The Vapids- "Punitive Damage/Thin Skin"

At the dawning of punk rock's emergence into the music universe, Teenage Head was the Canadian answer to the Ramones. Lots of great bands sprouted up on either side in America and Canada from that point on, but at the peak of things in the early nineties which in my opinion was the last era to see ones start who completely understood the gospel of this message, The Vapids were there to meet The Riverdales. While the Canadian counterparts from the 70's or 90's never seem to be revered as they should be, it's hard to take a look at The Vapids even on a superficial level and deny the power of their contribution. From their start in 1993, to what seemed to be the last release which was "The Point Reamins The Same" EP in 2009, they did not rest for a moment, managing to make more than 20 releases, countless comp appearances, and almost 500 live performances happen. Since then, Jimmy has released three fantastic solo 7"s(click here to check them out if you've not done so yet!) but in mid December I did a double take and blinked my girl Dee Dee eyes twice to make sure I wasn't mistaken at what I was reading on his blog. He announced something that I was extremely surprised to see... The Vapids were coming back with new material! From then I was on standby, waiting for a glimpse at what was to come and finally got to hear last week what I will back 100% as one of THE BEST punk rock releases of 2015, "Punitive Damage/Thin Skin".

After freaking out over these songs in the first listen I decided to search out Jimmy for a closer look at the process that brought all this to life and lucky for me, he kindly obliged. The songs were recorded during late November of 2014 in the span of just a few hours at Matthew's house by his roommate Nathan Daniel Burger on an analog tape machine. Mastering was done by Alan McC who kept things computer free as well, running the tape through an old tube EQ machine. I love everything about the way these songs were recorded because the plain and simple truth is: If natural talent is present in a recording situation, modern fixes and trickery just aren't necessary. You won't hear any bullshit auto-tune here! Just good songs by a veteran band, who knew exactly how to bring their work through in an honest way with the help of a good engineer. Keep it mono, people! Please. Jimmy handled the artwork which was nicely inspired by The Misfits "3 Hits From Hell" cover art and it turned out great. It's simple but makes a bold statement, just like The Vapids! Release is happening today on Surfin Ki Records which is a fantastic label ran by my pal Carlo out in Pisa, Italy since 2009. This first pressing is available in the limited amount of 300 copies. 100 on solid red wax with a red cover or 200 on black wax with a black cover is what you can choose from and it comes with a digital download code. Hang on before you think to yourself, "But I don't want to pay international shipping charges!", because the label actually has a flat shipping rate of 7 euros to almost any country outside of Italy, no matter how much you order. That is a good deal! 

A couple new songs might not seem like much to get excited over but The Vapids show that a few seconds is all they really needed to pull you in with the first track, "Punitive Damage". Less than fifteen seconds into it had me completely engaged and so happy to hear what was coming in through on my headphones. This band has a wonderful way about them where the initial foundation they built that could be compared to The Ramones at their toughest, The Dead Boys lack of fucks to give, and the grittiness of Dee Dee Ramone ICLC all rolled into one always stays true as the main element, but evolution is also there. They become bigger and brighter each time. The guitars are full of attitude, Scotty's drumming is on point, and Jimmy's voice as always is a total punch in the face. One that that you want! Aggressive and magnetically beautiful all at once, he knows exactly how to use it with his skill as a magnificent poet. To be honest, that two minutes and seventeen seconds telling a story of personal transformation could have easily appeased my little rock 'n' roll heart because the song is THAT GOOD but there was another one waiting. "Thin Skin" is an even quicker, under two minute burst of  what they do so well with some great changes, and grabbed hold of me just as fast. Those two perfect songs had me head over heels but there was another one waiting at the end that impacted me the most. Untitled and meant to be discovered on the flipside, you'll quickly pick up on the fact that it is a memorial song. It was written for Robert "Robo" DeGrunt who played guitar for The Vapids from 2004 to 2008 and left this world much too soon in 2012. Full of pain but so lovely, the song deeply touches on the loss, who Robo was to them, and had me in tears pretty fast with the way Jimmy connects to the emotion in it. It's the only one you won't hear unless you buy the record for now and I think that's the way it should be.   

