The debut on Fearless Records by these four young kids is a six song EP packaged in a wonderful light grey jewel case. Rock Kills Kid is a young band inspired by the likes of Beatles and The Cure ( according to their bio ), but I must say on this CD-EP they sound more like a cross between Jimmy Eat World, Saves The Day and the likes. Imagine the other Fearless band Plain White T’s, Rock Kills Kid is very similar, even tough these guys have more “pop” influences: the choruses on “Miracle” are very 80’s. The best songs are surely “Dream”, that opens the album showing the very emotional and powerful side of this band, “Be There”, which is a real pop anthem, and “Immanuel”, already on the “Don’t Be Scared Vol.2″ compilation, shows how this band is so able to play catchy and clever songs. If there is a label who cares about young new bands, I think the award would go to Fearless Records: after Plain White T’s, we have another perfect example of young power give by Rock Kills Kid. Suggested to all of the fans of pop-emo-rock! | carlo@staff.truepunk.com

After the wonderful debut LP “Till We Have Faces”, and before releasing their new LP on major label American Recordings at the beginning of 2004, Noise Ratchet took time to let us hear their newer stuff on an EP on The Militia Group. The “S/t” features 6 songs, possibly the best the band ever wrote: 5 songs are new, while “A Way To The Heart” was already released on the previous LP and now is redone with a piano acompanied by delicated acoustic guitars, female vocals and a fuller sound. The sound of the other songs is strong, powerful and the intesity you hear from this band is really what rock is all about: making feel emotions. Such songs as “When Losing Ends” and the amazing “Fiction Arms” are proof of how this band can put together harmonies, catchy vocals and a powerful sound give by the work of the two guitar players, that are sick. “From Your Lips” is a quite slow song, in the classic Noise Ratchet style, while “New Room” is the quintessence of rock: I think that these guys are ready to take the place of Jimmy Eat World and The Juliana Theory in the heart of pop-emo-rock fans.

The new album from Intro5pect is a punk album you wouldn’t expect: it’s old school punk rock mixed with programming and electronics influences. The eleven tracks on this record are really innovative and original, not to mention, Intro5pect is really a band that stands above any label, music genre and comparison. It’s like a mix of Refused, Anti Flag, Atom And His Package and The Clash, but if possible, even more powerful, direct and political: such tunes as “Rights”, “See The End”, “Profit Margins” are pure genius, both musically and lyrically, where the band gives the best. Songs about socially awarness, politcally active issues all supported by clever lyrics and the music that a punk band can give. The final instrumental “Walls” then says it all about the musical potential of Intro5pect. If you want to check before anyone else a band destined to become great, I think that this record by Intro5pect is what you should get.

I did not know Pelican before putting this four song EP in my radio: what comes out is a instrumental chaos. At least, at the beginning it sounds like chaos, then it sounds like noisy, then it sounds like jazzy and then it sounds like rock filled with experimentations. “Pulse” and “The Woods” are the best tracks, but if your ears are not fine and clever, you will hardly get the beauty of Pelican, which consists of rock played in an alternative way ( I did not say alternative rock!). The band is unfamiliar with pre-defined structures and predefined chords, so this leaves them more freedom from the point of view of composition. Pelican will release a LP soon, I hope they will also sing here and there, maybe some screams? It would be perfection.

When I heard Staind for the first time I actually refused to listen to anything that sounds like Staind again, so you will have to find out how Smile Empty Soul’s new album sounds like by yourself. Good luck and have a good listen!

Die Trying is a quite new band and this record is their debut on Island Records, and only God knows how much we needed this band. Seriously, Die Trying does not invent anything new, but they know how to play music so well! They mix alternative rock with what is called pop punk and even some metallic riffs: as a cross between Sum 41, American Hi Fi and Papa Roach. Maybe these three bands are bad, but what comes out with Die Trying is nice, especially because it’s fresh and new: tracks like “Oxygen” and “Turn Up The Radio”, with their easy listening melodies and choruses, are the perfect hits for a summer vacation, and I am sure I will be listening to this record a lot this summer.

