Everybody Out
Everybody Out
Label: Taang! Records
Released: April 8, 2008

Sweeney Todd – vocals
Rick Barton – guitar
B. Close – guitar, bass
Kevin Garvin – drums

01 Intro-Wide Awake
02 Everybody Out
03 Ghettoblaster
04 Jack the Lad
05 All I Got
06 Truth
07 Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
08 Billy Cole
09 Transistor Jim
10 No Runaway
11 Avenue
12 Evil Place-Revenge of Sweeney Todd

I had to struggle a little bit to get this column completed, after 2 ½ years I was let go from my job last Friday. So, I‘ve been stressing out a bit. I know everyone’s been through this, but the last time I went through this was back in 2001, shortly after the Twin Towers came down all the various “internet start-up” companies started going belly up. I was at a company that was burning through money like there was no tomorrow. One day I came into work and the boss tells me “next week we are all flying to Vegas, staying at the Venetian, going to the Adult Internet show, and we’ll supply your luggage.” Three weeks later people start getting laid-off left and right.

In October of 2001, I lost my third Adult internet job in just as many years. During my time out of work, I slept an average of four hours a night, spent $15,000.00 in court fees to get custody of my Daughter only to have the wonderful state of Florida refuse to hand her over, because it was a “California case,” and develop diabetes due to weight-gain.

I had many freelance jobs, but I couldn’t land anything fulltime until October 2004, four months after my Son was born. During this time I had falling out’s with all of my family, luckily, I reconnected with my Father shortly before becoming re-employed, my Father passed away in November of 2005.

Three years without “real” work did a doozey on me. In order to stay afloat, I pretty much sold everything I owned, in an effort to make things work. Somehow, it did work, and hopefully I’ll bounce back from this in a few weeks.

So, if my column appears a little pissy in the next week or so, it’s because my prospects aren’t looking real good.

On to the review . . .

I enjoy old gritty L.A. Punk, some British, and even less New York stuff, but lately I’m finding that of the current some being released a lot of the East Coast/Boston stuff is being released with a helluva lot more heart to it. I can’t really put into words how good this album is. Everything that Epitaph is doing . . . this isn’t. No monotone sing-song vocals, no boy-band appeal – just really raw street rock!!

It’s great, and I’ve already loaned the album at least once. I recommend this to anyone going on an extended road trip and you need to stay awake.

Everybody Out! was formed in 2007 by former Dropkick Murphy’s guitarist Rick Barton and former The Dead Pets and Lost City Angels front man Sweeney Todd. Despite Sweeney Todd being from the UK, the band is primarily based out of Boston, Massachusetts. The duo personally financed the release of 2 EPs before signing to Taang! Records. Their debut LP was released on April 8th, 2008. Various friends and musicians contributed to the record but the band’s most current lineup is Barton and Todd, along with Mike McMillen (lead guitar), Sean Laforce (bass), and Kevin Garvin (drums), all previously from the Boston area Metal core band On Broken Wings.

Thanks again to Curtis over at TAANG for passing this one to me!

Read more about Everybody Out at: http://www.myspace.com/everyoutout

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

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

On a separate note, I’m going to be putting on the Los Angeles Punk Con next June 6, 2009. I am looking for vendors, and sponsors. I have contacted some of the biggest names from the world of American Punk to be guests, Henry Rollins (Thanks to Henry for responding within an hour of our request) and Jello Biafra are a maybe until the beginning of the year. 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. Check out the site, http://lapunkcon.com. Any questions, feel free to write: punk.con@gmail.com.

Currently:
Reading: Franny South of No North by Charles Bukowski
Listening: Thirteenth Love – The Sugar Train EP
Watching: Ghost World directed by Terry Zwigigoff