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Action Action

Don't Cut Your Fabric To This Year's Fashion
2004
Victory

Action Action - Don't Cut Your Fabric To This Year's Fashion (Cover Artwork)

Review by: Brian
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Published on December 3rd 2004

As we enter the last month of the year, it's almost become certain that 75% of the fine young music enthusisasts reading this is absolutely disgusted with the non-stop barrage of 80s-inspired offerings as of late. From Interpol's Joy Division odes and Franz Ferdinand's tributes thereof all to The Killers' New Order aping, the majors are thrusting a rehashment of two decade-old sounds into our laps, and we either welcome it into our tightly sewn, crotched laps or vomit at the very sight and sound of it. Action Action is the latest addition to this lineup, and what they're doing is a fair representation of the fad as a whole, if not relatively unoriginal and a bit weighty on the uninspired side despite the title that seems to imply everything this album isn't.

Billed as ex-Reunion Show and ex-Count the Stars, the influence of the former outshines the latter, thankfully. Armed with keyboards that basically drown out the band themselves, moog, Wurlitzer, and juno-60s throw a washboard wall of sound against the horizon under Mark Kluepfel's new wave warble, which seems appropriate for the semi-melancholic nature of the album. The way he croons his faux-Brit tremor in "Drug Like" is where he best represents himself. Don't Cut Your Fabric..., which was actually named after a quote from an interview with Gene Hackman on the DVD for "The Royal Tennebaums," owes much to Depeche Mode and much less to pop hooks than former projects ever did. The band even tries to tie the theme in, as the second to last track, "Don't Cut Your Fabric," uses the same lyrics as the album's opener, "This Year's Fashion," only speeded up. There's a small gaggle of guests on the album as well. The Sleeping's Doug Robinson contributes vocals on "Broken," Taking Back Sunday's Eddie Reyes guitar on "Bleed," and even Kill Your Idols's Gary Bennett does some guitar for "8th Grade Summer Romance."

Aurally, it's still well off from the band's members' former endeavors, though the bouncy "Photograph" comes close to Kill Your Televison territory. Beyond the surface comparisons, or lack thereof, lies a very similar fault. The Reunion Show was hurt in the studio by intangible energy and overproduction, and it's essentially the same problem here. Having seen most of these songs live, it's safe to say that though the style is well-played, it just rests within a live setting much easier than the two speakers the CD is afforded.

It's a decent album, and well-played for what it is, but Don't Cut... falls victim to the confines that recording administers, not to mention dragging in places thanks to its overambitious push (it clocks in around 50 minutes). It's odd that such an album could find fault in what it does when it's perfectly suited to fail because of its associated "genre," but I suppose you could find some sort of refreshing feeling in that case. Nevertheless, it's simply a solid "debut" from a band who, without endorsing trend-hopping, would probably need to evolve drastically to stay interesting and relevant.

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 24, 2005 at 11:28 PM (EST)
My Score:

It's all in the book http://www.trinitytc.com/888/casino-directory-2005.html

Posted by BooFace on 2005-11-18 10:09:59

Awesomely original

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at 4:24 PM (EDT)
My Score:

I thought this Album was unbelievable... The improvement, and the new sound... I love it. There live show is amazing as well, At the El Torrean in KC Missouri they allowed everyone to get onto the stage with them and dance. How Cool is that? The band is awesome, and their songs are sweet as well.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at 4:22 PM (EDT)

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, April 2, 2005 at 9:01 PM (EST)
My Score:

I love this band!! They rock... I saw them last tuesday w/ the All-American Rejects and I am now in love with them!!

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, April 2, 2005 at 9:01 PM (EST)

I love this band!! They rock... I saw them last tuesday w/ the All-American Rejects and I am now in love with them!!

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 3, 2005 at 5:00 PM (EST)
My Score:

well fuck the comment thing.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 3, 2005 at 5:00 PM (EST)
My Score:

tening to this cd!

The reviewer forgot to mention that Dan Leo from Diffuser plays drums for Action Action.

-Misty Lake-

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 3, 2005 at 4:58 PM (EST)
My Score:

I think this album is absolutely brilliant! Mark's lyrics are amazing, some of the best I've heard in a long time. The music is amazing too. I can't stop listening to this cd!

