[B]The Sideburns - 4-4-1[/B]

I have never heard of the Sideburns, but the name sounded cool, so I figured I'd check them out. I had no idea what to expect, but liked what I found. I'm not big on instrumentals, but I like this one.

It starts with the drums and bass for a couple seconds, before the guitar comes in. Immediately I start tapping my foot and wanting to dance around. Shortly after this, the horns start in. This really gets the song moving nicely. At certain slight pauses of the horns, a weird "weeeeaahh" can be heard. I don't know what it is, but it's cool.

The song continues in the same fashion until a little over a minute in, the horns stop for a short while. It's just the guitars and drum, and it's very catchy. It makes me think of Sublime. The horns come back in, and alternate for the rest of the song.

All of the instrument parts in this song are good, and make for some awesome traditional sounding ska. I'm going to download some more from these guys.

8.5/10

[B]My Recommendations:[/B]
Bomb the Music Industry! - Big Plans of Sleeping In (ska/punk)
Erik Petersen - A Liquor Never Brewed (folk-punk)
[URL="http://myspace.com/themidnightcowboys"]The Midnight Cowboys - Take That[/URL] (local punk)
[URL="http://myspace.com/flagofdemocracy"]Flag of Democracy (aka F.O.D.) - Mazinger Z[/URL] (punk/hardcore)
Morning Glory - Divide By (punk)
[URL="http://myspace.com/xenophobes"]The Xenophobes - Hang 'em High[/URL] (punk/psychobilly from a MX member's band)

Xenophobes - Hang 'em High

This song starts out fast, the vocals are decent psychobilly vocals. I wish there was some more bass, because that's usually my favorite part of psychobilly. The chorus is pretty short, and it's not that catchy. This isn't a very catchy song. The guitar has a lot of distoriton, and the guitarist seems at least decent. It's a decent song, but I doubt I'll be c hecking out any more from these guys.

6/10

[b]My REcommendations:[/b]
Damian Marley - Conrfontation (reggae/hip hop)
City of Caterpillar - And You're Wondering How A Top Floor Could Replace Heaven (screamo)
Moss Icon - Mirror (Early Screamo)
NoMeansNo - Big Dick

NoMeansNo - Big Dick

Song kicks off with a funk-as-f'uck bassline, which is used throughout the song. Great basslines are typical of Nomeansno, and the vocals play along with this. It reminds me of a more hardcore Minutemen - this is what Mike Watt would sound like in a more hardcore orientated band. After the chorus, the song changes, and there's a sweet drum pattern. The vocals are pretty good here, and they're even better when the funky bassline returns with the vocalist singing really fast. The outro consists of the singer talkin' to a girl and asking her to go back to his place 'n' stuff, whilst the funky riffs continue. This is a great song, really highlighting how talented the band are at their instruments. They bring tha' funk, and they bring it good. 9/10

[b]Recommendations:[/b]

Really Red - Too Political (80s hardcore)
The Slackers - Sarah (ska)
Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot (alt/post-punk)
Big Boys - Funk Off (funky 80s hardcore)
Fugazi - Turkish Disco (instrumental, short but damn sweet)
Bread and Roses - Bedtime For Plutocracy (folk punk)
Nas - Halftime (rap)

[center][b][i]The Big Boys - Funk Off[/i][/b][/center]

This song starts with a whistle which signals the bassline and drums to kick in. The drums are pretty mellow and smooth and the bassline, well, imagine the funkiest bassline you can, make it funkier, cover it in funk, and funk it up a bit. That's the bassline. And indeed the entire song. Some great horns kick in pretty soon, the guitar work is minimal but just adds to the funk. The vocals match the music perfectly. There's also judicious use of the whistle some cool background noises. The song is under two minutes but if it was any longer your head would probably explode from the funk. 9/10

[b]Choose from:[/b]
[url=http://www.archive.org/download/jhatft2005-03-03.flac16/jhatft2005-03-03t05_vbr.mp3]Johnny Hobo & The Freight-Trains - Acid Song[/url] (Folk-punk)
Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel (Folk/Bluegrass)
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
Mischief Brew - The Lowly Carpenter (Folk-punk)
The Jam - A Bomb in Wardour Street (Punk)
Bad Brains - Don't Bother Me (Hardcore-punk)
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Bhindi Bhagee (World-punk)

Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel

So I've been meaing to check out this band, my cousin said if I ever felt like bluegrass that I should check them out. I've heard the AM! version of this song, and liked it, hopefully this one's good too.

The song starts out with the same sounding guitar (or banjo?) as I have heard in AM!'s version, but soon a violin or some similar string insturment comes in, and it's a good addition I think. I like this guy's voice, really really country sounding. The words are sung faster than I'm used to for this song, and I like it better at this pace. I like this version better than AM!'s. It's a happier feel and has some good vocal and insturmental harmonies. I'll definitely be checking out more from this band.

8/10

[B]My Recommendations[/b]
On File - Used to be a Boot Boy (Oi!)
Inner Terrestrials - Free the Land (Anarcho/Reggae?)
Erik Petersen - Every Town Will Celebrate (Folk-Punk)
Kids Like Us - Don't Fake The Punk (Hardcore)

[B]Inner Terrestrials - Free the World

[/B]So I got this band's album a long time ago, gave it a quick listen, thought it was good, then didn't listen to it again. But it seems they have regained some popularity on mx so I decided I'll try them out again, especially since now I'm not a huge fan of anarcho like I used to be.

