Review #13: Pens - Hey Friend! What You Doing?

Year: 2009
Genre: -
Label: De Stijl Records
Tracks: 14
My Rating: 6/8

PENS are 3 girls from UK, who play something like experimental punk rock. As far as i know, and i proboably don't, the instruments they use are drums, electric guitar, bass and a little electric piano. They change their instruments during many songs, so i think each of them plays every instrument atleast once during their shows. Their sound reminds me of such bands as Liliput, The Vaselines, Beat Happening... And again i'm not 100% sure, but i think this is the first full lenght album they released. Pens are just one of the few bands of today, who's music i can enjoy and i would totally want to see them live. I don't think they'll come to Finland though. I know they've gotten few pretty bad reviews. They really don't suck, they are really lo-fi yes. Thats really cool. But ye lets do the bloody review:

1. Horsies
Starts with that electric piano playing really strange sound. Then the girls start singing, i have no idea what. i wish i would. The melody changes few times. The only other instrument on this song with the electric piano, seems to be the drums.

2. I Sing Just For You
Starts with the classic "1, 2, 3, 4" then the weird noisy electric piano starts playing and is soon joined by a muddy guitar sound. The electric piano plays a little solo. The vocals sound lovely, but you can't hear them that well. Someone said that they use a really cheap microphone. Maybe thats why.

3. 1-2
This is more hardcore punker song. Fast drums, fast muddy guitar. The sound is a bit low though. Proboably really cheap recording studio where they recorded this. But still this sounds totally awesome. And image these girls playing this stuff. Hot. I have no idea waht they are singing about.

4. High In The Cinema
Oh, this is proboably their most "famous" song. It's the first song by them i ever heard and it immediately caught my attention. They made a music vid out of it too. The electric piano starts the song. I can hear some of the lyrics in this too yey. "We got no money and we gotta break in...". Really trippy, dreamy song. The song changes totally at one point and gets more fast, during that point i have no idea what they sing about. Then it gets to how it started, which is that slow rhythm.

5. Networking
This song was released before this album was. It was availble on "No Pain In Pop" compilation album. The drums and the guitar is really fast and noisy, the electric piano plays it's own melody along with the noisy other instruments. This kinda music is one of the coolest types of music i've heard in a long time. Really enjoyable, you can hear the influence of the hardcore punk rock sound, but they still make it really original in their own way.

6. Fukufuckinfuk
This sounds quite different than the previous songs on the album. They really like using that really low tuned guitar sound, which i like alot. The drums start playing kinda slow rhythm, but get really loud and noisy for the chorus. The vocals are so distorted i can't understand a word. The title is funny.

7. I Heart You
The muddy guitar starts the song. Sure this and "Fukufuckinfuk" were recorded in some other studio 'cause the sound is way more clear in these songs. This song reminds me of like more insane version of the Germs, with a female person on vocals. Alot of crazy parts in the song and ends all of a sudden. cool.

8. Crybaby
This is like the second song by PENS i heard. It's one of my favs by them. Sounds like a hardcore punk song, but with the electric piano playing a nice melody along with it. They play fast at first, then the song gets slower, the piano plays a little part and fast again. The drums make me want to jump on this chair while i type.

9. Freddie
Really like the melody. This songs a bit different than the others aswell... no idea what they sing here also. Proboably about Freddie Mercury?

10. Yeah Baby! I'll Take You to Bagel Town
Yeyy. But wheres Bagel Town? This song sounds also like a "classic" hardcore punk rock song. The guitars bit noisier here. I'm not that sure about calling them as "experimental punk" band anymore because there really isn't any uber strange new sounds in their songs. They're pretty simple.

11. Hide The Kids
The guitar sounds like a classic hardcore punk sound in this one too. The singer yells while she sings. I'm most likely not the right person to review this album, because i can't understand much what they sing about so i can't really talk about whats the song really about much...

12. Sally Ain't Nobody
The rhythm here is a bit slower here. Follows the basic sound, which this album has on every song pretty much. Good formula in this song too. This has really rebellious sound.

13. Hate Your Calendar
I do. I hate my calendar. Doesn't matter what day it is, it doesn't offer me anything new................. i'll save you from more angst talk and get to the point which is the song:
This song is a bit slower than the previous ones aswell. The guitar makes awesome sounds out of itself. I guess the word "high-pitched" could describe guitar sound better than the word i usually use (muddy)? well this song has that cool sound with different sounds too............... listen to it yourselvesssssss

14. Know Bout Me
Last song on the recorrrrrrrrrrrrrrdah. It's fast and noisy. Kinda bang yer head to the table continuously while listening to this song if you're listening them on your computer or just get totally insane where ever you happen to hear this- rock sound here.
This is also the shortest song on tha recorrrrrrrrrrrdah (39 secondssssssah)

I'm gonna give them a 6 out of 8, because their sound is really enjoyable, they're a good band, but many songs don't really offer much. They have the same simple thing going on. I bet their sound is gonna be a bit different in their future recordings.

Review #12: Wipers - Alien Boy EP

Year: 1980
Genre: -
Label: Park Avenue Records
Tracks: 4
My Rating: 8/8

It's hard to pick up which musical genre the Wipers belong to. They could be thought as punk rock or post-punk or pre-grunge... Greg Sage is really great, but underrated song writer. The main subjects in the Wipers songs were loneliness, rejection, anti-socialism, depression, romanticism, love, hate and confusion... stuff like this. You can feel like getting inside the song while listening to them. This was the 3rd release by Portland based pretty much unkown to most people, but yet legendary the Wipers. They have influenced many bands such as Calamity Jane, Napalm Beach, Poison Idea, Vivian Girls, Dinosaur Jr, Mudhoney, Hole, Sonic Youth and most notably Nirvana. It's been said, that the Alien Boy EP was released without the band's permission or knowledge. In the Wipers box set, Greg wrote: "Around 1981 Park Avenue Records added the 4 songs off Alien Boy 7 inch to the reissue of Is This Real? album. It came as a shock since these songs were only a demo". Many bands at this period of time were more into writing fast songs. Hardcore was getting bigger. Greg on the other hand wouldn't join the band wagon. This is just one of the key things, which made this band so original and remarkable. Let's take a look at the EP:


1. Alien Boy Starts with a really deep, haunting bass line. When the hypnotic guitar adds to the song, it gets more intense. Suddenly changes the rhythm. The song has everything. The feedback sound after the last chorus sounds so cool. Then the song fades out. Deep lyrics aswell. I think this song is about not fitting in. "So you had to turn away, There's no other way, Your're an alien, They hurt what they don't understand". Greg Sage has said, that his conversation with James Chasse, a musician, who was beaten to death by cops in Portland in 2006, had a major influence on few songs, which were eventually recorded for the Is This Real? album. The documentary film, also entitled "Alien Boy" is about Chasse.



