Reviews

The Briggs – Leaving The Ways EP

July 26, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

This is The Briggs third release to date since they formed back in 2001 and has been produced by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones bassist Joe Gittleman. This is a really cool Punk Rock CD that will have you wondering why this band weren’t snapped up for a label like Epitaph or Fat Wreck long ago. The band are releasing this EP on Side One Dummy Records and track ‘Waiting In The Shadows’ is also featured on the 2004 Vans Warped Tour Compilation CD.

Right from the offset of this CD you can tell that it is going to kick some serious arse. The band play top quality Punk Rock with various different sounds coming across in their tracks. Each of the six tracks on display here are packed with their own individual goodness with the bands Rock/Punk crossover really coming off well. The band pull off all six of these tracks with immaculate style and sure do have a talent for what they do. Each track is different with ‘All On Me’ making the band come across as a slightly more aggressive Offspring. This track seems to come out of nowhere and it is a great little track, showing that the band can cover all spectrums of Punk and Rock. This CD is packed full of fast paced stuff that will have you jumping around like a mad man. The vocals have a strong Tim Armstrong edge to them which I really enjoy as some of their material reminds me of the Rancid of old. My favourite track on this EP has to be ‘Waiting In The Shadows’ as this is a strong track with a super chorus that will have you instantly singing along. There are some seriously strong bass lines, funky guitar hooks, some truly skillful drumming, and vocals that will just blow your mind. This song is truly infectious and will have you humming along for weeks. If you don’t enjoy this track then there must be something seriously wrong with you because it truly is a blinding track that I instantly fell in love with.

I had not heard of The Briggs before getting my hands on this EP so I was quite pleased, and impressed to hear this EP as I had not known what to expect so for all I knew this band could have been appalling. Luckily for me they weren’t and I truly enjoyed listening to this EP and will be sure to enjoy it many a time in the future. Make sure you check out this band at some stage as they really are a band to look out for on the Punk circuit.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Orca – The Days Are Restless…But The Nights Are Explosive

July 25, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

The band return here with a 5 track EP that is sure to once again put a smile on your face. This Plymouth band really does know how to pen a fine tune and I really think that they have progressed a lot since ‘The Thought Of Falling’ was released. The band has really matured and the sound they are not creating is much more relaxed and it has a distinct flow about it. Every song on this EP seems to fit in perfectly creating a Post Hardcore CD that you are not going to forget about in a hurry. This is not a CD that will be left to gather dust for long – you will find yourself continuously playing this release as it really is that good. I am not normally a fan of Emotional Hardcore but Orca really are a band that play the genre well and seem to know it like the back of their hand.

Here are 5 strong tracks that will get you tapping your feet away to the awesome drum beats, playing air guitar at the catchy riffs, and singing along like a madman as vocalist Dan powers out the main vocals. The backing vocals provide an excellent backbone for the band with them coming in occasional for the most perfectly timed shouts. I really love this band, and have enjoyed both their singles and their album, and it was great for me to listen to this EP because they really have improved a lot. The change from the album to the first single was big, but this time the leap is massive. The band are obviously a lot more experience than they were before and as a result are now playing some truly top quality music. I love every single track on this CD but my favourites have to be tracks 3, and 5. ‘Three Sheets To The Wind’ purely because of the punchy drum intro and ‘Hopes Ever Shifting’ because it just seems to bring the CD to a climax perfectly. They couldn’t have possibly picked a better track to finish the CD if they had tried for a year as this one really does work well and give you one last punch of action before bringing the EP to a volcanic finish. They finish the EP in style with this track – an epic track that combines melodic, heartfelt vocals perfectly with hardcore ramblings of shouting genius.

This is a great EP and really is the bands best material to date – hopefully we will see an album next from the band as I would really like to see another one from them as they have come a long way since their debut cracker. The band have certainly come a long way so far and I really feel that they can go a long way further and become a legendary Post Hardcore band in the long run. They are just oozing with talent and every time I hear them they seem to possess more energy and eagerness to perform.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Punk Rock Is your Friend (Kung Fu Records)

July 25, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Ok, when you look at the track list for this compilation CD the first names you tend to notice that are on the CD are such acts as The Vandals, No Use For A Name, and Tsunami Bomb. However, these are not the tracks from the CD that are really the most impressive. The idea of compilation CDs is to introduce new bands to your CD collection and this is no exception to the rule. When reading the press pack I found that 2 demos are included from newly signed band Underminded. Underminded are a really cool band – they really kick off the CD ion style with a really heavy track that will really get you in to the CD. Another band that will impress are The God Awfuls. I had not heard of them before but after hearing their contributions to the CD I will surely be checking the band out in the future.

