Here are the Father Figures!

Father Figures play a distinctive brand of tightly coiled, aggressive, trapezoidal post punk rave ups. If you compare Rock N’ Roll to a cannon ball and punk rock is that cannon firing directly at your head, then Father Figures take that cannon and aim it at you at an angle. As their music fires away it wildly ricochets, gaining momentum so you can’t tell where and when it’s going to hit. Way back when piano pounding wild man Jerry Lee Lewis earned his nickname “The Killer.” If you want to compare rock musicians to assassins then Father Figures aren’t the boorish thug hit men with the big loud guns, they’re cold calculating ninjas you won’t ever see coming. Razorcake magazine says they “meld urgency with intelligence, catchiness with dissonance, and sophistication with blunt force.” Now if that’s not the poison dart into the ocular cavity I don’t know what is!

This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on May 29th, 2014

Interview by Jay Castro

Please introduce yourselves and how you give to The Father Figures:
Tom Reardon, bass and vocals.
Michael Cornelius, guitar
Bobby Lerma, drums


You all have quite extensive musical resumes. Care to give us a brief synopsis of your musical careers including bands you are involved with now aside from FF?
TOM: All of my other projects are in various forms of retirement/death. Most recently, I did a show with Pinky Tuscadero’s White Knuckle Assfuck, which was active from 2001 to 2009. I also did Hillbilly Devilspeak from 1993 to 2005. Both of those I was the primary vocalist for, as well as playing bass. From 2002 to 2008 I played bass in North Side Kings and sang back up. I was there for the Danzig punch. I have also been involved with several other projects (Bourbon Witch and Son of Crackpipe) and filled in on bass for a few stellar local acts like Blanche Davidian and Mob 40’s.

MVC: The first band I played in that made a record was The Jr. Chemists. They were an arty punk band I was in with some college friends. I started JFA soon after that ended. In the late ‘80's I played guitar in a punkish slightly funky band called Zuwal for a few years. During the heydays of the late ‘80's and early ‘90's Tempe music scene I played bass in Housequake three nights a week in Tempe clubs. In 1997 or so I played bass in a hip-hop, jazz, funk group called Suite Number Three. We started The Father Figures in 2009 after I had a long hiatus from playing in a band.

BOBBY: Some friends at Sunnyslope High School and a thirteen-year-old version of me decided to start a punk band called The Joke in 1983. Later that year, I joined the guitar player and bass player/singer from No Real Attitude and we formed Kluged. Funny, my current band mate Michael Cornelius, produced our tape all the way back then. Then I played with Sticky Thang at the very end of that project, and then moved on to The Voice in 1990. From there I played in the first incarnation of Jeff Dahl’s band here in AZ and (maybe) simultaneously, played in a re-formed Grant and the Geeers. Finally, played in a band called Forty Watt Las Vegas for about six years of so and then formed The Father Figures.


I read that part of the reason you guys named the band Father Figures is that you are all actual fathers. With all of you having a history in punk/hardcore, did any of you guys go through the Other “F” Word syndrome when you had kids? Did you think: “I liked irreverent music and people but I’m not sure I want my kid around that kind of stuff?
TOM: On the contrary, I’ve always hoped my kids liked the weirdest, craziest music possible. I fully support their interest in music, though, in any capacity, even if they like stuff I really don’t enjoy.

BOBBY: I have a six-year-old daughter and she is learning to play the drums and piano. She also wants to learn to play the guitar. I’m covertly, gently trying to expose her to good music and that includes punk rock. A little piece of my soul dies every time I hear her listening to something radio oriented (although this conduit is filtered by us). I want her to be in bands and experience the thrill of creating real music with other real humans. I promised myself I would not force my culture on her, so I just try and plant the seed and step back and see what happens.

MVC: I didn't have kids until I got married in 1998 and by then my teenage stepdaughters were already listening to music that I found offensive. My music was just noise to them for the most part. My granddaughter is a big Father Figures fan.

Both of your albums are on AZPX, a company that is better known for Skateboards. How did you hook up with those folks?
TOM: They are good people to know, even if you aren’t in a band or a skateboarder. The Locker family pretty much rule, so I’m just honored to consider them friends. This would also have to include Pat McG, as well, who is an amazing dude.

MVC: Rob started AZPX to show some love for the local skate and music scenes. I have known Rob for a long time and looked to him to help us out with graphics and t-shirts and it evolved from there.


On the your second LP, All About Everything you gave a song called “Crosstown” that’s about keeping your bravado amongst all the shootings there has been. It reminded me of this article that I read that basically blamed the fact that in society males are told to bottle up their feelings and always be the “strong” ones and it’s these repressed feelings that are causing them to act out in this way. Do you feel there is any truth to this, if not do you think there is any solution curb gun violence?
TOM: Great question. I wish I knew what made people snap and do awful things. This song is more about the idea that somewhere out there is a person who would like to assassinate the listener and how it feels to know that, yet still go about their daily business. I think there is a solution, sure, but it really needs everyone to be open to the idea of increasing budgets for mental health care, increasing empathy, decreasing the availability of guns in general (especially to the mentally ill), and increasing acceptance for people who are not just like you.

