On and off the record
By Chris Jay 02/12/2009
The Id
The Id
Freud hypothesized that the id is the part of the psyche that responds most viscerally to stimulus, it is the gut of the mind, if you will. In many ways, punk rock serves a similar purpose in the greater music spectrum. While it can have intellectual aspects (the Dead Kennedys comes to mind) it is largely a physical/emotional expression, a reaction and a release. On this, the Id’s first CD, which was recorded at Megasound Studios in Ventura, old-school punk rock— with a little Oi thrown in for good measure — is the dominant element, and it’s done right. The Id knows its roots and pays homage accordingly. Early Brit punk, bouncy, mod and anthemic, collides with Stooges-style tempos with the occasional appearance of Cali surf core.
Clear the room of anything breakable before you turn this one on.
Available on MySpace (www.myspace.com/theband theid) and at live performances.
—Michel Cicero
“A Place of Our Own”
Frank Cruz and the New Deal
First things first: though it’s only February, this will end up being the best packaging and artwork on any local release this year. Handcrafted with an actual photo included, a letter to the listener and a self-addressed stamped envelope to write the artist, putting this all together probably took as long as the recording. Frank Cruz is a singer-songwriter born and raised in the Ventura area who now spends a lot of his time in the Bay area working on his PhD. Cruz’s new EP is raw acoustic folk in the vein of Springsteen’s Nebraska with a running theme of the similarity between Cruz and his grandfather. Though lo-fi and spare, it still shows the promise of a great story-based singer-songwriter record in the making.
Available through MySpace (www.myspace.com/thenewdeal).
—Chris Jay
No Damage
Brainspoon
Forgive them the icky name that has something to do with taxidermy tools, this knock-yer-Chuck’s-off garage ensemble is one of the county’s best for simple, balls-out, messy rock ’n’ roll with hooks for days. Their first record in eight years, No Damage does what all good music should: leaves you wanting more. But, while the band’s nearly perfect gender balance lends visual appeal and adds welcome dimension to their music it also creates a mild identity crisis or, two, two, two bands in one. The songs on No Damage with male vocals, come across like an entirely different band from the songs with female vocals. The male vocal stuff tends to have a power-pop feel, while the female vocal songs are grittier and blackened at the edges. Standout tracks: “Bleeding Black and White,” a MAVRIC award nominee, and “White Knights.”
Available on MySpace (www.myspace.com/brainspoon) and at local record stores.
—Michel Cicero
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT