Music reviews<\/p>\n
by Kent Manthie<\/p>\n
Low Cloud Cover: \u201cSeparation Anxiety\u201d (Breathing Room Records)
\nI love those colorful little houses, situated along the streets of Southern California suburbs. They have a really happy vibe to them all. Light purple or mauve, fuchsia, sometimes even pale yellow or lime green. What wonderful, pleasing pastel colors. A palate of delight, which also may describe Low Cloud Cover; ok, so they aren\u2019t saccharine smiley-faced happy, but neither are they angry or agitated; instead LCC breathe out moody, ethereal, precious modern rock that is very unique, very fresh and new. It starts out with a quiet storm in \u201cSad Hot Confused\u201d and goes through ups and downs, a steamy, electric fog of white light is \u201cTwo Red Stars\u201d and the closer, the title track, is a hauntingly beautiful, opus that draws out slowly at the end, lingering awhile before fading away. They would do well, in my opinion, to keep a low profile and continue, with Breathing Room Records, churning out these awesome records that surprise, inspire and make your world a better place for the time it takes to listen to the whole of \u201cSeparation Anxiety\u201d, the latest release from Low Cloud Cover. Fantastic stuff, recorded in El Cajon. (http:\/\/www.breathingroomrecords.com) \u2013KM.<\/p>\n
The Drinks: \u201cGrr!\u201d (Pure Greed Records)
\nJust when you think you have things down, life throws you a surprise, an interruption of your typical routine. Change creeps in and takes over your life in a surreptitious way, always when you least expect it. The Drinks are a great band that put out some really hip rock and roll, a little on the poppy side, not heavy, not dark, hammering banter, but a quirky, articulate outfit that writes intelligent, inventive songs full of hooks, twists, bells and whistles. \u201cI Don\u2019t Represent\u201d is a great example of this formula; it\u2019s a catchy-as-hell song that bangs around in your head, hours after hearing it. \u201cA Diet That Actually Works\u201d is a metaphorical little ditty about purging out the bad habits, vices, personality flaws from one\u2019s life. Also worth mentioning are \u201cWall Marte\u201d, \u201cParking Pass\u201d and the purely pleasure pop of \u201cFriends and Lovers\u201d. But these titles are just samples. All the tracks on \u201cGrr!\u201d are a delight in themselves. (http:\/\/www.thedrinks.net or http:\/\/www.puregreedrecords.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
The Funhouse Comp: “Thing\u201d (My Fat Ass Productions)
\n32 tracks of sweaty, balls-on, bitchin\u2019 punk-fucking-rock, in the form of a CD compilation from Seattle\u2019s The Funhouse, an indie collective, also known as My Fat Ass Productions. You get stuff like Gas Huffer, doing \u201cMidnight at the Apollo 13\u201d (ha-ha, funny!), Dead Vampires with \u201cCome Out and Play\u201d, Girl Trouble, singin\u2019 \u2018bout \u201cFreedom Rock\u201d and Bug Nasties going on a \u201cNight Trip\u201d. It is a teenage skateboard-gutter punk\u2019s wet dream here, enough rip-roarin\u2019 raw power to get your rocks off. Rock on, bro-ham. (http:\/\/www.thefunhouseseattle.com) \u2013KM.<\/p>\n
Comfortable For You: “My Entire Life Is A Lie” (Loud + Clear Records)
\nKill your idols, dude. Don\u2019t believe the lies; it\u2019s all getting worse, not better, does your medication work? Why not just tune out, turn up the TV and wash those blues away. With articulate, harmonically dissonant and tuneful guitars, an angst-ridden, intense, reaching singer, a sum that produced a blissful rock album, however, it is their last as well, \u201cComfortable for You\u201d is a swan song sung bittersweetly, six tracks, each building up above the one before it. It starts out with a blistering, pumped up, screaming \u201cBrian Wilson\u2019s Mountain Thrash-Gnar\u201d, a swirling rousting opener, followed by the slugging \u201cNah, My Name is Clarence\u201d and with \u201cSonny Jim\u201d a different sort of bluesy, roaming sound. This CD isn\u2019t just one carbon copy after another, following some blueprint or formula; MELL have navigated a complex sound, become masters of their domain; but now they\u2019re going to bury the past and move on. Burning out or fading away? What is the better alternative? (http:\/\/www.comfortableforyou.com or http:\/\/www.loudandclearrecords.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
The Itch: \u201cThe Courage to Be Hated\u201d (Wee Rock Records)
\nThe Courage to Be Hated is a unique virtue to have; especially in the music business, where one has to bare their soul and stand there on stage delivering to an audience what may or may not be accepted or liked or understood, sometimes. That takes some jadedness, some balls and no fear of rejection is allowed. The Itch don\u2019t care what you think of them. They know they rock and they just go ahead and do it. \u201cThe Courage to Be Hated\u201d is a punk-rock opus \u2013 18 songs, about 2 minutes each, on average; short, to the point and concise, all the fat has been trimmed off. It is a good record; one rockin\u2019 jam after another. Each song just sort of melds into the next one and it gets better and better, climbing up to a climax and leveling off, finally ending right on time. (http:\/\/www.weerockrecords.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
Stars and Stripes: \u201cOne Man\u2019s Army\u201d (I Scream Records)
\nMartial music for mayhem makers: Stars and Stripes bang and bang the drum of a punk rock militia that rattle off a raw metal-punk admixture, typical of I Scream Records. \u201cOne Man\u2019s Army\u201d is a seek-and-destroy mission, set out for the ears of the punk-rockers, stompin\u2019 around with their boots in the club downtown. (http:\/\/www.iscreamrecords.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
The Destroyed: \u201cRussian Roulette\u201d (self-released)
\nIn a world gone wild, there are many who can chronicle the machinations of the few and the actions, reactions and counteractions of the rest of the world. Today we have the punk band, which can sum up ideas and\/or answer the rhetoric of so-called people in charge and herald resistance. The Destroyed, an old punk band from the 70s, was resurrected a few years back and now, three records into their new life, with \u201cRussian Roulette\u201d, their third record since 2002\u2019s \u201cBert Switzer 1977-2002\u201d and 2003\u2019s \u201cOutta Control\u201d. JD Jackson, songwriter and guitarist and Bert Switzer, drummer and singer. These two are in their 50s now but still have a punk-spirit, a DIY vibe that continues to inspire. Songs like \u201cDangerous Bomb\u201d, a plaintive wail that is simple, clean and lucid and \u201cCrime Wave\u201d, an inner-city jam or the haunting title track all spotlight these two outlaws who continue to exist below the radar of the commercial music machine, thank god! (http:\/\/www.thedestroyed.com or http:\/\/www.bertswitzer.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
