King of Nuthin'Fuck yeah, this is a tight ass record. These cats are from Boston and used to go under the moniker, "The Boston Blackouts," until they changed their name in the summer of 1999. They self released their first full length, titled "Fight Songs for Fuck Ups," and released a split with The Briggs on Duane Peter's record label, Disaster. They're comprised of 8 raging punk rockers who wanted to get together and form a new brand of rock n roll, instead they concocted an amazing blend of big band, swing, jazz, rock n roll, and punk rock with lots of jigs and reels, shit some parts even have a straight up rag time feel. I'm loving this record. There's lots of saxin' to be had. There's the tenor sax, bari sax and bass sax (played in track7), the more the better I say. Other notable instruments are a washboard and piano and of course you have the standard drummer, bassist, guitarist and vocalist. And let me tell you, for eight wild ass dudes, they are tight as shit in their delivery. Even though a vast majority of these songs are covers, most notably from Peter and The Test Tube Babies, Stiff Little Fingers, Blitz, Anti-Nowhere League and The Nite Riders, they add so much to the songs that they make them their own. The production on this is perfect. There's a slightly dated feel but it still has a modern sound to it, if that even makes sense. The drums have such a warm feel to them, rich and full. All of the various instruments are turned up a notch when needed, the vocalist is right there with the music, the piano and bass sound great together, fuck, you even hear the grating of the washboard in the mix. The overall bass sound of this record sounds phenomenal. The combination of the drums, bass, and sax as it gallops along just knocks you on your ass. I know I'm probably gushing, but the recording is so good. The layout is perfect for the band. The front cover is simple and effective, sporting a picture of the band having a beer. The inside tray has a picture of one of the band members breathing fire. I'm liking how the cover shows the band at their best, in a live setting.
Rating: 4/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: Over The Counter Culture and Tore Up
Thesis: This is great drinking record, perfect for drinking some Guinness's to on a Friday night with your best boys. If you're a fan of music in general you will appreciate this. And manan this band is probably insane live.