The Lashes: \u201cGet It\u201d (Columbia Records)
\nA lot of people have this fixed idea of Seattle as a dreary, overcast, depressing rainy place and for good reason, since it does rain all the time there. When you mention that a particular band is from Seattle, one likewise associates the Seattle connection as a de facto genre of music, due to the homogeneity of many bands that hail from that great Pacific Northwest metropolis (think: Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, The Melvins, et cetera). Well, The Lashes are heterodoxy vis a vis their Seattle roots; upbeat, slick, crooning, \u201cGet It\u201d, their debut, is a lavish pop opus. The more I listen to it the more it grows on me; these damn catchy hooks from songs like \u201cPlease, Please, Please Let Me Get What I want\u201d or \u201cDaddy\u2019s Little Girl\u201d swirl about in my mind for hours after listening to the CD. You will be made to dance! (www.thelashes.com or www.columbiarecords.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
The Experiments (s\/t) (self-released)
\nThe Experiments are the ultimate DIY, underground indie band \u2013 they\u2019ve been around since 1994, a coming together of some members of NYC\u2019s Dead Ducks and LA\u2019s Beverly Pills, originally. Then, in 2003 Brian Chase, formerly of Boston\u2019s Suburban Rejects joined up, adding a new influence to their songwriting. In March of 2005, The Experiments put together this self-titled CD, partly recorded live at Blind Melon\u2019s, in San Diego and also at \u201cDan\u2019s Apartment\u201d and at Spotless Digital in Ocean Beach. Their music is a sludgy, raw punk-rock that is more influenced by old-school punk-rock from Detroit, like MC5 or the Stooges than by hardcore bands like MDC or GBH. The juxtaposition from club to bedroom to studio only adds to the low-fi, indie ethos, bringing out the gist of each song in a pure form \u2013 only an acoustic guitar and a vocal mike would be purer. To get some free songs, news about the band and whatnot, check out www.theexperiments.com \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
Dehra Dun: \u201cBetter Faked\u201d (Singleton Records)
\nWise beyond their years, ahead of the curve in terms of sounds and style, Dehra Dun have appeared on my radar and I have taken to their new CD, \u201cBetter Faked\u201d with a great degree of enthusiasm. The CD starts out with a 30-second intro called \u201cThe City is Born\u201d, that, like all the songs on \u201cBetter Faked\u201d, segues right into the next song. It\u2019s a moody record that starts out with some movement, so to speak, but midway through, takes a turn towards melancholy, starting with track seven, the beautifully haunting \u201cDivision\u201d, a very stark, plaintive song that brings the mood down a bit. From there we get, for a spell, some quiet meditations, like \u201cRose Tint\u201d.<\/p>\n
Burnt Chorro: \u201cMade in the USA\u201d (Stems & Seeds)
\nBurnt Chorro is a laid-back, reggae\/dub\/punk outfit, not unlike Long Beach Dub All-Stars, the aftermath of Sublime; they start out with an aggressive, punk attitude, talking politics, pot and hot chicks. But it also slips into some mellow, ganga-flavored \u2018dub\u2019 jams, agitprop and a tinge of hip-hop throughout, which makes this CD better, flowing in and out of subgenres, mixing things up. It\u2019s definitely not bland or monotonous, as they keep it fresh and interesting as well as injecting humor, not taking themselves too seriously, which will be one aspect of the downfall of the right. It\u2019s got political messages, social awareness and a platform of reform for outdated, oppressive, reactionary right-wing governments; but it\u2019s done in a mellow, nonabrasive way. \u201cMade in the USA\u201d is not an in-your-face diatribe (well-deserved as that may be), nor a polemic, but a pleasant-sounding mix of Dub, hip-hop and pedantic punk-rock (www.stemsandseeds.org) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
The Deviltones: \u201cRiding the High Horse\u201d (Hard Knox Records)
\nThe terror of Richmond, VA, The Deviltones are a rough-and-tumble, leather-bound, long-haired grungesters that kick out the jams in a most raucous way. On \u201cRiding the High Horse\u201d, something that fans have been waiting 15 months to hear, this quartet shows what they can do with a couple gee-tars and some skins. The Deviltones really drive home a traditional heavy metal groove; it\u2019s not speed\/death metal, not nu-rock, a la Korn, nor is it the industrial\/aggro bent of Pigface or Ministry. Perfect for the local bar-club on a Friday night: great to let loose to and lose yourself in a fever pitch of beer-soaked, cigarette-burned, sweaty rock \u2018n\u2019 roll. Check out \u201cI Gotta Gun\u201d or \u201c13-69\u201d, both uber-representative of The Deviltones oeuvre (www.deviltones.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
Towers of London: \u201cFuck it Up\u201d (TVT Records)
\nThe very British, Towers of London\u201d have put out another single, \u201cFuck it Up\u201d, backed with another cut, \u201cDown in the Streets\u201d. \u201cFuck it Up\u201d could be the next big anthem for disaffected youth, at least in England. The soundtrack to an anarchist riot? Absolutely! Both tracks are rocking, ebullient and effusive; infectious rock and roll that stays in your head for a bit after hearing it. Don\u2019t expect to hear this on the radio anytime soon\u2026 (www.tvt.com or www.towersoflondon.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
DMZ\/\/38: \u201cNever Surrender\u201d (self-released)
