Category Archives: Punk

Bouncing Souls – “We All Sing Along” – Song Review

4 February, 2009 Brian Mc 2 Comments

So the groundhog saw it’s shadow the other day. Yup, that means more winter for some of us. Don’t threat though, the Bouncing Souls have released their second song on their website called “We Sing Along”!

Last month I wrote a little blog here about the Bouncing Souls celebrating their 20 years as a punk rock band by releasing a single a month (you can read about it HERE). As promised, each month I will be reviewing their singles until the year’s end.

What is it about the Bouncing Souls that is so appealing to me? I know, they are a great bunch of musicians that continue to create great punk rock and “We Sing Along” is no exception.

The track starts out a little less polished giving for a gritty entrance to the newest punk rock singalong but smooths out nicely. This punk anthem is aimed at everyone who has their own problems or misguided plans and dealing with them in a positive way.

I loved the line, “but the world has its own ideas, we all must play the hand fate deals. When our plans have come and gone we all sing one heart song.” The positive upbeat approach this song has is perfect for all of the folk out there who have dreams but have not accomplished them just yet. The song is very likable and honestly now one of my favorite Bouncing Souls songs to date.

Want to hear it? Like I mentioned before you will have to buy it in order to listen to it. The song costs $0.99 and you don’t even have to leave home to buy it. Check out the websites of the Bouncing Souls or their label Chunksaah Records to purchase “We All Sing Along” and be sure to remember to return to either site at the beginning of each month to grab their next single for the rest of the year.

Also check back here on good ol’ brokenheadphones.com as I will be reviewing each song every month! Two down, ten more to go, I can honestly I say I am very excited to hear next month’s installment.

Since I can’t share the song I thought I would at least throw in a couple of videos for your visual pleasure:

Bouncing Souls – “Kids and Heroes”

Bouncing Souls – “Anchors Aweigh”

Emo, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Screamo

Thursday To Release New CD Soon…

26 January, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

New Jersey’s Thursday has a new album Common Existence coming out. Here is one of the new tracks for your listening pleasure called “Resuscitation of a Dead Man”:

I was going to review the album early but since some a$$ hat out there leaked the feed I was given, it was removed and now I have to wait. I am ok with that wait though because I am very excited to hear this release.

I also found this video of Thursday performing “Friends in the Armed Forces” live last month that was featured on AP Magazine’s website. This song as well will be released on Common Existance which is scheduled to drop on Feb. 17th. The CD will be released through Epitaph Records.

Thursday – “Friends In The Armed Forces” live (AltPress.com exlusive) from Alternative Press on Vimeo.

Experimental, Indie, Music, Music Video, Punk, Review, Rock

Nobunny – Love Visions – CD Review

24 January, 2009 Brian Mc 2 Comments

Chances are if you were to pick up a CD and see a Ramones looking cover with a guy wearing a bunny mask dressed like Joey Ramone, you would put it back down and continue with life. In the case of solo act Nobunny, I almost did the very same thing. In fact I have had the CD for a few weeks now and could not for the life of me force myself into playing it; that is until today. Today was like any other day except I finally put Love Visions into my CD player and what I got out of it was a complete surprise.

What is Nobunny you ask? Nobunny is a man of sorts, a jokester performer who is more of a modern day GG Allen. A gimmick act who sounds a lot like a mix between the Dead Milkmen and the Ramones, all while sporting a bunny mask. His live shows are for the less timid mostly because the masked Nobunny loses his pants during performances after drowning himself in booze and sings into a microphone that looks like a carrot. The result of his actions, on top of his music, however have won over an elaborate array of fans. This is Nobunny’s first CD release thanks to 1234 Go Records.

Not much is publicly known about the man behind the mask or the band that backs him up. The only known fact about Nobunny is that he is from Tucson. From there it is said that he was living in a trailer with no utilities and came to realize he wanted to be an Animal Elvis impersonator to help pay the bills. Soon thereafter Nobunny was writing his own material and booked his first show in Chicago on Easter Sunday in 2001. The set was in fact dedicated to Joey Ramone, who had actually died that day.