MVC: America is a violent society. We accept and glorify violence in so many ways. It's hard to consume any form of media without being confronted with an endless stream of all kinds of violence. There is stuff that's popular that should be totally abhorrent to people like the gory crime shows or Dexter. Gun violence is a direct result of the violent nature of our society and can't be looked at as a separate issue. Until America as a whole is willing to reflect on what a nonviolent society would look like there will continue to be instances of extreme violence.

You guys play music that to me relies more on musical precision and less on ol’ fashioned Rock N’ Roll chaos. As a band, do you guys prefer making records so you can tinker with the songs more and get them to your liking or do you actually prefer the unpredictability of playing live?
TOM: We seem to be more comfortable in the studio and with the whole process of getting ready for the studio. We are a band that needs to practice and “winging it” has not really worked to our favor in the past. Personally, I love the idea of experimentation with sound and just going for it live, but with The Father Figures, that’s not really our forte.

MVC: We all like songs that are concise yet have a lot of movement to them so that steers us to very set song structure.

BOBBY: This is a tough question because I love both. Playing live is a release on multiple levels- plus you get instant feedback for your effort. I love the studio because there’s nothing like hearing your ideas and all the hard work from practices balloon themselves up, the way they (for this band) were meant to be heard – big, loud, and precise. We try and keep the songs repeatable in a live setting, so we don’t add much more instrumentation than what we do in the rehearsal room. We do spend a lot of time on the production side, though (probably 75%). You can hate the songs on a Father Figures record, but you can’t deny that they sound good.

MVC: Thanks to Byron at Villain Recording.


You guys have played with some pretty big names (X, P.I.L.), what’s been the Father Figures most memorable show good or band and what made it so memorable?
TOM: We played show at the George and Dragon during our first year as a band that was really gratifying. The crowd was really into what we were doing and it sort of cemented, at least for me, that we were on to something that I liked doing, and we liked doing, but also something that the crowd seemed to get something out of as well. The PIL show was very memorable as longtime fan of that band, as was our second time playing with X and getting to meet John and Exene. Both of our CD release shows were really great, as well, just being with all of our friends and fans and having a good time.

MVC: I'm really glad we had a chance to play at Hollywood Alley a few times before it closed. Our show in San Pedro with Saccharine Trust was pretty special to me since Joe Baiza is an influence on my guitar playing.

BOBBY: For me, probably the second time we played with X (at the Crescent Ballroom). We were jacked up, the crowd was jacked up and it went off like a gross of bottle rockets in closet.

The band is obviously influenced by the post punk era in rock music, stuff like Gang of Four, Wire etc. In your opinion, what is the most underrated band from that time and why do you feel these people deserve more recognition?
BOBBY: Early “Modern English” is rough edged, jerky, creepy and noisy, killer beginning for a one hit wonder – ultimately, known for the wrong song.

TOM: I think a lot of these bands have gotten their due, especially over the last few years with all of the books and documentaries that have come out celebrating the topic of punk and post-punk. For me, I’d probably have to go with the Proletariat as being one of the more underrated bands from this particular era. They rocked and deserve to be checked out. I only recently gave them any focused attention and I’m glad I did.

MVC: Recently I dug out my turntable and rediscovered a band called Spike in Vain I used to listen to a lot. I also have to agree with Tom on the Proletariat.


There have been reports that the U.S. Government has used songs by Skinny Puppy and Van Halen to torture prisoners and detainees. If you were a government agent, what music would you use to torture your enemies?
TOM: Prove that I’m not a government agent. Typically, I use a combination of the Best of Burt Bacharach and Milk Cult.

BOBBY: “Wham,” or “Flipper.” Same band different approaches.

MVC: Man, I can't even joke about government torture.


If Father Figures could be remembered throughout Rock N’ Roll history for one song of your songs, which one would it be and why?
TOM: Very difficult to choose just one. There are several that still make the little hairs go up on the back of my neck. Right now, I’d have to go with one of our new ones, “The Truth is an Odd Number” because I just love its power.

BOBBY: A really big “if” here. I’d bridge the old and new with the two songs that best personify our sound and what we do: “We the Battery” for the new and “Butterfly” for the old. Yes, I know I didn’t follow the directions.

MVC: I can't pick just one either. I remember the feeling I got when we first played the intro to “Switch.” It felt really right and I knew the band was headed in the right direction. I also have to say that “Fix You” is one of my favorites because it really expresses what I want to do on a guitar.

