The Voids
Sounds of Failure, Sounds of Hope
Label: Doctor Strange Records
Release Date July 10, 2007

Adri – vocals
Mike – drums
Chris – guitar
Ruby – bass guitar

01. Money and Musica
02. Bad Dreams
03. Suburban Boredom
04. Disconnected
05. Fear
06. Grasping Hands
07. Are You Happy?
08. Romance and Heartbreak
09. Take It Back
10. Undone
11. Violent Nights
12. 24 Faces

This past Thursday night I hopped a train for San Diego to attend the San Diego Comic-Con, and to stir up some interest in next year’s Los Angeles Punk Con. We passed out over four hundred flyers, talked to a bunch of people. Rapped with David Finch, the artist of the latest Disturbed album covers. Stuff like that. Henry Rollins didn’t appear this year.

The absolute highlight of the four day trip was hanging out at Taang Records on 5th Avenue. The owner, Curtis gave us a punk history lesson like I had never heard, played us a bunch of old singles (Victims – Annette on Plan 9), and gave us run down on how he started the Taang label, and how the shops came to be. Great shop, if you’re in the area stop in and check the place out.

On to the review . . .

Vocally, and musically The Voids sound like a hybrid of 1980 L.A. Hardcore with a twist of Devo influence.

Musically, the group is really good, but my only problem with this album was the vocals, Adri sounds like Bret Michaels from Poison trying to sound like Jello Biafra from the Dead Kennedys.

The seventh track Are You Happy? is a Regan Youth cover.

Al in all a fun listen, check them out.

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, go get it.

Rating: ** *** two out of five stars.

Suburban Boredom:
Download

Are You Happy?
Download

On a separate note, my Brother and I are going to be putting on the Los Angeles Punk Con next June 9, 2009. We have contacted, about, eight “big” names from the world of American punk, and as soon as we get some confirmations, we’ll announce the names; Henry Rollins is still a maybe until the beginning of the year. Glenn Danzig, Lee Ving and Jello Biafra have not responded. We have Lisa Fancher founder of Frontier Records, and Dr. Strange Records coming out, so make sure to browse their great selection of merchandise. Danny of Warning Label Records is trying to bring a couple of bands from his label. We are looking for vendors, and sponsors. Check out the site, http://lapunkcon.com. Any questions, feel free to write: punk.con@gmail.com.

Currently:
Reading: Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness by Charles Bukowski
Listening: Various Artists – Someone Got Their Head Kicked In!
Watching: The Dark Knight directed by Chris Nolan