The Jai-Alai Savant
The Jai-Alai Savant Flight Of The Bass Delegate [4/5] There are moments on the debut album from Philly trio the Jai-Alai Savant when the crisp rock ’n’ reggae, voiced by the keening Ralph Darden, could make you swear you’re listening to an old Police bootleg. In fact, the frustrated “Scarlet Johansson Why Don’t You Love...
Die! Die! Die!
Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! [4/5] Disregarding the useless instrumental opener, Die! Die! Die!’s self-titled debut is a gem, jam-packed with nine tracks of urgent garage- and post-punk coupled with hip-shaking rhythms, beginning with the one-two punch of “Disappear Here” and “Franz (17 Die! Die! Die! Fans Can’t Be Wrong).” But don’t be mistaken-not...
Chelsea
Chelsea Faster, Cheaper & Better Looking [3.5/5] We won’t lionize Faster, Cheaper & Better Looking simply because it comes from one of British punk’s first-wave pioneers. No, this latest chapter in the Chelsea story deserves attention because it actually rocks. Definitely on par with the band’s legendary 1979 self-titled debut, Faster features numerous feisty, tough-yet-melodic...
Big D And The Kids Table/Brain Failure
Big D And The Kids Table/Brain Failure Beijing To Boston [3.5/5] While it may seem like a novelty at first glance-a NorCal scene sound-alike punk band from the land of the rising sun-Brain Failure, from Beijing, are no gimmick. They successfully cram the snarly gutterpunk abandon of Rancid’s 1993 self-titled debut onto the first half...
Sundowner
Sundowner Four One Five Two [3.5/5] Chris McCaughan is normally known for being the smooth, frail vocal counterpart to Brendan Kelly’s gravelly groans in the Lawrence Arms. However, on Four One Five Two, McCaughan proves he’s fully capable on his own as Sundowner, armed with an acerbic, literary-infused wit and a surprisingly versatile number of...
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank [4/5] Of the readers who’ve been thumbing through this magazine since the mid-’90s, how many of you thought you’d be reading a review of the new Modest Mouse record in 2007? Two, maybe three of you? Whatever the exact number, it seems safe to assume...