Pogopop's hunble opinion

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Pogopop's humble opinion " It is easy to find out defects, whichever stupid can do it, but only the higher spirits can see the qualities in the others because they are able to inspire to all the force of the human triumph". KLERM back to the main page

Here we'll write down what Pogopop think, what we are doing, and also your comments, reviews, your thoughts will be on this section, so please send me everything you want to be published here...in english of course, I'll do the italian translation (but if you know both, please, send me the 2 versions). Your reader will be from every part of the world, beginning from Italy, Australia, Sweden, USA, Andorra etc. etc. (go to see this site visitors statistic). If you like us to make a review on your demo, fanzine or on other musical stuff, please, send us a sample and we'll be happy to listen/read it, broadcast it and write a comment about it on this page. Hey Guys! I'll put the bands e-mail address or web site: write them, ask them their demo and SUPPORT NEW MUSIC AND YOUNG BANDS! More music we listen, more great music will be composed.


INTERVIEWS, SPECIALS AND GIG'S REVIEWS

23RD JUN 2004 : Johnny Ramone Has Cancer....
Guitarist was diagnosed four years ago Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone is in a Los Angeles hospital battling prostate cancer, according to his longtime bandmate, drummer Marky Ramone. "Johnny's been a champ in confronting this, but at this point I think the chances are slim," says Marky, who joined the Ramones in 1977 when Tommy Ramone left the band.
"John never smoked cigarettes, he wasn't a heavy drinker and he was always into his health," Marky continues. "It just proves when cancer seeks a body to penetrate, it doesn't matter how healthy you are or how unhealthy you are. It just seeps in and there's nothing you can do."
The fifty-five-year-old guitarist, born John Cummings, first learned of his condition four years ago and has undergone extensive chemotherapy.
"I've been getting so much email from people and from papers and magazines wanting to know what was up I had to take it upon myself to say something, because eventually John won't be in any condition to say or do anything," Marky says. "He went through many chemotherapy treatments. Some of it worked better than others. At this point [the cancer] has started to go into other areas of the body."
Widely acknowledged as the world's first punk band, the Ramones have lost two members in the last three years, with singer Joey Ramone's death in 2001 of lymphatic cancer and bassist Dee Dee Ramone's death from a drug overdose the following year.
Johnny Ramone retired from music following the Ramones' final tour in 1996, and, after more than two decades spent on the road, the Ramones
leader felt little temptation to continue playing.
"I was ninety-nine percent sure I was not going to come back and play," Johnny told Rolling Stone in 2001. "I was always open, but I didn't want to go back on tour under any circumstances. If they could have come up with an offer that I couldn't refuse for one week of jobs, somewhere in
the world, I would have thought about it."
Despite a poor prognosis, Johnny remains upbeat. "He seemed in good spirits the last time I saw him," says Marky. "He was talking about the positive things the Ramones accomplished: getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame [in 2002], how our music is being accepted at this point. It put a smile on his face. Knowing John, he'll fight this horrible disease to the end. Everybody is wishing the best and hoping the best. We'll stand by him."
COLIN DEVENISH (Posted Jun 15, 2004, Rolling Stone)
BLACKOUT MUSIC CORNER www.blackout69.tk

25TH APRIL 2004 : Press contact: rossana@goodfellas.it - NEW ALBUM FOR THE DEAD KENNEDYS! “Live At The Deaf Club” label: Decay Music Release Date: April 2004 The Classic west coast punk band return with new live album, recorded on March 3rd 1979 ( an evening that also included the Germs) with the original 5 piece line up at the legendary Deaf Club, an underground hall in the Bay Area that was used throughout the late seventies for many punk gigs and some performance art by the alternative scene of the time.
The last ever gig with the original 5 piece line up (inc. 6025 on guitar). Contains three previously unreleased songs, Back in the USSR (Beatles cover), Have I the Right (Honeycombs cover) and Gaslight (never before released DK original) all contained in an
exclusive digi-pack·Also includes “Back in Rhodesia” which was an early version of “When you get drafted” as well as a disco version of “Kill the Poor”·
This recording is a document of the entire set they played on that night·
Recorded at the legendary “Deaf Club” which was a big part of the San Francisco punk scene in the late seventies
TRACK LISTING
1. Kill The Poor (Disco Version)
2. Back In Rhodesia (Early Version Of “When You Get Drafted”)
3. Man With The Dogs
4. Gaslight (Previously Unreleased)
5. California Uber Alles
6. Ill In The Head
7. Straight A’s
8. Short Songs
9. Holiday In Cambodia
10. Police Truck
11. Forward To Death
12. Have I Got It Right (Honeycombs Cover)
13. Back In The USSR (Beatles Cover)
14. Viva Las Vegas

Dec. 29th 2003 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WONDERFUL BAND OF MAN OR..ASTROMAN? THIS WAS THE QUESTION I ASKED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE MAGIC MIRROR OF INTERNET...NO ASWER FROM THE MOAM? WEB SITE: THERE WAS NO UPDATE SINCE 2002 SO...WHAT THE MATTER? A BAND SPLIT UP? LUCKILY THE BAND TOOK JUST A BREAK DUE TO THE NEW PROJECT COCO, THE BAND BASSIST, IS CARRING ON: THE VEGENERGY! LET HAVE A LOOK OF THE ARTICLE ABOUT THIS GREAT COCO'S IDEA!

Street Renamed for Joey Ramone NEW YORK Dec. 1 2003 The Manhattan corner where the Bowery meets Second Street has been renamed Joey Ramone Place. Joey Ramone and his bandmates helped put CBGB on the cultural map, and his friends and fans from the legendary punk rock club have now returned the favor. The Manhattan corner where the Bowery meets Second Street was renamed Joey Ramone Place on Sunday, 2 1/2 years after his death from cancer at age 49. Charlotte Lesher, the mother of Ramones singer Joey Ramone, holds a sign that honors her son in	New York Sunday, Nov. 30, 2003. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)	"Joey was a true New Yorker," said bandmate Marky Ramone. "This honor today conveys what a monolith of talent he was."

all the pics,but the first,by MD Sullivan		see the clips by MD Sullivan

Kerrang 1st Dec 2001...

Roma 03dr November 2001: FAITH LEAP "Deep" Find here the first review of a Nu Metal demo of a Roma's band!! The late '90s american crossover culture of HC, rap, metal deeply affected the rock listeners and currently new metal bands are starting to come up in Italy too.
The Faith Leap's is a 3 tracks demo played with power and strenght that makes you feel Faith Leap's rage and restlessness (see also the CD cover).
Fast pace rhythms, a wall of guitar and drums feature the demo. The lyrics are all in english.
There are many influences from contemporary rock bands as Korn, Deftones, east coast HC and Seattle sound too, overall when the metal drop down in the emo and melodic moments.
The Faith Leap's demo is very good as far as the music, the instruments mixing and the editing. Actually the already good vocal potentiality must be developed still better.
Made these considerations, it must keep in mind indeed, that it is very difficult to build this sound barrier as well as the Faith Leap fully succeed to produce and above all in an anvironment, like that one of Rome, new to Nu Metal sound and lacking in NM references.
NERD GETS THE GIRL "Nerd gets the girl" 4 kids from Alberta, Canada, feature the excellent punk surf band of Nerd Gets the Girl. The album starts rampant with the first song "Beach Bum" that opens to the other 14 amusing tracks. The recipe is characterized by a blend of melody, chorus, garage and '60s style, Beach Boys surf with fast punk contaminations with a touch of Oi!.
The voice and the instruments are very well melted with the fast, melodic, lively waltz of a sound rich of ideas and winning intuitions. You will never be bored listening all the 15 songs of the album!
It could be indeed a Lookout production, a mix between Ramones (whom some pieces strongly are inspired), first Green Day and late Queers and Lagwagon tunes. A record directly bound to the tradition of the more successful punk surf of the past century.
A thrilling new for people who love the genre and a funny record for "no so into the punk rock" listeners.
BAD ASTRONAUT vs ARMCHAIR MARTIAN Split EP: Split EP featured by 7 songs written and interpreted mutually from these 2 from space bands!!! 3 Bad Astronaut tunes interpreted by Armchair Martian and 3 written by Bad Astronaut and sung by Armchair Martian. the last song, 17 years, is the result of a collaborative effort.
The split is released by My Records, the Lagwagon's leader (and member of the Bad Astronaut of course!) Joey Cape record label.
The two groups produced a honest and easy classic punk rock, no so original but very pleasant and catchy.
"Statler 2000" distinguished for its touch of country sound! For people who belove west cosat punk rock!!!
SCOTT GARTH Scott Garth: a really new sound for My Records label: emotionally acoustic and beautifully played album from the californian label discovery!
Scott Garth is a powerful melodic songwriter with such a dragging power rock style.
The self named debut album begins with "Cretin velour" that immediately impresses you: you'll find yourself singing it indeed. From the opener track to the last one the record passes troughtout fearsome rocking sounds to dreamlike atmospheres. All of it could remember the great slow songs of the Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dreams" or the Cranberries, PJ Harvey and Tory Amos poetic tunes. This is a luminous record.
The melodic and, at times,harsh voice, runs along the record with charme.
Undoubtedly Scott Garth is a great discovery for the Californian label and for all of us! An excellent power rock-pop record that could become also a classic in the future.
My Records demonstrated an opened and far-sighted mentality promoting all the good music without exceptions of styles or kinds.

Roma October 13th 2001: RAW ART MAGAZINE Since 1995 Raw Art has been one of the main open minded indie magazine about the Art and Music world. Now RAW ART has also become PROMOTION, BOOKING, CONCERTS, PRESS OFFICE, TALENT SCOUT and MANAGEMENT!
The magazine will work along with VENUES, to organice live performances,RADIO, BANDS and LABELS (indie&major), taking care of the Press-Office of some Labels, dealing with the dispatch of the record exits near all the media (Magazines, internet, radio, clubs, etc.), that they have selected in a detailed way with the purpose to get in sectors contemplated Articles, Reviews, Interviews, Study-reports, News, Insertions in Compilations, television Passages, etc.
A RAW ART web site will be soon on line and currently these are the magazine contacts: RAW ART PromoAgency, DANIELE BADURSI- Via Camerino 1 75020 MARCONIA (MT) ITALY, mobile: 339-8535297 E-MAIL rawart.mag@tiscalinet.it
Roma 28th april 2001: The NOTHINGS "LOVELY" Punk'77, pop, emo core and overall a great, smashing, healthy and truly ROCK and ROLL feature the second The Nothings' album. The band from Los Angeles amazed us 2 years ago with their debut album "A lot to learn" produced by Steve Jones, unforgettable Sex Pistols guitarist, and, again in 2001, they are back along with the running rampant "Lovely".
It is clear how, the flaming previous skills, realized and developed here at the best, giving rise to a mature, experienced, complete work,full of ideas, styles, and shadings that overlap and flow together in the same and unique sound.
No doubt: The Nothings sound is unmistakable and one of the most original in the international punk rock scene. You can feel the "Sex Pistols gosth", but it is a slight and subtle presence.
With "Lovely" the 3 piece unit from California revitalize the punk rock music, currently flattened on the funny Blink 182 or easy Zebrahead style. A reopening punk rock speech that watches to the past, projecting it towards one new concept of punk, richer of sounds, filled with rock.
In "What went wrong", the first track, the rhythm is close to Bill Hailey and its "Rock around the clock" tempo. You will surprise yourselves to think to dance while listening to this song. Excellent also the second piece "Addicted too": emo power rock! Amusing "I Love women" and still fast pace punk rock' n' roll in "Talk behind your back", and in "We're all gonna die". The rhythm slows down in "That girl's a slut" and in "Look insane". Remarkable the last two tracks: "The end" and "Born alive dead".
"Lovely" collects, matching them together finely, punk' 77, hard rock '80, as AC/DC taught, and seminal rock infuences.
The album will be released the june 5th, but, in the meantime, you can book it on both www.amazon.com or on Galaxy records web sites. DON'T LOSE IT!!!!!
Roma 11th march 2001: A.A. "FOR WILD DANCERS ONLY" Wolverine Records, a german record label from Dusseldorf, released one of the most crazy and funny compilation of the last years. 16 speed and full of pace tracks devoted to only wild and mad dancers!!!! original songs and covers are blended in this mega mix giving an hard sensation of fun and life! the punk rock version of "Help", the famous Beatles hit, will leave you amazed! a rude, without restrains version played by The Punkles...you will not resist it! you'll listen again and again for more than 20 times...but also the hard core interpretation of the R.E.M. "Losing my religion" performed by The Bullocks and the '40s boogie version of Billy Idol's "White Wedding" are prodigious!!! Look for a copy of "For Wild Dancers Only" as soon as possible, because it is a MUST! You can't loose it!
SMOG "Demo 2000" Eighties atmospheres with electronic pop affections and a bit of blues and funk feature the italian band Smog's debut album. The group from Bologna concentrated its own creative strength in these 9 new songs, all in italian, giving rise to "Demo 2000": a collection of the last years production.
"30 fotogrammi al secondo", the first track, better gives the idea of Smog's sound: new wave-pop music with a lot of recent past feedback,starting from first Litfiba. Smog have the same Piero Pelu', Litfiba lead singer until 1999, vocal deepness and theatrical way of sing.
"Ego", the song I prefer most, completely instrumental, has an electronic and soft ongoing, as last Goldfrapp and Air, rich of surreal atmospheres.
"La Foresta",rich of vibrations, with obsessive and dark feelings is another interesting song. Did they inspired to the Cure "A Forest"? Totally lost souls sensations and loneliness are mixed in this very '80s rock tune. "Sex.com", in double version, original and remixed, is about the new sex and love concepts. Often just virtual feelings that leave you frustration and morbid thoughts. Electronic and melody are blended again... 'Sognami' is about evil obsession and possession. The music reminds me the old Depeche Mode sound.
The Smog have a heavy '80s nostalgia along with a strong tension toward futuristic music.

