The Swellers Ups and Downsizing Review

Wow, quite the day for rock music! New stuff dropped from AFI, Paramore, Strung Out, Evergreen Terrace, It Dies Today, Hatebreed and Flint Michigan's The Swellers. It was an easy choice deciding which release I would write about first.

It's no secret that I have been a huge fan of this band for a long time. See the review of their last opus. A while after "My Everest" came out, I started to wonder out loud, "someone is paying attention and is going to grab them away from Search and Rescue records, right?" I kept thinking, what am I missing or more appropriately, what are these record labels missing? Well, fortunately the nice folks over at Fueled By Ramen were paying attention and snapped them up earlier this year. Over time, I suspect we will all look back and say "what a coup". I don't know if they have good artist management or if the label is simply really smart, but putting them out on the road as support for Paramore is brilliant. That Paramore release ("Brand New Eyes") is going to be huge, and playing mid-size theatres for the next few months will introduce legions of Haley fans to a really good, hard working and genuine punk band!

The Swellers "Ups and Downsizing" starts with a great opener! "2009" is a great melodic punk opening track, reminds me of the start of No Use For A Name's "Not Your Savior" kicking off "More Betterness". I rarely do this when I listen to a release the first time, but I had to go back and listen to that track a couple of times before moving on to the bands first single, "Fire Away". Yes, it's that good. "Fire Away" is very complex and quite mature. It's the song where I first remarked at how strong that Nick Diener's voice has become. I have long thought that he had a good punk voice, but on this track, and really the whole album, it's clear that Nick has developed some serious strength in that voice. "Load up the flares and fire away"!!! Way to announce that The Swellers have arrived and hey everyone, take notice!

"Ups and Downsizing" continues with "Sleeper", one of the more pop-punk tracks. It's very accessible, mid-paced and easily memorable. I had heard "Welcome Back Riders" off their 7 inch, so I was familiar with this track and it is another strong track with rich melodies and it's heartfelt sentiment.

Then we come to "Feet First". The subtlety in Nick's voice is impressive as this track starts off like a whisper and builds to a crushing melodic hardcore pinnacle. It's probably not likely to be their next single, but it's such a strong song that I think it would do quite well. "Do You Feel Better Yet?", hey wait, I just figured it out. The Swellers sound very similar to one of my most favorite, under appreciated acts, Israel's Useless ID. Both vocally and melodically "Do You Feel Better Yet?" and several other tracks could easily be found on that groups amazing "Redemption" release. That was a great melodic hardcore album from start to finish and "Ups and Downsizing" is equal to it, actually, it surpasses it!

Not sure that the word "darker" should be used to describe a punk song, but it somehow fits for "Ups and Downsizing". It's kind of has this dark vibe, melodically. Maybe it's lyrics that speak of leaving, thawing, or that "should I stay or should I go now" type of sentiment leaves me with that darker impression. It's one of the "slower" tracks on the album, and might disappoint some of the fans of their earlier hyper-paced stuff. For me though it's a pretty strong tune as we start to head toward the finish of this album.

Fear not, hyper-paced fans, you will have your cake and eat it too on "The Iron". Another great track and one that once again, showcases the depth to Nick Diener's vocals. He's not Tim McIlrath (yet...), but he is a very strong punk vocalist as is shown on "The Iron".

"Watch It Go" sums up The Swellers in one single song with it's tempo changes and its natural sing-along quality. "Stars" starts off with some beautiful acoustic guitar and then leads into one of their more "moodier" melodies. It's The Swellers own "My Hero" and it's brilliant! "Dirt" finishes off one of the best rock records of 2009! It's dark and complex and a little sad, but musically it's filled with that Swellers "speed up / slow down" heartfelt approach to song writing.

Faultless harmonies abound on this entire album. It's tight musically! Each member does their own part very well and then they come together very easily. This is what punk rock should sound like in 2009!

Likeability should not enter into an opinion on someones art, but be real, it does! The art of The Swellers is excellent, but maybe I appreciate it so much, because they seem like real, (hate using this term) "down to earth", hard working but have fun, kind of guys. You can't help but want for them to thrive and succeed. Well, they certainly have on this record. They have done right by themselves and by their fans with the outstanding work on "Ups and Downsizing". It's true that what you get in return is always equal to what you put out there. Based upon this effort, The Swellers should prepare for more betterness!