On July 2 Revelation will release the debut full length album from Pitch Black, a band that already had some records out before, as a spli with The Enemies on Lookout Records, a seven inch on Cheetah’s Records and also did the soundtrack for the “Swing Town” cartoon. So, what you can expect is a great record, also because the members of Pitch Black are not new to the punk/hardcore movement: Kevin Cross is a founding member of The Nerve Agents, and played for sometime in Big Rig, Jamie Morrison played drums in Screw32, while Martin Munroe played in Stressboy , so, the 3/4 of the line up is quite amazing. If you put then that this band recorded the record with Paul Minor of Death By Stereo and the For the Record Studio, you’ll get to realize this album is not average.

I don’t think I know how to describe Pitch Black’s music, but it is a dark mixture of hardcore, punk, and some eletric keyboards fused all together, a bit as a mix of T.S.O.L. and The Damned, while the themes the band sings about deal a lot with the death, the ghosts and the goth-thing - expecially the artwork gives this idea - so I would not wonder someone would label them as the new “goth hardcore band”, just like it happened with A.F.I.; I hope this won’t happen, but the skulls and the pictures in the booklet do not leave a lot of choice. Among the eleven songs, I think that “The Bride”, “Spotlight”, “Scientific Method” and “Rock And Roll Girl” are the best ones, because they are fast, direct and do not need too much attention to understand where the band wants to go.

Maybe not a lot of people will notice the release of this record - I hope this won’t happen - but if you dig the music of Nerve Agents, Death By Stereo, AFI, The Damned and TSOL, Pitch Black will surely be pleased by your ears.|carlo@staff.truepunk.com

I’ve been hearing rumors of this project since a year ago, when some one started whispering that Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker from Blink182 were starting a band of their own. Then, according to some interviews done by these two blinkers, the music had to be much different from what they played in their full-job band, they said they were influenced by such bands as Refused and Fugazi, and I was really impressed. Did Blink182 members know the existence of Refused and Fugazi? Wow!

So I expected for this release. And now that I heard it in the past week I have one question: where are those influences ? Gone. The record features 13 songs that are much darker from what Blink182 play - at least in the lyrics: Box Car Racer do not sing about being dumped, aliens, moms, parties and holidays - they are about being misuderstood, cat and thieves, God, falling from an elevator and love. And feeling so…mean? All issues that an average 16 years old kid could relate to and feeling like Tom’s words were telling the story of his/her life.

I always enjoyed Tom DeLonge’s voice someway better that Mark’s one, but somewhere on this album Tom’s voice is almost annoying, probbaly because I guess his voice and the one of Mark go the same way and are better together. Talking of the gues appearences, there is plenty: Tim Armstrong from Rancid sings on “Cat Like Thief”, but going on singing “One by one,two by two, three by three, four by four, let’s do some more” made me think of a rapper; Mark Hoppus plays bass on a couple songs and sing on “Elevator”, which in the end is a proper Blink182 song, even better. Among the tunes that I enjoyed much more there is “And I” - a great angry poppy influenced song, and “All Systems Go”, possibly the two more original on this album. “And I” in particular has a great rhythms and catchy infectious melodies. Instead, such tune as “My First Punk Song” made me feel really sick. At first I thought it was a Distillers song - DeLongeìs voice was kind of screaming and I thoughy it was Brody singing - seriously, with such a title and such lines as “I got borwnies from your mother, they gave me syphilis now I got no dick” could have been written better.

In the end, I think that if you enjoy the darker side of Blink182, as on songs like “Stay Together For the Kids” or “Adam’s Song” I am pretty sure you’ll dig this too, but if you can’t stand Blink182, then this record might only disappoint you more. Anyway geart job with some songs and also with the artwork, quite original and done with some weird plastic, not a common thing.|carlo@staff.truepunk.com

The story of Thrity-Two Frames is a bit weird, or at least, the story of Jay Palumbo is. Jay was formerly guitarist in Elliot, but he left this band to get married and to hand build a house in the woods away from all of society.When he realized how much me missed music in his life, he got together with some friends and started Thirty-Two Frames.This is a great way to start a band, as you do not do it for any reason, but only because you know you love music so much you cannot quit it.

