Army
of Freshmen stammered in disbelief as their self-financed tours, huge
underground fan-base, and even a top ten release in Japan went unnoticed to the
American recording industry. However, AOF prove once again that D.I.Y. ethics
and a lot of hard work can catapult a band to success. After major success in
Japan, the band returned home to record their self-financed second album, ‘Beg,
Borrow, Steal’, with producer Angus Cooke (The Ataris, Lagwagon). This album is
a tight, well-produced pop-punk record with musicianship that far surpasses the
six years the band has been together. The major plus of this album is the
keyboards playing of band members Dan and Owen. They create this high-end web
that seems to hold the record together without making the songs too sappy. Owen
also holds down the melodic vocal hooks, sharing the mic duties with lead
vocalist Chris. Chris' vocals might prove to be an acquired taste for new fans
of AOF. He seems to pull influences from Mike Patton(Faith No More) and Fred
Durst(Limp Bizkit), also adding a sort of contrived So-Cal accent, finished off
with an old school rap flow. One major set-back to ‘Beg, Borrow, Steal’ is the
lyrical content. It seemed to be more of a means to an end instead of part of
the creative process. With lines like "when they come for us in uniforms to
burn the tree house down, tell my friends I'd rather die than ever run away", I
would be surprised if anyone having higher than a 5th grade mentality can groove
to these lyrics. I would definitely suggest checking this album out before
buying it either through the band’s website (http://www.armyoffreshmen.com)
or at any Tower Records store. (Dave Evans)
At first, I didn't know what to make of this band...the
music seemed to be heavily inspired by 80's semi-hair bands (I say "semi"
because there were two types of bands in the "hair" genere of the 80's...bands
that were totally hair like Poison and Pretty Boy Floyd, and bands that were
melodic and accessible but not really "hair" per se. Bands like LA Guns,
Winger, and Guns N Roses. They were straight forward rock bands that were
lumped together with "hair" bands because the imagination-impaired record labels
knew of no other way to market them). The singing, however, smacked of
proto-grunge acts like Circus of Power. In the end, I can only describe this
band one way: damn good! Drummer Art Koch and bassist Weedge provide a rock
solid rhythm section over which guitarist Tony "TJ Coe" Colon lays some riffs
that are chunky enough to eat with a fork, not a spoon. Singer John Wise is
definitely no virtuoso, but he has a style that is unique and fits the music
nicely. There is some nice songwriting here, especially "23" and "The Other
Side". This would be a great band to go hear live and slam a few beers while
doing some head-banging. I can't say I was impressed with the packaging...the
whole "let's make it look like an 80's punk record sleeve", to me, is *so* five
minutes ago. What's important, though, is what's inside, and what's inside is
an entertaining listen. The Heathen Hippy gives it three and 1/2 lighters in
the air. (Taliesin A. Govannon)
The 12 tracks on this solo album from Paga’s vocalist Mike
Hudson were recorded at various times, in various studios, and with various
musicians while Hudson was living in New York. The masters for these songs are
lost, so this disc was taken from cassettes of the material Hudson had.
Therefore the sound quality, while acceptable, is not always the greatest.
Still, it’s nice to have this stuff available, and I doubt too many potential
buyers of this record will mind. The material covers a wide range of styles,
from Pagans style punk to rockabilly to ballads. ‘Unmedicated’ starts off
strong with “Anything”, just the sort of number you’d expect the vocalist for
the Pagans to do on a solo outing. It’s in the ballpark of what he’s known for,
but the lyrics are more personal and the vocals more integral to the song.
Ditto for “Without Her” and “Downtown Beirut”, the next two tracks. There’s
also a surprising number of ballads on here, and the best are “Nothing”
(co-written with Cheetah Chrome) and “Brian Always Said”. Less satisfying is a
cover of Ian Hunter’s “3000 Miles From Here”. It’s just vocals and an acoustic
guitar, and honestly I don’t think Hudson’s voice is strong enough to carry the
tune. “Rebecca Love”, while obviously a heartfelt love song, doesn’t do much for
me, either. The rest of the album is okay, but songs like “At the Party” and
“90 Seconds” don’t really knock my socks off. It’s definitely a mixed bag, but
considering the nature of this release that’s not too surprising. Still, if
you’re a Pagans fan, or just a Clepunk fan in general, you’ll probably want to
pick this up. It should be available at most of the finer independent music
emporiums in town, or you can just point your browser over to
http://www.sonicswirlrecords.com. (Bob Ignizio)
Ladykillers- ‘Welcome to Rock N
Roll Kid’ (Number 3 Records).
