Category Archives: 80’s

00's, 70's, 80's, 90's, Country, Folk, Motown, Music, New Release, Pop, Punk, Review, Rock, Soul

Album Review: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – Rake It In: The Greatestest Hits

28 March, 2017 Brian Mc Leave a comment

A few weeks back, I found a photo of myself from when I was working in shipping and receiving at some internet company.

I was about 21 years old at the time and looked ever so thrilled in the picture. The photo showed me working hard while I rocked a backwards hat as well as a Me First and the Gimme Gimmes shirt, a shirt that I basically wore in the late 90s until it fell apart. That was almost 20 years ago.

Where am I going with this you ask?

Well, clearly I was a fan back then, and I still am today. Ever since I heard the Gimmes play “Country Roads” on a Fat Wreck comp, I fell in love. There was just something so appealing about hearing a song my parents listened to in the 70s altered to my standards.

For those of you who live under a rock, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes consist of Joey Cape, Chris Shiflett, Dave Raun, some guy who calls himself Fat Mike, and good ol’ Spike Slawson. They have been taking overplayed and classic tunes and covering them the only way they know how to. The result is catchy, likable, and just downright fun. i should probably add that they have been doing this since 1995.

Over the years, they have tackled adult contemporary, Motown, show tunes, country, and even Japanese pop songs just to name off a few genres. I guess you could say they are not the gimmicky type. Hell, they have 7 studio albums under their belts released on Fat Wreck Chords. Clearly they are pretty damn important in the punk cover band scene.

To showcase their accomplishments (and squeeze you out of your hard earned cheddar), they are about to drop a greatest hits album on April 7th full of renditions of songs cleverly titled Rake It In: The Greatestest Hits.

Featuring 17 memorable covers, the Gimmes threw together the best of the best for all to hear in one collective listen. I am sure it was tough for the Gimmes to pick the right songs for this “greatestest” hits album, but I think they did a pretty good job.

Starting with Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin'”, the album spans the Gimme’s eclectic taste in covers. It was great to hear “Straight Up” and “Jolene” and of course “I Believe I Can Fly”.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t stoked to hear “Desperado” as well as “End of the Road”. I adore the Gimme’s take on these two originally over-played-as-hell songs.

As an added bonus, a few non-album tracks that I have not heard in a long time appeared. “City of New Orleans” off of Willie, a Fat Mail Order limited edition EP, was an excellent surprise to hear. The Del Shannon classic “Hats Off to Larry”, originally on the Live Fat, Die Young: Fat Music Vol. V, was the other.

The one track missing that I felt should have been on this greatest hits was the Gimme’s version of “Rocket Man” by Sir Elton John. Luckily, I have Have A Ball in my collection and can listen to it whenever I please, but for those out there that are just discovering this punk rock cover band, that is one song I know they would enjoy.

To be honest, I was really hoping for the band to have a new album full of covers, but I will take this “greatestest” hits release over nothing. I hope one day they decide to cover 90s hip hop songs in the key of punk rock, I seriously think that would be amazing and I know they could pull it off.

What I’m trying to say is simple: Long live the Gimmes. They are the best cover band of my time.

In support of this release, Me First are touring and have been since February. I can not even tell you the last time I have seen these guys tour, so make sure you go see them live. It is going to be an all out blast. Give them your money. All of it. Being in a cover band can’t pay that much, can it?

Tour Dates:

