They’ve been a mainstay on the Fat Wreck Chords band roster since 1996, and yet after a seven-year hiatus and the recent departure of their bassist Spike Slawson, Swingin’ Utters have followed up their 2011 release Here, Under Protest with Poorly Formed. This new full-length LP is the first to feature new bassist Miles Peck and marks the band’s eighth studio album.

To be honest, I let this one spin in my car’s CD player for a good week, rarely hitting the “next track” button. The opening track, “Librarians Are Hiding Something,” is catchy as hell and sets that bait that hooks you in for the entire 14-track ride. Musically speaking, there’s a really fine line walked here, with the sound being just polished enough to sound really nice and rough enough on the edges to lay true to the street punk sound the Utters are known for.

“Greener Grass” hits with their ode to that Celtic sound, mixing an acoustic guitar bed with Johnny Bonnel’s rough-edged vocals. “Temporary Contemporary” is one of my personal favorites on Poorly Formed, as it may be one of the most straightforward and simple cuts on the album, but the guitar hook and vocals — especially during the chorus — really hits it home. “I’m a Little Bit Country” and “Military Barbara Billingsley” provide the lyrically comical and satirical element, and things end on a very mellow and unexpected note with acoustic cut “Sevita Sing.”

One small criticism of this album is regarding the vocal effects placed on Bonnel’s vocals on the title cut and the song “Brains” with what I can only call “Mike Ness echo effect.” This effect on the vocals does nothing but make the vocalist sound like Ness. Perhaps that’s my own personal irritation, since I’m not a Social D fan and really don’t care for Mike Ness’s vocals. But otherwise, this album is near flawless from beginning to end. A solid effort that’s truly enjoyable to listen to over and over.

(Fat Wreck Chords, 2196 Palou Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124)

SNUFF – 5-4-3-2-1…Perhaps?

Sometimes I’ll hear a band, pick up an album, enjoy it, and plan to dive deeper into their discography but never get the chance. This is the case with Snuff. I own Tweet Tweet My Lovely and fully love the hell out of it. But in the mix of finding new music and sticking with standards, I never checked out their older or newer material.

That’s why I’m stoked to be reviewing  5-4-3-2-1 Perhaps? Musically, I find their sound to be quite interesting and innovative. Mixing heavily drummed punk rock, melodic (yet hard-hitting) guitars, Hammond organ, and a single trombone, Snuff’s sound is extremely distinctive and bold. And then there’s drummer and vocalist Duncan Redmonds’ vocals — perhaps the most noticeable attribute to Snuff’s sound. Some might cringe at his vocal styling, but I find it fits in its own weird way. Unfortunately I was not sent lyrics to this album.

5-4-3-2-1 Perhaps flows much like Tweet Tweet My Lovely did in the sense that there’s a mix material that ranges from straightforward rock to blistering fast tunes. “Mumbo Jumbo” lights up the album with the fastest and hardest tracks, and is backed up by “Rat Run”, a more bouncy (yet solid) tune. The poppy “EFL” comes across with a sound like Madness (“The Sun and The Rain” comes to mind). There are two versions of “In The Stocks” featured on the album, one being the electric version that opens up the album, and the acoustic version that closes the album.

In all, a solid record that flows really well as a whole and only solidifies the fact I really should look into checking out their other albums.

(Fat Wreck Chords, 2196 Palou Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124)

LESS THAN JAKE – Greeting & Salutations

Greetings & Salutations is the latest release from ska-punk veterans Less Than Jake. While this 12-song effort is considered a full length album, the reality is that this is simply their two last EPs – Greetings From Less Than Jake and Seasons Greetings From Less Than Jake — combined into one full-length collection. There are also two unreleased songs that appear on the album, “View From The Middle” and “Flag Holders Union.” Apparently, Greetings and Seasons Greetings didn’t get much attention from the LTJ fan base, as releases were only available online and at live shows. The two releases were also put out by LTJ’s own record label, Sleep It Off — thus limiting distribution and availability.

