Dillinger Four - Situationist Comedy (For fans of Off With Their Heads, Lawrence Arms, None More Black)

There are so many staple albums that I listen to on a regular basis, but never posted on because I always assume I already posted it back in '07 (good year). Of course you know what they say about assuming: It makes you fucking asshole.

Dillinger Four's Situationist Comedy was my first introduction to D4 back in 2002, and back then, I thought it was solid, but nothing to get overly excited about. Something happens with Dillinger Four and their albums, one day you'll just be listening to them, and then it hits you: holy crapballs, this is fucking amazing.

Beer drenched, catchy as fuck anthems by these Minneapolis legends. One of the few bands that are able to tackle serious issues in their songs with humor, these guys are pissed off and are cracking up about it.

Mp3:
Dillinger Four - All Rise For The Rational Anthem

Read These Articles Or We Will Hunt You Down (and ask you to please read them):
Off With Their Heads - From The Bottom
Over Stars and Gutters - Consider This Your Curse
The Soviettes - LP

Buy:
Fat Wreck

Outer Banks 09 Baby (A Mix)

Well, after a nice long weekend in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I'm back in "so I guess it really is Fall" Philadelphia. It was incredibly depressing waking up this morning, and not having 'going to the beach and then hit up the hot tub' as the only things on my to-do list.

On top of that, the other duder at my work quit... so I got a talking to this morning from my boss telling me that "the entire department's success depends on you." I don't get paid enough to care... So I guess i'll be handing in my 2 weeks notice sometime in the very near future (I guess there are benefits to having a job that pays once a month).

I'm so tempted to drive back down and just hang out at the beach.

MP3:
Bouncing Souls - Shark Attack
The Boils - Skinhead Reggae Beach Stomp
Subb - LA Beach Bum
Mustard Plug - Summertime
Atom and His Package - Mission #1: Avoid Job Working With Assholes
Bomb The Music Industry - Jobs Schmobs
Chixdiggit - Quit Your Job

More Mixes:
A Save The Planet Mix
Ghost Towns And Mad Styling Mix
Sunny Days and Pillow Fights
Everytime it Rains, The Bus Is Late Just To Spite Me

Buy:
Interpunk
Smartpunk

Wedding Sexy Time (A Mix)

Ok, so I'm going to be gone from the blog until Tuesday-ish or so, as I'm heading down to North Carolina for a good friend's wedding of mine. ~Sigh~ They grow up so fast. I feel like it was just 2 months ago we were out playing 4 square... Oh wait, it was.

Here's to bringing the party (and hopefully not the sickness I have) down to the deep south...y'all.

MP3:
Atom And His Package - Dear Atom, You Do Not Want Children, Love Atom
Good Clean Fun - Punk Rock Love
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

More Mixes
10 Rules If You Wanna Be Hardcore
9 Easy Steps To Becoming A Skinhead
I got 99 Problems But Moving Ain't One
Tribute To All You Bored At Work Or School

Buy:
Interpunk

I Swear I'm Not Dead (A Mix)

So, it turns out that I got sick a-fucking-gain, hence the lack of posts here at the Housewives. To top it off, I'm going to be leaving for a wedding for a few days.... so you won't hear anything from me on Thurs, Fri, and Mon.

There is a lot of solid shit that needs to be posted soon though: Sakes Alive newest jams, Philly's local Minor Disturbance to name another. I swear next week, I'll have most of this stuff up.

Hope you guys have been able to avoid getting sick this season, and keep your immune systems healthier than mine.

MP3:
None More Black - Genuine Malaise and Misery
Blanks 77 - Sick
Freygolo - Sick and Down
NOFX - Just The Flu
The Vapids - The Kids Are Sick
Leftover Crack - With the Sickness
Bankrupt - Baby's Got The Bird Flu

More Music To Hold You Over:
Shredding The Slopes (And My Body) Mix
Songs to Piss Off The Personal Fitness Trainer Below Me Mix
Drunken Yuppies Breaking Into My House Mix

Buy:
Interpunk

Youth Brigade, Off WIth Their Heads, The Casualties (Live In Philly)

Last night I headed out to Philly's North Star Bar to catch Off With Their Heads with The Casualties and Youth Brigade. Since The Casualties were playing, I was expecting the place to be packed, but there was surprisingly a really low turnout.

