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Release date: July 2001
1. Backwood Creatures - Back To You
2. The Popsters - Hang Around
3. The Apers - Really Really
4. Peawees - In My Heart Tonight
5. Retarded - New Days
6. Sonic Dolls
- Dance With Me Tonight
7. The Manges - Do "The Loser" (original version)
8. The Lulabelles - Get Out Of My Way
9. The Portables - Leave It Behind
10. The Ragin' Hormones - I Only Like Rock 'N' Roll
11. Dirtshakes - Dirtshakes Boogie
12. Stinking Polecats - She Was Great
13. The Vaders - I Want You To Know
14. The Favorats - Surfin' Surfin'
15. Raining Rats - Can You Say That Again?
16. The Battledykes - Backwoods Song
17. The Furies - Hangin' Out In Hollywood
18. The Campbells - Honky Tonk Johnny
19. The Mahoneys - Punkrock Academy Dropouts
20. The Coffin Kids - Turn Around
21. Lobotomys - Prom Nite Queen
22. The Shits - I Wanna Go To Hollywood
23. The Pink Panthers - Day By Day
24. The Peenuts - See You Next Summer
25. The Norma Jeans - I Didn't Know
26. The Reekys - My Friend
27. Kling-Ons - I Don't Wanna Feel Like That
28. Travoltas - Nail You
More info about Backwood Creatures:
Presspage
Homepage
More info about The Popsters:
Homepage
More info about The Apers:
Presspage
Homepage
More info about Peawees:
Homepage
More info about Retarded:
Homepage
More info about Sonic Dolls:
Presspage
Homepage
More info about Manges:
Homepage
More info about The Lulabelles:
Homepage
More info about The Ragin' Hormones:
Homepage
More info about The Dirtshakes:
Homepage
More info about Stinking Polecats:
Homepage
More info about The Vaders:
Homepage
More info about Raining Rats:
Homepage
More info about The Battledykes:
Homepage
More info about The Campbells:
Homepage
More info about The Coffin Kids:
Homepage
More info about Lobotomys:
Homepage
More info about The Peenuts:
Homepage
More info about The Reekys:
Homepage
More info about Travoltas:
Homepage
Reviews:
Taken from Weerock
Records:
This collection collects 28 unreleased tracks from 28 European bands.
If you’re a fan of pop-punk you can’t go wrong with this CD.
The Apers, the Manges, Retarded, and the Portables contribute great tracks,
along with average tracks by many other bands. The booklet has info and
pictures of each band. -- nothing to do
Taken from I-94
Bar:
Who said the European Continent south of Scandinavia was a rock wasteland?
Holland label Stardumb are managing to punch a hole in THAT theory and
this impressive sampler of 28 bands from all around the place shows how.
It's a daunting task assessing a collection like this, a generous serving
of
buzzsaw pop punk (with the empahsis on punk) but we'll try. Some of these
bands (The Apers, The Manges, Peawees, The Popsters, Retarded and the
Travoltas) have graced the I-94 Bar sound system, but most have not. And
all the tracks are unreleased anyway, at least in the forms in which they
appear here. Most bands represented share common traits: Guitars played
fast but tempered with a fair spinkling of melody. Songs that don't outlast
their welcome. Lots of hooks and harmonies. Songs about girls. And cars.
Some less random observations: The Portables (one of the few Swedish bands
to make it) wouldn't exist if not for the Ramones - and that opinion's
not just based on the 1-2-3-4 count-in to "Leave It Behind".
Pity about the lack of production on the guitar. On "I Only Love
Rock and Roll", The Ragin' Hormones' singer (who's from the Netherlands)
makes it sound like Dee Dee may have created more than lots of work for
tattooists on the Ramones' sweeps through Europe. A paternity suit should
follow but their drummer's tendency to change tempo is actually endearing.
The Hormones' singer has a half brother in Germany and he sings for the
Lobotomys. On Prom Nite Queen" he makes it sound like Dee Dee was
busier than a sailor with a fistful of 50s on his occasional nights off
on those long tours. Italy's favourite
Ramones tribute band, Retarded, manage a "Brain Drain" outtake
in "New Days". And fuck me, if The Shits' "I Wanna Go to
Hollywood" doesn't sound just like...well, you can guess which band.