Nobunny has been known for his shenanigans while touring. He once booked two shows on the same day, at the same time, and had a fill in for the show he did not perform. Sometimes he doesn’t even show up to the venue at all leaving fans with a not so funny feeling. Nobunny even mentioned receiving a gift while on stage at Cleveland’s Tower 2012, but you will have to read the interview to find out that gift. You would not think that someone who acted like this would have fans, but the truth is a lot of folk like him and have paid outrageous amounts of money to acquire his Love Visions record on Ebay.

With knowing what Nobunny is all about I finally checked out Love Visions. As soon as “Nobunny Starts” played I could not decide what I liked about it except that it was a direct rip off of a classic song from the past that I can not for the life of me grasp the title. I only imagine Junior Senior while listening to it and realize it is only a gimmick.

The second “I Know I Know” started I realize I was hooked. I am reminded of classic punk rock from the 70s like Iggy & The Stooges. “Mess Me Up” started mixing that said 70’s punk with good, garage rock fun for a great sing along of sorts. I loved the guitar and simple drums and the baritone “Bo bo bo bo” at the end.

“I Am A Girlfriend” is a clear imitation of The Ramones and I loved it as well as the following “Tina Goes To Work”. Perhaps one of the more memorable songs “Chuck Berry Holiday” had me thinking at times of the Rolling Stones in the earlier years. The song was a continuing surprise to my ears as I moved through. “Boneyard” was a track that stood out above the rest with a drum machine sounding beat backing up some easy going distorted guitars. It almost sounds like a White Stripes b-side with a twist.

Ending the CD is the DIY sounding “Not That Good”. I sure hope the song was not how he felt about his debut because I would have to disagree. I enjoyed the simple punk rock entertainment throughout. The CD is not solid by any means and the songs are short and sweet, possibly aiding in the appeal to the act.

Having not heard of Nobunny before and reading a very short bio on him I was not expecting much of anything when I initially put the disc in. I was guessing what I was about to hear was going to be either too artsy for a simple guy like me to understand or just downright ugly. I was wrong. I was dead wrong.

Indie rock, punk rock, and even a little garage rock, it’s all there in Love Visions. Even if the guy wears a mask that is sure to scare the hell out of small children he should not be underestimated and will be heard. His live performances are to be left determined as I have not had the opportunity to see Nobunny in the flesh yet but I did notice on his MySpace page that he will be playing at the SXSW this spring in Austin, TX.

Catch him live if you dare as I have heard good and bad things about him. The bad outweighs the good of course mostly because by the time Nobunny has finished he is hammered and pants-less which may not be appealing to all viewers. The good thing is that regardless how he presents his act, solo or with a touring band, he is there to entertain, bunny mask and all.

Here are a couple of videos I found of Nobunny… Try not to be too scared.

Live Shows, Music, Music Video, Punk, Review

Bouncing Souls – “Gasoline” – Song Review

21 January, 2009 Brian Mc 1 Comment

One of my favorite punk rock bands ever, the Bouncing Souls, recently have celebrated their 20th anniversary as a punk rock band. With such a high accomplishment in the music world the band thought they would celebrate their success by releasing material a little differently from the norm. They announced that on the first of each month for the entire year they will release a single. This might very well be the longest album you will ever hear seeing how they have decided to discharge the songs month by month.

About 16 years ago the Bouncing Souls released an album called The Good, The Bad, & The Argyle on their very own Chunksaah Records. Their DIY attempt proved that the band could do it on their own without help from major record labels. In remembrance of their DIY effort years ago the band will be releasing a song a month for the entire year of 2009 exclusively on their website for a mere $0.99 a song.