Audio Karate are the first band on the CD to really disappoint as I had heard great things about this band but their shouty approach just didn’t do it for me. I am all for hardcore when it is done well but I really don’t think this track has been done well so at the moment I am not really too impressed with this band I had read such rave reviews of. The No Use For A Name unreleased track on the CD is worth giving a listen as it is quite a cool little track, but with other bands on the CD that are much lesser known, yet much more talented it is really hard to fully enjoy the track the band have to offer in ‘This Aint No Way To Live.’ I was looking forward to hearing The Vandals and their tracks on the CD as I had been quite impressed with what I had heard from the band in the past. Sadly, the music on display here was nowhere near their finest material and it really left me quite disappointed. The Tsunami Bomb remix of ‘Roundabout’ is really good. I have found Tsunami Bomb to be a bit of a hit or miss band in that you never know whether you will see the good, or the bad side of them. Here, we are truly seeing the good side of them and the quality of the remix really does do them justice and add excitement to the tune. However, on the other track the band have to offer, ‘Dawn on a Funeral Day’ we unfortunately seem to be experiencing the downside to the band.

A definite stand out band on this CD is Useless I.D. – a band who offer up two fresh sounding songs that are quite happy sounding and you can have a really good dance to. I am not usually a fan of this sort of vibrant, upbeat pop tinged Punk Rock music but the band really do it well and as a result really are the highlight of this CD. I would give the two tracks on display from the band here 5/5 if they were on their own as they really are good tracks and if you are thinking about purchasing this CD then these two tracks alone are reason enough to go out and buy it as at under 5 pound for it you cant really go far wrong. I had not really checked this band out before hearing them on the compilation but I will definitely be getting my hands on more of their material in the future as this stuff is musical gold. If all of the bands stuff is anywhere near as good as these two tracks then I could just have a new favourite band on my hands. I don’t know how the band have done it but they really have produced two amazing tracks of fine punk rock with uplifting, upbeat, fun music that will just make you want to dance and have a good time. This my friends is party music at its finest!

So, all in all this compilation is really quite an average release with relatively few tunes really managing to impress on a mass scale, but there are glimpses of genius on the CD which make it well worth spending your hard earned cash on. There are some added bonuses on the CD in videos from Antifreeze, Goldfinger, Neil Hamburger, Ozma, and The Vandals so even if you are not in to the music then there are always some visuals for you to get in to.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Pama International – Too Many Freaks, Not Enough Stages

July 25, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Ok, if you are in to your Ska then you will probably already have come across Pama International at some point. They are an amazing chilled out Ska band with seriously experienced band members that make way for an awe inspiring live show. This album is being released on Sean’ very own Jamdown label – a label that hasn’t really had much happening since releasing 4ft Fingers – At Your Convenience album way back when. The band have been playing a load of live shows lately and they have been going down a treat – if you ever get a chance to go and see Pama International live then make sure you don’t let the opportunity slip as you sure would regret it if you did.

Here is an album with 8 tracks on it – although there seem to be relatively few tracks from the band for an album, after giving it a listen you will soon discover that tracks are long, but they quite easily stand the test of time. Pama International are a band that play mellow, laid back Ska, Reggae and 2 Tone that will get you skanking with what seems like ease. The band have obviously put a lot of work in to this album, and it has ultimately come out smelling of roses. I have always admired the band for their strong music with its mellow vibes that you can truly chill out to – it is bands like these that are great to listen to in the car on the way to the airport to your holiday destination as the music just lets you kick back and relax and get in the mood for dancing. I love every single one of these tracks with every one just making me want to get up and dance, but one of my favourites just has to be ‘Don’t Live A Lie.’ It has some truly catchy lyrics, drum beats that guide you through the track perfectly, and a general rhythm to the song that just seems to work and fit together perfectly.

Pama International are definitely one of the UK’s coolest bands with their super mega chilled out grooves that will get inside your head and stay there for months. Pama are not the sort of the band that you are going to be forgetting in a hurry – tunes like these stay with you forever and will constantly be playing on your mind. There is so much to take from the music of this band that you have to listen to this album many times before you can even begin to understand where the band are coming from and what they are trying to do. In a world of average, poorly skilled Ska bands – Pama International are a shining light, and will hopefully show the way for Ska bands of the future with this album. You can buy the CD now from the bands official website – this is well advised.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Weeble – Things Do Explode

July 22, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Ok, Weeble are a 5 piece band producing an energetic fusion of punk, ska, and rock, a self proclaimed Tigger-punk block-rockin hop-skotchin band. They formed way back in 1996 so have had a lot of experience, but this CD is from 2002 so isn’t exactly the bands newest material – but still, it gives you an idea of the sort of thing that they do. Weeble play fun music and they play it extremely well. They provide us with catchy music that you can have a good skank to, yet is good, intelligent music that would please even the most cynical of rock fans.

