The Disconnects

The Disconnects: ...Are Healthy [cassette]...Are Healthy [cassette] (2011)
Baldy Longhair

Reviewer Rating: 3

User Rating:

Contributed by: JohnGentileJohnGentile
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on September 23rd 2011Somewhere between the time of Minor Threat and Cro-Mags, the rock in punk rock became less prominent and leather jackets were left neglected on their hanger. Although the Ramones, Testors, Richard Hell, and the Dictators were the very architects of punk rock, their love of classic Chuck Berry and El.

Somewhere between the time of Minor Threat and Cro-Mags, the rock in punk rock became less prominent and leather jackets were left neglected on their hanger. Although the Ramones, Testors, Richard Hell, and the Dictators were the very architects of punk rock, their love of classic Chuck Berry and Elvis faded away as the new guard took over. Now that the rock portion appears to be returning, the Disconnects make a good argument for the resurgence on the cassette-only ...Are Healthy.

Making no bones about their early NYC punk influence, the Disconnects take the early blues-based, simple rock of their forefathers and increase the energy. The band flies through six tunes that just plain rock. While they don't necessarily break new ground, the band executes the style so well that their music seems to be more of an homage to the classics than wistfulness. Also, the "punk ballad" rarely gets a spin anymore, but the Disconnects pull off the more sensitive emotions without seeming cheesy or disingenuous.

While the music rocks, the band pulls some interesting and daring lyrical choices in an almost ambush-style presentation. Although they touch on the classic punk topics of frustration, demotivation and alienation, every so often, without warning they'll drop in lyrics that seem purposefully out of place. On "The Stranger", they casually mention "I'm not looking for no restitution/ I'm just looking for the final solution." Later on, they cheekily quip "I'm out doing the goose-step from Moscow to LA / Just living in the USA." It does seem that the lyrics in punk have gotten somewhat safer than they were in the golden era, so maybe in referencing the immortals, the Disconnects are trying to bring back the form's original edge.

Is the band joking...or are they joking only if everyone else just thinks they're joking? Who knows, but if they stick around, we'll be sure to find out to a snapping tune or two.

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

ALLKROME (September 25, 2011)

Met them and they are not racist at all.They are doing more Duck Walking than Goose stepping. Word is they will be having a release party at vintage Vinyl in Fords NJ on Oct 28th. Awesome band. Good things comin out of Jersey

EBone (September 25, 2011)

I had a few beers with the singer of The Disconnects at Asbury Lanes a while ago. He said that they were putting out a tape through some label called Baldy Long Hair. I checked it out and it was only $6. I bought it, and it was the best $6 I've spent since those brewz...oi oi oi!

carl89 (September 24, 2011)

yo i got 2 of the 3 releases from this label so far they both are amazing. these guys are great

dylanjude (September 24, 2011)

Feeling nostalgic, I picked up the tape and was very happy with the results. The tape format perfectly suits the sound of this band: catchy, garage purity!

thed (September 23, 2011)

Saw them at the Bowery Electric. Sick live band. Love the cassette. Man I miss cassettes...

danidrainpipe (September 23, 2011)

i saw them play with gang green too...although more than half the people who were there left BEFORE gang green. i assumed they were just there to hear the disconnects. i was. haha.

PureMania77 (September 23, 2011)

Been listening to this tape for weeks! Pogo! Pogo!!

Padraig (September 23, 2011)

I saw the Disconnects open for GangGreen this past summer. Excellent live band. Picked up their tape and it's been on my rotation since. Late 70's style Punk and Roll done well. What else can you ask for?

johngentile (September 23, 2011)

Holla,

Todd, the fellow who runs this label, wanted me to make it clear that the guys in Disconnects are not racist. I think that its pretty clear that the review points out that the band is not racist or nazis or anything like that, bit it can't hurt to point it out.