As this 7" is released, it's pretty uncertain if The Vapids will ever play again but I can tell you wholeheartedly that this little gem belongs in your collection. Get with Surfin Ki for your copy before they're gone and you can stay tuned to the band or Jimmy's solo work which there will be news for on both fronts soon through their website. It was an absolute honor to write for this band and in closing, I thought the only way this review should end is with the lyrics for the untitled song, so here they are in memory of Robo...

"This one goes out to metal black 

And BC Rich guitars

Anyone who's lost a friend 

Vanished into the stars

This one goes out to you, our brother 

There never was, or will be another

Souvenirs in picture frames

No tombstone flowers

We merely blinked and you disappeared

The hand of god had struck the hour

We hang our heads and cried

No time to say goodbye

There's not much that we can do

But keep your torch burning

Think back as the years go bye

And this shitty fucking world keeps turning 

It's already seemed so long

We wrote you a song

We waited three years for this

And it's the last song we ever write

From us and the ones who loved

We'll see you in another light

There never was, or will be another

This one is for you, our brother

A blank space fills the air

You went where the eagles dare"

The Vapids are...

Jimmy Vapid- Vocals and Guitar

Scotty Vapid- Drums

Eric Felgner- Bass

Matthew Ellis- Guitar

All songs written by Jimmy Vapid

Tracks

Side A

1. Punitive Damage 

2. Thin Skin

Side B 

3. Untitled

Neon Bone- Sick Of Me

I've got a twenty second rule whenever I hear something new. If a song doesn't grab me within that time frame, it's on to the next and I have never proven myself wrong with choosing to let my intuition guide me as a Resident Riff Randell in this rock 'n' roll world. With that being said, Neon Bone is a band that has never failed this test with me once. Armed with a very natural capability to write catchy pop punk/punk rock songs, Lars has hits the mark every time and I'm always so impressed he can continue that with that level of quality when he's put out five releases in the under three years I've been a fan of his. That's something not just anyone can do! Last December when I reviewed "Year Zero", I mentioned that he was in the process of recording the next batch of songs that would be coming out this year. What I didn't mention is I had already gotten to hear the demos and was very much looking forward to a moment that has now arrived for us all to discover a great new 7" from this one man, kick ass machine from Germany called "Sick Of Me".

The whole process before release was handled entirely by Lars this time! He recorded, mixed, and mastered the songs during late 2014. With this being his first completely solo run of doing all that on his own, it sounds great! Staying in a Neon Bone tradition that makes collecting his records so fun and never having any two album covers that are alike, he designed one based off of an underground comic, "The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers". The inspiration's charm really carries through and ties into the title, depicting a cartoon Lars, out on the street! Official release happened on April 13th and is being made possible by none other than the purveyors of fine European punk rock, Monster Zero Records! The 7" is available right now on their webstore and you can find it digitally on Neon Bone's bandcamp page where you guessed it, the whole thing is also streaming for your listening pleasure. As a highly ranking member in the church of vinyl, I of course recommend the real thing but definitely go press play so you can check the songs out!

The title track "Sick Of Me"is first in line to be heard on Side A, showcasing the high energy, classic pop punk sound that he has nailed down! His lyrical premonition of a relationship's end is kept simple and it doesn't have to be anything more with the power and reverence in Lars' vocal capabilities that you can always count on, also shining through. Tying into the visual approach of Neon Bone, any of this project's videos are always entertainingly unique, humorous, and you can see this for yourself in the one he made for this song. Click here to see it and fear not, my fellow punk rockers!! That's a stunt double in the place of my #1 record for 2014. The second track "Bucket Full Of Shame" takes a different turn into a slower pace with some well placed keyboards and a bit of a new wave influence too which pleases me since I've always loved his covers of songs like Depeche Mode's "Not Tonight" as one example. It's always cool to see songwriters work in an inspiration from another genre and blend it to their sound. Side B opens with "Rock 'n' Roll Heart" another resounding quick tempoed track with a great solo and my favorite for this time, "Dreamgirl" closes things out! While I go crazy for punk rock that kicks your ass, I can't help it! A well done ballad always captures me. I've said it before and due to memory loss from being a girl Dee Dee or it being totally essential, I'll say it again that the 50's and 60's are key to pop punk's survival in present day! I'm so glad to see people like Lars not only get this but make original songs that pay tribute to that beautiful foundation of where the best love songs ever made were created! "Dreamgirl" is nothing short of being a little gem that greats like Buddy Holly would be proud of.

