MOSE
GIGANTICUS - "Commander!" (The Cottage)
Mose Giganticus is the nom de rock
of Philadelphian Matt Garfield, who may be
the last great hope to redeem the keytar from
its reputation as a hopelessly silly instrument
played by bad Eighties power-pop bands with
poofy hairdos. It helps that Garfield's keytar
is tuned to sound more like a traditional
synthesizer, and that is music is anything
but poofy. Rather it's heavy and heady post-punk
ranting about the oppression of technology.
Imagine if Naked Raygun had a synthesizer
in its heyday and you get an idea of the clobbering
power of these tracks. While this EP starts
out with uptempo fist in the air anthems,
it ends with the apocalpytically sludgy "Days
Of Yore," which even with a droning keytar
riff still manages to sound chilling and foreboding.
- Jim Testa
The
Varsity Weirdos - "High School Teen Party"
7" (It's Alive Records)
When I first heard "Co-Dependency"
on the Insubordination Fest 2007 CD, I liked
what I heard. They were probably the best
band on the record. The knowledge I gained
from that one song alone was that the Varsity
Weirdos were a band I could potentially grow
to love even more - the endearingly bratty
vocals, the loosely played chords, the hearty
drum beats, the rebellious field of bass hooks
- I just knew, partly from instinct and partly
from the intuition I'd developed from my regular
gig attendance, that every member of the band
was loving every second they were sharing
in their spotlight moment at the fest. "High
School Teen Party" not only complements
the theatrical presence they seem to contain,
but confirms my love for the band. This is
real rock 'n' roll if I ever heard it - fun,
carefree and miles from the arrogant pretense
of angst and aggressive politics which punk
can so easily resort to. Is there really much
more to say about a great band? I think not!
They're a rock band, they're good, check them
out. It really is as simple as that. –
Dick Nothing
CAMP
X-RAY (Twistworthy Records www.twistwortthy.com)
Camp X-Ray again proves that if you want
wonderfully bizarre punk, look to the state
of Texas. Emerging from the same home as such
luminaries as Butthole Surfers and Stickmen
with Rayguns, Camp X-Ray offers four discordant
outbursts of guitar squall and fractured vocals.
This has a classic DC, “post-punk”
sound, particularly on the noisy “Mechanical
Bullshit” and “Quicksand”.
These are rough, rugged, tracks that rattle
and shake with challenging time structures
and confront you as a listener. Some may hear
such 90’s influences as Drive Like Jehu
or Rocket From the Crypt, but regardless of
comparisons, Camp X-ray is generating a sound
that is daring and inspiring.-Rich Quinlan
JONESIN / SHANG-A-LANG – Split EP (Dead
Broke Records www.deadbrokerecords.com)
This split release from Dead Broke highlights
two raw bands with powerful messages. Jonesin’
may sound a bit sloppy and less than serious,
but that defies the haunting nature of their
lyrical content. “Birds” includes
the lyrics “I’m breathing but
hardly living”, while “Lost”
recants tales of drugs, violence, and death.
The B-side from Shang-a-lang includes a cover
of Lou Reed’s classic “I’m
So Free”. However, the band’s
original work, “Bottled Up”, is
a raucous guitar nugget that hooked me instantly.
This New Mexico outfit will hopefully have
new releases on the horizon, for they are
a more polished and refined act musically
that their cohorts. However, both bands have
their strengths, and this is worth picking
up.-Rich Quinlan
MY SO CALLED LIFE / RYAN STILLS Koi Splits
#4 (www.koirecords.com)
The latest installment of the Koi split series
is another success, as the label daringly
matches two seemingly diametrically opposed
acts on one beautiful piece of vinyl. My So
Called Life’s “Revenge Against
the Black Hearted Fairies” is a bouncy,
catchy track of romance inspired angst. This
is a band that would fit comfortably among
the new crop of American pop-punk, although
their tone is a bit darker than acts such
as New Found Glory or All American Rejects.
While this will not change your life, I believe
the band is better than the show. The B-side
was the more captivating of the two efforts,
as Ryan Stills creates stirring, atmospheric
beauty with “Deepest Blue”. This
warm, complex song has an intricate textual
depth and a slow tempo, offering the listener
ample time to indulge in the mesmerizing nature
of the piece. While Ryan is also the leader
of Kover, his solo work is certainly staggering.-Rich
Quinlan
RICH
WHITE MALES - We Ain’t No Musicians
(www.cabana1records.com)
Occasionally, you can simply look at a record
and know that you are in for a treat. That
is certainly the case with this brilliant
re-issue of Rich White Males’ out of
print gem, “We Ain’t No Musicians”.
Tapping into an energy and swagger reminiscent
of the Nosebleeds’ “Ain’t
Been to No Music School”, the Males
boast of their inability to handle their instruments
and revel in their snotty disregard for anything
proper. Other highlights include “Bum”,
which deviates from its course to include
the immortal chorus of “Kill the Poor”
from Dead Kennedys, and the hilarious “Sellin’
Drugs”. The latter is a buzz saw of
guitar fuzz and obnoxious vocals, sounding
straight out of Rocket to Russia. Sometimes
music should just be fun, and the Rich White
Males epitomize it.-Rich Quinlan
TEAM STRAY - Three Songs About Girls And
One About Trevor
(myspace.com/peabrainrecords)
This very bubbly, dare I say adorable sounding,
act provides exactly what they say: Three
songs about girls and one about some guy named
Trevor. The material is all bubblegum punk
fare; easily digestible, but still fun. If
you are old enough to remember Green Day’s
earliest attempts to write songs about unrequited
love and the pain of heartbreak, you will
love “Never Making Up” and “Meaghan”.
These songs each have a catchy hook to accompany
their tale of woe. “Charity” is
a song that will undoubtedly trigger a few
memories, as the song details a relationship
in which one of the people involved (read:
the guy) simply does not want to commit to
anything serious, while “The Shack”
sounds like Weston’s hey-day. In the
end, this was cute and certainly enjoyable,
for Team Stray do what they do quite well.
If you are looking to indulge your musical
sweet tooth, this slab of vinyl will more
than satisfy - Rich Quinlan
Vinyl
7-Inch Reviews 
