RANSOM PRICE: My Kidnap Money: CD

Ransom Price, hails from the Philadelphia suburbs of southern New Jersey, was founded in December 2012 by Mike Ransom, formerly a member of 90s punk band Point Blank, and by former Endless Sacrifice drummer Chris Mazure. Ransom Price plays catchy and melodic punk rock that is guaranteed to stick with you long after the first time you hear it.

Well I grabbed this CD and took a look at the cover and got scared, it looks like a touchy-feelie band playing emo/acoustic crap, that is until you notice the bloodstains on the shirt…hmmmmmm. So I threw it on and was surprised by the melodic punk that has a nice hint of pop to it, but not that crappy pop punk that is everywhere now. These guys play punk the way it was back in the ’90s with just enough sweetness, but not enough to put you into a diabetic coma. The songs are played tightly, with clear, crisp production, giving the songs a nice punch to them. The vocals are not too snotty, but they have a bit of an edge to them which adds to the overall feel of the songs, the band is on point, with the occasional gang vocal, chugging guitar playing with the riffs being spare, but well done, strong bass playing and driving drumming. The songs are so melodic and catchy that it’s hard to pick favorites, but a few that stood out, at least on this play, are “Radar Contact Lost,” “Fire Escape,” “Another Day,” and “Drink.”

This shows that punk played with melody and some pop can work when done well, thank you for getting it right…hallelujah! An album that will sound great blasting from the windows of your house or car when the weather co-operates.

https://www.facebook.com/RansomPrice

https://www.facebook.com/unablerecords

http://www.unablerecords.com/index/

COLD FEELINGS: American Industry: 12″

Sacramento, California’s COLD FEELINGS have released their seven song debut album on Oi! The Boat Records. The band consists of members of long running Northern California punk bands MONSTER SQUAD, WHISKEY REBELS and BUILD US AIRPLANES.

“American Industry” puts the album into high gear with a very melodic punk song that is catchy and could be a big song for them if radio played good music for a change. “With You” has great gang vocals, an incessant beat that gets you rocking out and keeps the melodic standard set by the first song going. “Older Now” has great guitar playing and the vocals are a little raspy and made this a little edgier. “In Between” is a nice fast-paced song with a ton of energy and power and the background vocals really add a lot to the song. “Pain & Ecstasy” is a bit more mid-paced and still manages to keep the great enthusiasm going. “Ordinary” slows it down a bit more, but the rock power that they bring to the song as well as the background vocals remind me a bit of SOCIAL DISTORTION, which is never a bad thing. “Germantown” ends the album on a high note with great lead and background vocals as well as some of the best playing on the album.

A great album with tight playing and a real love for what they’re doing shines through on this release. It’s not Oi! or streetpunk, but the melodic punk rock really made for a fantastic listen and now I’ve found another band to love.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cold-Feelings/130100027073047?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/oitheboat  http://www.oitheboat.com/

SUTURA: Suenos Podridos: CD

A great CD from SUTURA that is filled with buzzsaw guitars, forceful bass, pounding drums and a vocalist that is actually singing, not shouting and together they make melodic punk rock that gets you moving and raising a pint or three to.

These mostly short songs zip by with a huge amount of energy and every song is melodic and catchy that it was an instant hit with me. The band plays tight, but not so smooth that the fire is dampened at all, the bands charges at you with all barrels blasting and makes a glorious noise with hit after hit. Every song is great on this album which is a definite treat when you get so many bands putting only a few good songs scattered throughout their albums, but these guys put one excellent punk song after another, creating the kind of album that you play all the way through and get a real workout from. The last song just keeps playing and you get a great punk song mixed with bizarre vocals that sounds like the band was in a goofy mood and threw this on for fun.

A great album from start to finish with excellent playing and chock full of songs that will keep you coming back for more. Check out these guys for a great time and an album that you will put on repeat.

http://www.suturapunk.com/  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sutura-PUNK/124473140940994

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Infiltrate-The-System-Records/113995301993777

http://www.itsrecords.net/music.html

PERDITION: Hispaniola: CD

This quartet from Fort Worth, Texas put out their debut ten song album filled with melodic punk and tons of humour, but they’re not just a bunch of goofs, they kick ass! With one great song after another, you can be sure that you will be smiling and rocking while listening to this album.

The album has raspy, melodic lead vocals, bouncing bass, roaring riffs and pounding drums all doing their part to give you an album that has catchy songs and captivating melodies that will have you hitting replay on this album. The band plays with heart and energy enough to give other bands a lesson in how to have fun. Although the songs are upbeat, the lyrics show a more down mood and give you a real insight to the real feelings and thoughts of the band, and making the songs not seem cynical or a drag is a definite talent that they exploit. The mix of the street punk and more melodic punk is a treat when played with the intensity and skill that PERDITION have in spades, especially because the songwriting is so good and the band truly sound like they love what they did on this album. “Gatorade Punch”, “Beartown”, “Cricket Dance”, “I Don’t Get Drunk, I Get Awesome”, “Why Buy the Cow When You Can Have the Sex for Free”, “Race For The Rabid”, and “El Oso” were great melodic punk / street punk influenced songs that got the thumbs up from me.

With the quality that PERDITION showed on this album, they are a definite crowd pleaser and have the ability to play more acoustic songs like “The Narwhal Bacons At Midnight” and the thoroughly epic “Bitch, I Hold Babies All the Time”. Grab this album, go see them if you can and support a band that truly is far from average, they really grab your attention and hold onto it.

https://www.facebook.com/theperdition  https://www.facebook.com/Dangrecordsmusic

http://www.dangrecordsmusic.com/

LAWSKOF: Self Titled: Download

 

Melodic punk from Cleveland that has energy and makes it hard to believe that this is their first release with how much talent these guys have. The level of energy on here is crazy, they are playing their brand of melodic punk nice and quick with a ton of hooks on these six songs.

The release starts off with cymbal hits and then the band kicks in, the vocals have the snotty and gruffness mixed together, gang vocals and hooks…did I mention the hooks, they just make the first song, “Wet Brain” a great way to start off the album. The band just keeps the great pace going with the next song, “Kid, You’re Gonna Be Great” with more hooks and woah-ohs all over and super tight playing. The band has great guitar work with the gritty playing, the bouncing bass, the driving drumming, and the vocals which go from growling to the cleaner sound on most of the tracks. The production is clear, giving you the ability to hear the band and not have them buried or covered up.

These guys are making me really enjoy melodic punk by throwing in some pop, but not letting it take over the music, they just put it into the mix to make the hooks grab you, and they do. I’m looking forward to what comes next for them.

https://www.facebook.com/Lawskof   http://lawskof.bandcamp.com/