Perhaps I’m the wrong person to write this.  I am, at heart, a huge Against Me! fan and probably always will be.  Whenever I try to remove myself from this, everything I write about the group comes out like a history of one of the band’s accomplishments.  This, however, isn’t the message I want to send, and I don’t really care either way that the band hosted an MTV Cribs on their bus or had New Wave named Best Album of 2007 by Spin because, to me, I don’t think Tom Gabel gives a sh*t either way anyway. In short, I’m ready for the raging comments sections and the cries of anarchist-leftovers and the sneering underground claiming that Tom Gabel sold out for a barrel of tea and Amerikan riches.

. . .

I’ll just say it.  White Crosses is a god-damned good rock n roll record.  The catchy hooks are there, the anthemic choruses and the spit and grease of a blue-collared everyman. Perhaps the only problem is that the songs ultimately drown in their own overdone production and lack the punch to compliment poignant lyrics.  Gabel, trading his Southern Roots for the polished New Jersey trend, came out with a record the revels in anti-authority, introspection, and honest choruses that walk a fine line between sincerity and ambiguity.  Middle finger pointed stiffly in the air, Against Me! clearly isn’t the band that we’ve grown to love over the past decade, but aren’t exactly claiming to be, either.

Punk music seems to be having a serious identity crisis as bands are immediately tagged as punk, blogged about, and given the green light to go platinum.  The new “system” of internet prodding leaves little room for creativity and quality though, while bands like The Gaslight Anthem struggles and stumbles through Jersey-Mediocrity on American Slang. On White Crosses, Against Me! refines this rock ‘n’ roll formula, adding a touch of the usual piss and vinegar to rub into authoritative wounds. White Crosses’ title track begins to unravel an album of Gabel’s patented anarchist, philosophical poetry, literally crushing religion and modern culture along the way.  The playful, plodding rhythm is deceiving enough to beg a mainstream, catholic schoolgirl into believing it’s the next summer hit, only to find a deeper message lurking behind Tom’s polished folk-punk voice.

Without Warren Oakes behind the drumkit, Against Me! has lost a defining part of their sound, replacing him with percussive machine gun George Rebelo following his departure from Hot Water Music last June.   White Crosses, unfortunately enough, is a very accessible album that moves the band further from their anarcho-punk roots and will alienate many a listener.  “I Was A Teenage Anarchist” is a brutal farewell to the scene that Tom and Against Me! grew out of in FL and will no doubt breed some hatred.  Gabel recently explained the lyrics behind the song on antimusic.com, explaining his roots in radical politics and his departure from the scene as “trends and fashion emerged”, claiming, in his final lines, “I have no need to supplement my identity through belonging to a scene or exclusively endorsing any brand of political thought. And if anyone is offended by that I feel like it only reaffirms my conviction. For if it’s heresy for an Anarchist to say “F*CK Anarchy” then Anarchism is truly just another flag, and I say burn it along with the rest of them.”

To be completely honest, I didn’t even want to listen to a second of the album, expecting to be as disheartened as I was with first listens of New Wave.  While White Crosses definitely has it’s shockingly mediocre/departure moments, including Gabel’s ode to Bob Dylan, the album still has some firecracker glimpses that reclaim a bit of punk sneer and make me want to revisit their catalog, INCLUDING New Wave.  Lurking behind a generic radio rock veneer, White Crosses is a record that still explores some lyrical ground and political issues. I only wish that the band has strived for a low-fi return to their roots and I can only wholeheartedly agree with a commenter on another blog . . . “We will NEVER see another Reinventing Axl Rose or Eternal Cowboy” . . .

Am I telling you to rush out and buy this album?  No. Definitely not. Bottom line, if you don’t want to drop a penny on a band that used to claim anarchy, then don’t.  I only ask that if you are a fan of Against Me! To listen to the 35-minute sonnet that Tom has put together and give it an earnest once-through.  If you still hate it, do the old albums some justice and give it the finger and a firm “F*ck you”.  At least then Against Me! will still be evoking SOME sort of punk rock renaissance in the modern day.  While Joe Strummer he’s not, it’s unquestionable that Tom Gabel continues churning out music that challenges authority while conveniently wrapping it into a pretty, polished package that gets neatly lodged in your frontal lobe.  White Crosses is an enigma, to say the least.

