Brain Toad
10-19-2004, 09:39 PM
Leftover Crack - **** World Trade
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg400/g449/g44912p4mxj.jpg
Released: August 31, 2004 by Alternative Tentacles
Band Members:
Stza = Vocals & Guitar
Alec = Bass & Vocals
Ezra = Guitar & Vocals
Ara = Drums
The sophmore full-length from the Good Leftover Crack. For this album the boys had switched record labels from Rancid's Tim Armstrong's Hellcat records to Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles. Many say this was the best move they have made, as Hellcat held them back with certain things they wanted to do. If you need a history on LoC, I recomend visiting the Punk forum and checking out my profile on them. In true Leftover Crack fashion, this album was leaked once before it had been mastered, just the raw recordings of songs that were planned to be on the album. The fans really dug this, as they got a peak of what was to come. Most were unimpressed, because of the lack of orginality in this leak compared to the differences between previous Leftover Crack releases. One of the biggest annoucnemtns made about this album was who was producing and mastering it, none other than Big Black founder, Steve Albini. As the album finished and fainlly completed, another copy was leaked, this time being the full album. This was at least a month before the offical release date. This is how I orginally optained the album. I couldn't wait, and I knew the band wouldn't mind, as they encourage file sharing and copying of their CDs. I finally bought the album when I went to the record store for the cover world and insert. When I put the CD in my player, even after listening to it many times on the computer, I could not cease to be amazed. This is why I am doing this review, because I wish to share my amazement.
Clear Channel (Fu Off!) - 4:15
This song actually starts off like the last album. It acts as an introduction to the album. Stza comes in with his own way of introudcing the band. His voice perfectly matches the way he speaks, from the gutter if you please. After the introduction it goes straight into the song. Fast paced straight off. No sign of their ska influence, just pure hardcore. As the name suggests, this album is all about the **** Clear Channel has been doing to radio. The chrous is very catchy, talking about how the radios constantly play the same things over and over again, using advertisments to make money for money-grubbing artists. The second line of the song even digs at their old record label owners, Rancid. This song is great starter, gets you pumped. 5/5
Life is Pain - 4:37
An anti-sex song, pretty much. You may mistake them for straight edge because of it. It has a great sound I think. A softer hardcore, almost melodic if you will. Brings in a lot of ska, especially with the guitar. Many, when they think of Leftover Crack, they think of a song like this. There are even some violins and piano in the chrous. The lyrics have a pretty good message that I agree with. Sex isn't everything, we don't need to **** all the time. We keep on breeding, there is going to be nothing left. The thing about Leftover Crack's messages are they aren't afraid to say anything, and are usually extreamlly straight forward, but still manage to include some sarcasm and humour. Not the best song on the album, but still great. 4/5
Burn Them Pirsons - 3:15
An anti-police song, in true Leftover Crack form. Being squatters, it's hard to not hate the police. Stza starts off with an awesome lyric that I really liked "A liar once said "we're innocent til proven guilty" - but the truth is absud, we're poor until proven rich." The interesting part of the lyrics are the switching off between Stza and Ezra. A call and response mostly in the chrous, which is really good. Ezra has a great voice for singing back up to Stza, a good contrast. The overall music of the song is pure punk, leaning towards hardcore. There also some spoken word samples used, which they haven't done since the Choking Victim day. Although I'm not as anti-police like they are, the lyrics are still good and profound. The song ends in a little acoustic jiggy thing, just makes the song I think. 5/5
Gang Control - 2:42
This is probably my favourite song on the album. Orginally a Morning Glory song, which is a side project of Ezra. Who also takes a bigger part in the vocals. The song is very ska, and no much hardcore. Although the lyrics aren't upbeat, the music really is. It seems every ska band has some sort of a unity song, and I think this is Leftover Crack's/Morning Glory's. It calls for people to stand up against the police injustices, and an overall unity among people. I really dig this song. 5/5
Super Tuesday - 4:00
