Archive Review: Various Artists - Radio Dick, Volume One (2003)

Named after the notorious pirate DJ, Pal-Tone calls its Radio Dick compilation “The 3-sided LP Series.” Each CD will feature four songs each from three distinctly different bands (thus the “3 sides”); volume numero uno offering up cuts by the American Plague, Windfall, and Vangard. The American Plague hail from Knoxville, Tennessee and sound a lot like stadium rockers trapped in punk rock bodies. “Alabama Tough Love” rips a riff right out of the Johnny Ramone playbook, pumps it up a bit with steroidal amplitude and rocks the hell out of it. The band’s other three songs shake the earth in a similar fashion, all muscular power chords and soaring vocals, kind of like a cross between Pearl Jam and Loverboy.

Windfall has a female lead vocalist, which lets you know right off the bat that you’re going to experience a different aesthetic from the Plague’s throwback crotchrock. Singer Jennifer Catucci has pretty good pipes, but fairly pedestrian material to work with, shimmering guitars and rhythmic crescendos supporting her operatic vocal gymnastics. “Kindle Eyes Nude” is the best of the batch, a hard-driving tune with clashing instrumentation, wiry leads and odd timing that works to great effect behind Catucci’s larger-than-life vocals. Of the trio of young ‘uns here, Windfall sounds the most like the big time. 

Vangard rounds out Radio Dick, Volume 1, kicking out the jams with rapid-fire, generic pop-punkola that could easily find a home on Drive Thru or Vagrant. Not that any of Vangard’s material is offensively dreck – it’s all pleasant enough I suppose, kind of like cherry cough syrup, with the sweetness covering the bad aftertaste (and the shudder of revulsion that follows). All in all, a mighty mediocre comp with little to distinguish these three bands from the universe full of rock ‘n’ roll hopefuls. (Pal-Tone Records, released 2003)

Review originally published by Jersey Beat music zine...