With Greetings & Salutations being released in the US on Fat Wreck, the hope is to get the newer material into the hands of the fans. Those happy with Less Than Jake’s newer material will appreciate the sound featured here — straightforward rock backed by horns with a touch of ska guitar. For those of you who missed the two last EP releases, this proves to be a great chance to catch up on LTJ’s post GNV FLA material.

(Fat Wreck Chords, 2196 Palou Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124)

GNARBOOTS – A.L.B.U.M.

Comprised of members of Bay Area musical outfits including Link 80 and Shinobu, Gnarboots have been wowing crowds all over northern California with their eccentric live shows for a few years now — although when comparing some of the live show clips on YouTube to the material found on A.L.B.U.M., there’s quite a notice able difference.
 Most of their live material is quite silly, to put it bluntly, featuring the band freestyle rapping and performing as what appears to be comedy band.

While some of the lyrical content and delivery is done in a whimsical style, the 11 cuts found on this their debut album have a downright catchy, straightforward punk sound that is quite impressive. I will admit that it took a few listens to get accustomed to the vocals on a few key tracks like “Japan 2” (can you say “tone-deaf”?). With some of the more poppy songs like “Martian Chronicles” and “Grown Ass Man” going into some of the harder tracks like “Tinnitus” and “Omnivore,” one would think that the flow of this album would be off. On the contrary, the mix of tempos from song to song gives the album a fresh flow straight through to the 11th track.

There’s definitely something oddly appealing about Gnarboots’ musical style — something I can’t put my finger on. The first listen was not that pleasurable, but as I tracked through A.L.B.U.M. a few more times, it grew on me like an acquired taste.

(Asian Man Records, PO Box 35585, Monte Sereno, CA 95030)

HUMAANA – Comfort

Reviewing material such as this fine EP from Boston indie rock outfit Humaana always brings me joy. I really wish I could pinpoint the sound of this genre, but simply put, the music on Comfort does just that: it brings comfort. For a little background on the band, Humaana is an offshoot of the defunct group Late Nite Wars, featuring their bass player Aaron Bernard and drummer Tim Manning. Along with Manning and Bernard, Humaana features Ryan Stack on vocals and Jordan Ignacio on keys and backing vocals.

The music featured here brings a mix of repetitive guitar riffs, electronic tweaks, and the catchy, poppy vocals of Stack.  The sound is very similar to other bands that have championed the indie-electronic sound such as Minus The Bear, Facing New York, and Portugal. The Man. The opening track entitled “Passing Parade” draws you in with the spacy guitar cuts and the catchy vocals and leads right into “Live Like The Sixties” — full of  a hard and harsh bass guitar-driven beat. “Winter at Faneuil” closes out the EP with a stripped-down and slowed-down mellow track featuring acoustic guitar and Stack on vocals. It’s a real nice, and dare I say, comforting way to end the album. If you’re a fan of the indie-electro rock genre like I am, you will be impressed by this effort.

(Panic Records, no address provided)

TOTAL CHAOS – Battered and Smashed

It seemed that after the inauguration of Barack Obama, many of those in the punk community took a step back in vocalizing their disgust for the American political system. Los Angeles-based punk rock outfit Total Chaos, however, show no signs of backing down from speaking out about the troubles that still plague our country.

Featured on Battered and Smashed is Total Chaos’s signature mix of punk rock and hardcore that they have been producing for 20-plus years. While Battered and Smashed is full of political commentary, such as on the tracks “Wake Up America” and “Political Recession,” the album also features more fun-filled and lighthearted tunes, including the singalong opening cut “Hooligan’s Holiday,” as well as “Do The Tony.”

Musically, the album is pretty straightforward in delivery. The band’s rowdy and raucous style adheres to the traditional hardcore punk sound, but adds stellar guitar work by way of some blistering solos featured throughout the album.

