Tag Archives: Punk

90's, Music, Punk, Times Of Yore

Times Of Yore: Heckle – Complicated Futility of Ignorance

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One of my buddies sent me an email the other day asking for me to give him a name of a band that he might have overlooked in the past.  Between him and I we have always appreciated all types of good music, punk being the favored.  He was looking for something to listen to, something good and I knew the perfect band for him to check out, the problem was I could not remember the name of the band for the life of me.

Am I really getting that old that I can not remember the name of a band?  In my defense there is tons of music out there for your listening pleasure…

Well I did remember the CD had a blue cover.  That is a start.  Not a good start, but it was something.

All last night I thought good and hard what the hell this band name could be.  I kept thinking the band was called Bender or Bekker but nothing would come up when I searched online.  I eventually just gave up and went to bed.

This morning I woke up with a record label stuck in my head.  The label was aimed towards the punk rock bands and was called Hopeless Records.  One thing led to another and soon I was on the Hopeless Records website and was searching for the catalog of CDs.  I was not expecting to find anything on the site but suddenly my eyes focused on a blue covered album.  Just when I was about to give up I found what I was looking for.

So Kevin, this is the band I was trying to tell you about and if you have already heard of them you should check them out again for the sake of me stressing out trying to figure it out.

Heckle
Heckle

The band is Heckle

Heckle was a east coast hardcore/punk rock band from New Jersey formed in the mid-nineties.  The bands first release was a split release with their friend’s band called AFI.  They released their first full length under the now defunct Wingnut Records in 1996 and not even a year later were picked up by Hopeless Records and released their second and final CD called Complicated Futility of Ignorance.

The thing I loved about this band is that they sounded like all of the SoCal punk rock I was getting into at the time.  One of my friends told me to buy it randomly one day and I was glad I did.  It more more melodic punk rock over a hardcore feel and was just easy to get hooked on.  It was perfect for a guy like me who was addicted to Face To Face and Bad Religion.

I have to say I am stoked my friend asked me to find him a band to listen to otherwise I may not have found Heckle again.  They were one of those bands that disappeared unknowingly from my music collection but will once again be reunited into regular play.

I was unable to find any videos for your entertainment but if you want to hear more about this band you can check out the following links:

Heckle on Hopeless Records

Heckle on Artist Direct

Folk, Music, New Release, Punk, Review

Tim Barry – Manchester – CD Review

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What do you do when you wake up one day and find yourself a little older, a little wiser, and still broke, even after you spend most of your life fronting a punk rock band?  Chances are, if you are like Tim Barry, you keep doing what you do when you can just so you can get by and love every minute of it.  The Avail front man recently has released his third solo project titled Manchester
again on Suburban Home Records and I must say it is outstanding.

Tim Barry - Photo: Travis Conner
Tim Barry - Photo: Travis Conner

Tim Barry rubs off more as a folk singer on Manchester, even though he is mostly known for being part of one of the more important punk rock acts from the 1990s.  Still touring with Avail but not as a fulltime gig, Tim Barry also performs on his own with family members and close friends.  I still have yet to witness a live show and after listening to Manchester I really hope he comes to my neighborhood again.

Currently residing in Richmond, Virginia, the carefree musician has his day job, loves his beer, and continues his passion with music.  With help from friends and family Tim Barry has recorded a personal album that displays his thoughts as well as encourages you to think for yourself.

Not knowing Tim Barry had a previous solo album this was the first time I heard him minus Avail and I had no idea what to expect.  Opening track “Texas Cops” immediately perked my ears with a more personal track about the law, not missing home, and admitting that having a “bad time is better than no time any day”.   This track really reminded me of Hank III with the tough lyrics and fun country twang.

“On And On” is not as fast paced as the first track, but more a slowed down folk hymn.  I really could feel the emotion in this track.  The backing music was just amazing as well complimenting Tim Barry’s gruff voice.  “South Hill” was one of the few songs that I have heard where I actually got angry while listening.  The track tells the tale of a young soldier thinking he is fighting the good fight, only to return home  not knowing right from wrong.  I seriously was angry with the outcome of this story turned song and it was not because Tim Barry sung his beliefs, he left that up to me.

