punk rock

A Record

brittany — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

A few months ago I reviewed the new record from People Eating People. Laura Stevenson and the Cans are certainly along the same sound profile—folksy female vocals with a tinge of She + Him and a pinch of Regina Spektor. As before, I ask, how can yet another folksy crew of musicians survive? How can they set themselves apart and make their music worth an earnest listen?

Laura Stevenson and the Cans manage just that—and they do it with a twist that isn’t quite the wild gypsy punk of Gogol Bordello, but certainly manages to jump with jangly fast-paced punky multi-instrumental swagger just the same. And while the precious folk thing has been done for a while now, there is something just a bit more excellent about doing a precious folk thing with a wicked punk rock beat and a troupe of multi-instrumentalists. Laura Stevenson and the Cans are precious like Frank Kozik’s artwork is precious. They’re precious like The Happy Tree Friends. They’re about as adorable and innocent as the animated rabbits in Watership Down. The punk-rock sensibility works well here, blending with the lo-fi resonance of the more countrified folk roots to create an album that sounds like it was performed live.

Of course, not every song is tinged with the vicious flavor of punk rock. But even their slower more traditional folksy tunes resonate with the strength of lead singer/guitarist Stevenson’s vocal talents and clever lyrics. I have to say I was tickled with “Beets Untitled” which begins with a dinner of boiled beets and ends with a sad refrain: “Keep away from me / I am full of terrible things / but if you love the terrible / then please be near to me.” I have also officially become my grandmother, who uses words like “tickled.” Although, perhaps it’s appropriate to channel my grandmother, as she listened to her fair share of the folk music during her time—mostly Woody Guthrie—and I have to say Laura Stevenson and the Cans owe quite a debt to that man and his sound.

Written by: Emily S. Dunster, September 17th 2010

Sells Like Teen Spirit: Music, Youth Culture and Social Crisis

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:01:00 +0000

By Ryan Moore

New York University Press

Punk, hardcore, and alternative rock music scenes have been for years the almost exclusive realm of teenagers and youth in their twenties. Not only have they been areas of creative expression, but such subcultures have given young people a place to challenge beauty standards, political boundaries, and cultural norms.

In Sells Like Teen Spirit, author Ryan Moore documents the music scenes of the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as their evolutions today. From metal to Riot Grrrl, Moore talks about the players and the stories that made youth music cultures what they were during these times. Moore also delves into the sociopolitical moment to relate how the dominant cultural debates directly and indirectly shaped youth music cultures. Generations-old struggles, such as sexism, also played prominently in many subcultures.

Most notable in this book, Moore explores an interesting subtext in youth music cultures that other writers in the midst of feminist research and study on race further explore. Namely, a wave of "post" approaches ("post-racial," "post-feminist") take a role in youth culture that, in spite of pretensions to the contrary, only replicates and supports traditional roles and power in white, patriarchal American society. For instance, the alternative fashion model Suicide Girls trend of a few years ago presents women from youth subcultures (e.g., punk and goth) as different, empowered female pin-ups. Such images intended to impart a view of women as self-assured, independent, sexually liberated creatures; however, the essential conversation of this image—women fitting into a male perception of beauty presented primarily as objects for male consumption—remains intact.

Men, in virtually all alternative youth music cultures, assume a position that fundamentally affirms the patriarchal position: strong, individualistic characters navigating a world in which white male hegemony is crumbling amid globalization. Moore points out the revival of swing, ska and rockabilly imagery harkens back to times in which men were the makers of their fortunes whereas today corporate power and economic uncertainty dimmed hopes and dreams of millions.

Yet many outgrowths of youth music subcultures offered refreshing challenges to the worlds in which young people grew up. Bands like Bikini Kill and the women’s zine scene are explored in Sells Like Teen Spirit, to give another perspective of young people committed to challenging power, as others before them, through their talents and passion.

Though not as expansive as similarly themed books like There’s A Riot Going On or Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, for those interested in intersections of youth culture, music, and politics, Sells Like Teen Spirit is a good text to understand or reminisce about music subcultures that were special, though could not overcome the conundrum that stymied subcultures before them: how to use the youth music subculture make substantive political, cultural, and social change.

Written by: Ernesto Aguilar, August 15th 2010

Success or Suicide

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 23:58:00 +0000

By Vertigo Venus

In the beginning, there were two: brothers Jeff and Chris Cannon. These Michiganders, transplanted to the Land of Enchantment otherwise known as New Mexico, started a band–a boisterous beast named Vertigo Venus. With their first release in 2004, they commanded (like the bossiest of stage mothers) that we listeners Sing Pretty! Then in 2007 with their second album, new band members came on board and things got a little ominous, as we were told to Run for Your Lives.

