Ninjas vs FAIM

As everyone seems to know now, I’m in the roller derby team. With roller derby being so new, we need funds to get us going, so Foxy von Fistburger organised for us to have the rink on the first Saturday of every month. It soon became an idea to have live bands play while punters skate around the rink. I laughed when my name was nominated to find the bands to play. I somehow didn’t think it was so funny when I ended up with the job of derby band liaison bitch.

For the first night off the ground, we had punk night (surprise surprise). The two bands who were playing were Injured Ninja and The F.A.I.M! Project. Down at derby, we knew that we were paying the bands bugger all to play but we could bring them a damn huge crowd, so we went to play media whores down at the local street press office. We were doing well, but I knew that we’d struggle to get the 150 that we’d told the bands that we’d get.

So the bands started doing their own promo, which is when I started realising how different the two bands were. Injured Ninja have toured internationally, finding themselves in Japan thanks to some nice government grants. These 4 guys do everything by the book from band liaisons to media promotion. A week before the show, I found out that Injured Ninja had got themselves on RTRfm (the local radio station) to plug the show. Wow, go boys!

In stark contrast, The F.A.I.M! Project do things their way or not at all. They rock up to sign their band agreements drunk from an afternoon’s drinking; signing massive waivers covering everything from their band payment to their equipment, even their lives whilst making bawdy jokes and playing footsies under the fucking table. But to top things of, they don’t have government grants, airplay on the radio or an ironing board full of fancy pedals, they do things the F.A.I.M! Project way. They get their press by having Noah do his infamous acrobatics set down at a local pub which shall remain unnamed which found the band getting more press than any radio show ever got Injured Ninja. It’s amazing what you can achieve with a couple of fridge-sized bouncers and a simple lighting rig.

But, I guess getting kicked off stage after just 3 songs is just the new black of band publicity.

ZXSPECKY – VEGETATIVE STATE

It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of Zxspecky for quite a while now. With super fast riffs, catchy choruses, and a skewed take on modern society that’s as hilarious as it is insightful, they are an extremely entertaining pop-punk band. I am of the opinion that this band gets better with each successive release, and I feel that Vegetative State, their fourth studio album (fifth if you include that one with Project Mayhem), continues that tradition.

Oh sorry, did I just say that Vegetative State is the best album they’ve ever made? I sure did, and after listening to it it’s not hard to see why. Like all the other albums that came before, this album takes the tried and true Specky formula from the previous album and pushes it even further, making the riffs faster, the choruses catchier, and the lyrics funnier.

Right from the start, this album hits top gear and stays there, cranking out hit after hit. It begins with Clever, a catchy little song about ‘being clever for the sake of it’ or something- I haven’t actually been able to read the lyrics yet so I’m just guessing based on the chorus- before moving on to Clay Lucy and Eurotrash Group Therapist, two songs which have been staples of their live shows for over a year. Then we get to Puerto Chicxulub, a song that manages to link a (allegedly) poorly written review about the band to that crater in Mexico where a meteorite that (allegedly) killed the dinosaurs hit the Earth. This song always makes me laugh, as does Ayahuasca, a song which celebrates ‘Peruvian party drugs’ and is so addictively catchy it could be considered a drug itself! After this is ICT, another full speed song, and Unsolicited Promotional Material Romantic, a song that is apparently about falling in love with the models in department store junk mail (which is something I’m sure we can all relate to… right? No? Just me? Alrighty then). The next two songs, Peter Repeater and John, Where’s The Party At?, are slower paced, but still quite fun and catchy in their own right, and then there’s… well, that’s it. Like all of Specky’s albums, it’s got an obscenely short running time, but it sure was fun while it lasted, right?

Overall, this album is a must buy if you liked Specky’s other albums or just like pop-punk in general. I also hear it’s great if you think that you are into rock. *wink*

LFDD 4 Way Split review

Now this is an awesome album. You’ve got four of the best punk bands from Perth, all with distinctly different styles to suit whatever mood you’re in, being represented on a massive 23 track album. The only way I’m going to be able to review this is by discussing each band separately, so let’s get into it!

This album begins with The Lungs, and anyone who’s seen these guys live will know that they are pretty much the most hardcore band on the album. I don’t mean that in a musical sense, I mean that in a ‘missing teeth, tattoos, piercings etc’ sense. They seem like the kind of guys who just live and breathe punk, and even if you’ve never seen them live, song titles such as ‘Chicks Dig Assholes’, ‘Head Like A Cunt’ and ‘Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll’ should pretty much give that away. Fortunately, their songs are as catchy and fun as they are heavy, making their contribution to this album a very enjoyable one.

