Anyway, now that I am a bit settled I can get back to this reviewing stuff. So here's some records that piqued my interest lately.
BRIDGE UNDER FIRE, "Why Wait?"
Upbeat dude rock as played by dudes with beards. I can't really put it any other way, and it
ought to be as apt description as one can get.
After all, having gone to Gainesville Fest several times now and hearing
about 1000 bands that do a very similar sort of style it does tend to blend
together. It's nothing against these
locals though because there is a soft spot for bands that do what they love
just because they love it and don't really give two shits about what other
bands they may sound like. Nothing deep
or philosophical (thought I would be intrigued to know the lyrical plot line
for what the song "Jaws 8: Mr. Holland's Opus" was were it actually
about that), and a bunch of silly song titles back up the gruff rock being set
forth here. Just some friends hanging
out playing rock music with other dudes.
Nothing wrong with that.
(self-released)
BURNING LOVE, "Rotten Thing To Say"
One of the tops of the year, no doubt. The second full length from the Toronto
wrecking machine slays on a more realized level than their last outing, which
seemed like they were still getting used to being a band (and also re-recording
a lot of their 7" output). On here,
amps sonically get pounded until they spray blood from the speakers and riffs
laying down a path for solos to ride the red wave of violence through your
face. Get fuckin' killed with these
rippers. I'm a bit more partial to the
B-side overall as it leads off with the bitchinest riff barrage this side of a
Motorhead record on "Hateful Comforts". It is soon followed up with the one-minute
-and-change blitzkrieg of "Tremors".
But it's a tough call when you have the very gruesome and detailed
exploits of a serial killer on "Karla" from the A-side of this LP, as
well as the wonderfully titled "Made Out Of Apes". Tough call indeed. I'm going to have to just say this entire thing
rules front to back. Just stop reading
and get it now. (Southern Lord)
BURNING LOVE/ FIGHT AMP split 7"
This split is in a series that a European label I'm
unfamiliar with is doing featuring similar awesome artwork and a bevy of great
bands like Thou, Kowloon Walled City, Great Falls, and more are a part of. So whatever the theme may be is beyond
me. All I know is that these two bands
on this record will sonically punch a hole through your skull. Burning Love toss an alternate take of a song
off their most recent full length (which would be a lot better if they gave up
an exclusive song) and it's a total ripper.
Fast, aggressive, nods to stuff like Turbonegro's bitchin' rock attitude
hanging with Tragedy's mean-ass demeanor.
Fight Amp deliver their own brand of noisy destruction, giving high
fives to Tad's ballsy noise rock, and sharing a beer with Black Flag's negative
attitude. Exclusive songs or not, these
two bands were meant to team up and that's a good enough reason to seek this
out. Good luck finding it in America
though. (Hell Comes Home)
DRUG CHURCH 7"
While a lot of people find Pat Kindlon's vocals in End Of a
Year/Self-Defense Family to be either a clever use of dichotomy, or just
downright irritating there's no question they fit well with his other band Drug
Church. He posed the question to me
about this band, asking if I thought it was more 'fun' or 'art'. I feel like it's a good mixture of both. They are clearly not re-inventing the
wheel. In fact, they're stealing riffs left
and right from Quicksand and Seaweed and melding the two together into an
awesome post-hardcore/skate rock kind of mish-mash. So that's definitely the 'fun' part, and
hardcore dudes approaching (or already there) 30 who still enjoy this style
will really love it. Insofar as 'art'
goes I have to say the following- not many bands who are younger and into this
style necessarily get it as they were not there to experience it
firsthand. But I'm pretty sure most of
these guys were and they do it really fucking awesome. It's well-written, the lyrics are witty and
funny, and the band does not waste your time.
They clearly give a shit about what they're doing, but having enough fun
to know that this isn't the second coming.
So take that as you will. If the
cover art doesn't get you the music will.
Highly enjoyable. (No Sleep)
LADDER DEVILS, "Nowhere Plans"
It pains me to say this, but this record is OK. In an effort to be completely honest I gotta
remove the friend goggles and call this for what it is. And that would be a firm, "it's
decent". Half of this record was
released digitally last year as an EP and those songs remain pretty good. "Pyramids" has a heavy Young Widows
vibe to it and I think is my favorite of the old set. The A-side is three new songs, and one very
effects-heavy experimental kind of song recorded a year later. So there's a disparity among the entire
recording, as well as the sound of a band that hasn't completely come into
their own just yet (even though the members have been playing together for
years in various incarnations). The
opening track kills and the rest is pretty good. But for all the neat gear and cool effects
pedals I feel that it is lacking something bringing it all together as a
cohesive whole. Maybe with a little time
and a proper full length that isn't two EPs slapped together they will really
come to fruition. (Brutal Panda)
LUNGFISH, "ACR Sessions 1999"
Here's a band that I wish would drop another record, as well
as play some live shows. But that's
pretty much a pipe dream at this point as I'm somewhat sure they're more or
less done with. You never know
though. They are a very strange
band. But I must say, it took me quite
awhile to really get Lungfish. Yes, they
make a nice song, and the vocals are really strange, and if you're not
listening carefully enough you'd think they made 10 records of the same song
over and over again. But once you take
the time you notice how bizarrely beautiful Dan Higgs lyrics and voice can be
in a sort of poetic stream-of-conscious HR in slow motion sort of way. And the way in which the songs have a
fascinating repetition that draws you into a trance until it opens up and
reveals itself in a carefully thought-out loop.
Every album amazes me in its intricate simplicity and this record, demos
culled from 2000's "Necrophones" full length is no exception. And seeing that "Necrophones" was
really my first experience with Lungfish it's the one I listen to least as it
was at a time when I didn't really understand them. And in retrospect, it's one of their more
'rocking' records, right behind "Talking Songs For Walking". "ACR Sessions" contains half songs
that ended up on "Necrophones", including a much wilder and rocking
version of "Sex War", and other upbeat songs such as "Shapes In
Space" and "Occult Vibrations".
More plaintive instrumentals such as "Eternal Nightfall" and
"Infinite Daybreak" make up the other already-released tracks. But then you get a handful of songs never
released. A couple I guess I can see
why, as they are decent, but don't really hold up to the rest of the Lungfish
canon. Others, though, are just as good
as anything else they've released, so it was a real treat to get some 'new'
material out of this truly interesting and engaging band. (Dischord)
MISSION OF BURMA, "Unsound"
At this point Mission Of Burma have been around longer, and
released way more music, in their second run as a band than they did when they
first emerged in '79. And for a band
that was split up for a good 18 years or so before reuniting their output has
been consistently good. but I gotta
admit, for as much of a superfan I am of this band this new record feels a bit
lacking. I'd say about half the record
is great, especially the second half, with strong tracks like "7s",
"ADD In Unison", and "What They Tell Me". But a few tracks fall a bit flat, which bums
me out as this is a group that I've always found to be very influential and
creative. Bob Weston brings some
freshness to the group as the only non-original member, and contributes some
tasteful trumpet to a couple of songs.
And the Clint Conley penned songs tend to be my favorites here as I
appreciate his flair for melody that complements Roger Millers more raucous,
eclectic side ("Second Television", "7s"). It's still a decent record overall, but some
of it is a bit weak compared to the overwhelming steamroller of awesomeness the
rest of their catalog has. (Fire)
