Black Sunday - Tronic Blanc (2005)

Down around Memphis way, on a bluff high above the mighty Mississippi River, Alicja Trout is a one-woman rock & roll wrecking crew. An artistic triple-threat, Trout is an accomplished musician, an insightful producer and a successful independent businesswoman running her own Contaminated Records label and Tronic Graveyard recording studio. Trout earned her indie street cred as the guiding light of the Lost Sounds, a critically acclaimed art-rock outfit with garage-rock sensibilities; she’s since gone on to experiment in different musical avenues with bands as diverse as MouseRocket and the River City Tanlines. Don’t be fooled, however – as disparate as these bands may seem, they are nothing but different faces of the same brilliant artist.

Black Sunday has been billed as Trout’s first post-Lost Sounds project but in reality, like most of her work, it’s been a work in progress. Collecting tunes written and recorded from 2002 until 2004, Tronic Blanc is a perfect representation of Trout’s many different talents. She performs most of the instrumentation on the album, with friends adding drums or guitar to a handful of songs. More impressive, however, is that Tronic Blanc tends to incorporate a wider range of Trout’s songwriting interests than any of her other bands that I’ve heard.

From the new wavy, Gary Numan-influenced electronic paranoia of “This Heart Is Now Aluminum” to the hook-laden ‘80s pop stylings of “Next Girl Detour,” Trout experiments across the board with different sounds on Tronic Blanc. Although the results vary from song to song, Trout’s talents tie them all together and provide a continuity that is tough to achieve over a multi-year timespan. Most of Tronic Blanc skews towards electronic-tinged synthpop, although a few cuts – like the hard-rocking, guitar-driven “Torture Torture” – would be perfectly at home alongside many Victory Records “screamo” bands, albeit less abrasive and with more visible intelligence. “Good Dreams” is an interesting art-rock instrumental, classical piano layered above an electronic drone that would make Klaus Schulze green with envy.

Simply put, Alicja Trout is one of the most interesting and intelligent musicians working on the indie circuit today. Perhaps because Trout’s home base is Memphis she doesn’t get the ink that coastal-based indie artists garner. Her relative isolation from the industry has also insulated her from the battering winds of changing musical trends, allowing Trout to follow her own muse. Black Sunday’s Tronic Blanc delivers thought-provoking music, challenging without being heartbreaking, entertaining, intelligent and ambitious. Between Alicja Trout and her friend Greg Cartwright’s band the Reigning Sound, these two artists are making some great music in the Bluff City. (Dirtnap Records)

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The 101ers - Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited (2005)

Before Joe Strummer became a punk icon with the Clash or the patron saint of rock & roll that he has become since his death, he was just another British musician trying to knock out a hardscrabble living with a local band. In Strummer’s case, this band was the 101ers, a better-than-average group of rockers that have found a degree of infamy mostly through being eclipsed by the Clash’s considerable legacy and Strummer’s significant solo work. A loose-knit collection of 101ers’ material was originally issued on vinyl back in ’81 and by various fly-by-night operations in varying forms and formats since. The expanded Astralwerks collection, Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited, provides the final word on this important, if historically slighted band’s legacy.

Formed by Strummer in 1974 near the end of the British pub-rock era, the 101ers were much closer in spirit to bands like Ducks Deluxe and Dr. Feelgood than anything that would follow during the punk-rock explosion of ’77. Inspired by the music of Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and early Rolling Stones, the 101ers practiced a street-smart brand of R&B drenched, guitar-driven rock & roll that would later inform some of the Clash’s London Calling and later musical output. The 101ers never put out a proper album, however, and released only one 7” single, making Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited a ragtag collection of rough-hewn studio demos and rare live tracks.

Fans of the Clash expecting the spit-and-bile proto-punk of the band’s first two albums will be sorely disappointed. Fans of Strummer, though, who appreciate the artist’s wide range of talent and musical tastes, will certainly enjoy the raw charm offered by these rare 101ers songs. Especially significant are Strummer’s first attempts at songwriting, tentative steps like “Keys To Your Heart” or “Sweet Revenge” that sound surprisingly mature. Blending a classic Chess Records R&B sound with strains of rockabilly and roots rock, the 101ers weren’t a half bad band by any standards, and Strummer’s early songs easily stand with similar efforts from notable songwriters like John Fogerty or Bruce Springsteen.

Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited also includes a number of previously unreleased live tracks, including originals like “Keep Taking The Tablets” and “Lonely Woman’s Son,” one of Strummer’s first socially-conscious songs that would later be recreated by the Clash. A number of live cover songs are also included, from the obvious (Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” and Bo Diddley’s “Don’t Let It Go”) to the obscure (Slim Harpo’s “Shake Your Hips”) and the unusual (the Stones’ “Out Of Time”). A glorious performance of Van Morrison’s garage-rock standard “Gloria” closes the disc.

Befitting its pedigree, the sound quality of Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited varies wildly, from rough studio recordings to hollow-sounding, thirty-year-old live tracks (digitally massaged to be slightly better than bootleg quality). The material here all displays a certain undeniable rock & roll spirit, however, the performances filled with raw energy and passion. The 101ers were as much a part of Joe Strummer’s considerable legacy as the Clash or the Mescaleros, Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited an essential document providing an intriguing snapshot of the artist’s early days. (Astralwerks Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited from Amazon.com)

Pitch Black - This Is The Modern Sound (2005)

It’s a damn shame that Pitch Black’s excellent sophomore effort, This Is The Modern Sound, has also become the band’s swan song. Word has reached this scribe that Pitch Black has recently broken up and, although it may be a fitting end – seldom has a band delivered a second album as fully realized and mature as Pitch Black’s – so too does it rob fans of what might have come in the future. It’s also unfortunate that Pitch Black has been unfairly lumped in with the great unwashed mass of aimless punk bands currently wandering the musical horizon. Anybody with half a brain would come away from listening to This Is The Modern Sound with the sense that Pitch Black is a great rock band, period.

Sure, the band member’s roots are in hardcore punk, and the street cred given Kevin Cross and crew is unassailable. But from the stark, Shepherd Fairey-inspired cover art to the Frank Zappa quote on the back of the CD booklet – “Brown shoes don’t make it” – this is a different sort of listening experience. A modest guitar riff opens “Tonopah” before the full band kicks in with crashing results. Jeremy Goody’s jarring keyboard riff adds to the song’s urgency, underscoring the eerie, macabre subject matter of the lyrics, the tale of a desert ghost town and former gold mine. A dynamic instrumental passage displays the entire band’s musical prowess before jumping headfirst into the song’s final chorus.

From this point, the energy and passion of the band is unflagging, the rest of This Is The Modern Sound an object lesson in balls-to-the-wall, uncompromising rock & roll. “The Veracity Of Baggage” is supported by the fiery six-string fretwork of Cross and the dynamite rhythms of bassist Martin Munroe and drummer Jamie Morrison, keyboardist Goody riffing like a mad scientist beneath the explosive instrumentation. The song draws upon a sort of horror-film, Misfits/Rob Zombie vibe but at its heart is a solid hard rock romp. “Sutured Heart” is an atypical love song, a fresh perspective on the cliched broken heart with anguished vocals, Goth-flavored classical keyboard chiming and a powerful melodic hook. “Maze Of One Ways” features hypnotic fretwork, mesmerizing vocals, chanting keyboards and some of the most invigorating, percussive drum playing these ears have enjoyed in years. “Executives And Art Directors” provides a savage lyrical beating to the tin-eared label execs and corporate drones that too often dismiss talents like Pitch Black in favor of the trendy musical “flavor-of-the-week.”

Pitch Black features a top-notch collection of instrumental players, guys raised in the punk/hardcore underground who have flown under the radar of the music world’s arbiters of talent, the various instrument magazines. The guitarwork of frontman Kevin Cross is imaginative, his range and tonality impressive. Jeremy Good’s keyboard playing provides the band with an edgy diversity and the rhythm guys, Munroe and Morrison, bring a complexity and dense structure to the band’s sound that is missing from many rock outfits. The production is bigger than life and tightly woven, drawing upon Spector’s “wall of sound” for inspiration, with every instrument working in chorus to create a multi-textured and satisfying listening experience.

