Album Review: Night Birds - Born to Die in Suburbia

People who swear off of punk because “all of the bands sound the same” are lazy. Simply put, they’re lazy. It is easy to find 4,000 bands that sound alike; but if you dig deep and get lucky you might find a band like Night Birds. I was lucky enough to stumble on them just as they released Fresh Kills Vol. 1 on Grave Mistake. Since then I have pretty much drooled over anything they have released like it was an old Bad Brains album I’d never heard before.

Night Birds return with their second full-length record “Born to Die in Suburbia”. It is hard to believe that this album is only technically a sophomore release, following four EPs and their debut LP “The Other Side of Darkness”, also on Grave Mistake Records. Born to Die sounds like the band is hitting their stride nicely. Fresh off a release with Fat Wreck Chords for their Maimed for the Masses EP (of which the title track about wrestler Mick Foley also appears on this album), it would seem that they are headed in the right direction of gradually gathering fans while sticking to a sound they have developed.  

The songwriting is a mix of angsty songs about self-loathing and hating Christmas gatherings, surf-punk instrumentals, and tracks about pop culture (the continued references to John Carpenter don’t hurt a thing). The album as a whole feels more hardcore influenced than their previous works since it is much more driven by the vocals. That being said, the guitar work is still just as catchy as ever.

There are a few things that have unjustly pigeonholed this band since “Killer Waves”: the fact that East Bay Ray was somewhat influenced by surf guitar, causing everyone to compare them to DK; and the fact that Joey Erg is one of the founding members, forcing the comparison to The Ergs. This album will hopefully cement Night Birds as a band of their own, not one defined by their influences.

Born to Die has some of the same surf punk influence that helps set the band apart, but reaches a bit further to include a large variety of songs. The fast songs are much more aggro than any of their previous releases. The vocals go over the top with energy and anger. The slow songs bring on feelings of angst and tension, before releasing it in the first few beats of the next track.

If someone tells you that punk is dead, I would suggest that you hand them a copy of this album. It is somehow a perfect mix of modern and old school. To me, the biggest downside of the album is that there are only 14 tracks, and two of those are instrumentals. I would love to have a longer album to see how deep the band can really dig when writing songs. That being said, “Born to Die in Suburbia” is not for everyone. It isn’t spikey punk, but if you’ve ever enjoyed 80’s hardcore, Dick Dale, or good loud fast music, give it a listen.

The album will be out tomorrow (July 8th). 

Album Review: Sunny Side Up - Paradise in the Sky

Ever get the urge to bust out the checkered vans, checkered sunglasses, checkered skinny tie, checkered hat, checkered (insert black and white accessory)?  Oklahoma City’s Sunny Side Up is here to make sure the third wave never dies in Oklahoma. Bands like The Ceiling Tiles, Tell It to the Brass (who turned into The Last Slice), Third Grade Scuffle, and others like them will never be forgotten in the ska scene; but after a while the ska/punk scene just died out in Oklahoma.

The album is a throwback to the mid-90s, with all of the standard ska-rock songs: a girl being cooler than you, not making it because you’re a ska band, being in a ska band, and so on. Combine the ska styles with the band’s love of anime and Japanese culture and you should hardly be surprised that they have comic style artwork, their own four part comic book series coming out, and Jun Senoue playing guitar on a track.

The sound of the album is very impressive for (what I understand) is mostly a DIY album. The two piece horn combo sounds powerful, and helps to direct the songs. The guitars drive on the rock parts and sound natural and pop on the skanky ska parts. On top of the sound, the album is just fun to listen to. I've said the word catchy a few times already, but it really does describe some of the songs. I currently have "Hipster Girl"on repeat.