Todd also asked me to post the lyrics because they don't come with the album. Voila:

Stranger
I aint from Hub City and I aint from the street
I confess I'm a mess a low down creep
I like it fast and I like it good
I aint from your neighborhood
I am a stranger
I aint looking for no restitution
I'm just looking for the final solution
A dizzy brain such a wasted creation
Cause I belong to the blank generation
I am a stranger
Alone is all I know

Bomb Drop
Aint it fun when you're gonna die young
Somebodies got the neutron bomb
In a time when they don't need rhyme or reason
Their striking in the midnight hour
It's gonna be absolute power
It a time where idea's a form of treason
Bomb drop, it's the only way
Bomb drop, mom and dad are going away
It's infecting every son and daughter
You're gonna be marching for the new world order
In a world where there's no such thing as heroes
It's much too late but excuse my diction
It's gonna be straight out of science fiction
Hey baby we're going back to zero
Bomb drop, it's the only way
Bomb drop, mom and dad are goin away
It's what you wanted, it's what you needed
You must believe that

Hopesick
Well lately life has lost it's appeal
And I'm sick to death of people telling me how I feel
And I've been thinking about the things I've seen
And what's the use of saying something that you don't mean?
When the lights go out and the girls go home
The pretty ones talk on the telephone
I walk home alone in the dark , is anyone out there?
Well not tonight
Somebodies waiting just for someone like you
And some people plan out all the things their gonna say and do
But me I'm staying positive but be that as it may
It's still hard to think of one fucking good thing to say
When I'm old and jaded and my tattoos are faded
I'll be sitting on my windowsill intoxicated
And why should I be something that I never could?
You're getting older, you're taking orders
It's what you wanted, I could never be that..
And if I make it that far and get old and grey
Atleast I can say that I did it my way
And I aint ever gonna compromise my feelins
I'm staying hopesick...

Living In The USA

Living in the suburbs aint no fun
I can't get no satisfaction
I'm bored to death of taking breathes
And my social life's in traction
I don't want your good advice
I don't need your perfect life
I pledge allegiance really aint my style
I saw it on my TV screen today
They said we're all doing just A okay
And they're doing the goosestep from Moscow to LA
Cause we're just living in the USA
I've been bored to tears for 20 years
And I need some stimulation
I could be their tool and go back to school
But I aint got no motivation
I don't care where you were born
I aint fighting no desert storm
No uniform is gonna, gonna keep me warm

Frustration
This is a wake, an involuntary shake-up
When every single day is a struggle just to be who you are
And it's a cop out , when they label you the wrong crowd
Don't you ever let them cast you aside or put you up on the shelf
And it might take a little time just to figure it out
But sooner or later you're gonna find out what it's all about
I know that you're laughing down there, I know and I don't care
Frustration, it's a daily aggrivation and sometimes it might seem
Like there's no end in sight, like right now
Open your eyes up, and take a look at your surroundings man
Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who really cares
I know it's hard man, but you gotta do the best you can
You gotta pick yourself up off the ground, get up and try it again
Have you been put down and kicked around all of your life?
Who are they to tell you what's wrong and right?
I know that you're laughing down there, I know and I don't care
Frustration, I need a permanent vacation
Don't you hate to see a good man kicked when he's down?
It's not you only, everybody gets lonely, sometimes there aint never no such thing
As a second chance, so drink up

Youth
Maybe it's all the things you say
Maybe it's all the things you don't say
Could anybody ever really be good enough?
Maybe to you it's all the same
Maybe you should take a look at yourself
Now why the hell would ever wanna be someone else?
Come on man don't be a fool, nobodies gonna save you
Youth Youth, youth of a nation
What's gonna be your occupation
You know you're running out of time
Youth Youth, youth of a nation
What's gonna be your vocation
You better make up your mind, right now
Maybe it's all the things you do
Maybe it's all the things you don't do
Could anybody ever really be good enough?
I don't know about you, but I haven't been defeated
And it's about time you realized we've been cheated
Take a look at the people you trust, now take a look at the rest of us
Youth youth, youth of a nation
What's killing my generation? I'm never gonna sign that dotted line
Youth Youth, youth of a nation
Just swallow your medication, it's never gonna be alright
Is that really what you wanna do?
Do you really wanna go to school?

borntaloze (September 23, 2011)

Pretty sure the lyric is "And they're doing the goosestep from Moscow to LA. Cause we're just living in the USA". Trust me this band isn't doing any goosesteppin.