So, the “S/t” debut EP from these four guys is made up of 6 songs that have some different influences, from Hot Water Music, to Embrace, from Jawbreaker to Kid Dynamite and Lifetime, from Good Riddance to Elliot, the music of this band is hardcore but is not easily labelled. “Silence Refined”, “Crow/Sioux War” are two very intense songs, but in general the whole EP is made up on intense music, either because of the poerful guitar riffs or because of the lyrics. “Chippewa” is maybe the best track: it is packed, fast, powerful and emotional, yet the band play it fast, like they were throwing a stone staright in your face. “Thanksgiving” is the song that closes the album and it made me think allot of Hot Water Music, it is filled with melodies given by a great work of guitar riffs, and has great vocals and a catchy chorus.

I think that Thirty-Two Frames released an awesome debut on an awesome label, and I hope they will not be under rated or will go un-noticed, because they have talent and play music with the heart, because they love it and cannot live without it, not like a lot of bands around today that jump on the band wagon just to sell some records to the kids. Highly recommended if you like raw, emotional hardcore/punk!|carlo@staff.truepunk.com

The Beautiful Mistake is a four piece band that just gained some attention because of their “s/t” release; actually this is just a five song EP, and the quality of the production is ok even tough the recording is not at its best. But this is not the matter: The Beautiful Mistake play a great mix of what is called “screamo”, which is emo core with some screamings and with some intimate atmospheres and touching lyrics. From the opening track “Discolsure” to songs like “FRagile Fingers” and “For A Friend”, you can hear these guys are not your common band of emo rock music: they are a cross between Taking Back Sunday, Thrice and Further Seems Forever, but best thing,they take the best parts of these three bands to create a sound that is fresh, clear, sometimes soft and sometimes angry and most of all, innovative. Their music in fact is not so easy to be labelled, I’d say it is rock, maybe I am too easy, but that’s how things are: The Beautiful Mistake ( just like Rufio and Noise Ratchet among others ) is a band that you should keep an eye on, you might see them becoming bigger much faster than you could imagine. Expect the new full length from these guys quite soon.>>Carlo@staff.truepunk.com

How much do I love Doghouse Records? I don’t know, but a lot! It’s one of the few lables that is able to put out amazing stuff like As Friends Rust and The All American Rejects all at once, and the label has all of my esteem. The All American Rejects is a great duo, they play pop music and have those clear and nice faces that moms love. They will get big, because they have unbelievable catchy songs and the day I got the CD I listened to it without any will to stop and I couldn’t not move my head following the rhythm and the words of these two guys: songs about love gone bad, about feelings you feel for someone who is not feeling the same for you, all of the 11 tunes off this album are potential hit singles, so do not wonder to listen to these guys on the radio or on television. “Swing Swing” is a great soft song, while other songs like “Don’t Leave Me”, “The Last Song” and “Dirve Away” are more pop punk as some strange cross between the lyrics of Saves The Day and the catchy choruses of Blink182. If you like pop rock music, be sure to lend you ear to The All American Rejetcs, we will still hear talking about these guys in the near future.

Hailing from the Boston underground music scene, Lost City Angels really caught my attention when they signed to Nitro and were to release their debut album.Produced by Nate Albert, former guitar player and song writer for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the “S/t” album is what you would not expect from a band that signed to Nitro - if you expect catchy stuff like The Vandals or the irriverence of Guttermouth or again, the choruses of One Hit Wonder or the dark atmospheres created by AFI, you are far away from knowing what Lost City Angels are all about. Intense and powerful punk songs inspired by such artists as The Clash and The Buzzcocks, are played as well as more pop-punk stuff or more hardcore powerful anthems, without forgetting the rock influences of Social Distortion and of bands like X and AFI. “First Things First” is like a warning, where the band says “first thing we want to tell you is we can play goddamn good songs”: powerful guitar riffs alternate to rock’n'roll fury.”If You Go” is possibly the catchiest song off the album, with some very intense guitar solos.”New Heaven” is not less.If you need more rock, just wait for “Another Beaten Soul” or “Lost & Gone”, they remind me of something of Bouncing Souls catchy rock songs with tons of backing vocals and good vibes.There is also space for an all acoustic tune “Caught In Time”, and this is not another suppy emo tune: it is rock! The album is closed by the violence of “Dreamgirl 89102″, which reminds me of AFI somewhere sometimes. Lost City Angels really put out a fantastic debut album: it is solid, it is intense and most important, it is good!|carlo@staff.truepunk.com