Altogether, these four guys have created a minor masterpiece in This Is The Modern Sound, an album that bridges the gap between classic three-chord punk and the timeless rock aesthetic. Lyrically and musically, Pitch Black evoke memories of the Doors, Alice Cooper, Frank Zappa, Black Flag, the Misfits, Sisters Of Mercy, the Clash and probably a dozen other great bands and artists. Too good for today’s modern (corporate) music world and not hip enough to garner the sort of press afforded, say, Bright Eyes, This Is The Modern Sound will nevertheless fall as one of the year’s best discs. With the band’s unfortunate demise, the album seems destined to become a lost classic that listeners will only discover in a decade or two. Why wait? Enjoy Pitch Black now with This Is The Modern Sound. (Revelation Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy This Is The Modern Sound from Amazon.com)

Bad Religion - All Ages (1995)

Contrary to the belief of many scribes, the recent punk rock revival hasn't occurred overnight. Mainstream critics have all but ignored the punk underground, perhaps thinking that it would go away if they just didn't write about it. The kids knew all along what time it was, jamming local all ages shows at clubs across the country to see bands like 7 Seconds, NoFX, Operation Ivy and the grandpappy of them all, Bad Religion.

Formed during the early-80s American hardcore punk revolution, Bad Religion rapidly became South Cali faves with the release of their uncompromising debut, How Could Hell Be Any Worse? As the hardcore movement began to lose steam come mid-decade, mutating into a dozen varied musical forms, the band split into separate factions and stayed out of the game for almost four years. In 1988 the original five members of Bad Religion reunited to release the ground-breaking Suffer, and a revitalized punk scene was born that would carry over to the present day.

Over the next few years, Bad Religion would rewrite the book on punk rock. The band had developed a driving, furious rock style that combined the attitude and energy of punk with musical elements drawn from almost 40 years of rock & roll. Intelligent lyrics, often espousing a certain socially-conscious world view, were contributed by vocalist Greg Graffin and guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Released through Gurewitz's Epitaph Records label, albums like No Control, Against The Grain and Generator captured the hearts and imaginations of young fans, each selling upwards of a hundred thousand copies – unheard of, at that time, for a punk band on an indie label.

All Ages culls material from the aforementioned late-80s/early-90s releases, as well as a pair of previously unreleased live cuts and a taste from their 1981 debut, We're Only Gonna Die. All Ages is a significant overview of the band's work during this important time period, presenting the band's talents through cuts like You Are (The Government), No Control, Fuck Armageddon...This Is Hell and 21st Century Digital Boy. Twenty-two cuts in all are included, each one going a long way towards explaining the band's popularity and influence. This stuff is whip smart punk rock: no frills, cranked out fast and furious with style and intelligence.

Covering as it does, Bad Religion's 1988-1994 pre-Atlantic label years, All Ages serves as an excellent document of the band's achievements to this point, showcasing a considerable musical growth and their maturity into one of rock's best bands. Along with the previously-released, self-explanatory 80-85, the appropriately-titled All Ages is an excellent compilation for fans of the band as well as an important touchstone in the band's career. With the major-label release of Recipe For Hate, Bad Religion began writing the next chapter in their story, and only time will tell the story. (Epitaph Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy All Ages from Amazon.com)

Anti-Flag - For Blood And Empire (2006)

Since punk rockers are an argumentative bunch of boojies under any circumstances, I’m sure that the major label defection of indie hardcore stalwarts Anti-Flag has already been chewed over and spat out on dozens of chatrooms and message boards across the star-spangled ‘net. Maybe the Reverend is too old for this sort of hijinx, or maybe I just don’t give a damn. These ears honestly can’t hear much diff between For Blood And Empire, Anti-Flag’s controversial major label debut, and the three or four other AF CDs that rotate off my shelf and onto the music box from time to time. Let’s take a peak at some of AF’s new major label concerns, shall we? Anti-war? Check. Anti-racist? Check. Anti-corporate? Check. Anti-WTO, Big Media and social injustice? Check, check and checkmate.

The music on For Blood And Empire still blisters and peels, the guitars cut all the way down to the bone, and frontman Justin Sane’s vocals still spit out venomous lyrics with an admirable fury. Is Anti-Flag signing with Sony BMG to reach a wider audience with its radical agenda any different than Bad Religion releasing albums through WEA? I say that Justin and crew should grab the cash and hightail it back to Steeltown before the Germans running RCA wake up and realize what they’ve done. In the meantime, all you young punx relax…Anti-Flag still kicks ass and For Blood And Empire is the balls. The Reverend sez so…. (RCA Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy For Blood And Empire from Amazon.com)

Against All Authority - The Restoration Of Chaos & Order (2006)

While many of their ideological brethren have fled the punk-rock playground in search of corporate sponsorship, respectability and a pension plan, Against All Authority has done an admirable job of adhering to its D.I.Y. aesthetic. The Restoration Of Chaos & Order doesn’t break any new ground, lyrically or musically, but for Warped Tour kidz whose only exposure to radical politricks comes from The Daily Show, this should hit ‘em like a typhoon. The disc reveals just enough skankin’ riddims to soften the band’s hardcore punk sound a bit in the face of an unrelenting barrage of blistering guitars and throbbing basslines, every song displaying honest “rage against the machine.” AAA is unafraid to tackle issues like corporate greed, televised warfare, corrupt politics and the homogenization of punk with a righteous anger earned by a decade of living right, and a defiance that hasn’t budged an inch in over a decade. “We turn it up cause we like it loud,” indeed. (Hopeless Records) (Click on the CD cover to buy The Restoration Of Chaos & Order from Amazon.com)

Dead Kennedys - Frankenchrist (2001)

Although they’re often underrated when mainstream pundits revise the history of punk rock, the Dead Kennedys were nevertheless one of the most influential and important bands in hardcore America. They provided a voice of sanity during the Reagan era and set the lyrical stage for other politically oriented bands like Rage Against The Machine and Corporate Avenger. This CD reissue of 1985’s Frankenchrist is part of Manifesto’s overall revamping of the Dead Kennedys’ catalog; this being the band’s third and, perhaps, most notorious album. The original vinyl release included a fold out poster by Swiss surrealist artist H.R. Giger that led to the arrest of DK frontman Jello Biafra on obscenity charges. Although Biafra eventually won the case, the attempted censorship and subsequent legal trials and tribulations broke the DK’s apart.

Strangely enough, Frankenchrist is long way from being the band’s best album (a spot still reserved by Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, their debut). Frankenchrist may be the most politically strident release in the DK catalog, but it eschews the satirical good humor of earlier efforts in favor of more poisonous lyrical barbs. Musically it is perhaps their most accomplished effort, however, with guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Flouride and drummer D.H. Peligro coming into their own as instrumentalists. The album kicks off with a mutant surf guitar riff, “Soup Is Good Food” documenting the early days of corporate “downsizing” and the hidden costs of consumerism. Biafra’s “Chicken Farm” offers a wicked raga-flavored guitar riff beneath a chilling tale of life during wartime. “MTV - Get Off The Air” points out the enervating, soulless corporate nature of “music television” while the pedestrian lyrics of “At My Job” are matched with a brilliantly martial undercurrent courtesy of some strange time changes and recurring rhythms. Biafra’s “Stars And Stripes Of Corruption” would later be revisited in spoken word form but here it sports an unrelenting guitar attack punctuating Biafra’s unique and powerful vocals.

At the time, the Dead Kennedys were a perfect fit between Biafra’s often-brilliant social commentary and the player’s hardcore punk assault. Biafra’s manic performances are legend, the energy and passion that he and the band brought to the material unmatched by any punk band in the decade and a half since. (Manifesto Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Frankenchrist from Amazon.com)

Dead Kennedys - Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death (2002)

Although often overshadowed by legendary outfits like Black Flag, X or the Misfits, the Dead Kennedys were arguably one of the most important and influential punk bands in the history of the genre. They were the most political of the new breed, mixing a radical worldview with a tongue-in-cheek lyrical style and uncompromising hardcore punk chops to create a thought provoking and unique, hilariously satirical sound. A late-80s PMRC-inspired obscenity trial didn’t shut the band up but rather managed to censor Amerikka’s most infamous punk rock troublemakers by breaking the band apart. A decade later, the band members have gone through another (very public) break-up, with East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride and D.H. Peligro wresting control of much of the Dead Kennedy’s catalog away from vocalist and songwriter Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label.