2. Image Of Man Alot "odd" kinda riffs and melodies, which i bet no other song writer would use. I think the songs about when usually people see man as such a big and macho thing. "A magnitude of color". And if your not like this, you're not worth it in other people's eyes. Your a loser. Trying to show thats not how it should be like, but no one gets it... What the fuck am i trying to say? Well this is just how i read the lyrics.



3. Telepathic Love
This somehow reminds me of a Beatles song. The way Greg sings in this. Great melody. It's funny the way the song is titled, because theres this telepathic thing. Theres not an obvious meaning, it's in your mind how you hear the song and what it means to you. So it's weird trying to analyze these songs.



4. Voices In The Rain
Starts with a deep bassline. The guitar sound is the usual Greg's "trademark" so you know it's good. I'm not 100% sure, but i think that the bass player on this record is Dave Koupal and the drummer is Sam Henry. This song is a bit too short.

Review #11: The Fuck-Ups - FU82 EP

Year: 1982
Genre: Shitty Hardcore Punk Rock
Label: Fowl Records
Tracks: 6
My Rating: 7/8

the Fuck-Ups were a band from San Francisco and they've been said to be the "ugliest, most hated band of the early 80's" and having "no commercial potential". A picture of a baby with a knife in it's head and puking blood on their album cover, doesn't take a genious to realize they didn't even tend to be commercial at all. In reality, they were real jerks. Their songs were hateful, racist and politically incorrect. The singer Bob Noxious would wear swastika, white power t-shirt at shows, the audience booed and threw stuff at him. And i don't think they were neo-nazis or anything. They just did it to piss off everyone. Sex Pistols did the same. Bob would also start a fight with Ian Mackaye of Minor Threat in their '83 tour. Everyone dispised him. The fans, other bands, fanzines and even his own band members. Some of their fans though, say that they weren't that mean as everyone wrote about them, they were the real deal, not any nice shit, but most people didn't see it like that. Now lets check out their one and only mini LP FU82:

1. White Boy
This has kinda funky beat. Bassline starts the song, then the drums and guitar get in. I like when the guitar plays some bit out of tune parts during the song. Bob "singing" with his harsh voice. He also does some random brrrrrrrrrrrrr sounds and dog barks. I think this song is a message to stupid people who think they're the greatest and above everyone else only 'cause they're white. "White boy walking around, nobodys gonna put you down, white boy can't you see? your a minority". White pride my ass. Most people i know are like that. It's so fun to make fun of other races. They wont make fun of you though, because you're hiding from them...

2. I Think You're Shit
This is a favorite Fuck-Ups song by many of their fans. Starts with a awesome muddy guitar riff. If you don't know what i mean by that then well thats your problem. I can't get every word Bob sings, because english is not my mother language. But i think it's about people who think they're cool and above everybody, but in reality they're just fools.

3. Negative Reaction
This is my personal favorite Fuck-Ups song. That guitar sound after the chorus is so cool. Lots of people hear songs in a different way, my opinion that this song has a desperate message, about getting always a negative reaction what ever you do and wanting to return the favor to all those people who gave you that reaction.

4. I Hate You
This song is a good example why hardcore punk kicked ass. The fast guitar riffs, fast drums, angry lyrics... "You only put me down, i'm gonna knock you down, because i hate you, i hate you!"

5. Once I Had A Brother
They start the song by screaming just aaaaaaaaaa!!! with their fans The Fuckettes, who consist of 3 girls. The reason why they "sing" on this song, is because the girls couldn't get in on of the Fuck-Ups shows 'cause they were underaged and the band said that the girls were part of the band to get them in and they would have to sing on this song with them... The song seems to be about having a friend like a brother, but who betrayed and forgot about you. A live version of this song can be heard on the band's myspace page, which sounds better than the album version.

6. Get Out
Another really angry song. I bet many people couldn't stand listening to their songs, because the theme of every song is hate. They managed to write awfully good, catchy songs though.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. I can relate to what they sing about, being always rejected, angry and frustrated and fighting back and giving them back what they gave to you.

Review #10: Tales Of Terror - Tales Of Terror

Year: 1984
Genre: Punk Rock
Label: CD Presents
Tracks: LP version has 12 tracks, the casette version has 13
My Rating: 8/8

Tales Of Terror were a band from Sacramento that was active from 1982 to 1986 and they released just one self titled LP and a casette version of it and appeared on few compilation albums. They played really good noisy, drunk, nasty punk rock music and were hated by many mohawk wearing punkers and also by many many other punk rock fans who loved the Dead Kennedys for example. The same happened with Flipper. They just were so of its own kind that even some punk rockers couldn't accept them. I just love that kinda stuff and this album is pure art. I bet the band would hate me for saying that. The image that Tales Of Terror had was kinda horror themed and first i thought they were ripping off the Misfits. How wrong was i? These guys were more in to the not giving a fuck what anybody things attitude than the Misfits. Both great bands, but i have to say i prefer Tales Of Terror. The band had 2 guitar players. One of them, Lyon Wong got hit by a jock who punched him behind him and he fell to the pavement and hit his head on the ground and died later next morning in a hospital. The jock received just 6 months sentence. The other band members, Vocals And Other Organs done by Rat's Ass (Pat Stratford), bassist Jeff Magner, aka Boots aka Dusty Coffin. He died of a drug overdose in 2004, guitarrist Steve Hunt or Trip Bender, aka Trip Mender and a drums and jokes by Mike Thorpe, aka Thumper, aka Thopper Jaw.