\nDMZ\/\/38 is the nom de guerre of a Korean-American who has just come out with \u201cNever Surrender\u201d, a 4-song EP that he recently released on his own, with no record deal, no label support. I only mention that he is Korean for the reason that he uses the handle \u201cDMZ\/\/38\u201d \u2013 which is an obvious reference to Korea, which tells me that he wants to use his \u2018Korean-ness\u201d to express a particular point-of-view. There is no hard-core political message here, mostly just innocuous pop music. But then, in places like Pyongyang, just putting out a \u2018harmless\u2019 pop record is enough to get you arrested, depending on what you say. (www.dmz38.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
The Messengers (s\/t) (Mordam Records)
\nRiot Grrrls, The Messengers are a rockin\u2019 quartet from Cincinnati who bring a tuneful, less abrasive approach to punk. Quasi-political songs like \u201cAmerican Slob\u201d, \u201cFight the Rich\u201d or \u201cLost Cause\u201d have a jangly, poppy edge to them, they\u2019re hummable, but they also have a bit of that riotous, anarchic spirit, as well. Better than Hole, that\u2019s for sure. (www.themessengers.cc or www.mordamrecords.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
Richard Hawley: \u201cColes Corner\u201d (Mute Records)
\nAt first it was easy to be dismissive and say that Richard Hawley is just another Leonard Cohen-manque. But as I listened further, to \u201cColes Corner\u201d I was so enraptured by the beautiful, lush ambience of the songs that after a while, it became \u201cLeonard who?\u201d The stark, slow, quiet pace of most of \u201cColes Corner\u201d is almost funereal in parts, though; something in which to lose oneself in, in a bubble bath, in bed, driving late at night on a dark highway. One thing, though, track six is not the \u201cBorn Under a Bad Sign\u201d, not the Howlin\u2019 Wolf classic (\u2026\u201dIf it wasn\u2019t for bad luck\/I wouldn\u2019t have no luck at all\u201d) (www.richardhawley.co.uk or www.mute.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
Miles Away (s\/t) (Bridge Nine Records)
\nSort of like Helmet, or a right-wing Fugazi, Miles Away have that straight-edge sound, clean-cut, in appearance as well as sonic intensity. On their eponymous debut, MA rips through ten cuts of lean, mean songs. While they\u2019re not very diverse, musically, they certainly have determination; Will, you might call it. Each song has that distinctly razor-sharp guitar buzzing on, backed by violent drums and thumping bass. Tight. (www.milesawayhc.tk or www.bridge9.com) \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
The Trouble: \u201cNobody Laughs Anymore\u201d (Bridge Nine Records)
\n\u201cNobody Laughs Anymore\u201d \u2013 boast or lament? This is the latest from Massachusetts\u2019s The Trouble, a hard-core punk outfit that really kicks ass. It\u2019s a little like Fugazi, with that terse, razor-sharp delivery. The Trouble are a force of their own, though and it\u2019s nice to see that true punk is not dead. The coolest thing about \u201cNobody Laughs Anymore\u201d is actually, ironically maybe, the so-called secret track, the last cut, #15, in which they cover Joy Division\u2019s \u201cInsight\u201d. Kudos too, to Bridge 9 records for being a home for up-and-coming punk rock, hard-core, straight-edge, indie metal, etc. (www.bridge9.com) \u2013KM.<\/p>\n
Andrew Shapiro: \u201cInvisible Days EP\u201d (Airbox Music)
\nAndrew Shapiro is a musical wunderkind of sorts. This EP, \u201cInvisible Days\u201d, is a breath of fresh air; dreamy, fluid, brilliant. Unlike his previous EP \u201cSix Etudes\u201d, which was all solo classical piano originals, this EP is more along the lines of Brian Eno or Jon Hassell with vocals. Helping out on vocals is Keisha Hutchins, who breathes fascinating life with her beautiful voice. Also, playing flute is Peter Hess; Shapiro sings a little and plays all the keyboards. A versatile and talented musician, Shapiro is one to watch out for\u2026 (www.andrewshapiro.com)\u2013 KM.<\/p>\n
November Kills: \u201cRussian Roulette\u201d (Hotfoot Records)
\nI was of a mixed feeling, at first, regarding \u201cRussian Roulette\u201d, the debut from November Kills. Upon first listen I was not awed or impressed greatly. On the other hand, I wasn\u2019t turned off or repelled by it either. But after a couple more times in my CD player I warmed up to it. \u201cRussian Roulette\u201d has a hard-edged, rock & roll sensibility. It\u2019s not metal, not punk and it\u2019s not pop or power pop. It\u2019s something somewhere in between all those labels. All through the CD it kept my interest; song after song had an infectious appeal that was pleasing to the senses. If you\u2019re a big fan of Taking Back Sunday or Hawthorne Heights you\u2019ll like \u201cRussian Roulette\u201d and want more of NK. (www.novemberkills.com or www.hotfootrecords.com) \u2013 KM<\/p>\n
The Stove: (s\/t demo)