After watching a successful tour with a full backing band happen for Neon Bone last month through pictures, this next step of having a 7" be released by one of the best labels in pop punk these days is something that makes me smile because this kind of passion deserves to be noticed! I've seen it from the start when I heard the first track and have no doubts that whatever is next for Lars will be wonderful. Add "Sick Of Me" to your collection, punk rockers and while you're at it, make sure to pick up a free download of "Year Zero" from Neon Bone's bandcamp if you've not done so. Like always, any release outside of the newest one is free on there!

Neon Bone is... 
Lars Hannemann- Everything!

All songs written by Neon Bone

Tracks
Side A
1. Sick Of Me
2. Bucket Full Of Shame
Side B
3. Rock 'n' Roll Heart
4. Dreamgirl

Tough- Hurricane

If they're willing to stay the course, a band's evolution is something that comes quite naturally and gracefully with time but when it is consistently brought on with no choice, this is the truest test of endurance. In watching the changes Tough has gone through since the very beginning, their presence has never once become diluted but only solidifies with each passing year and this makes me love them all the more. This is a band that's supposed to be here in this moment and is a constant source of inspiration for those that are willing to turn their sights towards Italy's magnificent punk rock scene. After a very successful release of their 7", "Obey The Ramones" last year and a change in their lineup occurring soon after, I was excited to see what this now Piacenza/Milan based trio would do next. I'm happy to have an answer for that curiosity in the form of another 7" entitled, "Hurricane" and that's what I will be making sure everyone out there who's tuned into this little radio frequency knows about today!!

The songs were recorded during mid January at Giardini Sonori Studio in Piacenza, IT by Cristiano Sanzeri and mastering was done by Alessandro Vanara making this the band's second time working with them. With as strong as the "Obey The Ramones" sessions turned out, this was a great choice to return to the same place and it's easily proven by what is heard! Along with Tough's always hands on approach as self producers, this studio catered to the vision and made the finished product a repeat success. I am simply crazy for the cover art done by Riccardo Bucchioni. It's a very cool continuation of the previous 7''s cover, taking the already battle scarred cat and making him ten times more menacing with a face that's become completely exposed to the elements, revealing the skull but for some reason he's still alive! That striking transition is a perfect example of why I see Riccardo as a superhero of imagery in the punk rock realm and I'll be so proud to own another piece of his work! The layout also done by him is well complimented by a beautiful photo of the band taken from a shoot done by Serena Groprelli. With all that finished, official release is today, April 10th and is once again being brought to you by Kevin Aper and his team of badasses at Monster Zero Records! I just never run out of admiration for that label. Digital only can be found on Tough's bandcamp page and you can stream the whole thing for free too!

By the looks of the cover art, it's pretty obvious that things are moving into a more tumultuous place with the songs and that is confirmed with the title track, a tale of chaos and anticipation of betrayal called "Hurricane" waiting to greet you first. Chris Polecat's direct approach as a songwriter is going strong as he wastes little time with his wording and like a true member in the church of the Ramones, he takes less and gives more with a full picture of his emotion. His downstroked to perfection bass lines and well defined, powerful voice are joined by Biso's always accurate and monumental skill as a drummer. As a longtime Tough fan, those are elements I can count on and this leads into my curiosity with the newest member, Robi Tuono. I admire Robi on so many different levels with his work done in other projects(Mega/Drawing Dead) and he proves once again to be a total asset as the new guitar player. with the exception of "Badly" which is a simple expression of romantic desire, the other two tracks, "Hey Hey Hey(oh no)" and "Sick Of You" stay on the path of the first. My choice for standout track is "Sick Of You". It's an honest expression of a painful situation, narrating a relationship as it falls apart which is sad BUT I love it because in these times when so many others will make a song like that into a display of pure emo garbage, Chris does not. It's still purely a punk rock song and still very much Tough.