Just past the halfway point in Battered and Smashed is a surprise in the form of the song “Going Down,” which is reminiscent of Sublime with its mix of a laid-back ska guitar riff and beat with a blistering, up-tempo punk rock chorus. The guitar breakdown mid-song sounds very much in the vein of Brad Nowell, and by featuring lyrics about drug addiction and abuse, I definitely think this was a nod toward the Long Beach band.

Battered and Smashed has its share of good tracks but I found some cuts were too repetitive in lyric and song structure. Even with its repetitiveness, the album stays true to Total Chaos’s brand of punk rock – especially when it comes to the political and social content of the lyrics.

(Stomp Records, 1223 Blvd. Saint-Laurent, Suite 305, Montreal, QC H2X 2S6 Canada)

THE DIAMOND CENTER – California/Bells

Blending musical elements of folk rock and psychedelia, Richmond, Virginia’s The Diamond Center hit upon their 17th release with this two-song seven-inch EP. Adorning side A is the featured cut “California,” a dreamy tune driven by the light and floaty vocals of Brandy Price with the backing of guitars and organ, giving the song a true ’60s throwback sound — imagine The Doors meet early Pink Floyd.

“Bells” takes up side B’s seven minutes and 19 seconds. Much like side A, the sound replicates that progressive psychedelic sound of the past. Here the sound has a much heavier Floyd influence, reflected in the chord progressions and the overall structure of the song (Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine” and “Echoes” come to mind). Vocals on “Bells” are shared by Price and Kyle Harris. While I personally enjoyed Price’s vocals alone on “California,” the addition to Harris’s vocals really round out the band’s sound and perhaps makes it more whole as a product.

As a two-track EP, I really enjoyed the down-tempo feel of this release — even if it’s just a tease of what The Diamond Center has to offer.

(Funny/Not Funny Records, no address provided)

BRENDAN KELLY AND THE WANDERING BIRDS – I’d Rather Die Than Live Forever

It has been more than 10 years since Brendan Kelly joined forces with Chris McCaughan and Neil Hennessy to form The Lawrence Arms. While The Lawrence Arms continues to roll along as a successful Chi-Town punk rock outfit, the need to break out of the punk rock niche seems to be what Brendan Kelly is looking for in the form of the semi-solo effort I’d Rather Die Than Live Forever.
 
The album features Kelly on vocals and guitar with a backing band to fill in the blanks. In many respects, this album feels like a stripped-down Lawrence Arms album. This could be because Kelly’s vocals are so recognizable and synonymous with the band’s sound. That familiar Arms’ sound can be heard throughout the album, especially in cuts like “Doin’ Crimes” and “What’s a Boy To Do?”

Mixed in with some of the more punk-ish cuts are a few toned-down tracks. “Ramblin’ Revisited” comes across as a driving acoustic Americana folk camp-side tune, which is perfect considering Kelly’s vocals scream to be heard in a song like this. Other cuts off of I’d Rather Die Than Live Forever range from the more catchy selections like the opening track “Suffer The Children, Come Unto Me,” to more straightforward rock tunes like, “East St. Louis.” Even with Kelly not settling to one particular musical on this effort, the flow of this album works nicely. Each track seems to flow right into the next. A solid album indeed.

(Red Scare Industries, PO Box 13285, Chicago, IL 60613)

BLEUBIRD – CANNONBALL!!!

Mixing elements of spoken word poetry and smooth free-styling is Florida-based emcee Bleubird and his new album CANNONBALL!!!. Not being familiar to his brand of hip-hop, my first impression of Bleubird’s style via the first cut on CANNONBALL!!!  (“Fog Rollin”) was that he has been influenced by the likes of Sage Francis. Bleubird’s approach is much like Francis in the way he presents a laid-back flow that easily goes along with the beat of the song.

As the album moves along, I’m struck by the differences in beats from track to track. “Black Sandcastles” features more of an infectious club beat that definitely has a modern mainstream feel to it, while the cut “Pimp Hand” has a deep bass and hi-hat sampled sound (reminiscent of something Jamiroquai would use). Along with Bleubird’s vocals, “Pimp Hand” definitely shines as one of the highlight tracks off of this album.