Give Me Convenience OR Give Me Death is one of those former AT titles, reissued by Manifesto Records with the dissenting band member’s blessing; Biafra has disavowed the reissue series entirely. A sort of “greatest hits” compilation, Give Me Convenience OR Give Me Death is a great place for the uninitiated to sample the Dead Kennedys’ experience firsthand. Some of the band’s best material is collected here, including early songs like “Police Truck,” “California Uber Alles” and “Holiday In Cambodia.” A killer cover of “I Fought The Law” shows the band’s retro chops while a Biafra rant, “Night Of The Living Rednecks” foreshadows Jello’s spoken word career.

Old hardcore DK fans probably already have this title on vinyl or CD, but the reissue does offer cleaner sound via digital remastering and a 32-page reproduction of the album’s accompanying booklet, including song lyrics and Winston Smith artwork. I’d recommend Give Me Convenience OR Give Me Death for new fans, and would suggest that if you like this stuff, you should check out Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, the band’s best album and the lone title still available on Alternative Tentacles. (Manifesto Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Give Me Convenience OR Give Me Death from Amazon.com)

Billy Idol - Devil's Playground (2005)

Twelve years have passed since Billy Idol’s disastrous Cyberpunk album, with which the king of new wave dance rock tried to reinvent himself as a mirror-shaded, futuristic nethead with a blend of techno dance beats and punkish hard rock. Personally, I never thought that Cyberpunk was nearly as bad as the almost universal disdain heaped upon it by critics would have you believe. After all, Idol has some definable talents as a singer and songwriter, combined with a measure of charisma – he’s not Vanilla Ice, for christsakes! At the time of Cyberpunk’s 1993 release, though, Idol also had a monkey on his back the size of King Kong, and simian logic was clearly behind much of the album’s material. Save for a wonderful cameo appearance in Adam Sandler’s The Wedding Singer movie, Idol has mostly been shelved as an ‘80s icon, brought out only for VH-1 specials and oldies radio.

Considering the dismal reception suffered by Cyberpunk, one might think Idol all but through with music. No, the sneering madman still has a few tricks up his sleeve, and with his most pronounced failure a decade behind him (and largely forgotten even by hardcore fans), Idol has come roaring back with Devil’s Playground. Reunited with both guitarist/on-stage foil Steve Stevens and producer Keith Forsey, Idol has delivered a solid collection of songs that rivals his work of 20 years ago. Kicking out the jams with a mix of metallic pop and hard rock aspirations, Idol and crew hit the ground hard with one of the finest, pure rock & roll records that you’ll experience this year.

Devil’s Playgound kicks off with “Super Overdrive,” Stevens’ guitar soaring and screaming like a hungry bird of prey while Idol delivers the album’s mission statement. With chaotic ambience reminiscent of Zodiac Mindwarp, Idol asks, “does he still have the magic?” quickly coming to the conclusion that “yes he does!” The life-is-a-prison tune “World Comin’ Down” opens with a musical quote from “Dancing With Myself” and displays some of Stevens’ most fiery six-string pyrotechnics in a decade. “Sherri” is the best song on Devil’s Playground; a red-hot romantic rocker with soulful vocals and a pop hook the size of a whaling harpoon. In the Reverend’s blueprint for the new world order, “Sherri” would be blasting out of every car radio on the planet at full volume. The song just fuckin’ rocks and on this undeniable fact there can be no argument….

“Plastic Idol” is just a hoot, a folkish farce with spacey guitarwork and great imagery delivered with a straight face by the impish Idol – especially the great verse about using the plastic religious icon as a flask. Priceless! “Yellin’ At The Christmas Tree” is another bit of fun, Idol reminiscing about the hijinx that surround the holidays with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Getting back to serious fare, “Romeo’s Waiting” offers Idol’s breathless vocal gymnastics and great guitarwork beneath a tale of fleeting romance. “Cheri” is, perhaps, the second best song on the disc, bookending “Sherrie” (hmmm…) perfectly, Idol doing his best Neil Diamond impression on this spry, ‘60s-styled rocker. Devil’s Playground closes with the melodic “Summer Running,” gentle, shimmering strings giving way to growling vocals and explosive instrumentation before falling backwards into acoustic balladry. It’s a stylistic departure for Idol, and it works, the cacophony of sound and fury offering a fine counterpoint to the muted passion and forcing Idol to stretch his vocal chords a bit to keep up with the changes.

It’s no stretch of the imagination to say that Devil’s Playground is Idol’s best album since Rebel Yell, some two decades ago. There’s literally not a bad tune to be found in these grooves. Idol’s voice may have mellowed some through the years and his sneer isn’t nearly as menacing as it seemed at the dawn of the Reagan era, but his spirit is unflagging and his dedication to the rock & roll aesthetic endures. Supported by Steve Stevens’ inspired (and vastly underrated) playing and the contributions of a top notch band – bassist Stephen McGrath, drummer Brian Tichy and keyboardist Derek Sherinian – Idol has delivered a magnificent comeback album that stands head and shoulders above much of what passes for rock music these days. Sometimes an old dog does learn some new tricks, and you should give Devil’s Playground a listen before dismissing Billy Idol as yesterday’s news…. (Sanctuary Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Devil's Playground from Amazon.com)

Rancid - And Out Come The Wolves (1996)

Classic punk rock – the kind that will stick around beyond next week's Billboard chart – tends to reach down from your ears and slap a viselike grip on your nether regions. It's the perfect mix of power and passion, sweat and blood, balls and attitude. It's not even real important that the band know how to play their instruments well, if at all. It's all of the promises of rock & roll in their purest form, drawn straight from the wellspring. The spirit of punk is an uncompromising style of in-your-face musical amateurism, and when this ghost of rock & rollers past possesses a collection of songs, it's earth-shaking, life-changing stuff. Just ask the kids still listening to Never Mind The Bullocks or moshing to Clash City Rockers, showing Black Flag patches on their leathers, wearing a Minor Threat or Misfits t-shirt. It doesn't happen often, but when a band manages to capture that moment on disc, it's forever....

With ....And Out Come The Wolves, Rancid deliver their masterpiece. The popular Bay Area punkers, part of the same Gilmore Street scene that spawned Green Day and Offspring, have been quietly building a loyal audience with a pair of unrelenting, rootsy punk discs released by Epitaph. ...And Out Come The Wolves is destined to become their breakthrough album, not because of any trends or hype, but in spite of them. It's a damn solid collection of songs, a magnificent showcase for Tim Armstrong's socially conscious lyrics and the band's powerful hybrid of roots rock, hardcore punk and rhythmic ska. It's a high spirited group of songs, wonderfully paced and energetically enthusiastic from the opening riffs to the closing chords.

It's the songs that have connected the band with their growing audience, though, rollicking and freely anarchistic tunes that challenge the listener's conceptions of music unlike any rock since the Sex Pistols and the Clash. This is punk rock reborn, ....And Out Come The Wolves successfully bridging at three generations of punks. Vocalist Tim Armstrong's songs and stories speak to the listener because they can easily relate to the situations and emotions expressed. There's no cynical Seattle-styled teen angst to be found here, or even British punk nihilism, but rather a world-weary pragmatism that remains optimistic towards the future, nonetheless. Armstrong is a literary songwriter, a street corner poet couching his lyrics with a wisdom and intelligence that belie his relatively young age. Supported by a musical soundtrack that burns and roars like a mad dervish, Armstrong's words take on a powerful dimension, indeed.

I've listened to ...And Out Come The Wolves on the average of once a day for over three months now, and have yet to get sick of the disc. That's no faint praise, indeed, from a critic who has listened to thousands of albums over the past twenty years. The timeless quality that has infused ...And Out Come The Wolves ensures that I'll still be listening to it a decade from now. Rancid has created a true classic, an album that stands tall with the work of legends. When other critics argue the merits of the "band of the month" or moan and complain about the dreck being released these days, I just slap on Rancid and crank up the volume. Fuck 'em all – this is stone cold real rock & roll the way that it was meant to be.... (Epitaph Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy ...And Out Come The Wolves from Amazon.com)

The Ramones - Adios Amigos! (1995)

As the Ramones pass their twentieth anniversary together, the Queens, New York foursome that was long considered a one joke, "here-today, gone-tomorrow" band has managed to outlive most, if not all of their critics. During the past two decades, the Ramones have been no more or no less consistent than any other artists during the same time period, and the fact that they're still alive and kicking in 1995 says something about the band's genuine love of music than many of their more "serious" artistic peers can lay claim to. That the Ramones can still kick out the proverbial jams with an album as hard-rocking and vital as Adios Amigos! after all of this time is a further testimony to the fountain of youth that is rock & roll.