What does the band have in store for us, any tours or new albums?
TOM: We are working a new album right now, which is our third. No title yet but we’re kicking around a few things. We’d definitely like to get out to the coast again and play some more in California. Other than that, though, no definite plans.

MVC: We are still deciding if we want to release the album this July for our 5th anniversary or wait until the fall when we can play more shows to support it. We are releasing an album of studio outtakes and cover songs for Record Store Day on April 19th. It will only be available at Stinkweeds records and we are only making 100 of them.
Band web site: www.thefatherfigures.com

An Interview with The Primitive Hearts!

(photo by Aaron Oxborrow)

For decades power pop and punk rock have had a history together. However, to successfully execute this merger a band needs to possess a sort of X factor, a certain something that allows a person to open up like a dropped book on a busy street and let passersby to peer into the pages of their lives, their souls. To do this well, there can be nothing artificial, the feelings and emotions that come through those amplifiers must be genuine no matter what instrument is being used as the conduit. Primitive Hearts have raw and sincere reactions to the world around them and they present their findings to you in song form and you’ll soon realize that their hearts are far from “primitive.”

This Interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on May 29th, 2014

Interview by Jay Castro

First off Paul, I would like to thank you for taking time and doing this interview; I know you are a busy individual, well…. I’m assuming. Let’s start with names of all in Primitive Hearts.
Paul: DANIELLE – Bass and Vocals
PAUL – Guitar and Vocals
TAYLOR – Drums

I know the band started as a two-piece (Guitar & Drums) back in 2010 you and Taylor played a show in Portland as a two-piece. Then Danielle came in and magic ensued. Do you feel 2 piece rock bands lack a bit in fullness or depth in any way? What led to the decision to add bass?
PAUL: I think there are some two-piece bands that can sound as big or bigger than even three or four-piece bands. In our case, though, we never intended to be a two-piece; we just couldn't find anyone to play bass! I wrote all the songs with bass parts and backing vocals from the beginning, so when Danielle got on board, we could finally start playing the songs as they were intended.

The new LP High and Tight reminds me of one of the three Ron Swanson acceptable haircuts for men (Buzz Cut and Crew Cut being the other two). Does film or TV shows inspire your songs a lot?
PAUL: Glad you go the haircut reference. The album title is sort of a play on the words “high & tight,” from both the haircut and a high and inside pitch in baseball. In our case, though, it just has to do with feeling good and shit being rad (aka tight). As for TV/film inspiration, maybe not on individual songs so much, but they definitely inspire the band as a whole. We're all big TV and movie fans, Kids in the Hall is the reigning band favorite. Probably about a third of any given Primitive Hearts practice is filled with KITH quotes and references. In fact, in our video for “Falling Apart,” if you look closely in a few shots you can see “Armada” scrawled on Taylor's bass drum head as homage to Rod Torfulson's Armada featuring Herman Menderchuk. It's still on there...

Can you remember the strangest or most unlikely person or event that inspired one of your songs?
PAUL: Actually, going back to your previous question, I guess I was a little off. A TV show did inspire one of our songs: “Lone Wolf.” It was based on Lenny of Lenny & Squiggy/Laverne & Shirley fame. He has the words “Lone Wolf” on the back of his jacket. I always thought that was rad and would make a great song title. I sort of wrote the song from Lenny's perspective; he may be a lone wolf, but he ain't lonely.

The lyrics for the song “Falling Apart” are kind of a bummer but the music makes it one of the catchiest most up-tempo songs on the record. I have heard some say that writing and playing music is like their therapist. Have any of you felt this way ever?
PAUL: Maybe a little bit when it comes to writing, in that you can vent certain feelings or frustrations, but playing music is definitely therapeutic. For two minutes at a time your only focus is the song you're playing, the people in the room, and having a good time. It's pretty hard to beat.

The reviewer from Maximum Rock N Roll said he hears more power pop than pop punk in your music. I think that’s a huge compliment, do you agree with that description though?
PAUL: Yeah, that's probably fair to say, although it's nothing intentional or deliberate. I can see how some of the songs have that feel, but we listen to all kinds of stuff, so it's all just a mash up of lots of influences. We've never claimed to be a “power pop” band or “pop punk” band or whatever; we just like to play good times Rock N' Roll.

In my opinion I hear both, which is a good thing! Is there any band or musician in either of those genres you feel is grossly underrated and deserves more recognition?
PAUL: Thanks, yeah, there's definitely a little of everything in there! I'm not sure about any “grossly underrated” power pop/pop punk bands or musicians necessarily, but I think the world could definitely use more of both. All hooks all the time!