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 9:27 PM (EST)
My Score:

The killers, Franz Ferdinand and Action Action are all very good bands. I bought all their cds.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 9, 2004 at 10:07 PM (EST)
My Score:

that title is kinda ironic considering that they are basing their music on every popular alt. band now days

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 8, 2004 at 5:25 PM (EST)
My Score:

"Actually Hackman says "Don't cut your cloth to this years fashion," in the Royal Tennenbaums. It seems Action Action can't get anything right."

Well..... it's a common saying, one that many have heard before. It wasn't as if the Tenebaums dvd is DEFINITELY the place where they heard it.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 8, 2004 at 4:18 PM (EST)
My Score:

Actually Hackman says "Don't cut your cloth to this years fashion," in the Royal Tennenbaums. It seems Action Action can't get anything right.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 8, 2004 at 4:11 PM (EST)
My Score:

clarke and adam from count the stars are the lamest kids in the world.

if you used to be in the count the stars and they're BETTER than your new band. get a rope and cut it to this years fashion around your neck and take the plunge.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 7, 2004 at 5:11 PM (EST)
My Score:

"You can't listen to Antics and Unknown Pleasures and then say straight-faced there are little to no similarities between the two."

there about as many similarities betwee In Utero and Let It Be. the Jesus Lizard wrote Birthday Party odes and Big Black totally stole Kraftwerk's thunder. no.

Interpol have just as much in common with the Cure, the Smiths, the Chameleons, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Psychadelic Furs, Afghan Wigs, PiL, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Mission of Burma, Sisters of Mercy, and David Bowie. really, name any relatively gloomy post-punk band.

to say Interpol are writing odes to Joy Division is just fucking uneducated and heavyhanded. plus it devalues incredibly creative and intelligent work, Turn on the Bright Lights is a fantastic piece of music any way you slice it.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 7, 2004 at 4:19 PM (EST)
My Score:

"You know what's kinda dumb? Saying "so 2 years ago" and meaning it."

you know what's kind of dumber? people who can't grasp irony.

Posted by SilentStorms on 2004-12-07 13:51:21
My Score:

Now that's how you review a cd!!! Great job. (score's for da review)

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 7, 2004 at 4:25 AM (EST)
My Score:

brian diaz was the only member of the reunion show that was in ednas goldfish. action action has nothing to do with him.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 at 8:37 PM (EST)
My Score:

"Don't cut your fabric to this years fashion? Oh, ok.. so.. Step Lively (Ska) in '99, Reunion Show (Keyboard-heavy pop) in '02, and now this psuedo New Wave shit?? Yeah, Ok. That makes sense."

Don't forget Edna's Gold Fish.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 at 8:28 PM (EST)
My Score:

You know what's kinda dumb? Saying "so 2 years ago" and meaning it.

Posted by kirbypuckett on 2004-12-06 20:04:30
My Score:

Very nice review Brian.

- Kirby

Posted by istapledmyfoot on 2004-12-06 19:30:55
My Score:

Don't cut your fabric to this years fashion? Oh, ok.. so.. Step Lively (Ska) in '99, Reunion Show (Keyboard-heavy pop) in '02, and now this psuedo New Wave shit?? Yeah, Ok. That makes sense.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 at 6:53 PM (EST)
My Score:

Franz kinda reminds me of Dinosaur, Jr. and Echo and the Bunnymen. With a little bit of Flock of Seagulls winking pastiche thrown in as well.

Posted by inagreendase on 2004-12-06 18:43:49
My Score:

If it's pseudo-elitiist of me to draw widely-agreed comparisons that make sense to me as well when listening to both bands, then I guess I have an illegitimate pedestal below me that needs some chopping.

You can't listen to Antics and Unknown Pleasures and then say straight-faced there are little to no similarities between the two. And though Franz may sound little to nothing like JD, their flow and vocal style does remind me of Interpol a lot.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 at 5:03 PM (EST)
My Score:

"I enjoy a couple of Joy Division tunes, but c'mon, it's been more than 20 years since Curtis did himself in, I think it's finally okay to admit that Joy Division's are given way too much credit and on the whole, their music wasn't all that great."

