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Tag: Punk

  • TRASH TO THE TRASH GODS by Bergie & The Magic Bag

    TRASH TO THE TRASH GODS by Bergie & The Magic Bag

    Album: Trash to the Trash Gods

    Artist: Bergie & The Magic Bag

    Released: April 4th, 2024/ Beautiful Rat Records

    Bergie & The Magic Bag is an interesting mix of indie rock, folk, and punk. So, if you are looking for that sort of thing (lord knows I am) then Trash To The Trash Gods is definitely worth a look. It also has a clearly defined since of humor that comes out through the album that makes it a highly enjoyable listen.

    The first song that I would like to talk about is “FOREST OF LONELY SOULS”. It has a really cool electronic vibe and a super chill melody. The song is about being lonely but seeking refuge in a place where you fit in with other lonely outcasts. Aside from the ambience and serene feelings the music generates that make this a standout song for me, there are a couple of one liners in this song that are unexpected and genuinely hilarious. It isn’t often that a song makes me audibly chuckle, but this song accomplished that on my first listen. “Rockstar (Nothing Like the First Time 2)” features some pretty big piano that really takes over the song in a fantastic way. This song also features the humor of Bergie in the form of a detailed and convoluted story about taking ecstasy at a show.  It is absurd and ultimately pointless and harkens back to American Folk performers like Utah Phillips who were known for telling such shaggy dog stories. I, for one, think that we should bring this kind of thing back. They are little snapshots into the culture of the time that I can not get enough of. The last stand out song for me is “20 For Tie-Dye.” This really tickles the brain of the theater kid that lives inside me. It tells a story of a group of friends having small adventures in a very slice of life kind of way. I can easily imagine this performed as an on-stage musical theater style complete with sets costumes and dance numbers. This song is my favorite on the album because it is very fun entertaining and honestly makes me want to go on a fun little adventure.

    I know that I have spent a lot of words talking about the humor of this album, but I want to be very clear this is not a comedy album. The songs I have chosen to highlight are indeed humorous and that is what I think makes them unique and enjoyable. However, there are so many songs on this album that are straight up amazing bangers. For example, “ALL HAIL THE D-TRAIN” and “MIKE WE NEED TO WRITE A FOLK PUNK SONG” are classic folk punk songs. “(Everybody’s Headed To) BROOKLYN!!!” Is a smooth indie rock bop and “TRASH TO THE TRASH GODS” is a guitar driver rock song with horns about life and the road. As a whole, this album checks a lot of my boxes in really innovative ways that keeps me coming back for more. Every song is a blast to listen to and they are all varied in ways that makes beginning to end album listen throughs an experience that never grows boring or tiresome. Bergie & The Magic Bag’s TRASH TO THE TRASH GODS is every bit a spectacle as it is an extremely well executed musical masterpiece.

    This review was originally posted on April 5, 2024 on the former LFDH substack.

    If you like the album I reviewed here and want to support the artist as well as this blog please consider picking up the album via this affiliate link—> Purchase TRASH FOR THE TRASH GODS by Bergie & The Magic Bag digitally via Amazon Music

  • A for Effort E for Attainment By Common Sense Kid

    A for Effort E for Attainment By Common Sense Kid

    Author’s note: This review was originally written to be an album of the year review for 2023. Unfortunately for me, I was unable to release it in a timely fashion. Rather than releasing an album of the year review well into the new year and making it weird, I decided I would instead hold onto it and release it to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the album’s release. So Happy Anniversary, Common Sense Kid! Thanks for crafting my favorite album of 2023.

    Album: A For Effort E For Attainment

    Artist: Common Sense Kid

    Released: March 28, 2023- Ska Punk International

    This is the first full-length release by Common Sense Kid and clearly, he intended to come out of the gate swinging. A For Effort E for Attainment is an innovative and eclectic mix of electronic music, Ska, and Punk. Common Sense Kid pushes the sound envelope of what it means to be a Ska album and succeeds at creating something unique and enjoyable.

    The Album features songs about relationships highs as found in “Here For The Long Haul” which is an upbeat guitar and horn driven song celebrating time spent with a significant other. It also features a song about relationship lows of “Blinded by a Black Hole” where synth-organ punctuates the story of a person finding freedom from an obsessive toxic relationship. As the name suggests, it implodes under its own weight. The song is endlessly catchy. The political message found in “Warning: Dystopia” is my jam. It starts with the POV of the song noticing a Doomsayer on the street holding a sign proclaiming the end is near. The song then goes on to list all the problems that can be seen as the POV walks around his town. Poor folks freezing during the winter, corrupt politicians, and the rich using detraction to fleece the pocket of the same poor folks are all mentioned as problems of dystopia. The last lyrics of the song deliver a twist ending that seems to suggest, that you have to do something to stop this. The twist is also delivered in a deep Boris Karloff like voice that adds a chilling weight to the message that is frankly awesome.  “Let’s Press Reset” is another politically themed song that is more of a sorrowful retrospective of our world’s current problems. It proposes the question that maybe it’s better to start over again. The thing that really sets this song apart from others on the album for me is its clever use of archival recordings of historic radio broadcasts that perfectly coalesce with the lyrics and somber vibes of the music; in a sense saying these are the steps that took us here.  

    This album really offers something for everyone including a flat-out banger techno bop “What is this Techno Stuff” and more songs about guitar maintenance than you would typically expect to find on the average LP release. It is a must listen in my book. I wait on bated breath to see what the future holds for Common Sense Kid. His music is upbeat, catchy, and pushes the cutting edge of modern Ska forward. His lyrics are down to earth, insightful, and in most cases hopeful. A For Effort, E for Attainment is frankly everything I want in an album.

    This review was originally posted on March 28, 2023 on the former LFDH substack.

    If you like the album I reviewed here and want to support the artist as well as this blog please consider picking up the album via this affiliate link—> Purchase A Effort E for Attainment by Common Sense Kid digitally via Amazon Music