Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Reviews - 5/12/10

Another Let's Pretend Records (http://www.letspretendrecords.com/) bonanza compliments of the Complete Pete.  These records have been out for something like 8 years at this point, but hey maybe you haven't listened to them yet and are waiting for our opinion first?











Bi-Furious/Vacation Bible School - Split 7" - The Bi-Furious side is comprised of 7 songs in under 5 minutes.  Supa-tight bullpower with sssssscreamed, and we mean screamed, indecipherable lyrics.  Though as with their debut "full-length" there's something about Bi-Furious that separates their sound from cookie-cutter hardcore stuff.  Maybe it's the guitar tone.  Maybe it's knowing when to hold a guitar note just a half a second longer to induce a chuckle in the listener.  Really, I don't know what "it" is, but they've got "it" and they couldn't lose "it" if they tried...to paraphrase Martin Short in "The Three Amigos".  Best song title on their side - "Give Pizza Chance".  Drummer whom a song is dedicated to - Vacation Bible School's Sean Leonard. (www.myspace.com/mybifurious)

The VBS side is comprised of 5 songs in under 4 minutes.  Supa-tight bullpower with slightly-less screamed, and we mean slightly-less, somewhat more decipherable lyrics.  A couple of these numbers, while bullet-train fast, are downright poppy.  Well, as "poppy" as a sub-30 second song can be, I suppose.  In particular, I'm citing "Inavidadagadda" which comes in second to "Shopaholacaust" for best song title on their side.  Drummer whom a song is dedicated to - Bi-Furious' Jimmy Adamson.  And what a dedication!  Apparently, Jimmy will "kick your fucking ass", "fuck your fucking face" AND "fuck your fucking ass".

Now if he can do all those things at the same time, I'd be really impressed.  (www.myspace.com/vacationbibleschool)











Brokedowns/Sass Dragons - Split 7" - Burly punk rock from these Brokedown lads.  Although, not lummoxy and stupid.  They throw in some timing changes and guitar chicanery that let you, the record nerd, know that these guys know what they're doing, aren't just burly lummoxes, and are crafting some ver ver cool, heartfelt tunes.  First two songs are originals and apparently the last song, "Full On Idle", is a Breeders song which, admittedly, this reviewer was not familiar with and consequently leads this reviewer to think that he should listen to more Breeders.

On second thought, maybe it makes more sense to listen to more Brokedowns because this version is one of those tunes you immediately skip back and listen to again.  Which I just did and may do again after finishing this sentence.  Goddamn!!  (http://www.thebrokedowns.com/)

Wow, the Sass Dragons have a lot of records out don't they?  And honestly, the first of the three tracks on this little slab left this reviewer thinking, "uh-oh, they've got more requests to crank out albums and 7's than they have decent songs for."  Fortunately, that first song is like 40 seconds long and the second 2 are scorchers.  We here at Beercan have jocked these guys over and over and over again so there's no need to really do it again.  Just go out and pick up anything by them and then lovingly whisper into your own ears, "I really think you're going to like this."  (http://www.sassdragons.com/)











Das Kapital - Punk House Heaven 7" - On track one, "That's Career Suicide!!", and in one of the classic punk-rock traditions, Das Kapital wrestles with the question of whether it's worth it to grind away at some staid and safe job in exchange for a little bit of security or do you go out on a limb and really "live", by gawd!!  Who knows?  Get a job, hippie.  Fucking sell-out.  You're a bum!  You're a bore!  Grass is greener and back and forth and forth and back round and round and round it goes...and probably always will. 

"Punk House Heaven" is a throwaway song if I've ever heard one, however "I Like It", if based in actual autobiographical fact, is a pretty brave, soul-baring piece of art and I'm not being sarcastic.

Musically, we weren't over the moon about this one, but I can't knock it...except for that "Punk House Heaven" tune.  (www.myspace.com/thedaskapital)











Full of Fancy/Screaming Females - Split 7" - So, the needle hit the record and I got about half-way through a big eye roll during which time I was rushing to judgement thinking, "What is this? Some fucking outtake from the 'Juno' soundtrack?"  But then just as quickly, the drums and bass kicked in and my rush to judgement took a sudden 180 and I was charmed and enthralled by the wide-eyed optimism tempered with a dash of "cram-it" on display here.  Track 2, "Notebook" offered up more of the same goodness and I'm left wanting to hear more.  As a point of reference, I could see Full of Fancy and perhaps Walker sharing a bill nicely together.

No, not the TV-show, Walker.  The 90's band from NW Indiana.  Does anyone even get that reference?  If you don't you should, 'cause Walker was good.  And so is Full of Fancy.  (www.myspace.com/fulloffancy)

Screaming Females offer up 2 solid tunes on their side of this split.  "No Being Disgusting" sounds reminiscent of the Minutemen but with female vocals.  And when that solo hits near the end, you, the listener, will think, "hey is that guitar on some kind of jazz setting?"  But it works!  At least it did for us.

Song #2, "Pretty OK" is a little more straightforward.  Less angular sounding.  And that weird guitar tone is still floating around.

Pick this one up.  Wethinks both of these bands are dern good. (http://www.screamingfemales.com/)

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