Track Listing > >
VARIOUS - PUNKTASTIC UN-SCENE 3
Fastlane>Walk Away / Chaser>Whenever You're Ready / Phinius Gage>Temptation / The Riverclub>We're Going To Need A Bigger Carpet / Fast Reaction>Out Of The Race / Milk2Sugars>You Can't Stop Me / Pendleton>The Shirking Class / The Don Ramos Players>Inkjets And Toners / The Misnomer>Tired / 32 Frames Per Second>This Time / Second Monday>Genesis / They Died Too Young>Hanger Lane / Paige>Goodbye / Crashcarburn>Heroes / Ellis Slater>London Down / Out Of Sight>The End
PUNKTASTIC RECORDINGS
The latest addition to a series of compilations that has previously featured the stellar likes of Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, My Awesome Compilation and Sonic Boom Six; PUNKTASTIC UN-SCENE 3 is the third collection of upcoming UK punk popsters to hit the shelves since 2004. An off-shoot of UK webzine Punktastic.com, PUNKTASTIC UN-SCENE 3 brings together sixteen of the UK's brightest underground punk, emo and rock bands onto one disc.
We're not talking bleeding edge innovation or sparkling originality here, this is a collection of bands trading in well serviced punk pop parameters; all dirty power chords, ultra melodic choruses and frantic drum beats a go-go; this a compilation whose idea of variety is the odd parp of a ska brass section or brief eruption of speed metal riffing. Bearing this in mind however, PUNKTASTIC UN-SCENE 3 does throw up a pleasing collection of no frills punk pop, the likes of Phinius Gage, The Riverclub and Fastlane dealing out melodic alt-rock thrills with reckless abandon; nothing new or clever, but satisfying and enjoyable all the same.
Standout highlights include Chaser with the electro tinged punk noise of WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, marrying the indie pop gleam of A to the shiny electro shock of The White Rose Movement, elsewhere The Misnomer deliver the impassioned emo strains of TIRED, a song that promises big things from this band in the very near future, a trick echoed by the equally impressive Pendleton with THE SHIRKING CLASS.
The breakneck THIS TIME from 32 Frames Per Second is a frantic if forgettable affair whilst GENESIS by Second Monday is an emo-by-numbers song that makes up for a lack of ideas and originality by virtue of big rock sheen and mainstream ambition. HANGER LANE from They Died Too Young is a more ramshackle noisy affair that pits itself somewhere between Million Dead and The Jesus Lizard, perhaps the most arresting and interesting things to be found on the entire compilation. Crashcarburn provide the big emotional moment, delivering the tear stained emo of HEROES, again not particularly original but deeply satisfying in a Dashboard Confessional kind of way, elsewhere Ellis Slater's LONDON DOWN is an acoustic led pop ballad that sounds like the missing link between Brand New and Ian Love.
PUNKTASTIC UN-SCENE 3 offers a satisfying glimpse of the UKs underground punk, emo and rock scene; whilst you won't go finding anything particularly groundbreaking or awe inspiring here, as a collection of promising punk pop acts, this acts as a resounding success story.
BIOGRAPHY
The Punktastic 'Un-Scene' series started as an off-shoot of the popular UK webzine, Punktastic.com. Punktastic Recordings was set up by founder writers Paul and Mark and the first Un-Scene was released in the summer of 2004, featuring My Awesome Compilation, Sonic Boom Six and 14 other excellent UK acts. Selling 1,500 copies, and featuring in Kerrang!, Rock Sound and Big Cheese, as well as airplay on Radio 1 and XFM, the following year Un-Scene 2 was spawned. The second installment featured Get Cape Wear Cape Fly - now on Atlantic Records - who wrote Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager specifically for the CD. The track was later re-recorded and charted as a single in the UK Singles Charts.
This, the third installment, features 16 tracks of quality up-and-coming artists from the UK, spanning 58 minutes and containing 9 exclusive and previously unreleased tracks. Mixing the best of the burgeoning punk, emo and rock underground into one disc, it serves as a perfect starting block for anyone interested in a scene that has produced artists such as Funeral For A Friend, Lost Prophets, Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly and many others.
UN-SCENE 3 is available by mail order from punktastic.bigcartel.com now and due to incredible demand will be released in shops nationwide in February.
DISCOGRAPHY
PUNKTASTIC UN-SCENE 3 (Punktastic Recordings>2007)
Fastlane>Walk Away
Chaser>Whenever You're Ready
Phinius Gage>Temptation
The Riverclub>We're Going To Need A Bigger Carpet
Fast Reaction>Out Of The Race
Milk2Sugars>You Can't Stop Me
Pendleton>The Shirking Class
The Don Ramos Players>Inkjets And Toners
The Misnomer>Tired
32 Frames Per Second>This Time
Second Monday>Genesis
They Died Too Young>Hanger Lane
Paige>Goodbye
Crashcarburn>Heroes
Ellis Slater>London Down
Out Of Sight>The End
LINKS
Punktastic Recordings>punktasticrecordings.com
Review date: February 2007 |
