Super producer of such illustrious bands as McLusky, Nirvana, and Bush, (SERIOUSLY STEVE WTF?) Steve Albini recently said that McLusky is the best band working in England right now. Yeah, that may be his characteristic bravado and showmanship, but it also may be pretty close to the truth. On their third full length, The Difference Between Me and You is that I'm not on Fire, McLusky abandons the super spazz and freak-out levels that made them so lovable on Do Dallas. Though the album starts off very promising as "Without MSG I am Nothing." ramps up the distortion, and a rather catchy hook. The song as a whole leads up to a full onslaught of distortion and screaming. This is a very promising start to the album, much like "Lightsabre Cock Sucking Blues" was to Do Dallas. After this, the excitement slows down considerably for some reason. Many songs take on drone influences, staying rather slow and contained. The lyrics tend to stay away from joke lyrics and focus on actual attempts at song writing. "1956 and All That," previously released on the There Ain't No Fool in Ferguson EP ,) discusses the effects of war. Then the modern day … Read more
Carina Round is too late for the Riot Grrrl movement, the only recent explosion of female artists. Although lo-fi indie … Read more
Pop quiz hotshot: You re in a mediocre rock band from Omaha whose fan base does not exceed the city … Read more
Growing up in Cleveland I was more than spoiled when it came to hardcore bands: Integrity, The Spudmonsters, Committed, Ringworm, … Read more
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I know very little of Vancouver, British Columbia other than the fact that the bulk of X-Files was filmed there and that it has the nickname of "Rain City." I may not be well versed in Canadian culture (everything I know was learned from repeated screenings of Strange Brew), but I do know that Vancouver is home to some stellar punk and hardcore bands. Two of the most promising are showcased here: Go it Alone and Blue Monday. Go it Alone kick things off with the intensity that made their full-length, The Only Blood Between Us, so great. The songs "Ovaltine" and "West Boulevard" are perfect songs to get the blood pumping. They're fast-paced hardcore drawing influence from youth-crew, but with an extra edge. Go it Alone is sure to … Read more
Let's face it people, America is fat. They're also lazy. The two don't go together to form a very healthy society. I mean, look around you right now. Seriously, do it. What do you see? I'll tell you. Fat people. And not just any fat people, lazy fat people. These lazy fat people are trying to lose weight by cutting … Read more
Walk into a Boston hardcore show and ask a random kid if they like the Dedication, and there is a 95% chance they will do one of the following: A. Call you a faggot. B. Say, "You like that make up wearing band of faggots?" C. Turn around to their group of friends and say "Hey guys, did you hear … Read more
It seems as though the popularity of real hardcore has a formulaic ebb and flow that changes with the years. A style that may draw 500 kids to a VFW hall in 1988 certainly isn't going to get the same crowd in 2004, is it? Well, given the monumental growth of labels like Bridge 9, Martyr, Deathwish and others over … Read more
New York City looks so glamorous from afar, but when I get there I'm reminded that I don't belong with the constant honking, the frustrating one-way streets, and the crazy taxi cab drivers. When I leave, however, I am suddenly left with a longing to belong. I guess NYC is too hip for me, and sometimes it is too hip … Read more
There's this pretty great interview in the most recent issue of Chunklet magazine which talks to Pen Rollings of Honor Roll, more recently of Loincloth fame. In the article, he talks about how all those European metal bands that burn churches down and totally front like they're hard are, in fact, pussies who try too hard. As a result, he … Read more
Minneapolis' most crushing metalcore band are finally back with a new album and a new line up. After a few years on hiatus, Andy Hart and Karl Hensel, both from the recently defunct hardcore band Holding On, have joined Martyr A.D. on vocals and drums respectively. One of my biggest music related pet peeves is when a band I like … Read more
When I first undertook the task of writing the review for Dancing, I wanted to make sure I did the job right the first time. I own Shake Harder Boy, but something about this album was different to me. After a few listens to the album, I was able to establish that there was more experimentation this time around. While … Read more
I'm always in a mood. It's not always a bad mood, although it may be three-quarters of the time, but I'm always in a mood. I've found that certain CD's better suit certain moods. Like, if I feel like partying my ass off, I'll put in Echoes by The Rapture. The other day I was in a weird mood. I … Read more
There I was. Stranded at an abandoned gas station just north of Mexico and just south of reality. The only thing keeping me cool was the shade created by my moustache and mullet. After four hours of solo Tai Chi I could see movement entering the horizon via motor vehicle, stage left. When the foreign body got close enough where … Read more
Denver Dalley is all over the place. After Desaparecidos went on hiatus, Dalley started to flesh out his own songs in his spare time. He released a self-titled EP in June 2003, and then there was talk of a Desaparecidos reunion. An album and a slot in the 2004 Plea for Peace tour were in the works but schedules clashed, … Read more
On Decahedron's debut full-length, the Lovitt Records darlings set out to prove that the D.C. sound is alive and well in 2004. Characterized by edgy, angular sonics and accompanied by lyrical messages of a distinct political and social slant, Decahedron is very much akin to the D.C. sound that broke onto the national scene in the late 80's with bands … Read more
You know those stickers that they put on the front of CD's that say "For Fans Of.." or "Featuring the Hit Single..."? Well, I have decided to make my own sticker for With Honor's debut full-length. However, instead of a misleading recommendation my sticker will read: "The feel good record of the year." Concise, but informative, the reasoning behind this … Read more
Recently, I've made a pact with myself to never again purchase an album with an oxy-moronic title. This is due solely to the fact that usually the majority of emphasis can be placed on the word moronic. But, like any rule there exists a few exceptions, and surprisingly this album is one of them. Rather than sending my life into … Read more
Breathing new life into an otherwise stale genre is a difficult task to undertake, but on Fall Out Boy's first proper full length, Take This to Your Grave, they have done just that. For the past few years, pop-punk, while constantly growing in popularity, has been steadily declining in numbers of bands willing to think and play outside the seemingly … Read more
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