Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Joe Pesci - At Our Expense

Joe Pesci MySpace
Release: 2009
Type: CD
Label: Bones Brigade

I'm like a 3-way split when it comes to bands named after thespians. One part of me doesn't care, another doesn't get the appeal and the third is waiting for an all-female band called Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. In the end it's all about the music, right? Joe Pesci the band has nearly everything we have come to expect from the actor: short songs, a pissed off attitude and an uncompromising approach. The only difference is that any project the actor signs his name to is going to have a production and marketing budget big enough to feed Sudan until the Mayan calendar ends. Conversely "At Our Expense" sounds like it was ripped from vinyl by holding a boombox to the output speaker. Like all poorly produced albums though you can increase your chances or enjoyment by turning it up a notch or three.

Just don't crank it up too loudly because, ironically, the few samples this album contains are actually mastered properly, i.e. twice as loud as the music - so you'll blow your ears if one of those pop up unexpectedly. That is really the only downer. Your ears adjust to the production just in time for a sample to fuck up your equilibrium and you have to adjust all over again. But let you be warned: any one who passes on this because it sounds like it was recorded in a caravan is a pretentious bastard.

The band serves up 17 helpings which is a solid number in most necks of the wood. Since the band's motto is Play Fast Or Don't, it should come as no surprise that this one is over mere seconds after the run time hits 15 minutes. It's quite a ride though. As the play list breezes by you get the impression that Joe Pesci could easily play any brand of extreme metal. They play throw-away slam riffs at light speed, crust at ridiculous speed and just to prove they have more than a cuisinart in the engine room, they twist out crossover riffs at ludicrous speed. The better riffs are of course subjective. For my cup of tea take for example the Assuck meets Discoradance Axis riffs in Sticking My Carbon Footprint Up Your Arse and at the end of Funkhouser. Or the wicked death metal riff that appears out of nowhere in the middle of Mindless Zombified Fucks. Not to be outdone, you can have both of those examples in one compact, 51-second helping that is Hyper-Real.

But don't stop there. Call it Fastcore. Call it Powerviolence. Call it as you see it. The whole point of At Our Expense is speed and attitude. Your best bet is to make full use of the 'repeat' button on your media device and go along for the ride. Check Joe Pesci out here, go buy it here or here, and then tell your friends about them while you wait.

11 comments:

Flesh Monolith said...

Haha, great review. I agree about the names, Charles Bronson and Don Knotts come to mind, but this sounds quite appealing.

My ideal tool of production is old school answering machines, trade those little tapes like hotcakes.

Unknown said...

There really are tons of great bands named after famous people.
Charles Bronson, Peter Mangalore, Gordon Solie Motherfuckers!, Ted Maul, Jody Foster's Army, Vincent Price's Orphan Powered Death Machine, Flash Gordon, Molly Hatchet, Abigail Williams...the list goes on.

Andrew Childers said...

damn willowtip just sent me the new squash bowels and now i find out you beat me to this one too. i got my eye on you 206.

also, i *loathe* the production on this one.

206 said...

The production is as bad as the music kicks ass. I'm an old punk so it sounds great to me.

@Shantera: don't forget brucexcampbell. We Are Kamikaze is a nice one.

Flesh Monolith said...

This band kinda sucks, no point in being so fast when it becomes indecipherable and with no slow parts there's nothing cool to how fast the music is.

But that's just my two cents, i love d-beats.

206 said...

You're overdrawn! Nah, I forgive you.

Andrew Childers said...

i gotta second flesh monolith on this one. i was really disappointed. another cool band name squandered.

Unknown said...

I did forget Bruce Campbell, and Bruce Banner for that matter.

Unknown said...

I also forgot the Tony Danza Tap Dance Tap Dancing Extravaganza and there's also band named after Bob Ross.

206 said...

Bob Ross! I gotta check that shit out. Happy Tree Grind sounds fun.

DanPesci said...

cheers fer the review/the nice comments..much appreciated.

Apologies for the production values! we have no cash, and there was a mixup when it went to be burnt, and the 'rough' mix was burnt to cd instead of the final mix. The final one doesnt sound too different, but the levels are a bit nicer on the ears :) if anyone wants the better mix after buyin this and bein unsatisfied, drop me an email an ill try send it to ya. danttrc@hotmail.com

stay fast people