Fenix*TX

Lechuza (Drive-Thru)
by Scott Hefflon

Formerly Riverfenix – a much better band name, thus it obviously had to be changed when signing to a major – Fenix*TX are Blink-182 knock-offs, and, as yet, have not developed into much of anything on their own or in the shadow of the mighty B-182, not that the record-buying public seems to notice or care. While I distrust these guys and A New Found Glory as being too calculated, playing what’ll move units not what’s in their hearts, NFG is, again, a significantly better band. Fenix*TX’s lyrics are trite and pretty goddamn awful, but it’s probably just that they can’t pull ’em off cuz The Ataris’ lyrics are pretty simplistic, but I go with them (except for the horrid chorus of “life ain’t all that bad, even if Henry Rollins is your dad” that they repeat over and over again and should’ve been slapped silly for having written in the first place). And even fun-sounding songs like “A Song for Everyone,” “Manufactured Inspirato,” “Beating a Dead Horse,” “Abba Zabba,” and the opener, “Phoebe Cates,” fall shy of interesting. Want humorous punk? Geez, try Diesel Boy, Jon Cougar Concentration Camp, the Vandals, the Queers or dozens of fun bands who’d never pair up with a major and release limp-dick shit like this for people who simply don’t know any better. (Oh, but I like “Something Bad is Gonna Happen” cuz it’s, um, kinda like hearing Cheap Trick do a “wanna fuck shit up? Motherfucker come-on!” groove metal pounder with minor soloing that reminds me of Anthrax’s Spreading the Disease.)