Season To Risk Self Titled Big Money Inc./Red Decibel/Columbia 1993

Season To Risk Self Titled Red Decibel/Columbia 1992, 1993 CAT# BMI 040

Re-listening and looking back, this LP hasn't aged well. From the ironic artwork to the trendy metal production styles, it just reeks of the early 90's. But, sometimes nostalgia is great. The memories that surround this moment in Kansas City music history for outweigh it's dated style.

The album is a bruiser, though. It's aggressive and mean. It's angry and loud. It's been stated here before, but at the end of the day, it's a shame this brand of post-hardcore with heavy metal aspects didn't beat out bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit to dominate the teenage aggression scene. Season to Risk is far more intelligent and were far better musicians. They just came on the scene a bit too early, the kids that would have been prime for this hadn't gotten to age where they would now how to handle this.

The album doesn't lack highlights. "Mine Eyes" was a solid single. The final song on the LP, "Reminder," is a great example of the band's aggressive style. "Why See Straight" is also a bruiser. The song "Scorched" has some nifty guitar work and is a fantastic take on noise rock. The rest comes in moments, there are times when they stay in places that contemporaries like Failure, Handsome and even the legendary Jesus Lizard perfected, but Season to Risk end up getting too heavy metal. They use a megaphone to sing through a lot which is a nice 90's effect, but it does wear thin. Overall, it's worth it for the memories, if you heard it as a teenager, you'll want to grab a skateboard or go jump stairs on in-line skates, whatever your extreme sport was in the early 90's.

Reminder

The Republic Tigers Merrymake It With Me Atlantic/Chop Shop 2011

The Republic Tigers Merrymake It With B/W Whale Fight Me Atlantic/Chop Shop 2011 CAT# 7-527379

Man, I think I've been a total dick about this band.  I could of swore they formed in KC as the Golden Republic and dropped the scene for Austin, TX to become the Republic Tigers and get noticed (although, getting noticed in that town is probably harder than it is here).  But, I'm checking things now that I've came across this ($2 sealed in Atlanta, GA...nice) and they claim Kansas City like no other.  But, seriously, been a total dick if that's the case.  When I heard NPR refer to the group as "majestic pop", and that this KC band was featured on soundtracks in TV, commercials, and movies, and when I heard the local alterno-rock station claim they were playing local when they spun a hit by the band, I cringed, wouldn't let myself believe they were local, they left, sold us out for the uber-hip city of Austin, TX.

But, like I said, I think I'm wrong on that.  I mean crap, the song "Merrymake It With Me" was mixed by Shiner/Season to Risk player, Paul Malinowski; that's pretty KC.  Pretty sure I just got suckered into some hipsters misinformed opinion of the band and let it became my own (looks like I'm the sell-out, here).  Either way, I'm still not impressed by the group's sound.  "Majestic Pop" isn't a bad term, it's very girl-friendly, indie-lite, pop music.  The songs are pleasant, they get you to hum along and it makes sense the band would be featured on the soundtracks of teen drama TV, it's all very clever background music.  Like Death Cab for Cutie or even Jimmy Eat World, catchy melodies and a lot going on in the background.  In fact, the band is so unoffensive my mom asked me why I didn't review them on this blog (thanks for reading, mom).  She likes them and that should tell you everything you need to know: Mom Rock.

Whale Fight @ the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS