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Download This!, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review, Ska

Left Alone – Left Alone – CD Review

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Street punk shows it has a nicer side thanks to Left Alone, a Wilmington, CA act on their latest self-titled album Left Alone released through Hellcat Records.  On the band’s third release they continue to play street punk material but incorporate elements of pop punk, reggae, and ska making for a real fun listen.

Opening track “Spiked With Pain” was a full punk rock track with sing along abilities and guitar and bass riffs suggestive of Rancid.  There is a reason why this band was signed to Hellcat and perhaps Tim Armstrong enjoyed the similarities of Left Alone and the band he fronts.

“Branded” follows with the same energy as the first track with front man Elvis Cortez’s raspy voice just appealing to my ears.  As if that was not good enough, the bass lines were sick throughout and overall the song is just screaming to be released as a single.

Almost sounding like the Madness meets Operation Ivy was the brisk “Sad Story” with a more ska approach that is easily likable and surly makes you want to skank away.  The song was easily one of my favorites on the entire CD.  See below for the music video of the song.  Good stuff.

The catchy “3 Bottles Of Wine” and “Porcelain” both seem more pop punk tracks. They seem to escape the street punk image held by the band but still are enjoyable for what they are worth.

“Bombs Away” sounding a lot like The Clash’s “Police And Thieves” carries on just fine as the song is not a direct rip off but more so a compliment to the UK grandfathers of punk.  “Brindle” starts off with a strong bass line that strays right into a fast paced track sure to be a hit at one of their live shows as it makes you want to swing your arms and dance around carelessly.

I loved “Self Made” with the more so 90s punk feel and an organ playing in the background.  “Wishing Well” continued that feeling with a simple yet catchy punk track with some group vocals.  These are the kinds of songs that turned me into a punk rock fan in the first place.

It’s nice to see a band like Left Alone not label themselves as one specific genre of music and experiment with their talent.  This album is full of tracks with sing along qualities that span back to their previous releases but add a more fine tuned effort making for a good listen if you find yourself a fan of punk rock.

Left Alone is far from a commercial pop punk act and thanks to their recent release they should be grabbing some attention.  Perhaps it is a good thing they stay away from the mainstream though as they have too much talent to be considered just another pop-punk act out there.  Having already been fans of their previous releases Lonely Starts and Broken Hearts and Dead American Radio I can honestly say this CD is just as good of a listen if not better.

Download This! – Left Alone – “Sad Story”
Download This! – Left Alone – “3 Bottles Of Wine”

(I would totally let the girls in this video kick my ass)

Cleveland, Download This!, Empty Wallet, Music, New Release, Outlaw Country, Vinyl

Suburban Home Records + The Takers = Free MP3

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If you have not heard of Suburban Home Records yet you really need to, it might just make you a better person.  The music label is home to a slew of great indie, punk, and even country/folk artists and has been putting out some great releases by, just to name a couple, Tim Barry of Avail, Joey Cape of Lagwagon, Ninja Gun, and even Austin Lucas.

Just today I received an email from Tony @ No Idea Records that I thought I should share with everyone out there about a pretty sweet offer:

Gainesville’s newest outlaw country band, The Takers, have just posted a free downloadable MP3 from their upcoming debut album, entitled Taker Easy, that will be released by Suburban Home Records on LP/CD July 21st.

You can download an MP3 of the title track “Taker Easy” on the Suburban Home Records website HERE.

The band recently leaked three other tracks from the album. You can stream “Curse of a Drunk,” “Drift,” and “Friends in Bottles” on the band’s MySpace page.

The band describes their sound as being “influenced by 70’s outlaw country and honky-tonk classics made standard at the time by legends like Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Jr.”

Members have been playing in various Gainesville bands for years, with two members currently pulling double duty in No Idea Record’s Whiskey & Co.

The Takers released a 7” version of “Curse of a Drunk” on Suburban Home Records this past fall and have plans to release a collaborative split 7” with Austin Lucas in the near future

Take advantage of this opportunity.  As a fan of outlaw country I really got a kick out of this song and can not wait till the full release of the album.

If you liked what you heard here are a following options you have if you would like to order a copy:

If you want to be ahead of the game and would like to pre-order a CD copy of Taker Easy you should click HERE.

If you want to be a little cooler, pre-order a copy of the Taker Easy beer colored LP by clicking HERE.

