Beginning with the layout of their album covers and continuing with the live recording theme, DCxPC Live releases are inspired by V.M.L. Records from the mid-1990s. Like that label, it’s about the energy and what it’s like to be in person at a show. While of course everybody wants a nice sounding record, the goal is more about mood than perfection. You’re going to hear more of the floor than you will the soundboard. Just like a live show.
Building off that 1990s reference, both bands on this split are connected to that scene in many ways too. The members of Middle-Aged Queers date back to that scene, and The Raging Nathans can’t escape comparisons of their sound to the skatepunk of that era. As for the record itself, well…
I’ve seen Middle-Aged Queers at Fest a couple of times, but never at a regular club show. Their side of the wax was recorded to a hometown crowd at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, CA. It’s lively and powerful: evenly mixed with a potent bass up front and lead vocals at consistent levels. The backing vocals and crowd sounds are in and out, just like any live show. MAQ is a fun band and the banter is included, but not overdone. If you like catchy East Bay punk that you can sing along to (even on first listen), this is your jam. MAQ shows are about empowerment and celebration, and it comes through on their side of the record. I’m honestly surprised it sounds as good as it does given how often band members abandon the stage and work the crowd in-set.
Flipping it over, we travel to Goldmarks in Stuttgart, Germany to listen to The Raging Nathans. The first thing you’ll notice is that the two sides haven’t been equalized. There’s a shift in sound quality, with The Raging Nathans’ side having more of a static/muffled sound as if recorded directly from the floor and with unbalanced rhythm guitar. Because the band is so focused on catchy choruses, it still works but it takes a moment to get into the groove, so to speak. Maybe my ears adjust, but I feel like the sound is already a little clearer when they start “Parole Violation” (the second song) and it continues to build. By the time it hits the gang vocals of “Drug Dealing for Money” it feels like you’re in the pile-on singing into the mic with them. Their recording is definitely rougher around the edges than the Middle-Aged Queers’ side, but not in a detrimental way. I think some of The Raging Nathans’ studio work is arguably too crisp, so this is a nice contrast.
DCxPC Live Vol. 20 feels, well, live. They captured the mood on both sides. The spontaneity of adding a last song to the set and the banter are well balanced with the music itself, which is rightfully the focus here. Some of the jumps between tracks are a little rough and affect the flow, but the music quickly retakes control. Similarly, the quality between sides is a bit jarring when you’re listening closely. I suppose, like any show, you’re going to have unexpected elements. But from a reviewer’s point-of-view with headphones on, it would be nice if the two sides blended together a little more smoothly. The two band’s styles are complimentary enough, but with two separate shows on different continents, combined with the sound difference, it makes the pairing feel a little random.
