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March 26, 2007

Evil Empire - "Evil Empire Sucks"

Evil Empire - "Evil Empire Sucks" - I guess they listened to the CD before titling it. The "singer" screams out lyrics, the drummer seems to just try to hit every part of the kit as fast as he/she can and they throw in random horns to really top it off. In some ways those attributes could be good/interesting, but in this instance it's just really bad.
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Sick Sick Sick -"The Devil Is Real"

Sick Sick Sick  -"The Devil Is Real" - Not the best recording, nothing complex, just a punk screaming about everday things, with fast loud music behind him. Reminds me a lot of 80's garage punk. I love 80's garage punk! It's loud, crude, angry, and true punk rock! The closest comparison of style, not substance is D.R.I. If you like old gutter punk style tunes you'll like this album.
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March 25, 2007

Lame Duck - "Chaos Theory"

Lame Duck - "Chaos Theory" - It's speedy punk rock with sneering vocals and a heavy dose of snotty pop to it.  On the whole, it's fun, fast and stupid and well worth spending two more hours at work to afford it. "Anti-Hero" is a true punk rock anthem that is a perfect reflection of being a punk rock teenager.
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The Sheckies - Fear & Loathing in New Jersey

The Sheckies - Fear & Loathing in New Jersey - Another pop punk blast, sweet enough to land you in the dentist's chair immediately after slapping it on the turntable.
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A Wilhelm Scream - "Ruiner"

A Wilhelm Scream - "Ruiner" - I had already listened to this and thought it was one of the worst release I've heard this year. After listening to it a few more times, the truth outs: this is just horrible. Put down the drugs and put the effort towards making music worth listening to.
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The Pheramones - "More Mature Than You"

The Pheramones - "More Mature Than You" - These guys have a hilarious sense of humor! The songs on this album are so sarcastic it makes me laugh thinking about it. The song writing is simple and isn't afraid to insult anyone & everyone just like the days of old Guttermouth. This is true "Punk" as it was meant to be played, chapped ass raw, obnoxiously politically incorrect, and intelligently good.
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Greenbrier Lane - "Bombs Away"

Greenbrier Lane - "Bombs Away" - Silly and poppy punked-up rock (which really only differs from Eddie Money in the tempo), which is incredibly fun. Yes, the songs are goofy and about liking women and some of the lyrics are juvenile, but that's precisely what makes this enjoyable. Mature punk is an oxymoron. This is punk for the kids and it's just the way it should be - melodic, catchy as a seine net and even touching at times.
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The Prozacs - "Monsters Night Out"

The Prozacs "Monsters Night Out" - How does this rule? Let me count the ways - 1. It rocks. 2. It rolls. 3. It kicks serious ass. Sure, maybe it's just another pop punk record, but let's get real here - The Prozacs do what they do quite well and it's highly enjoyable and melodic. Grade A pop punk, with Inspector 17's mark of approval.
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Pickled Dick - "Exercise your demons"

Pickled Dick - "Exercise your demons" - Sooner or later, I'll run out of things to say about punk and with any luck, Pickled Dick will be around when I do and spark the creative engine all over again. That's the problem with us critic types - we have internal combustion engines which require interesting stuff - no fuel, no fire, no story. Thankfully, Pickled Dick manages to strip punk of pretension and make it fun again. They play punk in much the same way the Ramones did, which is to say they approach it with the same reduction aesthetic of returning punk to its basic,fun, ideal form.
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Mighty Midgets - Split "Mighty Midgets vs. The Cakes

The band's name alone should be reason enough to get this, but if you insist on purchasing records for the music that's on them, this EP doesn't disappoint. It's speedy, melodic punk rock that is truly great. It doesn't look like much, but you shouldn't judge a punk record by its cover.
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Various Artist - "Shut up and do it"

Everything here sounds like theme music, but after a great deal of looking, I am unhappy to report that I was unable to find a theme. Don't put this at the top of your purchase list by any means - you'll get by fine without it.
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Teenage Rehab