Now in 2010, Vertigo Venus' latest five-member incarnation comes at us, teeth bared, as their new album fiercely proclaims Success Or Suicide (also known by the abbreviation S.O.S.). In addition to the Brothers Cannon, the band roster also includes bassist Ken Cornell (also the mastermind behind experimental noise outfit Alchemical Burn); drummer and noted solo electronic artist Brian Botkiller; and lead synth/keyboard player Jessica Crockett.

It's appropriate to refer to this most recent Vertigo Venus album–which features four re-releases, two new original tracks and one cover–by either its full title or the abbreviation; both get the point across. The full title conveys the group's absolute determination to give this rock band thing everything they've got, while S.O.S., better known as the Morse code distress signal, shows a band anxious to be seen, heard, and ultimately rescued by discerning listeners from the miasma of today's musical landscape.

Vertigo Venus is certainly gifted at getting attention, most notably during a 2009 mini-tour of California, and as opening acts performing with such groups as Mindless Self Indulgence and The Birthday Massacre. The accolades have started coming in, too. S.O.S. opening track “Spy Vs. Spy” won a production award at the 2010 New Mexico Music Awards.

As a band, Vertigo Venus defines itself both by who they are (defiant metal-infused synthpunk monsters) and who they hate (phonies, corporate America, and brooding self-indulgent whiners of the goth/emo persuasion). Lead singer/synth player Jeff Cannon cheerfully spits antagonistic vitriol on every song. Highlights include “Monday Mourning” (with the ranting chorus “Shut up and die/ Everybody hates you”) and “Boob Tube” (which smacks apathetic distractable hipsters in the face and reminds us that “you can't say shit without big tits”).

Their most noteworthy song, however, would have to be “Punk Rock Cheerleader,” originally released on Sing Pretty! Described in a press release as a “sing-along-like-you-mean-it” anthem, this scathing indictment of phony mall-bought rebellion is the song for which they are best known. Auto-Tune and vocoder abound in the emo-mocking bridge before transitioning into a rallying cry complete with claps and stomps. There is a certain glorious irony in shining an accusatory spotlight on poseurs with rousing fist-pumping anthems.

Not everybody's going to like Vertigo Venus. They're loud. They're angry. They're bratty. That's okay, though. Vertigo Venus doesn't need–or want–mass approval. Which, in my mind, is exactly what makes them so likable and so deserving of fame.

Written by: M. Brianna Stallings, July 17th 2010

Ghosts

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

By Nakatomi Plaza

Ghosts is a gripping, ten song, posthumous love letter from Brooklyn’s Nakatomi Plaza. Aptly named for a record released after the band’s break up, the album comes with a booklet of liner notes filled with blurry black and white photos and reflections from each of the members about their time in the band. Reading these, one might assume that Nakatomi Plaza was just another idealistic punk band trying to keep their teenage, DIY-revolution zeal alive in the face of New York City and the challenges of adulthood. However, this is too hasty of a conclusion. Nakatomi Plaza made high-energy, pop punk for years, and they have produced a slick record that will appeal to the lovers of homemade recordings and kids who have grown up on mainstream “emo” rock production alike.

Any listener for whom the discovery of punk rock helped them survive their formative years will relate to Nakatomi Plaza’s fervent songwriting and passion driven performance. After close listening it’s also clear that playing music also was a formative experience for the band members and this album serves as a tribute to their years together.

The songs are fit for dancing and the lyrics for soul searching. The guitars crunch and twang with references to 1990’s bands like the Promise Ring and Jawbreaker, but the sound stays down to earth. From the road anthem of “Bomb Shelter,” to the melodic, catchy emotional rock of “Artificial Light” to the driving beats and desperation of “Guards,” Nakatomi Plaza knew how to construct a song and capture a moment in their music and in their lives. It’s rare to find a punk record on which each song is distinctly crafted and committed to tape. Ghosts underlines that Nakatomi Plaza’s break up is a loss for Brooklyn’s rock scene, but at least they have left this record.

Written by: Eleanor Whitney, March 11th 2010

BooBoo Unisex Wrist Bracelet, Orange

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:35:00 +0000

By Truth

Functional. Fashionable. Fun. The BooBoo wrist cuff from Truth is oh-so-cool—according to me, anyway. It’s a deep orange—a colour that has grown on me over time—and has an almost faded look. Created from distressed acrylic and cotton webbing, this BooBoo is size small, fitting me with ideal precision.

