Codefendants x The D.O.C. – Rivals
Do old punk-rockers still have a right to complain? Do old MCs still get the opportunity to tell you that they want to fight for a better world? Both of them have certainly had their chance. And, if they did enough of a good job and have managed to consistently look good in their stage gear, both have been repaid handsomely by audiences hungry for strong tunes and revolutionary propaganda.
But the revolution failed. That much is clear. At this stage in the game, and with so many of those listeners scared out of their wits about what the future might hold, the best we can do is try to look cool and play some familiar tunes. The revolution is still cool, even though nobody believes in it anymore. Codefendants and The D.O.C. come together to remind us why rock and hip-hop are better when they need an enemy, even if nobody quite has any idea how to take that enemy out.
Codefendants x The D.O.C. rage about the issues on “Rivals,” and it’s a well-produced, convincing sound. But, in honesty, this is merely a welcome distraction. But, don’t we deserve to celebrate those? Don’t we need something to give us courage? “Rivals” sounds like the kind of song that ought to have been released during the first Clinton administration and, indeed, many listeners will be happy to add to playlists featuring songs from that era. It’s a nice look, sturdy sound, and cute plan. Who cares that the world will stay exactly the same once you’ve heard it?
the Snorts – FUCK IT UP
The biggest stars in punk-rock have been getting fashion endorsement for years now. They’ve got their photographers to get their good side early in the morning, and another employee to post the photo online with some inspirational quote. If they play their cards right, eventually, the biggest punk stars will get to meet the U.S. president and, maybe, even marry into the family.
It’s so polite and sweet that it’s hard to imagine that it has anything to do with punk-rock at all. It’s so easy to forget that you do, with nearly every band sounding and looking the same and championing the same causes. That’s why, on the rare occasion that you hear a band like the Snorts, who sound like they want to annoy not just audiences, and concert promoters, but even themselves, it’s best to pay notice.
“FUCK IT UP” by the Snorts is not badly recorded, poorly produced, and doesn’t include a student of G.G. Allen singing about loving whiskey while writhing in their own faeces. Still, the Snorts sound positively diabolical, like the kind of music that your instinct tells you that you need to shut off. I can’t tell you what a rare quality this is! “FUCK IT UP” sounds like a band determined to ruin your day!