If Lars Frederiksen from Rancid plays with the Bastards, Roger Miret from Agnostic Front does the same with the Disasters and what comes out is an album with 14 songs inspired by old style street punk rock, which is an influence also for Agnostic Front, but on this album Roger Miret seems to be wanting to play only punk - rock at its best with not a lot of hardcore, as he did in his band. The “S/t” album is pretty much a collection of 14 rocking songs that you could expect from a band on HellCat Records, just like you expect U.S. Bombs to play the way they play or F-Minus to play the way they play. The Distasers is basically a side project, yet you can hear Roger Miret and his band giving the best they can, also for a side project. The songs are well played and well built, it is clear that this band was not built for business but only with the intention of playing good rockin’g music, the tunes have catchy melodies and social concerning lyrics. “Run Johnny Run”, “Give ‘Em the Boot”, “Radio Radio”, “Breakaway” and “Screw You” are some of the finest tracks on this album, but there are also some parts like “Boys Will Be Boys” where you can hear the band almost touching the boundaries of hardcore, a bit in the vein of Agnostic Front obviously. In the end I could say that this album is a great album of street punk rock music, and Roger Miret is surely to be a guarantee of a good product, I just hope not all the frontmen of famous punk bands start a side project, cuz then I would lose the account of all the bands that there are around. | carlo@staff.truepunk.com

“7 Years Bad Luck” was one of the best melodic-emo-hardcore-screamo album I ever heard, with screams yet very melodic parts and choruses. With the departure of the old singer, Glasseater has become a four piece band now and the vocals duties are now taken by the drummer, Julioo. I don’t really know if this is a good or a bad thing. I mean, I miss the old singer a lot, yet I can enjoy the new album and the new singer as well, even tough sometimes it sounds like the harder version of Millencolin, with some screams here and there as if the band would like to make the listeners think that the old singer is still in the band. I don’t know, but such songs as “Medicine”, “Weekend Sellout”, and the amazing “Nonsense To You, Everything To Us” or “Cleanse” really made me want to listen to Glasseater as much as I have time to listen to music. Anyway I still believe that Glasseater is one of the most interesting and amazing hardcore band around today, so if you have time and will, check out the “S/t” album as well as the older ones. | carlo@staff.truepunk.com

The Used suck.| carlo@staff.truepunk.com

I think the whole world is getting back to pop punk. I don’t know why, but I see it is still getiing out, after Green Day and The Offspring today we have Sum41, Blink182, Good Charlotte 15 ( because all of their fans are 15 )…and Lucky 7. This number thing is weird. Anyways, Lucky 7’s self titled album is a collection of 15 very catchy pop punk songs in the vein of the above named bands - nothing original really, but the tunes are all potential hits for Mtv: “Gray Summer Day”, “California Girl”, “Where Are You?”, “Falling Asleep” are just a few example of how these four dudes can mix together elements of attraction ( choruses, guitar hooks and harmonies ) and not much more. I guess the whole album is very enjoable, I like it and I wish this band can go far, but maybe Lucky 7 takes too much insporation from other bands without thinking they can do something very cool on their own. I mean, this record is a good collection, a very good collection, of songs that in some way I already heard: I enjoy to listen to them again, but I don’t think the aim of a band is playing already heard stuff. Maybe I’m wrong, who knows. | carlo@staff.truepunk.com