Punk rock! Punk rock! Punk rock! Most bands that are known
for an explosive live show always seem to have trouble relaying that energy into
their recordings. Ladykillers are a huge exception to that rule. Their latest
release "Welcome to Rock N Roll Kid" is a concept album that portrays the
heartbreak of lost relationships. The energy of this recording is so high and
infectious, you can almost hear the crowd singing along. If you close your eyes,
you may even smell the smoky, stale L.A bars where the Ladykillers frequently
share the stage with the likes of D.I, Rocket from the tombs, and The Angry
Samoans. Geoff Davis' guitar work is soaked with immaculate tones and attacks
that take you back to a place where rock n roll conquered all. Lead
singer/bassist Levine spits lyrics reminiscent of dramatic high school love
letters with a delivery Joey Ramone would be proud of. Finally, Shawn Medina
holds it all together with fast but simple retro-punk beats. Great, simple,
rock n roll! Visit
http://www.ladykillersmusic.com for upcoming U.S tour dates. (Dave Evans)
Army
of Freshmen stammered in disbelief as their self-financed tours, huge
underground fan-base, and even a top ten release in Japan went unnoticed to the
American recording industry. However, AOF prove once again that D.I.Y. ethics
and a lot of hard work can catapult a band to success. After major success in
Japan, the band returned home to record their self-financed second album, ‘Beg,
Borrow, Steal’, with producer Angus Cooke (The Ataris, Lagwagon). This album is
a tight, well-produced pop-punk record with musicianship that far surpasses the
six years the band has been together. The major plus of this album is the
keyboards playing of band members Dan and Owen. They create this high-end web
that seems to hold the record together without making the songs too sappy. Owen
also holds down the melodic vocal hooks, sharing the mic duties with lead
vocalist Chris. Chris' vocals might prove to be an acquired taste for new fans
of AOF. He seems to pull influences from Mike Patton(Faith No More) and Fred
Durst(Limp Bizkit), also adding a sort of contrived So-Cal accent, finished off
with an old school rap flow. One major set-back to ‘Beg, Borrow, Steal’ is the
lyrical content. It seemed to be more of a means to an end instead of part of
the creative process. With lines like "when they come for us in uniforms to
burn the tree house down, tell my friends I'd rather die than ever run away", I
would be surprised if anyone having higher than a 5th grade mentality can groove
to these lyrics. I would definitely suggest checking this album out before
buying it either through the band’s website (
At first, I didn't know what to make of this band...the
music seemed to be heavily inspired by 80's semi-hair bands (I say "semi"
because there were two types of bands in the "hair" genere of the 80's...bands
that were totally hair like Poison and Pretty Boy Floyd, and bands that were
melodic and accessible but not really "hair" per se. Bands like LA Guns,
Winger, and Guns N Roses. They were straight forward rock bands that were
lumped together with "hair" bands because the imagination-impaired record labels
knew of no other way to market them). The singing, however, smacked of
proto-grunge acts like Circus of Power. In the end, I can only describe this
band one way: damn good! Drummer Art Koch and bassist Weedge provide a rock
solid rhythm section over which guitarist Tony "TJ Coe" Colon lays some riffs
that are chunky enough to eat with a fork, not a spoon. Singer John Wise is
definitely no virtuoso, but he has a style that is unique and fits the music
nicely. There is some nice songwriting here, especially "23" and "The Other
Side". This would be a great band to go hear live and slam a few beers while
doing some head-banging. I can't say I was impressed with the packaging...the
whole "let's make it look like an 80's punk record sleeve", to me, is *so* five
minutes ago. What's important, though, is what's inside, and what's inside is
an entertaining listen. The Heathen Hippy gives it three and 1/2 lighters in
the air. (Taliesin A. Govannon)
The 12 tracks on this solo album from Paga’s vocalist Mike
Hudson were recorded at various times, in various studios, and with various
musicians while Hudson was living in New York. The masters for these songs are
lost, so this disc was taken from cassettes of the material Hudson had.
Therefore the sound quality, while acceptable, is not always the greatest.
Still, it’s nice to have this stuff available, and I doubt too many potential
buyers of this record will mind. The material covers a wide range of styles,
from Pagans style punk to rockabilly to ballads. ‘Unmedicated’ starts off
strong with “Anything”, just the sort of number you’d expect the vocalist for
the Pagans to do on a solo outing. It’s in the ballpark of what he’s known for,
but the lyrics are more personal and the vocals more integral to the song.
Ditto for “Without Her” and “Downtown Beirut”, the next two tracks. There’s
also a surprising number of ballads on here, and the best are “Nothing”
(co-written with Cheetah Chrome) and “Brian Always Said”. Less satisfying is a
cover of Ian Hunter’s “3000 Miles From Here”. It’s just vocals and an acoustic
guitar, and honestly I don’t think Hudson’s voice is strong enough to carry the
tune. “Rebecca Love”, while obviously a heartfelt love song, doesn’t do much for
me, either. The rest of the album is okay, but songs like “At the Party” and
“90 Seconds” don’t really knock my socks off. It’s definitely a mixed bag, but
considering the nature of this release that’s not too surprising. Still, if
you’re a Pagans fan, or just a Clepunk fan in general, you’ll probably want to
pick this up. It should be available at most of the finer independent music
emporiums in town, or you can just point your browser over to
Punk rock! Punk rock! Punk rock! Most bands that are known
for an explosive live show always seem to have trouble relaying that energy into
their recordings. Ladykillers are a huge exception to that rule. Their latest
release "Welcome to Rock N Roll Kid" is a concept album that portrays the
heartbreak of lost relationships. The energy of this recording is so high and
infectious, you can almost hear the crowd singing along. If you close your eyes,
you may even smell the smoky, stale L.A bars where the Ladykillers frequently
share the stage with the likes of D.I, Rocket from the tombs, and The Angry
Samoans. Geoff Davis' guitar work is soaked with immaculate tones and attacks
that take you back to a place where rock n roll conquered all. Lead
singer/bassist Levine spits lyrics reminiscent of dramatic high school love
letters with a delivery Joey Ramone would be proud of. Finally, Shawn Medina
holds it all together with fast but simple retro-punk beats. Great, simple,
rock n roll! Visit