Roma 04 marzo 2001: Zero Down "With a lifetime to pay" the Zero Down's debut album it is made of pure punk rock, eighties sound, without contaminations. The band from Los Angeles area is a three mebers line up coming from other punk rock experienced bands as Strung Out, Down by Law and Pulley. It is the classic Californian punk trio: bass, guitar and drums.
The album, 13 fastest and intense pieces, is opened by "The way it is", a song with several alternated times and sound variations in a Pennywise/Unwritten Law style. It is about keeping the faith towards own principles, even if the life has taught that the single person can not save the world alone because "The way it is". A kind of oldschool hard core version of the Cat Stevens's "Father and Son".
The fourth track is excellent: "Empty promised land" is very "Stranger than fiction" Bad Religion style! but you can feel the affection of the glorious BR in various songs as in the seventh track "Everybodies Whore", in the ninth "Temptation" and in the beautiful "Self medication".
A Fat Wreck album that sounds very early '90s Epitaph! If Brett Gurewiz had worked over I would not be surprised: backing voices, drums, lyrics, all very original and never banal, the way to sing are typical of the bands that gave rise to the modern punk rock. The rhythm sometimes remember that one of the early hard rock/metal groups. A very good album, an old school HC classic record rich of sonorous ideas. No doubt: it will amaze many aficionados of the first generation punk rock.
Diesel Boy "Rode hard and put away wet" What that means? it is a term used in horse racing, but it also could sounds as a doulble entendre title with a second meaning. Diesel Boy are used to make such kind of tricks and actually I really don't know what they really meant!
The truth is that the fourth recorded work for Diesel Boy runs easy and it drives away thoughts, blowing minds... It ranges between emo pop punk and the NOFX Fat Mike style.
You can hear, infact, the presence of Ryan Greene in the record production: he has worked with groups like NOFX, Dance Hall Crashers, Fenix TX, Nerfherder and Lagwagon.
Fast songs, nearly HC, alternated to soft and easy ones and there is also a slow romantic ballad "Waltz of disappearing girl". 15 pleasant flowing tracks to listen to. They don't always run rampant, otherwise undoubtedly are rich of sense of humor and "Rode hard..." will amuse you a lot.
Diesel Boy is the classic band to see alive, because this is the dimension they give their best, thanking also to a long gigs experience touring the whole world.
Rome 25th february 2001: Straightfaced "Pulling Teeth" Oldschool hardcore with a metal groove: in this way it can be defined the style of the third Straightfaced's album. No doubt, the band from Huntington Beach, after a past hard core roots, clearly evolved towards a crossover style, in which the limits between HC, " new metal " and
punk are very, very thin... indeed, they are stirred in a continuous gradient of music!
The great band strenght is the every line-up element ability to very well play their own instruments (and in particular the lead guitarist Dave Tonic), running away from the straits schemes of few chords and making themselves tempt from the metal scales and riff.
The first part of "Pulling Teeth", from "Happy" to "Just like you", passing trought the wonderful "Impression", it is clearly affected by the new sound formulation, while the second part, "Disappointed" is a good example, returns to the roots of HC.
Perhaps someone, above all the most radical HC fans, will not be appealed by this new carried out style... but it must say that the "new metal" contaminations don't make "Pulling teeth" similar to none of the several Korn, Snapcase, Powerman 5000, Quicksand and companions jobs... indeed, to my opinion, it gives a new breath to the oldschool atmosphere.
Beyond the composite musical blend, the lyrics of "Pulling teeth" have hit me a lot too. Lyrics in which the personal problems shouted with strong expressions of disappointing, hate and resentment, are mixed with social points of view ("Fuck your scene"). An excellent HC album, maybe the one of the adult age, nor thought or created as a consequence of "Conditioned", the Straightfaced's 1998 release, since it brights of its own light.
Roma 18th february 2001: The Chimney Sweepers "What do you wake up for?" The Positive Crew records, a young and stylish record label from Monza (a city close to Milan), the same of the "Milano HC" compilation, releases the first album of this young band. The Chimney Sweepers, wrote 12 tracks all in english, showing all their passion for the NoFX ska core style. They introduce us to their first musical experience with a great instrumental song,"About Us", rich of breaths and sonorous ideas.
"What do you wake up for" keeps on melodic hard core conductor wire, lively modulating the ska rhythms speed and inserting sometimes (as in the intro of "Boring town") some sixties contaminations.
The 12 tracks level is high and in particular "Wrong addressed thoughts" (in californian style), "Pretend to be the same", with great guitar and bass lines even if it should be improved the lyric metric, "Not only hard core", short, hard, fast and funny, and "6 feet under" distinguish among all the songs.
No doubts! this is a fine played and recorded album, made with passion and style. The Chimney Sweepers should just avoid to strictly follow the ska core schemes in all the songs, thing which does not exalt the wealth of ideas and the skills that the group demonstrates to have in more occasions.
The band, to my opinion, should more experiment, exceeding the ska core rules and freeing their fantasy.
In synthesis,however, a good debut album that leaves us good hopes for the future.
Roma 04 febbraio 2001: CHUPACAPRA "Innocent Vision" Chupacapra is a monster, like a yeti, that scares the native populations of mexican inland... if I'm not wrong, it feeds itself with its victims blood.
In Italy we have a similar specie that appears in various concerts as three entities: guitar, drum and bass.
The band formed two years ago but it is an experienced group. Infact part of the Chupacapra line-up is from Raw Power, a famous HC italian band (to give you and idea they played with Circle Jerks, Adolescents, D.O.A., Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, Dead Kennedys).
"Innocent Vision", their first demo, is featured by 5 tracks, all in english.
The powerful, fast and dragging style runs rampant. We can define Chupacapra as a crossover band, very grunge with punk/HC contamination and also with '70s dinosaur rock sound, overall in the guitar riff (listen to "TV Guide" and "Ready to Destroy"). I actually see some funky rhythms as in the last Rage Against the Machine album.
"Innocent vision" shows a very original style, with great melodic and rhytm ideas.
The sound should be more compact, homogeneus, the voice should be better blended with the rest. I think it is due to the recording quality. Anyway, the demo is of very good and high level.
It excells the 5th track "Zombie Fuckers": you will listen to it for 10 times in continuous. It drags a lot. The drum and bass intro is very expecial. If you have the chanse, go and see them live, I'm sure you'll have a blast.
Rome 20th january 2001: C64 "?Syntax Error" C64 are 4 young boys from Rome, clearly inspired to the most famous computer of the '80s. 8 original tracks, hidden track included, and 2 Ramones cover sung with all their soul, feature their first demo "?Syntax Error".
It is easy to listen to very flat punk rock demos but C64 are instead really original and young professional musicians. These four kids, vocal, bass, guitar, drums and several effects, clearly punk rock and emo-core fans, got to mix the Green Day and Ramones style with the pop, italian, high level, melodic tradition.
This killing blend gave a very versatile, easy listening, speed and funny record. You may feel that inside "?Syntax Error" there are two souls: a punk energetic fresh attitude, that gives the run rhythm, and a pop-melodic mind that makes the songs catchy and straight. If those attitudes were shared C64 likely would have composed very trivial pop or punk music. The "?Syntax Error"'s strength is this happy union. Four tracks are in english, the most punky, and four in italian. All the songs have good and several ideas, like strange effects as C64's noises (like Man or Astroman?). The tracks we liked most are: "Loser", "Alone", "Normalità" and "Lasciami Giocare". In particular, "Normalità" is a potential hit.
A funny clip about the demo making, completes "?Syntax Error" even if it is maybe too long. Pogogop is sure that if C64 will keep walking on the versatility way, they will have the success they deserve!
Bad Astronaut "Acrophobe" on february 5th 2001 Honest Don's will release the Bad Astronaut's first album/ep (10 tracks sold as an EP). The band name and the record cover immediately gave rise to a big curiosity about this strange group. Are they a new space-rock band? are they like Man or...Astroman? or Servotron? No actually Bad Astronaut have been in the californian punk rock scene for years! starting from Joey Cape, the singer, one of the Fat Wreck style maker and leader of Lagwagon, Marko 72, bass, who played with Nerfherder and Swingin' Utters, then Derrik Plourde, drums, ex Lagwagon member too: they are all punk rock experienced.
As you start to listen to "Acrophobe", you may hear an heavy Lagwagon track, but this is just the first impression. What makes Bad Astronaut interesting is the way they improved and enriched the punk rock base with several instruments, as cello and keyboards. The new sounds inclusion gave a more pop-melodic atmosphere to "Acrophobe" in comparison to the old Lagwagon albums. This was the band goal: start from the punk rock roots to dive into a new style, more melancholic and mature, freely inspired to the first Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Jawbreaker, Bad Religion sounds. They play also an Elliot Smith cover, "Needle in the Hay".
It is important to stress out the interesting lyrics: pictures of daily violence, alienation, sorrow, and metropolitan grey atmosphere. "Grey Suits", is a very good track, in a Bad Religion style with keyboards addition. "Greg's Estate",the first song, has a very heavy lyric with a punky melody, "Logan's Run", the last but one track, has several tempo and rhythm changes. You need to listen to this album many times to completely appreciate it.
Roma december 29th 2000:: Marigold "Demo 2000": nowadays grunge is no more in fashion... its explosion at the beginning of the '90s brought its self-destruction around 1995 and since then it needs so much courage for a band to follow the same way of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Melvins, Mudhoney and company!
Grunge is dead? Or it is still burning below its ashes? We should say that in Italy, Marlene Kuntz and the younger Verdena have a grunge pose and attitude. But they are not the only ones. In the italian alternative underground scene different enraged and vengeful new grunge fires are coming up... it is now possible to listen to several concerts and see many leaflets about new bands with Seattle attitude, like Marigold, young group from Ascoli Piceno (a little city in middle Italy) formed in 1999.
Their self produced demo is featured by three tracks all in english. "Mucid" the first and "My Cunt (mama cared a lot)" the second one, are very classical grunge songs: the voice, the guitar distortions and strumming, the bass line, the drums rhythm along with the lyrics about alienation are pretty Nirvana-esque. Marlene Kuntz and Pearl Jam affected Marigold too. "Ode to myself and to my diaper", the third song is different from the first two. It is a slow and sad ballad that reminds the last Metallica production, and this is, in my opinion, the best song.
Marigold have a good creative and lyrical skills and if they will develop their own personal style leaving back their musical idols, I'm sure they will emerge in the future. If you dream the Seattle sound you'll like Marigold!