Finally we can hear new good stuff from Fueled By Ramen! Their latest release is the self-titled debut from Slowreader, a due formed by two ex-Impossibles guys, Rory Phillips and Gabe Hascall. These rockers started this new band which is not strictly rock. I’d dare to call it way more “emo” or electro-acoustic rock, whatever, as a cross between Yo La Tengo and Belle And Sebastian. This record features eleven tracks that are very different from the ones you would expect from ex-Impossibles members: these tunes are slow, soft, emotional, they deal with feelings and very intimate issues. From the awesome opening “Politics, Music And Drugs” through all of the tracks like “Cold, Cold Death”, “Every Part Of Nothing” and “Anesthetic For The Amputee” you’ll be put in a different world: the world of Slowreader. I do not hear such music so often, so I guess if you want to hear some good “emo” tracks - if the stuff released on Deep Elm is emo, then this is emo-, I suggest you to lend your ears to Slowreader. | carlo@staff.truepunk.com

The debut on Solid State Records from Demon Hunter is a ten track album that is not so easy to desribe. I guess the best way to have an idea of what Demon Hunter sound like is to listen to them. Their music is very influenced by what is commonly known as metal-core, with a lot of screams and growls that alternate to more melodic parts: in this way, it is almost natural to name this band as the hardcore version of Slipknot, and the songs “I Have Seen Where It Grows” and “Screams Of The Undead” show this. “Infected” is another dark and very fast song, with some very fast drumming, guitar riffs and very powerful bass. Anyway there is always space for melodies and almost romantic moments, as on the song “My Throat Is An Open Grave” or “A Broken Upper Hand”. I guess this fieve piece band is one of those bands that you listen to and you fall in love with, especially if you’re fan of some metal music. I recommend this album to all of the people who like metal/melody and want to have some new very interesting album to listen to. | carlo@staff.truepunk.com

Limp is without doubt one of the best band on Fat/Honest Don’s Records, not to mention, one of the most innovative band among the billions of pop-punk bands around today; on the contrary, I guess that these four guys helped a lot of the new small bands around today, being a great source of inspiration, both musically and lyrically. It is not a case they toured with a lot of bands, like NOFX, The Suicide Machines, Lagwagon, Swingin’ Utters and even those dudes called Blink182, who also aksed Limp to jump ship and join them at MCA. Obviously, the East Bay quartet said “no, thanks”.
So, after exactly three years from their previous record “Guitarded”, which shoked my life when I heard it, the californian band is still here with a new album, which had to be called “Atom Bomb”, but then changed its name to simply “self titled” album.

I put the cd in the player and I did not know how to express my feelings the first time I listened to this; I was confused. “Guitarded” was just a great album, with great songs, melodies, production, and everything on it was great. This new album is kind of different. I re-listened to it and I started appreciate it totally; yes, the first time I heard it I missed a lot of things that I noticed after, from the absolute incredible catchy and pop melodies of “Atom Bomb”, to the great guitar hooks of “Therapy” and the harmonies of “Last Chance”, not to say, the fast riffs of “Tin Foil” and the “everything’s perfect in this” song named “Get Away” - that features Karina Denike from Dance Hall Crashers on vocals -, the acoustic “Ails”, and the last song, “Where Is Your Mind”, which has some “make me wanna sing” soft guitar chords and a very melodic chorus.

But if the music sounds like “hey, we are four happy dudes”, the lyrics are the exact opposite, almost. I always liked the lyrics of Limp and Phil Ensor in particular, he had always the ability to sing about simple and ordinary things, that everyone considers useless or un-happy or just regular. I can’f forget songs like “Bike Ride” or “Bag Launch” or also “Monica” and “Stable” off “Pop And Disorderly” - they had some great lyrics about every day life and also about “less lucky people”, and I always felt envy for Phil’s way to express things. I believe he is the best song writer ever. And on this record he shows this again. Tunes like “Ails”, “One To Ten”, “Lesson”, the love song “Get Away” and also “Therapy” ( that goes like “my friends are therapy, they know what I need, help me to breath”) features some of the best phrases I heard from a “punk” band, as they show the side of humanity these guys have.

In general, if you have always been great fans of Limp, you will surely like the record, while, if you do no know Limp, I wonder what are you still doing there in your chair. Go out and get all their stuff. Not to mention, if you heard the song on the Honest Don’s sampler “Dirty Dishes”, called “Oh No”, and liked it, well, just think that is the “worst” song of th

I guess that with Slick Shoes we are going to see almost the same thing that happened to another pop punk band, Limp. In fact, both bands release a new album in 2002, both bands are going to call it “self titled”, but most imprtant, both bands seem to have changed their sound, in some parts at least. If Limp were accused of doing a boring and not innovative record ( an opinion that I no way share ), with Slick Shoes, someone might thing the same thing; instead, I cann assure that the new album from this band, just like the new record from Limp, is the best work that Slick Shoes ever did.

