Come Widdit: A Loss for Words

A Loss for Words
From: Boston
Sounds Like: A campfire singalongs with the hXc crowd

I had the opportunity to see Boston upstarts A Loss for Words last week when they opened for Four Year Strong's current headlining run. Personally, it's difficult to sell me on a pop-punk band these days. They all seem to have some gimmick, which is typically highlighted by disgustingly designed bright t-shirts. For every five bands that seem like they're full of shit, there's a band like A Loss for Words, who thrive off of the kind of honesty and earnest aesthetic that has created longtime careers for third and fourth wave pop-punk bands like New Found Glory, Alkaline Trio and Lawrence Arms.

Taking a cue from likeminded bands such as Fireworks and First to Leave, A Loss for Words have their feet planted in the hardcore-cum-pop-punk, as showcased by former genre stalwarts like Lifetime and Gorilla Biscuits. And this was just their live show.

The EP that I picked up, "Webster Lake," reminded me of stuff that the Ataris used to do when they were good. The five track acoustic EP is just a smattering of the band's potential. To get the full effect, you have to watch them engage with the crowd and you can see that they're feeling what they're singing about.

This is a band that you don't want to miss out on.

[Related Links]
A Loss for Words -- MySpace
A Loss for Words, "Hot Hand in a Dice Game"

Full Circle

My first official published review for the Seattle Times' Mirror was a review of this really lackluster album that MC Breed put out back in 1996. It was so great that the disc had a date with Cellophane Square a few years later. Anyway, I was uploading a ton of shit onto my iPod the other night and I came across the best MC Breed song of all time. Recognize:

where in the world is ryan pangiaiedjklajdsjsj;jajjkak?

Obviously I've been really bad at posting here. I've flirted with killing this blog, but I kind of like it. It's been running for such a long time that stopping it now would be in poor taste. That being said, I'm going to post on here every now and then. My personal goal will be to do it once a week and it will continue to go back up as a result.

Anyway, I post quite a few times on my personal tumblr blog and for the Seattle Examiner (or is that Examiner: Seattle?), and as always, NW Asian Weekly and Redefine publish the print version of my researched, professional bits.

So if you do see any new posts for a while, don't get all worried like Motley Crue kidnapped me on some "Almost Famous"-type shit (oh, though how I wish...). I'm just working a ton and I have no internet connection at home. Blame Comcast.

Common (Sense) vs. K-Salaam & Beatnick

Nahright.com posted this video earlier that features a new remix of Common's seminal 1994 single, "I Used to Love H.E.R." by K-Salaam and Beatnick. Overall, it's not bad. I think that I'm pretty much in love with the O.G. version and it's a hard act to follow, particularly since it's had years to find a place in everyone's heart. Shit, it was even the basis for that underrated Taye Diggs movie, "Brown Sugar."

Still, this is a hard-hitting joint and I'll actually give it a pass because the duo rework the song enough without completely bastardizing it. That being said, I won't be too happy if someone decides to take a stab at "93 Till Infinity."