Anyone who owns and enjoys any of Exceptions material, is sure to enjoy the Eclectics brand of punk and Ska.
In the same vein as The Exceptions, the Eclectics mix Ska-core with emotional lyrics (probably as they have the same vocalist)  to excellent effect.
The album kicks off  “Harry” a track about a friend which is a brilliant opener mixing punk with the twin trombone attack of Mark and Graham.

“Siddhartha” is one of the best tracks on the album, it is also featured on the “Ska American Style”, the track sees Vocalist Damon in full flow, the song sees Damon full emotional/anger filled vocals when singing about the society that’s killing him.
“We can make it happen” is more of a Ska-ry number relying on a trombone lick, rather than the previous two punk/Ska numbers. The chorus is mainly drums, brass and vocals with the guitar and bass way down in the mix.
“Had Enough” is brief (1 minute 40) track with a haunting, screaming chorus mixed in with a trombone led punk/Ska track.
“Laura” is the bit of a filler on the album, the track about a girl who worked at Woodfield Mall, is a fast but unremarkable track.
Jody Minnoch adds excellent vocals when dueting on the chorus of “things we say” a brilliant cover of the ‘Gorilla Biscuit’s’ song. The saxophone stands out on this punky/Ska number.
“Tell the Time” is a fairly good punky/Ska song, using the tried and tested formula of skanking clean
guitar sound for the verse with a distorted guitar sound and horns for the chorus. ( Similar style as used in grunge, except for the skank and horns of course! )
“New found you” is a quite good track with a decent catchy chorus.
“Near and Far” is probably the best track on the album, the vocal are excellent, but the saxophone is brilliant on this track, the hook is so likable as well as the melodic sax climax, much better than a melodic guitar solo.

“It’s not about you, Kevin” is a brief but enjoyable track which ends the album, which has more than one or two masterpieces on it.
Whereas a lot of punk/Ska mainly gets it’s brass from a mix  trumpet, sax and trombone or mainly sax, The eclectics main brass form is the two trombonist with the backing of a sax player.
Although there are two or three average tracks on the album, the first three, “Things we say”  and “New Found you” more than make up for it, as they are excellent examples of post grunge punk/Ska from the seven piece from Chicago.
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The Eclectics & Friends - The Look ahead
3 out of 5.

It was always going to be hard for The Eclectics to follow up 1997's Idle worship LP. An album that had 5 ska/punk classics, was produced by Steve Albino and all in the year ska/punk broke.
The band then took a year off playing, leaving many people to wonder why they didn't capitalise on their debut while the scene stayed strong.

But its now 2001 and as the ska scene had died down and they're seems to be little progression in the ska/punk scene the Eclectics like Telegraph and their label Jump Up! records have moved on, still putting out original ska but moving to a more into a New wave, power pop / mod sound.

After the band's 2nd vocalist Damon May departed the band decided to make this album with various singers so what you get is one off album completely different to "Idle worship" and likely to be different to any future Eclectics release.

The only link to the bands ska/punk past barring their name is "homesick" the only ska/punk song on the album and it features Damon May on vocals. Its a pretty good tune and makes you think that band could have made another outstanding ska/punk album. But that would have left them stuck in 1997.

Although its not what we've come to expect the rest of the album is really good. Dennis Buckley from 88 fingers Louie, Frankie Delmane of the Teenage Frames, Tim Kinsella from Cap 'N Jazz and Dustin Harris of Skapone putting in vocal appearances, but the best tracks are sung by Jason Mojica.

The opener "Still angry" new wave power pop at its best. "You swear" sung by Dennis Buckley is a rougher punkier tune but Dennis' emotion charged vocals make it work well.
The Dustin Harris led "anchors" is a good punk pop tune as is "So long as you use a knife" a keyboard led punky track.

Dale Salenity and Daniel Staackmann take lead on "indication", a cover of the Zombies number that's a cross between '70's prog rock and power pop!
"Malleability" and "Man on the scene" are a little disappointing. The latter is basically Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha" riff set to a punk 'n' roll beat.
The album ends on a high with Ex-Cap 'N Jazz man Tim Kinsella and Jason Mojica featuring on a cover of the Beach boys "Here Today".

