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| THE BEAUTYS - "The First Seven Inches Are Always The Hardest" 26-song CD - DIA013
"For the same reasons I relish early TILT songs, I like this band. I gotta hand it to them for pulling off the country punk thing without any embarrassing casualties" - Maximum Rocknroll #240 May '03 "The trio The Beautys have been together for the past seven years releasing and touring all over the country. They've hung out and played with the New Bomb Turks, Electric Frankenstein, the Donnas, and the Dwarves. The First Seven Inches is a collection of 26 tracks of rock, garage, punk and surf tracks from 7"ers, unreleased material and live sets. Fronted by the ultra-sexy Chica Baby and backed by the likes of Salsa and Erick, the Beautys rub you up and down like a well oiled massage. Straight to the point jams about sex, cops, being watched by the government, and life as a girl; the Beautys keep it real and more importantly keep things simple. The Beautys deliver a garage rock sound that's as refreshing as a cold beer after spending a few tunes stuck in the middle of the pit during the heat of summer. Stand out tracks include "Girl From Planet Fuck", "Jocks On Junk" and "Girl Is A Girl". Keep an eye out for the Beautys coming to your town, rumor has it that their live shows are something to be experienced." - MG Hussieskunk.com "This is a collection of 26 songs, which were primarily released on 7"s. The Beautys are based in Ft. Wayne In, and are a female fronted punk-pop / surf band. Their songs are the pretty basic three chord variety, yet they are catchy. And while they won't wow anybody with witty lyrics, they are fun catchy songs that make you want to bounce. Kathleen is the heart and soul of the Beautys and has a style which brings to mind the late 70s early 80s style punk rock. In the Mid-West I'd say they are one of the funner, more interesting bands around. They are what they are…the Beautys." {Grog} - Thechickenfishspeaks.com "Seven years worth of releases are packed together on one 26-song CD. Low-Fi sounds of bratty punk-rawk played at Hi-Fi volume. Revved-up & ready to scream in your ear, with hints of melody followed by 3-chord screeching... a truly fun listen, each song clocking in at an average of only 2 minutes, too!" - slug & lettuce #75 "Get your mind out of the gutter! The title of this CD refers to 7" records, you pervert. All twenty-two tracks were compiled from hard to find recordings, compilations, and other unreleased material of fast-paced, female fronted sleazy punk rock." (AL) - Impact Press "The Beautys have more going for them than the best possibly dirty album title of the year, namely their Diaphragm records odds 'n sods collection "The First Seven Inches Are Always The Hardest". The surf-infused, girl-friendly Indiana trio is a gem: punk enough for the liberty-spiked Maximumrocknroll crowd, and warm and poppy enough for those of us that like our punk rock the way we like our whiskey - in small doses." (RA) The Other Paper 4/03 "Comprised of tracks from various singles, demos and outtakes, The Beautys' "The First Seven Inches Are Always The Hardest", the band's first release on Diaphragm Records, is 26 cuts that add up to just barely more than 50 minutes. the brevity of the group's songs is indicative of their MO - The Beautys know one speed: fast. Anchored by guitarist Chica Baby, who takes her lyrical inspiration from the diversions to the ennui of living in Ft. Wayne, Indiana - namely sex, drugs and making fun of cops - the band's puree of surf, pop and punk is an invigorating musical elixer. The record's unrelenting in its brisk pace, but with the band incorporating a decent range of styles - they even cover Johnny Cash's "Jackson" - it never becomes redundant." - (SS) Alive 4/03 "Okay, so these guys are friends of mine and my band frequently plays shows with them, but I am not biased. Actually, that alone should tell you how high my opinion is of this band. And what a clever title for this career spanning collection of previously-unavailable-on-cd tunes. I think if Link Wray had a punk rock granddaughter, it would be Chica Baby. She’s got the chops, and her lyrics are great, even