Do It Yourself! Volume #14


The Diffs
"Living Chaos"
The opening riff  comes directly out of the Chuck Berry playbook... if he were a meth addict. These young'uns put me in mind of The Angry Samoans, what with their primal grunts and squawks. Just (barely) this side of insantiy.

Surplus Sons
"City Nights"
I've been listening to a lot of the Plan Nine Rock Show podcast and developing an appreciation for all things garage rock. These Cannucks got that classic rock swagger in spades and can lay down some perfectly sloppy guitar licks like nobody's bidness.

The Aggrolites
"Mr. Misery"
To hear them tell it, these five started out as session musicians, then realized they ROCKED! We saw these guys live in a little hole-in-the-wall in Indy. And if I were the dancin' type, I would've been cuttin' a rug. It's distinctly island, with some classic Motown tendencies. I defy you to find a whiter man with a more soulful voice. (If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that voice really belonged to lead singer Jesse Wagner.) And you gotta love that organ keepin' time! Keep on playin' that funky fire, boys.

Street Dogs
"In Defense of Dorchester"
You might know lead singer Mike McColgan from his previous gig: leading the better incarnation of the Dropkick Murphys. (Yes, that's right, the band that's featured heavily in Scorcese's latest Oscar entry, "The Departed".) And, for that matter, you might recognize the drummer from his stint with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. (Yes, they were in "Clueless" ... but come on, everybody wants their 15 minutes!) Celt-punk is, it seems, all the rage right now. But for my money, if you're looking for a working-class Boston band, these are your men.

The Nice Device
"Brightest Days"
Ethereal girl rock in the tradition of the early to mid  '90s alt. bands. Building to a rock-out that never quite comes, it's like Samuel Beckett meets 120 Minutes. Definitely the chill out track on this volume.

P.O.S.
"Music for Shoplifting"
Hip-hop has made infrequent appearances on DIY! comps., to say the least, but the artists who have all seem to have something in common. Atmosphere, Gym Class Heroes, MC Chris and now this guy. Hmmm... I tell you what, you connect those dots and get back to me.

Love Equals Death
"Bombs Over Brooklyn"
I'd prefer a NY band performing a song called, "Bombs Over Brooklyn," but these West Coast fellas do a good job of hiding their roots. Surprisingly dark and angry for a left coast offering, this seemingly simple song is in fact quite nuanced.

The Loved Ones
"100 K"
Philadelphia represents! Tight and clean enough to be lumped in with the rest of the throw away pop-punk bands clogging the airwaves today, but sophisticated enough to appeal to discerning punkers out there. Like a cheese steak washed down with a fine Bordeaux.

The Methadones
"Bored of Television"
Great song. So true. (Don't lie and tell me you've never sat through an hour of fake oohs and ahhs over Ron Popeil's latest and greatest stupid invention just because you couldn't find the remote.) And it references one of my favorite movies of all time ... hint: it's got more than 12 pieces of flair! It's pop-punk at its ironic best. And you'll want to keep it on. And on ... and on ...

The Dwarves
"Salt Lake City"
The Dwarves are a bit of a riddle... wrapped in an enigma... nestled in a box of confusion. Their music has run the gamut from crust-punk to metal, but here we get a perfect, sweet slice of anti-Osmond power-pop.

About the Artwork:
Grew up on Cream of Wheat (I'm a butter and sugar man, myself), and always loved that guy on the box. He was always like my happy, black uncle or something. Such an iconic figure, that it was only a matter of time before he graced the cover of a DIY! comp.