Review: Teenage Bottlerocket - They Came From The Shadows

If I had written a Top Ten Albums list for last year, this album would have battled Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts for the top space. Of the 14 songs on this album 12 are absolute home runs. Out-of-the-park, onto Landsdowne Street, home runs. I know that certain people think that Teenage Bottlerocket are too poppy and I won't deny that these guys certainly put the pop in pop punk. But it's that awesome kind of pop punk that takes it cues from the Ramones and lives in the great tradition of The Queers, Mr T Experience, and Cletus. Actually if you like the Ramones, there is no excuse for you not to own at least 3 albums by Teenage Bottlerocket and They Came From the Shadows is probably as great a place to start that collection as any.

I talked before about the song 'Skate or Die' and great I thought it was. Remember that? Well it's just the opener on this album. Some of them are more offbeat and goofy
like 'Bigger than Kiss' while other seem to tackle real issues like lead singer's body image problems in the amusingly named 'Fatso Goes Nutzoid.' That song also has the greatest departure from the pop-punk song of the record with the band lapsing into 80's hardcore style riffs on every chorus. Another thing TBR shares with bands like The Ramones and The Misfits is their obsession with horror and B movies. Both the title track and 'Forbidden Planet' typify this with their descriptions of extraterrestrial invasion. Seriously though, they're all fun and tongue in cheek as opposed to creepy (Jerry Only I'm looking at you).

But the real surprise on this album, and it is a pleasant, is how capable they are of poignancy. There are songs from both sides of a break up and a love song that are as good as anything a more serious band would write. I should say that when I say serious band, I mean in terms of lyrical content, not dedication to craft. Don't be offended guys from TBR, I feel like we would be awesome hang out buddies if we met. Anyway, if you just got dumped and you want to be angry about it, 'Not OK' is the song for you. If on the other hand, you want to wallow and be sad, then go with 'Without You' or the absolutely perfect 'Don't Want To Go.' For all the break-up angst though, the album wraps itself up with the closing track 'Todayo.' If the last song I recommended for all the punk rock couples out there didn't float you, then this one will. It also ends the album on a fun note with a false ending that then builds into a sing along outro.

When I first posted about these guys (for my smash hit STBYM series) I called them pitch perfect pop punk (I think, I'm too lazy to go back and check). I stand by that description as well as the stellar alliteration it contains. This is exactly what pop punk should be. Every song, every riff, every subject. So if you like your punk a bit pop-y then you need this album. If you don't (i.e. you aren't a fan of sunshine, happiness or fun) then you should still give this a shot and see if it can't brighten your day at least a little. And by brighten I mean make exponentially more awesome.



Teenage Bottlerocket - Don't Want To Go****removed by 'request'

Teenage Bottlerocket - Todayo ****
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Teenage Bottlerocket

Quick Poll (s)

I'm probably going to do a review later tonight, but I wanted to make this its own item. I need some feed back on a couple of changes I'm thinking of implementing.

The first is pretty minor, I was thinking of making the album art at the beginning of every review another link to where you can buy the album. Putting the buying links at the end makes them kind of possible to miss.

Another thought I'd had is that I want to get more adventurous in my culinary exploits, and I was thinking of documenting some of that progress here. Would all four of my readers be fine with finding food descriptions clogging up their mp3s and music rantings or should I thinking about expanding my brand into another blog which would be just about food? The lead singer of The Riot Before has a blog where he muses about life, and then a completely separate one where he mostly talks about food so I feel like I would be in good company in this venture. Please let me know in the comments your thoughts on these changes.

Thanks
Keegan

Review: Banner Pilot - Collapser

I feel like, without my noticing, Fat Wreck Chords has really upped their game. Back when their big rising-star-workhorse was a traction-gaining Against Me! it felt like a majority of their label-mates were kind of cookie cutter pop-punk bands. The Soviettes, Smoke or Fire (who have since elevated their game) etc were great for comps and you could definitely enjoy a song or two but you looked a little askance at people who seemed to be actual fans of these bands. But suddenly my cup runneth over with solid punk bands that can stand out from their peers like American Steel and Banner Pilot, and wouldn't you know it? They're all on Fat Wreck. Well played Fat Mike, but I still don't get Cokie the Clown.

