The Flatliners are about as punk as they come and I am not just saying that. The foursome who hail from Toronto, Ontario does not care about the fame and fortune so many bands seek these days. They prefer touring in vans, playing in dive bars, and sleeping on floors over lathering in luxury. Recently releasing their third full length entitled Cavalcade on Fat Wreck Chords, the band continues on with their seven year career with just one thing in mind – play punk rock music because they want to.
Starting off as a ska-punk act, the band has matured into a more melodic punk rock outfit that clearly is represented on Cavalcade. The powerful opening track “The Calming Collection” starts off album and introduces the listener to what is to be expected throughout the twelve song release. “Carry The Banner” continues with a forceful track that was heavy on the rock with gritty group singing throughout. Their sound is more likable than ever and just by hearing one song I knew I was in for something good. I also got a kick out of the opening line sampled from the 80’s metal spoof band Bad News.
Bordering on pop-punk, “Bleed” is exactly what you would expect in a punk anthem sing-a-long with plenty of opportunities for the listeners to get involved. It was the best track on the album i my opinion hands down. “He Was A Jazz Man” reached back to their ska-punk roots and sounded just amazing. “Shithawks” followed fast and furious with great harmony. Then there was “Monumental” which laid off the punk for a moment producing a great rock track I really enjoyed as well.
Proving that they have no solid genre of punk “Filthy Habits” kept a heavier sound with plenty of screaming and authority. “Count Your Bruises” stood out over most tracks with a much more mature style musically and lyrically. I was impressed thoroughly with the whole album that displays how mature this young band has become.
The Flatliners have already been going places and will continue to do so based upon their way of life and ability to rock out. Following their dream one day at a time, the band seems to always be on tour and not to mention continues to release solid punk rock efforts in a timely manner. Fans of the real punk rock, not that fashionable crap, need to have the Flatliners on their playlist. This release holds high as one my favorite punk releases so far this year and once you listen to it you just might agree.
I cannot believe it is June 22nd already. Summer is officially here and what better way to bring in the warm fun season than to jam out to some amazing music – but what exactly is out there to listen to? Luckily Atlanta act The Constellations have decided to drop their debut release titled Southern Gothic just in time to provide a great soundtrack for your summertime fun.
After two years in the making with assistance from producer Ben H. Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective), the eight piece act has released an album that mixes all the fun of bands like Outkast, MGMT, and the Gorillaz with almost a 90’s grunge / soul combination all while adding their own flair.
Honestly there really is no way to define a genre for this band as their songs range from rock to hip hop to pop – that is not necessarily a bad thing. Lacking consistency never sounded so good. Add in love for Tom Waits and guest appearances by Cee-Lo Green and Asher Roth, it is quite apparent this band is not a gimmick you are listening to.
“Setback” opened the release with a funky electronic jam heavy on the bass with lead vocalist Elijah Woods almost rapping over music that easily could be thought on something the Chemical Brothers might have created or even Fatboy Slim. This was the song that was brought to my attention to earlier in the year and needless to say it sparked my attention tremendously.
Not giving the idea that Southern Gothic might be only an electronic album came “Perfect Day” a relaxed and very cool sounding track reminiscent of good ol’ Gnarls Barkley. It’s only fair to mention Gnarls Barkley seeing as “Love Is A Murder” featured ½ of the act otherwise known as Cee-Lo Green who provided a monologue throughout the track. This was one of those songs that easily will stick to the minds of many and be broadcast all over the radio.
“December” was another track that just screamed to be played on the radio and sounded like a unreleased Broken Bells track. I could not help but think of how perfect the song would be for a going out on the town mix. “Take A Ride” proved to be another inebriated party track with the message to just raise hell starting at the barstool.
“We’re Here To Save The Day” sounded like a strange alliance between Beck and Eminem. Listening to Asher Roth supply a flow of heavy heard rhymes throughout it was apparent song clearly was out of place with the rest of the tracks yet was amusing to listen to. I also could not help but wonder why Asher Roth was almost blatantly shown the spotlight on the song while earlier Cee-Lo barely crept through his spoken word of sorts.
“Step Right Up” was by far my favorite track on the album as it was a clear tribute to Mr. Tom Waits. The song was a completely off the beaten path revolving around one of my favorite artists of the 70’s. Keeping with the iconic storytelling individual this song also keeps the funk moving around for almost ten minutes. I can not see everyone getting a kick out of this song but something tells me this is one of those songs best seen live.