They couldn't collectively win the war but, between them, Italy and Germany
manage to contribute 20 of the songs here. The sole English contribution
is by the Norma Jeans and "I Didn't Know" is one of the most
frantic things here, while still maintaining a sense of poppish fun. No
mean feat. It's mostly boys' own stuff, but the girls do make an appearance
on "Backwoods Song" by The Battledykes and the stylish "Day
by Day" by Italy's Pink Panthers, the latter band leaving the overrated
Donnas for dead.
The award for "Shortest Song Because We're Paying for Studio Time
By the Minute" goes to Italy's The Reekys whose "I Don't Wanna
Feel Like That" clocks in at 52 seconds. After that, you'll need
a stiff ouzo and a lie down. Travoltas are from the Netherlands and manage
to put out the longest (just five minutes) and most sonically adventurous
cut, "Nail You". Space Rock meets Psych Punk and it's a million
miles removed from the split single they put out on the same label. Some
pop punk picks: Peawees' "In My Heart Tonight" strikes a chord
with a ripping melody line from some more obviously Ramones-influenced
Italians. The Sonic Dolls from Germany get along on the back of a fluid
engine room and bouncy counterpoint chorus with "Dance With Me Tonight".
The punk surf of The Favorats (another German outfit) shines on "Surfin'
Surfin'".
If 28 tracks of (mostly) Ramones-influenced powerpunk sounds daunting,
fear not. There's ample diversity to maintain interest levels. Thankfully,
none of it's polished to a dull Green Day shine. Give "The European
Poppunk Virus" a listen and you might find a few of its strains infectious.
-- The Barman
Review taken from No
Brains Zine:
This solid compilation on Stardumb Records has a bit confusing name. I
mean the term poppunk is not really the best description for 28 bands
inspired by Ramones. At least when I hear poppunk I always think about
some stupid shitty bands you get daily on MTV. Well here you don't have
them, but nice comp of European Ramones punk bands. Well there is not
enough space to name them all, so I'll make the choice of my favorites.
First killer is Peawees with great and catchy "In My Heart Tonight".
Retarded also has nice tune "New Days" with melodic solo guitar
and pumping rhythm guitar. I already reviewed Manges CD and here they
are also one of my favorites. The Lulabelles from Holland are really nice
surprise. 4 girls playing very fast and melodic Ramonesy punk "Get
Out Of My Way" - it's definitely a killer
with great chorus. I hope to hear more from these girls and get a chance
to see them live. Dirtshakes are maybe not so great, but their style should
get more attention - they play boogie punk. The Favorats bring the sunshine
in your room. Their "Surfin' Surfin'" sounds like the Barracudas
meets Ramones. Battledykes are nice teenage punk band - 3 girls + 2 guys.
Shits are super fast and have something Misfits in their sound. They are
melodic, but raw and "I Wanna Go To Hollywood" is only 55 sec.
long. The Pink Panthers are one more all girl punk band with strong power
pop influence. "Day By Day" is nice and catchy tune. The Reekys
are probably the band with the strongest Ramonoid sound and they are pretty
good, maybe vocal could be a bit better - less neat. The biggest surprise
were Travoltas with "Nail You". They changed their style a bit
and I have to be honest I like this song a lot and it's definitely the
best track on this CD (I hated Travoltas before - he he he). Anyway "Nail
You" sounds like Jesus And Mary Chain meets House Of Love meets psychotic
punk rock produced very modern and really great. Anyway I have to pay
more attention to their new stuff and I'm very curious now. At the end
this is one more great Stardumb release and if all these bands I mentioned
get a chance to make the whole album in the future, we'll get lot of great
music to enjoy.
Taken from Vinyl A Go Go:
I just got off the phone with the airline rep, I’ve got a one-way
ticket to Europe. I’ve got my vinyl all packed up, a spare pair
of tightskins, and six pair of Converse All-Stars. Life can only get better
from here on out.
American music fans infuriate me. No matter what type of band I’m
witnessing the same story plays out again and again. The band freaks out
on stage, dancing like mad, flinging their bodies all over the stage,
swinging their guitar necks in reckless abandon, pouring vats of sweat
onto the planks. They’re literally sacrificing their entire beings
to entertain a group of fifty snot-nosed, stuck-up, pretentious kids.
