Electric Citizen-Sateen

RidingEasy Records
2014


We're turning the clock back to early 2014 for this release as somehow/someway I missed out on it the first time around. Electric Citizen hail from Cincinnati, Ohio and this album here (the band's full-length debut) seemed to randomly pop up on numerous suggestion posts all at once. All of which begs the question. Was it really random or some form of divine intervention? After all Electric Citizen is some fine (female-fronted) heavy rock/doom and the cleverly-titled "Sateen" features all kinds of wonderfully wicked & weird psychedelic moments! Laura Dolan leads this four-piece band and her retro style of singing perfectly suits this band's fuzzy throwback sound. On guitar you have Ross Dolan with Nick Vogelpohl (bass) and Nate Wagner (drums) rounding out the album's line-up. These days it looks as if Randy Proctor is handling the bass duties, but either way it doesn't take away from the heavy rocking goodness of this nine-track* album. Highly-recommend all around, "Sateen" is one of those rare gems that hits all the right notes and leaves you with a lasting smile. If you are into groovy doom rock/heavy garage rock you are going to want to give this one a try!

*The CD I have features nine tacks while the digital download features ten.

Last Day's Pay-Pink Slip

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Punk rock, cheap beer and sniffing panties. It's the small things in life that count and help ensure that rad rockers like Last Day's Pay are able to keep on keeping on. Now, thanks in no small part to the band's James Couts-produced 14-track album and the fact that it's every little boy and ghoul's favorite spooky holiday of the year(!), each and everyone one of us can partake in the sugary sweet treat that this Ohio four-piece has to offer! For the unlighted amongst you, Last Day's Pay are a Canton-based punk rock/alternative rock band that was formed in the summer of 2013 (hence the group's love of cheap beer and pantie sniffing as those two things are staple items when you are talking about Ohio's few sunny months!) and is made up of vocalist/guitarist Randy, guitarist/vocalist Chris, bassist/vocalist Joe and drummer Jake. "Pink Slips" is this (no last names please) band's first stab at the big time and given the wide range of influences that show up to party here (it's not just punk rock and alternative rock, but classic rock, hair metal, grunge, blues and so much more!) this is one debut album that really keeps you on your toes! Opener "Away" is all about 90's alternative rock and catchy pop punk as is the angrier "Identity". And angry just about sums up the Blink 182 meets old-school punk number "Home Is Where The Heartache Is"!  Then there is "Pubcrawlers Anthem" where these Ohio natives converge in Dropkick Murphys/Flogging Molly. That's just the first four tracks mind you so "Pink Slip" is anything but dull! Officially-speaking and all Last Day's Pay  run down the likes of Rancid, Ramones, Sex Pistols, NOFX, Alkaline Trio and Billy Idol (as well as 80's hair metal, heavy metal and the blues) as influences but if that's not enough of a hint as to what is in store when it comes to an album like this one then I'll toss out a couple of  other names as reference points. Like Sum 41, Green Day, The Cure, The Misfits and Mucky Pup? You say that's just more punk? How about Jimi Hendrix then? Yes, that is the kind of extremes we are talking about with "Pink Slip" and that goes from opener "Away" to this album's rock-steady closer, "With Our Past". Hell, with a few twists of the old nob and the spit-shined overinflated sense of self-worth that comes from being a radio rock artist a number like "With Our Past" could be a real hit for someone like Staind! Thankfully Last Day's Pay offer integrity as opposed to a made up image which makes a record like "Pay Day" pass the smell test and live up to it's title! You can check this one out for yourself friends right here: https://lastdayspay.bandcamp.com/releases