I think that hearing the band on CD is probably only half the experience – you really have to see the band live in order for the songs to truly come alive. It is certainly good, energetic music that you can have a good dance to – but I feel that the band, like Solabeat Alliance can never quite replicate on CD what they do at their live shows. There is some good horn playing on display here, as well as some slick drum beats, guitar riffs that slice through you, and bass lines that seem to come alive as they leave the speakers. The vocals here are pretty cool with the lead singer adding a Rock twinge to the band, with the choruses often sounding astounding. There is a real live edge to the vocals – the harmonies that are being created seem to vibrate through your body just as they would at a gig.

The band seem to be doing something that is just a bit different to the norm, and that is why I feel that you really need to see the band live to get a true idea of what they are like. Often when boundaries are being broken by bands, it is in their live performances and just in their general stage presence that the bands seem to come in to their own. Weeble are not setting out to change the state of the world with their music – their plan is just to make fun music that you can dance to and just generally have a good time listening to. On the live circuit I can really see Weeble being a band to watch out for – they seem to have tons of energy, are filled with confidence, and make music that they have a good mind to be proud of.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

The Outer Limits Demo

July 22, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

The Outer Limits are a five piece Ska band from North London. With this 4 track demo the band really put a smile on your face with their female lead vocals which are strong and full of energy. The vocals are delivered with a punch and the backing vocals really add to the impact of them. I did not really know what I was getting before I started listening to this band – I had never really heard of the band before and didn’t know what they were really all about. From listening to the CD I found out that The Outer Limits are a group of strong-minded individuals with strong political views.

I was very impressed with this demo and it far exceeded any expectations I might have had of the band beforehand. There was not much of a write up that came with this CD, which in a way is good because it is left up to you to draw your own conclusions and also listen more closely to the music at hand. I love all of the tracks and feel that on all of them there is definitely strong drumming, booming bass lines, grinding guitar riffs, and some pretty cool horn attachments as well. This, going alongside the extremely strong vocals on display here makes way for a very good Ska CD indeed. I think that the fact that the band are so strongly political really adds to the appeal of the band because not only are the vocals spot on, but the lyrics are obviously coming from the heart of the band and they are singing about something they truly believe in rather than just stringing a few rhyming sentences together.

All 4 of these tracks are quite lengthy tracks and this is not a bad thing as the band really do stand the test of time and they are not a band that you get tired of after a couple of minutes. The fact the lyrics are so interesting and the music is so good make it enthralling to listen to and there is just so much to take in from the music that if the tracks were shorter then they probably would not have the same effect. I really love the fourth and final track on this CD – it is a great finish to the CD. I really feel that this track has a lot of power and punch to it. The band leave you on a high, hoping for more – which is always a good thing to do as it means that right at the end of the CD the attention of the listener will truly be captured and they will start to eagerly await the release of new material from the band.

This demo was recorded back in January, which is of course 6 months ago now – in which time the band have probably improved. A good thing has probably become great as the band have matured and gained in experience. I just cant wait to hear what’s next from this band – they are certainly one to watch out for, and I can definitely see them getting signed before long with this much talent. It really looks like before long, The Outer Limits will be sitting alongside No Comply at the forefront of the scene.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – I Could Be An Angle

July 7, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

This has been billed as the best ever single to be released by the band and I would probably tend to agree with this. The band have always been good at what they do and have always have a fairly huge audience, in fact a cult following but it is singles like this one that are really going to launch the band in to the limelight. This track coupled with an awesome B-Side, ‘Ice Cream’ make way for an awesome little single that you can sit back, kick your shoes off and relax to.

‘I Could Be An Angle’ is an amazingly good single from the band, featuring their usual awesome and individualistic vocals, crazy guitar riffs, rocking bass lines, and beastly drum beats. This band is really something special, I have always though this – but this single really does prove the point. It is just something that extra bit funky and I think that it really will appeal to a mass audience this time. The band have never really hit it off completely due to them being a bit too unique, but I truly feel that this one is a good, healthy medium. It is still a bit different, so you can tell that it is the Eighties Matchbox, but it has a mass appeal about it with its catchy beat and amazing rhythm. This is definitely the right time to release this single – ‘Mister Mental’ was the warm up, but ‘I Could Be An Angle’ is the real deal. If this tune isn’t successful then I really don’t know what the band can do next as this is definitely their greatest material to date so if their best doesn’t impress then they cant really do a lot more.

