The Bronx - VI (2021)

 Are The Bronx the best band working in the US (or world) today? I'm not sure if they are the best, but one definitely has to add them into the discussion. 

Few bands can continually release albums that one thinks is their best, and then they follow it up with something equally as good as the predecessor. The Bronx accomplish this not by regurgitating the same material over and over, but continually mining from the same inspirations, and continually evolving their sound, and tweaking it each time, creating riffs that outshine the previous. All the while they are being propelled forward by the brilliant Matt Caughthran. I, personally, can't think of another vocalist who can scream as harsh as he can, yet still shine through that scream with an infectious melody that nestles itself into your brain. 

On top of all this, we have to pay attention to the lively and intense drumming. I was a little worried about the loss of original drummer Jorma Vik, but The Bronx have continued to prove that they know how important the drums have been to their sound. We aren't talking about groundbreaking drumming, but rather drumming that hits with fills at the perfect spots, while being incredibly flashy and tasty, and exactly what is needed. The drumming makes its presence, but never tries to over shadow anything else. 

Songs like "White Shadow" and "Superbloom" are classic Bronx style tracks. While a song like "Watering the Well" gives us just a straight-up good time rock and roll tune. The Bronx never forgets they are here to rock the hell out of the room, and they do this almost non-stop.

They do step out a little bit with the song "Mexican Summer," almost to remind us of the bands alter-ego, Mariachi El Bronx. But we follow up this track with "New Lows" that quickly throws up back to The Bronx that we bought the album by. 

"Breaking News" made me suddenly realize how much Matt can sound like Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, early Black Flag) at times. The song itself is pretty much straight forward hardcore, so this leads to his voice and that similarity very easy to make and connect. 

"Jack of All Trades" is the type of thing that The Bronx do so well. A perfect mix of punk, new wave of British Heavy Metal, 70s hard rock, everything all mashed into one track. The riff is almost "Green Manalishi," but I am betting they first heard the Corrosion of Conformity version, then the Judas Priest, then eventually moved to Fleetwood Mac (yes, that was my original listening order, so what). 

The final song, "Participation Trophy," isn't quite the punch I would hope them to end on, but the songwriting and riffing and switching is incredibly cool. I'm thinking this was the ending choice because they wanted to show off the writing and the killer groove. We aren't ending with a bang, but rather a "Yeah, watch what we can do here, and where we might be heading!"

As I said, are they the best current band? Not sure, but they deserve to be in the argument, and they definitely are one of the best current bands, and without a doubt one of the most consistent. 

Edit: Yes, I stepped away from the other albums that were recently purchased. A favorite record store announced that they are shutting down business, and they are having a massive sale. So, I had to run up there and grab a few things I was hoping they still had. This is one of those purchases. 

Hero - S/T

Hero - S/T
Released 1977 on Mercury SRM-1-1137
Promo copy with lyric insert

Let's be honest, as the years roll by it gets a little more difficult to be as excited as I once was for music. Bands like Hanoi Rocks, The Lords of the New Church, T-Rex, Slade, The Damned, and so on, when first exposed it was a life changing moment. Finding bands that the radio doesn't play, but who are actually better than the bands the radio does play, is an amazing experience. The excitement continued for years, but eventually those bands have influenced so many others that one starts to experience a little bit of the "been there, done that" with music.


Which is part of the reason why finding bands like Hero (and Hounds below) is such an exciting experience!

This is not to say there is anything super original going on with Hero, or that they are playing something I have never heard. In fact, it is completely the opposite. Hero is a 70s Glam act, complete with stomping drums drums and big choruses. The type of sound that was perfect for the 70s. The soundtrack for an afternoon cruising in the summer with your t-tops down, girls in halter tops, roller skates, tight t-shirts, feathered hair and tube socks. Video games played not in an arcade, but a pizza shop.

What is so refreshing is that it is that sound, that exact sound, that era, and I have never heard it before. Yes, there are nostalgia acts, bands influenced by the era, but nobody is able to nail it right on. There is always something missing. The keyboard at the beginning of "Taxi Driver" would not exist like it does here. The vocals would not sound like they do here.