Teenage Rehab - "More than a job" -These cuts aren't bad but aren't especially good either. They're fast, melodic and gallop along like a horse hell bent for a coronary at the race track.
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Violent Society

 Violent Society - If you ever saw a show in the Philly / south Jersey area in the ‘90 you’ve probably seen Violent Society. They have played every where with just about everyone. They had a big influence on a ton of bands to come out of the Philly area, (Nothing, Tripe, Khrissy, Kid Dynamite, Calm in Sight, to name a few.).
     If you've never heard them they are that simple hardcore sound, with the vocal style of Kid Dynamite. Their shows where some of wildest sweat filled shows I ever seen. Their songs make my blood pump faster, my fist to ball up, and my jaw to clench. When I hear them I want to jump in a pit and let it all loose. If you don't have
their stuff you need to find!
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The Loved Ones

The Loved Ones - Is it me or does the Philadelphia/New Jersey Area have the best punk in the US right now? These boys are no exception; they aren't the radio pop punk, but more of a comparison to Husker Du and the early Replacements, with better hooks.  If you’re chillin' out listening, you'll catch yourself tapping your feet and singin' along with the chorus. Don't get me wrong, their not the best band since Jawbreaker, but definitely have some catchy songs
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March 23, 2007

Slap Madcap

Slap Madcap- Melodic rock which ... sdfgirhiewrbdfgfiuh673airhip'erhaerpihniodhnarargadhahg4aerhaerherhahart849067azrghaer ... sorry, dozed off on the keyboard there. Ummm ... is about as entertaining as watching professional domino's on tv.
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March 20, 2007

The Grizzley Ends - "Capguns 'n Coke VS The Grizzley Ends"

The Grizzley Ends - "Capguns 'n Coke VS. The Grizzley Ends - The Grizzley Ends aren't bad, but for some reason beyond me I couldn't get into them. It seems like that instruments in the songs and the vocals just don't mix well. Neither is bad, but they just don't compliment each other. That being said there was one song of the six that seemed to mesh much better that the other five. Knife Fight is a little faster than the others (and 30 seconds long), but by speeding up the instruments and vocals they seemed to  connect much better. Again like the other "side" of the split the recording drowneds out the vocals with instruments, maybe that would help it mesh better.

So, nothing to write home about.

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Capguns 'n Coke - "Capguns 'n Coke Vs. The Grizzley Ends

Capguns 'n Coke - "Capguns n' Coke VS. The Grizzley Ends - The first thing to come to mind was "Oh Yeah!" , Instantly I was hooked like a junkie on Crack! Capguns 'n Coke have the potenial to be a major influence in the punk world. This disc has some flaws, but over all they definately have what it takes. The singers has catchy Weasel-ish  voice, the guitar riffs are simple, but memorable, the bass line stand out as really leading the songs perfectly, the beats just make you start to nod your head and tap your feet.  All that being said there was one thing that stood out as annoying. The recording itself is clear, but the instuments volume, really overpower the vocals. I wished I could have had the vocals stand out more, but otherwise a great album. 

My favorite song on this album would have to be (Why won't you) Dance with me? This song has great lyrics, real poppy, and even throws in a (great balls of fire style) piano solo. This song is an instant pop-punk classic.

So it's safe to say I really enjoyed this disc and think any fan of Screeching Weasel would love it.

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March 18, 2007

Plan B -

Plan B - Skate punk sounds of the early 90's before pop-punk went limp. One of the best songs the have is "I Fucked Your Girlfriend". They have great lyrics, istrument play, and have variety in their songs, meaning they don't all sound the same. The worst part about them is they just played their last show. Their definately a fun band and it's same that most artist aren't recognized as great until after their gone.
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No One's Hero - "Start a Revolution"

 No One's Hero - Start a Revolution"- Yeah I'm a chicksack homer! I can't do one review without adding some band from Philly, but fuckin cockrings, the Philly bands are so good. Their music is like a cold drink after a hot night of jackrabbit sex. The only way to describe them is ...punk rock! They run their own record label (Poorboy Records), write their songs, play great shows, and still have time to fuck shit up.
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Daggermouth -