This was one of the first leaked song. It starts off real slow and goes to a simple guitar riff. This would of made a great opening song for an album, it is kind of place where it is. Another song where the music is upbeat, but the lyrics are not. If you do not get the reference, Super Tuesday is 9/11/01, which even though Leftover Crack are New Yorkers, they think was a good thing to happen. Do not jump to conclusions though, they see the reason of the attacks over the tragedy. As the album title suggests, they are against World Trade, especially the WTO, which the WTC symbolised, and the tobbling that showed to them, there were people fighting their cause. There is a lot of spoken word samples in this song, I especially like the "World trade is a death machine" in one part. I like this song as well, but I think it would've been better placed at the beginning of the CD. 3/5
Via Sin Dios - 2:14
This actually a sequal to a Choking Victim song entitled "In My Grave" It starts off real fast, short verse and then the simple hrous of "Six Feet Underground" which is basically all three vocalists trading back the line. It also cites a lyrics from another Leftover Crack entitled "Born to Die" This song shows the Nihilisitc views of the boys. After the song ends it goes into a little guitar piano interlude. Quite strange how they incorporate things like this, shows their diversity. 4/5
Feed the Children (Book of Lies) - 3:21
The song starts off with a pure ska sound, singing about the lies of church and religion. After the first verse the song takes on a more hardcore sound, until the end, when it heads back into a ska sound. I dig the switch of sounds, it really shows their genre crossing talent. After the ska part is a violin/piano interlude and into the bridge part of the song. Reading the lyrics of the song, I like their wordings and the message. They are very anti-religious atheists, which is how I got into them. Surpisingly however, there isn't many anti-religion songs on this album. 4/5
One Dead Cop - 3:39
This song goes back to their punk sound, no hardcore. Again Ezra plays a big part in the back up vocals. I really enjoy the pre-chrous, where Ezra will call "Policia" and Stza will respond with a line. The actual chrous also shows good vocal work from Stza, he may not be the best singer, but he knows how to use what talent he does have to his advantage. I really enjoy their usage of samples, it helps back up their messages. Kind of a way of showing people they aren't the only ones with the ideas, although they may be the only ones to express it like they do. "More dead cops, might make the hurting stop" I really like the line, it flows well, and delivers a good point. 5/5
Ya Can't Go Home - 3:14
This song is mostly insturmental, and very releaxed. It is in a perfect place in the album. It gives almost a break for the listener, after getting flooded with the hardcore of the last songs, this song helps you cool down. You lose yourself in the lyrics (which I have done many times listening to it on my CD player, nearly falling asleep I was so lost) The song's message is that of what a Squatter faces, that you can't go home, but you can't stay here. The lyrics are pretty deep in this song, and are not lost in the music, as they can be in other songs. It's hard to describe the genre of this song, maybe hardcore's answer to the power ballad, almost. 5/5
Rock the 40 Oz - 2:28
A revamped Leftover Crack song. I dug the orginal, so I dig this one as well. The song was written after the Coloumbine shootings, and touches on the subject, shooting kids at school. The message of the song is a little jumbled, or I may just not be getting it (highly likely) It would be a good song to see play lived however, the chrouses would be easy to sing along to, and even throw up your beer when you are told to Rock the 40 oz. 3/5
Soon We'll Be Dead - 5:35
This song features The World/Inferno Friendship Society, so it is very soft. It also includes other instruments such as violins and piano. This is another releaxing song. The CD works nearly perfectly going from start to finish, it rushes you quick through the beginning with hard fast songs, and let's you get a cool down later on. About 2 minutes into the song there is a small hardcore riff, but it goes straight back into the soft happy tune. I'm not sure what that main instrument is, but I think it is an accordian, and it actually fits really well. New vocals come in later on, probably someone from W/IFS, because I do not reconise the voice. The lyrics are about dieing soon, and being forgotten by everybody, or not noticed at all. This song pretty muchy shows that their Nihilisitc beliefs shown in other songs aren't completely serious, that they do not want to die as much as anybody else does. "When did life get so rotten?" This song makes you think a little about your own life and your own mortality. 5/5