Adios Amigos! draws heavily on material penned by former bandmate Dee Dee Ramone, with six of the album's thirteen songs either written by or co-written by Dee Dee. The manic energy of these songs, with their pop culture obsessions and slightly off-kilter sense of humor is matched perfectly with the band's current musical mix of high-energy, three-chord punk rock and slightly more complex, metal-edged hard rock. The Crusher is, perhaps, the best rock tune ever written about pro wrestling, while Cretin Family and Born To Die In Berlin revisit various periods of the band's history, their '70s roots and their more cynical '80s-era material, respectively. Avid record collector and '60s pop devotee Joey Ramone contributes a wonderfully innocent slice of psychedelic-edged bubble gum in Life's A Gas while Marky offers the wonderfully offbeat Have A Nice Day. A secret bonus cut tacked onto the end of the CD has the band running through an electric cover of the vintage '60s theme to the Spiderman animated Saturday morning cartoon.

Most telling, however, is the inclusion of Tom Wait's I Don't Want To Grow Up as the opening cut on Adios Amigos! Much has been said about a rumoured Ramones break-up, that after twenty years of constant touring and studio work that the band has run its course. From their very first early-70s performances at New York's legendary C.B.G.B.'s, the Ramones have been a staple of youth culture, a major influence on the hardcore scene of the '80s as well as the current pop punk artists of the '90s. As the various members of the Ramones approach middle-age, however, it's got to be harder and harder for them to get energized for another tour or another album. The song's line "how the hell did it get here so soon?" easily becomes much more than a rhetorical question when sung by frontman and founding member Joey Ramone. With it's fierce denial of the inevitable passage of time, I Don't Want To Grow Up, is a song particularly suited to the seemingly ageless icons that are the Ramones. (Radioactive Records/MCA Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Adios Amigos from Amazon.com)

Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction (1995)

Twenty years ago, as a teen, I had been a rock & roll fanatic for a number of years already. My interest in '60-era artists like the Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jimi Hendrix had given way to bands like Alice Cooper, the Mothers Of Invention and Kiss with the changing of the decades. By 1975, however, rock & roll was beginning to become a mega-buck biz, and artistic integrity had suffered.

One night, however, my faith in the music was reclaimed as I crouched on my ears at a heating vent in my parent's house, straining to hear the notes of Born To Run that were coming up from a radio in my sister's room. It was a seminal moment in this young critic's life, a renewal in my belief in the power of rock & roll. Springsteen became a savior for many in my generation, the commercial success of his roots-oriented rock opening the door to great bands like the Clash, the Jam, the Ramones and others of the original late-70s/early-80s punk rock/new wave assault.

It's been a while since those halcyon days and although, in my role as critic and publisher, I hear a lot of fine music, there's a lot more chaff to dredge through than ever before. For every Liz Phair, there's a dreadful Mariah Carey, for every Pavement, there's a Michael Bolton or Vanilla Ice or...well, you get the picture. It's enough to discourage a true believer....

From the rocking opening chords of Incomplete, the first song on Bad Religion's Stranger Than Fiction, I knew that I was experiencing the magic that I've only felt a few times during the past decade or so, that personal renewal of faith in the unbridled power of rock & roll as an expression of thought, to offer complete freedom, to change the world. The words of Incomplete are timeless, expressing teen angst and a questioning of identity that is as valid today as it would have been in my day. "Mother, Father, Look at your little monster/I'm a hero, I'm a zero, I'm the butt of the worst joke in history...." The song serves as an open door to the best collection of songs of the year, one of the best I've ever heard, period.

Bad Religion has been around for a few years, releasing their first album in 1982 on their own indie label, Epitaph Records. Throughout the ensuing period, they've worked their way up to become the most successful indie band ever, racking up sales figures that make the majors envious. They've done it their own way, delivering hard, fast and loose hardcore punk that takes no prisoners, offers no quarter. Album by album, their fortunes have grown, and they've seemingly not made a bad record in the bunch.

Stranger Than Fiction is the band's major label debut, and although there will be those who will say that the band has "sold out," I'll deny that claim. Music that is on an indie label isn't necessarily always good (or even listenable), major label releases aren't automatically dreck. With Stranger Than Fiction, Bad Religion seem to have reached critical mass, the sixteen cuts offered here are as full of vigor and energy as any hardcore punk release has ever been. Graced with not one, but two gifted songwriters in vocalist Greg Graffin and guitarist Brett Gurewitz, Bad Religion, like The Clash before them, has the intellectual depth and the innate talents to deliver the goods.

And how good are Bad Religion? They incorporate decades of rock & roll history in creating a hard rocking sound that is at once both unique and original, familiar and friendly. The power of the three minute song in not lost on this gang, and they use it with a great élan. I hear strains of the Clash, the Jam, the Who, Springsteen, the Ramones and much more in these songs, but they're distinctive, nonetheless, as patently identifiable as Springsteen's lyrical poetry or Peter Townsend's roaring guitar riffs.

It all boils down to the songs, though, and it's here that Bad Religion's songwriting tag team comes into play. Although their lyrical styles are different (a practiced listener could identify a song's writer by its rhythm and wording), both Graffin and Gurewitz construct tunes that are intelligent, thoughtful and meaningful, surrounding them with similar sonics. Cuts like Inner Logic, with its closing chants of "No equality, no opportunity, no tolerance for the progressive alternative" are evidence of the band's social awareness, but an earlier verse – "If I pierce the complexity, I won't find salvation, just the bald and overt truth of the evil and deception" – illustrates their underlying cynicism. The literary references of Stranger Than Fiction, the album's title cut, are cleverly mixed with poetic commentary on our short, fateful existence upon this sphere, closing with the beautifully haunting, wise verse "Life is the crummiest book I ever read, there isn't a hook, just a lot of cheap shots/Pictures to shock, and characters an amateur would never dream up."

This is heady stuff, and head and shoulders above even the most verbose, overly-serious, highly-respected folk poet...and it was delivered by a bunch of scruffy punk rockers in a three minute song that will rock your socks off rather than bore you into a dull fever. In 1982, the Clash were punk rock's great hopes, the remaining survivors of a washed-out trend. They were, as they proudly proclaimed, "the only band that mattered." They've since come and gone, leaving their indelible mark on the music. It is now 1995, however, and with Stranger Than Fiction, I'd say that Bad Religion has picked up that long lost mantle, they've earned the honor of being this era's "only band that matters." Without a doubt in my mind, Stranger Than Fiction is the album of the year, a classic that is certain to withstand the test of time to go on and influence future bands. (Epitaph Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Stranger Than Fiction from Amazon.com)

Sex Pistols - Filthy Lucre Live (1996)

For members of bands like the Clash or the Sex Pistols – arguably the two most important punk bands of the '70s – it hasn't been easy living down the legend that's been built up around them these past 20 years like a bloody albatross around the neck. While the Clash finally melted away into mediocrity with sub-par versions of the band, the Sex Pistols instead self-destructed in the white heat of scandal, hype, death, drugs and violence. Although Johnny Rotten/Lydon built a solid rep as the frontman of Public Image, Ltd., there was always that “unfinished” Sex Pistols business lurking around the corner. For quite a while, throughout the '80s, it seemed as if everybody but the band were making money, as their illustrious former manager, various record labels and numerous t-shirt and sticker companies marketed Sex Pistols products. It must be particularly vexing to be a legend when you're not getting your share of the pie.

Thus this year's dubious Sex Pistols' reunion tour, celebrating their twentieth anniversary, and the resulting live CD. Making no bones about their intentions, the newly reformed Sex Pistols polished up their axes and polished off musical chesnuts like God Save The Queen and Pretty Vacant for a whirlwind “Filthy Lucre” tour of Europe and the United States, a performance trail expressly designed to financially soften their descent into retirement. Although I find it all perfectly hilarious – young punks these days bitch far too often about which bands have “sold out” and what's real punk and what's not – here's the godfathers of the entire damn scene making an unabashed grab for the cash.