They also announced that every four months the songs released for this specific project would be pressed onto a 7” vinyl and available for sale on their website. This is indeed a great idea, now all I need to do is remember to visit the Bouncing Soul’s website at the beginning of each month.

The first song released, called “Gasoline”, is punk rock satisfaction from start to finish. The Bouncing Souls prove with this single that even if 20 years have passed they still are capable of pushing out great tunes. Greg Attonito sings of being bored yet sheltered from reality and screaming for an explanation or maybe just a distraction. After hearing this song I can not wait for the next installment.

The New Jersey punk rock band has always been a favorite of mine not just for their musical style but for also doing things themselves with limited help. They stayed away from the mainstream, chose to not be seen on corporately owned music television channels, and refused offers for assistance. Traveling in vans over big fancy tour buses may not be a luxury for anyone but feeling a sense of self accomplishment for 20 years sure is.

Check out the websites of the Bouncing Souls or their label Chunksaah Records to purchase “Gasoline” and be sure to remember to return to either site at the beginning of each month to grab their next single for the rest of the year. Also check back here on good ol’ brokenheadphones.com as I will be reviewing each song every month!

I’d offer you a sample of the song or a link where you could hear the whole thing, but for $0.99 you might as well just buy the song and help support the band!

The Bouncing Souls will be touring this year in celebration of their 20 year accomplishment including first time shows in South America as well as finally making an appearance in Alaska. Check out HERE for info on buying tickets (see below for tour dates).

One show to mention in particular that the band will be playing this spring is at the Harvest Of Hope Festival 2009 taking place the weekend of March 6-8. I will have more about this great benefit festival in a later post as I am working on interviewing some of the acts that are performing, including the Bouncing Souls. Stay tuned for that.

Bouncing Souls Tour Dates:

01.20.09 – Salt Lake City, Utah – Club Elevate at the Hotel
01.24.09 – Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club
02.06.09 – Mexico City, Mexico – La Capilla
02.07.09 – San Jose, Costa Rica – Latino Rock Cafe
02.08.09 – Panama City, Panama – Cancha De Futbal Femca Coca Cola
02.10.08 – Bogota, Colombia – Gotica
02.11.08 – Lima, Peru – Mao Bar
02.13.08 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Hangar 110
02.14.08 – Rosario, Argentina – Willie Dixon
03.07.09 – Elkton, FL – St. John’s County Fargrounds – Harvest of Hope Festival
03.10.09 – Louisville, KY – Skull Alley w/ Dillinger Four
03.11.09 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.12.09 – Balitomore, MD – The Ottobar w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.13.09 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.14.09 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.16.09 – Orlando, FL – The Social w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.17.09 – Orlando, FL – The Social w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.18.09 – St. Petersburg, FL – The State Theatre w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.20.09 – Austin, TX – Red 7 w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.24.09 – Honolulu, HI – Anna Bannana’s
03.27.09 – Fairbanks, AK – Wood Center Ballroom
03.28.09 – Fairbanks, AK – Pub

Visual entertainment time:

Art, Artist, Derek Hess, DVDs, Empty Wallet, Movie, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Rap, Toys

Empty Wallet: New stuff to keep me entertained.

9 January, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

So the holidays are over, the presents were unwrapped, and even though I was happily satisfied with all the J-Day gifts I received I felt as if I lacked items for entertainment purposes.

I was a good boy, I done no wrong, in fact this was the first New Years since I was 12 I was completely sober so I think that means presents for me from me. I am just looking for some excuses to buy crap…

Now it is show and tell time. Lookie what I got/have/own…

First up is something I hesitated to buy because it was not something that I needed at all. Hell, none of the items I recently purchased were things I needed… Anyways, I am currently the proud owner of a MC Chris action figure. The thing is poorly made, can’t stand up on it’s own, does not move, and was not designed to do anything. It just lays there motionless, with no desire to entertain; but here is the kicker… it is awesome. It is so awesome that it now is one of my favorite non-animate objects that I own.