It starts slowly in what sounds like a Led Zeppelin/Folkesque guitar line. Then a flute line comes in. This song sounds like a Jethro Tull song because of the progish guitar and flute. The vocals come in and it is still very folky sounding. The guitar has a little wah going on that makes it even more prog rockish. Back to the flute line. Doesn't sound very reggae to me. Sounds like some sort of a folkanarcho. The vocals are a bit hard to understand, the guy has an accent. I really like the flute lines though, something new to a genre known for its boring and repeativiness (thanks Crass for pioneering a **** sound) Closer to the end it seems like it picks up a little, with the vocals getting gruf right before back going into a flute line. This flute line ends with heavily distorted guitar and really gruff vocals. This is the part where the violence is being called for. Then into a really fast rendention of the previous flute line and distorted guitars. Vocals repeat Free the Land until the song ends. Pretty good

8/10

You Must Listen To
Phil Ochs - I Ain't Marching Anymore [I][Folk][/I]
Jello Biafra with Chumbawamba - Heartbreak Hotel [Live] [I][Punk][/I]
Drive-By Truckers - The President's Penis is Missing [I][Alt. Country]
[/I]The Kodan Armada - If I Wanted to Hear the Beat of Your Heart I Would Rip It Out and Stick It Next to My Ear [I][Screamo][/I]
Mike Watt - Pissbags and Tubing [I][Post-Punk][/I]

[B]Mike Watt - Pissbags And Tubing[/B]

Mike Watt has to be one of my all time favourite musicians, his bassmanship particually with the Minutemen is groundbreaking in punk music for it's technical skill and for his ability to write great, funky basslines. After listening to Minutemen I checked out his various other projects such as Dos and fIREHOSE and finally took a listen to his solo work off his most recent album The Secondman's Middle Stand of which Pissbags And Tubing features. Now to the review.

This is an interesting song, not typical of what one would expect if listening to other Mike Watt work. The song starts with some pounding drums followed by some weird organ sounding noise and Watts bass. The bass really doesn't stand out to me like earlier Watt would although it does have it's moments during the 6:17 song. The song continues this way throughout most of the song, it's a somewhat catchy song with good sing along "pissbags and tubing" lyrics by Watt.

Watts vocals are enticing and they drew me into the song. His rough vocal styling are quite enjoyable if a bit underrated my alot of people. I think the real interesting part of this song is the lyrics. Before this album Watt was quite sick and this album is a concept album of his life at this time. It's interesting listening to the lyrics of the whole album and the differences between songs particually this song.

All in all it's and interesting song but lacks any real distinct Wattage compared to alot of his other work. Still an interesting listen, especially if you listen closely to the lyrics and understand the concept of the album.

7/10

[B]My Recommendations:[/B]
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/baseball_softboyfactory.mp3"]Baseball - Soft Boy Factory[/URL] (Newish Post Punk)
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/chavez_theguardattacks.mp3"]Chavez - The Guard Attacks[/URL] (Alternative)
Die! Die! Die! - Auckland Is Burning (New Post Punk/Post Hardcore)
DJ Shadow - Building Steam With A Grain of Salt (Trip Hop)
Television - Marquee Moon (Proto-Punk)

[center][b][i]Chavez - The Guard Attacks[/i][/b][/center]

This song starts really well with a great distorted riff that last about 20 seconds before the drums and a second smoother guitar comes in. Unfortunately the vocals come in and their very average. The same cool riff repeats for most of the song switching to a much more high-pitched one that builds up for the 'inspirational' chorus which fades away to the same riff. This is a cool song. The guitar really makes it. The vocals and lyrics are very average but the guitar lends it an edge which really works. 6.5/10

[b]Choose from:[/b]
[url=http://www.archive.org/download/jhatft2005-03-03.flac16/jhatft2005-03-03t05_vbr.mp3]Johnny Hobo & The Freight-Trains - Acid Song[/url] (Folk-punk)
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
Mischief Brew - The Lowly Carpenter (Folk-punk)
The Jam - 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street (Punk)
Bad Brains - Don't Bother Me (Hardcore-punk)
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Bhindi Bhagee (World-punk)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)

[B]Johnny Hobo & The Freight-Trains - Acid Song[/B]

I'm not too familiar with alot of this folk punk music sweeping these boards lately, only really hearing Against Me and the new Ghost Mice, neither particually impressed me so I feel it's a good time to try some other artists.

The song starts by a 1-2-3-4 countered in by the singer followed by a rather generic sounding strum on the acoustic guitar, it reminds me of another song but I can't put my finger on it. Initially the vocals reminded my of Against Me but the more I listened to the song they bacame more distinctive and enjoyable but still you can hear the influence.

The lyrics play a major part in this song, like any folk or punk song would and they do impress me with their catchyness and you can't help but listen and learn every single line of the song. The lyrics are about drugs and from what I presume from the lyrics it's an anti-drug song but I could be wrong. Anyway, as I said the lyrics are rather attractive. The vocals are rather raspy, similar to Against Me as I said earlier but with an extra quality to them. Perhaps the fact the song is live makes his voice more previlant.

I like this song, and I assume from listening to listen to other similar artists the music is put in the background with the lyrics and vocals taking the lead so to speak in the song. This isn't a bad thing however and I do enjoy the song more than the other artists in this particular genre.