That was my long-winded introduction to Collapser, Banner Pilot's Fat Wreck debut. My other planned intro was to talk about how I went to a certain frozen-rock ice cream parlor for the first time ever last night. I was not a big fan. I don't like having to say cutesy shit in order to get food. They had a flavor that was cake batter ice cream with cookie dough and heath bar. This hits most of my happy places so you might assume it was what I got yes? NO. Because the name of the flavor was "More lovin, less oven" or something similarly nauseating and I refused to say it (I also didn't tip cause I didn't want to hear them sing). So I got coffee ice cream instead. Adam has pointed out that this is similar to a certain southwestern grill's policy of naming dishes after Seinfeld references. He is 100% right. If you're out there mexican food place: you know who you are, now knock it off. A fajita is a fajita which is to say one of the greatest food stuff in the history of ever. At this point some of you are probably turning away from your computers saying "If I wanted to hear a random rant about food, there's a Jim Gaffigan special on tv that would be a better, funnier use of my time" and to you I say that this whole thing was actually on point because in my mind Collapser is like cookie dough ice cream.

By this I mean that the whole album is solid. Especially the bass sound, which is that awesome clanking metallic Latterman sound. God I love that. But yeah the vocals are gruff enough to suit you org-core punkers but still clear enough that you aren't missing out on the lyrics and the vocal melodies which are solid as hell. On top of that the album strikes a nice balance with all the songs hanging together nicely but at no point did I think 'these all kinda sound alike.'

So that's the ice cream. Ice cream in general is good and this album in general is good. The cookie dough is that sprinkled liberally throughout the album are really great songs that in addition to being great songs, elevate the rest of the album (like how raw cookie dough makes something transcendent out of what was previously basic vanilla). These include the opening track 'Central Standard' and suprisingly the closing track 'Write It Down.' There are some massively catchy choruses lurking in 'Starting at the Ending' and 'Farewell to Iron Bastards' both of which are also surprisingly sweet when you get into the lyrics. But if you and your punk rock girl (or boy) need a new song to be 'your song' then look no further than 'Skeleton Key.' Sitting almost dead center on the track list this was the first song on the record to grab a seat in my head and refuse to leave. There also something touchingly poignant about the line "It ends so soon, the night and the fading moon. / I put my hand inside yours. The city looks strange and significant." every time it makes me wish I had written it.

Bottom line, this is a good punk rock album with some great songs on it. In my head I've termed it 'hang-out punk.' It doesn't want you to go out and stir up revolution, it doesn't need to air out some grievances with an ex (not that there's anything wrong with either of those) it's just a record for being, like hanging out with a really old friend, nobody needs to try too hard, nobody needs to change just put this record on and enjoy it.

Banner Pilot - Skeleton Key

Banner Pilot - Write it Down

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Banner Pilot

Review: American Steel - Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts

I've kind of been avoiding writing about Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts, last year's offering from Oakland's American Steel for two reasons. First, I'm a little embarassed to be so behind the ball on these guys and this album. American Steel has existed in some form or another for 15 years. I've had since 1995 to find this band and I'm only doing now. Also Dear Friends was one of last year's sort of break-out hits and I'm only reviewing it now. The other reason I was hesitant to write about this album is that I'm a little nervous about whether or not I can do it justice, it's that good. Really.

This album is the kind of good, that it should make you despair of ever making music that's comparable while at the same time inspiring you to try. It's like nothing you've heard before while at the same time it's that comforting punk record to which you can always rock out. The hooks are razor sharp and fishing-worthy, the bass thumps along, the drums drive hard non-stop and the guitar veers from clanging punk guitar to lightly jangling delayed leads that would sound right at home on a Cure record. Lyrically this is a superb effort with poignant verses tackling a range of topics to shout along choruses that you have memorized by the end of the song.

The album opens perfectly with two undeniably danceable numbers 'Emergency House Party' where singer Rory Henderson assures us that "We only need a song to dance to, We only need a chorus to sing a long to" and 'Tear the Place Apart' which sees him exhorting us to "Get your ass up on your feet now baby, and tear the place apart." The album goes five songs without letting up once with could-be-hits like 'Safe and Sound' 'Your Ass Ain't Laughing Now' and 'The Blood Get's Everywhere.' That last is a strange little horror movie ditty which might put listeners in mind of old Alkaline Trio which was nice for me, because I can't help hearing a little of Matt Skiba in Henderson's voice.

'From Here to Hell' takes the foot off the pedal just long enough to get through the first verse and then puts it right back down for the next four songs. The final two songs however are departures each in their own way. 'Finally Alone' is a massively epic sounding song complete with a chorused vocal that will remind some people of the end of 'Welcome Home' by Coheed and Cambria. The last track is an odd little, down tempo number that might seem like a throwaway on a lesser album but on Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts it seems like a necessary cool-down period, you can't quit something this good cold-turkey.