The cover of Avail’s “This November” was just awesome and sounded just as good slowed down a tad with the same message, take a breath and deal.  “Sagagity Gone” was fun jam about not caring what one more drink will do to you.

The album has its ups and downs midway through but Tim Barry really keeps up with his personal lyricism on all.  In “Tile Work” Time Barry declares “consider where I been” possibly letting everyone know why he is the way he is.  Slow jam “222” was very sad, yet passionate about not feeling alone, and was one of my preferred tracks on the disc.

For a guy who has been in the punk rock scene for years, it is great to see him continue even if it is a tad slowed down.  Where I am a fan of Avail, I can say I am even a bigger fan of Tim Barry’s solo material. It strikes me stronger with his approach at life and personal battles.

With so many artists recording material on their own, some may say that this is a trend.  For Tim Barry that is not the case at all as you can almost hear in each song that he is doing it for the sake of recording music, something you can tell he truly loves.  His mix of punk and folk throughout really is appealing and begs to be played over and over again.  The CD is genuine, honest, and a must have for any aging punker out there who is finally coming to terms with themselves that maybe it’s time to slow things down a little.

Want a taste of the CD?

“South Hill”

“222”

If you really want to hear more proof why I love the CD so much, click on Manchester, buy it, and check it out for yourself:

Head over to his website for some more music and info: http://www.timbarryrva.com/

Art, Experimental, Indie, Live Shows, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review

Japanther – Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt – CD Review

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I didn't know Shaun White was in a band...
I didn't know Shaun White liked ice cream...

Japanther, an amusing, Brooklyn, experimental, trash punk rock act has recently released Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt on Wantage Records.  This twosome do-it-yourself band has been going strong for over seven years thanks to their inimitable style and rareness.  If you are artsy or into performing arts, chances are you may have already heard of this duo.  Far from being in the spotlight, they hold their own having played shows in famous NYC museums and venues but have caught a taste of mainstream recently opening for Against Me!

I heard their band name before I ever actually heard their music and I must say after checking out Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt I have to say this is a weird yet interesting band reminding me of Negativeland meets the Dead Milkmen.  It’s good though in the sense that the duo, art school heroes, do things all by themselves with limited assistance.

Opening tracks “Um, Like Your Smile Is Totally Ruining Me” sounding like a high school basement project and the unusual “Bloated Corpse” made it clear that these guys are in their own little world.  Their sound is not what I thought at all but I found myself enjoying it.

“Bumpin’ Rap Tapes” was a cute friendless love track with lyrics that reminded me of something I might have written back in the days of high school hell.  The cover of New Bad Things “The Dirge” entertained with under processed rock, but just wasn’t enough for me.

I was impressed to see that legendary Crass drummer Penny Rimbaud was not only the executive producer of their album but also contributed some of his poems for use in “Africa Seems So Far Away” and “I Thee Indigene”.  Both tracks were spoken words of sorts with strange beats accompanying Penny Rimbaud reciting his works.  Perhaps boring to some but when you are a fan of William S. Burroughs or spoken word in general, like I am, you tend to like stuff like this.

MC Spank Rock from Baltimore added his style to “Radical Businessman” an indie sounding track inspired from actual events of MC Spank Rock getting arrested.  “Before The Sun Goes Down” closed out the CD with a track I favored over the rest.  The song was a little more punked out over the previous.

The CD may not seem too exciting at first listen but then again this band is more of a DIY performing arts band and probably could care less what anyone thinks.  They are known to take their music to the next level with interesting live shows that have featured synchronized swimmers at one show and puppets fighting at another.  Not knowing this in advance may really stray you away from their material but once you see a clip of a live performance you can start to understand what the hell is going on…maybe.

The following videos are from previous releases. After viewing them I really see that Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt really strays in a different direction and I am thinking it was a result of Penny Rimbaud working with the duo.  From what I have seen I think it would be best if I checked out Japanther’s catalog.

