Do It Yourself! Volume #13


Die Hunns
"Time Has Come Today"
Duane Peters. Yes, he's more punk than you. That's why he can take what is basically a cover of the Ramones cover of the Chambers Brothers' "Time Has Come Today" and make it work. Listen for the lyric, "my soul has been psycho-circumsized." I have know idea what the hell that's supposed to mean, but it's the best part of the song, regardless.

Intro5pect
"Rights"
These guys would have probably made the comp even if they had been straight ahead street punk. The fact that they meld the seemingly uncomplimentary genres of techno and street (oi!) punk rock practically guarantees their inclusion. Hell... I don't know whether I'm supposed to dance, or kick your ass.

Left Alone
"Lonely Starts and Broken Hearts"
Who said ska-punk is dead? Oh yeah... just about everybody. Still, these guys are doing their best to keep the spirit of '98 alive and kicking.

Manic Hispanic
"Welcome to Paramount"
Are Manic Hispanic the "Weird" Als of punk rock. Well... kinda, but you gotta love their latino takes on the classics. In fact, I really never knew how much this Green Day tune rocked until I heard their version. I especially loved the GnR inspired break down. Tamales, anyone?

Orange
"No Rest for the Weekend"
Every time I put this tune on, Tricia asks if it is Lou Reed. Of course it is the lackadaisical vocals of lead vocalist, Joe Denman that give it that distinctive, Reed-ish sound, but the lyrics and polished sound belie the fact that the average age of the band is 18. I'm a little pissed because the band took down their demo version of the tune from garageband.com. In my opinion, that's the better version of this track. Still, it's available at from Hell Cat.

Reggie and the Full Effect
"From Me 2 You"
I went to the 2005 Warped Tour to see Bedouin Soundclash, Motion City Soundtrack, Billy Idol and the Transplants. What I came back with was an appreciation for Reggie and the Full Effect. In an attempt to escape the horrid heat of the day, we decided to sit in the pavillion and take in a few bands we didn't really know a lot about. Come to find out, these guys' song, "Your Girlfriends" was essentially sampled by MC Chris for his "DQ Blizzard" track (see DIY! #8). Who knew!?!? Anyway, these guys rock the punk/synth like nobody's biz.

The Soviettes
"Multiply and Divide"
Since their inclusion on DIY! Vol #7, the Soviettes have made the move from Adeline Records to Fat Wreck Chords. In doing so, it seems as though the band has also taken on a faster and more aggressive sound. Despite being mostly all girl, this band walks the fine line of being catchy and melodic and straight up punk rawk.

Satori
"Celebration"
Glory be. Yup, it's another band appearing for a second time on a DIY! comp. The first time around (see DIY! Vol. #6), Satori was but a meager side project from members fo the RX Bandits. This time up, the band has a legitimate label to call home and nice, polished album to offer up. Dig the sparsely traditional groove these guys rock.

Go Betty Go
"Son Mis Locuras"
All girls. All tight. All catchy punk rock from these So-Cal babes. What are they saying in this tune? Who cares? 

Street Brats
"Mind Control"
Sing-a-long street punk from Chicago. This one's been on repeat 'round my house for a little over a month now.

About the Artwork:
The 3-D themed template for volume #13 has been filling space on my hard drive for about a year and a half now.Yes... I'm just that slow. Sadly, the latest (and worst) installment of the "I Love the 80s" pretty much ripped the concept  right out from under me, but... whatever.