CD REVIEWS
Genre Is Death Attractive People
In The Red Records
Vinyl Review and Interview By: Jaime Pina
After seeing them play live a couple of times, I was unsure of how GID’s explosive stage sound would translate in a studio recording. Their wild stage antics and fiery and LOUD performances are something to be experienced in a concert venue but I was wondering
what their music would sound like released in a live recording rather than held somewhat in check with the limits of a studio. I mean, that was the plan for MC5, but to be honest, their live debut is my least favorite of their records. GID managed, with the help of producer Martin Bisi, to harness all the manic energy and noise of their live set in a studio setting and transfer it successfully to wax.
Critics have been quick to make the connection between GID and the New York No Wave scene. I guess it’s a noise thing, but I think it’s a little shortsighted to put them in that bag. As per their name, the band doesn’t stick to one kind of sound and draws a lot from old saloon style blues, post punk, and early Los Angeles and San Francisco punk, while the No Wave crowd were more into skronk jazz, exotica, and beat poets. There are a lot of discordant sounds emanating from Ty’s guitar, but to my ears, it has more in common with The Birthday Party than James Chance and The Contortions. And Tayler’s bass would be right at home in an old school LA or British punk band. A song like “I See Red” is pure gutbucket blues with soaring noise guitar, while on “Heaven Hits The Wall,” there are jagged guitar passages that sound like something Andy Gill of Gang Of Four might have conjured up. As far as how the record sounds in comparison to the live show there is a certain clarity that producer Bisi has brought to the record. It’s not that he has tamed the band or changed their sound; he has opted not to try and recreate their live sound but to record them in a manner that still retains their power while not losing any nuances in the songs that might go unheeded during the band’s chaotic live renderings. The focused production allows the listener to better appreciate the songwriting, structure, and the interplay between the bass and guitar.
Bassist/vocalist Tayler Lee was kind enough to answer a couple of questions about making the record.
Punk Globe: Since you play to pre-recorded drum tracks on stage, was it disorienting to play to them in the studio?
Tayler: No, it was not disorienting to play to tracks. It was similar to playing live.
Punk Globe: Did you change any of the songs to record the studio versions?
Tayler: Not really. The biggest difference was adding room mics for the drums to make them sound bigger. Ty did a bit of double-tracked guitars, but not too much. It’s pretty much the same overall.
With their powerful live performances and this exciting new release, Genre Is Death is a band not to be missed. In The Red has also released a 7’ record of the song “Attractive People” with a non-LP B-side. Fans of the San Francisco band Frightwig and their first album will thoroughly enjoy this new album.
Montreal's TAXI GIRLS Blend Garage Rock, Cool, and Power Pop Punch on Debut Album Static
CD Review JM
Montreal’s TAXI GIRLS arrive with Static, their debut full-length album, out June 26 on Stomp Records. If the first two singles introduced the band, Static is where the full picture develops. Across ten tracks, TAXI GIRLS pull together giant hooks, sharp songwriting, dual-vocal chemistry, and a deep appreciation for the women who made rock and roll dangerous, stylish, and impossible to ignore. There are flashes of The Runaways, Girlschool, Nikki Corvette, The No Talents, and the melodic punch of classic power pop throughout the record, but never as imitation. These songs feel less like homage and more like continuation.
The album feels born from afternoons spent digging through dusty bins, arguments over forgotten punk singles, and record bags slung over shoulders. Mile End bars become afterparties. Somebody always puts on the perfect 45 at exactly the right moment. The city is everywhere on Static, not as subject matter, but as perspective. It’s the sound of a band raised on great records, great stories, and the belief that a three-minute song can still change your day.