I held reservations about Filthy Lucre Live, however, until I slapped this mean little puppy onto the box and cranked up the sound. Somewhere along the line during the past two decades, the Sex Pistols have actually learned how to play, and their old punk standards take on new potency when stripped of their amateurish original performances. Cuts on Filthy Lucre Live like New York, EMI, Holidays In The Sun and Anarchy In The U.K., as well as the aforementioned pair of Pistols' classics, sound every bit as vibrant and exciting in this live setting as they ever have. Johnny Rotten's wailing vocals sound as off-kilter as they always have, his snarling humour at his own expense (and the audience's) merely part of his longstanding public identity. The band sounds like they've been playing together for the past 20 years rather than apart, their timing, energy and power unmatched by bands half (or even a third) their age. Filthy Lucre Live sounds damn good, and although I doubt that the fearless foursome could create new material with the strength of that on which their legend rests, it's good to hear these songs, and the band, once again. Score one for the old timers.... (Virgin Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Filthy Lucre Live from Amazon.com)

The Dictators - Bloodbrothers (1999)

Maybe they didn't create punk rock, but the Dictators – one of the greatest lost rock & roll bands of the '70s – certainly helped to define the genre. Hitting the streets running in 1973 with their debut, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! the Dictators bucked the musical trends of the time with a stripped-down, hardcore rock assault that was equal parts garage band fervor and metallic overkill. Owing more to the MC5 and the Stooges than to the singer/songwriter
trend that dominated the mid-70s commercially before the onslaught of punk, the Dictators made three great albums before the members moved onto other challenges.

Sadly, only the first of the band's trio of hard rocking elpees remained in print – until now. Since the labels that originally issued these gems had no interest in putting the other two Dictators albums out on CD, the band took it upon themselves to grab the rights to Bloodbrothers, their third (and best) album and reissue it their own damn selves.

Bloodbrothers is full of great songs. Faster & Louder is hardcore punk stripped bare, more an affirmation of the band's musical philosophy than an attempt at cultural documentation. The Minnesota Strip lyrically visits that infamous section of New York City, known for its youthful population of runaways, junkies and whores of both genders. Punctuated by the razor-sharp twin guitars of Ross "The Boss" and Scott "Top Ten" Kempner, the song is as haunting as the
dark streets it evokes. Stay With Me is the sort of harmony-filled pop/rock ditty that the Del Lords would later perfect (remaking this song on their last album). The band ends the disc with as much energy as they started it, burning through a savage rendering of the Flamin' Groovies' Slow Death. All told, Bloodbrothers simply bristles with energy, an album made by a band shooting for the big time with absolutely nothing to lose.

Although Kempner would go on to found the Del Lords, and most of the rest of the Dictators would reunite as Manitoba's Wild Kingdom for an album with lead singer "Handsome" Dick Manitoba, the work that these guys did with the Dictators is priceless, straight-ahead classic rock straight from the streets. Dictators Forever, Forever Dictators! (Dictators Multimedia)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Bloodbrothers from Amazon.com)

Down By Law - Punkrockdays (2002)

When the members of Down By Law decided to assemble a career retrospective, they didn't just do it themselves; they brought their fans into the process, asking them to vote for their favorite DBL songs on the band's web site. The highest scoring tunes appear on Punkrockdays, the band's "best of" compilation. The resulting song selection may not be the best representation of the band's talents – it shortchanges much of their more political material – but it is certainly representative of the songs the band's audience is listening to.

Formed in 1990 by former Dag Nasty/All vocalist Dave Smalley and members of the Chemical People, Down By Law were one of the trailblazing bands in the field of melodic punk, that is hardcore roots paired with pop influences. True, the movement has led to atrocities like Sum-41 and most of the Drive Thru label roster, but it has also yielded some fine bands in Green Day and the Offspring. DBL were there at the beginning, though, and Punkrockdays chronicles the first decade of the band's career, drawing material from all five of the band's Epitaph label albums (no songs from their rock hard 1999 Go-Kart release are included here, tho').

The quality of the songs on Punkrockdays varies, since the band's players have changed frequently through the years, the line-up not really gelling until adding guitarist Sam Williams III for DBL's breakthrough third album, punkrockacademyfightsong. None of the songs here are bad, just that some – like Radio Ragga, Independence Day and No Equalizer – stand out as really good tunes. Smalley is an exceptional punk rock vocalist and a solid, accessible songwriter, his lyrics nailing the concerns and hopes of his audience. Williams has the best chops of the band's different guitarists, outshining even Dag Nasty's Brian Baker, who appears on Goodnight Song. Williams shows a better chemistry with frontman Smalley, covering his vocals like a comfortable wool blanket. DBL is also quite well-known for their cover performances, and readings of the Proclaimers' hit 500 Miles and Big Country's In A Big Country are played straight and are actually quite fun, DBL showing the pop side of its roots and influences.

Down By Law is still going strong – a Dag Nasty reunion album notwithstanding – the band continuing to appeal to new fans and increase its audience with electric live shows and songs like those showcased by Punkrockdays. For any punk fan unfamiliar with Down By Law, this is the place to begin listening, discovering the charm and talent that have made DBL a household name in fine punk rock homes everywhere. (Epitaph Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Punkrockdays from Amazon.com)

Richard Hell - Time (2002)

Young punk rockers that would like to find out more about the roots of their passion should seek out the wellspring from which punk first bubbled forth. In this case, I'm referring to Richard Hell, one of the most underrated and overlooked of the punk godfathers. An important member of not one, but three, seminal punk outfits, Hell's influence on rock music, punk attitude and street fashion should not be ignored. The odds-n-sods collection Time is a long overdue career retrospective for Hell, delivered, appropriately enough, in glorious lo-fi rock & roll sound.

Born Richard Meyers in Lexington, Kentucky, Hell grew up in the sleepy Bluegrass State listening to British Invasion rock and Southern soul. He found a kindred spirit in Tom Miller (ne Verlaine), and the pair would soon end up together in New York City. They would form the Neon Boys in 1971, a proto-punk outfit inspired by the Stooges and Velvet Underground, with Verlaine on guitar and Hell picking up the bass. The Neon Boys would evolve into Television and become an integral part of the mid-70s NYC music scene growing up around the CBGB club and including bands like the Ramones and Blondie.

Chafed at his role in the band, Hell left Television before they recorded their classic debut, Marquee Moon, hooking up with former New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders and drummer Jerry Nolan to form the Heartbreakers. Hell would again leave the band before recording, this time striking out on his own. Fronting a band that included guitarists Robert Quine and Ivan Julian and future Ramones drummer Marc Bell, Richard Hell & the Voidoids recorded what is arguably the most important song in the punk rock canon, Blank Generation, for their 1977 debut album of the same name. With his torn clothing, nihilistic lyrics and snotty attitude, Hell became the blueprint of punk rock to follow. The Voidoids would record only one more album – 1982's Destiny Street – but the band's influence on a generation of punk rockers was set in stone. Hell would later play in other bands, write poetry and in 1996 issued his first novel, Go Now, but he would never again pursue music with any sort of ambition.

The first disc of the two-CD set Time pairs a previous, cassette-only collection, R.I.P. The ROIR Sessions, with a number of unreleased tracks, including the original version of the Richard Hell/Dee Dee Ramone ode to heroin, Chinese Rocks, performed here by the Heartbreakers. Four Heartbreakers demos kick off Time, including Love Comes In Spurts, which would be revisited by Hell on the first Voidoids disc. Two early Voidoids' demos follow, each song featuring the individual virtuosity of guitarists Quine and Julian. A different Voidoids line-up is featured on half-dozen tracks from 1979, drummer Bell having left to join the Ramones. The highlights of this middle passage include Hell's philosophical take on life revealed by an obscure alternate take of Time, the Dylan cover Going Going Gone and the live at CBGB's song Funhunt, taken from the ROIR Records release. Another live track, capturing a 1983 Atlanta performance of I Can Only Give You Everything, showcases a later-day Voidoids roster while the disc closes with what are possibly the final Voidoids demo recordings, made in 1984 in New Orleans. The sound quality throughout disc one is spotty, befitting the homemade status of most of these recordings.

The second disc of Time, collecting unreleased live performances by the Voidoids, is what has punk collectors salivating. The first half-hour plus set includes raw performances of Blank Generation era Voidoids from a 1977 performance at London's Music Machine. All the band favorites are thrown out here, including Love Comes In Spurts, Liars Beware and Blank Generation. A cover of I Wanna Be Your Dog includes Hell's barks and Quine's scorched earth six-string riffs. An angry cover of the Stones' Ventilator Blues, was chosen to piss off a confrontational audience, as explained by Hell in the extensive liner notes. The sound quality of these live tracks equal that of a mediocre bootleg, but the passion and fire of the performance is priceless. The last four tracks on disc two of Time, taken from a 1978 benefit for St. Mark's church held at CBGB, include an original take on The Kid With The Replaceable Head (later recorded for Destiny Street) and You Gotta Lose, featuring Elvis Costello on vocals and guitar. Time closes with another Stones' cover, Shattered, performed by the Voidoids just this one time. The sound of these four tracks, taken from an FM radio broadcast soundboard, is markedly improved over the earlier live performances.

