Liskfest 2.0 – at Oak Canyon Ranch – Irvine, CA – September 5, 2009

Last year's Lisk Fest was a great event with highlights being performances by Gorilla Biscuits, Cro-Mags, Ignite, and H20. The fest, which is put on by Chris Lisk of Speak 714, is turning out to be an annual get together of old guard Orange County Hardcore types with big name acts from all around the country. This year The Cro-Mags returned along with Ignite and H20, but were also joined by late 80's straight edge hardcore bands, Insted and Bold.

I got to the show pretty early in the day so I could check out my friends in Terezodu play on the local stage. There were some minor complications including a ten dollar parking charge (which I managed to avoid). Also many people seemed pretty unhappy with the ten dollar charge for buying tickets at the event (this made tickets forty dollars all together as they were thirty dollars in advance). This wouldn't have been so problematic if they had disclosed ahead of time that tickets would cost an extra ten dollars if they weren't bought in advance. Hopefully this will not affect the attendance of next year's Lisk Fest as otherwise it was a great event. Anyway Terezodu played a cool set and made the best out if a situation where only a hand full of people were watching them.

A few hours later Ignite played on the main stage. Most of the songs that they played were from "Our Darkest Days," but they did throw in "Embrace" for the more seasoned fans and a cover of U2's "Bloody Sunday." Ignite were followed by H20, who put on a great show, playing songs from all of their records. Vocalist, Toby Morse was accompanied on stage by his six year old son, Max who jumped around on stage and even sang with his father a bit. H20's classic New York Hardcore sound showed through in songs like "Family Tree," Thicker Than Water," "Still Here," "Guilty By Association" (Freddy Madball's lines were delivered by Scott Vogel of Terror), "Nothing to Prove," "I See It Us," "Five Year Plan," and "One Life, One Chance." H20 have always been a crowd favorite because they play catchy songs that are easy to sing along and dance to and they have always had enough wisdom to mix in their most current material with their older songs.

Connecticut's Bold opened their set with "Talk Is Cheap" and although vocalist, Matt Warnke's voice had some wear and tear from the band's recent European tour, it was fun to see them play some old hardcore classics. While Bold didn't have as many peole watching them as some of the other bands there were a few people who were clearly very stoked to see them. After Bold played I watched bits and pieces of Strife's set, which was a bit of a weird trip down memory lane. Strife were never a favorite band of mine in the 1990's but they did give a high caliber performance of heavy hardcore which reflects some Southern California influences.

Whenever the Cro-Mags play it is an event and they are never a band to be missed. Since it was a John Joseph/Mackie version of the band and not a Harley Flanagan version all of the original material played was from the seminal "Age of Quarrel" album. "Seekers of Truth" and "We Gotta Know" sounded heavy as fuck alongside other great tunes like "Hard Times," and "Life on My Own." As always they also played some Bad Brains covers- tonight they were "Attitude" and "Banned in D.C."

With all of the great band playing at Lisk Fest, Insted were still the highlight of the whole event. They brought the most energy out of any band playing and since it's such a rare occasion for them to play it made their performance pretty special. Vocalist, KevInsted moved some monitors on stage, commenting that he didn't like how they created a barrier between the band and audience and made stage dives more difficult. "We'll Make the Difference" and a cover of "Young Til I Die" were huge crowd pleasers and hopefully some younger kids who weren't familiar with Insted were turned on to their music by this performance. It's not easy for any band to follow the Cro-Mags, but Insted did the job well.