“Remurder Is A Lovemix” was a soulful piece with the commonly heard advice “if you really wanna live, you gotta be ready to die”. I enjoyed this song with Elijah Woods changing up his singing style as well as the random distorted guitar solo that jumped in the middle of the track.
Southern Gothic is a gallant release by a group of musicians who seemingly refused to keep their material contained. Usually the result of something of this nature could be disastrous but The Constellations manage to pull it off in a great way. Already turning heads at SXSW and Bonnaroo the band continues to tour and will be making a stop at Lollapalooza. Do yourself a favor and make sure that Southern Gothic is part of your playlist one way or another this summer. This band will be going places, I know it.
Hip-hop artist Sage Francis recently returned with LI(F)E, an all new album on ANTI- Records. This time around the lyrical genius has tried a different approach to his music by asking for assistance from various musicians who provided personal selections for him to work with. Skip the bass heavy beats and typical hip-hop soundtracks that have gone with many of his previous works, this time around LI(F)E proves to be Sage Francis’ most sundry work to date.
Having been a fan of Sage Francis since about the time Y2K seemed a threat, I have only gotten more thrilled in anticipation with each of his releases. I never listened to his albums as much as I studied them. The man always impressed me with his ability of taking words and formulating them into something intriguing all while accompanied with sometimes self-made hip-hop and even jazzy beats. This comes from the guy who bought a Sage Francis hoodie from Sage himself a couple years back at one of his shows and did not even realize it was him until mid-way though our conversation. Oops.
I had to admit I was stoked to see the album cover for LI(F)E was drawn up by contemporary street artist Shepard Fairey. A young Sage Francis graces the cover and I later found out that it was a dated photo of Sage Francis reminding him of the harder times in life when he slept on the floors at his friend’s houses and just lived day by day. Not getting down by this things have obviously changed for the better over the years.
“Little Houdini” opened up the album featuring music written by ex-Grandaddy turned solo artist Jason Lytle. The music, previously written as an instrumental by Lytle, originally had no lyrics to go along with. Once obtained Francis worked his magic and created a song focused around a fugitive who escaped custody to see his dying mother based from actual events. Francis had no problem putting his flair on top of the music and one would think both were written at the same time. The song was one of the better cuts on the entire album.
“Three Sheets To The Wind”, featuring music by Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie continued with a appealing track but it just did not match up to the opening track The questionable “I Was Zero” started out great until Sage just inserted a weak refrain repeating “when I came out my momma, I was zero”. For a seasoned hip hop artist that holds many wins on freestyle challenges in the past I felt more effort could have been put forth in this track lyrically. Perhaps my expectations were set high for Sage and I should include that some of the lines he flows out during the song contained amazing selections of words but the music provided perfect for a rap of sorts with a generic chorus killed it for me.
I enjoyed “Slow Man”, a slow folky track summing up the thoughts in many aging individuals, if not Sage himself. If Sage’s voice had more baritone in it on “Diamond’s & Pearls” I swear I would have been listening to Everlast. The impressive “The Baby Stays” was a profound story based around the results of a redundant establishment called life only to succumb to the new outlook at the result between an unlikely pair. The folk soundtrack, courtesy of Tim Rutili, aided Sage to the very ideal story about an unwanted life turning into the greatest thing ever.
Screaming children assist Sage in “London Bridge” a fun track full of random wonders and events in the world. The song was fun and I think that is all it was meant to be featuring Sage, a bunch of kids, and once again Chris Walla. Without looking too deep into it I left it at that and enjoyed it.
The late Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) collaborated with Sage on “Love The Lie”, perhaps my favorite cut on the entire CD. It was chilling to hear this song knowing that Linkous ended his life for reasons that will never be known. The track was upbeat from start to finish and almost inspiring yet clearly full of sarcasm. This is the kind of song you had to actually listen to in order to understand how Sage works.
“The Best Of Times” was another track on LI(F)E that I admired over the others. The more spoken word track recalled personal stories of Sage making for a powerful close to an impressive release. As if sitting there listening to Sage was not great enough the musicthat accompanied Sage’s verbal memory was created by Yann Tiersen.
I loved how the album ended as strong as it began. Sure there were a couple head scratching tracks in there but overall LI(F)E was a pleasure to listen to. It’s not a hip-hop album by any means but more of a carefully premeditated project from a guy who happens to be good at rapping. It’s easy for anyone who is familiar with his older material to just not get it – it’s different. Taking written music in favor of generated beats this round, Sage has created a branch off of what he loves to do and I honestly admire his doing. Without sounding too cliché, give LI(F)E a chance.
