The Sinema – Mothernature
Whatever happened to those kids with which you started your first punk band? If your story is anything like mine, then their fortunes and yours, when it comes to music, have varied. One of them, the one that couldn’t really play, predictably quit music altogether. I never could figure out those open chord changes. The guitar player that was learning all the Slash solos got to play in a metal band, where, ironically, he doesn’t get to solo. Yours truly makes weird records at home. But there’s always that one guy that stuck to playing nearly the same kind of music.
Such commitment is really impressive, albeit not easy to understand. It’s like someone dedicating their whole life to jiu-jitsu because it looked cool in Blood Sport II. It also means that these musicians are unlikely to ever consider integrating disco bass riffs into their music. Hey, you know what you get!
I get the same feeling about The Sinema, as well as the thriving DCxPC Live scene. These bands are dedicated to loud, obnoxious, punk-based music. And, in a time where moshing can only be done indoors and alone, their aid is massive. Mothernature is screamo/post-hardcore tune played with rage, intensity, and a knowledge that these folks will never start a reggae band. If you’re a longtime reader of Alt77, you’ll know we, especially, stand against new white reggae bands being started.
LJ & The Sleeze – Night Time Lover
I just love old punk records and badly recorded bootlegs. However, hearing most of them at the right volume feels a lot like sticking your head into a cement mixer. A bootleg of the mighty Germs sounds like someone tape-recorded their performance from a safe distance of a kilometre away. Were all of the Germs playing the same songs at the same time? We have no way of knowing.
In many ways, the evolution of punk is the complete opposite from that of more conservative rock music. See, the early rockers could play really damn well and, somehow, managed to learn everything by ear, not being blessed with the help of the internet. They eventually got worse as time went on, until now where they’ll tickle some fancy delay pedals as a substitute for actually playing. Guitar lessons from the guy in Coldplay must be a riot.
I mention this only because LJ & The Sleeze sounds like a group that is also in love with early punk music. Night Time Lover is fun and not very politically correct. It’s light on its feet and pays little regard to the quality of the actual recording. Plus, the singer looks like someone peddling speed around the dark alleyways downtown. If you’re into early punk, trust me, all of these have their charm.
