THE
      DROPKICK
      MURPHYS
     
     
      Sing
      Loud,
      Sing
      Proud
     
     
      Hellcat
      Records
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      is
      one
      tasty
      treat.
      Songs
      of
     
     
      Union,
      songs
      of
      battle
      and
      songs
      of
     
     
      beer.
      The
      line
      up
      has
      changed
      a
      lot
     
     
      since
      the
      last
      album,
      losing
      original
     
     
      guitarist
      Rick
      Barton
      and
      gaining
     
     
      two
      new
      guitarists,
      a
      piper,
      and
      a
     
     
      penny
      whistle/mandolin
      player.
     
     
      With
      this
      change
      of
      line
      up
      their
     
     
      sound
      is
      now
      more
      folk
      influenced
     
     
      than
      any
      of
      their
      previous
      stuff.
      I
     
     
      was
      a
      little
      surprised
      when
      I
      first
     
     
      listened
      to.the
      album
      to
      hear
      the
     
     
      song
      “The
      Legend
      of
      Fin
     
     
      MacCumhail”
      which
      had
      been
      pre-
     
     
      viously
      released
      on
      the
      Curse
      of
      a
     
     
      Fallen
      soul
      7”,
      and
      even
      more
      sur-
     
     
      prised
      when
      I
      heard
      “Caps
      and
     
     
      Bottles”
      which
      was
      on
      the
      Boys
      on
     
     
      the
      Docks
      EP.
      Maybe
      they
      were
      too
     
     
      busy
      acting
      tough
      to
      write
      a
      full
     
     
      album
      so
      they
      had
      to
      reuse
      a
      couple
     
     
      of
      songs.
      “The
      Spicey
      McHaggis
     
     
      Jig”,
      and
      perma-drunken
      ex-front-
     
     
      man
      of
      the
      Pogues
      Shane
     
     
      McGowan
      singing
      “Good
      Rats”,
      a
     
     
      song
      about
      Guinness
      shows
      that
     
     
      they
      may
      actually
      have
      a
      sense
      of
     
     
      humor.
      Their
      covers
      of
      the
      tradi-
     
     
      tional
      “Rocky
      Road
      to
      Dublin”
      and
     
     
      “The
      Wild
      Rover”
      are
      a
      treat
      as
     
     
      usual,
      and
      their
      original
      folk
      songs
     
     
      “Taken
      the
      Torch”
      and
      “Sing
      Loud
     
     
      Sing
      Proud”
      are
      tasty
      also.
      The
      rest
     
     
      of
      the
      album
      is
      premium
      Oi!
      punk,
     
     
      definitely
      a
      shaven
      head
      and
      shoul-
     
     
      ders
      above
      any
      other
      punk
      band
     
    
   
   
    
     
      around.
      This
      album
      goes
      down
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      slightly
      different
      road
      than
      their
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      other
      stuff
      but
      is
      still
      fucking
      amaz-
     
     
      ing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -JL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mr.
      Drpss
     
     
      Primitive
      Tracks
     
     
      Cease
      and
      Desist
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      Dibbs
      aeheut
      a
      doubt
      one
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      world’s
      greatest
      turntablists.
      If
      you
     
     
      want
      proof,
      look
      no
      further
      than
     
     
      Spin
      Magazine,
      which
      named
      him
     
     
      the
      sixth
      greatest
      DJ
      in
      the
      world.
     
     
      As
      founder
      of
      the
      1200
      Hobos,
      his
     
     
      trailblazing
      posse
      of
      fellow
      DJs
     
     
      which
      happens
      to
      include
      local
     
     
      favorites
      Buck
      65
      and
      Sixtoo,
      he
      is
     
     
      well
      known
      for
      his
      masterful
     
     
      works.
      This
      amazing
      CD
      of
      beats
     
     
      and
      samples
      is
      the
      soundtrack
      to
     
     
      the
      Alien
      Workshop
      skateboard
     
     
      video
      “Photosynthesis.”
      While
      I
     
     
      may
      not
      be
      a
      skater,
      I
      do
      appreciate
     
     
      this
      album
      to
      the
      fullest.
      The
      last
     
     
      track
      on
      this
      album
      is
      especially
     
     
      interesting,
      as
      it
      is
      a
      twenty
      minute
     
     
      live
      recording
      of
      Dibbs
      performing
     
     
      his
      “beats
      and
      breaks”
      in
      Nashville.
     
     
      If
      you
      love
      creative
      hip
      hop
      in
      the
     
     
      vein
      of
      the
      aforementioned
      Buck
     
     
      65
      and
      Sixtoo,
      look
      this
      CD
      up.
     
     
      <www.ceaseanddesist.net>
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -ROC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MAESTRO
     
     
      Ever
      Since
     
     
      Song
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you
      haven’t
      been
      following
     
     
      Maestro
      since
      his
      Fresh
      Wes
      days,
     
     
      you’re
      in
      for
      a
      bit
      of
      a
      surprise.
     
     
      While
      all
      the
      ronis
      still
      want
      him,
     
     
      his
      style
      has
      definitely
      changed.
     
     
      Attribute
      it
      to
      the
      maturation
      of
     
     
      Wes.
      While
      I’m
      partial
      to
      his
      earli-
     
     
      er
      work,
      it’s
      hard
      to
      fault
      this
      CD.
     