If you want to one up everyone else and be the coolest, click HERE and pre-order the deluxe set that includes the LP, CD, T-Shirt, Beer Cozie, Shot Glass, Poster, and Button.  Now that is DELUXE.

Finally if you are the ultimate vinyl collector in the world, click HERE to order a hand-numbered and hand-written test pressing copy of The Taker’s Curse Of A Drunk 7″.  Keep in mind though that only 5 to 20 pressings are created each time a test pressing is created so supplies are extremely limited.

I can not be held responsible for empty wallets so order at your own risk.  I know I am seriously contemplating pre-ordering the LP because I know I am going to listen to it over and over.  The CD and LP will be released on 07/21/2009.

The Takers Tour Dates:
Jun 23 – The Atlantic-Gainesville, Florida
Jun 24 – TBA-Daytona Beach , Florida
Jun 25 – Tobacco Road -Miami, Florida
Jun 26 – Propaganda -Lake Worth, Florida
Jun 27 – New World Brewery, Ybor City, Florida
Jun 28 – Wills Pub , Orlando, Florida

(Hopefully one day they will make it up to Cleveland…hint hint)

Download This!, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review

NOFX – Coaster – CD Review

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Not too many bands out there would make fun of the struggling music industry by naming their latest release after what CDs are almost becoming, but NOFX had no problem doing so. After just celebrating their 25th anniversary as a self-regulating punk-rock foursome, the band has just released a new album entitled Coaster on CD (as well as the limited edition Frisbee on vinyl).

This is the band’s eleventh studio release under front man Fat Mike’s self created label Fat Wreck Chords. The CD is almost like a career journey with taking some sounds of their younger years with a harder rough feel but also incorporating their current more mature style making for a well rounded listen.

In the beginning NOFX was more of a hardcore, skate-punk, disorder band of the eighties. Throughout the years they added elements of punk rock, pop punk, and even ska into their musical style, almost creating a unique genre of their own. With methods of trying everything once and asking questions later, the band has changed their style on more than one occasion including adding their personal views on America and the government but never leaving out their incredible sense of humor.

Getting wasted and popping pills were things the band never thought twice about nor was what ever spilled out of their mouths. Speaking their mind about religion and government were just a couple topics the band was not afraid of singing about and something the fans looked up to. It appears that this time though, perhaps now that GWB isn’t office anymore, the band has decided to focus on the less obvious on at least a couple of the tracks. It might also be that most of the band are now family men who may be still young at heart but getting up there in age.

With just a brief interaction with MTV in the past, the band has always been quick to show their middle finger to corporate marketing and do things themselves. They built their own success without the help of others. Their hard work and dedication paid off over the years as they still remain one of the most important punk rock acts out there.

Recently the band toyed with going commercial as their FUSE hit rockumentary series was released on DVD entitled NOFX: Backstage Passport. The series was a huge hit with many fans old and young as it featured NOFX on one of the craziest world tours in areas most bands would never set foot at. Not even a month later now Coaster has been released. NOFX fans all over the world are shaking with excitement.

The CD started off just like any other NOFX CD enticing the listener immediately with the pop punk powerful “We Called It America”.  Next up was “Quitter” which basically nailed all the folk out there who have given up on codependency.  At only two songs in NOFX seemed to have not lost their touch at all.

The very personal, and almost tear jerking, “My Orphan Year” talked about the loss of Fat Mike’s parents in 2006 with the death of a non-existent father and the passing of an angel of a mother. The line alone “I bet if you had been there, there wouldn’t be this song” really shows a more emotional side to the band that usually is all about slapstick.

Hands down the funniest song on the CD was “Creeping Out Sara” speaking of Canadian sisters Tegan and Sara. The lesbian punk rock song almost sounds like an actual conversation but the truth remains to be told. Continuing the fun was “Eddie, Bruce and Paul” a fast fun punk rock song with a sick guitar solo and hammering bass. The song has nothing to do in the aspect of “Liza and Louise” as some might suspect due to the three dude title, but is more of an ode to Iron Maiden with a NOFX twist.

