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Go ahead and feed me the old adage about how you can’t judge a book by its cover, but to say that I was hesitant to even listen to an album entitled Panda-Moanium from a band named Pickled Dick is an understatement. I expected simplistic songwriting and lyrical content that would make even Blink-182’s early output look mature. Instead, within the first minute of opener “Battleaxe,” I was surprised to find a pop-punk band that bears a striking resemblance to Lookout! releases of the late 80's and early 90's. There's the energy of early Green Day in the upbeat tempo, the attitude of Screeching Weasel in the vocal delivery, and harmonies that would make even the Queers jealous.

Pickled Dick may be a three-piece from West Liss, England, but they are doing their damnedest to sound like they are from the East Bay. The drums are fast and make nods to 50's and surf rock, the guitars shy away from riffs in favor of three-chord progressions, the bass shows it can do more that just follow the root notes, and singer Domb sounds like a more pop version of John E. Trash from HomeGrown.

Maybe variation isn’t Pickled Dick’s forte, but when it comes to pop-punk, it doesn’t necessarily have to be. You will recognize the chord progressions here, the songs don’t shift out of a peppy mid-tempo too often, and plenty of the lyrics address the female sex, which might actually be a good thing considering that other topics covered, like jamming in the jungle and being pirates put the band on a one-way train to Cheeseville.

Luckily despite the repetitive songwriting the album doesn’t really seem to drag thanks to short track lengths and melodies that just beg to be sung along to. Oh, and I did I mention harmonies? These guys can crank out some ridiculously sugar-sweet shit that will have even the biggest of cynics rediscovering their sweet tooth. For evidence, just check out the a cappella sections of “Jungle Jam” and “Salamander” or the anthemic breakdowns of “Go!” and “Ship Ahoy.”

Some songs like “I’ll Be Here Waiting” and “Runaway” do come off as just filler, and Panda-Moanium won’t be winning Pickled Dick an award for innovation anytime soon, but that doesn’t really seem to matter here. This album succeeds because it brings the sonically pleasing elements of memory clinging pop together with the youthful fervor of punk.



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The Baboon Show - Don't Don't Don'tVarious - Sort Of Records 2006Pretty Girls Make Graves - Elan VitalMaritime - We, The VehiclesFingers Cut Megamachine - Pipe DreamsDespistado - The People Of And Their VersesTransistor Transistor - Erase All Name And LikenessSnowden - Anti-AntiEchoes of Harper's Ferry - Never ForgetPhoenix Bodies - Too Much Information [CD/DVD]



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    Posted by kill_fftl on 2006-09-14 14:20:11

    pickle dick automactly sucks for having a retaded name

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 26, 2005 at 11:55 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    You guys fucking rule, U were amazing last night and yay u signed my arm

    Greaves

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 at 3:56 PM (EDT)

    hey jhon x! dude i'm a huge fan! i've always wanted to tell you this but never found the right way!...GO FUCK YOURSELF!

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 20, 2005 at 10:06 AM (EDT)

    hey! jhon from Pickled Dick here! thanks for the review! very kind of you! if anyone is interested in hearing us, you can at www.myspace.com/pickleddick .... also the album is really cheap on interpunk! there is a link on the my space page....

    cheers!

    jhon x

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 18, 2005 at 1:51 PM (EDT)

    not in the least bit, no

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 18, 2005 at 1:31 PM (EDT)

    so the pickled dick album is pretty good then?

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 3:28 PM (EDT)

    http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/081005/grammar-police-arrest- this-man.gif

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 2:56 PM (EDT)

    dude my mom does not dress me funny

    Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-08-15 14:07:13

    See anyone can be anyone if they post anonymously.
    -Dante

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 2:06 PM (EDT)

    Weight lifting guys scrotum is tiny and his mom probably dresses him funny.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 2:06 PM (EDT)

    Word Dante! That other guy is a chump!

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 2:06 PM (EDT)

    Yah Dante's right!

    Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-08-15 14:05:50

    Actually my Voltron power is making grilled cheese with veggie dogs on the inside. I'm doing that now. As for Mr. "I'm killing your dad" that was a hyperbole to explain how you can't get upset over what happens on the website. Then if I remember you said you'd beat me up and then I must have gotten "defensive" and said that nothing here should be taken seriously. You're right I totally went over the edge defensive there. You win
    -Dante

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-08-15 12:53:06

    good one...but doesnt do anything but prove me right.

