Ever take an album you think you’ve never listened to, and then once you play it, everything sounds familiar and you find yourself singing along to the majority of words? Yeah, that’s what happened with The Atari’s 1998 EP “Looking Forward To Failure”.

It’s all coming back to me, I used to jam out to this when I was but a freshman in high school back in 1999. I’ve heard that The Ataris have gotten poppier since Looking Forward To Failure, and while the EP does have it’s pop-punk influences, there’s enough punk roots in there to keep me jamming. Similar to early Blink-182 (think Chesire Cat era) and early Lagwagon, the 6 song EP runs just under 15 minutes, making it the perfect quick “pick me up listen”.

If you’re looking for something light hearted and catchy, definitely check out The Ataris Look Forward to Failure. I almost forgot about this gem.

MP3:
The Ataris – San Dimas High School Football Rules

More:
Hold Tight! – Can’t Take This Away
Saves The Day – Can’t Slow Down
Saves The Day – Through Being Cool

Buy:
Fat Wreck

On Saturday I headed down to South Philly to catch a basement show my friend was throwing. Go Rydell was the main inspiration for going out, and I’ve been meaning to catch The Great Explainer for quite some time now.

Divided Heaven

Divided Heaven from Los Angeles, CA was a one man, acoustic singer-songwriter who originally lived in Philly. I thought he looked a bit familiar, and then realized where I recognized him from once he said he used to play in the punk band The Boils.

His music was a LOT different than The Boils (obviously), with not many punk influences except for the lyrics (songs about Philly basement shows, etc). Acoustic stuff usually isn’t my cup of tea, but I dug his set some, especially when he threw in a cover of The Boils song Blood on The Field (which was a little odd to hear acoustic).

The Great Explainer

After their Chunksaah “The Way Things Swell” EP, the band has been blowing up in this area, and have been getting a decent amount of reviews online. Every time I try to catch these Philly (cough Hamilton NJ cough) dudes, I wind up completely missing their set… not this time around.

They put on a damn solid live show, and made due with the cramped basement space with only a few minor incidents (saw one dude in the band whack his temple against a hanging speaker… looked painful.)

They played my favorite by them “Codeine… Bourbon” so I was pretty stoked.

Protagonist

I’ve never heard of these guys before, but they played aggressive, energetic punk rock. It was a bit difficult to hear the vocals, but these Florida dudes were pretty decent, and I definitely plan on checking out their recorded stuff.

Go Rydell

The reason I came out to the show to begin with. Florida’s Go Rydell has been making a bit of a name for themselves lately with their latest split with Grey Area, and I was pretty excited to see these guys again. Playing Kid Dynamite influenced hardcore, they blasted through a few of their songs before saying they had a special treat for Philly: a bunch of Lifetime covers.

A humorous, drunken argument happened between members when one of them claimed Lifetime was from Philly (WHOA WHOA WHOA hold on, as a native NJ dude, lets give credit where credit is due), but nonetheless, they blasted through a few off of “Jerseys Best Dancers” and it was a fun set all around. (With people appropriately completely losing their shit during “Turnpike Gates”).

Spraynard

The reason it seems like most people were at the show. I’ve seen these guys once before and wasn’t too stoked on them, but I also wasn’t in the best of moods that day. This time around, I enjoyed their set much more. They played a relatively quick set of their brand of pop-punk, but the crowd got into it with people dancing around, etc. I need to check out their recorded stuff some.

MP3:
Go Rydell – Golden Age
The Great Explainer – I Finally Found My Dreamboat

More:
Grey Area / Go Rydell Split
Go Rydell – Golden Age
The Great Explainer – The Way Things Swell

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Interpunk

Last night, I had a tough decision to make: I could go see Dan Yemin, Andy Nelson, Atom, and a few others do Black Flag covers as TV Casualty… or I could go see the sweet, sweet ska beats of The Slackers. I decided it’s been a little bit of a while since I’ve seen The Slackers play, so I headed out to West Chester’s Note to catch the NYC ska band.