Concert, DVDs, Live Shows, Music, Music Video, New Release, Pop, Punk, Review, Rock

Unwritten Law – Live & Lawless – DVD/CD Review

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California punk rockers Unwritten Law have recently released their second live DVD for your visual and listening pleasure. This time around the band has teamed up with Suburban Noize Records to release Live & Lawless, a CD/DVD release that is more of a celebration of their success as a modern punk rock band rather then just another live show.

Recorded in March of 2008 at the historic Key Club on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, the band consisting of singer Scott Russo, guitarist Steve Morris, bassist Pat “PK” Kim, and temporary stand-in drummer Dylan Howard, make a point to play their hearts out to their hardcore fans.

Unwritten Law
Unwritten Law

Formed in the early nineties, Unwritten Law first started out as a speedier punk band but throughout the years they took different approaches to making music, and soon matured into more of a hard rock act. 1998’s self titled album had a couple of tracks that were put into heavy rotation on the radio but nothing more than that. In 2002, the band came out with Elva and their song “Seeing Red” became a chart topping hit.

Just one year later, the band was approached accidentally by VH1 (they meant to call Jimmy Eat World) to see if they would play some acoustic tracks. The result was Music In High Places, a part studio part live acoustic album that coincided with a separately released DVD called Live In Yellowstone.

Live & Lawless is the band’s first start-to-finish live DVD. This release also comes with a CD full of the tracks the band played that night in Hollywood. The CD has seventeen tracks plus a bonus track. The DVD covers the twenty-two song set and also contains some bonus footage.

The show starts with the band on stage in full force playing “Underground”. One of the first things I notice is that there are no bouncers in front of the stage and to me that is a nice thing to see. This show is strictly the band facing the fans. Hit songs “Teenage Suicide” and “Calin” were played to approving fans as they sang along as loud as they possibly could

The acoustic version of “Rest Of My Life” featured just Scott Russo and the crowd. His voice was on point throughout and did not crackle or show any signs of being tired even though sweat was dripping off his forehead. The rest of the band slowly snuck on stage where they smoothly depart into “She Says”. The crowd erupted as soon as they sang the refrain to the song.

“Before I Go” is a bonus treat to the crowd as the band starts a mini acoustic session with the entire band playing their acoustic instruments. I love the way this song sounds. They continue with “Elva” and surprisingly “Shallow”, a real old track by the band.

This was the first time I had heard the old school song performed acoustically and Scott Russo even admitted to the crowd that is was a special song they were going to play. I must say the song brought back some memories. Hearing the band slow the track down a bit and play it unplugged just made it that much more enjoyable. The only sad thing about this song is that I would guess two thirds of the crowd may never have heard this before. Arms waving and smiles were among the many but when it came time to sing along there was not as much partaking.

Before engaging in “Save Me” front man Scott Russo took a moment to spread some love to all the sardine packed fans in the front row. He asked everyone for some crowd participation before starting the song and just about everyone complied. With big thank yous it was clear that the concert was coming to an end.

Making this show even more memorable to myself, the very first song the band ever wrote, and one of my personal favorites, “CPH” closed out the show. Nothing like an oldie to wrap things up, especially when it was one of the first songs I heard as a teenager that caused me to become an Unwritten Law fan.

DVD bonus features included the music video for “Shoulda Know Better” as well as a intimate interview session with questions coming from the fans who were actually at the DVD shoot that evening. Hearing the story from Pennywise about Fletcher jumping a van into someone’s backyard was amusing. The band answered questions individually, shared their influences, decisions to change up their style, and even some more personal stories. The answer to how would Pat “PK” Kim look if he were bald had me laughing out loud as the bassist drew up a picture of himself.

There was not a dull moment throughout the entire live show. This DVD is pure evidence what a punk rock show should be. Seems like only yesterday a young punk rock me was in the crowd checking out Unwritten Law singing all of the songs they sang at the top of my lungs. Over ten years later, they still have it and show no signs of tiring out one bit.

Here’s a couple of clips from the DVD just for a small taste: