Punk Rock Is Your Friend, Various Artists
According to Kung Fu Records, 'Punk Rock Is Your Friend'. An interesting title for its latest compilation, but is their newest effort your new best buddy or simply just a hanger on?
If you are familiar with the Kung Fu samplers you'll already know the drill. A smattering of the label's bands unleash a mixture of album and unreleased tracks, all for the bargainous ultra-low price. They also usually feature some really bad Vandals songs and this doesn't disappoint on that score. The likes of Audio Karate, Ozma, Antifreeze and even a guest appearance by No Use For A Name are amongst the acts here, giving a little bit of variety to a predominently pop-punk buffet. But all in all, it's actually a bit good.
Audio Karate are one of the finds of the year, with their record 'Space Camp' a delightful chunk of teenage angst with sincere poppy undertones. The song 'Senior Year' is a good example of what to expect from the band and the previously unreleased 'Betrayed' shows that they are anything but a one-trick pony. Look out for this So-Cal crew because they are certainly heading for bigger things. I'm still not convinced that Ozma are anything more than Weezer going through a nervous breakdown, and 'The Business Of Getting Down' sounds like Rivers Cuomo and company messing around with a moog around the 'Pinkerton' era. 'The Ups and Downs' sounds even more like Weezer... I'm surprised that they haven't sued, I really am. But I like what I hear, even if it's not the most original material ever.
Tsunami Bomb are so new to the label that the ink is still drying on their contracts. 'Roundabout' is still in the demo process, but is shows that this LA mob are more rock than pop in this punk game, and 'No One's Looking' echoes that sentiment. Quite good stuff. Still, trust The Vandals to do their usual sampler routine and spoil things. Why do they produce classic albums, but then churn out crap for compilations? 'My First Christmas (as a woman)' is truly awful for the middle of June and 'I'm Black' isn't their greatest three minutes. Antifreeze save me from throwing a brick at the stereo with the cracking 'Birthday Weekend' a track which shows they aren't just an Ataris tribute band. Their 'Four Letter Words' cd hardly made an impact, but on the basis of this new song maybe record number two could be the one to make inrodes.
Israel's favourite sons churn out two good tracks in 'Jukebox 86' and 'No Time For Me To Be A Teenager', both of which push the pedal to the metal without losing any of that melody. These guys may have have been born in the Middle East, but they certainly have So-Cal blood in them. Mi6 could well make a name for themselves over the coming year too if 'Weight Of The World' is anything to go by. A bit darker than their peers, this Kansas crew are vastly underrated. No Use For A Name are amongst a number of artists that make up the soundtrack for the Kung Fu movie 'Selwyn's Nuts', and so include a ramshackle live version of one of the better songs from 'More Betterness,' 'Not Your Savior'. It's pretty spot-on too, certainly a must listen for fans of the quartet. That leaves us with Punktastic office faves The Ataris, who weigh in with the spruced up 'Make It Last' from the re-released 'Anyehere But Here'. A live version of the classic 'Are We There Yet?' is also included. Both are great songs and show that good tracks are indeed timeless.
Along with your 17 tracks you get a snazzy Paul Frank-designed cover and enhanced material for your PC or Mac. What more could you ask for? So, all in all, punk rock seemingly is your friend. It's certainly not going to worry your best pal, but as a drinking buddy, you won't find many better.
Paul Savage
