Tag Archives: Punk

Album Review: The Brokedowns – Life Is A Breeze

The Brokedowns - Life Is A BreezeLots can be said about punk act The Brokedowns by this music lover.

First, The Brokedowns released an amazing album years ago that I still listen to often, so chances are, this review may show light favoritism.  Secondly, they rule…tons.  Lastly, they have not released an album in at least 4 years, so this is something worth getting excited about.

I learned of The Brokedowns back in 2009 when I was flipping through 45s at Blue Arrow Records.  I picked up a split 7″ with them and Turkish Techno on it and totally made a blind buy having no idea what to expect.  I remember spinning the crap out of that 45.  I loved what both bands had to offer.

The Brokedowns hail from Elgin, Illinois and have been creating their own melodic punk rock since at least 2002.  They have definitely matured over the years and have mastered their sound throughout their time but without losing their unique charm.

“Joliet, The Maui Of The Midwest” started the album off with a gracious and humorous nod to their hometown area.  This song was a straight up jam with a heavy dose of gang vocal opportunities at the end.

Title track “Life Is A Breeze” was a drum hitting, screaming, killer song that was ever so poppy and melodic yet kept that punk edge to it.  I loved how this song was just about dealing with the surroundings and admitting things are not that bad.

“Murder Junkie/CPA” was a pop punk jam that to me sounded like a mix of Low Culture and Iron Chic.  There was a garage rock sound with the punk vibe that just made this track stand out over the others.

“Everything Is Immoral” was brutal.  I loved everything about this track, especially the group harmony just past the halfway mark.  It fit so perfectly.  I just wish I knew what that intro clip was from.  Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?

Without trying to talk about every track on this album, I have to mention how much I loved “Born On The Bayou Too”.  The track alone was one of the best on the album.  I loved the quick breakdowns and just 90s reminiscant guitar playing.

“Cash For Gold” was a quick fun track, but the video for it was beyond freaking hilarious.  The music video titled  GG and Merle Get Jobs was more of a short film with “Cash For Gold” playing throughout.  A true ode to not only crust brothers GG and Merle Allen, but also to Looney Tunes.  The black and white was a nice touch, especially with assisting removing the brown.  Scroll down to see what I am talking about.  The song was bad ass thanks to the  typical Brokedowns flavor throughout I have grown to dig.

For a second there I thought “God Hates Math” was a lost Ween track as it extended from the prior track “I Respect Your Right To Always Be Wrong About Everything” but soon just ignited.

I hope “Keep Branson Weird” was about Sir Branson.  I met that dude once in Baltimore.  True story.  He was nice, but so weird.

Anyways…

Closing the album down was “A Child’s Guide To Black Metal”, a song that may have been toned down a bit versus the others starting ups, but still just awesome, especially once things picked up.

The end of this track left me wanting a copy of the vinyl as backwards lines repeated over seagulls and I am just dying to play the record backwards just to make out what is being said.  A true cliffhanger if you ask me.

This is one memorable album by an amazing group of dudes throughout.  I really hope more people than me are so over-excited about what I just heard.  It rules and is not to be missed.

Head on over to Red Scare Industries and pick up a copy or two.

As promised, here is the video I made mention of earlier.  It’s not exactly a safe for work video.  To make it tamer, let’s just say them boys have really oily hands…  Don’t say I did not warn you.  Enjoy!

Album Review: Tim Barry – Lost & Rootless

Tim Barry - Lost & RootlessIt’s no lie, Tim Barry just dropped one of my favorite albums of 2014.

After hearing it just one time through, I had no choice but to make an immediate edit to my best of 2014 post.  I was blown away.

Lost & Rootless, Barry’s fifth studio release as a solo artist, is the best thing I’ve heard from him to date.

The Richmond, VA folk crooner is one of the most talented music writers I consider myself a fan of and he just further proved that to me with his latest effort.  To say he is on top of his game is a complete understatement.

Barry, on his website, said the sound to his latest release could be described as “Wooden.”  He stated “that’s the feel that I was going for when I picked the songs. There’s violin, voice, a wooden resonator guitar…there’s a very subtle electric bass on one track, but otherwise I wanted to do a wooden record.”

“Wooden” is the perfect description when you think about it.

Hiding out in a backyard shed with his sister and pal Josh Small, Barry recorded Lost & Rootless with no time frame  and no worries at all. The result is a tireless release that I have listened to over and over and found myself enjoying more so than the last listen.

One thing I adore about Barry is his storytelling abilities.  In Lost & Rootless, Barry doesn’t hold back with his tales that do not necessary have a theme to them but certainly reach back to other stores of past albums.  There is no concept to be heard and to be honest, I think Barry and crew just recorded whatever was on their mind.

Starting the album off was “No News From North”.  This was actually taken from Barry’s Laurel Street Demos, but re-recorded just as he has done with other selections. I loved the rendition of this song from its original. It sounded so much more homely and emotional.

“Poppa’s Porch” had me thinking of Barry on his front porch with his wife and kids singing to them on a weekend morning. This song told a story about the neighborhood that surrounds said porch full of fisticuffs and shenanigans. This was overall such a friendly track to listen to. It was like Cheers, but different.

“All My Friends” painted such a beautiful picture of who Barry surrounds himself with. This was a very old-timey sounding story about people who took to the streets for entertainment and communication.

