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REVIEWS:
"I am on a mission from
God," shrieks Charley Jamison, in one of Landspeedrecord's
most memorable songs. And he may just be right. This Baltimore
quartet's career has been a jihad against complacent,
predictable indie-rock. The band's sings - fueled by Jamison's
bizarrely orginal lyrics, frentic riffs, and a jumpy rock-solid
rhythm section - poke and prod the edges of sanity. Insanity
has never felt so good. This CD present eight new tracks
and another 11 culled from earlier out-of-print LSR albums
and EP's and is absolutely recommended as a vital addition
to your collection if you're even in the least bit interested
in indie rock that dares to veer from the mainstream.
- Jersey Beat, Jim Testa
Rating: 5 Stars
Landspeedrecord! are a fun band for all. Good Housekeeping
is a collection of unreleased and out-of-print material
that will rip your shit up and make you feel all the better
for it. Landspeedrecord!'s brand of quirky thrash post
punk rock is guaranteed to keep any nonconformist socialite
pleased.
Lead singer Charles Jamison's
audacious lyrics highlight Good Housekeeping. On the apocalypse:
We're all gonna die in a fireball of pain, but you shouldn't
complain ("Kilki"). On serial killing: I have
a collection of sharp objects, ice picks... if it sounds
kinda obvious it's because I'm going to use it on your
head ("Dead Girlfriend"). On pop references:
Shame Spiral! Turn Out the light! That's Gross ("Alicia
Silverstone Shame Spiral"). On love in the workplace:
I didn't mean to lick your nameplate ("Interoffice
Copulation").
Underneath the sarcasm and
self-mockery, Landspeedrecord! immerse the listener in
a new world and tell a new story with every song. Landspeedrecord!
go out in style on the suicide-themed "Road to Flight,"
a simple "old tyme" vocal with acoustic guitar
accompaniment, in which Jamison cries out with all his
might, "a hangman's noose is a Hallmark card for
the holiday that kills." This is the song on the
album worth hearing. For that reason, it is not the Featured
Track of this review. Only the one with "I am on
a Mission from God" is worthy.
Suicide may not be fun, but
Landspeedrecord! are reminiscent of the greatest of all
sarcastic groups in that they often mean exactly the opposite
of what they are saying, and that my friends is high art.
Landspeedrecord! is fun for kids!
- Jacob Fink, Agouti Magazine
The Baltimore-based band Landspeedrecord
is one of those groups that seems to have a new release
out every time we do a new issue. Their latest Goud Housekeeping,
as the title indicates, a clearing out of odds and ends
originally found on various compilations and out of print
albums. Landpseedrecord are sort of a hard band to pin
down, but also rather easy to like. They're somewhat punk-ish,
are melodic yet have that post-punk trademark sense of
distance to their sound, have a strong funk center, rely
on a wry, somewhat cynical sense of humor (as evidenced
by song titles like Alicia Silverstone Shame Spiral and
Interoffice Copulation) yet also deal with some pretty
heavy subjects. With an even greater breadth of styles
than most of their releases, Good Housekeeping shows all
those sides and then some. Good Housekeeping is a solid
overview of a band that stands in its own unique shadow.
- Erasing Clouds.com, Dave Heaton
Landspeedrecord! is one of
the most great hidden treasures of the East Coast. Lurching
rhythms, scathing yelling & searing grooves that are
build on discord & tension, the band’s sound
is like an amusement park ride for schizophrenic amphetamine
addicts who read Burroughs. And, by the way, the shit
rocks.
- GY, Torpedo Magazine
Although a favorite of other
DOA writers for some time, this is my first real exposure
to Landspeedrecord! and their brand of quirky rock. My
first thought is that this Baltimore, Maryland band represents,
in all the best ways, everything I loved about the Archers
of Loaf without totally copping that band's sound. The
music is quirky in structure as well as theme, taking
great glorification in songs about Paxil, Alicia Silverstone,
interoffice copulation, and other pressing topics. And
with singer Charley Jamison's semi-gruff voice, the band
at times even sounds similar to old Archers of Loaf, modernized
for the new millennium and given a dose of punk-rock sensibility
and modern indie-rock instrumentation.
Good Housekeeping is an interesting
release, compiling eight "new" songs and 11
other tracks from the band's earlier releases that appear
to be tragically out of print. For the uninitiated such
as myself, it's the perfect introduction to this highly
prolific band even while it will be necessary for the
longtime fans, if only for those eight new songs. Those
tracks - recorded in part for the band's short full-length
album Corporate Secret and an Ambiguous City compilation
and finished for this release - are stellar examples of
the band's sound, but it's their older songs, dating back
to the mid-90s, that are my personal favorites.
Clearly the new ones show a
band at the top of their game, playing tighter and with
better production, and song titles like "The Paxil
Song" and "Robotic Pornographic Queen"
are pretty entertaining alone. My favorites, though, are
the more entertaining songs. "Accident" is almost
irresistibly catchy, with hand-claps and an almost 80s-style
vibe that belies the darker tone. And "Alicia Silverstone
Shame Spiral," with its uproarious, fast-paced romp
of a rhythm, is ridiculously fun.
There's a host of strong material
from the band's previous releases as well. The basslines
on "Mission From God" are stellar, and the jangly
guitar gives me the feel of classic mid-90s alt-rock.
"Let the Exorcism Begin" is fun in a dark sort
of way, with its combination of keyboards and guitars.
"The Bleeding Heart of Cement" is a good example
of Jamison's sung/story-telling style of singing with
some strong guitarwork and a plodding mood. My favorite
songs, though, are some of their older songs. "Dead
Girlfriend" is just a riot, with fantastic lyrics
and some great guitarwork. "Kilki," too, has
a dark, apocalyptic theme, but the thick bass and gruff
approach makes this one of my favorite songs.
Landspeedrecord! has clearly
been consistent throughout their career, just adding to
their ability while retaining their quirky song structures
and themes. Their music continues to be up-tempo, aggressive,
and catchy. Fans of the band will likely have many of
these songs but will require the album for the new tracks,
but Good Housekeeping functions best as an introduction
to this Baltimore band.
- Delusions of Adequacy, Jeff
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