Punk rockers of all shapes, sizes, and age filled up the Madison Theater last Friday night to see the Fermented & Flailing Tour in Covington, KY. The tour, featuring long time independent punkers NOFX with special guests Teenage Bottlerocket as well as Tony Sly of No Use For A Name (NUFAN), did not make it to Northern Ohio during this tour as much as I would have like it to have, but I did the next best thing and drove 4 hours to the tour and do not regret it one bit.
I was highly bummed out when I arrived to Covington in the afternoon as I found out first hand that another band that has been touring with them, The Menzingers, were cancelling their performance that night due to food poisoning. I was actually on the phone with Greg, the guitarist of the band, trying to set up an interview with them before the show when he informed me that they were behind in schedule and considering going to a hospital as their drummer, and friend, was not in good shape. As much as I wished I could have seen this amazing up and coming band I understood the situation and wish them luck. There is always a next time.
The Madison Theater was packed by the time I got there and after scoping out the area and seeing how inconvenient the photo area was I decided to forfeit the idea of getting up close and snapping some shots of the bands. As much as I wanted to it just was not a good idea. The stage overlapped the sectioned off area and there was hardly enough room for the bouncers to stand there and do their thing. Not to mention this venue did not have adequate isles or areas where people could move freely around the sides. I made my choice and was ok with it. I was still able to snap off a couple shots but more importantly I still was going to enjoy the show.
Locals Loudmouth opened the night with their impressive 90’s inspired pop punk / ska sounds. There were a ton of fans in the house that were very aware of who this act was who hail from the Cincinnati / Covington areas. Their lead singer admitted that he had “whiskey hawk” in between songs and pointed at the green mat of hair on his head promising that he tried to get it up over and over. The band clearly was stoked to be sharing the stage with members of the Fat Wreck Chords family and put forth a great set. I am kicking myself still as I missed their merch table after the show but I plan on looking into these guys some more very soon.
Tony Sly, seasoned punk rocker and front man of NUFAN, took the stage with his acoustic guitar in hand and informed the crowd he wanted to play some songs. The response some of the crowd gave him was disrespectful as they booed him. Sly did not let that bother him and played songs off this new album such as “Keira” and “Already Won”. I know I was excited to hear “Toaster In The Bathtub” and “Soulmate”, a NUFAN cover that I could not help but sing along with.
I cannot say that everyone in house was rude to him but there were enough drunk fools around where I was that just went overboard making fun of him to make my blood boil. Perhaps an acoustic set was not what those concert goers were looking for that night but I think what pissed me off the most was that all the folk who were mocking and booing him literally had no idea who he was. This guy helped pave the punk rock road that these kids were standing on and they had no idea who he was – I guess I just wish those coming to early conclusions could have been a little more educated.
The brave Sly continued through his set and thanked everyone for listening to him. An intimate performance down the street at Molly Malone’s may have been more appropriate for his set but honestly I was not complaining and was thrilled to have finally seen him live on his own. Still I could not believe how many so-called punk rockers booed him…
Power pop punks Teenage Bottlerocket (TBR) delivered a killer set opening with “Skate Or Die” and pretty much did not break until their last song. Their punk rock thrash assault on the crowd had the tightly packed venue going insane with tracks like “Bigger Than Kiss”, “I Don’t Wanna Go” and of course brought more calamity when they announced they were going to play “30 Seconds Of Rad” and commanded all to a pogo throw-down. Their set was fun, fast, and just what was needed to get the fans ready for the headliner. Most folk there that night may have solely came to see NOFX but I am positive that they left glad they were there in time to see Teenage Bottlerocket do their thing.
The venue seemed much warmer once TBR left the stage and was filled with smoke from cigarettes and other substances. I decided to head up to the balcony area and I did so just in time as NOFX emerged on stage. The foursome clearly was pre-gaming it a bit before performing that night but did not hesitate to play for all who paid to see them. Greeting the crowd Fat Mike noticed a fan in a wheelchair and asked her to be brought onto stage. After words were exchanged between band and bouncer the girl finally emerged to the left of the stage and had the best seat in the house. The band said they had a song they were going to play her later as she reminded them of someone they once wrote a song for. Fans all over cheered in approval.
The rest of the night was just a blur of NOFX tracks from their lengthy catalog, insults from the band to the crowd, and just overall madness. At one brief moment Fat Mike hinted that the band was thinking about playing “The Decline” but a fan in the crowd told him that he played it last time they were in Covington so not wanting to repeat himself Fat Mike said never mind and then joked that the band was thinking of playing Heavy Petting Zoo in it’s entirety. Sadly that did not happen either and I was rather bummed out as I have always wanted to hear “The Decline” live.