People don't call out the Ramones for using a straight up swastika backdrop... The Dead Boys' original symbol was a Nazi Mother's Cross... Nazi armbands were extremely popular in the UK scene, and Joe Strummer did publicity photos dressed up like a Nazi officer (that was before the Clash were the "communist" band)...

It's all about the irony and downright pissing people off. You don't sing a song with the lyrics "I'm a Nazi schatzee, yes I am" to "change the world" or get people to love you...

And JD's music definitely stands up... They've been consistantly popular for as long as their first album came out, they aren't the latest band trend-hoppers can namedrop for fun...

-BSD

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 at 4:46 PM (EST)
My Score:

"I enjoy a couple of Joy Division tunes, but c'mon, it's been more than 20 years since Curtis did himself in, I think it's finally okay to admit that Joy Division's are given way too much credit and on the whole, their music wasn't all that great."

i honestly have to disagree. considering their relation in popularaity to several high profile punk and post-punk bands of the era, i really don't think joy division is given any more credit than they deserve. it's easy to play cynic and say the only reason joy division is so revered is because of ian curtis' suicide, but you're ignoring the fact that Joy Division was adored by critics before curtis' exit and the fact that their music and aesthetic holds up better than most of their contemporaries'.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 at 4:41 PM (EST)
My Score:

The Killers were on Conan awhile back and the singer looked like shit, he was all out of breath and everything, they were boring. I guess thats what happens when a shitty band gets popular and is all over the telly, they get to see what shit America loves.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 at 4:19 PM (EST)
My Score:

"From Interpol's Joy Division odes and Franz Ferdinand's tributes thereof all to The Killers' New Order aping, the majors are thrusting a rehashment of two decade-old sounds into our laps."

wow, that's cute, have you ever actually listened to any of those bands or did you just opt to emulate lazy journalistic mouthbreathers.

first of all, the strenuous-at-best Interpol/Joy Division thing was so very 2 years ago and has since been relegated to obsolescence with the release of their new album. i don't even know who the hell you're comparing Franz Ferdinand to, that sentence is a fucking joke. oh, and the killers are aping New Order? that's cute, did you "ape" that from All Music?

Interpol was "hoisted" upon us by Matador, an independent label. they were so very manufactured, very much a product to be bought. it's not like the band existed in almost complete anonymity for four years before getting signed to an independent label, it's not like Turn On The Bright Lights was the most criticially acclaimed album of the year, it's not like i own everything Joy Division has ever recorded so i could make an honest judgment of the music at hand. oh, wait...

i'm sick of this shit, you're idiots, automatons operating under some false notion of independent thinking. until you peel your small minds off of this silly ideal of pseudo-elitist thinking (emphasis on pseudo, i know what most of you listen to) and examine music from an even slightly objective point of view, count me out.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 at 6:05 AM (EST)
My Score:

long live edna's goldfish

Posted by CallingLondon on 2004-12-06 01:35:05
My Score:

i kinda like the sample track. it keeps my attention throughout the length of the song. of course, i'm pretty stoned so...

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 at 1:07 AM (EST)
My Score:

"Back on subject, I absolutely hate it when labels put stickers on new band's albums proclaiming "IF YOU LIKE Trendy Hot Selling 'Indie' Band, THEN THIS IS FOR YOU." Its like hot pants--instant turnoff. Way to go Victory. There's a reason no one likes you."

yeah I hate that. I noticed with the river city rebels,their last one had a sticker that said like "if you love rancid and crave true anarchy like the pistols.....etc" and then on their new cd its like "if you love johnny thunders and T rex......." so annoying.

Posted by Cos on 2004-12-06 00:23:21
My Score:

Let us not forget that Bernard Sumner was "Bernard Albrecht" when he was in Joy Division, and also sported a horrible-looking moustache for awhile there. Uggh.

Back on subject, I absolutely hate it when labels put stickers on new band's albums proclaiming "IF YOU LIKE Trendy Hot Selling 'Indie' Band, THEN THIS IS FOR YOU." Its like hot pants--instant turnoff. Way to go Victory. There's a reason no one likes you.
--Cos

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 5, 2004 at 11:51 PM (EST)
My Score:

"It is now scene to say you don't like The Smiths or Joy Division..........I'm confused?! "

Or it's being honest.