An odd wrench is thrown into the gears by way of the sixth track, “Christian Wife,” an acoustic guitar duet with Lynne Piper. It’s a really odd break from the hip-hop beats, but works in a way as an intermission with its dry wit lyrical content. Beats laid down for Bleubird’s vocals range from sampled cuts from various sources to live instrumentation of drums, double bass, pianos and acoustic guitars. The album also features special appearances by Radical Face, Astronautalis, and Ceschi.

CANNONBALL!!! has some good material contained in its 11 tracks and provides as a good introduction into the music and artistic styling’s of Bleubird. While I think this album deserves a marginal nod, in the future I would like to hear more faster flows as opposed to the slowed down spoken word segments.

(Fake Four Inc., no address provided)

STARVING WEIRDOS – Land Lines

I like to pride myself as someone who is open to pretty much any kind of music for at least one listen. Sure, I know what I like and what I don’t like, but I’m always down to check out various kinds of sounds. Take Land Lines from Starving Weirdos: this experimental outfit out of northern California have been brewing up an eclectic batch of ambient material for more than 10 years. While their sound could be described chaotic, disorganized, and essentially be considered “noise” to the average listener, those who appreciate the minimalist — yet wildly intricate  – sounds featured on this album will find themselves taken in by what their ears pick up.

Most of the seven tracks featured on Land Lines walk a fine line between using natural elements and sounds and synthetic electronic tones, as a lot of modern ambient artists do. Vocals faintly drift in and out of cuts like “Periods” and the opening track “In Our Way,” but the album remains primarily instrumental. “Meditator” lulls the listener with its Middle Eastern vibe at the halfway part of the album, a truly mellow track. One of the more interesting tracks from Land Lines as to be “Dreams, Endless,” a song that incorporates a soft piano part that lightly plays along as the drones and jangly trumpets of the background come to essentially consume the piano’s sound.

The album closes with another Middle Eastern-influenced track, “Land Lines.” The sitar has its sound warped by effects and sound manipulation, only to bring the sound back to a fading drone to end the album.

Land Lines reminds me of the 2006 release of Dead Voices On Air’s From Labrador to Madagascar in the sense of the fine line walked between natural tones and manufactured electronic sounds. This album is not for everyone, as some will fail to see the artistic achievements made with this album. As Dead Voices On Air’s Mark Spybey says about his group’s music, it’s “music for the eyes.” The very same could be said about what Starving Weirdos have presented here.

(Amish Records, PO Box 1841, New York, NY 10013)

XERXES – Our Home is a Deathbed

It appears that Halls cough drops has a new spokesperson in Xerxes vocalist Calvin Philley. Okay, not really, but after listening to the 12 tracks on their debut album Our Home is a Deathbed, I would say that anyone who thrashes their voice like he does would need a lifetime supply of throat lozenges.

Formed in 2009, Xerxes may appear on the surface to be just another hardcore act, but after examining the material found on this album, it’s clear that there’s more than meets the ear. The opening track, “Wake,” serves as an intro that does not truly reveal what is next to come. Be sure to have your speakers at a reasonable level, as the second track, “Sleep,” hits hard with those thrashed vocals of Philley over the chaotic guitars and percussion.

One of the first audible surprises found on Our Home is a Deathbed comes with the third track, “Tide,” as we are confronted with a straight-up punk rock beat. Other odd elements of non-hardcore sounds come out in a few of the other songs featured on this effort. “Suburban Asphalt” has an indie rock feel to the instrumentation, all while Philley blasts his voice out in a true hardcore style. One thing I admire about Xerxes and their debut album is the fact that they are attempting to draw from other musical styles outside of the hardcore arena. Taking chances like that might piss off some puritans, but to people like myself it shows an attempt to keep things fresh and original.

(No Sleep Records, 16651 Gothard Street Unit E, Huntington Beach, CA 92647)

USELESS ID – Symptoms

Israeli melodic punk rockers Useless ID have found a new home for their latest album Symptoms, now a part of the Fat Wreck Chords roster. Symptoms marks the band’s first album in nearly four years and was produced by Descendents’ drummer Bill Stevenson.