And yet NO ONE MOVES AN INCH. If you’re lucky some kids new, hip,
trendy sock will bunch up around his $80 shoes and he’ll bend down
to pull it up, in the meantime his smart ass friend will kick him in the
back sending him toppling into the girl wearing fratgirl sex pants who
was busy yawning. Once the kid who was busy pulling up his sock hits the
girl she freaks out and gets her boyfriend’s testosterone pumping.
He starts pummeling the sock boy and a small riot ensues. Everyone stops
watching the band and rubbernecks the evening’s new main event.
My point? Kids don’t fucking dance. They could give a shit less.
They simply don’t appreciate good rock and roll when they hear it.
They’re too worried about other things. I’m pretty sure this
isn’t new. Us Americans have never truly appreciated our musicians,
our musicians also do a pretty good job of not appreciating our best music
from the past-choosing instead to fuck with the formula and come up with
shit in the process. That’s how our rock and roll thunder was stolen
from us in the sixties, and countless other decades since. I think it’s
happened again. Either I went limp-dicked or American pop-punk has been
slumped over in the corner for the last few years. There seemed to be
a little bit of action a year or so ago, but I think it was just a nasty
rumor. It seems Europe has assimilated the US pop-punk formula (and while
they rip it up, stretch it to shit, and flip it over and dance all over
it; they never truly deviate from that formula, which is fucking perfect),
combined it with a heavy dose of old time rock and roll ferocity (as Josh
Rutledge keenly pointed out in his wonderful review of this same release
over at Now Wave Headquarters). They also put more wallop into their attack
and focus on writing simple, catchy songs letting any outside influences,
that would fuck with the formula, slide off them like water on a duck.
I hate compilations. They tend to do nothing for me. They usually consist
of way too many bands, playing way too many divergent styles of music,
and rest on the shoulders of one or two mighty bands. In other words they’re
hit or miss. However, The European Poppunk Virus rises above most compilations.
It’s all hit and no miss. There’s really not a lame-ass track
on this thing. I never find my finger hitting the magic track skipping
button while cranking this at top volume on my way to an action packed
rock and roll evening. There are some true, way-gone, flat-out flawless,
pop-punk HITS on this thing, believe me, I don’t lie.
European pop-punk was previously a big mystery to me. I’m sure this
comp only knocks at the tip of the iceberg, but it’s an essential
introduction to today’s hottest pop-punk scene. There’s a
bunch of different of styles of pop-punk, countries, and even genders
represented (there’s only three female bands represented, but that’s
two more than we have here in the states). Sure the big bands are on here,
you got your Travoltas and your Apers and your Sonic Dolls and Retarded;
but to me the beauty is found in bands like The Lullabelles, The Portables
, The Dirtshakes, The Vaders, The Favorats, The Shits, The Norma Jeans,
and all the other bands we haven’t heard enough of in the U.S. I’d
love to see a singles series devoted to documenting these bands, as a
bunch of the tracks on The European Poppunk Virus are worthy of A-Side
hit status.
It would take me a billion bytes of server space to give you a good feel
for all the bands I dig on this comp. Instead I’ll just give it
a hearty recommendation and let you find out for yourself. Stefan Stardumb
(the genius behind this compilation) allowed the bands to include contact
info. and more, so there’s plenty of opportunity to track down more
stuff by all bands involved, something I plan on doing ASAP.
American rock and roll shows depress me. In Europe I imagine that it would
all be different. On any Friday night I could hop the train over to the
local hangout, meet up with a group of my tight panted-Converse All-Star-clad
buddies, head on over to the rock and roll club and find myself immersed
in a sea of gyrating, sweating, pogoing, rock and roll crazed kids going
apeshit for a band that’s pummeling their eardrums with three blasted-out
chords, sugar drenched hooks, and that rock and roll back-beat we all
dig to the utmost. The kids could care less what’s going on next
to them, behind them, or above them, all they care about is what’s
in front of them and the sounds surrounding them, providing the soundtrack
to their hip-shaking action-packed evening. Afterwards we’d all
head on over to the diner for Cokes and fries, and of course there’d
be plenty of cute rock and roll girls to flirt with…but I suppose
that’s only a dream of an ideal world that most likely doesn’t
exist in Europe or any other continent. It must be something like that
though… At the least I know those European kids love rock and roll
with all their soul, which is enough to make me smile for months. I think
The Reekys say it best, "Get addicted to black leather jackets and
shout." Indeed.
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