Reviews - 5/14/2011

False Alarm/Youth Gone Mad - Fuck 'Em All We've All Ready (Now) Won!/S/T (Featuring Dee Dee Ramone) - This one is a double album and, quite frankly, the whole thing is really quite confusing.  A little research tells us that this was released at least 5 years ago, but showed up in the magical PO Box (PO Box 457, LaGrange, IL, 60525) a few months ago.  The return address was in Indiana (our neighbor to the east), but looks like both albums were produced in California (our distant neighbors to the west).  Both bands have a shared member named Paul who plays rhythm guitar on the False Alarm album and, well, just about everything on the Youth Gone Mad side.  Then, there are two band photos, a picture of Cheetah Chrome, a picture of a guy who looks like the Winters Brothers long-lost brother, and a picture of a lady in a hat.  There's a song on the False Alarm side called "Youth Gone Mad" and there a song on the Youth Gone Mad side called "False Alarm".  Finally, read the album title for the False Alarm side again.  Go ahead, I'll give you 5 minutes to figure it out...

...yeah, I don't get it either.  Maybe I'm an idiot.

Anyway, you, the reader, at this point are probably thinking, "well, enough about the shit you noticed in the liner notes you fucking nerd.  What about the music?"  Good point.  It's pretty good.  The False Alarm side (featuring Cheetah Chrome on a few tracks) sounds kind of like the Dead Boys and the Youth Gone Mad side (featuring Dee Dee Ramone on a few tracks) sounds kind of like the Ramones.  Knock yourself out if you're a Dead Boys or Ramones completist.  (http://www.myspace.com/falsealarmrecords)

Reviews - 4/30/2011

Modern Convenience - Demo - Ummmm, there's something here, but it might be a little too artsy for our staff's tastes.  Or too deconstructed.  Or something.

Truth be told, this was another example of a couple songs sounding really good over tinny little computer speakers via a myspace page.  Then the CD came in and well, it didn't sound quite as good.

Maybe it would sound great to you though.  Who can say, really?  This guy is from Memphis so next time you're there, check out a show for yourself.  (www.myspace.com/modernconvenienceu)

Modern Day Rippers - Demo 2010 - We got this demo last year from the MDR fellas and I believe this evolved into their debut full-length, "Rip It Up in a Modern Way" on Machete Records.  This is one of those bands whose tunes give you the impression that while they talk it, they do indeed walk it as well.  Although "walking it" in this case leads you to write songs like "I Belive in Pills", "Liquor Store Blues" and "Abortion (I'm a)".  (As a parenthetical aside, that parenthetical aside of (I'm a) really cracks me up).

This is bad news rock and roll for bad news times.  But sometimes, that feels so right, doesn't it?  Go check these wastoids out live.  Only, for goodness sake, go straight home after the show.

(As a final parenthetical aside, the lead singer kind of looks like Konnan from WCW, Lucha Libre, etc.)  (www.myspace.com/moderndayrippers)

The Negligents - Good Advice - This is a beautiful, yet practically heartbreaking, album.  The Negligents bounced around Chicago for years playing tons of shows with tons of bands.  Then, they put out this debut full-length and subsequently shut down operations.  And if you listen to this album you can certainly hear why.  Songs like "Friends of Friends", "Good Advice", "Down Here in Scenetown", "Turn Up the Suck Knob", etc. are just dripping with the frustration, sarcasm, angst, and disappointment that only a band that HAS put in time and effort in ANY scene can know.  Yes, being in a band, playing shows and writing music can be truly great, but unfortunately, there comes a time in every band's life span when things start to unravel for any number of reasons.

I have no idea of the specifics of why these guys broke up as a band, but I do know that they managed to crank out a great piece of art before they left which uncannily captured the whole range of thoughts and emotions that go along with shitty gigs, broken gear, dealing with phonies, getting frowned-upon by "tastemakers", crumbling relationships, losing money, aging, et al.

Yes, I realize that this review is making this album sound like a real fucking drag.  And if it weren't so well done, the whole thing could have easily descended into a full-on bitch-fest.  Instead, the Negligents rail against all the aforementioned bullshit in an honest and unflinching way and deliver a pretty thrilling "Fuck you" to it all before striding off into the sunset.

Seriously, pick this up at http://www.creapo.com/ and give them some good vibes after the fact.