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Epitaph Records -- Millencolin

The Backup Plan could very well be arrested for stealing after the authorities hear this record. Every power chord, every breakdown, and every vocal inflection has already been done by New Jersey punk godfathers Lifetime, and their offspring Kid Dynamite. And yet, it doesn't bother me a lot. Why? Because this album is really, really, really fucking fun.

Plowing through 12 tracks in less than 20 minutes, these New Jersey natives - big surprise, right? - demonstrate that they've all read the "Emotional, Anthematic Punk Rock For Dummies" book in their local Barnes and Noble, but there's enough originality here to allow the blatant plagiarism to slide. The vocals, while strongly reminiscent of Ari Katz and Jason Sevechuck, also throws in a bit of the new school Long Island sound, most notably Adam Lazzara of Taking Back Sunday.

The band writes fun-yet-intense hardcore punk, and with song titles like "I Broke Your Heart And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" and "holyshitholyshitholyfuckingshit," this band knows how to have a good time. My personal favorite track is "Sweet Revenge on St. Marks High School," but there's no real duds on the disc at all.

Well hell, even if there were, you wouldn't know because the song would be over before you could complain.

While not original in the slightest, the Backup Plan is doing something interesting and entertaining here. If they can break the out of the Lifetime/Kid Dynamite shell for their next release, look for greatness. Until then, they just provide goodness.

MP3s
Even The Mona Lisa Is Falling Apart
Keep The Change Motherfucker



People who liked this also liked:
Lifetime - Hello BastardsVaux - Beyond Virtue, Beyond ViceWeatherbox - American ArtThe Fall of Troy - ManipulatorPaint It Black - New LexiconThe Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!Descendents - Milo Goes To CollegeBrand New - Your Favorite WeaponThrice - The Alchemy Index: Volumes I & II: Fire & WatermewithoutYou - Brother, Sister



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    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 15, 2006 at 8:59 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Sou do Brazil , o som de vocês é muito foda!!!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 4, 2005 at 8:16 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    this cd is awsome

    and heads vs breakers sound allot more like lifetime then this band

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 9, 2005 at 9:16 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    these guys are awesome..

    and the dearest whomever album is amazing

    wooo HOOo

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 1, 2004 at 3:00 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    your review sucked.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 10:10 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    haha these guys are awesome...going to see them, with honor, and scraps and heart attacks this week...gunna be sick!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 5, 2004 at 12:58 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This band makes my pants wet with a delightful warmness only comparable to that left by My Chemical Romance (yes, even though the styles are quite different).

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at 4:24 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    the singing voice sounds like lifetime. i think.

    the breakdowns are kid dynamite, and the others are more lifetime,... i dunno. it's good sutff

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at 11:30 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    ich denke, daß diese Aufzeichnung hübsches gutes ist.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at 8:15 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    the music is like lifetime...but yeah the vocals are more kid dynamite than anything else

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 8, 2004 at 9:11 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    You thought these were Lifetime songs? Ooooook. When was the last time lifetimes vocals sounded like grade. Gimme a break.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 8, 2004 at 8:50 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Everyone click this link and then the number it tells you to click.

    My Army!

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 8, 2004 at 2:11 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    any band who rips off kid dynamite or lifetime deserves a perfect score. that sound rocks.

    -boba_fett

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 8, 2004 at 1:58 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    FUCK LONG ISLAND
    long island wannabe's have been jumping on bandwagons for years. atleast this shit aint as bad as the long island emo explosion.

    Posted by inagreendase on 2004-03-07 22:09:06
    My Score:

    Saw them today - so fucking good...highlight of the day. If they're near you, go.

    Posted by thriceequalsgod on 2004-03-07 19:09:30
    My Score:

    this band rules. a lot.

    Posted by aubin on 2004-03-07 18:36:55
    My Score:

    Let me add that I also agree with the Lifetime comparison Scott made, but the mp3s, at least, are pretty rad.

    Posted by aubin on 2004-03-07 18:33:18
    My Score:

    I fixed the MP3 links...

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 6, 2004 at 10:09 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    these guys are from Long Island slick...

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 6, 2004 at 4:25 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    this band rules, but heads vs. breakers rules so much more in the lifetime department.

    Posted by dont_think_twice on 2004-03-06 11:48:52
    My Score:

    the links don't work so the score is for the fight club reference

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 6, 2004 at 7:48 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    me: who do you like better, none more black or paint it black?
    my roommate: kid dynamite

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 5, 2004 at 11:37 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Eastern Long Island, NY

    ...not Jersey natives

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 5, 2004 at 9:02 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    for more blatant lifetime rips, go buy a fastbreak cd.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 5, 2004 at 8:07 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Sooooooo very good.

    -sickboi

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 5, 2004 at 8:06 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I really though those were lifetime songs

    Posted by inagreendase on 2004-03-05 19:18:10
    My Score:

    Weird, I just got (downloaded and burned) this today, quite good as I expected, if not hella short. I may have to see them Sunday with Scraps & Heart Attacks in this little house a few towns over.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 5, 2004 at 7:08 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    i like this release, holds you over until lifetime gets back together....

    it can happen...

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