Overall its completely different to all the previous Eclectics releases as "The look ahead" has more of a keyboard led power punk pop feel. It also leaves you a little disappointed that the band only have 8 original tracks (plus 2 covers) to show for 3 years off. Having said that "sill angry", You swear", "anchors" and "homesick" all deserve to be heard.
Jump Up! Records.
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The Exceptions - Five Finger Discount.
4 out of 5.

“Five finger discount” kicks off with a fast punky/Ska number “trailer park girl” this is an excellent track the verse is fast paced Ska pierced with a horn line that sticks in your head, whereas the chorus is a trashy punk ‘n’ sax blast with shouty vocals.
This sets the tone for the album and close on the heels is “Sweet Georgia peach” which is not quite as catchy as “trailer park girl” but just as fast , let down slightly by a disappointing chorus “hey, hey, hey, hey” but it is made up for by a James Hetfield like “na ne nah na na na” to end the song.

“Mean ole Malley” the story of bad guy cop Officer Malley is the most instantly likable track on the album, the  excellently punky riff , the classic horn line as well as the crazy gospel like keyboard piece in the middle of the track, before it climaxes with a slow bass/distorted guitar and emotional lyrics.
One of the main attributes of The Exceptions is the emotional vocals of Damon May (who I think is the vocalist for fellow Jump Up Ska act  ‘The Eclectics’ see review later in this article) and John Williams.
“Sleepwalkin’” is a more poppy/Ska number than hardcore punk, but is still upbeat, just a little disappointing compared with the excellent first three tracks.
“Crash” is the story of  vocalist Damon May’s encounter with a girl who caught his eye, but ends in a car crash. This love and tragedy is a punky/Ska number  which OK but not one of the best tracks on the album.
John Williams take over again for lead vocals on a wacky track “Me, Me, Me” with vocals “people stop and stare, they’re staring at my underwear, but why they’re staring I don’t care”
the tracks verse goes for skanking guitar to punky thrash guitars with Williams going mental on vocals shouting, and muttering. Other lyrics include “augh, shugh, shuygh, otshtua...”  just in case you wanted to sing along to Williams’ Muttering vocals.
The chorus is a melodic punky/Ska with singalong vocals, totally contradicting the mayhem of the verse. The track ends with the horns joining in on the hardcore punk outgoing riff.

“Circles” is a more melodic slower track than the last punky/ blast. Damon May is back for the majority of the vocals, which are about uniting to stop all the madness of killing in the world.
“Boss’s Wife” sees John Williams back on the war path, he goes on about hating the managers wife during this punk  verse with a Ska, brass inflicted chorus.
The last two tracks show the differences in styles within the band, a proven advantage with 9 members and shared writing responsibility.  Title track “Five finger discount” is a little disappointing, but has a quite good shouty chorus line and a bass bit that sounds like the batman theme tune.
“Angels” is a slower number, similar to “Cirlces” again Damon May takes lead for this more melodic track with a infectious bass line and a more noticeable keyboard presence.
The album finishes off with  “Oven” which is a sax led track which isn’t as good as some of the other tracks on the album, but has an OK chorus, but the verse seems not to be leading anywhere and is over done with sax solos.
Apart that little disappointing end, the majority of the album is excellent  mixing the best of hardcore punk with skanking Ska and brass ridden hooks.
Jump Up Records.
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Ex-Cathedra - (Forced Knowledge).
3.5 out of 5.

I had heard about Ex-Cathedra in Pulped and the ad for the CD was making out that its a great album. (like George did with Bombshell Rocks - which is great) So I was curious about the band, although I wondered why a
band sounding like SLF would be on Moon ska. Anyway the band played as the aftershow act on Friday at Morecambe I caught a few songs, but It'd been a long day and most people had left so I stayed for a few songs, thought they were a dodgy punk band with ska and left.
Anyway a couple of weeks later this CD was sent to me from Moon Ska Europe.  I thought I'll see what the band sound like on CD, perhaps they lean more towards ska on the album.

So I stuck the CD on. What the hell is this? It sounds like trashy punk with a wailing sax and crappy vocals and you can't tell what the guys singing and he's screaming on the choruses.
I went through a couple of the songs they all sounded the same, so I skipped through the intro's. Until I got to a cover of Dexy's "Geno". Hey that quite cool. A punky take on a good song. So for a week or two I just played that song and didn't hear the rest of the album.

Then I was doing some stuff, I can't remember what, but I thought I just want something on in the background so I thought I might as well stick this CD on. So it stayed in my CD player for a couple of days and the odd song started to grow on me.
Then there were 3 or 4 songs I thought were good, so I started listening to It on walkman and its a really good album!!!

