Various Artists
Third Strike: Punk Rock Strike, Vol. 3
Compilations and samplers generally fall into two categories: the bad and the good. Most common are the bad, crammed with the crappy B-sides, dropped tracks, and overplayed hits of more popular bands. Less likely are the good, heaped with delicious “new-to-you” bands that can result in a few new favorite bands. Springman Records has a history of putting out good compilations, and Third Strike, the third volume in the Punk Rock Strike compilations, is no exception. Offering 22 different bands, there’s a little something for every punk-minded music fiend, so bear with me.
The album kicks off with The Sidekicks‘ “Smirking Revenge,” a punk anthem in the vein of Fat Wreck’s Lawrence Arms that encompasses the popular “melting pot” sound – bouncy riffs, sneering vocals, first-person emo-esque lyrics, even a hardcore scream thrown in between choruses. Springman’s own Amazing Transparent Man keeps the cheerful atmosphere going with “Your Mother Lied,” a more sugary song similar to material from New Found Glory, and Jinxpack‘s “The Soap Opera” and Saturday Supercade‘s “Simple Words” are more of the same. With bouncy bass-lines, sweet melodies, and light pop lyrics, these songs would worm their way into the hearts of the Warped Tour crowd and Midtown fans.
Thrown in between Jinxpack and Saturday Supercade are The Secretions, another Springman band. Standing out from the first five tracks, the Secretions’ “Boner” is a disgusting song about, well, the male libido. Though I loved the furious, three-chord punk style, the feminist in me cringed at the lyrics; after all, though songs about male masturbation may be amusing to some men, it doesn’t appeal to members of the opposite sex. For females there’s the popular Groovie Ghoulies, represented on this compilation by “Let’s Do it Again,” a monotonous, fast, three-chord punk very similar to The Secretions; and with two of the three current members female, they probably won’t be singing anything too male-exclusive. Fans of The Queers or dirtier, more offensive NOFX (like “Louise” and “Hotdog in the Hallway”) will love either of these bands.
Punk Rock Strike also spits up The Gamits with “Reset,” my favorite song on the album. Though it took two trips to Georgetown, I finally got my hands on Rose Harbor Anthems, the only release I can find offline from The Gamits, although their website mentions another LP and two EPs. They play straight punk that fits in no specific sub-genre but touches a little of everything – sugar, sarcasm, satire, and politics.
Punk Rock Strike also offers a slew of bands for Saves the Day or Dashboard Confessional fans. Sporting lyrics like “there’s nothing I can do but try to make it up to you,” The Fairlanes, Red Hot Valentines, My New Life, As You Wish, Next To Nothing, Latham, Short Round, Audio Crush, and Bottom Line all offer almost cookie-cutter pop-punk songs on the verge of emo. Happy Campers offer a more original spin on whining about relationships by infusing reminiscent lyrics (“Looking back on all the times we shared…”) with speedy drums and relentless guitars, but the thrashy sound doesn’t fit subject matter. Though this genre (whatever one wants to call it) seems to be popular right now, I don’t like the confessional-style song, particularly since so many bands are trying this sound on right now that the music has become trite and uninspiring. Nevertheless, as I’m unfamiliar with any of the bands, its unfair to judge them by one song. I’ve heard good reviews of The Fairlanes and Red Hot Valentines from fans of this genre.
The last few songs are much more original. The Desaparecidos‘ “The Happiest Place on Earth,” the only political song on the album, is desperate, filled with a hopelessness similar to The Broadways’ “15 Minutes,” and though the song doesn’t quite seem to fit with the rest of the compilation, The Desaparecidos contribute a unique political bent very different from the typical pissed-off, anarchist crust punk. 800 Octane‘s “Holiday” and The Fonzarellies “Are You Ready?” are both guitar-driven rock songs appealing to a wide audience of punk and rock fans. The Travoltas, one of my favorite light-punk bands, play “Anywhere You Want,” a good sample of their Beach Boys-inspired, summer rock. The compilation finishes with “I’m Back” from Cruiserweight, a talented, hard-working pop-punk band. Since my business Moonslush.com sponsored Cruiserweight a few months ago, I got a chance to hear their latest album and was instantly hooked. Cruiserweight’s buoyant melodies brimming with Stella’s cute whine is a great way to finish off the album.
Once again, Springman Records has put together a compilation that offers the best from some hardworking bands, about a dozen or so that have the potential to be new favorites. It’s well worth the dollar, and even if you don’t pick up the album, I suggest downloading a few samples from any of these bands. They all deserve the attention.