Daggermouth - A cool combination of Hardcore & pop Punk. Definately not cookie cutter poptart punk band ready to take over MTV and get a reality show.Their pretty fuckin funny as well. They got kicked off of Myspace because they posted that some fuckhead rocker record company got a DUI and advised people to send him some emails.  The dude gets pissed and cry like a fucking cunt to "TOM" and Daggermouth get the shaft. FUCK, TOM and FUCK NICKELBAG or who ever the fuck they are. The guys in Daggermouth aren't just putting their dicks in their mouths either. Their putting their money where their mouths are and donating $1 for ever item sold in the next two months to M.A.D.D (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). So show your support check them out.
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Rude Buddha - "Fighter"

Rude Buddha - "Fighter" - I like their name, but unfortunately thats it. Their not a bad band musically and will probably make it big on MTV, but definately not what I or any true punk rocker would like. They sound more like a band from the Dawson's Creek sountrack than punk. So, if your into punk rock don't waste your time, but if you like the music on One Tree Hill pick it up.
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The Sentiments

The Sentiments - They have some of the 50's doo-wop sound, similar to the Zatopeks. The difference is that they do not just stick to that style. They go from the doo-wop sound to a straight up punk rock songs. I don't know a lot about them except their from Germany, their website is in all German, & their on Pussy Hunter Records.
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Banner Pilot -

Banner Pilot – A band out of Minneapolis, MN Banner Pilot sounds just like early Jawbreaker. Coming from me that’s a compliment, since I’ve been a big fan of Jawbreaker since ’89. There’s been a few times I had “Sun Belt Scars” playing in the background and would have sworn it was Jawbreaker. Without a doubt have the influence of the early ’90 pop-punk scene (Husker Du, Jawbreaker, Face to Face, etc..)
    With that being said  there doesn’t seem to be much range in the songs, meaning they all sound a lot a like and blend together (ie, Face to Face), good music but no variety.  They’re very talented, but only time will tell if they will mix it up a little and have some variety to their sound.
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Convict Orange -

Convict Orange***I need to start out by putting a disclaimer, one of these guys wrote me a message on myspace a while back pretty much saying I was trying to sponge money from the “punk scene” because I was going to charge $5 for feature artists. What he said made some sense, but he was kind of a dick about it. We kissed and made up, so if I I do have a negative review it has nothing to do with it.***

        When I read all of the stuff this dude was writing, I thought to myself, “Turtle, this band better be good, because this dude sure is acting like a fuckin’ cunt.”

          So I listened and thought that the music was REALLY bad. The timing was all off and sounded like they WANTED to song like Dropkick Murphy’s, but just didn’t have any talent. The recordings sounded like they hooked a soup can on string to a boombox and posted them on myspace. Mind you, I was annoyed by the way that dude attacked me I decided to wait a while and then review them. So, I listened to their songs again and was surprised. Three of the four songs they have on myspace are decent, a much better recording and the timing was 10x better. The 4th song was one of the one’s I had heard and still sounded really bad.  They’re still not one of my favorites, but not as bad as I originally thought & on the right path to getting better.

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The Erection Kids - "Titty City"

The Erection Kids - These D-town whipper snappers knock the nuts of the trees. They look like they’re fresh out of Unami Junior High, but have the sound of a put together punk band.. After you listen to these mugs, you wouldn’t believe, they don’t even have a CD out yet. Doylestown, Pa is a weird place, there a lot of punk bands & big time skaters that come from that area. Their has been the Dead Milkmen, Khrissy, Nothing, Nc-13’s, Tripe, Let Down, Calm In Sight, etc… Don’t forget Alisha Moore aka , Pink …

 