The show was 18+, and there were a decent amount of people there. I’m all for all ages shows and usually hate when shows have some bullshit age limit (in the words of Kid Dynamite: “It’s All Ages”), but it was actually really encouraging to see such a high turnout of people over 18 and 21 to a ska show.

The Snails

I’ve never heard of these guys before, and I’m not going to lie, I was extremely skeptical before the show about even seeing them. Listening to ska for nearly 15 years now, I find there’s not many new ska bands I dig, as the majority of them are usually shitty Reel Big Fish ripoffs bands (and on account I don’t like Reel Big Fish…). The Snails completely surprised my cynical ass.

The second these Lancaster PA dudes took the stage, I knew they weren’t your typical ska band. They played straight rocksteady ska, similar to the Slackers and Westbound Train. The Snails had the place skanking, and I would definitely go see them again.

The Slackers

I miss seeing these guys at the First Unitarian Church, but The Note’s better than the TLA, so I was pretty stoked. They took the stage, and the place instantly erupted into a skanking, dancing, moshing(wait what?) mess. The band played a nice long set after taking a while to set up (mostly because Vic got stuck in traffic), playing for a total of about an hour and half.

They played songs spanning off of all their releases, with some of my favorites being “Everyday Is Sunday” and “Sarah”. The crowd was digging them, and the band played a really tight set as usual . The Slackers are one of the most consistent ska bands around, and if they come around you’re area, do yourself a favor.

MP3:
The Slackers – Mr Tragedy

More:
The Slackers – The Great Rocksteady Swindle
The Slackers – Self Medication

Buy:
Hellcat

The Holy Mess will be exploding pretty soon, especially now that they signed with Red Scare records, but they still will remain Philadelphia’s premier party band. Bringing kegs on stage with them and passing beer around, their live shows are always a good time, and their recorded stuff completely rules too.

Released back in 2008, “A Briefcase Full Of Bruise” is a 7 song pop punk EP with enough grit to keep jaded folks like myself interested. Playing catchy songs in the veins of Dillinger Four or Off With Their Heads, you’ll dig them if you were into Fat Wreck Chords back in the late 90s. All of the songs on the EP are solid, and a bit more raw and straightforward than their newer “Benefit Sesh” 7 inch.

The Holy Mess are one of those bands who’s songs can deal with some heavy shit, but their music still makes me feel good and puts a smile on my face.

MP3:
The Holy Mess – Tonight! Stroudsburg! One Night Only!

More:
The Menzingers – Chamberlain Waits
Holy Mess – Benefit Sesh

Buy:
Holy Mess

Give Government Warning’s “No Moderation” one listen, and you’d swear that the Richmond, VA released this gem during the height of the 80s ‘Reagan era’ of hardcore punk, not 2006. Their first official LP, “No Moderation” is one fuck of a ride.

Just like true 80s hardcore releases, you’re not going to find any bullshit: no polished sound, no overly complex riffs, just good ole’ fashioned pissed off punk rock. The album kicks off straight into title track “No Moderation” and is relentless through all 17 minutes of it’s 10 tracks.

This is what punk rock is all about, and is the perfect soundtrack to skating. Fuck yeah.

MP3:
Government Warning – Cutting Room Floor

More:
Government Warning Live In Philly
Millions Of Dead Cops
Steve Versus The Volcano

Buy:
Grave Mistake Records

Just how good is Punch’s Self Titled release? Let me put it like this, I was listening to them at work the other day, looked down at my feet, and noticed I was subconsciously two stepping.

I first heard of San Francisco’s Punch when I saw them open for Paint it Black, and was completely blown away. Aggressive, female fronted hardcore, I knew I had to check out their recorded stuff. Punch’s Self Titled album is a ferocious, 16 song blitz. The majority of songs never make it to 2 minutes (with most actually barely making a minute), and with the spastic styles of hardcore played, it’s very reminiscent of Ceremony’s Violence Violence.

