AGNOSTIC FRONT / DISCIPLINE – WORKING CLASS HEROES (I Scream)
Normally live recordings, especially of powerful raw punk shows, are sub par at best. This one, however, is so great that I have nothing droll to say. Of course, I would have preferred being there in person, but if you don’t already own all these songs, then this album is worth your hard-earned working class dollars.
RATING: FOUR STARS
GREEN LIZARD – LAS ARMAS DEL SILENCIO (I Scream)
Needs more screaming and less Nine-Inch-Nailsian balladry. Silly Nederlanders.
RATING: TWO STARS
HAIL SOCIAL – MODERN LOVE & DEATH (Hail Social)
“All night/We can listen to the radio,” and play around with our Casios. Didn’t the cheese-tastic, ironic 70s/80s disco thing already happen? This isn’t unlikeable, just boring. And please, don’t use “U” instead of “You” in your song titles; you’re just perpetuating the decline.
RATING: TWO STARS
LOU RHODES – BELOVED ONE (Infinite Bloom Recodings)
Seems like no matter in what genre they start, musicians with productive careers eventually find their way down a folk trail. Former singer for Lamb, Lou Rhodes picked up an acoustic guitar and invited her orchestra friends and made a decent album that fans will love. I wouldn’t use the word “outstanding,” but folk music is always better when the songwriter writes from experience.
RATING: THREE STARS
SKYBOX – ARCO IRIS (Self-released)
Such a promising start, then I realized it wasn’t the soundtrack to a silent movie after all, but rather a same-old, same-old Coldplay-worshipping band with a fortunate penchant for using quirky Spike Jones (not Jonze) noises and percussion instruments. Not interested.
RATING: TWO STARS
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