     
      “Maestro-Glycerine,”
      “U
      Got
      Da
     
     
      Best,”
      and
      “When
      I
      Rhyme”
      may
     
     
      not
      be
      as
      memorable
      in
      the
      long
      run
     
     
      as
      “Let
      Your
      Backbone
      Slide,”
     
     
      “Drop
      The
      Needle”
      [which
      features
     
     
      a
      sample
      of
      Charlottetown’s
      Paul
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MacAusland],
      or
      “Conductin’
     
     
      Thangs,”
      there’s
      enough
      on
      this
     
     
      album
      to
      keep
      me
      happy.
      Besides,
     
     
      his
      line
      that
      “I’m
      raising
      spirits
      like
     
     
      a
      Biblical
      text”
      is
      cool
      as
      heck.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -ROC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CONFRONTATION
      CAMP
     
    

    
     
      Objects
      in
      the
      Mirror
      are
      Closer
     
     
      Than
      They
      Appear
     
    

    
     
      Artemis
      Records
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Did
      someone
      review
      this
      already?
      I
     
     
      hope
      not.
      So
      this
      is
      Chuck
      D’s
      new
     
     
      project?
      So.as
      soon
      as
      I
      see
      that
      this
     
     
      outfit
      has
      an
      actual
      band
      (guitar,
     
     
      bass,
      drums,
      turntable)
      I
      assume
      the
     
     
      worst,
      please
      God
      tell
      me
      this
      isn’t
     
     
      more
      rap
      metal,
      please
      Mistachuck,
     
     
      say
      it
      ain’t
      so.
      Well,
      it
      ain’t
      so,
      but
     
     
      it
      ain’t
      much
      better.
      It’s
      not
      so
     
     
      much
      rap-metal,
      as
      uh,
      hard
      rock
     
     
      fronted
      by
      some
      mediocre
      MCing
     
     
      (let’s
      face
      it,
      Chuck
      D
      has
      been
     
     
      fallin’
      off
      for
      years).
      Remember
     
     
      “She
      Watch
      Channel
      Zero”
      and
     
     
      Bring
      tha
      Noize,”
      with
      Anthrax?
     
     
      Remember
      how
      well
      that
      worked?
     
     
      Well,
      Confrontation
      Camp
      is
      as
     
     
      potent
      an
      argument
      for
      living
      in
      the
     
     
      past
      as
      could
      be
      made,
      this
      shit
     
     
      sucks.
      And
      speaking
      of
      Anthrax,
     
     
      they
      suck
      too.
      Oh,
      and
      the
      actual
     
     
      frontman
      is
      a
      white
      guy,
      Kyle
      “Ice”
     
     
      Jason
      (Because
      lord
      knows
      there
     
     
      aren’t
      nearly
      enough
      people
      in
      the
     
     
      rap
      scene
      with
      “ice”
      in
      their
      name.
     
     
      Cos
      you
      know,
      ice
      is
      cool
      man,
      but
     
     
      their
      rhymes
      are
      red
      hot,
      dude.
     
     
      Fckin’
      die.).
      Sigh.
      Chuck
      should
     
     
      have
      stuck
      with
      dissing
      honkeys.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SEIGx
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CLOSET
      MONSTER
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Where
      the
      Fuck
      is
      the
      Revolution?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      isn’t
      brand
      new
      technically
     
     
      (summer
      2000),
      but
      whatever,
      |
     
     
      know
      it
      hasn’t
      been
      reviewed
      in
     
     
      here.
      An
      awesome
      release
      from
      a
     
     
      band
      whom
      I
      was
      about
      to
      say
     
     
      never
      should
      have
      broken
      up,
      but
      |
     
     
      just
      found
      out
      that
      they
      got
      back
     
     
      together
      in
      January.
      Awesome.
     
     
      Closet
      Monster
      play
      super
      catchy,
     
     
      melodic
      poppy
      punk
      something
      in
     
     
      the
      vein
      of
      Propagandhi.
      Or
      at
      least
     
     
      they
      used
      to.
      This
      release
      shows
     
     
      considerable
      musical
      maturation
     
     
      since
      their
      last
      release
      “A
      Fight
      For
     
     
      What
      is
      Right,”
      so
      that
      it’s
      no
     
     
      longer
      fair
      to
      say
      they
      sound
      like
     
     
      NoFX
      or
      Propagandhi
      or
      whoever.
     
     
      Still
      poppy,
      but
      more
      melodic
      and
     
     
      innovative,
      this
      cd,
      while
      only
      con-
     
     
      taining
      5
      tracks,
      is
      amazing.
      Very
     
     
      inspiring
      political-punk
      anthems.
     
     
      It’s
      nice
      to
      see
      somebody
      injecting
     
     
      some
      social
      consciousness
      into
      the
     
     
      normally
      ideologically
      sterile
      pop-
     
     
      punk
      scene.
      On
      this
      album
      alone
     
     
      they
      address
      issues
      of
      anarchism,
     
     
      protest
      and
      democracy,
      con-
     
     
      sumerism,
      personal
      autonomy,
     
     
      abortion
      (pro-choice
      of
      course),
     
     
      animal
      rights,
      nationalism,’
      social
     
     
      conditioning,
      and
      first
      world
     
     
      exploitation
      of
      labour
      in
      develop-
     
     
      ing
      nations.
      Fuckin’
      go.
      I’ve
      seen
     
     
      these
      guys
      twice
      live
      and
      they
     
     
      deliver
      a
      rockin’
      show
      (their
      bassist
     
     
      was
      using
      a
      broken
      riser
      as
      a
     
     
      springboard
      for
      jumps)
      so
      it’s
      awe-
     
     
      some
      to
      hear
      they’re
      back
      together.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Oa
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      12
      The
      Cadre