How's The Saying Go?: Reviews Of Recent Releases By Local Bands, Pt. 10
Obligatory Disclaimer: Record reviews are a tricky business. It's one thing to enjoy music, but to, like, pick out what you like about it? That being said, if I review your thing and I didn't like something, don't feel too bad. My opinion doesn't matter all that much.
Cheap Clone - Cheap Clone - Peanut Butter Records - 9 songs - Cassette, download
If you want some good power pop, this is the band for you. Very catchy and melodic. Nice boy-girl harmonies as well. In a way, some of it reminds me of Cleveland's own The Mice because of a couple different things (singer's voice, lyrical style, melodies, etc.). And coming from me, that's pretty high praise, 'cause I love The Mice. But even though these comparisons can be made, it's quite different from The Mice, and they totally have their own thing going on. There were some melodic components in some of the songs that somewhat reminded me of The Replacements. Anyway, jangly guitars, major-minor stuff, harmonies, very memorable melodies and songs. My favorites on the tape were "Call," "Been Told," and "Why Would You Care," though I thought the whole thing was pretty good. Fans of good power pop, you should check these guys out. 5/5
Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments - Straight To Video - Straight To Video Records - 11 songs - LP
I already reviewed this, but I wanted to redo it 'cause I rushed it the first time. If you want all the pedantry, go track down my original review. So to the music: This a gosh-darn great record! Great hooks, melodies, and overall songs abound. Ron House's trademark vocals and sly lyrics mix perfectly with the tight rhythm section of Craig Dunson and Ted Hattemer, while Bob Petric's guitar slashes through the whole thing. I've heard his playing described as "Buzzcocks meets Van Halen," and I'd say that's pretty accurate. Good backing vocals, too. The whole record is great, but highlights include the earworm garage punk great "Lightnin' Rod," the three-chord stomp of "Outside My Scene," and the slow burn closer "When The Entertainment Ends," which almost reminds me of "Final Solution," probably due to the hypnotic rhythm. 5/5
Numbskull - Final Days Of Torture - My Mind's Eye Records/Collinwood Records - 19 + 5 songs - LP + 7"
Ok, so this isn't technically "new." The original pressing came out in 2006, and this one is from 2013, I believe. But whatever, I'll mix things up every here and there. These technicalities don't really matter, I'm here to talk about the music. These numbskulls are great! I've heard it called hardcore, but I don't know if that's really how I'd describe it. I'd probably just call it punk and let someone else decide the sub-sub-subgenre to their liking. Whichever you choose, this is a pretty darn good record. You'd be surprised how just bass and drums can totally hold down a song, and make them all completely unique. The "Final Days" LP has such punk classics as "Ugly" and "Why Don't You Cut Your Hair" and the title track and many others, but the bonus 7" EP, "Paranoid Problem," has some great songs on it too, especially the title track and "Lying About Lying." As for the musical qualities and such of the package as a whole, the bass work is great, the drumming is fantastic, and the singing, while described on the back as "vocal torture," really adds a great element to it all. If you're looking for some great punk stuff, this is the record for you. This is available for download as well, but you should buy the physical LP, 'cause the download doesn't included the "Paranoid Problem" songs. I'm giving a 4/5 to the 7" and 5/5 to the LP.
Are you a local-ish band? Do you have a record out? Email vaguelythreatening@gmail.com or send it directly to Observer headquarters: Buzz Kompier, c/o The Lakewood Observer, 14900 Detroit Avenue, Suite 205, Lakewood, OH 44107.