It's something you wouldn't get on Moon NYC, but the Euro label seems to have taken a different attitude.
"Breakdown" is a really punky stormy with a catchy ax riff. Ok Andi's voice may not be the best but what makes it good is he throw all his energy and emotion into his voice and it comes out quite well.
"Trapped" sounds like Nirvana doing a cover of a punk/alternative band. From the guitar riff to the vocals. This would not be out of place on "Incesticide". Its a pretty good song though.

"Truth in flight" is the first and along with "Something new" the most ska of the songs on the album. The guitar has a clear sounding skank sound. Whilst Andi lays into the politics and the history of governments.
"I could never hold faith in any government, every time I see your face it makes me sick, a billion bewildered eyes have wool pulled by devious tricks".
Anyway its one of the best songs on the album and was pretty cool when played at the Moon Ska fest.
"Truth in flight" and "something new" are slower paced ska/punk songs whereas "down to fate" is really good because its skanks real quick and Jenny's sax is good too. "Anaesthetized" and "your time" are very punky numbers. The latter with a mob style chorus.
Like the rest of the album "Needles" is another good song and the Sax licks make Ex-Cathedra not sound like a
another punk band with a few ska riffs.
The band have had two 7"ers out on their own Tartan records, then two out on Damaged goods records. If you

see 'em available there probably worth getting, if not check this album out in your local indie store.
Moon Ska Europe.
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First Grade Crush - “its not you its me”.
3.5 out of 5.

“First Grade crush play ska/punk/emo that might be the first blot on the Jump Up copybook” - Ska-face#4

D’oh ! OK the above statement was based on one of the bands  songs on a comp, but I hope this review will put right.
“Its not you its me” mixes ska/punk with emo and has some classy tracks. All of which are pretty original as not only do band have a horn section but a guy using a theramin, a sound
manipulating device. And it all goes together with guitars, drums and bass under the watchful eye of Mark Ruebel
(engineer of HUM’s latest album) for a good ska/punk mix.
“So what if some guy wants to sit around naked in his own yard” is the song that I based the assumption that FGC
weren’t any good on, and the track opens up the album. The laid back tracks is alright (the kind of stuff the guys at Mad not Mad like) buts its the more thrashy punk with noisy horns that work best.
So for me the album really starts with track 2, “some kind of chase” a ska-core number about being chased in pickups through the open roads with the ramones on the radio. Aaah the vast open space in America.
“Vertigo man” and “fruit bears” are a bit to extreme, hardcore stuff with horns. Who put Minor Threat on the CD ?
Thankfully “traffic light eyes” goes back to the ska/punk, ska-core style of “some kind of chase” its a re-recording of the track from “everything offbeat 1” and its brilliant.
“Good job, Chris” isn’t as catchy as the other ska/punk tracks, “big W” sound like less than Jake and “miki the crab” is a slower brass led number.

Empty (minds) is good, “naive no more” is an ska/pop instrumental that goes all thrashy.
“Katrina” ends the album in scary style with the use of the theramin, as Mad Not Mad put it “are we listening to an Jump Up album or the interbred soundtrack of the Texas chainsaw massacre” The track has wicked horns, a thrashy ending and screaming vocals, which are about a waitress. About the third song about waitresses. Are these guys obsessed with waitresses ??
Overall the albums a bit short but there are stand out tracks “traffic light eyes”, “some kind of chase” and  that make it well worth getting. If your a fan of the eclectics / mustard plug or slapstick check it out. I did.
Jump Up Records.
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4ft Fingers - At Your convenience.
2 out of 5.

UK ska label Jamdown Records puts out its first punk album, in the shape of Cheltenham's 4ft Fingers.
Although nothing out of this world, "At your convince" displays that the 4 piece have a few good tunes and would be worth sticking around for to see live.
Sticking to the hard punk formula adopted by Many US bands, the fingers fit in nicely alongside the likes of Pulley & Pennywise. Many songs have involve the mutinous sea dog choir on the chorus to give a streetpunk feel.
"Brickwall" is a fairly good opener and "slowly sinking" is very pennywise orientated which isn't a bad thing.
"Killing time" is a bit more poppy number which has skank-lite guitar and the band's '99 track "hopeless romantic" is a ska/punk number with brass. Both songs give extra credit to the group for not sticking to the same formula for the 13 tracks.
"Coffee grinder" is another pop-punk number with a fast skank guitar a good tune let down by lame vocals.
"sense of direction" is a not bad drunken punk song captured with gang vocals on the chorus belting out a easy to join in "la, la, la, la, la, oi, oi, oi!"
Overall, the aforementioned songs are worth a few listens, the rest can be left for a boring day.
Jamdown Records.
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The 4-Skins - Clockwork Skinhead
4 out of 5.

