5/18/03

A new review by Mario of the A-Frames new album entitled "2".  Read the review here.

The "What's New" section is now called "Archives" and divided by year.  See the Table of Contents below. 

Mario's Pick of the Week
I tell myself that it's impossible not to like the Bananas. How can you not like the Bananas?!?! Their third full length CD of scrappy, energetic, poppy punk picks up where the previous two left off--brilliant, just brilliant.

Willy's Pick of the Week

Various Artists “California Ain;t Fun No More” LP/CD (Alien Snatch/Just Add Water)
13 California punk bands spewing forth outstanding punk rock'n'roll.  By buying the LP over the CD, you get two bonuses; 1) supporting Alien Snatch Records, one of the world's best labels and 2) getting a a bonus track by the Radio Reelers that is probably the best track on the album.  Other stand outs are tunes by Loose Lips, Demonics, Pinkz, Bobbyteens (Doing a Gears cover) and Bitchschool.  Get it, LP or CD.

New additions this week:
Mail Order: 
RIOTOUS OUTBURST  DISTRO  Tapes and badges for sale.

5/11/03

The site has taken on a bit of a new look this week.  The redesign has begun in earnest.  I hope it makes navigation a bit easier and makes the site a bit more visually appealing.

Four new reviews for your pleasure this week by The Friends of Dean Martinez, The Earaches, Showcase Showdown and Dirty Water.  You can read them by clicking here.

Mario's Pick of the Week

Willy's Pick of the Week
  D4 “6Twenty” LP (Infectious)
New Zealand's D4 rip through 13 tracks of garagey punk rock'n'roll.  They do a super job on the Scavenger's "Mysterex".  

New additions this week:

Labels:
Steel Cage Records  Philadelphia label putting out some great punk rock like one of this week's review titles, the Earaches.

5/4/03

Condolences go out to the friends and family of Jeff Graham of Schleprock fame who is another in a long line of punk rockers meeting an early and needless death.  

A new category has been added, Print Reviews, where we review books and zines.  There are two printed matter reviews for you this week, Prometheus Zine and Talon by Charles Romalotti.  You can read the reviews by clicking here.

There are also three new music reviews this week of "Jerk" by the Buzzcocks, "Sick of You" by the Users, and the Self-titled debut of the Terrornauts.  Read them by clicking here.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  V/A “What Records Sampler” 7" (Bacchus Archives)
Originally released in the late 70's on What Records in L.A., Lee at Bacchus Archives re-releases this classic featuring 3 of L.A.'s earliest punk bands and some of the best.  The Eyes featuring Charlotte Caffrey of Go-Go's fame, The Controllers with good friend, Kidd Spike, and the Skulls, who if you haven't noticed are putting out fantastic music in 2003.  If you didn't get it first time around, get it now!

Mario's top ten/playlist for April 2003 

1. The Boys "Punk Rock Rarities" CD (Captain Oi!) 
2. Coachwhips "Get Yer Body Next Ta Mine" CD (Narnack)  
3. Dirtbombs "Ultraglide In Black" LP (In The Red)  
4. Guitar Wolf "UFO Romantics" CD (Narnack)  
5. The Leg Hounds "Date Your Daughters" CD (Bulge)  
6. The Mallrats "Fall In Love All Over Again" LP (Screaming Apple)  
7. The Minds "S/T" CD-R (self-released)  
8. Shesus "Loves You...Loves You Not" CD (Narnack)  
9. The Stitches "12 Imaginary Inches" LP (TKO)  
10. Testors "Original Punk NYC 1976-1979" CD (Incognito)   

Willy's top ten/playlist for April 2003  

Labels:
None

Mail Order: 
Overhead Distro  Lots of videos and demo tapes for sale. 

Record Stores:     
None 

Other Links: 
CBGB's  The birthplace of punk in the 70's.  Home base for the Ramones.  Much more than just a club.  Check it out.
Enough Fanzine  News, reviews, interviews and more.

4/27/03

It's redesign time.  In the coming months I will be adding new buttons and laying out the home page a little bit differently.  The discography pages are also getting way too big so it's time to really split those out.  This will take some time, so the amount of content will take a back seat for the time it takes to accomplish the redesign. 

Read Mario's reviews of "Loves You...Loves You Not" by the Shesus here.

Groovie Ghoulies/Apers/Librarians/Mallrats/Minds

924 Gilman Street--Berkeley, CA

Friday, April 18, 2003

With Gilman Street’s 20^th anniversary around the corner, the “crown jewel” of the East Bay punk scene is as relevant as ever due to a shortage of all ages, punk-friendly venues in the Bay Area. That Gilman Street has managed to survive for nearly 20 years is a small victory in a scene where venues come and go freely and those that do stick around are scrutinized by various elements to no end. It seems like yesterday (probably because it was yesterday) that I was 16-20 years old, lamenting how some of my favorite bands were playing bars exclusively and I was missing them. Gilman Street was one of a handful of venues I attended on a regular basis as a teen, and I enjoyed going there to see shows despite the rigid politics and finger pointing. While Gilman Street is not the same club in my eyes as it was ten years ago (and ten years ago it probably wasn’t the same club to the people who were there from its inception) it continues to be a good place to see a show if you don’t mind following a few simple rules.

One of those simple rules is paying an annual $2 membership fee, which caused me to miss the first few Minds’ songs while standing in the “membership line” outside the club (it’s partly my fault since I showed up a half-hour after the doors opened). The Minds made the 600+ mile trip from Portland, Oregon just for this show and I was looking forward to their set after sampling songs on their web site. (Allow me to shift gears for a moment. Generally speaking, I don’t drink tap water. More times than not it tastes icky and I prefer to drink bottled water, if only for piece of mind. But I probably wouldn’t refuse a glass of Portland tap water if offered to me. I figure there must be something in their water that explains the Pacific Northwest’s knack for producing some of today’s most talked about bands. If the answer isn’t in the water, I don’t know what it is. Now, back to the show.) If the Minds’ live set is any indication they are well on their way to generating a buzz. Their performance was impressive--lead singer Joel (who also fronts the outstanding Flip Tops, with killer releases on Rip Off and Vinyl Warning) pogoes, struts, and stumbles all over the stage while the other band members play their respective instruments with style and substance--and their material is strong without sounding derivative of any one band. Like some of their peers the Minds’ arsenal includes a keyboard, but the “new wave” tag does not apply. Among their contemporaries, the Minds are closer to bands like the Spits than the Epoxies, which is to say that the keyboard is not a band-defining instrument and they don’t fit nicely into the synth-punk genre. The Minds meld ’77 punk influences (the Weirdos come to mind) with Rip Off Records-style garage punk, which translates into a very pogo-friendly live show. I can’t wait to hear more from these guys and gal, and there is no doubt in my mind that when their studio recordings are given a “proper” release people are going to go apeshit. Visit their web site at http://www.theminds.us for more details and hop on board now!

Up until this night the Mallrats’ live show had eluded me. My loss. For the past several years, the Mallrats have earned much praise around these parts and with good reason. With a sound that falls somewhere between the Mr. T Experience (with whom singer/guitarist Ted Angel currently plays guitar and keyboards) and the Decibels, the Mallrats’ approach is a balanced mixture of pop-punk and power pop with an emphasis on the “power” in “power pop.” These guys are terrific songsters and they’ve finally hit pay dirt after toiling away in mediocre pop-punk bands for years. I was pleased to find their live show more intense than their great LP, as tempos were kicked-up a notch or two and there was very little pause between songs. I really enjoyed Ted’s guitar playing, which had a nice “ring” courtesy of a classic Rickenbacker/Vox guitar/amp combination. Covers of the Primitives’ “Crash” and Herman’s Hermits’ “Henry The Eighth” were interspersed with Mallrats’ originals and both were well done.

I first saw the Librarians about two years ago. After sitting through two mediocre performances from opening bands, I was pleasantly surprised by their tight, powerful set and animated stage presence. I subsequently tracked down a copy of their three-song “teaser demo” and loved it. This time around the Librarians’ set was enjoyable, but not as brilliant as I remembered when juxtaposed with a band of the Mallrats’ caliber. One of the more entertaining aspects of the Librarians’ live show is their charismatic backing vocalist/front man who is center stage. This guy is to the Librarians as Beau Beau is to Avail--one part backing vocalist, one part dancer, and one part cheerleader. His stage presence is amusing to say the least, as he shakes every last drop of rhythm out of his tambourine, flails around to the music, and occasionally sings.

It was a double-shot weekend of the Apers for me. I caught sets at Gilman Street and the next night at the Boardwalk here in Orangevale, both of which were incredible. I haven’t been this excited about a pop-punk band in a long, long time! In my estimation, good pop-punk is defined by several traits including melody, energy, and charm. The Apers possess a fluency in all of these areas, and I must echo Willy’s sentiments (see 3/18/03 show review) that they are in the upper echelon of today’s pop-punk scene. Musically speaking, the Apers manage to traverse the well-worn ground established by Screeching Weasel without getting lost in the shuffle like so many other bands for two reasons: (1) the Apers’ ability to pen hook-filled “songs about girls” without sounding tired and dated separates them from the glut of generic, dime-a-dozen, pop-punk bands; and (2) their live show isn’t lacking in the stage presence department. The Apers succeed in a live setting where so many other bands fail--they look and act like they are having fun while they are playing and they don’t resort to stapling their shoes to the stage or staring intently at the necks of their guitars. The skinny: The Apers have oodles of personality, and personality, as they say, goes a long way. The Apers’ Gilman Street show was fantastic and held special meaning for a group of guys influenced by so many bands that graced the historic stage before them. In his best Dee Dee Ramone impression, singer/bass player Kevin Aper counted off “1-2-3-4” between songs, while long-haired guitarist Jerry Hormone evoked visions of a more interesting Johnny Ramone and attacked his guitar like a man possessed. The stage presence of fellow guitarist Gareth is not as flashy, but no less interesting, and he teamed-up with Kevin Aper for some great vocal harmonies on several cuts. Rapid-fire drummer Ivo completes the ensemble and propelled the band through an inspired 25-30 minute set. The Apers ripped through originals like “It’s OK To Hate Me” and “Eyes Open Wide” (the latter of which was curiously “dedicated to the people who see the light of the beautiful Jesus Christ” on both nights) and fleshed out their set with a fantastic rendition of the Undertones’ classic “Teenage Kicks.”