possibly better than Rick Sims’. She can scream, she can sing, she can wail on her guitar. Right on, sister! And though the bass and drum work was done by a couple of different folks over the years, it’s consistently rockin’, and the current line up of Erick Fromindiana and Salsa Dave has only improved things. I think my favorite tunes are “Creepy Guy” and the surfy “Small Meat Driver” and “Party Pants”, but it’s so hard to choose with hilarious songs like “Coverband” and “A # 1 Sex Shop Employee”. And if you think their albums are good (as well you should), wait till you see them live (sample included on this cd)! Nice photo collage, too, kids!" - punktzine.com "A collection of unreleased seven inches, compilation tracks, oddities, outtakes and rarities. “That’s all well and good,” I can hear you say, “but who the fuck are the Beautys?’ Sit down and I’ll tell you. Three piece featuring former members of the Smears and the Queers who play stripped back and sleazy garage punk and pop with even a bit of surf thrown in for good measure. Lead singer Chica Baby belts out tunes such as ‘Girl from Planet Fuck’, ‘A#1 Sex Shop Employee’ and the brilliant ‘Shut Yr Pie Hole’ , I’m tipping these guys would be a great live band?" - Tim Scott www.screamingbloodymess.com "Having never heard of the Beautys, the first thing I did was to scan the cover art. Nothing too exciting there. We’re walking; we’re walking, on to the song titles. Ooh, how punk, naughty words and double entendres for days. Such alarming tactics lead toexpectations of either Slits-style genuine punk agro or dreadful Blink-182 cod rebellion. Guess I should shut up, play the record and find out. Good news. It’s for real and not the feared faux-punk-rendered-consumer-safe nonsense I’d half expected. Solid rock mixed with shimmering pop and a steady beat behind it all. Turns out the Beautys have walked among us since 1996- Who’d a thunk? Seven Inches collects various out-of-print 45s, compilation contributions and other Beautys baubles.They sound like the Ramones, Donnas, Chrissie Hynde, Manda & the Marbles and Dick Dale without ever sounding too close to anyone of those for comfort. The band members have silly fake names. But, so what? Guitarist Chica Baby (See what I mean?) possesses a great rock & roll voice, one that moves from scream to sultry to sweetwithease. Since it’s all good there’s no need to cover every track, but just to pick and choose a bit. “Creepy Guy” recalls the goofy “Smelly Cat” type lyrics sung by Phoebe on Friends, yet remains musically menacing. “Jocks on Junk” is both terrifying and amazing, and stunning thanks to, um, Baby’s intoxicating vocal gymnastics. Give me this over Mariah Carey’s crap everyday! Coverband” and “Girl Is A Girl” are yummy good and what’s left blast the walls with abandon. The drummer rates a mention. They should have stuck a damn lyric sheet in and left the dumbass names to bands like Slipknot. You should hear the Beautys. They deserve every bit of success and recognition they can get. Help ‘em out." -- Girlpunk.net "Giving into fans across the country, The Beautys have mercifully released all of their previously "vinyl-only" material, with several live and demo treats thrown in for good measure. Being the sort of nut who contemplated purchasing a turntable just to hear The Beautys' early 7 inches, I can't imagine how much joy this has brought to all of us partial to digital versions of classics like "Mmmm, Fuckin'" and "Gas City Cops." Jam packed with 26 tracks (four of which are hidden--wink, wink), The First Seven Inches is a particularly impressive overview of the best Punk band ever to spring from the banks of any of Fort Wayne's three carp and crap filled rivers. A chronological story for the most part, The First Seven Inches opens with the band's first single "The Girl From Planet Fuck" and skips through various lineups and quality of audio until the searing live take of "What Drugs?" twenty-five songs later. Central throughout is Kathleen, a virtual tsunami of charm and quite possibly Rock's most seriously overlooked human being. Throughout the plethora of high-speed, surf-fused melodic punk presented here, Kathleen maintains control of the listener, shifting