Label: Locomotive Records Released: July 17, 2007 For a genre that has produced some of rock’s most creative movements, punk has also produced more than its fair share of covers. From cover albums to cover bands, it seems that every time I turn around, there’s another punk cover out there. While some of these have been very clever, most of… Read more »
Label: No Idea Records Released: September 2006 – June 2007 For those expecting to hear the next generation of Hot Water Music, go buy the Draft’s In a Million Pieces. Chuck Ragan’s The Blueprint Sessions only shares his former band’s emotional appeal, but the music itself is far closer to the raw folk/punk that he did with Rumbleseat. This is… Read more »
After my review of the Explicits, their fellow Jacksonville band Baker Act contacted me about doing the same. After a brief listen, I agreed. It’s always nice to hear a new punk band without a trace of emo and Baker Act has the emotion without the whining. The four songs on their page all show influences from the artier side… Read more »
Label: I.R.S. Released: September 1979 Whenever I see (or make as the case may be) a list of the “Greatest Albums Ever” or the “Top 100 Albums of All-Time,” I find it unfair to include greatest hits collections and anthologies…with one exception: The Buzzcocks’ Singles Going Steady. I love the album, but that’s not the reason for the exception. Unlike… Read more »
For those of you stuck buying it on the inferior compact disc format, here’s how cool the new Bad Brains album is on vinyl:Maybe I should give it another point just for a great package (and because the colors are like my dreams: red, gold and green).
“Rebel Waltz” is a forgotten song on the Clash’s forgotten Sandinista album. As the title says, it is a waltz, but with an edge. I’m not sure what war this involves or even if that’s important, but the lyrics describe the resolve in a rebel army before (or perhaps after) a battle they cannot (or did not) win. There is… Read more »
Label: Megaforce Released: June 25, 2007 For a band with a history that spans nearly three decades, the Bad Brains have a fairly small studio catalog. They released four full-length studio albums over their first decade, but only four more since then (including the hardcore-free, dub-only I & I Survived). Needless to say, the first ten years didn’t just provide… Read more »
The Explicits are a hardcore band. Usually, that means the same old thing which is both good and bad. In this case, it means some of the same with a few different angles. The Jacksonville, FL based trio consists of Renee (vocals/guitar), Jeff (bass/backing vocals) and Jarrod (drums), all 19 and all currently enrolled at the University of North Florida…. Read more »
I found this online archive of old issues of Maximum Rock n Roll and Flipside all in PDF format. Now I know what I’ll be reading for awhile. You know, I was checking out issue #1 of Flipside and reading their reviews of the brand new Clash self-titled LP and the Jam’s In the City and it’s amazing punk ever… Read more »
Label: Sire (re-issued on Captain Oi!) Released: 1977 The Saints first popped up outside of their native Australia in 1976, somewhere between the demise of the pre-punk era of the New York Dolls, MC5 and Stooges and the punk explosion that would occur the following year. Their now classic “(I’m) Stranded” b/w “No Time” self-released single made it to Britain… Read more »