1. Hound Dog

You know, the original written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952, popularized by Elvis fucking Presley.
This is the most mean, heavy, loud and funny version of this song i've ever heard.. Alot of screaming and after the first verse of the song, Pat yells "Shut up!! SHUT UUUUPP!!!" with really raspy ass voice. Awesome start for the album.

2. That Girl
Really fast played song, but at the same time you couldn't compare them to Minor Threat for example. Just totally different thing. Starts with many fast played drum beats just like Hound Dog did. Quite a few songs on this album start like that. Maybe that was one of their gimmicks. Has really noisy solo. Packed with deep lyrics. The first verse: To many feelings, so why even try
Wouldn't it be simpler to just to die
A sick twisted feeling tearing me apart
Don't ask me to explain
I just couldn't start
Outside I'm ripped up
Inside im torn apart

3. Possession
Another crazy drum start. Then continues with a creepy guitar riff. Song seems to tell a "story" when being stoned and seeing trippy things, listening to forbidden songs and singing along. Short noise solo ends the song. Listen to this if you wanna get insane and dance like a lunatic. It's fun.

4. Deathryder
Really fast and loud again. In the song he tells about driving his car while being drunk and running over street signs and little kids (but stopping for the girls with big tits) and he doesn't seem to give a damn about the consequence:

You better get out of my way, Cause I'm the Deathryder And I'm going to live to ride another day

5. Evil
This song starts different that the earlier songs on the record. Starts with a guitar riff which kinda reminds me of the band GBH. The whole track is played with totally crazy guitar sound. Loud beating drums. Song ends with a laugh by the singer. Love and confusion seem to be the theme of the song: I don't care about you,
Why should you care about me?
You don't care for me,
Why should I care about you?

When will we ever figure it out?
We're just animals,
Peace will never work

There's too much evil
There's too much evil
There's too much evil
There's too much evil

6. 13
Guitar riff starts the song, quickly joined with the bass, then bam!!!!! it gets nuts as usual. Crazy guitar solo in the middle of the song, while the singer still sings. Pat's voice is really unique. I don't know how to describe it. The lyrics are hilarious. Head in the sink
My foot is in the toilet
Fluids from my stomach
Are moving forward

I'm a psychedelic junkie
Can't get my hair cut short
Cuz I look like a monkey
He says he's either having a bad dream or a bad acid trip and the last line goes: I just, I just wish I just wish that I was dead

7. Skate Or Bate
This is only available on the casette version and also on the compliation cd Rat Music for Rat People Vol. 2. Starts really kinda drunked. Kinda like Flipper songs would sound like. Just noisy nonsence. Over long, noisy ending to the song starts in the middle of the song. They do that rock n roll star power chord PRING ending (you know) over and over again and some random cool soloing. They play that one song with the guitar i can't remember the name of. This song has really good point and it's Promote fun, not violence, skate or bate, It makes a fuck of a lot more sense. Make skates not guns, Drop acid not bombs, Train people how to skate, Not how to go to the next Vietnam. And remember: If we all don't skate, The world's gonna end in a mess. I haven't skated forever now i really miss that even though i sucked in it.

8. Romance
Starts with a slow drum beat, but then gets all what they do the best. This melody KINDA sounds the same as in "I saw your mommy" by the Suicidal Tendencies. It's not as obvious as in the Puddle Of Mudd song... The lyrics are kinda personal to me, about a girl who played him and he loved, but is now dead.

9. Over Elvis Worship
Kinda piss take to an Elvis song. And really hilarious. Sings about having an Elvis tattoo on his cock and when the music begins, the cock starts to rock. My dad likes Elvis' songs (I know Elvis didn't write them) and this is so bad it's good, but my dad would hate this, i should play this to him.

10. Tales Of Terror
I've got a story to tell you,
It's just a little tale,
There's a story with hatred and war with no
Happy ending, Unless you deserve it
To be in your own life

Mudhoney covered this in their latest album (today) The Lucky Ones. Starts as the other guitar kinda sounds like early Metallica, while the other one is playing out of tune. The combination works well. Little bass solo near the end rear end. I have to say Tales Of Terror wrote some of the best lyrics i've ever read. Every song has a message, it's not so clear and obvious and straight forward. It tells it the scary way, the ugly way or just the way it is.

11. Jim
This was missing on the casette version. Only available on the LP version. Gets heavy and mean after the first verse. The backing vocals is sung by a cave troll. Atleast the sound of his voice sure is similiar, he could be one. Again genious lyrics about being a creepy ass stalker.

12. Chambers Of Horror
I haven't read Kurt Cobain's journals, but his top 50 favorite album list has been made pretty well known and this album was the 32nd best album on his list there. Kurt also listed this song as one of his favorite songs. anyway it starts with a deep, low bass riff. Different to other Tales songs. This is a real diamond on this album. Not as if the other songs would be nothing, they are all great. This song is about being isolated. Let the song speak for itself, heres the full lyrics:

My life is in a box, Four walls, Ceiling and floor, What time of day is it, The corner is come, Where I said no hope in store, No dope to score, Just have a deal with my own My my own mind, Kind what do I do Nightmares a million, Alone cold dark feeling, I don't know I wanna go, Out of this box, Away from here, The army says they are sorry, My family is in pain, I'm a P.O.W. locked in a box, I will never forgive them Hello, Hello I will never quite live again, Because to you I'm dead, And to me I'm dead too, God up there, If you exsits, Come and save my soul, It's dark, It's fucking dark Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello. Can you hear me? Hello, hello, Goodbye, Hello, hello, hello Hello?

13. Ozzy
Seattle "grunge icons" (what a joke that term is) Green River covered this and it's available on their Rehab Doll/Dry as a Bone CD. A creepy beginning again. Love that. Then it gets wild all over again. And again the lyrics really speak for themselves. Theres nothing much to say about this song. Just definitely get this album if your interested in noisy/loud/GOOD punk rock music.