On top of all of that, the songs here are as good as anything any band of the time period was doing, if not a little bit better. Every song rocks, there isn't a ballad to be found anywhere. They seemed to be interested only in giving a hell of a great party record, one that would stick in your head with hook after hook. Nothing seemed to have been done half-hearted.

Stand out tracks are easily the opening number "I Love The Way You Rock and Roll," which features a brilliant verse and response that adds a energy to the song that is infectious. Vocalist Scott Phares also really shines on this song and really tears it up. No vocal acrobatics, just a performance that lets the listener know he is serious about what is happening here.

"I Love The Way . . ." leads right into the follow-up track, "You Are The People." First off, I could listen to this song combo for no other reason than the way these two songs roll into each other. No, it isn't smooth, but it is brilliant in its execution. But if that wasn't enough, the chorus on this one is insanely catchy. One of those choruses that needed a 70s arena, pyro, lights, everything. If it wasn;t a magical experience, it should have been.

I am not sure what caught my eye with this album. The cover isn't the greatest, nor is the name and logo. It might have been the back cover. If I had opened the record and read the lyrics, I can pretty much guarantee that the lyrics to the third song "Smile" would have been what made me walk straight to the counter. "Your girlfriend she's a junky / You're best friend he's a queen / The two of them / broke into your house / And they rob you while you sleep." Come on . . . I'm walking to the counter with that one right away, smiling the whole way.

"I'm the King, I'm the Star" is classic 70s all around and everything is wonderful about it. Hooky, borderline Bubblegum. Wonderful vocal line that has that 70s feel, with a chorus that could only have been produced in that era. It is everything that made the era what it was. To make this one better, check out this opening verse: "Ladies here I am / Gentlemen's answer to Superman / Standin' on the stage / Posin' for tomorrow's front page." This leads into the chorus of "I'm the king, I'm the star." Again, come on . . . that's pretty cool. No, that's really cool.

As mentioned earlier, the beginning keyboard on "Taxi Driver" is a thing of beauty. The song itself is every bit as wonderful. The drive of the verse is perfect, the chorus is a slight build up on that verse. Then we have the solo that takes all those elements and just twists it up slightly. The song moves and takes you along with it and builds to a wonderful end.

I have no idea who they are, or were. At this point they seem to be my perfect example of what I am on the hunt for in music. That great band that only released one or two albums and then vanished. In this case there was a second album, Boys Will Be Boys. But then what happened? What got them to the label? Why did they disappear? They have two brothers in the band, was it their band originally?

The only thing I have found is that guitarist Neil Citron (https://www.neilcitron.com) has slugged it out through the years. Becoming more of a behind the scenes guy who owns a studio and even winning a Grammy! He has a pretty impressive list of credits on his website. He also happens to be the cousin of Howard Leese from Heart. Around 2006 he played with Quiet Riot and has remained close with Frankie Banali.

As I mention, there is a second album. Normally I am a "wait until I find it at the shop" kind of guy when it comes to buying my vinyl. I love the hunt. But in this case I have a feeling that as soon as the holidays get out of the way I will be sending some money out to a faceless place on Discogs to get the second album. This album is that good that I would rather not leave hearing more from these guys up to chance.

If you love Glam, if you love 70s Rock, if you love Bubblegum, if you love Power Pop, if you love Rock and Roll, then this album is everything you need. This is the very definition of under appreciated, a forgotten masterpiece. Yes, I place it right up against any other Glam release from that time period. Yes, I am aware somebody is out there thinking "He's crazy," or the band will stumble onto this and think "This guy is an idiot," but I also have no doubt many others who are fans of this style will also love this album as much as I do. I paid $10 for it, and I would have gladly paid three times that price.

Record Shop Report - Catapult Records and Toys

Catapult Records and Toys
Location: 40J West Terra Cotta Ave., Crystal Lake IL, 60014
Website: http://www.catapultcollectibles.com
Facebook presence: Yes
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 12:00 - 7:00, Sat. - Sun. 12:00 - 5:00

***UPDATE: Catapult Records recently has closed their doors for good. This is a huge shame as he was one of the few who priced records to actually move records.***

What is on offer: Anything from your childhood that you may have once had a strong emotional connection to and would love to have back in your life again. That would be mostly toys, records, books, and other things of the sort.