Detournement:
First up was Jersey's Detournement. The members of this band have a solid history, coming from bands such as Bigwig, Worthless United, and Ensign just to name a few. Last time I saw them in Philly, the sound levels were all off, and it really effected the overall performance (mind you, they didn't even bother to do a soundcheck that show). This time however, I was pretty impressed by their set.

They play high energy, anthematic punk rock tunes, and it's clear that they are doing it for the fun of playing shows.

Off With Their Heads:

The reason I came to the show to begin with. While there may have only been 6 people into them, and I was alone moving around to the music, Off With Their Heads played a solid, pissed off, sing a long set. The vocals were a bit low, but that didn't really put much of a damper on their sound as us 6 people in the front shouted along to every word.

The set was waaaay to short in my opinion, but they played a solid setlist with some highlights: I Am You, Until The Day, Terrorist Attack, For The Four.

The Casualties:

God, I've never seen so many kids in Casualties shirts all in one place before. It was clear that the majority of people were here to see these street punk veterans. It's been years since I've seen or listened to these guys (2004), but they played a decent amount of older stuff that I remembered from back in the day.

People give The Casualties a lot shit for being stereotypical "punx"... but say what you want about them, The Casualties still know how to put on a good fucking show, and they introduced a lot of people to street punk (which is never a bad thing).

By far the calmest Casualties show I've ever been to, with people content just watching and a pit breaking out only sporadically. There were signs that said "no moshing", and I'm wondering if that scared everyone off.

Setlist:
Criminal Class
Tomorrow Belongs To Us
Get Off My Back
Media Control
Under Attack
Carry On The Flag
We Are All We Have
War Is Business
Punk Rock Love
Riot
Looking Through Bloodshot Eyes
Social Outcast
For The Punx
Ugly Bastards
Made In NYC
Blitzkrieg Bop Cover (let fans sing this one)
Punx Unite

I decided that if I drank, I would create a drinking game. Everytime the Casualties say "punk" in their songs, you need to take a shot. Of course you'd be wasted 10 seconds in.

Youth Brigade:

The younger crowd cleared out while the older crowd poured in. While I admittingly am not too familiar with their music, there was nooo way I was going to miss the Southern California legends. They seemed to be having a blast on stage, and the crowd returned the enthuisiasm, shouting along all the words. Fuck, I didn't even know all the words but I was shouting along.
If they come around your area, do yourself and go see them, you won't be disappointed.

Setlist:
Where Are All The Old Man Bars
Violence
It's Not Like That
Sick
Spies
You Don't Know Shit
Fuck You!
Punk Rock Mom
We're In
Modest Proposal
All Right Then
Believe In Something
Did You Wanna Die
Street Dominator
Fight To Unite
I Hate My Life
Sink With Kalifornia
Men In Blue

MP3:
Off With Their Heads - Until The Day

More:
Off With Their Heads - From The Bottom

Buy:
Interpunk

The Steal Breaking Up (for fans of Kid Dynamite, Paint it Black, 7 Seconds)

Ugh. So melodic hardcore band The Steal announced that their last show will be with Paint it Black and Ceremony on September 18th, at The Peel in Kingston. I was lucky enough to see these guys once open for Armalite in Philly, but at the time I wasn't familiar with any of their music. They completely stole the show that night.

I was always hoping that they would come back to the US for another tour, as they became by far one of my favorite hardcore bands. I'm pretty saddened by this news. You'll be missed guys.