\nThe Stove is an up-and-coming dance-clubland-spacey combo. They have an ethereal aura, playing fluffy, spacey dance music. This 5-song demo I got my hands on is actually well-done, it sounds, thanks to today\u2019s cheap and accessible technology, makes anyone a studio professional. It is now musical anarchy out there and the line between types of marketing are being erased, which makes it easier for just about any kind of crap to get out there; but on the other hand, it gives a platform or a forum for those who are unable or unwilling to get ensnared into the corrupt commercial music racket \u2013 alternative vehicles for independent, original, eclectic, new and varied stuff. The Stove are not bad at all \u2013 they could get better and probably will as they keep on doing it. To find out more information and\/or for access to their music, check out www.thestovemusic.com \u2013 KM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Lashes: \u201cGet It\u201d (Columbia Records) A lot of people have this fixed idea of Seattle as a dreary, overcast, depressing rainy place and for good reason, since it does rain all the time there. When you mention that a particular band is from Seattle, one likewise associates the Seattle connection as a de facto genre of music, due to […]<\/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":[559],"class_list":["post-642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archive","tag-music-reviews-324"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15358,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2018\/07\/18\/summer-in-seattle\/","url_meta":{"origin":642,"position":0},"title":"Summer in Seattle","author":"Reviewer Rob","date":"July 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Northwest Summer Shop girl Jules, Alki Beach, Seattle, 7-17-18, Nikon D5300, ISO 100, 10-24mm Tamron 3.5-4.5 lens, 17mm focal length, f11 @ 1\/160th.","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":53,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2006\/05\/17\/seven-bands-you-must-know-from-seattle\/","url_meta":{"origin":642,"position":1},"title":"Seven Bands You MUST Know From Seattle","author":"admin","date":"May 17, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"7 Bands You MUST Know From Seattle By: KEG keg@kegrocks.com http:\/\/www.kegrocks.com When most music fans think of Seattle, what immediately comes to mind? GRUNGE! While grunge was known for putting Seattle on the map, the \u201cCity Of Rain\u201d has rapidly evolved ever since. Cutting-edge Seattle artists are now indie forerunners,\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":151,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2006\/09\/28\/seven-seattle-bands-you-need-to-know\/","url_meta":{"origin":642,"position":2},"title":"Seven Seattle Bands You Need To Know","author":"admin","date":"September 28, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"7 Bands You MUST Know From Seattle By KEG, keg@kegrocks.com When most music fans think of Seattle, what immediately comes to mind? GRUNGE! While grunge was known for putting Seattle on the map, the \u201cCity Of Rain\u201d has rapidly evolved ever since. Cutting-edge Seattle artists are now indie forerunners, giving\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":15330,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2018\/07\/16\/seattle-is-nice-so-theres-that\/","url_meta":{"origin":642,"position":3},"title":"Seattle is nice, so there’s that.","author":"Reviewer Rob","date":"July 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Enjoying the Northwest Reviewer Rob I went for a nice bike ride today along the Puget Sound. It was near Ballard, I think. It's been a long-time goal of mine to get here and see this place, a real remarkable wonder of nature. Although it was a warm, sunny day\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":15392,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2018\/07\/19\/members-video-jules-tattoo-stories\/","url_meta":{"origin":642,"position":4},"title":"members video: Jules’ tattoo stories","author":"Reviewer Rob","date":"July 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"[Members Video] Eight Tattoos I met Jules when I was on a bike ride on North Seattle along a beach called Ballard. It was a gorgeous summer day and the vibe could not be better. Being a Southern Californian and a lapsed surfer I was happy to see a surf\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "art"","block_context":{"text":"art","link":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tattoo talk: shopgirl Jules from Ballard Surf in Seattle relates about her ink stories.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jules.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jules.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jules.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jules.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19705,"url":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2023\/06\/18\/album-review-the-funerals-oink\/","url_meta":{"origin":642,"position":5},"title":"album review: The Funerals, OINK","author":"Reviewer Rob","date":"June 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Funerals, OINK The Funerals are a Mexican punkrock band from the Distrito Federal of Mexico City. Their new release of 11 tracks is on Bandcamp called OINK and it\u2019s hardcore to the max, iconoclastic angry anti-everything, tight machine gun drums, aggressive vocals, unashamed and unconcerned with who or what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "music"","block_context":{"text":"music","link":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Funerals OINK","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-funerals-OINK.jpg?fit=700%2C700&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-funerals-OINK.jpg?fit=700%2C700&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-funerals-OINK.jpg?fit=700%2C700&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-funerals-OINK.jpg?fit=700%2C700&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642","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=642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}