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg400/g449/g44912p4mxj.jpg
Released: August 31, 2004 by Alternative Tentacles
Band Members:
Stza = Vocals & Guitar
Alec = Bass & Vocals
Ezra = Guitar & Vocals
Ara = Drums
The sophmore full-length from the Good Leftover Crack. For this album the boys had switched record labels from Rancid's Tim Armstrong's Hellcat records to Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles. Many say this was the best move they have made, as Hellcat held them back with certain things they wanted to do. If you need a history on LoC, I recomend visiting the Punk forum and checking out my profile on them. In true Leftover Crack fashion, this album was leaked once before it had been mastered, just the raw recordings of songs that were planned to be on the album. The fans really dug this, as they got a peak of what was to come. Most were unimpressed, because of the lack of orginality in this leak compared to the differences between previous Leftover Crack releases. One of the biggest annoucnemtns made about this album was who was producing and mastering it, none other than Big Black founder, Steve Albini. As the album finished and fainlly completed, another copy was leaked, this time being the full album. This was at least a month before the offical release date. This is how I orginally optained the album. I couldn't wait, and I knew the band wouldn't mind, as they encourage file sharing and copying of their CDs. I finally bought the album when I went to the record store for the cover world and insert. When I put the CD in my player, even after listening to it many times on the computer, I could not cease to be amazed. This is why I am doing this review, because I wish to share my amazement.
Clear Channel (Fu Off!) - 4:15
This song actually starts off like the last album. It acts as an introduction to the album. Stza comes in with his own way of introudcing the band. His voice perfectly matches the way he speaks, from the gutter if you please. After the introduction it goes straight into the song. Fast paced straight off. No sign of their ska influence, just pure hardcore. As the name suggests, this album is all about the **** Clear Channel has been doing to radio. The chrous is very catchy, talking about how the radios constantly play the same things over and over again, using advertisments to make money for money-grubbing artists. The second line of the song even digs at their old record label owners, Rancid. This song is great starter, gets you pumped. 5/5
Life is Pain - 4:37
An anti-sex song, pretty much. You may mistake them for straight edge because of it. It has a great sound I think. A softer hardcore, almost melodic if you will. Brings in a lot of ska, especially with the guitar. Many, when they think of Leftover Crack, they think of a song like this. There are even some violins and piano in the chrous. The lyrics have a pretty good message that I agree with. Sex isn't everything, we don't need to **** all the time. We keep on breeding, there is going to be nothing left. The thing about Leftover Crack's messages are they aren't afraid to say anything, and are usually extreamlly straight forward, but still manage to include some sarcasm and humour. Not the best song on the album, but still great. 4/5
Burn Them Pirsons - 3:15
An anti-police song, in true Leftover Crack form. Being squatters, it's hard to not hate the police. Stza starts off with an awesome lyric that I really liked "A liar once said "we're innocent til proven guilty" - but the truth is absud, we're poor until proven rich." The interesting part of the lyrics are the switching off between Stza and Ezra. A call and response mostly in the chrous, which is really good. Ezra has a great voice for singing back up to Stza, a good contrast. The overall music of the song is pure punk, leaning towards hardcore. There also some spoken word samples used, which they haven't done since the Choking Victim day. Although I'm not as anti-police like they are, the lyrics are still good and profound. The song ends in a little acoustic jiggy thing, just makes the song I think. 5/5
Gang Control - 2:42
This is probably my favourite song on the album. Orginally a Morning Glory song, which is a side project of Ezra. Who also takes a bigger part in the vocals. The song is very ska, and no much hardcore. Although the lyrics aren't upbeat, the music really is. It seems every ska band has some sort of a unity song, and I think this is Leftover Crack's/Morning Glory's. It calls for people to stand up against the police injustices, and an overall unity among people. I really dig this song. 5/5
Super Tuesday - 4:00
