John Dwyer is from the Jon
Spencer Blues Explosion-esque band, The Coachwhips. This is a collection of his
"acoustic guitar noise collages”, as the sticker on the record states. It's a
mellow effort, not well recorded. However, the amount of feeling and heart put
into the songs shines through the bad quality. The starter, "So I Guess We Can't
Hang Out", is like a lot of John Frusciante’s (Red Hot Chili Peppers) early solo
stuff. In between some good stuff, there is alot of filler here. A lot of them
sound like sound experiments, which I think was the intention, but some of them
can be boring. But, it's worth sifting through. Fans of the Coachwhips may not
like the mellow-ness of the record, but I'd say I prefer it. (Eddie Fleisher)
Very eighties hardcore sounding, right down to the (non)
production; angry screaming female vocals that still hover somewhere in the
neighborhood of a melody, a thin, ragged guitar sound, distorted bass, and for
the most part, plenty fast two-count drum beats. And those who place importance
on serious lyrics that deal with (leftist/anarchist) politics and social issues
will find plenty here to like. On the downside, there’s a few too many times
where the songs seem to get away from the band in a race to the finish line, and
Gruk sticks a little too close to the blueprint laid out by their influences. On
the plus side, the songs are pretty good and the passion is clearly there. Not
great, but definitely better than average. If you like early Dead Kennedys, MDC,
Black Flag, DRI, and the like, you may want to check this out. (Bob Ignizio)
More zaniness
from Canada’s own “Ramones on ice”, the Hanson Brothers. Essentially, the music
sounds like Nomeansno playing Ramones tunes, with lyrics either in the standard
Ramones mold or about hockey. Nothing too deep, just dumb, fun punk rock. I’m
surprised Nomeansno’s Wright Brothers (for whom the Hanson’s are something of a
full time side project) have been able to keep milking this gag so long.
Whatever, I enjoyed the album. The Wright brothers know how to pen a good,
catchy song, and this definitely does the job if you’re in the mood for some old
school punk that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The cover art is a parody
of Black Flag’s ‘My War’ (Bob Ignizio)
Heartless Bastards is Erika
Wennerstrom, plus some of her friends helping out. Wennerstrom is from Dayton,
OH, and the 25 year old has been striving to make music since birth. That's a
good thing, because her music is a welcome addition to the scene. This 5 song EP
is a very creative record. Her voice blends Chrissie Hynde, Patti Smith, and
Karen O. (Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs). The songs are catchy and the guitars are crunchy.
Track 2, "Autonomy", stands out best here, showcasing Erika's vocal strengths.
Do check this out, it's worth the time. (Eddie Fleisher)
John Dwyer is from the Jon
Spencer Blues Explosion-esque band, The Coachwhips. This is a collection of his
"acoustic guitar noise collages”, as the sticker on the record states. It's a
mellow effort, not well recorded. However, the amount of feeling and heart put
into the songs shines through the bad quality. The starter, "So I Guess We Can't
Hang Out", is like a lot of John Frusciante’s (Red Hot Chili Peppers) early solo
stuff. In between some good stuff, there is alot of filler here. A lot of them
sound like sound experiments, which I think was the intention, but some of them
can be boring. But, it's worth sifting through. Fans of the Coachwhips may not
like the mellow-ness of the record, but I'd say I prefer it. (Eddie Fleisher)
Very eighties hardcore sounding, right down to the (non)
production; angry screaming female vocals that still hover somewhere in the
neighborhood of a melody, a thin, ragged guitar sound, distorted bass, and for
the most part, plenty fast two-count drum beats. And those who place importance
on serious lyrics that deal with (leftist/anarchist) politics and social issues
will find plenty here to like. On the downside, there’s a few too many times
where the songs seem to get away from the band in a race to the finish line, and
Gruk sticks a little too close to the blueprint laid out by their influences. On
the plus side, the songs are pretty good and the passion is clearly there. Not
great, but definitely better than average. If you like early Dead Kennedys, MDC,
Black Flag, DRI, and the like, you may want to check this out. (Bob Ignizio)
More zaniness
from Canada’s own “Ramones on ice”, the Hanson Brothers. Essentially, the music
sounds like Nomeansno playing Ramones tunes, with lyrics either in the standard
Ramones mold or about hockey. Nothing too deep, just dumb, fun punk rock. I’m
surprised Nomeansno’s Wright Brothers (for whom the Hanson’s are something of a
full time side project) have been able to keep milking this gag so long.
Whatever, I enjoyed the album. The Wright brothers know how to pen a good,
catchy song, and this definitely does the job if you’re in the mood for some old
school punk that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The cover art is a parody
of Black Flag’s ‘My War’ (Bob Ignizio)
Heartless Bastards is Erika
Wennerstrom, plus some of her friends helping out. Wennerstrom is from Dayton,
OH, and the 25 year old has been striving to make music since birth. That's a
good thing, because her music is a welcome addition to the scene. This 5 song EP
is a very creative record. Her voice blends Chrissie Hynde, Patti Smith, and
Karen O. (Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs). The songs are catchy and the guitars are crunchy.
Track 2, "Autonomy", stands out best here, showcasing Erika's vocal strengths.
Do check this out, it's worth the time. (Eddie Fleisher)