from candy coated gems ("Sweetheart, Sweetheart" and "Girl Is A Girl") to downright pissed diatribes ("Black Copters Over U.S.A." and the delicious demo "Shut Yr PieHole"), with confidence and oodles of passion. The fiery vox are wonderful,but it's dang-blasted amazing to think that Kathleen also plays hair-raising guitar on every track and is the band¹s primary songwriter. Music this intense often gets lost in the shuffle when discussing songwriters, but "Jocks On Junk," "DTs" and the biting "Coverband" should convince snobby critics everywhere that Kathleen is the real deal. Although The Beautys present day lineup has been secure for a few years, it took them awhile. Seven Inches includes several songs featuring the legendary Poopy Pants on bass, as well as a couple of drummers the band lost along the way. But it's hard to deny that the Beautys really got rolling once Salsa Dave took reign of the skins, bringing unwaveringly solid bashing and mountains of energy to the mix. The First Seven Inches displays Dave's versatility, going from surfy-shuffling ("Purple Knife," "Small Meat Driver") to ferocious (the climax of "Party Pants" leading into "A#1 Sex Shop Employee" almost makes you feel sorry for his battered kit) to playful pop ("Neighborhood") without losing a bit of crackle and snap. Dave'scontribution to The Beautys sound is incomprehensible, as is the straightforward, lurching bass-lines of the mighty Erick. His bass brings the necessary foundation for Kathleen¹s guitar, but his frequent background vocals and quixotic stage presence give the band extra miles of flair.It may be composed entirely of older material, but The First Seven InchesAre Always The Hardest has given a great indication of where The Beautys'future lies. Constantly improving, effortlessly impressive and most of all just plain fuckin' rockin', The Beautys are one of the best acts anywhere. Period. You may own all their other records, but, without The First Seven Inches you'll always be a virgin. -Chad Beck www.crazewire.com A PLANET FOR TEXAS - "Sprechen Sie Rock?" 10-song CD - DIA012 "Nothing new here - just your basic, terribly honest turbo-charged punk band roaring around in a sweaty frenzy. Look at the median list of punk influences for reference: Ramones, NOFX, Supersuckers: then throw in the experience of living in Ohio, which leads to a fun and obnoxious release of musical energy in the form of 2 1/2 minute punk anthems for folks without mohawks. Jump around, sing along, it's been working for years." - Shredding Paper "Coming straight atcha from da CMH (that's Columbus, Ohio if you didn't know) is the sophomore release from A Planet For Texas. Some people around here might call this agri-core or even cow-punk, but I like to refer to it as full-throttle, shut yer piehole, fuck you, punk and roll. Drugs, drinks, and punks...what more do you need?! A Planet For Texas plays straight-ahead up-tempo punk rock, that will leave you gasping for air, as if you just bonged the first beer of your career. Never letting up once even to finish their own drink, APFT hand you a can-o-whoop-ass and forces you to open it. Don't even think about holding on to your plastic cup of booze, cause you'll have nothing left once you start jumping around, pumping your fist, and singing along to "On The Lawn", "Truckstop Speed", and "The Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club". Catchy punk rock, with the an authoritative punch that forces you into submission. Grab a beer and prepare to receive the ass kicking that APFT is going to lay on you." - (MG) Hussieskunk.com "The thing that really impresses me about A Planet For Texas is how they play loud and fast without getting sloppy. Their songs combine rock, punk and a great sense of humor. These guys are natural storytellers and they know how to rock, a rare combination." - 11345.com "A couple summers ago I spent a day under relentless sun and heat at the Warped Tour, and ever since I have been generally unable to listen to what passes for punk rock these days. I wasn't there to see any of the bands -- my own band was playing on one of the side stages -- and the gig sucked, frankly. The low point of the day for me was seeing