CD REVIEWS
PAUL SOGER-..... ‘20 YEARS M.I.A.’ // Loose Groove Records
Vinyl Review By: Ginger Coyote
A killer new album that just dropped.”PAUL SOLGER 20 YEARS M.I.A.” – produced by Stone Gossard and Josh Evans, it is on Loose Groove Records, which is Stone Gossards Record Label Featuring Artists like Duff McKagan, Dejha Colantuono, Barbara Ireland, Peter Del Giudice, and other fabulous musicians! After more than 40 years in the heart of the Pacific Northwest punk and hardcore scene, Solger has finally released this gem.
The first track, ‘New American’, which is also the single, has Duff McKagan on lead vocals on this badass track that sets the tone of this no frills release. The last track, ‘You Ain’t No Loser’ leaves you wanting more.
Duff McKagan paid tribute to Solger on socials: “I got to live my formative years in music right alongside Paul Solger. His brilliance as a player and originality as a writer were simply second to none. I learned so much from him and
He added, “He’s a local legend who finally gets the wider props he deserves with this record. I’m stoked to have helped bring New American to life. Punk rock n’ roll will never die.“
Chris D./Poison Fang Society Courtroom Wedding // In The Red Records
Vinyl Review By: Jaime Pina
Back in the olden days, Punk Rock meant a lot of things. As a kid, I saw many bands at “punk” clubs, and the music each band would deliver covered a lot of ground. One band might be heavily influenced by the Blues like The Gun Club, and the next band might be The Mentors with their offensive biker Metal, only to be followed by a band with a synth player. It all made sense somehow in the same way that I saw professional wrestling, comic books, and cult movies as part of the Punk aesthetic. This was before great bands like Black Flag and The Circle Jerks started getting popular and all the jocks who hated Devo got involved and started ruining the vibe.
Chris D. was there from the beginning on the LA scene and is a writer, poet, actor, as well as the singer of one of the most beloved LA bands, The Flesh Eaters. Over the years Chris has done Flesh Eaters reunions with different line-ups and started the excellent Divine Horsemen, but now he is back with this new release and a new band. Guitarist Larry Schemel and drummer Johnny Ray had been in the Flesh Eaters in 1999 and Chris’s co-producer Shariff Dumani serves as bass player, keyboardist and he also adds some lead guitar.
Starting with “Mesquite Bed” I was taken aback by the sound and the song. The recording was beautifully stripped down and a little dirty. The song itself was miles away from the usual dark voodoo Chris is known for. It has a catchy hook and is a very cool ass shakin’ Rock N’ Roll song. It was a pleasant surprise and the remaining songs on Side A walk a similar path of bluesy, booze soaked Rock N’ Roll. Side B takes a turn toward a more familiar sound with Schemel and Ray bringing forth their Flesh Eaters instincts and chops for the darker music. The opening track, “Goddamn Thieving Shame” starts out with a great rocking hook but when the chorus kicks in it sounds at home on any Flesh Eaters record. Chris’s voice is a little rough at this point, and he is no longer the wailing banshee he was in the past. But for this record and these songs, he doesn’t have to be, and it suits the music and where the songs are coming from. The songs were written while Chris was getting things back together after the COVID lockdown, and they really reflect that. The lyrics are brooding with themes of isolation, hard breakups, and desire. Schemel, Ray, and Dumani keep things simple and down and dirty with some fine lead guitar by both six-stringers. The record is a short and sweet 8 songs and comes with the lyrics printed on the inner sleeve.
Big Sexy Noise Live In Italy December 2011 // In The Red Records
Vinyl Review by Jaime Pina
I saw a variant line-up of this band last year in NYC and it was a fantastic show. I’d known of Lydia since her early career and followed her music and writing over the years but had not figured her for going into a loud rock direction. Big Sexy Noise is heavy rock that is riff driven and sludgy and Lydia’s voice is well suited for it.
This live recording features James Johnston on guitar and Ian White on drums, both from the UK band Gallon Drunk. Lydia’s sultry cynicism is on full blast in her delivery, lyrics and between song banter. Since the music is raw and dirty Lydia’s throaty street assault style of singing rocks and you really gotta hand it to her. Johnston has a huge noisy guitar that mixes crushing, monolithic riffs on some songs with some of his playing on others sounding like a post punk guy who digs stoner rock. Ian White lays the foundation by clobbering his drums and creating a racket that more than covers for the lack of a bass guitarist. The front, back and inner sleeve photos by Raul Ranz and Sonia Golemme are stunning, and the lyrics are also included.