All the greatest hits of one of Oi's finest are featured here on another cheap priced Harry May release, and this shows Oi at its best.
Brilliant guitar led punky tunes and the attitude of all skins. Essential album for all droogies.
Kicking off with "clockwork skinhead" a song about fake skins, showing that Oi's all about attitude, this is as good as any punk song that been over hyped about throughout the years.
Things get even better with "one law for them" the anthem of all anthems for skins across the country. Fast spikey guitar, smashing cymbals and shouting vocals. "One law for them" reached 4 in the indie singles chart in August '81.
"sorry" is a slightly slower number, about not apologising to anyone and "yesterdays heroes" is another infectious streetpunk tune. "Evil", "Justice" and "low life" are not quite as good as the opening tracks on the album but there still quite good skinhead tunes.

The excellent "seems to me" has a fast skanking guitar beat with a bouncing bass line, not something you'd expect for an Oi! Band.
'Plastic Gangsters' has the 4 skins manager Gary Hitchcock on vocals for this piano led cockney ska singalong, with the chorus "I'm a plastic gangster, they call me a crown and anchor" and ends with band covering the Minder theme tune.
The bands label secret records felt at the time, the track was good enough to get airplay so promoted it as a recording by the Plastic Gangsters, but once stations found out it was the 4-skins they refused to play it. Still its a pretty good track and now a ska rarity.

It backs to the sound of oi! With new vocalist Roi Pearce of Last Resort replacing Gary Hodges for the rest of the album. Hodges left disenchanted after Southall and a disastrous secret gig.
"On File" is a good street punk number about having your details kept and being watched by big brother.
"New war"  and "on the streets" are not band songs either although neither really catch on.

The album finishes off with 4 great live tracks, that proved the 4-skins could transfer their infectious songs and attitude onto the stage. "wonderful world" and "chaos" feature Roi Pearce singing the 2 songs that launched the 4-skins career on "oi! The album".
"wonderful World" speaks about the feeling of youth in the UK, about job prospects, the old bill nicking you for not doing anything and getting stabbed with a knife in a fight.

"Chaos", probably the bands most well known song is an excellent ending to the album, another anthem for skins, telling of the days in '69 and about being the new breed of skins.In between the "wonderful world" and "chaos" are "ACAB" and "1984". ACAB (All cops are Bastards) continues on from "chaos" about being in fights, police cell and in court.
"1984" along with "sorry" were both featured on the second ever oi! Compilation. This live track is a brilliant version of the bands insight into the coming year.

Overall, the best of the 4-skins, nearly all brilliant tracks well worth getting for a fiver from Pulped.
Harry May Records.
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F-Minus - F-Minus.
1.5 out of 5.

Now hardcore's not my cup of tea, but some of the stuff is ok, and its the same with F-minus. Its hardcore thrash with no song lasting longer than a minute. There's 20 tracks but the album only lasts 17 minutes, which leaves you with a sour taste if you've lashed out £10 plus quid for the release.
The first three track aren't bad, "Slave labor", "i.h.g.i" and nothing "ever" but combined they only last 1 and a half minutes.
As with Tiger Army, Tim Armstrong guests on the album, and actually produces it.

Stand out tracks include "hostage", a slow grooving chorus that then picks up for the verse. At 1 min 38 is probably the longest track on the album. "Brand new warriors", "(I'm so) empty" and "ruined" are alright, any-one owing any of the Hellcat comps will either made up their mind whether they like or dislike the band.

Apart from those tracks all the others from the 2 men, 2 woman band led by Brad Logan, don't stand out and you can't really rate them differently then slabs of hardcore.
Hellcat Records.
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The Gadjits - Wish we never met.
4.5 out of 5.