14. Search and Destroy
Yes it's a cover of The Stooges song!!! This was only available on the casette version with Skate Or Bate. Starts with jamming something and suddenly they start to play the song. They really made it their own. This is better than the Dead Boys' version. Tales didn't try to imitate Iggy's dog-like screams at all. It's better than Sid Vicious' version (wow really?), it's better than Radio Birdman's version. It's better than any version. All these other versions tried to imitate the original too much. This isn't like that at all. Totally Tales Of Terror style! Pat was just using his unique, raw, raspy voice. Iggy's version is a fucking classic, but yeah this one is fantastic aswell. One of the best songs ever written. Honey, I'm the world's forgotten boy.

EXTRA HULLABALOO!! Since Tales Of Terror just released one album, but had few songs released which were not included on the album, i desided to review them aswell here.

1. Gods From Outer Space This was originally on the compilation album "Trasher Skate Rock Vol. 2 - Blazing Wheels and Barking Trucks", released 1984. Starts with a kinda slow, hypnotic guitar playing which carries around through the whole song. Theres no vocals at all. Just one hypnotic jam.


2. Texas Against The World This and Danant and LSD For Africa where all from "Them Boners be Poppin'" compilation album, released in 1985. Starts kinda slow, bluesy jamming. Lots of noisy guitar strums included. Then it gets fast and loud. Sounds like a classic hardcore punk song. Insane soloing near the end till the end.



3. Danant This is an interesting one. Theres been said that the singer of Guns N Roses and The singer of Tales Of Terror, Rat's Ass hung out in LA before Axl became a rock star. And the GNR song "I Used To Love Her" has similiar lyrics as this song. In this version, the lyrics go

I had to kill her, because i loved her
I had to kill her, because i loved her
If i cannot have her, nobody else will
Thats why i had to, Thats why i had to kill

And the guns n roses one go:
I used to love her, but I had to kill her
I used to love her, but I had to kill her
I had to put her Six feet under
And I can still hear her complain

yeah it's not exactly the same, really similiar though and to know that Axl hung out with the Tales' singer and then wrote this song in 1988... well anyways the song starts with loud, raw, shitty guitar sound, which i like alot, then gets into the deep lyrics. "She broke my heart, she made me cry, thats why she had to die!" it has like 3 parts, first the slower one where he sings what i just wrote, then gets faster and then slows down and he sings how much he loved to kill her. My favorite Tales Of Terror song so far.

4. LSD For Africa A piss take on the Beatles classic "Let It Be" but the lyrics changed to "LSD.." hahaha thats genious. It's also played acoustic, really uncommon with Tales Of Terror, but obviously this wasn't done all serious. Sounds like if some drunk guy tried to sing Let It Be and all the rest of the guy's ruin the song by yelling LSD! when he trys to sing Let It Be...

Review #9: Discharge - 1977 Demo

Year: 1977
Genre: Punk
Label: ?
Tracks: 9
My Rating: 5/8

When i first was getting into music, i used to buy the most famous album by whatever the band was, but later on i realised that with most bands, the first album seemed to be the "best" and now when i'm getting into a band, i tend to start listening to them from the very first thing they ever recorded. So this is the first release by Discharge, often being said to be the first hardcore punk rock band, or one of the very first ones. I've heard from a person who went to a Discharge show in the 80s that the opening band Fang was so good that when they ended their set and Discharge hit the stage, they got booed off stage! hahaha that must have been hilarious...
But as far as i know about them, Discharge were also more about the image and looks, than the other punk bands, that came before them. Spikes on their leather jackets, boots, tune your hair for 2 hours. That kinda stuff. This style became so popular, that most "punks" tend to look like Discharge or The Exploited did. Not being a Punk to make a statement. SOME punks like this are just total idiots and smash stuff for no reason and think that was what its all about... I thought for a long time, that all the punks who spike their hair and have lots of stuff in their jackets are nothing but weak posers, turns out i wasn't quite right about it. I watched recently a movie called The Decline Of Western Civilization 3 which was made in 1996-97. The original first movie of the series was made in 79-80. anyway this one films alot of young kids from about the age of 15 to 20 or so. living on the streets. These kids had mohawks and nose rings and leather jackets full of stuff in it. They were strugling on the streets trying to get money (to buy beer yes). It was real interesting and informative, many of them proboably died pretty soon after the film was made, cause they were very poor and lived in abandonned houses, but anyways lets get to the point and review this recording:

the singer of this tape seems to be unknown, but he tends to sound alot like Johnny Rotten of the Osmonds. The recording is really crappy, which means low quality and it literally sounds like shit. well anyways the songs:

1. I Don't Care
Wow what a song title. It's only been used be atleast 10 other punk bands, the Ramones, Black Flag... Still a decent song, i wish the recording would sound alot better, but what i hear the guitar sounds pretty cool. The singer's Rotten imitations are really annoying. You can barely hear the bass and the drums sound like stomping...


2. Sweet Suburban Dreams
Starts with really shitty sounding bass, then gets kinda fast, hardcorish. So if this demo was done in 1977 (according to Cal the later singer of Discharge, the 77 line up did not record anything), so if they did, this must be one of the first hardcore punk rock songs ever written... the songs is about living in a suburb, having a troubled life, taking pills 'cause you're bored as fuck...

3. Living In The City
Starts with a "creepy" guitar riff then gets all hardcore punky again... what the hell if this guy is not Lydon's brother, i'm a.. whatever i know he wasn't his brother. Song about boredom, living in the city. This has real good formula and this is the longest song on this demo tape (4:09 mins).

4. Acne
Kinda slow song. Has some cool guitar squeaking and soloing and screaming. The lyrics sound like something John Rotten might have written "See a doctor, You got acne, what a disgrace"

5. Dead Babies
Starts with few hits of the drum crash cymbal, then the guitar riff kicks in, then bass and then vocals. This kinda start is usually really cool. Works in Ramones songs like in Teenage Lobotomy where there drums first hit, then bass and then guitar and eventually vocals and you feel like wanting to go berserk listening to it. this song is really nothing special though.

