by rudyards | January 26th, 2013
Occult Detective Club (Denton, TX)
https://occultdetectiveclub.wordpress.com/
Occult Detective Club‘s sophomore album, Crimes, is every bit of the three-chord wonder that we loved all those years ago. There isn’t anything overly technical, complicated, or shocking; Occult Detective Club avoids the “musician’s Punk” that prevails these days, and runs with 1 minute songs and less than poetic lyrics (…) Bottom line: Crimes is awesome but not complex. That’s how punk rock should be. – TrendRobot
It’s more than a homage to the golden age of punk, they have refined this sound to a fine art adding too their own quirks and styles. – Barrygruff
I was prepared to write this one off as generic Sham 69 pump-your-fist punk, but then the words demanded to be heard and I was hooked. The main man here is Alex Anguiano, who sings like the bastard child of Win Butler and Joey Ramone (not as horrible as it sounds) and resembles Lance Hahn’s Chicano cousin and writes with a conciseness and economy of phrase that is always human. His empathy for people shines throughout. The first two tracks (including current single “C’mon Levi”) concern the tragedy that is New Orleans and dig this big crux: “This town’s worst can still beat where I’m from.” Amen, brother. – The Noise
If you threw this on, and I knew nothing about it, I’d have said it was from 1978. – Mary Leary / Dagger
It’s tough coming up with anything new in punk rock that isn’t going to sound as if you were trying too hard to reinvent something that’s as basic as it gets. Occult Detective Club know this, and that’s why their sophomore effort works so well. Dive into as few chords as possible is the motto, keep the drum rolls constant, and deliver snappy lines like “Until our bitter end/You can buy my cigarettes/We’ll drain our bank accounts/Cause that’s what love’s about” somewhere within the allotted time frame. The dozen tracks total less than a half-hour — a slap in the face to the quartet’s base of Denton, Texas, where everything is supposed to be bigger. Songs abound about government (“Oh, Bureaucracy”), getting out of a one-horse town, and young love (“Young Lovers” – duh). Ska creeps in, as it tends to do in these affairs, and not as if it could ever happen but at times it does seem the Bosstones are trying to choke out the Clash. It’s from the latter that ODC draw much of their influence, with anti-establishment sentiment often the underlying theme, as on “Running from the Red Squad.” Because even if it’s paint by numbers, the popo still don’t like punkers. – Michel Christopher / The Boston Phoenix
For all of the band’s reference points, they’ve created their own unique sound. The playing is tight, the production values stellar and Alx Anguiano’s vocals providing the perfect punk snarl.
CRIMES showcases a band understanding who they are and where they’re going and can only mean this is the beginning of greater things for this young band. – Carl Cortez / Assignment X
Done and dusted in 28 minutes, there’s nary a sniff of a ballad or a hint of wimping out on the agenda here. Judging by the sleeve photo, OCD look unfeasibly young and fresh-faced, but they knock out their hyperactive ramalama with an intensity that’s tangible and infectious, not to mention a passion and commitment that puts most of the current young pretenders to shame. – Tim Peacock / Whisperin & Hollerin
Something Fierce (Houston, TX)
https://www.somethingfiercemusic.com/
Something Fierce is a three-piece punk/pop band from Houston, Texas whose music combines the sound and attitude of first-wave 1977 punk with an energy and outlook that’s thoroughly contemporary, updating the attack of the Clash and the Buzzcocks for the 21st century.
Something Fierce were founded in 2005 by guitarist and lead vocalist Steven Garcia (ex-Gun Crazy and Born Liars) and bassist and vocalist Niki Sevven (formerly with the Neckbreakers); the group went though several drummers before teaming up with Andrew Keith, who they recognized from his frequent presence at local shows and parties.
In 2006, Something Fierce recorded their debut album, Come for the Bastards, which they released themselves. The release was followed by frequent touring through the Southwest, with occasional road trips into the South and Midwest; they group also recorded a handful of 7″ releases, including a split single with the Hangouts. In 2008, Something Fierce released their second full-length album, There Are No Answers; while the first pressing of the album was distributed by the band itself, the Portland, Oregon-based punk label Dirtnap Records liked the disc and reissued it after signing the band in 2009.
The band continued to tour extensively and released a 7″ on Action Town Records in 2010 before recording their third album, Don’t Be So Cruel, in 2011. The third album found Something Fierce’s sound evolving in a more sophisticated, pop-influenced direction without losing sight of their punk roots. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
https://thepastees.bandcamp.com/
laurene, ryan, cait
fun, simple pop/punk.
The Key Bumpz (Houston, TX)
https://www.facebook.com/TheKeyBumpzzz
CRACK ROCK
Bobby Bumpz
Joe 8-ball
Steve Slopes
Kyle Keyz