Roma december 28th 2000: FiloRitmia "FiloRitmia":due to seven years of hard and fine work this is the first Filoritmia's autoproduced album. The five musicians band started to play in 1993; they improved their style with a long period of live performing, playing their stuff and covers of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Goblin and Premiata Forneria Marconi, famous international progressive rock bands of the '70s. In the year 2000 Filoritmia decided to enter in studio and collect all their energy and ideas to register this album. The record, in an extremely accurate and thought way, assembles in its ten tracks all the band from Milan emotions and creativity. You have just to observe the cd cover and the lyric's graphic to understand how much love and passion were put in this work.
If the "Filoritmia" has in general a psychedelic and progressive rock attitude, moreover contamination and affections are many. It depends not only on the tracks you are listening to, but also on the instruments you are following.
You can find in the general '70 rock kneading, several baroque features, that I'm sure the power metal lovers will appreciate a lot (in particular in "Questo Inferno", "Il Mago", "Dirti di No" and in the guitar strumming as in "La Mappa del Tempo"), but also blues sounds (overall the bass line), jazz ("Fiato sul Collo" and the keyboards), funky/fusion ("Rapporto Occasionale", "La Mappa del Tempo") and reggae too (Dirti di No). The singer voice ranges among several rock sounds being very versatile.
A classical keyboard intro, very romantic as a Chopin-esque one, open one of the more complex tracks of this album: "Questo Inferno". A medley among the dark Simonetti's sound (Simonetti is a very famous horror movie soundtracks composer) the Iron Maiden (in the fast guitar scale), fusion and rock.
No doubt about it: this is an excellent and evolved job. This album is devoted to "hard" listeners. I'm sure not only '70 rock progressive lovers but also power metal listeners will like "Filoritmia".
Roma december 27th 2000: Brigante Rouge"Il Filo di Rame": recorded in only 48 hours, "Il Filo di Rame" (The copper wire) is the first album of Brigante Rouge, a band from Tuscany. This demo is featured by 9 new tracks, all in italian, played by the four members line-up (two guitars, bass and drum). Their music can be put between the classical and the experimental rock.
Since the first song "Naïf", one of the best in the album, stand out the bass line: the dark and clear sound of this instrument gives to all the 9 tracks a clean rhythm base and a great melodic line. The bass sound along with the lyrics excels. Several changing of tempo in the same track and the guitar distortions enrich Brigante Rouge's music (listen the second track "Fetide Dolcezze"!). Bass, guitars, drums and the voice are all well mixed, that is even if this is a demo, all the band members are real musicians. Researched, fine and original sounds and melodies and sharp, poetic and, at the same time, simple lyrics, as pictures of everyday life, characterize this album. The Brigante Rouge style, just to give you an idea, are close to the italian alternative rock bands as Marlene Kunz, CSI (ex CCCP), as the Consorzio Suonatori Indipendenti (CSI)'s production, with some evolved pop ("Tra le mie coperte verdi", the sixth track) and mittel european '80s punk contamination (Diaframma and Litfiba). "Il Filo di Rame" remind how copper is a simple and cheap metal and at the same time so efficient as an energy conductor... the band look for the same goal, and with their clean, essential and edited rock, get to transfer their own musical and creative ideas.
Roma december 26th 2000:Tank Records"6:6:6": Tank Records, USA indie record label (from New Bedford, MA, exactly), recently released "6:6:6" a 3 bands split. 18 tracks, six each bands. There are two american groups Smackin'Isaiah and Merrick along with a very good band from Austria: the Moronique. Moronique just stood out in the HC Punk austrian bands compilation "Mosh Pit" issued in 1999. In this split they confirmed again themselves as a band to lookout for. Their style is close to the No Fun at All, Millencolin and overall to the JawBreaker one (a no more playing band: their "Dear You" of 1995 remains a great example of emo-punk rock), between emocore and classic punk pop. These pretty young guys from Austria excel also for the particular voice of their singer, Zoza, which follows their melodies quite well in a little bit melancholic perfect californian style. "Belong" "Hollow" "Elevated" are all very good songs. They drag the listener with catchy and well mixed tunes. No monotonous but featured by several musical and rhythms ideas characterize Moronique's themes. Moronique are the best among the three bands of the split, even if also Smacking Isaiah and Merrik offer a good punk rock with core contamination too. A must for who is thirst of punk and derivative novelties!
You can't loose also the Tank's compilation "Songs about Chicks: an ode to the fairer sex"...
All the Tank production is very interesting as the compilation "Songs about Chicks: an ode to the fairer sex" containing 27 bands. The compilation is featured by several punk rock styles from HC to punk rock, ska, surf, and classic punk pop. Again in "Songs about Chicks..." Moronique excel with their "Dandelion" but also The Rx Bandits, Riverfenix, Catch 22, Belvedere and Punchline will capture your attention with their fine tracks! They are likely the Green Day/Offspring/ Blink 182 of the future. Ask for the compilation: it is very cheap and it deserves to be listened by your ears!!
Another very very special and unique compilation is "Emerging bands made in Japan" issued by Fish the Music, a japanese alternative label. This is a pretty versatile collection of several japanese bands: the styles range from punk rock (BUNGEE JUMP FESTIVAL),to core (FUJIN) and grunge/cross over (Downy), to surf (THE SURF COASTERS), blues (EGO-WRAPPIN'), and acoustic (Rika Shinohara), to R&B (SLYTRAIBS), pop punk (SWOOSH), emo core punk (10 FEET) and to alternative rock (TOKYO ROMAN GAKUDANT). All is sung in japanese and english.... excellent! there are great tunes of high quality at the same level of well known international bands but featured by a Japan's touch of originality and style. It is like a manga, you can feel the same emotions: strength, violence, romanticism, kindness and sadness characterize all the 10 tracks. I can assure you that "Holy Wild Flowers" of Swoosh, "Planless" of 10 Feet and "Cyclone" of The Surf Coasters will surprise you! DON'T MISS IT!
Fat Wreck at the end of october released the Less Than Jake's new album "Borders and Boundaries". the fifth full length record of Vinnie's band (founding member in 1993, drummer and main lyricist of the band). 15 new pure punk tracks, but not only punk. Songs are much various in comparison of the previous ones: punk rock mixed with ska rhythms and metallic sounds. "Look what happened (the last time)" the special single issued for the radios, well represents the eclectic line of "Borders and Boundaries".
Always under the protective wings of the Fat Wreck, Sick Of It All, (the myth: SICK OF IT ALL!!!!!!!! Great both live and on record!) released "Your Friendly" on november 20th. They dedicated it, as you can argue from the title track, to all the fans of this famous NYC hard-core band. Dedicated to the ones who, during all these years, pogoed, yelled the lyrics with raised arm and jumped under their stage: it is dedicated to the ones who brought the hard core's kings to the triumph, supporting them during these years. 16 new songs in their 6th work, which doesn't leave any doubt on the band's ability to product always wonderful tracks, very rich of ideas and musicality. "Blown Away", "America" (my fave one) and "Turn me Back", the songs you can find on the radio promo CD, are original and built up on a basis full of raw material, with ideas and compositor skill. You never get that impression of "already listened", of bore, they never pull together the usual 3 chords assembled carelessly. Anger, alienation and a lot of energy fill "Your Friendly", and Lou with his mates knows how to transmit these sensations in the better way. Pure hard-core & HC/punk rock alternate during all the record, making it very original and evolved in relation to the 5 previous albums. Don't miss them live!
Roma november 12th 2000: NEWS!!! It is out the first volume of "Punk Generation" from AgitatoRecords, italian punk rock label: 71 punk songs on 2 cds at cheap price! Agitato Records it is also looking for new bands call them to 39 0349 4254224or click on: www.succomarcio.it . "The PUNK'zine" abot punkrock, poppunk, streetpunk, punk'n'roll, punk hardcore and more is coming out along with "Italia PUNK 2000" 25 tracks from 25 italian punk bands! Write to BE WHAT YOU ARE! RECORDS c/o BASSEL BAKDOUNES VIA PRIULI 1 31030 CASTELLO
DI GODEGO TV, Italy.
Meat for Dogs, very good punk pop band from Italy, are back in studio to record a cover of Radio Birman that will be included in a compilation "WHERE THE ACTION IS" dedicated to the australian band. The record liner-notes will be written by mr. DENIZ TEK!!!
BAD RELIGION collected in a CD ROM "ART by BR" (All Rare Tracks by Bad Religion) 250 rare songs available HERE only during November. A CD-ROM with ALL the rare tracks by Bad Religion. ABSOLUTELY ALL OF THEM: 250 tracks (around 10 hours of music) in MP3 format. The CD ROM contains: rare songs ,B-sides, demos,cover songs ever recorded by Bad Religion, like the famous Christmas songs (all versions), hard-to-find tracks, 60 odd covers of Bad Religion songs played by more than 30 different bands, the whole Into The Unknown album, the original LP that is out of print since 1983, great live performances from 1982, The Seeing Eye Gods EP, five songs from Brett Gurewitz, interviews of the band,and it includes also high-quality, larger-than-the-original SCANS OF ALL THE ARTWORK (covers, backcovers, etc.) from all the CDs and LPs used, and the LYRICS TO ALL THE SONGS.....