As someone who is wildly in love with the concept of a band putting their all into a small time limit, I'm impressed as hell with what Tough did inside of four songs that clock in at under eight minutes. Our forefathers built that foundation in 1974 and with more than 40 years passing by since, it's wonderful to see bands like Tough still getting it. Get this 7" from the MZ store or of course the fine people at Striped Music who should be carrying it soon! Chris, Biso, and Robi of course won't be resting with this newest effort and besides playing shows, you can expect to see them recording a new full length LP in the beginning of next year so stay current with all those details as they develop on their facebook page!

Tough is...

ChrisPolecat- Bass and Vocals

Robi Tuono- Guitar and Backing Vocals

Biso- Drums 

All songs written by Chris Polecat

Tracks 

1. Hurricane

2. Hey Hey Hey(oh no)

3. Badly 

4. Sick Of You 

Sweet Baby- "It's A Girl!" Eccentric Pop Records Reissue by Danny "Panic" Sullivan

When I first heard about this reissue happening, I was both very excited and wanted to celebrate it in some way! Being that Ramona Confidential has never taken a standard news approach and reviewing a reissue is something I don't generally do, I racked my little Dee Dee brain for inspiration and then it happened, a light turned on! In thinking of this obscure gem being reintroduced to the scene 25 years after it's initial appearance, what better way to mark the occasion than by bringing a well loved member of pop punk's rich lineage out of obscurity to talk about it? That turned my attention directly to Danny "Panic" Sullivan. There's at least a thousand reasons to admire this man in just viewing the monumental contribution he's made as a musician to our community but with the great fortune of  becoming a friend of his over the last year, I've discovered that his well spoken ability to talk about music is also something I enjoy about this architect of the 90's very much! This along with the great love he's expressed for Sweet Baby's "It's A Girl!" made him the perfect and only candidate I desired for the job, so one evening with my "more guts than brains" approach, I asked him if he'd care to write a piece about this record that I could share with you all. Luckily he agreed! Make sure to stop by the Eccentric Pop Records webstore or Interpunk(that's the only place now to get the bonus 7" bundle from!) if you've not preordered the record yet because it is selling FAST. Official release date happens on April 7th for this beautifully put together reissue and this is where my chatter ends. Here he is, the wonderful Danny "Panic" Sullivan giving his personal take on Sweet Baby's "It's A Girl!"     

Sweet Baby "It's A Girl!"

A Wordy Scribe About A Deceptively Smart Album For Romantic Dummies.                   

Sweet Baby - an East Bay pop-punk band that was criminally ignored/underrated during their brief existence & their sole album "It's A Girl!" deserves to be emblazoned in the pantheon of classic albums in our beloved & misanthropic genre of  punk rock.

I was introduced to this prodigious album through a friend/bandmate in a (also) short-lived punk band we were both in. He was one of the lucky few who actually had the vinyl copy of this melodic gem while I had to resign myself to the cassette format (which I had purchased thricely over time due to excessive playing).

The albums' hold on me was immediate for a few good reasons:

1.  Musically - it was an amalgamation of early era Beatles (especially the chord structures & harmonies) & the Ramones (concise & rambunctious).
2.  Lyrically - it tackled all the profundities regarding romance (yearning, having & losing) & the words were sometimes sincere, sometimes humorous & sometimes both.
&
3.  Thirteen songs in  just over twenty five minutes.  Melodic AND economical!