04/11/17 Pittsburgh, PA at The Rex *
04/12/17 Cleveland, OH at House of Blues *
04/13/17 Chicago, IL at Concord *
04/14/17 Detroit, MI at Majestic *
04/15/17 Toronto, ON Canada at Phoenix Theatre *
04/16/17 Montreal, QC Canada at Club Soda *
04/19/17 Boston, MA at Royale *
04/20/17 Philadelphia, PA at Union Transfer *
04/21/17 Baltimore, MD at Baltimore Soundstage *
04/22/17 Asbury Park, NJ at Stone Pony *
04/23/17 New York City, NY at Webster Hall *
05/02/17 Portland, OR at Wonder Ballroom ^
05/03/17 Vancouver, BC Canada at Commodore ^
05/04/17 Seattle, WA at Showbox ^
05/05/17 Boise, ID at The Olympic ^
05/06/17 Salt Lake City, UT at The Depot ^
05/07/17 Denver, CO at Summit Music Hall ^
05/10/17 Scottsdale, AZ at Pub Rock ^
05/11/17 San Diego, CA at House of Blues ^
05/12/17 Santa Ana, CA at The Observatory ^
05/13/17 Los Angeles, CA at The Fonda ^
05/14/17 Berkeley, CA at The UC Theatre ^
05/27/17 Las Vegas, NV at Punk Rock Bowling
06/09/17 Interlaken, Switzerland at Greenfield Festival
06/11/17 Milano, Italy at Carroponte w/ Descendents *
06/14/17 Attnang-Puchheim, Austria at EQUALITY Festival
06/15/17 Nickelsdorf , Austria at Nova Rock Festival
06/16/17 Bischofsmais, Germany at Rock The Hill
06/17/17 Bischofsmais, Germany at Rock The Hill
06/23/17 Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany at Southside Festival
06/23/17 Scheessel, Germany at Hurricane Festival
06/24/17 Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany at Southside Festival
06/24/17 Scheessel, Germany at Hurricane Festival
06/25/17 Scheessel, Germany at Hurricane Festival
06/25/17 Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany at Southside Festival
07/01/17 Würzburg/Giebelstadt , Germany at Flugplatz Mission Ready Festival

* = w/ PEARS & MASKED INTRUDER
^ = w/ Together Pangea

00's, 70's, 80's, 90's, Acoustic, Cleveland, Indie, Music, New Release, Punk, Review, Solo, Vinyl

7-Inch Reviews: Jonathan Richman – “O Sun” & “Keith”

5 April, 2015 Brian Mc 1 Comment

Sometimes a review is tough to start. I find myself sitting here trying to think of how I am going to select the right words to create an introduction to the musician or band that I would like to share with the world.

I find this blog entry particularly a little more difficult to start out with not only because I am a huge fan of the musician of the EPs I am about to talk about, but I am equally a huge fan of the label that has put them out.

Blue Arrow Records is not only a brick and mortar staple in Cleveland thanks to their amazing selection of vinyl, music memorabilia, and other vintage goodies, but they are now a record label.

Makes complete sense to me.

I have been a fan of Blue Arrow since they first set up shop in 2009 and think the world of owners Pete and Debbie. Not only do they run one of my favorite stores in my neck of the woods, but they are also quality humans. I am lucky to know them and was floored when they told me they were going to start their own record label and first on the roster was none other than Jonathan Richman.

I adore all things Richman. Chances are if you are reading this, you might too. If you do not, I highly encourage you to check out anything Modern Lovers or just jump into Richman’s solo material. His style is unforgettable and almost always is in the most upbeat approach. Richman always has seemed to put me in a good mood.

This month, Blue Arrow Records is releasing two 7-inch singles by Jonathan Richman including four songs: “O Sun”, Wait Wait”, “Keith” and “They Showed Me the Door to Bohemia”. These are the first releases by Richman in five years.

I need to pause for a second and let you all know that I have been holding off on reviewing these 7-inches until I could literally just down and spin them endlessly next to me. With luck on my side this past Friday, I was able to set up a listening station of sorts by my desktop with the full intention of listening to these releases and reviewing them.

Moving along…

The 7-inches are both beautifully pressed with “Keith”/”They Showed me the Road to Bohemia” in white (33rpm) and “O Sun”/”Wait Wait” in turquoise with light hints of red (45rpm).

“Keith” paid tribute to the one and only Keith Richards. I loved the line Richman said regarding Keith’s style was “not exactly the blues cause it’s sorta European too.” “The Showed me the Road to Bohemia” was a spoken word jam by Richman that was relaxed yet joyless. Richmond can’t always be a ray of sunshine folks. He is human after all.

“O Sun” carried a more vintage beachfront island sound that I really was not expecting but completely loved. It was nothing too technical and quite repetitive, but mysterious like something you would hear in an old school James Bond movie soundtrack. “Wait Wait” really reminded me of the young Richman post-Modern Lovers I had adored for so many years. Plenty of clapping and good times were thrown in this jam with thanks to Juanramon Jimenez, a poet who Richman claimed “helped me express a feeling.”

I know I tend to tell everyone what I like and honestly, that is the whole premise of this little blog I have been holding onto for a while. If can find just one person out there who has not heard of Richman yet and they turn into a fan, then my job is done. I do this because I want to and there is no other reason.