6. Pigs
Pig as a reference to a cop. Ever wondered why punk rock shows have such a bad reputation? it's not 'cause the gigs are all about starting a fight. It's not. Just sometimes like for example skinheads would come to the shows and just for some weird reason they would wanna fight with the punks and so thats how it started. Not as if skinheads are always the reason why the fight starts. Henry Rollins tells in Get In The Van - On the road with Black Flag, that in many Flag shows, some idiot started a fight and then the club owner had to call the cops there and the cops would beat the fuck out of all the kids in the gig. Real pigs if you ask me.

anyway the song starts with kinda "creepy" guitar strums. I like that. Then it gets all simple punk again. Song has pretty basic statement "Hate the police". Has a point though.

7. Under My Feet
Starts kinda weird again with the guitar. But pretty cool still. Has some quiteter, angrier parts then gets loud on the chorus. Or atleast it would have gotten if the recording wasn't so shitty. Still i like shitty sounding recordings it gives the music something too. I don't know if you like it or get the same "vibes" as i do but i like it. It gives some more noise and rawness to it.

8. No Time For Romance
Sound is way too low here. I like the fucked guitar sound after the chorus. Then it gets a bit heavy right after it and back to chorus. Romance doesn't seem to get any time in my life either. This is my favorite song on the tape.

9. No Future
Well they obviously stole that line from "God Save The Queen", but i don't mind. The meaning of it is still current and with many kids. Some people i know really don't have any future, or if they do it's gonna be really boring. Just basic working life. I really don't want that. I could never ever stand to work in a regular day job. No way. The song isn't anything special.

Review #8: Black Flag - Loose Nut

Year: 1985
Genre: Punk Rock
Label: SST Records
Tracks: 9
My Rating: 7½/8

In 1984, 4 albums were released in the name of Black Flag (Family Man, Slip It In, Live '84 and pretty much their most famous record, My War). 1985 was the year when Black Flag really turned into more original and slower kinda sound. You couldn't describe them as hardcore punk band anymore. Either My War or maybe Slip It In would be their last "hardcore punk" album. Some people think Henry Rollins ruined Black Flag. No i don't think he did. Their slower stuff wasn't bad at all. Of course their most "legendary" songs were written in their early days before Henry joined the band. This year (1985) they would release 2 albums and one EP. Their first release of that year would be Loose Nut album. The artwork of the album was designed by Raymond Pettibone.

1. Loose Nut
Starts with really "odd" kinda riff compared to the stuff they're famous of. The first line of the lyrics start "Loose nut, in my head" featuring the both names of their 1985 albums. I think this song is about being unbeareably lonely and as horny as can be. "Crying for a human touch Or anything that'll reach my soul". Some people wonder why your down most of the time and just can't really ever understand why. It's because being rejected by girls for so long (or sometimes there just isn't nobody for you where you live). And you don't want to think about that all the time, because it isn't the most important thing in the world, but since thats still something new and mysterious to you, it bothers you alot of times. "A bolt of lightning between my legs, I can't think straight my mind's a mess, I only see straight when I'm being led". I'm not sure if you know what I'm even talking about, but I think this song describes that really well.

2. Bastard in Love
Songs become so much better when you know the lyrics to them too. Another song kinda personal to me. Every line describe so well of my point of view.

you keep waiting for the love that you want to feel But you'd never believe it when the tell you that Love is real, you keep wishing... but My love is real My love is real My love is real My love is real

It's one thing, which makes Black Flag one of my favorite bands ever. Love that guitar sound in this song. Black Flag always had a real good song-structure in their songs. Too bad their releases after My War and so on never got as popular with their old loyal fans as their old stuff did. This is really an underrated record. "There may be no right, and there may be no wrong, But there is pain, and it always lasts too long"

3. Annihilate this Week I'm not quite sure what this song is about. I think love and confusion and anger. They repeat the chorus 4 times. After the second chorus, Henry sings a first and third lines and Kira (their bassist) sings the second and fourth lines.

I'm a smokin' and drinkin' thing
you're a regular social machine
I'm a smokin' and drinkin' thing
you're a regular partyin' machine

again I don't know if that says anything to you, but i know what that means to me.
This song has different types of guitar riffs through the song, still keeping it real simple. Really Motörheadish solo by Greg. I'm trying to think what sound would describe this song the best. It's like the mix of old Black Sabbath or Motörhead kinda sound i think.

4. Best One Yet Starts with a bass line and drumming, which reminds me of the song "Slip It In". This record is really angsty, but in a good, enjoyable way. It doesn't annoy at all, because it's not about selfpity and that crap. It's about being angry and frustrated and wanting things to work out your way, but it just wont.

5. Modern Man
Really slow song and reminds me bit of old Black Sabbath again. Thats just how Greg's guitar riffs sound like on this record. After the riff fades away, a drum beat and bass kick in and they start going faster and faster and then the vocals kick in. Henry's voice sounds really awesome here also. Another song about being frustrated. Henry went through and was still going hard times with the band. Alot of great songs came out of that frustration. Henry sings about not wanting to associate with "the modern man". He never was into fashion and trendy bullshit like that. None of Black Flag was. They weren't fake. They just didn't need any of that. They had their own thing and that was so cool.

6. This is Good Starts with a bass line. Have to say Kira is my favorite Black Flag bassist they had. Not just 'cause she was the hottest bassist they had or maybe the hottest bass player ever. Chuck Dukowski was great in his time with the band and wrote some of the best Flag songs. Kira's style and presence really fit well the band especially during this time. The whole band really seemed to "click" in this period of time. She really gave the band more "color" or personality. I know that sounds lame so lets just say she gave the band more balls. I mean she did have the 10 and a half. Really mad lyrics again "I smash fists into my face, i can feel it, when i close my eyes and this is good, this is good...". And when theres something you don't want to go through, because it would give you unwanted misery, but thats what you get and theres just nothing you can do about it, "I hate to want, you make me want to hurt you". This song describes those feelings well. Really fucked up solo.