A few critiques:

• the vocals are a little too overdone and layered too think for my tastes, but they make for some catchy choruses
• MORE BASS!
• four or five songs are from a previous EP. They’re some of my favorites, but people might already have half of the album.
• not enough songs about saying “fuck you” to hipster girls

This album is not reinventing anything, and it doesn’t really need to. Ska/punk in Oklahoma has been null for a long time. I am glad to see someone trying to keep it alive, and, so far, succeeding at it. Along with Classy San Diego, these guys have a pretty decent chance of making sure the punky skanky horn driven rock genre never goes away in the OK. This album is for the ska kids, by the ska kids. Not something recommended for the punx, but if you want to unwind and have some fun listening to catchy local music check, give this one a chance.

Album Review: Big Eyes - Almost Famous

               

               Upon listening to the new LP by Seattle’s Big Eyes, I could’ve sworn I had travelled back in time to 1993.

                I understand the connotations of that declaration can be misconstrued, so I’ll clarify. I do not refer to the espresso-fueled smack-Rock that dominated the mainstream Rock world that year. The long-haired hit-makers, adorned in gilded flannel,  gained mammoth popularity mixing  the bone-headed arena Rock of Zeppelin, the dirge-y drone of early Sabbath and the occasional spark of punk attitude.

                Big Eyes smell like 1993, to me, more for their kinship to that period’s less profitable outfits. Big Eyes’ music feels musically indebted to gorgeous College Rock bands like Superchunk, Posies, The Muffs, and fellow Washingtonian underdogs The Fastbacks.

                A power-trio, Big Eyes’ version of adrenalized Power-Pop is a delight. While none of the songs here are reinventing the three-minute Rock song, their energy is a breath of fresh air. It should be noted that Big Eyes are a Rock band with punk energy, not the reverse. So punk fans looking for an album of mohawked vignettes that spit venomous, anti-establishment shrapnel at 200 BPM should look elsewhere.

                Still, Big Eyes are a hoot, even for hard-line punk fans. For an era where the term “emotional” used in the same breath as “punk” often conjures memories of absolutely awful bands (bands I am too polite to mention), Big Eyes find a harmonious balance that doesn't  veer into the maudlin (see: Jawbreaker).

                ‘Almost Famous’ is a sharply recorded album. Crisp fidelity makes the most of Kate Eldridge’s big, meaty guitars, Chris Costalupes’s tasty bass lines, and Dillan Lazzareschi’s sweat-drenched drumming. The songs are anything but static. Granted there are standard, three-or-four chord pop-punk numbers, yes. Those songs don’t disappoint, though, as they are delivered with the sugary toughness of early Nick Lowe recordings. Arpeggiated sweetness gives way to muscle car riffing, palm-muted Descendents-inspired attacks dissolve into an almost Mod-inspired strumming.

                I’m not sure if this indie band ever will be “famous”. I’m not sure that’s possible. Moreover I’m not sure that’s the point at all. This record may not change your life, but it may just change your mind about the health and well-being of old-fashioned Rock ‘N Roll bands that deliver the goods in 180-second bursts. And in the almost dystopian musical landscape of this current century, ‘Almost Famous’ just might make a few kids smile. That’s worth ten US dollars.

written by Jef Leppard

EP Review: Night Birds - Maimed for the Masses

Fat Wreck Chords have introduced Night Birds to a little bit more of the world with their new EP Maimed for the Masses. This is inevitably just another step toward the band’s complete world domination. I can’t think of a band to come out of the past 5 years that I have liked more, and everyone who listens to them seems to be getting just as attached as I am.

With Maimed for the Masses they face one of their first tests as a growing band: being released on a bigger label. Whether you call a band “sell-out” or not, it is hard to deny that bands tend to change their sound when they get the opportunity to spend some money on recording and post-production. The first thing I was very happy to hear was the gritty reverb-tinged lead guitar line that has come to be Night Bird’s signature sound. As the full sound kicks in, the title track “Maimed for the Masses” feels just as energetic and catchy as “Killer Waves”.