In yet another write up, Primitive Hearts is described as having influences like The Kinks, Beach Boys, and The Sonics. I got into older Rock N’ Roll by way of punk rock when I was a wee lad. For example, I started paying closer attention to The Beach Boys and The Ronettes because of the Ramones. Was this the case for any of you?
PAUL: I'd say when we were young; it was the opposite for the most part. We all grew up on oldies and whatever our parents and older brothers and sisters listened to. When we got into punk and more obscure stuff, it was easy to see the connections and influences of those older bands.

I was reading this interview with Nick Cave and he said something to the effect that out of any of the art forms music has the power to change a person’s mood the fastest. Do you agree with this and if so do any of you have any favorite songs you put on to help you out of a bummer mood or to help you get all riled up on the way to a gig? Other than High and Tight of course!
PAUL: Yes, music can totally change your mood! There are so many good go-to jams when we wanna get pumped, but some favorites in the van would be anything from Chuck Berry, The Undertones, Equals, Slade, LAMF, Stones, and pretty much anything else that boogies.

With all these comparisons to Rock N’ Roll of yesteryear, do any current bands or musicians inspire you and if so who?
PAUL: Some current bands that totally kill it are Bad Sports, Midnite Snaxxx, Nobunny, The Steve Adamyk Band, Pookie & The Poodlez, The Shanghais, Mean Jeans, and Needles//Pins.

Where can people go to hear Primitive Hearts or buy your music?
PAUL: Our Bandcamp page has all our music and merch for sale, so take a peek:

https://primitivehearts.bandcamp.com/

You can also follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/primitivehearts) and Instagram (@primitivehearts).

In closing on the behalf of all at Audio Ammunition I want to thank you again and wish you the best of luck. What does the band have in store for the remainder of the year, any tours or albums?
PAUL: We're gonna be doing a month-long tour in June with a couple dates in Canada, too, around the Ottawa Explosion Weekend. We're going out with our buddies Pookie & The Poodlez, which is gonna rule. We actually did a split 7” with Pookie that should be coming out soon on Jonny Cat Records out of Portland, so keep an eye out for that! Thanks so much for talking with us!

Record Reviews!

Ketamines – All The Colours of Your Heart 7” (Pleasence Records), Eleven Eleven EP (Leaning Trees Records), Stay Awake 7” (Mint Records)
These here three 7 inches were all recently released by this Calgary, Alberta band. The Ketamines sound is pretty difficult to explain, which is good and bad depending on how vast your tastes in rock music venture. They play folksy, lounge-y, fuzzy psychedelic bubblegum with tan leather fringe stuck all around it. Some of the other press the band has gotten has referred to them as pop punk. I don’t really hear any punk in here other than the occasional irreverent lyric. Whatever Ketamines may sound like to you, a few things are certain: the music is well played, lighthearted and extremely likeable.
– Jay Castro

Action Jets – Time For The Action Jets 7” (Self-release)
Blasting out of the ashes of Phoenix’s long time power poppers D Factor come Action Jets, poised and ready for battle. Armed to the teeth with their secret weapon of a debut single: its power packed with catchy 1970’s mod/power pop excavated from all the right places, guaranteed for maximum blast radius. Their theme song is short and sweet with a killer riff and chorus you will be humming the rest of the day. And in the tradition of Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger,” comes AJ’s ode to Guided By Voices front man Robert Pollard. Killer debut can’t wait to hear more! – Jay Castro

Brain F# – Empty Set LP (Grave Mistake Records/Sorry State Records)
Loud, lo-fi blazing punk sung by a guy/girl tandem assault team that kind of remind me of the old London anarcho-punk band Dirt, just the vocal delivery not the music so much. The vocals are mean and aggressive but not screech-y shouted or screamed to an intolerable level. Another plus for Brain F# is despite the fact that these songs are fast and in your face, the guitar parts are pretty catchy and this makes these jagged pills Brain F# manufacture go down the gullet pretty smooth. – Jay Castro

Dad – Explicit Parental Advisory LP (Self-release)
Have you ever been walking down the street on a warm summer afternoon with a spring in your stem whistling your favorite Dave Clark Five tune when suddenly you think to yourself: “I wonder what it would sound like if Glenn Danzig sang for The Descendents?” Well guys and dolls speculate no more, Finnish punk band Dad is here to answer that very question. Fast melodic punk songs about ugly kids and IKEA sang with an unsettling amount of sincerity and passion. I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again Europe is light years ahead of the U.S. in irony and this album is another testament to that statement. – Jay Castro

Finderkeepers – Pack Your Bags EP (Centertown Records)
Finderskeepers fire up a fantastic blend of melodic gruff/tuff punk rock. I hear a lot of Chicago influence in Finderskeepers, bands like No Empathy and Pegboy come to mind when I first listened to this EP. It’s heavy and loud but it’s really catchy and some of the choruses seem to soar, so much so that you feel it in your chest, especially with the last song “Push.” The band has two other EP’s available on their Bandcamp page, the earlier stuff has a bit more Husker Du production to it, and all of them are great. Finderskeepers continue to get tighter and more focused with each release. This makes me highly anticipate what comes next! – Jay Castro

