Lookout! Coming Your Way

By Jill West

Lookout Records is a Berkeley based company that has been producing great music for over ten years now. Some would say their sound tends to fall into the juvenile category known as "pop punk," the bouncy and cute, yet fun and marketable newest generation of punk music. Lookout Records does feature several "pop punk" bands on their label, but Lookout has something to offer everyone. Their 2000 releases showed a diversity that I had not expected, but was nonetheless pleased to see. What follows is a short list of some of the past year's Lookout releases and what I thought of them.

Gaza Strippers - 1000 Watt Confession

Former Supersucker guitarist Rick Sims frontmans this cleverly named heavy rock quartet. They sound a bit like the Supersuckers, but wilder and less talented. I didn't hate them, but I wasn't particularly entertained by them. The songs were indistinguishable from one another and the long guitar riffs were a bit reminiscent of the old Eddie Van Halen days. Perhaps Sims ought to stay in the guitarist role and let someone else take the mic.

The Go-Nuts - Dunk and Cover

If I didn't know better I would say the Go-nuts were a bunch of muppets performing silly food songs to teach kids about proper (and improper) nutrition. They call their music Snak Rock and they are Snak Rock Superstars. Kaptain Korn Nut and Donut Prince provide the vocals and guitars, while Donut Hole and Korn Dog play the bass and drums respectively. I don't think there are any songs on the album that don't discuss food, except for the various versions of the Go-Nuts theme, oh yeah, and the songs about monkeys, but they tend to be snack eating monkeys.

I found myself laughing out loud when I first listened to this album. Where did they come up with this stuff? "More Mayo" is a ridiculously amusing song about one man's love for mayonnaise. "It's a critical component of a Waldorf Salad, It'll lubricate your lover like a Green Day ballad, Mr. Mayo Maker won't you make more mayo for me."

"Let's Bring Cheese to China" answers the question of why Asian are so skinny. It's because they don't eat enough cheese, of course!

And "Hot For Twinkies" cleverly spoofs the Van Halen classic "Hot For Teacher."

If you are still unsure about what a Snak rock Superstar is, it is explained in their song "A Day in the Life (of a Snak Rock Superstar)." "Some people think it's easy, some people think it's fun/ But when you're a superhero, your job is never done/ We need a cubic ton of cheese, to fight this skinny bone disease/ An urgent airlift of eclairs, for hungry people everywheres/ We need education in the schools/ snak rock rebels breaking all the rules/ Put down your knives and all your guns/ Hostess cupcakes for everyone!?"

Terrifically entertaining stuff from the Go-Nuts, but it sort of makes you hungry for a snack.

Zero Boys - Vicious Circle (Panic Button and Lookout Records)

Although we often sigh with relief that the 1980s are far behind us and no longer will our relatives be sending us sweat bands for Christmas, there are several things from the 80s that we all do miss. Like Ghostbusters cereal for one. And a relaxing game of Pole Position after a hard day of first grade. Or, for those of you who are a bit older and have deeper attachments to the day-glow decade, you might find yourself longing for some good old fashioned punk rock music 'cause they sure don't make it like they used to. Well no need to worry, because just as you have finished packing up the vinyl and repurchasing all your old favorites on CD, there is another re-release of a punk rock classic to add to your collection, although this one might be new to you.

The Zero Boys were a foursome from Indianapolis that never managed to break far from Indiana. They released Vicious Circle as their debut L.P in 1981, but despite its success, not to mention a couple of shows in New York and L.A with the likes of the Dead Kennedys and Minor Threat, the Zero Boys fizzled out by 1982.

Now Lookout records has released a remastered version of Vicious Circle complete with the original 12 songs plus two extra tracks which had been originally left off the album at the advise of Jello Biafra who deemed them "too pop."

They are fast and frantic, but still maintain enough melody and beat to be called music. Songs are short, at times political, keeping true to the old punk rock style. "Vicious Circle" will bring you back to a time that is gone but never to be forgotten.

American Steel - Rogue's March

I generally do not like hard core music. You know the stuff where the singer sounds like he just returned from the dentists and the numbness is the mouth has not worn off yet. And where the guitars are going so fast it seems only likely that they are skipping some notes because the sound coming from them does not in any way resemble music. It's the stuff that only sounds good if you have a bloody nose to go along with it and even then I wouldn't recommend it.

So when I first heard American Steel I immediately thought, "too hard for me," and put the CD aside. If it hadn't been for the fact that I had been away from home with only a small handful of other choices for the stereo, all which had begun to get old, then I may not have given American Steel another chance which would have been a shame because they are great.

They are pretty hard, but that doesn't stop them from getting melodies and rhythms across, which is where a lot of other hard core bands come up short in my opinion. I can tell the songs apart, which is also a welcome sign. The backing vocals add harmony to many of the songs which is helpful since the lead singer sounds like part of his tongue was bitten off in a fight. (I can only wonder what he sounds like when speaking.)

"Rogue's March" is definitely worth a listen for both the hard core and the not so hard core.

The Mr. T Experience - Alcatraz and The Miracle of Shame

With two disappointing releases this year, the full length Alcatraz and the 5 track E.P The Miracle of Shame, it has become apparent that the long time Lookout favorite, The Mr. T Experience, have lost it.

Part of the problem is that singer/songwriter Dr. Frank's lovesick lamenting, a quality which is present in 98.9% of their songs, has lost its authenticity since he now has a steady girlfriend. I wouldn't go as far as to call him a fraud, but the man has a responsibility to many broken-hearted young people to fulfill.

Because Dr. Frank doesn't have the most harmonious of singing voices, their past success relied heavily on Frank's witty lyrics the band's catchy beat. With those two things absent from these latest efforts, we are left with nothing but a whiny middle-aged rock-star who is desperately trying to keep a band together.

Oddly enough, Dr. Frank's solo album from last year, Show Business is My Life, was quite good. I'd like to think that they may just be in some sort of musical slump right now, but with two poor albums in a row, not to mention a rather pathetic performance last year in Santa Cruz, I have come to accept the fact that their run of over ten years may be winding down.