OBNOX – I’m Bleeding Now

Lamont “Bim” Thomas has contributed to quite a few music projects in the past, including Basshole and, most recently, drumming for the band This Moment in Black History. Now this Cleveland, Ohio native has gone solo under the name Obnox, releasing this seven-track album entitled I’m Bleeding Now.
 
Pushing the play button and starting the first track “Cum Inside” startled me a bit. The level of distortion made me question if my speakers were blown on my computer. Maybe I got a bad copy? After confirming the intended sound on the iTunes page for the album, I powered through the gnarled guitars and semi-understandable vocals. The mix of warped guitars and driving drumming continue through the first half of the I’m Bleeding Now, at times almost unbearable to listen to. Thank God I didn’t review this album on my MP3 player…hearing this through headphones could be a new tool used at Gitmo on suspected terrorists.

But the distortion works on a few tracks, including “The Cowboy and Cowgirl,” as the harsh guitars are broken up by a guitar solo and catchy yet distorted vocals. The same formula that worked with the previously mentioned song also works with the tune “Daughter.” The album ends on a wild note with the song “Whaddup Young Bleed (Drum Thunder Suite).” With this track we hear Thomas’s skills on the skins as it drives this four-minute and 41-second blast of insanity. Clearly my favorite cut off this album.

On a personal note, I didn’t dig the whole ear torture aspect of over-distortion on this album, as my ears were proclaiming the title of this album by the end. If you dig Bim’s past work or just dig driving noise backed by a strong back-beat, you may want to give this album a spin.

(Smog Veil Records, 1658 N. Milwaukee Ave #284, Chicago, IL 60647)

FACE TO FACE – Laugh Now, Laugh Later

Nine years after their last studio album, Face to Face are out to prove that they haven’t lost their touch with their newest effort Laugh Now, Laugh Later. The SoCal punk mainstay spent most of the first decade of the new millennium on hiatus, and additionally lost their longtime guitarist, Chad Yaro. With Laugh Now, Laugh Later, Yaro returns to give his vocals and guitar work, making Face to Face a quartet.


The 11 tracks here feature Face to Face’s signature sound, especially Trevor Keith’s vocals and style of songwriting. The opening track, “Should Anything Go Wrong,” packs a powerful punch. With its fast tempo and impassioned vocals, it really draws you in. “Bombs Away” is a scathing commentary and call to action on the political landscape in America and the wars we’re fighting abroad. While most of the songs on this album deal with personal relationship mishaps and heartbreaks — like “Pushover” and “What You Came For” — the album doesn’t come across whiny or “emo,” thanks to the driving guitars, backed by a strong back beat and Keith’s strong yet melodic vocals. Those saddened by the four-year hiatus should enjoy this comeback album, as it’s jam packed with the trademark Face to Face sound.

(Antagonist Records, no address provided)

QUIET LIFE – Big Green

With a sound based in good old fashioned Americana rock n’ roll come Quiet Life and with Big Green. Grabbing inspiration from Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and The Grateful Dead, the 10 tracks on this album will work well as a soundtrack sitting around a campfire or an accompaniment on a road trip across the big empty spaces of this great land known as America.


The music is stripped down and comes across as straightforward — with the attention placed mainly on the songwriting, especially in the songs “Cave Country,” “Easy To Please,” and the title track. These particular tracks tend to be quite folk-y compared to tracks like “Storm Clouds” (heavy Grateful Dead influence here) and “Nighttime” (with guitar work reminiscent of early Kings Of Leon). The mix of laid back folk tracks with the heavier guitar-laced tunes make for a real natural flow. Can’t say I love the vocals, but I dig the guitar work here. Those who savor the folk/roots rock sound should give this album a whirl.

