Sell Out Records - A Music Review Blog

 This has moved to jdune.com

this has moved to jdune.com

Hardcore records come and go, but in 2002, when Point of Recognition put out their third record , I wore it out. I loved the band, and really enjoyed the work that they were able to create in a short span of time. With the release of “Day of Defeat”, the band came together to put out their best effort, and it’s not just lyrically or musically, the production stepped up. Aaron’s vocals really shined here, with a much deeper song structure, and a booming bass and driving guitar that nailed the Southern California hardcore sound. I heard a lot of comparisons when this record came out, people saying that the release sounded a lot like All Out War, and even Warzone, but I think it was a strong, bass heavy brother of Warzone and Hatebreed. There was a lot of slow down here and there, with some great break downs and sing-along parts. The band put together one of the heaviest hardcore records for the time. The title track, is by far the best on this record. It’s loud, it’s aggressive, and shou...

In 1998 The Dingees released what would become one of my favorite ska-punk records of the decade. You see, I was only listening to what was termed “Christian” music at the time. I didn’t branch out into the many secular bands until about a year later, when I got my hands on an Epitaph Records catalog and bought one of every cassette, vinyl, and CD I could get my grubby hands on. The Dingees put out “Armageddon Massive” and I was immediately amazed at the mix of anti-establishment punk rock, and jazz fused with reggae. At the time, The Supertones were experiencing a huge push, and The Dingees as a result got tagged into the same framework. With this release, the band flowed through 11 songs of punk-ska in the same lines as Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and Operation Ivy. You hear these influences from the starting line of “Ghetto Box Smash”, “Chaos Control”, “Bulletproof”, “Rebel Youth”, and more. This very well could be the best debut record for a ska-punk act ever. That’s pretty bol...

Released in 1965, this is one of the most talked about jazz recordings for Christmas. You’re most likely going to see it in every store in a special tin. I prefer the initial December 1965 release that came out on Vinyl, but that’s just me. The remastered version takes out some of the ambiance, and white noise that you may hear on the recording. This was the soundtrack to the CBS special, and was done by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. This is one of the bestselling jazz records of all time, and has been touted as being triple platinum at press time. Every December more people pick up this record and are amazed by the jazz tones found. Recorded at Whitney Studio in Glendale California, the Vince Guaraldi Trio put on a showcase of jazz that really does encompass the showcase that aired. As the holidays are approaching, I found myself listening to this in the morning, and wanted to review it again here, before I forget. My favorite tracks here include “Linus and Lucy”, “Christmas Time Is Here”,...

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy first came into my radio in the late 1990s when the rest of the swing revival happened on rock radio. I immediately latched onto the swing sounds and the band really hooked me. I have been following the band’s career for some time, and one of my favorite records that they put out was definitely “How Big Can You Get”. This is a record that takes on a tribute. The band pulls through a best of Cab Calloway and his big band music. They do covers in the style of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy however. It’s really well done, excellent in recording, and worth your time on a lot of levels. You are going to get the classic tracks that the famed jazz and big band leader put out. Some of my favorites include “Calloway Boogie”, “Minnie The Moocher”, “The Jumpin’ Jive”, “The Ghost of Smokey Joe”, and of course the whole record. In 11 songs, the band puts on 44 minutes of swing music that you would swear was part of the 1950s and 1960s. It’s fresh, it’s hip, it’s Big Bad Voodoo Daddy doi...

One of the most famous songs from Sublime is actually not an original. It’s a song that they covered, and many others have covered from The Melodians. I once heard a rendition of this song played at a pastor’s conference in Prescott, Arizona. This rocksteady group comes from Jamaica (of course), and is one of the better sounding artists from the 1960s. The song of course is “Rivers of Babylon”. With “Super Best” , the record that came out in 2012, you get a collection of tracks from the group. The disc is 25 tracks of rocksteady, and reggae, but with a subtle religious touch to it. Whether that’s by design or it’s just the signature style of The Melodians, I don’t really know. However, throughout the 25 tracks, you get a true sense for the reggae and ska artist’s passion for the music. There are elements of love, peace, harmony, and even religious ideas sewn throughout the songs. This is the type of ska record that you are going to be able to share with family, friends, and not get lau...

I write a lot. People don't understand how much I write. I write so much that I start blogs and just run them into the ground with the amount of text that I throw at them. Some of them get popular, others die slow deaths. I was listening to a song by Thursday, and it begins with the title of this post. So I decided to name a blog, and start writing reviews about the music that I want. I already have a review site called Sell Out Records (http://selloutrecords.blogspot.com), but that's for long form reviews. I also post random thoughts on Sold Out Records via Tumblr. However, I wanted an outlet where I wasn't confined to long forms, so here is this idea. In this blog, you will see reviews of music from all over the map. I will write about things in a very concise, and simple manner. No long form reviews will be posted on here, unless I want to rant. The reviews will be 250 words each and edited by James Himsa. The editing and writing will be to give you a break down of some ...