“Best God In Show” pokes fun at over exaggerated religious shout outs with a more ska punk feel backing it up. The song seemed to be aimed at the punk rockers who are growing up and still laughing at the way things are. “I AM An Alcoholic” pretty much sums up the type of song you would expect to hear with a title about addiction. “One Million Coasters” ended the CD strongly with an array of music playing including an bass clarinet. The song slowly faded out ending this first-rate crack of a release.

For anyone worried that Coaster might not be all that, there is nothing to worry about. This CD is really a great listen and NOFX proves that it does not matter how old you are, just how you do it. Even if the band has been around for 25 years they still have it and show no signs of slowing down. They will be doing all that they can to entertain their fans and themselves with every release issued for hopefully years to come. Look for the band this summer as they return to stage at the Van’s Warped Tour once again.

DOWNLOAD THIS! – “The Quitter”
DOWNLOAD THIS! – “Creeping Out Sara”

In April NOFX announced a contest of sorts asking fans to create a DIY video for “Creeping out Sara” after the band found this fan made video on YouTube:

The contest has already ended and NOFX is to pick a winner shortly.

Download This!, Folk, Indie, Music, Music Video, New Release, Rock

Download This! – Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers / Paleface

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I was sent an email from Thirty Tigers / Ramseur Records over the weekend about a couple of artists who both have albums dropping on 4/28.

If you have never heard of either of the record labels, know this…  Ramseur Records once were the former home of The Avett Brothers and Thirty Tigers were the ones who introduced Those Darlins to me.  You might have heard me talking about Those Darlins before (perhaps HERE, or HERE), it is quite possible…

First up is Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers:

She’s 22 and has a voice that reminds me of Bjork at times, minus the weird of course and full of southern soul.  She has a singing style I could listen to all day.  Having never heard anything by her before I am intrigued now to hear more.

Here is a short bio:

With their debut full-length, Songs in the Night, Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers deliver a shudderingly beautiful unique batch of songs in a style that’s been described as “meshing freak folk with a deep-seated, dust-bowl soul.” The 22-year-old Shawnee, OK native’s haunting voice, well-chosen words and emotional depth ring true in a way that sets her apart from most artists of her generation. Picking up where her critically acclaimed 2008 Ramseur Records EP, The Confiscation, leaves off, we find Crain presenting each song with an unfeigned fervor as her voice rises and falls over the panorama painted by the Midnight Shivers and their roots-infused, fertile arrangements.

-DOWNLOAD THIS! – Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers – “Songs In The Night”

-Check out Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers’ MySpace page for more tunes.

-Here’s a video of her that might just very well move you:


Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers: “The Dam Song” @ Ramseur Records HQ from Ramseur Records on Vimeo.

The next artist is Paleface:

It’s been over ten years since this anti-folk artist has released any material mostly thanks to a personal battle that Paleface finally overcame.  His previous material is folk fun goodness and after hearing just a handful of songs I am intrigued to hear his new album.

Here’s another short bio:

More than a decade since his last major label release and collapse from alcohol abuse, Paleface, a founding member of NYC’s Anti-folk movement, is back with The Show Is On The Road (Ramseur Records). The album is an intimate, 11-song diary that transcends genres with its ingenuous lyrics and deceptively unassuming style – just Paleface on acoustic guitar and harmonica and his girlfriend Monica “Mo” Samalot on drums and backing vocals, along with the occasional piano overdub. Paleface is the sort of artist who brings you into his world. His voice is sweetly ravaged and effortlessly expressive, as intimate as a friend whispering in your ear. The album is a farewell love letter to his longtime home, New York City, and an embrace of his new life in the South.

-DOWNLOAD THIS! – Paleface – “The Show Is On The Road”

-Check out Paleface’s MySpace page for more tunes.

-Here’s a fun little video of an older song I found:


PALEFACE – Little By Little

So what do you think?

Download This!, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review

Strung Out – Prototypes and Painkillers – CD Review

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Californian punkers Strung Out have recently released a b-side and rarities CD full of material that spans their 18-year career as a hardworking, independent punk rock band. The CD, titled Prototypes and Painkillers, is full of songs that are unreleased, not found on studio albums, or were previously out of print, making for a nice find for any Strung Out fan. This is actually the band’s second compilation; the first was titled The Skinny Years… Before We Got Fat.

