Editor: Here we have another column/set of reviews from that ever so lovable miscreant Mr. Matthew Coppens. Why does Matt get his own page for his reviews you ask? Well, because he's Matt Fucking Coppens. That's why. Check out his band Belliegerent Outburst here. Matt sings and shit. He also hates you all.
Chronic Seizure s/t 7�
Chicago�s best band returns with its second and best release yet on Minneapolis based label Fashionable Idiots. I�ve followed these guys since their cassette demo and each song and release gets better and better and far fiercer. On this release we get more fast, confrontational, angry, anti-social, spastic, Midwestern hardcore punk with lyrics trailing on paranoia, dementia, and totally psychotic. Excellent tight musicianship and this time around they captured the vocals perfectly, giving you an even better representation of this band�s amazing live show, which may just be the best live show out there right now. Punk enough for the garage/punk crowd and fast and pissed off enough for the hardcore crowd. Don�t sleep on this one!(MCP)
(Fashionable Idiots// www.fashionableidiots.com)
The Conversions s/t 7�
This band totally brought the goods live and have delivered just as well on vinyl, which is refreshing as these days most bands either do it for me live and not on record or the other way around. Here we get 6 energetic as hell intelligent witty original female fronted arty hardcore punk tracks that whiz right by in no time that don�t sound unlike a thrashed-out Gang of Four, featuring members of Crucial Unit, Sleeper Cell, and Refuseniks. This is the debut release on Jesse Conway�s Namennayo Records and it�s a damn fine one. This is definitely worth seeking out.(MCP)
(Namennayo Records// www.theconversions.com)
Dwarves �FEFU� DVD
The Dwarves are easily one of my favorite bands of all time and this DVD is the absolute perfect DVD for any real Dwarves fan. You get forty minutes of behind the scenes footage for the shooting of the video for the song �FEFU� (Fuck Eat and Fuck You Up) off their last studio album Dwarves Must Die featuring a dozen or so nude models from the Suicide Girls who are both rubbing blood all over the band members and occasionally even beating the snout of them all while Dwarves leader Blag Dahlia has an ecstatic almost child-like grin on his face which really gives you a bit more insight into the man�s twisted mind. You also get plenty of interviews, videos, and violent but hilarious live footage spanning the band�s entire 20 year career including a great clip of a show from 1989 where the band plays �Drugstore� in front of about 5 uninterested college kids where Blag throws beer all over them and harasses the bored looking crowd. This is very comprehensive and entertaining all throughout its 2 hours of footage. A great DVD and a must for any real Dwarves fan.(MCP)
(www.thedwarves.com)
Off With Their Heads �Hi Five for the Rapture� 7�
Wow! This record came at me swinging hard from left field. Totally unexpected, catchy, melodic, smart, anthemic, sing-along punk straight out of Minneapolis, MN with songs about being fucked up and sleeping in cars (while fucked up), which is right up this Midwestern boys alley. Featuring Paddy from Dillinger Four on bass, Off With Their Heads comes off not sounding completely unlike Dillinger Four, but certainly more raw and stripped down with more barked out vocals. There are enough Jawbreaker-ish breakdowns to definitely alienate those in the hardcore and garage scenes, but these guys don�t really seem to need those crowds anyway. I haven�t been as excited about a band in a long time as I am about these guys. Another flawless release from Fashionable Idiots, top ten material for sure! (MCP)
(Fashionable Idiots// www.fashionableidiots.com)
Shopping s/t 7�
Shopping is a hard band to pin down. This Chicago three piece seems to have influences all over the map coming across as an annoying choppy power pop arty rock and roll mess with high pitched squeaky vocals that I would normally despise but for some reason I absolutely love this fucking band! Top notch original songwriting with quirky and intelligent lyrics filled with the kind of personality that romanticizes loneliness and loss. Nice debut vinyl offering from a relatively new Chicago band that I hope sticks around long enough to get some recognition as these songs really hold up.(MCP)
(Do the Math Records// www.myspace.com/shoppinglovesme)
Contact Coppens: freakodepresso-at-hotmail-dot-com
To read more Coppens go here.
Chicago�s best band returns with its second and best release yet on Minneapolis based label Fashionable Idiots. I�ve followed these guys since their cassette demo and each song and release gets better and better and far fiercer. On this release we get more fast, confrontational, angry, anti-social, spastic, Midwestern hardcore punk with lyrics trailing on paranoia, dementia, and totally psychotic. Excellent tight musicianship and this time around they captured the vocals perfectly, giving you an even better representation of this band�s amazing live show, which may just be the best live show out there right now. Punk enough for the garage/punk crowd and fast and pissed off enough for the hardcore crowd. Don�t sleep on this one!(MCP)
This band totally brought the goods live and have delivered just as well on vinyl, which is refreshing as these days most bands either do it for me live and not on record or the other way around. Here we get 6 energetic as hell intelligent witty original female fronted arty hardcore punk tracks that whiz right by in no time that don�t sound unlike a thrashed-out Gang of Four, featuring members of Crucial Unit, Sleeper Cell, and Refuseniks. This is the debut release on Jesse Conway�s Namennayo Records and it�s a damn fine one. This is definitely worth seeking out.(MCP)
The Dwarves are easily one of my favorite bands of all time and this DVD is the absolute perfect DVD for any real Dwarves fan. You get forty minutes of behind the scenes footage for the shooting of the video for the song �FEFU� (Fuck Eat and Fuck You Up) off their last studio album Dwarves Must Die featuring a dozen or so nude models from the Suicide Girls who are both rubbing blood all over the band members and occasionally even beating the snout of them all while Dwarves leader Blag Dahlia has an ecstatic almost child-like grin on his face which really gives you a bit more insight into the man�s twisted mind. You also get plenty of interviews, videos, and violent but hilarious live footage spanning the band�s entire 20 year career including a great clip of a show from 1989 where the band plays �Drugstore� in front of about 5 uninterested college kids where Blag throws beer all over them and harasses the bored looking crowd. This is very comprehensive and entertaining all throughout its 2 hours of footage. A great DVD and a must for any real Dwarves fan.(MCP)
Wow! This record came at me swinging hard from left field. Totally unexpected, catchy, melodic, smart, anthemic, sing-along punk straight out of Minneapolis, MN with songs about being fucked up and sleeping in cars (while fucked up), which is right up this Midwestern boys alley. Featuring Paddy from Dillinger Four on bass, Off With Their Heads comes off not sounding completely unlike Dillinger Four, but certainly more raw and stripped down with more barked out vocals. There are enough Jawbreaker-ish breakdowns to definitely alienate those in the hardcore and garage scenes, but these guys don�t really seem to need those crowds anyway. I haven�t been as excited about a band in a long time as I am about these guys. Another flawless release from Fashionable Idiots, top ten material for sure! (MCP)
Shopping is a hard band to pin down. This Chicago three piece seems to have influences all over the map coming across as an annoying choppy power pop arty rock and roll mess with high pitched squeaky vocals that I would normally despise but for some reason I absolutely love this fucking band! Top notch original songwriting with quirky and intelligent lyrics filled with the kind of personality that romanticizes loneliness and loss. Nice debut vinyl offering from a relatively new Chicago band that I hope sticks around long enough to get some recognition as these songs really hold up.(MCP)