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California ain´t Fun No more Compilation LP

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ALPHA MONIC#2 (ITALY) 2003 We love ALIEN SNATCH! Records! In fact they have produced the vinyl version of this cool compilation with Californian r'n'r bands, and they have added as bonus track a cut of Canadian punk rockers RADIO REELERS! Long life, my friends! Among others, these bands have been invited to the party with their unreleased songs: FLAKES, BOBBYTEENS, EASYS (new band with Rusty Quan!), FEVERS, BITCHSCHOOL, LOOSE LIPS… for a total of 13 songs… plus the bonus!! (Andrea Rota)

RAZORCAKE #11 (USA) NOVEMBER 2002 Here’s a compilation album put out by a German record label, that has all California bands. And the funny thing is, I live in California, and these German’s turned me on to some good shit going on in my own backyard. As a whole, this is mostly trashy rock’n’roll, but it’s got the right attitude and a lot of speed to back it up. Some of the highlights are songs by The Pinkz, Radio Reelers, The Stupor Stars, and Bitchschool. Perhaps best of all is the Bobbyteens cover of the Gears’ “Baby Runaround.” But really, there’s not a stinker on the whole album !(Sean Carswell)

HIGH HEELS SLUTS (BELGIUM) SEP 2002 I can't judge for myself cuz I've never been there yet, but hearing the whole caboodle featured on this one it seems to me California is a damn lotta fun! 13 California based units team up to increase your listening pleasure with for the major part previously unreleased songs. Some newer names are lined-up next to some familiar ones, styles range from dirty punkrawk to steaming R'n'R, but not a single one isn't worth its place on the bill. The BOBBYTEENS, LOUDMOUTHS, DEMONICS, BITCHSCHOOL, SUPERBEES, STUPOR STARS, REHABS, PINKZ,… they all succeed in giving me some pleasant shivers down my spine! Also available on cd, but you'd better pick up the vinyl edition, cuz otherwise you'd miss out on the terrific Radio Reelers bonus track. And that's something you'd really regret!!(wim)

UP YOURS (BELGIUM) SEPTEMBER 2002 ..the Alien Snatch! folks could set one out on the wrong foot since this is well indeed a pretty much based Californian punkR'n'Roll compilation. Allthough I'm not totally sure both THE REHABS and THE FEVERS could be pinpointed as California based. There's 13 tracks here from some of the current crop of bands that manage to maintain California on the punk and powerpop map. Bands like THE DEMONICS, LOOSE LIPS, THE BOBBYTEENS, THE LOUDMOUTHS and THE FEVERS should be known. Even THE PINKZ, BITCHSCHOOL and THE FLAKES might ring a bell to those 7" vinyl addicts outthere. And with THE EASYS, THE SUPERBEES, THE STUPOR STARS and THE RADIO REELERS you got the new units eager to belt out their specific varations of the wylde and wide perspecitive of the current punkrawk'n'roll range. Along with last years "612 Blues" compilation with the nowadays topnotch Wisconsin punkbands this AlienSnatch compilation is another fine goal to go for! (Bowy)

MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL # 229 June 2002 (CD) :  Yeah..no kidding... and we´ve gotta live here. We got freeway shootings, exploding meth labs(watch out), packs of rabbit pittbulls roaming urban areas, kids on drugs, parents on roller skates. It´s enough to make the grown man cry and ride rails to Akron Post-Haste. "California ain´t Fun No More.." is a fun filled compilatuion of (mostly) Bay Area ( our own´s Shane White´s LOOSE LIPS, motor-mavens the DEMONICS, FLAKES, the LOUDMOUTHS, EASYS, BOBBYTEENS, FEVERS) along with the PINKZ, REHABS, STUPOR STARS, SUPERBEES and the dearly departed BITCHSCHOOL. Note for Note, these bands are in the punk-garage-and roll camp, and will get your hair tossing, your toes tapping, your beer swilling and your brain twitchin (JH)

BLANK GENERATION (USA) JULY 2002 Licensed from Just Add Water Records, Daniel has gone and released a great comp on the format of choice, vinyl…green vinyl… Yeah/Yeah! The REHABS (thought they were deceased), FLAKES, STUPOR STARS(ex-Stallions, bitcccch!), Bitchschool, the Fevers, and more have been collected for a compilation for yr rock ‘n’ roll tutoring. What, did you think you could just slack off all summer? Fuck You! Get this record…bonus track too…you know you want it…maybe it’ll get you some sEx! (JD)

