‘Aging Punks’ is the third independent release from Philadelphia based punk-pop crew Science Club – and that fact astounds frontman Nate Adams (“Third record. That’s more than Joy Division got…and more than Weezer got if you ask my Uncle Greg”). Since he’s amazed that his DIY project has made it this far, he’d likely be equally as surprised to hear that – to an outsider’s ears – it shows a definite sense of progression from the band’s previous releases [self-titled, 2012; ‘Success’, 2013]. A couple of these tunes bring an increased sense of maturity in their sound, while a couple of the lyrics, too, are surprisingly wry and knowing – eventually leading to something quite memorable. This doesn’t make itself immediately obvious, however, as the band open this EP with a street-punk belter that tears straight out of the gate full throttle.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
SEVEN DEADLY – Obliviation
Seven Deadly’s debut release, the ‘Allegiance EP’, gained the band positive coverage from lots of different corners of the rock press, with independent websites, established magazines and one-man bloggers practically falling over themselves to praise the British quintet. From the ashes of Panic Cell, this then new band proved that they had so much to give. …And a year down the road, with their first full length release, the band shows no signs of tiring. If anything, they sound even better.
PICASTRO – You
Picastro have slowly been marking a place for themselves in the world of alternative music with their wandering soundscapes since the late 90s. Prior to this fifth release, they’ve toured with alt-folk/anti-folk acts Broken Social Scene, Scout Niblett and Devandra Banhart, their sound slowly evolving all the while. If you didn’t “get” the band previously, 2014’s ‘You’ is intent on making sure you still won’t. In fact, ‘You’ is far more experimental than most of their prior works (certainly true if measured solely against 2007’s ‘Red Your Blues’). Sure, they could channel their talents into something dreamy and in turn attract a larger audience of devotees, but then again, that would also destroy most of what makes the band so striking.
THE LAPPES – Lappe It Up EP
Formed at the beginning of 2013 New Jersey quartet The Lappes seemingly wasted no time in applying themselves to the creation of fine tunage. In under a year, they perfected their signature sound – a fine, fine blend of roots rock, folk and a touch of country – and entered the studio; the resulting debut EP, ‘Lappe It Up’, sounding like the work of seasoned pros.
GONE – Gone II: But Never Too Gone!
Between work with Black Flag in the mid 80s Greg Ginn formed Gone, an instrumental outfit which took the power of his main band’s latter day approach and tempered it with funk and jazz influences. Their first album (‘Let’s Get Real, Real Gone For a Change’) was a low budget showcase of garage rock style, with often discordant guitars – always easily identifiable as Ginn’s work – playing over groove-led, funky but not always especially tight rhythms. This second album, a more than predictable continuation of Gone’s signature sound, shows no dramatic shift from that debut’s ideas. Some of the recording techniques may be slightly more primitive than those before, but at the heart of it all, remains Ginn’s unmistakable style.