These genuine non-leather bands, amusingly named “BooBoos,” are manufactured in Canada by a company called Truth. Appealing to the vegan audience, designer Renia Pruchnicki takes an environmentally friendly approach to her many products, which include t-shirts, belts, and necklaces in addition to these trendy wristlets. All come in a variety of colours, textures, and looks—woven, mess, faded, and shiny prints—and can be fastened with a simple click of two adjacent buttons.

The BooBoo gives the wearer a definite punk rock air, and the great part is that it’s unisex! There have been times when I’ve disliked that tag because I’ve found, especially when shopping for t-shirts, that the unisex label really means "made for men," as these products tend to cater to a larger, male-shaped body. Whilst most of my friends loved the orange band around my wrist and the way the shade contrasted well with my turquoise outfit, one comment went like this: “That looks like a guy’s band! It’s manly, and it doesn’t look like it should be on you.”

But so what? It’s interesting how we assign things to that “masculine” or “feminine” construct, the implication of that comment being that a female should stick to “feminine” products. Don’t you just get frustrated when people absentmindedly think like that? I do! Especially since men seem to get the best commodities sometimes. On this occasion, I don’t feel the BooBoo is “manly”; it looks equally stylish on a girl!

Truth values vegan and vegetarian lifestyles. The company’s website reads, “Live your truth, and respect others”—a simple yet powerful philosophy.

Written by: Payal Patel, December 7th 2009

People People

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:00:00 +0000

By Pariah Piranha

Queercore Records

I want Pariah Piranha's People People to work—and it almost does. Listening to their album is sort of like eating my mom’s homemade cooking instead of something gourmet. You can tell something is missing, but you don't know exactly what it is. Oregano? No, that’s not it. Pepper? Lemon juice? Pariah Piranha sounds, at times, like Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Then there’s some Bikini Kill, some Gossipalso, and even a little hint of Sleater-Kinney. But they don’t quite put it together the way that I want them to.

Pariah Piranha sounds a little too much like they’re being held back by something. I think part of the problem is that they attempt too many guitar solo interludes, which sound like they want to be gritty, except that they are just a little too dependent on power chords. The frustrating thing is that you can have simplistic guitar riffs and make them sound wicked, and sexy, and dirty—all of those things that rock music does when it is fantastic. Take “Sweet ‘69” by Babes in Toyland, “Touch Me I’m Sick” by Mudhoney, or even (bare with me through the cliché) “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges. Stevie Ray Vaughan guitar bravado doesn’t exist on any of these songs, because these songs don’t need it.

Maybe all Pariah Piranha requires is a little more swagger. Add just a splash of Patti Smith and a major infusion of some serious ovaries and maybe they would have it right. Yes, I refuse to use balls here because I think most of the time it takes ovaries to be "ballsy." Besides, balls are icky (insert lesbian freelance writer making retching sounds here. HORF!).

Pariah Piranha almost get there with the song “Role Model,” but they still sound just a little like they are wearing a belt that is too tight. They need to be more like Shannon Wright. Not that I want them to be all angry and depressing like Wright—but I do want them to do what Wright does right. (Sorry for that. Pun gods are smiting me, I know.) I want them to put all of their insecurities, angst, love, lust, blood, and excrement—all of it—on a pike in the front yard and display it like a trophy.

That just means they need to find their own sound, and throw it around like a water balloon fight. It should be a little bit messy, but most importantly, it shouldn’t be afraid to soak through everything like that last green balloon bomb did through your underwear. So, Pariah Piranha, I implore you: be angry when you need to be, be sloppy when you need to be, and be quiet and powerful and restrained when you need to be. You’re almost there. Just let out a few notches on the ol’ belt. After all, even the normally quiet and acoustic Tegan and Sara let it all hang out, when they’re at their best.

Written by: Emily S. Dunster, December 4th 2009

Summer of Hate

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:06:00 +0000

By Crocodiles

Fat Possum Records

Crocodiles spew out a mix of rough punk, echo-tinged shoegaze, and a little bit of gritty rock on their debut full-length album, Summer Of Hate. Sometimes the lyrics come out in droning, almost emo chants, and sometimes they reflect a punkish sort of feel invoking angsty ballads of sunny summer days.

Band members Charles Rowell and Brandon Welchez are obviously proponents of the lo-fi music sound and seem to have been influenced by early psychedelic rock with the dreamy atmosphere that many of their songs create. The opening instrumental, "Screaming Chrome," exemplifies this perfectly with its forty-eight second reverberating organ bubble and it drops one well as an intro to the second song.

Just because the title and lyrics of the second track, “I Want To Kill,” are familiar whines that bring back memories of teenage years, I almost hate to say that it is my favorite song within the thirty-four minutes of music that equate this album. However, with a mix of rollicking and mildly ‘90s punk anthem style sound, it makes you feel like you should be out drinking malt forties while laying graffiti.