BLANK GENERATION (USA) JUNE 2002 (CD) Like most (smart) people, I hate comps. Most comps are a shitty label dude's way of either cashing in on a cheap trend, exposing the world to their roster of dirt ass bands, or releasing not hard to find versions of songs by bands who most people don't give a flying fuck about anyway, just because they can. I like to say that a label is only as good as its worst comp (actually I don't say that, but it sounds fancy). Thankfully, Mr. Jason Duncan, resident label dude of Just Add Water "Rock'n'Roll" Records knows all of this and has bestowed upon the world a comp which is very much worthy of your hard earned money. The comp actually has a theme (all bands are/were from California), from what I can tell all of the songs are unreleased, and every track is a winner. He's also elected to go with quality over quantity as it only has 12 songs in total.

The first reason why you need to buy this comp is because it contains my vote for "2002's song of the year so far" which would be "Ohio Express" by The FEVERS. I feel a little bit sorry for the other 11 bands on the disc (and there are some real heavyweights on it) because not one of them can even come close to the brilliance of The FEVERS. If you've heard their amazing Show! 7" on Lipstick Records, which contains some fab, trashed out, garage-power-pop, this song takes that same sound and makes it sound even sweeter. Full-blown dance parties have erupted whenever I've played the song. It's not really a slow song, but it's not fast either - it's just really damn catchy. On the power of this one song alone, their just released album on Alien Snatch has vaulted to top on my list of "albums which I need to own, like, now." The fact that The FEVERS (now based out of Minneapolis) have added Travis Ramin (SHORT FUSES, CANDYGIRL, TINA and the TOTAL BABES) has only added to my anticipation.

The next eleven reasons to buy the comp are as follows: Bitchschool do an amazing Nick Gilder cover, The Bobbyteens (Russell Quan appearance #1) do a dead on Gears cover, The PINKZ continue their tradition of covering poppy gems that have already been covered by other bands by doing "Last Night" by the SCIENTISTS, The STUPOR STARS contribute a rockin' garage scorcher as do The SUPERBEES, The FLAKES (Quan appearance #2) are solid, The EASYS (Quan #3) do their best poor-man's PATTERN impression with enough swagger to make it distinct and danceable in it's own way, and the LOOSE LIPS, REHABS, LOUDMOUTHS and DEMONICS don't disappoint either. Excellent.(JD)

SMASHIN TRANSISTORS (USA) JULY 2002 (CD) California, dude! Whenever I try to think of endless summer's and beautiful girls like the one's David Lee Roth and Brian Wilson wrote about I'm reminded then back to high school where if any had their eyes on moving to California was to attend Guitar Institute, learn how to do those divebomb licks and get in a band that does pay to play sets at Gazarri's. Hell, there was one bozo in High School who paid someone else to play an "Eruption" like solo for his application to the place. The guy who played the solo has gone on to be on of the top session cats in L.A. and the guy who paid for it ended up getting some rock skank knocked up and moving back here. She's bigger than a house and he manages a Wendy's. This gets rid of those bad thoughts and replaces 'em with racing slicks and cheeseburgers. Not in some dumb "Gearhead" bowling shirt way but like, y'know, CALIFORNIA! Songs that could've boomed outta Rodney On The Roq's program while sitting at a drive-in theater and sippin' Lemonade & Whiskey twenty years ago BUT WITH LOUDER GUITARS!!! Ya got the Pinkz covering the Scientists "Last Night" , The Bobbyteens check in with a version of the Gears "Baby Runaround" and Bitchschool de-do Nick Gilder's "Runaways In The Night." Being familiar with all the originals I can say that the takes her are pretty faithful but do have a modern spit to 'em. Those harmonies of the Pinkz always get me. Three bands here also feature Russell Quan (The Easys, Bobbyteens, the Flakes) and you know he's all about fun. The Stuporstars are here too. The Stuporstars are kick ass just for the fact that Rick Hall sings for them and he's hooked me up with loads of dirty mags through the years. The Demonics got one of their songs about undying love for Mopars in their usual Mike Love in the trunk of Lemmy's car style. The Fevers cap it off with a piece of rock hard bubblegum called "Ohio Express." The Superbees and Rehabs songs are pretty cool too. This is one of those compilations that is consistantly enjoyable. Ya gotta know how rare that is.(DM)

