Some pretty neat, catchy punk from England. It’s medium-tempo stuff, though snappily and uniquely done. The A-side is particularly grabbing, with the rhythms really having a big effect on the toes. I like it.
Yet another neo-noise band. This group combines the sparse post-punk sound of BIRTHDAY PARTY with the treble feedback guitar of JESUS AND MARY CHAIN. Three tunes, none awesomely ripping.
A really unpleasant surprise. Musically, it’s more of the standard SHATTERED FAITH sound—mid-tempo punk with melodic choruses and occasional heavy metal guitar frills—but the production is too restrained and their newer material is less engaging. Worse, the live side is filled with standard rock and roll bullshit (Don Kirschner-like intros, artificially heightened applause, inane raps like “God bless you”), and the lyrics are unbelieveably stupid. The cliched songs about girls are bad enough, but “USA” plumbs the depths of ultra-patriotic retardation and makes it clear that earlier cuts like “Reagan Country” should be taken at face value rather than as satires. If this is LA, give me Boston.