However, if you don’t embrace the lo-fi sound, Summer Of Hate is not for you because the entire album sounds like it was intentionally recorded in one severely echo-filled room rather than in a studio. Obviously, Rowell and Welchez meant to create this sound, and it appears that they had fun doing so.

“Young Drugs,” the final song on the album, is the low point and sounds like two different songs lying atop each other in an incongruous rather than melodious manner. I was listening to it with a friend, and she described it as sounding like you’re listening to a pop rock song—but then someone’s cell phone rings and the overlapping sounds are confusing. The effect is not fantastic, and the song loses effectiveness by sounding like battling rather than collaborating melodies.

Overall, Summer Of Hate is decent music that seems to get its point across, but it’s just not quite fresh enough. The songs hold together, but you keep thinking that somewhere, you’ve heard these tunes before.

Written by: Djuna A. Davidson, July 2nd 2009

Trio B.C.

admin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:13:00 +0000

By Girl In A Coma

Blackheart Records

Four years ago, I stumbled onto Girl in a Coma—a strict accident, finding them in the first place—but after that discovery, keeping up with GIAC has become a habit, it has become compulsory, and a pleasure—as if their success has suddenly been tied to my own. Two years ago, after the release of Both Before I'm Gone, I caught up with them at the old Club 101 in El Paso, on one of their relentless tours. Nina Diaz was shy, barely uttering one word during the whole interview; Phanie D. and Jenn did most of the talking. But on stage, Nina flew into a rage, a presence so undeniable that the pathetic crowd of twenty scene kids in El Paso danced and moshed. I caught their show at Mohawk’s in Austin this past March, and this time, the huge bar was packed. Nina D. still goes wild on stage, but pulls back off it.

Phanie, Jenn, and Nina tour relentlessly, religiously—and they love their fans. They are the old school kind of homegrown band—tour, rock out, obtain fans through word of mouth. One person they impressed was rock legend Joan Jett, who signed them to her Blackheart Label, and now, this summer, out comes their second full length LP, Trio B.C., which is a reference to their grandfather’s Tejano band from the ‘50s.

Trio B.C. is a huge leap forward for the band, showing off polish, maturity, and measure. As their shows grow in crowd size, as Nina opens up, possessed on stage, as Jenn and Phanie blow out your ear drums, as their popularity swarms, Girl in a Coma is still the punk rock band from San Antonio that will break your face, while Nina D.’s voice will break your heart.

Su voz te captura, te enreda en su dedo y luego te lanza por la puerta. Loosely translated, Nina’s voice captures you, wraps you around her finger, and then shoves you out the door. Trio B.C. is an album that didn’t have seven years of preparation like their first one. Their sophomore effort is a studio album, a different product altogether, and benefits from the maturity of GIAC. And Nina...she makes you swoon. She makes me swoon anyway. Actually, any of the three make me swoon. But if Nina’s voice separates the sound of the band from all other female lead bands, Phanie’s drums and Jenn’s bass pull everything together. They stick together, fight for each other (depending on what you have read about their scrape in a Houston bar), and they rock juntos. Girl in a Coma is ready to blow up—in popularity that is.

“Joannie in the City” is the most likely to be a mainstream hit—complete with Joan Jett’s guitar and snarl on the track. They even cover “Ven Cerca,” a song originally performed by Los Spitfires—a first Spanish language song for the trio. But the rest of the LP is strong, benefiting from the girls’ individuality. Both LPs—Both Before I'm Gone and Trio B.C.—are two tattoos on your forearm—painful, pleasurable, and memorable. Trust me, the ink, the money, and the ticket for these three ladies, is definitely worth it.

Written by: Mónica Teresa Ortiz, June 21st 2009

It’s Blitz!

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:20:00 +0000

By Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Interscope

Karen O. is back, and she’s dancing—or so she makes us think. The original hipster band from New York released their third album and it’s a love letter—it’s my love letter and yours, read aloud under the scattered light of a disco ball. This album combines the sensibility of MGMT’s enthusiasm, along with Karen O.’s personal finesse and emotional depth and a spot of New Wave. She is this generation’s Hope Sandoval and Beth Gibbons combined, without affectation, without orchestra, and with a lot of attitude. Karen O.’s voice simultaneously kisses you, fucks you, and kicks you out on your ass. This album is ballsy, blessed, and painful.