The self titled record features the 12 best songs that this quarted could ever write. The album is opened by the ultra catchy “My Ignorance”, that has some kickin’ chorus and melodies; possibly one of the three best tunes. “Pass Me By” is slower, and the fact that even drummer Joe Nixon said that there are some slower tunes, it proves that Slick Shoes are going through a change, not of style, but I’d dare to say of intentions and will. They are playing the things that they like, and they want to keep on rockin’ all the same, and this is great. The third song “Friday Nite” is in classic pop punk style, and I guess it is the best song on the CD, with very powerful guitars yet with catchy verses as well. “Alone”, “Ten Ways” and “1a.m.” are the slowest on the new record, but I guess they sound just like Slick Shoes wanted them, and even tough the old fans may not be used to this sound in a second, I am sure they will appreciate it. The album is not finished tough, the great chorus, harmonies and stop&go’s of “No More Words” and the amazing guitarts of “151″ are the perfect way to end up listening to Slick Shoes, in order to re-start play and listening to this album over and over again, as it really deserves it.

In the end, if “Wake Up Screaming” sold more than 35,000 copies, I can tell you that the new self titled will be even more succesful and in the meantime I keep on listening to this over and over again.|carlo@staff.truepunk.com

If you started reading this review wondering who For I Am Blind is, do not get worried as you do not know it, because they never released anything, just played some amazing shows in Italy, and this “self-titled” album is their first studio work ever. It was recorded a couple of weeks ago and I had the luck to hear it before anyone else in the world, except the band members maybe.Just to introduce yourself For I Am Blind, they are five guys that started playing with this name in 2001, after putting out some good records with such famous italian hardcore bands as No Reason Why, PHP and Mach5; then For I Am Blind was born and started playing a lot of tunes and shows, too.

When it’s down to this album, when I started listening to this I expected to listen to a kind of hardcore music, just hardcore, nothing more nothing less; instead, it happened that I found myself in front of a wall of sounds, various musical influences all mixed together to bring out one of the best eight great track album I ever heard from a band out of my country. Talking of the influences, I think they go from the heavy stuff of Stretch Arm Strong to the softer Good Riddance, going thru a lot of melodic No Fun At All sound ’til some things that I can’t even compare to anything I heard in the past. “And Face My Delusions” is the first tune and brings out a lot of energic power, that goes on with “John Coffey”, even tough this one has a quite catchy chorus and good melodies. The melody is also present on some tracks as “No More Blue” and “Someday”, which is playfully described as “emo” by the band, not to mention the most “ear-friendly” tune named “Waits & Expectations”, and I would not wonder to listen to this during MTV’s TRL: boys and girls singing along and doing stage diving from a three stairs building. If you look for speed you will find it on “Predefined Structures” and “Consider My Faults”: the first has great drum attacks, while the latter as a lot of stop&go’s, almost “old school” choruses and changes of time that show how the five dudes are good musicians as well.

If you happen to be looking for guitar driven sound, melodic and fast guitar hooks, some more cacthy choruses, consider that For I Am Blind has all in two words: harcore attitude. Of course mixed with clever lyrics that brings out the best of italian hardcore punk music I heard in years. Check them out on vitaminic.it or email foriamblind@libero.it.!carlo@staff.truepunk.com

Behind the name of Avoid One Thing there is a guy that is quite famous, Joe Glitterman from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who are also on Side One Dummy,and he plays with some other famous people like Paul Delano from Darkbuster and Mung, Amy Griffin from RagingTeens and Dave Karcich from The Pilfers. Avoid One Thing sound a bit different from the Bosstones, tough; these three guys and a lady play a mix of pop punk and emo all mixed together, with a vocals that sometimes reminds of Dicky Barret’s one, but in general it is more in the vein of Jawbreaker. And it is not a case that the music of this four friends is described as a mix of Jawbreaker, The Pixies, Sugar and The Replacements, that kind of punk done by a lot of melodies and also some more rockin tunes.

