Hirnsäule – Salto
Thursday, April 8th, 2010(c) 2010 Hirnsäule
Rating: 
Ok, so here’s some weird cool stuff if you’re a punk rock fan that doesn’t speak German, but doesn’t mind or thinks it’s neat when others do. From the best I can tell, this release is called “Salto” from the German band, Hirnsäule. The band’s name appears to mean “brain pillar”, which I take to probably mean “spine” … I could be way the hell off. This “disc” was a digital download, so I don’t have any concrete publishing information, so I just attributed it to the band.
On to the music though. Salto contains 15 tracks of DK/Dickies-esque warbling vocal frenzied punk. Some of the tracks are in English, some in German. Honestly it isn’t the easiest to decipher which are which. This doesn’t detract in any way from the enjoyment. I’d venture to guess that the tracks with the English titles are the ones that are done in English. I’ll let you be the judge of that though. http://www.hirnsaeule.de
The similarity to Dead Kennedys is both apparent and apparently genuine. That aside, the music is quick paced and quirky. The overall feel is garagey with just enough polish to make you want a catch a live show to compare the difference.
This is good stuff and just goes to show that in the crazy digital age, music is more accessible than ever. Maybe that takes some of the eliteist fun out of it, but so what. It’s a big damn world get out there and explore it a bit, even it you never leave your house.
–Jerry Actually
I know that I’m pretty lax on getting reviews up promptly a lot of the time, but from the copyright date to my door took two years, so I guess I’m not so bad… but on to the review. Queens New York natives, Dead On A Friday certainly have tenacity. Founded in 2002 they went through three drummers, several hazardous apartments, a nervous breakdown and countless hours of therapy (according to their bio) Finally after five long years, the band finally put it to wax so to speak. Hope It Was Worth It is 13 tracks of melodic punk. They have a very Bad Religion feel to me, but with the kind of cold gray edge you’d expect from East Coast winters. The music is tight, good quick pace, no epic length (over 3 minute) BS tracks. For sake of brevity, go find these guys and like them. Like them as much as your little heart can muster. Hope It Was Worth It does in fact seem every bit worth it.
Hot damn, it’s good to listen to old-fashioned, ass-kicking hardcore punk! I hope these guys have stock in bass drum heads and throat lozenges; I’m sure they go through a lot of them. 
Bosterdamian group Jaya the Cat deliver a unique fusion of punk, reggae, rock, and ska that took a few listens before it gelled into awesome. More Late Night Transmissions With… bounces across the Atlantic like Cannabis Cup winning weed followed by a dram of 20 yr barrel aged Glensomething whiskey — oh-so-hazy and smoother than a mo’fo’.
