front Lines” (Side One Dummy) The Casualties are what you’d expect from a UK punk act: channeling Stiff Little Fingers and The Buzzcocks into a quasi-political diatribe, punctuated by squalling guitars. “On the Frontline” is about…
The Catfiends “Fission, Fusion, and Things Made of Concrete” (Indianola Records) Today is the Fourth of July. The Fourth of July never gets old. No matter how many fireworks you see or how many hot dogs you eat or how…