Record Reviews

Lillingtons - The Too Late Show - Red Scare
The first time I saw the Lillingtons was at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago and Jughead from Screeching Weasel was playing second guitar. Ben Weasel got up on stage and they did a bunch of Screeching Weasel songs as well as a bunch of Lillingtons songs and it was a hoot. I bought Death By Television and was really impressed by the song writting and the hooks that were on that record. The follow up was less than stellar and I never bothered giving it more than a couple listens, but their most recent effort The Too Late Show is somewhat of a return to form. It's definitely a step in the right direction for a band I was convinced broke up.
The time that Kody has spent playing with Teenage Bottlerocket has done him a lot of good, because he took that experience and brought it into the Lillingtons, which seems to have given that band somewhat of a jump start. If you were already a fan of the Lillingtons, you probably already own this album and you're probably not disappointed. If you've never heard the Lillingtons, I'd suggest getting Death By Television first. If you like the Ramones and Screeching Weasel, this stuff is right up your alley.
Red Scare Industries

Fake Problems - S/T EP - Sabot
Dancey, country punk from Florida. These kids are putting a somewhat unique spin on a style of music that's been made popular by their fellow Floridians, Against Me! and This Bike is a Pipebomb. There's a great deal of youthful energy in this band and ridiculous enthusiasm (and I mean that in a good way.)
The music is a lot more indie pop than punk, but it's heavily influenced by alt. country made popular by Illinois band, Uncle Tupelo back in the early 90's.
They also have an excellent 7" out as well, with a follow up record waiting to be released. They're good guys who play awesomely aweseome indie rock.
Fake Problems

Gravetones - Dig It! - Criminal IQ
Criminal IQ continues to put out one great record after another. Their catalog is one hit after another and the Gravetones are no exception.
The Gravetones could very well be the most quintesential Psychobilly band ever. Why? Because they've got everything you could ever want from a band of this variety. You have a singer who looks a zombie-Elvis, an incredible rhythm section, a firm root in Misfits style imagery. The music doesn't really break any new ground, but that doesn't really mean shit, because it doesn't have to. These guys play music because they like the music they're playing, not for fashion and not cred of any kind.
The only thing I wish was that the production was a bit more stylized. I think, although Dan Precision is a good engineer, I don't really feel like he did the music justice. I think it sounds a little too sterile. With some hefty reverb on the drums and vocals, I think this record would be a lot more unique and not sound so much like a standard rock album. This band should be scary and quite frankly, I'm not convinced by the recording. The point of reference should have been Legacy of Brutality by the Misfits and the first Samhain record.
The song writting on the other hand is stellar. It's clear that these guys put time into the song writting process and it really shines through with a flawless performance on this album as well as when you see them live. I saw them a year ago at the Logan Square Auditorium and they tore it up something fierce. Keep an eye out on this band.
Gravetones
Criminal IQ