This was one of the first leaked song. It starts off real slow and goes to a simple guitar riff. This would of made a great opening song for an album, it is kind of place where it is. Another song where the music is upbeat, but the lyrics are not. If you do not get the reference, Super Tuesday is 9/11/01, which even though Leftover Crack are New Yorkers, they think was a good thing to happen. Do not jump to conclusions though, they see the reason of the attacks over the tragedy. As the album title suggests, they are against World Trade, especially the WTO, which the WTC symbolised, and the tobbling that showed to them, there were people fighting their cause. There is a lot of spoken word samples in this song, I especially like the "World trade is a death machine" in one part. I like this song as well, but I think it would've been better placed at the beginning of the CD. 3/5
Via Sin Dios - 2:14
This actually a sequal to a Choking Victim song entitled "In My Grave" It starts off real fast, short verse and then the simple hrous of "Six Feet Underground" which is basically all three vocalists trading back the line. It also cites a lyrics from another Leftover Crack entitled "Born to Die" This song shows the Nihilisitc views of the boys. After the song ends it goes into a little guitar piano interlude. Quite strange how they incorporate things like this, shows their diversity. 4/5
Feed the Children (Book of Lies) - 3:21
The song starts off with a pure ska sound, singing about the lies of church and religion. After the first verse the song takes on a more hardcore sound, until the end, when it heads back into a ska sound. I dig the switch of sounds, it really shows their genre crossing talent. After the ska part is a violin/piano interlude and into the bridge part of the song. Reading the lyrics of the song, I like their wordings and the message. They are very anti-religious atheists, which is how I got into them. Surpisingly however, there isn't many anti-religion songs on this album. 4/5
One Dead Cop - 3:39
This song goes back to their punk sound, no hardcore. Again Ezra plays a big part in the back up vocals. I really enjoy the pre-chrous, where Ezra will call "Policia" and Stza will respond with a line. The actual chrous also shows good vocal work from Stza, he may not be the best singer, but he knows how to use what talent he does have to his advantage. I really enjoy their usage of samples, it helps back up their messages. Kind of a way of showing people they aren't the only ones with the ideas, although they may be the only ones to express it like they do. "More dead cops, might make the hurting stop" I really like the line, it flows well, and delivers a good point. 5/5
Ya Can't Go Home - 3:14
This song is mostly insturmental, and very releaxed. It is in a perfect place in the album. It gives almost a break for the listener, after getting flooded with the hardcore of the last songs, this song helps you cool down. You lose yourself in the lyrics (which I have done many times listening to it on my CD player, nearly falling asleep I was so lost) The song's message is that of what a Squatter faces, that you can't go home, but you can't stay here. The lyrics are pretty deep in this song, and are not lost in the music, as they can be in other songs. It's hard to describe the genre of this song, maybe hardcore's answer to the power ballad, almost. 5/5
Rock the 40 Oz - 2:28
A revamped Leftover Crack song. I dug the orginal, so I dig this one as well. The song was written after the Coloumbine shootings, and touches on the subject, shooting kids at school. The message of the song is a little jumbled, or I may just not be getting it (highly likely) It would be a good song to see play lived however, the chrouses would be easy to sing along to, and even throw up your beer when you are told to Rock the 40 oz. 3/5
Soon We'll Be Dead - 5:35
This song features The World/Inferno Friendship Society, so it is very soft. It also includes other instruments such as violins and piano. This is another releaxing song. The CD works nearly perfectly going from start to finish, it rushes you quick through the beginning with hard fast songs, and let's you get a cool down later on. About 2 minutes into the song there is a small hardcore riff, but it goes straight back into the soft happy tune. I'm not sure what that main instrument is, but I think it is an accordian, and it actually fits really well. New vocals come in later on, probably someone from W/IFS, because I do not reconise the voice. The lyrics are about dieing soon, and being forgotten by everybody, or not noticed at all. This song pretty muchy shows that their Nihilisitc beliefs shown in other songs aren't completely serious, that they do not want to die as much as anybody else does. "When did life get so rotten?" This song makes you think a little about your own life and your own mortality. 5/5