As you can see from the Oskas earlier in this issue, the 2 latest Hellcat albums, The Gadjits - 'Wish we never met' and Pietasters - 'Awesome mix tape#6' are in the top 3 and in any other year they could have made number 1.
The Gadjits new record is 5 times better than there Hellcat debut 'At ease', I think only 3 of the songs would be worth putting on the new record to improve it. Not that it needs improving.

'Wish we never met' has been a long time coming, recorded in late '98, the band have been playing some of these tracks live for at least 18 months.  Vic Ruggerio and Vic Rice from the Stubborn Stable  took over from Tim Armstrong to produce the record. The difference with 'at ease' and 'wish we never met, is that the nearly all of the new tracks are upbeat ska, whereas 'at ease' had quite a few slower numbers.

The Phillips brothers, still all under 23 have improved their song writing and Hilary Allen on keys does the biz.
'Somebody's wife' starts off  in rocking style, its hard to define the bands style, its not punk/ska, its not trad ska, there's no horns its more '60's ska updated for the year 2000.
The fairly fast paced ska is kept up for 'outsider', drummer Adam Phillip's favourite song to play live, goes down a treat on CD.

The fast skanking guitar and Hammond style keys keep up the beat for 'Bad gadjit', after a slow start the song gets going for an instantly danceable, singalong track.  There's no let up at all as 'bad gadjit' goes straight into 'cowboys always win'. This is probably the bands best song.
The gadjits may not deal with important issues or give messages out in there songs but they do know how to have a good time. 'Cowboys always win' has a pumping drumbeat and hard skanking beat with the catchy chorus 'I heard cowboys always win, I didn't think I'd be the loser, if I always played the Indian.'

'B.C.' is another dancefloor filler with a cool organ sound and as the gadjits say 'the thing I bring everytime I walk into the room, fitted Levi's & boots or 3 button suits & rebel music that comes from the sixties.
'Angel and a devil' makes it 6 catchy upbeat songs out of 6. This number is probably the nearest the gadjits get to a serious song with the lyrics: ' there's a million different ways to have fun today, and I hope to god that I never try crack cocaine or heroin in my brain, cause I'll be surely be the junkie runnin dry'. and ' all I need is my friends standing by me to the end and the drugs are only gonna make me slow'.

'Carnival sense' keeps up the pace, but is not as likeable as the earlier tracks.
The album slows down for 'manukin' which has a distinctive organ sound, but is probably my least played track on the album.
'Wise up' is another slow song, with both keyboard and piano as well as a slow skanking guitar. This track turns out to be an unexpected gem on a jewel of an album.
'Thinkin' 'bout you' is the nearest the gadjits come to trad ska or reggae. It sounds like a upbeat ska song recorded at studio one with lush female backing vocals.
After 3 slower tracks to give you a break from the non stop skanking party, its back to skanking with vengeance with 'Cleveland, Ohio' a real '60's rocky ska song. If 'cowboys always win' is the gadjits best song then this is their second best. Cool !

'Handkerchief' is a fairly bouncy song, probably the nearest the band get to the 'at ease' era.
Finishing with 'Jenny Jones (leave the death rock kids alone)' a fun skanking song about the American TV host. With a singalong chorus and top keys solo.
Overall this is a vast improvement on 'at ease', which wasn't a bad album anyway, but 'wish we never met' establishes the gadjits as one of the top ska bands, and wets your appetite even more for their visit in 2000.
Hellcat Records.
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Gangster fun -  Pure sound, pure hogwash, pure amphetamines.
 3 out of 5.

Gangster fun return with their latest offering off  pure punk/Ska madness. Unfortunately for a band so talented and in particular Main song writer

David Minnick, releases have been few and far between. But their back with a release which has some classics, some strange stuff and which overall leaves you wanting more from a fairly short album.

