Dwarves - "Born Again" CD

The classic gutter-shock punk band is finally back, with their first new album since 2004. Including longtime members Blag Dahlia and Hewhocannotbenamed, among a cast of, well, many, it's an energetic, trashy, and well-played selection of 18 sleazy, drug-and-slut-inspired rockers. .

There are a plethora of great, catchy, and under-two-minute pop-punk songs here. In fact, there are 18 songs of them, all well-written and concise. Self-reverential? Sure. Indulgent? Not really. Dwarves' strengths are their ability to write great songs while maintaining a real "fuck you" attitude. There are no concessions for radio, just great songs like "You'll Never Take Us Alive", "We Only Came To Get High", "Working Class Hole", or "Your Girl's Mom".

The bonus DVD (included in some copies) is an extensive collection of live bootleg footage, promotional videos (both censored and uncut), and TV interviews. It's a ripe and well-presented set for any serious fan. A worthy set from one of American punk's most notorious acts. All hail the Dwarves! ripe and well-presented set for any serious fan. A worthy set from one of American punk's most notorious acts. All hail the Dwarves. (Greedy/MVD Audio)

Dwarves site

HeWhoCannotBeNamed - "Sunday School Massacre" CD

Legendary masked punk-grimers the Dwarves have been known for many things in the past. Upbeat, well-produced pop punk isn't something that comes immediately to mind. But longtime guitar player HeWhoCannotBeNamed's debut solo album here shows an interesting twist on the gutter-punk philosophy that his "money" band excels at. "Happy Suicide" is fast, fun, and more than legible, and the cover DOESN'T feature any nudity or, ahem, actual dwarves this time. What HeWhoCannotBeNamed proves is that he is a more than capable songwriter, with a penchant for a number of tempos and rollicking sing-along choruses. "Superhero" is positively anthemic, while "Duck Tape Love" is a feel-good song about love and the ways to "make you mine". "Toxene" is even a tongue-in-cheek ballad! Of course, this "solo" work also includes the participation of friends like Nick Oliveri (Queens Of The Stone Age), Blag Dahlia (Dwarves), and Andy Selway (KMFDM). Fun punk melodies, strong production, some possibly offensive content -- this is 33 minutes of fun, with spirit and guts. Cool stuff. (MVD Audio)

The Dwarves site

Dwarvespace