BONUS COVERAGE: The Apers’ second of two northern California shows went down at the Boardwalk in Sacramento. With their first-ever United States’ tour winding down, the timing was perfect for end-of-tour hijinks. Paying tribute to the Groovie Ghoulies, the Apers played their set as the “Groovie Apers” and it was one of the silliest things I’ve ever seen. Kevin Aper donned women’s stretch jeans and a 3/4 sleeved Groovie Ghoulies’ shirt in the spirit of Kepi; Jerry Hormone was transformed into a very passable version of Roach with red vinyl pants, a chest-hugging girly tee (fake breasts included), and lipstick; Gareth was decked out in a floral-printed summer dress that was allegedly purchased on a trip to the mall earlier in the day; and Ivo sported two makeshift pony tails, paying tribute to Scampi. The Apers kicked off their set with a Ghoulies’ cover, “Doin’ Fine,” and never looked back.

The Groovie Ghoulies brought to a close a terrific five-band bill at Gilman Street. There aren’t a whole lot of surprises when it comes to the Groovie Ghoulies and since I know what I am going to get I seldom get excited about seeing them play anymore. With that said, I thought their set at Gilman Street was one of their best in recent memory (perhaps the result of touring practically nonstop for months). Ever since drummer Scampi joined the ranks the band sounds complete and I have enjoyed their live shows more than in the past. Set highlights included several “all-star jams” featuring Apers’ drummer Ivo (harmonica on “The Highwayman”), Kevin Aper (lead vocals on “Ghoulies Are Go”), and Knockoffs/Mr. T Experience bass player Bobby Jordan (backing vocals on “Hair of Gold”).

--Mario Solis (4/27/03)

MARIO's Pick of the Week  The Tramps "S/T" CD (Broken Rekids) Fantastic punk rock 'n' roll from this San Francisco trio that fits nicely next to bands like the Shrinks, Trust Fund Babies, and the Radio Reelers, with killer vocals courtesy of Razorcake columnist Ayn Imperato that recall Kathleen of Smears/Beautys fame.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Barse “They Said It Couldn't Happen Here... and It Didn't!” LP (Hell's Tone)
Do you ever wish it could be 1977 again?  Well these guys from England do and the result is a stunning, authentic example of 1977 punk created in 2002.   

New additions this week:

Labels:
S-S Records Sacramento, CA label featuring releases by the A-Frames.

Other Links: 
Classic Filth Cheap and effective promotion for punk, ska and hardcore bands.
Punk City Lots of band info, reviews, and other punk resources.

4/20/03

Early in the existence of the Punk Information web site, I put out a plea for someone to create a logo for the site.  Many answered and promised that they would send one "soon".  They never came.  Then I heard from a Nicholas Gray from Florida.  He asked if he could give it a shot.  I said "sure" and the very next day the logo you see as the first thing when entering the site was born.  I am very saddened to say that Nicholas Gray met an untimely death this week at the age of 22.   My thoughts go out to Patti, his fiance, and the Gray family.  He will be missed but he will live on through his work as long as this site does.

Two Easter Sundays ago punk lost their leading man.  Drink a toast to Joey Ramone and remember him with a smile. 

I made my annual trek to Las Vegas this week and met up with my friend of 30 years, Torbjorn.  We both left a bunch of money behind, but the trip is not about the money.  It's all about the friendship, and a great one it is.  

Read Mario's reviews of "Get Yer Body Next Ta Mine" by the Coachwhips, "UFO Romantics" by Guitar Wolf and "Dreamland In Machineland" by the Geeks here.

MARIO's Pick of the Week  The Groovie Ghoulies "Go! Stories" LP (Stardumb) I had the pleasure of being blown away by the pop-punk pride and joy of Rotterdam, The Apers, twice this weekend. The Groovie Ghoulies headlined both nights and gave them a run for their money.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Various Artists “The International Language of Love” CD (Whoa Oh)
Sixteen 1990's inspired pop punk gems from each of these bands, 4 each by the Zatopeks from England, The 20Belows from Denmark, The Apers from the Netherlands and Twnetyyearsold from Spain.    There is not a song on the comp that wouldn't be called "great".  Good friend, Jonnie Whoa Oh's label hits a homer.

New additions this week:

Labels:
Damaged Goods Records  240 releases since 1988 by punk, garage and indie bands.  Releasing the Raw Records catalog and a recent Buzzcocks 7".  Great stuff!
Noma Beach Records  Two great punk rock'n'roll releases so far from this Northern California label.
Tuna Forsushi Records  New label out of Maryland with their first release just out by the Terrornauts (watch for a review soon).
Potencial HC Records  Label from Madrid, Spain with a ton of hardcore releases. 

Other Links: 
Mauski's  A fan site that focuses mainly on Finnish punk, hardcore and crust.

4/13/03

Read reviews of "Popular Music" by the Neon Hearts, "The Early Years" by The Carpettes, the Self-Titled debut by the Quickies and "Another Heartbreak" by Riot Squad  here.

Stitches/Bodies/Smut Peddlers/Muggers

McNeilly’s Tavern--Sonoma, CA

Friday, April 11, 2003

Sonoma, California, located in the heart of “Wine Country,” is known for producing some of the world’s finest wines, beautiful scenery, upscale spas/resorts, and prime real estate. In the eyes of many people, a Chardonnay or Merlot might be regarded as Sonoma’s finest moment. But as far as I am concerned the best thing to come out of Sonoma is The Bodies.

The last few Bodies’ shows have been “events” rather than “just another show” due in large part to the uncertainty of the band’s future. Varying degrees of interest on the part of certain members has accounted for the four-year lapse between their first and second full-lengths and isolated live appearances. However, there is a smidgen of light at the end of the tunnel. Several new releases are in the works (including their forever-a-work-in-progress second full-length) and there are rumors of a reinvigorated cast, which is good news for Bodies’ fans.

The Bodies’ appearance at McNeilly’s Tavern marked only the second live showing for the band in a year’s time; that the show was in front of a hometown crowd in Sonoma upped the ante even more. Advance tickets were offered in light of the venue’s intimate setting, and a few days prior to the show it was announced that it had sold out. Interestingly enough, I witnessed a couple of people without tickets who were turned away, but chatted with two out-of-towners not affiliated with any of the bands who were granted entrance without tickets. They lucked out.

McNeilly’s Tavern is a kick-ass venue that is pretty much tucked away in the middle of nowhere (I actually had to drive past the place twice before I realized I’d found the spot). The main room is separate from the “stage” area, which is convenient if you want to schmooze and/or finish your drink without spilling anything while the bands are playing. The stage area is about the size of a large bedroom and is situated in its own room directly behind the bar. It proved to be a great place to enjoy the show.

The Muggers, another Sonoma-based punk band, got things off to a rousing start. As easy as it is to dismiss these guys as a Bodies’ side project--The Muggers are comprised of Johnny and Scott of The Bodies on guitar and bass, respectively, along with Johnny from The Randumbs on drums and Ben from The Feelers on vocals--I hope The Muggers stick around long enough to give us a few records and plenty of live shows because they are a terrific band. There is a certain formulaic quality to The Muggers’ material, much like The Bodies, but it is such a winning formula that I couldn’t care less. The Muggers make good use of three to four well-placed chords, bubbly bass lines, simple drumming, and melodic vocals with enough bite and snarl to keep even the most jaded punk fan happy, and their songs are infectiously catchy. Their entire set was memorable on first listen, which was particularly impressive considering that many of the songs they played were recent additions to their repertoire. Also of note is Ben’s animated stage presence, which is in-your-face and adds another layer of intensity to the material. As if the stellar originals weren’t enough, The Muggers trotted out a brilliant cover of The Shifters’ “Bar Chords and Barstools” towards the end of their set, a gem of a song if there ever was one. Be on the lookout for future Muggers’ shows if northern California is a place you call home; otherwise wait patiently until they find a label to release material from their debut nine-song recording session. I suspect it won’t be long.

The Smut Peddlers were up next, and for the second time in two weeks, I thought their set was good, if a notch or two below their Sacramento show last week (see 4/6/03 show review). As a non-headliner, the Smut Peddlers trimmed about 15 minutes from their set list (voluntarily - ?) and omitted a number of favorites. The band was noticeably road weary, which may have also explained the shorter set. It now appears as though The Gears’ “Baby Runaround” is a staple of their live show as the last three times I have seen them play they performed the classic punk tune. It is good news when the Smut Peddlers come to town, and I look forward to their next visit. Come back soon!

I’ve been a big fan of The Bodies since the opening chords of “Suicide” jumped off their now highly sought after debut single on TKO Records. The quality factor hasn’t fluctuated with subsequent releases and, quite possibly, The Bodies have never written a bad song (although they would probably retort that they have written the same song over and over all these years). Like every other Bodies’ fan I’ve been waiting impatiently for the release of their second full-length for years, but their “on-again, off-again” status has never rubbed me the wrong way since they have consistently delivered the goods on record and in a live setting. In addition, my experience with the band on a personal level is that they are nice, humble guys who are oblivious to the adoration of their fans.

Seeing The Bodies in front of a hometown audience is quite an experience. The make-up of an average Bodies’ crowd doesn’t quite fit the mold for a punk show. With that said, the make-up of a Bodies’ crowd in Sonoma certainly doesn’t fit the mold for a punk show. I don’t necessarily have a problem with this observation, but I have read criticisms of the Bodies’ fan base before, some of which was unnecessarily harsh and some of which was spot on. Bearing the latter in mind, I watched The Bodies’ set perched atop a bench that hugged the side of the room. This location proved to be the optimal place to take in all of the action without being taken in by all of the action; the wall-to-wall people standing on benches on either side of the room confirmed I made the right choice. As expected, The Bodies’ set was wild from the start. Nearly everybody in the club packed the tiny room to sing along, dance/beat the crap out of each other, and work up a good lather. Although The Bodies’ set was sloppy at times, perhaps the mark of a band that hasn’t played together on a regular basis for some time, it was awesome to hear songs like “Suicide,” “West End Kids,” “Down To The Beach,” “Pack Your Bags,” “California Republic,” “Addicted To You,” and “Street Trooper” played to a frenzied crowd. Along with the other bench folk, I did everything I could to sing and dance on a 10” piece of plywood without toppling over and falling into a sea of swarming bodies (no pun intended). About halfway through the set, I noticed a pair of feet moving about with all of the heads in the audience; it was as though somebody was doing a handstand and walking around the room. All I could do was glance over at my neighbor in benchdom, Barry Red Devil of Red Devil Records in Petaluma (punk vinyl freaks are definitely encouraged to visit his store for an excellent selection of goodies--I’ll be expecting my check in the mail, Barry), and smile. Barry also pointed out to me a group of guys hereinafter referred to as the “Protectors of Harley’s Drum Kit,” which I found amusing. Allegedly, Bodies’ drummer Harley gets pissed off when his drum kit gets knocked over by wild fans (as it did several times during their set), and to prevent this from happening several guys formed a half moon around Harley’s kit to ward off potential drum crashers. When one of the crazy fans made it through the protective “shield” and bowled into the drums prompting a false start, I couldn’t help but proclaim the Protectors of Harley’s Drum Kit “fired.” I don’t think they heard me. Despite the sloppiness, The Bodies’ set was the most anticipated of the evening and I wasn’t letdown at all. More shows, guys.

