Friday March 29th 2024

The Radicals – “Sometimes Dead Is Better”

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The Radicals – “Sometimes Dead Is Better”

 

So I’m looking over my list of CD’s to review and I see “pop tarts, eggs, toasty cheeze-its”- realize it’s the wrong list, toss that, get the right list and see, The Radicals listed on it.

I think, “I must’ve been drunk when I wrote that,” but then that would also encompass everything I write.

Then I think- this has to be a mistake, an error in logging on. I mean, The Radicals haven’t been a band for a few years now, so it must have been an error. Perhaps the band was called The Radishes and I wrote Radicals by mistake.

But it turns out, I was right! The Radicals released some songs sometime after their demise and I just stumbled upon it, probably while I was reviewing recently, the great Coffin Salesman EP by Aria Rad, one of their members.

Then I stumbled upon my laptop and after picking myself off the floor I decided- Hey! Even if this band doesn’t exist anymore much like my brain neurons who are beheaded, continually, by each Isis alcohol sip I imbibe in- this music needs to be reviewed, needs to be noted, needs to trusted onto the able ears of one well versed in their history and acclaim.

Or else I could do it.

Aw, fuck that maybe I can find The Radishes CD instead:

After four high hits, four garage grungin’ chords barge in just to show that “Pushing Luck” means business. “I think I’m bleeding ’cause this is real…Knocked down, beat to hell…you know me better than you think, I was surviving at the bottom of your drink.” This song is stuffed chock full of passion and energy and swings and rocks like your mama do when I visit her down by the dockside. This song is like being in the middle of a bar fight, a donnybrook with music and words knockin’ you upside your head but bringing more pleasure and smiles than tears and pain. I believe, Matt, the drummer sings this song with Aria, the bassist, adding the bridge. “You push your luck that you don’t have.” I don’t believe I’m pushing my luck when I predict you’re gonna love this great song.

“For Those About To Rock, I’m Sorry,” starts out like AC/DC over caffeinated ( I won’t insult you with pointing out the reference) with a mighty, rock lick, tom-tom beats kicking in and then it speeds ahead to a hardcore rush in short order. The energy of this song trips over itself in exuberance and lands in a spot of pure, ecstatic bliss. “Do you want it? Or can you stand to live without it?” This song rocks with an amazing chorus that I’d hate to live without. Oh, almost forgot- there’s a breakdown that leads to an outro that is supremely sublime.

“Cough Medicine,” starts with a charging locomotive rhythm and pessimistic words. “What you gonna do when there’s nowhere left to run?…misery loves company and sympathy.” This song has some exuberant music with downcast lyrical observations that may be a little hard to swallow. “Nothing to win, you got nothing to lose.” I think of this song as a winner and one that most reminds me and leads towards, the great songs off the Coffin Salesman EP.

“Witness” starts like it’s gonna break into some eighties new wave hit by The Go Go’s or Billy Idol. “It’s hard to say what consequence we pay.” This is a straight ahead rock number with a lot of intensity, guts and truth showing and hey!- we don’t need no rock-a-rama, or punk-a-llama, we can kick ass by just delivering something solid and true. “You’re not a witness as you’re in this, too.” We are all explicit and implicit in all the crimes we create or acknowledge in complacent complicity. What does that mean? Fuck, if I know but I do know that what I’ve just witnessed is a truly, great song.

So I’m in a bit of a quandary here. My boots are embedded in the thick grime of the swampy glades I’m standing in.

Do I support a band that’s non-existent? Though from what I hear is enormously good, would knock a lot of the other living, breathing bands into unconsciousness in a fair, musical fight.

I’d like to endorse this product. I’d like to say these songs are so well written, so well played, so well- kick ass- that if you demand better songs than this- then you, sir, are an ignoramus and deserve to be attacked by a flock of geese suffering from diarrhea.

I believe you can’t expect much better than this. Did these guys stop because they couldn’t imagine topping their material? I don’t know.

I’m just gonna forget this little release ever happened. I got a lot of new bands to be reviewing and I don’t need to be flashing this in front of their faces- (Why can’t you be more like this?). So let’s forget you ever saw this, that this review ever existed. It’s all erased from memory and time.

But before you do all that, take a listen and listen to their back catalog. ‘Cause you’ll be listening to passion and anger, love and guts and realize this was one of the best local punk/hardcore bands around in recent times.

And maybe you didn’t realize how good they were! I think I didn’t. It’s like looking back at a certain time in your life that you were having so much fun but that you were too fucked up to realize it at the time.

I just know that I really enjoyed this Ep and look forward to many more.

(Slimedog)

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