As I have already mentioned earlier on – the B-Side here, ‘Ice Cream’ is also a cracking track and it really did put a nice big smile on my face. B-Side’s can often be a bit of a let down because its just a bit of a half arsed attempt to throw something together to make it look like it is worth the 3 of peoples hard earned cash that they are forking out for it. This track has obviously been carefully chosen though as it really works well with the A-Side and flows on well from it creating a well structured single that is good to listen to and doesn’t just have you pressing stop every time the A-Side comes to a finish. Go out and buy this single now people – you wont regret it one bit!

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Household Name Records – Breeding Disloyalty (2004 Sampler)

July 7, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

This awesome little compilation CD kicks off in the only way it possibly could have done to feel authentic – with a good fire and passion. This opening track is provided by the ever improving amazing English band that is Five Knuckle with the awesome ‘Not in my name.’ They provide the CD with a good, fiery opening that will get the juices flowing and get you up on your feet. I have always loved the band and think that this is an amazing opening for such a compilation CD – start as you mean to go on. Straight after this comes the cracking ‘Gotta Say Focussed,’ that anyone with Adequate7’s ‘Songs of innocence and of experience’ should know. This is one of the best tracks on their album I feel, so it was great to see it going straight on to this sampler CD because sometimes on this sort of thing, the tracks that are picked are not those that you feel most comfortable with.

The Filaments track on the compilation is also a blinder. The band are always a pleasure to listen to with their amazing street punk styling. You can never get enough of this band – any band that can get away with mixing street punk up with Ska riffs has definitely got something special going for them. A lot of street bands try and add a tinge of Ska to their music and it all just goes horribly wrong! When The Filaments do this however, it all just sounds like it has been done to perfection. I wish I could say that the Leftover Crack tune had been done to perfection as well, but if I did then id be lying. ‘Operation M.O.V.E’ is definitely not one of the bands better tracks and anyone listening to the band for the first time with this track will not be getting a fair idea of the band. I usually love the band to death, but this track just doesn’t do it for me – something is just not quite right about it and it stands out like a sore thumb. It is not a terrible track by any means, its just not their best – an average track from an extremely influential and exciting band. However, I still strongly believe that when the album comes out later this year it will be a blinder and put a smile on my face as the band always have done and hopefully always will.

Antimaniax play Ska infested fun punk – and they are amazingly good at what they do. You just cant help but skank when you start listening to this band – they convey such energy in their music and have an awe of excitement in what they do. You really cant help but love this band – even if you are not a fan of Ska, you have to be able to see that this band are good at what they do. Another track that stands out as being exciting is The Foamers track ‘Erase all the mistakes you made.’ This is a crazily good track with the band playing their usual brand of fast punk with the occasional ska riff or two. They definitely sound a lot better since they dropped the horn section – their music works a lot better with subtle Ska touches rather than blatant, huge horn lines. Ye Wiles is another band worth noting – this Kent band released a great album, ‘Smoothing Away The Horrors Of Indigestion’ so get yourself a copy of this if you can as it really is quite good. I cant really explain the style of the music or how on earth it works – but all you have to know is it does work and it does sound good. Howards Alias are not sounding like the band of old, but don’t get me wrong – they are still sounding pretty good for it and this is still quite a cracking tune but its just not the band we all use to know and love.

Captain Everything make their contribution to the CD with spritely little number ‘There is no “I” in scene’ which of course is a catchy little track of Pop Punk gold. I’m sure you are familiar with the band by now as they have been around for a good while and released 2 cracking albums on HHN so if you’re not familiar with the band then where have you been?! I don’t always really like Pop Punk but C*E are just doing it a tad different and sound amazing for it! A few years ago I first heard the ‘Make the love connection’ split CD with C*E and Route215 sharing the limelight and was extremely impressed. To this day, both bands continue to impress me and have improved so much since that All Star Records release.

The CD comes to an end with ‘The big silence’ by John Holmes. This rounds the CD off nicely because it kicked off with Five Knuckle, the hardcore UK legends and finishes with this – another track of hardcore goodness. Power and passion is how the CD finishes, and I absolutely love it! So there you have it people – that is the 2004 sampler from those lovely people at Household Name Records. Try and grab yourself a copy of this CD at some point whether you are a HHN veteran or a HHN newbie, as there is sure to be something on here that floats your boat and the chances are you’ll discover a band or two that you didn’t realise you liked or even existed.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Grown At Home – Sandwich EP

July 4, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Ok, first things first people – Grown At Home are NOT a tribute band for American Pop Punk Wankers – Homegrown, they are a neat little ska band from the good old UK! There are eight members in Grown At Home – but they’re not your typical Ska-in-numbers sort of band and they sure do have a wide range of influences. With such bands mentioned as No Comply, Less Than Jake, Lightyear, and Howards Alias – and with a release recorded by the almighty Iain Wetherell who has of course worked with loveable Skacore legends Capdown, you just know that the band are going to be something special and well worth listening to.