Thee Mighty Fevers – Fuck’In Great R’N’R LP (Dead Beat Records)
When I first heard the first few notes firing out of this record, I stood up and felt a tingling sensation in my skull. It’s been a long time that someone’s made a record that sounds like this with this much heart and fervor. This lo-fi garage punk band from Kobe, Japan comes at us like Godzilla skating on a bullet train. Songs about Zombies, Parties and High School set to blazing fast Radio Birdman meets Angry Samoans style music. What makes Thee Mighty Fevers so formidable is that they’ve got the manic energy of early Registrators and the guitar chops of Teengenerate. What’s stopping this band from taking over the world? Absolutely nothing and I will succumb and do their bidding! – Jay Castro

Replentes – Caro Data Vermibus LP (Self-release)
Replentes lash out with furiously fast and thick Fat Wreck Chords style hardcore similar to Strung Out or Lagwagon with cookie monster vocals sung in Portuguese. This band of Brazilian punks sounds taut and together, all songs are executed quite well and in the tradition of Nat King Cole, David Bowie and Celine Dion comes a rendition of Eden Ahbez’s “Nature Boy,” which I might add is one of the most bizarre cover choices I’ve heard since Clapton did Marley. Repelentes do a fine job at what they do, however what they do isn’t particularly how I like my meat cooked. – Jay Castro

Silpha and The Corspeboners – Agony And Ecstasy LP (Self-Release)
The band is comprised of sinister, spooky boys and girls from Germany with songs about murder, animated machinery, suicide and insanity. Lead vocalist Silpha Obscura is said to be of such enchanting beauty she can even arouse the dead, hence the name. No, I’m kidding, I completely made that up. These horror themed songs on this album are sung with such earnestness reminding me of Black Sails era AFI mixed with X (L.A.), giving the impression that this band wants to be taken seriously like Evanescence types or something. This may prove to be a difficult task with the word “Corpseboner” in the name. – Jay Castro

Braddock Station Garrison – High Water EP (Self-Release)
This DC area band plays a brand of likeable and melodic mid tempo mid 1970’s rock. The songs are catchy enough, but a tad long winded (opening track “Into Your Arms” clocks in at a smidge over 5 minutes). I hear hints Raspberries or Badfinger peppered throughout. When listening to this, I am reminded of the Oceans 11 remake when Brad Pitt is telling Matt Damon (posing as a gaming official) how to act when first meeting Andy Garcia. “Be specific but not memorable, be funny but don't make him laugh.” If you understand what I’m talking about then you know this band has already achieved more than most ever will. – Jay Castro

Fairy Bones – The Fairy Bones EP (Self-Release)
This EP is 4 songs of hook-y alternative grunge tinged songs with a slightly abrasive edge. Singer Chelsey Louise’s voice almost sounds too good for rock music itself. Maybe the band ought to try a cover album of Nina Simone’s Little Girl Blue and listen to Chelsey’s voice launch us all into the stratosphere like when Superman whisks Lois away in his arms. The band has been compared to No Doubt, but they’re not nearly as annoyingly plastic and perky. Think if Alabama Shakes singer Brittany Howard sang for Sleater Kinney and that may get you closer to Fairy Bones echelon. The band describes themselves as synth/garage, but the synth part really doesn’t come in until the last song “DUKA!,” soul/grunge may be more appropriate. – Jay Castro

Zen Fuck-Ups – Days of the Week LP (Skabby Records)
From Dublin, Ireland comes this wily band of 2 guys and 2 girls playing sloppy hardcore drunkenly making their way through the crowded room. The first thing that caught my attention was the cover art of a noose holding a pocket watch, which I thought was pretty cool. The music mostly goes in the direction of early ‘80’s California hardcore, but when the girl vox pops in from time to time like in the song “Fight” is when my interest really peaks, that’s when it starts going into Conflict/Crass territory. When the Zen boys and girls find their sound a bit more, which is inevitable with time, they’ll be a tempest on the Irish Sea. – Jay Castro

Alvie and The Breakfast Pigs – Snake Headed Faceless Cowboy EP (Bird Flu Kitchen Records)
I first met Alvie when I was a guest on Erratic! Radio and he was doing the sound engineering. He handed me a copy of this EP and honestly I had no idea what to expect. Out of all the sounds I anticipated, the rollicking psychedelic blues punk that exploded out of my car speakers like several simultaneously opened cans of trick snakes caught me by surprise. Imagine what a band would sound like if The White Stripes recruited Thee Oh Sees/Coachwhips John Dwyer, signed to Burger Records and someone exorcised the self righteous demons that inhabit Jack Whites anal cavity. Great songs, killer production, can’t wait for more Breakfast Pig action! – Jay Castro