Go grab it at iTunes

or it's on sale at FYE

Best Punk Albums of the 90's

I promised to write about the heritage and the contemporary, but haven't done too much of the old stuff lately. That's about to change.

This is my list of top 10 (OK, it's really 12) punk albums released during the 1990's. To be sure, Rancid, Green Day, Blink-182 and The Offspring released some epic work during that decade, but we already know that. This list is comprised of some great work by some punk rock stalwarts, some lesser known acts and in some cases not necessarily the most popular of a specific bands albums during the decade.

I was writing a lot about rock music in the 90's and heard some great stuff, but these are some releases that simply are flawless from beginning to end! As always, I hope to get some "oh really?", "oh yeah!" and "he's clearly on drugs!", but hey enjoy this 90's heritage!

The Best Punk Albums of the 90's:

12. Face To Face - Big Choice. OK, so when you hear a Face To Face song, you know it's a Face To Face song! Yes, there is a pattern there. But hey it totally works and while this release may not be their most mature, it certainly is their most raw and intense and holds up well some 15 years later!

11. Sick Of It All - Built To Last. As I reflect, why am I having such a hard time coming up with great hardcore 90's releases? I know there were there, right? Madball, AF, H2O, Leeway, etc. But as I really think of it, a lot of great stuff came out in the late 80's or even in this decade. So, only one true hardcore release made it onto the list and that is the 1997 release from SOIA. Lou Koller's voice never sounded better than on this, their final major label, release. This is a true NYHC expression and is as "clenched fist" as it ever was!

10. Bad Religion - Recipe For Hate. This might not be the first choice for most BR fans as they put out six records during that decade. And I still have some issues with the production quality, but that aside, it's a pretty amazing blaze-through of short blasts of Left Coast punk rawk anger! It's relentless! They were truly "Men On A Mission" and somebody was paying attention to how high this record went up the charts and sadly signed them to a major...creating a few years of less than stellar efforts. But, hey like a phoenix rising they are back. I kind of look at BR like I do Metallica. With both bands, there was about 10 years where I'd rather forget some of their music. Just my opinion, but hey they both recovered nicely with their recent efforts!

9. Pennywise - Pennywise. Who knew that Jim Lindbergh would become the renaissance man that he is now, what with being an author and all! This first record was like a shot from a blast furnace. Pure CA hardcore stylings. I have always used the word "tight" to describe this band and on their debut it's more than fitting. He may now be a punk rock dad, but he'll always be that angry kid singin' "Bro Hymn" on this 1991 classic!

8. Good Riddance - Operation Phoenix. I wasn't really writing much in 1999 when this CD came across my desk. I listened to it, felt nothing and proceeded to bury it under a pile of mediocre punk and alternative stuff. Somehow, I can't remember now, I unearthed it just a few weeks later. I listened to it again and was blown away. Kind of like I'd never hear this before. (Note: exact same thing happened with Rise Against a few years ago. Listened to 'Siren...', put it away for a few months this time, then tried it again and realized how much I'd been missing). I am not sure that in punk, anyone did melodic hardcore better than this Santa Cruz outfit. At times it's anger, it's always political and social and it's one of those records that I listen to and say "don't change a fucking thing"! Sorry for the f-word, but I just heard "Heresy, Hypocrisy & Revenge", love that line from "Some Kind Of Wonderful". "Letters Home" ranks in my top 10 of all time great punk songs, any decade!!!

7. No Use For A Name - Leche Con Carne. I was late to this NUFAN train, but once I got on, I was committed! Love or hate the melodic direction they have gone in during the 00's, this release was an instant classic. For one of the most prolific punk bands (ever!!!), this ranks at the top of the list of a series of excellent punk records that have marked their ongoing, stellar career. "Fatal Flu", "Soulmate", "Fields of Agony", "Alone", man, come on!!! Pure brilliance!

