Wyatt Funderburk makes an album!

After a long career playing in wonderful bands like Second Saturday and producing the likes of Kurt Baker, Wyatt Funderburk has finally gotten around to making a solo album. And all I can say is wow! Not that it's a huge surprise considering the man's track record, but Novel and Profane is pure pop perfection from start to finish. Funderburk is an amazing songwriter with a warm, likable singing voice. And on this album, he combines so many different things I like into a singular vision of pop that is so distinctively him. Touchstones include '90s alternapop (Superdrag, Jellyfish, Fountains of Wayne), '70s AM gold, Beatles/Beach Boys classicism, and of course the productions of Jeff Lynne. But ultimately this album bears Funderburk's signature. He seamlessly mixes the old and the new and proves to be an adept storyteller. His melodies aren't just catchy - they're positively beautiful. And he's crafted an album so pleasant and engaging that I'd like to play it on repeat all day long. Even when the songs aren't exactly upbeat, Novel and Profane is like musical comfort food. I'm always sad when it comes to an end. 

As always, Funderburk's recording style hearkens back to the glory days of pop/rock. There's no trickery or excess involved - just simple, high quality production that allows the words and melodies to speak for themselves. The vocal harmonies are beautifully recorded but never overdone, and it's the songs themselves that play the starring role. It's really hard to pick a standout track since the tunes are so consistently great. And the variety of the material is highly impressive. Novel and Profane delivers everything from crunching modern rock ("Mandolin") to gorgeous minor key pop ("You Know What To Do", "North On 65") to epic ballads ("Nights Like This") to breezy country rock ("Feeling Good Tonight") to spot-on Tom Petty worship ("Love Will Lead The Way") - and none of it falters. And I love how Funderburk succeeds with songs that would perhaps come off as cheesy in the hands of a lesser artist. "Try To Be" would not have sounded out of place at a high school homecoming dance in 1988. And superb closing track "If I Ever Wanted Easier" is the kind of high soaring love song that used to thrive in more innocent times. It sounds like it should be playing over the closing credits of a cinematic love story that ends happily after countless trials and tribulations. Even the most unsentimental individuals will find themselves pumping their fists when that chorus comes in, believing wholeheartedly that love can prevail over any obstacle. If you enjoyed Kurt Baker's Brand New Beat (an album Funderburk produced and co-wrote), this song will strike a familiar chord.

Combining numerous references to the musical past with a decidedly contemporary sheen, Novel and Profane is an album for music lovers of all ages and stylistic preferences. At a time when most new music seems so meticulously targeted at niche demographics, it's refreshing to hear an artist who simply wants to write great songs that people can relate to. If I wanted to get the melody to "Summer" out of my head, I'd probably have to contact a doctor and have it surgically removed. But, you know, I'd rather not.

CD available from Jolly Ronnie Records!



-L.R. 

http://wyattfunderburk.bandcamp.com/album/novel-and-profane
http://wyattfunderburk.com/

Lovesores are back!

Holy crap - the Lovesores have made another record! And if that news doesn't excite you, I really gotta wonder about you! The last time we heard from the Lovesores, I proclaimed the band's Bubblegum Riot ten-inch to be as good as any record that Scott "Deluxe" Drake and Jeff Fieldhouse had ever played on. And I wasn't the only person saying that! If they'd followed it up with another record even half as good, I would have been plenty happy. But they've done far better than that - new EP Formaldehyde picks up where Bubblegum Riot left off, and the "Mick and Keith of punk rock" are still throwing fire like the last 20 years never happened! The blistering title track can be added to the growing list of Lovesores' signature anthems. Drake's vocals are so ferocious and virulent that you'd swear he's holding the secret to eternal youth, and those guitars slash and burn like nobody's business. If you like filthy and furious punk rock n' roll, "Formaldehyde" needs to be on your iPod tonight! You could play this track for almost anyone and successfully pass it off as a long lost punk rock classic from 1977 (or 1993, same difference). Again, the rest of the band (Boz Bennes, Adam Kattau, and Alex Fast) proves to be as formidable of a supporting cast as Drake and Fieldhouse have ever worked with (Damn - listen to those drums!). And stylistically, these two living legends continue to tear into the musical formula they helped define - demonstrating that they're still the best in the business. Accept no imitations! Grab a strong drink with one hand, crank up the volume with the other, and enjoy these killer tunes in all their degenerate glory. Can't wait for an LP!



-L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/TheLovesores
http://lovesores.bandcamp.com/

My first Red Dons review!

