Review

The Whole Sick Crew: The Whole Sick Crew

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When I heard that The Whole Sick Crew was a pirate band from St. Louis, I honestly wasn’t expecting too much. Call it geographical prejudice, but I figured if St. Louis was hundreds of miles from the ocean, it would most certainly be too far away to live if you’re a Salty Dog right? How on earth could a landlocked pirate band possibly be any good with out saltwater in the air??

Well, I was wrong about the whole “landlocked pirate” thing, because I was very impressed when I played this album for the first time. According to the band bio, The Whole Sick Crew plays all-acoustic, anachronistic folk-punk sea songs, jigs, and original pirate ballads. Not storybook pirates, mind you, but songs that are as caustic and ugly as the band members themselves. It’s a perfect description if you ask me. This isn’t a festival costume pirate band at all! In this reviewers opinion, it’s: Grade A 100% Nautical-Pirate-Punk. An interesting thing to point out is it’s also acoustic, and the lyrics do an excellent job of telling the tales of all forms of pirate life, including disease, executions, evil scallywags, and port whores. The vocals somewhat remind me of The Ruffians.

Formed in June 2002, they haven’t exactly sailed the seven seas yet, but with the material they’ve made so far, i’ll have to keep a eye on these guys! Argghhh!

The songs include:

1. Honest Sailor
2. Crimes At Sea
3. The Effigy Song
4. O’Keene The Mean
5. Girl At Every Port
6. The SLow Song
7. Captain Samson’s Song
8. The Vomits

September 2003

Review by Brian “Capt. Redbeard” Gillespie

Review

Skattish: Demo

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The thing that struck me was the name. Skattish. That’s a catchy one. As you might expect from the name, Skattish play ska music, with a little twist, they also use bagpipes. From what little I know of ska music, one thing is for certain, they have a horn section. Out of the four tracks on this demo, Skattish use a bagpipe and brass on two of ’em. It’s a cool sound that from what I know has never been used before, and for that I give ’em a nod. They will have a full album out soon. Let’s hope they stick with the pipes.

September 2003

Review By Brian “Tosspot” Gillespie

Review

I Know Kung Fu!: Stout, Whiskey, And Wine

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I think I pissed these guys off a little while ago, and if they really know kung fu, then my days in Portland might be numbered. Okay, so I’m exaggerating a bit, but I did promise these guys I go to see them live back in May. My excuse? It was opening night for the Portland Timbers Soccer Club. Sorry guys, I forgot. Now that I’ve cleared my name, I’ll continue with the album review. I Know Kung Fu! literally kicks ass. It’s closer to punk’n roll, but also leans heavy on the metal side of things. Also known to throw in a rowdy drunken sing-a-long, the best way to describe them is like this, it’s loud, it’s good, and it rocks!! Last time I checked these guys were still unsigned, and that’s simply uncalled for. The local Portland record labels need to get off their arses and sign these guys A.S.A.P.

I usually don’t do this, but I think their bio does a better job describing I Know Kung Fu.

From The Bio: We are here for the Rock. We are not here to get famous. We are not here to get chicks. We are not here to show off our wardrobe or our collection of indie t-shirts. We are here for the beer. We are not here to be part of the record industry. We are here for the volume. We are not here to fight. We are not here to listen. We are here for the brotherhood. We are not here to find a record label. We are not here to look good on stage. We are not here to impress. We are here for the groove. We are not here to sell CDs. We are not here to take our shirts off. We are not here to wear make up. We are not here to whine about girls. We are here for the riffs. We are not here to dance. We are not here to gossip. We are here for the tone. We are not here to push religion while wearing leather pants. We are not here to teach. We are not here to learn. We are not here to change the world. We are here for the Rock.

In 1999, a tangled web of friendships, hobbies, employers, spouses and alcohol brought three wandering satellites together, and forged the brotherhood bond that would spawn the audio war-hammer that would later be known as IKNOWKUNGFU. Bill Niese, bass player and long-time veteran of the Southern California metal scene, joined forces with Dave Becker, a heavy guitar wielding, proto-punk music disciple and the willing, talented, hard-hitting and lightning-fast drum set player, Justin Craft to give birth to one of the most honest, straight-forward and balls-out power-trios that Rock Music has ever encountered. We are here for the Rock.