a great band like Bottom relegated to this lame little "stage" to play the Ladies Lounge, while scrawny mallboy "punk" bands played the main stage. It really annoyed me to see how commercial punk rock had become, with trailers and trailers of merch peddlars, $5 bottles of water, and just the MTV feel of the whole thing. All the bands were in label-provided buses -- except Bottom, of course. Hell, we weren't even in a van, it was a Subaru Outback for crissakes! Ever since I have rarely been willing to bend an ear to punk music. That said, I'm probably not the best one to comment on A Planet For Texas. If you like music that makes you want to thrash around and pour beer all over yourself, this record is for you. The recording quality isn't the greatest, but the band is tight. Vocals are generally gruff, with group shout choruses and a significant amount of whoa-oh-oh's and melody. Every song hurtles along at a frenetic pace, with buzzing guitars alternating between power chords and melody runs while the bass is pretty much everywhere but holding down the low end. And the drums? Well, for the most part it is one beat from beginning to end, and it is all fast. I'm not knocking it, I'm just saying that there is a formula to this style of music, and APFT subscribes wholeheartedly to it. And why not? If it works and people want to hear it, then why the fuck not. Every piece of music doesn't need to be original or innovative. Sometimes it's enough just to rock, and these guys are successful at doing so. This is probably a fun band to see live. Lots of rude commentaries from the stage, gallons of alcohol, maybe some vomit, and definitely streams of sweat. Songs are generally humorous, and these guys clearly don't take themselves too seriously. If there isn't a dangerous note in their music it doesn't mean these fuckers wouldn't come off the stage to put a telecaster through your teeth if you were asking for it. The CD packaging on this thing earns a mention as well: pretty cool. Hot chicks and aliens, how can you go wrong with that combination, eh? Favorite tracks? I like the near-metal riff to "Truckstop Speed." "The Ballad of Skinhead Joe" has some humorous lyrics, despite the chorus getting a bit repetitive by the end. "The Day I Almost Died" is another good one. Not a lot of variety here; like I said, if this is the music you like, then Sprechen Sie Rock? should be right up your alley. Give 'em a listen. It won't make you a fan of this flavor of punk rock if you aren't already, but if you like to cut loose now and again and need some new music to shake it up to, then these guys could very well be your ticket. - Whitetrashdevil.com "I wouldn’t want to live on that planet! OK, this is very fast rock n’ roll that’s actually damn good. Political, but still fun. And a nice one that pokes fun at skinheads. I like it!" (LD) - AMP Online "The first thing I thought of when this disc started was "Damn it's Motorhead!". Their other songs had a different vocalist so with the Lemmy similarity removed they sounded more like a typical melodic hardcore band. Their third song "Broken Heartland" sounded so similar to Husker Du it was scary…except that it wasn't nearly as tight as it should have been. I was wondering what the song "Tony Painter" would be like since it could have been praising or dissing, I soon found out it was the latter. Tony for those not in the know was the drummer for the early 90's punk band Pet UFO and also ran the label Burnt Sienna Records which was pretty successful. In the late 90's he bought the Columbus club "The Distillery" which always has some great punk acts coming through. Evidently this band felt wronged by him and wrote this song to punish Tony, I can't say that my band didn't do similar things. Overall they are a better than average melodic hardcore band with decent wit and some catchy tunes. Not the best around, but one of the better bands that I've heard come out of Columbus." {Grog} - thechickenfishspeaks.com "I really dig the alien and hot chick artwork on this album from Ohio heroes A Planet for Texas (what the hell does that mean?). Truckstop Speed” reminds me of Motorhead (always a sign of quality) for about half the song. The Ballad