The intensity gets kicked up on the second track “Barred Out”, a song about being on the all –too recreational prescription drug Xanex. This second track is full of energy, anger, and angst. This track is a juxtaposition of every person I have ever met who does bars. The lyrics aren’t anything special, but the music makes me want to get up and break stuff. I think that this is the only thing that saves the song from being just alright. Then again, I have never done “zanies”, so this song just really doesn’t speak to me from the start, probably one reason why it was cut from the full album.

“Last Gasp” brings the Birds’ surf sound to the forefront with a winding guitar rif, whammy bar, and enough reverb to make your brain to feel like it’s shaking. Once again, this song feels a little bland for Night Birds, which explains why it is a B-side on an EP of songs that didn’t make the full length. There just isn’t much catchy about the song. The way I hear it, the emphasis of the song is placed on the reverbed staccato guitar hits that start the song and separate the verses.

The EP closes with a raucous instrumental surf song like Night Birds tend to close with. This track is good. If "Boat Trash" is the instrumental they dropped from the full length, I can’t wait to hear the ones that made it.

Overall, this is an EP leading up to an album, so you can’t put too much pressure on these songs. After all these were the songs that didn’t make it on the LP, but if you give it a few listens you really don’t get that from it. It feels like a standalone release. The single “Maimed for the Masses” is a great song, the B-sides don’t let you down, and the instrumental just kicks ass. This is a good way to get the public ready for their upcoming album.

written by Tip Toasty

Album Review: Streetlight Manifesto - The Hands That Thieve

It is hard to find a music lover who does not like Streetlight Manifesto. There are undoubtedly some out there, but I haven’t run into one yet. What this says to me is that Streetlight goes beyond genres, and simply translates into good music.

I have been a “super-fan” of Streetlight Manifesto since Everything Goes Numb came out a few months shy of ten years ago. People like me patiently wait for releases to be recorded, re-recorded, mixed, re-mixed, mastered, delayed and finally released. We loyally bought (and sometimes still listen to) Keasbey Nights and pretend the songs on 99 Songs of Revolution: Vol. 1 were originally written to be played that way.

When I heard that SM were breaking up and releasing what will probably be their final album I had some mixed feelings. I think that there isn’t much room for them to work in their current situation; ska-punk just isn’t popular, Victory Records has a strangle hold on their collective testicles and claims they owe them another record, and they have to listen to annoying fans like me say “the new album is good, but it’s no Everything Goes Numb.” Throw in that Tomas Kalnoky is a self-proclaimed perfectionist and the struggle just seems to be amplified. Knowing this I didn’t have a clue what to expect from The Hands That Thieve. The questions were mostly answered last week when the record leaked. (Disclaimer: I don’t encourage illegal downloading, but I do encourage you at least give the album a listen on YouTube. If Victory really wanted it down that bad, they would get it down like they did for ANY Toh Kay The Hand That Thieves video that surfaced).

The album starts off strong in typical SM fashion, with a track called “The Three of Us” which starts with Kalnoky’s classicly clean guitar strumming and the proclamation “I will never defend the man who makes a mends with the enemies friends//I will never pretend” before kicking in to a full band instrumental segment full of weaving horn lines and the quick, clean drum and bass work you have come to expect from the band. As it builds to the core of the song you get everything from skanky guitar riffs accompanied by thick gang vocals, to bouncy breakdowns layered with almost metallic guitar riffs. All in all it is the way a Streetlight album is supposed to start: with an easy intro, abrasive kick in, winding tempo changes, and overall really damn catchy.

From there, it moves to “Ungrateful”, which is reminiscent of a Catch 22 song. It starts with a lo-fi Dixieland muted trumpet then eventually kicks into a high paced punk tune along the lines of “Supernothing” by Catch 22. This is where the listener might start feel like they’ve heard these songs somewhere before. It isn’t a bad feeling by any means, almost a sense of familiarity. It is almost as if the band brought together elements of every album they have worked on, including Catch and Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution.

