EastPak Antidote Tour Compilation, Various Artists
As the annual punk extravaganza that is the Eastpak Antidote Tour finally wraps up its last shows in mainland Europe in the coming week, we're hit with the obligatory tour comp that showcases some of the best tracks from this years performers, as well as a number of bands just looking for a bit more exposure. With artists ranging from big name unit shifters (see Bedouin Soundclash and Gogol Bordello), to some lesser known UK acts such as King Blues and Second Monday, it's a compilation that should have a little something for everyone.
Kicking off the festivities is Engerica with a feel-good punk anthem entitled 'Road Kill' which acts as a brilliant party starter. Full of energy and vocals similar to those of The Vines' Craig Nicholls, it's a punchy guitar-driven number that relies heavily on just a singular riff to pump the blood through the ears of the listener. Following this, we're hit with a taste of all four bands that played on the UK leg of the tour this year. Whatever you may think of Gogol Bordello (I personally just don't 'get it'), 'Dogs were barking', is the perfect showcase of their manic circus-infused gypsy punk sound. Disco Ensemble's moderately well-received single 'We might fall apart' follows, with this year's highlight Danko Jones contributing 'First Date' to the showcase. While they clearly stole the show on this year's tour, the energy of their sexually-frustrated songs doesn't translate too well from the stage to the studio, and unfortunately seems to be lacking in comparison to the other songs on here. Following this, 'Rude Boys don't cry' looks set to be Bedouin Soundclash's next top-20 single, and the inclusion of it here won't hurt the compilation's sales figures.
Elsewhere, it's brilliant to see the inclusion of some of the underground's biggest punk acts on such a high-profile release. Most notably, Second Monday's 'Mono Injection' actually stands proud as being one of the best songs here, and hopefully this will get this band some much-needed mainstream exposure. The King Blues are present here too, and the reggae-influenced 'Mr Music Man' brings a definite feel-good factor to the compilation. As with any comp, there are a few misses to make up for the hits on the record. Versus the World's 'Ghost in a bottle' is one of them, being the most unoriginal track here, while Pato's 'Cemetery' seems to draw influence from a few too many different ethnic music genres to hold itself together. Aside from this, it's hard to fault this record as it is more diverse than any other compilation out at the moment, and for the most part, a damn good showcase of some under-appreciated bands.
While the tour may have been concocted as a European equivalent to the Warped Tour, it never had the audience-grabbing acts as its American counterpart. However, if you've ever actually listened to a Warped Tour Comp, you'll understand that as an actual example of what bands on the tour can do, Side One Dummy's compilation is a much better record that any of those put out with the Warped branding. With tracks to suit almost everyone, ranging from ska, reggae, punk to straight up rock 'n roll, this is a great compilation that definitely deserves a listen.
Andy R
» Official Website