The only thing this thing could do it hurt someone if you threw it at their head. — The only thing this thing could do is hurt someone if you chucked it at their head.

It came packaged with styrofoam in a brown box. Classic. — It came packaged with styrofoam in a brown box.

Why would I dare say something so poorly made is awesome? Well it reminds me of a toy you would find from the early 1900’s at your grandparent’s house, something you would look at and scratch your head at. I really think I have a piece of treasure here and to prove it I bought it for $25 from the MC Chris website and now it is on the very same site for $75 (they are claiming to have 3 left). Why the price increase? Well it seems as if there are only 50 in existence as the 450 others were lost in the order according to a bulletin that MC Chris had posted on MySpace.

Next up is a Derek Hess print I have had my eyes on for a while. Last year I interviewed the Cleveland rock artist and remember questioning his affordable prices. He wanted to make sure he sold his work at prices that people without a lot of money could afford. Well I am without a lot of money and I love his work. I was actually buying a print for my good friend for a belated J-Day gift and could not help myself in getting one for my own house.

This is my third Derek Hess print I now own and I know I have many more to acquire in the future. I have already framed it and will place it accordingly in my dwelling so that all can see. One day I hope to have an original piece in my collection…baby steps for now.

If you would like a print for yourself you might want to act fast as this offset print is limited to 300 and I scored numbers 204 and 205 for myself and said friend. Once 300 is reached it will be sold out and very difficult to find.

For my media pleasure I picked up a copy of the hilarious DVD Pineapple Express. If you have not seen the movie yet I promise you some foul mouthed stupid humor plus a little bit of action. The duo of Seth Rogen and James Franco are perfect for this derranged adventure involving two stoners.

Watching the movie last night had me rolling. I enjoyed it a lot more than originally when I saw the movie in the theaters seeing how it was ruined by two jackasses in front of me who clearly pregamed before the movie. The other benefit of DVD over going to the movies are having extra content. The deleted scenes were not too entertaining but the gag reel was hilarious.

Today I ventured to the Borders book store I used to work at a few years back. I went there looking for a vegan cupcake book. I know, what the hell was I thinking right? Well have you ever had a vegan cupcake? Exactly. Once you have you will want to know how it was made.

Let’s get back to why I went to Borders. Well that vegan cupcake book was nowhere to be found so I kept looking around and found something that I have been wanting for a while, a copy of Anthony Bourdain‘s A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines. The book captures Anthony Bourdain and his travels for food. I can not wait to find some free time to sink my eyes into it.

My wife also found a book she knew I would have interest in called Punk: The Whole Story that usually retails for about $25. It was sitting there in the budget section with the attractive price of $4.99 so I grabbed it seeing how I never pass on a good punk rock deal. Full color hardbound book full of punk rock history, a great find if you ask me.

As I finish up this bragging of a blog I keep telling myself there was one more thing that I purchased…something very recent.

Oh yeah. I bought an album on iTunes today. Dirty south punk meets crunk act Whole Wheat Bread recently released their third CD on iTunes before it hits shelves and I could not wait. The Afro Punk rockers have been favorites of mine since they first released their material in 2005. The album Hearts of Hoodlums will be released in stores on January 20th. Inauguration coincidence? Perhaps. That also happens to be the day back in 1977 that I started kicking ass and taking names or however you say that (hint, hint).

Well I guess my show and tell time is over and I should go sit back down on the magic carpet and see what the next little kid out there had…until next time.

Here’s a Whole Wheat Bread video just for the heck of it:

Whole Wheat Bread covering Rancid‘s “Roots Radicals” featuring Chris from Stretch Armstrong at Peabody’s in tropical Cleveland, Ohio

You want another? Ok, I can do that:

“Old Man Samson”

Finally a contest of sorts:

Whole Wheat Bread chicken eating contest (mild cussing)