Punky Xmas to You

Stumbled upon this beauty early Monday morning. Just like the advent calendars than count down to Christmas with a daily piece of somewhat gross candy, click on the daily links and receive your tasty bit of punk.

Sing me some drunken lullabies!

Word on the street is that Flogging Molly will be returning to our fair city for 2010's Green 17 tour (After two sold out shows this past March, can you blame them for putting us on the bus route?). Luckily, this time they're switching venues from Waterstreet to the larger-capacity Main Street Armory.
Mark your calendars for February 28th. They bring a powerful stage show that is best celebrated by hoisting a pint with friends and kin.

#MusicMonday

She's a dove, she's an f-ing nightmare.

Roc City Sunday Soundtrack

ROC city music

At 6:00 We Go Live

Pop-punk rockers, Hit the Lights, are coming to Mohawk Place in Buffalo this Sunday, SUNDAY, Sunday. Ordinarily, we love a good 'ol pop punk show, but this band earns one better because two of HTL's members are none other than Rochester natives.

The ROC kids, guitarist Kevin Mahoney and drummer Nate Van Dame, helped bring the noise this summer at Warped Tour in Darien Lake. Even though the temperature was rising and that lovely Western New York humidity was making the day predictably unbearable, seeing Kevin bust out his KKBB shorts made the show.

We love their enthusiasm and showmanship, while turning out tracks that are lyrically relatable and laid over poppy, upbeat guitars and rock-solid drums. Even though the weather is getting cold in this section of the world, their tunes are pure summer.

Time: 6:30 PM at Mohawk Place (featuring There For Tomorrow, Vinnie Caruana, Sparks the Rescue, & Oh No Not Stereo)
Damage: $13

Calling all ska kids

Summer's over, but that's no reason to stop the party. Dust off your checkered pants and get ready to bust a move this weekend. This is the perfect excuse to pretend it's not raining in western NY and enjoy some seriously fun music.

Thursday the 19th: Get out to Buffalo to see Big D and the Kids table. Caught them last year with Less than Jake and this summer at Warped Tour, and their infectiously fun music gets you off your ass and showin' the crowd your moves. Be prepared for some serious brass and sing-along excitement.

The Sandwich Crackers were supposed to play tomorrow, but had to cancel (FOR SHAME, Sandwich Crackers). For now, we'll just have to enjoy their reggae/ska tunes instead.

#MusicMonday

Our favorites for today's Twitter #MusicMonday is all about homegrown Rochester hardcore.

Enjoy our picks:

Dawn of War, Better Days '08
Achilles, The Cold Floor
Polar Bear Club, Parked in the Parking Lot of Your Heart

Back to Back Local Shows

Two of Rochester's rising star local bands are rocking out Waterstreet on back to back nights this weekend. Here's your chance to get out and support our local boys as they take a pause from touring the US to come home and tear up the stage.

Friday- The Hoodies (Greece natives) featuring The Graduate and The Morning Off
$12 tonight, doors at 6.

Saturday- The Sunstreak (Irondequoit natives) opening for Anberlin with Nocturnal Me
$15 tomorrow, doors at 7
Both shows are 16+, but that's just a great opportunity for you kids to bring out your impressionable parents for a couple nights of great live music.

Hurts & Skirts II

The roller derby season is coming to a close for 2009, and with that is the Roc City Roller Derby's final bout of the year. This Saturday, these ladies, better classified as hell-on-wheels, will be facing off against two teams:

Roc City Roller Girls vs. Charm City Rollergirls' Mobtown Mods
Roc City Roller Girls B-team vs. Ithaca SufferJets fresh meat

Come on down to the Dome Arena and watch these girls duke it out for one last time this season. Doors are at 5, first whistle at 6. Tickets are $10.

#MusicMonday

In the world of Twitter, today is #MusicMonday. Our suggestion for your playlist?

Follow us at Twitter.com/PunkROC

Raditude = Shittastic

Perennial nerd-rockers, Weezer released their seventh studio album last week to a base of eagerly waiting fans. With bated-breath and swift fingers, we downloaded Raditude as soon as it dropped and eagerly gave it our first listen. Single (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To was our first taste back a few months ago, and immediately I was thinking that this sugary-sweet Buddy Holly-esque anthem would mark the reemergence of Weezer as a rock staple.

And then, the rest of Raditude dropped.

This CD plays like Rivers Cuomo's absurd adolescent fantasy to branch out as a musician turned sour. A rock collaboration gone seriously overboard, much to the consternation of the listener.

Yes, there are some sweet, irreverant ditties, much like the old Weezer, but this album is mired with tracks that insert drum, vocal and guitar parts into the Weezer machine and squeeze out facsimiles of songs past. On the other hand, when not weighed down by cookie-cutter tunes, Raditude goes over the top to bring in outside collaborators and producers, creating a sound so unique and mish-mash that the resulting songs are completely incongruous to the Weezer of our past. All the irony of featuring Little Wayne is overlooked by the sheer awful sound of songs such as Can't Stop Partying. Too far, or not far enough, Weezer missed the mark on most of the album.

Yet, to those of us who are made completely confused and uncomfortable by this release, fear not. There are a few redeeming tracks that are worth skipping the wannabe-crunk tunes. My favorite by far is The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World, and it's likely because the guitars remind me so much of those used in Maladroit's Dope Nose. Here's the breakdown by track:

Popped out of the Weezer mold- same rock guitar and drum beats and repeat the title/chorus over again.
(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
The Girl Got Hot
Trippin' Down The Freeway
Let It All Hang Out
Turn Me Round- Cuomo is waaay off key

Awful- Nonsensical guest spots, excessive producing
Can't Stop Partying
Love is the Answer- Bollywood WTF
In the Mall
Get Me Some- same awful production, easier to swallow
I'm Your Daddy

Best of the Worst
Put Me Back Together
I Don't Want To Let You Go
Run Over By A Truck- cool jazzy piano, picks up after the 35-second mark
Underdogs- when you get past the R. Kelly I believe I can fly beat
The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World- Dope nose guitars rule