The Von Ehrics - Two Foot Stomp

The Von Ehrics - Two Foot Stomp
2011, Lucky Buck Records

Dallas punktry band The Von Ehrics, named after the prominent ECW wrestling family, are back with their fourth album, Two Foot Stomp.  With an irrepressible sound and a can-do attitude, The Von Ehrics took seven months to write and rehearse Two Foot Stomp before stepping into a studio with producer Dave Willingham (Polyphonic Spree, Earl Harvin Trio).  The result is a blend of punk and country displaying the melodic sensibility of Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar). Suffice it to say The Von Ehrics will grab your attention quickly and simply won't let go.

Two Foot Stomp opens with a working class hero anthem entitled "Last Of The Working Slobs".  Set in a society that has moved on and forgotten the working class that built it, the song is full of great energy and unfettered angst, and houses a chorus you won't be able to get out of your head.  "Gone" is a catchy outsider's anthem that sounds like a cross between the Gin Blossoms and The Refreshments with a bit of outlaw country thrown into the mix.  It's an intriguing blend that you'll keep coming back to.  "Smokewagon" is a high energy tribute to the band's touring van, likely to target them for being pulled over in most states. 

"Lord, I Pray" is an entertaining blend of punkabilly and gospel that's unforgettable.  The Von Ehrics obviously had fun in recording this number, as it oozes from every pore of the song.  "Rock And Roll" is a catchy song, written for those times when nothing less than rock n roll will do.  In spite of the low-fi approach, The Von Ehrics prove to be very musically competent, a fact that is highlighted here.  The effort to capture a classic country motif on "Goodbye/The Ride" falls flat, however.  It is a sign of things to come, as Two Foot Stomp levels off into solid but unremarkable songs for the rest of the trip.  The closing track, "Texas (When I Die)" shows a brief revival of the energy and chutzpah of the first half of the album, but can't save the second half of the album from a somewhat ho-hum assessment in light of what it followed.

The Von Ehrics turn a brilliant and essential 6-song EP into a solid 12-song album with distinctive highlights on Two Foot Stomp.  Considering a lot of what is put on the market these days, that's not a knock on the band.  It's simply that the first half of the album is so good that the second half stands little chance.  There's really not a bad song on the album, which might aptly be called "The Two Sides of The Von Ehrics", but don't be surprised if the first half of the album gets significantly more spins than the second.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Von Ehrics at www.vonehrics.com or www.myspace.com/thevonehrics.  Two Foot Stomp is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Review: Owl Farm - Owl Farm

Owl Farm – Owl Farm
2008, Owl Farm

Owl Farm is an unsigned quintet from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Drawing from Psychedelic, Punk and Melodic Rock influences with the occasional blues infiltration, Owl Farm creates primarily instrumental music that is varied and interesting. Their self-titled debut EP, Owl Farm, is a creative musical venture you’ll want to check out for yourself.

Owl Farm opens with Balzac, a series of guitar rock vignettes that morphs from rockabilly to Southern Rock to Grunge in something of a guitar rock history lesson. Starter builds in intensity as it seesaws from Prog to Grunge/Pop and back throughout; an interesting composition that makes use of some familiar chord progressions in ways perhaps you hadn’t thought to try them. Good Sense is an electronic composition based on a simple bass line/beat as served by a programmed keyboard. Owl Farm vocalist J-P makes his first appearance here in minimalist fashion. I have to say that this song was just a bit bizarre and is more like performance art than composition. 45 Seconds To Lobster is a punk rock soliloquy about food as escapism, one supposes. Again, amusing but bizarre.

The Lobster Stomp has a very garage sound and was likely as fun to play as it is to hear. Don’t expect to make much sense of it; it’s a musical romp for its own sake that periodically deteriorates into greater levels of madness before returning to its usual mundane level of insanity. E.R.T. is the closest thing to a sensible rock song on the disc, alternating between a repetitive and bland verse and a slightly less repetitive and bland chorus. Only in the logical drift of the occasional bridge does Owl Farm flirt with its usual chaos. Owl Farm complete makes up for anything resembling normal on Invisible. This is my favorite track on the album; a pure punk rock tune with almost Police-like minimalism (ala their early albums).

Owl Farm comes across as something of an art-rock band on the coincidentally entitled Owl Farm E.P. Energy is expended, crazy chord progressions are played, mad ideas presented and in the end a good time is had by all. Not everyone is going to get this disc, but if you were ever a fan of bands like The Dead Kennedys, Husker Du, Black Flag or any of the other punk denizens of late 1980’s college radio then you’ll love this disc. Owl Farm exceeds those bands for musicality on occasion, probably just to rebel, but their hearts are in the right place.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Owl Farm at www.myspace.com/owlfarmband. You can purchase the Owl Farm EP in digital format from Zunior.com.