Reviews
Really liked this documentary and the way it was done. I also liked the way Jack interviewed people - not talking very much, just asking a few questions and letting them tell their stories. I've been part of the punk scene since around 1979/80 and I've seen how it's evolved over time. But I must admit, I just kind of went with the flow of the evolution and never really thought a lot about it. This documentary made me think about that and go, yeah - those aspects did change but a lot of things still remain the same.
Original review can be found here.
21st Century Punk Rock Vol 1 DVD produced & directed by Jackson Low is the first current overview film of the Los Angeles & Orange County exotic underground grunge scene this side of the millennium. Over half a decade of filming produces a great DVD experience that consists of live interviews, a kind of name tag wearing meet & greet with many of the featured bands; plus live performance excerpts of killer gigs including The Krum Bums, Dick Politic, Terezodu, The Casualties plus A special last ever farewell performance from Carreer Soldiers. Thats just a small segment of the list of musicians.
It's clear it's fun 4 all by record of the Guiness guzzling, Clorox & orange dye mohawk hair cuts worn by bands & the punker punter folks alike. The entrenched still live the die hard high life philosophy of anarchy as first established by 1970's grunge founders: The Ramones, The Damned, The Clash & The Sex Pistols. A recurring theme of change since the Old School persists; it's all over the DVD.
Some things never change as is the case of the Chapter 7 bout after Resilience play S.O.S. Other oddball stuff such as interview with Mop Top & Chryss selling candles att the swapmeet add character. Issues of DIY advertising staples such as paper fliers to attract new fans, fashion & art might also be gimme candy for new start me up artists.
As an observer & critic, one might help assist the scene to bloom by copying tips & tricks that capture the mighty spirit of youth as did Fenders of Long Beach so many years ago. Ask The Masked Villians (not on this disk) who've the right idea; simpler times.
I did fork over two crisp green ten dollar bills to Jack's Paypal (accepts Visa) account for this classic stella insight & I'm a Happy Shopper.
Original review can be found here.
The title 21st Century Punk Rock, Vol. 1 sounds all-encompassing, as though it's an encyclopedia of all things punk. However, this DVD focuses only on a small group of punk rock bands, from old-schoolers Shattered Faith to young upstarts like Homesick Abortions. Filmed on location in Southern California on an extremely low to nonexistent budget, 21st Century provides an inside look into the epicenter of a musical genre that has morphed from an underground life form to a homogenized mainstream force. In the opening snippet, Leo from the band Terezodu addresses this subject, noting that punk rock is now embraced by the masses and that even porn stars have Mohawks. "We've got to make people fear us again," he says.
The interviews and clips that follow present bands, managers, fans and even a soundman who bear no resemblance to the cover girl and cover boy version of punk rock we see everyday in magazines and at fashion shows. From the Voids doing "L.A.P.D." to the Krum Bums, Casualties, and Lower Class Brats, the punk here is fast 'n rough and bears no resemblance to the cleaned-up pop punk of oh, say, New Found Glory. The bands represented are the descendents of the first wave of LA punk, i.e. the Germs, X, the Bags, and so forth. During one clip, you can almost smell the sweat and pot smoke as a promoter admonishes a bunch of unruly fans for fighting during a set. True punk rock minus the embellishments still exists in the States--mostly in Southern California, for some cultural and ideological reason. 21st Century Punk Rock, Vol. 1 provides a "slice of life" look into this scene.
Original review can be found here.
This high-octane music release runs down a handful of the best and most promising punk rock acts to emerge in the new millennium, with performances and other footage from a number of old-school punk revival groups like Krum Bums, Terezodu, The Voids and many more.
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