Music Related Musings
So after work today I picked up the new Strike Anywhere CD and the new Much The Same CD. One of the many nice things about living in Salt Lake is access to CDs other than what Fred Meyer decided to carry. However, since I swung by on my way home from work I was still wearing my dress clothes and had my VA ID with the waving flag background hanging on a lanyard around my neck. Now, I know what my political beliefs are, and I know that they are completely inline with my punk rock ideals, and I know that I’m not at all ashamed of working for the VA. However, when people look at me, especially in a state like Utah, I doubt they think: “I bet he’s going to get the new CD from a melodic hardcore band!” It kind of feels good to be bucking a different looks based stereotype. Before I was the guy in the band t-shirt with spiked hair who was in graduate school, now I’m the uptight looking guy who played guitar in crappy punk bands.
As long as I don’t suddenly decide the mullet is my hairstyle of choice (seeing as it’s business up front, party in the back) I think I’m ok with this.
Speaking of the CDs… on first listen I’m a little less than excited with the Strike Anywhere disc. There are some good tracks, but it feels like it’s missing the energy that so defined Exit English (still one of my favorite CDs ever). Perhaps it will grow on me, and even as-is it’s better than a lot of junk being released. The Much The Same CD is better than I expected, based on the reviews I had read. Many of the reviews talked about this CD as more “rock” than punk and that it was much more mellow than their previous release. I really didn’t find this, in fact I thought it was pretty much what I would have expected for a sophomore release from the band. Sure, it’s not quite as raw as Quitters Never Win, but it’s not so different. At this point I enjoy the Much The Same CD more.