7.5-8/10

[B]Recommendations:[/B]
[URL="http://www.whiteeyelid.com/Trilambs/JSEP/06%20The%20Ultimate%20(Feat.%20Hot%20Karl).mp3"]Trilambs - The Ultimate[/URL] (Comedic Rap)
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/1985_sophomore.mp3"]1985 - Sophomore[/URL] (Post-Punk)
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/soulasylum_longday.mp3"]Soul Asylum - Longday[/URL] (Alternative/Post-Punk)
[URL="http://www.7inchpunk.com/wp-content/Impact1Polizia.mp3"]Impact - Polizia[/URL] (Italian Hardcore Punk)
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/terminals_deadlytango.mp3"]Terminals - Deadly Tango[/URL] (Punk/Alternative)

[center][b][i]Soul Asylum - Long Day[/i][/b][/center]

This song reminds me of a slightly less funky Big Boys. Or a more badly recorded Talking Heads having sex with the drummer from Husker Du, but not as good as that sounds. Or Big Black where the guitar isn't played with a cheese-grater. Or The Exploited if Wattie had been to art-school but not as bad as that sounds. Or a punk version of The Band with actual attempts at song-structure. Or 500 million indie rock bands if they had some actual f[u]u[/u]cking balls. Draw your own conclusions from these assertions. I thought it was alright. 7/10


[b]Choose from:[/b]
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
Mischief Brew - The Lowly Carpenter (Folk-punk)
The Jam - 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street (Punk)
Bad Brains - Don't Bother Me (Hardcore-punk)
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Bhindi Bhagee (World-punk)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)

[b]Gmail:[/b] sketchyjoe

[b][i]Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Bhindi Bhagee[/i][/b]

I could only find a live version of this, but it should work, right? Anyways, to give you what the song is about, before they start playing, Joe says, "This is a very complex song about food - and mostly it's about takeaway food."

It starts off with a cool guitar and some sort of percussion, moracca's (sp?). After a couple of seconds, a flute comes in. I like how this is sounding, it's really happy. Then Joe starts singing, or rather - talking. after a verse of slow spaced out talking, a chorus comes in. It's pretty catchy, and a kind of funk sounding guitar starts playing. After the chorus, Joe sings in a pretty quick voice. I like this song so far, a lot of cool insturments being combined. There's a quick little bass solo, and then the drums come back in. Joe's talking to the crowd, I wish I could have found a studio version, but this has inspired me to get some more from these guys. Really catchy song overall, and I like the insturmentation, and Joe's voice in it.

8/10

[b]My recommendations:[/b]
City of Caterpillar - A Little Change Could Go A Long Ways (screamo)
Kids Like Us - Don't Fake The Punk (hardcore)
Warzone - Locked Out (hardcore)
Toxic Narcotic - We're All Doomed (crust)

[B]Toxic Narcotic - We're All Doomed[/B]

What can I say, before this my exposure to crust was pretty limited to maybe Aus Rotten who didn't particually tickle my fancy. This song by Toxic Narcotic contained more melodic, catchy qualities than I expected and you can tell they were influenced by crossover bands from the 80s compared to say Aus Rotten who sound alot different. I'm not sure what seperates this band from other hardcore punk bands to be called crust because they do sound very similar but anyways very compelling stuff.

The song starts with come eradic drumming with a little guitar riff following building up speed until the vocalist comes in. I find the guitarists style is quite enjoyable throughout this song, it's really catchy and fits well with the overall song and vocals. The vocals offer nothing different to alot of bands but they do fit well with the music and I do oddly enough enjoy them in this song context. From what I can make out from listening to the song the lyrics sound pretty average and tend to overuse the word "fu'ck" in the chorus which tends to be a staple in this type of punk music. I can't help but be reminded of Municipal Waste when listening to this track even though the comparasions are few and far between.

My overall impression of this song is quite positive, they do what they do well and i'm impressed enough to check them out further, thanks poops.

7/10

[B]Recommendations[/B]
[URL="http://www.whiteeyelid.com/Trilambs/JSEP/06%20The%20Ultimate%20(Feat.%20Hot%20Karl).mp3"]Trilambs - The Ultimate[/URL] (Comedic Rap)
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/1985_sophomore.mp3"]1985 - Sophomore[/URL] (Post-Punk)
[URL="http://www.strangereaction.com/tracks/Poison%20Idea%20-%20Official%20Bootleg/01%20-%20Plastic%20Bomb.mp3"]Poison Idea - Plastic Bomb[/URL] (Hardcore Punk)
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/terminals_deadlytango.mp3"]Terminals - Deadly Tango[/URL] (Punk/Alternative)
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/as80_airships.mp3"]Athletico Spizz 80 - Airships[/URL] (Weird stuff/Punk)

[i][b]Poison Idea - Plastic Bomb[/b][/i]

I've been meaning to check these guys out for a while, or at least since Pig Champion died. I've heard nothing but good things, so hopefully they live up to the standards set by Adam and some others.

It starts off with a piano, and after 10 seconds the piano and the guitar play a similar tune. It sounds like a metal song so far. the guitar stops and the drums play a pretty fast beat, and then the guitar comes back in. It's a pretty fast song. The vocals come in, I don't think that I like them as much as some other 80's hardcore, but they're pretty good. There are lots of "Whoaaaaaaaaa"'s in this song, which definitely add to it. after a short bridge type thing, there's a verse with the drums playing fast, Pig Champion singing, and the guitar doing a lot of staccato notes. The song ends shortly after that.

I liked it, but I'm not sure it's as good as I thought it would be considering allthehubub (lol) around it. I think I'll still check some more from these guys out.