The significance of Richard Hell's influence on punk rock cannot be overstated. An innovator and pioneer who matched literature and poetry with angry, aggressive music in much the same way as his contemporary Patti Smith, Hell is often overshadowed by the bands that he helped create (Television) or influenced (the Sex Pistols, the Clash). While other punks have been incarcerated in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Time shows that Hell's place is on the street, his music and defiant spirit ready to inspire a generation of rockers to come. (Matador Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Time from Amazon.com)

Against Me! - As The Eternal Cowboy (2003)

As mainstream audiences embrace bands of dubious punk rock merit like Blink-182 and Sum-41 and other alpha-numeric ciphers, the real punk rock kiddies are getting their cheap thrills from old school masters like Rancid, Bad Religion and Pennywise. For music lovers seeking new musical challenges and hardcore jollies, however, the Reverend recommends Against Me! This Gainesville, Florida foursome has been kicking around on the fringes for a while, recording some solid material for their hometown label No Idea and earning a following the old-fashioned way – by playing their collective asses off with no major label financing and little press coverage.

All of that's about to change, methinks, with the release of the band's As The Eternal Cowboy on the larger and well-respected Fat Wreck Chords label. The album is certain to raise the brand's profile and, considering the quality of music on As The Eternal Cowboy, might just spark a bidding war among major label A&R drones with dollar signs in their eyes. Your humble scribe doesn't think that the temptation of filthy lucre will be enough to lure Against Me! away from the band's indie rock roots, tho'. Affirmed leftists with a thinly veiled lyrical agenda, Against Me! are old-fashioned rocking radicals with a new-fangled sound. As The Eternal Cowboy moves the band past notions of three-chord punk, bringing elements of roots rock, blues and even alt-country to play in support of a solid collection of songs guaranteed to blow the dust from your speakers.

Against Me! walk a lyrical barbed-wire tightrope between rock and rhetoric, Tom Gabel's intelligent lyrics adding a personal feel to tried-and-true socio-political polemics. "Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists" is a clever take on consumerism and conformity, the average person embracing mediocrity in order to avoid confrontation. The anthemic "Cliche Guevara" is a spirited call for a new revolution, the band crying "there's a lot of things that should be said, so we're hammering six strings, machine gun in audible voices, this is the party we came for" with a violent fervor. "Mutiny On The Electronic Bay" takes its cue from Noam Chomsky, spotlighting fashionable wartime chic for the hypocrisy that it is, concluding that "when an invasion can bring a country to its freedom, then unconsciousness it true happiness..."

"Slurring The Rhythms" mixes metaphors, a traditional rock & road song with stinging guitars and an upbeat tempo standing as a thinly-disguised commentary on the fleeting nature of progress and the brevity of life, the song trailing out with the haunting words "we are never going home." Against Me! handle personal relationships with several songs here, most notably the rapid-fire "You Look Like I Need A Drink" and the country-flavored "Cavalier Eternel," Gabel bringing a fresh perspective to the "beautiful loser" persona that is legend in rock & romance. Throughout As The Eternal Cowboy, Against Me! play like their very lives depend on it, the band tilting at windmills with reckless abandon, guitars screaming and rhythms crashing like hurricane-fueled waves on the shore. Recorded at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, the birthplace of rock & roll, As The Eternal Cowboy is a significant musical statement from one of the most exciting young bands in the punk rock world. You'd have to be a real twit to pass this one by on your way to the Good Charlotte section of your local record store. (Fat Wreck Chords)

(Click on the CD cover to buy As The Eternal Cowboy from Amazon.com)

Anti-Flag - The Terror State (2004)

Anti-Flag has never been hesitant about wearing its left-leaning political tendencies on their collective sleeves. Frontman Justin Sane brings a folkie's sensibilities and lyrical sense to the band's musical onslaught, Anti-Flag eschewing empty political rhetoric in favor of a good, old-fashioned, meat-and-taters anarcho-leftist perspective. The Terror State, the latest broadside by the working class heroes from Pittsburgh, hits with all the impact of a high-octane Molotov cocktail looking for a match.

It would be no stretch of the imagination to suggest that Sane and crew won't be voting for Bush next election day, a notion reinforced by The Terror State's opening track, "Turncoat." A sort of "Emporer's New Clothes" recounting of the President's many crimes against humanity, Anti-Flag brand 'W' as a "turncoat, killer, liar, thief." With dynamic vocals and incendiary lyrics backed by three, maybe four explosive chords and a monster beat, the song sets the stage for that which follows. "Rank-And-File" is a call-to-arms for the working man and woman while "Post-War Breakout" is an eerie reading of Woody Guthrie's prophetic tale of a returning soldier. The powerful "Wake Up," its lyrics supported by a fast-n-furious wall-of-sound, is an attempt at shock treatment for the ignorant and uninformed that might just be too damn late to help. "Death Of A Nation" is an anthemic obituary set to scorched earth instrumentation, Sane's passionate vocals bringing an Orwellian clarity to this hardcore dirge.

Free-trade treaties, the war in Iraq, the loss of civil liberties, immigration, corporate welfare and social policies that further the interest of a wealthy minority, all subjects that provide fuel for Anti-Flag's poetic fire. Unlike many political punks, however, Anti-Flag provides justification for their rage, offering suggested reading and contacts to get more information on the issues they sing about.

Musically, Anti-Flag are unabashedly punk, punctuating Sane's intelligent lyrics with a no-frills blend of the Clash and Minor Threat. The Terror State was produced by Rage Against The Machine's guitar wizard Tom Morello, an artist who knows something about mixing politics, protest and powerful music without getting burned. Morello's skilled work on the board adds more punch to Anti-Flag's songs, bringing an undeniable jackhammer dynamic to the band's sound.

It's a dangerous combination, to be sure, mixing erudite, anti-authoritarian lyrics with flammable hardcore punk rock, a tightwire walk that Anti-Flag does well. You can bet that if George W. has an "enemies list" (and do you doubt for a moment that an administration as paranoid as this doesn't have a list?), Justin Sane and crew are marked in red right near the top. With The Terror State, Anti-Flag has drawn a line in the sand and marked its territory with characteristic fire and fervor. There's more to punk rock than Good Charlotte, Hot Topic and cool T-shirts. Raise your I.Q. several notches with Anti-Flag.... (Fat Wreck Chords)

(Click on the CD cover to buy The Terror State from Amazon.com)

Balzac - Out Of The Grave And Into The Dark (2005)

The Japanese punk-rock outfit Balzac, formed in Osaka in 1992, owes a considerable debt to those early Misfits records released by Caroline back during the golden age of punk. The band pursues a familiar horror-rock aesthetic, the members wear their hair in the ubiquitous "devil's lock" style and even have an eerie band logo similar to the Misfits' grinning skull. Balzac has formed a long-standing friendship with the Misfits and has even toured with the band. That being said, however, Balzac is no mere Misfits tribute band, nor are they overly derivative in their musical style. These Osaka crazy men have forged out a distinctive style that is entirely Balzac in nature, and have actually eclipsed their original influence in both number of albums and singles released and in the scope of the music created.

Precious little Balzac music has hit these shores to date, a situation happily rectified by Out Of The Grave And Into The Dark, released in the US by the Misfits' record label and distributed by the good folks at Ryko. A deluxe package featuring a 22-song CD and accompanying DVD, the set combines Balzac's 2004 Japanese album Comes Out Of The Grave with the band's 2005 EP Dark-Ism. Although various zombies, demons, vampires and such inhabit Balzac's lyrics (or at least those that you can translate – their English web site helps), the band's preoccupation with horror movie themes is overshadowed by its heady blend of three-chord punk and choppy power-pop with metallic overtones. Balzac has talent, no doubt, and some of guitarist Atsushi's impressive fretwork belies the band's minimalist punk rock roots.