While the music produced by this enigmatic combo is not easily categorized as punk, metal or otherwise, it is not so pretentious to claim to defy genre classification. IKNOWKUNGFU music is pure, unadulturated Rock that has been influenced by everyone from Black Sabbath, the Pogues and Iron Maiden to the Cure, Slayer, Tom Waits and the Pixies to Motorhead, the MC5, Operation Ivy and NOFX to Free, the Rolling Stones, Thin Lizzy and AC/DC. We love the music we listen to almost as much as the music we make. IKNOWKUNGFU is not about making music for the people, IKNOWKUNGFU is about making music, period. We are here for the Rock.

We love small shows, we love big shows, we love playing parties, we love shows where we make money, we love shows where we don’t get paid. We especially love shows where we get free beer. We love to play. We love to see people in the groove of our music. We love to talk gear with the other bands. We love to see people in the audience singing along to our songs. We love the shows where Dave pukes after the set. We love shows where we’ve played with the Jimmies, The Catholic School Girls, the Rats, Darkbuster, the River City Rebels, Avalauncher, the Rock and Roll Soldiers, the Hung Kung Product and Blue Star Creeper. We are here for the Rock.

September 2003

Review

Tommy and The Terrors: 13 the Hard Way

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In their early days, Slapshot were called “the closest thing to American Oi since Iron Cross” and in many ways, it was an apt description. Choke and company sang about things that mattered to the kids in Boston, all set to a background of hard and chanted hardcore punkrock. It wasn’t about phony British accents or dressing to the tee like a wannabe Joe Hawkins – it was about music and attitude – a lifestyle. American skinheads. American Oi.

In many ways, I see Tommy and the Terrors as heirs to the Slapshot throne. The similarities are all there: Boston bands made up of unpretentious types, skinheads and non, who are telling things like they see it, all the while sounding similar to how Choke and co. did it – more rock’n’roll but complete with an old-style hardcore attitude meets chanted British Oi choruses.

T&TT have matured by leaps and bounds since their first offerings. They come at you with a double guitar-style led by Lance and Mike and it shines, with Ryan on bass and Anders on drums, rounded out by the mighty Tommy the Terrible on the microphone, barking orders to Boston crowds like a skinhead Lee Ermy.

If Boston steetrocknroll appeals to you, then check this out for sure. Highlights for me include: “Pull the Plug” the catchy as hell “Turn the Screw,” “Washed Up,” the nice guitar work in “Looking Glass,” and “Radioactive Radio.” “Lot 11” is also a winner, with its Boston sports provincial subject matter – the New England Revolution. Makes me grin thinking about the crew attending said games – although I’d have to argue the Chicago Fire are the team to set a tune around.

In the end, all the tunes hit you in the face like “a train pulling 20 cars of aggro” to quote my favorite poster on the now defunct DKM message board. Boston pubarios rejoice!!! You’ve got a house band to rival the might of the legendary Slapshot.

September 2003

Sean Holland

Review

V/A: It Came From The Barn IV.

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This is the 4th CD in the “It Came From The Barn” serious from Germanys, One Million Dollar Records – the world’s only specialist Irish-Folk-Punk, Cow-Punk, Polka-Trash and Bluegrass-Punk (!!!) record label. Volume IV features five bands and 17 tracks.

First up are England’s (the North of…) The Whisky Priests, a band I’d heard ’bout but had never bothered to check out. For some reason I figured they were more on the folkie side of things but man was I wrong. They are as tough as nails and as hard as a kick in the nuts by a coal miner’s steel capped boots. Think of a North of England version of the Pogues fronted by Billy Bragg at a Coal Miners riot in the 80’s.

We’ve never tasted whisky
Just lager and red wine
But by Christ we can’t half knock ’em back
When it comes to judgement time
We’ll take you on at drinking
And if you lose we’ll skin your hide
Then you’ll say we’re the hardest gang in town
And we’ll go home drunk with pride

The Hard Men (Gary Miller)

Pronghorn (4 tracks) sound like (insert the name of your favorite band here) on major drugs. “Lady-Boy of the Night”, sounds like The Charlie Daniels Band on major drugs. “Jewish Thing”, sounds like your local Jewish folk group on major drugs. “Roobarb and Kurdish” is Suggs from Madness with the circus band on major drugs. You get my drift. Strange stuff indeed.

Greenland Whalefishers (4 tracks) should need no introduction from me and you should already own each of the four tracks here on your copies of Loboville and Main Street Sword.

The Revelling Crooks (4 tracks) play what they describe as Irish-Klezmer-Country-Balkan-Folk. Interesting, but didn’t really strike my fancy.