The Stitches had the unfortunate task of following The Bodies’ spectacular set. The expressions on their faces during the craziness alternated between boredom and “Holy shit, we’re on next!” However, The Stitches aren’t your average punk band and they were ready for the challenge. As Johnny Bodies so eloquently stated at the end of The Bodies’ set, “Stick around for The Stitches, the best punk band in America.” Much of the room cleared out after The Bodies and either left McNeilly’s Tavern for the night or retreated to the bar. Idiots. Although The Bodies were the most well received band of the night, best-set honors go to The Stitches hands down. Sobriety is a beautiful thing to many people for many different reasons, one of which is that it affords you the opportunity to do the things you do best with greater frequency and success. I don’t profess to know everything about The Stitches’ personal demons, but I think it is fair to say that they have slowed down a bit by necessity or by choice. With that said, what The Stitches do best is play some of the best punk this side of the Sex Pistols. The last few times I have seen them play have been particularly impressive. They are much more focused mentally, tighter musically, and they’ve got new(er) songs! New (old) drummer Skibs is hitting his stride and starting to gel with the rest of the band again, and it really shows. With the exception of the newer material, The Stitches’ set list hasn’t changed much over the past five or so years, but the delivery has certainly improved. Of the ten times I’ve seen The Stitches, this set was one of the most powerful I have ever seen. “Livin’ at 110,” “Nowhere,” and “My Baby Hates Me,” rang true along with newer favorites “Cars of Today,” “Pick Me Up,” “Brains on Vacation,” and “Electroshock Carol.” What a night!

--Mario Solis (4/13/03)

MARIO's Pick of the Week  The Piranhas "Erotic Grit Movies" CD (In The Red) After stellar releases on Tom Perkins Records and the now defunct Rock 'n' Roll Blitzkrieg label, The Piranhas called it quits. Somewhere along the line they reformed and In The Red Records was smart enough to snap 'em up, a wise move on their part. I think the 12" EP on Tom Perkins may be their best work, but this is quite good. Recommended for fans of garagey slop with lots of screaming and spooky-sounding keyboards.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Leg Hounds “Date Your Daughters” LP (Screaming Apple)
This is quite possibly my favorite band going right now.  50's style rock and roll on speed.  Even when they slow it down, the solid songwriting shines through with tons of appeal.

New additions this week:

Other Links: 
NEON Fanzine  This started as a printed fanzine in '77 and has gone electronic.  Cool stuff from the Neon vaults.
Sick Kittens  New site promising news, shows, mp3's, cd's, video, and more of your favorite bands...and pictures of punk chicks.

4/6/03

Read Mario's review of the CD by My So-Called Band called

“Always Something There To Destroy Me” here.

Smut Peddlers/Firepie/Nits

The Distillery -- Sacramento, CA

Saturday, April 5, 2003

Like many cities around the country, Sacramento’s live music venues have been feeling the heat of increased police presence and stricter building and fire code enforcement following nightclub incidents in Illinois and Rhode Island. A recent article in the local alternative weekly highlighted several clubs that were visited and subjected to on-the-spot “capacity redesignations,” leaving club owners to ponder whether they can continue to do business with reduced show attendance and accommodate bands and fans. Thankfully, there were no surprise visitors to The Distillery for the Smut Peddlers’ first northern California show in about a year.

The Nits got the evening started, and donned frilly outfits that looked like they were nicked from the Sesame Street wardrobe locker. With bare chests and beer bellies exposed, these guys blazed through a set of speedy, metallic punk in the vein of the Dwarves of yesteryear or Zeke. One of the biggest problems I have with that particular approach is that recordings and live sets tend to sound like one long song. The Nits were no exception, and there wasn’t much about their set that stood out from the rest of the pack. It didn’t help that there was too much “metal” in their “pedal to the metal” attack for my tastes.

There was an above average wait between the end of The Nits’ set and the beginning of Firepie’s set. During set changes, I tend to get antsy -- hands go in and out of pockets, arms are folded and unfolded, weight is shifted from one foot to the other, and eyes wander while waiting for the next band to take the stage. As Firepie geared up for their set I noticed a couple of things that had me scratching my head, like the guy walking around with a trumpet, the people in the audience with dreadlocks, and the drummer with a more-elaborate-than-usual-for-a-punk-band kit. I feared the worst. To their credit, Firepie’s musical prowess was noteworthy. Several songs were punked-up in a 24-7 Spyz meets Bad Brains sort of way, but overall Firepie’s set was not my cup of tea.

The Smut Peddlers have had their share of ups-and-downs during the past year. They made their Hollywood movie debut when one of their songs, “Let’s Get Fucked Up,” found its way onto the Jackass movie and soundtrack (a video for the song appears on the DVD). Last year also saw the release of their fourth, self-released full-length “Ism,” arguably their strongest release to date. In late 2002, the band went to Europe for the first time and played a string of successful shows. But the Smut Peddlers were also forced to find a new guitarist after parting ways with Roger Ramjet. Enter guitarist Sean Mallard. Sean came into the fold just in time to make the trip to Europe and pulled it off brilliantly after Roger balked and stayed home. The addition of Sean to the fold has ironed out some personality wrinkles and inspired a creative streak. Since Sean joined the band, the Smut Peddlers have focused on writing and recording new material for future releases.

The Smut Peddlers’ set was the evening’s saving grace. Like many bands whose recorded output is impressive, I believe the Smut Peddlers must be experienced live in order to truly appreciate their music. From the moment John Ransom grabbed the microphone and in his radio deejay meets talk show host meets auctioneer meets truck driver voice shtick welcomed everyone to the “beautiful Distillery nightclub and sports bar,” the grin never left my face. The set list was comprised of equal parts older and newer material, but the band continued to ignore their first two full-lengths entirely with the exception of the crowd pleaser, “Fuck You…That’s Why.” The Smut Peddlers delivered the hits with precision and intensity; songs such as “Lennox Loner,” “Mona From Pomona,” “Riot At The Pier,” and “Inglewood Heroin Morning” are all permanently etched in my brain. I was very impressed with Sean’s guitar playing, which is not as flashy as his predecessor, and it appears as though he will be a good fit for the band. As always, the rhythm section of Julia and Gish was solid, and John never ceases to entertain me. It was another terrific showing by the Smut Peddlers to a packed house of rabid, drunken fans, with plenty of spilled beer and broken glass throughout. Long live the New Beach Alliance!

  Willy's top ten/playlist for March 2003 Backwood Creatures "Living Legends" CD (Stardumb) Carter Peace Mission "Ladies, Ladies, Ladies..." CD (Self Produced) The Dogs "Fed Up!" CD (Dionysus) Loose Lips "Talkin' Trash" CD (TKO) Peawees "Dead End City" CD (Stardumb) Swingin' Utters "Streets of San Francisco" CD (New Red Archives) Teen Idols "Teen Idols" CD (Honest Don's) Teenage Head "Head Disorder" CD (I.M.D.) Terminus City "Justice Isn't Always Fair" CD (TKO) Vapids "Charm School Dropouts" CD (AMP)

MARIO's Pick of the Week  Young Wasteners "We Got Ways" LP (Kick 'n' Punch) The Young Wasteners feature members of Amdi Petersen's Arme, a terrific Dutch hardcore band in the vein of Minor Threat. The Young Wasteners have more of a straight-up punk sound, however, but the result is the same -- this LP is fantastic!   

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Peepshows “Mondo Deluxe” CD (Scooch Pooch)
Mario turned me on to these guys a few months ago and I picked this up this week.  They defnitely have been taking lessons from fellow Scandinavians, Turbonegro and that's a good thing.  This is a few years old but worth seeking out. 

New additions this week:

Labels:
Arc the Finger Records  Label out of Atlanta, GA.

Other Links: 
Dirty Shirty Get your t-shirts here.
Punk Rock Shows  As the name implies, find out about punk rock shows in your neighborhood.

3/30/03

Three new reviews this week from Solea, Sidecar and Sick56 that you can read here. 

MARIO's Pick of the Week  The Briefs "Off The Charts" LP (Dirtnap)
Ever wonder what's holding up The Briefs' major label debut? Who cares?!?! "Off The Charts" is a winner, even if it comes across more like a mini-singles collection than a proper release. Memo to Dirtnap Records and The Briefs: keep cranking out the hits.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  V/A “The European Pop Punk Virus 2” CD (Stardumb Records)
The second amazing 28 track comp from Stardumb Records featuring your old favorites like the Apers, Retarded, Manges, Backwood Creatures and Sonic Dolls.  New talent by the likes of Waukees, Ritalins, Zatopeks and 20Belows make this another killer pop punk classic from all over Europe.

New additions this week:

Labels:
Overground Records  Essential punk and other great reissues.  Mostly 70's and early 80's reissues (with bonus material) of your favorite bands.

Mail Order: 
Vinyl on the .Net Tons of 70s and 80s punk (and more) vinyl at very fair prices

Record Stores:     
None 

Other Links: 
Prometheus Zine  Political punks have started their own zine.  Good stuff.
Skratch Magazine  The largest free music zine in the nation.

3/23/03

Lots of stuff this week!  Two show reviews, Epoxies and Apers/Groovie Ghoulies, two CD reviews and a great column by Mario on Be Nice To Mommy Records (click the underlined word column in blue to go there). 

