Tag Archives: Release

Metal, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review, Rock

Album Review: Every Time I Die – Ex Lives

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Buffalo, NY’s punk / metalheads, Every Time I Die (ETID), recently dropped an all new release titled Ex Lives on Epitaph Records.  Produced by Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age), the album shot up the Billboard charts very quickly and landed in the top 20s.  That right there has go to tell you something.

This marks the sixth full-length release for the five piece band in their 14 year career.  That’s not to say that the last 14 years have been easy for ETID as their line up has been a revolving door with members coming and going.  Even with the challenges of keeping the band intact, ETID managed to continue on and after hearing Ex Lives, I have to say I am glad they did.  I will point out I am not the biggest ETID fan.  I know what they are capable of and appreciate all that they do in the music world.  In other words, I am one of those people who love “We’rewolf”.

The album starts off beyond insane with “Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space” (nice title by the way).  “I want to be dead with my friends” repeats at the beginning of this fast, brutal song that pretty much got me all sorts of excited to hear the rest of the album.  Keith Buckley and crew sound amazing on this track. 

“I Suck (Blood)” was just a thrashed mess of screaming and guitar playing guaranteed to keep you angry.   “Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow” had a Southern rock vibe throughout but kept things moving for the best.  Kind of reminded me of when Pantera jumped off their path on some of their songs back in the day. 

I will say that “Revival Mode” caught my attention as it took a complete total different route and was more or less a 90s grunge rock song at times, but I liked it for what it was worth.  (Seriously, did anyone else hear some Layne Stanley in there?)

“Drag King” made me wonder how Buckley still has vocal chords with all that screaming, but he was able to add some melodic singing throughout the track.  The fast-paced “Touch Yourself” followed and all I could think of was a sea of kids going ballistic at a live ETID show.  Ending things was “Indian Giver”, a darker track that praised the loss of a good person.

I’ve seen reviews of this album already and some people think some of the sound sound recycled from New Junk Aesthetic.  I can’t say I am hearing the same things from their previous releases, but the style remains, and that is what makes a band what they are.  If you are into insane screaming and metal formed around some very intense lyrics, you should check out Ex Lives.

ETID will be on the Van’s Warped Tour this summer.  I have seen them in the past life and will tell you, they are not a show to be missed. 

Track List:
Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space
Holy Book of Dilemma
A Wild, Shameless Plain
Typical Miracle
I Suck (Blood)
Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow
The Low Road Has No Exits
Revival Mode
Drag King
Touch Yourself
Indian Giver

Music, Music Video, New Release, Psychobilly, Punk, Review, Rock, Rockabilly

Album Review: Koffin Kats – Our Way & The Highway

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Last week Detroit’s rockabilly act the Koffin Kats dropped an impressive release titled Our Way & The Highway.  Recently signing to Sailor’s Grave Records, a primarily Oi! / Punk label, the band continues to make great outlaw punk rockabilly music that strays away from the doom and gloom and focuses more on fast times and taking chances.  People usually consider the Kats to be “Horror-Punk” but their 6th release is straight up, fun and addictive psychobilly  punk rock.

Having toured the globe continually for the last 8 years, this band has earned their solid fan base the old fashioned way.  If you have not seen them live before, you can expect non-stop fun through their sets.  In fact, the band prides themselves on not-stop touring and making each night a party.  Bringing this kind of attitude to the venues on a regular basis ensures nothing but good times – trust me, I have seen them live before, it was great.

“Riding High” starts off the album full-forced with a sound very similar to something off The Damned’s Grave Disorder (I adore that album btw…).   Vic Victor has a voice that easily could rest along the lines of Elvis and even Chris Isaak and is showcased immediately as heard in the opening track.  “The Way Of The Road” rubbed off as a rock track for a moment and soon morphed into  schizophrenic variations of punk rock and rockabilly.  The song really kept my attention with thanks to the ridiculous bass playing.  Very cool song to check out if you have never heard the Koffin Kats before.

“Severing Ties” was straightforward and exactly what I expected to hear from the Kats.  “For The Good Times” talking about mass consumption and good times even has some drink ware used as instruments for a solo.  This song is by far my favorite track on the album.

I could not help but compare “The Devil Asked” to a Butthole Surfers song.  It was very off key from the rest of the tracks on the album, yet fun to rock out to. “Locket Of Sin” sounded way more personal and gloomier than other tracks on this release with the story revolving around a troubled connection between a man and his woman.

