Friday, July 16, 2010

Foxboro Hot Tubs and Pinhead Gunpowder News/ Stop, Drop, and Roll!!! Review


I will be reviewing Pinhead Gunpowder's entire discography.
However, I will not be able to fully review Money Money 2020 by the Network as of yet. If you remember the first time I put this post up, it had a different title, and I criticized this album for being too boring. Well, I got the wrong cut of it.
I can't seem to find the right copy anywhere online, so I have to buy the actual CD, unfortunately.
Anyway, I also had a mini-review of Stop, Drop, and Roll!!! by the Foxboro Hot Tubs up here as well, as a precursor to my (*sigh*) rather extensive foray into Green Day's massive territory.
Here, I will review the entire thing, because I have a bit of guilt at not giving it the justice I feel it deserves.
Album: Stop, Drop, and Roll!!!
Artist: Foxboro Hot Tubs
Release Date: 2008
Lineup:
Reverend Strychnine Twitch (aka Billie Joe Armstrong): Lead vocals
Jason White: Lead guitar, backing vocals
Kevin Preston: Rhythm guitar
Mike Dirnt: Bass, backing vocals
Tre Cool: Drums, percussion
Jason Freese: Keyboards, saxophone, flute
Put quite simply, Stop, Drop, and Roll!!! is garage rock perfection. Inspired after one too many shots of alcohol, Billie Joe Armstrong and his friends were inspired to make some "rockin' eight-track recordings." Well, this rock 'n' roll revival record sure is rockin'.
I can't explain just how great this album is. Clocking in at just over half an hour, you could listen to it over and over and not get bored, as the songs are for the most part, fast-paced and heavy, and the ones that aren't, are sweet, fun, and slow rockers. The title track, also the opener, is probably the best track on the album. It's fast as hell, at time profane, and filled with balls-to-the wall garage rock that evokes the likes of the Who and the Sonics.
Another track, like the blast of calculated distortion Alligator, recalls the Kinks (and even sounds a bit like You Really Got Me at times), while others, like the slow-burner Dark Side of Night makes you think of the 13th Floor Elevators or similar psychedelic garage bands.
In fact, the entire album sounds like it could have plucked off of the Nuggets compilation, and that doesn't make it sound any less amazing.
Thank you, Green Day, for making one kick-ass garage rock side-project, and thank you, side-project, for making one kick-ass garage rock album!

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