of Skinhead Joe” has the funniest lyrics. I actually laughed out loud during this NOFX-esque pop punk fest (try saying that 5 times fast!). I also hear some Husker Du influence in there. These guys sound like some drunk frat boys who can harmonize, only way cooler. Keep the fists in the air, boys!" - Puntzine.com "This was the last CD I had to review from the piles of mail that my mom didn’t bother sending me. And boy am I happy that this was the last CD I still had to review, as this CD definitely rocks. Don’t expect the sound of "You Can Still Rock in America", as this album is more poppy, more clean sounding, and if you can believe it, more rocking. While all of the songs are incredibly catchy, special kudos goes out to the band for "The Ballad of Skinhead Joe", a Floggin Molly-esque romp about a gay skinhead, and "The Day I Almost Died", which has an early-90s feel to it, almost along the lines of Pinhead Gunpowder or JFT. A Planet for Texas deserves the most improved award, as "Sprechen Sie Rock?" expands on the sound in "You Can Still Rock in America", and portrays A Planet for Texas as a band that has matured in the two year downtime between albums.It may seem clichéd, but look for these guys to hit it big, as the style of music that they play and the talent they possess are just ripe for plucking. Get this record from your friendly indie record shop, or buy from the label directly at www.cringe.com/diaphragm" - Neufutur 12/02 "Much like our own beloved Lazy American Workers, Columbus' A Planet For Texas is a bunch of aging rockers blasting out amped-up, feisty punk rock with tongue firmly in cheek and one eye on a good ol' pop hook. "Truckstop Speed" welds Motorhead to pop-punk, while "Tony Painter" and "The Ballad of Skinhead Joe" would be hits in a world that liked its punk rock more raw, grizzled and real, but still as sing-along-y as the new crop of 12-year olds tearing it up on the charts and at the bank. Not a bad song in the bunch, although the production's a bit muddy, obscuring what oughta be anthems-of-the-year like "Broken Heartland." Still a rockin' effort, best purchased after watchin' the fellas rock it out live, just before you buy 'em a round of shots for a job well done." - The Glass Eye 1/03 "This starts out mighty fine - a hopped-up Zeke/Motorhead singalong ditty about truckstop speed, with sweltering breakaparts and neat dynamics - along the lines of what The Reaction put out a couple months back. Pleasant and ferocious enough to warrant a smile. Then, song by song, the band takes bigger nibbles at a big chunk of dry bubblegum; No Use For A Name-reminiscent pop punk or like all Digger albums, except Powerbait. I understand it's a trick to put toughness and grit into Beach Boys-derived pop punk - the Badtown Boys do exceptionally it well - but A Planet For Texas just don't stick it. I don't necessarily hate it, but songs like "The Day I Almost Died" - where the narrator almost ended his "kick ass life" by choking on a fry while driving - come off as too clever and cute and ruin it for me. It's also a lame idea to have people go to your website for lyrics. That's what the fuckin' inside of the cover's for. Am I wrong?" - Razorcake 4/03 "This is what you'd expect from this label and the sophomore release from these Ohio rockers. Heavy punk rock full of that driving sound that comes from speedy guitar riffs and rambling fuzzy vocals. Everything you would want from chaos is here, attitude and aggression in a Lemmy kind of way." - (JC) Impact Press "A PLANET FOR TEXAS deliver a strong dose of melodic hardcore full of tasty guitar licks and single string leads. They opt for the melodic vocals with harmonizing backups which in some tunes is an almost 60's pop delivery. I'd say they aren't far from SNUFF or an ambidextrous WIZO." (HM) - MaximumRocknRoll 2/03 "I am listening to this and things like Descendents-meets-Supersuckers seem to keep coming to mind. It's like pissed pop-punk with a writhing guitar layered on top... Some may even call it punk n roll..." (Dave) - Slug & Lettuce, Winter 2003 "Great cover, great title, great album. Not everyone's taste, but I get it. Loud, abrasive Joke-rock that parodies the conventions while