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Legedary
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Legedary
Buck
Enterprises
A couple years
ago, Buck released their self titled debut, which included the hit single,
"Next". Since then, the band (whose name is an acronym, Building Up Christ's
Kingdom) has changed their name to Buck Enterprises and switched record
labels, from Tattoo Records to Galaxy21 Music. Business as Usual
showcases the band's musical growth, with a more diverse sound than their
ska/swing debut. The music on this album ranges from high octane ska ("All
I Need") to rock ("When I Get Home") to reggae influenced ska ("Got to
Get You Into My Life"). Buck Enterprises may not be as musically diverse
as The Supertones, as creative as Five Iron Frenzy or as inspirational
as The Insyderz, but Business as Usual is not only an improvement
from their first release, but an enjoyable album for fans of the previously
mentioned ska bands.
Craig’s
Brother
On
Lost
At Sea, Craig’s Brother uses an unlikely combination of punk rock and
folk rock to create a fairly unique sound. For the most part, they pull
of the combination very well, making most of the album pretty good. However,
at times the punk rock influence makes certain songs sound too frantic,
and almost like they're trying to play two songs at once. The lyrics are
intelligent and metaphoric, but nothing in this album would classify it
as a Christian album, since their is no mention of God anywhere. There's
some great things on this album, but some more musical growth will save
Craig’s Brother from being lost at sea.
The
Deadlines
On their sophomore
release, Fashion Over Function, The Deadlines make a drastic change
leaving the horror/goth rock of their debut album, The Death and Life
of..., behind. The departure of half of the band members inspired the
change to a classic glam/punk rock 'n' roll style. Instead of displaying
a fascination with vampires and graveyards, The Deadlines are more involved
with anti-aristocratic anthems ("International Jet-Set", "Fashion Over
Function") and rock star desires ("I Want a Stalker"). The changes are
definitely for the better, and Fashion Over Function would be among
my "Top 10 Albums of 2001", if it wasn't a measly nine songs and 29 minutes
in length.
Deluxtone
Rockets
What doesn't
kill you makes you stronger. The Deluxtone Rockets can definitely attest
to that. After producer Dennis Dannel died during the making of
Green
Room Blues and fellow producer Gene Eugene passed away shortly before
the album was completed, the Deluxtone Rockets had to deal with the adversity
that came with the events. Out of it has come a great album in Green
Room Blues, the follow up to their self-titled debut. The album has
a variety of swing styles in it, ranging from modern swing, like the now
broken up W’s (“Darkest Night”), traditional rockabilly (“Downslide”) and
jazz (“Wolftown Blues”). The styles are combined in many songs, like the
album's highlight, the catchy “Judgment Day”. Green Room Blues is
very strong lyrically and musically, and is an album that it’s late producers
would be very proud of.
The
Dingees
What do you
get when you have a band of people who can’t sing, play music or write
songs? The latest album by The Dingees, The Crucial Conspiracy.
The songs range in styles from punk rock to reggae to ska, and there might
even be an attempt at metal. The lyrics are dull, simplistic and usually
there are only about five lines per song. No matter what style of music
they’re playing there’s the same repetitive drum and guitar beat over and
over again. Their attempt at metal is just some guy screaming whatever’s
on the top of his head. When they include trumpets in the songs it’s, just
like any other musical instrument they play, the same dull beat. If you
like punk music, listen to Slick Shoes. If you like reggae, listen to Christafari.
If you like ska listen to The O.C. Supertones. If you like listening to
people screaming, listen to Project 86. Just don’t spend your money on
The
Crucial Conspiracy.
Dogwood
Straying away from today's catchy, hook filled pop/punk sounds of blink-182, MxPx, etc., Dogwood's Matt Aragon is a high energy blend of frantic guitars and pounding drums. But what really makes Dogwood stand out amongst other punk bands is their lyrics. They put their Christianity out in the open, not left to one's interpretation of subliminal messages. Songs like "Do or Die" are excellent both musically and lyrically ("I met the son of God today/He said, I forgive you for my pain/He took my sin that held the hammer/That dove, the nails through his skin/...I want to die to myself for you/You are the one I love/I owe my all to you/Because when it came to do or die/You died for me/...I'm a new creation to you/Created for you, by you/So make me worth your while/"). Matt Aragon closes with the worshipful "Ballad of Hope", a fitting ending to one of the best punk albums of the year.
Element
101
On the second
album by New Jersey’s Element 101, they fall into the same trap that many
bands do in their sophomore album: continue in the exact same style as
before, with little or no improvement. Stereo Girl is pretty much
a carbon copy of their debut, Future Plans Undecided. In it’s defense,
the album is fairly good brand of light, bouncy, pop-punk songs, a style
similar to Broomtree’s first album or some of Flight 180’s music. However,
like many punk albums, there’s not much of a change in sound from song
to song, making each song the same as the next one. Stereo Girl
is
good, but some more development as a band and more diversity in their musical
style would help Element 101 greatly.
Five
Iron Frenzy
On their latest
album, Electric Boogaloo, Five Iron Frenzy continues with the more
rock sounds, more serious lyrics that were evident on All the Hype That
Money Can Buy and the band's side project, Brave Saint Saturn. The
trumpets take a much more subdued role on this album, and they produce
more of a haunting, eerie effect rather than the fun, frantic nature of
the band's earlier albums, sounding more like Weezer than The Mighty Mighty
Bosstones. Not afraid to take on controversial issues and say what they
believe, Five Iron Frenzy discusses tough topics like unfair treatment
of indians ("The Day We Killed"), profit motives in the Christian music
industry ("Blue Mix") and the death of loved ones ("Car", "Eulogy"), while
still displaying a solid sense of humor ("Pre-Ex-Girlfriend", "Vultures").
