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by Apartment 18 on March 24, 2013 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Comics

When I was in junior high, I was on the yearbook committee and I found myself in with a bunch of idiots. While I grant the fact that we were nothing more than inexperienced eighth grade children, I still look back with a certain amount of disdain at the idiocy I encountered during my very short tenure with this project. The moment that truly stands out to me occurred no more than a week before graduation. It was the day that we got our yearbooks. Naturally, we on the committee got ours a few periods before everyone else because the box was sitting there in the room with us, so we decided to do the typical pass-around and sign each others’ back page with the typical insipid comments that thirteen-year-olds tend to write in those situations… then we get to my yearbook… and a kid named Nick. Nick was not exactly an artist but he decided to draw an “obscene” joke at my expense in back of my book… one which unfortunately took up the entire page. That’s fine… I like a good off-color joke… probably more than most people. Here’s the part that depresses me; he wrote “Have a hiGUjLP.” and drew a bunch of lines around on the page which, only if you stare at the page at just the right angle, imply some sort of thought process. He asked “Do you get it?” with obvious condescension. Obviously I replied that I didn’t. He mocked me but refused to explain himself. The sheep in the class laughed because he was the popular one and they wanted to keep his affection even though I am certain they had no idea what it was supposed to mean… In fact, I still to this day stare at the page and wish for nothing more than a Rosetta Stone to decipher this cryptogram of a bad “joke”. At the time I thought maybe it was supposed to be something regarding a dick going into something… or a blowjob cutting off a sentence… but the drawing does nothing but confuse the matter because it’s supposed to represent something but is so weird that nobody who has seen it can figure out what the fuck it is supposed to be.

Nick from Pomolita’s graduating class of 2000, if you somehow read this… send me an email and explain what the fuck that was supposed to be. I have been baffled by your drawing for thirteen goddamn years.

 

…also, with regards to Lisa and Eric’s conversation above, that IS something she would do.

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Review- Plow United

by Apartment 18 on April 23, 2013 at 5:48 am
Posted In: Reviews

Marching Band- Plow United

…:::Track Listing:::…

1 – Human 2000
2 – Act Like It
3 – Cui Bono?
4 – Shaking
5 – The War Is Over And Our Side Won
6 – Falling, Deeply
7 – Next Five Minutes
8 – Water Rights
9 – The World Is A Slum
10 – Get Low
11 – The Beginning Of The End Of The World
12 – Meggers

Plow United, formerly known simply as “Plow” is a three man Punk band whose origins can be traced back over two decades to 1989 to three high school kids who discovered the glorious world that is Punk Rock. They did several tours around the east coast and played numerous shows during the early 90′s, garnering a relatively substantial following throughout the area. However, their tenure on the scene came to an end after a few problems which included a tour that fell apart and the necessity for a name change (to their current title of Plow United). After a very long hiatus and copious demands by fans and venues alike, Plow United has finally decided to reunite and begin playing shows again as well as release some new recordings. The entirety of their history can be found by reading the article on Wikipedia (yes, they have a Wikipedia article and we’ve linked it at the bottom of this article) which should give a clue already to the quality and mystique of this band. However, it is not for us to comment on the events of Punk Rock history. We are interested in current events, so let’s get to it, shall we?

Plow United’s newly released, and long anticipated album entitled “Marching Band” has managed to kick a lot of ass and take a lot of names. With a sound reminiscent of familiar bands like MXPX, Against Me! and The Bouncing Souls, this home run album has brought forth everything we loved about Punk in the 90′s and packaged it neatly into 12 songs. Each song has its own distinctive sound and style which makes this album neither repetitive nor monotonous, however with powerful, yet catchy lyrics and melodies and relatively short duration songs, they’ve managed to achieve a sound that is still artistic and pure without being pretentious or smarmy. It elicits the desire to skateboard and break stuff as opposed to growing a beard and wearing v-neck shirts. Thank God for that. We don’t want to go too heavy into the details of the sounds of each song because we feel you really ought to hear this album for yourself and so we’ve provided a link at the bottom to their Bandcamp page where you can hear it in its entirety as well as purchase the album on vinyl or CD for very reasonable prices. It should be noted, however, that even though every song holds its own, there are a few that stand out. One track in particular is number 3- “Cui Bono?” which has a very spirited, aggressive energy. Also, the final track- “Meggers” has some very interesting drumming which uses beats and techniques which are often only used by Metal drummers, however the song pairs perfectly with said drumming and is very effective as a Punk Rock song. All in all we would rate this album a sold ten on the Go-The-Fuck-Out-And-Buy-It meter. We liked it a lot and believe you will too.