If you dig fast paced no bullshit hardcore, grab this LP. Fo rizzles.

MP3:
Punch – Break A Leg

More:
Cokebust – Lines In The Sand
Ceremony – Violence Violence
Ceremony – Scared People EP
Ceremony – Still Nothing Moves You

Buy:
Punch

How the hell can any band be this damn consistently good? I’ve been listening to Protest The Hero since 2003, when they first released their Propagandhi influenced EP “A Calculated Use of Sound” and enjoyed watching PTH evolve with each new release (which, by the way, Kezia and Fortress are definitely on my favorite albums list). Their third release “Scurrilous” continues this musical evolution, bringing in even more technicality and progressive riffs.

Like Fortress, Scurrilous was a bit of a grower for me, but I’m now completely in love with the album. Musically, they play (dare I say it) progressive metal that is heavy as fuck. While the punk/hardcore influences are a bit harder to find this time around compared to Kezia or Fortress, they are definitely there still (check the end of Dunsel for example). The amount of times they switch things up in a song and how seamlessly and effortless it sounds is nothing short of amazing. The vocals are a lot cleaner on Scurrilous than on previous releases, with Rody focusing more on melody than the aggressive raw screams (again, these are still there, but not as much).

The biggest change though are probably the lyrics. For the first time, Rody takes over the majority of the lyrical duties for the songs (minus 3 of them), and it’s a bit bittersweet. On one hand, there isn’t a common theme linking all of the songs together like Kezia or Fortress. In addition, one thing I always really liked about Protest was the fact that their storytelling lyrics often had multiple meanings.

Rody’s writings are a lot more blunt, and he deals with topics more head on. Take Dunsel for example: a scathing attack on the music industry as a whole and bands that abandoned everything they believe to get big. Tandem is possibly the most personal Protest the Hero has ever gotten, a song dedicated to someone I’m guessing Rody was close to battling cancer. Also worth mentioning just to show the band hasn’t abandoned their punk roots is The Reign Of Unending Terror, a tribute to one of my favorite bands, Propagandhi.

I’m a huge fan of this album and I enjoy it more with each listen. You can definitely expect to see this on my top 10 this year.

MP3:
Protest the Hero – C’est La Vie

More:
Protest the Hero – A Calculated Use Of Sound
Protest The Hero – Fortress
Protest The Hero – Kezia

Buy:
Official Site

They say don’t judge an album by it’s cover, but before I even listened to Atlanta’s Campaign’s “Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!” EP, I had a feeling I knew what it was going to sound like, and damn did I nail it.

I’ve never heard Campaign before, but their Beetlejuicex3 EP will definitely appeal to fans of Hot Water Music and people who are fans of that gruffy melodic punk rock sound. The EP is only 4 songs long (thematically linked together by their titles by the way), it’s a damn solid listen.

While all the songs on the EP are solid, my personal favorite is Old Blues, which has a very Lifetime feel to it. Definitely check out the album if you dig melodic punk.

MP3:
Campaign – Old Blues

More:
Friends of Friends
Over Stars and Gutters
The Menzingers – Chamberlain Waits
Off With Their Heads – In Desolation

Buy:
Campaign Myspace

Last night, I headed out to Philly’s Kung Fu Neck Tie to catch best pop punk duders Hold Tight. I got there a little early (one of the bands dropped off apparently), and was starving, so props to the door girl who recommended this Mexican food place on 2nd and Master. Seriously, if you’re ever in Philly, go here, it’s fucking delicious.

Hold Tight:

This is the third time that I’ve seen this Richmond dudes play, and I wasn’t sure how they were going to do in a more real venue as opposed to a house. They completely killed it, of course. Playing their high energy pop punk, Hold Tight played a rather tight (if short) set, blasting through a few newer songs and a few off of “Can’t Take This Away” (a stellar album, go get it if you don’t have it.)