New reviews of Prizefight's S/T debut and Scales Are For Fish by Nana's Revenge here.

The Epoxies/????/The Phenomenauts
The Rogue,  Scottsdale, AZ
March 17, 2003

The Phenomenauts were a punkabilly style band. That style doesn’t do much for me so I just rode it out and hoped the middle band would be more tho my liking.

I’m not sure what the middle band were called but they consisted of Ryan Wong (of the Wongs fame) and one other person. The instrumentation consisted of synthesizers for both band members.

What do you get if you cross the Weirdos, Dickies and Devo? The Epoxies!! Roxy, looked fine again in her neon colored clothes. Bassist, Shock Diode, could be the reincaration of the Dickies first bassist, Billy Club. The Epoxies radiated a kinetic energy, bouncing off of each other as they powered their way through a set of just about everything they’ve released. Now, a lot of people like Devo although I’m not one of them. What sets the Epoxies apart from Devo, is the use of powerful guitar chords by Viz Spectrum in conjunction with the synthesizer stylings of FM Static and the rhythm section as laid out by Shock Diode and Ray Cathode. It also helps that they know how to craft a hook laden pop tune and have the visual appeal that hopefully will land these folks a major record deal. They deserve it.

The Groovie Ghoulies/Big Vinny/The Apers/The Christy
The Evolution Bar, Phoenix, AZ
March 18, 2003

The Evolution Bar (or Elevation Bar as Kevin Aper called it because he doesn’t believe in evolution) is in very Northern Phoenix, which is far away from where most of the action is in town. It wasn’t a bad place for a show, other than location, but the sound was really bad. It was too loud and the distortion was painful to hear. The night of the week (Tuesday) and the location made for a really small crowd of about 40-50 people.

The Christy, a local pop punk trio, opened the show. I was familiar with Aric and Bobbi as posters to a pop punk message board but had never heard their music. They took their name from their idol, Christy Darlington, of the band Darlington. Although they ended their set with a Darlington cover, the rest of the songs were top quality Screeching Weasel/Queers inspired pop punk. Kevin Aper remarked to me during the set that these guys were really good. In fact, in a town dominated by lame emo bands, the Christy are right up there with the best bands I’ve heard in Phoenix. Aric and Bobbi also get my eternal thanks for getting the show arranged and luring the Apers and Groovie Ghoulies to town.

The Apers rolled into town for the third date of their 6 week American tour supporting the Groovie Ghoulies. If you’ve cried over the demise of Screeching Weasel, fear not. The Apers have come to take the title of pop punk kings. If you’ve cried over the demise of Mutant Pop Records, fear not. Stefan Stardumb (traveling with the Apers) and his Stardumb Records empire have taken the title of world’s greatest label. Kevin Aper is a true showman. He has a natural charm on stage that just draws you in. The dual guitar assault of Jerry Hormone and Gareth G-Dog (filling in for Marien Nicotine) is awesome to see and hear. Ivo Backbreaker on drums along with Kevin on bass provide a pounding rhythm section that puts it all together. And what can you say about the songs? Pop punk scorchers with balls and hooks that will make you cry for joy. There is barely an open date during the next 6 weeks. That means there will be tons of opportunity for all you people across the country to check out this band along with the legendary Groovie Ghoulies. If you’re really lucky, The Epoxies will also be on the bill. Did I mention that they are really nice guys too?

Big Vinny were up third. Their style was out of place with the rest of the night and I went over and had a beer.

The Groovie Ghoulies had a tough act to follow after the Apers. But I should never have doubted them. Despite the sound, they sounded soooo good. The thing that’s obvious throughout any Groovie Ghoulies set that I have ever seen (and I’ve been to quite a few) is the love of the genre that the band gives off. They rolled through such classics as The Beast With 5 Hands, Tunnel of Love and capped it off with Ghoulies Are Go! I had planted myself right in front of Roach’s amp. I could listen to her play all night. She has that perfect pop punk guitar tone that reaches to the bottom of my soul. The Groovie Ghoulies are one of those bands that make you glad you’re alive and make you realize why you got into punk rock music in the first place.

This was probably the best show I’ve been to in several years. Don’t miss your opportunity when they roll through your town.  

MARIO's Pick of the Week  Taxi "Like A Dog" LP (Dead Beat) After a fine single on Italy's Hate Records, Taxi is back with an impressive debut full-length of '77-ish punk.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Apers “The Buzz Electric” CD (Stardumb Records)
It's Apers appreciation week here in Arizona.   If you remember when there was power in your pop, hooks in it's delivery and belted out with snotty vocals, this is your album.  Early contender for album of the year.

New additions this week:

Labels:
Street Anthem Records  New Seattle street punk label.

3/16/03

I'm looking forward to seeing the Apers and the Groovie Ghoulies this week.  Europe is the place for mid-90's style  pop-punk and nobody does it better than the Apers.  The Groovie Ghoulies have been around since the late 80's and are legends in their own right.  I have seen them many times and never been even remotely disappointed. 

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Stinkers “Stink Like A Dog” CD EP (Be Nice To Mommy)
Snotty mid-90's pop punk in a Screeching Weasel kind of vein done as only the Europeans can today.

New additions this week:

Labels:
Be Nice To Mommy Great Italian label offering up some of Europe's best pop punk.
Tear It Up Records  Punk label out of the Netherlands.

3/9/03

West End Crooks/Ladykillers/Parkway Wretch

The Clubhouse -- Tempe, AZ

March 8, 2003  

I'm pretty sure I've seen Parkway Wretch before but I didn't remember them being this good.  They kept up a humorous banter with the audience, making fun of the war efforts underway by Uncle Georgie.  The snotty vocals with a pop tinged guitar assault were very appealing.  

Good friends, the Ladykillers ripped through an extended set of great punk'n'roll tunes.  The sound in the venue was fabulous and the guitar stood out much more prominently than the last time I saw these guys.  Besides great music, each of the 3 members adds a visual layer that enhances the music.  Levine, lead singer/bassist joins the crowd courtesy of his remote amp.  Geoff, the guitarist looks like Pete Townshend the way he writhes around the stage and Brian, the drummer looks like he is trying to destroy his drums and occasionally licks his sticks like he's licking blood from a knife.  A Ladykillers set is an experience in sound and vision.  See them if you get the chance.

The West Side Crooks, a local street punk act, ended the night with a nice set of Oi! inspired tunes.  Although technically sound and certainly not bad, I left the Clubhouse without any real memorable moments from their set. 

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Dialtones “Four Last Blasts!” 7" (Rapid Pulse)
300 copies, 100 each in red, white and blue vinyl.  Show your patriotism by buying these sizzlers by Sweden's long standing garage band, now packing it in with these Four Last Blasts! 

New additions this week:

Other Links: 
Monger Record collector fan site with interesting information on some of your favorite records. 

MP3 Downloads: 
Slam-Pit MP3 downloads of some of your favorite records. 

3/2/03

Check out the 3 new reviews of Zero Tolerance Task Force, Erase T0day and Blacklist here.

Part 2 of our L.A. Shakedown Coverage appears below, this time Mario's take on the proceedings.

The Los Angeles Shakedown

Grand Avenue (Day 1-2) and The Garage (Day 1 only) -- Los Angeles, CA

February 15-16, 2003

The Las Vegas Shakedown looked mighty inviting the past two years. Featuring some of today’s best punk and garage bands, as well as one-off performances by seminal punk bands, the concept of the Shakedown certainly appealed to the “music nerd” in me. The fact that it was held in Las Vegas may have also had something to do with my interest. Las Vegas is an adventure, to say the least, and the city’s reputation as a party town virtually ensured a good time for all.

I never made it to the first two Shakedowns in Las Vegas, but I had a lot of fun reading about them. Allegedly, some bands didn’t get paid, hotels/venues were trashed, and there was no shortage of memorable performances, both on and off stage. By the time the third Shakedown rolled around, it was time for me to see what all the fuss was about.

I made reservations for a hotel on the Las Vegas Strip shortly after the details for this year’s Shakedown surfaced. I promptly cancelled my reservations a few weeks later when the show’s organizers encountered problems in Las Vegas and moved the event to Los Angeles. Hey, it’s a punk show, right? Shit like that happens all the time, doesn’t it? At least that’s what I told myself.

I ordered tickets for the Los Angeles Shakedown through the mail about two weeks after they went on sale in late November 2002. I wasn’t necessarily disappointed about the move. It would have been nice to visit Las Vegas, but the trip to southern California presented an opportunity to do some record shopping around the show. I was also looking forward to meeting your host, Willy, for the first time after corresponding via e-mail for a year. When the initial details about the Shakedown were posted, we literally fired off e-mails to each other at the same time. There was no doubt in our minds that we were going to be there, wherever it ended up happening.

I received a ticket confirmation from the Shakedown folks eventually, meaning nearly two months after I ordered the tickets. In the two months that passed, I checked the Los Angeles Shakedown web site periodically for details about the event. Updates trickled out at a snail’s pace. The venue for the event, the Hollywood Athletic Club, sounded like a great place for the show. More and more bands were added to the already impressive lineup. Lodging information was posted, as well as information for prospective vendors and advertisers in the show’s program. Everything was moving along nicely except my ticket confirmation. Then, the show moved to another venue in Los Angeles.

The Hollywood Athletic Club was out. Conveniently, the Los Angeles Shakedown moved to a more convenient location, the Variety Arts Center. The organizers brushed it off as a “better deal” in terms of lodging. The move didn’t do much for my confidence about the ability of the show’s organizers to pull the event off, but it really didn’t dampen my spirits either. All of the details finally appeared to be set and the weeks leading up to the event didn’t bring with them any more changes. I finally received an e-mail confirmation for my tickets after getting a phone call from some guy named Dream. I was told there was a mix-up with my ticket order. What a surprise! Finally, we were ready to go.

We didn’t have any problems finding the Variety Arts Center. In fact, we even drove by that abomination known as Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, the team to whom the Sacramento Kings handed last year’s NBA championship (this one’s for you, Steve Stiph -- the Lakers won’t be so fortunate this year!). We parked for three bucks, and walked a block to the venue.

