The Real McKenzies
Shine Not Burn
at Amazon
Fat Wreck

Live records are tricky. They either sound a mess because the best live mix is not necessarily the best recorded mix or they sound so produced that you lose all the excitement that you might get from a live show. Only a few live records seem to be able to somehow.

Harlem "Hippies"
Matador Records
Buy at Amazon

When I was a kid and my band wanted to record in the basement we would set up a boombox with a blank tape turn it on, count to three and start recording. This record sounds like they did the same thing. I of course mean that as a compliment. Garage rock is suppose to sound like it is recorded in a garage or a basement. It is suppose to have that kind of drive, muddy production and most importantly lack of overdubs.

Saturday night I saw Menzingers, Tony Sly from No Use for a Name, Teenage Bottlerocket and NOFX on tour at Pop's down by St. Louis.

Flatliners
Cavalcade
Fat Wreck
Buy at Amazon

This is the third album from the Flatliners. I gotta admit I missed the first couple so I don't really have a point of reference for them.

"The Calming Collection" kicks the album out with a thrashyness that moves right into the a little bit more melodic "Carry the Banner" with its great shout along chorus. This two song intro let me know that I was going to buy into this band in a big way The throaty vocals and the wall of punk sound music has me happy and wanting to sing a long with songs that I only heard for the first time.