FISH THE MUSIC.COM the japanese altenative rock label just starts the New Campaign "Win Emerging Bands in JAPAN CD" . FISHTHEMUSIC.COM prepares 50 copies for Free Sampler CD of 10 bands: BUNGEE JUMP FESTIVAL [CORE], Downy [Alternative], EGO-WRAPPIN' [Adult Alternative], FUJIN [PUNK] Rika Shinohara [Acoustic ROCK], SLYTRAIBS [R&B] SWOOSH [POWER POP], 10 FEET [MELODIC CORE] THE SURF COASTERS [SURF ROCK], TOKYO ROMAN GAKUDAN [Alternative ROCK]. Don't miss the Japanese Bands of Cool Taste.
The roman punkpop band C64 recorded 2 Ramones cover and put them on their website.
LIBRA, post rock band from Venice, is working on their new album that will likely be recorded with the help of Geoff Turner. Crash, punk rock hard core italian label, announces tha the Unwelcome recorded for Attack Rec., canadian label. the album will be released in USA and Canada next 15th December.
Rome october 29th 2000:Toretta Stile"Italia Canta": it is difficult to define what Toretta Stile is: we could say it is a great party, the biggest in Rome, and also a great moving disco, which generally takes place the night before holidays or before sundays, since I don't know how many years! Led by Luzy L. and Corry X.,the 2 Toretta Stile's creators DJs, it has become a tradition renewed every year in Rome. Toretta Stile is a volcanic energy and youth core, it is a total blast...when you get into the party you are sucked back by tons of dancing people (an average of 4000) having fun... all ages girls and boys, from all social classes, casually dressed and without poses or special targets: a pure and truly fun! Bruce La Vella, Head of Toretta Stile Public Relations Office, gets to describe the Toretta's atmospere better than me. Here it is the mail he sent to Pogopop after the 21st october 2000 performance at Palacisalfa in Roma: "Dear Pogopop, We inform You that last night an attendance of nearly 4000 made the Palacisalfa extremely hot, it's been one of those to be remembered in years. People sang to the loudest volume possible and even the walls kept on dancing for about 6 hours, there have been many different and continuous "mementum" of real acme. Top ones of the night have been a tremendous partecipation to nearly all the 60's, then Rocky saw the show of some tens of persons standing on their friends shoulders or hands during all the song, then it's been announced the forthcoming Halloween at Forte Prenestino that has been acclaimed as it deserves. Cartoons (old and new), punk rock (Ramones e No Fx superstars of the selection) plus devo-almond-depeche and many electrics including also strong contemporary rock like Hole or Guano Apes or Marylin Manson made the rest. The final song has been "Birthday" from the Sugarcubes of early icelandic superstar Bjork. With our regards Bruce La Vella".
   To celebrate and taste these dragging nigths it has been released in these days the first volume of 3 compilations, "Italia Canta", all dedicated to Toretta Stile music (Extra is the label with Virgin distribution). It has been an hard work for the 2 DJs to obtain the permission to issue these 19 tracks, all italian, which give you a good hint of Toretta Stile's experience. These 19 songs are a sweet memory for people who knew the 70s and 80s italian TV's shows and rised up in front of the early japanese cartoons and the "spaghetti westerns" movies.
    This compilation is a close past hits collection: "Lambret Twist" of Quartetto Cetra, "La partita di Pallone" of Rita Pavone, "L'uomo tigre" of Riccardo Zara (Cavalieri del Re), "Maledetta Primavera" of Loretta Goggi, "Amore Disperato" of Nada, "Eccezziunale veramente" of Abatantuono, just to quote some songs. These simple and catchy oldies nowaday entertain all ages people, the younger too.
   "Italia Canta" resume a part of recent italian history, written by these simple popular songs. Pop songs that seemed to have had a short life and then dropped in the oblivion. The truly good DJs make out from the mass for their skill to search and purpose what the other are not able to think. They know how to find the good side of every record and they mix music changing the standard approach to the tracks. The sharp experimentation is the bases of the Toretta Stile's success, reached devoloping the fingers muscles exploring between the old LP and 7". If you are planning to hit Rome don't forget to attend one of the Toretta's parties, here are the dates. The compilation price is 29900L.,15 euro.
NEWS!!! Shandon recently recorded 3 new tracks, a new version of "Sweet dirty girl", the Culture Club "Karma Cameleon" cover and "Ash". These songs will be included in the next single "Janet". "Janet" will be also a videoclip. You will find this stuff in stores from november.
PHP young HxC band from Milan played as Cro Mags, NY HxC group, support band, during their recent tour in Italy. PHP gained a lot of good reviews from specialized press for their live performance. Go and read about it at thePHP web site! es, a very good post melodic rock band, changed their mail address, the new is al_es@libero.it, while the web site it is always at: www.esnaif.cjb.net.
The punk pop band Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti will release their new ep "Il principe in bicicletta" on october 31st, the day of Halloween. The single "Francesca ha gli anni che ha", excerpted from this ep, will have an half cartoon, drawn by El Tofo, and half acted by 3 dead happy funny boys with a pumpkin, video. This new video will be in two version: one original and one ironically censored by the band for MTV. Visit the Tre allegri ragazzi Morti web site at www.treallegriragazzimorti.it
Rome 02nd october 2000: NEWS!!! the 4th of october, on the italian musical TV TMC2 at 9.00 pm , will be broadcasted the Green Day' showcase in Milan, at the Dee Dee's Dinner recorded last 19th september. The PHP, famous hard-core band from Milan, will edit in the early october, their new 7'' "INCOMPLETODISORDINE" by GOODWILL RECORDS, 5 new furious hXc tracks. They will be also the support band of the hystorical New Yourk HxC band Cromags, who are real PHP's fans!!!!. For info write to php@interfree.it or to hamsters@tin.it Raffaele "Er Batteria" updated his web site "Er Batteria Production Punk Rock Page", with GAMBEdiBURRO and The SHITS info, lot of new Links and Real Audio. Went out also the GAMBEdiBURRO cd: to listen to it click here The Offspring's new single, "Original Prankster" is downlodable at their site. You can also win $1,000,000, doing this...well I don't believ it!!! .On November 14th, their new record "Conspiracy Of One" is released.
www.punkadeka.net, was updated with new international and italian MP3, comments about the Indipendent day (Punk vs Blink?), Green Day, Succo Marcio!, biography of italian and international punk rock bands, Indipendent Day's pics and with records news. SuperSonic RefrigeRecords is PUTTING OUT a new Groovie Ghouliessingle: "Vampire Girl", a 7" picture disc from this rocking punk rock band. Succo Marcio added on their site pics from their performance with the Green Day. NEWS from LOOKOUT! RECORDS: LOOKOUTis proud to announce some new additions to their roster: kittens! The hapless creatures have prompted some acts of office heroism worthy of a re-enactment on "Rescue 911." In the month of October BRATMOBILE and the GAZA STRIPPERS will also join the LOOKOUT! editing their new records. If you like DIDJITS or the SUPERSUCKERS, then _1000 WATT CONFESSIONS_ should go home with you! It will get ready to rumble on October 10. New MR. T EXPERIENCE release:"THE MIRACLE OF SHAME"!!!. SCREECHING WEASEL's latest 20-song opus "TEEN PUNKS IN HEAT" is also out now. The tentative release date of the new DONNAS record _THE DONNAS TURN 21_ is January, 23 2001.
Roma 20th september 2000: NEWS!!! Silvio from Succo Marcio sent me an e-mail about Succo Marcio weird and wonderful experience they have had yesterday during the GREEN DAY's "Warning" (you can find it on Napster) presentation at the Dee Dee's Diner of Milano. Not only, Alessio, a member of the band, jumped up the stage to play "Knowledge", but also, with a sharp and fast action, they all got to be called by GREEN DAY on the stage to play their songs, using the GREEN DAY tools!!! Go and read the tale (I'll try to convince them to translate it in english!!) on Succo Marcio and Rockol.it web sites. This is a truly unique event also because they gained Billie Joe's and all present people appreciations (very lucky people because they were there at the GD gig). This new is not only funny but gives hope to all: sooner or later good luck rewards tenacious!! ALes from es noticed me that you can find a Sonica Festival gig extract (in wich they played with Coldplay, Brassy and Verdena the 16th of july) on www.sonicafest.com while on www.fringe.it you'll find the entire Fringe Festival in Firenze of 4th september. On their site there are new es mp3! CHECK IT OUT!!!
