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Tim Armstrong

A Poet's Life
Hellcat (2007)

It was in 1994 at age thirteen that I first skipped a day of school and popped Rancid's Let's Go into my stereo. Now thirteen years later, the album still holds up as a classic. Say what you will about their jump to a major label and the last two Rancid records; the fact remains that kids years from now … Read more

Melt Banana

Bambi's Dilemma
A-Zap (2007)

Listening to Melt Banana carries a list of requirements: Deal with the vocals. Deal with annoying noises. If you can't handle the speed and the fury, don't even bother. If you can embrace these qualities fully, you can totally understand why Melt Banana is such an important figure in noise rock. They slush together punk and noise rock elements and … Read more

Bad Brains

Build a Nation
Megaforce (2007)

These reunions need to stop. Gorilla Biscuits? Cool. Bold? Okay. Bad Brains? No. Honestly, what was Beastie Boy Adam Yauch thinking when he was producing this pile of garbage known as Build a Nation? Truth be told, I'm relatively new to the Bad Brains catalog. Having listened to them for only a year or so, I'll admit they are a … Read more

Damnation A.D.

In This Life or the Next
Victory (2007)

Seeing Damnation A.D. for the first time in years at New Year's reunion in Syracuse a couple of years back awoke something in me that I had not realized had been sleeping. Watching this five piece shake the building with their tortured, bottom heavy power was and is a great experience. If you doubt this, go see them and watch … Read more

Multiple Authors

Smashing Pumpkins

Zeitgeist
Reprise (2007)

Zeit·geist n. German. The spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation. The Smashing Pumpkins' comeback album threatens to set itself up as a Serious Rock Statement about present-day societal ills, in the same vein as Jack White's totally hoary commentary about illegal immigration on the recent White Stripes single "Icky Thump." As a … Read more

Multiple Authors

Smashing Pumpkins

Zeitgeist
Reprise (2007)

In all likelihood you're fully aware of the Smashing Pumpkins history and 90's legacy; if you somehow don't, I recommend Wikipedia. But in short, this is the first album in seven years from Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin under the Smashing Pumpkins moniker. Both were in Zwan, and both performed on the other's respective solo disc. But since 2000, neither … Read more

Multiple Authors

Smashing Pumpkins

Zeitgeist
Reprise (2007)

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness changed the way I listened to music. Siamese Dream continues to do so. Machina is one of the best records I've ever heard. The news of the Smashing Pumpkins' abrupt return, more than half a decade later, was a big deal - a huge one in fact - and of course it brought with … Read more

Nonhorse

Haraam, Circle of Flame
Release the Bats (2006)

Someone beats on sheet metal. A phone rings? White noise and feedback. Sounds from a long lost sci-fi B movie I think. Someone recorded the sounds from an alien spaceship's motherboard. A saxophone goes completely fucking berserk. An eerie, unrelenting din pervades everything. This is what I hear as I sit down to review Nonhorse's compact disc. Enter Haraam, Circle … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Odious Mortem

Cryptic Implosion
Willowtip (2007)

Odious Mortem's website describes their sound as employing "technical, dark, and experimental aspects of the death metal genre." When I think death metal I think Nile, Suffocation, maybe even Slayer. Odious Mortem are what Slayer might sound like if you replaced Kerry King with a jet engine. Vaguely reminiscent of early Fear Factory and Dillinger Escape Plan, for the most … Read more

Internal Affairs

Deadly Visions
Malfunction (2007)

Internal Affairs is a band that embodies what hardcore should truly be about. The music is fast, energetic, and pissed off. The lyrics are honest to the point of being blunt - hardcore used to be about speaking your mind, somewhere along the way most bands forgot this. And finally, the band puts on one heck of a performance, inviting … Read more

The Aggrolites

Reggae Hit L.A.
Hellcat (2007)

Since about the year 2000, Tim Armstrong, Lars Frederickson and pretty much that has anything to do with Rancid has pretty much been a horrible venture, looking your way The Viking, Transplants and the last Rancid album. Prior to listening to this album the only conation I had about The Aggrolites was that they were Tim Armstrong's backing band for … Read more

Wrecking Crew

Balance of Terror (Reissue)
I Scream (2006)

Over the past decade or so "toughguy" hardcore has gotten more obnoxious by the second, but one of the bands that spawned this shitstorm, Madball, always had at least one thing going for them. This special ingredient was the combination of the pure catchiness of their riffs and their surprisingly tight sense of rhythm. Even though I am enough of … Read more

Tomahawk

Anonymous
Ipecac (2007)

When Hank III goes on tour, he leaves no stone unturned, playing anywhere that would have him: cities, towns, hamlets, burgs and more than a few Native American reservations. This had quite an impact on Hank's then touring guitarist, ex of the Jesus Lizard and future Tomahawk co-founder Duane Denison. The music he would hear while on the reservations left … Read more

The Distortions

Machines at Night
Blank (2007)

You know what I liked when I was in high school? Actually, you can probably guess this one. I liked The Smashing Pumpkins. You probably did too. I know for damn sure the Distortions did. Their Myspace page lists them as indie/shoegaze/post-punk, but I'm not seeing it. I guess it's possible I don't know what those terms mean, but if … Read more

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