7/10

[b]My Recommendations[/b]
City of Caterpillar - A Little Change Could Go A Long Ways (Screamo)
Spunge - No Woman No Cry (Poppy Ska)
Marathon - Painting by Numbers (Pop-Punk?)
Blood For Blood - When the Storm Comes (I'll Stand Alone) [TOUGH GUY HARDCORE]

Just so you know it's off a bootleg I got and it's not as good as alot of their other stuff in my opinion. It doesn't even sound that similar to Pick Your King really. I'll put some of that up for my next FL.

[B]Blood For Blood - When The Storm Comes[/B]

Ahhh, I have had not such fond memories of Blood For Blood infact I would go as far as saying I hated them. They were generic, they were annoing and they were tough guys. Hey, i'm not one to judge so i'll give them one last chance to see if they change my mind.

The song begins with a few distorted guitar chords before the vocalist shouts "LETS GOOOO" followed by counting the song in 1-2-3-4. The vocals are quite hard to listen to and just feel out of place and annoying for use of a better word. The vocals are pretty generic but atleast it's an improvement on "fu[I]c[/I]king your pus[I]s[/I]y is like fu[I]c[/I]king the wound from a shotgun blast, with gang green". About 1:13 though the song there is a little guitar solo, it's seems like a bit of an odd place to have a solo however. At about 1:50 the song breaksdown with the repeat of the Lets go lyrics before going back to the mid to fast temponess of the rest of the song right at the end.

This song slightly improved my opinion of Blood For Blood, mainly because of a slight improvement lyricly but I highly doubt I would listen to this band again anytime soon.

3/10

[B]Recommendations:[/B]
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/1985_sophomore.mp3"]1985 - Sophomore[/URL] (Post-Punk)
[URL="http://www.7inchpunk.com/sounds/pi/poison%20idea%20-%20pick%20your%20king%20-%2002%20-%20it_s%20an%20action.mp3"]Poison Idea - It's An Action[/URL] (Hardcore Punk)
[URL="http://postpunkjunk.com/terminals_deadlytango.mp3"]Terminals - Deadly Tango[/URL] (Punk/Alternative)

[B]1985 - Sophomore

[/B]I've been to post-punk lately, so I'll give this band a shot.

Starts off with a little guitar line, then another guitar comes, then the drums follow, then the bass shortly after. The instruments blend together each playing their own little line that blends well with each other. The same keeps repeating for quite awhile, it's kind boring now. Then the drums change and seems a third guitar comes in or maybe the second has changed to a distorted guitar playing chords, the rest of the instruments continue though. The bass comes up front a little and plays a little line/solo. A hit on the cymbals and a different guitar line comes in with lots of echo. This song seems like a big post-punk jam. Borders on being pretty boring and interesting. It ends and I feel just a bit disappointed because it felt like it was going to build into a vocalist coming in, but it was just instrumental.

6/10

You Must Listen To
Phil Ochs - I Ain't Marching Anymore [I][Folk][/I]
Jello Biafra with Chumbawamba - Heartbreak Hotel [Live] [I][Punk][/I]
Drive-By Truckers - The President's Penis is Missing [I][Alt. Country]
[/I]The Kodan Armada - If I Wanted to Hear the Beat of Your Heart I Would Rip It Out and Stick It Next to My Ear [I][Screamo][/I]
Under One Banner - Cool Beans [I][Hardcore][/I]

[b][i]Under One Banner - Cool Beans[/b][/i]

The song starts off with a guitar chord, then a cool bass line. There's a pause for a few seconds, and then all three insturments play a pretty standard hardcore intro. Another short pause, and the vocals come in. I like the vocals a lot, they go really nicely with the music. The chorus doesn't sound much like I would expect, no catchy lyrics, no typical hardcore "Whoooooa"s, but it's good. There's another short verse, which leads into a slow bridge type thing, with the high hat and some distortion on the guitar. This leads into a build up, and then a cool little "solo" on the guitar. There's another verse, and then another chorus, and then the song fades out.

7/10

[b]My recommendations:[/b]
The Suicide Machines - 95% of the World is Third World [Ska-Punk]
City of Caterpillar - A Little Change Could Go A Long Ways [Screamo]
Bear Vs Shark - Campfire [Hardcore/Indie?]
Cro-Mags - Hard Times [Hardcore]

[center][b][i]Suicide Machines - 95% of the World is Third World[/i][/b][/center]

It starts off pretty mellow with a steady drumbeat and some pretty cool guitars with some guy speaking over it saying "This is no manifesto, this is no propaganda." which makes it sound like the rest of the song will be a propaganda-filled manifesto. After this there's a pretty cool melody on the guitar that sounds a bit like a downbeat indie song before someone shouts "Hey!" and goes straight into classic ska with the title repeated a few times before a brief verse then the chorus. All this is in jumping ska at breakneck speed. It's a bit more chilled out on the verse though. After this repeats a couple of times it goes in to another spoken-word section which has cool music but does sound slightly cheesy before going back into the ska and finishing with shouts of "Third world!" This was a cool song which combined the two styles within the song well. 8/10


[b]Choose from:[/b]
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
Mischief Brew - The Lowly Carpenter (Folk-punk)
The Jam - 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street (Punk)
Bad Brains - Don't Bother Me (Hardcore-punk)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmakesthree]The Devil Makes Three - Man Tap[/url] (Country/Bluegrass/Folk)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)
Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues (Country)

[b]Gmail:[/b] sketchyjoe

[I][B]Bad Brains - Don't Bother Me[/B][/I]

Well, I know forced listening is supposed to be new music. I really like Bad Brains already, but haven't heard this song, so techinically it's still new.