Maximum Penalty: \u201cDemo \u201989 & East Side Story EP\u201d (I Scream Records)
\nBrooklyn-based Maximum Penalty is a raw, crisp, rumbling band of New Yawkahs who throw down some sick jams. Their latest release, on I Scream Records, is a two-fer: \u201cDemo \u201889\u201d and \u201cEast Side Story EP\u201d, both on one CD. On \u201cDemo \u201889\u201d, they show a raw, punk ethos, not typical of the I Scream catalog, not metal enough, which was a pleasant surprise. \u201cEast Side Story EP\u201d was basically in the same vein; a shorter work, of course, hence the title \u201cEP\u201d, but a short, sharp, to-the-point punk plateau that climaxes with the last two tunes, \u201cDistressed\u201d and the title cut. I liked the lo-fi, East Coastness that MP exude along with their cool brand of laid-back, Brooklyn Punk. (http:\/\/www.iscreamrecords.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Music reviews by Kent Manthie Low Cloud Cover: \u201cSeparation Anxiety\u201d (Breathing Room Records) I love those colorful little houses, situated along the streets of Southern California suburbs. They have a really happy vibe to them all. Light purple or mauve, fuchsia, sometimes even pale yellow or lime green. What wonderful, pleasing pastel colors. A palate of delight, which also may […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[77,280,294],"class_list":["post-55","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archive","tag-by-kent","tag-more-for-ish-32","tag-music-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":655,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2006\/04\/12\/32-music-reviews-honey-pig\/","url_meta":{"origin":55,"position":0},"title":"#32 music reviews, honey pig","author":"admin","date":"April 12, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Music reviews by Kent Manthie, music authority guy Honey Pig: \u201cExactly As We Are\u201d (Demo) Three lovely ladies who are waiting for their big break to come in the field of acting, Honey Pig are an all-female country trio in the same vein as Dixie Chicks. But to their credit,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "archive"","block_context":{"text":"archive","link":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":148,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2006\/09\/25\/music-reviews-the-destroyed\/","url_meta":{"origin":55,"position":1},"title":"music reviews The Destroyed","author":"admin","date":"September 25, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"The Destroyed: \u201cRussian Roulette\u201d (self-released) In a world gone wild, there are many who can chronicle the machinations of the few and the actions, reactions and counteractions of the rest of the world. Today we have the punk band, which can sum up ideas and\/or answer the rhetoric of so-called\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "archive"","block_context":{"text":"archive","link":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":647,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2006\/04\/01\/music-reviews-issue-32-from-kristina-meek\/","url_meta":{"origin":55,"position":2},"title":"Music Reviews, Issue 32, from Kristina Meek","author":"admin","date":"April 1, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Music Reviews by Kristina Meek Desert Rust Cactus Music If the whole CD were like the easy, melodic, gathered-around-the-campfire-drinking-beers first track, Cactus Music would be quite an enjoyable little jaunt. Unfortunately, when Desert Rust picks up the pace and adds thin, strained-sounding vocals, the warm desert night turns ice cold\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "archive"","block_context":{"text":"archive","link":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":315,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2007\/06\/13\/music-reviews-by-kent-manthie-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":55,"position":3},"title":"Music Reviews by Kent Manthie","author":"admin","date":"June 13, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Music Reviews by Kent Manthie Renee Zawawi Legends (Sapiens Records) Pop-princess Renee Zawawi is a smart young woman; she has written a bunch of songs, recorded them and the result is \u201cLegends\u201d, her debut CD; 13 tracks of danceable exotic pop-phoria. \u201cLegends\u201d is a CD with some vividly expressive vocal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "archive"","block_context":{"text":"archive","link":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":142,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2006\/09\/11\/cd-reviews\/","url_meta":{"origin":55,"position":4},"title":"CD reviews","author":"admin","date":"September 11, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"new CD reviews by Kent Manthie UBZORB (s\/t) (Cordhead Recordings) One cool tune on this record is track 5: \u201cSize Mick\u201d, the chorus: \u201cSeismic waves and Cosmic Rays\/destroy the maze\u2026\u201d Cool, huh, so California. Apocalyptic visions of a California bursting at the seams, earthquakes, fire, death, destruction \u2013 constant reference\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "archive"","block_context":{"text":"archive","link":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":643,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2006\/03\/29\/issue-32-music-reviews\/","url_meta":{"origin":55,"position":5},"title":"issue 32 music reviews","author":"admin","date":"March 29, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Music Reviews for issue 32 (with one DVD review) by Vikkee Payge Tarantella Esqueletos This album is the band\u2019s first full-length album, and it\u2019s beautiful. The haunting fiddle playing by Kelly O\u2019Dea flows with the mournful melodies of lead singer Kal Calhoone like water. The album, sung in both English\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "archive"","block_context":{"text":"archive","link":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}