April 2010
D.C. Snipers: Punk in the Capitol
If folks are familiar with the Spider Bags, who share singer and songwriter Dan McGee with this here New Jersey punk act, it’d be a good idea to disregard any aural expectations from that country inflected group. There’s pretty much no connection to be made musically. And even if one were to take the time to try and figure out any lyrical similarities it seems that the Snipers are the kinds of people to make fun of you for it. That should be duly noted.
The Baseball Furies and the Downward Slide...
That aptly describes my relationship, or lack there of, with Buffalo cum Chicago punkers the Baseball Furies.
Waylon Thornton and the Heavy Hands: A Familial Garage
Suicide: An Electric Punk
Gang of Four: Two-Thirds of It All...
The Middle Class: Who Cares...We Do...
Classic Compilations: Tooth and Nail (1979)
Vertical Slit: A Columbus Downer...
TWOFER: the Riverboat Gambles x the Knotwells
Blood River Melodies
(Self Released, 2005)
When I went to Record Revolution in Cleveland Heights to trade this cd in and in turn get Cannonball Adderly’s Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, I described The Knotwells to the gentleman behind the counter as musically superior to The Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly axis of punk, but not as good at writing songs. And that’s pretty fair. Even as the Knotwells champions its country roots over the Irish ones, the later is more readily apparent musically. Now, I’ve been accused of being a snob and I can’t say that that claim is unwarranted, but I do like my fair share of dumb punk. This however, is just not all that imaginative. Each track begins with a more than promising hillbilly style musical intro. Unfortunately, the singer eventually takes over and its kinda downhill after that. There’re no instrumentals on this album, but the band would benefit from a few, if that’s any indication of their front man’s ability to croon. The song writing, much like the singing, seems like a little something is lacking. A chorus gives us the proof in the couplet, “I wrote you a little song/and this is how it goes.” Really, there aren’t any total losers, but each track sounds pretty much like the last and the singer managers to slip in a “hep” or a “hey” during every song. If these guys stuck to country music, muzzled the singer and toured wearing matching cowboy hats, you might hear from ‘em again. Otherwise, don’t count on it. Really.