Music Review - Sledding with Tigers

Sledding with Tigers are nothing if not prolific and ever-evolving. When we first experienced this band, it was a solo acoustic punk act with a teenage angst that was real and palpable. But we all get older and change a bit. We leave college, get jobs, change tastes...it's part of a social evolution called "being a grown up".

Along comes the latest album from Sledding with Tigers, Being Nice is Still Cool, where we see a move away from the punkier tunes of their earlier days into a sweeter, more rounded punk/Americana sound, self-described as "I'm not punk enough for punk and I'm not folk enough for folk". Imagine The Descendents decided to soften a bit and go acoustic, add a fiddle...picture it. Now you have the lastest Sledding with Tigers album.

No need to worry...the relatable lyrics are still there, the raucous, rolling guitar hasn't left, the group-yell choruses have remained intact. What is added is some saavy to using the fun stuff in a studio. Distortion on vocals ("A Floppy Disc Worth of Singing"), a straight-up pop song ("Homeless"), and mix of everything to kick the whole thing off ("Quit Yr Job"). All this gets put together to make for the best SWT has to offer thus far.

Where to find this album:

• SWT Website

RIYL: Ben Lee, The Descendents, American Stories

Music Review - NoFX

For nearly thirty years now, NoFX has been entertaining and shocking audiences and fans around the world. No one can ever question their dedication, their drive, their ability to make dick jokes, or their stance on issues, be they social, political, or pornographical. And after nearly 30 years, they still have it.

Their twelfth studio full length and latest in a long line of releases that includes EPs splits, special 7" records, and various compilations, Self Entitled is a reassurance that they have in no way lost their edge after all this time. The guitars of El Hefe and Eric Melvin are still fast and loud, Fat Mike's voice is still that perfect punk rock crappiness that says "I can sing, I'm just not that good at it"...and then there is Smelly.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Eric "Smelly" Sandin is one of my favorite drummers of all time. I seriously put him up there with the likes of Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Max Weinberg, and Bobby Schayer. But he's faster. He makes Travis Barker look like a flashy poseur. And on the new album, he proves that speed can be interspersed with breakdowns to make diversity.

If there is one thing that stands out as a negative on this album it would be that it sounds more polished than most NoFX albums. The production is clearly high-end, or at least higher-end than we've come to expect from a punk rock album.

It's hard to pick the stand-outs on this album. It has a great flow to it, starting with a kick in the face on "72 Hookers" (an actual solution to bring about world peace?) right on through the hilarious yet poignant "Ronnie & Mags" to my personal favorite, perhaps because of the spoken word portion praising Fat Mike for being right, "My Sycophant Others". This album is a complete package that is most reminiscent of White Trash, Two Heebs, and A Bean.

Where to find them:

• Fat Wreck Chords site
• iTunes
• Amazon

RIYL: Bad Religion, The Descendents, Rancid