7. I'm the One I like the opening riff alot. It's noisy and a bit fucked up. This song has alot of cool and weird, experimental guitar sounds. The solo comes out of nowhere and is really insane. Theres actually two solos in this song. Cool feedback sound ends the song. The song is about not living for someone else, but to live for yourself i think.

8. Sinking
This song is about being as depressed as can be. No one notices you, no one calls you, no one talks to you, it's too cold outside, nothing to do, but stare the floow, it hurts to be alone. I don't know, i guess i'm used of life being like that, not getting along with people and can't living any other way, but wanting life to be different. Another insane solo.

9. Now She's Black
Starts with really slow bass playing and drum beat, quickly joined by Greg's guitar. Greg is really the black sheep of Black Flag i think. Not like if all of them were black sheeps in real life, but Greg is so different and diverse in his playing than the rest of the band. Or maybe i just think of that 'cause he gets to play guitar and do his own solos and he wants to... First i wasn't sure what they mean by "She's black". Black by being a black person or black like dark which can't be seen, so it's all a dream (hey that rhymes). "she's everything I have, everything i see" so theres really nothing, no one for you. But i think it's neither one of those options. Every single line in the song describe well of not being accepted by a girl, who you really like. No matter how much you'd love her, the answer by her is and always will be NO. Not you. Henry's screaming in the end is so heavy, that it makes me want to hit my head to the table or kick trashcans or go just simply go insane, get the frustrations out and ANNIHILATE!!!

Review #7: Mr. California & the State Police - I'm Gonna Kick You in the Head

Year: 2002
Genre: Noise
Label: Peer Pressure Zombie Records
Tracks: 52
My Rating: 7/8

Mr. California & the State Police is a one man band consisting of Terry Ryan. The album's tracks are short (some barely even 5 seconds long), played with guitar, keyboard and a drum machine with some electronic sounds. Sounds insane, but it's genious. The Vinyl disc which this was released on, has a beautiful light blue color.

1. I'm Gonna Kick You in the Head
Starts with the drum machine hitting few times then hits with the fast guitar playing. The lyrics seem to say "I'm Gonna Kick You in the Head, one more time, kick, kick, kick, kick, kick, kick, till you're dead" it's catchy. The song lasts 35 seconds

2. In The Red
This is hard to describe. Alot of electronic rhytyms and you can barely hear any word he sings

3. Liquor Store
Fast song. Can't understand every word he says except that he wants more liquor.

4. Tamborine Fantasy
It's about a mommy who was a gypsy and a daddy who was a hippie, who robbed places.

5. Fight The Power
Starts with a guitar riff which reminds me of 80s metal bands. The whole song sounds like a piss take of a Mötley Crue song. Suddenly a weird, trippy electronic keyboard solo kicks in and after that the song continues "fight fight fight the poweeeerrah" then ends with a long scream.

6. Punk Rock Aerobics
What the hell is that? Makes me imagine punk rockers, who dress like The Casualties with their 2 feet tall blue mohawks, doing aerobics in front of a tv set.

7. The Snake
"Excuse me, this song is about boredom (or porno?), this song is about greed, this song is about katastrophy". Then he sings few lines and says "Alright thats it what more do you want from me?" and ends.

8. Triumph
Punk rock song with electronic keyboards sound awesome. Can't understand what hes singing, but seems like the songs about loneliness.

9. Go Away
Terry Ryan can write really funny and good songs with a good songstructure and this is one of them. This song is angry.

10. Sacrificed
Really punk rock

11. C'mere Kitty Kitty
Weird

12. Teaching Physics on the Dance Floor
Fast

13. Batman
Starts with a muddy, grungy guitar riff, he sings "Batmaaan" few times then it' over after like 5 seconds

14. Bitch Bitch Bitch
Hilarious

15. Genie In A Bottle
Short

16. The Return Of Jackie And Judy
A Ramones cover, but it's about 100 times shorter than any Ramones song. He sings just the first line of the song

17. Pig Eye Poison
The voice sound like a fat wood goblin

18. Tiny Dick
Weird and short

19. Mohawk Hater
This song is funny. "Theres one thing to keep in mind, guys with mohawks are still long hairs, they might have soap in their hair, they might have vaseline in their hair, but they are still fucking hippies. Get out the razorblade motherfucker!"

20. Poser
Funny lyrics "God, i love superman's blood", "Been kicked out of 50 bands, but fuck it man i've got plans", The chorus goes: "Please don't call me poseeeeer". "My ego is as big as my erection and you haven't seen my misfits collection", "My life is beer and fashion"... etc

21. Black Flag Tattoo
I was gonna get a Black Flag tattoo, but i saw that so many people have it so it wouldn't be that special. The song doesn't say anything about if he hates black flag tattoos or not, he just sings "Black Flag Tattoo" like 3 times and thats it.

22. Crosstown Traffic
Weird

23. Glue
Hmm

24. Long Way Home
"Take your hat and jack it off, cause it's a looong wayyyyy hoooome, motherfucker"

25. Vegan Delight
Some woman talks about vegetarians being moralists, with a noisy background sound. At the end the woman says "We'll lock you up forever". I was a vegetarian for about a year or so, it didn't work out that well eventually, cause i got tired and mad for eating vegetables everyday and i was so hungry. I know now theres plenty other stuff i could have aten and still be a vegetarian...

26. High Five
Slow song. He sings something about dropping the keys in the bong and then fishing them out.

27. My Sharona
The Knack cover? Can't tell, but who cares? Lasts about 8 seconds. Just few guitar strums and it's over.

28. The Duck Song
This is one of the best songs on the album. Apparently he just plays his keyboard and makes it sound like a duck. How cool is that?

29. Filet O'Soul
Has some guy talking on it and he says a phone number and "It's a kiss my ass monday" (maybe you know him, i don't cause i live in Finland). Some guy calls in and dedicates "kiss my ass" to his mother. What a badass. Then the song kicks in. The same song format as the other ones.

30. Rikki Lake
Sounds like he wants to kill Rikki Lake

31. Cinnamon Roll
Some woman calls and wants to say to Betty Ford (?) to kiss my ass and wants the radioguy to play Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird for her... Then the song kicks in. Alot of keyboard beats and the drum machine which he always uses.