The move to Fat seems like a no-brainer considering the band’s rough-edged pop-punk sound. The album starts off on a promising note with the harder edged opener “Live or Die.” The impressive start continues through the second song “Before It Kills,” and the more melodic cut “Normal With You.” Unfortunately, the flow of the album slows and becomes stale at times due to the repetitious nature of Useless ID’s songwriting (verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus/end of song). The album features very little instrumental exploration beyond basic unison drum and guitar breakdowns.

Lyrically, most of the material deals with issues surrounding relationships and self-discovery – basically, very angst-y subject matter (not surprising considering the roots and influences of this band). After a few spins, I will admit that the material becomes more and more appealing to the ears. Don’t get me wrong, Symptoms isn’t a bad album in the sense of an overall product. The catchiness of the music definitely will appeal to those who dig bands like No Use For A Name (the cut “Somewhere” sounds like NUFAN), and the production under Stevenson gives a touch of that trademark Descendents sound. While it’s not terrible, Symptoms offers up a sound that’s been done many times before and the unoriginal territory taken here will be sure to put some people off. To put it plainly, it’s a very safe album.

(Fat Wreck Chords, PO Box 193690, San Francisco, CA 94119)

THE BRAINS – Drunk Not Dead

Take the fury of slap bass-driven psychobilly and mix it with the crooning vocal styles found in the swing revival sound, and you wlll get the The Brains and their new album, Drunk Not Dead.
 
I must admit that I’m not that familiar with this band, but I do love the lightning-fast psychobilly sound that’s associated with acts like Nekromantix, Tiger Army, and The Reverend Horton Heat. Immediately I was taken in by the opening track, “Four Beast Ride,” with its amazingly fast slap-bass and driving guitars, along with the somewhat out of place crooner vocals of Rene D La Muete. D La Muete’s vocals remind me a lot of Murder By Death’s vocalist Adam Turla (especially the sound of Murder By Death’s song “Brother”), but Muete’s style comes across more along the lines of a lounge singer — Michael Andrew from the swing band Swingerhead comes to mind.

While Muete’s vocals reflect that retro sound, the music does not. Some cuts like “Six Rounds” and “Drunk Not Dead” are more melodic in their sound, reminiscent of The Living End. The harder tracks on the album, such as “Oh Murder” and “High On Speed,” are heavy on guitars and group vocals.

Overall, the 13 tracks featured on Drunk Not Dead are extremely enjoyable. Full of high energy and excellent instrumentation, The Brains are a band I am glad to have discovered.

(Stomp Records, 1223 Blvd. Saint-Laurent, Suite 305, Montreal, QC H2X 2S6 Canada)

THE PLANET SMASHERS – Descent Into The Valley Of The Planet Smashers

It has been six years since Canada’s own The Planet Smashers released their last album, Unstoppable. With their newest effort, Descent into the Valley of The Planet Smashers, not much has changed in their sound. The songs are upbeat and catchy, full of their signature hard-hitting bass line-driven ska-punk, and the lyrics are humorous and lighthearted.

Listening to the 15 tracks featured here, I can’t help but think back and reminisce about the good old ’90s where music like this was being put out on a massive scale. Along with the carefree pop-punk ska sound The Smashers are known for, bands like Buck O’ Nine and early Big D and The Kids Table come to mind when I sit and listen to the material here. The album’s opening cut, “The Hippopotamus,” is extremely catchy, and “UPS of America” presents some social commentary but remains to be humorous and non-preachy.

An unexpected twist comes in at the 12th track in the form of the song “Something Special,” as the band breaks from the punk-ska sound to favor something more traditional in the ska vein.

Descent into the Valley of The Planet Smashers is another enjoyable album from the veteran skankers from the great white north. Fans of the ’90s pop-punk ska sound will dig this.

