Big D & The Kids Table have launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund not one, but TWO new albums.
Best associated with the third wave of ska in the US, the band’s sound can be somewhat more eclectic, taking in elements of punk, pop, thrash, reggae and a bit of dub. With this in mind, Big D are set to release two albums: one of upbeat ska and punk, with a second release taking in more of their lighter, reggae influenced sounds.
In addition to the run of dates posted here, pop-punkers The Ataris have extended their upcoming 2013 tour.
The additional dates include ten shows in the UK and are as follows:
Following a much earlier EP and cuts on various comps, this 2011 7” by City Mouse is a superb disc. Issued on It’s Alive Records (home to The Copyrights, The Methadones and Gateway District), this record represents the Riverside, California punks as an underground band at the top of their game.
Fitting a huge amount of energy into just over six minutes, these four songs grind and bounce just as well as material released by many of the best-known names in melodic punk rock/pop punk. Classic sounding tunes need a great vocal, and in City Mouse’s frontwoman (and mainstay) Miski Dee Rodriguez, this band has an extra edge. Her voice moves between a melodic punk warble and attitude-filled hard rock rasp, which although not as instantly recognisable as a voice such as Tilt’s Cinder Block, for example, is more than distinctive.
The strongest cut, the razor-sharp ‘Dumb Dumb Dumb’ makes great use of a simple refrain and equally simple riff. Listening a little closer, a particularly busy bassline provides some more sophisticated elements; Zac Howe is a very talented player. Likewise, the highly infectious ‘Bird Song’, combines a fast punky riff with a sharp vocal line, the intermittent presence of the already familiar “here is the church, here is the steeple” line is guaranteed to make this tune stick in your memory.
The other two songs (‘You’ and ‘The Rhyme’) may not quite have such instant lyrical hooks, but are certainly on a par musically, especially at those times Howe’s basslines rattle out notes at speed, constantly fighting Dee’s guitar work for superiority. Of particular enjoyment is Miski’s performance on ‘The Rhyme’, on which her voice rings the best results out of nearly line.
Like Pinhead Gunpowder’s ‘Fahziah’, ‘Nervous Breakdown’ by Black Flag or ‘Spiral Scratch’ by Buzzcocks, here, City Mouse adds more weight to the argument that, when approached correctly, the 7” four-song EP is the ultimate punk artefact. If you have ever been attracted to (m)any of the punk bands from California – particularly the best Larry Livermore-produced ones on the Lookout! Records label – then this is definitely for you.
August 2012
Following an EP in 2008, US/Czech punks Pipes and Pints attracted a cult audience with their first full length LP in 2009. Three years on, their brand of Celtic street punk gets a second airing on ‘Found & Lost’. It is unlikely to win over many people who’ve previously not grasped any other bagpipe led punk outfits, but most of the songs are incredibly strong. The strength of the material combined with a fantastic production job from Darian Rundell (known for his work with Pennywise and 98 Mute) is enough to ensure the band picks up a few new fans of their chosen subgenre on their ongoing journey.
Offering a good overview of the band’s sound, ‘One Connection’ forges ahead with some tough street punk riffs and a sound worthy of Rancid/Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards. Crunchy guitars and rumbling bassline attack the listener with a near relentlessness, and it is quickly obvious that in terms of rhythm section, Pipes and Pints could rival most of their better known contemporaries. While the tune is excellent, the best moments come courtesy of a gang vocal that hits hard with some simple repetition. …And it’s that shout-along, near anthemic approach which eventually proves ‘Found & Lost’s best calling card, something which sits proudly front and centre during the title cut. While that particular song doesn’t have one of Pipes and Pints’ most imaginative arrangements, it wins through on the chorus alone. On the relatively lengthy ‘Warpath 82’ they take a similar tack, topping a strong punk ethic with gang vocals, infectious whoas and, ultimately, moments of call and response between chorus and lead voice which provide a great sense of unity.
A touch more tuneful in places, ‘Calling Me’ adopts quieter verses, led by bassist Ondra Balvin. When it kicks in, the tune has a full-on bounce quota, with a sound that hints at previous work classic punkers and sometime label-mates Face To Face. While each band member gives their all, interestingly, the most memorable aspect comes from Votja Kalina’s bagpipes, as he uses them to deliver something akin to an upbeat riff as opposed to the more usual drones. Throw in more gang vocals and you have a winning combination. Although cut from similar elements, the rousing ‘Right Or Wrong’ pushes all the right buttons with punky attack and old-school, slightly 50s rock ‘n’ roll guitar break. Since the music is solid throughout and (during the quietest moments) Syco Mike sounds like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Dicky Barrett, this particular track would have been improved if Kalina had left the bagpipes to one side…just for a while.
