Labels: Jade Tree Records
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Good name for the band that plays rousing and raging melodic hardcore punk. 19 songs of which the odd one or two clock in at the 30 second mark. From my ‘research’ I learned that 2 members of the band Lifetime are in KD, but I haven’t heard Lifetime yet, so can’t compare.
Kid Dynamite are at their best when they play the regular length songs. Hardcore guitars pummel you about the face, the drumbeat drills into your brain, the singer shouts and screams, the backup singers yell, and then you scratch your head as you realise it’s actually really catchy. The surefire way to get me to like this kind of band. Just check out songs like “Showoff”, “Zuko’s Back In Town” and “Never Met The Gooch” – simple but oh so effective. Generally revolving round a rockin’ verse, and then a super addictive chorus.
Occasionally they get a little more metally, but not often. Songs like “Scarysmurf” and “News At 11” are best examples. KD are cool lyrically too, a good mix of personal lyrics and songs with something to rail about. Songs like “Ph.Decontrol” with the lyric “We’ll carry the torch you fuckin’ dropped. I’m getting old but thats no reason to stop”.
Need comparisons? I haven’t got much of this stuff, but I’ll throw around a few descriptions like that their best efforts sound like Dillinger Four playing fast Jawbreaker (circa Unfun) songs with a hint of Rhythm Collision. Or something.
I’ve not heard a Jade Tree release other than Promise Ring / Jets To Brazil before, so it was cool to find out that they do other stuff too. The perfect blast to clear the head, this just plain smokes.