This songs starts with the words "Don't bother me" being spoken. Then a couple seconds later the guitars and drums start. It takes on a heavy feel.

The vocals sound a little more spoken than sung in this song. At least in the beginning. It gets very catchy. The instruments and vocals in this song all go together nicely. It sounds like Bad Brains, which is a very good thing, since Bad Brains are great.

I'm not too sure what else to say except that I enjoy the song. I'd recommend this song or any Bad Brains for that matter to anyone who's never listened to them.

8.5/10

[B][U]My recommendations:[/U][/B]
Kings of Nuthin' - [size=2]S[/size]hit Out of Luck (ska-punkish)
InDK - Rent for Sale (CRS punk)
Mike Watt - Chinese Firedrill (post-punk funk)
Phil Ochs - The Men Behind the Guns (folk)
Rx Bandits - Sell You Beautiful (ska/alternative)
Something Corporate - Cavanaugh Park (quality pop/pop-punk)
The Aquabats - Pool Party (silly ska)
Antimaniax - Chile Con Tofu (punk/ska)

[B]Something Corporate - Cavanaugh Park[/B]

Something Corporate is a pretty good pop punk and this song is off their first album Leaving Through The Window, I believe. It's one of my favorites from the album and it's a little more emotional than the others. Yes, it is actually about a park.

This song starts off nice and slow making pretty decent use of the piano. The lyrics are kind of more spoken then sung. It picks up about 1:30 into the songs for a little bit and then goes back into the slow pace. Overall it's a good song. I'd give it a 7/10, a good listen but not one that will be stuck in your head all day.

I recommend getting Leaving Throuh The Window if you like this genre.


My Recommendations:

Walking Away by Catch 22 (Ska/Punk)
Pink Moon by Nick Drake (Folk/Sounds like todays indie though)
Whoops I OD'd by NoFX (Punk)
Riot Radio by The Dead 60s (Punk/Ska)
Clash City Rockers by The Clash (Punk)
Someday by The Strokes (Garage/Indie Rock)

Catch 22 - Walking Away

The song starts out with some tapping on the cymbol and a cool bass line. Then the guitar and horn jumps in. I like the horn part a lot. The intro is at a nice slowish speed and then the song speeds up. I like the chord progression in this song. A really catchy song. Cool horn section throughout the song. There's also a pretty cool part where each player from the horn section plays a cool little solo-type thing. Then back to the bass line and cymbal tapping with lyrics. Guitar jumps in again. The song then finishes up.

8.5/10

[B][U]Recommendations[/U]:[/B]

Mad Sin - Communication Breakdown [Psychobilly]
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues [Country]
Bad Brains - Sailin' On [Hardcore]
Tiger Army - Temptation [Psychobilly]
C[B]o[/B]ck Sparrer - Working [Oi!]
Buddy Holly - That'll Be the Day [Rockabilly]
The Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer [Punk]

[center][b][i]C[b]o[/b]ck Sparrer - Working[/i][/b][/center]

If you've heard C'ock Sparrer, or, indeed, any Oi!, you know what to expect here, a working class punk anthem with a singalong chorus. And that's exactly what you'll get here. A tale of working cash-in-hand for your mate and avoiding the benefits squad. This song has everything you'd expect and everything you'd need, a strong sense of wit in telling the story, a quick cool guitar solo, a great voice for the music, and most of all, one of those choruses. This isn't just Oi!, this is Shock Troops Oi! And I love it. 9/10

[b]Choose from:[/b]
Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues (Country)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmakesthree]The Devil Makes Three - Man Tap[/url] (Country/Bluegrass/Folk)
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God (Folk-punk)
Mischief Brew - The Lowly Carpenter (Folk-punk)
The Jam - 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street (Punk)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - THe High Party (Indie)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)


[b]Gmail:[/b] sketchyjoe

The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God

This is such a great song. I'm really liking the background music in it. Also, the singer's voice is great, as well as legendary, for this type of music. The lyrics are good too. Once again, the vocals are really great. An all around great song.

9/10

[B][U]Recommendations[/U]:[/B]

The Quakes - Hangman's Noose [Psychobilly]
The English Beat - Rough Rider [Two Tone Ska]
Johnny Cash - Home of The Blues [Country]
The Tossers - Altercations [Irish Folk Punk]
Nekromantix - Nekrofelia [Psychobilly]
Bad Brains - Sailin' On [Hardcore Punk]
Stray Cats - 18 Miles From Memphis [Rockabilly]

[center][i][b]The Beat - Rough Rider[/b][/i][/center]

This is fairly standard two-tone ska. A nice simple but effective bassline, catchy horns, upbeat but downplayed guitars. This song does drag on slightly as it's almost 5 minutes and there isn't much variation. The vocalists all have standard Toasting style accents that leaves the song without any of the contrast of Specials tracks. This song isn't bad but despite it's inferior recording quality, I still probably prefer the Prince Buster version. 6/10


[b]Choose from:[/b]
Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues (Country)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmakesthree]The Devil Makes Three - Man Tap[/url] (Country/Bluegrass/Folk)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/andrewthomas]Andrew Thomas - Worker's Song[/url] (Country/Folk/punk)
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
Mischief Brew - The Lowly Carpenter (Folk-punk)
The Jam - 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street (Punk)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - THe High Party (Indie)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)

[b]Gmail:[/b] sketchyjoe

[i][b]Mischief Brew - The Lowely Carpenter[/i][/b]

I love Erik Petersen, but for some reason have never checked out Mischief Brew. I'm hoping this'll be as good as his solo work.