MP3:
The Steal - Kids With Kids
The Steal - New Friend

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do:
The Steal - Bright Grey
The Steal - Self Titled

Buy:
Banquet Records

Teenage Bottlerocket - They Came From The Shadows (For fans of The Ramones, Screeching Weasel, The Vandals)

(Dear Blogger and the incredibly incompetent IFPI: This is not an IFPI release. I am on the promo list for Fat Wreck, which, by the way has no association with the RIAA or the IFPI. Don't believe me? Check the damn Fat Wreck website FAQ. IFPI, you have NO jurisdiction over the label, and have NO right what so ever to demand for it to be pulled down. In fact, I demand that the IFPI stops using their logo due to Copyright violations. See, it makes no fucking sense.)

3 chord only down stroke punk rock: somewhere, Joey Ramone is feeling a strong sense of pride. Teenage Bottlerocket has proven once again with their latest release on Fat Wreck "They Came From The Shadows" that they' are the modern masters of 77 influenced punk rock.

Being a huge fan of "Total", I was a bit underwhelmed by their "Warning Device" release last year. Sure it was a solid album, but it seemed to lack some of the raw energy that made "Total" so awesome. On my first listen of TCFTS, I couldn't help but to be completely stoked to hear that raw adrenaline pumping through their songs once again.

Lyrically, Teenage Bottlerocket doesn't really jump into much new territory (girls, light-hearted songs) although there are some hilarious songs on here, particular one taking shot at Kiss and fans. There also are a few Lillingtons-esque songs on here as well ("They Came From The Shadows", "Forbidden Planet).

Musically, the band doesn't stray too far from their proven 3 chord formula, but on "Fatso goes Nutzoid", the band does experiment with some 80s crossover thrash reminiscent of early Suicidal Tendencies.

Teenage Bottlerocket is going on tour sometime this fall, so you should probably pick up this album soon in order to shout along to every song.

MP3:
Teenage Bottlerocket - Fatso Goes Nutzoid

They Came From The Housewives:
The Lillingtons - The Too Late Show
Teenage Bottlerocket - Another Way
The Copyrights

Buy:
Fat Wreck

Grab Bag (A Mix!)

Well... unfortunately it is Monday again which mean that 90% of people (I verify that this statistic is made up) are back at work and/or school. Here's a miscellaneous assortment of tunes to help get you through the day.
MP3:
Bouncing Souls-The Freaks, The Nerds, And The Romantics
Folly – Broken
Slackers - Everyday is Sunday
Totally Michael - Casual Satisfaction
MC Chris - The Tussin
Zero Down – The Way It Is

More Mixes To Make It Through The Day With:
Dumbass Yuppies Thinking I'm Trying To Break Into Their Car (A Mix)
Songs To Piss Off The Personal Trainer Below Me Mix

Buy:
Interpunk

Naked Raygun w/ Paint it Black Live In Philly

I seriously don't think I can see Paint it Black enough. So regardless of the fact that this would be the 3rd time seeing them this year... I headed out to the Philly's First Unitarian Church to catch them with the legendary Naked Raygun. Yes, you read that right, 80s Chicago punk band re-united and is currently on tour.

Brain Handle:

First band up was Pittsburg's Brain Handle, who definitely seemed to only be about partying (or at least the lead singer). Taking shots onstage, completely wasted, these guys wouldn't even let the crowd know their name, only referring to themselves as the Real Naked Raygun. They played furious thrashy hardcore, reminding me a lot of The Revenge. Very solid music, although the singer seemed to be off some, but hey, he seemed pretty damn wasted.

Shot Baker:

Hooooly crap! Completely blown away by these Chicago dudes. Playing anthematic, melodic punk rock that reminded me of Strike Anywhere with maybe a touch of early Swingin' Utters. I defintely need to get some of their recorded work, blew me away.

Paint it Black:

The reason I came to the show. I've been a pretty big fan of the EPs Philly's own Paint it Black have been releasing, and wanted to hear those songs in a live setting. Paint it Black did not disappoint. Opening up with "Surrender", the pile-ons began immediately. It was pretty obvious that a lot of people in the crowd haven't heard their latest EP, because once they ripped into their next song "Past Tense Future Perfect", the place seriously went apeshit, and didn't let up for the entire show. By the end of the set, Dan had a stream of blood running down his mouth, but that didn't stop him from stage diving into the crowd multiple times.

