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A greaser, a nerd, a hesher and a proto-punk walk into the
smoking lounge… and decide to perform together at the school
talent show. Scared Of Chaka need to discover the beauty
of the side-project and call it "Mad About Sleestacks."
The styles they copy are very specific, and don’t play well
with others. At the very least they should put some separation
between the rockers and the squares. Otherwise you turn into
The Troggs. Shove that AV dork into the locker.
The fast-trash garage cliché on, "I’m Atomic
Baby" is like The Fluid in a good mood. I have
played the song about 20 times in succession and it still
rocks. The Kinks in the guitar chunks preempt
the staccato vocals, creating a leap frog catapult effect.
The question, "Why Are You Weird?" is answered in
crazy off-kilter vocal rhythms for texture. The tune is poppy
and intentionally innocent. After a few rounds, the numbed
adolescence smacks of Sum 182. Apply that also to "Girls
Like You." The songs "Permission To Die" "I
Don’t Wanna" and "You’re Fired" with the distortion
and jangle become Garage Against The Machine. Edgy
dual screaming and a touch of southern crustabilly. "Who’s
To Know" that Elvis Costello is the Godfather
of nerd-rock? Well, not counting Buddy Holly. Speaking
of Weezer, the prom-song "Crossing With Switchblades"
comes complete with matching suits and a hair-sprayed head
on your shoulder. They go as far as to steal the riff Weezer
stole from Santo & Johnny. Speaking of Elvis
Costello, "My New One" makes me think we should
leave that sound to the real deal. By that of course I mean
Fastball. There’s no delicate way to say that "Glass
Socket" is dead-on Aerosmith. I would not kid
you about such an atrocity. Fantastic, boys. Now do Diamond
Dave. With no transition we go back into 60’s garage on
the instrumental "Fish Taco ’98," the high spirited
"C'mon, Look Out" and "It's Alright With Me."
All passable tunes if you don’t have Thee Headcoats
readily available. The point being, I’ve heard enough smoking
garage in the last month alone that I’ll never have the urge
to drop this disc again.
On a scale of weird dorks my friend Foote has a crush on:
one being Steve Buscemi, and ten being Owen Wilson;
Crossing With Switchblades rates a three, Jack Black.
— Ewan Wadharmi
Track Listing
- I'm Atomic, Baby
- Why Are You Weird?
- Permission To Die
- You're Fired
- Who's To Know
- Crossing With Switchblades
- My New One
- Glass Socket/Broken Jaw
- Fish Tacos '98
- C'mon, Look Out
- It's Alright With Me
- Girls Like You
- Shake It (Oh Yeah!)
- I Don't Wanna
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