Here are some reviews of TNSrecords releases from the latest copy of A Short Fanzine About Rocking. Make sure you pick up a copy, it is well worth a read.
Bootscraper - Country and Eastern
Leeds based self proclaimed agro-folk band Bootscraper are a welcome suprise, as it's always nice to come across a very good band that you've never heard of before and it's even better when it's not your average punk release. To the truth is it would be hard to lump this into any genre. There are signs of a lot of influence - 'There Will be Blood' sounds like a Gogal Bordello b side while 'The Sundown Kid' has a similar vibe to the mad caddies flirt with their country edge. The variety of instruments as well as the interchange between the two vocalists makes for interesting, layered music which does not get boring, while the mix between the faster folk songs and the slower country/bluegrass songs helps add diversity. Despite the range of genres on display it does become apparant half way through that this will not appeal to everybody. Tracks like 'The Ol' Waterin' Hole' could easily be too much for people who aren't fans of the gypsy and dare I say it, pirate theme. That said, Bootscraper do well in not relying on gimmicks even with the obvious temptation. I'd bet a fair amount of money that they can really pull it off live, but there's certainly a lot to enjoy on CD too.
A Short Fanzine About Rocking
The Dangerous Aces - Deny All Resonsibility
Well someones got to take responsibility for this. These street punks from manchester have served up a pretty awful 10 tracks of lo-fi punk here. Definitely more old than new school punk inspired, but that can't be used as an excuse for an album that sounds like it's been recorded on a digital camera. If I listen closely there is some decent bass work in most of the tracks and some pretty crazy guitar solos, but overall it sounds messy and singer Moz isn't the most talented vocalist to say the least. I guess a few of the oi crew may like this, but for anyone else, avoid.
A Short Fanzine About Rocking
Faintest Idea - Ignorance is This
Straight up punk here with a bit of horns and ska. When they get going Faintest Idea are pretty good, but personally, there's clearly a difference in quality between the two parts of their sound withthe punk tracks being hard hitting and in your face and the ska tracks coming across a bit cheesey. Luckily there's more of the former and where Faintest Idea will never win prizes for originality this is a decent album for fans of Rancid and the UK ska scene.
A Short Fanzine About Rocking
The Kirkz - Agroculture
There is a running joke between a couple of friends of mine about the Kirkz and how they are a god awful live band. Personally I can't be certain, I may have seen them on one or two occasions but they've never made an impression which I guess is a bad thing. That said, this isn't a bad album. It's samey all the way through but it's mostly fun and gives you plenty of chances to sing a long to the shouty choruses, indeed the first 3 tracks are literally the best here and would have benefitted from being spread out more. Everything here is at least worth a listen if you like rough round the edges underground UK punk.
A Short Fanzine About Rocking
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