Bomb the Music Industry – Scrambles

By paul

So it goes Jeff Rosenstock wanted to make ‘Scrambles’ for $50, a meagre sum in the music world that still would have made this the most expensive Bomb the Music Industry! record yet. That should give you some idea of the D.I.Y. ethic behind the band/collective/not-so-side-project, whatever it is you want to call BTMI! Recording in practise spaces, flats, parent’s homes, and just about anywhere else available, and utilising the good nature of your friends are trademarks of the BTMI! way of life. It’s D.I.Y. to the core. And all this before the excessive use of exclamation marks!

If you’ve heard the band before you’ll know what to expect from ‘Scrambles’ which doesn’t stray far from the mould. Incorporating traditional punk guitars, drums (albeit sometimes drum machines) and a sprinkling of brass there’s just enough to push this in the direction of lazy comparisons to ska punk, only it’s not really that at all. Acoustic guitars and pianos are utilised regularly alongside a whole lot of jiggery-pokery. Think sleigh bells, a melodica, banjo, some near Chiptune style electronics and synths and you’re getting close to the musical hotpot that bubbles over.

‘(Shut) Up the Punx!!!’ and ‘Can I Pay My Rent In Fun?’ are stand out tracks catching BTMI! in frantic Big D inspired form, with Rosenstock lyrically in a state of playful yet poignant reflection. The former is a raised middle finger to those scene punks with their better-than-thou mentality (you know the ones) whilst the latter concentrates on losing your job to do something you love. ‘9/11 Fever!!’ is a satirical look at media hysteria and it’s exploitation of tragedy, and ‘Saddr Weirdr’ looks at the feelings that come from moving on and leaving your friends. Basically, this is an album about Rosenstock’s experiences, which just so happen to relate to just about anybody likely to hear this record.

If you’re looking for a well-polished piece of punk-rock you may as well move on now. This is strictly lo-fi and for that has a character that just isn’t on offer all that often. In some ways this is the most refined of the five BTMI! albums but in others it harks back to 2005’s debut ‘Album Minus Band’. Without a doubt ‘Scrambles’ is a diamond in the rough, a well secured little secret that those who know about will hold close to their heart!!!

Alex

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Fortune Teller – ‘PREMONITIONS’

While She Sleeps - 'SELF HELL'

USA Nails – ‘FEEL WORSE’