The band played tight together as usual (and I have no idea how they do it with the constant stage dives and people banging into them... your's truely may or may not be guilty of this as well). I don't have the complete setlist, but from what I can rememeber:

Setlist (Not complete)
-Surrender
-Past Tense, Future Perfect
-Womb Envy
-Sacred
-Pink Slip
-Cannibal
-Salem
-365
-Homesick
-Atticus Finch
-Shell Game Redux
-Memorial Day

Naked Raygun:


A lot of the younger crowd left at this point, but the church basement was still packed as Naked Raygun took the stage. I wasn't sure how the crowd was going to react to these guys, but it was a huge drunk fest up front. People spilling and throwing beers, drunken pile-ons, some dude twice my size tried to pick me up by grabbing my leg (spun around and threw him).

I don't think I've ever heard as many "Whoas" in a show than I did with Naked Raygun, and that includes all the times I've seen Less Than Jake and the Bouncing Souls combined. Playing punk in the veins of the Buzzcocks, even though I sadly am not too familiar with their entire catalog (I only own Jettison), these dudes rocked for like 2 hours, with a double encore (even though 3/4s of the crowd left after the first encore, thinking the show was over). Dan was in the crowd the entire time, doing an occasional stage dive and shouting along every word.

Hell of a good time, seriously, catch them if they come around your town.

MP3:
Paint it Black - Sacred
Naked Raygun - Vanilla Blue

Naked Housewives:
Paint it Black - Surrender
Paint It Black - Amnesia

Buy:
Interpunk

Bouncing Souls - The Good, The Bad, And The Argyle

The Bouncing Souls have certainly changed their musical style over the years, but their latest digital release for September (entitled "Badass") made me nostalgic for their first ever studio release: The Good, The Bad, and The Argyle.

A lot of fans often put this album on the back burner (or back on the shelf I guess), since they were still developing their sound at this point (evident with "Joe Lies") but every song here is a classic (well, except the covers).

Completely underrated album from my favorite band, one that I recommend all fans to reconnect with.

MP3:
Bouncing Souls - lay em down, smack em, yack em
Bouncing Souls-Joe Lies (When He Cries)

More Souls:
Bouncing Souls 20th Anniversary Collection Vol I
The Bouncing Souls "Worst" Album
Bouncing Souls Split Series
Battle: Bouncing Souls vs Band of Horses!

Buy:
Chunksaah

This One's For The Workers... And You Too Unemployed (A Mix!)

If you're employed, you likely had Monday off (and if you are unemployed... enjoy the copious amounts of free time while you can... lucky bastard). If you didn't have Monday off, it's definitely time to quit your job.

Hope your labor day was full of non-labor-esque things.
MP3:
Atom and His Package - Mission #1: Avoid Job Working With Assholes
Bomb The Music Industry - Jobs Schmobs
Chixdiggit - Quit Your Job
NOFX - It's My Job To Keep Punk Rock Elite
The Slackers - Work Song
The Virus - Working For The Company


Mixes? Hell Yeah!
Darwin 200th Birthday Mix
Dumbass Yuppies Thinking I'm Trying To Break Into Their Car (A Mix)
Songs To Piss Off The Personal Trainer Below Me Mix

Buy:
Interpunk

Strike Anywhere - Iron Front EP (For fans of Rise Against, Propagandhi)

In about a month, Strike Anywhere's highly anticipated latest studio album "Iron Front" is due to hit the shelves with a release date of October 6th. I've been a Strike Anywhere fan for-freaking-ever now, and after hearing "Dead FM", I'm really stoked to hear what they're going to be putting out next. Luckily for us, they released an "Iron Front EP".

The latest EP features four songs: "Failed State" and "Hand of Glory" come straight off the newest album, while "Orphan Age" and "Twilight's Last Gleaming" are two b-sides that didn't make the cut to the full length. Let me say: all the songs completely own.