Roma 17 settembre 2000: Meat For Dogs "Il Grande Bluff": ehy guys this is truly popping out punk rock! A rhythmic ride of 30 min!! Very well played, recorded and produced, Meat for Dogs's new album, is featured by 13 tracks, all in italian. The "Il grande bluff" sound is among the emo-hard core fast paces, the Green Day of Nimrod (listen to "L'isola", the Longview Mike Dirnt's bass line is present in the whole album), the NOFX and Fat Wreck's skacore and, overall, the classic italian melodic pop, overall in the lyrics composition, made fast by the punk attitude: a synthesis between italian tradition and kicking american punk rock. The result is excellent, with several and original sound solutions, thanking also to a sharp and intelligent use of various instruments and back vocals, accurately fitted in, depending on the song nature. No redundancies but several ideas and rhythm run rampant quickly. The lyrics are well thought and written, well sung and understandable while you are listening (it happens, in some bands, that the voice flat down on the music making a mix or it is lost because of the speed) and they fit properly with music. No doubt: this is an inspired and studied album at the same time. The elaboration didn't affect the freshness giving an easy and immediate listening. The guys from Catanzaro (city in the south of Italy), produced and delivered by Vacation House Records from Biella (city in the north of Italy), created a smashing album at the same level or better than many famous ones in Italy and aboard. Pogopop strongly recommends it for several reasons, even if you don't understand italian (italians always appreciate songs in foreign tongues), overall because every track is a potential single: "Angelo", with a great piano intro, "Quelli del calcio" funny and radiophonic, "Miticopolitico" with a Nirvanesque intro and...all! A special mention to the whole instrumental 10th track "Il Tromba", which will make NOFX fans, crazy. I'm sure that with a good diffusion of this record and a catchy new single, one that shrinks eye to radios, they will reach the success they deserve.
ARDESIA "L'odore della pioggia": Ardesia is a band from Rome at their debut album. You could not say it, listening the record, because it is well played and produced. Infact, actually, the line up is composed by fine musicians, some polinstrumentists (in particular the rich of talent bassist Valerio Silvestri, also at piano, keyboards and songwriter!!!) with several years of experience and good musical knowledges, overall in the '80s and '90s italian new wave. New wave is the real Ardesia's attitude in "L'odore della pioggia": 11 clean and complete sound songs with poetic and introspective lyrics, as little painting, describing life tiny moments and feelings. There is a strong call to Litfiba "17 Re" work (Litfiba is an italian band who gave its best in the '80s), overall in the way of sing, deep and dramatic, with a light progressive hints. This album is close to the excellence for many reasons: great intros, great execution of the songs, fine use and mix of several tools, as also the strings (in "Il male che e' in te" 8th track, one of the most beautiful) very good recording but, in Pogopop's opinion, it lacks of rhythmic and melodies variation, remaining sometimes too similar along its development. This is the only lack of an album that could fly and completely show its virtue, just if it would not remain sometimes of a steady beauty. Other very good track is "Luna", the second, which develops several melodic accents. We really recommend this album to all the new wave lovers: it will not disappoint you. Listen to it with headphones so you'll taste all the sound details and the wrapping feeling.
FUCKINGHAM PALACE "like madman": I want to introduce the band using the legendary/funny tale reported in their biography, which shows "the Fuckingham Palace programmatic debut!":
"It is a 4 years ago warm night of june, when the 4 of Fuckingham Palace meet for the first time in LOre's, the singer, garage ... everything is at hand, amply are hot and ready to start, an understanding look and gooooo. In a fast sequel Ramones, Screeching Weasel, Green Day,Peter and the Test Tubes Babies and more rude and coarse Punk Rock classics run in the air. The brave and angry voice rules, Maina, the drummer, seems to hate his tool, he heavily and hardly hits it with a fast pace rhythm, also the remaining two kids do their best. There is feeling, there is Heineken (a kind of beer, note of Pogopop), to be honest like twenty bottles of Heineken freely flow in veins giving inspiration to the 4 heroes. But here it is the unexpected: after just half an hour a police alarm starts to ring. Police is at the door....! ". "Like Madman" is a 7 inch, funny and easy-going as the band, punk'77 style, record. It is characterized by a tight punk core, that makes me think to Gas Huffer in a Sex Pistols version, to Dwarves, Vandals and to some italian funny characters in a 2000 punk translation... there is a lot of passion, strength and positive disposition in this 7''. Vinyl also makes the sound warm and lo-fi. The tracks are 6, 5 in english and one italian cover "l'umbrela", which is an old witty song. Fuckingham Palace attended "Milano Hardcore" compilation, in which they mark out because of their jocose and street attitude. Don't miss them live and don't loose the chance to taste their creative skills!!
Rome 11th september 2000: Succo Marcio "Succo Cocktail Tropicale all'Arancia!": easily slips in your head while you are listening to it: I'm sure it will not leave you indifferent. The album has several catchy tracks, the first five in particular: you'll find your self singing them after just the second listening. Succo Marcio's style is very close to the young Green Day one and their first cd seems the italian version of "1039 smoothed out slappy hours"...very good! The first song "Muore il giorno", in particular, is excellent: it could be an hit, simple, well thought, played and sung. Actually the entire album, 17 tracks, has got these skills, the recording and the songs building are very fine, even if, in some case, it needs a further lyrics (all in italian) arrangement to make it more speed and fluid. The romantic punk-pop, teen -ager, sweet and angry trend at the same time is in the melodies and in the lyrics that are about love, school, frustration, bore, loneliness, fear of growing up... "Succo Cocktail Tropicale all'Arancia!" is featured by a lot of good ideas on melodic, instrument use (piano, two or more voices very well mixed) and rhythm point of view, with good bass lines and drums. The voice is also fine, with his own personality and tone: it does not flat down on the main sound of tools. Succo Marcio is a young band and this is just the early songs collection, so it makes us wishing well for their future.
El effecto Coriolis "Nails": it is likely that the name God's Phone doesn't remember anything to you. God's Phone was a band from Spain, exactly from Barcelona, who, during the early '90, bred one of the most beautiful and powerful demos I have had the chance to listen to. A mix of sounds between stoner and Mogway, with a strong and clean bass line, as Joy Division did, and a great and unique creative skill...Pogopop, in the early transmissions of 1997, was used to air an incredible and dragging track, without a name, which we have just on a tape: it represents an example of high composition art, which keeps on staying in our heart and mind. The death of one of the young members of the God's Phone lineup, hurt and stopped the band for a while. Recently a part of the group gave life to a new band: El effecto Coriolis. "Nails", their first demo, is featured by 6 tracks, chosen among 20 new songs, that, as the band declared, must be improved. The style is linked to the original one of God's Phone, but evolved toward new horizons. The dragging rock of Fu Manchu, the cool and slow stoner mood of Queens of the Stone Age, with little touches of surf guitar, a rich post rock, with an harsh voice which shouts and speaks out, more than sing, english and spanish lyrics as is the Royal Trux style, characterize this album... little bit warm and lazy, as it is the latin behavior, little bit desert session, this is an excellent demo of high quality and inspiration, even if the last song is lost in a mental masturbation caused by an heavy use of several smokes...Don't miss it if you like that kind of music!
Le Lampadine "Demo 1999": Le Lampadine, in english Little Lamps or Lights, very original, witty, ironic and careless band name, immediately gives to the italian group a good score. Also the demo, featured by 8 tracks, studio and live recorded, and some covers (Ramones, Police, Riverdales) well mirrors the band mood. The lo-fi, powerful, fast pace, with a great bass line and good guitar ideas sound, makes the Lampadine old school punk rock, a little bit dark as in the first song "Animal Society", in english, which is, in my opinion, the best of the album and in general a very good track. The band irony come out in "Backstreet Boy", fast hard-core track (with well inserted samples from the US band hit) and in the following songs as "Quaderno", "Un piccolo passo per l'umanita'", in italian, and "Lo Zarro di Kighine" (excellent bass, sung in english). Even if the voice is not so in tune, because it lacks of extension, it gets the same to well interpreter the lyrics, overall the one in english....it is like a not very nice woman that shows personality and this appeals a lot... Also in this case the italian lyrics would match better with the music with an improved arrangement, but the band is on the right way. The Lampadine attended several music contests and festival and they obtained a good success. At the moment the band, who split up on october '99, is thinking about a reunion... we truly hope they will make it!
Rome 10th september 2000: NEWS! GREEN DAY: Green Day will introduce the new album to their fans in Europe: for sure they will hit on Sept. 15th, London- BBC Radio, on Sept. 17th They will be doing an in store appearance at Virgin Records in London, and in Milan, the will make a showcase for 100 people. I have found a recent band interview recorded on the BBC radio studios, click here to listen to Billy Joe, Tre Cool and Mike talking about their new album. INDIPENDENT DAYS FESTIVAL in Bologna Italy: maybe you know about the facts happened at this festival last 3rd of september: people attending the festival, rumors say they were overall Limp Biztkit and Deftones fans, trew water bottles and other objects to Blink 182, avoiding them to keep on their performance since the 3rd song. Here they are the first comments some italian fans sent to me.