While the album carries plenty of swagger, it also reveals a band willing to dig deeper. Across Static, TAXI GIRLS explore love, loss, mental health, postpartum depression, self-doubt, and the strange comfort of nostalgia. The songs don’t offer neat conclusions or easy answers. Instead, they trace the difficult path toward self-acceptance, resilience, and Memo PST
Eternal Actors
In The Red Records
Vinyl Review By: Jaime Pina
This Los Angeles band has its roots in the punk rock scene but they are no hardcore band. Orville Neely’s guitar riffs are chunky and solid with some excellent vocals by Chris Shaw. The rhythm section of Emmanuel Koulouris on bass and Jackson Todd just slamming on the drums keeps things tight and focused. This is no punk band flailing away trying to stay on course. This is a band with diabolical intentions as far as bringing you the ROCK. Shaw is an interesting singer. He doesn’t strain his voice, but is not a lazy singer either. Unlike a lot of punk singers, he layers his vocals over the songs like he is adding another instrument to the tunes. And Neely is a tasty guitar player offering hard-hitting riffs in most songs, while “Marked For Death” has some great dreamy guitar chords. File under hard-hitting, high-energy rock.
and learning when to let go of the things that no longer serve you.
U.K. Subs Demo Kicks
In The Red Records
Vinyl Review by Jaime Pina
Henry Rollins is a crazy collector of rock memorabilia. He has been scouring around wherever he can with his fingers crossed to find all the Holy Grails of rock that are just floating around after being lost in storage spaces, attics, and elsewhere. While looking on eBay, he found a listing for a multi-track reel claiming to be demos by the legendary punk band U.K. Subs. Rollins purchased the reel, confirmed their legitimacy with Subs drummer Pete Davies, and then went through the process of having the record mixed. Overseeing the mixing sessions with help from Ian McKaye, he partnered with In The Red, and now these 4 killer tracks are available to the public.
One of the songs was mixed as a single, and the three remaining tracks were later rerecorded for the Subs’ second album, Brand New Age. Going back and comparing the tracks, in my opinion, these newly found demos are the superior versions. The mix is LOUD, the band is TIGHT, and the e.p. is CRUSHING. An important release from a band that has survived and always delivered the real punk rock. My copy came on green vinyl, and four songs are repeated on Side 2.
The Wretched Edsels - Puro Americano
Wretchtunes
CD Review By: Jaime Pina
Featuring former members of many seminal LA bands, The Wretched Edsels serve up instrumental tunes mixing straight-up rock with exotica and spy guitar for a sound that screams Southern California in the summer. Guitarist/bassist John Rosewall and drummer Hunter Crowley played together in the SST band Trotsky Icepick. Gerry Smulevich also plays guitar. Other bands the members have been associated with include The Last and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
On this 4-song e.p, the band delivers tracks that are easy on the ear and excellent for cruising in a vintage car while the final track, “The Turk Goes South,” offers some passages that are a little more complicated and speak to the band’s interest in prog music. They have a lot in common with the 90’s version of Davie Allan and The Arrows as far as being an instrumental band that harkens back to the glory days of The Ventures and “Sleepwalk” by Santo and Johnny, while still having a contemporary sound.
Primitive Ring s/t
In The Red Records
Vinyl Review by Jaime Pina
This power trio from Los Angeles had me a little stumped. Featuring musicians with links to Ty Segall and Fuzz, they first hit me as a band that had a 70’s vibe that veered towards Stoner Rock. A lot of bands with nostalgia for that glorious time in rock either go full on heavy with the tuned-down doom via Black Sabbath or have a fun-loving southern rock schtick that tries to come off like Lynyrd Skynyrd but often sounds more like Black Oak Arkansas during their most ridiculous moments. On first listen, I thought of Primitive Ring as leaning a little toward the doom side, but further listens have revealed that they have a much broader musical palate. In their music, I hear some Tommy Bolin, a little Badfinger and The Sweet, with some Spiders From Mars and T. Rex, without being too obvious. Oh yeah, and maybe a bit of the Australian band Buffalo.
They have a true swagger that has more to do with legit licks than working an image. The crunchy guitars and tight but swinging rhythm section aren’t betrayed by the vocals either. Bassist Bert Hoover and guitarist Charles Moothart pursue a tuneful approach to the singing and choruses. Instead of going for Robert Plant or Ozzy, their vocals flow with a heady and dreamy pop sensibility. They let the music pummel while the sometimes ethereal singing pulls you in.
And I really give them credit for stretching the boundaries while being inspired. The groove on “Paid” is augmented by the inclusion of Latin percussion. The mellow “Griefsong” sounds as if the band Budgie was produced by Ziggy-era Bowie. I hear a lot of Mick Ronson influence throughout the record. That is rad. Fans of groove-oriented heavy vibe rock will worship this record.