RMBLR: MAIN MUSCLE
Somehow RMBLR’s existence escaped me since their inception in 2016. But I’m glad this reached our inbox because this is killer punk rock n roll. RMBLR do a fine job of mixing blues and glam rock and this kicks - with infectious melody, too catchy to forget. Shit, even Jesus Christ Himself is quoted in their bio calling the band “rabid” and saying the band “foams at the mouth with the snotty sounds of 70’s punk, snarling “buzz saw” blues riffs and a spit of hard glam, stadium stompin’ hooligan chants.” While RMBLR has not created anything new, they do what they do well. My only complaint would be the lead guitar is a little stiff, could use some more fluidity. What else is there to say? Blast this!
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Spaghetty Town Records
PARTING: UNMAKE ME LP
From note one this will take you back to the summer of 2000 and the early releases of bands like Piebald, The Get Up Kids, Hot Rod Circuit and others. I suppose it borrows as well from The Front Bottoms with it’s lyrical content and cadence. Especially track 2 “Ratt Richards” is like a Front Bottoms verse mixed with a Get Up Kids chorus. I also hear a little bit of the Weakerthans as possibly a large influence on this band. Overall well produced and catchy tracks for anyone yearning for that early 2000’s sound you might have found your new favorite band. Co-release with strictly no capital letters (UK), comes out everywhere on vinyl, cassette, and digitally on 6/4/2021.
Count Your Lucky Stars
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THE GOALIE’S ANXIETY AT THE PENALTY KICK: WAYS OF HEARING
Seriously? I haven’t listened yet and I’m a little annoyed. Worst name I have ever heard and I’ve heard some awful band names. How about Penalty Kick? Goalie Anxiety? Is this summer of 2003? Are you huge fans of And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead? I was definitely expecting something with screaming and grindcore elements but then I got the complete opposite. This is comparable to a lot of the folk movement of the early 2000’s that was headed by acts like Dashboard Confessional. Focused around songwriting that starts out with just a guy and an acoustic guitar and then everything else gets placed over that. It’s nice, it has potential, the vocals sound like they are still at a point where they are searching for how they want to be delivered and what they are really trying to say but it’s definitely on it’s way. Track 8 features a different vocal and it’s kind of a nice twist, the female and male vocals blend very nicely, would love to hear that more. Well color me The Writer Pleasantly Surprised at the Indie Folk Album.
LATE NIGHT PHARMACY: TOO LATE FOR THE RICKSHAW’S
From Dublin comes an interesting track. The band lists Death Cab For Cutie and Interpol as influences and I’m not sure I hear that. It’s almost like The Smiths musically but with a vocal that is all it’s own thing. I maybe could hear a little Ben Gibbard in there but with a thick accent. I was most interested “Recording the single was only possible due to the generous financial support of the Irish Department of Culture” is something that is a little crazy to an American citizen especially since our government prefers to completely shit on artists and hope we all quietly die under a rock somewhere because most of us are a little too vocal about our Government's shortcomings. What is it like to be in an environment where art is supported? My one question is, I’m listening to this endearing voice and the lyrics are about “smoking rocks” and it being too late to get a ride from a rickshaw. I don’t know if it translates to an American audience though as I’ve never heard smoking meth or whatever this guy is smoking romanticized in the same way as youngsters sneaking a smoke or a drink. Bit I digress. The inspiration for the song was an overheard conversation and to me, it actually feels like that it was written this way, I’d rather hear the stories of the author and his experiences over fanaticized scenes that sound like they are out of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.
- Lowry/Lorenzo