Event Website: www.liskfest.com

 

-Ditch-
Big Wheel Asst. Editor

 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 
                                          Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews
 

 

MAIN STAGE A 8:20 – Winds Of Plague 7:10 - All Shall Perish 6:00 - H20 5:00 - Death by Stereo 4:00 - Caliban 3:00 - Soulwraith 2:00 - The Throne 1:00 - City Under Fire 12:00 – Suffokate	SIDE STAGE A 8:15 - Cro Mags 7:15 - Eleven Thirty-Four 6:15 - Against the Wall 5:15 - Alpha and Omega 4:15 - Nations Afire 3:15 - Jahmbi 2:15 - Unwritten Legacy 1:15 - Pandemic Unleashed 12:15 – For The Ages
MAIN STAGE B 9:00 - As I Lay Dying 7:45 - Sleeping Giant 6:35 - Born of Osiris 5:30 - Ignite 4:30 - After the Burial 3:30 - Skies of Ruin 2:30 - Derail 1:30 - The Warned 12:30 – Gates to Abaddon	LOCAL STAGE B 8:45 - Insted 7:45 - Strife 6:45 - Bold 5:45 - Monument to Thieves 4:45 - Chaser 3:45 - Confined in Chaos 2:45 - Ghost City 1:45 - Terezodu 12:45 – Chaos One

 

 

 

 

What the many fans had to say about the Rebellion Festival 2009 in Blackpool, UK

It's hard to know how to write up something as monumental as Rebellion, and I'm not even coming home for another two weeks, so I'm stealing internet access outside hotels and cafes across Europe and attempting to describe what is really an indescribable experience. For a start, I asked a load of people, both fans and musicians, for their favourite memories of the weekend. Here's what some of them had to say.

 

 

A review of all 4 days of coverage HERE

"Seeing the Subhumans for the first time after waiting 10 years" (Dave, Columbus)

"Outl4w and Cookie and getting pissed" (Jamie, Fraserburgh)



"Bands, beer, and Davie!" (Martin, Fraserburgh)

"Going on stage with the UK Subs" (Mike, Scotland)

"My son Mike singing backing vocals with the UK Subs, and seeing old friends" (Margaret, Scotland)

"The Adicts, Deadline, and drunken pestering" (Louise, Fraserburgh)

"Bands, seeing old friends again, and meeting new ones." (Alison, Fraserburgh)

"The Business, as always, and meeting mates" (Snaba, Scotland)

"The Adicts for the second time!!! Too much beer, but not enough... hehe." (Noc, Italy)



"Dancing like a T-rex during Section 5 and the Adicts. Everybody do it!" (Emily, Los Angeles)

"Watching the UK Subs. Spot on as always." (Paul, Ipswich)

""Hungover... again." (Jake, Sheffield)

"The beer." (Josh, Stafford)

"Going to see the Restarts, and crowd surfing constantly. Oh, and getting pissed." (Alex, Birmingham)

"Hardly any gay punks, I could not get laid :( The Restarts were good though!" (Boiz, Dudley)

"Channel 3 were great! Can't really remember much else, sorry." (Luke, Birmingham)

"Watchin' my mate throw up on his own face." (Gavin, Glasgow)

"Your [Zeros] t-shirt, and the Adolescents." (Rikki, UK)

"Can't remember nothin'" (Del, Test Tube Babies/ Brighton)



"My altzheimers." (Paul H., Brighton)

"The Freeze" (Janne, Sweden)

"The Adicts." (Paula, Portugal)

"Everything was just fuckin' ace!" (Andy, Nottingham)

"The Dead Pets mosh pit" (Matt, Sheffield)

"Max Splodge officially baptised me 'Mongul McGill'" (Ciaran, Sheffield)

"Nothing, too much fun." (Ferris, London)

"T.V. Smith" (Ken, Leicster)

"Seeing the Dead Wretches" (Stuart, Leicster)

"The Subhumans." (Dave, Nottingham)

"Not remembering anything." (Stash, Leeds)



"Being woken up by a cop's boot shaking me on the shoulder." (Kim, Manchester)

"Hotel squat!" (Dean, Manchester slit.mt.uk)

"A guy naked on stage doing penis puppetry." (Jake, Blackpool)

"Chron Gen." (Andrea, London)

"Having a great time, as ever!" (Dave, Wrexham)

"Stza crack playing a drunk acoustic set." (Feet, Sydney)