Roma 30 agosto 2000: NEWS! from Bassel ITALIA PUNK 2000: compilation with more than 20 hard core italian scene bands from Milan to Palermo (RETARDED, STINKING POLECATS, IGNORANTI, GUERRIERI, PORNORIVISTE, BLIND FLIES,STEREORACERS, FURIES, POPSTERS, SEMPREFRESKI, PENSIONE LIBANO, SKRUIGNERS, HOOLA HOOPERS, FFD,WILLY WONKAS, WHEEFS, AU PAIR, BRILLI, MUDDLERS, PINK PANTHERS and more.....).
the compilation needs a coproduction: just buy 100 copies (2.5 euro, 2.3 dollars, 5000 lire each) to have your logo on the compilation cover. write an e-mail to: bassel@tin.it
from!Succo Power! ilplease visit the Succo Marcio Web Site!
Punk It compilation, 35 smashing band: the autoproduced 76/77 sound compilation is now available on internet at Punk It(Formiche Atomiche, Klasse Kriminale, Mach5, Fuckingham Palace o Succo Marcio, and more)
from K (Shandon): EGROUPS.COM is the new Shandon mailing list, the hard-core ska punk italian band, maililing list!
Rome 7th august 2000: A.A. "MILANO HARDCORE" compilation: from an idea bred by two leaders of young HC bands, Francesco (MACH5) and Ivano (PHP), "Milano Hardcore" is a compilation (see also news of 29/6/2000) featured by 25 HC bands of Milan's scene. Indispensable and essential for people who want to have a complete and updated overview of the happy and good HC time in Italy, "Milano Hardcore" satisfies all your curiosities and makes you want to listen more and more about our groups. Distributed by Negative and by Positive Crew rec.-Autoproduzioni Moleste, this compilation aim is not to create "single stars of hardcore" but to make evolve all the bands together and to spread their music around. The 25 bands afford you all the tonalities and sounds of international HC, starting from the most extreme one, with voices which rumble and reach loud basses frequencies (Cubre, De Crew, Dint, Mumba Jumba) to classical NY (Kevlar HC, Product, Shandon) or californian HC style (Murder we wrote, No reason why, We'll face, Half way, Stuntplastikpark), to old and new school (One Truth, Point Breack,A Reason For, Half My Time) or more complex and with more guitar riffs (Middle Finger Response) or Vandalsque HC-punk(Fuckingham Palace). A special mention goes to the bands who sing in italian (Cubre, Mach5, PHP, Dint, Minnie's Rape, Dirty Harry (they mix english and italian), Shotgun Formation, Stupid Family, TGP): an hard challenge and a very dificult job to realize. If you know some italian you will understand how it badly fits with punk rock-Hc music. Some bands got to very well adapt our tongue to the several chromatic aspects of HC I wrote above (Mach5, PHP), some still have to find their own way to express them selves at the best or simply get to make a better spell of the words while they sing. The italian lyrics are much better, in my opinion, because they don't have slogans and they are not strictly linked to the HC american school, they have a more original meaning. Some bands have their roots in the '80s italian HC tradition. So take this compilation as much as you can, it costs only 15.000 lire- 7.5 euro, 5 US dollars...very cheap!!!!
Roma 23rd july 2000: BLACK BOMB A. "Straight in the vein": Black Bomb A represent the new french Metal-Hard Core "Old School" generation. "Straight in the vein" is their first ep realized in 1998 and, only in 2000, delivered in the music shops. The band actually plays since 1995, but several line-up problems and many live performances, they faced in the last 5 years, avoided them to edit their work before 2000. The line-up is made by 6 guys: two main singers, who chase and alternate each other with shut up or melodic tonalities reaching loud basses frequencies as in death metal, 2 guitarists, a bass player and a powerful drum machine. Five tracks feature "Straight in the vein": "Born to die", the first, has a fast extreme hard core trend, which invite you to slam dancing, and it finds also slow down rhythm moments to strengthen the following fast times. The second song, "Judge", outlines as a pretty metal-core track, as Sepultura sang Sick of It all (you can also recognize Faith No More sound clues in the more melodic moments). The ep continues in this way in its following tracks, that is in between hard-core and Digging the Gravesque death metal style, until they reach the top of these several sounds synthesis in "Law's Phobia" which closes "Straight in the vein". The lyrics, all in english, are about rage, hate, faith, refuse of reality. Our favorite is "Law's Phobia".
X-SYNDICATE"4 friends": 4 girls and one guy feature X-Syndicate, band which belongs to the french Sriracha-Sauce management. Their style and sound is pretty close to L7 affected by Motorhead and Suicidal Tendencies music. Nowadays they represent one of the few female-band in the hard-core scene (only the drummer is a boy). I must say that their new album is very good and their musical ideas are interesting. They know how to play with a clean sound and voice and in the same time afford a high hard-core melodic atmosphere. X-Syndicate know how to alternate, as Bikini Kill taught, rage moments with emo times, along with the right chorus, double voices and straight guitar chords which give the sound base and rule during all the song. "4 friends" is made by 9 fast tracks all in english but the seventh "Si tu savais" in french. The music runs rampant and X-Syndicate reach the best results in "Bikini", "Down" "Open your eyes" which open the album, "X-syndicate", the 8th track, with a Jane's Addiction intro which follows in the traditional punk-core style. The last song "Xmas XS Mix" is the most experimental one: elettropunk as Prodigy with an L7 voice and style.
INEDIA D'ETERE"TRE": it is very well known in Italy the weird phenomenon of the north est musical scene which blooms of new rich of talents bands. To give you an idea it is like Scandinavia for the punk/hard/rock bands... As in a chain reaction, a good band breeds a new good one. Inedia d'Etere, featured by three young guys, represents a good example of this occurrence. Their demo "Tre", featured by seven songs, outlines the band skill to create deep, original and meaningful new music. The ability to find so complete and dragging melodies astonishes. To give you an idea of their sound we can insert them in the new "post melodic rock-grunge" as the Touch and Go production. The lyrics, in italian, worth listening. "Urlo" and "Vergine d'impostori" look like little poems in music. The research of the innermost expression, in a delicate or violent way in music, is a common feature of a lot of new "post rock" or "rock melodic" band, which we reviewed in Pogopop so far, and it often affords great results as in the Inedia d'Etere case. Even if the band must follow a path of evolution to reach the maturity along with experience, which will allow them to amalgamate at the best the compositive and metrical skills, they just own all the right elements. I like a lot "Out", the seventh track, which close "TRE" in a original and surprising way.
Rome 08th july 2000: Ga.ra.dro. "Tarantella Core": Along with the instrumental track "Il ballo di San Vito", this first Ga.Ra.Dro. full lenght catchy album starts. The band, from north Italy, formed in 1995 and it is in the same entourage of many most famous band from this area (Shandon and the record label Ammonia Records managed by Kappa). The vivid and versatile sound infact is typical and particular of this environment. The Ga.Ra.Dro. music is complex and rich of instrument sounds and affected by several colored influences. You can define this as a ska-hard-core-etno-punk-reggae-melodico record....what else? If you like the italian Shandon, the Fat Wreck production, NoFX, the speed and hard sounds of Good Riddance, the young hard core scene from Italy, and expecially from Milan, the ethno italian influenecs, well "Tarantella core" has got it all!!! Ga.ra.dro. are able to play more marked mekodies as "Il Ballo di San Vito" and "D.L.N." or punkish tracks as the funny "Colirio" or enraged speed songs as "Frequences" (in english) and "Omeostasi", while "Il re del rock" is featured by a blues voice (as Louis Armstrong or Fred Buscaglione) in a ska-core melodic setting with trumpets and sax. "Homerun", the second song in english comes close to No Fun at All-Millencolin punkrock... a record, as I wrote, full of ideas, influences and moods. As the tradition rules, there is also a nice melodic hidden track and...well I don't want me to reveal all the surprises belonging to this album. The booklet completes the opera: very well made with a fine and funny design inspired to the italian comics (Lupo Alberto and Iacovitti). They are touring Italy so if you are here in vacation check their schedule!!!
SURFPATROUILLE"Venus Pussy Polka Riot": this autoproduced album is, I want to write it now, a remarkable one!! Surfpatrouille get included in the best astrosurf-spymovie music tradition. The band is from Germany and they are devoted not only to surf as they show with these eight enthusiastic tracks. The line-up is featured by four elements and recalls the one of Man or...Astroman? with all their skills. There is infact: Commander Rossi, he escorts the bands and us, with his photon driven Jazzmaster, accross the hyperspace, Supervisor Mark US Welby, Machinist Weber and the electronic brain Massi, aka "the Lord of the Net". The band is up just sunce 1999 but they have got to reach a compositive and expressive maturity of high levelin few time. Their mission is to spread the surf-spy sound in all the galaxies also the early and hidden ones (like Rome is). Actually if you listen to all the eight tracks you'll find out that the spy sound prevails on the ametican traditional surf music and "Warp IV" (the third track) is a superb example. The record has got an original and expecial sound, very well yielded by the Surfpatrouille's record studio performance. Don't miss it!! This record pleasantly runs on your stereo and you will listen to it several times remaining surprised by the quantity and quality of the sounds and ideas. Here their tourdates in Germany: 04.08.2000 Saarbrücken Hell-Mute, 12.08.2000 Marburg KFZ - with Steve Wynn, 20.08.2000 Frankfurt Sinkkasten - with Rich Hopkins.
LWL"Quarter Life Crisis": LWL are a band from the community of Bernardsville in NJ (USA). After they attended two splits with Nowhere Fast "What's in store tomorrow" (1998) and with Cents Less "Halfpipes and high hopes" (1999) the band finally released their long awaited full lenght album "Quarter Life Crisis". They finely tuned melodic punk rock and pop-punk tunes. LWL could be produced by Fat Wreck, as their sound is close to the one of NoFX, No Use for a Name, Lagwagon, and in some tracks ("Rubbereband" the third) to the Green Day of "Nimrod" and also to Pennywise ( "I'll always remeber the 6th"sixth track and "Jersey" 11th). Be aware!!! they are not a copy, one of the several clones of this gender of music, who offers the same 3 chords soap, their record runs quite rampant! Broken, melodic and speed rhytm features all the 14 songs of the album. "Quarter Life Crisis" is a very good pogo-album. Energetic and young, it is rich of positive and american styled sound, sometimes a little bit sulky (love or life problems?) never enraged in both lyrics and music. Our favourite song is "Rubberband".
READ it PLEASE!!!! OTHER INTERESTING INFO!!!!! Titano mailed us: New album from Be Nice To Mommy records, TURTURROS 7" !!! with four new song!!!! the price is 5.000 £ (2.5 euro) plus 2.000 £ (1 euro) for mail delivery. Write for info to Titano titano@tiscalinet.it or to the Guru dagostino@tin.it Ivano from PHP - hard core band from Milan, phoned to Pogopop telling us that very very soon a new PHP album will be released. The title will be:"INCOMPLETO DISORDINE"... just wait a little bit!!!