32. The Donkey Song
The start sounds like some DJ scratching few times then a trashy drums kick in and he sings something and says "Emo sucks". It does.

33. David Lee Roth
Another wood goblin low-pitched singed song. Lasts few seconds all he sings is "David Lee Roth"

34. Rise Up
Kool. Ends with some woman saying "In order for you to help your children to resist the pressure to use drugs, you must remember, that the children need positive role-models". What a load of crap. You can't hide the reality!

35. Microphone
Good point: stick a microphone up your ass. Proboably dedicated to that woman in the previous song.

36. Tales Of A Miserable Genre
Stupid. Someone calls the radio show again and says kiss my ass to some pizza delivery guy.

37. Team Player
Fast

38. Look At That Ass
lol
At the end theres another phone call and the guy wants to say kiss my ass to his wife Wendy "'cause she ain't giving me none of that".

39. Hey Officer
"Hey officer, the junkies gonna rape me, Hey officer, the junkies gonna catch me". Song seems to be about telling a cop somethings wrong and the pig doing nothing about it.

40. Not Enough
aight. All the songs who i can't think anything to say about seem to end in a phone call where some redneck calls to the radio show. this is another one of them, but this guy says that those "Rebels" are scumbags.

41. Dooooooshd
Dooshd Dooshd Dooshd


42. Disco Jesus
Disco song, with a funky bass.

43. Politics = Bullshit
Trashy and short. Yeah the politics went a bit like shit 'cause the economy went as it went and alot of people lost their jobs, including many of my family members. Mostly women for some reason. Still i wouldn't ever want John Mccain to be the president instead. What a liar. Anyway i don't feel like talking about politics right now and i'm just gonna sound stupid if i do now so ds90gu+gsudg0sd¨+g+0sdgj0+gj.

44. Submit
Noisy. Another phone call at the end of a song idk how to describe.

45. Butterfly
"I'm a butterfly, i will bite your head off toniiight". At the end another phone call and says that the USA government is all about making money. Yeah pretty much, when Bush was still on charge... "And for those who don't know what the wars were all about can kiss my ass" (he says).

46. Piss On Progress
haha some redneck calls and says "kiss my white rebel ass". Thats all.

47. For Grampa
I bet his grampa loved this. Another phone call in the end "Yeah i'd like to tell all those hibbercommentens and arkansansuch neuhort to kiss my big butt". I have no idea what he meant. The Radio guy always answers to the calls as "Okay thank you" like if he wouldn't hear what they have to say either.

48. Give It Up
A mess. Groovey. Someone calls to the radio show and wants to say kiss my ass to all the anarchists and communists who he thinks are the same. Smart guy

49. The Doggy Song
the song goes like this: wawawawawawaa bauwaurufruf

50. Hot Coffee
oooo

51. Diva
yeah the song title says what its about... a woman saying in the song "I fucking like me" over and over again. At the end guess what? ANOTHER PHONE CALL!! and this time the caller doesn't know that hes on kiss my ass monday and he asks them to connect him to that line and the radio guy says "well your on it", he doesn't hear it and he asks them to connect him again, and then the radioguy who has no patience just screams aaaaaaaa!!!!
52. Finale
Wasn't that just beautiful? a woman says something like "press the red button with you left foot and squeeze the handbrake with your right hand, we're coming to a red light and a red light meaaaanssssSTOP".

Review #6: Sonic Youth - Bull In The Heather EP

Year: 1994

Genre: Experimental
Label: Geffen Records (Major Label)
Tracks: 3
My Rating: 8/8


Does Sonic youth need an introduction?

1. Bull In The Heather (LP version)
This is one of my favorite songs by them. They also made a music vid for this song, with Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill dancing in it hehe... Heres some facts i found concerning this track: The song was named after a racehorse from a bumper sticker given to Thurston and Kim from Bob Nastanovich of Pavement. In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Bull in the Heather" at number 48 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.
I don't know honestly how to describe a sonic youth song... really diverse, different kinda tunings, stuff no other band really does. Love this song.

2. Razor Blade A short, acoustic song sung by Kim. Kim Gordon must have the most sexxeeh voice i've ever heard. This claims that this song is previously unreleased, but was later released on the 2006 Sonic Youth's Destroyed Room b-sides and rarities album

Mess my hair, take me down
Yeah you know, yeah you know

Mess my hair, take me down
Yeah you know, yeah you know

Play that song, round and round
Play that song, all the time
Mess my hair, take me down
Yeah you know, yeah you know, yeah you know
Razor blade, razor blade
Razor blade, razor blade
Razor blade

3. Doctor's Orders (T-Vox Version)
T-Vox version means that this version is sung by Thurston Moore. The one version on their 1994 album "Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star" featured the song sung by Kim Gordon with different lyrics than this one. Can't deside which version i prefer. I looove Kim's voice, but Thurtson wrote a cool version of it aswell. The lyrics to Thurston's version are as following:

Back door
I'll come to meet you
First floor
I come to collect you

I could be wrong
Could be out of my mind
The way you're comin' on
Slippin' outta line

Top floor
It's you I pursue
Shut the door
Not here to confuse you

I know what you want
Yeah I heard what you said
Better watch yr step
Almost fell out of bed

Sideways
I'm up beside you
Fire away
And I come to like you

It's alright
It's a funny thing
If it's a lucky night
It's just a little fling

Review #5: Midway Still - Better Than Before EP

Year: 1992

Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Roughneck Records
Tracks: 4
My Rating: 6/8

Midway Still was alternative rock trio from Kent, England. Formed in the early 90's, but never got a big commercial success as so many alternative rock groups did.

1. Better Than Before
Sounds a bit like Dinosaur Jr. I like the sound though. "I don't care about it, and i don't cry about it, i just die". They made a music video for this song

2. In Front Of You
Cool riff, they sound bit different to most of the early 90's bands. The most close they get is proboably Dinosaur Jr as i mentioned before and Catherine Wheel... but this sounds more punker.
The chorus is the best part of the song. Wish i knew the lyrics.