Prices: Possibly one of the most fair shops you will walk into. You can easily walk into the store with $10 and leave with a few items. There are a few items priced to reflect the low to mid-price on Discogs, but for the most part the prices are where they were before the vinyl explosion.

So, honestly, how is the place? At this point in time Catapult is not aimed at the vinyl collector only. The stores main purpose is toys and collectibles, vinyl just happens to be a part of that. However, as time is rolling by it seems that the owner is realizing vinyl will be a major part of his future. A few months ago the store changed its name from Catapult Collectibles to Catapult Records and Toys. The store also saw an upgrade in the bins that hold the records.

With all that being said, Catapult is the type of store one will walk into not expecting the world, but will leave very happy. I've been there a handful of times and have had "Holy crap!" moments each time. These moments have been for either being surprised by the merchandise on offer, or just because of the prices. It was at this store I bought a copy of Slade's In Flame, the UK release, and only paid $6 for it, which is a fine price. Especially considering the dang thing is in mint condition.

This brings us to the other fine side about Catapult. Either the people that bring him their records are very careful with their records, or he is one of the buyers who will only take stuff in good condition.

What did I leave with? This was a crazy little stop. It started out as a case of my grabbing one record just to help by buying something (Jo Jo Gunne). But then I saw a mint condition of a record I have in my collection, but this was a mint copy, so it was a must have (Starcastle). Then I decided "what the heck" on a dollar record (Ambrosia). So I had a few on me at the time of check out.

When I got to the counter the owner told me he had another Starcastle in a box that had come in, so he showed it to me. Now, that one I had a better copy of already. But then he told me to go ahead and dig through the box and see if there was anything that interested me in the box. Now, what kind of person would I be to turn away from such an offer? Possibly a good parent, since my son was sitting in the car waiting for me and he would later claim to have been freezing. But, sometimes records win out over my parenting skills. So a digging I went! But lets be honest, he is 14, he could have walked into the store if he was that cold.

Digging through that box was a golden moment for yours truly. As I flipped those covers I came across two bands that drew my attention. One was a band called Teaze and the other Teazer. Yes, two separate bands, both very similar names. I grabbed the Teaze album as everything about it matched my collecting. Obscure 70s Glam act. The price was right, $3.00, so I grabbed it and added it to my pile.

After I left I did a quick research on the Teazer album. As it turns out that thing is quite a tough one to find, and it is worth a decent amount. So, I went back to see what the asking price would be. The owner of Catapult told me it was also $3. I told him it was worth considerable more than that and told him I would give him $10 at that time. He said "no, I said $3.00, so that is what I will charge you."

Starcastle - Citadel $5.00
Jo Jo Gunne - Bite Down Hard $4.00
Teaze - On the Loose $3.00
Teazer - Hard as a Rock $3.00
Ambrosia - Somewhere I've Never Traveled $1.00

There you have Catapult in a nutshell. The store has some great stuff, and the harder to find stuff will wander through. For the most part you will mostly find the usual suspects, but the rare oddity is hiding in there. To make it better, the owner is a straight-up guy who is out to make a living, but not get rich off of people. I can't say it is a destination record shop (yet), but if it is in your area it is definitely a shop you need to frequent. If you are on the road doing record runs, it is also one that should be on your list of stops. Heck, you might also find a killer action figure to add to your shelves!

Photo of Catapult store front taken by Zach Isonhart while he was outside the store freezing.

The Hounds - Unleashed

The Hounds - Unleashed
Released 1978 on Columbia 35085
Promo copy with all the accoutrements

Since returning to collecting vinyl, and my niche of the unknown and forgotten bands, this one release stands head and shoulders above almost all others. This album is not just a cool novelty for me, this is a start to finish solid album that stands the test of time and is, without any question, a forgotten masterpiece. It should sit alongside Glam classics released by Bowie and Mott. Yes, it is cut from the same cloth and obviously is heavily inspired by both of those bands, but it is its own creature.

The Hounds hail from the Chicago area, so it might not be too shocking that the music now will possibly be compared to Cheap Trick. But as this is from 1978 it is awful hard to say they are copying them. More than likely we are hearing the Midwest sound from the mid - late 70s. Granted, Trick had released three albums by the time this came out, but their first one came a year earlier. Some influence? Possibly, but I am betting the location had a greater impact.

