Over the weekend I found a bunch of really great reviews for some of our releases. Check them out! Maybe you’ll find your new favorite KOD record.
First things first, LEFT OF THE DIALposted an incredibly flattering review of UNWELCOME GUESTS new full length “Don’t Go Swimming.” Read it below:
“With rippling, well-aimed, pop-styled prowess and tunefulness, the opening track, the title tune, comes off like a tightened-up U.S. teenage version of the Clean (the New Zealand band mostly adored for their ramshackle 1980’s pop, but I prefer their album “Vehicle” from 1990), with less arty angles. It’s a poetic play on shoreline bliss, with the insight that if, “You’re happy skipping stones” don’t bother swimming, even if you think you should. It’s akin to Robert Frost: take the less traveled path, they infer, don’t buckle under the weight of any impressions — stand tall and enjoy the moment. The wall-of-harnessed-speed “Might Be Broken” jets straight and hard out of the gates. Insistent and urgent, the theme might be being “broken and unemployed, depressed and a total mess,” but the vibe is neither hostile nor hollow. It reeks with hopefulness, concentrated into punk-pop slices and miles of memorable melody. Then they shift again, outfitting “Wrecking Ball” (no, not the Neil Young tune) with cowpunk credibility mixed with infectious honky-pop style. But the irony and insight keeps coming, full bore, in lyrical acknowledgements like, “It’s much easier to pass the time within a lie.” It’s that ease — living in a box of one’s own deceit — that keeps us fat and flattered, but lo and behold, the band wields the wrecking ball. Instead of foreshadowing impending mass destruction, the song seems to offer sweet carnage … a soft cushioned end to big falsehoods. “Considering” returns to puncturing guitar crunch aesthetics and Buzzcocks rambling gusto: meanwhile, the theme is leaving the adult, cluttered, annoying world behind, including phones, jobs, and frustrating midnight hours. School beckons, the morning begs us to stop dying in our well-worn lives, but then again, “considering never gets me nothing.” As always, one dictum holds true: talk minus action = nothing.
“Any Other Place” is equally stealthy and sly; the “sleeping” motif filters back into the lyrical terrain, alongside the ‘same old day, same old song’ vibes of “wasting” and “running out of time.” Yet, with tunes like this, such “waste” and ennui never felt so dizzying and pop jolted: the vervy beat makes the whole matter seem less like gray shades and more like rocket fuel for tomorrow’s possibilities. “Nothing Here” is tender but droll: you can feel the pulse drop with every verse as they unmask the vitriol they feel for people they actually imitate, unconsciously or not. I prefer the stiff, galloping rhythm and unfussy fusillades of “Na Na La La,” which they deliver tight and clean like XTC stripped down and streamlined in marshaled beats and echoey, organ-drenched choruses. The soaring “Weight” actually, and I mean this is in a positive sly way, reminds me of my closeted affection for The Outfield: it has those limber, shiny FM radio, neo-Police guitar lines, soaring-dove vocals, and perpetual rhythmic no-waste crispness. In turn, they wax rural and bucolic on “Mazie,” a heartfelt song hungry with sentimentality that recounts an odd religious girl who sticks to her saints and icons even as the world of burlesque and booze beckon. She balances notions of heaven with rough-hewn mouthfuls of foul words and cigarette swirls. “Walking is Tough” sticks to apple pie revelry rock, though don’t expect simpleton fare. They deliver injunctions against delusions, empty plans, and closing doors on the dawning of the day. They’re tired of everybody talking about the fights we face, and they’re even tired of rhymes. The poem may feel like old timey evocations, but the content is really about tossing aside the same-same patterns and forging new lives. “Warm Soon” returns to muscular non-stop power pop, powered by razory guitars, sinewy vocals, and a nod to all their brethren from The Boys to Maximo Park. Did I mention they even have an uncanny resemblance to the Vulgar Boatmen in brief places?”
Unwelcome Guests have a show tomorrow in Buffalo with Cheap Girls and The Riot Before. If you’re in the area you should really check them out, and you can pick up their full-length HERE! They’ll also be playing in Brooklyn and Boston this April with a new band featuring Jared from GET BENT.
JERSEY BEAT also posted some great reviews of our releases. I’ll post some excerpts below, because I’m sure your ADD riddled mind is already sick of reading.
ANCHOR ARMS/MADISON BLOODBATH split 7″:
“Anchor Arms delivers a crisp sounding punk nugget with very distinctive pop overtones on “High Noon”. The song was solid but not remarkable. I was far more impressed with the faster, nastier, much more abrasive nature of “The Body System”. If this is any indication of what lies inside the members of this band, the future could be bright. Kiss of Death did a nice job pairing Anchor Arms with Madison Bloodbath, for the bands share various similar traits. Madison Bloodbath features guitar work that was a bit more consistently rugged that what was heard on the A side. This is straightforward punk fare without any frills any type of “core” tag. Its simplicity is refreshing and both bands combine for a solid split.”
FELLOW PROJECT/JONESIN’ split 7″:
“The Fellow Project may be the most interesting act on the Kiss of Death label. This three piece plays off-kilter rhythms with a very unique sound. Tia’s backing vocals were the hook for me here; I loved the complexity of the work from this young band. “Till it Becomes Us” could fit in with anything on Dischord, while “Hard to Back” puts a new spin on pop harmonies. This is an interesting trio and one worth watching. Conversely, Jonesin’ is another likable but not retainable punk act. “Knee Deep in Spite” was played with tangible angst, juxtaposed with its surprisingly melodic nature. “I Wish the Sun was a Giant Pizza’ is a good tune, despite its regrettable title. The playing is raw, and the band is earnest. I think I need to hear more from this band because there is talent within the fuzz.”
STOLEN PARTS 7″:
“Stolen Parts presents four tracks of gruff punk energy. The vocals are gritty and they interact well with the thick grooves of “Anonymous” and “You Don’t Know”. The band goes off on a bit of a limb with the fairly obscure Jesus and Mary Chain cover of “Between Planets’, but they make the song sound like their own. If you did not know it was a cover, one could assume it was another original from this upstart four-piece. Each song was a driving, mid-tempo pace that never spun out of control or became too repetitive. I was initially impressed by the vocals and then swayed by the guitar playing. If you are looking for yeoman-like punk reality, check out Stolen Parts.”
MONIKERS “MEN” 7″:
“…Florida’s Monikers kick a ton of ass, and this EP is only added evidence. This five song seven inch will appeal to anyone who loves pop music with a little bit of grit. “Out” and “What We Had” are the strongest songs on the record, but the whole damn shebang kicks ass. Reminiscent of Crimpshrine and Jawbreaker thrown together with Slapstick, and The Broadways. The Monikers lead singer sounds like a young Brendan Kelly, and I like it.”
You can pick these up, as well as new releases from Fellow Project/Thousandaires, Pretty Boy Thorson and the Slow Death/The Strait A’s and O’Pioneers/The Anchor in our STORE.
– Alex
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