What's the best present-day band that I've never reviewed before? Easy answer: Red Dons. Why have I never reviewed Red Dons before? That's the tougher question! But, you know, it's never too late to atone for past omissions. Red Dons have a new 7" out on Grave Mistake and Taken By Surprise Records - their first since last summer's "Ausländer". And in keeping with previous releases, their sound continues to be one-of-a-kind yet still firmly in the realm of the melodic punk style I'm known to tout. Not many punk bands are releasing A-sides nearly five minutes in length. Even fewer could actually get away with it! But "Cold Hearted", which leads off Notes On The Underground, is up there with the best of the Red Dons' 7" tracks. Imagine, if you will, a genetic experiment where Echo and the Bunnymen's DNA got mixed with the Marked Men's. The intro approaches two minutes and highlights some truly exquisite lead guitar work. It's brooding and eerie, but by no means plodding. Even after the vocals come in, the song's dark undercurrent is no way obscured by its overt catchiness. If this is a sign of what's to come from Red Dons, we all should be very excited!

The back half of Notes On The Underground is more conventional but hardly pedestrian. "Losing Track" is textbook contemporary pop/punk with catchy leads, chunky bass lines, crazy sick drumming, and a melody that you will not be able to get out of your head for weeks. Coming on the heels of the more measured "Cold Hearted", it brings a nice surge of energy to the record. It's my fave track of the three. "Dead Ender" is in a similar vein of crisp & punchy melodic punk. It didn't shock me to discover that the latter two tracks were recorded a few years back, while "Cold Hearted" was just recorded this year. But in spite of the contrast between the sides, Notes On The Underground is an entirely satisfying EP. "Losing Track" and "Dead Ender" may be "lighter" in tone than Red Dons standards like "Ausländer" and "A Forced Turning Point". But they are killer tracks, and are sure to please anyone who's nuts for the "Dirtnap sound" . Given that the core members of this band are separated by thousands of miles and a very large ocean, it's no surprise that Notes On The Underground was three years in the making. But if you're a fan, you'll have to admit it was totally worth the wait. My first Red Dons review will definitely not be my last!


-L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/RED-DONS/48874580030
http://reddons.bandcamp.com/

Return of The Sensibles!

Like one of those giant, one-ounce straws of Pixy Stix chased with a double shot of Espresso, the new Sensibles album hits you with enough energy and over the top sweetness to ensure that you'll be smiling for hours. Put this record on, and you cannot have a bad day!

I instantly fell in love with Milan's Sensibles after hearing their last EP, and my only concern with the arrival of a full album was that they'd mess with a winning formula. So did they? Not even a little! The Sensibles have chosen to perfect the recipe rather than alter it, and this time it's all the sugar and twice the caffeine! From the opening strains of the accurately-titled "Happy", A Bunch of Animals is a joyful and upbeat affair full of infectious melodies and endearingly bubbly vocals from lead singer Stella. And while a lot of bands of this style can string together three or four quality tracks, The Sensibles have proven talented enough to fill an entire album with insanely catchy pop songs. Recorded at T.U.P. Studio with the great Bruno Barcella producing, A Bunch of Animals attains that perfect mix of bubblegum pop and buzzsaw punk that countless bands aim for but too often fail to achieve. I wholeheartedly recommend the album to any individual aged 1-100 who enjoys music that makes you wanna jump around and sing along exuberantly. It's just so much fun!

If there's anything "different" about this Sensibles record in relation to the last one, it's that the band has really found its unique voice within the familiar powerpop/punk style. No doubt, I still hear echoes of certain classic bands (Buzzcocks, Shonen Knife, early Muffs). But at this point, The Sensibles just sound like The Sensibles! A Bunch of Animals takes the boundless energy of the band's self-titled EP and sustains it for a full album, with none of the 12 tracks exceeding three minutes and only two surpassing two and a half. It's truly a dizzying succession of feelgood hooks and indelible choruses, and that can never be a bad thing in my book! There's not a single song here that wouldn't have been a standout on an EP. Every time you think you've finally heard "the hit", the next track comes along and makes you reconsider. From the gorgeously wistful "My Mattress" to the ultra exhilarating "I'm A Brat" to the impossibly adorable "Kitten Blues", the material is consistently engaging and varied enough to keep things fresh. The Sensibles do more than just entertain you. They totally win you over! After you hear this record, you'll want to hang out with The Sensibles. You'll want to cook them breakfast and buy them gifts for Christmas. You'll want a tattoo of their logo on your left calf. I've been a pop-punk fan for a very long time, and I'd say this album is a potential classic of the genre. Listen and love!



