Top Sounds - U
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO CANDYLAND - Bird Roughs {Recess} Wow - this came outta nowhere! URTC feature, among others, Todd C, the main force behind the fantastic TOYS THAT KILL. This sure is not as instant as TTK, nor as immediately ‘Punk’ in terms of sound. But given a few plays, the multitude of catchy choruses, laid back vibes and Todd’s incomparable vocals soon had this on constant repeat in the CD player. The guitars here are more or less clean and brought to mind THE STROKES (without the rock ‘n’ roll star pretension), J. CHURCH and a hint of THE ‘MATS. Lyrics are as cryptic as hell - they didn’t make much sense to me at all - but Todd’s bratty, nasal delivery makes them accessible. Gotta say, I prefer TTK by far, but until their next record, this is a welcome aural fix for my Recess addiction. 
UNSEEN - Internal Salvation {Hellcat} Second Hellcat long player from these Boston Punx and it’s a somewhat more satisfying listen than the band’s label debut reviewed below (itself no slouch of an album). This doesn’t offer anything drastically different in terms of sound and the band’s customary scorching, abrasive attack is still totally evident. This does offer more in the way of thought about structures and a renewed vitality to the dynamics. ‘Torn And Shattered’ approaches a melodic GOOD RIDDANCE style while the rampant, biting ‘Left For Dead’ could give SICK OF IT ALL a run for its NYHC style. Mark’s vocal still has that barbed, gargling-with-razor blades rawness as he belts out lyrics that are as politically charged as ever but possibly a tad more insightful (especially ‘Let It Go’). All this and a choice FREEZE cover too!! Probably the band’s work yet.UNSEEN - State Of Discontent {Hellcat} First album I’ve heard from these Boston Punks since the BYO debut, ‘Anger And The Truth’ and it’s good to hear the band sticking to its roots. Musically, it’s more polished coming on like a mix of early snotty AFI, recent SICK OF IT ALL and first album ABRASIVE WHEELS adrenalin. Mark’s caustic vocals are sometimes pushed too much to the fore, although the lyrics show intelligence - be it the political sentiment of ‘Weapons Of Mass Deception’ or ‘The End Is Near’, social observations like ‘Hit And Run’ and ‘Social Damage’ or affiliation within Punk like ‘We Are All That We Have’ (featuring Lars from RANCID on vocals). There’s also a punked version of the Rolling Stones’ classic ‘Paint It Black’. Production is handled by DROPKICK MURPHYS’s Ken Casey and could be a little less polished. Generally, it’s a welcome return to the world of the UNSEEN.
Top Sounds - V
VANILLA SKY – Waiting For Something {Engineer} I hate being negative towards a band that is essentially pretty good, but this really is 11 tracks of stunningly generic Pop-Rock with a Punk twist from Italy. Everything is very clean and sharp sounding with all traces of raw Punk Rock having been carefully identified, polished and extracted. There are a million bands doing this kinda SAVES THE DAY/ NERF HERDER/ NEW FOUND GLORY/ GAMEFACE stuff all of which sound equally vacuous and indistinct. To VANILLA SKY’s credit, ‘Unfriend’ has a very effective breakdown while ‘Wait For The Sun’ gets vaguely political and even angry during the M8. As for the rest? It’s clichéd Pop-Punk with a distinct mainstream bent; you could say more Backstreet Boys than DEAD BOYS.
VARSITY DRAG - For Crying Out Loud {Boss Tuneage} Was the LEMONHEADS better before or after ‘Lick’? I’m torn... I thought ‘Shame About Ray’ was great, but it was a hugely different greatness from that on ‘Hate Your Friends’. Dando’s co-creator (pun intended) of those early discs, Ben Deily, is back with this, his latest project. It’s a wonderfully loose rock ‘n’ roll 9-tracker; exactly the kinda gear SOUL ASYLUM shoulda released after ‘Hangtime’. There’s also a huge BIG STAR influence; Ben wants to hope Alex Chilton doesn’t sue! I’m reviewing this just as the Kiwi Summer of 2006 hits and it’s one of the best summer records I have heard. Bright tunes ring out over ragged playing, a great dynamic sense of fun, songs called ‘Summertime’, ‘Skinny Ties’, Starfish - great stuff that gets more chilled with every listen. I hope this is a project Ben sticks at - it could be one of his best.
VERMIN - Joe’s Shanghai {Wood Shampoo} Featuring three, heavily tattooed Punk Rockers, this is the latest slab of noxious Punk noize from what is Las Vegas’ longest-running Punk band. It’s politically incorrect and unapologetic stuff - and all the better for it. The band’s influences are obvious - mix up early QUEERS snotcore, MISFITS-esque blusterous simplicity, THE CROWD surf Punk tuneage, US BOMBS Street Punk and volatile D.O.A. aggression and you’ve got an idea. For an indication, check out ‘Copulate’, ‘Scumbag’, ‘Gimmee Hot Sushi’ or opener ‘Boredom (Was The Reason)’. Highlights include ‘Son Of A Gun’, ‘That Haunted Train’, the tres D.O.A sounding ‘ You Got A Problem’, and the cracking MIA reworking of ‘Las Vegas!’. If you need any more proof that these guys willingly give a rigid centre digit to the ‘music industry’, check out the closing title track - it’s the whole album in the form of a single song - so the download generation can access it for a single-track price! Punk as - and convincing with it!
THE VOIDS - Sounds Of Failure, Sounds Of Hope {Dr. Strange} Scorching 80s-style HC that has the pace of OFFENDERS, the structures of DI and the direct questioning vocal attack of NAKED AGGRESSION. Opener ‘Money And Music’ instantly sets the scene with some fast, trashy snotcore and a message that capitalism and music is a no-go. From there it’s another 11 songs in under 25 minutes with each one being a radiant slice of vintage sounding ‘core. ‘Undone’ has a neat tribal intro, while ‘Disconnected’ and the lightning fast thrash of ‘Take It Back’ prove to be highlights. There’s also a REAGAN YOUTH cover and some sussed lyrics about violence, boredom, fear and accessibility. The guitars could have been a little thicker sounding to provide a bit more depth, but that’s a minor gripe, especially when you consider Adri’s snotty vocals more than compensate. Excellent sleeve artwork too featuring blood-laced instruments. Hey guys - more please!!