Recorded in 1988 by engineer/producer extraordinaire Kevin Army, "It's A Girl!" has not aged sonically or lyrically (um...correction on my behalf. The song "Telephone Booth" bellies it's lyrical age due to telephone booths being rather scarce as of 2015 compared to the halcyon days of the eighties).

The opening salvo of "It's A Girl!", "Baby, Baby, Baby Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby (I Love You)" (all one minute & eleven seconds of it) signals the intent & nature of the  the album & will not likely be misconstrued as a convoluted civics lesson, an explanation of binary arithmetic or a passionate dissertation of religious or political didacticism. This song would make both the Beatles & the Ramones proud....& there's still twelve to go!

Being that "It's A Girl!" is about a girl, or a myriad of them, the genius prevails throughout the album from the three profundities I mentioned above:

Yearning for the girl- the songs "Two Tons of Dynamite", "There's This Girl" & "Gotta Get A Girl" all exemplify this feeling & the song "This Talk About The Girl" adds an insouciant cognizance towards current events compared to the more topical, more important girl.

Having the girl- from the joyous ("Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby (I Love You)",  "She's From Salinas" & "Resuscitation"), to the demented ("The Way She Gets Around"), these songs exemplify the punch drunk feeling of being in love.

&

Losing the girl- "Year After Year", "Telephone Booth" & "Pathetic" embody the despair of romantic love lost. "Pathetic" has to be quite possibly the most mirthful sounding song in modern recorded music to report on a break-up.

Additional props go to "She's From Salinas" for the Venus de Milo reference (absolutely clever) & their cover of "Daddy Cool" that respects both the Rays & Darts versions, but gives it a British Invasion/punk kick in the proverbial pants.

The album naturally wouldn't exist without the band of course. My appreciations to Dallas-for his sundry, sincere vocals & his engaging charisma throughout the album; Matt-for his knack for brilliant guitar/chord structures & his Lennon-esque backing vocals; Richard - for his bass playing adaptability, switching from Dee Dee Ramone root notes on one song to Paul McCartney walking bass runs on another with such ease & Sergie-for his melodic drumming , encapsulating a saunter & shuffle with punk rock energy.

Thank you Sweet Baby for making, to these eyes, ears, nose & throat, the best East Bay pop-punk album of all time! May this reissue garner the attention "It's A Girl!" & the four of you so richly deserve!

A special thanks to Sara for letting me pontificate, Eccentric Pop Records lovingly reissuing this masterpiece & Scott "Gub" Conway for turning me on to Sweet Baby in the first place.

XO
Danny "Panic" Sullivan
Somewhere on earth...

The Dumbheads- Heartbroken Idiots

As someone who takes the typical, old fart punk rocker route with the digital age, I tend to turn my nose up at it in many ways! There's a certain sense of wonder that the younger generation will never know with the rush that comes from hanging out in a record store for hours, looking for that one big score of the day. Carefully analyzing LP jacket covers and taking in all the sensory elements that just don't exist behind a computer screen are a huge loss in my opinion, but even I will admit there is one thing I really like about these newer times that wasn't so easy before! The part I enjoy most about our little underground world in present day is how much easier it is to discover new bands. That expanded view of what's going on is something that makes this girl Dee Dee rather happy and as a music writer I'm always combing the globe for punk rockers who are deserving of attention! Sometime around the beginning of last year, I came across a demo from a band called The Dumbheads that I really liked. Then through the powers of social networking, I befriended one of their members, Alex Dumbhead. After helping him out with checking the English on some of their lyrics, my interest in the band grew and I've been watching closely to see when the album would happen for this pop punk/punk rock quartet based out of Belgorod, Russia. Fast forward to about a year or so later and it's finally arrived! A collection of songs going under the name of "Heartbroken Idiots" and that's what I'll be recommending today!