The album starts with a cover of “Blue serge suit (with a belt in the back)” this swing punk/Ska is an excellent track, one of the best on the album, helped by Kenyy Robinson on trumpet and John Ferry on trombone, Gary Robertson make the brass skank on this track.
“Date with Density” and “oh paranoia” are two of the 9 proper Ska/punk tracks on the album, they also feature on the ‘Ska American style’ compilation.
“Date with density” is another great track making the album get off to flyer, this songs funny lyrics about having date with a fat girl, “I told her she was pretty, she told me she was dense !” And “I went to pick her up we didn’t get far, the street had come in contact with the bottom of my car”
The speedy skank and the distorted mix of sax and keyboards makes this up tempo song skank like no other.
“Oh paranoia” is a slower track, which a likable chorus and an explosion at the start which reminds you of The Specials “man at C & A”
‘Night of the living stove” revolves around a good guitar lick  and a catchy sax part on the chorus.
“California” is another slower track like “oh paranoia” which is OK, thankfully it’s got an ok chorus and picks up towards the end. But it proves that the Fun boy five are best when churning out fast skanking rhythms.
“Skarabia” and “Butt down under” are both instrumental tracks which  are only average compared to the upbeat funny lyrics of the other tracks.
Frank Zappa’s “Dirty Love” picks the album up again after a few disappointing tracks with a fairly fast paced Ska/punk ditty.
“Someone to love me” is the best track on the album mixing great skanking guitars, a top sax sound a witty lyrics about a man who wins the lottery and buys a wife.
“Pure sound, pure hogwash, pure amphetamines” is a 10 minute collection of mad rambling and voice clips from TV and radio, with no music at all.
The album finishes of with “We can still rock & roll” which is an acoustic ballad, which the fans of the likes of Bon Jovi or Thunder would appreciate but no by Ska loving fans.

Overall the album is a mixed bag ranging from the excellent covers “Blue serge suit” and “Dirty love”, the G-Fun’s classics “Date with Density” and “Somebody to love me” right through to the average instrumentals and the weird voice clips and a ballad.
Jump Up Records.
 

Hepcat - Out of Nowhere.
4 1/2 out of 5.

‘Out of nowhere’ by Hepcat is a Moon Ska re-release of their self title 1993 debut and I’d say its better than ‘98’s ‘right on time’
It contains the classic ‘police woman’, The wailers ‘Hooligans’ is one of the stand out tracks as are ‘dance wid’ me’’ and ‘all for you’. These tracks make you skank even more than any of the stuff on the bands hellcat debut.
The instrumentals are class to, the upbeatness of the whole record put you in a good mood for the rest of the day. (Not quite a hangover cure though !)
Clarence Thomas mixes salsa and latino styles, and covers of Caravan (skaravan) and ‘train to skaville’ are all here in their original trad style.
Dave Hillyard’s near instrumental ‘skavez’ is cool as disco Dave smothers his smooth sax over the track. He also writes ‘same o’ same o’’ another upbeat ska track, that have you dancing around.
Miss congeniality and ‘prison of love’ slow the album down to a more rocksteady groove but are both excellent, especially the  latter.
No forgetting ‘police woman’, another highlight, that’s a slow track that shows off the excellent voice of Alex Desert.
‘Earthquake and Fire’ is brilliant, it has one of the most catchy brass hooks out, it makes you keep playing it, to hear the unbeatable hook throughout the chorus.
The album also has the first version of ‘the secret’ although its not as good as the ‘right on time’ version its still interesting to hear.
This album oozes class, and I assume it out on moon ska Europe, so you should pop down to your local indie shop a buy it. Got that !
Moon Ska Records.
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Homebrew / Write offs Split 7”.
4.5 out of 5.

North Yorkshire’s top 2 bands band come head to head in a punk and ska drunken brawl on this 7” which is one of the best UK releases that I’ve heard for a long time.
Homebrew kick off with 2 hardcore punk tracks both about drinking.
‘Punch drunk’ has a pretty good riff and a catchy chorus which stays in your head.
‘Homebrew’ is a top class hardcore tune, about drinking, smoking and going out it has a fast thrashy riff, thumping bass, and lots of catchy vocals which also finds you shouting along too.
The Write Offs two tracks are contrasting.  ‘McFuck’ is a quick hardcore punk number aimed at McDonalds. This takes a few listens to really appreciate but after that you realise its as good and as catchy as Homebrew’s punk efforts.
It includes a great intro :
-“Hello welcome to McDonalds, can I help You?”
-“Yeah, you can Fuck Off!!!!”

‘Legalise’ will be most ska fans favourite, its brassy horn lick makes the song stand out and is a better description of what The Write Offs are really like.
The skanking guitar goes from a mid pace beat to a punky skank so I still can’t decide whether its 2-Tone or ska/punk. But whatever its a brilliant track.
POTATO PRINT RECORDS.
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Home Grown -  That’s Business.
3 out of 5.

