[Your Title Here!]: Reviews Of Recent Releases By Local Bands, Pt. 47

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.

Air Sicily - Sexy Eurobeat Vol. 1 - Objectively Good Records & Tapes - 5 songs - Cassette, download

Astute readers may remember that I've already reviewed this cassette. However, this is a brand new reissue of it, dubbed at a higher quality and, on my end, listened to through better speakers. I thought about just publishing the old review again, but where's the fun in that? I might as well go on about this new one for a while. I know for sure that local radio personality Jack and occasional door guy Noah are on this tape, but I'm told that Quality Time Records' own Ricky Hamilton was also involved, so there you go. You may be surprised to learn that this tape is exactly what I said it was before: 4 "music" tracks (I'm counting the rambling intro as a separate thing entirely; you may decide not to) of noisy punk no wave. At its root, it's solid punk. There's just a bunch of noise on top of it and Jack muttering incoherently. There's my biggest complaint: I can't understand a word he says during the songs, due to the effect on his vocals. I know that was completely intentional, but based on the intro, I'd think he'd have something interesting or at least entertainingly inane to say. Oh well. Next time around. My pick is the first track (the one after the intro, I mean). Or maybe the intro itself was my favorite. I don't know, you're just gonna have to listen yourselves and find out what I'm talking about, because even I don't know anymore. What did I give this last time? 4, I think. 4.1/5

(airsicilycoolband.bandcamp.com to download, I guess try the Objectively Good Facebook page for a tape)

Diva Cup / Short Order - Diva Cup / Short Order - Adamant Blasts - 5 songs (2 Diva Cup, 8 Short Order) - Cassette, download
This is an advance tape copy of the upcoming split 7" between these bands. I'm not sure which band is supposed to be Side A, so I'm going with Diva Cup. I think their two tracks are a step up from their previous 7", as they slow it down a bit ("slow" in this case being a relative term). I like the wrestling-style intro that kicks it off. The second song, which according to their Bandcamp page (no song titles were included with the tape) is called "Smart Ass" might be their best song yet. I'm still not entirely sold on their whole all-bass abrasive hardcore thing, but they make it work well enough, so what do I know? I'm less familiar with Short Order, but what they seem to do is very short and very fast hardcore songs. I did note that their side sounds a lot cleaner. I assume that the actual 7" will include credits for that, but for now, hey, props to whoever recorded it, you did alright. My favorites of theirs were the second song and I think the eighth song (it's the one where they slow down for half a second), but my count might be messed up. My favorite part of this
tape was actually the artwork, which looks to be screened onto an Aldi bag and doesn't actually fit in the cassette case at all. If you like your music really fast at all times, you'll probably like both bands here. 3.6/5
(Track down either band somewhere for a tape, or download all of DC's side at divacupclevo.bandcamp.com and some of SO's side at shortorder.bandcamp.com)

Are you a local-ish band? Do you have a record out? Email vaguelythreatening@gmail.com or send it directly to Observer headquarters: The Lakewood Observer, c/o Buzz Kompier, 14900 Detroit Avenue, Suite 205, Lakewood, OH 44107.