Lollipop Magazine

Westbound Train – Transitions – Review

November 20, 2006

I like ska as much as getting cornholed in a dark alley, but Boston’s Westbound Train mix in some soul, so at least my rapist lubed up first.

TYR – Ragnarok – Review

November 20, 2006

The one and only Faroese folk metal band. Some English singing, some in their native tongue, summoning ghosts of ancestors, epic battles, love of land and lore.

Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive To Death – Dead Rhythm – Review

November 20, 2006

Spencer Moody (Murder City Devils) and friends create a band and record this kinda echoy, kinda “sparse” (aka empty) CD. Such a great, tortured voice wasted…

To-Mera – Transcendental – Review

November 20, 2006

Female-fronted dark/prog metal. Angelic vocals, tight starts’n’stops, a bit too choppy and “we’re good, huh?” for me.

Thy Disease – Rat Age – Review

November 20, 2006

From Poland, four records deep, got some keyboards mixed into the death metal.

Wild Zero – Review

November 20, 2006

If neither The Marvels or New Alliance ring (cow) bells for ya, you’ll probably never stumble over Wild Zero either. Boston punk rock, bar level.

Thumbscrew – Within Hearts of Redemption – Review

November 20, 2006

Brutal spazzcore from Austin, Texas. For fans of Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan, and bands on Blackmarket Activities. This stuff annoys the hell outta me.

The Little Killers – A Real Good One – Review

November 20, 2006

NYC three-piece previously on Crypt, this slab was produced by Jim Diamond, and they’ve got more indie cred you can stuff in those tight trousers of yours.

The Awkward Stage – Heaven Is For Easy Girls – Review

November 20, 2006

Great title. Title track is the best by far. I’m too high-strung for awkward-guy indie pop. Glad someone still writes AM radio pop I’ll never listen to it.

Speed/Kill/Hate – Acts of Insanity – Review

November 20, 2006

Say it with me: “Speed/Kill/Hate’s Acts of Insanity.” We done? East Coast thrash featuring members of Overkill (not members I recognize). Or so the sticker sez.

The Matches – Decomposer – Review

November 20, 2006

There’s something charmingly dorky about these guys, kinda like OK GO. Only these guys are cuter. Like that’s hard.

Royal Bliss – After the Chaos II – Review

November 20, 2006

A bit more Loverboy than the barroom swagger of The Golden Gods, but when melodic rock is 3 Doors Down and Hinder, I’ll take a hint of Maroon Five, if need be.

The Leftovers – Party Tonight – Review

November 20, 2006

The Leftovers make Darlington sound like a good singer. Bubblegum punk rules, but it can be done badly, just like anything.

Subhumans Canada – New Dark Age Parade – Review

November 20, 2006

Not to be confused with the UK band, these Vancouver punkers were important in the late ’70s and early ’80s. First new tunes by the original line-up since ’82.

Street Dogs – Fading American Dream – Review

November 20, 2006

Yup, it’s another Street Dogs CD. Ex-Dropkicks singer’s working class Boston punk band, with guest appearances by The Pogues and Flogging Molly members.

Stolen Babies – There Be Squabbles Ahead – Review

November 20, 2006

Cabaret clusterfuck. Math rock thrash pop duckwalk. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum on a crack binge. This is overly creative people with time on their hands. Thanks.

Stefy – The Orange Album – Review

November 20, 2006

I couldn’t sit though this long enough to type “wow, this sucks.” Thin, deliberate, new wave pop diva crap.

Stand Before The Firing Squad – Noise Machine – Review

November 20, 2006

Spazzcore.

Aspen It Is – Release Me From The Weight of Gravity – Review

November 20, 2006

They’re so earnest. While the singer has a nice vibrato, he’s hitting about every other note, and half the time, falls off it before the cue to cut.

Signal Home – A Fragile Constitutional – Review

November 20, 2006

Part melodic punk, part screamo, part emo, someone shoulda really convinced them to work on these tunes a little more before recording and releasing this debut.

Shook Ones – Facetious Folly Feat – Review

November 20, 2006

The site references Lifetime and Kid Dynamite, and while I was gonna say Strike Anywhere with a sore throat, those bands are close enough.

Senses Fail – Still Searching – Review

November 20, 2006

There’s a reason why these guys are where they are. One of the best emo pop bands out there.

Seether – One Cold Night – Review

November 20, 2006

A live acoustic album with all the hits, including the song with Evanescence. You can almost see college girls mouthing the words with their eyes closed.

Roger Miret and The Disasters – My Riot – Review

November 20, 2006

Agnostic Front’s Roger Miret’s rock’n’roll project. One of the best 50 Social Distortion cover bands in the land, SD themselves being in the top five.

Represent – True At All Costs – Review

November 20, 2006

If you love your hardcore served straight forward and straight-edge and don’t already own CDs by Buried Alive, Ringworm, and Earth Crisis, this’ll fill the gap.