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Pinboys

PinBoys – Have you ever thought you where going to hate something and then find out that you really liked it? That’s how I felt when I first heard PinBoys. I’m not a big fan of female punk singers, whether it is the overly aggressive vocals trying to one up the rest of the band or the whiney high pitched eardrum piercing sound that they usually generate, but God Damn do they annoy me (Send Hate mail to kissmyass@punkrockreview.org ). This Denmark based band describes themselves as the following –

  Inspired by bands from the whole punk-rock scene (Fall Out Boy, Story of the Year, Sugarcult etc.) as well as old legends such as Iron Maiden and Metallica, the band creates their own unique sound. What makes PinBoys stand out from the thousands of other pop-punk bands is the full use of both a male and female lead vocal. The two vocals have their own identity, but together they match in perfect harmony. Furthermore, PinBoys add loads of details and ripping guitar riffs, which put a lot of variety in their songs, but at the same time, the band always keep them snappy.
      Live, PinBoys is a rocking act. They know how to make a party. At the same time PinBoys is very professional and eager to play shows at a high level. That means that what you hear on the CD, is what you get live. When you book PinBoys you get the real thing! The band has played most venues in
Denmark, and all over Germany, the Benelux countries and the USA. They have played with great bands such as Donots, Die Happy, 4Lyn, 5Bugs and One Fine Day.


       So far the music of PinBoys has caught the attention of thousands of fans from all over the world as well as loads of promoters, managements and record labels. Topping the charts at Garageband.com, massive airplay on several well-known radios and many good reviews in international magazines have made a stir about PinBoys. So far the band has done everything the D.I.Y. way, but still with a very professional attitude. Booking tours and releasing EPs has all been handled by the band itself. The hard work and great music has now given them a contract with the Danish management, Iceberg Records.


They don’t give themselves a good description; they don’t sound anything like the bands that they say inspired them. They’re nothing like an EMO or Metal band, they have a unique sound because of the Mix of the vocals of Anne Kalstrup & Jakob Thalund Møller they’re able to balance the control of vocals for a great duet style punk music. They’re not going to appeal to Hardcore only punks, but will definitely appeal to fans of pop-punk

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The Knob -

The Knob – The Knob started one warm summer afternoon in 2001 in Seinäjoki, Finland. They have a really good pop-punk sound. Their from Europe, have a slight accent in the singing, slow it down and speed it up like Millencolin, but I feel that they have a better sound. Millincolin is the best comparison I could come up with, but they have their own style. The song “Irony Scene” is one of the best songs; it has unique guitar parts, excellent lyrics, and a cool male/female duet. Once you hear it, the song sticks with you.

           The band doesn’t give a fuck if you download all their music for free; they have so much out there to be zipped into your computer. They downloaded one of their entire shows (in multiple mp3’s) and are fuckin’ sick. They play songs from the beginning up to their new songs, and do some great covers of old Greenday and other cool early ‘90’s stuff.  Their website ( www.theknobband.net ) provides you with all the downloads you’ll need (22  full songs straight from their CD’s free + access to download the full show I was talking about) and access to purchase their newest stuff online. Pick ‘em up, they will become one of your favorite bands. ….GO BUY THIS SHIT! You’ll be the coolest punk rocker on the block!

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By All Means -

By.All.Means.-  is a Southern California Rock band that has been together for 7 years. A 3-piece group with 3 albums under their belt, with the newest effort "What You Make Of It" being the best to date. After playing shows locally in the SouthBay and some shows in the Orange County areas, it has come time to venture out to new lands. All of the members listen to different styles of music but .By.All.Means. records and live shows reflect their love for fast paced Punk Rock with some melody. Keep your eyes and ears open for .By.All.Means. because they will be around for while.

Comments from Jonny Taint -   My wiener is big like their sound .

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Sidewalk Crax

SideWalk Crax - No Website other than MySpace, no Bio, but god damn are they good. They're out of  Chicago, IL  and looks like their on a small indie label called Tic Tac Totally Records .

Comments from Jonny Taint - Fucking Great!!!