-L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/thesensibles
http://thesensibles666.bandcamp.com/

The Ten Greatest Ohio Punk LPs

There is something in the air that makes Ohio a breeding ground for excellent punk music. I have, for a long time, wanted to make this list. But actually doing it was harder than expected. Issue #1 was obeying Shawn Abnoxious (supreme authority on all things Ohio punk) and disqualifying the Dead Boys on the grounds that by the time they put out an album, they had long left (or in Shawn's words, "turned their backs on") the great state of Ohio. Issue #2 is deciding what does and does not count as "punk rock". Ohio has an incredible legacy of world-altering underground music, but a lot of its more storied bands (Devo, Electric Eels, Pere Ubu) were probably more new wave or avant garde than punk rock per se. Issue #3 is that many of the legendary Ohio punk groups either never released a proper LP (e.g. Kneecappers, Customs) or are better known for their singles (e.g. The Pagans). All of that said, I still think this is an impressive list covering a very lengthy period of time. In fact, I can think of very few states that could beat this top ten. As I like to say, Ohio always wins.

Without any further ado....

10. Chemo Kids (Cincinnati)- Radiation Generation (2000)
"Recorded by Andy Slob in his basement on December 7th, 1941 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii." Ha! A classic "Ohio punk" sound all the way from these Queen City degenerates. The world awaits a free stream of all Chemo Kids recordings.

9. Beatnik Termites (Cleveland) - Taste The Sand (1995)
One of the top five greatest pop-punk albums of the '90s and a huge influence on the "oldiescore" strand of the genre."9:15" is a stone cold classic song.

8. Toxic Reasons (Dayton) - Independence (1982)
Invoking the Shawn Abnoxious rule, this is the only Toxic Reasons album I can count for this list. If not their very best album, it's nonetheless one of the definitive titles of early '80s political hardcore.

7. Prisonshake (Cleveland)- The Roaring Third (1993)
As I stated in a recent post, I probably consider 1993 to be the greatest year for punk music in the last quarter century. This rip-roaring Andy Shernoff produced gem deserves to be part of the conversation. 

6. Rubber City Rebels/The Bizarros (Akron) - From Akron (1977)
Again, this is a case where a band (Rubber City Rebels) probably released its best music after it left Ohio. But there was no way I was going to do this list without including the Rubber City Rebels - the Dictators of the Midwest. "Brain Job" and "Child Eaters" are punk anthems for the ages. 

5. Gaunt (Columbus)- Yeah Me Too (1995)
Criminally underrated, Gaunt was one of the best punk bands going in the middle to late '90s, infusing melody and hooks into the fast and filthy punk sound that defined the Columbus scene. I singled out this title, but any Gaunt album is worth picking up. R.I.P. Jerry Wick.

4. Screaming Urge (Columbus)- self titled (1980)
A.k.a. "the blue album", this was one of the great overlooked American punk albums of the early '80s. Hitler's in Brazil! 

3. Pagans (Cleveland) - self titled (1983)
The Pagans, Ohio's greatest punk band, split in 1979. But Mike Hudson reassembled the band in 1982 with guitarist Mike "Tommy Gunn" Metoff and three all new members. If not quite on par with the band's classic singles, the self-titled "pink album" is still raging and essential. "Nowhere To Run" will blow your face off!

2. The Slobs (Cincinnati)- Down The Tubes (1996)
I remember reviewing this album back in the early days of my "career", and all these years later it holds up even better than anyone would have expected. A true masterpiece of snotty, scummy, in-your-face punk. One of the best and most underrated LPs of that glorious '95-2000 era of punk rock.

1. New Bomb Turks (Columbus) - !!Destroy-Oh-Boy!! (1993)
What I love about the New Bomb Turks is that they were proud of their Ohioan punk legacy and clearly cited the Pagans and Dead Boys as influences. !!Destroy-Oh-Boy!! starts with that little spark and proceeds to start a fire that burns down everything in sight. This is American-style '77 punk played at wreckless warp speed, and its importance in the garage-punk/punk rock n' roll pantheon cannot be overestimated. Even if the Dead Boys had been eligible for this list, I would have kept !!Destroy-Oh-Boy!! at #1.

Honorable Mentions:
Nervosas- Descension
The Marbles- Seduction
The Proms- Helpless Romantic
Sign Offs- self titled  
Kill The Hippies- Spasms In The New Age
The Gits- Private Lubs a.k.a. Kings And Queens
GC5- Kisses From Hanoi 
The Dopamines- Vices
Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments - Bait and Switch

Okay, now it's your turn. Tell me who I forgot!

-L.R.

Lift-Off!