As we approached the Variety Arts Center a little after 12:00 p.m., when the doors were set to open, we noticed the heavy security presence outside the venue. The burly guys with earpieces looked apprehensive and ready to frisk us. We were ready for rock n’ roll. Then I happened to look up at message on the marquee: “LOS ANGELES SHAKEDOWN NOT HERE.” The next thing I know this guy hops out of a Jeep and asks us if we are there for the Shakedown. It’s all very hush-hush, and a little weird. We nod and he tells us that the event was moved to 1024 Grand Avenue, only a few blocks away. We confirm the directions to the new venue, and head back to our car not more than 10 minutes after parking. The attendants look at us like we’re crazy.

There was a modest line of approximately 100 people outside Grand Avenue when we walk up at about 12:30. At first, this was a good sign; we knew we had the right venue. Three and a half hours later, we were standing in the same place in line. This was not a good sign at all.

I spotted Willy shortly after we arrived at Grand Avenue and I caught up on all the drama that occurred in the days and hours leading up to the Shakedown. I learned about attempts to fight the alleged threats of a lawsuit and the addition of a second (and, briefly, a third) venue for day one’s festivities, The Garage. Some of this information was posted on the web site when it was updated two days before the show on February 13, the day we left for southern California. We didn’t get the memo, and I know we weren’t the only ones.    

The whole advance ticket purchase system was supposed to be painless. If you bought a ticket in advance, all you had to do was present a picture I.D. at the door to receive a wristband. Quick, easy, and best of all, no paper involved! What the hell was I thinking? When I finally made it to the front of the line, after standing in line for three and a half hours, I saw too much fucking paper. It was chaos. Adding to my frustration was that people who were going to buy tickets at the door were ushered to the front of the line, ahead of people who bought tickets in advance to avoid a tickets-at-the-door backlog the day of the show, like myself. Some people grumbled about how “smart” it was for them to buy advance tickets. I managed to crack a smile for a split second. By the time we made it inside the venue, only one band had played, Piss Ant, and it wasn’t a band we were dying to see.

Day 1

The first band I caught was Discontent, a five piece punk band with releases on Hostage Records and Disaster Records. In keeping with their Disaster Records’ material, their set had more in common with the Devil Dogs than the gruff, Bonecrusher-like sound of their earlier material. I enjoyed their set, but the mix was a little muddy.

The Manifolds, a bluesy, garage punk trio, were up next. Their set wasn’t too good or too bad, but they earned extra points for the free CDs at their merch table.

I had high hopes for The Applicators, an all-female, poppy punk band, but their set was rather disappointing. I enjoyed their CD on Cornerstone R.A.S., but their performance wasn’t tight at all. The extra time allotted to them for “one more song” was unnecessary.

I thought The Generators’ set was fabulous. I didn’t really become a Generators’ fan until they landed on TKO Records. I’ve been paying attention ever since. Their set of melodic, well-played, tuneful street punk stood out from the rest of the bill that night.

My first scheduling conflict of the evening arrived when The Dogs and The Hunches were set to take the stage simultaneously. I really wanted to see both bands, but I didn’t want to run back and forth between rooms doing it. In the end, I chose legends over superstars, and I made the right choice. An all-original lineup of one of the original punk bands, The Dogs, blew me away. They sounded fantastic, and their set was a highlight of the Shakedown for me. Dogs’ guitarist and front man, Loren Molinare, is an incredible guitar player and a true showman. I hope that I look that good when I’m in my 50s! Following their set, Willy was kind enough to introduce me to Loren, and he’s a really nice guy. I look forward to hearing their upcoming album of new material.

Following the blistering set by The Dogs, at about 7:00, we decided it was time to eat. The pastry we ate for breakfast at our hotel that morning had worn off much earlier, but there was no food available at the venue. When we finally made it inside the venue at about 3:45, we were advised that if we left the venue we would have to go to the back of the line of people still waiting to get in to reenter. It was a no-brainer; we were staying inside. By 7:00, there was still a HUGE line of people that hadn’t been processed. The powers-that-be changed their tune somewhere along the way and told us that if we wanted to leave we would not have to go through the huge line to reenter. Finally, they were starting to make some sense. We walked across the street for a sandwich.

We must have been so hungry that we didn’t notice the fire trucks pull up and park in front of Grand Avenue while we were eating. It wouldn’t have made a difference. We headed back to the show only to be turned away. The good ‘ol fire marshal decided to pay a visit to the premises, and the fire marshal wasn’t happy. The capacity of the club was at or beyond the maximum allowed, and the show was in jeopardy. Our wristbands meant nothing; there was no entrance whatsoever. We were shit out of luck.

Security tightened up at the venue as nerves frazzled and the tension grew. Were the disgruntled masses going to riot? Within minutes, an LAPD helicopter graced us with its presence, circling the venue and illuminating the foot traffic in front of Grand Avenue. It was surreal. I had seen this sort of thing before on television watching episodes of Cops. Willy had seen this sort of thing before, too, only under slightly different circumstances, while attending a show at the Elk’s Lodge in Los Angeles in 1979, where the LAPD stormed the venue and beat the shit out of punks for no apparent reason.

The show at Grand Avenue was officially up in the air. Without a guarantee that the show would be allowed to continue or that people with wristbands would be allowed back inside, Willy and friends decided to cut their losses and head over to The Garage to catch the Lazy Cowgirls. Our plan was to head over to The Garage to catch the Lazy Cowgirls, as well, but after The Briefs’ set. It was decision time for us. The Briefs were up next at Grand Avenue, but there was a slim chance that we might be allowed back inside for their set. But it was a chance. We said goodbye to Willy and friends and told them we would meet up with them at The Garage later.

Call me stupid, call me stubborn, call me naïve, call me what you will, I was determined to get back inside Grand Avenue. We spent about 25 minutes circling the venue, searching for a way to sneak back in. By this point, bands that were slated to play later that night weren’t even allowed into the venue. Vendors that tried to pack up their wares were hassled when they had to make multiple trips in-and-out to their vehicles. Things didn’t look promising. We took up camp in the alley behind the club, where there was a door through which bands loaded their gear onto the stage. From the alley, it looked as though The Briefs were setting up to play.

Now, The Briefs aren’t the world’s best band. I like The Briefs as much as anybody else, but we weren’t necessarily sticking around to see The Briefs as much as we were sticking around for the principal of the matter. My brother and I were frustrated. We waited three and a half hours in line to get inside, spent several hours watching bands, crossed the street to get food because there was no food in the venue and we hadn’t eaten all day, and then all hell breaks loose. Fuckers!

As the chords of “Run The Other Way” finished, our minds were made up. It was a sign. We ran the other way, figuratively speaking, and headed to The Garage. At first, we tried to hitch a ride on the Shakedown’s free shuttle that was transporting folks to and from Grand Avenue and The Garage all day. As the shuttle unloaded and the driver exited the bus, he told us that he had just received a call from his boss and that he was not going to be making any more runs that evening. Fortunately, we drove to the show, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Something tells me, though, that you might get a different story from the people who had taken the shuttle to The Garage earlier in the day and ended up without a ride back to Grand Avenue.

We arrived at The Garage just in time for the Lazy Cowgirls’ set. First off, The Garage is a great venue. The sound was fantastic and the intimate setting was more appropriate for the music. The Lazy Cowgirls didn’t disappoint and easily erased the bad vibes that carried over from the events that took place at Grand Avenue. One of southern California’s most underrated bands, the Lazy Cowgirls have released consistently great records for years. Their no frills, blues-based rock n’ roll with a heapin’ helpin’ o’ country twang never gets old. One of the Shakedown’s best sets, for sure.

The Lazy Cowgirls whipped the crowd up into a frenzy for Nine Pound Hammer, who put on an energetic performance. I’m not a fan of their recorded output, but Nine Pound Hammer is not too far removed from a more country-tinged Nashville Pussy, with whom they share guitarist Blaine Cartwright. Their songs are a little hokey, especially the lyrics, but I was impressed with their set.

Demented Are Go wrapped up the evening’s festivities at The Garage. Evidently, this band is a very influential band in the world of psychobilly. Although I’m not an expert in the psychobilly or rockabilly genres of music, I do enjoy both quite a bit. Lots of fans crammed the front of the stage to witness Demented Are Go, and the crowd was rowdy. A fight broke out during their set that prompted Garage staff to break out a stun gun. Although I might not share a lot in common with the average Demented Are Go fan, I enjoyed their set and will hunt down their records.

Day 2

Day two of the Los Angeles Shakedown was not as chaotic as day one. We only had to wait one hour in line to get inside, the upstairs portion of Grand Avenue was opened to accommodate more people and provide for the day’s third stage, there were no hassles with ins-and-outs, and food was rumored to be available. The vibe was totally different from day one, which allowed everybody to focus on the music.

The Rippers were the first band that played on day two. Their set didn’t really do too much for me, but perhaps a different time slot would have made a difference.

The Holograms played a short but sweet set of simple songs infused with sugary sweet vocals and poppy and garagey sensibilities. Their material had an unpolished quality, which I found quite charming.

The Fuse! were near the top of my “must see” list for the weekend. I missed them when they came through Sacramento a few months ago, and I’ve been kicking myself ever since. I thought their track on the “Cuts” compilation released by Hostage Records was fantastic and I’d heard wonderful things about the band’s live show. My excitement heightened as The Fuse! took the stage. What followed was one of the best sets of the weekend. Wild, intense, and unpredictable, just like all great punk rock should be. Attacking their instruments with a passion unseen and unmatched all weekend, The Fuse! ripped through a 20-minute set of spastic, herky-jerky punk. My closest point of reference would be Le Shok. The singer’s crowd-baiting skills were also noteworthy, but he may have been singing to the choir. Regardless, I gave him at A+ for effort and he made me laugh. Make it a point to see this band if they come to your town. They were brilliant. And watch for flying drumsticks!

Texas Terri played an energetic set of trashy punk full of Iggy-isms. Backed by the Stiff Ones, Texas Terri is a dynamic performer and arguably one of the most recognizable female punk figures of the last ten years. New record, anyone?

The Candy Snatchers were another band I was really looking forward to seeing. Larry May’s voice can go from a scream to a croon in the blink of an eye, and I love it. The band was in fine form and rocked like crazy. No blood in sight.

The Flash Express is a band to watch. Their singles are good, but I think they are even better live. Their sound might be summed up best by asking, “Who stole the soul?” as they did on their debut 7”.

I caught the first four songs of The Stitches’ set before heading upstairs to see Andy G. and the Roller Kings. The Stitches are always entertaining to watch, but not always for the right reasons. I saw them a few days prior to the Shakedown and they were great. The band seemed more focused than previous shows, and that attitude carried over to the Shakedown gig. Unfortunately, the songs that I heard were marred by technical difficulties. 

Andy G. and the Roller Kings, featuring former Devil Dog, Andy Gortler, were fabulous. While not as garagey as his legendary former band, Andy G. and company are every bit as good. The prominent saxophones in the mix and piano flourishes compliment Mr. Gortler’s terrific guitar work and songwriting skills beautifully. Full of Big Apple swagger, Andy G. and the Roller Kings treated us to a feel-good set of top-notch originals, re-workings of several Devil Dogs’ classics, and a spectacular cover of “Pretty Flamingo.” The Roller Kings’ performance was another highlight of the Shakedown for me.

I may have committed a garage punk faux pas by choosing The Epoxies over Guitar Wolf. Any discriminating garage punker knows that Japan and garage punk go together like President George W. Bush and incompetence. A perfect match! Guitar Wolf appearances in the states are infrequent, at best, and they are a “must see” band. Unfortunately, the show was running behind and both Guitar Wolf and The Epoxies ended up on stage at the same time. The Epoxies didn’t disappoint, and their set was wonderful, as usual. Their stage presence continues to shine with the help of one of today’s most talented and charismatic females in punk, Roxy Epoxy (she’s awfully cute, too). It certainly helps that the band has nothing but hits at their disposal. If you don’t find yourself feeling the urge to sing and dance at an Epoxies show, there’s just no hope for you. Sorry.

The Original Sinners, featuring Exene Cervenka and D.J. Bonebrake of X fame, played a good set that sounded unsurprisingly familiar. After a few songs, Willy turned to me and said, “They sound just like X.” That about sums it up perfectly.

Nearly nine years have passed since I first saw The Muffs. Although many things have changed in the last nine years, The Muffs don’t sound much different today than they did nine years ago. This isn’t a bad thing at all since I love The Muffs, and they do what they do well. They may have been the only bona fide, pop-punk band that played the Shakedown and I found their set refreshing. I must disagree with Willy’s observation that something was “off” because I thought they were quite good. I think I'll chalk it up to Ronnie Muff's Eminem t-shirt. Ronnie, what the hell were you thinking? Do not pass go and subtract 100 punk points immediately.

I used to be a big fan of the Swingin’ Utters. “The Streets of San Francisco” logged the most time in my CD player in 1995 and they were always great live. After “Juvenile Product,” I lost interest. These days, I prefer the Filthy Thieving Bastards to the Swingin’ Utters. Nevertheless, we stayed for a few songs to see if they grabbed us. They didn’t.

We called it a night after the Swingin’ Utters and blew off a chance to see Nashville Pussy and/or the U.S. Bombs.

Final Thoughts

I had a really good time at the Los Angeles Shakedown in spite of all the hassles and confusion. If and when another Shakedown happens, I probably wouldn’t think twice about going again. I saw lots of great bands, and I met some great people (thanks to Willy, Steve Stiph, Susan, and my brother, Steve, for being my partners in punk for the weekend). The success of any event, large or small, may ultimately be attributed to planning and execution. Everybody in our party agreed that the execution of the Los Angeles Shakedown sucked. But the execution of the event clearly suffered at the hands of poor planning. While the nature of organizing shows (let alone shows on the scale of the Los Angeles Shakedown) is not always conducive to pleasing everybody, there is no excuse for not doing plenty of homework and making sure all the bases are covered. It was obvious that the organizers of the Los Angeles Shakedown should have hit the books harder.

The Loads "Beach Banshee" 7" (Pelado)

A two-song single on the excellent Pelado label from young, southern California kids that have been weaned on bands like The Stitches and Smogtown. Smogtown drummer Tim McVeigh makes an appearance here. Good stuff.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  V/A “Dirtnap Across the Northwest” CD (Dirtnap)
If you haven't discovered the brilliance of Dirtnap Records yet, here is a chance to hear 31 tunes of Northwest USA punk.  New songs by the Epoxies, Briefs, Spits, New Town Animals, Exploding Hearts and Diskords make this a bargain at any price.

Mario's top ten/playlist for February 2003

Broken Bottles "Radioactive San Onofre" 7" (Hostage)

Moral Crux "Pop Culture Assassins" CD (Lookout!)

The Negatives "Out In The Cold" 7" (Noma Beach)

Neon King Kong "Get What's Going Around" 7" (Vinyl Dog)

The Real Pills "Nine Long Years" CD (Mortville)

The Products "Fast Music" CD (Cabeza de Tornado)

V/A "Neighbor Annoyer" LP (bootleg)

Willy's top ten/playlist for February 2003

Jimmies/Weaklings "It's A Split" 2xCD (Bitter Sweet)

Travoltas/Stinking Polecats "Split" CD (Wynona)

Turbonegro "Ass Cobra" CD (Sympathy For the Record Industry)

V/A "Xanadu" CD (Rhetoric)

Vox Poppers "Say Go" CD (Self Produced)

Weirdos "Weird World 1977-1981" CD (Frontier)

Zeros "Don't Push Me Around" CD (Bomp!)

2/23/03

I had to work all weekend so my only update this week is the L.A. Shakedown review that follows.  I will add the updates that were sent to me over the last weeks tomorrow (accomplished 2/25).  Next week I will have 3 new CD reviews and Mario's review of the Shakedown. 

Day 1 - So, the big weekend has come and gone. The L.A. Shakedown - 66 bands on 3 stages. Sounds like a wonderful time, right? Well almost. I had to call to get a verbal confirmation because I never received an e-mail or mail confirmation. The venue gets changed to 3 different locations the day before the show because the neighboring businesses are afraid of punk riots. Shuttle buses are supposed to ferry the fans = from venue to venue. Door are supposed to open at 12:00 and registration doesn't get started until 2:15. The registration folks don't even know that you've already paid for your ticket. First band is supposed to have started in the other location across town. Only 2 small stages for many hundreds of people. No food available anywhere (now we started out in line at 12:00 and the show is scheduled until 2:00 AM - you do the math). People are still filtering in from the original line at 6:30! With assurances that we will be able to get back in, we head across the street to get some food. After eating, we head to the Grand Avenue venue to see the Briefs before we head over to the Garage for other bands we want to see. They won't let us back in. The venue is beyond capacity and the fire department is there to check things out. The show may be shut down. People who have been in line for 5 hours are shut out. People who bought advance tickets can't get in yet those who purchased day of show are in. The mood outside the club is very angry and it is amazing something bad didn't happen. We decide to head to the Garage before everybody else has the same idea or we get caught up in some riot. We were afraid that everybody might have the same idea and we get shut out there too. Thankfully, the Garage, which is a wonderful venue, saves the day and we are able to see the remaining acts there. The promised shuttle bus doesn't arrive and anybody who shuttled over from the Grand Avenue location is forced to find their own way back. The Dwarves and the Supersuckers cancelled at the last moment, presumably because of the issues encountered earlier in the day. Day 1 was a total fiasco and the worst organization I have ever seen in my life. 

Day 2 - The upper floor is now open for bands and the 2 stages that were used the day before are used as the second and third stages. Everything flows smoothly, there are no problems, pizza is available for purchase and it went pretty much like it should have on Day 1. I heard the bands on day 2 didn't get paid whereas those on Day 1 got paid even if they didn't play. 

Now for the show review:  

Day 1 

Piss Ant - Didn't do anything for me. 
Discontent - Fabulous band out of Orange County. They have a release on Hostage Records 
Applicators - Female quartet that was pretty good but didn't excite me too much. 
Generators - I have several releases by the Generators but didn't remember them being this good. They belted out anthem after anthem. One of the weekend's highlights. 
Dogs - One of two bands that I made an effort to stand up front for. Ron Wood made the trip out from Michigan so I was able to see the original Dogs line-up for the first time since the late seventies. Loren is such a powerful guitarist and lead man. This was my favorite act of the weekend. A new Dogs album is in the works and should be spectacular. 
Black Cat Music - Pretty good but didn't do a whole lot for me. Lazy Cowgirls - The Cowgirls are always a good time. Their countrified rock is powerful and they have an obvious good time doing what they do best. 
Nine Pound Hammer - Very impressive band delivering a searing brand of southern rock with a country tinge and tons of humor. The frontman, whose name I don't know, has the size of a professional wrestler and an attitude to match. The guitarist was one of the best of the weekend, delivering leads and rhythm just as easily. 
Demented Are Go - The lead singer looked like he just stepped out of the grave after 10 days of decomposition. They had a rockabilly feel to them that isn't my cup of tea so we called it a night after 2 songs. 

Day 2 

Slum Lords - Female fronted punk'n'roll band that is very good. Rippers - I only caught a couple of tunes from this Italian band and they were very good. 
Holograms - Poppy punk from Japan(?). Not very proficient on their instruments but a good time. 
Midnight Evils - Way too heavy metalish for my tastes so I bailed on these guys quickly. 
The Fuse - The leader singer insulted the crowd incessantly. That was the highlight of their show. I am all for crowd baiting a la Lee Ving of Fear but their music left me cold. Probably the worst thing I heard all weekend. They have quite a buzz about them and I can't understand why. Supposedly they sound like the Jam but I don't hear that at all. The Jam would be insulted. Just plain crap. 
Texas Terri - Terri played her usual high energy entertaining show but decided to leave her tits firmly planted inside her bra. Candy Snatchers - I really enjoyed the Candy Snatchers brand of guitar driven punk rock frenzy.  
Dragons - Very powerful band led by Mario Escovedo of the prolific Escovedo family of Zeros and Nuns fame. 
Stitches - The second band I made a point of being up front for. They displayed once again why they are the premier punk band in the U.S. today. Led by Mike Lohrman on vocals and Johnny Detmer on guitar. Mike seemed to be in control of all of his senses today. 
Hangmen - Didn't do much for me. 
Epoxies - Roxy Epoxy is one of the greatest leading ladies I have seen in quite some time. She is a tiny little thing with a voice of pure gold. The Epoxies provide a synthesizer driven new wavish type sound that has tons of appeal. This band should be huge.
Original Sinners - I only stayed to se this band because I needed to sit down for awhile after standing most of the day. They sound like a second rate X. Exene of X fame is the lead singer. 
Muffs - I love the Muffs but they sounded just a bit off for most of the set. This is probably due to the extended vacation they have taken since releasing their last effort years ago. 
U.S. Bombs - I'm pretty sure Duane Peters found out he wasn't get paid before the Bombs went on yet they played anyway. Thanks, Duane! They provided their usual crowd pleasing set of guitar powered punk rock'n'roll.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Hymans “Erare Hymanum Est” CD (Wynona)
These Swedish rockers do the Ramones almost as good as the brudders.  This is a collection of some of their greatest hits over the years ('95 - '00).  Includes one unreleased track, a cover of the Rolling Stones' "2000 Man".  Highlight of the album is "You Know".

New additions this week:

Other Links: 
DIY Mastering  CD mastering service.
L.A. Punk Scene  New web zine.

2/9/03

Is it possible to get too much punk rock?  That question will be put to the test next weekend as I head off to L.A. for the L.A. Shakedown.  66 bands over two days on three stages.  I imagine the most difficult part will be trying to juggle the 3 stages to see all the bands that I want to see.  I will be hanging out with good friends Steve Stiph, Susan and Mario.  I will be meeting Mario for the first time even though he has been a regular contributor to the site for the last year.  Mario's brother, Steve, will round out our group of punk rock addicts.  A full review of the festivities will be available in 2 weeks.  No update next week due to the trip.

3 new reviews this week: 1) Straitjacket  S/T Demo CD EP, 2) Higgins++  "Commercial Break" CD, and 3) Z/28  "Wrecks From the Highway" CD.  Read them here.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Demonics “Ritual on the Beach” CD (Coldfront)
What do you get when you mix punk rock'n'roll with pop punk melodies?  The perfect album, that's what.  This one knocked my socks off on the first listen.  Blistering rhythm guitar, super leads and song craftmanship that'll keep you singing along in the car and have people wondering why your singing your head off with that shit-eating grin.  Can I start my 2002 year-end top 10 over?  

New additions this week:

Labels:
Loud and Clear Records  Label out of Santa Barbara, CA.

Other Links: 
Pure Mania  Nice selection of punk rock clothes and t-shirts.

2/2/03

It stills amazes me that after all these years, most people are ignorant to what punk rock is.  Many feel that is just noise without ever having heard it.  Two of my co-workers had these opinions until they borrowed CDs from me.  "Wow, that's punk rock!  It just sounds like rock'n'roll.".  My children grew up listening to punk rock and are fans today.  Expose your friends and family and keep punk alive.  You may just find that they'll thank you in the end. 

A Radio With Guts “Beat Heart Sweet Stereo” LP (Stardumb)

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Backwood Creatures/Dirtshakes "Two Wrongs Make A Right" 7" (Three Kings)
Two of Germany's finest bands on this obscure German label.  Both bands offer up two tunes each of melodic punk rock'n'roll.  They've got the energy levels cranked up high and the melodies are just how I like them.  

Mario's top ten/playlist for January 2003

The Black Keys “The Big Come Up” CD (Alive)

The Fevers “Gaan Daar Waar De Meisjes Zijn” LP (Alien Snatch)

High Beams “Hallucination” LP (Dead Beat)

King Louie One Man Band “Jesus Loves My One Man Band” CD (Extra Ball)

The Leather Uppers “OK, Don’t Say Hi” LP (Pantsuit City)

The Ramones “Joey Is A Punk” LP (bootleg)

Shakin’ Nasties “Better Than Television” LP (Radio Blast)

Supercharger “Singles Collection” CD (Rip Off)

V/A “California Ain’t Fun No More” LP (Alien Snatch)

V/A “Concrete Waves” CD (Disaster)

The Basicks “Brewed in the U.S.A.” CD (Self Produced Demo)

999 “Live at the Nashville” CD (Anagram)

Pettyfords “Aloha Means Goodbye” CD (Whoa Oh)

Retarded/Apers “Split” CD (Wynona)
Various Artists "British Punkinvasion Volume 2” CD (High Society International)
Various Artists "Old Skars and Upstarts” CD (Alive)

Various Artists "Paranoid Party Vol. 1” CD (Paranoid)

Various Artists "RAFR Volume 3” CD (R.A.F.R.)
Various Artists “Rock 'N' Roll War” CD (Vicious Kitten)
Various Artists "Bullet Proof Poems: The (Un)Authorised Dogs D'Amour Tribute Album” CD (Desert Inn)

1/26/03

Defense wins championships and their is no better team to get their asses whupped than the Raiders.  Congratulations to the Bucs!  Chucky's revenge!  Sweet!!

Can it be true?  Is Mutant Pop back in business?  Click the link to find out.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Briefs/Distraction "Split" 7" (Radio Blast)
The Distraction have that Stitches vocal vibe going which ain't half bad.  The Briefs are one of the world's premiere punk bands. A killer combination by the always great Radio Blast Records out of Germany. 

New additions this week:

Labels:
Adeline Records  Great punk label.  Lots of good stuff.
Marker Records Hardcore label from Germany. 
Slap-A-Ham Records Hardcore, thrash,crust...  You get the picture. From my old hometown of Alhambra, CA.

Other Links: 
Ohio Hystairical Musick Society  Tons of information on music in Ohio.

1/19/03

Happy Birthday to me!  Actually to the Punk Information Directory for 3 years of service to you punk fans.  Hopefully it is providing you with quality information and entertainment.  I am devising ways to make the site better and should have those in place within the next few months. 

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Jeff Dahl "VPRO 1993" 2x7" (Pirata)
Live Dahl from Europe in 1993.  This find's Jeff in fine form playing some of his biggest hits.  A bootleg, but Jeff sells it himself from his own site, so it's all good. 

New additions this week:

Labels:
Swinging Arms Productions  New label with a few releases.  

Other Links: 
Sex Pistols on CD  I bet you didn't know the Sex Pistols have been released on CD over 200 times.  Check them out.

1/12/03

If you ever thought you were too old to rock'n'roll, look at Loren Molinare of the Dogs.  He turned 50 a couple of months ago and he can rock the motherfucking socks off of most so-called punkers of today.  Loren was punk before there was such a word.  If you don't believe me, listen to the b-side of the "Class of 1970" single that was recorded in 1971!  He is my guitar hero and I look forward to seeing him and the Dogs again next month at the L.A. Shakedown.  Speaking of which, if you live in L.A. and are not going, why not?  Nearly 70 bands over two days and some of today's finest punk artists (Briefs, U.S. Bombs, Candy Snatchers, etc., etc.).  I'm driving 400 miles for this extravaganza, you can drive 30.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Dee Dee Ramone "Bikini Bandits" 2x7" (Stuff)
Dee Dee's last recordings.  It is a limited edition of 350 numbered copies with one black vinyl disc and a blue vinyl disc.  This is reminiscent of the glory days of the Ramones.  It has all the raw energy and superb song writing we came to expect from Dee Dee.  This is my belated number one single/ep of 2002.  Unfortunately I didn't hear it until 2003.  A hefty price tag comes with it too.  Mine was $11.50, but well worth it.  

New additions this week:

Other Links: 
Craptalk Web zine from the Netherlands written by Gary Craptalk full of reviews, interviews and lots of stuff about the Dutch scene.
100 Punks  Web zine with reviews, record label news and other columns.

1/5/03

It's that time of year again.  Time for the annual top ten's.  This was a bit of a weird year for me because I didn't hear as much new stuff as I usually do.  Also, I know there are top ten candidates out there that I haven't heard yet such as Hostage Record's "Cuts" compilation, 2 new releases from Rapid Pulse and the Distraction album.  So with those disclaimers, here is my top ten and Mario's.  As I am writing this, I have yet to see Mario's list but I can guarantee that although we may have a few items in common, our lists will probably be fairly different (after seeing Mario's list and only having one item in common out of 20 picks, I would say we have a nice selection of diverse music for you).  Mario's addition to the P.I.D. staff and his different perspective on things was the non-music number one highlight of 2002.

WILLY'S TOP TEN SINGLES AND EP'S

10. Spazzys   "The Sunshine Drive"   (Popball Records)  
4 songs from this Australian female pop punk trio.  I'm always a sucker for pop punk with a female lead singer.

9.   Highschool Dropouts/Reaction "Split"   (Daytime Dilemma)
The Highschool Dropouts play Ramones inspired pop punk but a hard edge that puts it somehere between pop punk and punk rock'n'roll.  The Reaction is Cliffy Huntington's new band after splitting with long time band mates, the Huntingtons and the result is a much rawer but equally melodic sound.

8.    Epoxies   "(We're All)  Synthesized"   (Dirtnap Records)
Dirtnap is one of the best labels around and the Epoxies are one of the best new bands around with their synthesized new wave sound.

7.    Nogoods   "Better Than Beer"   (Mutant Pop)
Part of the Short Run CD series, the Nogoods deliver on the Mutant Pop sound which features pop infused melodies, crunching guitars and great vocals. 

6.    Beldons    "Fatal Road"   (Mutant Pop)
Another band that delivers on the Mutant Pop sound.  Hook laden pop punk with Ramones influences.

5.    Broken Bottles  "Radioactive San Onofre"   (Hostage Records)
Hostage Records always delivers and this slice of '70's inspired punk rock'n'roll hits home with energy and singalong tunes.

4.    Pink Panthers   "...Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"  (Wynona Records)
3 young ladies from Italy that have created a wonderful 7 song CD EP with great vocals, melodies and song craftmanship.

3.    Somethingtons   "Collision Course With Fun!"   (Mutant Pop)
These guys really take the Ramones sound and twist it slightly to create a fun, poppy romp that will have you singing along.

2.    Hore Hounds    "No Time For You"    (Rapid Pulse)
Rapid Pulse put out this no holds barred straight ahead punk rock'n'roll classic with driving guitars, a dirty feel and  singalong anthems.  Piano is thrown in very nicely and adds to the feel of the songs.

1.    Nerd Gets the Girl    "Soda Shop Romance"   (Mutant Pop)
Perfectly crafted pop punk tunes, organs and an innocent feel.  Mutant Pop's SRCD series for 2002 scored 4 top ten releases for me.  Too bad 

MARIO'S TOP TEN SINGLES AND EP'S

10.   The Shrinks “My Mind’s Gone” 7” (Radio)

After their great single on Rapid Pulse Records, Radio Records released this four-song blast by The Shrinks and it’s another winner. Very Trust Fund Babies-like.