Some of the highlights were “Virginia is Beautiful”, “Our Pet’s Heads Keep Falling Off”, “This Is My House, I Have to Defend It”, and “Can’t Take This Away”. Cool band, cool dudes, always a fun time.

Pedals On Our Pirate Ship:

I’ve never heard of Pedals on Our Pirate Ship (POOPS, hah!) before, but I was talking to singer Matt and bassist Rich before the show and they were trying to explain their sound to me (awesome dudes by the way). I couldn’t fully understand what they meant until they took the stage.

Acoustic guitar, bassist, keyboard, tambourine, dual female/male vocals, and a drumkit consisting of a snare, some symbols, and an old trunk you would find in an attic used as a bass drum. The best part? They were fucking amazing!

It’s kind of hard to describe their sound, but if Mischief Brew decided to add synths, play a few poppier songs, and become a hell of a lot more dance-y and upbeat, then you have a basic idea. Definitely check these guys out if they come around your hood, I was made a fan that night.

Mean Streets

Confession. Every time I see Mean Streets on a flyer I misread it as Mean Jeans, and get really excited. Then I see it’s Mean Streets and wind up not going to the show. Nothing personal, and it’s totally my loss as I learned tonight. These guys played a rather long but enjoyable set, and while I didn’t know any of their songs, they played an Addicts cover which was pretty tight.

Playing punk rock mixed with straight up rock and roll and some soul, these guys killed it, and I’d definitely go see these Philly dudes again. If you dig bowling, sailor tattoos, betty page pin-up gals, you’ll probably dig these guys.

MP3:
Hold Tight! – Virginia Is Beautiful, Wish You Were Here

More:
Hold Tight! – Can’t Take This Away

Buy:
Hold Tight Bandcamp

Millions of Dead Cops playing Philly? There was no way I was going to miss this show. Yesterday, on the beautiful 70 degree afternoon, I headed out to Philly’s Barbary to catch MDC open for UK’s The Subhumans. I only caught the last song of the opening band, but from what I heard, they sounded tight.

Defect Defect

I’ve never heard of these guys before hand, but these Portland dudes ripped it up. It seemed like besides one person, nobody in the crowd knew any of the songs or lyrics, but that didn’t stop a pit opening up for them.

They played straight up catchy punk rock, sort of reminding me of The Descendents a bit. The singer jumped off the stage and played on the floor for a good majority of the set, and I definitely want to check their recorded stuff out.

Millions of Dead Cops

It’s amazing that these guys are still around after all these years, even if Dave is the only original member left. What’s even more amazing is the raw energy they have. Playing hyperspeed punk rock similar to that of the Dead Kennedys, MDC blasted through a shit ton of their songs. We had a respectable pit going, although a few in front seemed to get annoyed anytime someone bumped into them or stage dove (you’re at a punk show… I think it’s to be expected). For the most part though, people were helping each other up when fallen, etc. Few dudes were in the pit with their skateboards… 1980 anyone?

They played a bunch, but some of my favorites and ones I especially lost my shit to were:
-Multi Death Corporation
-Radioactive Chocolate
-My Family Is A Little Weird
-Church & State
-Greedy and Pathetic (FUCK YEAH)
-Corporate Death Burger
-Millions of Dead Cops
-Dead Cops/America’s So Straight
-Chicken Squawk

Subhumans:

I’ll admit it, for as long as I’ve been listening to punk rock, there are a few major staple bands that I never really got around to checking out for one reason or another. The Subhumans are one of these bands. Still, I was pretty stoked about checking them out, and the crowd was especially excited.

People instantly lost their shit in a pit where it seemed like nobody could stand up. Bodies were flying, and the band didn’t seem to miss a bit. Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with their catologue at all so I couldn’t tell you what they played, but their show made me want to check them out. Highly recommended.

MP3:
Dead Cops/America’s So Straight

More:
Millions Of Dead Cops
Dead Kennedys
Culture Shock

Buy:
MDC Myspace