Ben Disaster – Close My Eyes EP (Crude City Records)
From what I’ve read, Ben dabbles with adding folk elements and experimental noise to his music. But what I have before me are 3 songs of tremendously charismatic tunes that lie somewhere between Superchunk power pop/indie rock grandiose and The Replacements charming, swashbuckling Rock N’ Roll. According to his bio, Ben was in a band called Let’s Dance but has been focusing on his solo material since 2009 releasing an LP and several EP’s on different labels. Having listened to his catalog, his confidence and song writing abilities grows with each passing release. It should be only a short time before the world knows about Ben Disaster. f not, then a great injustice would occur in the universe and the earth has mere moments before it devours itself in its own dreadful taste. – Jay Castro

Dead Ghosts – Rarities LP & Can’t Get No LP (Bachelor Records)
Coming from some bands, I would cringe at the sight of two LP’s to review in one month but since they’re from such a great band like Dead Ghosts I welcome it! Rarities is a collection of songs from out of print singles and covers the band has had up on their Bandcamp page as A Shitty Collection of Shitty Recordings. Can’t Get No is the band’s second LP originally released last year, but is now being repressed in time for Dead Ghost’s upcoming European tour. What does the band sound like you ask, oh yeah I almost forgot that part. Dead Ghosts play wonderful 1960’s influenced garage rock that’s fun, fast, and unruly. Think equal parts Dave Clark Five, Them and 13th Floor Elevators. You’ll be singing along and bobbing your head pretty much upon first listen to the songs on either one of these records. – Jay Castro

Geyser – Geyser EP (Radiclaw Records)
WOW, I was smitten on the first few seconds of hearing this record. Heavy dirty hooks and mid tempo 1970’s inspired rock rule the first part of this killer EP. Think Alice Cooper, the more muscular Thin Lizzy songs, and some later Stooges. However as the record plays on the band slowly stirs in some post punk/noise rock influences like Mission of Burma and Sonic Youth sounds. Believe it or not the band makes it work; all this is tossed around, cooked up and served to you on an old rusty skillet. The city of Sudbury, Ontario has reason to be proud! – Jay Castro

Sonic Chicken 4 – Sonic Chicken 4 LP (Bachelor Records/Dusty Medical Records)
These French Rock N’ Rollers delivered some sweet 1960’s style melodic, lo-fi noise pop crashing on this fine long player. There is a lengthy and winding tale concerning this record. Apparently it was supposed to come out years ago and got delayed by whatever label was supposed to put it out at the time. During the delay the band called it quits and the record never really took off and got shoved in the same enormous archives the Lost Ark of The Covenants also resides. Now the fine folks at Dusty Medical and Bachelor have found it and resurrected it. According to the press release this record was recorded in 2009 in a Spanish Castle and produced by King Kahn himself! Start the mental imagery now. – Jay Castro

Woolworm/Grown-Ups – Split 7” (Debt Offensive Records)
Judging by the grim and lonely picture of a secluded cabin in the woods on the cover of this record, I expected something, well grim and lonely. However both bands deliver some Grade A pop punk. From what I gather this is Woolworm’s first vinyl release and by the time you read this it will probably be Grown-Ups last. Woolworm are a bit warmer on the pop punk scale like Discount or J Church. Grown Ups deliver a more screechy/lo-fi sound, but still highly melodic, think of a poppier sounding F.Y.P. or if Jawbreaker would have been more drunk and rowdy during the recording of 24hr Revenge Therapy. A great record from beginning to end! – Jay Castro

Crow Bait – Sliding Through The Halls Of Fate LP (Don Giovanni Records)
Long Island NY trio bring country kissed music for those with a Rock N’ Roll heart. This band consists of members from Iron Chic, American Hellfire Club, Sister Kisser, among others. This is the bands first full length already having a fist full of 7”s under their big belt buckles. I know the word “country” scares a lot of you PUNX out there but all labels aside; this is some top notch earthy Rock N’ Roll with heavy introspection. Along the same lines as Lucero, Ryan Adams and early Wilco, this is one rock solid release; I’m going to see if I can find me the rest of their stuff! – Jay Castro

Trioxin Cherry – Let's Take Off And Nuke The Site From Space LP (STP Records)
This debut album from a trio of malcontents from Nottingham, UK hits hard takes no prisoners and laughs in your face all while doing so. The punk rock in this record is heavy and fast, the guitars are loud and there are hooks galore. The funny thing is: with all that I described above which leans on the music having a sense of urgency, the band weaves a lot of pop culture references and jokes throughout. It’s like the equivalent to watching Evil Dead II for the first time and asking yourself: wait, was that supposed to be funny? Because it was but judging by everything else that’s going on it shouldn’t be! – Jay Castro

