The Flyswatters (CD) - The Flyswatters

This CD has enough energy to power a Texan electric chair. The Flyswatters self titled release is a classic example of small budget / big sound. It is amazing what great music can occur when the musicians simply get out of the way and let the music be fun. The Flyswatters is void of the political rantings and angry diatribes that often provide lyrical crutches for bands.

The Flyswatters feature eight tracks, clocking in at just over fifteen minutes. Most songs are under two minutes. This is a perfect format - say what you need to say and get out of dodge. Always leave the audience wanting more.

Recorded at the Deathstar and mastered by C.A.S . Music Productions, LLC; the sound and production are of excellent quality, without any loosing any of The Flyswatters raw sound. The tracks include: Backstabber, Liquor Store, I Wanna Know, Try It, Destroy It, T.V. Addict, Lets Get Wasted, and What For?

The CD blasts off the launch pad with Backstabber - a classic song of betrayal and relationships gone wrong. Just hearing the song will make you want to call your backstabbing ex and scream the lyrics into the phone.

Next up is a shout out to all those that have been at the Liquor Store when the doors open. Liquor Store is a testament to the philosophy that alcohol may not solve your problems, but it does help you forget them for a while. So have another drink until your problems go away.

I Wanna Know kicks in the after burners and provides a no holds bared look into the head games that we play with each other from time to time. "You've got a body that's build for sin / I think it's time that you let me in" - these lyrics should line billboards across America!

There is a difference between trying and doing. Try It gets to the heart of hopelessness and illustrates the nature of of what make people throw in their chips and walk away from life.

My personal favorite song on the CD is Destroy It. A classic song about breaking shit, blowing shit up and flat out demolishing whatever is in your path. Destroy It is an extremely catchy song and it had me singing along on the first listen. "I took a look at everything / and I want to destroy it." Words to live by.

T.V Addict pays homage to one of the worlds greatest invention - the television. You have to love a band that lists one of its' influences as "The Idiot Box." - Don't feel bad, television is often better than real life.

You must have a drink, preferably two, in your hand to fully enjoy Lets Get Wasted. This song is a fist pumping testament to that old friend; alcohol. As with most Flyswatters songs, the chorus hooks you immediately and does not let you go until the final note of this amazing song.

Closing out the CD is What For? A punch to the gut song that gives the middle finger to the status quo. Plenty of Punk attitude here. A great choice for a closing track.

Check out The Flyswatters on MySpace - several of the above songs are on their player. CD's can be purchased directly from their page and also from new REVELATIONS music shop. Better yet, The 'swatters have some upcoming shows, so head out and pick up a CD for $5.00.

The Flyswatters @ MOJO 13 (10/24/09)

Remember when you were young and you listened to your first punk album....That is the feeling you get when you witness The Flyswatters perform. It is something between a good buzz, deju vu, and wining the lottery. This is the type of music that makes you want to wrap your arms around a girl, grab a beer and sing-a-long. "SO LET'S GET WASTED."

It has to be hard to play the first spot of the night. The crowd is still filling in, no one is drunk yet, and most everyone is still bullshiting with their friends and not giving the band their full attention. That's life, that's the music biz.

Well, The 'swatters overcame these hurdles, stepped up and threw down one hell of a boot to the mouth show. They were a last minute addition to the five band Halloween Horrocaust spectacular at MOJO 13 in Wilmington, DE. The band was spot on through out their entire set. And even though it was early in the evening The 'swatters found a way to blast the energy level off the charts.

The 'swatters boast an impressive three vocal set. Ryan (lead), Bryan and Penny can belt out the lyrics with the best of 'em. Their vocals are rich and melodic, without sounding forced or bubblegummy. Add to the mix Ryan and Bryan' s guitar skills and the fuse is lit. Penny's bass playing provides a smooth framework for the band. This, combined with Jacks' driving drums, produce one hell of a sound.

So you may be wondering what the The Flyswatters sound like. The truth is The Flyswatters sound like...The Flyswatters. I wish I could draw some comparisons, but it would be unfair to the band. The band best describes their sound as "the spirit of late 70's L.A. Punk / 80's Surf Punk and a blend of 70's East Coast Punk." The truth is they have a truly fresh and original sound. They certainly possess the spirit and chemistry of the great Punk predecessors of yesteryear. Which is a nice change from the carbon copies and fad jumpers that seem to proliferate the modern Punk movement.

Hands down The Flyswatters stole the show. It is mind boggling that this band is unsigned. I have a hunch that this will not be the case for long. I always listen to see how long it takes for a band to find its' groove. Some take longer then others, some bands never find it. For the Flyswatters they found it from the first note of their first song and never looked back.

They played a break-neck fourteen song set mixing some older songs, covers, newer stuff from their self titled album and brand new never recorded material. Their set was as follows: Don't Give A Damn , Backstabber, T.V. Addict, Stranger Than Fiction, Liquor Store, My Baby Hates Me (The Stitches), I Wanna Know, Destroy It, Useless, Sonic Reducer (The Dead Boys), Ganggreen From A Greenhead, Rip It up, What For?, and Let's Get Wasted.

