Keepin' it alive!
George a Pletz | Central PA, USA | 10/29/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Flat out one of the best albums I've heard in 2001. The title says it all. A group so tight that they keep sending the listener to the next level track for track. I am nearly wordless to express the joy that this album ilicits. Remembering that punk rock isn't a museum, they gleefully pillage all and spit out the essence of all that is vital. Songs like Carne Voodoo, Venom Venom, & Ghost Shark let out for exciting territory. Straight American Slave, White Belt, & Dead Seeds recast the band's trascendent moments in exciting new forms.Clearly the band could give a damn about keeping up with current trends. This is what makes them timeless. Namecheck til you pass out it comes down to one thing. They have torn a page from the book of music and it is rock! A pure moment. There is no song that doesn't add to the overall effect, there is no member that doesn't do his part. Simply a classic!"
"Say hello" to one of my new favorite discs
Donnie | Boston | 02/27/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Yet another example of a band that should be better known than they are. I found out about these guys when I read a little blurb in Blender about "Live From Camp X-Ray". RFTC's "Group Sounds" is a flat-out, non-stop, straight forward, kick you-in-the-teeth killer rock record. The 13 tunes scream by in about 35 minutes. A lot of the tunes are two minutes or under but that's mostly due to the fact that there are really no solos to speak of. Their use of horns to accent the tunes is done to perfection.RFTC's sound is a mix of punk and rock with tremendous melody. The horns really set them apart from a lot of other bands in that category. Speedo's vocals have a slightly rough edge, but not unbearably so. The lyrics are very interesting, ex 'Buffalo soldier break dance with knives stuck in your back. Holy Water pours out of the stretch marks from our past', from "Straight American Slave". Not sure what it means but it sure sounds cool when he sings it.Not all the songs are blistering rockers; "Dead Seeds" slows it down a little as does "Ghost Shark". You also get your fill of Na Na's and Oh-Oh-Oh's. Definitely give these guys a listen.If you're going to be in the Boston area on 3/22/03 head on over to the Middle East in Cambridge and check out RFTC live."