It is very rare these days that I can pick up a new album and listen to it straight through without cringing or skipping a track.  Until We Surrender happens to be one of those albums.  Let’s start with a little background:  Heartsounds is comprised of Laura Nichol(Guitar, Vocals) and Ben Murray(Guitar, Drums, Vocals, Bass).  Nichols and Murray are both alumni of Light This City, a former death metal outfit from the bay area that disband last year.  Heartsounds is more akin to Lagwagon having sex with a Persian cat in the pop albums aisle at Best Buy. In other words, it rocks. Beautifully.

Until We Surrender is a beautiful album of punk rock harmonies and love songs that must be heard. Neither Nichols nor Murray is an amazing singer, but the way they layer their vocal harmonies is a thing to be experienced. The album starts with the fast paced “The Song Inside Me” and doesn’t let up until the very end of “Our Last Hope”. The death metal influence can definitely be heard in the double bass drum pattern that Murray lines the tracks with, and it works perfectly. The fast paced drums set the perfect background for the speedy guitars and harmonious lyrics.

If you’re a fan of old school harmonious punk like Unwritten Law or  Dogwood then you owe it to yourself to check out this wonderful record. And with that I’ll leave you with these insightful words of wisdom:

“I’ve found my true calling, and it sounds so fuckin good.”

Required listening:
MP3: “Slave to a Heart that Strays” – Heartsounds
MP3: “The Song Inside” – Heartsounds

• Creator Destructor Records
• Heartsounds Myspace Page
• Support Heartsounds on

MP3:  “Anti-Manifesto” – Propagandhi

Seriously. I awoke this morning to my usual case of insomnia and decided that a sugary bowl of cereal was the only way to spend my early Saturday morning. Just like the good old days. The shuffle function threw me the biggest curve ball ever and left me with Propagandhi blaring through the computer speakers sometime around 4am. You can imagine how stoked my girlfriend was (is).

I’ve decided that, while I love every bit of music reviewed on here, there’s still that certain air of pretentiousness involved with indie-rock and whatever makes the college airwaves. I don’t really care how hypocritical that sounds, but there’s very little sincerity in the music world unless you really dig through the bargain bins to when music was made just to piss someone off or to inspire a bit of cynicism.  Now that Fat Wreck has allowed us the permission, you’ll be seeing a lot more of this kind of stuff showing up interspersed with the rest, just to keep you level headed about music.  Saturday Morning Punks is about to supplement your Saturday breakfast cereal.

Propagandhi was always the band who was just a bit smarter than your average punk rock band and had a heavy bit of politics to deliver behind a tongue that was firmly planted in-cheek.  Released in 1993, How To Clean Everything still has the sneer and profane factor about it that makes the current emo/punk stage look like a boys choir.

• Propagandhi Official Site
• Fat Wreck Chords
• Support Propagandhi on

mp3:  July!August!Reno! – The Flatliners
Listen to And The World Files for Chapter 11 from The Great Awake
There are few bands these days that are truly carrying the punk rock torch.  There will always be the raucous underground with wild local acts, but there are few bands who break out of the mix that bear the flag like Dropkick Murphys, Lawrence Arms, Bouncing Souls, Strung Out, and others did in the late 90′s/early 2000′s.

Always an eye for talent, Fat Wreck Chords has a veritable stable of punk rock fame, as well as gutter legends to-be.  The Flatliners are a young, fast, angsty band that walks a fine line between Anti-Flag and The Lawrence Arms.  These young punks have made more albums, drank more pints, and covered more miles than a lot of bands do in their entire careers.  Check them out should they come to a city near you.  Get ready to get your ass kicked.

• Flatliners official site
• Fat Wreck Chords
• Flatliners on

Flatliners Tour Dates

TrendRobot Album Rating: 5/10

Maintaining a band for 20 years is more than impressive.  Making quality punk rock for 20-years is beyond comprehension.  In a time when all of the flag-bearers of our teenage angst have long-since retired, retracted, or are fading into the limelight, The Bouncing Souls continued to make fast, rebellious, catchy anthems that always made you feel like there was someone in your corner.  Unfortunately though, at some point, everyone has to grow up at least a little bit and it almost seems that one their 20^th anniversary, The Bouncing Souls are the ghosts walking the boardwalk and fading into the horizon.

Read more