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Vulture Club -

VULTURE CLUB - Go-Go-Daddy-O.... Vulture Club is about 4 rock´n roll loving guys playing around with their instruments. Drums, double-bass, guitar and a voice... basicly just enjoying serious fun. We started out somewhere in may-april 2005... toying around with songs from other bands and at the same time making some songs of our own. So it had been somewhat a year from the first Vulture Club meeting, when in may 2006 we went to studio to record 6 songs and here are 4 of them. Hope you like them... if you don´t, can´t help.. this is how we do it, this is the way we sound. But if you do like, rock on!!! And if you´d like to here more songs from us, be patient... patient like vultures sky, waiting for the meal to die. There will be more. Have no doubt, brothers and sisters ;) Contact: vulturemail@gmail.com

Comment from Jonny Taint- If I was into swing dancing, and goth, it would be cool, but I'm not.

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The Ray Gradys -

THE RAY GRADYS - Since 1996 The Ray Gradys have been impressing audiences across the U.S. with their creative songwriting and outspoken lyrics. The music is a blend of West Coast punk and East coast hardcore, but is still influenced by old school '77 style punk rock. Since the Creation of the Ray Gradys, they have released 6 cd's and been touring both coasts of the U.S. as much as possible. In 2002 founding members Earl & Jon decided to move the band from Charlotte, North Carolina to Philadelphia, PA in hopes of widening their fan base and to be closer to a greater range of venues that book bands such as their own. Since the addition of Mike Yak on drums they have progressed into one of the tightest and most entertaining bands in the Philadelphia area playing numerous shows with good humor, stage presence and just putting on a damn good show! So If you're ready for Originality in a sea of music that has washed up and out. Get ready for The Ray Gradys.

Sounds Like - Late 80's - Early 90's garage punk

Comments from Jonny Taint - Old School Garage Punk style, gruff & fast. They have 2 myspace pages with a total of 8 free downloads.

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Beat Beat Beat -

Beat Beat Beat - so we currrently recording are album for dirtnap/alien snatch at the moment... this is the reason for the lack of shows and shit. but as soon as were done we'll be back, mabey even with something to sell... Beat Beat Beat "Cheap Time" EP White-hot platter of energetic punk from another in the line of great bands to pop up down in Atlanta that seems to be getting longer every day. These kids share members with both The Carbonas and The Frantic, and have some aspects of those bands as well, mainly a hardcore-like quickness and a knack for catchy tunes. "Savage Girl" is as good an example of sleazy power-pop gem-cutting that I can remember in recent years. The c-c-catchy c-c-chorus on "Not So Innocent" is responsible for me requiring to replace the needle on my turntable due to my need to listen to this song at least fifty times the week I got it. The tempo change on "Sick Sad" will make you wanna jump out of a moving car.

Comment from Jonny Taint -  Sound and look a lot like 80's New Wave bands.Definately have the flock of Sea Gulls hair down. 

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5606 -

5606 -  Formed on the streets of downtown San Jose in the late nineties, 5606 is quickly growing themselves a cult following of fans all over the world. This high energy pop punk outfit seems to intrigue music fans of all types with their sing along melodies, punch you in the face delivery of music, and unforgettable live shows. Since the beginning, 5606 has given audiences live performances that make you want to move your body and has fans walking away from the show with their jaws to the floor.

Comment from Jonny Taint -  The EMO hair should give it away, but if it doesn't they sound like a pop-punk boy band. Watch out they could be on a reality show with Ashley Simpson.

 

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Joe Jitsue -

Joe Jitsu- is a 4-piece pop punk band from Beaumont TX. The term "pop punk" is thrown around alot these days. We stand by the term as originally derived from The Ramones, as in 3 chord, short, melodic pop songs. We fuse our own style of the genre by mixing buzzy/fuzzy guitars with grab you by the heart hooks and topping it off with honest vocals and harmonies. Get all that?

Comment from Jonny Taint -  They look like ska nerds, but rock like a car on lovers lane.