"Random Hand" (Matthew, Edinburgh)

"Charlie Harper still does it!" (Cash, Twiddersfield)

"Riot Squad" (Guillaume, France)

"The Last Resort! Oi oi!!" (Skinny, France)

"The Agitators" (Julia, France)



"The Business" (Boye, France)

"CREEPSHOW!!!!!!!!!!!" (Sarah, The Willal)

"Urinal splashback" (Mike, Deeside)

"We were real drunk" (Hannibal, Kaviar)

"Goldbalde rules!" (Jane, Sweden)

"Bingo and the UK Subs" (Geordie, Jarrow)

"All of it!" (Decca Wade, Jarrow)

"Max's bingo, 999, Splodge, and hopefully the Dipsos" (Carolyn Wade, Jarrow)

"Splodge, yes!!!" (Hannah, Corby)

"T in a phone box" (Jack, Corby)

Playing with my mates PFS" (Keith, Wales)

"Random Hand in the Arena, hairs up on the back of the neck!" (Griff, Wales)



"PFS, awesome!" (Anj, Gloucester)

"Subhumans" (Fish, Yorkshire)

"Max's Bingo" (Flap, Bridlington)

"Dick saved the day again - Subhumans, Citizen Fish- tip top. Also Charlie, UK Subs." (Dave, E. Yorkshire)

So there you have it. As for my favourite memory, I don't think I can choose just one. The impromptu sing-alongs in pubs and on street corners (England does belong to me, after all), spending time with the boys from Mouthgaurd, rocking out to Stomper 98, and just basking in the glow of a full weekend of 100% Punk and no excuses, Rebellion as a whole is my favourite time of year.

-Jo Problems-
Big Wheel Music Scene Reporter
 

More photos of the crowd at Rebellion Fest 2009 can be seen HERE

 
A review of all 4 days of coverage HERE



                                          Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews
 

 

The Zeros – at The Troubadour

The problem with reunion tours is that they can be hit or miss. After a long break and many years, often times a band loses the spark and fire which drove them in the first place. Other times though a band comes back with renewed energy, and brings the house down. Luckily, The Zeros show with the Muffs last Thursday at the Troubadour in West Hollywood was one of the latter.

I arrived a bit later, around 9, missing Prima Donna's set, but already the bar and the stage room at the Troubadour had a decent scattering of people, and everyone seemed in high spirits. As the Muffs set up their gear on stage and got ready to play the room filled with people covering a huge age range.

Everyone from the Donnas to the Killers owe the Muffs some sort of musical debt, and their time off clearly has done them no harm. The set started off a little slow thanks to some technical difficulties in the form of some faulty cables, but the issue was quickly resolved and the Muffs were off and rocking. The crowd was clearly excited to see them, and people were bopping around from song one. The band themselves were clearly having fun, as singer Kim Shattuck and bassist Ronnie Barnett swapped memories between songs of the time CC DeVille played with them, and the last time they played with The Zeros. Their set seemed over far too soon, and the crowd was calling for an encore as the Muffs left the stage, but unfortunately there wasn't time.

It was hard to be too disappointed though, as headliners The Zeros were up next. By now the Troubadour was fairly well packed, and people were squeezing in close to the stage as best they could. After what seemed like an interminable wait, The Zeros finally took the stage to a deafening roar of applause. They didn't waste time chatting, but dove right into their catchy mix of Punk and surf rock. The crowd loved it, and there were huge smiles on faces all around. When the band played their hit single "Don't Push Me Around" a small but enthusiastic pogo pit broke out, and stayed active through the rest of their set. The band played non-stop for close to an hour, hitting all the old favorites, as well as their cover of the Standells' "Good Guys Don't Wear White" in response to a repeated fan request. The Zeros also gave a shout out to the Muffs before playing "Beat Your Heart Out", saying the Muffs play it better, which is debatable at best considering the performance The Zeros gave. As the band wound up their set and left the stage, the audience screamed for more, eventually succeeding in calling them back for a single song encore.