The song starts off with a slow steady beat on an insturment I cannot name. Then Erik starts singing. I love his voice, and it's great on this track too. There's a cool little part on the acoustic, and the first verse comes in. It's a pretty slow song, with just the guitar and Erik singing so far. I like the lyrics a lot. Petersen is a great songwriter. The song picks up at the end, and he starts to raise his voice, only to slow down, and say "But I am a lowely carpenter so, what have I power to do?"

Good song, I'll be listening to more Mischief Brew in the near future.

9/10

[b]My Recommendations[/b]
The Kodan Armada - If I Wanted To Hear The Beat Of Your Heart I Would Rip It Out Stick It Next To My Ear (Emo)
City of Caterpillar - A Little Change Could Go A Long Ways (Emo)
C[COLOR="White"]o[/COLOR]ck Sparrer - Bird Trouble (Oi!)
Latterman - Fear And Loathing on Long Island (Posi Pop-Punk)
Mike Ness - Don't Think Twice (Alt-Country??)

[center][b][i]Latterman - Fear And Loathing on Long Island[/i][/b][/center]

Latterman know how to write a catchy tune. This song starts chaotically with the guitar arrythmic disrupting the intro before jumping into a simple but effective riff for the verse which shoots into the anthemic chorus, filled with lines to sing-a-long too and pauses just at the right point. The song proceeds through another singalong verse, chorus, bridge and chorus at breakneck speed before climaxing. This isn't a brilliant song but no-one could argue that it's not a good solid punk one. 7/10



[b]Choose from:[/b]
Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues (Country)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmakesthree]The Devil Makes Three - Man Tap[/url] (Country/Bluegrass/Folk)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/andrewthomas]Andrew Thomas - Worker's Song[/url] (Country/Folk/punk)
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
The Jam - 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street (Punk)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The High Party (Indie)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)

[b]Gmail:[/b] sketchyjoe

[B][I]Anderw Thomas - Worker's Song[/b][/i]

Starts off with a cool 'riff' on an acoustic guitar. It's a really happy sounding tune. Andrew starts singing. I like his voice, it fits the song nicely. I like the lyrics, too. A harmonica comes in about halfway through. I'm a sucker for anything with a harmonica. I've been known to dabble with a harmonica every once in a while. It's a very simple song, but it works.

7.5/10

[b]My Recommendations:[/b]
Cap'n Jazz - Scary Kids Scaring Kids (Indie/emo)
Dag Nasty - Values Here (Punk/emo??)
Municipal Waste - Unleash the Bastards (Thrash)
Moss Icon - I'm Back Sleeping, Or F[COLOR="White"]u[/COLOR]cking, Or Something (Emo)
Metallica - Battery (Metal)

Metallica - Battery

I saw this live, but never got around to actually downloading the track, so here it goes.

The song opens with an interesting little acoustic figure, nice guitar work, but gives me the sinking feeling this is going to be some whiny crap like on their later albums. A few seconds later I am proven wrong as some real, old-school Metallica guitar thrash comes into play. This song is everything great about Metallica, the intense technical skill, fast pace and catchy lyrics. Oh, and a bitching solo or two. All in all... 9/10

The Jam - Strange Town (Punk)
The 4 Teens - Great Day In The Morning (Rockabilly)
Joy Division - The Eternal (Post Punk)
Bauhaus - Who Killed Mr. Moonlight? (Goth)
Captain Beefheart's Magic Band - Woe Is Me Bop (Something very odd)

[B]Captain Beefheart's Magic Band - Woe Is Me Bop [/B]
My instant impression is one of great confusion. I’m wondering weather or not this is supposed to be a comic track, or if this band was actually trying to attempt a serious sound. Ill be honest I had never of heard of this group before, but having seen their name I assume its a bit of a joke.

Pretty crazy. Whilst I think it is supposed to be funny (or just mad) the erratic percussion is a genuinely interesting sound. The vocals are a bit of a downer (in my opinion) they sound a bit too deep and soul like and it doesn’t seem to fit well with the crazy nature of the track (or maybe I just don’t get it). Overall I give it a

[B]5/10[/B]

Whilst there are some interesting aspects, the repeats get a little tiresome. However the fact that a group of people could even think of making something this mad is a wonderful thing. So, good and bad really.



Elle Milano - Swearing is for art students (Art rock)
[URL="http://www.beerskatepunks.co.uk/multimedia/Proud.mp3"]4ft Fingers - Proud to know you (Punk pop/ Punk) [/URL]
Group X - Idioth (Arabian rap sensations)
Devo - Gates of steel (Pre-punk, post-punk, punk sorta thing)
Willy Mason - So Long (Kinda folk, indie thing)
Minor Threat - Good guys (Don't wear white) (80s Hardcore)

[B]Minor Threat - Good Guys (Don't Wear White)[/B]

This song is not your typical Minor Threat hardcore punk song. This song is much more slow and relaxed than most of Minor Threat's songs. Sounds like there's both an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar in the song. Ian's voice is cool sounding, as always. I'm a pretty big Minor Threat fan and I like this song a lot. It's a very catchy song.