The Thirteen had me at "loud, raucous rock 'n' roll with plenty of melody and hooks". Their music more than lives up to the description, but shows pleasantly surprising diversity. Formed in 2007 as a vehicle for scene veteran Sal Cannestra's songwriting aspirations, the Philadelphia outfit went through a few lineup changes before solidifying into a power trio two years ago when Jack Kontes became permanent drummer. One of my favorite guys in rock n' roll, Peter Santa Maria (Jukebox Zeros), has been a fixture on bass since 2008. New album Lift-Off! is the band's second release, and first with the current lineup. Cannestra (guitar/vocals) is still the primary songwriter, but Santa Maria contributes a couple songs as well and sings lead on those tracks. And while this band does highlight Cannestra's formidable songwriting talents, The Thirteen is a rock n' roll band first and foremost. Lift-Off has the feel of a live band rocking out on stage - with big, crunchy guitars and a tight, hard-hitting rhythm section. The material is a strong mix of high energy powerpop/punk/rock n' roll ("Sweetie Honey", "Outta My Mind"), classic alt rock ("See You Around", "Semantics"), epic song stories ("Bobby and Rose"), and genuinely good power ballads ("Me, You, and Him", "Moped Ride"). The more straight-ahead Stones/Thunders/Replacements inspired tracks were my favorites upon first contact, but over several listens I really became drawn to some of the songs one might refer to as "growers". "Me, You, and Him" is a heartbreaking exploration of the repercussions of marital infidelity, while "Bobby and Rose" skillfully blends Cannestra's post-hardcore roots with the sensibilities of a more traditional singer/songwriter. I can't quite put my finger on who "Steal This Song" is stolen from, but it's great fun! And Santa Maria's "See You Around" could pass for a missing track off of Flip Your Whig. I love that there's real intelligence and substance to this record, yet at no point does the band take itself too seriously or neglect to rock. Self-recorded on an 8-track and then mixed and mastered by Stephen Egerton, Lift-Off! sounds amazing and really ought to be heard on vinyl. I can also vouch for the band's excellent debut album, but I think Lift-Off! really benefits from the musical chemistry these three have cultivated. This is a true band - not just a songwriter and a couple of supporting players. I am notoriously a sucker for hooky rock n' roll, and The Thirteen excels at the style without sounding like any other band out there. Lift-Off! is the kind of album that will make you wish your turntable had a repeat button!



-L.R. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Thirteen/131564793577845
http://thethirteen.bandcamp.com/album/lift-off

Get Dumb!

For a brief and harrowing period earlier this year, The Mongrolls were no more. How a one-man band can actually break up is a mystery to me (sounds like the plot to a gruesome sci-fi/horror flick). But it really happened. I tried to take responsibility for any role that I may have played in this highly distressing development. I asked myself if I had played my Mongrolls CDs loud enough. I wondered if my Mongrolls reviews had lacked adequate vocabulary or sufficient syntax. I took myself to task for not buying the complete set of Mongrolls action figures. Had I cut too many Boston Bruins from my fantasy hockey team? Consumed by guilt and dashed dreams, I went into a prolonged existential funk that was only relieved by the sudden and unexpected news that The Mongrolls were back from the dead. Hark! There is joy in Rutland! The Mongrolls are back with the long-awaited Get Dumb - their fourth and by far best album!

While I'd recommend all of the Mongrolls' albums, Get Dumb finally nails what Greg's been going for all these years: lo-fi trash meets powerpop/punk with a touch of Killed By Death. I'd say this is the strongest and hookiest collection of songs Greg has written to date. There are no filler tracks. And from a production & fidelity standpoint, Greg could write the manual on how a "garage" punk recording should sound. For sure, it takes real smarts to make music this stupid. I love the blown-out guitar sound, shouted caveman vocals, and crude, borderline incompetent drumming. The title track is up there with all the classic Mongrolls songs, and "Don't Wanna Know" could pass for some long-lost artifact unearthed from the Rip Off Records treasure chest. "Jerkinittou" is not a cover, but it still suggests a top shelf garage rock novelty hit of yore (Jerkin' it to you? Wasn't that a big dance craze back in the '60s?). And the songs that are covers are great fun as always. The Ronettes' 1963 top ten smash "Be My Baby" and the Amatones' new wave pop obscurity "Plastic Surgeon" both get completely Mongroll-fied, while a smashing rendition of the Roky Erickson/Bleib Alien rager "Two Headed Dog" does not disappoint. But while everyone always looks forward to the covers on a Mongrolls record, Get Dumb is equally rich in quality originals like "Retained It" (Iggy and the Stooges meet The Three Stooges?) and the teethkicking closer "All For You".

There's plenty of stuff out there trying to pass itself off as garage-punk that has nothing to do with garage or punk. But Get Dumb is the real deal - and a sweet deal at that for only $5! I'd like to think of "Get Dumb" as not just the title of an album or song, but as the inspiration for a major movement in American culture. Time to get on board!




-L.R.

http://themongrolls.bandcamp.com/album/get-dumb
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mongrolls-Official/124466010939522