Released by Fat Wreck Chords, the new CD, according to drummer Jordan Burns, is “for the fans.” The cardboard foldout includes short descriptions of each song, and the band shares when they recorded each song and what album, if any, it was left off of. The band also mentions that “over the last 18 years or so” they “recorded over 120 songs, many of which never saw a proper release.” I guess it is safe to say this is now the proper release that these amazing songs belong on; now true fans of Strung Out need not search endlessly on the internet for these gems.

The songs are in no chronological order. “Don’t Look Back” starts off the CD. The song was a limited edition 2001 recording that was included in the first 10,000 copies of An American Paradox, the band’s fourth release. The song is sick, in a good way, with trademark Strung Out technical guitar work.

The original recording of “Novacain” sounds to me better than the version found on the Fat Wreck Chords comp Live Fat, Die Young. Catchy as hell, it is a good track many fans may not have heard before. The song was actually supposed to be on the band’s 2000 EP The Element of Sonic Defiance but was instead contributed to Fat Wreck Chords, as they had asked for an exclusive track for their compilation.

The cover of the Descendants’ “I’m Not A Loser” is a great rendition. I had had no doubts that Strung Out could not hammer this classic punk song out. Previously only available on iTunes, “Novella” was a track that I feel should not have been left off the band’s recent release Blackhawks Over Los Angeles. The song is a little heavier and a whole lot catchier than some other tracks on the CD. The band mentions in the notes that it was a tough call keeping the track off the CD.

“This is definitely the most popular song we’ve never had on an album” they say in the notes for “Lost Motel.” The studio version may never had made it onto An American Paradox but it was released on the members only Fat Club 7”. Having only the live version on the Live In a Dive CD, I can see why so many fans request it at the band’s shows. Without a doubt this track is one of my favorites on the entire CD.

Speaking of favorites, the cover of “Bark At The Moon”, an Ozzy Osbourne classic, blew me away. Strung Out adds their own style and nails the song that appeared on the Punk Goes Metal compilation. I always tell people how I have heard a lot of bad covers, but this in no way will ever fall into that category. If there is one track on this CD you need to listen to first, here it is.

You can tell how long ago “Sinner Or Coward” was recorded from the moment you start listening to it. A bit of trivia about this song is that Rob Ramos played all the original instruments, including drums. Jim Cherry, one-time bassist for Strung Out, also contributed a guitar solo.

Another track that was recorded for a Fat Wreck Chords compilation, “Your Worst Mistake,” appeared on Uncontrollable Fatulance. Full of great guitar licks and solos, this is a killer track, with Jason Cruz singing his heart out. The bonus track “More Than Words,” originally on Blackhawks Over Los Angeles, sounds a lot more punk-poppy than the other tracks. It caught my ear in a good way and has endless singalong possibilities.

Strung Out says in their notes on “Wrong Side Of The Tracks” that Josh Freese (The Vandals, NIN, A Perfect Circle) charged the band a 12-pack of beer to fill in for an injured Jordan Burns on drums. The song was recorded for a Fearless Records 7” and the band had no time to waste, hence they had asked Freese for help. The drumming on this track is a lot more technical throughout, and the notes mention that Freese was actually stumped while trying to learning the opening drum beat. Just by listening to it I can understand why.

The acoustic version of “Velvet Alley” that was re-recorded for Punk Goes Acoustic is another track I really got into. I have heard this version as well as the original found on An American Paradox, and while both versions are amazing, the acoustic take stands out more.

Closing the disc is a demo from 1992, a few of which are included. The first song entirely written by guitarist Jake Kiley, “Forever Is Today” is a track full of young punk rock ambition and sounds. This track was, according to the band, never re-recorded or released until now. As a Strung Out fan, I found it very satisfying to hear this track and see how far this band has come along.

The band, having wanted to create this rarities CD for quite some time, is actually in the process of recording its eighth studio album, following their 2007 release Blackhawks Over Los Angeles. Full of material I had forgotten about or simply not had the opportunity to hear until now, I have no complaints about this CD and think it is the perfect collection. Prototypes and Painkillers should tide over any fan, old or new, until the next studio album. It is filled with exceptional covers, alternative takes on prior hit tracks, and of course the material that never made it to a CD until now.

-Check out Strung Out on their MySpace page

-DOWNLOAD THIS! – Strung Out “Wrong Side of the Tracks”

-Strung Out is on tour.  Click HERE for tour dates and more information!

-Here is a fun little overdub of my favorite track off the entire CD: