Sound Salvation Army

Strike Anywhere is a smart group of people. Smart people who realize that a revolution can’t be fueled solely by the radical few that rail most vocally against oppression. Revolution is only successful when the masses become involved and help pour gasoline on the flames.

That must be why this record is so goddamn catchy. The Richmond, Virginia punks have been doing this for a long time and I think they realize that you can’t appeal to the masses with a barrage of atonal screaming and relentless riffing. They’re not afraid to throw a boatload of hooks at a listener in the hopes that they’ll dig for the deeper meaning.

The full-length Iron Front obviously doesn’t differ very much from the teaser EP I posted about a few weeks ago (especially considering two of the tracks appear on both releases). Contrary to their claims of making a harder and faster album this time around, my previous assessment of the EP holds true here: they’re not telling the whole truth.

Sure, it starts out with “Invisible Colony,” undoubtedly their hardest and fastest track yet. But the precedent the song sets is multi-faceted — while its quick as a bullet it also crams in a half-dozen rock-solid hooks and some of Thomas Barnett’s most infectious vocal melodies yet. Be forewarned: these tricks are going to be repeated a dozen more times in the next half hour.

“I’m Your Opposite Number” slows the pace down immediately after, comprising one of the group’s poppiest numbers since Exit English. Through the length of the album they vacillate back and forth between tunes that incorporate hardcore elements and those that utilize more thoughtful, sensitive, and melodic properties.

But there’s a fine line between a genuine rallying cry and and a platitude. I’m sure there will be zealots within the hardcore scene that will decry Barnett’s lamentations of U.S. xenophobia and border policy (”We are the ghosts of the fear of human rights/just beyond your security lights,” “This world is bigger than this/bigger than lies from our governments”) as little more than sloganeering. Who will dismiss “Hand of Glory” because of its soaring vocal melody, completely missing the indictment of first-world government’s economic priorities contained in the lyrics. Those who would argue that “Failed State”’s bleak view of societal evolution is misguided.

But try listening to the relentless pace and fury of “Spectacular,” the ceaseless insistence of “Omega Footprint,” the inherent wrongness of racial politics in “Summerpunks,” the powerful regret of lives lost due to failing war policies of “Western Scale.” Listen and then try not to feel spurred to action. Try not to feel your Western guilt. Try not to feel guilty for getting such a charge out of the music in spite of the bleak lyrical portrait.

If all that fails, cue it up to the final track. Listen as Barnett laments the history of colonialism and imperialism and the devastating impact its had on what were once sovereign nations. The dictatorships that enlist child soldiers to fight their wars. The empty promises made by the First World to make things better that never come to fruition. The reliance on near-slave labour to create prosperity in the mining sector of African nations.

That gets pretty heavy. But that’s just how Strike Anywhere rolls. Regardless of whether or not it spurs you to any kind of political action, there’s no denying that the songs on Iron Front are the most infectious this group has ever penned. Or, for that matter, some of the most infectious released anywhere by anyone in all of 2009.

Like I said, Strike Anywhere are smart folks. They likely know that some angry punk rock isn’t going to change the world. As a purely ideological exercise it obviously comes off a little one-sided; its the aural equivalent of watching a Michael Moore movie. Odds are good if you’re listening for the message its only going to reinforce your belief system. Perhaps that makes the band’s continued efforts to reach out to a wider audience all the more admirable. Either way its very inspiring to see young men that believe so strongly in their convictions.

 

 Strike Anywhere - the Crossing: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Strike Anywhere - Postcards From Home: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Iron Front will kick your ass. Get it now from Buy the EP in vinyl or digital format from Bridge 9’s site. I’m sure they’d love it if you gave iTunes your money, but maybe try something more ideologically suitable like Download Punk.

Pat entries Bridge 9 Records, hardcore, politics, punk rock, Strike Anywhere

awesome photo shamefully pilfered from Ross Costigan Photography

Some super exciting news that I have yet to address here: new Strike Anywhere this year! Squeeee!

The VA punks are moving from Fat Wreck Chords (can we stop calling it that yet?) to hardcore staple Bridge 9 after releasing the catchy-as-heck Dead FM. I love that album for a lot of reasons, but you needn’t go further than the first track to really get the gist of what the band and their appeal are all about.

Frontman Thomas Barnett writes songs based on the politics of everyday life, informed by their pro-labour, pro-human rights, anti-government ideology. They write about the broken treaties that have nearly killed off American Indians, the abuses of power perpetrated by police, and the religious and political hypocrisy, deceit, and oppression that continues to harm average people despite centuries of seeing what evil they have wrought. But “Sedition” takes their already-personal songwriting to another level.

As Barnett revealed in interviews at the time of the album’s release, his grandfather was a pipefitter in Tennessee, one of thousands of average working men, tradespeople, involved in a secretive government project in 1942. They were not given the details of what they were working on, not told that they were indirectly involved in a project designed to enrich uranium. They had no idea their contributions to the Manhattan Project would eventually be responsible for killing thousands of people, helping create the building blocks of atomic weaponry. No one bothered to tell them.

They also weren’t told there was radiation emanating from the project. Its likely that radiation was responsible for the cleft lip and palate both Barnett and his father were eventually born with. Numerous surgeries later Barnett became the enraged punk rocker he is today; he credits the U.S. government’s deceit and callous disregard for the well-being of their own countrymen and those that technology would eventually be used on for fostering the political discontent that drives him today.

The lasting memories also made “Sedition” a difficult song for him to write. It’s nearly impossible not to swell up with emotion at the song’s conclusion when Barnett insists the legacy unknowingly foisted upon his family must end with him. Is it a plea for fate to spare his own progeny from similar physical and spiritual challenges or is it a promise to avoid procreation altogether in order to ensure it doesn’t happen? Given the anguish so plain in his voice I’m inclined to think even he doesn’t really know for sure.

Iron Front is due out October 6th.

 

 Strike Anywhere - Sedition [2:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Earlier albums are available through their Merch site and Fat’s webstore. Shit’s pretty cheap.

Pat entries Bridge 9, Fat Wreck Chords, melodic hardcore, politics, punk rock, Strike Anywhere

Over at my OTHER blog, boobtube, I post about television, the things I see on it and the way it makes me feel. Particularly as it pertains to my feminist ideals and standards (They’re pretty simple: I am one and you should be).

So it should come as no surprise that I was watching the news Saturday. Or, I was watching the news through the hazy, muddy filter of CNN. I was watching because Obama was giving his “R0xoRZ! The Whitehouse is ours!” speech and Hillary was biting back the swelling tide of bile rising up in the back of her throat, asking people to support Obama as they have supported her.

Now, as much as I love rich, old, white dudes (see: not at all) , I feel a swelling pride when watching Obama. It’s like “Look guys! America can do it! They can elect somebody I would support! I forgot what that was like!”

And then, he got up to speak and he and his wife shared a sweet, if slightly nerdy moment where they held out their fists and brushed knuckles; they dapped. Dap’s just a cooler high five. I dapped with one of the press men the other day because he had ink on his hands. No big deal.

Less noticeable was the fact that as she walked away, Barry gave Michelle a little “yeah, baby” slap on the ass. I don’t know about you, but while watching this, I had a moment where I thought to myself “this going to be the most awesome first family in the history of the USA.”

Apparently, this is not what runs through the minds of many Americans. News organizations across the country practically peed themselves rushing to explain this “crazy Negro fist bump,” this “pound,” this “terrorist fist jab.”

The Sadly, No! blog has done the job of rounding up the idiots for me. I chat almost every night with my co-bloggers at boobtube, Jess and Salome and we went through all the comments, dying with laughter.

If Obama is elected president he will:

- force everyone to eat black eyed peas and grits, fried chicken, corn bread and watermelon as a daily meal.

I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry now. That sounds delicious.

- throw hip hop concerts on the White house lawn, thus signifying a “third world catastrophe.”

Yes. Those black folk. With their crazy hippity hoppity music. It would be catastrophic if Kanye were dropping phat beats at the White House.

- drive a pimped out Escalade with spinning rims.

Bitch, please! It would be a pimped out Prius with spinning rims.

- lessen the formal class of the White House, thus forcing real proud ‘mericans to move to the Bahamas.

Yes. Please. Move to the Bahamas. Where there are no black people. Also, White House and class? I don’t know that those two things have had more than a passing acquaintance since George W. Bush classily choked on a pretzel while watching some formal football and drinking classy AND formal O’Doul’s.

- make and release a video of Michelle Obama “telling ‘whitey to die.’ Meaning white people!”

Thanks for the clarification, cracker.

- wear “a backward baseball hat with USA facing to the rear. Will the star spangled banner soon be a rap song?”

Only if destiny truly has a heart.

Look, the dap is not a gang sign. It’s not a foreboding portent of Obama decorating the Lincoln bedroom with spears and masks and it’s not going to do anything except let us know that the Obamas are about as hip and with it as you could hope a future president and first lady would be.

With that in mind, and for those of you not in the know, I present one of my favourite songs from the first lady of Dap and her royal court. The Dap Dip is from the album Dap-Dippin’ with the Dap Kings, which you can buy from Daptone Records. If Sharon Jones and Binky Griptite are dappin’, you know it can’t be bad!

 

 Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - The Dap Dip. [4:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanis entries Barack Obama, political racism, politics, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, television

Hey readers! I’m back from my self-imposed exile.

Sorry about that. I had, uh… let’s say Ebola. But I’m better now! I’m good enough that two weeks ago, I attended a massive concert here in Guelph. In the summer, hippies, neo-hippies, hipsters and other hip-related people gather at Guelph Lake for the annual Hillside Festival. This is all well and good, except it takes place in the summer and how you gonna play February? It’s the month everyone looks forward to cuz it’s not January, it’s generally short, and it contains one chocolate related holiday, one groundhog related holiday (You don’t take groundhog’s day off? Why ever not!?) and now, Hillside Inside. It’s like Hillside except, you know, inside. They rented out the hockey arena, brought in some dumplings and $2 reusable beer mugs and volunteers to wash dishes (no paper plates for hillside hippies) and invited a totally awesome buncha bands.

The “big name” guests included The Weakerthans, Cuff the Duke, Tokyo Police Club, Shout Out Out Out Out, Attack In Black, Wintersleep and Xavier Rudd. I happen to appreciate everybody on the above list, especially Shout Out Out Out Out, who put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen them do, considering they hopped a plane from Edmonton at 6 a.m. and were pounding out the awesome of Dude You Feel Electrical and Nobody Calls Me Unless They Want Something on their famous two drum kits by mid-afternoon.

The other bands were also at the top of their game, even if it felt like The Weakerthans suffered a little for opening the show. The harmonies seemed a little off, but otherwise, they impressed enough that I bought a faux curling sweater with the band’s curling broom logo on it. What can I say? I’m weak. I’m weakerthan. Cuff the Duke’s set made me wonder why they are not incredibly famous. Their latest album, Sidelines of the City, is available on vinyl, which means you should get it, ’cause it comes with a CD, too. Big art, big music, awesome tunes in various formats. What more could you want? If I Live or If I Die is the wintertime jam of ‘08. And Wintersleep. This band has played Guelph many times in the last year or so. Every time I see a poster or a flyer, I think “I should go see them.” And then I remember that I work nights and have no social life to speak of. I was getting tired by the time they took the stage. I was prepared to go into whining mode. And then, they launched into Weighty Ghost and all my troubles were forgotten. It’s such a great song, I’m glad it’s getting radio play. It deserves it. They deserve it. All these bands deserve your attention, so seek them out.

Ultimately, I was hoping Hillside would introduce me to some new artists, which is why I am so glad I caught Kitchener-Waterloo based group, Bocce. Infectious beats? Don’t even get me started! The vibe at Hillside has a reputation for being relaxed and enthusiastic, but I love it when lesser-known bands have the confidence, stage prescence and sense of humour enough to play to a hockey arena full of potential fans like we already know them. They came down from the stage to dance, invited a trumpet player up for a solo and wielded hockey sticks as though they were swords. They were the kings of the Island Stage. They had us singing along to Disco Juan, and when you hear it, you’ll want to sing along, too. Bocce has a lot of keyboards and a lot of keyboard players. And they headbang. While playing the keyboards. And I think that’s fucking awesome. Check ‘em out on myspace and dadmobile records. I guarantee they’re worth your time.