GERMAN

CHOKE (AUSTRIA) MAY 2003 Diese Comp kommt mit einem LP Bonus Track der RADIO REELERS, und auch der „Rest“ liest sich wie das Who-is-Who der Trash/RocknRoll Szene von CA.: LOOSE LIPS, BOBBYTEENS (mit einem Gears Cover), LOUDMOUTHS, die unglaublichen FEVERS und die noch un-glaub-lich-er-en BITCHSCHOOL (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HER NACH EUROPA!!!!!!!!!!!!), DEMONICS, zwei Russel Quan Bands: EASYS + FLAKES, dann PINKZ und schließlich noch die REHABS (gibt’s die noch?) und die STUPOR STARS. Brauchst du noch mehr? NA ALSO!

GREEN HELL(GERMANY) JULY 2002 Vinyl Lizenz Pressung der Just Add Water Compilation cd. Hier ist ein absolutes Who's Who der amerikanischen Underground Garage / Power Pop / 77er Rotz Punk Szene vereint: DEMONICS, Loose Lips, FEVERS, BOBBYTEENS, SUPERBEES, BITCHSCHOOL, Flakes, REHABS, STUPOR STARS, PINKZ usw. Die meisten Songs (Ausnahme: DEMONICS & LOUDMOUTHS) sind unveröffentlicht und vor allem die vermeintlichen Newcomer (SUPERBEES!, RADIO REELERS!) schneiden für mich mit am besten ab. Da darf man auf die Debüt Alben gespannt sein!! Alles in allem ein absolut lohnenswerter 13 Song Überblick, der aufgrund des durchgängig starken Ausgangsmaterials eher an ein privates Mixtape erinnert, als an die immer häufiger vertretenen und im Endeffekt nur zu reinen Promozwecken zusammengeschusterten Mammut Compilations vieler Labels.

JENZ BUMPER PRIVATE DIARY LINERNOTES #1 (GERMANY) 2002 Die erste Seite ist ziemlich perfekter Soundtrack für mein Leben (rauh,melodisch und es rollt, rock natürlich auch) und alles nur Hits und dann wird auch "Last Night" gecovert.Ganz groß. Geiles Cover, super Platte !

FLYING REVOLVERBLATT #23 (GERMANY) OKTOBER 2002 : Diese Vinylcompilation ist, ums gleich vorwegzunehmen, tatsächlich die mit Abstand beste der letzten Zeit im Punkrock Sektor. Geboten wird trashiger Punkrock der RIP OFFS Schule, grossmäuliger Action-Punk, Gearhead power punk, bratziger Girlpunk mit oder ohne Pop-Appeal rocknrolliger PROBLEMATICS-Sound, zeitgemäßer ANGRY SAMOANS und GO-GO´s Punk und oder eben nämlich also: LOOSE LIPS, EASYS, DEMONICS, PINKZ (!!), SUPERBEES (!!), REHABS, RADIO RELLERS, BOBBYTEENS (GEARS Cover), LOUDMOUTHS, FLAKES, STUPOR STARS, BITCHSCHOOL (!!), FEVERS. Gell ? Ganz gross und glücklicherweise meilenweit entfernt vom sogenannten "Cali-Punk" Etikettenschwindel

FRENCH

Dig It ! (France) # 26 SEP 2002 California Ain't Fun No More. C'est le titre de cette compil en vinyle par Alien Snatch pour nous autres Européens. Ben si justement, la Californie a l'air assez fun, en tous cas à en juger par les groupes qui figurent ici et qui doivent savoir installer une ambiance dans n'importe quel club de l'état : Loose Lips, Demonics (le méga-hit "Mopar Or No Car", déjà sorti en split single vite épuisé), Bobbyteens, Fevers (un inédit), Loudmouths, Pinkz, Superbees, Stupor Stars, etc... Beau tour panoramico'n'roll (& punk & pop...).