The best way to describe through a comparison is basically that they are a mix of every band that gets the "Glam" label from the 70s. Is there Bowie and Mott? Yes, especially on the second track "Where the Boppers Turn to Rockers," which is kind of their own "All The Young Dudes." But one also find Cheap Trick, Sweet ("Bad Blood Between Us"), Slade, Aerosmith ("Portrait of a Dead Man" is straight-up a 'Smith tune musically) and almost everybody else.

But what Hounds do wonderfully is that they create their own sound. They take these sounds and create a fresh creature in having a pretty unique songwriting style. There is no predicting where the songs will go. Yes, we know a chorus is coming, but that chorus not sound like you are thinking it will. Partially due to to John Hunter's completely original singing style. The man is all attitude and theatrics. He adds a new dimension to every single word and almost seems to refuse to sing any line identical to the another. The ultimate in expression.

While the Hounds might not be completely forgotten, if they are remembered at all it is mostly for their second album, Puttin' on the Dog (Columbia, 1979), with the slightly risque cover of a scantily clad woman in a disheveled bedroom, where one can spy the shadow of a dogman creature who is more than happy to see the lady. But these two albums are drastically different creatures. Puttin' on the Dog is a stab at being Power Pop that never rocks too hard.

Unleashed, however, is full on R-O-C-K. Right down to the band photos we can see a difference in the direction. While they definitely have an image at the time, Puttin' on the Dog shows us a Pop outfit. Unleashed shows us a band decked in leather jackets and walking that fine line of Glam and Hard Rock.

So, what happened to Hounds? Why are albums one and two fairly different creatures? Unleashed consisted of a line-up of John Hunter (vocals, keyboards), Jim Orkis (guitars), John Hovarth (drums), Glenn Rupp (guitars and backing vocals), and Joe Cuttone (bass and backing vocals). Most of the songs were written by Hunter and Orkis. Puttin' on the Dog consisted of John Hunter (vocals and keyboards), Glenn Rupp (guitars and vocals), Don Griffin (guitars and backing vocals), Joe Cuttone (bass and backing vocals) and Michael Neff (drums). This time all songs (aside from the covers) are written just by Hunter.

If I was to use my fancy detective skills I would have to guess that there was a control issue at play. Reading the inner promotional material for the first album it is only Hunter that does all of the talking. But listening to the album there is no doubt that Orkis and Hovarth played serious roles. While Orkis wrote a lot of the music, leading one to believe much of the band is his vision as well as Hunter's. The drumming on the album also stands out as a definite high point.

With the style change between the two albums I would have to guess that Orkis and Hovarth wanted to stick to the harder edged style. This is also a guess due to it being those two guys who are dressed the most "ROCK" in the pictures. Heck, one of them could easily be placed in the early New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene and nobody would bat an eye.

I can't recommend this album highly enough, especially if you have a soft spot for 70s Glam and Hard Rock. The only weak spot on the album are the lyrics. "Angeline Tangerine" is possibly my favorite song on the album, but the lyrics are easily the worst batch of combined words I have heard in a long time, even including the 70s predilection for statutory rape in song lyrics. But other than those spots, this is a fantastic album that truly does deserve the moniker of a forgotten or overlooked classic. I have not seen many copies of it, but the store I bought it from had three copies, so they are out there. Granted, I live in their home turf of the Chicago area, so copies were more prevalent here I would guess. But keep an eye open and buy this one of you see it in your shops.

Record Store Report - Rochester Records

Rochester Records
Location: 2130 S. Broadway, Rochester, Minnesota.
Website: www.RochesterRecordsMN.com
Facebook presence: Yes
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 10:00 - 6:00, Sat. 10:00 - 5:00 (These are the hours on the sign and according to the Facebook page. However, I attempted to go to the store at 5:45 and it was closed. I was told by a worker from another store that the owner usually closes up shop by 5:30.)

What is on offer: 33 RPM, 45 RPM, CDs, DVDs, video, stereo equipment, memorabilia

Prices: Cheap discount prices range $1 - $3. Most records land in the $12 - $20 range. Digging will find some prices in the $6 - $8 range, but these are a little hard to find.

