Slamdance on up boys and girls for the fifth installment of Old Skars And Upstarts as compiled by legendary skater, punk rocker, and musician Duane Peters. If you're into Dead Boys inspired, Stooges conspired, and black leather attired puking punk rawk pablum this is the set for you. It contains thirty tracks of varying states of quality and one suspects sobritey, but that's part of the charm of a various artists set. Just consider the album to be a mix CD as compiled by your best friend Duane and just enjoy the ride; bumps and all.
Here's my incredibly unobjective song by song exposition of my opinions using the notes I took while listening. Duly considered and also noted: the fact that writing notes while listening to punk rock may defeat the whole purpose of the music's intent.
01. Bad Lieutnants - Arizona Love - A western themed instrumental, if it wasn't so short it would be useless. Plus they can't spell.
02. Die hunns - Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love - A good sludgy version of an evergreen classic.
03. The Briefs - Human Thermometer - The Briefs are punks who've obviously heard The Beatles. Snappy pop punk.
04. Prima Donna - Double Crosser - Iggy and Stiv adherents.
05. The Bones - Not A Love Song - Rousing Rancid, Clash, Social Distortion style sing along.
06. Angel City Outcasts - Rev It Up, Turn It Loose - Revved up pub rock dreck.
07. Turbo Negro - Suffragette City - Cover of the Bowie classic is sleazy enough for me.
08. Black Halos - Burning Trash - Another winner from one of the best punk bands around.
09. Epoxies - Don't Talk To Me - New wave punk with a female front.
10. The Lizzies - Baby Black And Blue - It's got an insane BIG sound and you really think it's going to rock and then the singer opens his mouth and out comes a gothic influenced Sisters Of Mercy baritone that just seems out of place.
11. Ducky Boys - Scars - Cali punk with woe is me lyrics.
12. U.S. Bombs - He's The Man - Souped up garage rocker with nice "Secret Agent Man" guitar flourishes.
13. The District - I Crisis - Britpunk flavored rock with all of the standard emotions.
14. Amazombies - Blind Devotion - All girl trio that can't even rock as hard as Veruca Salt.
15. Mad Sin - Straight To Hell - Garage-abilly punk. Let me know when it's over.
16. Street Dogs - Drink Tonight - This is the real punk rock article here: fast hardcore with growl and grumble singer. The song even includes a mosh pit soundtrack outro.
17. River Boat Gamblers - Smoking Crack With L.A. Reid - Best title of any tune on the comp. Good straight up punk rock.
18. The Deep Eynde - Zombie Kids - Schlock.
19. The Duane Peters Gunfight - Blow My Brains - Don't just go by the title. This is actually a very melodic and tuneful song.
20. Civet - Black Day - Never liked these ladies. 'Nuff said.
21. The Addicts - Steamroller - Man, this song has a BIG BIG drum sound. New wave never went away.
22. The Worthless - Fall In Love - A highlight of the album even if The Dead Boys homage verges on worship.
23. The Skulls - I Don't Need Nothing - You don't need nothing but this awesome Skulls song to get you through a trying day.
24. Hollow Points - Ropes End - I've been a bit cool on these guys in the past, but this cut is pretty screaming.
25. Blood For Blood - Hanging On The Corner - A metallic slab of more woe is me angst punk.
26. Roger Miret & The Disasters - Lower East Side - Slop rock crank it up junk.
27. The Stitches - Monday Morning Ornaments - A geniunely fun song with no artifice present.
28. The Orphans - Underage Girlfriend - The best female punk stuff on the record is also one of the best songs on the disc.
29. R.X. Son - Because Your My Friend - Uggh, more pub rock. Dr. Feelgood will never be topped, so everybody else just needs to cool it.
30. The Kings Of Nuthin' - Wild In The Streets - I suppose the intent of this Circle Jerks cover is to be dreadful so I guess it's beside the point for me to say that it is.
Old Skars And Upstarts 505 is out on Disaster now. Grab yourself a copy and come up with your own opinions. Duane Peters has also organized an Old Skars And Upstarts 505 tour. You can learn more details here.
4 comments:
I loved this comp. No one seems to like that Lizzies song, though, while I can't get enough of it.
I just can't get past the Bowie meets goth head on vocals even though I know I should. The song itself is well written and performed. It's just one of those things.
Two bands with names inspired by "The Warriors". Maybe that is a thought. Why not a compilation with bands whose names were street gangs in the movie "The Warriors". Baseball Furies anyone?!
Cheers,
Doug
'Alive Without Control' West Coast 2006 Tour
Vancouver's notorious punks The Black Halos are proud to announce their 'Alive Without Control' West Coast Tour. In January, the monochrome rockers will blast their way down to California. Highlights include joining forces with the legendary Social Distortion(January 6) then pushing onward to Los Angeles where they/'ll be joined by the Ladykillers and finally heading back north to headline a string of shows in Washington and British Columbia.
This west coast stint is in support of their critically acclaimed 3rd release "Alive Without Control"(Century Media/Liquor & Poker Records). Their newly released video "Three Sheets to the Wind" has found love on such stations as MuchMusic and MuchLoud.
Thurs. Jan 5 - SF, CA @Grant & Green
w/American Heartbreak
Fri. Jan 6 - Anaheim, CA @House of Blues
w/ SOCIAL DISTORTION
Sat. Jan 7 - Huntington Beach @The Brigg w/Lady Killers
Sun. Jan 8 - Hollywood @Knitting Factory w/Lady Killers
Mon. Jan 9- Sacremento, CA TDB
Tues. Jan 10 - Olympia, WA @The Manium (All Ages)
Wed. Jan 11 - Bellingham, WA @Up N Up Tavern
Fri. Jan 13 - Vancouver, BC @Media Club
Sat. Jan 14 - Kelowna, BC @OKM Hall
Sun. Jan 15 - Whistler, BC @Boot Pub
Wed. Jan 18 - Nanaimo, BC @Queens
Thurs. Jan 19 - Victoria, BC @Logans
Sat . Jan 21st - Seattle, WA @El Corazon
w/ Hollowpoints and Problem Child
Hot off the press is the new Warcon Christmas compilation "A Taste of Christmas" with the Black Halos sneering holiday track "Homeless for Christmas". This compilation includes
other seasonal favorites from: Street Drum Corps feat: Bert McCracken, The Used, From First to Last, Emery, Bleed the Dream, Funeral For a Friend and many more.
Continuing the highly successful Metal For The Masses series, the Century Family unseals Metal For The Masses Volume Four, once again exclusive to Hot Topic locations nationwide. The 2-disc compilation contains 40 tracks totaling over 2 hours of music including the Black Halos track "Three Sheets to the Wind". Volume Four comes housed in a deluxe double Digipak and is available now at all Hot Topic locations nationwide.
This past year saw the Halos sharing the stage with The Queers, The New York Dolls, The Die Hunns(feat. Duane Peters & Corey Parks)The River City Rebels, The Bones(Sweden), Kings of Nuthin, Angel City Outcasts, The Avengers, and the Illuminati.
Other frenzied activity has the boys in black writing new material and planning their Spring 2006 European tour which will have them playing 40 shows in 7 weeks.
"They got all the hooks and they're master baiters, so come on down to your
local watering hole and catch the Black Halos !"
For interview requests please email publicity@blackhalos.net
www.blackhalos.net
www.myspace.com/blackhalos
European Tour in March/April 2006
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