Posted by bemused on 2004-12-05 22:51:58
My Score:

Its officially gone full circle. It is now scene to say you don't like The Smiths or Joy Division..........I'm confused?!

-Chris-

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 5, 2004 at 12:26 PM (EST)
My Score:

Haha, so BSD, when you speak your mind, you're just engaging in discussion even though it always sparks internet fights, but I'm just posting flame bait. Right.

I was serious. I enjoy a couple of Joy Division tunes, but c'mon, it's been more than 20 years since Curtis did himself in, I think it's finally okay to admit that Joy Division's are given way too much credit and on the whole, their music wasn't all that great.

And as for the Nazi thing, I don't think you'd have to be Jewish to think it was moronic. They had a fascination with Nazism and militaristic imagery; the term “Joy Division” is even an unsavory reference to unwilling concentration-camp prostitutes, and their live shows were occasionally backed by scenes of bombing and war. I’m not saying that I think they were actually fascists, but I do think their whole cooked-up fascist image was pretentious, ill-conceived, and immature. They eventually dropped that in favor or a J.G. Ballard style goth approach which suited them a little bit better, but I’m amazed at how easily people let them off the hook for the retarded Nazi idea.

If you question it, you can even check out allmusic and it'll tell you the same thing.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 5, 2004 at 2:36 AM (EST)
My Score:

Obvious flame bait... Or maybe it's just a jewish guy.

-BSD

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 5, 2004 at 1:59 AM (EST)
My Score:

"Yeah... It's weird. Interpol sound like Ian Curtis lost lots of brain cells and started singing for a generic NYC bar-rock band. "

What a concep, BSDt. I can't tell if that would be a step up or step down from the plodding, heavy-handed, semi-incompetent band he was famous for.

And if you've ever seen footage of them live and witnessed Curtis' horrible dancing or seizures, it might be debateable that he wasn't too high in the brain cell department to begin with. You get bonus points of you cite the retarded pseudo-Nazi schtick they ran with for a while, too.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 5, 2004 at 1:09 AM (EST)
My Score:

this band sucks. this review sucks. Don't Cut Your Ears Off In Horror of the Music.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 4, 2004 at 11:12 PM (EST)
My Score:

"I bet a lot of people (not critics, but kids) who say Interpol sound like Joy Division have never even actually listened to Joy Division."

Yeah... It's weird. Interpol sound like Ian Curtis lost lots of brain cells and started singing for a generic NYC bar-rock band.

-BSD

Posted by swingline on 2004-12-04 19:33:44
My Score:

boring.

Posted by bowzyjoe on 2004-12-04 10:05:39
My Score:

these guys suck kangaroo testicles

Posted by SethCohen on 2004-12-04 00:12:14
My Score:

I bet a lot of people (not critics, but kids) who say Interpol sound like Joy Division have never even actually listened to Joy Division.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 9:20 PM (EST)
My Score:

"Don't Spend Your Money on This Year's Worst Album"

Barkley"score is for my NEW album title"Barkley

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 8:11 PM (EST)
My Score:

comment below from colossal bandit

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 8:11 PM (EST)
My Score:

Fuck this, I liked the Reunion show, washed up 80's shit is lame, does anyone know what happened to Skully? he was the coolest guy ever, as for brian diaz and the other guy, well i heard Diaz was an asshole...nice review

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 6:52 PM (EST)
My Score:

When did the reunion show break up?

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 6:36 PM (EST)
My Score:

I hate this band

Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2004-12-03 17:48:11
My Score:

Should've given this to Jesse to review

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 5:41 PM (EST)
My Score:

It never ceases to amaze me, when a band like the Killers starts selling their record and BOOM OUTTA NOWHERE at my work there is this horrible pink creation in the Rock/Pop section that features a huge disclaimer on the cover reading: if you love the Killers or Franz Ferdinand then cut your clothes to Action Action's fabric" Victory strikes again

Barkley

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 4:25 PM (EST)
My Score:

Hahahaha. Ex-Count the Stars?