The songs were recorded in a few different phases starting with the drums in May of 2014 at Nu Sound Studio by Sergey Androsov who also did mixing and mastering. Next, the guitar and bass parts were tracked at their rehearsal room by a friend of the band named Ivan, and then all vocal parts were completed last during late Summer to mid Fall by the band themselves. Even with the parts being divided this way, the overall sound is seamless and everyone did a great job! The cover art done by Kirill SKVRT is cool, a sketch showing the torso of a punk rocker dressed up in a leather and a Ramones shirt. Classic! I always really like red, white, and black imagery too. This was executed well along with the layout done by Dmitry Bodrov. Dmitry also holds another role in this release by his starting up a label called Pleasant Screams Records to do a short run of CDs for it! Official release happened on February 24th,2015 and is available either on CD as mentioned before or you can also get it digitally on The Dumbheads bandcamp page where it is also streaming in full! As luck has it, their free downloads on bandcamp are used up for now but they want to make sure everyone can still get it at no cost and were awesome enough to provide me with a mediafire link to the MP3s! Click here to be directed to that.

Music is just the same as romance for me. It's gotta grab you in less than a minute and hold your interest without any voluntary efforts. That's when you know it's good, and that was the experience I had heading into the first track, "Hide'n'Seek". Starting with a solid 90's pop punk influenced foundation(from bands like The Riverdales, Hanson Brothers, Huntingtons, and Manges),  then some early punk rock sensibility added in and a few melodic touches, the end result is a highly catchy sound! Alex Dumbhead is a natural with his beautiful voice that commands your attention with it's power as he narrates a frenzied story of terror, being stalked as prey. The kick ass guitars, bass lines, drumming, and solo reveal these boys are well rehearsed and they had me hooked! The mid-tempoed "Wait It Through", a song about getting over a rough time follows and is my absolute favorite of the album. Now it's time for Alex Boozer to step up and do some lead vocals on "Don't Wanna Walk Around With You". Evenly matched to Alex D, he's got a strong tone as well with a more melodic approach and a simple song that's easy to figure out from the title turns out beautifully. The title track "Heartbroken Idiot" comes in fourth. This was the first song I heard from these guys in a demo version and it's nice to hear it with a greater fullness. Simply a message of chasing away a broken heart with booze is something most of us can relate to and it's got a great hook! What I like most about this band is that they don't stay on one track lyrically. They move from dark, to romance, to introspective, and there's some humor to be found as well! "Petfucker Monster(From Outer Space)" made me crack up with laughter. I love seeing bands throw caution to the wind and do something absurd because that's a tradition in our realm! From the very start of punk rock's existence in songs like Beat On The Brat, it's always been there and needs to keep going. That's what separates us from the crybaby emo people! To list a few more highlights, you'll find a fantastic cover of The Kids "Do You Wanna Know?" that I adore , another excellent love song "By My Side" that is my second favorite, and  there's also a wonderfully arranged ballad, "My Love Is True". Things wrap up just as fast as they started with "Bad Trip" and my natural choice is just to go back to the start of the album for a repeat.

"Heartbroken Idiots" is nothing short of a great introduction to some cool rockers from Russia so I most certainly suggest for it to be checked out and added into your rotations. Go like The Dumbheads facebook page because new plans are already in the works with a six song EP set for release in the Fall that they currently are seeking label support for. I think they're definitely worthy of being on vinyl and will be looking forward to hearing that. It's always nice to find a new band to get into because that's something that doesn't happen so often for me these days and I think these boys will be holding my attention for awhile. 

The Dumbheads are...

Alex Boozer- Vocals and Guitar

Mighty- Guitar

Alex Dumbhead- Vocals and Bass

Gleb Hleb- Drums

All songs written by The Dumbheads except for "Do You Wanna Know?", written by The Kids