Unwelcome Guests – Wavering LP (Dirt Cult Records)
Strong, sweaty and highly melodic anthems crowd this New York band’s second LP following 2010’s Don’t Go Swimming full length. This time around the band seems to crank up the volume a bit more. The music on this record has a very likeable New Jersey/blue collar aesthetic to it, which I totally love. I’ve said this once and I’ll say it again; if you’re in a band you don’t have to be original, just put 100% of YOUR blood, sweat and tears into it and the rest will fall into place. Unwelcome Guests sliced veins, bursting sweat glands and exploded tear ducts spill all over their finely crafted and sincere Rock N’ Roll tunes; absolutely terrific album for fans of The Loved Ones, Smoke or Fire and Gaslight Anthem. – Jay Castro

Sightlines/Crystal Swells – Split 7” (TRBL FCKR/Alarum Records)
Sightless start things off with some light, crispy and airy pop punk that almost strays into indie rock territory. Crystal Swells has a more noisy, aggressive and dark side to their songs. Kind of reminds me of early A Place to Bury Strangers. Both bands do a great job of bringing the rock to the table. If someone were to ask me to pair these two bands on a release I would probably refuse, but they actually go pretty good together as long as you listen to Sightless first which greets you at the entrance of the dark tunnel you are about to go into and Crystal Swells is what you encounter as you venture on in.
– Jay Castro

Blow Up – Teenage News 1976-1980 LP (Self-Release)
A band that lived many moons ago in a land called California that seemed to be on the brink of breakthrough, at least on a cult status anyways but kind of petered out over time. They opened up for great bands like The Replacements, and even Dead Kennedys but from what I can see had a constant revolving door of members. This is another compilation of Blow Up’s demos, live and unreleased tracks compiling the bands earlier years, the LP Groovy Dynamite Heavy Now (1981 – 1988) chronicles the bands later career. This is some sloppy, juvenile Rock N’ Roll with heavy glam influences. There are some real gems in here, Blow Up falls somewhere in between The Heartbreakers and The Real Kids realm and that’s a fantastic land in which to dwell in! – Jay Castro

Petty Things – Year of the Dog LP (Rubber Brothers Records/Gnar Tapes)
Tempe AZ’s Petty Things take a lot of elements from 1960’s rock and cradle it, nurture it, and not a moment too soon present it to us in a highly charismatic fashion. Year of The Dog has lean and loud guitars with hooks o-plenty, drums that sound like their being played with cinder blocks instead of sticks and a front man with a commanding voice to put all these things in line. I hear Sonics muscle, Seeds energy and even some Tommy James and The Shondells in there just to round out the effort. Wonderful record, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it and I will continue to do so! – Jay Castro

Faz Waltz – Back to Mondo LP (Piovra Records/White Zoo Records)
Italian Glam/Punk superstar upstarts Faz Waltz come at us again with even more hooks, charisma and relentless energy than ever before. The band’s previous efforts, like 2011’s Life on The Moon, seemed to be heavily influenced by Marc Bolan. Back on Mondo is the band’s third LP and, much like teammates Giuda, have now added Gary Glitter, New York Dolls and some David Bowie into the skirmish with explosive results. For anyone that likes any of the above bands, by whatever means possible get your greasy mitts on this album, play it loud and let your eyes roll back into your skull and fall into everlasting bliss. – Jay Castro

Needles//Pins – Outta This Place/Date Night (You Bring the Napalm) 7” (La-Ti-Da Records)
Needles//Pins once again come at us blasting their punk rock cannonballs using power pop cannons on their latest 7” that came out late last year that showcases two prime cuts of this stellar Vancouver outfit. The A-side is a feel good Saturday night anthem and the B-side has Needles//Pins longing for their significant other and features backing vocals from Vanessa of The Ballantynes fame. If you ever wondered what Stiv Bators would sound like singing for The Undertones, well here’s your chance to find out. – Jay Castro

Jay Vons – Night (Was Stealing From the Sun)/Days Undone 7” (La-Ti-Da Records)
This is my first time listening to this band and boy was I surprised. It’s great that people like La-Ti-Da Records realize that some of us that listen to punk rock aren’t lunkheads and appreciate other types of music. The Jay Von’s saunter on over to us from New York featuring members of Reigning Sounds, Robbers on High Street, and a few others. The music is well-crafted lounge/soul/R&B with an organ that’s there to make sure our hips don’t stop swingin’ and our fingers don’t stop snappin’. This 7” also came out late last year and I’m glad too much time didn’t pass before I was able to hitch a ride on the Jay Von’s soul train! – Jay Castro

