Foulfellows – “Foulfellows Demo”
No one asked me my opinion, but…
Oh, wait. I do give my opinion almost every week. It’s what I do “for a living.”
That’s not right! I don’t get paid to do this!
But the word living is derived from the word “life.” Maybe your job is what you do to sustain yourself so you can do what you really want to do, so you can do what makes life worth “living” for you.
Which just might be your “real” life even if it’s not your “real” job.
So, I guess this is what I do for my living.
And no one asked me but…
I feel hardcore paints itself into a corner at times; too may rules, too much restriction. But it’s equally true, that when punk becomes too pop and sugary it becomes unlistenable to me.
But when whatever music loses its rawness, its realness, its edge and becomes too slick- (Unless we’re talking funk, James Brown get me on the good foot- GODDAMN!)- it looses me.
Foulfellows is a hardcore band. But their recording is lo-fi, loose and exciting. It’s more like experiencing a band in an underground place than listening to a studio recording.
And though I realize it may have to do with it being a demo, I would urge them to keep the sound captured here. It may not be perfect, but the way it resonates to me- it is!
There’s members of two of TNB’s favorite past local bands here- Dan, the singer from Honest John and Sean, the guitarist from Words Of Truth. So I’m not surprised that they cooked up something good.
In my opinion, that no one has asked- This is some pretty kick ass, old school hardcore- chock full of energy, aggression and spunk.
Have a seat and I’ll serve you up a sample:
Seven metal like sustained chords along with a tom-tom driven groove creates a great, garage/punk beat and that is how “Frostbite” leads off. But soon enough, the drums roll and speed ignites, while the guitar strings glides down and all hell breaks loose! We find ourselves in the chaos of a hardcore pit. “Thought this was the day of no more goodbyes, thought this was the day I’d tell no more lies…they said the burn inside would slowly subside, but you’re in the back of my mind.” The chorus is a headbanging metal groove, “Everyone wants to peer in, like watching a tiger in a cage. Morbid minds, sullen hearts, shaking me awake.” The engine kicks in again, bringing us back to the hardcore rush, once again. “Everyone wants to watch the train derail and who am I to blame?” You’ve got punk, metal and hardcore derailing, leaping off the given path, all colliding to create one fiercely, awesome song.
A rolling, surf/punk beat kicks off “Honestly,” a beat that would not be out of place on an early Dead Kennedy’s release. A bouncy, Bo Didley beat bashes below the hardcore harsh, vitriol of the vocals. “I thought we were brothers, but bloated leeches reveal themselves…now, I can put more bullshit to rest.” It isn’t bullshit when I say this has the pulse and intensity of an early Iggy Pop song and coming from me, that’s high praise indeed. This song has the bite of a rattlesnake clamping it’s fangs on your jugular.
With a “call to arms,” ringing guitar riff, worthy of a Stiff Little Fingers song, “Enemy,” attacks with a powerful surge like a lightening bolt erupting out of the sky, smashing straight into a high voltage tower. “Loser inside a computer screen, you can’t sign off when you see me.” Though, I feel these lyrics are directed, personally, towards me- I must admit this is an exciting, emotional, excellent tune. The last thirty seconds or so, ends with a metal breakdown. All while I was having a mental breakdown. But, thankfully, I somehow became clear headed enough to choose this song as my favorite, though, that’s a hard choice with such great tunes to pick from.
On their bandcamp they have tags of Oi and street punk but I’m not hearing that influence here. I am reminded of the band Haggard Bastard, but you have no idea who that is?
But labels are only useful to folks like me, people who, no one asks their opinion, but feel the need to describe others music to you.
But if you have ears you don’t need your eyes to read this. You should be able to feel the power and passion coming at you, like a locomotive with it’s breaks cut, barreling into you with the raw guts of pain and sorrow along with the exuberance and wildness of life and love.
And I’d much rather hear my music described as that than some lame term some academic thought up.
Which is why I love to hear music that is so wild and raw and with so much feeling, like the kind that Foulfellow’s music contains.
But, then, that’s if anyone would ask me…
(Slimedog)
