"Mid-Way Through 2009" Roundup

Ok, it's July, 7 months into the year. So, I decided I'd give my opinions on what's been good and what's been bad this year.
Here goes nothing.

GOOD:
Bomb The Music Industry-Scrambles(Quote Unquote/Asian Man): I have a real obsession with this band, but for good reason. Sure this album is kind of drifting from the ska sound a little, but I like the new sound more. This is certainly picking up where 2007's Get Warmer left off and going even further. A great (free) record.

NOFX-Coaster/Frisbee(Fat Wreck Chords): NOFX is NOFX. They're always great. "Creeping Out Sara" is hilarious, they still sound great this far in, they aren't stopping anytime soon, so get it.

Carry the Torch: A Tribute to Kid Dynamite(Black Numbers): Come on! It's some of the coolest bands ever covering songs by THE coolest band ever. Can you go wrong? No.

Paint It Black-Salem(Bridge Nine): You read my review. You bought the vinyl. You know it rules. The end.

Gallows-Grey Britain(Warner Bros.): PLEASE DO NOT GIVE ME ANY FLACK! So what they're on a major label? The Ramones were on Warner Bros.! This album is a pretty solid continuation of 2006's Orchestra of Wolves, and from what I can see so far, they aren't milking it for singles this time. That got annoying, there must have been a 45 of every song on Orchestra. It's pretty good, enjoy it with a glass of tea (they were not going to avoid an English joke!).

Shinobu-Strange Spring Air(Quote Unquote): Shinobu is a really great band. Not to sound like a stereotypical journalist, but Shinobu really DOES sound like the "new Pavement." They manage to sound pretty....and cause a ruckus at the same time. If you like Pavement or Dinosaur Jr. or Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, try Shinobu out.

Nightmares For A Week-A Flood Tommorrow EP(Music For End Times): Like Red and Blue, I'm from Kingston (god, that was cheesy). Since I'm from Kingston, I should support the local punk bands, right? Well, there aren't really too many, they've all dissolved, most of the punk is in Poughkeepsie and Wappingers Falls now and it's really gross hardcore about forties and blunts, too. My opinion of local punk changed with the arrival of Nightmares For A Week. Their name alone shows that they share a favorite band with me, Jawbreaker. I've also seen them play "Want." They kinda threw me off writing an original song called "Tour Song," though. I think the best song on the EP has to be "Bear Mountain," in my opinion anyway. They are a very good live band, and a very good band in general. I highly recommend seeing them live and while you're there you should get this disc. Seriously. They're playing with Frankie and His Fingers at the Basement on Broadway in Kingston, NY on the 26th of July. It's all ages kiddies, so be there.

BAD:
Big D and the Kids Table-Fluent In Stroll(Side One Dummy): You knew this would be here. What a disappointment? What would the Specials think? What would the Mighty Mighty Bosstones think? This isn't a ska album, not even in a traditional way. It's just garbage. I think what we need to do as Big D fans is walk from our respective hometowns to Allston Village, Massachusetts and picket until we get a good, old fashioned Big D record just like Big D used to make.

(Authors Note: I'm very sarcastic in my writing very often. I don't think we should really walk to Boston. Why do you think they invented cars?)

NOFX-Coaster/Frisbee(Fat Wreck Chords): The album is just as brilliant as it is similar to every other album. I guess we have no right to demand "The Decline 2." It's gotta be hard to write an 18 minute skate-punk song.

SilversteinA Shipwreck In The Sand(Victory): I shouldn't even mention this band on this blog, but I've liked Silverstein since I was in the eighth grade, didn't have a girlfriend, had a lot of angst, and skateboarded so much it could have been a social disorder. I kinda thought this would redeem them after what they did with Arrivals and Departures but my assumption was only based on a few songs. Those few songs are great, the rest? Not so much.

I don't really have anymore complaints this year. Not yet, anyway.
Stay tuned for more reviews and such, and thanks for following a solid month of mediocre music journalism.