(Stomp Records, 1223 Blvd. Saint-Laurent, Suite 305, Montreal, QC H2X 2S6 Canada)

ZECHS MARQUISE – Getting Paid

In the Rodriguez-Lopez family, musical talent is a strong and vibrant trait. Zechs Marquise’s Malfred and Marcel Rodriquez-Lopez are the younger brothers of The Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. It appears that the influence of their older brother’s work with Cedric Bixler-Zavala and The Mars Volta have had a large affect on their own musical aspirations and style, especially considering the 12 tracks contained in the group’s latest album Getting Paid.
 
As someone who’s witnessed a live show featuring Zechs Marquise, I can fully attest to the fact that this album is an honest representation of what you will hear if you see them live in concert. The mix of funky baselines and progressive guitar work that fills the opening track “Getting Paid” really sets the stage for an album that will likely please those who dig intricate instrumentation and electronically manipulated sounds. Getting Paid is mainly an instrumental album, as the first vocals appear nearly 15 minutes into the album, during the third track “Static Lovers.” In an almost haunting performance, guest vocalist Sonny Baker lender her vocals to the track “The Heat, The Drougt, The Thirst, and Insanity,” and RX Bandits vocalist Matt Embree lends his vocals to the song “Everlasting Beacon of Light.”

Getting Paid comes across sounding a lot like The Mars Volta, or at least like the instrumentation and far out progressive sounds as featured on albums like Frances The Mute. While the influence of their older brother’s work comes thought from Malfred and Marcel, they’ve managed to put out an album that impresses and remains fresh through all 12 cuts.

(Rodriguez-Lopez Productions, no address provided)

DAN P AND THE BRICKS – Watch Where You Walk

Having gone to many ska shows in northern California from the late 1990s through the early 2000s, I remember seeing MU330’s vocalist and guitarist Dan Potthast randomly show up outside venues and play acoustic sets after the conclusion of the concert. Apparently, Potthast decided that Santa Cruz, located about 70 miles south of San Francisco, was calling him as a musician, and he moved there from his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. With Potthast’s move to California, this left the future of MU330 in the air, and eventually led the band to go on hiatus.


After a few solo albums and heading up the band The Stitch Up, Dan — along with members of defunct Santa Cruz ska act Slow Gherkin — have formed Dan P and The Bricks. Their debut album, Watch Where You Walk, features Potthast’s trademark vocals and songwriting, something that made MU330 stand out from other acts throughout the third-wave ska years of the 1990s.

Although the music with The Bricks sticks to a more toned-down, traditional roots 2-tone ska sound, it’s a definite departure from the sound of MU330’s fast paced punk-ska. Think of the lyrics of MU330 meets sound of The Pietasters. The five-piece horn section has a deep, rich sound — especially with the addition of baritone sax. With the song “One Reason,” Dan is joined by a female vocalist in this throwback tune featuring a doo-wop sound. The band also tackles one of Dan’s solo tunes “Set Sail,” which was featured on his 1999 debut solo album Eyeballs.

Watch Where You Walk is a reminder that while the mainstream hype and attention of ska music is long gone, those who drove that genre to mainstream notoriety are still producing great music.

(Asian Man Records, PO Box 35585 Monte Sereno, CA 95030)

HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL – Mergers & Acquisitions

Cooking up their own brand of alternative folk, Have Gun Will Travel have released their third album Mergers & Acquisitions. This collection of 12 folk-driven songs break off into many directions including traditional folk, blues, and  roots rock and roll, featuring the stellar vocals of Matt Burke.


On first listen, I thought this was a new side project of Tom Petty (yes, the Tom Petty), as Burke’s vocals are eerily similar to Petty’s singing voice (both outfits are out of Florida, Petty from Gainesville and Burke from Bradenton), with a hint of Bob Dylan thrown in. A majority of the songs on Mergers & Acquisitions tell stories; songs about life on the road, traveling, and days of old.