Before I go, I wanted to post my Valentine’s Day present to you all. Are you ready? Okay. Here you go:

This is how it is, America: All the Republicans can think of to diss Obama about is that he’s only got three years senate experience. Can you believe that? He’s totally going to be the next president. By extension, that means he’s going to be a PILF. Come on. Admit it. You’d tap that presidential ass. As for his three years experience, I don’t know about the White House, but it certainly qualifies him to get into my pants. Alright. I think I’m done making sex jokes about Obama, so feel free to send this out as your Valentine’s card. If you don’t do it for the nookie, do it for the LULZ.

As far as Valentine’s Day music goes, I wanted to give you some Al Green, but Wordpress thinks the five minute song I picked was too long. So you don’t get Love and Happiness from the good reverend, you get Marvin Gaye’s bouncy love song, Too Busy Thinking About My Baby. It puts me in a happy mood. Much like cheap chocolate on sale February 15 and the realization I’m still single and don’t have to buy anything for anybody except me. The Canadian single girl’s dream lives on.

 

 Cuff the Duke - If I Live or If I Die: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Wintersleep - Weighty Ghost: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bocce - Disco Juan: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Marvin Gaye - Too Busy Thinking About My Baby: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanis entries Barack Obama, beer, Bocce, Canadian content, electronic, festivals, indie rock, live music, Marvin Gaye, politics, Valentine's Day, Wintersleep

If they’re to believed, Faith is a cobra. Cobras are really quite adaptive, I suppose, at least as far as today’s band is concerned. They can be involved with jukeboxes, lockdowns, wangs, and one of America’s most populous states.

Well, not really I suppose. I’m talking about the Cobra Skulls, a very fun little band from Reno, Nevada. They’re a little bit rockabilly, a little bit punk, a little bit mariachi band, and a lot political. Kind of like if Propagandhi made a record with Mike Ness and a side of awesomeness.

Every single song they’ve ever written references the band’s name in the song title one way or another, which is a nice little gimmick. “Cobra Skullifornia,” “Use Your Cobra Skull,” and “I’ll Always Be A Cobra Skull (Folk Off!)” are just a few examples.

But while a gimmick might draw you in, the topical and insightful nature of the songs are the bread and butter. “Cobra Skullifornia” is a hook-laced vendetta against the inherent evils of Southern California. “The Cobra and the Man-Whore” calls out the Reverend Ted Haggard for his inherent self-hating and evil nature. “Don’t Count Your Cobras Before They Hatch” takes a stance against those taking a stance against stem cell research (It’s just a blastocyst, 150 cells/A blastocyst, that’s what you care about/Never mind the help we could be giving/Never mind the suffering occuring in the living). “Anybody Scene My Cobra” blasts the punk scene for its lack of inclusion. “Cobracoustic” is a solo acoustic number exposing the fatal flaw in the current state of U.S. political discourse — while the war on terror might make Americans feel safe at home, the current state of mind makes people feel those that are different are dangerous, that all other countries harbour terrorists, and that suspicion shows when travelling to a place like Egypt in people’s contempt for Americans (”Freedom is relative/I feel relatively free where I live/But down in Cairo freedom’s not ours to give”). To be certain they’re not exactly down with G.O.P.

Sitting Army isn’t out on a huge label and it might not make any impact, but it’s a really, really fun listen that sounds like punk used to before 15 year old kids with ridiculously-asymmetrical hair-do’s became the norm.

 

 Cobra Skulls - Cobra Skullifornia [3:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Cobra Skulls - the Cobra and the Man-Whore [2:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Cobra Skulls - Cobracoustic [2:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can touch the Cobra Skull here:
iTunes: has the album here
InterPunk: interpunk has their full-length and their CDEP. sadly, both their labels websites and the bands itself only go back to their myspace pages, and i don’t do myspace. so go there and search for the band name and buy them.

Pat entries Cobra Skulls, politics, punk rock, rockabilly