I must admit that I rarely get into rockabilly / psychobilly / any-billy these days, but I really enjoyed listening to Our Way & The Highway.  In fact, after listening to this album, I am going to be digging into the Kats’ catalog as it’s been a while since I have rocked out to them.

Full of catchy solos and rampant machine-gun bass playing aligned with great singing, Our Way & The Highway is easily likable regardless if you are a huge fan of psychobilly or not.  I really think that this is the album that will act as a stepping stone for the Kats to emerge from the underground scene and really hope these guys make their way back to Cleveland soon.

Music, Music News, Music Video, New Release, Pop, Punk, Rock

Aussie Pop-Rockers Tonight Alive Tackle US with “Breaking & Entering”

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Fancy yourself a fan of the pop-punk rock?  What about cute Aussie females taking over vocal duties?  If you said yes to either of the two, then you need to check to Tonight Alive.  I am pretty sure fans of Paramore will be digging this band in 2012.  Having already toured the US in 2011 including a slot at Bamboozle, the band is scheduled to return in 2012 to tour in support of their upcoming release on Fearless Records.

‘What Are You So Scared Of?’ Full Album Teaser by tonightalive

You may have already heard of the band as they covered Mumford and Sons’ “Little Lion Man” on the Fearless Records Punk Goes Pop Volume 4 and if not, you need to:

Here’s their video for “Breaking & Entering”, the band’s first single off their upcoming release What Are You So Scared Of? due out on Valentine’s Day:

Formed in Sydney in 2008, Tonight Alive is made up of ingénue-with-attitude Jenna McDougall (vocals), Jake Hardy (guitar), Whakaio Taahi (guitar/vocals), Cam Adler (bass) and Matt Best (drums). The quintet finished 2011 with a bang in the U.S. with the release of a new EP, Consider This, a viral cover of Mumford & Sons hit song “Little Lion Man” from Punk Goes Pop Volume 4 and dates on The Fearless Friends tour with blessthefall, garnering them an impressive following in the US and around the world. The band explodes into 2012, kicking off their European tour with Never Shout Never this week before heading back to Australia for Soundwave Festival in February.

90's, Music, New Release, Punk, Review, Rock

Album Review: Fact To Face – Laugh Now, Laugh Later

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I am seriously in an old school punk rock overload as of late these days and could not be happier. It seems as if all these bands I used to adore as a kid are coming out of the woodwork and are releasing albums as well as touring in support of them.  In the last week alone I have seen live performances by some amazing bands from the 80s and 90s including Bad Religion and Strung Out. There is one band though that I was most excited for, a band that I was more or less obsessed with in my high school years.

Seeing Face To Face live completely blew me away.  I saw them last summer at the Warped Tour and they sounded great, but their set was so short it was almost depressing.  For more on the show check out the review I posted last week.

Let’s talk about Face To Face…

Trever Keith and company may have stated that Face To Face was done back in 2004 due to indifferences, but just four years later the band decided to regroup but had no plans on releasing new material.  Featuring Keith (the only original member), Chad Yaro, Scott Schiflett, and Danny Thompson, the California punk rock act is back in the scene.  Not only have they been hitting the roads, but they have also decided to drop an all new album titled Laugh Now, Laugh Later on Antagonist Records. This is the band’s first album release in almost eight years.

“Should Anything Go Wrong” opened the album off strong and almost sounded as if the band never took a break.  With a catchy chorus and fierce guitar playing, the song reminded me why I have loved this band for so long.  “It’s All About You” follow and was a little less intense, but Keith’s lyrics just made the song as well as the fun guitars throughout, especially midway through.  Just two songs in on the album and I was already impressed.

“The Invisible Hand” was an instant classic to my ears.  With lyrics of trying to grasp on to what you can not have, the track immediately was lodged in my mind.  Although I liked the bass lines in “Bombs Away”, I felt the song was a little too Ignorance Is Bliss for me and I just could not get into it.  “Blood In The Water” was a good track though and begged for another listen as was “What You Came For”.  “I Don’t Mind And You Don’t Matter” really could have been left off the album as it just did not fit in with the rest.

“Stopgap” was a nice harsh track with Keith repeating  “you got something you want to say to me / so what’s your story better get it straight / don’t waste my time with your apologies” throughout carried by some great guitar work and drumming.  In a more positive feel, “All For Nothing” was a decent love song that had a couple Social D-sounding notes thrown about.

