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BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About LOTD
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Box of Stuff: Hollywood Sucks
Its
hard to be a rock n roll band these days. With all the hype going to the
garage rock acts like the Hives, Vines, and White Stripes; legions of
die-hard fans who are refusing to let emo pass by the wayside; and all the
meat-heads who gulp up the schlock-rock of Linkin Park and Staind; whats a
band to do without a bandwagon to jump on? Most end up cold and alone, trying to
connive and coerce all their friends, relatives and acquaintances into showing
up for their show at Cooter Floyds Down Home Bar, promising it will be a
bitchin time, and it will rawk yer face! Weve all seen it
happen, and it aint pretty. Although
their press materials try to categorize their sound as voodoo lounge power
pop, Box of Stuff is really just a four-piece mainstream rock act (sans
turntables) that is trying to put out pop songs for partygoers to bang their
heads and pump a fist to. Make no mistake these boys were weaned on 80s
hair-metal. I wouldnt quite expect to see the group onstage clad in spandex
and bandanas, but the influence makes itself apparent throughout all 12 tracks.
Lead singer Conrad Williams has a booming vibrato, reminiscent of Spacehog,
which can get to be a little much to stomach in large quantities. Even at their
best, Hollywood Sucks leaves much to be desired. The leadoff track,
Melrose, has an immediacy to it that can be likened to other pop-rock
groups such as the Toadies or Everclear, but the generic chord progressions and
vocal delivery make you wonder if these boys from Calabasas, California think
theyre the next Poison. To their credit, there are a few guitar solos that
would make C.C. DeVille wake out of his drug-induced stupor long enough to give
a heartfelt nod of approval. The self-dubbed stadium rocker, Finally
Hit The Top, is the discs high point, bringing vocal harmonies, pummeling
drums and a little studio wizardry into what would have made a great radio-ready
single in 1988.
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