Jade Tree - Location Is Everything Vol. 2, Various Artists
If only all labels could be like Jade Tree. With so many other labels content to saturate the market with one particular style of punk (no matter how good that style is), it’s really refreshing to have Jade Tree around. It could be said that no two bands sound alike on Jade Tree’s roster, but this isn’t totally true. Paint It Black and From Ashes Rise continue the grand old tradition of screaming their heads off to a soundtrack played at 1000mph, as Kid Dynamite did before them. But then there are artists like Cex who creates unsettling and inspired electronic rock noise, Denali with their smoky jazz-bar art-pop feel and Jonah Matranga’s Onelinedrawing, the most listenable and heartfelt emo around today.
Then of course there’s Strike Anywhere, who offer the fantastic ‘Infrared’. If you haven’t heard the band’s latest album then you really are missing out on hours of enjoyment screaming along, jumping around your room and pumping your fist. Similarly Kid Dynamite’s ‘Heart a Tact’ from their recent rarities etc. release ‘Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems’ suggests it could be a really good CD. The beauty of this CD is being hit by one incredibly fast Hardcore attack, such as Fury or From Ashes Rise, then being soothed over by the likes of Joan Of Arc and Jets To Brazil with their authentic American Indie sounds, then being battered around the head again by the likes of arty-punk rockers Challenger and These Arms are Snakes’ angular post-punk sounds. .
With 21 tracks on here, 6 of them being previously unreleased, this CD acts as a comprehensive introduction to a fantastic label that are pushing Punk Rock forward, with their ‘nothing is unsuitable’ approach, and releasing great music from artists you’re likely to have not heard very much of.
Ben Gosling