Next up are one of my personal faves ZXSPECKY, who despite their inclusion on this album, refuse to be labelled as ‘punk’. Their contribution is a set of fun, light-hearted pop songs that don’t take themselves too seriously, played at high speed. Funnily enough, Specky’s six songs consists of three from their upcoming album Vegetative State, and three others which I assume are old unreleased or B-side tracks. The change in style is very noticeable and quite jarring, but on the other hand, it’s interesting to have that comparison between old and new. Overall, this section of the album is a fun change of pace from the other sections… and besides, if I don’t say good things about these guys I may get a song dedication in the vein of ‘Puerto Chicxulub’ (a song which makes fun of a poorly written review).

Third on the list are The New Husseins, a more traditional kind of punk rock with extremely blokey vocals. These guys know how to have fun but can also rock as hard as anyone else, and both of these elements are demonstrated through one of the greatest drinking songs of recent memory: ‘Alcohol’. Other highlights include ‘Sniper’ and ‘Chooky’, and while this particular list of songs is the smallest on the album (5 instead of 6), it holds its own quite well.

Last but certainly not least are Perth’s favourite streetpunx, Surprise Sex Attack. Their section picks up right where ‘A Romantic Interlude’ left off, which means the songs consist mostly of ultra fast punk rock with screaming vocals. There are also some slower, ska-influenced sections, and the album ends with a cover of ‘Dirty Old Town’, a singalong favourite at live shows. SSA distinguish themselves on this album by being the most intense and frenetic band, and while the others had at least one ‘fun’ song each, SSA sound deadly serious all the way through.

The four sections of this album not only sound great on their own, but they complement each other really well, meaning that the album sounds like a complete package as opposed to a bunch of disjointed songs. It’s fun to listen to, great value for money, and best of all, contains something for everyone- well, everyone who likes punk rock anyway. Definitely worth buying.


MARK V

GWH - The Spirit of Hate

Angry. Angry young man. This rather obscure Simpsons quote always comes to mind when seeing a Good Willed Hate concert. This band is all about the anger, and it works in their favour, because the most memorable aspect of their live shows is how brutal and in-your-face they are.

GWH have finally released a five track EP (seven if you get the bonus hidden ones) called ‘The Spirit of Hate’, and the name turns out to be an appropriate one because that spirit of hate and anger from the live shows has been successfully captured in the studio recordings. The songs that made the EP are short, loud, and straight to the point. GWH do not mess around or over-complicate things- when they want to say something, they say it as clearly and loudly as they possibly can, just to make sure you don’t misunderstand them.

The track list includes well-known GWH songs such as Myths, Life’s Just a Dream, and the singalong favourite Set Fire to the Amplifier. On certain discs, Freeway (my personal fave) is also included as a bonus track. I was surprised that Human Plague was not included, especially since the cover art is based on that song, but I suppose you can’t have everything.

While the sound quality is very good, I personally had an issue with the sound mixing. Obviously it’s not my place to tell a band how they should sound, but I thought the vocals sounded too loud and the guitars sounded too quiet, muffled even. It was okay on my headphones, but in my car the only thing I could hear was the vocals. This is a shame, because the guitar work on this album is very good, and I thought the album would’ve sounded better if the guitars weren’t constantly drowned out by the vocals.

Despite my issues with the mixing, I liked the music on this EP, which takes elements of hardcore, metal and punk to create a very heavy, very aggressive sound. The Spirit of Hate provides a great sample of GWH’s musical style for new fans, while also giving the established fans something to listen to between shows. It’s a promising studio debut which will hopefully be followed by many more.


MARK V

The Decline - The Same Kind

The Decline’s debut EP, The Same Kind, is the complete opposite to a box of chocolates. With this album, you know exactly what you’re going to get. It’s punk rock. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn’t try to be overly complex or break any rules of the genre, it’s just 5 songs of punk rock, plain and simple. And it’s called ‘The Same Kind’. Oh the irony.

But let me make one thing clear: this is a good thing. A very, VERY good thing. Think about all your favourite major-label punk bands. Now think about what their first couple of albums sounded like- you know, before they sold out for cash and/or turned into whiney, middle aged emos (those bastards). Now you know what to expect from this EP.

The album starts off super fast and stays that way until the end. It’s full of catchy hooks, riffs and melodies, and has a distinctly ‘Aussie’ style. Maybe it’s because of the music, or maybe it’s because the vocals brought back memories of Frenzal Rhomb. Either way, the album sounds great and is flawlessly mixed.

Speaking of vocals, the lyrics on this album are very politically-charged. Okay, a couple of songs seem to be talking about relationships, but then you get to Life Sentence, an interesting rant about the death penalty. And of course, there’s the title track which attacks the war in Iraq, and the highlight track No Way Hose, which talks about racism towards Arabs. Plus it samples South Park, which earns extra points in my books.