Back in ‘95 Home grown started out on Liberation records, with their own take on the Op Ivy styled ska/punk and ‘thats business’ is the result.
The album contains loads of catchy songs, but unfortunately too many of them are too long, just when you think the songs gonna end, there’s still another 2 verses to come.
Its no crime to have a 35 minute album made up of 15, two and a half minute songs. But for some reason Home Grown and producer Steve Kravac seem to think the songs should last about 4 minutes and the album ends up at about 55 plus minutes.
‘Surfer girl’, ‘alternative girl’ and ‘my friends suck’ are all pretty good, as the titles suggest most of the songs are about girls and people that suck.
The opener ‘get a job’ quite good and the ‘hearing song’, the closest sounding track to Op Ivy, would be alright if it was just 2 mins, but unfortunately they stretch  two riffs, a chorus and verse out to 4 minutes.
‘S.F.L.B.’ and some about American Football jocks with Short Front and Long backs ends the album in good style.
Overall there some catchy songs, but just be prepared to hit the skip button at about the 2 min 30 mark on every track.
Liberation Records.
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Horace Pinker - Pop Culture Failure.
3 out of 5.

The US emo scene seems to be getting a bit more coverage in this country these days. The likes of the Get Up kids and AFI are getting recognized. Although Horace Pinker are more pop/punk than Emo they have just recruited ex Jawbreaker bassman Chris Bauermesiter. The band are more Vandals than the Get Up kids. Although trading the witty, fun tunes for more harder rocking numbers.
This album is pretty good, its certainly different to other stuff on Jump Up! Its more Fat wreck style stuff than anything else.

The band have had 2 albums previously out and 11 7"ers released and have been playing for around 9 years. This
gives you the impression that the band are on their way out and Jump Up have signed them, hoping to cash in on the fans who still like them , especially now they've relocated to Chicago. This may be the case but the band have still got what it takes from this effort.

"Second best", "supposed to" and "Closed" are good punk numbers similar to Alkaline Trio, Tuesday and Lawrence Arms. They tap right into the punk / Emo style scene.

Just when you're starting to think "Well the first three are good songs, but there all very similar." "Motor one" is a classy slower song with strained vocals that has about a minute long instrumental intro.
"Seven hours" is featured on the "smash your radio 2" sampler and is a fast punky catchy number, that's one of the easiest songs to really get into. "nothing at all" is another good song not as hard or frantic as the first three but more likeable. "Refined" and "extra step" are slower songs that doesn't work as well as "motor one", "chances are" goes back to the harder sound but has a
catchy 3 or 4 layered vocal part during the chorus.
"Doorway" is the most hardcore track on the album but its pretty good, the shouting, ranting vocals and the pounding fast guitar and bass. Prove that the Southern Cal band can produce goods tunes in a mixture genres.
Overall there are some good punk/emo songs. Its definitely worth getting if you like Tuesday and Alkaline Trio and not if your into Boyzone or Celine Dion!
Jump Up! records.
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Hot Stove Jimmy - Salute.
 4 1/2 out of 5.

The ten piece crack open the lid on another blend of up tempo Ska/pop/punk tracks, for 1996’s ‘Salute’ album.
“Two times second” starts of with the HSJ’s unmistakable keyboard sound and just gets better after that, an excellent catchy brass lick from the twin sax sound. The brass sound is used to great use of this instantly hum-alongable chorus line.
“School Clothes” continues in the same way only at a quicker tempo, Matt Irie may not be the best singer in the world but he’s certainly enthusiastic.
“School clothes” allows Sam to show off he’s circus style sounding keyboarding skills to good extent.
“Butterfly’s” has a excellent mix of trumpet and trombone playing one part and both sax’s playing something different at the same time.
“Hallways” The saxophones on the intro and chorus really make this one of the best tracks on the album.
“Utah” is a slower number, which although still enjoyable is not as good as some of the other tracks on the album.
“When I go” at the risk of sounding repetitive, this song again has an excellent  piercing brass sounds
for the verse and chorus. One of the best songs on the album.
“Fallen” is an average track, proving that  if Hot Stove Jimmy don’t have an enjoyable Brass piece in the song there a pretty average band, thankfully this is only one of a few track that fails that test.
“Take your time” sees the band revert to their best with another excellent slab on brass hooked Ska/pop, with an equally excellent bit of slow, dub like sax soloing.