The self titled album has eleven songs and if on the first listen you might think this is something you already heard, like happened to me, if you lend your ear to it with more attention you will probably realize that Avoid One Thing has that something of unique, I don’t know how to describe it well, but the music, the lyrics and the attitude of this band brings out some really good and not easy to label songs. Just listening to “Yakisoba”, “Lean On Sheena” ( which sounds like a Bosstones tune) , “Every Second Of Every Day” and “Rip It Up It’s Here” it is quite clear that the band has a good number of influences: melodic songs alternate to more angry tunes, at least in the vocals of Glitterman.

I am quite sure these people are not in it for the money, and this makes the record more enjoyable still, as it is nice to hear some music that comes from the heart; and it is for this reasong that I give you the adive to give a listen to this band, which did an album that I consider the best that Side One Dummy ever put out. Good job!|carlo@staff.truepunk.com

This band features the bass player from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Joe Gittleman. So after I read their press kit, I didn’t rush to the stereo to play this cd right away. What a big mistake that was. I mean, I don’t despise the Bosstones, but their songs always sound the same. Anyways, this album rips through eleven songs like a punk band should. Once again the press kit compares them to the Pixies and Jawbreaker, but I don’t hear it. I do, however hear a strong Social Distortion sound to their music. Which makes this reviewer a very happy camper. One of my favorite songs on this album is ‘Lean on Sheena’ which features an electronic drum beat in part of the song. Another song that sticks out is the acoustic-punk tune ‘Take a Good Look’. Plus there’s a great punk anthem on here called ‘Bomb - Building Songs’. It’s real refreshing to hear music that makes you want to listen to it over and over again. That seems to be a rare thing in the punk scene these days. Hey Joe… wake up and smell the coffee and ditch that other band! Make this one a full-time commitment. So run out to your local record store and buy this cd. Don’t be a dildo and download off the net, because you won’t get the awesome cover art and song lyrics inside.

Sideone Dummy Records - 6201 Sunset Blvd. - Suite 211 - Hollywood, CA 90028

I don’t know what to think about this band. As a reviewer I try really hard to put all the bullshit aside and listen to a CD for what it is. I do. However this band is talented in playing their instruments, but why would you want to be in a band that sounds like everyone else. I listen to the whole thing and the only thing that popped into my head was… polished turd. Come on… they sound like every Fat band and every other Blink 182 wanna be. Come on guys! Get your slick shoes on and run away from that style of music. You guys have talent, fuckin’ mix it up and try to sound just little bit different from all the other new school punk bands. Hell, throw some Emo shit in there for shits and giggles. This is not a bad review, I’m just sick and tired of listening to the same band.

After releasing a record as “Looking Up” on Fastmusic Records, after changing their name from Cooter to Auopilot Off due to some still not very clear reasons, the four boys from NY are back with some very interesting changes. First off, they signed to major label Island Records ( the one of Sum 41 and American Hi Fi to be clear), and they are releasing a new five song EP cd named “self titled”.

The EP starts off with “Long Way to Fall”, and it is quite good, good mid tempo and some catchy choruses, that stick in your ears the first time you listen to them. Also the following “Indebted” is not bad, but the real surpirse, the thing that make Autopilot Off a great band is the capacity of writing a tune like “Nothing Frequency”, the best they ever wrote. I wouldn’t wonder to see a video of this song of TV, with a single like this the band has the chance to be the next Sum41 thing for teenagers. Even “Wide Awake” and “Exit Signs” are pretty nice songs: the first is very Pennywise influenced, while the latter is more in the vein of stuff from “Looking Up”.

I still ignore the reason why a band like Autopilot Off put out this EP, which is so good I wonder why they did not release a full length record; the band says they did it in order to let young kids know the band without spending too much money for an EP ( which anyway cost a lot, I prefer buying ful lengths), in my opinion Island did this to see if the band is really able to sell, and my answer is “who cares?”, Autopilot Off rocks and this is enough.|carlo@staff.truepunk.com