SPANISH

NDW ZINE / BLOODY MARY RECORDS (Spain) JAN 2003 Como todo el mundo sabe los discos recopilatorios suelen ser una puta mierda. Por lo general apestan. Y lo de los samplers de los sellos ya es de juzgado de guardia. Pero como siempre pasa, y esta es una de las cosas que seguro te ha enseñado tu padre, con las generalizaciones se producen injusticias. Esta es una de ellas porque este disco es muy bueno. Curiosamente de los pocos recopilatorios que se pueden salvar últimamente, tres tienen que ver con lugares concretos. El LP “Sympatetic sound of Detroit” con, lógicamente, Detroit, el imprescindible “920 Blues” con el estado de Wisconsin y este mismo disco con la soleada California. Y es que aparte de bonitas playas y rubias explosivas (eso es el paraíso que nos enseñan por la TV), California tiene, a tenor de lo oído, unas cojonudas bandas de punk/garage/rock"n"roll/powerpop. Editado originalmente por el sello californiano Just Add Water en formato CD, el sello alemán Alien Snatch ha tenido el buen gusto de sacar a la calle esta versión en vinilo con un fantástico tema extra a cargo de los RADIO REELERS. Repleto de temas inéditos (todos excepto dos) nos encontramos con grupos mayormente consagrados, alguno de ellos tristemente desaparecidos como el que abre el LP, los LOOSE LIPS del Sr Shane White con un tema de lo mejor de su cosecha llamado “Please girl”. Siguen los EASYS con una canción más punk que lo mostrado en su 7” de debut (ver crítica en este mismo número). Luego los DEMONICS nos dan un sorpresón con un maravilloso rock and roll muy bailable. Continúan mis adoradas PINKZ con una genial versión del “Last night” de los SCIENTICS. Para finalizar la cara A tres pildorazos de garage punk clásico y veloz a cargo de los SUPERBEES, los REHABS y los RADIO REELERS. La cara B se inicia con la delirante versión que hacen los BOBBYTEENS del clásico “Baby Runaround” de los GEARS. Los también fenecidos LOUDMOUTHS nos traen su punk rock tremebundo con un “Cum "n" go” que ya apareciera en el single split con los belgas HOT ROD HONEYS. Sigue el garage salvaje de los FLAKES, para dar paso a los grandiosos STUPOR STARS (próximo LP) con una gloria del punk al frente, Rick Hall (ex Stallions). Otro de los grupos desaparecidos son los BITCHSCHOOL (un gran single en Lipstick records) que aportan una increíble revisión del “Runaways in the night” de Nick Gilder. Para poner la guinda al pastel, nada más y nada menos, los FEVERS, que se despachan con un tema, “Ohio Express”, que pone la carne de gallina. También hay personajes tan emblemáticos de la escena californiana como Russell Quan que participa en este recopilatorio con tres de sus muchos grupos (EASYS, BOBBYTEENS y FLAKES) o la sin par Michelle Santamaría, ex LOLI AND THE CHONES, en proyectos como BITCHSCHOOL o PINKZ. Un manantial de buena música (Paco "Plan B")

ITALIAN

BAM MAG#2 (Italy) 2002 Non faccio mistero del fatto che secondo me il 95% (se non di più) delle compilations uscite a raffica in questi anni è decisamente inutile e spesso inascoltabile. Qui siamo dunque di fronte alla classica eccezione che conferma la regola: 13 bands provenienti dalla California, tutte davvero di ottimo livello, che spaziano dal garage-punk al power pop. Questa compilation è stata originalmente pubblicata in cd dalla Just Add Water, e viene ora ristampata in vinile (verde), con tanto di bonus track, dall'eccellente Alien Snatch Records, ormai etichetta di punta nel panorama punk-rock'n'roll europeo. Il disco si apre con un bel pezzo dei Loose Lips, band guidata dell'ex Rip Offs Shane White che mescola il garage punk al gutter rock. Le loro precedenti produzioni mi erano piaciute, ed anche in questo caso non deludono. Seguono i The Easys, nuova band di Russel Quan, con la grandiosa "Travel On", hard-rock'n'roll ispiratissimo e per me pezzo migliore del disco insieme a "Ohio Express" dei The Fevers.´Divertono sia i Demonics con "Mopar or no car", sia i The Pinks con una buona cover di "Last Night" degli Scientists. Il lato A si chiude con i The Superbees, la cui "You got me" mi ricorda i primi Hellacopters, con un discreto pezzo dei The Rehabs, e con la bella "Can't be my baby" dei Radio Reelers, in cui si sente chiaramente l'influenza dei Devil Dogs. Ottime anche le Bobbyteens (seconda apparizione di Russel Quan) con una riuscita cover di "Baby Runaround" dei Gears, e si difendono bene pure le Loudmouths con una tiratissima "Cum'n'Go". Russel Quan fa centro per la terza volta con gli ottimi The Flakes, una delle bands più divertenti degli ultimi anni, che rifanno (con buoni risultati) il vecchio, ipercoverizzato, classico dei Customs, "Long Gone".