9/10

Minor Threat - Steppin' Stone [Hardcore]
Johnny Cash - Home Of The Blues [Country]
Iggy & The Stooges - Search and Destroy [Proto-Punk/Punk]
Mad Sin - Communication Breakdown [Psychobilly]
The Business - Suburban Rebels [Oi!]
The Meteors - Earwigs In My Brain [Psychobilly]
The Bruisers - Work Together [Oi!]
Reverend Horton Heat - I Can't Surf [Psychobilly]

[I]The Business - Suburban Rebels[/I]

It starts with a catchy verse, with the singer singing in sort of a sterotypical Oi voice. However, the pre chorus sorta drops it for a little, cause it's dumb and goes OI OI OI five times. However, the chorus is still good as it kicks back into not suck. After the first chorus, it repeats the verse and pre chorus chorus thing. It's catchy, but a bit boring. 6.5/10

The Diplomats - This Is What I Do (Hip Hop/Rap)
The Exploding Hearts - Modern Kicks (Powerpop/Punk)
Mitch Ryder - Devil With THe Blue Dress On (Soul)
River City Rebels - Hate To Be Loved (Rock)
Tommy Gutless - 54 40 or Fight [url]www.myspace.com/tommygutless[/url] (Street punk/Oi!)
Electric Frankenstein - American Lies (Punk)
Icons of Filth - F[SIZE="2"]uck[/SIZE]ed Up State (Anarcho/Hardcore)

OMGZZZZZZ MY 1ST FL EVERRRRR

[i][b]Icons of Filth - F[COLOR="Wheat"]u[/COLOR]cked Up State[/i][/b]

I downloaded [i]The Mortarhate Projects[/i] a while ago, but have never given it a very good listen. I remember liking it, but it's been a while.

The song is a bit boring, anarcho isn't a favorite of mine anymore, although I'll listen to the Subhumans every once in a while. The lyrics were good, but it was generic, standard anarcho. The drum intro was a bit long also. I may listen to this band every once in a while, but it's definitely not something I'll keep coming back to.

6/10

[b]My Recommendations:[/b]
The Procedure - Black Eye For The Straight Guy [Hardcore]
Dag Nasty - Circles [Post-Hardcore/Emo]
Spring Heeled Jack - Electric [Third Wave Ska]
With Honor - Perfect Glances [Hardcore]
City of Caterpillar - A Heart Filled Reaction to Dissatisfaction [Emo]

[center][b][i]Dag Nasty - Circles[/i][/b][/center]

Leaning towards the straight 80s-hardcore end of post-hardcore, this song is like a lot of these type of these songs with fairly standard (but catchy) punkish riffs and music but with a spacey edge to a lot of the guitar work. The vocals are nothing special but fit into the song well. This reminds me quite a bit of MIA. It starts to drag towards the end but overall is a catchy poppy early emo song. 7/10

[b]Choose from:[/b]
Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues (Country)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmakesthree]The Devil Makes Three - Man Tap[/url] (Country/Bluegrass/Folk)
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
The Jam - 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street (Punk)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The High Party (Indie)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)
Dead Milkmen - If You Love Someone Set Them On Fire (Ska-punk)
Dusty Springfield - Willie & Laura Mae Jones (Soul)

[b]Gmail:[/b] sketchyjoe

[U]The Jam - A Bomb on Wardour Street[/U]

It starts out with a an okay, verse, nothing that really makes me wanna get up, but the drum part has a cowbell. The bass is pretty defined, and becomes my main focus during the second verse, and does osme interesting stuff here and there. There's a lead line, which is pretty lackluster but works its way through, and then Mr. Bass does his thing again during the verse. And then there's a bridge here with hand claps that picks up the slack, and then it ends.
This was okay, not my favorite Jam song, but it's still an alright listen.

6/10


The Diplomats - This Is What I Do (Hip Hop/Rap)
The Exploding Hearts - Modern Kicks (Powerpop/Punk)
Mitch Ryder - Devil With THe Blue Dress On (Soul)
River City Rebels - Hate To Be Loved (Rock)
Tommy Gutless - 54 40 or Fight [url]http://www.myspace.com/tommygutless[/url] (Street punk/Oi!)
Electric Frankenstein - American Lies (Punk)
Self-Destruct - Violent Affair (Street Punk)

[center][b][i]Tommy Gutless - 54 40 or Fight[/i][/b][/center]

The song starts with a slow bassline before the whiny guitars and militaristic drums come in sounding like the one 'melancholy' song on every mid-90s pop-punk album which predictably builds up into a riff from every Oi! song ever conceived with shouty vocals espousing meatheaded American aggressive nationalist lyrics still hung up on frontier spirit and Manifest Destiny, with the obligatory fists-in-the-air shoutalong chorus, like Frederick Jackson Turner fronting a bad Briggs rip-off. 3.5/10

EDIT: I just got an e-mail from the band and they say this song was intended as a satire. They're still pretty average band but if you like this kind of Oi!/Street Punk, you'll probably enjoy it. 5.5/10

[b]Choose from:[/b]
Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues (Country)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmakesthree]The Devil Makes Three - Man Tap (Country/Bluegrass/Folk)[/url]
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The High Party (Indie)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)
Dead Milkmen - If You Love Someone Set Them On Fire (Ska-punk)
Dusty Springfield - Willie & Laura Mae Jones (Soul)

[b]Gmail:[/b] sketchyjoe

[i][b]Dead Milkmen - If You Love Someone Set Them On Fire[/i][/b]

I just recently got into this band, but haven't heard this song. After hearing a few members talk about it, I figured this would not dissapoint.