still being a part of them. "The Ballad of Skinhead Joe" and Death Rock Love Song" are hilarious, but the winner has to be "The Day I Almost Died", although "Reaganomicon" is a close second for it's title alone" -- Hitch #33 www.hitchmagazine.com THE VINCENTS / THE IGNITERS - 2x2 Split 7" - DIA011 "A double-barrelled Ohio skeet shoot, with The Vincents shooting a heavy spray of inebriated RAWK buckshot and The Igniters let fly a slinkier, creepier artillery, with as much guitar-firepower as a righteous wanker can muster in his musket! (Previous sentence is "Winner: Roctober worst extended metaphor of the issue award!") -- Roctober #33 "The Vincents play nothing less than diesel fuel gurgling rock-n-roll that sounds like a hybrid of old Clutch and some bad ass LA sleaze-booze rock band. This is music that is perfect for bar room brawls, drinkin' warm skunky PBR's and waking up in a strange bed with some filthy bar maid you picked up the night before. The Vincents have some serious rock-n-roll attitude that many bands today are trying to pull off, but can't quite. I think the song title "The Death Rattle of Rock" says it all. The flip side to this seven inch features another slab of roots rock in the form of the Igniters. According to their bio, a former member of Guided by Voices is in this band. Don't let that fool you though, there's no Brit rock in sight here, just pure down and dirty blues driven American rock that you would find on the jukebox of the roughest biker bar in Daytona Beach. "A Kiss from my Ass," has the sleazy groove of a ZZ Top number like "Tush" or "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers." These guys are the kind of band that write songs to be played as a soundtrack to a runaway semi plowing through a roadblock of smokies. This makes me want to recklessly drink... kinda like Bob Pollard does." -- Noreasterzine Winter 2002 "This split slab of vinyl features two Ohio bands. The Vincents play two cuts of rough and tough rock and roll that is loaded with sweat. It hard, heavy and packs a punch. The Igniters offer up two tracks as well. Their style, though, while still rock and roll, is less heavy, more melodic and loaded with '60s and '70s influences (and tons of feedback)." (CM) -- Impact Press 7/02 GRAFTON - "Sumbitch" b/w "Fine, Good, Go!" 2-song 7" - DIA010/DR013 "This is shitkicking bar rock. Better than Nashville Pussy by miles. The guitar sound is nice and clangy, which is where all the attention is focused. If you miss Tad and some of the late '80's Sub Pop outfits, here you go." --Heartattack #34 "A couple big rock songs here that sent me searching for my old St. Vitus records that so graciously appeared on SST in the mid-'80's. I can picture these guys playing extremely loud." (AS) -- Punk Planet #51 "This 7" is just pure rock. I feel like I should have cowboy boots on and be starting bar fights. I always get urges to do things like this when Diaphragm sends me their releases. I gotta make a mix CD of this stuff and hit the road runnin'. I'll leave a trail of destruction and mayhem in my wake, and I'll blame it on Grafton." -- Cornzine 5/02 BEHEMOTH OHIO - "Buford" CD-EP - DIA009 "Rocks like and amphetamine-fueled barn dance. True Testosterone-Boogie-Rock Brilliance!" -- customheavy.com 2/02 "If you have to tack a genre tag on Behemoth, (which you always do, according to the unwritten book of the Net), I guess they would be considered a punk-n-roll band, a la Electric Frankenstein. Behemoth isn't quite the same, however, because they bring much more of a standard hard rock feel to their songs than EF does. The punk is an influence here, not a sound, and it's found more in the song structure than in the playing itself. I don't think you're allowed to have a song called "Full Throttle" unless you're a band with lots of energy, and in this case the massive amount of power generated by Buford comes from the punk influence." -- whitetrashdevil.com 4/02 FAT ASS - "Another Great Day in Shithole" - 4-song 7" - DIA008 "Fat Ass plays guitar-rock that is loud, aggressive and drunken. All four songs on here are sure to satisfy your need to unwind after a long day of busting your ass for little in return. Fort Wayne, Indiana