Okay, i’ll admit it: punk rock music is too loud. At least at live concerts. Sure, i’ve listened to (and enjoyed!) it plenty enough, but in all honesty, i’ve bought very little of it for personal consumption. It always seems like my pals have some sort of decent punk playing in their cars/on their stereos/blaring out of their PowerBook, and over the years i’ve gained some appreciation for it. And yes, a few ripped copies have made their way onto my minidiscs.
And, okay, i’ll admit it: i personally know all the members of The Rebel Spell. Still (in the spirit of all this honesty), i really actually totally dig their latest album, Expression In Layman’s Terms. It’s street-punk, pure and simple, but well-played, with intelligent socially-active lyrics. Todd Serious and the band put on a good live show, but it sounds better at lower volumes, like, say, “5” on the walkman. If, like me, you can’t understand all those words sung at 9000 mph, there’s reprints in the CD cover, and info on the website.