(Safety Meeting Records, 196 Norton St. #2, New Haven, CT 06511)

Show Review: Emily’s Army at DiPiazza’s, Long Beach 5/22/11

Primed and ready for the release of their debut album Don’t Be A Dick on Adeline Records on June 14th, Emily’s Army popped into Long Beach’s DiPiazza’s for an early evening performance to an eager audience. The audience, made up of mainly young teenage girls, crowded the stage with cameras in hand as they patiently waited for the band’s hour-long set.


Emily’s Army is comprised of Oakland teenagers Cole and Max Becker, Travis Nuemann, and Joey Armstrong. The fresh-faced band have made waves by gaining the attention of one of their heroes, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day (and co-founder of Adeline Records) who took on the producing duties of the boys’ debut album.

As the band arrived on stage, I have to admit I was taken aback by just how young these guys looked! They range in age between 15 and 17 years old (no wonder they have a strong teenage girl following!) and do they look it! They definitely have an innocent and, dare I say, “cute” demeanor to their stage presence.

But don’t let the boyish looks fool you into believing these kids are relying solely on the “adorable factor.” Musically, they can clearly hold their own and throw down some really tight sounds. You can hear a lot of Green Day influence, especially in the heavy use of Max’s bass lines. Some of the more poppy vocals and guitar riffs seem to be influenced by traditional Ramones, and at times you can hear hints of some surf and ska.

For being quite young, they dominated the stage with an almost awkward innocent bravado that only seems quite natural for a bunch of teenage boys. Watching them bounce around on stage, jumping in synchronization and clearly having a good time, only made the experience of watching their performance all that more enjoyable. Aspects of Green Day were definitely present in their stage presence with Max and Cole taking on power stances and facial expressions reminiscent of Billie Joe and Mike Dirnt.

Included in their set was a really fun and carefree version of The Beach Boys’ “Do You Want To Dance?” — although the way they played it, it could have been a cover of the Ramones’ version of the song. Whatever the case was, the question posed in the song was answered by some of the girls in front of the stage as they (in fact) did start to dance. The song “I Wanna Be Remembered” was dedicated to Cole and Max’s cousin Emily, who the band is named after. Emily was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis back in 1998 and in honor of Emily’s fight — and in junction with the foundation aimed at educating the masses about CF — the band changed it’s name from Raining Souls to Emily’s Army.

I walked away from this show quite impressed with the simple raw sound and talent of Emily’s Army’s music. If this is any indication of what these lads are capable of, the future looks promising. As of now, they seem like a band inspired by other musical acts they look up to musically. Like all teenagers, it’s a matter of finding yourself and defining yourself. By all accounts of this performance, Emily’s Army is well on their way to finding out what power and potential is there for the taking in the years ahead.

Show Review: The English Beat at the House of Blues, Anaheim 5/13/11

For being a band that only put out three records more than 30 years ago, The English Beat’s intricate and unique story is still being played out to this day. It’s a story of two bands divided by an ocean: one based in the UK featuring original members Ranking Rodger and Everett Morton, the other based in sunny southern California, headed up by original front man Dave Wakeling. Both bands playing the tunes that defined the Two-Tone ska sound that one day would be an inspiration to bands like The Toasters, No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, and others who would go and create the Ska’s third wave. Tonight, it would be Dave Wakeling’s band that would take the stage in Anaheim.


Tonight’s crowd was very, very interesting to say the least. Arriving to the upstairs bar area, I noticed that they had part of the area cordoned off for a private party. I came to find out there was a high school reunion taking place and by the looks of it, I would say a class from the early 1980s — right around the time The Beat were in their prime. The reunion attendees were easy to spot — well-dressed, maybe too well dressed for a Ska show, and quite intoxicated, even before the first and only opening band, The Simpkin Project, took the stage. Others in attendance were also quite mature in age. Where were all the rude boys and rude girls? Is the southern California ska scene that dead that the youngest in attendance is 30 years old?

The Simpkin Project played for maybe 45 minutes. Playing pretty chill ska-tempo music, the band from Huntington Beach, California quietly primed the crowd for The Beat. Can’t say anything great about the band, but I can’t say anything bad either. Their brand of kick-back ska reggae made for good background music, perfect for all the drunkard reunionites to rekindle old flames and brag about how great their lives are now. I personally witnessed two extremely drunk classmates sucking face. The only way I can describe the crowd is if you jumbled two conference rooms at the Marriott Hotel, one being a concert and the other a high school reunion. It was one of the most odd concert crowds I’ve ever witnessed and I’ve been to quite a few over the years.

Eventually, Dave and crew took to the stage. The rest of the band was made up of very talented musicians, none of which were original members. Absent from the line up was vocalist/toaster Antonee First Class. Dave apologized to the audience that Antonee wouldn’t be able to make it as he was stuck in Phoenix. Without Antonee, the show went on as planned. Pretty much every Beat hit off of their three albums were played — from their cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Tears of a Clown” to “Ranking Full Stop,” a song usually toasted by Antonee, which got a new spin when Wakeling gave us a taste of his toasting skills. In addition to The Beat’s tunes, the band also played a few songs from General Public. General Public formed shortly after The Beat’s break up in 1983 and was comprised of Wakeling and Ranking Roger. The band covered The Staple Singers “I’ll Take You There” and most notably wrote and performed the hit “Tenderness”, both of which were greeted on this night with huge cheers and sing-alongs.


By about the middle of the show, a few rude boys and rude girls made their way through the crowd, creating a skank pit and in essence confusing the hell out of the “Molly Ringwald” dancing reuionites. Old vs Young! Finally, worlds collide!

Watching Wakeling on stage brought an instant smile to my face that I couldn’t wipe away. Even after 30-plus years, the joy of touring and playing these classic tunes in front of a nostalgic and appreciative crowd clearly brings him joy. Between songs, he would ramble a bit with his deep English accent, telling jokes, laughing, and interacting with the crowd. Make no mistake about it, all eyes are on Dave and this is his band.

Musically, the band played off each other all night long. Dave still has an awesome singing voice, even though he can’t hit those high notes like in the song “I Confess.” Throughout the evening, each member was singled out for solos. Allowing the other members of the band to share in the spotlight that Dave basks in for a majority of the show.

By the end, The Beat played for over two hours — mainly because each song they played broke out into an “extended” version lasting at least seven to 10 minutes, including amazing versions of “Save it for Later” and “Mirror in the Bathroom.”

At 55 years old, Dave Wakeling sits atop the throne as one of the Godfather’s of the English Two-Tone ska movement. With a tour schedule that would tire many working bands today, Wakeling’s Beat continues to thrill audiences with the music that gave him that endearing title. Bringing smiles to the faces that relive those nostalgic feelings at every show, Wakeling simply smiles right back and thanks the crowd!

Interview: Chris Demakes of Less Than Jake

“How many people can we play to in Gainesville? That was the goal.” This is how vocalist and guitarist Chris Demakes recalls the early beginnings of punk/ska veterans Less Than Jake. “Once we did that first tour it never stopped. It snowballed from there.”


That snowball continues to roll on as the band is quickly approaching their 20th anniversary. For a band that had small time aspirations of getting gigs at frat parties at the University of Florida and playing neighboring cities and states in and around Florida, they have accumulated countless US tours as well as several overseas stints in countries including Germany, England, France, Japan and Australia.

“We’ve been going to Australia for about 11 or 12 years, so we’ve been lucky enough to build up a fan base down there.”

Only matter of days after this interview, Chris and the boys were off for Australia for the Soundwave Festival. The fest featured Less Than Jake as well as about 40 other bands, including some that have influence the band’s music style including Iron Maiden and Slayer. The tour spanned five different Australian cities, and between festival shows, Less Than Jake played some club gigs.

Over the span of 19 years, Less Than Jake have released a total of seven full-length studio albums, two live albums, and five EPs, including their newest release TV/EP. This latest record includes the band covering a wide range of TV jingles and television theme songs, something they’ve attempted in past releases. This was the first time the band focused an entire recording into the realm of theme songs and, according to Chris, the time was right.