Despite being too damn short (as all EPs are), this EP is excellent. It’s so much fun to listen to and it leaves you wanting more (good thing they’re recording an LP then). If you’re into the same kind of music that has been described in this review, then this EP is a must-own!


MARK V

Bash Myself EP

Let me give you some background info on Tomás Ford, Lost style.

I’d just turned 18, Fear of Comedy had just broken up, as were most other bands, WA Decay was released a few months prior and I was finally released into the world of pub gigs. As an underage child, I was restricted to the shows at Leederville HQ and whatever overage gigs I could beg the promoter to work the door at; hence my level of band awareness was fairly low; I’d take what I could get. I always wanted to see bands that drew influence upon the bands that I listened to and who I regarded as the greats. I had no problem finding a general sound that I could identify with, but a visual show left me searching. Being a fan of the infamous GG Allin, I wanted someone who interacted with the crowd, whose shows were different every time, which wasn’t afraid to be known and out there.

I originally went to a Tomás Ford show with my buddy Alex. Now remembering that Alex thinks that Bad Brains and The Germs are the cat’s pyjamas, I was expecting an 80s hardcore band to get fucked up to in the pit. That night at the Hydey, I got Tomás. I didn’t really know what to think of him. I thought he was entertaining, somewhat comedic, but in an intelligent, and thought provoking way. The second time I saw him was the maker or breaker for this guy in my mind. I still hadn’t made my mind up either way whether he was worth my time or not. Tomás put on a similar show, but this time, I started to understand the idea behind his shows; the genre-bending, scene-warping, mind fucking fun.

I continued to attend Tomás’s shows on occasion, taking different friends along for the ride each time. Late last year, I got to be a part of Tomás Ford’s controlled riot (which you can read about on here). It was here that I found out that there’s actually a science to what Tomás does. It’s not haphazard, it’s definitely not ad-libbed and he doesn’t jump all over just anyone (some people don’t like that.) Watching Tomás play night in night out for little or no money makes him one of two musicians that I respect in this one-horse town.

Now to the Bash Myself EP
The EP starts off with a wash of digital noise moving into Bash Myself which was written about the comedown after a show. The track points out the downsides of the entertainment industry, including the abuse the performers take to play “my cartilage is dying from the jumping every night” and the constant self-reflection that is needed to continually to play audience-stopping shows. Next up is Get used to it which features the talents of Emcee Able, a crooner track for Tomás followed by a rap verse by Emcee Able. God I hate 95% of rap music, but luckily there’s only one verse before Tomás’s crooning is back. The Bash Myself remix surprised me in its outcome. It’s the dancier version of Bash Myself which quite surprisingly, even my Dad liked! So much for the usual “Call that music? Turn that racket down!” spiel which I normally get. I rather like the female vocals on the track; they wash down well with the dance beats. Loudspeeka remix comes in after. The remix goes down better with the punters better than the original because of its newfound disco-dance beat. After seeing the Voltaire Twins live, I can really hear their sound on this track. Plus, as an added bonus, Tomás pulls out different moves for the remix in his live show. Ironically, the rap-come-breakdown that Tomás pulls in this song is actually good (see I do like 5% of rap!) Finally comes in the remix of Letters of Complaint remix. With a different backing track and distorted vocals, it definitely works better to freak the listener out “Why don’t you kill yourself and all your children” and could now quite happily feature in its very own eerie horror film. If an electro EP can be featured in a punk zine and cause this writer to happily give up her night to go and check out this guy, he’s definitely worth it!

Why Perth isn't as lame as people keep telling me it is

I am sick and tired of people bagging out Perth, telling me that it’s dullsville and it’s stuck in the dark ages. We are the most isolated city in the world. Get over it. We do things our way. Get over it. Don’t like it? Get the fuck out of here.

I like Perth, there, I’ve said it. I can’t think of anywhere else that gives people such a blank canvas. Perth is ultimately, what you make it. Don’t like the fact that there’s fuck all zines in the city? You make one. Don’t like hardcore? Make your own band. Think it’s boring? Then quit moaning and find something to do!

Make things happen. In Perth we have a population full of kids who want something to do. If you host gigs, people will come after some time. People will get to recognise you for better or worse, yes it will take some time but Perth is so small that it will take less time than the larger cities where everything has already been done and is still going.

If you want to tell me that you can go elsewhere and do better then quit talking! Get the fuck out of Perth! I don’t want you here! If you don’t want to be here, I don’t want you here.

You could do a lot worse!