One of the few expectations most had for the album was that it would not be kind to Victory Records. To make a long story short, the band and the label don’t get along too well. It feels like every song has at least one or two jabs at Victory in the lyrics. The title track’s chorus proudly proclaims “and we will bite the hand that feeds//we will not turn the other cheek”. Of course all of Kalnoky’s lyrics can be interpreted in different ways, but with all of the anger from the band, it is a safe bet that a lot of the album is directed toward Victory.

One aspect that I enjoy is the length of the songs. This is not for the typical punk attention span, with the shortest song clocking in at 3:52 and the next shortest over four-and-a-half minutes. While I’m usually not too keen on long songs, I like that the melodies, horn lines, tempo changes, and sense of unpredictability all have room to maneuver throughout the album. The model for this is “With Any Sort of Certainty” which breaks down into an ambient section and a chanted chorus, and before building back into the structure on this 6:22 venture.

While the band has said they are not fully breaking up, the album just seems to be closure for them. A final hurrah, “fuck you” to Victory, “thank you” to fans, and homage to all of their previous work. I hope that isn’t the case. I hope the band goes on forever. I wouldn’t even mind if they take years to release records. I guess we won’t really know until it all pans out.

Punk is OK score: 8/10 (For the record, I would have given this record a good 9/10 if it felt like it was worth the 6 years wait)

Album Review: SIR REG "21st Century Loser"

Celtic punk seems to be one of those genres that people either like most of it, or you don’t like any of it. I’m not talking old Dropkick Murphys style Oi! with bagpipes; I mean Flogging Molly, The Tossers, Blood or Whiskey style where traditional Irish sounds are mixed with punk attitude, speed, and style. SIR REG is one band that both fits into the genre, but seems to stick out at the same time.

First off, the band is Swedish, although it is led by Irish born Brendan Sheehy. When I was first contacted by drummer Erik about their last album “A Sign of the Times” I couldn’t help but wonder why a bunch of Swedes were playing Irish style punk. That album immediately erased that thought from my mind, and their latest release makes me wonder why I ever thought that in the first place.

The album starts off with “Emigrate” what seems to be a personal tale from Sheehy’s past. The rhythm is carried by the staggered beat as it blasts under the Celtic fiddle, acoustic and electric guitars, and plenty of woah-oh’s. From there the album twists and turns through different styles and speeds. Tempo builds on the blazing third track, and single “Til the Dead Come Alive”, then wind down over the next few tracks eventually leading to where Sheehy’s voice really shines: an Irish tinged ballad.

As the album unfolds you get a good mix of fast and slow, punk and rock and roll, Celtic, and straight-ahead. If you are someone who can’t get enough Celtic punk, you will eat the whole album up. On the other hand, if you are a “just the hits” sort of listener, you might find yourself losing interest. If you are one of the latter, the good news is that most people should easily find two-to-five songs they like and can stick with in the first listen or two.

Any time I play SIR REG for someone for the first time, I get a lot of “They sound like Flogging Molly.” While the band admittedly likes Flogging Molly, and has even done a European tour with them, they are not just a Flogging Molly Clone. Their tones lean more toward The Pogues than FM. Stylistically there are similarities in the rhythm, or My point is you won’t confuse the album for one written by Dave King, but you would be proud to shelve it next to one of his in your collection.

The biggest complaint I have about the album is that songs can start to sound the same. This issue really only happens when I use it for background music, though. The first couple times I put it on I had no problem, but by the time I was writing the review and hearing it for the third time though, I got the feeling it was all blending together toward the middle tracks. On the other hand the lyrics are well crafted and have a point, so you probably won’t want to use it for background music too often.

Overall, “21^st Century Loser” packs a pretty solid punch from beginning to end. Even if you aren’t a big Celtic punk fan, give it a chance.  What I like most about it is that it feels genuine. It is not trying to be anything it isn’t, and it doesn’t try to hide anything that it really is.

Punk is OK score: 8/10

Check out the album's first single, "Til the Dead Come Alive"