For More Info: Head over to http://www.castleoldchair.com or get familiar with http://www.standardrecording.com/
Artist: SMOKE OR FIRE
Album: Above the City
The Scoop: Smoke or Fire, formerly called Jericho, sprints through their twenty-odd-minute "full length" debut with a full hour's worth of punk piss and vinegar. It's the speed setting that suits them best; their lone stab at slowing it down ("Cryin' Shame") gets a little maudlin. The rest of the material never loses its pep, and Smoke or Fire never sags in commitment or strays from servicing the melody. Passion goes a long way in punk rock, and frontman Joe McMahon seems genuinely agitated and desperate for a fresh start (addiction is a recurring theme). Strong reference points for Above the City range from Avail to Against Me!, and, at times, the overall effect is a touch generic, too close to a template. Even then, though, the band derives from strong sources; clearly, Smoke or Fire harbors fond memories of punk's salad days. Those are gone and gone forever, of course, but at the peaks of Above the City lays evidence that Smoke or Fire could join Fat Wreck luminaries like Anti-Flag and Against Me! in creating a movement worth romanticizing in its own right.Highlight Tracks: "Culture as Given" and "California's Burning"
For More Info: Check out http://www.smokeorfire.com
Artist: VARIOUS ARTISTS
Album: Music from D.E.B.S.
The Scoop: A lot of good, a little bad, and one definite ugly on this soundtrack to the Angela Robinson film. Suitable for what appears to be a sugar rush in the girls-kick-butt genre of films, the D.E.B.S. soundtrack offers up a lot of caffeinated vintage dance-pop. Given the current trends in music, even some of the older songs have a contemporary feel; "Another Girl, Another Planet," the best-known song from the mostly forgotten late-70's band The Only Ones, could practically be on an iPod commercial. It's a timely reminder that people have been dancing to fizzy guitar-rock for much longer than Franz Ferdinand's lifespan. Aside from an effective love scene coupling-"Telling You Now" by Jessy Moss and "Be Like Water" by Sarah Fimm-the energy stays high and the beats come fast. Within that template, though, there's lots of variety, from the chilly seduction of Goldfrapp to the exuberant guitar rock of The Weekend. The one stinker is Tara King TH's utterly uninspired cover of The Postal Service's "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight."Highlight Tracks: Some younger listeners will probably be given their first introductions to The Cure's "The Love Cats" and New Order's "Temptation," both minor classics. "Another Girl, Another Planet" is also a lasting gem.
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