has hardened these guys, helping them to create this sweat-drenched music." (CM) -- Impact Press "The fact that a record is available on beer colored vinyl creates certain preconceptions about what the music will sound like. Happily, Fat Ass lives up to those expectations. With their debut 7", Another Great Day In Shithole, this Indiana quartet spits out four tracks of speedy punk rock that would be at home alongside acts like the Supersuckers, labelmates A Planet For Texas (but APFT have way cooler nicknames) and anything ever released by the Crypt imprint." -- Swizzle Stick BOB CITY / A PLANET FOR TEXAS - 2x2 Split 7" - DIA007 "A Planet For Texas opens with a satirical swipe at religion that I thought was great lyrically. Musically, APFT plays rapid punk with a strong rock and roll sense. On the flip is Bob City rockin' out one heavy rock and roll tune and a pop rock ditty. There's got to be a lot of beer involved and a deep love for classic rock." -- Impact Press 7/01 "A Planet For Texas just rocks. They've got a driving punk sound with a tough edge. Both of these songs are filled with solid energy. The first song is a total sing-along. Back up vocals, catchy, upbeat, fast rock & roll. The second song rules. It's called "The Ballad of Skinhead Joe". A really poppish song about a skinhead putting up the macho tough-guy front, to hide his true gay feelings. This song is hilarious, yet catchy enough to sing along the first time you hear it. Any fan of punk rock, will (and I GUARANTEE this) love these two songs. Bob City's first tune has a 70's-ish rock sound to it, with a little bit of funk thrown in. The singer sounds like the singer in the band that did the song 'Fox on theRun'...back in the day. A little trivia there. Fast moving, powerful rock & roll. This first song brings to mind Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Queen, Ted Nugent, Jimi Hendrix among other heavier bands. A really nice piece that is very well orchestrated. The second song is an acoustic ditty, with some whiney vocals. Nothing like the pure rock they displayed in the first tune. This has turned out to be one HELL of a 7"!!" -- Uprising! #10 SUPERSTAR ROOKIE - "The Problem With Words" - 12-song CD - DIA006 "File under: Good and Loud. "The Problem with Words" signals that local power pop/punk label Diaphragm Records is on a roll. The immediate charm of Superstar Rookie is their studio sound. Big, clean, even a bit polished, it recalls the sharp precision punk guitar sound that Bob Mould achieved with Sugar. But comparisons end there. So rarely these days does an opening song slap you to attention the way it should, the way "The Exact Point Where Good Stops and Evil Starts" does. "Pacifist Love Song" has a raucous glory of its own that stands on the shoulders of past greats, but doesn¹t rip them off." -- Columbus Alive 11/00 "I bet these guys rock live. I can see them opening up for The Juliana Theory, but possibly out-rocking The Theory. Simply put, Superstar Rookie is upbeat, guitar driven rock. Rad." (DW) -- Cornzine 6/01 "I'm not familiar with this Midwestern punk/alternative band and even though I'm not a huge fan of the genre, SR kept my interest throughout this 12-track offering. There's more punkish attributes for the band despite I kept being reminded of Bush,Oleander and Lit at times but truthfully the music represented here would be a fine accompaniment to the "X-Games"-- you know, the skateboading and freestyle motocross stuff. The band shows serious songwriting and not the thrown together songs of repetitious beats and lifeless guitar rhythms I get tired of hearing, thus giving me respect for the band. The band doesn't have much for a discography but after this debut full-length, things should boost for them within the scene itself as they have the commodities for success." -- Ball Buster 8/01 A PLANET FOR TEXAS - "You Can Still Rock in America" - 13-song CD - DIA005 "Hell yeah, boy! This here is some cornfed punky-dunk with a weird -ass name. Kind of starts out different than where it ends up (in the punk style). They completely mule kick your ass in the first few tunes with some cow-flopping punk rawk; a very whoreful hoedown jitterslam barndance-a-thon. By