As people variously filed out the bar, to the merch tables, or to their cars, there was nothing but breathless joy and satisfaction... and the hope that we'll be seeing more of both these bands in the very near future.

The Zeros MySpace: www.myspace.com/thezeros

-Jo Problems-
Big Wheel Music Scene Reporter
 

 
                                          Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews
 

 

 

 

Vice Squad – Lower Class Brats – Narcoleptic Youth – All Or Nothing H.C – Urban Decay – at The Glasshouse

As I made that right turn down Second Street, I thought to myself, “where the fuck is this venue?”. Driving one block down, I knew I had found it. This was the first time going down to the GlassHouse in Pomona. As always, everyone waited across the street, on the sides of the venue and wandered around looking for the nearest Liquor Store. The place looked plain and simple from the outside but the inside was a different story. There is a balcony that overlooks the massive floor space and Stage.

There’s a snack bar in the back that serves all kinds of munchies and drinks. But the most impressive thing about this venue is their sound system. It’s ear bleeding loud with a nice clear sound.

The night started off with a Urban Decay (7:45p.m.–8:10p.m.). This underground Punk band comes straight out from the San Gabriel Valley. They’re a Hardcore, Fast paced, Punk rock band that will make any one run into the pit and push anyone who stands in their way.  After seeing them many times at back yard gigs and at venues, their sound never gets old, never gets slow. Too bad they had to play early cause I know a bigger crowd would’ve fucked shit up in the pit. I recommend for all punks to see Urban Decay. They’re also about to go tour in china so go to any of their benefit gigs and pitch in any penny you have to help them out.
Urban Decay MySpace: www.myspace.com/urbandecaypunx

Second on the line up was All Or Nothing H.C (8:25 p.m.-8:50p.m.). This female Fronted hardcore band from southern California brought forth an energetic set that made the growing crowd go wild. Renae, the vocalist, jumped down and over the barricade and became one with the crowd. She pushed, she punched, she pissed off, sang and pitted with the fans. Now, that’s how you put on a great show and get a great response from the crowd.

Narcoleptic Youth was the next (9:05p.m.-9:35p.m.).  From over hearing several conversations outside and inside the venue, I knew the crowd was anxious to see them. By this time the crowd had grown enormously like some kind of colonial organism, which in effect, made the pit larger and more insane for every single song on their set. Most notable songs that night were the ever-famous “religious wars” and “classified” as well as many others. At the end of their set, the crowd looked sweaty and tired but don’t let that fool you for they were ready for the last final two acts of the night.

The last two bands of the night, Lower Class Brats (9:50p.m.-10:35p.m.) and Vice Squad (10:50p.m.-11:50p.m), were up next. The crowd had shifted their bruised, battered, and sweaty bodies to the front.  It was really tough trying to walk through the crowd on the main floor for everyone was packed against each other like sardines in a can.

Lower Class Brats finally came out and played a great fucking set. Bones sang his lungs out, Marty shredded the guitar, Johnny-O played and fingered his bass with ease, and Joey the Kid banged the Drums fast and hard. The crowd sang every word and line of all their songs in unison as if they were part of a Sunday church choir.  Some crowd favorites played that night included, “Bite The Bullet”, “Do It Again”, “Just Like Clockwork” , “New Seditionaries”, “ I’m A Mess” and countless others. Because they were out of time, the clockwork droogs were unable to play an encore that everyone chanted for. It was a bummer to every fan but it was also understandable.

Finally, Vice Squad came on stage. First thoughts to pop into my head as Beki Bondage walked out on stage was the fact that she still looked hot and that she had not aged whatsoever.  Vice Squad made the crowd get really rowdy with songs such as “Sniffing Glue”, “Latex Love”, “Rock ‘n Roll Massacre”, and especially “Last Rockers”. It was pure chaos. Fans threw themselves and hurdled over security to get on stage to sing with Becki.