Tracks

1. Hide'n'Seek

2. Wait It Through

3. Don't Wanna Walk Around With You

4. Heartbroken Idiot

5. Petfucker Monster(From Outer Space)

6. Motherfucker

7. Fuck You

8. Mutated Rats

9. I Can't Stop Staring At You

10. My Love Is True

11. Do You Wanna Know?

12. Stuck In My Head 

13. Dark Eyes

14. By My Side

15. Bad Trip

Drawing Dead- Adieu, Ciao, See You Soon

I was a little late to the party with writing about One Chord Wonder releases when I first reviewed The Manges "Plan Honolulu" just about a year ago but had been paying attention to what this label was doing since it's start! This means I of course was already familiar with a Milan band called Drawing Dead. Consisting of Mega's frontman, OCW's  CEO, and a couple members from Colin Farrell, this band had some promise to catch my interest with their debut self titled record and did! Punk rock that stays close to the elementary principle with a heavy streak of 90's passion is easy for me to love and that's exactly what they do, so it was great news to hear that they'd be starting to record some new material last summer. That's what I'd like to tell you about this time. An album called,  "Adieu, Ciao, See You Soon"!

The songs were recorded and mastered during August of 2014 at New Mood Recording Studio by Frederic Mazzei who also shared the role of producer along with Drawing Dead. Great sound from Freddy as always! The cover art is cool, featuring Stefano Bevilacqua's nicely shot photography of the band paired with a retro image from Django done by Raffaele Carrieri and it worked well! Release happened on January 16th and is a co-production between  One Chord Wonder and Banana Brain of Rufus Recordings Emporium for 150 LPs that come with a download code. 150 CDs were also made possible by Monkeyrite Rec. and Commando Records. Digital only can be found on OCW's bandcamp page and it's streaming in full.

The first thing I noticed in giving the LP a spin is that there is a definite progression in sound from the guys. They already had something cool going in the first record but the presentation this time overall is definitely a lot more polished and I like it! Track one, "Over The Storm" starts things strong and is a Robi tune. This guy is without a doubt, one of the Italian punk rock scene's most magnificent poets, coming in just after greats like Andrea Manges and Chris Polecat for me. He connects to an emotion and the words just build around a great song about moving past a big loss. Next up is a sweeter, mid tempo Dave led one called "Bad Girl" and it's a nice representation of that progression I mentioned with his vocals that have branched out of the rougher more straight punk tone and now offer more of a melodic approach. As a Tough fanatic, "Faster Than Biso" brought a big smile to my face and of course is one of my favorites on this record. Using Biso's drumming speed as a metaphor for the way a woman can quickly break a heart is pretty genius. That's like, lightening fast heartbreak haha! Romantic Dave is terrific(don't get me wrong!) ,but "Target: Lorraine" really shows his wit and sense of humor I like so much, focusing around the scene in Back To The Future where Marty scares the shit out of George and it has a really cool Riverdales influence too. I love that one and as an 80's movie junkie "Teen Wolf" also was a big hit with me. Boof, Stiles, Mick, and van surfing, it's all in there. Yeah! There's a lot of range in the thirteen tracks this album has to offer but the way it ends with two ballad style songs was a great move. Both "Million Piece Puzzle" and "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye?" are beautifully arranged gems.

Somewhere around the release of "Adieu, Ciao, See You Soon", the band played it's last show and parted ways. It's a bummer to see things like that happen. Especially with a band that is steadily developing into something better with each move but hey, that's rock 'n' roll and things ended on a wonderful note with this LP! Make sure to add it to your collection by visiting OCW, Rufus Recordings, or Striped's webstores and stay tuned to each of the guys' individual efforts. Robi, Dave, Lollo, and King Mob are all passionate for what I believe in as a punk rocker and I'm glad they once made up a band called Drawing Dead.

Drawing Dead is...
Robi- Guitar and Vocals
Dave- Bass and Vocals
Lollo- Guitar and Backing Vocals
King Mob- Drums

Additional backing vocals on "Teen Wolf" by Freddy

Keyboard in "Bad Girl" and "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye?" by Greta

All songs written by Drawing Dead

Tracks
Side A
1. Over The Storm
2. Bad Girl
3. Faster Than Biso
4. Target: Lorraine
5. A Coffin For You
6. New Tattoo
7. Blue On Blue
Side B
8. When You Love
9. If You Live, Shoot!
10. Shapeshifter
11. Teen Wolf
12. Million Piece Puzzle 
13. How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye?

