Stranglehold: Punk Rock Across America

21 Pretty Decent Bands (Triple X)
by Scott Hefflon

With the subtitle as a disclaimer, this 21-track comp lives up to its hype. Without claiming the world will shift in its orbit cuz this CD was created, Stranglehold succeeds cuz they flat out claim, “Hey, here’s some pretty good stuff.” From pop punk to old school-style, a little hardcore (not metalcore, thankfully), perhaps a little skapunk influence, and some good ol’ punk rock (as in rock played sloppy, snarly, and mean), Strangehold covers a lot of ground, and for $10, it’s a good way to check out a few you’ve heard “the cool kids” talk about, and get exposed to a few new bands to name-drop the next time yer put on the spot. For my money, I like the rawk stuff the best (represented here by familiar names and a few names I’ll have to follow up on), but that’s mostly cuz that end of the pool has thus far been less tainted by the dirty hands of the biz, and it’s not so damn crowded. Yet. While there ain’t no contact info (always a bummer), there’s a great quote from William Burroughs: “I always thought a punk was someone who took it up the ass.” Executing the hold: The Fucking Assholes, Limecell, The Bulemics, Nuclear Saturday, Turning Blue, Calamity Jones, Big Shrimp, Pushers, Talking to Lois, The Outside, Bullys, Advice to Addicts, Piss Ant, White Trash Debutantes, Kermit’s Finger, New Society of Anarchists, Oppressed Logic, Shitloads of Fuckall, S.O.S., Lawndarts, and Resentments.
(www.triple-x.com)