There’s a club night in San Francisco call Bondage A Go-Go. It is my all time favorite industrial dance club because it strayed from the predictable format of Joy Division and Front 242. Not that I don’t love those bands, but you can’t fucking dance to Bela Lagosis Dead. Not unless you’re into looking like […]
Artist showcase compilations are a dime a dozen these days and have become as common of a marketing tactic as the mighty music video. Fortunately, it’s a win-win proposition for both record labels looking to introduce their latest acts and fans wishing to dip their toes into new waters. Unlike other labels that attempt to […]
God, ain’t it the truth? The “change” theme of this compilation of unreleased and rare tracks not only coincides with a new generation of youth against the establishment, but also with the change in how music is recorded and delivered, going from vinyl, 8-track, and cassettes to today’s iPod. Old and new punks alike are […]
With perhaps the exception of the Now That’s What I Call Music series of ‘various artists’ (V/A) compilations, you don’t usually see a lot of V/A material topping the charts. The latest offering from Paisley Pop entitled The Sensitive Guy’s Guide to Groovy Music probably won’t be topping the charts any time soon. Chart ratings […]
Some have referred to Warped Tour as skate-punk summer camp, and after listening to SideOneDummy Records’ Warped Tour compilation CD, I can’t argue. There’s a little bit of everything on here, from the poppy to the political, but something about this CD makes me think Warped Tour may be growing up. For one thing, several […]
Def Jux nails it down again with the comprehensive new compilation, Definitive Jux Presents: III. Hearing comps like these is awesome because they really give you a taste of the talent within the label. This album in particular contains tracks not found on any of their artist’s albums, with the exception of two — an […]
As a marketing professional by day, I tend to overanalyze how labels promote their releases. With artists from Look Out, Negative Progression, Initial and Better Looking, “Playing 4 Square 3” is billed as “A compilation of four of the best independent record labels.” Descriptive enough, but also curious as it makes one wonder why four […]
When it comes to modern holiday classics, it’s tough to beat Adam Sandler’s “The Chanukah Song” or Mr. Garrison’s “Merry Fucking Christmas.” But as long as there’s a Trans-Siberian Orchestra, then releases like “A Santa Cause/It’s a Punk Rock Christmas” will always be most welcome. With 21 tracks in all, the disc offers a mix […]
For as long as I can remember, Horror movies have used metal bands on soundtracks. Shocker, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: the Dream Warriors, and more recently, House of a Thousand Corpses and Freddie vs. Jason are all great examples of this phenomenon. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – this album falls in line with […]
When a disc like “Mullets Rock” comes across your desk, you can’t help but salivate at the potential. I’m talking the potential to ride a wave of classic rock clichés and a font of post-hippie patriotism. It’s the type of subject matter any self-respecting music critic would jump through hoops to review. Alas, the mullet […]