“We’ve done covers before, [but] we hadn’t done them in a while and it was just time to do an EP and have some fun.”

It’s been nearly three years since Less Than Jake have released their last full-length album GNV FLA on their own record label Sleep It Off Records. Talk of a new record has come up here and there within the band, and while nothing has been announced yet, it seems the it’s only a matter of time before something will be recorded and released.

“Everyone’s got ideas. Roger has a ton. I know Vinnie has ideas. I’ve got so many ideas I can’t keep them straight — I’ve got to go home and put some of these down. I think we are trying to shoot to record in May and have something out for Warped Tour this summer but that’s up in the air. There’s a lot of talk, but we are hoping to record sometime this year.”

When this new full-length album eventually gets released it will be the second LP released on their own record label, Sleep It Off Records. The move to create their own label came naturally to the band. They had played the major record label game throughout their career, spending a few years with Capitol Records in the ’90s and then moving to indie mainstay Fat Wreck Chords for one release, Boarders and Boundaries, only to go to Warner Bros./Sire before founding Sleep It Off after two full-length studio albums. After a failed relationship with Sire (which included the label editing out the horn section for the song “She’s Gonna Break Soon” from the single and music video), the move to self-release their albums was the only option that made sense.

“It’s just the five of us. We don’t have an office. There’s no one working for us, so it’s just a way for us to put out all of our products. We’re slowly releasing our back catalog, and anything we do musically now is going to come out under it [Sleep It Off]. We don’t have to deal with anybody, and any physical CD sale we can get is going to go into our pockets now,” said Demakes. “There was really no reason to go with an indie label and give someone money. That wasn’t going to happen, and no major label were going to throw any more money at us probably, nor would we want to go that route at this point. So it was kind of like, ‘Let’s do our own thing.’”

Currently the band is promoting the reissue of Losing Streak and Hello Rockview on Sleep It Off. The albums feature the original studio recordings with some new versions of the cover art. Included in both albums are DVDs of live album shows recorded in Florida of the respective albums in their entirety.

While many of the third-wave ska acts of the ’90s have either disappeared into the oblivion or scaled back their touring to selective dates scattered across the nation and limited new albums, Less Than Jake have continued to push on with a strong fan base that have sold out venues across the world for years now. What brings out the legion of fans who have been with the band since their first full length release Pezcore? What brings out new fans who have joined the Less Than Jake fan base within the past few releases?

It could be their live shows, which could be described as an Aquabats show meets Mardi Gras — although their shows in recent years have toned down in the theatrics. Most notably missing from their shows for the past 10 years or so: Skullman. Less Than Jake’s version of a dancing “Bosstone,” Skullman would dance around on stage in a tuxedo for the entire set and would usually end the show by blowing a fireball from his mouth. Apparently, Skullman is now retired.

“He can’t fit in the suit anymore! That’s the God’s honest truth, man! He’s not a 22-year-old kid anymore and he can’t fit in the suit. We call him the fat clown now.” Chris asks Vinnie, “What Warped Tour was that?”

Vinnie answers, “The Houston one. It was like seven years ago — he had been retired for a few years by then and he wanted to make a reprise. He almost got sent to the hospital. Yeah, it was about 104 degrees and in that mask it was about 120 degrees. It was a half hour set and he almost died.”

Recalling some of Skullman’s glory day’s, Chris adds, “He would come offstage and he would take off his shoes and dump like a cup of water out of it, but it was sweat.”

Another signature trademark of Less Than Jake’s career is their line of ever changing merchandise. From bobble heads and pizza boxes to a cereal box contest, the visions for new and interesting collectibles for the fans come mainly from Vinnie, the drummer of the band. But ever so often, a new idea doesn’t jive with the Less Than Jake faithful.