Both 7-inches only have me excited even more for the full length that Blue Arrow Records aims to release this fall. Until then, you can stop in the shop and pick up both copies or click on the album covers below to place your order today at Blue Arrow Records ($10 each + shipping):

I find my posting of this appropriate with the statement that Pete released about Blue Arrow Records and their involvement with Record Store Day. If you have not read it yet, please do. It is a highly well-written discussion about his somber decision to not partake in perhaps the most popular retail event for independently owned record stores.

My thoughts about RSD are not as strong as they once were and I blame the greedy (the labels and the flippers). Where I love to see people standing in line to buy limited pressed releases, I feel it has gone too far and has turned into just another way for big business to make their money as well as shady flippers who throw them up on eBay and make a killing (sometimes even before RSD).

There are too many releases to even count this year and honestly, there were only maybe two that I might have raised an eyebrow about. What I am trying to get at was that I wasn’t excited about this year’s RSD offerings. Hopefully not everyone agrees with me and still will be lining up at their favorite local shop next week.

There may not be new pressings coming out that I give a crap about, but there are stores like Blue Arrow Records with tons of old and previously loved releases that I will happily flip through with hopes of finding a gem.

Don’t dismiss RSD. Remember it is about records, not just the new re-re-re-repressings on an 138 gram glitter-gold pressing with hologram download cards. Go out and support your local record store and find something that you can call your own.

80's, 90's, Emo, Experimental, Music, New Release, Post-Hardcore, Punk, Review, Rock

Album Review: Xerxes – Collision Blonde

8 October, 2014 Brian Mc Leave a comment

I was waiting for an album to drop this year that would completely steal my undivided attention. Xerxes has just done that to me.

If any of you know me, chances are you know my love for bands like the Refused, Murder City Devils, Gallows, Thursday and At The Drive-In. The vocal styles of all those acts is one of the main reasons I have such an appreciation for them.

Xerxes’s new album Collision Blonde seemingly took queues from all those acts and more throwing them together into one killer release.

I love it. I adore it. Thank you Xerxes and thank you No Sleep Records for throwing their album on your label.

This young post-punk act from Louisville, KY mixes in so many different musical styles in their jams, I almost hate to classify them into one genre. With elements of punk, post-hardcore, goth rock and more, this avant-garde act blew me away the moment I heard their sophomore release Collision Blonde.

This album overflows with plenty of mental anguish guaranteeing to satisfy any emotional train wreck out there. Pain, love, and drugs seemingly fueled this release and I’m pretty sure anyone who hasn’t always been in a positive path through life will totally get into Collision Blonde.

Once “I Was Wrong” started I knew this was going to be one of those albums I listened to all the way through with no interruptions. Calvin Philley just destroys his voice throughout with plenty of distortion that would make Trent Reznor proud.

“Criminal Animal” appealed to me with a garage rock start quickly morphing to something a little more hardcore. I got a huge kick out of Philley switching to almost a furious spoken word only to start singing again. “Knife”, toned things down for a moment and clearly was about some object being stuck into one’s back.

“A Toast” had this Cure-like melody and bass line hiding behind intermittent hard riffs and screaming vocals making for a great listen. The transitions from the singing to the spoken word throughout this track made it even better to listen to.

“Collision Blonde” was beyond a daunting track with Philley just spilling his guts out on top of a melody that easily could be mistaken with The Jesus And Mary Chain or even Bauhaus. Although dark and lonely, this track really was amazing in so many ways once you got past the emotion and pain.

“Nosedive” ended the album with Philley screaming “just make it stop” over and over. It was almost like this entire album was a brutal nightmare and it needed to come to an end.

I am not sure if this album was a revelation of pain or a public cry for help. Regardless, it is powerful lyrically and musically making Collision Blonde easily one of my favorite releases of 2014 so far.

Perhaps I took in this album a little differently from others. Having grown up listening to darker styles of music in the 80s and 90s like The Cure and Jesus and Mary Chain, I always wished it were heavier back then. I loved the music but craved more vocals. Xerxes seriously captured some of my favorite band styles and added their own harsh twist on it satisfying that younger request. The result is just insane and I adore it.

Collision Blonde drops on Oct. 21st. You can pre-order it now over at No Sleep Records.

80's, Indie, Music, Music News, Punk, Soundtracks, The Awesome

Check It Out: A Tribute To Repo Man

12 August, 2013 Brian Mc Leave a comment

Excuse the dust folks, I am trying to find a new layout for the blog that I like. So far, I think keeping it simple is going to be the way I go. I have a few other ideas up my sleeves, so we shall see what happens.