Steve Adamyk Band – High Above/Hate Myself/A Promise is a Promise 7” (La-Ti-Da Records)
We’ve written many times about Steve Adamyk and anyone that reads Audio Ammunition regularly knows that in our minds, this band can pretty much do no wrong. For anyone that doesn’t however here is a brief synopsis: SAB is a smart, meaty, infectious aggro-pop punk band from Ottawa that parks their car in the same garage as bands like My Brain Hurts era Screeching Weasel, Snuff/Guns n’ Wankers and 1970’s punk poppers like Generation X and Buzzcocks. If you are a fan of any of the above-mentioned bands, its high time you get into SAB and this is the perfect place to start. What am I saying, anywhere is a great place to start with these guys! – Jay Castro

The Wild Ones – Day Drunk/Come Around 7” (La-Ti-Da Records)
This is one finely crafted record, especially for those of us that are old enough to remember the 1980’s. This ain’t any kind of new wave record though. Temecula, CA’s Forty Nineteens take their influences from the likes of Tom Petty, The Stray Cats, Elvis Costello and even The Fabulous Thunderbirds at times. Produced by David Newton (Mighty Lemon Drops) and mastered by Paul de Gre (Peter Gabriel, X, Los Lobos) with their sophomore release; the Forty Nineteens seem perfectly positioned for world domination. – Jay Castro

Dinos Boys – Last Ones LP (Die Slaughterhaus/Oops Baby Records)
Formed in 2011 in New York then moved to Atlanta, the band has released a song on an Oops Baby records comp and a 7” before releasing this LP. So don’t worry, you haven’t missed too much, there is still time to go find everything this band has done and you’ll want to as soon as you hear them. Dinos Boys create a riotous sonic stew of bands like The Briefs and the Stitches but with a power pop execution. The boys spin it with a flavor all their own. Bands like The Damned and Menace also come to my mind when listening to this record. One of just a hand full of records released so far this year to absolutely enslave my mind. – Jay Castro

Mallevs – Mallevs EP (Ascetic House)
I’m not exactly sure what I’m listening to here or what I’m supposed to take away from it. Mallevs conjure up some serious atmospheric mechanical doom noise that sounds like early Wax Trax Records stuff. This EP really doesn’t get going until the third actual structured song In The Dark, which is quite good and has a lo-fi, tinny, drum machine droning mixed with a white wash of ghostly vocals. This is for fans of Throbbing Gristle, Prurient (when they used to put out records that sounded like they were recorded inside Satan’s flatulent anus) and all around spookiness in general. – Jay Castro

Wyldlife – The Time Has Come To Rock & Roll LP (Self-Release)
This is the New York quartet second LP following 2011’s self-titled debut and thankfully not much has changed since. On their second LP the band continue to spew their fun, ultra catchy, high energy bluesy power pop influenced punk n’ roll so all those kids who get sent to the principal’s office have something decent to listen to. If you’re a fan of The Cry!, Biters, eternal adolescence, cheap booze, tight pants and tattoos and honestly what real American isn’t! So go grab yourself a copy of this record tonight on the way to the Rock N’ Roll club. – Jay Castro

Sonic Avenues – Mistakes LP (Dirtnap Records)
My first reaction when I read the album title was uh oh, is the band confessing something concerning the contents here in? But when I started listening to the album, there is nothing here that can be considered erroneous by anyone. This time around, Sonic Avenues seem to take a slightly different approach; infusing some dB’s style harmonies and jangly guitars into the mix. However the music still propels in precisely timed and placed explosions with Max’s snotty vocals and JC’s hammering drums that will still bring the building you’re in down on your head. – Jay Castro

SIANspheric – The Owl/Smokin’ Ritchie 7” (Noyes Records)
This Canadian band has been around since 1994 releasing their brand of unhurried, atmospheric indie rock like smoke slowly engulfing the planet. They have a hand full of releases, their debut Somniun being their most admired, even lending a couple of tracks off of it to the TV show version of La Femme Nikita. Everyone compares them to bands like Slowdrive or The Verve and their early stuff sounds more to that style. The two songs on this album however I hear the early emo stuff in it like Christy Front Drive or Clarity era Jimmy Eat World and even post rock like This Will Destroy You and God Speed! You Black Emperor. If you’re life sometimes needs some tranquility, then SIANspheirc is the perfect soundtrack. – Jay Castro

The Chiefs – Speed Rock 7” (Bachelor Records/Bachelor Archive)
Not to be confused with Southern California’s Chiefs that brought us the fabulous song “Tower 18” among others. This Chiefs is also from the late 1970’s but from the other side of the world, Austria to be exact. This here 7” is the only thing this short lived band ever recorded. Legend has it they practiced 5 times and played 1 show then kaput! Three songs that have a similar sound to that region’s other bands that appear on Killed By Death/Bloodstains comps. Try to imagine part Germany’s Pack, Belgium’s The Kids and Raxola. This is some pretty primitive recording, but the punk Rock N’ Roll fury shines through despite the fact. Essential record if you are a fan of the above mentioned bands or compilations. – Jay Castro

These record reviews originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on May 20th, 2014