Purveyors Of Fiction-Invisible Ink

Refried Audio
2014

As promised this is the second band/second release from well-traveled musician/versatile lead vocalist Nick Pecone (Burns To The Soul, Carriedbysix, ex-Uptight Sugar, ex-Autumn Awaits, ex-Diablo Mojo, ex-The Bentreys, ex-The Decoys and ex-Vrede Hemel) to be covered here at Heavy Metal Time Machine. The previous act, as some of you may recall (ie: the handful of loyal readers that I have who remain under lock and key at the various prisons and mental help facilities across this great land of ours), was Ohio modern metal/progressive metal band Carriedbysix (http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Carried+By+Six-Carried+By+Six+) who, unlike today's entry, fell squarely into the more "loud and proud" category. But, before we get into what makes this trio tick how about a little bit of history? Here's the "official" bio as sent to me by Nick Pecone (lead vocals & bass) himself. "Nick was drunk at the Agora bitching about how they stole his boxcutters he'd forgotten on him from work. He told Drew* he'd start a band with him because Nick starts bands when he's drinking. Drew thought Nick was a creepy dickhead but he'd suffice until he could find someone new. Drew and Luke were already friends and with Nick they had a full lineup so the band formed. At this point no one has come forward to replace Nick, unfortunately, so he's stuck in the lineup". Got that? Yes? No? Need more help? Alright. So, besides Nick Pecone** of course, Purveyors Of Fiction features guitarist Andrew Minor (Twat Waffle) and drummer Luke Heberle (also the guitarist/lead vocalist of Sails). On their new, just recently-released so it still has that new car smell folks(!), six-track EP, "Invisible Ink", vocalist Nick Pecone and company offer up what they call "stoner blues punk". Of course on their Facebook page Purveyors Of Fiction  is also described as "A Heavy Psychedelic Blues-Punk Trio". Now, if you are like me at all (in which case I truly do feel remorse for you!) you'd probably think of Blue Cheer if you heard the phrase "Heavy Psychedelic Blues-Punk Trio". Or at least something similar. The truth is Purveyors Of Fiction, which lists there influences as being Queens of the Stone Age, The Misfits, Boris. Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Bad Religion and Wisdom In Chains, are all of that (stoner, punk, blues, psychedelic rock) and much, much more! And that's what makes this EP a sure-fire pick-up! These six tracks, which end up clocking in at about 23 minute, really do cover a lot of ground. For example, opener "Veins" is fuzzy, feedback-infused post-rock/grunge (Swans meets The Velvet Underground meets Nirvana perhaps?) while "Darling Darla" (great title!) reminds me of both Blue Cheer and the Butthole Surfers! "Good Man" is blues by way of acid rock and then there's a cut like "Drowning" where, under the cover of night and layers of distortion, this trio trips the light fantastic with some wonderfully diverse groups such as Queens of the Stone Age and Iron Butterfly although honestly there's plenty of love shown to both The Germs and Iggy & The Stooges as well! Closing cut "Gypsy" sounds like Beck being covered by a super-group made up of members of The Melvins, Sonic Youth and Suicide, all of which wraps this EP up in a rather lovely fashion! Length-wise the shortest track here is the dirty punk rocker "Poison Kiss" at 2:46 while the aforementioned "Darling Darla" (again, just love that title!) has a run-time of 4:30. Translated that means that not one of these tracks over-stays it's welcome. Available at a price of $5.00 (for the digital download at least which is linked below), "Invisible Ink" is a worthwhile pick up for punks and bangers alike!

*Otherwise known as Andrew Minor!

**While racking my head trying to figure out who Nick reminded me of in this band (as he really is a versatile front-man as observed in the different delivery he provides here verses Carriedbysix!) I stumbled across this review (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeouLbRXoOc) on YouTube. As I believe in giving due credit where credit is due (sorry, but I couldn't help myself with that little bit!) I want to thank "Master Exploder" (no doubt his Christian name right?) for pointing me in the direction of Wolfmother! Here in Purveyors Of Fiction vocalist/bassist Nick is (at times) almost the spitting mirror image (vocally) of Wolfmother founder/vocalist/guitarist Andrew Stockdale! It would have driven me crazy if not for this helpful hint so I tip my hat in appreciation and offer up a tall cold one to you, Mr. Master Exploder! Thanks!


http://purveyorsoffiction.bandcamp.com/