“Pushover” tried hard to hang on to the old school Face To Face sound.  While the track sounded great, I felt the bass riffs could have been faster and heavier.  They seemed to hide behind a lot of the track on the album, especially this one.  The track was also incredibly short and just dropped off leaving “Under The Wreckage” to close things up on the album.

I interviewed Keith a few years back and remember him saying that they missed playing shows and he had no intentions on recording new material.  It did not sound like he was that excited to create a new album as much as he was with playing older material, but I am pretty sure the tables have turned.  Laugh Now, Laugh Later may not be the best thing I have heard come from Face To Face, but there are a couple gems in there.  I am just more thrilled the band is back and doing their thing.

As previously mentioned, I saw them live about a week ago and they killed it on stage.  Throughout their set their played three of the new tracks and, to me, they fit in just fine with all of the classics they created years ago.  The one thing though that impressed me the most though was how happy Keith and crew were on stage.  They were having a good time doing what they love best and as a fan, I could not ask for anything more.

Folk, Music, New Release, Punk, Review, Rock

Album Review: Swingin’ Utters – Here, Under Protest

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I am sitting here trying to figure out how to start this review about an Oi!/Street Punk/Folk band that has been around for over two decades.  They are one of the O.F.W.C. (Original Fat Wreck Chords – I made that up) members and have been a huge influence to my punk rock ears ever since I was a teen.

The band I speak of is none other than the Swingin’ Utters and after eight years, the band has dropped Here, Under Protest, perhaps the best thing I have heard ever from the San Francisco band.  Seriously, I can not stop listening to this album, it is amazing.

Where do I start?  Could it be that the band sounds more polished than ever?  Could it be that Johnny Bonnel, Spike Slawson (Me First & The Gimme Gimmes), Daris Koski AND Jack Dalrymple (Dead To Me) share singing duties throughout the release without any sort of conflict?  With all the elements making up the Utters these days, one would think they are a modern day punk rock superband, one I should add that is not a complete joke.

Orson Welles is heard at the beginning of the CD saying “here under protest is beef burgers.”  This line comes from the historic film icon when he was narrating a advertisement for a British company called Findus.  Yes, I searched the internet to find that out.  I knew it was his voice the moment I heard it, but wanted to know more.

“Brand New Lungs” started off the album and I knew right then that the album was going to be an instant gem.  Granted I already had heard the song last summer when the band dropped a 3-song 7″ to tide fans over till the full-length released, the fact of the matter is that the song is solid and perhaps the catchiest track on the entire album.  Bonnel’s raspy voice has never been more welcomed to my ears during this song.

“Taking The Long Way” followed and just kept that great sound continuing to impress me.  The lyrics were interesting as they spoke of basically planting your feet.  “Kick It Over”, featuring Koski on vocals, was a great track that shied away from the usual Utters sound and hinted back to the earlier days of punk rock.  “Good Things” was a little heavier with Bonnel just giving reasons throughout to get hammered.  They don’t call him Johnny “Piss Pants” for nothing you know…  “Heavy Head” was just a smooth track – Nothing more, nothing less.

“(You’ve Got To) Give It All To The Man” was the heaviest, old-school Utters sounding track on the entire album.  Fast paced and to the point, this song screamed 90’s punk rock all the way through.  “Time On My Own” had Koski back on lead vocals and continued with that fun punk rock vibe that took me back to a teen.

The folky “Scary Brittle Frame” may have sounded like nothing else on the album, but it was my favorite track.  I really wish the Utters would just drop an all folk album one of these days.  They do such a great job creating songs here and there that can be found throughout their catalog it would just make sense a full length.

The final track on the album, “Effortless Amnesiac”, was another catchy as hell punk track with Dalrymple taking over vocal duties.  After hear this track I really hope, should he stick around with the band, that he be featured on more future tracks seeing how his singing fit in so well with the music.

It amazes me that a band that has been in the game for so long still has no problem creating such a great release.  Here, Under Protest is good, wholesome punk rock from a group of guys who know exactly what they are capable of.

This new Utters mateiral may not be as Oi!/Street Punk/Folky as they used to be and rub off more as Filthy Theiving Bastards at times, but that is ok by me.  Here, Under Protest, hands down, is one of my favorite punk rock albums so far in 2011.  20 years in the business is never an easy feat, but the Utters have no problem continuing onward.

Swingin' Utters - Taking The Long Way