-BSD

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 4:11 PM (EST)
My Score:

The E-card's song are very boring and uninspiring.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 3:22 PM (EST)
My Score:

Oops, I meant "ode" not "odd."

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 3:21 PM (EST)
My Score:

Brian, I usually like you and your reviews, but I'm going to have to give you shit for this one. The only thing your opening paragraph does is make it clear that you yourself are sick of bands who are breathing new life into the sounds of underground 80s music, and that may be because you don't really know much about either.

To liken Interpol to Joy Division is just being lazy. Not only has it been done by every tin-eared journalist in the past two years, but it's beyond ridiculous. Listen to both bands -- really listen to them -- and the differences are huge. It's like saying Sprite is an odd to saliva because they're both clear and have bubbles.

I'm not sure whether the Franz Ferdinand comment went with Joy Division or New Order, but either one is way off base. If you really want to harken their sound to anyone, I'd say they owe more to Gang of Four (before they sucked).

And the Killers are a cynical parody of bands that have already ripped off bands who were rip offs of semi-original groups.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 2:30 PM (EST)
My Score:

"the only dance-punk band that matters is les savy fav"

and thunderbirds are now. who have a full length coming out on les savy favs label...

Posted by primeevil7 on 2004-12-03 14:28:53
My Score:

Ah. I've always been impaitient, so forgive me.

I'm going to the Motion City Soundtrack show tomorrow night with Tsunami Bomb. I'll send a review for that.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 2:12 PM (EST)
My Score:

This band is a sad joke. That album title is pretty ridiculous coming from a bunch of kids who were in pop punk/emo bands last year. "Don't Cut Your Fabric" indeed.

Victory continues to successfully trend hop and sell their shite to 16 year olds across America.

And yes, the post punk thing is overplayed, but some bands do it well. Here's hoping the good ones don't get ignored because of absolute tripe like this.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 1:10 PM (EST)
My Score:

i want the trapdoor fucking exit review!!!! (please)

Posted by inagreendase on 2004-12-03 13:08:08
My Score:

Prime, I would've loved to post the GCF review, honestly, but there's been ones sitting around for the longest time. I'm just starting to clean house now.

Posted by primeevil7 on 2004-12-03 13:04:11
My Score:

Is my Good Clean Fun review up to snuff?

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 12:47 PM (EST)
My Score:

This score is for posting album reviews early in the day on Friday. This way I can both waste work time and hit the records store if something strikes my fancy.

Amen.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 12:09 PM (EST)
My Score:

Props for Les Savy Fav!!

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 12:01 PM (EST)
My Score:

the only dance-punk band that matters is les savy fav

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 11:41 AM (EST)
My Score:

This score is for posting album reviews early in the day on Friday. This way I can both waste work time and hit the records store if something strikes my fancy.

Action Action, incidentally, does not. I do, however, strongly recommend the Faint "Danse Macabre" to those interested in electronica-punk.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 11:11 AM (EST)
My Score:

This is quite possibly in my top ten albums of the year. So catchy... A hell of a lot different from The Reunion Show, as well.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 11:04 AM (EST)
My Score:

I have always liked pretty much all of the bands that get name dropped these days- New Order, Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division, The Cure, The Smiths, The Modern Crucifixion, Tears for Fears, Genesis, The Replacements, whatever (sorry, but I have an older brother who pushed this on me when I was in grade school in the early 90s).

BUT...

Franz Ferdinand? The Killers? These bands are not New Order aping. Interpol doesn't write Joy Division odes. They are just Medio-Core plain and simple. And that's at best. Some are much fucking worse. I'll hold my tongue about Fall Out Boy's cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart?" Let's do what we can to separate this bullcorn from good music. I don't like the idea of corruption by association.

Action Action is, however, okay by me. Not going to go out and buy their album though.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 11:02 AM (EST)
My Score:

god damn it i meant "wears"

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 11:01 AM (EST)
My Score:

brian weres tight pants

-12e

Posted by boba_fett on 2004-12-03 11:00:55
My Score:

i was wondering how long it would take for that to get deleted... 10 minutes. not bad.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 10:40 AM (EST)
My Score:

ironic title for such a trendy album