Bomb the Music Industry! - Scrambles

Artist Website: Bomb the Music Industry! on Myspace
Netlabel Website: Quote Unquote Records

Track list:

1 - Cold Chillin' Cold Chillin'

2 - Stuff That I Like
3 - It Shits!!!
4 - Fresh Attitude, Young Body
5 - Wednesday Night Drinkball
6 - 25!!!
7 - $2,400,000
8 - Gang of Four Meets the Stooges (But Boring)
9 - 9/11 Fever!!!
10 - (Shut) Up The Punx!!!
11 - Can I Pay My Rent in Fun?
12 - Saddr Weirdr
13 - Sort of Like Being Pumped

Download links: [MP3]

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Happy New Year everybody, sorry I'm a little late in getting back into the swing of things, but cross-sountry travel seems to have that effect on me. Anyways, here's the first review of 2010, hope you enjoy it.

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I realize that I've dedicated several reviews so far to Jeff Rosenstock's various musical projects (including one BtMI! review), but I figured this was as good a time as any to review Scrambles, since it ranked at #2 in Punknews.org's Top 20 Albums of 2009 and #3 in the user-generated Top 20 list for Punknews.org (plus, this is my blog and I can do whatever I want!).

If you've listened to any BtMI! before (including their debut album which I've already covered), then you should have an idea what you're in for. The overall sound of the group has remained intact throughout their work, although Scrambles seems to have a little less ska and a little more acoustic to it (see Cold Chillin' Cold Chillin', Wednesday Night Drinkball, etc). This is not to say that I don't thoroughly enjoy the slight change of pace, and there are definitely enough catchy punk/ska tunes on the album to get my fix from. The punk songs that are present on the album, such as Stuff That I Like and Can I Pay My Rent in Fun? seem fuller and much more polished than songs in previous albums.

What I found to be a real treat was the accompanying information that Rosenstock provided on the album page on Quote Unquote Record's website. Not only does Jeff describe how the album came to be (I find it amazing that they were able to record a whole album for so cheap), but he adds a little backstory before the lyrics of each song to provide insight into their meaning. It was the song info that I found so useful, seeing as how Jeff's music always centers around personal feelings and experiences, and the extra information helps the listener relate more to the music. The only real downside that I can find with the album is that Jeff's style of singing sometimes make it hard to understand the words (although if you are listening along with the lyrics page open, you shouldn't have a problem).

It was tough for me to pick out my favorite tracks of the album, because like I mentioned above, Rosenstock did a wonderful job of drawing me into each song and making me care about each one individually. If I had to pick a few tracks to definitely listen to, I'd probably go with Wednesday Night Drinkball, 25!, and Gang of Four Meets the Stooges (But Boring). I'm not going to go into details about what the songs mean or the lyrics, because honestly you should read them yourselves, I don't think I'd do them the justice they deserve (The link is listed in the previous paragraph).

In conclusion, mikexdude over at Punknews.org said in his review of Scrambles that "Jeff Rosenstock is slowly becoming the only voice in punk that matters", and I'm inclined to agree with him.

Kudrow - Lando

Artist Website: Kudrow
Netlabel Website: Quote Unquote Records

Track list:

1 - Commutilation!

2 - Blink-182 Reunion
3 - Favreau
4 - Brooklyn Pool


Download links: [MP3]


Listening to the debut 7" Lando from Jeff Rosenstock's new side project Kudrow is a slightly surreal experience for me. While the vocals are obviously reminiscent of Bomb the Music Industry!, the tone of the guitars and overall feel of the music makes me feel like I'm listening to a late-70's/early-80's punk band. The best analogy I can make think of is to imagine Jeff Rosenstock fronting a reformed Dead Kennedys.

Personally, I find the low-fi, old school sound of the EP quite refreshing and entertaining. As always, Rosenstock has boundless energy right out of the gate. From the initial line of "An eleven foot cluster lacking the camaraderie communities foster and the breakbeat drumbeat bleakly repeats our bleating, "I GIVE NOTHING! I ASK FOR EVERYTHING!"", the listener is swept along, tapping their toe, dancing, or doing whatever it is that they do to feel the music.

Since there are only four tracks on the album, it's tough to choose a standout track (not to mention they are all quite good). That being said, The first track, Commutilation! is definitely a fast, fun opening to the record. The next track dials it back a bit, but the opening guitar riff is catchy enough to keep the listener hooked. The lyrics of Favreau are my favorite of the four tracks, and the final track Brooklyn Pool sounds like it was ripped right from Weezer's Green Album.

If you are a fan of Jeff Rosenstock and his various bands, this is a definitely must have. If you haven't listened to him before or you don't care for ASoB or BTMI!, I'd still recommend giving this one a listen, since it is different enough from his main material to warrant a listen from haters.

Bomb the Music Industry! - Album Minus Band

Artist Website: Bomb the Music Industry! on Myspace
Netlabel Website: Quote Unquote Records

Track list:

1 - Blow Your Brains Out on Live TV!!!
2 - Does Your Face Hurt? No? 'Cause It's Killin' Me!!!
3 - It Ceases To Be "Whining" If You're Still "Shitting Blood"
4 - Big Plans of Sleeping In
5 - I'm A Panic Bomb, Baby!
6 - Sweet Home Cananada
7 - Funcoland vs. The Southern Electorate
8 - Ready... Set... No!!!
9 - "I'm Too Cooooool For Music"
10 - Pike St. - Park Slope (by Harvey Danger)
11 - "FRRRREEEEE BIIIIIIIRRRRD!!!!!! FRRRRREEEEEEEEE BIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRDDDDD!!!!!!!"
12 - Future 86

Download links: [MP3]


I'm a big fan of albums that can hook me right from the first song. Granted, that doesn't mean that I rely solely on the opening track to determine whether or not I'm going to enjoy it, but if the band can grab my attention that early on, there's a good chance that I'll stick around to listen to the rest of the album. That is precisely the case with DIY legends Bomb the Music Industry! and their debut album, Album Minus Band. From the first second of the opening track Blow Your Brains Out On Live TV!!!, you know exactly what you're in for. BTMI! is fast, dirty ska-punk, and while I understand that that type of music might not appeal to you, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for ska, as well as groups that truly embrace the spirit of DIY.

Several tracks utilize sound clips from various pop-culture outlets, such as a "Shaun of the Dead" quote at the beginning of Big Plans of Sleeping In and a bit of stand-up from comedian David Cross at the start of Sweet Home Cananada. What really intrigues me is the extent that Jeff Rosenstock (founder of BTMI!) takes the idea of DIY while recording his albums. For example, the song Sweet Home Cananada was apparently recorded using a built-in microphone on his computer.

There's really not much else to say about this album without delving into the background of the band, or their impact on free digital music (perhaps a future blog post?), so I'll finish with a few standout tracks on the album. Obviously the opening track is a good one, as well as I'm a Panic Bomb, Baby! and Ready... Set... No!!!

If you are interested at all in the free distribution of digital music (and judging from the fact that you're reading this right now, I'll guess that you probably are), do yourself a favor and look into these guys, as well as Rosenstock's label Quote Unquote Records. Whether you like their sound or not, Bomb the Music Industry! is a shining example of how you don't need to "sell records" in order to develop a highly devoted fan base around the world, and perhaps by listening to this album you might find out why.