The pit transformed into a massive whirlpool sucking in those who stood on the sides, and many others crowd surfed the waves of shifting bodies near the front.  It was a night no one will ever forget for the crowd and the bands.

If you missed this show then you will have another chance to go see Lower Class Brats and Vice Squad at the Key Club in Hollywood on Saturday July 11th, 2009. Go have Fun!

Check out the contest page in the navigation bar above on how to win tickets to the Key Club show

 

-Rob Nuisance-
Big Wheel Music Scene Reporter
 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 
                                          Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews
 

 

 

Lower Class Brats Interview

Interview by: Stephanie M.
Big Wheel Senior Staff Reporter

As Lower Class Brats are about to embark on a tour with Vice Squad, we recently caught up with them to ask them some questions and get updated on the latest with LCB.

What is the band's main inspiration at the moment, and how has it influenced your music and lyrics?

Bones: I think that the real inspiration right now is in a changing of the guards in the band. Having Marty and myself backed up by Johnny O. and the Kid is great.
Marty: First and foremost it has to be for the fans!  The enthusiasm and devotion that our fans show us just reinforces what we know to be true! We will continue to focus on the best parts of Punk and rock 'n' roll and music in general in everything we do!  It's what we live for!!  Individually, each member has different influences, both musically and otherwise and that's the magic recipe that makes LCB what it is!!
Johnny O: I am drawing influence from a book called the Encyclopedia of Russian Prison Tattoo’s. There way of tattooing tells a story about your life. Like a crucifix isn’t religious it means “Thief In Good Standing”.  I think Marty and I are also using a lot of early punk and 70’s rock and roll to influence our riffs. We are also looking at older Brat’s songs and kinda going back to the earlier style, but with a new sound.


What is the most difficult thing to endure when you're on the road?

Bones: Stolen gear, falling asleep in bathtubs (thanks nic), fighting w/ your girlfriend on the phone, asshole cops, fuck-head promoters, the list goes on and on...
Marty: Other than just missing home, all the downtime between shows drives me insane!  I pretty much live for performing, but that's barely one hour a day so everything else is a big letdown. When the boredom sets in, one tends to get sidetracked and that can lead to all kinds of bad stuff!
Johnny O: Each other, hahaha. Really tour is great as far as new cities, new people to see and meet. The tough stuff is little sleep that affects everything. The hurry up and wait. You know you gotta drive 8 hours to get to a club by 4pm, then you get there set up, sound check, and then you don’t play till 10- 11PM. Also you gotta check your attitude, your living in the equivalent of a large bathroom, not even a studio Apartment with 5 dudes. Nowhere to go when you are mad or bummed.


What is the craziest most memorable moment that has happened at a show?

Bones: We had this huge dildo that we had gotten from Cheap Sex while on tour. It had to be at lest 18" long. We put an L.C.B. button about 5" down the shaft, and set it on the merch table. If you could touch the button w/ your lip, you would get a free t-shirt. I wish I could find my disposable camera from that night! HA!
Marty: Where do I start?!?  We've lived through everything from gigs being shut down by soldiers with machine guns in Mexico -that was a riot, LITERALLY!!- to crazed fans stealing our personal belongings -NOT COOL!!  We've been stiffed by Russian mobsters in the Czech Republic, it only gets better!
Johnny O: There have been many remembered, some not remembered that where probably really good, haha. One that was really random was our old drummer Clay, he decided to stage dive when we were touring with the Circle Jerks. He comes out of the crowd and says, “I think I hurt my finger”. His freaking finger is pointing side ways from the middle joint!! We had to get him to the hospital to have his dislocated finger put back in place. A lot of the memories come from how cool a headlining band is. We just played with Cock Sparrer and they were the nicest, coolest guys ever. You don’t know what to expect from bands that have been around for a while and then they are awesome.


Do people ever recognize you guys when you go out to do domestic things like grocery shopping?