“Sometimes we’ll take a design out on tour that we thought was really cool and it goes over people’s heads…at the end of the tour we’re like, ‘How did that one not sell but the fucking generic star with Less Than Jake sold?’”

With their 20th year in existence rapidly approaching, there is no sign that Less Than Jake is going to quietly fade into the musical past like so many of their counterparts. They are getting set to head out for Warped Tour 2011 and, as mentioned earlier, expect a new full-length before the end of the year. There also could be some surprises in store for fans in the year 2012 as well.

“What would be cool is if we did our 20th anniversary and we sent out younger versions of 20-year-old hot looking dudes that can rip Less Than Jake songs. We sit home and collect the fucking money, you know? I’ll get a new teenage girl fan base!”

Whether it’s pulling a “Milli Vanilli” or releasing some crazy off the wall merch, you can count it’s going to be in typical Less Than Jake style.

Show Review: Less Than Jake at the House of Blues, Anaheim 2/21/11

Chris Demakes (Left) and Roger Manganelli (Right) of Less Than Jake

Before setting sail for the Soudwave tour in Australia, Gainesville Florida’s Less Than Jake made their second to last US tour stop at Anaheim’s House Of Blues in front of a jam-packed crowd full of old and new fans alike.

Supporting the release of their latest EP effort TV/EP and the reissues of ’90s punk ska classics Losing Streak and Hello Rockview, LTJ performed a slew of older material that surely pleased the longtime fan in the crowd, but leveled it out with some of their newer tunes. They opened up with “Shindo” and “Sugar in Your Gas Tank” off of Losing Streak and then into “Look What Happened” off of the 2000 release Borders and Boundaries.

For a Less Than Jake show, it was a pretty straightforward. Throughout the years, LTJ have featured some far-out gimmicks and on stage gags that made for a unique concert experience. No dancing Skullman. Chris (guitarist/vocalist) didn’t dress up in any costumes. No crazy stage set ups. The band was fully focused on playing the show, which was never a problem before. I just miss the old days of seeing what crazy gags the band could come up with (although there was a confetti drop during “Plastic Cup Politics”).

Most of the show consisted of songs from Hello Rockview and Losing Streak. I found it quite enjoyable to hear them play “Dopeman” and “Great American Sharpshooter,” as they don’t play these songs live that often. I personally got in the circle pit during “Help Save The Youth Of America For Exploding,” singing the song with fellow fans while mixing it up in the pit.

Musically, the band was on point. Being in the game for nearly 20 years, LTJ continues to pump out shows with the same amount of enthusiasm and musical excellence as they have all along. It’s clear to see that the band is driven by their fans who continue to show up and sing along to songs that still have holding power over a decade after they were originally written in some cases.

During the show, the band played a few cuts from their TV theme and commercial cover EP TV/EP, including the themes to “Spongebob Square Pants,” “Animaniacs,” “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” and “iCarly” (sung by the bassist Roger, in which Chris commented before playing the song, “If you see Roger on ‘To Catch A Predator’ anytime soon, you’ll know why”).

Per a request I personally made during an interview with Chris earlier in the day, they played “Pete Jackson is Getting Married” as a wedding gift to me, as I was only five days away from my wedding date. They told me they hadn’t played it in a long time, but would give it a good “college effort” to get it done. It came out great for not playing it for so long. Thanks again, guys!



An encore included a stripped down version of “Rest Of My Life” which featured Chris on vocals and guitar, JR on backing vocals, and Buddy on trombone. During this performance, they swapped out Vinnie’s bass drum, and it seems they missed the part of the song where the drums kick back in, as Chris appeared to have anticipated it about halfway into the song. At least, that’s how they’ve played this version of this song in the past live. They ended the show with “The Ghosts Of You And Me” off of Anthem.

From being a punk ska band playing frat parties at the University of Florida to 19 years later headlining yet another show in California to a crowd of enthusiastic fans who sing along with their hearts and souls, Less Than Jake still can put on a killer show that aims to please no matter the age of their fans.