Failed State and Orphan Age is a bit reminiscent of Exit English and Change is Sound, while Hand of Glory and Twilight's Last Gleaming sounds like it came off of Dead FM. If these four songs are any indication of what the "Iron Front" full length is going to sound like, I'm fucking stoked.

MP3:
Strike Anywhere - Failed State

Housewives Front:
After the Fall (For fans of Strike Anywhere and Propagandhi)
Rise Against - Revolutions Per Minute

Buy:
Bridge 9

Paint it Black - Surrender (For fans of Kid Dynamite, Bane, Ceremony)

When Paint It Black released their latest 7-inch "Surrender" 2 weeks ago on Fat Wreck, every hardcore kid's head collectively exploded: "Really? Fat Wreck? Doesn't that mean you'll have to start sounding like a stereotypical skate punk band?"

Not exactly... and a huge resounding "hahaha fuck no". The first song on the 4 song "Surrender" entitled "Sacred" is pretty straight forward classic PIB: fast, heavy, and melodic. But the second track "Worms" is possibly one of the heaviest songs that the band has ever written.

I think I'm probably a bigger fan of their other EP "Amnesia" that they released earlier this year, but "Surrender" is a solid addition to the band's already flawless catalog.

MP3:
Paint it Black - Sacred

More Hardcore:
Lighten Up - Absolutely Not (Seriously. Best Hardcore Album to Be Released This Year.)
Paint It Black - Amnesia (New EP!)
The Steal - Bright Grey

Buy:
Paint It Black

Amrev II - Unity Crew (For fans of Subb, Leftover Crack, Common Ride)

It's pretty rare for me these days to come across a new ska band (err... new to me at least) that I actually enjoy. I don't have this problem with any other genre I listen to: maybe it's the lack of ska bands still around, or maybe the ones that are around try too hard to sound like Reel Big Fish. Every once in a while though, a ska band comes around that I can't help but enjoy. Amrev II is one of those rare bands.

Coming from the breeding ska grounds of the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania (ha!), Amrev II plays punk rock laced ska, that sort of reminds me of the band Subb. On their release "Unity Crew" these guys (and gal) often play a laid back style of ska, reminiscent of Common Rider, but they've got plenty of punk rock tunes on here as well.

Definitely check out if you're itching for some new ska.

MP3:
Amrev II - Bring Us Together

Ska Ska Ska:
Big D and the Kids Table - Fluent in Stroll
Hub City Stompers - Ska Ska Black Sheep
Bomb the Music Industry - Scrambles

Buy:
Amrev II

Municipal Waste - Massive Aggressive (New Album!)

Lords of thrash Municipal Waste don't really need a proper introduction. These Richmond revivalists resurrected the previously thought dead genre of cross-over thrash back in 2003 with "Waste Em All", brought it to the limelight in 05 with "Hazardous Mutations", and nearly god-damn perfected it in 07 with "The Art of Partying".

Two years later, the band finally released the long anticipated "Massive Aggressive", and while it doesn't exactly take "Partying's" throne as best modern crossover thrash album, it's still one fuck of a good Municipal Waste time.

I've read a lot blogs that were disappointed with the latest, claiming it to be be boring, slow, and have dumber lyrics than the other albums. While the Massive Aggressive does seem to have a bit more songs that are chuggy, the boogie boards will still be flying at their live shows with melt-facings such as "Wolves of Chernobyl" and "Divine Blasphemer".

I think the slowness that people are complaining about has something to do with the recording. Something does seem different about the production, with the songs not really reaching that overwhelming wall of sound, but I don't think it has anything to do with the song structures themselves.

Municipal Waste does dive in new territory lyrically, singing songs about politics ("duuuude, politics has no place in a party... except a political party man..."), and it's good to see the band tread some new terroritory.

If you're new to the Waste, I'd start with The Art of Partying, but any fan of thrash should check out Massive Aggressive.

Mp3:
Municipal Waste - Wolves Of Chenorbyl

Waaaaasted:
Tango And Thrash EP (Tribute to Kurt Russell)
Hazardous Mutations

Buy:
Earache