As an introduction to Balzac's considerable charms, Out Of The Grave And Into The Dark is a perfect primer to the band's milieu, showcasing their trademark 120mph sound, explosive rhythms and blistering six-string work. At times, as on "The World Without End," the band sounds remarkably similar to rockers such as the London Quireboys or Dogs D'Amour; at other times you'll hear strains of Cheap Trick, the Ramones, the Cramps and, yes, the Misfits. Balzac frontman/songwriter Hirosuke has the perfect punk rock voice, with a range between a poppy whisper and a HC scream. The rhythm section of bassist Akio and drummer Takayuki create a glorious noise, embroidered upon by guitarist Atsushi, a talent that would be a giant star if the band were American independents rather than Japanese shock-rockers.

The bonus DVD included with Out Of The Grave And Into The Dark features several of the band's imaginative music videos, a short horror film and some raucous live performance footage, as well as some other rare "audio only" tracks. Overall, this two-disc set is quite impressive, from the music and video to the abundance of color pics of this creatively photogenic band, lacking only informative liner notes about the band to be a perfect package. If you want some rock & roll cheap thrills with plenty of bite, look no further than Balzac, the best punk rock band that you've never heard! (Misfits Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Out Of The Grave from Amazon.com)

Radio Birdman - The Essential Radio Birdman (2001)

The Saints may be Australia's best-known punk export, but for this scribe's hard-earned cashola, I'd choose Radio Birdman as the more raucous of the two. Formed by American expatriate Deniz Tek – born in Michigan and weaned on the Stooges and the MC5 – Radio Birdman lasted for just four years and a handful of albums. They were skewered by the notoriously effete British music press and their single U.S. album release was widely ignored. Throughout it all, the band has lived on through rare recordings and bootlegs, building a devoted cult during the past two decades that rivals that of similar high-energy outfits like the Dictators or New York Dolls.

The Essential Radio Birdman (1974-1978) should appeal to even the most dedicated of collectors. The compilation offers all the songs from both the Australian and U.S. versions of the band's excellent 1978 debut album Radios Appear as well as their 1981 follow-up, Living Eyes (recorded in 1978). Two songs are provided from the original self-produced 1977 EP Burn My Eye, the album closing with three live tracks from a 1977 performance. Fully 12 of the 22 tracks collected on The Essential Radio Birdman (1974-1978) have never been released officially in the United States.

So what is it about Radio Birdman that attracts such fanatical acolytes? It's a curious mix of American roots rock, the madness of late-60s Detroit bands like the Stooges, Up, SRC and the MC5 and the peculiar Australian perspective created by residing at the end of the earth. When Deniz Tek moved to Australia in 1972 to study medicine, he brought with him the spirit of the slash-and-burn six-string style of Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith. Matched with fellow guitarist Chris Masuak's metalstorm fretboard technique and surfer Rob Younger's tortured howl, Radio Birdman cranked up the volume and kicked out electric jams that energized a generation of Aussie musicians behind them.

Tek's lyrics were street-smart and darkly poetic, seeped in Velvet Underground imagery and Motor City sensibility. Tuneage like the desolate "Murder City Nights" or the nostalgic "I-94" rock with a primal passion and fury that was shared by just a handful of mid-70s bands. "Aloha Steve & Danno" makes good use of the Hawaii Five-O theme, pairing it with the band's destructive twin guitars and pop-influenced rhythms while "Alone In The Endzone" echoes the Doors, featuring razor sharp riffs and Younger's Morrison-like. Radio Birdman threw elements of three-chord rock, electric blues and metallic drone into the creative blender and came up with a powerful, no-frills sound that resonates as loudly in 2001 as it did in 1977.

If you listen to the Dictators, New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers, the Flamin' Groovies, Sonic Rendezvous Band, the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs or any other devotees of the Detroit rock sound, then you owe it to yourself to discover Radio Birdman. The Essential Radio Birdman (1974-1978) is a hard-rocking introduction to this sadly overlooked band, a comprehensive collection of classic punk rock tuneage from "Down Under" that should appeal to new and old Radio Birdman fans alike. (Sub Pop Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy The Essential Radio Birdman from Amazon.com)

Corporate Avenger - Freedom Is A State Of Mind (2001)

With the departure of Zach de la Rocha from Rage Against The Machine, the other members of the band are left merely whimpering at the machine while other outfits steal the thundering sound they made their bones with. Although the musical landscape is littered with the corpses of a thousand and one metal-tinged hip-hop Rage wannabes (Fred Durst, your 15 minutes are up buddy), the band's social consciousness and politikal rage lives on in Corporate Avenger. With the explosive Freedom Is A State Of Mind, Corporate Avenger lyrically tackle the gamut of social issues, matching their incendiary lyrics with muscular riffs, ringing chords and blistering rhythms.

Fueled by the powerful twin lead vocals of the Corporate Avenger (Spike Xavier) and Adawee the Wind, Corporate Avenger is a conceptual band, mixing radikal politics with extreme performance art and musical chops that include elements of heavy metal, hard rock, rap and punk. I hear strains of Black Flag, Govt. Issue and Public Enemy in these grooves, the music created by Mike Kumagai and producer Daddy X, from the Kottonmouth Kings. Like no band since Public Enemy, Corporate Avenger blazes new trails, creating a sound that is both familiar and totally unlike any band that you've heard before. Raucous and obnoxious, Corporate Avenger throws caution to the wind with wailing guitars, lightning-quick turntable scratching courtesy of DJ Hall Of Records, anarchistic samples, big beats and monster rhythms. It's the band's lyrics that capture the imagination, though; perhaps the most controversial anti-capitalist screeds ever committed to a musical treatment.

Although a major label deal allowed Rage Against The Machine to bring the band's radikal worldview to a mainstream audience, there was always an uneasy vibe around their act, a feeling that they might have watered down the message to slip it past their corporate masters. There's no such feeling with Corporate Avenger –- this is the real shit, as hardcore as a Molotov cocktail and as dangerous as a rabid Doberman. Freedom Is A State of Mind leaves no sacred cow unslaughtered, bludgeoning the listener with sound and imagery that preaches an undeniable message of tribal brotherhood even while it damns the system that keeps people poor, confused and uneducated.

The songs on Freedom Is A State Of Mind are intelligent, well researched and articulate. The band doesn't merely mouth leftist platitudes, but explain the reason for their perspective with their lyrics. Whether singing about the oppression of the Native American (“Christians Murdered Indians” and “$20 Bill”), the corrupt nature of organized religion (“The Bible Is Bullshit”) or the social injustice and racial implications of the “war on drugs” (“FBI File”), their lyrics are consistently challenging and thought-provoking. Sometimes they seem to purposely piss people off, like with “Jesus Christ Homosexual” which asks if the so-called savior might have been a homosexual. By mixing two mythological Christian icons (Jesus and the degenerate homo) in one song, Corporate Avenger manages to bait the fundamentalist Christian right while providing food for thought for the rest of us.

Every track here is like an alternative history lesson as given by Noam Chomsky or Howard Zinn, Corporate Avenger cramming more academic information into a four-minute rock song than many young listeners walk away with after four years of college. As the band states in the liner notes to Freedom Is A State Of Mind, “the songs are written in the language that we speak every day, it is not intended to be offensive. While this message is for everyone, this record may not be.” The controversy surrounding the band has led hypocritical Christian groups like the Promise Keepers and the American Family Organization to work towards pressuring retailers to keep the CD out of their stores. The band currently receives 10 to 20 death threats each week, no doubt from the same “good Christians” who kill abortion doctors in the name of Jesus. Several cable television networks, including MTV and Comedy Central, have refused to air advertising for the album.

Although Corporate Avenger is making the right enemies, their message deserves to be heard. Critics usually dismiss politikal rock bands out-of-hand, stating that music and politics don't mix and lyrics don't influence anybody, anyway. I strongly disagree with this perspective. Freedom Is A State Of Mind is a turning point for rock music, a revival of social consciousness after too many years of mindless pop bullshit and corporate-crafted "modern rock." With Freedom Is A State Of Mind, Corporate Avenger is providing a soundtrack for the new millennium, one that is aggressively pro-human, anti-government and anti-corporation. This is music to riot by and this is one critic who is ready to throw the first stone. (Koch Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Freedom Is A State Of Mind from Amazon.com)

The Dead Kennedys - Mutiny On The Bay (2001)

The Dead Kennedys never released a live album during their brief yet notorious career as America's favorite hardcore bad boys. The legendary punk outfit's incendiary live performances have nevertheless been well represented by a handful of bootleg albums and videos, the best of which is probably Jello's Revenge (Armed Response Records), culled from San Francisco club shows in 1979 and 1985. Mutiny On The Bay is the first “authorized” Dead Kennedys live disc, part of Manifesto's reissuing of the band's catalog under the aegis of members East Bay Ray, D.H. Peligro and Klaus Flouride and against the wishes of vocalist/songwriter Jello Biafra, who has disavowed the entire series of reissues.