Bandcamp- http://jumpstartrecords.bandcamp.com/album/marching-band

Twitter-

Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plow_United

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/plowunited

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Review- Strike To Survive

by Apartment 18 on March 27, 2013 at 7:11 am
Posted In: Reviews

Sore Losers- Strike To Survive

…:::Track Listing:::…

1 – Energy Vampires
2 – Sore Throats
3 – Poltergeist

Strike To Survive is a Punk band based out of Santa Rosa, California. They are also a bunch of really cool guys. As well as producing fantastic recordings, they also put on exceptional live shows and are indeed worth seeing if you have the chance… and in fact they will be starting another block of shows/tour the beginning of May to promote their upcoming release of a new album. The Apartment 18 crew will be seeing them in Ukiah at The Alley Grill when they play with Octaves, Sigaw and Hockey Slut and we will post another review of said album upon its release.

This EP, Sore Losers is only three songs long but it’s enough to make a fan out of anyone. Track 1- “Energy Vampires” is aptly named because it, like the whole EP, is highly energetic. As well as having depth in the music, the lyrics are deep and poetic with colorful metaphors which really hit home. It takes only a few seconds for Strike to get a circle pit going with songs like this. Track 2- “Sore Throats” is a short but sweet and simple hardcore Punk song without any repeating chorus; just a message and an inspirational one at that. They finish this short EP with Track 3- “Poltergeist” which is slightly heavier and ends with what could be described as the catchy part of the album as lead vocalist, Anthony screams “The world turns, I want to stay right here!” a few times, giving their audience something to chant… or anyone blasting it in their car on the freeway.

Musically, Strike to Survive has a sound that is a refreshing step back from the current trend of Pop Punk and Post Hardcore. They have taken a more classic, no-nonsense approach that sounds like a modern interpretation of early to mid 90′s Hardcore Punk. They bring energy, some aggression, a passion for their craft and a very clean but still very raw sound that leaves us anxiously awaiting the release of their upcoming LP.

This EP, and a few other recordings (including a split with Hides) is available on Bandcamp. In fact, it’s available for free download so you have no excuse not to go check it out. You can also contact them on Facebook, Twitter or through their website (links below). Check them out and go see them live; you won’t be disappointed.

Bandcamp- http://striketosurvive.bandcamp.com

Twitter- @STRIKETOSURVIVE

Website- http://www.striketosurvive.com/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Striketosurvive

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Review- Worship This!

by Apartment 18 on March 22, 2013 at 3:12 am
Posted In: Reviews

The Nard Years- Worship This!

…:::Track Listing:::…

1 – Michigan Ocean
2 – Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems
3 – Posture Perfect
4 – Rest In Piss, Buju (Get Fucked)

Whether one argue that the word “Nard” is defined as something uncool and of little importance or as a testicle, which is arguably very important, no one can argue that The Nard Years isn’t cool as Hell.

Worship This! is a self-described Indie/Punk band, but the lyrical styling of the songs in this EP are very Punk Rock indeed; one need only to look at the track listing and album art to know that they’re in for something more than the typical Pop Punk we’re used to. It’s gruff and raw and angry and feels like just the sort of think to relieve a bad mood; quite a bit more effective than Epsom salts and candles. To top it off, we are given album artwork that epitomizes everything we loved about the 90′s down to the last detail… for many of us, those truly were the nard years.

Founded in November of 2010 in Ohio, Worship This! has been working with multiple record labels to give us distribution of this EP across the parts of the world that matter and are currently finalizing their first LP “Tomorrow I’ll Miss You” through A-F Records. We anxiously await that release… especially after hearing this EP.

The first track on this album- “Michigan Ocean” starts off with a line that makes everyone who was brought up worshiping idols like Henry Rollins and Jello Biafra prick up our ears… he yells “I’ve had it up to here with everyone we know” like the foreshadowing of an attitude that would carry through the whole EP (and we’re damn happy about that). Every song on this album has a raw energy which captures the essence of Punk but also has a nice secondary flavor of indie rock, something that gives the band a very interesting and unique sound.

This EP is available on Bandcamp and Facebook (links below) and we also excitedly await the full length album’s release… we hope the artwork is as cool as this one. Go give them a listen and show your friends and family and next door neighbor… and we encourage you to show it to the checker at the supermarket and the kids at the skate shop. Do it.