I can honestly say I know exactly what “Breathe Slow Let ‘Em Pass” was all about. My rebel youth recalled those days when the law passed me by and I turned into stone until they were far away only to release a tightly held in breath. This track was amazing based on the idea of it.

The cover of “Clay Pigeons” by the late and great Blaze Foley was just amazing to listen to. Having just learned about the Austin musician myself, I can understand why Barry chose to record his own version of the song.

The somber story told in “Solid Gone” reflected hard times with family and finances and the outlawed methods to make things manageable resulting in further calamity. I can not say I have heard a song quite like this before and found myself captivated throughout it. This is one track I think everyone needs to check out on this album.

“Lela Days” was clearly written for Barry’s daughter. I have the feeling she loves it when he sings this song to her. It is a fun folky jam with real life expectations hidden within.

I can not tell you the number of times that I thought to myself how much I enjoy Tim Barry’s music.  This is coming from a aging punk rocker who has matured just a bit but still has a lot of growing up to do.  It’s nice to see that I still get excited about things.

By now, it shouldn’t matter that Tim Barry once was in Avail.  Even though his former punk act will always be one of my favorites, it is perfectly clear why Barry has moved on and started something he can call his own.

It’s no wonder he has no plans of ever getting Avail back together, his new direction just makes so much sense and does not seem to be going off track.  He has been going strong for 10 years and I hope to hell he has no intention of slowing down.

Watch This: Chris Stowe – “Blood Drinkers”

My pals over at Cleveland’s Turnstyle Films have been so busy as of late.  I love seeing what they are working on via social media and Instagram.

Needless to say, I was aware of their involvement with Chris Stowe a while back and have been looking forward to this video for a while now.

Finally I had the chance to catch it today.  Now it is your turn:

This video is visually stunning and goes perfectly with Stowe’s somber song that pushes on a certain relationship to the final strand.

Turnstyle Films has really outdone themselves with this video.

Stowe’s debut, Hollow, dropped just this past June of this year via A-F Records and remains one of my favorite releases of 2014.

Fat Wreck Announces NOFX Backstage Passport Soundtrack

As many of you probably already know, NOFX’Fat Mike has a mean punch and swift kick ready for anyone who happens to sneak up on him while he is rocking out on stage.

fat_mike_kick_face

Was it a dick move?  Maybe, but you know what?  He not only apologized to the kid on Twitter after the kid Tweeted him an apology, but even invited the kid to join him and the band backstage at the following show and allowed the kid to kick him back.

I really hope that makes a future Backstage Passport episode.

I also hope Ben Weasel can just drop it already.  I do not even wish to get into that quarrel between those two former label mates.  It is almost depressing to even think about.  In fact, I am done even thinking about that bull mess…

Anyways, Fat Wreck Chords announced last week that there would be a soundtrack released for NOFX Backstage Passport.

NOFX Backstage Passport Soundtrack

Normally I would just skip over this idea as it sounds like a quick way to make a quick buck by the band, but this soundtrack is actually rare, unreleased, and remixed material from seasons 1 and 2 of the hilarious show.

Season 2 has not even been released yet if that tells you anything…

The soundtrack drops in a month and there will be a vinyl release that should be pressed and shipped out by  January 13th, 2015.

Taken from the Fat Wreck press release since I am running out of crap to say:
In 2008, NOFX starred in the TV show Backstage Passport, a series that documented the insane hijinks of the band as they weaved an unsteady path through exotic locales where most sane bands fear to tread. Today, we’re pleased to announce that the official Backstage Passport Soundtrack is being released on December 9th (Vinyl in January 2015). Packed with 15 tracks from both seasons (That’s right! The second season is nearing completion as you read this.), the Backstage Passport Soundtrack is a one-stop shop for all the rare, remixed, and unreleased material that folks could only previously enjoy as snippets during the show. If you’re new to the game and haven’t seen Backstage Passport, do yourself a favor and grab a DVD copy. NOFX will be pulling their passports out once again for an extensive headlining tour of Australia.

Pre-orders for the Backstage Passport should be up soon.  Head over to the Fat Wreck site for more info.

Track List (* Previously Unreleased / + Remixed)
1: Backstage Passport *
2: No Fun In Fundamentalism +
3: Insulted By Germans (Again) +
4: All My Friends In New York +
5: You Will Lose Faith +
6: Teenage Punching Bag
7: Leaving Jesusland (Live) *
8: The Greatest Country In the World *
9: Last Night Was Really Fun? +
10: We’re Bros *
11: Your Hubcaps Cost More Than My Car +
12: Fan Mail +
13: Arming the Proletariat With Potato Guns
14: I, Melvin
15: Punk Rock Passport *

 

New Music Video: Buzzcocks – “It’s Not You”

It’s nice to see bands legends like the Buzzcocks still do what they do best and not disappoint at all.

Buzzcocks

Today, the UK punk pioneers dropped a video for “It’s Not You”, a single off their new album titled The Way.  This all new release if scheduled to be available on November 18th on 1-2-3-4 GO! Records.

Check it out:

I do not know about you, but I dig this track a lot.  Nice to see a band that is pushing 40 years still have no problem delivering some solid material.

Pre-Order a copy of The Way today by clicking HERE.