Perhaps the strongest track overall on this second outing, ‘Her Life and Thoughts’, mixes traditional staccato punk riffs with heavier guitar chops showing a strong sense of light and shade throughout. Although the vocals have the usual gravelly approach, the lyrics are delivered crisply and have an audible quality that’s well suited to the relatively melodic style adopted. The bagpipes – used here in a very traditional fashion – add intermittent drones, which although aren’t necessarily bringing anything vital to the overall mix, are fine enough. After all, you can’t really tackle Celtic punk without them.
Looking at the bigger picture, the band have a knack with a chorus that deserves to greet the ears of a bigger audience. If you like bagpipes and punk, you’re fine and dandy and firmly set for half an hour of fairly raucous singalongs, but if the bagpipe starts to grate – let’s remember, it’s never been the most musicial of instruments – ‘Found & Lost’ could be considered a tougher listen at times, at least for some. At their best, though, even if not as well rounded as the Dropkick Murphys on this disc, Pipes and Pints could teach the often-on-autopilot Flogging Molly a thing or two.
January 2013
Following a string of DIY records, on the appropriately titled ‘Girls’, Orange County hardcore punks Vultures United pay tribute to works originally performed by female fronted acts. And that’s not all: in addition to the half-dozen covers which make up the bulk of this release, the band have also included a few self-penned instrumental segues. Largely made up of keyboard noodlings and drones, ‘Girls’ doesn’t always necessarily benefit from these distractions. However, since each one is named after the performer that follows, it appears a more than reasonable idea from a conceptual point of view.
With regard to those covers, Vultures United’s re-working of Bjork’s ‘Army of Me’ is an instant classic. Since it had already been given the alternative metal treatment by Powerman 5000, this tune has already proven to be easily malleable, but even Powerman’s best attempts don’t match the ferocity of VU’s offering here. The hardcore punk riffs are like concrete blocks to the skull, matched with vocals full of throat-bursting intensity. Bubbling underneath, a new wavish keyboard is on hand to remind the listener of the electronic bias of the 1994 Bjork hit, but does little to soften the otherwise uncompromising nature. In short, this is a job well done from all concerned. Equally enjoyable, a punky romp through Best Coast’s ‘Summer Mood’ brings out the best in the Vultures’ musical abilities. Between the distorted vocals and meaty riffs, this tune somehow sounds as if it was made to be a hardcore classic, though it is no longer especially summery… It would be great to find out what Bethany Consentino thinks!
The usually uber-irritating ‘Not My Name’ (a hit in the hands of the bewilderingly untalented Ting Tings) gets beefed up and – naturally – improved. The simple riff (little more than one chord) adopts a hardcore punk stance – with unavoidable metal chug, while the dumb lyric moves from sounding twee to threatening…in a fun way. A really oddball choice, ‘He Needs Me’ (as made famous by Shelley DuVall in the oft-panned ‘Popeye’ movie), presents the first of a couple of times this release really misfires. The slower approach combined with deliberately discordant vocals makes this incredibly hard listening all round. If you can make it past the first minute or so, the bass sound is terrific and nearing the end, xylophonesque percussion comes as a big surprise, so it’s not a complete dead duck. Perhaps – and this the most likely – ‘He Needs Me’ just wasn’t that good a song to start with anyway. Let’s face it: even Fat Mike and co gave this a wide birth when putting together Me First & The Gimme Gimmes’ album of film and show tunes.
A high speed romp through the X Ray Spex classic ‘Oh Bondage, Up Yours’ takes a great trashy punk number, toughens it up and gives it a Dwarves style send off, at least musically, while – as always – the lead voice opts for a more extreme delivery. Often cited as one of the first wave of punk’s essential cuts, thankfully VU don’t trash it. Their sledgehammer delivery should be of huge appeal to most punk fans. A left-field choice, the Jackson Browne-penned ‘These Days’ brings the cassette edition (yes, cassette!) to a close with a world of gang vocals. While the arrangement is perhaps the release’s weakest overall – something not entirely helped by the vocal approach, resembling a raucous sing-along with friends – it doesn’t necessarily sit so comfortably with the rest of the material either… Although made famous via a recording by Nico, how would Jackson feel about having been considered one of the “girls”? He’s probably not so worried – after all, he did once forget he actually played on the Nico recording!
Released on CD, vinyl EP and cassette, each version of ‘Girls’ has a slightly different track-list [The Cranberries’ ‘Salvation’ appears on the vinyl, Nico’s ‘These Days’ on the cassette, a Bikini Kill track on the CD], but since the key songs are duplicated, you’ll get the three best tracks whichever format you choose. Broadly speaking, ‘Girls’ isn’t much more than a bit of fun, but you should still try and pick up this release if you can, since the Bjork, The Ting Tings and Best Coast songs are well worth the price of admission.
December 2012