9.  The Diskords “Heart Full Of Napalm” 7” (Vinyl Warning)

Nice four-song 7” from a group of Portland, Oregon, teenagers. The title track is the winner to these ears – a KBD-style punker that’s simple, dumb in the best possible way, and catchy.

8.  The Bedpans “80s Mod” 7” (self-released)

This self-released, one-sided record, offers three songs of lo-fi, garage punk with a bit of a Pagans influence. Good shit!

7.  Accione Mutante “Must Be Stopped” 7” (Ken Rock)

Crank up the volume and prepare to be assaulted by one of the year’s loudest 7”s. The guitar on this record sounds like it is going to come out of the speakers and grab you by the throat. I like that. Fans of the Charm City Suicides might dig this.

6.  The Jewws “I need Your Loving” 7” (Alien Snatch)

The Jewws are one of today’s most underrated garage bands. They could be on Rip Off Records, and perhaps they should be. File them next to bands like the The Statics, The Inhalants, 1-4-5s, and The Wontons.

5.  Superhelicopter Ltd. “Fire Pussy” 7” (High School Refuse)

Another posthumous recording by this great, German garage punk band. Keep raiding the vaults and unleashing the hits!

4.  The Intelligence/Popular Shapes split 7” (Dirtnap)

Here are two bands that ought to be on the tip of everybody’s tongue. The Intelligence turn in two jangly, mechanical pop songs that recall their “sister” bands, the A-Frames and Double Fudge; the Popular Shapes play amped-up, garagey punk that segues nicely to a Tyrades’ record.

3.  One Man Show Live “Wrong Wrong Wrong” 7” (Goodbye Boozy)

Garagey punk with a bit of soul that will have you shakin’ your rump from the moment the stylus hits the grooves.

2.  Le Shok “S&M” 7” (Slamdance Cosmopolis)

This record features spectacular packaging, including a cover of “No Fun At The Beaches” by the Chosen Few pressed on the sleeve. The two originals here are decent enough, but this isn’t Le Shok’s best work.

1.  The Cadavers “Never Mind The Bodies, Here’s The Cadavers” 7” (Noma Beach)

I am a big fan of The Bodies. This record sounds a lot like The Bodies, which makes sense given that it features three members who went on to form The Bodies. You do the math.

WILLY'S TOP TEN FULL LENGTH LP or CD

10. Simpletones  "I Have A Date"   (Re-Force Records)
After 24 years, the Simpletones finally get their entire catalog released.  They helped define the L.A. pop punk scene of the time.  Kirsty Q, I Have A Date and all your favorites.

9.   Wimpy's  "Do the Wimpy's Hop"   (1+2  Records)
Japan's answer to mid-90's American pop punk and they do it with hooks galore. 

8.   Groovies Ghoulies  "Go Stories"  (Stardumb Records)
No new ground broken here but no slip up int he formula either which is good enough for any year's top 10.  Now on the great Stardumb Records and on tour with the Apers this Spring in the U.S.A.

7.   Queers   "Pleasant Screams"  (Lookout Records)
After slipping badly with "Beyond the Valley...", this is a return to form for everybody's pop-punk heroes of the mid to late 90s.  Pop craftsmanship rarely paralleled in the genre, let's hope there is more coming by Joe and the boys. 

6.   F.M. Knives   "Useless and Modern"  (Moo-La-La Records)
Any time you can be compared to the Boys, you can almost assure yourself a spot in my top 10.  The comparisons are well founded and these Sacramento punkers do it well.

5.   Stitches   "Twelve Imaginary Inches"  (TKO Records)
Finally a full length studio recording by the Stitches.  They wear the '77 punk banner on their sleeves and are the epitome of what punk rock is all about.  Don't miss them live.

4.   Popsters and Carbona   "Popsters vs. Carbona"   (Gonna Puke)  
Two bands, one from Italy and the other from Brazil.  Nobody does the Ramones sound better than Carbona and the Popsters have refined their sound since their debut album on Stardumb to create more energy and infuse their songs with more more hooks.

3.   Skulls   "Therapy For the Shy"  (Dr. Strange Records)
Billy Bones recruited 3 new members to become today's version of the original 1978 L.A. punk band, the Skulls.  Mostly playing songs from the early days, they have put a modern energy into these classics.  

2.   Extras   "Ugly American"  (Last Vestige Records)
This one showed up in my P.O. box a couple of months ago.  The Extras were an Albany, N.Y. band from the early 80s that records these 16 songs and then didn't release them until this year.  70's style punk rock with humor, power, hooks and a general attitude of fun.

1.   Saturday Night Kids   "Total Knockout"  (She's Gone Records)
I got this album early in the year and it floored me with it's pop punk perfection.  No album gave me more joy during the year than this one and that's really what makes for a number one ranking, right?  

MARIO'S TOP TEN FULL LENGTH LP or CD

10.  Nazis From Mars “S/T” LP (Astral Anarchy)

Unfortunately, most of today’s poppy punk bands have a Ramones-clone complex, rendering them complete worthless. Every so often, a band tweaks the formula without straying too far from the nest and gets it right. Insert the Nazis From Mars and their poppy-punk-meets-the electronic-age sound. Mix the No-Talents, Helen Love, Rancid Hell Spawn, and Atari Teenage Riot, shake well, remove excess fuzz, and serve with a crisp, clean recording.

9.  The Crowd “Punk Off” CD (Unity Squad)

There’s no need to preface my comments about The Crowd’s “Punk Off” CD with the “original beach punks” disclaimer that will forever be associated with the band since the material on this disc doesn’t sound like it was recorded by 40-somethings with spouses, day jobs, and mortgages. “Punk Off” is full of melodic, poppy punk, and the songs are as good, if not better than, 1996’s “Letter Bomb.”

8.  Les Dragueurs “…a la surboum!” LP (Wild Wild)

Jon von Zelowitz is the man. I had the pleasure of seeing Les Dragueurs this year on their West Coast tour and it was a blast, not to mention a gas. Hearing this LP reinforces the significance of his contributions to the success of the Mr. T Experience and the Rip Offs, respectively. This LP leans more towards the former than the latter.

7.  V/A “Cuts, Volume 1” CD (Hostage)

Compilations are typically shunned in favor of “proper” releases when year-end “best of” lists are compiled, and that is a shame. With that said, this compilation was one of the best proper releases of 2002. No filler. Kudos to Hostage Records for an outstanding concept, packaging, and for marking the recording debut of such fine acts as Broken Bottles, The Main, and The Fuse!.

6.  Bad Times “S/T” LP (Goner)

The “ultimate one-off” featuring Jay Reatard, Eric Oblivian, and King Louie – a who’s who of modern-day garage punk – resulted in a fine LP of tortured, garage punk. Although all three individuals contributed material to this project, Jay Reatard’s damaged wail and exceptional songwriting really shine here. Worth it alone for another version of “You’re So Lewd.”

5.  The Distraction “Calling All Radios” CD (Dirtnap)

Orange County’s The Distraction have been paying attention in class, and they’ve mastered Mike Lohrman’s primer on how to write a good punk tune and look cool-as-fuck in the process. The hair, the clothes, and the sound are all reminiscent of the “beach punk” community of which they are a part. These cats were right at home on this year’s Hostage Records comp, “Cuts, Volume 1,” and they also released a great single on Pelado Records. Right up there with The Stitches for the “Sex Pistols with a ‘now’ sound” award.  

4.  Henry Fiat’s Open Sore “Idiota Hyperactiva” LP (Repo)

This band is bad-ass, and I love ‘em for it. Originally released on LP/CD in 1999 on Sweden’s Repo Recordings, “Idiota Hyperactiva” was reissued on CD by Coldfront Records in 2002 (yeah, I’ve got the CD, but I’m listing the LP ‘cause vinyl rules and I am one of the lucky 500 souls who owns a copy of the LP). “Idiota Hyperactiva” is a raging wall of sound. Pair the recorded “muscle” of fellow Swedish exports like the Hellacopters and Peepshows with the energy and perversity of The Dwarves, add a snappy sense of fashion with a nod the Mummies/Rip Offs school of disguise, include killer songs that reinforce running around your home like a crazed lunatic with your arms flailing wildly, and you’ve got a recipe for success. Please come to the United States!

3.  F.M. Knives “Useless and Modern” CD (Moo-La-La)

What do The Buzzcocks, The Boys, The Kids, PVC, Teenage Head, and The Vibrators all share in common? Well, besides the fact that they are all terrific punk bands, they’ve all been cited as points of reference in reviews of the F.M. Knives’ “Useless and Modern” CD. The F.M. Knives are one of the best bands from Sacramento, California, by virtue of songwriting skills alone. It’s all about great songs, baby, and the F.M. Knives have yet to write a dud. Superb musicianship and a stellar recording help bring it all together on their debut CD, which is out of print and set for a reissue on LP/CD by Broken Rekids in Spring 2003.  

2.  The Epoxies “S/T” CD (Dirtnap)

Now that keyboards and punk rock are once again permitted to indulge in public displays of affection, The Epoxies are poised to rule the world. The Epoxies’ keyboard-laden, poppy, “anti-wave” (coined by Jesse Edelman of Know Crap mailorder) assault produced one of 2002’s best full-lengths. Backed by a very capable cast of characters, lead singer Roxy Epoxy is an incredible front woman, with a charming voice and a captivating stage presence. While this CD could have been the soundtrack to 1982, it makes a strong case to be the soundtrack of 2002.

1.  A-Frames “S/T” LP (Dragnet/SS)

This is a band that all of the record collector geeks will be talking about in 20 years. Why wait until then people?!?! The A-Frames are truly brilliant for their ability to assimilate elements of garage punk, post-punk, art-punk, and pop into something that sounds fresh and exciting and inviting. I hear bits and pieces of Wire, Devo, and the Jesus Lizard, among others. I anxiously await a brand new LP in Spring 2003.

WILLY's Pick of the Week  Ramones "End of the Century, Subterranean Jungle, Pleasant Dreams and Too Tough To Die" CD (Rhino)
Reissues of the next four Ramones albums with tons of demos and other unlreleased and limited released stuff.  For you completists. 

New additions this week:

Labels:
Basement Records  SoCal label with several releases.
Pom Pom Records  Florida based label with several releases. 

Other Links: 
Good Rags  Punk clothing outlet.