Karp

Action Chemistry (Punk In My Vitamins)
by Scott Hefflon

A rarities collection from this noisy Northwest band that broke up in ’98. With a Black Flag cover, lots of feedback, screaming, and pummeling drums, it’s generally a “nice” flashback to the times when “alternative” “indie” rock was a lot messier and less wholesome than the emo boy bands of the new millennium. While I still disagree with the use of the phrase “heavy metal” as a reference point, it’s kinda splitting hairs… Three full-lengths on K, a split with Rye Coalition on Troubleman, and singles on Up, Punk in My Vitamins, Atlas, and Kill Rock Stars oughtta point you to the general (albeit elitist) indie rock scene these guys come from. Jared is now in Tight Bro’s From Way Back When (on KRS) and this label (PNMV) has also done stuff with Unwound (also on KRS, small fuckin’ world). If all this doesn’t smell of rock that’s noisy, ugly, bashing-it-out, feedback-drenched, kinda psycho/destructo but in a bright’n’dangerous “college rock” way, not in a stoopid nü metal way, one of the two of us is really missing something…
(www.punkinmyvitamins.com)