Sam’s Satan Disco” follows the intermission and is really a filler on the album, Keyboard man Sam, comes over all dancey and puts a dance drum beat over a bit of keyboard playing, producing a 2 minute slab of rave music, with distorted guitar added into the pot.
And just as if 7 excellent tracks aren’t enough (and it’s not ! ) HSJ decide not to let up after the short break with another punk/Ska horn filled piece named “table for too”
The Temptations “My girl” is next up, aah surely, they’ll spoil the album with a duff cover ? No, this is an excellent  punk/Ska attempt at the Temptations classic and it still has an infectious brass tune.
The title track supposedly ends the album similar to most of the other tracks, it’s flippin’ excellent !
Of course even the bonus track is decent, a Ska/punk take on Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”

The only problem with Hot Stove Jimmy is Matt’s voice isn’t brilliant and although when you listen to the tracks there all catchy, you never seem to be able to remember them when not listening to the album. I.e.: they don’t quite stick in your head like other classic Ska/punk stuff.  Having said that when listening to the album, it gives an up tempo Ska/punk  beat, which is hard to take off your stereo and with so many catchy brass licks on every song it is un avoidable  that you’ll enjoy this album.
It really stands as credit to the 4 four brassmen as well as the keyboard talents of Sam Ambrosini that make this album and band stand out above the rest.
Jump Up Records.
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Hot Stove Jimmy - Theme to a major Hit.
3 out of 5.

Hot Stove Jimmy return with one of the most eagerly awaited albums of 1999. But the follow up to 1996's 'Salute' sees the band move to a more Blue Meanies style skacore rock style than the ska/punk with catchy horn licks that made their Jump Up! debut one of the best albums around.

Again Jump Up! get Nirvana producer in to help record some of the tracks on this 11 track ska-rock romp.
This is very much a continuos barrage of punk rock with horns than a collection of 11 tracks. Although there are a few tracks that stand alone 'Downsides ahead' ( a re-recording of the track that appeared of the first everything offbeat comp) and foxy, but the rest of the tracks all link together, some riffs

appear in more than one song. Not that this makes it a bad album it just becomes harder to get into and pick out your favourite songs, as they all seem to merge into one another.
After quite a few listens you can start to pick out the good tracks, but overall you are left feeling disappointed it doesn't live up to the catchiness of 'Salute'.

'Ten Win' and 'Taste like Texas' are real ska-core numbers, not much to do with the offbeat genre, more ska with marching band horns. But when 'Taste like Texas' slows down for horn break (similar to the riff in 'West wing') it remind you of the old catchy HSJ.
'Sweetheart' is a better track, Sam Ambrosini's circus style keyboard sound come into it more and the horns of Mark Beening and Jeff Vidmont are more likeable.
A reason why a 'theme for a major hit' isn't as catchy is the reduction from 4 to 2 horn players in the band, which was one of HSJ's strengths.

'Good dresser' is a slower tune, that works fairly well, a penetrating horn riff, typical shouting Matt Irie vocals, eerie/screeching guitar and slow drum beat makes it an unusual ska tune.
'West Wing' featured on 'Smash your radio', Jump Up's sampler. Therefore its one of the best tunes on the album .(see DoctorManette review for theory.) A catchy song, that is the closest this album comes to recreating the sound of 'Salute'. A good catchy keyboard sound and then later on a catchy brass part.
'A bet down' is another slow song, with has more whispery vocals than the usual shouty style. With a skanky guitar the horns really lead, what is not a bad song.
'Foxy' is perhaps the best track on the album, a jangly ska riff with the trademark circus style keys and pleasant sax and trombone on the chorus.

'Put some water on it' is like a ska-rock song ala Blue Meanies that's OK. 'Downsides ahead' is one of HSJ's older songs and one of there better efforts. A fast skanking song, with more melodic sounding sax makes this one of the best on the album.
'Her name in lights' starts of with a rocky guitar riff, but then continues with strange sounding horn noises. The keyboard gives some stability to the song though.
Ending the 45 minute rampage with 'like snakes and horses'. This is probably the best ska-core tune on the album, with its forceful chorus, heavy riff and slow sounding verse. It makes you feel that if HSJ are going to continue with the ska-core sound, then more of there songs will sound like this.

Although not producing the catchy ska/punk tunes of 'Hallways', 'Fallen' or 'take your time', 'A theme from a major hit' does have some good songs and at least HSJ are progressing, pushing out the boundaries of ska-core with a unique sound.
Jump Up Records.
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