the middle of the disk, they seem to turn a more melodious ear, harmonizing with each other while still keeping those punk chords fast and churning. A sound not unlike Tiltwheel, who fucking rule, so thumbs up there. This is a prime example of a band that has some good songs with nothing really standing out, but their energy in playing them makes you dig it. This thing just rocks!" -- Carbon 14 #18 "Fuck" He said as his jaw dropped. "These guys kill" This record is so much what I am into right now it's frightening. These guys have beat Out Cold as my favorite record this issue. Again it's that punk rock and roll thing that is driving the hipster's crazy this season, great up tempo stuff with excellent vocals and a shitload of attitude and intensity. Needless to say this made me smile and I ask you, is that such a bad thing? Get this now! {Tom CoreKill} -chickenfishspeaks "Damn. Here we go again, another new favorite band for Rob. I have a 7 inch from these guys, and loved it. This is the full length, and let me tell you, it REALLY ROCKS!! This is hard and heavy, driving pop punk. I can't put into words how good this is. I wish I had a big stereo system and about 6 of my rowdy friends and a couple cases of beer right now. I'd pop this in, and dance my fucking ass off!! Anthematic, sing-a-long, powerful, makeuwannastandupandjumparound punk rock! Pick this up, it'll be your new favorite band too." Uprising #9 "Fast, fast, fun and fun are four words to describe the sounds of A Planet For Texas's debut album. With influences like Johnny Cash, The Ramones, Descendents and the Supersuckers, APFT will show you what punk & roll is all about. The album has 13 songs about chicks, guns, motorcycles, drugs and booze--now if that doesn't say "summer party record" all over it, maybe you should retire soon." -- The Album Network's Virtually Alternative 7/00 "Holy shit, Batman! Another CD that totally fuckin' rocks! Think CLUTCH meets several various band members from other AmRep bands and this is the bastard child of that affair." -- Attention Deficit Disorder #10 BLACK LOVE / THE CREEPS - 2x2 Split 7" - DIA004 "The Creeps play sort of youth crew-ish hardcore for the song "Pig", with lyrics about inherited sexism. "Grease and bleu cheese run down your chin." Heh, heh, that's funny. I like the way it illustrates the degeneracy. "Indy Rock?" is a more metal tune, hell bent on bashing emo. I dig The Creeps. Black Love plays some pretty cool punk/drunk rock n' roll tunes." - Heartattack #27 DOGROCKET - "The More You Get, The More You Want" - 12-song CD - DIA003 "This disc further champions the noble cause of Rock Against Boring Music. Pretty much sums up power-pop in a nutshell. Make no mistake, however; the emphasis here is on power." -- Moo Magazine 12/96 SUPERSTAR ROOKIE - 3-song 7" - DIA002 "Superstar Rookie plays like a master at its select brand of punk-influenced rock. The songs are danceable and melodic but resistant to the trappings of bubble-gum pop." -- Rockpile 2/00 "Melodic, upbeat, poppy punk with a rough edge...they laid off the syrup and got the engineer drunk, so the production isn¹t so clean that they sound like the next wave of SoCal modern rock wannabes. I liked it." -- Maximum Rocknroll 3/00 A PLANET FOR TEXAS - "The Convent" - 4-song 7" - DIA001 "Fast, frenzied and furious, this belligerent band of obscene Ohio orangutans are an auditory roar of neutron bomb blastings. Punk n' roll rambunctiousness which cut a deep swath of blistering trenches within my ear canals, and left me weak-kneed and wasted, aching for more! Damn it, more!" -- Flipside 7/98 "This is awesome. It's poppy, but not in a (Screeching) Weasel or Queers sense--it's faster, and more raw, kind of like what would happen if Against All Authority lost the horns, decided to sing a bout girls, and added more vocal melody. A Dead Kennedys influence shows up in the song "Cow Tippin'", which is kind of funny and also is the only song not about girls or relationships (topics I never tire of). Very recommended--then again, I'm a sucker for this kind of thing--but only when it's done right, which these guys do." -- Punks Before Profits #4 |
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