Poking fun at the crowd, they yelled at fans for waving erratically at them and even pointed out a couple ICP Juggalos who apparently were not ashamed to show up in painted faces. The fans took the insults just fine and some chose to throw their drinks on stage soaking Fat Mike more than once.
The band did play tons of tracks including “Bob”, “Linoleum”, “Murder The Government” and even “Cokie The Clown” with Eric Melvin lending his pipes. At one moment El Hefe picked up his trumpet and started playing the opening notes to “Arming The Proletariant With Potato Guns” and I honestly felt privileged as this was the second time I had seen NOFX play the song in less than a year. They may have had a hard time getting through the jokes this time around but it was still hilarious.
Other tracks the band played included “Kill All The White Man”, “Franco Un-American”, the tear jerking “My Orphan Year”, “Bottles To The Ground”, and even “The Brews” which was the perfect sing along for a Friday night punk rock show. After a quick encore which included the highly anticipated “She’s Nubs” dedication to the girl who had been on stage all evening the band slowly left the stage while Eric Melvin serenaded the crowd with his accordion skills. Dodging their stagehand/keyboardist Melvin kept playing songs to everyone for what felt like ten minutes before finally giving up his instrument and calling it a night.
The band may have screwed up on a lot of their songs, were off key more than once, and did not look entirely thrilled to be playing that night but I would never expect anything else. It was NOFX, they can do whatever the hell they want to do during their show and I would leave satisfied. Having seen them tons of times in span of 15+ years I know what to expect from the foursome who just do what they want and don’t care what you think. I can admit that as long as they continue to tour I will be making my best effort to see them live because a NOFX show is just that damn entertaining.
Working class punk rock has never sounded so good thanks to Scranton, PA’s The Menzingers who recently dropped their sophomore release Chamberlain Waits on Red Scare Records. The foursome are making a name for themselves by escaping from the clutches of The Electric City and sharing their dirty punk rock style with the world. Named one of of AP Magazine’s 2010 bands to watch, all it takes is one listen to understand how exceptional this young act is.
At first listen it was apparent Chamberlain Waits was a winner to my ears. The different genres, ranging from a DIY punk feel to hearty rock and roll, made for a unique style so commonly attempted but rarely fine tuned. Think the likes of The Clash, Against Me!, and even a little Bruce Springsteen added to blatant determination from group of four who were once told they were going no where with their lives. The result is a start to finish straightforward album that absolutely rocks.
All is took was the opening track, “Who’s Your Partner”, for myself to become an instant fan of this band. I enjoyed the more rock feel throughout the song as well as lead vocalist’s Tom May’s singing styles. “I Was Born” continued with the band bordering tastefully on the lines of a punk song and rock song with equal screams and harmony. “Deep Sleep” easily could have been created by a certain Gainsville, FL act with amazing sing along qualities and likable guitar playing but it was not and regardless of the similarities to other bands the song was one of my favorites to listen to on the album.
The fist pumping “Tasker-Morris Station” showed a heavier more intense side of the band. The track was really put together well without being overproduced. “So It Goes” was another great track on the album with insane amounts of sing along opportunities. As great as all previous songs, “Rivalries” hands down was the winning cut on the album for me. I loved the opening of the track that soon morphed into a toe tapping rock track with ever so real lyrics regarding failure and accord. “Come Here Often?” followed and all I could think to myself was how each song seemingly got better and better. Closing album title track “Chamberlain Waits” started off mildly folky but erupted into an energetic group singing jam that closed out the album perfectly.
I can honestly say that this band has the potential to be the next big thing – Chamberlain Waits is an album I can easily listen to over and over without growing tiresome of. Fans of Against Me! and The Gaslight Anthem, I would like to introduce you to your newest obsession…The Menzingers.
The Menzingers are actually the the middle of a giant tour right now with heavy hitters NOFX, Tony Sly, and Teenage Bottlerocket as well as will be playing a couple shows with Against Me! and Cheap Girls. Do yourself a favor and get out to one of their shows if you can and if not I highly suggest you at least check them out and see what they are all about. I don’t usually get this excited for bands these days but The Menzingers pretty much have taken two genres of music I adore and slammed them into something amazing.