Amazon has a fantastic description of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs: “At the turn of the twenty-first century, the New York City music scene floated in a surfaceless orbit of samplers, shoegazers, and delay pedals. The city's guitars lay choked by a digital fog, or else they lay dustily forgotten. Then, in 2002, an unbridled five-song EP by an unknown band brought noise, sex, passion, and mayhem back to the stage and to the stereo. The band's name evoked the kid who knows that whoever's in charge is full of shit—"yeah, yeah, yeah"—but it also rang with the affirmation of pure rock and roll: Fuck yeah! The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' first full-length album, Fever to Tell, was simultaneously filthy, infectious, sloppy, and brilliant. You could dance to it, and you could probably die to it. "Maps" was nominated for a Grammy, and the record went gold in the UK.

That isn’t too far off from their latest album. On the deluxe version (which is the one you should get) of It's Blitz!, the first track, “Zero” might convince you that the rest of the album will follow suite, with pounding lines like “Shake it like a ladder in the sun/Makes me feel like a madman on the run/Find me never never far gone/so get your leather, leather, leather on.” But it doesn’t.

The acoustic versions of “Little Shadow,” “Hysteric,” “Soft Shock,” and “Skeletons” torch emotion into you like an erupting volcano. “Hysteric” lights you up—but the acoustic version digs you down. With lyrics like “flow sweetly, hang heavy, you suddenly complete me, you suddenly complete me” show that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs haven’t forgotten to keep life simple.

This album became my personal anthem in April, the cruelest month. Eliot was a prophet. Karen O. and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s are just musicians. But It's Blitz! does something T.S. could never do—and that’s make you dance and cry at the same time.

Written by: Mónica Teresa Ortiz, June 15th 2009

Lower Bounds

admin — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 10:20:00 +0000

By Only Thunder

Bermuda Mohawk

The band Only Thunder consists of a lot of rumble and electricity. Generalized stylistic terms like “post-punk,” “mall punk,” and “emo-punk” get thrown around a lot and can often be harmful to an album if applied. Though, I must say, all of those labels can apply to the sounds of Only Thunder and have probably been applied to them in the past. But don’t let that discourage you from giving the band a listen. It’s evident from listening to their tunes that Only Thunder is greatly influenced by the likes of Hot Water Music and Black Flag. However, unlike many other followers of these punk staples, Only Thunder actually does some justice to their predecessors.

Lower Bounds sounds strangely self-assured for a debut album. Their stylistic aim is clear from the opening song, "Tapestries, Candles, Zima," and is executed by their hardcore guitar riffs and doubled drums throughout. It’s a classic punk equation with simple repeated chords and varied rhythm. The drums are dry and fast. It’s not too polished, but approachable enough for all types of music fans. Layered vocals round out their sound and could arguably be the weakest part of their music.

Their broken heart blues are nothing new and Only Thunder doesn’t give it a different spin either. Despite that, one can appreciate that the words aren’t delivered in a nasally self-entitled whine or a meek whimper. Rather, the lyrics are presented in a strong, solid and, most appropriately, loud way that makes you feel apart of the music‘s emotions.

All in all, Only Thunder is the kind of music that makes me imagine a band that might play in the basement of a rundown bowling alley in Cleveland. The ceiling is water-stained, the stage is small, and the air is thick with smoke. The dance floor is full of dudes sweating, pushing, jumping and not missing one word. And if you remember closely, you can even see a few chicks getting into the storm as well.

Written by: Sara Custer, April 26th 2009

Phratry EP

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:51:00 +0000

By LKN (Lauren K. Newman)

Phratry Records

Most people can’t play an instrument, but Lauren K. Newman (also known as LKN) can play at least five. And she plays them all on the same album. This one-woman band has released her fourth album through Greyday Productions. Her most recent, Postulate II, was also reissued on vinyl by Phratry Records complete with a bonus eight track EP to the first two-hundred lucky buyers.

LKN stays true to her punk roots on Phratry EP by reflecting the sounds of her four previous albums. The popular music scene always seem to be lacking in strong women that rock as hard as boy bands do. LKN chalks-up a point for the ladies’ because her self-made hardcore music is experimental and edgy. Highlights include the piano dominated final track appropriately titled “Piano” as well as the more feedback heavy “Premonition,” which is worthy to be on the list of the selections for the first edition of Guitar Heroine if it ever comes out.

However, LKN still has some room to grow. Luckily, what she lacks in scope she makes up for with talent and ambition. A quick search for her on the internet yields a lot of information and reviews about her. This is a good sign that she’s hungry and putting herself out there as much as possible. She gives concerts frequently and when she takes the stage, she calls herself LKN and dubs her playing as both solo and with accompaniment. Let’s hope her progress is as aggressive as her sound.

Written by: Sara Custer, April 15th 2009