The song starts off with a standard ska riff on guitar, and I like the vocals, although they are a little weird. After a few verses and choruses there is an organ (I think) that plays an odd little tune with the drums. It sounds like something that should be in Shaun of the Dead.

[b]My Recommendations:[/b]
Defiance, Ohio - This Time, This Year [Folk-Punk]
Embrace - Money [Post-Hardcore/Emo]
Fifi - Mirror In The Bathroom [Punk]
From Ashes Rise - Reaction [Grind]
Funeral Diner - Syncope [Emo]

[center][b][i]Defiance, Ohio - This Time, This Year[/i][/b][/center]

This is a very mellow song with a steady bassline and scratchy fiddles/violins that complement the simple vocals. This mellow intro goes on for over a minute before it kicks into the uptempo part of the song which is very catchy, as you'd expect from Defiance, Ohio with passionate vocals and each element of the music complementing each other. It manages to combine the DIY amateurish small feeling of the band with a much fuller bigger sound that makes the song sound great. 7.5/10


[b]Choose from:[/b]
Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues (Country)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmakesthree]The Devil Makes Three - Man Tap (Country/Bluegrass/Folk)[/url]
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The High Party (Indie)
The Bouncing Souls - Bullying the Jukebox (Punk)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)
Apocalypse Hoboken - Port Wine Stain (Punk)
Dusty Springfield - Willie & Laura Mae Jones (Soul)

[b]Gmail:[/b] sketchyjoe

[B][I][SIZE="3"]Apocalypse Hoboken- Port Wine Stain 2:43[/SIZE][/I][/B]

Got this track from Mitch Clem's Liquid paper thing he made and I never actually listened to it. I told myself I would, but I didn't. I like this little guitar thing in here. Whoa, that went straight to music, and then chills out with the guitar thing. His singing there reminds me of a BTMI! song. I'm not really digging the "off my mind!" bit. The singing's kinda wonky. Actually, I just don't really like his voice at all. Yeah, and this song doesn't seem to really have much going for it. Just same old same old repetition. That song was alright. Didn't dig the singing voice that much, and the repetition really got to me.

[B]6/10[/B]

[B][U]Reccomendations:[/U][/B]
Streetlight Manifesto- Walking Away (ska)
Suicidal Tendencies- Subiminal (thrash)
Refused- Pump The Brakes (post-hardcore)
Kid Dynamite- Two for Flinching (hardcore)
Black Flag- Fix Me (hardcore)
Dillinger Four- Let Them Eat Thomas Paine (punk)

[B]Kid Dynamite - Two For Flinching[/B]

Alright, first of all, it should be noted that this song is a whopping 10 seconds long. But, I must say, that in those 10 seconds I can really feel the energy. It's very fast. Also, there's a cool little bass part near the end of the song. Then three seconds later, the song ends.

7/10 Just because it's so short

[B][U]Reccomendations[/U]:[/B]

Tiger Army - Never Die [Psychobilly]
Reverend Horton Heat - Five-O Ford [Psychobilly]
Black Flag - Rise Above [Hardcore]
The Bruisers - Work Together [Oi!]
Minor Threat - Steppin' Stone [Hardcore]
Stray Cats - 18 Miles From Memphis [Rockabilly]
The Templars - Land Of The Free [Oi!]

[center][b][i]Tiger Army - Never Die[/i][/b][/center]

This is pretty soulless stuff. It has all the elements of a potentially good psychobilly song, simple punk riffs, prominent frenetic upright basslines, a little quiet surf interlude, 'spooky' windy moor sound effects, vaguely morbid lyrics, but it all feels too polished and boring. The singers' vocals get progressively more annoying, starting as a sub-Mad Sin bellow degenerating into a strained tuneless yelp. This song randomly rapes anything that could contribute to a good song, but without any understanding of what makes them appealing in the first place. There's even an angry chant of "Never Die" at one point, just to further the unoriginality. This song is formulaic, unlikable and boring. 3/10

[b]Choose from:[/b]
Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues (Country)
Erik Petersen - Olde Tyme Mem'ry (Folk-punk)
[url=http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmakesthree]The Devil Makes Three - Man Tap[/url] (Country/Bluegrass/Folk)
The Deviates - Come With Me (Punk)
Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Folk-rock)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The High Party (Indie)
The Bouncing Souls - Bullying the Jukebox (Punk)
The Buddy Rich Big Band - The Beat Goes On (Jazz)
American Steel - Got a Backbeat (Ska-Punk)
Dusty Springfield - Willie & Laura Mae Jones (Soul)

[b]Gmail:[/b] sketchyjoe

American Steel - Got A Backbeat

It starts off with a distorted ska riff ont he guitar, and then the rest of the band joins in. The vocals are raspy, but I don't mind that. The bass is going nuts and the guitar doesn't change, which is expected as it's ska. The chorus changes a lot, and sorta throws things off but is still good. The second verse features the still solid bass pline, and the chorus once again, sets things off a little, but is still enjoyable. There's a little guitar bridge, but it's a bit gay as hell. Then the chorus comes back. This is that good of ska song,a nd not that great of an American Steel song either. 6/10

Pressure Point - Blue Collar (Ska-ish?)
Rival Schools - My Echo (Alternative)
Roach Motel - I Wanna Keep My Gun (Hardcore)
Soophie Nun Squad - Donkey Call
The Gospel Swingers - Hey Bunny (Soul)
Clorox Girls - Emergency