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22 December 2023
BIRDDOG, Songs From Willipa Bay
VISIT BIRDDOG HERE.
Karma Records and Happy Birthday To Me Records are responsible for releasing this wandering and melodic record. Frontman Bill Santen (vocals/guitar/piano) brings together a nice cast of musicians to fill out a rustic, almost rural, seven track album. There is a dark, folk-song quality to this record that, after a few dedicated listens, sticks around in your head, and leaves you wanting a beer in a dark corner of an unknown bar. Perhaps the only drawback to the record is Santen’s own voice. While not as endearing as Elliott Smith, Santen’s wavering jangle of a voice fits well in the context of the music. If you are into that sound, which is a blend of slow-paced emo rock and urban cowboy drawls, this would be a nice addition to your collection.
ROTARY DOWNS, Long After the Thrill
VISIT ROTARY DOWNS HERE.
There was an album that I reviewed a long-ass time ago by this band called Two Dollar Guitar. And at first I didn’t know what to make of them, but after awhile they became one of my favorite “odd” bands. Rotary Downs has all the potential to have the same effect on me. Each song is sporadic, yet sincere at the same time. To explain the sound of this band, it would help if you had been drinking all night, but not excessively, and you were in that comfortable state of mind where everything is slowed down and melancholy. Maybe if you cross referenced the slower Beck songs with prime time Dinosaur Jr., you might be close to having an idea of Rotary Downs’s “mid-fi” aesthetic. But anyway you come at this band, and as long as you can appreciate my cryptic references, you will wind up pleasantly surprised with this album.
MATCHBOOK ROMANCE, West for Wishing
VISIT MATCHBOOK ROMANCE HERE.
Usually, Epitaph Records is home to credible and important bands that move music forward progressively. But every now and then we get a CD from them that makes us double check the back to ensure that we read the label correctly. Yes, I’m trying to tell you that West for Wishing by Matchbook Romance sucks ass. A really stinky ass. This crappy, bubblegum punk foursome sound like they wanted to be blink-182, then went to a Korn show and got confused. What you get on this record is bad teeny-bopper punk tracks with one vocal that sounds like latter day Get Up Kids, and another that reeks of screamy Slipknot. This is unfortunate, because these guys have the technical proficiency to make an outstanding album. I’ve wasted enough space on these clowns. If you’re young and completely clueless, you’ll love these queens.
VISIT BIRDDOG HERE.
Karma Records and Happy Birthday To Me Records are responsible for releasing this wandering and melodic record. Frontman Bill Santen (vocals/guitar/piano) brings together a nice cast of musicians to fill out a rustic, almost rural, seven track album. There is a dark, folk-song quality to this record that, after a few dedicated listens, sticks around in your head, and leaves you wanting a beer in a dark corner of an unknown bar. Perhaps the only drawback to the record is Santen’s own voice. While not as endearing as Elliott Smith, Santen’s wavering jangle of a voice fits well in the context of the music. If you are into that sound, which is a blend of slow-paced emo rock and urban cowboy drawls, this would be a nice addition to your collection.
ROTARY DOWNS, Long After the Thrill
VISIT ROTARY DOWNS HERE.
There was an album that I reviewed a long-ass time ago by this band called Two Dollar Guitar. And at first I didn’t know what to make of them, but after awhile they became one of my favorite “odd” bands. Rotary Downs has all the potential to have the same effect on me. Each song is sporadic, yet sincere at the same time. To explain the sound of this band, it would help if you had been drinking all night, but not excessively, and you were in that comfortable state of mind where everything is slowed down and melancholy. Maybe if you cross referenced the slower Beck songs with prime time Dinosaur Jr., you might be close to having an idea of Rotary Downs’s “mid-fi” aesthetic. But anyway you come at this band, and as long as you can appreciate my cryptic references, you will wind up pleasantly surprised with this album.
MATCHBOOK ROMANCE, West for Wishing
VISIT MATCHBOOK ROMANCE HERE.
Usually, Epitaph Records is home to credible and important bands that move music forward progressively. But every now and then we get a CD from them that makes us double check the back to ensure that we read the label correctly. Yes, I’m trying to tell you that West for Wishing by Matchbook Romance sucks ass. A really stinky ass. This crappy, bubblegum punk foursome sound like they wanted to be blink-182, then went to a Korn show and got confused. What you get on this record is bad teeny-bopper punk tracks with one vocal that sounds like latter day Get Up Kids, and another that reeks of screamy Slipknot. This is unfortunate, because these guys have the technical proficiency to make an outstanding album. I’ve wasted enough space on these clowns. If you’re young and completely clueless, you’ll love these queens.
artid
1282
Old Image
5_8_cds.jpg
issue
vol 5 - issue 08 (apr 2003)
section
entertainmental