To top it all off, the lead single, "Far Far Away" is the band's best song
to date, and it's driving, electrifying guitars make it a candidate for
rock song of the year; it's that good. If you credited Five Iron Frenzy's
popularity to the once popular ska fad, or even if you felt they deserved
their success, be prepared to be blown away by Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric
Boogaloo.
Flight
180
What an improvement
a lineup change can make. After one of their two female lead singers and
a few members of their group left, Flight 180 is now a four person band,
as opposed to the octet it once was. Their music continues for the most
part in the same ska/punk/pop/rock style (with maybe a bit more punk than
previous releases), but with one singer gone they sound less like Alvin
and the Chipmunks and more like Broomtree or No Doubt. Their many musical
styles are combined greatly, and the songs flow very well from one to another.
Lyrically, Girls & Boys discuss topics that pertain to their
target audience, teenagers. Unlike Element 101’s
Stereo Girl, which
released within weeks of Girls & Boys, Flight 180 combines many
genres in their pop punk sound. And though the two bands sound fairly similar,
Flight 180 is definitely the better of the two.
Hangnail
After a debut
album that gained them a fair amount of notoriety, Hangnail is back with
their sophomore album, Facing Changes. On this release, Hangnail
has created near flawless punk album. It's a great blend of frantic guitars
and clear, Christian lyrics. Unlike many punk albums, Facing Changes
is also nearly forty minutes long, and there is a decent level of musical
diversity between songs. The bonus CD of acoustic versions of songs on
this album is another positive feature separating Hangnail from an endless
sea of similar sounding punk bands. Though any punk fan will enjoy Facing
Changes, this release may slip between the cracks, because Hangnail
may be unfortunately overshadowed by Christian punk's more popular bands
(MxPx, Slick Shoes, Relient K, etc.) .
The
Insyderz
Over their
career so far, The Insyderz have been one of the top Christian ska bands,
with a résumé that includes two top 10 albums and six #1
singles. However, the band is best known for their role in co-instigating
the modern worship movement with their Skalleluia! albums. The
Greatest and Rarest showcases the best of The Insyderz' rock and worship
songs, as well as 4 new and 3 remixed ones. The album also features "Only
a Sailor Knows" from Surfonic Water Revival, a B-side and a no longer
hidden track. With 21 songs and a 71+ minute run time, The Greatest
and Rarest is full of excellent inspirational ska-core from The Insyderz.
MxPx
After establishing
themselves as the top punk band in Christian music (and making a name for
themselves in mainstream punk too), MxPx returns to their roots on their
latest album, The Renaissance EP. Though it will please fans of
their early albums, I’m not sure if this was necessarily the right move
for the band to make. Their pop-punk sound found on The Ever Passing
Moment
is just as good as anyone else in the business (Christian or
mainstream), and showcases years of the bands musical growth. Releasing
an album of less than stellar punk music may hurt the band in the long
run. There are some highlights on this album (namely, “Lonesome Town”),
but the positives outweigh the negatives (including the album’s length
of less than twenty minutes). The Renaissance EP may please old
fans, but this album may be a bit of a step backwards for MxPx.
Relient
K
Relient K's
self-titled album was the highest selling Christian rock debut album of
2000, spawned three hit singles, and established them as one of the top
bands in Christian pop/punk. Though it's hard to improve on an album of
that magnitude, Relient K has done it with the release of their second
album, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. More musically diverse
than their debut, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek continues to
blend catchy, high energy punk rock with witty, sarcastic, "tongue in cheek"
lyrics; but a few songs ("Those Words are Not Enough", "For the Moments
I Feel Faint", "Less is More", among others) have more of a worshipful
feel to them compared to their previous efforts. Not only will it appeal
to fans of Blink 182 or Fanmail, but those who like Switchfoot, Five Iron
Frenzy, Weezer or All Star United will also like The Anatomy of the
Tongue in Cheek, which is easily one of the best rock albums of 2001.
Side
Walk Slam
Side Walk Slam
is the latest pop/punk band on Tooth & Nail Records. Almost every aspect
of the band's debut album,
Past Remains, can be compared to MxPx
in one way to another. The lyrics on this album deal mostly with relationships
from a Christian perspective, with a handful of songs actually about God,
but are not as creative or well written as that of MxPx. The musical style
of Past Remains is reminiscent of MxPx's early albums, before they
refined their sound. A few more years to find a style to call their own
and improve on their debut will do the band good. There's some hints of
a great band in the making on Past Remains, but for now Side Walk
Slam just sounds like a weak group of wannabes.
Watashi
Wa
Watashi Wa's
(their name means "I am" in Japanese) stellar sophomore album, What's
in the Way, picks up right where their debut release, Lost a few
Battles...Won the War left off. The album has perfect pop/punk sound
with a fair amount of musical diversity, with song styles ranging from
aggressive punk ("Wrong Kind") to melodic rock ("Look"). Lyrically, Watashi
Wa explores deeper issues than what are found on most punk albums, namely
a tribute to their deceased friend on "Andy". Watashi Wa's What's in
the Way is an album that sets the standard for most pop/punk bands,
and Watashi Wa has already received acclaim from MxPx lead singer Mike
Hererra. Not bad for a band on an independent Christian label, whose members
just recently graduated from high school.