6. Millencolin - Pennybridge Pioneers. Jumping across the pond for the next three on our list, we find Sweden's Millencolin. Hey, it was recorded in 1999, so it counts! This is one of those records that just keeps building and building. At first listen, I thought "yeah, it's solid". But after 3, 4, 10 listens I found myself wanting to simply push repeat! It's humorous, melodic, aggressive, it's simply great. For me, the Swedes will be known for three things: building sturdy cars, inventing death metal and Millencolin!

5. No Fun At All - The Big Knockover. My buddy Marco told me about this band on little Theologian Records. I was blown away from the first chord. Sure, comparisons to Bad Religion were inevitable, but NFAA was so much more. They brought a freshness to melodic hardcore music. Must be something in that Swedish water, as this is some pretty amazing stuff, from an otherwise punk-rock-barren land. "The Other Side" is also a track that remains in my top 10 of all time. I don't think NFAA ever got the respect and street cred that others did during the 90's, but I certainly will fight to change that. This is amazing stuff. If you are (were) a fan of NoFX, NUFAN, Green Day, Face To Face, etc., then check out this far to under-sung band!

4. Leatherface - Mush. I guess this rounds out the European portion of our list! From Sunderland, England comes Leatherface. Released on tiny Seed Recordings (in the US), this is a working class, melodic punk classic! Frankie Stubbs voice is so strained and yet so perfect! If you only had 99 cents and you wanted to expose yourself to Leatherface, go grab "Bowl of Flies" from iTunes. Trust me, it's worth it and I'd bet anything that you pony up some more scratch for the other 14 songs.

3. Rocket From The Crypt - Circa: Now!. Punk you say? Oh yeah! I know RFTC has a big cult following, they kind of single-handedly made garage punk cool! So this might not be a surprise to see this one on the list. But there are two certainties in life. This is by far their best work and to this day, they are (were) the best live band ever! Any genre, they were absolutely the best, most energetic, tightest and fun to watch! I've seen thousands of bands perform, but I've seen RFTC about 15 times and they are just a pure joy to witness. While they will have to remain in memory, "Circa: Now!" leaves us a good marker on their history. (Note: best show ever was the Halloween gig at some San Diego hotel ballroom circa 1993). I missed their farewell Halloween show in 2005 and hope that someday they decide to re-form, even if for only one night!

2. Jawbreaker - Dear You. I loved "24 Hour Revenge Therapy" and it certainly possessed a more raw, distorted quality than this more polished release. But, that album needed a few more years under its belt, maybe a little maturity. No worries, when the band got picked up by DGC and put out "Dear You" they proved to the world that they had arrived and left an indelible mark on punk rock of today! I can't think of many indie to major label punk transitions that actually worked. But this one did. "Save Your Generation" would fit nicely on a contemporary punk release, as would "Oyster" "Fireman" and "Chemistry". Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so consider Jawbreaker flattered. You can hear so much of their sound in what is going on today in punk and that's pretty impressive since the band only existed for a very brief time and left us with only 4 recordings. This was a tough one by the way. I know that "Dookie" is often at the top of a 90's punk list, but I wanted to go a little deeper in the genre. Having said that, I know many people consider the number one record (see below) to be sacred, but this was indeed a close second, maybe even more like a tie!

1. NoFX - Punk In Drublic. Can I add anything that has not already been said? Who knows, but here goes. From the opening chords of "Linoleum" to the end of "Scavenger Type", this release is pure brilliance. It's funny, hyper, genre-crossing, solid! Spanning hyper-paced punk to dancehall, dub and reggae, it's one of those rare releases that can do that genre hopping naturally. It all works together. You finish listening to "Dig" and say "holy crap, that was amazing" then you are rewarded with a mid-paced tune like "Happy Guy", only to be smashed across the face with the pure intensity of "Perfect Government". This band has had a truly prolific career and this release marks their own high water mark. We can probably count on two hands the number of gold certified punk releases, especially those on indie labels like Epitaph. This is one of those gold records and its well deserved. It's timeless and it's a classic!

So, there you have it. Some honorable mentions that I feel I should give respect to: AFI - Black Sails In The Sunset, Bracket - 4 Wheel Vibe, H2O - Thicker Than Water, Madball - Look My Way and RKL - Rags To Riches.