Anyways…

Last September, the cool peoples over at American Laundromat Records released a very deserving tribute album for the Repo Man soundtrack. I have had this album since it was dropped and will admit that I do not listen to it enough. Hell, I remember when I got the original soundtrack on cassette at Record Revolution on Coventry when I was a kid. Needless to say, I am very well versed in this soundtrack.

For anyone who remembers the classic 1984 Alan Cox 80s punk cult sic-fi movie, many can agree that the soundtrack that backed up that movie was just amazing. Having created a tribute album for this iconic soundtrack was just a brilliant idea by American Laundromat Records.

I know I have spoken on this release in the past, but it deserves a repeat mention. I love the Those Darlins cover of Iggy Pop’s “Repo Man” (shocking, I know). I probably should also mention that Polar Bear Club does a spot on job with Black Flag’s “TV Party” too. I was very impressed to see Black Francis and Mike Watt each get to take a stab at some classic cuts later on during the release.

I can’t say I dug all of the covers, but overall the tribute is just as entertaining as the original soundtrack. Perhaps I just can’t shake the idea of having someone cover the Circle Jerks.

Overall, this tribute to a classic soundtrack I feel has been slept on by many. If you remember how great the original release was, I really think you should give the tribute a try. Classic tracks by modern bands never sounded so good, and now I really have a hankering to watch the movie. I hope to hell that no one ever tries to re-create that gem.

American Laundromat Records is also carrying the Criterion Collection of Repo Man on Blu-Ray. I really really really really want this in my collection (hint, hint).

Track List:

Repo Man – Those Darlins
TV Party – Polar Bear Club
Institutionalized – Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra
Coup D’Etat – New York Rivals
El Clavo Y La Cruz – Black Francis & Spanish for Hitchhiking
Pablo Picasso – The Tellers
Let’s Have A War – Mike Watt & The Secondmen
When The Shit Hits The Fan – The Suicide Dolls
Hombre Secreto – Matthew Sweet
Bad Man – Moses Coltrane
Reel Ten – Weekend

Repo Man

70's, 80's, Eye Opener, Music, Music News, Punk, Soundtracks, The Awesome, TV Party Tonight!

Repo Man Soundtrack Tribute In The Works!

6 March, 2012 Brian Mc 1 Comment

I’ll admit, I am not one for tribute albums and never really have been. There are a couple of exceptions out there (Bad Religion’s tribute from SPIN Magazine is one of them), but overall I just turn my head away usually when I hear the term “tribute album”.

Today was one of those days I changed my mind about a certain tribute. Earlier today, I heard about a tribute album and rather than ignore it, I got excited. I got really excited.

American Laundromat Records announced today that they would be releasing a tribute for the soundtrack to the 1980s cult classic Repo Man. Having a tribute featuring modern day bands cover classic late 70s / early 80s punk rock tracks from one of my favorite soundtracks to date has the potential to be seriously awesome.

Maybe it is because I adore the movie so much that I like this idea, or perhaps the fact that Those Darlins are covering the title track for Repo Man originally performed by Iggy Pop. Come to think, it could even be because Polar Bear Club is covering Black Flag’s “TV Party”.

Regardless, this is one of those “exceptions” I spoke of earlier in regards to tribute albums, and I have already put in my pre-order for the CD that drops September 18th.

Why did I pre-order so early? Check this out (taken from ALR’s website):

All pre-order customers receive a 6-panel CD eco-wallet featuring original artwork by revered rock poster designer Lonny Unitus (Melvins, Decemberists, Willie Nelson), bonus promo pin, album preview prior to release date and, while supplies last, an official Little Trees’ royal pine tree-shaped air freshener which were featured in the film — “you find one in every car… you’ll see” (Miller to Otto).

Did I mention the CD pre-order bundle is only $10? Click HERE to pre-order one for yourself. See the track list below.

While you are at it, click HERE to check out a post I did in 2009 about why I like Repo Man so much.

Track List:
“Repo Man” – Those Darlins
“TV Party” – Polar Bear Club
“Institutionalized” – Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra
“Coup d’Etat” – New York Rivals
“El Clavo y la Cruz” – Black Francis
“Pablo Picasso” – The Tellers
“Let’s Have A War” – Mike Watt
“When The Shit Hits The Fan” – TBA
“Hombre Secreto (Secret Agent Man)” – Matthew Sweet
“Bad Man” – TBA
“Reel Ten” – Weekend