November 2023 – CD Reviews

CD REVIEWS

Reviews by Jaime Pina, Malibu Lou, Valeria, Jill

Kid Congo Powers
Sings Subsonics “Frankenstein” “Peanuts”

Vinyl Review by Jaime Pina

A very cool little 7’ record in an old school record sleeve by the beloved Kid Congo. Here he  covers two songs by Subsonics from Atlanta and the songs are fun and have kind of a joyfulness to them. It is trashy, down and dirty Rock N’ Roll for sure and the reckless abandon the band achieves as they attack these songs is very satisfying. And Kid’s solos, especially on  Frankenstein, are smokin’. Something extra fun for collectors, a great package with great songs!

Screaming Bloody Marys
Tuppence

7” and Live Review By: Jaime Pina

The Screaming Bloody Marys are a band from the San Francisco area and have been around in  various forms since 1988. With singer Dave Dalton keeping the band going they were on the  road recently to promote their new single and played in Los Angeles at The Redwood.  The SBM’s combine garage Rock N’ Roll with old school punk that rocks the hard slam style without succumbing to comical polka beat hardcore. The vocals are sometimes frenzied and the  guitars are chaotic while the rhythm section keeps it all together. 

On stage the band is tight behind Dave’s wild strumming on the rhythm guitar. The bass and  drums are locked in with some wild lead guitar playing using both a guitar pick and finger  picking. There was a lot of energy coming off the stage and not only was the playing tight, but  the band also took very few breaks and just banged out song after song and it was exhilarating.  They managed to get a lot of songs into their short set including all four songs off their new 7” record. Side A features the songs Tommy Roe and Ten-Minute Warning and Side B contains the  songs Tenderloin and Superman, Friend Of Mine. The songs on Side A are very catchy old school  punk n’ roll songs. Good for pogo dancing. Side B is more aggressive with the songs taking on a  harder punk style. All four songs have great hooks and the band plays them hard.  The 7” record comes in a plastic sleeve with a gatefold insert in full color with the lyrics printed  inside. A cool and collectible release. 

Stop Calling Me Frank Pays Tribute to Late Friend Justine Covault with New Single "My Band on Her T-Shirt"

Review By: Malibu Lou

Stop Calling Me Frank has a new song inspired by, and dedicated to, Justine Covault. Justine was not only a terrific song-writer, bass player, vocalist, guitar player, and music impresario, she was a great friend. Justine came to a lot of our shows wearing her customized Stop Calling Me Frank t-shirt, with the collar cut off. Sometimes she would wear that shirt at her own shows! She was an enthusiastic supporter, and promoter, of many bands, and it was a great privilege that we were one of her favorites.

Dreams Of Yesterday Heavy Water

CD Review By Valeria

Not only does Dreams of Yesterday enjoy the tighter, sharper cohesion of being a second project, the bloodline flows freely in its creative arc, with Biff revelling in the role of collaborator with his son and Seb clearly enjoying himself. Pulling the experience, influence, and craft of Biff and fusing it with some fresh twists invoking the likes of Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains, Seb takes to both the guitar and producer’s chair with an effusive energy that crackles from every cut. 

Whether it’s the bombastic, bodaciously thick melodic swamp-stomp of ‘Shadows of Life’, the spiky, punk-dipped guitar-driven ‘Another Day’, or the high-energy indie-tinged rock swirl of ‘Be My Saviour’, Dreams of Yesterday literally keeps you on your toes (air guitar in hand). 

Seb Byford recorded Dreams of Yesterday at the Big Silver Barn in York, UK, with Jacky Lehmann mixing alongside Jamie Scarratt. Dreams of Yesterday is produced by Seb and Biff, with Biff taking up bass duties once more and sharing vocal duties with Seb, who throws down the big verses and plays the guitars with an effusive energy that crackles from every cut.  At the same time, Tom Witts’s assured drumming provides the perfect platform for what is, essentially, a genre-less celebration of exciting, engaging yet wholly egoless music.

Death Cassette
Reflector

Review By Jill

Death Cassette is a punk band from Winnipeg, Manitoba that blends elements of grunge and hardcore. The sound is melodic, high energy, and vocally driven and they’ve recently signed to High End Denim Records  

 Venting about the smug moral superiority and self-serving hypocrisy, “You’re always so quick to point the finger, just take a look in the mirror.” The lyrics reflect on how much energy can be available to overwhelming individuals.

Sousa shouting “Your mouth is open, mind is closed” is an example of snappy combative lyrics related to the tone of the subject matter. This song should be played on maximum volume.