The final part of the inventory clearout for what was to be my online punkzine, The Toxic Narcotic: A review of Bay Area New Punk behemoths, Complaints.
I've
got no complaints about the complaints*
wherein
tim demonstrates he really knows how to milk a bad joke....
To
use a cheesy, obvious opening: I've got no complaints about the
Complaints*. (Aside from, "Why the asterisk in the name? And
isn't there a capitalized definitive article in the name?" The
mark of quality in any rock 'n' roll band name is a plural name with
a capitalized definitive article: The Yardbirds, The Clash, etc.
Unless you're Buzzcocks or the Sex Pistols. But I digress....)
*ahem!*
As I was saying, "I'VE GOT NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS*!"
These San Franciscans, featuring refugees from the Swingin' Utters
and several other punk rock all-stars I can't remember off the top of
my noggin and am too lazy to open up a web browser to look up, just
issued (from what I can see) is a digital-only collection of four
vinyl EPs' worth of smashchord punk goodness from across their
history. It's as instantly classic and cohesive as Singles Going
Steady or High Energy Plan or any other long-playing
summary of previous shorter-playing highlights.
But
yes, I've got no complaints about The Complaints! (Whom I've just
decided to strip of their asterisk and grant them an honorary
definitive article, as their name's the only complaint I have with
them, as cool as it is, as it is!) I mean, they play punk rock
the way I like it: Taut, lean, stripped-down, as energetic as jumping
beans on a Jolt Cola-and-PixieStix bender, brimming with
post-Thunders lead work and imaginitive two-guitar arrangements. And
like the best vintage punk bands, they write high-wired, tough pop
songs that are perfect otherworld hit records without any mush or
wimp-factor. (A clue to their influences: The record closes with an
aggressive take on Slaughter And The Dogs' “Cranked Up Really
High,” minus the la-la-la's over the coda.) This could be 1977 or
2013 in The Complaints' world - it doesn't matter! This is young and
fresh and wired and electric, and sends you into bedroom pogo
hysterics that'll have the plaster fearing for its life! Isn't this
what all great punk rock's about, aside from sweaty live energy?
Nah,
I've got no complaints about Complaints*. (Alright! It's their name,
I'll use it! Jeeze....) Bad Decisions And Cheap Rewards: The First
Four E.P.s is as perfect a punk rock record as you'll find out
now. Even the sleeve art, reproducing the EPs' fronts in a grid,
looks perfect! If this were the old days and this on vinyl and I
still owned a turntable, I'd be spinning this smooth, same as I did
Never Mind The Bollocks and Singles Going Steady and
Generation X. Dig the new breed, dad....
(http://complaints.bandcamp.com/music
to download the individual singles and contact the band; digital LP
available at
http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Decisions-Cheap-Rewards-First/dp/B006W5HNGG/ref=sr_shvl_album_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1361756689&sr=301-5;
http://modernactionrecords.com/)
