Labels: Vanity Rock
Review by: Tony Era
I liked the Autonomists so much I couldn’t wait to check out Vanity rocks other release I got which is a split release by two bands I have also never heard of.
First up is None of the Above with four “songs?”. I don’t really like this at all. It’s really messy grungy punk music, no REALLY messy. It’s just all over the place and the vocals are very Robert Smith like but not very good at all. It just sounds like a band had a first practice, learnt some songs and then recorded their second practise in an attic or something. I admire and respect diy and simple production but nothing can make an unrehearsed band sound good. Not liking these at all. Turn the distortion down and get back to the practise room. And fucking lo and behold I open the booklet for the first time and it says “all songs written in a basement, all songs recorded in a basement!” God my ears are good. Oh and they all have pretty boy hardcore haircuts too, it only gets worse.
And on to Swound! Oh what a wacky name. The vocals are just as bad and I wouldn’t be surpised if this is actually the same band, it sounds the same and the songs are slightly better. One gripe though, if anyone has the audacity to sing “Kill America” then all I ask for is a little bit of conviction if I’m ever gonna take them seriously. Unfortunately this is their first track so im unimpressed from there on.
An argument that seems appropriate here is that there simply is too many bands around. There is, its no discussion there is. Too many bands putting out too many cds far too soon. I’m sure both these bands have a hell of a time jamming and gigging and hanging out but there simply was no need whatsoever to commit their music to a disc and send it to me at this time. Swounds second track is pretty good so why not wait until they have two or three great songs and put out a seven inch or something because quite frankly neither of these bands are anywhere near a demo stage. And enough of the cool haircuts already, I don’t wanna see them.