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The Mcrackins -

Mcrackins - Although the band has been taking somewhat of a much-needed break from the recording studio over the last few years, they have decided to get Back To The Crack with a vengeance. In true MCRACKINS fashion, the band have been hard at work in the studio since October 2004 and have just finished what they have self described as a world class bubblepunk masterpiece of epic proportions. With over 14 months and countless hours invested in this opus, it promises to not disappoint. Their 12th cd which will be called Bat Out Of Shell, will be released worldwide later this year by the fine folks at Wynona Records, Italy and will contain 12 new ear buzzin toons with enough hooks and harmonies to make even Brian Wilson smile. A full European tour will follow in Jan/Feb 2007 in support. So Get Crackin the MCRACKINS are back!!!!

Comment from Jonny Taint -  If I would have seen them before hearing them, I would have thought they where fucking retarded.

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The Apers - "For you and your loser buddies"

 The Apers "For you and your loser buddies" - had the pleasure of rocking out with bands like the Groovie Ghoulies, The Queers, Chixdiggit, The Hives, The Hi-Fives, Mr. T Experience, Dee Dee Ramone, Marky Ramone, Travoltas, Huntingtons, Yum Yums, Peter Pan Speedrock, Heideroosjes, Peawees, Manges, Backwood Creatures, Sonic Dolls, Dirtshakes, Zatopeks, 20 Belows, Janez Detd., Darlington, Retarded, Johnie 3, Copyrights, Ergs, Unlovables and many more cool bands.

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The Wish You Weres

The Wish You Weres formed in late 2004 by Joey Coma and Bryan Moore, These guys show obvious influences from Social Distortion & Screeching Weasel, yet their songs form a style that is all their own. With a wide aray of sounds from one song to the next, yet still sounding like the same band, these guys pull off a sort of magic that is somewhat unheard of these days. It is a magic that almost everyone is sure to enjoy.

Comment from Jonny Taint - If a girl in the audience flashes her boobs at you and theirs a picture of it does it make you a rock star and her a porn star?

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Disobedients - "Self Titled"

Disobedients - are an unsigned punk band from Knoxville, TN. When they say punk band they mean punk (not a metal-punk band, emo-punk band, or indie band claiming to have punk influence.They just released thier 1st "EP", Getta Whiffa Dis and are excited to share it with anyone who will listen. Personally I love the attitude these punks have. They are being bankrolled by anyone and are completely DIY. You might be reading this and be thinking "shit, we do the same thing", but what are you doing about it. Their getting themselves out there giveing away their CD's and fuckin things up. If you're looking to make something of your band, take a tip from the Disobedients and create a difference, not sit and wait for the differnce to happen on it's own.

Comments from Jonny Taint - Their raw, ugly, and angry! A great combination for dirty old school punks.

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Young People With Faces - "Self Titled"

Young People With Faces - "If BLONDIE had turned down their major label deal, listened obsessively to THE STOOGES, moved to L.A., and put out a single on DANGERHOUSE records, they definitely would have sounded like YOUNG PEOPLE WITH FACES"--Lord Rutledge, NOW WAVE MAGAZINE, January 2006. "This band is a trip. Being from Idaho and looking like extras on 'Dawson's Creek', they sure dish out some cool sloppy punk. DANGERHOUSE ALL THE WAY"--Ray Lujan, MAXIMUMROCKNROLL 272. Young People With Faces is a young band on a mission: reclaim the sound and spirit of the original punk rock movement as though hardcore (and its descendents) never existed. Comprised of three teenage girls on guitar, drums and lead vocals, and a teenage guy on bass and (mostly) backing vocals, their debut CD features a dozen originals (13 on the vinyl LP) and one cover (available from undergroundmedicine.com, midheaven.com, and interpunk.com).

Comments from Jonny Taint - They have descibed themselves as sounding like the Ramones played at 45 rpm. FUCK THEM! How dare they compare themselves to the Ramones, I wouldn't even compare them to Josie & the Pussycats or The Jabberjaw band. They fucking suck worse then the Donna's or Ashley Simpson

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