Rome 29th june 2000: The LADS "Demo": despite their english name, the LADS, term used generally in the soccer environment to point a band of young team supporters, they are truly italian and from Rome. The band lineup is made by 6 guys, whose leaders are two brothers (voice) and the lead guitarist. Their is an international project with strong aims: lyrics and web site are in english because the Lads want to purpose their music to a huge and without frontier audience and don't want limit themselves to the local scene. At the first listening the sound seems very brit-pop (from Stone Roses to Oasis, with Smithsesque picks) but, getting trough the knowledge of the demo, you will all recognize they are affected by many rock classic influences which improve the LADS music. The Demo is featured by four tracks with an excellent recording. There is a good calibration and equilibrium between voices and instruments. This record is of good quality and it doesn't lack of interesting and original musical ideas. Maybe it is still too bound to the brit pop scene, but this band starting is great. The first track "Dusty fate" is the Lads "manifesto", not just about music sound but also regarding the "concept" the band wants to give to its work: a realized dream, the dream to create music to run away from a reality they never totally accepted, a reality in which they live but they have never belonged to.
LIBRA "Trasparenza": "Trasparenza" is the new auto produced EP from Libra, after few months from their last work. This EP forecasts the Libra next album coming. What hits you, at the firs sight, is the cd cover (read also "Ad Ogni Costo"): many rows of wood little birds, as in a abacus, over a white background. The four tracks were recorded and mixed by Geoff Turner, who, as a lot of you know, is the sound producer of bands as Fugazi and June of 44 and he plays several instruments too. The best producer in the post rock environment!!! Despite you could think "Trasparenze" is a complex and studied work, instead the record is featured by a strong and clean sound as Libra are used to create. The wall of guitars raises up in tracks as "Vomito" and "Sodoma" while become sweeter and more romantic in "Goodbay", giving a feeling of peace. No doubt! "Trasparenza" is an evolved, spontaneous, fresh and powerful album and, at the same time, it represents a good and rich of promises picture of the young italian power rock. The songs are all in italian, but I'm sure you can't miss their sound: you'll love it!
Two EXTRAORDINARY INITIATIVES to promote young and fresh music!!!! Here they are for you:
Don't miss the second issue of Be Nice to Mommy, fanzine you may find both in the web and paper versions. This time the Be Nice to Mommy crew collected lot of good stuff (90% in english) from the best italian punk rock bands making a Be Nice To Mommy COMPILATION!!! the cassette is featured by Retarded, Stinking Polecats, Manges, Peawees, The Real Swinger, The Turturros, Brigate Rozze, Danny's Wednesday, Willy Wonkas, Dead boys can't fly, Semprefreski, Popsters, Astrozombies, Old Goblins, e KillTime. 60' of pure punk rock! Don't loose your time write and send 7.000 lire (3.5 euro) including your address to: Bucci Marco Via Orbassano 136 00166 Roma or write him by e-mail titano@tiscalinet.it. The fanzine has many info, reviews and several interviews to the Queers, The Real Swinger, Electric Frankestein, Danny's Wednesday, Killer Klown.
DON'T MISS the MILANO HARD-CORE compilation, 15.000 lire (7.5 euro). It's an Hard Core compilation featuring 25 HC italian bands (overall from the north of Italy- most of the tracks are in english) with emo-melodic, fast and violent songs. Many italian and international labels attend to this promotion: RIOT rec., VACATION HOUSE rec., POINT BREAK rec. YOUTH CREW rec. These are the bands: A reason for, Cubre, De Crew, Dint, Dirty Harry, Fuckingham palace, Half my time, Half way, Kevlar HC, Mach5, Minnie’s rape, Middle finger response, Mumba jumba, Murder we wrote, No reason why, One truth, Php, Point break, Product, Shandon, Shotgun formation, Stuntplasticpark, Stupid family, Tgp, We’ll face. Write to: POSITIVE CREW rec. Francesco tel.+39 0349.64.89.267 mach5hc@libero.it

GO TO THE POGOPOP'S OPINION ARCHIVE, from 31 october 1999 to 14 june 2000