Bones: At times. It usually ends in an autograph or a Billy Idol reference.
Marty: Every now and then.  It always seems to happen at the strangest times like shopping for underwear at the mall with my mom or buying hemorrhoid cream at CVS -ok, I made that one up!!  I've had kids come into the restaurant where I work and freak out.  They can't seem to understand that we work regular jobs like everyone else!
Johnny O: Yeah it happens. I really like when people always ask “You guys in a band?” When you are at a truck stop getting gas. Then you tell ‘em and they are like “Never heard of you”, I always get a kick out of that. Or the people who ask, “You gotta a CD” like you can just open up the trailer and get it for ‘em.

What is your favorite part about touring?

Bones: I really like meeting and having a drink w/ new people. Seeing new cities and countrys!
Marty: The gigs...the fans...the feeling you get from continually blowing the socks off loyal fans who didn't think it could even get any better!  Playing in a touring band, you meet a lot of people along the way, so it's always awesome getting to see all my friends around the world!
Johnny O: Seeing new places, and going to places that you are familiar with. Seeing old friends, and meeting new ones. Not working my shitty job at UPS, and getting to work my favorite job of playing music!!

Ever had to deal with any crazy hysterical fans?

Bones: Not until now...
Marty: Well...you get the odd stalker every now and then, but they're USUALLY harmless.  Like I said before, we've had our jackets and other things stolen from right off the stage!  Sometimes all you want in the world is just a few minutes of peace, without anyone vying for your attention, but you can't always get it!  Like you need to find a hiding place to just chill out and relax.
Johnny O: Sometimes… you know it was worse from like ’99-’03. I don’t know why but Southern California had some crazy fans at that time. I was doing Cheap Sex at that time, and CS and LCB played a show together at the Knitting Factory in LA. While pulling up to the club on Hollywood Blvd a few hundred punks saw us at the stoplight and just swarmed us. They were blocking traffic, hanging on the van. They were screaming and rocking the van, it was nuts.


Joey is fairly new to the band and started off as simply a fan, how did you guys meet him and allow him to join the band, and for Joey, how has the experience to join the band changed you?

Bones: I had met Joey a couple times before Marty took him to the try outs. We had 3 drummers learn 6 songs. Joey was the best of all of them.
Marty: I met Joey years ago at a gig when he was 'simply a fan' as you said.  He already had the LCB tattoos, but he was a cool kid...I didn't even know he played drums!  Anyway, later on when we were looking at drummers, someone suggested him and I was like 'wait...I think I know that guy' and it turns out he's insane on the drum kit. The rest is history!
Joey: I wouldn't say it changed me because I'm the same dipshit before I joined the band. It is a giant learning experience. I've learned alot in the time I have been in the band and it has opened a big world of opportunity for me as it has the members before me. I'm just grateful to be here and doing what I love!  

What city has so far been your favorite to play and why?

Bones: That's a loaded question...
Marty: I honestly couldn't pick just one!  LA is always a blast for us, plus we have a lot of good friends out here!  There's really too many to mention...Chicago, Tampa, Seattle, Paris...Munich and Berlin in Germany!  The list goes on!!
Johnny O: This can be a good/ bad thing you name a city, and then the other cities will be like “Fuck you” haha. I will name some of my favorites how about that. I love Montreal, Chicago, NYC, OKC, ATL, Reno, SF, Seattle, and Orlando. Those are a few of my fav’s I have a lot more.

What's next for the band?

Bones: We are still working on new songs for an upcoming CD. Working on tours for Europe, China, and Japan.
Marty: Well right now we're in the process of writing a new album which will be even better than our latest and best release to date "The New Seditionaries" and that's no easy task!  We will be releasing a two song 7" ep on Combat Rock Records in France as sort of a teaser.  We're about to leave on this West Coast tour with UK punk legends 'Vice Squad' in June/July and will be annihilating Europe once again this August/September!!  Other than that, we're gonna continue writing, performing and kicking ass as we are know to do!!!
Johnny O: We are currently writing a new album, we have about 6 songs in the works. We are about to tour with Vice Squad on the West Coast and mid West during June and July. Then we are going over to Europe for August and September. If you are in Europe you can check out http://www.myspace.com/weirdworldberlin    They have our dates. Then we are taking ourselves over to Japan to tour with the legendary SA (Samurai Attack)!!! That is a dream come true for me, I have been into SA for a long time, and I can’t believe we actually get to tour with them. We are really trying to tour more, and hit places we haven’t.