If you have not done so yet, pick up The Flyswatters self titled album. They also have a free show coming up on October 30, 2009 @ the Hot Spot (6032 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing, NJ). Then it is back to Philly on November 14, 2009 for a fundraiser for the Penn-Jersey She Devils Roller Derby Team @ the Arena (8011 Roosevelt Blvd, Philadelphia, PA) $10 Cover.

I Made A Moster (EP) - The Undead (Review)

PM 1006 - Post Mortem Records - P.O. Box 358 New Milford, NJ 07646

If you like colored vinyl then this is the EP for you. I Made A Monster was released in a whopping seven different colors; Red, White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Swamp-Monster Green and limited addition Glow in the Dark. Individual EPs are $7.00 ($2.00 S&H). Limited addition Glow in the Dark EPs are $15.00 ($2.00 S&H). There is also a package deal that includes all seven colored EPs for $45.00 ($5.00 S&H). This release is also available in mini CD for those of you that don't obsess over different colored plastics. So how ever you like it, The Undead has it for you.

The EP consists of three songs; I Made A Monster, Sometimes You Gotta Laugh At Yourself, and I Go Ape. Overall, the EP is solid. The production and engineering are crisp and the packaging is ingenious. Gina Minichino did excellent work with the design and cover art. I'm curious as to why others have not attempted this before. Just goes to show that Steele continues to be an innovator in the punk music world. I will not ruin the surprise for those of you that are planning to pick up I Made A Monster - just think MAD magazine.

The title track is one of the most self revealing songs Steele has ever recorded. No matter what your "monster" maybe, all can relate to Steele when he sings "My monster has no legs / it hasn't any arms / that's not preventing it / from doing so much harm / My monster has no eyes / it's such a sight to see / it's got no soul / and it can raise a lot more hell then me". As with most songs from The Undead, Steele's guitar drives this track.

Now on to the B-side. Song one is Sometimes You Gotta Laugh At Yourself. This song is extremely catchy without sounding popish or over stylized. This is an uplifting and comedic song for all those who ever had a "What the hell am I doing moment." Here Steele reminds us of the importance of keeping a sense of humor though all our struggles. In a world filled with angry political rantings passing as good music, it is nice to see a band take the time to put a song like this out. The video is also very funny.

One may ask, why a Neal Sedaka cover to round out the EP? Simply, I Go Ape makes sense and provides a great backdrop for The Undead to do some creative arrangement and reworking of a classic song. The song sounds great on the EP and showcases what The Undead can do with a classic rock 'n roll tune.

Bobby Steele / The Undead 10-9-09 (Show Review)

It has almost been thirty years since Bobby Steele left the now famous punk band the Misfits. Like him or not, he is arguably one of the best guitarist the punk world has seen. If you need evidence of this, simply take a listen to the Misfits Horror Business 7" EP. Want further evidence? Check out The Undead's, Dawn of the Undead. Track after track, Steele cuts a melodic warpath through the punk pantheon.

All to often in the music world people get caught up in the flavor of the month. The new hot band. The next big act. The next MTV sponsored face for teen rebellion. Steele is proof that the underground still houses tremendous talent and is the true domain of the punk moniker. He has distanced himself from the punk mainstream, all the while illustrating that punk has in many ways become a parody of itself.

Liking underground music does not mean listening to Green Day in your mother's basement...Bobby Steele and The Undead displayed this in their most recent show at The Record Collector in Bordentown, NJ. This show was part of the Living Room Concert Series, which presents bands in an intimate setting. It was in fact like watching The Undead perform right in your living own room. The smaller space and the ambiance of the setting made this a one of a kind show.

I have been a fan of The Undead since I heard their debut EP release Nine Toes Later. So, if you could not tell by now this post is probably going to read somewhat biased. I'm ok with that. I wanted to see Bobby do well and spit in the faces of his critics. I wanted to see this great band put aside the ghosts of their past and play a hell of a show. I was not disappointed.

The Undead's current line up consists of Bobby Steele on guitar and vocals, Hitomi (Statues of Liberty) and (High Teen Boogie) on drums and Hiromu (The Modern Kicks) on bass. I was particularly impressed with the bands energy level. Even in a small venue they were able to transmit all the power that is The Undead.

The show was somewhat of a musical time line for The Undead. The set blended the old, new and even some of Steele's solo work. They played the Misfits classics Bullet and RATTFINK. But, what I found to be the most heartfelt song was the title track off The Undead's newest release I Made a Monster. Take a listen to the song on The Undead's MySpace page to get a first hand take on what I mean.

Bobby then slowed things down and performed several of his solo works. The highlight of which was an incredible rendition of Roy Orbison's Only the Lonely. It was not until I heard these songs live that I realized the depth and magnitude of Steele's voice. Never Say Die Bobby Steele and The Undead!

Check out and support Bobby Steele / The Undead:

The Undead
MySpace
See Bobby Steele @ the Chiller Theater Expo