They describe themselves as ‘Ska Core Pop Punk,’ and I suppose it is a fair description of the kind of music that they play but it probably doesn’t conjure up the right image in your head to be honest. No, they are not the offspring of Capdown and Busted – they are their own band and play their brand of Ska, and play it well they do indeed. Grown At Home are one of the most energetic bands you could possibly hope to have the pleasure of listening to – this EP is more like a gig than a CD with its energy, frantic beats, and flow. A lot of bands fail to capture the whole live experience when they make the transfer to CD, but this young band seem to have pulled it off with perfection, coming up with a truly exciting EP.

They are all very good on their instruments – and there is an ace horn section that forms the back bone of the band set up with trombone, two trumpets and a saxophone. If you have heard latter stuff by No Comply then you will understand the format of the horn section on this EP – rather than being heavy horn lines going over the top of the music, they flow with the general music of the band and work with other instruments to make them stronger rather than working alone, creating a weaker effect. There are some amazing guitar riffs, some awe inspiring bass lines, catchy drum beats, and impeccable vocal styling. Grown At Home are a band that you don’t really want to be messing with – this band are sure to go far in the scene as the music which the band create is absolutely amazing and they just have so much energy that its unbelievable. Somehow they manager to maintain this high energy throughout the whole of the EP and there is not a single moment at any point on the CD when the band are at all lacking in momentum and flow.

If I was to pick a favourite track off this CD then it would probably have to be ‘Captain Stabbin’ or opening track ‘One up’ as I just think that both of these tracks convey immense energy and really help to create this EP what it is – an uplifting mix of Ska and Punk played at a good, strong pace with mega energy throughout. If you are a fan of Ska Core, or anything remotely Punk related then the chances are that you are going to like Grown At Home because they really are a terrific Punk band making remarkable music.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

DJ Deval – Settle / Spanish Sun

June 15, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

This record was released on Monday – it is a 2 track effort from DJ Deval aka. Michael Kelly – one of the hottest up and coming artists on the North-West urban music scene. This man takes Drum&Bass as a starting point for his music, integrating breakbeats, soulful melodies, deep house, and even reggae rhythms. Believe it or not – the end result of this is absolutely perfect. DJ Deval has got this spot on and as a result of this, this 2 track is an absolute blinder and has already been played in my CD changer a high number of times.

The tracks here are 7.23 and 6.15 minutes long so they are not at all short tracks, but still they manage to hold up the excitement throughout perfectly and make this an extremely enjoyable little 12″. If Drum&Bass is your thing then you will really be at home with this, as it has to be from one of the most talented people I have ever heard in the genre. I often come across a lot of mediocre Drum&Bass tracks, but DJ Deval really stands out from the pack and this is solely down to the sheer originality of the music – there are so many influences to this music that it is impossible not to find something that you will enjoy from this CD – where the tracks vary so much throughout, even if you do not like one bit of a track you will definitely find yourself enjoying other aspects of it, I promise. Being quite open minded, I actually enjoyed the whole lot of both of these tracks and had a really enjoyable time listening to them both as it is just such amazing music. This is the sort of music that will influence young people to start producing their own Drum&bass music as it is just perfect in every way possible and unlike many, DJ Deval does not fall in to the category of churning out the same old stuff as everyone else. This material is highly original and is definitely exciting – if you enjoy any sort of Drum&Bass then you will definitely find yourself chilling out to DJ Deval – when you listen to this music you can just chill out and put your feet up, really allowing yourself to get lost in the rhythm of the music. Deval uses effects perfectly in his music in order to make it as exciting as possible, and in using these effects he really creates exciting, even revolutionary music.

So, if you are in to Drum&Bass at all then definitely check this guy out and get your hands on a copy of this fabulous 12″ – it is available for a mere £5 from Essential Direct Ltd (info@essentialdirect.co.uk) – I strongly suggest you do this people as this is one hell of a record – which is sure to look cool as hell in your collection. If you are a DJ looking for some tracks to liven up your set then give this one a try, I am sure that you will not be disappointed with what you hear – I sure wasn’t.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.