With Burke’s memorable vocals and the music provided by the backing band — especially with the use of steel guitar provided by Scott Anderson — the album relies on the traditional folk style, but with toe-tapping tunes like “Song of Seven Sisters,” the album cruises along like an Americana road trip through the heart of this nation. This is an all around enjoyable album full of infectiously catchy songs and moving stories beautifully sung by Burke.

(Suburban Home Records, PO Box 40757, Denver, CO 80204)

OCCUPY LOS ANGELES - October 8th, 2011 – City Hall

In February of 2003 I attended my first protest, located in downtown San Francisco in opposition to the imminent invasion of Iraq by US and allied forces. I remember the feeling of approaching the mass of tens of thousands of people standing on Market Street. The sound was intense, like something you’d hear at a sporting event — if the crowd was literally on fire. It was then that I realized how powerful people can be when united for a cause.

Recently, Adbusters — a Canadian activist foundation that uses culture jamming and advertising spoofs to push an anti-consumerist agenda — came up with an idea to set up camp in New York’s financial district on September 17th. The small gathering of anti-capitalism and anti-corporatism protesters has turned into a monster of a political and social movement, prompting other Occupy Wall Street encampments to take shape not only in the US, but around the world.

With so many in the mainstream media making this out to be a joke, and right wing outlets so quick to dismiss the Occupy movement as a bunch of hippies who have no idea what they are protesting, I needed to get out there and see where these protesters are coming from.

On October 8th, I headed to downtown Los Angeles. Arriving at the encampment around noon, I found dozens upon dozens of tents sprawled across the many lawns of city hall. The area appeared relativity clean and organized, especially considering many had already called this area home for more than a week. Police presence was at a minimum, as I only spotted three officers in uniform during the span of the afternoon. With a music festival scheduled to start at noon, no one was at the microphone on the south end of the block. As I stood there taking in all the various signs, booths, and groups talking amongst themselves, I was caught off-guard by a single voice powered by a bullhorn at the edge of the block.

“It’s much bigger than Wall Street. It’s much bigger than just police brutality. It is a formation of a New World Order,” exclaims the man. These are the words of activist Shane Devins.

Originally from Las Vegas, Devins believes the corruption on Wall Street and in Washington, DC goes far beyond what we are led to believe. He believes organizations like the United Nations, the Bilderberg Group, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Trilateral Commission are involved with an attempt to create a one world government. Using the private Federal Reserve as a vehicle to destroy the value of the US dollar by way of deflation, the destruction of the US economy will then give way to a new world currency regulated and controlled by the World Bank.

“It has taken almost a hundred years to cripple the US dollar,” says Devins. As I interview him, we search for water around the encampment. “And what Obama talked about at the G20 Summit 2009 is that the World Bank should be and will be the institution that will create a world currency, and that will be regulated under the World Bank and the World Bank will come under the authority of the United Nations.”

While some might balk at the notion of a conspiracy to usher in a one world currency, the actions of the Federal Reserve have brought on much scrutiny from many Occupy Wall Street protesters, leaving little room for straw-man arguments and calls of “kooky conspiracy theorists.”

Signs proclaiming “END THE FED” were a constant sighting at the LA Occupation. One must remember that the Federal Reserve is a private entity that doesn’t answer to Congress; their actions are kept in secret and their actions of manipulating monitory policy has proven to hurt the US economy more than help it. A number of protesters were also calling for the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act, which prevented investment banks and commercial banks from merging. The act was repealed under the Clinton administration with the help of former Obama economic adviser Larry Summers. Many view the repeal as a precursor to the 2008 financial crisis.

Some of those in attendance aired out calls to end capitalism as a whole, though they were in the minority, despite attempts by the mainstream media to convince the public otherwise. Most in attendance were calling for an end of crony capitalism (i.e., “corporatism”). Corporatism is the merger of corporate and governmental powers — Benito Mussolini once stated that corporatism should essentially be called fascism, as many protesters would agree, charging that corporations own our leaders in Washington, DC by way of lobbyist money and the assignment of corporate big-wigs to high governmental positions. Another interesting contingency at the Occupy protest are supporters of the anti-war movement. While most may think of banks when it comes to Wall Street, we must remember that elements of the military industrial complex are a part of Wall Street.

