These guys have a
real knack for laying poppy hooks and well written lyrics over noisy, raucous
guitar riffs, and that makes them okay in my book. I thought tie’s debut four
song EP focused a bit too much on their mellow introspective side, but this time
around the band’s penchant for live ass kicking comes through loud and clear on
songs like “Drive” and “Stop”. The music is sometimes complex but always
catchy, with plenty of dynamic range. Vocalist Josh Jesty still sounds an awful
lot like Rivers Cuomo (especially when he does his falsetto), but with only a
few exceptions the songwriting has evolved beyond the influence of Weezer into
something distinctive. These guys are good enough to go national. All they
need is a decent record company behind them. (Bob Ignizio)
Like the series of online
compilations from Cleveland: Aint it Fun?, this is a great way to hear a whole
slew of Ohio bands for next to nothing. Since this is an actual, professionally
pressed CD it’ll cost you a little, but five bucks ain’t much to ask. Unlike
the C:AIF comps, which have branched out to include just about all styles of
rock, F.I.M.P. keeps its focus on various flavors of punk. You get plain old
lour fast rawk (Eric Wrong & the Do-Rights, The Professional Againsters),
hardcore (Don Austin), old school punk (Lazy American Workers), rockabilly
(Lords of the Highway), and quirky weirdness (CD Truth, Kill the Hippies) and
more. 15 bands in all, each contributing 2 tracks. Some of these are
previously released, but I know at least the tunes from CD Truth and The
Professional Againsters are band new. Also, the Kill the Hippies tracks are
live versions that I don’t believe have been officially released before.
Production is professional sounding from start to finish. While I’m not
surprised I didn’t like every band on here, I’d say at least ¾ of the tracks got
me rockin’. Aside from bands I’m already on record as being big fans of (CD
Truth, Kill the Hippies, Lords of the Highway, The Professional Againsters, and
Don Austin) I really liked The Jeffs, Eric Wrong & the Do-Rights, Lester, and
The Hypochondriacs. Don’t be a cheap bastard, buy this disc. You can go to
http://www.geocities.com/fimpakron and do just that. (Bob Ignizio)
Well, this really
isn’t what I was expecting. Based on the shows this zine has sponsored here in
the Cleveland area, I thought I was in for some punk and hardcore. For the most
part, however, this is a collection of indie pop, folk, and roots music.
Defiance, OH’s “Chad’s Favorite Song” is about the hardest thing on here, and
it’s pretty securely in the pop punk genre. Once I got past my surprise,
though, I was able to enjoy most of this collection. Some of the artists are
extremely derivative (Alan Madej’ “Daffodil” is pure Beatles worship, and The
Gunshy sounds very Tom Waits), but a few artists like J. Scott Franklin and Ryan
Wilkins stand out as having their own voices. If you like singer/songwriter
type music, you should get yourself a copy of this. It’s only $2, which you
should send to Starvation Army Zine, 11124 Clifton Blvd. #9, Cleveland OH 44102.
Wu Tang Clan – ‘Legend Of The
Wu-Tang : Wu-Tang Clan's Greatest Hits’ (BMG)
Say
all you want about the Wu-Tang clan. Yes, Ol' Dirty Bastard is crazy. Yes, most
of the group doesn't even show up to live shows. But, that's sort of what makes
them great. They are chaotic. This collection of songs is really cool. It's got
all the early stuff, which was really when they were in their prime. The emotion
of "Can It All Be So Simple", to the rugged "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F'
Wit". The real talents in this bunch are Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Rza,
who basically puts it all together. His simple, but effective beats, are the
backbone of the Wu-Tang. My favorite track is the no-hook "Triumph" from
"Wu-Tang Forever". I love this song so much because it embodies what they are
about, rawness. Pick this collection up, and hold on to some of the last great
MC's of our generation. Wu-Tang is for the children! (Eddie Fleisher)
These guys have a
real knack for laying poppy hooks and well written lyrics over noisy, raucous
guitar riffs, and that makes them okay in my book. I thought tie’s debut four
song EP focused a bit too much on their mellow introspective side, but this time
around the band’s penchant for live ass kicking comes through loud and clear on
songs like “Drive” and “Stop”. The music is sometimes complex but always
catchy, with plenty of dynamic range. Vocalist Josh Jesty still sounds an awful
lot like Rivers Cuomo (especially when he does his falsetto), but with only a
few exceptions the songwriting has evolved beyond the influence of Weezer into
something distinctive. These guys are good enough to go national. All they
need is a decent record company behind them. (Bob Ignizio)
Like the series of online
compilations from Cleveland: Aint it Fun?, this is a great way to hear a whole
slew of Ohio bands for next to nothing. Since this is an actual, professionally
pressed CD it’ll cost you a little, but five bucks ain’t much to ask. Unlike
the C:AIF comps, which have branched out to include just about all styles of
rock, F.I.M.P. keeps its focus on various flavors of punk. You get plain old
lour fast rawk (Eric Wrong & the Do-Rights, The Professional Againsters),
hardcore (Don Austin), old school punk (Lazy American Workers), rockabilly
(Lords of the Highway), and quirky weirdness (CD Truth, Kill the Hippies) and
more. 15 bands in all, each contributing 2 tracks. Some of these are
previously released, but I know at least the tunes from CD Truth and The
Professional Againsters are band new. Also, the Kill the Hippies tracks are
live versions that I don’t believe have been officially released before.
Production is professional sounding from start to finish. While I’m not
surprised I didn’t like every band on here, I’d say at least ¾ of the tracks got
me rockin’. Aside from bands I’m already on record as being big fans of (CD
Truth, Kill the Hippies, Lords of the Highway, The Professional Againsters, and
Don Austin) I really liked The Jeffs, Eric Wrong & the Do-Rights, Lester, and
The Hypochondriacs. Don’t be a cheap bastard, buy this disc. You can go to
Well, this really
isn’t what I was expecting. Based on the shows this zine has sponsored here in
the Cleveland area, I thought I was in for some punk and hardcore. For the most
part, however, this is a collection of indie pop, folk, and roots music.
Defiance, OH’s “Chad’s Favorite Song” is about the hardest thing on here, and
it’s pretty securely in the pop punk genre. Once I got past my surprise,
though, I was able to enjoy most of this collection. Some of the artists are
extremely derivative (Alan Madej’ “Daffodil” is pure Beatles worship, and The
Gunshy sounds very Tom Waits), but a few artists like J. Scott Franklin and Ryan
Wilkins stand out as having their own voices. If you like singer/songwriter
type music, you should get yourself a copy of this. It’s only $2, which you
should send to Starvation Army Zine, 11124 Clifton Blvd. #9, Cleveland OH 44102.
Say
all you want about the Wu-Tang clan. Yes, Ol' Dirty Bastard is crazy. Yes, most
of the group doesn't even show up to live shows. But, that's sort of what makes
them great. They are chaotic. This collection of songs is really cool. It's got
all the early stuff, which was really when they were in their prime. The emotion
of "Can It All Be So Simple", to the rugged "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F'
Wit". The real talents in this bunch are Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Rza,
who basically puts it all together. His simple, but effective beats, are the
backbone of the Wu-Tang. My favorite track is the no-hook "Triumph" from
"Wu-Tang Forever". I love this song so much because it embodies what they are
about, rawness. Pick this collection up, and hold on to some of the last great
MC's of our generation. Wu-Tang is for the children! (Eddie Fleisher)