Tour Dates:
Apr 29 2010 – The Riverside Theater W/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket, and Tony Sly -Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Apr 30 2010 – The Madison Theater W/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket, Tony Sly – Covington, Kentucky
May 1 2010 – Pops Nightclub W/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket, Tony Sly – Sauget, Illinois
May 2 2010 – The Beaumont Club W/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket, Tony Sly – Kansas City, Missouri
May 3 2010 – Firehouse Pizza & Pub – Normal, Illinois
May 4 2010 – Rock Island Brewing Company W/ Against Me! and Dead To Me – Rock Island, Illinois
May 5 2010 – Slowdown W/ Against Me! and Dead To Me – Omaha, Nebraska
May 6 2010 – The Black Sheep W/ Against Me! and Dead To Me – Colorado Springs, Colorado
May 7 2010 – Launchpad W/ Against Me! and Dead To Me – Albuquerque, New Mexico
May 10 2010 – Jakes W/ Against Me! and Dead To Me – Lubbock, Texas
May 11 2010 – Scoutbar W/ Against Me! and Dead To Me – San Antonio, Texas
May 12 2010 – One Eyed Jack’s W/ Against Me! and Dead To Me – New Orleans, Louisiana
May 13 2010 – Alabama Music Box W/ Against Me! and Dead To Me – Mobile, Alabama
May 14 2010 – Sector 7G W/ Against Me! and Dead To Me – Augusta, Georgia
May 15 2010 – Visulite Theatre W/ Against Me! – Charlotte, North Carolina
May 17 2010 – The Hangar W/ Nothington, Spanish Gamble – Greenville, South Carolina
May 18 2010 – The Tipsy W/ The Holy Mess – Greenville, North Carolina
May 20 2010 – 538 Johnson W/ The Holy Mess, Timeshares, 10-4 Eleanor – Brooklyn, New York
May 21 2010 – The Democracy Center W/ The Holy Mess, Choke Up – Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 22 2010 – Cafe Metropolis CD RELEASE SHOW! W/ The Holy Mess – Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
May 23 2010 – The Fire CD RELEASE SHOW! W/ The Holy Mess – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 27 2010 – Most Wanted Fine Art – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
May 28 2010 – Mickey Finns Pub (All Ages) – Toledo, Ohio
May 29 2010 – Windy City Sound Clash II @ The Subterranean – Chicago, Illinois
May 30 2010 – The Speakeasy (314 S Hamilton St) W/ Cheap Girls – Madison, Wisconsin
May 31 2010 – Triple Rock W/ Cheap Girls – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jun 2 2010 – Marquis Theatre W/ Cheap Girls – Denver, Colorado
Jun 3 2010 – TBA W/ Cheap Girls – Salt Lake City, Utah
Jun 4 2010 – Red Room W/ Cheap Girls – Boise, Idaho
Jun 5 2010 – The Know W/ Cheap Girls – Portland, Oregon
Jun 6 2010 – Studio Seven W/ Cheap Girls – Seattle, Washington
Jun 7 2010 – TBA W/ Cheap Girls – Redding, California
Jun 8 2010 – Thee Parkside W/ Cheap Girls – San Francisco, California
Jun 9 2010 – The CYC W/ Cheap Girls – Fresno, California
Jun 10 2010 – The Warehouse W/ Cheap Girls – Pomona, California
Jun 11 2010 – Radio Room W/ Cheap Girls – San Diego, California
Jun 12 2010 – Rogue Bar W/ Cheap Girls – Scottsdale, Arizona
Jun 13 2010 – The Underground W/ Soul Control – Mesa, Arizona
Jun 14 2010 – Echo Chamber W/ Soul Control – Portales, New Mexico
Jun 15 2010 – The Maquiladora W/ Soul Control – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Jun 16 2010 – The Ten Eleven W/ Soul Control – San Antonio, Texas
Jun 17 2010 – The Mink W/ Soul Control – Houston, Texas
Jun 18 2010 – The Rabbit Hole W/ Soul Control – Panama City, Florida
Jun 20 2010 – Backbooth W/ Soul Control – Orlando, Florida
Jun 21 2010 – The House Of Hardcore W/ Soul Control – Columbia, South Carolina
Jun 22 2010 – The Camel W/ Soul Control – Richmond, Virginia
Jun 23 2010 – Ava House W/ Soul Control – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jun 25 2010 – Insubordination Fest – Baltimore, Maryland
Jun 26 2010 – Insubordination Fest – Baltimore, Maryland
The Flatliners are about as punk as they come and I am not just saying that. The foursome who hail from Toronto, Ontario does not care about the fame and fortune so many bands seek these days. They prefer touring in vans, playing in dive bars, and sleeping on floors over lathering in luxury. Recently releasing their third full length entitled Cavalcade on Fat Wreck Chords, the band continues on with their seven year career with just one thing in mind – play punk rock music because they want to.