Stay up to date on all the stops on their tour with Vice Squad, Go and hook your self up as a friend on the bands MySpace at: www.myspace.com/lowerclassbratsrule

 

 Win Lower Class Brats Tickets - HERE

 

Music fans turnout for Record Store Day

So, as you know by now yesterday was National Indy Record Store Day, the day when we all go out to support our indy stores by grabbing a bunch of freebies on records we'd buy anyway, and get to feel superior because we blow our budgets to hell once a month as opposed to once a year like the other plebes jamming the checkout lines.

Early on in the afternoon (hey, it's a weekend) Em and I headed down to Amoeba Records Hollywood to start the day, and try for one of the $50 gift-card raffles (unsuccessful). On the way in, a kid was out front flyering for an LP sale going on down the street at the recording studio near Santa Monica and Orange. After stimulating the economy a bit, and downing a recharging snack at the nearby In & Out we followed the promise of over 1000 records for a dollar a piece.

The vendors were set up in an unassuming tent on the sidewalk, and the records were jumbled up in battered cardboard boxes, but the promises were true. Thousands of records, most for a dollar. The only problem was there was a lot of ABBA. And Village People. Man, I had no idea how many albums those guys released.

Still, extended digging had it's rewards. I found a copy of the Boys' "Boys Only" album for $1 and Angelic Upstarts' "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" for $5. These are great records by well-known bands, and if you don't have them you should check them out for sure. But they're also relatively easy to find, so if I don't tell you about them someone else will.

I'm going to tell you about another record I salvaged from the heap of bad disco (is there any other kind?) and 80's hair metal (if you need Dokken records, I know where you can go).

The band is Blotto, and the album is titled "Hello! My Name is Blotto What's Yours?". The record first caught my eye because it's a simple black and white image of a dancing woman with a drum for a head. The background has a manifesto printed, with all the words run together giving a short history of the band and telling "serious poseurs" where to buy shirts so they really fit in.

A little research later discovers that this is the band's first EP released in 1980. Another record with the same title and cover was released in 1983 with a completely different track list.

Still up in the air, I flipped the album over to check out the track listing. The first song was titled "I Wanna be a Lifeguard (a wet dream)". Sold. That's pretty much guaranteed to be hilarious, and for a dollar, you'd be hard pressed (no pun intended) to go wrong.

When I got home I threw the record on, and to my delight found something a little bit surf-rock, but reminding me heavily of some twisted bastard love-child between the AGs and the Undertones. The songs were clever, a little pop-y, but not in a terrible way. In fact, the second song on the A side is a satire of all those top-40 bands that still seem to multiply like bacteria under the moist folds of a sweaty man-bosom. Titled "(We are) The NowTones" it starts off:
"we are the now tones
we do top 40
we wear matching outfits
we look real sporty
like a living jukebox
we play the hits
appear in nightclubs
that are the pits.
We get down while the crowd gets drunk"
and goes on to further lampoon the soul-less machine of mainstream pop. Brilliant.

The B side has a cover of "Stop: In the Name of Love" which is still weird enough to be funny, and a song titled "Bud... Is After Us (call my lawyer)" which isn't as good as the first two on the first listen, but grows on you after a second or third hearing.

Overall, I'd say this is an excellent record, well worth picking up if you get the chance.
Blotto is apparently on iTunes, and their website http://www.blotto.net/ has a link to a merch page with two albums on CD available.


-Jo Problems-
 

« Previous Page — Next Page »