It is also worth noting that they are currently playing shows and you can see their upcoming shows on their tumblr page.

BANDCAMP- http://dontworshipthis.bandcamp.com

FACEBOOK- https://www.facebook.com/WorshipThisOH

TUMBLR- http://worshipthis.tumblr.com/

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Review- Pretty Little Kennedy Curse

by Apartment 18 on March 22, 2013 at 2:05 am
Posted In: Reviews

The Sound Of Time Running Out- Pretty Little Kennedy Curse

…:::Track Listing:::…

1 – My Name Is David Ruffin… And These Are The Temptations
2 – (I Wish I Could Go Back) I’d Take State
3 – DKODA (Different Kind Of Drug Addict)
4 – You’re The Best Drag Racer In Town, Quick Rick
5 – Trust Means Never Having To Tell The Truth
6 – She Will Survive The Zombie Apocalypse
7 – It’s Pronounced “Kah-Rah-Tay”
8 – Girls Love A Liar (So Bring 4 Friends)
9 – Indian Summer
10 – Hung Like The Dead Horse I’m Beating
11- I’d Take State (demo)

Pretty Little Kennedy Curse is a Pop Punk band from Baltimore, Maryland. They began their journey in August of 2011 and were already playing their first show four months later in December of that same year. Their main influence was the energetic Pop Punk styles of bands like Blink 182 and the emotionally thoughtful lyrical style and feeling of bands such as Fallout Boy. PLKC (Pretty Little Kennedy Curse) has, in less than two years, taken the Baltimore and surrounding areas by storm and they have already recorded their first full length LP; “The Sound Of Time Running Out” which was released in early July of 2012. They are still booking shows and are currently touring Maryland.

The above mentioned album is a fantastically well recorded and catchy throwback to the styles from which it was inspired, however it has a distinctly modern feel. Among many points that can be made about this album, one slightly under appreciated fact is how verbose it is. Many bands write songs with very few words, most of which are repeated over and over. Mind you, that’s not a bad thing but just like Twitter and many old text message services, a limited amount of words leaves no room for specific points. Conversely,  PLKC does the opposite by packing plenty of words into not only their songs but even their song titles, each of which are rather humorous in one way or another, if not always directly related to the topic of the song. They sing these lyrics passionately and display, through their music, a real love of the genre and the points their songs make. While each song stands its ground among all the others, giving the entire album a nice altogether flow, the track that seems to stand out above all the others is Track 2- “(I Wish I Could Go Back) I’d Take State” which finds itself lingering in your head for quite a while after you hear it. The chorus is catchy and the vocals have a unique twang in a few spots that make the song very recognizable.

These guys really do have an equal influence both from bands of the early 2000′s and modern bands, which is true for a lot of reasons but most prominently in their electing to keep the vocals clean instead of pairing it with screams, growls and intermittent chugs and breakdowns (which is very much a modern approach to Pop Punk) and they also have a sense of humor when describing the more serious situations which are the subject of most of their songs.

Pretty Little Kennedy Curse is a band worth checking out for anyone who has been a fan of Pop Punk within the last two decades. We definitely recommend checking them out on Bandcamp or Facebook (links below) and giving them your support in any way you can.

BANDCAMP- http://plkc.bandcamp.com/

FACEBOOK- https://www.facebook.com/PLKCmusic

TWITTER- @PLKCRocks

BAND WEBSITE- http://www.omgplkc.com

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Celestial Bodies

by Apartment 18 on March 14, 2013 at 3:18 am
Posted In: Blog

Time and time again throughout history it has been proven that the best ideas are the simplest ones. That’s the case again with a little diamond in the rough called simply “Celestial Bodies”. It’s a simple format with a single panel and just some text for speech… which looks like it was done in seconds with Photoshop. You have two planets… planets with faces mind you; a pink one and a blue one. They talk about important things that planets would discuss… like birthdays and back rubs.

The charm of this strip is the simplicity with which it is executed, which is also where the humor comes from. It’s like something one would find on 4chan or Reddit but it’s all done by the same person. If you have a few minutes and want to see something that is genuinely funny, we strongly recommend checking out Celestial Bodies on tumblr. It’s definitely worth it. There’s not much more we can say about this strip without giving it away. Just go read it.

http://celestialbodiescomic.tumblr.com/

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