While walking among the tent city, the people, and the countless signs airing out grievances, I found myself returning to those feelings I had back in 2003 in San Francisco. The feeling of community ingrained with those who have shared food, water, and space in a foreign home for over a week, and the camaraderie of people coming together in a peaceful way to air out their concerns and anger — could this be the start of a revolution? This worldwide phenomenon has given me hope that the masses are starting to wake up to the reality that business in Washington, DC continues as usual. Even under a democrat — especially a democrat who received more contributions from Wall Street than any other presidential candidate in US history. “Democrat” and “Republican” don’t matter at the end of the day. Both are guilty of supporting corporate interests over those they are supposed to represent.

Standing on the corner with tambourine and sign in hand, Angus Godwin expresses a sentiment I think is fitting for the majority of protesters who have found solidarity in the Occupy Wall Street movement: “We’re all here because we’re getting screwed, and because bankers are criminals.”

The question now begs to be asked: we have occupied — now what? The ball is in our court.

(Originally published on October 19th, 2011 at www.verbicidemagazine.com as part of several first hand accounts of the Occupy Wall Street movement from Verbicide contributors nationwide. To read other accounts of other protests, visit HERE)

THE TURBO AC’S – Kill Everyone

Ah! A new Turbo A.C.’s album! Time to put it to the test! You see, I drive a 1973 Chevy Nova and usually the best way to test out a new punk or hard rock album is to drive down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) with the windows down and the tunes cranking. If I tend to speed, as in the case of Motorhead’s Overkill, it gets a passing grade. If it doesn’t inspire me to put the pedal to the metal, it fails.


Kill Everyone starts with high potential, especially with the opening track “Feed You To The Sharks.” Kevin Cole’s vocals are super raspy and unique, and they really work well with the music, much like how awesome Tim Armstrong sounds with Rancid. As the album progressed I noticed that I wasn’t really cranking out the RPMs on the Nova, but I continued to enjoy this album. Tracks like “Ancient Chinese Secret” really blasts out that fast-paced punk sound, and “Forget Everything” has a definite Ramones feel to it. Another nice thing about Kill Everyone is how Tim Lozada’s bass guitar seems to drive quite a few of the songs like “Shut Up Pills,” “Live Fast Die Slow,” and “Into The Vortex,” Okay, so technically the it failed the Nova test, but this album does pass the test for being a really good punk rock album as a whole. It’s not a non-stop fast paced album but it has its moments. Quite an enjoyable listen.

(Stomp Records, 1223 Blvd. Saint-Laurent Suite 305, Montreal, QC H2X  2S6 Canada)

COMET GAIN – Howl of the Lonely Crowd

Having never heard of Comet Gain, I was quite surprised to learn they’ve been around since the early 1990s. Receiving high accolades in the indie pop scene in the UK, it seems their attraction never really crossed the pond here to the United States, but here they are releasing their sixth studio album in the US.


Laced with keyboards with a stripped-down, indie-pop sound, the opening track “Clang of the Concrete Swans” starts the album in a catchy frenzy. It’s followed by “The Weekend Dreams,” a bass- and horn-driven track that has a retro British soul sound featuring Rachel Evans on vocals. There’s a real nice mix of material on this album that allows the listener to hear all aspects of Comet Gain’s sound. While Howl of the Lonely Crowd has its share of infectiously toe-tapping pop songs, there are also a few mellow tracks that really add some depth to the feel of this albums. “After Midnight, After Its All Gone Wrong” highlights that toned down sound with an emphasis on David Feck’s vocals. The album takes a poetic turn with the track “A Memorial For Nobody I know,” again with Feck on vocals. The shared vocal spot between Feck and Evans throughout the album is also quite enjoyable. The album is nicely balanced between catchy pop and singer-songwriter material.

(What’s Your Rapture? Records, no address provided)