Review / 200 Words Or Less
Shit Outta Luck
Family Tradition

Organized Crime (2007) Kevin Fitzpatrick

Shit Outta Luck – Family Tradition cover artwork
Shit Outta Luck – Family Tradition — Organized Crime, 2007

Not to be confused with Hayward's Shit Outta Luck, a ska band - this is Milwaukee's Shit Outta Luck, a meaty, Midwest "hardcore" band. The quotes are for the mere fact that the hardcore term is thrown around with such carelessness these days as to render its true meaning useless. Is S.O.L. hardcore? Not quite by my definition, but they come closer than others. Respectably upholding the tenets of the genre, there's sadly nothing really of note here. Slow-to-mid tempo songs with passable vocals but nothing memorable to speak of, like late-era Agnostic Front. Each song starts out promising with a good downstroke riff but then just goes nowhere. These guys love to drink and by looking at 'em you'd be hard pressed to distinguish them between the Dropkick Murphys, but the lyrics have an unfortunate meathead quality that ultimately castrates the overall purpose.

Shit Outta Luck – Family Tradition cover artwork
Shit Outta Luck – Family Tradition — Organized Crime, 2007

Recently-posted album reviews

Street Eaters

Opaque
Dirt Cult (2025)

Sometimes I'm surprised at how averse I am to change. Hearing that Street Eaters had expanded to a trio caused me more trepidation than I want to admit -- and, like most fear of change, it was all for naught. The band hasn't changed and they aren't spilling over with annoying guitar solos either. They just have a little more … Read more

Faulty Cognitions

They Promised Us Heaven
Dead Broke Records (2025)

On their debut, Somehow, We Are Here, Faulty Cognitions made their statement. This wasn't a garage-punk band in the style of the members' previous bands (Low Culture and Shang-A-Lang, among others). It's a guitar-first rock indie-punk band schooled by the college rock of the 1980s. This time around the transition has been so seamless that maybe the debut was a … Read more

The Penske File

Reprieve
Gunner Records, Stomp Records (2025)

I used to dislike punk music where people sing. And, well, I'm still not super fond of it but there is an exception to every rule. The Penske File are one of those exceptions and maybe it's because while they have a singer (as compared to a "vocalist"), it's still authentic and conveys that everyperson vibe I seek in the … Read more