3. I Won't Try (Lazy Version)
A slow version of I Won't Try. Really catchy, good solo. Shame this didn't come as known as the song had deserved. Sounds perfect for a movie. The original version of this song was made into a music vid aswell.

4. What You Said (Shimmyglitter Mix)
I haven't heard other versions of this song so i can't compare them to eachother. But i like this too. Starts with a drum beat which ends suddenly, that happens like 3 times then the song kicks in. The lyrics are pretty deep, emotional, confusing. Another catchy song by this forgotten band

This album was quite a surprise, after hearing just few songs from them before. Good stuff.

Review #4: F-Minus - Won't Bleed Me/Failed Society

Year: 2005

Genre: Hardcore punk
Label: Alternative Tentacles (Independent label)
Tracks: 20
My Rating: B+

Now im gonna do a review of an album i knew and liked beforehand.
Both of these records were released in 1997 or 1998, but this CD version was apparently released 25 Oct 2005.

F-Minus was an independent hardcore punk rock band formed in 1995 in Huntington Beach, California. Active 'till 2004



1. Who pays, who profits?
Tracks 1-9 are from Won't Bleed Me EP
Starts with a 38 seconds "long" song. Fast and loud. Brad sings main vocals and (i suppose) Jen Johnson is singing back up
Total lyrics are:

we are the masses
bury the classes
who pays, who profits? you!

just awesome.

2. Lies
This song lasts 11 seconds and i suppose Jen does the vocals here, because i don't think Erica Daking was in the band during this time...

use your voice
open your eyes
make the choice
see their lies
country of hypocrites
world of lies
country of hypocrites
world full of lies

3. No chance for change
This song lasts 1min and 20 seconds wow trust me thats pretty long song for an F- song.
Both Brad and Jen do the singing here. Starts kinda slow but then their playing gets insane. They can play so fast

there's a sickness on the street
so what'cha gonna do?
it's the fascist army
the boys in blue

california police state
in time they'll re-fucking segregate
nazi government
white-bred child
they blind us with a plastic smile

no chance for change
this life ain't free
i'll kill myself if they don't kill me

this life i call disease
they tax you on your time
you can push me all you want to
but you can't touch my mind

(AWESOME!!!)

4. Set up to fall
1min long song. Couldn't find the lyrics anywhere. Sounds really good aswell. Reminds me little of The Exploited, or atleast comparing Brad to Wattie as a singer. kool

5. Fuck you, O.C
This is their infamous 12 second song, but its not their shortest! starts with a scream
The lyrics just seem to be

greed kills
greed kills
fuck you, O.C.
fuck you
fuck you, O.C.
fuck you!!

THE END. Next please

6. Uniform
Uuuu who doesn't love a man in a uniform. Ugh...

alone we're together
together we feed
death to our master
we don't believe

Shed the fucking uniform. Thats what punk has become to alot of people. Just the image of Sid Vicious. Leather jacket, boots, spikey hair... a uniform today. fuck that

7. Gun to my head
The only thing Brad sings in this song is "Gun to my head, gun to my head......." with real fast playing as usual.

8. Sick
Another 11 second song. Exactly same music as in "Fuck you, OC" but different lyrics and Jen sings in this one

9. Can't tell no one
This is a Negative Approach song. The geetar sounds alot like the Ramones, but what "punk" band didn't rip-off the Ramones? maybe Big Black...

10. Gimmie a fix
From here starts songs that were on the Failed Society EP, but for somereason it's missing the first track on that EP called "All cops lie".
I was trying to search the lyrics to this song (and couldn't find them anywhere again). The Song lasts about 19 seconds

"Reality is not for me!" is the only part of the song i can hear.


11. Christianity
Couldn't find the lyrics, but i can hear "Wheres your happiness?, feeling that power is destroyed" or something like that. "Not peace, but war" also. Theres alot of punk bands singing about religions and here in Finland, Christianity isn't that popular. Everywhere we hear or see it, it's more like a propaganda, not so much a culture like in the latin countries. I don't hate Christians or anything, i'm still officially one myself and i do like the idea of getting into heaven and all, but i won't have to turn into a priest because of that.

12. Ruined

13. World still turns
aaah this is my fav F- song. It has kinda slow guitar riff, really really cool, the drums sound awesome too. Lasts about 1 minute. I still don't know the lyrics to this song. Just,
"World still turns, everything". Brad sings.

14. Peer pressure
Loud n insane. Imagine a 15 year old kid with a guitar for the first time in his hands and playing drums for the first time, and by that i mean beating the living fuck out of them and screaming. This is how cool this song sounds liek.

15. Trouble at the cup
Wow a 2 minute long song. This is originally by Black Randy & The Metrosquad. And you know Black Randy right? this song is about fighting the police, but done with a sence of humour as always. F- plays it with their own attitude and style except that it's alot slower than their usual stuff...

16. End of the line
Then for 15 seconds, some insane, loud, fast, noise kicks in.

17. Living Hell
I like the riff in this song alot. Starts with really fast playing, but gets slower and more "intense" near the end then suddenly kicks the fast shit again and BAM! the end

18. In Sight
This is the last song on the Failed Society EP.
Quite different sounding to be an F- song. Still real good.

19. Victim in Pain
So apparently (i've used that word too much doing these reviews, but hey) the last 2 tracks on this full album are bonus tracks not featured on neither one of the original release of these EP's.
This is Agnostic Front cover. Jen sings in this one. Real fast at first but then slows a bit for the part "Why am i going insane, why am i the one to blame?" then kicks the fast rocking again and slows down and then fast again. Jen yells "INSAAAAAAANEEEE!!!" great ending.

20. Negative Approach
Last song on this album lasts lovely 46 seconds. Can't hear a word he (Brad Logan) says. Good song to listen to if you wanna go berserk and destroy whatever you see.

Since F- are a hardcore punk rock band, it's not a surprise their songs sound repetitive, all songs pretty much the same. Same format atleast. Still good though, i enjoy listening to them.