You know I mean business when I say the appeal of American Steel is easily on par with that of Lemuria and almost on a Gaslight level (insert gasps and 'oooh's here). The only one keeping Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts from being one of your favorite albums is you. And that's a problem I seriously suggest you remedy.

American Steel - Tear the Place Apart

American Steel - Your Ass Ain't Laughing Now

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American Steel

Quick Video Interlude - or - Classic Clips Vol.2

Recently while reading an article on Gibson's website (and no, I'm not linking to it) I stumbled upon this great video of The Who doing "Won't Get Fooled Again." Now I have to admit, on my list of best Who songs, this one probably doesn't crack my top ten but this is a great performance. It's early enough that everyone is still alive and kicking on all cylinders and late enough that you avoid the weird fringed-buckskin and mod outfits of the early days and the Woodstock-Monterrey pop era. Daltrey is crushing it, Entwistle is showing off what a virtuoso he actually is (take a good look at his hands when the camera cuts to them, they're flying and he's being pretty nonchalant about it with lots of slides and little trills) and Townshend looks like he's having the time of his life. Watch him repeatedly go back to his amps to see if he can keep turning them up. My only complaint is that Keith Moon seems a little subdued by his standards, which is to say he slightly more active than almost any other drummer going. Anyway, do enjoy......The Who!!!

Review: GroupThought - [EP]

Many, many years ago when I was a lad in high school I was in a band called Modern Theory. It was a sort of Prog-Rock and while it was good fun, eventually we parted ways cause I wasn't really all that into Prog nor was I proficient enough at bass to really hold my own in a Prog band (to this day I'm not a huge fan of playing with out a pick). We should be clear, it's my memory that it was a mutual parting of ways, but it's also entirely possible that I was well and truly sacked.

Either way, the drummer for that band was a kid named Ben Smith who was more than slightly decent at what he did. He would end up going to school in Potsdam and starting a band called GroupThought. See why that gratuitously long anecdote was necessary? So now I'm going to reveiw GroupThought's Ep, a good year and half after it was first brought to my attention. Ben if you're out there....sorry about that.

The five song ep is a little bit prog-y and a little jammy. There are some serious grooves on here that even got my head bouncing around and at the same time a lot of shredding goes on. The album's opener "Sleep Machine" is a nice little microcosm of this as it switches between more wandering jammed out parts with elaborate instrumental work and solid grooves that see the band lock in together nicely. The next two songs show off the band's diversity with "Silent Scene," essentially a piano ballad, and the tersely-titled "III" which is a sort of ambient interlude.

"I Wish I Were Green" is a return to the formula of the opener of bipolar instrumentation going back and forth between a delay-laden guitar part intro and a grooving Flanger-ed and distorted riff. I have to say though I would like this song a lot better if it had been left as an instrumental. That's all I'm going to say about that, you'll just have to listen to it and see what I mean. Finally the record closes with the strangely named "ESPhunky" (I would love to know what the hell that means), an effects heavy meandering tune which, like 'Green; shows that each of these guys has some serious talent which they put to good use. These songs are dynamic and well executed and if you like your jam music a little technical or you like your prog-rock to groove a little then this might just be your favorite new upstart band.

I'm going to post a song here, but it's worth noting that all the songs can be acquired for free at the band's myspace here.

GroupThought - Silent Machine

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GroupThought

Bruins Preview 2010

So it's about that time of year where I talk about my predictions for the new Boston Bruins' season. This is due to the Bruin's training camp starting to warm up, and the Red Sox slow decline toward the end of their season (actually it's more like a tail-spin). This could be an exciting year for the Bruins. We've traded an aging defense-man (Dennis Wideman) to Florida for an exciting young forward in Nathan Horton. And thanks to taking a couple first round picks off of the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Phil Kessel, we've now transformed the farm system into a fairly formidable collection of prospects headed by our second-overall pick Tyler Seguin.

So I'd love to go really in depth about Bruin's prospects and maybe break down the team's strengths and weaknesses by position. I think that would be fun. But I'm not going to do it and there's two reasons why: There's Jimmy and Cathy and sweet Lorelei. Just kidding. If you don't get that then you should watch the Robert Altman movie Nashville. But seriously I'm not writing a big long thing because at least half my reader's really don't care and also, the New England Sports Network already did it better than I ever could so it's easier to just link to them.

Top Ten Prospects
10. Andrew Bodnarchuk
9. Max Suave
8. Zach Hamill
7. Ryan Spooner
6. Ryan Button
5. Jared Knight
4. Yuri Alexandrov
3. Jordan Caron
2. Joe Colborne
1. Tyler Seguin

Breakdown By Position

Goalie
Defense
Right Wing
Center
Left Wing *** (article went away)