Noise By Numbers- High On Drama

While I have nothing but admiration for all architects of pop punk, Dan Vapid is one who not only caught my interest from the very start but has retained it in spades to this very day. This is due to the many solid bands he's fronted/been a part of ever since I knew who he was and the fact that he possesses the capability to seamlessly incorporate different genres into his presence as a songwriter, each time producing a sound that's unique. A perfect example of this happened in late 2009. I was very excited to find out what a newer band fronted by him was all about when I first heard their debut LP, "Yeah, Whatever...". There was this great foundation of 90's melodic punk rock in the songs but they stood out to me for the added touches of alternative rock and sometimes even going into just an atmospheric realm. This newly created entity called Noise By Numbers gained my appreciation fast and the quality of their work only evolved from there through a couple splits, then one more full length release before things fell silent for them shortly after up until most recently! An announcement made last November that there would be an EP of previously recorded material coming out had me totally surprised so I saved the date and waited. That wait is finally over, which makes me very happy so here I am to tell you about "High On Drama"!

The songs were recorded in late 2011 by Jeff Dean and Jon Drew at Million Yen Studios in Chicago. Mixing was done by Jon Drew in Toronto who producer credits also go to along with Noise By Numbers. This is the same team that made up the recording process for "Over Leavitt" and the sound is once again fantastic. The cover art is simple, yet aesthetically pleasing featuring their well known logo against a varied shades of blue background painted by Ashley Fairley who's talents I've been a fan of for the past year. The layout was handled by Rick Uncapher. Digital release already happened on January 20th, courtesy of Jump Start Records. That can be found on iTunes or the label's bandcamp where it's also streaming in full but the good news for all members in the church of vinyl is: Yes! It will be available by the end of this month on either translucent blue or mixed split color. Can't wait to see and own those!

The first and title track "High On Drama" has been streaming ever since the release announcement was made, so I have of course already been in love with it since then. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful this band always is in the first moments of hearing new material from them. The arrangements are intricate and beautifully formed but never overdone and then there's Dan in the front to complete the process with his wonderful voice. The title essentially gives way to the lyrical content and it's a great result! That one song was enough convincing for me to swiftly make my way over to iTunes and download the EP. Previews should always have that effect! After grabbing my headphones, I settled in to hear the rest of the tracks and immediately loved what I heard with the under two and a half minute, hook heavy track two, "Are You Still My Enemy?". It kinda really reminds me of a Sludgeworth song almost with the way it's sang, sounds, and is a fine display of that melodic punk rock they execute so well. Both "Southgate House" that also made an appearance on their split with The Magnificent and "Town Of Hamburg" are two excellent narrative style songs. It's always cool to see a place through someones words and these were well done! Following next is a brilliant cover of The Lemonheads "Rudderless" and it is a perfect example of why I place Dan in the same category as someone like Joey Ramone as a vocalist. While many artists adapt to a cover, vocalists like him make the song adapt to them and that is what makes one worthy of including alongside original material. I had multiple reasons to love this EP as it was, but the last song "Make Up Your Heart" expands the list. This one has a really nice intro that builds to the verse, giving room for an awesome bassline from Rick to stand out and I like the way everything else threads around it. Lovely way to finish things out!

Noise By Numbers is a band that won my heart so quickly and I was nothing short of joyful to hear a little more from them. Not much more to say here other than go stream those songs and stay tuned to their facebook page for details about the LP! "High On Drama" is something I think will make a great addition to anyone's collection and is taking a spot in my best of 2015 already without a second thought. 

Noise By Numbers is...

Dan Schafer- Vocals and Guitar 

Jeff Dean- Guitar 

Rick Uncapher- Bass

Jimmy Lucido- Drums

All songs written by Noise By Numbers except for "Rudderless" by Evan Dando.

Tracks 

1. High On Drama 

2. Are You Still My Enemy?

3. Southgate House

4. Town Of Hamburg 

5. Rudderless 

6. Make Up Your Heart