Mutiny On The Bay presents not a single entire performance but rather pieces of four different shows that date from 1982 and 1986. The original soundboard tapes have been digitally remastered but manage to retain a fair degree of their original energy and grunge. I hate to disagree with my old buddy Jello, who has publicly dissed Mutiny On The Bay, but this is a hell of a collection. A veritable “who's who” of the DK's greatest hits, this fourteen song set offers those of us who never got to witness the band live (i.e. most punk fans who didn't live within a day's drive of the west coast) a taste of what bootleg videos only hinted at.

Almost all the great DK songs are here, from “Police Truck” and “Kill The Poor” to “Hell Nation” and “MTV - Get Off The Air.” The energy in these tracks is undeniable; Biafra's warbling, operatic vocals jumping out of the speakers above East Bay Ray's slashing six-string work. One of the band's signature songs, “Holiday In Cambodia,” offers some fiery fretwork courtesy of East Bay Ray while the Flouride/Peligro rhythmic assault that opens “California Uber Alles” provides powerful punctuation to Biafra's angry vocals. The production seamlessly stitches together the performances; tying songs together with Biafra's onstage comments and smoothing out the rough edges so that the entire collection sounds like one lengthy performance. Perhaps some of the spontaneity is lost in this digital translation, but the quality of these performances shine through nonetheless and there is plenty of feedback and stage noise present for the purist.

There are some good Dead Kennedys' bootlegs still circulating around in trading circles, but Mutiny On The Bay puts most, if not all of them to shame. If all you know of the Dead Kennedys is their reputation, then Mutiny On The Bay, coupled with the band's incredible debut, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, are perfect introductions to the band's legacy. Let's hope that Manifesto has some other live material of this quality stashed away in the vault for future release. The Dead Kennedys were one of the most influential hardcore punk bands of the eighties; their importance based on live performances like those captured by Mutiny On The Bay. Let's hear some more! (Manifesto Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Mutiny On The Bay from Amazon.com)

Jello Biafra - In The Grip Of Official Treason (2006)

Since President Bush's popularity has dropped faster than the Titanic what with this whole "morass" thing going on over in Iraq (and, lest we forget, Afghanistan too), a lot of otherwise spineless twits have raised up on their hind legs and started bashing the administration. Big fat hairy deal! It's easy to kick the man and his friends when they're down and out; it's another thing entirely to challenge the powers that be when, like Cagney, they're "on top o' the world, ma!"

That's where Jello Biafra comes in...for two decades and four Presidential administrations, Biafra has been the proverbial fly in the political buttermilk. The former Dead Kennedys' frontman and punk rock icon has forged an impressive second career as a speaker and social commentator. The Green Party progressive has never been afraid to tackle the big issues, pointing out the hypocrisy and contradictions of public policy regardless of whether it's the Republications or the Democrats holding the seat of power.

In The Grip Of Official Treason is Biafra's eight spoken word collection, a massive three-disc set that gathers material from several Biafra performances over the last couple of years. The extended rants on the discs run the gamut of subject matter, from U.S. policy in the Middle East and, of course, the war in Iraq to America's preoccupation with electronic gadgets and their dehumanizing effect on the social landscape. Biafra's well-researched commentary and insightful observations are delivered with no little amount of humor, a necessary ingredient to keep the bile from rising up at the harsh reality these stories reveal.

Biafra has often been accused of "preaching to the choir," that those listeners most likely to pick up spoken word albums like In The Grip Of Official Treason are those who likely already agree with Biafra's anarcho-leftist worldview. However, I don't necessarily agree with this criticism. A look at the album's liner notes shows that pieces like "Punk Voter Rally Cry" and "Die For Oil, Sucker" have been taken from a variety of live performances. From the 2004 "Rock Against Bush" tour stop in Tempe, Arizona to the H.O.P.E. 2006 Hacker Conference in NYC, Biafra is often speaking before audiences that probably don't hold firsthand memories of the Dead Kennedys. Many of his college-age audience members were still in diapers when Biafra released No More Cocoons, his first spoken word album, nearly twenty years ago.

For many of Biafra's young listeners, his observations come as a revelation, and the material you'll find on In The Grip Of Official Treason is no different. The wide range of topics covered by Biafra, all obviously thought out in detail and well documented, is stunning and best swallowed in one-disc doses. Even for someone as well-read as the Reverend, Jello still manages to teach me something that I didn't already know, opening my eyes to a new reality, however depressing it may be.

The most amazing thing about In The Grip Of Official Treason is that Biafra can still do this gig, that he still holds a glimmer of hope in the face of Democratic betrayal, Republican corruption and corporate greed. Biafra is the punk rock Diogenes searching for one honest man; or maybe he's the left-wing Paul Revere, warning us of the coming storm. Either way, In The Grip Of Official Treason entertains and enlightens, and if it doesn't piss you off, you're just not listening.... (Alternative Tentacles Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy In The Grip Of Official Treason from Amazon.com)

Various Artists - Rock Against Bush Vol. 2 (2004)

THE DIARY OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Thanks to Uncle Dick, I get to live in this neat old house for another four years. Dick said something about "the fix" being in play in Ohio this year, which fooled everybody 'cause I thought that Jeb was fixing things in Florida again. Anyway, "Rummy" says that it's about time that I had my own "enemies" list like that nice Dick Nixon fella had. One of those two girls that live here...what are their names, anyway...Mopsy and Flopsy? Hee, hee, hee...why couldn't we had a boy...I could have teached him about baseball and called him "Ace." Where was I…oh yeah, one of those girls gave me a CD for my birthday, something about Rock Against Bush Vol. 2 with a bunch of punk rock bands. Well, let's give 'er a spin on the old Victrola and see what happens!

Okay, the enemies list starts here...Green Day, check. Colin told me that "American Idiot" coulda been about me and I guess that "Favorite Son" could be me, too, so Billy Joe and them guys are on my list. Bad Religion...oh hell yeah, I've had my eyes on those Greg and Brett fellas for some time now. Operation Ivy...aren't they just Rancid without that Lars fella's badass guitar licks? Oh, Rancid is here, too, so they all go on the list! Dropkick Murphys…Irish kids from Boston, they won the World Series, but they beat the Rangers, so they go down. Flogging Molly...sounds like something we used to do back at Yale after one too many flaming rum punches! This Molly fella sounds Irish, too...note to self, ask Rummy about bombing Ireland back to the Stone Age. Never liked that snotty Colin Farrell fella, anyway....

Who else we got on this CD? No, not the Foo Fighters...dang, I like that Foo fella. Maybe I'll just have the IRS audit his taxes 'cause he'll probably have a lot of money after that Nirvana box set hits the street. Got to pay for the war some way...it's sure not coming out of my pockets! Sugarcult, sounds like a support group for diabetics. Yellowcard...isn't that what the Meskins need to work in the US? Lagwagon, Jawbreaker, Bouncing Souls…on the list. No Doubt? No doubt that Gwen Stefani is some kind of fox. Maybe I'll invite her to the White House and show her my "oval office!" Hee, hee, hee....

Hell, I'll just throw everybody here on this CD on the list and turn it over to "Homeland Security." The Dwarves, Sick Of It All, Hot Water Music, Thought Riot...there's twenty-eight songs by twenty-eight bands it says here, with twenty rare and unreleased songs. Multiply that by four members in a band and...dang, I'm no good at cipherin'. I'll get Condi to figure it out if she's through being romanced by that Steve Earle fella. Hey, he's not on this CD but he goes to the top of the list!

Who else...hey, there's a DVD here, too, with music videos from Bad Religion, that Molly fella, NoFX and some more punkers. Hey, NoFX – that's that funny "Fat Mike" fella! I like him, especially that record about doin' sheep or whatever it was. Maybe I'll "accidentally" leave them off the list. What's that guitar fella's name? Oh yeah, "El Hefe." I like that. Maybe I'll start calling myself "El Presidente," grow a beard like that Fidel fella. Hey, there's comedy videos here, there's that Ferrell guy that played me on Saturday Night Live. Now where'd I put that bag of pretzels.... (Fat Wreck Chords)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Rock Against Bush Vol. 2 from Amazon.com)