So, honestly, how is the place? Rochester Records runs the gamut of a saving grace to a frustrating little store. On the one hand it is jam packed with records, both common and un-common finds. Some of the albums are found in a section that is in alphabetical order. But, the majority of the albums are just spread out through the store all willy-nilly, defying both alphabetical order AND genre classification. This can be cause for a very lengthy amount of time spent in the store if your plan is to either just rummage around or even try to find something specific.

Listening to conversation I learned that the owner is in the process of finding order in the store. As it is now it appears that the ones that are in order are possibly the original stock. The ones that are all willy-nilly appear to be collections that have been bought and cleaned. Some of the crates look very much like a collection. One crate had a good amount of 80s Metal. One can look at the crates and see the makings of collections. As for the alphabetical section, Jethro Tull was found in the "T" section. Come on.

This did lead to a little frustration, as searching would turn up five of the same album, but scattered through the store. I found Sly and the Family Stone's Greatest Hits five times, one in a budget bin, then the others scattered about. The price ranged quite a bit with each one, with the cheapest being $5. Once you see this happening it gets a little frustrating because the first copy you find might not be the cheapest one in the store or the best quality (depending on what you are buying for).

Speaking of prices, those are also all over the place. Most of the vinyl seems to land between the $12 - $20 range. Now, while that might be a turn off to some people, inspecting the vinyl shows that much of the product on offer is in very good condition. I did compare the prices in the store with Discogs and the prices seem to reflect the higher end of what is on offer on Discogs. A few of the finds were a little high priced.

If you are looking for one album in particular the store could be frustrating. As an example, if you are looking for Hanoi Rocks and you can't find it in "H," that does not mean it is not available in the store. It very well could be anywhere else in the store. Not to mention Jethro Tull is found in the "T' section.

If you are just out to browse for new Metal, well, same problem. Your Metal could be anywhere in the store almost. It will require some time to do the searching.

If you just like to bin dive (as I do), then you will need about 2 - 3 hours (how long I spent in the store was about 3 hours). The problem is that there is a lot on offer, and by the end my finger tips were fairly sore from flipping so many records. I should also stress I am a guitarist and have callouses on my finger tips.

The owner is very friendly. I didn't get into a deep conversation, so I am not sure on his knowledge. Some of the stickers on the albums mention the genre of the album. This is very helpful for buyers such as myself. Those buyers who are always searching for something unfamiliar to them. I rarely buy with a certain band on my mind. I am always searching for that band I have never heard of, and a genre label is a very welcome addition. So when one finds these stickers one has to figure the owner either knows the products, or he cares enough to check out the items he is placing on the floor.

So what did I leave with? I did score pretty big there with my finds. I got three bands I love and one I was completely unfamiliar with.

Detective - It Takes One to Know One, $6
Mott The Hoople - Rock and Roll Queen, $8
Artful Dodger - Babes on Broadway, $15
Trigger - Trigger, $15

I believe I over paid a bit for the Artful Dodger, but at the same time it is one I haven't run across yet, and I do love them. Great band, great album. The vinyl is in mint condition. Even though it is a promo copy it does come with the normal sleeve insert with lyrics.

According to Discogs the Trigger album was over priced. Searching the internet, however, it seems that this is a very rare find. A one off record from a band that didn't get any backing from a floundering Casablanca records. So, much like the Artful Dodger, I decided to buy the album with the idea that this could very possibly be a tough one to track down. My main love are the 70s Glam and Power Pop bands that only released an album or two. Score! Again, vinyl is in mint condition.

The Detective album came with a sneaky ploy inside the cover. Upon checking the sleeve when I got home I found the insert for the debut album by Legs Diamond. The Detective insert is present, but I now have a Legs Diamond insert also. It would seem that I now have to go find the Legs Diamond debut.

All in all Rochester Records is a worthwhile stop. Just be sure you have the time and be ready to possibly spend more than you planned to or expect to walk away with less than you had hoped to. I had to walk away from about five albums I felt were a little too pricey for what they were. If the prices had been a little lower I would have blown my self-imposed budget. That being said, I have not left Rochester yet and I am not saying I won't return for one of them that keeps calling my name.