Finally we have Katkalta (1 track) with “Last Order”, who from their photograph look Japanese and play some manic Celtic-Punk with some extra manic Japanese (I think) vocals.

September 2003

Review

Dirty Water : Dirty Water

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I caught Dirty Water, the new band from ex-Ducky Boy Mark Lind quite by chance opening for the Skels at The Middle East Club in Cambridge, MA recently. And to be honest I wasn’t that excited about seeing them, especially after my over excited friend raved about how Dirty Waters new CD was really just the 3rd Ducky Boys release. To me the Dunky Boys were ok, but nothing more then ok.

Live, Dirty Water blew me away with their no bullshit, no image, Punk’n’Roll and this 7 tracker has done the same. Think, Hudson Falcons, Bruce Springsteen (huge influence), AC/DC, The Clash, Social D., and of course Rose Tattoo. If you like your Rock’n’Roll loud, honest and with dirty finger nails this is for you.

September 2003

Review

The Pubcrawlers: From the Barn to the Bar

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A much improved Pubcrawlers are back with a 6-song demo follow up to their first demo. The band are starting to define a strong style of their own with strong influences from Irish Folk, Oi/Street Punk and Metal. The closest influence is obviously the DKM’s but the Crawlers metallic guitars give the band their own edge. The CD opens with “The Irish Combine”, the weakest track in my opinion – the vocals just don’t have the rough edge needed to keep up with the music, two fine traditional covers follow, The Rattlin Bog and The Irish Rover (For the grand city hall in New York – YANKEES SUCK – nice guys!!!) both given the DKM treatment ala Finnegans Wake. Boston Subway is a much strong original composition and “Tripping Up The Stairs/An Honest Gamble” is fantastic, definitely the standout track. Things end on a metal note with a medley of Canon in D, Hole in the Wall and Johnny Comes Marching Home. In summary still not perfect but getting closer.

September 2003

Review

Icewagon Flu: Trouble has a Car

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The bio states the band perform “Original Music”, and that they certainly do. Lazy bastard reviewers like me hate bands like Icewagon Flu, they are impossible pigeon hole, compare them to a similar band and move on. You really have to really listen to the CD and take in what they are trying to do.

The Flu if I may call’em that, play a highly original combination of loud Rock’n’Roll, American roots, whiskey soaked Irish folk with almost a jam band feel. The songs are strong and they lyrics are wacky, off beat humorous (and some of them herbal inspired I’m guessing.) If you’re looking for the next Flogging Molly sound alike you’ll be disappointed, but if your looking for something fresh and original you won’t go wrong.

September 2003

Review

The Steam Pig: Potshots

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Dublin’s reining Kings of Punk are back with their first release since their last one (always wanted to say that – stupid eh?,) the very fine “Deep Fried Obedience”. Boz, Andy and Del are still spitting glass, nails, venom and sticks of dynamite at all they despise – Old Ladies, Boggers, the stupid in general and the girl from CRASS (something about catching the clap from her). Though the music sounds much more experimental/Industrial/bloody intense then the more straight forward punk of DFO. A couple of tracks remind me of early THERAPY?, I’m also hearing late 80’s HC influnces and even maybe a touch of Slayer (Turnpike). Not for the faint hearted, Old Ladies, Boggers, the stupid in general and the girl from CRASS. Available in the US through Rube Records (P.O Box 121, Cobleskill, NY 12043 – $13.00 PP)

September 2003

Review

The Skels: Any Port in a Storm

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The Skels are back (did they ever fecking go away) with their first release in over 4 years. Proving they are the Ramones/AC/DC/Motorhead of the Irish-Punk scene they have gone and made a CD that sounds exactly like the last two. Now that’s not a bad thing at all in my book. I loved both “The Book of Skels” and “Stoney Road” and still play them regularly. None of that “Maturity, Growth, Progression” crap here, the Skels are having a drunken good time so why change or even sober up. Though strangely enough this is still their best album yet and I’m putting it down to just some bloody good foot-stomping, glasses raised drink for 3 seconds songs and Chris Skels impressive lyrics as he brings us on a pub crawl from darkest Bergen County to the Cambridge Port Saloon via Flannerys in NYC and the Presidential palace’s of Chile. If you haven’t heard the Skels yet then think Sally McLennane pogoin’ with Hank Williams at a Clash show after the Bottle of Smoke came in a 25 to f**ckin 1.

Drink for 3 seconds.

September 2003


Potato-eating, Whiskey-drinking, Bog-trotting, CELTIC PUNK ROCK