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SIGNATURERATINGS
0- What the hell
1- Borrow don't buy
2- Well...a couple of joints
3- Worth a listen
4- Off the hook
5- Buy it or die
No Tomorrow : Panic Movement
By: Ric Hickey
 The Panic Movement sound is raw power and controlled chaos, reminiscent of the late 80s L.A. Punk sound. There is nothing pretty about guitarist Benjamin Espinoza’s snarling vocals and that’s a good thing. His vocal chords sound like shredded sandpaper and it perfectly fits Panic Movement’s fierce Punk attack like a fingerless black leather glove.
Although the production on the band’s No Tomorrow EP leaves a lot to be desired (no one within 100 miles of Los Angeles should have difficulty recording a good sounding demo), but the band’s energetic performances leap out of the CD player with aggression and angry sincerity like a well-deserved punch in the mouth. Production be damned: Panic Movement plays with brutal, righteous conviction and that is all that matters. I’d like to see these guys play in some dark and seedy Punk club and watch the sparks fly as they blow away the rest of the bands on the bill.
4 Signatures
 TOP
Beasts with Hearts of Gold -
Watch Out For Rockets
By: Scott Osborn
Outstanding second LP, marking these guys as exceptional tunesmiths in that hardest-to-pigeonhole alt-rock genre. From the Beach Boy-ish ("Class Action Pant Suit", "Big Lies", "A Lotus Yet") to the Ramone-alike ("Baby We Were Born To Crawl", "Over the Mountains, Underneath the Plow") to the fireside sing-a-longs (title track) to the downright creepy ("Johnny Skydiver", "Sparrow in a Spider's Web"), you can see where WOFR has skillfully (and confidently) broadened the range they showed in their first CD (Let Me Levitate). Check out "Headrush Hour" and see if it doesn't remind you of the Animal's "House of The Rising Sun"; then check out "Ready the Horses" and just see if it doesn't turn into your new anthem.
...for destroying the high bar they set in their first CD.
4
½ Signatures
TOP
Beats for Heat - Before Dawn
By: Scott Osborn
Before Dawn has been compared (favorably) to a lot of different bands; primarily to the 80-ish synth sound of the B-52s (for K8's vocals and Rob's searing guitar chops) and Devo (for the lyrics, synths, and/or sensibilities). But scratch the surface a bit, and you'll hear twenty+ years of dance club influence; heavy hypnotic kick beats and fat synth bass lines, arranged into traditional pop-structured ABA numbers, complete with chord progression.
K8 and Rob share vocals, B-52's style, sans the feminine harmonies; with Rob's vocals emulating Fred Schneider, then ripping past with the machismo born of the nerdiness nurtured in the high-tech suburban environs of Austin, Texas (a.k.a., "The Live Music Capital of the World"). Call it dance club rock, call it whatever - It's bounceably addictive and fun, in the way that rock 'n roll music was envisioned in it's infancy; back before it became serious business.
4 Signatures
TOP
Ghosts - Omni
By: Ric Hickey
Atmospheric undulations are the key to the OMNI sound. Heavy blocks of distorted guitar clash and crumble into pounding drums, forging a sound both fierce and provocative. The bass guitar rumbles in deep conspiracy with rapid fire double-kick drum patterns, providing an almost molten foundation for Chris Cullman’s husky but howling heartsick vocals. Guitarist David Green employs some sinister effects that creep like fog over the proceedings. But, used sparingly for color and tonal tweaks only, these guitar effects never threaten to overshadow a distorted and crunchy guitar tone that’s heavier than Frankenstein’s boots trudging through a swamp in a summer downpour.
The band’s Ghosts CD features a number of moody and ethereal soundscapes. These dark detours are interspersed between the heavier numbers and the contrast makes for an engaging listen. With a diverse blend of bleak instrumentals mixed with the heavy rockers, the mood pieces throw a stark black background behind the sparks that fly from OMNI’s otherwise heavy leaden sound.
4 Signatures
TOP
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