    - jones

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 12:42 PM (EDT)

    oooohhhhhh...the truth comes out that you are a fucking retard

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-08-15 12:39:07

    and dante always writes long retarded shit...thats kinda his voltron power

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    - my power is to always leave my email address

    - sickboi's power is to battle marlon with rhymes

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-08-15 12:35:15

    "Hahaha, dude, you don't think THIS guy got defensive?! He fucking wrote a whole paragraph about P.S.! haha AND he talked about making threats about killing me. Now if that's not defensive then you have your head up your own ass. Don't be a bitch because you're wrong."

    ooohhhh...the truth comes out...first you were talking about the original poster in third person..as if you are some bystander watching as everything unfolds...but all of a sudden..."about killing ME"

    dont be a bitch and pretend you represent more than just yourself

    - jones

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 12:30 PM (EDT)

    correction: about killing my DAD. right, he's a bigger fucktard than I thought he was

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 12:25 PM (EDT)

    "*ahem* right. So your big. And obviously witty (and well read, I mean really mangina that takes smarts). Anyhow being that Jones, Sickboi and myself live miles apart (and across the country) I don't think the three on one will happen anytime soon. However if you're ever in the San Jose area feel free to swing on by and you can "take me", as you put it. I have no problem fighting, or losing. However if you think something on here (I mean anything from the pickled dick joke, to me making threats about raping your mom and making your dad watch before I slit his throat and let him drown face down in a pool of his own blood) is worth fighting over you must come from the kiddie pool end of the gene pool.
    -Dante
    P.S.: P.S. Stands for "post sript" meaning after what you wrote. Since you never put a name down I couldn't have known where you originally planed to stop writing. You including the P.S. just shows me that you thought about your own size well after you made that clever "mangina" comment. So if it took you long enough to consider that a "p.s." you're obviously quite slow and aren't even smart enough to mask it"

    Hahaha, dude, you don't think THIS guy got defensive?! He fucking wrote a whole paragraph about P.S.! haha AND he talked about making threats about killing me. Now if that's not defensive then you have your head up your own ass. Don't be a bitch because you're wrong.

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-08-15 11:47:46

    "boo yah, that guy was weird but funny nonetheless. he's probably some kid just messing with dante, jones and sickboi...but the funny thing is, look how defensive they got! hahaha wow..."C'mon guys!! We can't let this guy anonymously outpost us on Punknews.org and get away with it!" "Let's try and degrade him and beat him at his own game!" hahahaha yall crack me up. Well done guys, well. done."

    yeah, we got really riled up and defensive down there...

    like when i said, "they'll eFuck your shit up, pussy" that was in all seriousness...yeah...eFuck

    and then when dante said, "The three of us combine like members of Voltron (or a circle jerk) ..." he was serious too. we can really do that as a defense mechanism.

    he really got to us. and when we get defensiv..we get circle jerky

    - jones the bones

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 9:19 AM (EDT)

    boo yah, that guy was weird but funny nonetheless. he's probably some kid just messing with dante, jones and sickboi...but the funny thing is, look how defensive they got! hahaha wow..."C'mon guys!! We can't let this guy anonymously outpost us on Punknews.org and get away with it!" "Let's try and degrade him and beat him at his own game!" hahahaha yall crack me up. Well done guys, well. done.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 13, 2005 at 10:51 AM (EDT)

    dante, jones and sickboi...the new "demolition" or "legion of doom" or maybe something new like the Alliegience of Evil...every good tag team has to have a good name.

    Posted by Straight_On_View on 2005-08-13 10:34:42

    Best poster of the year is the weight lifting fighting guy.

    Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-08-12 20:15:29

    This has got to be some other dude. who on earth actaully means they'll beat you up online? Seriously, I'll look out for some dude named Anonymous.
    -Dante

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 12, 2005 at 5:02 PM (EDT)

    dude don't be a Tate-r Hater

    Posted by Anchors on 2005-08-12 16:45:46

    Yo Tate, you forgot to sign the post below me.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 12, 2005 at 4:05 PM (EDT)

    just shut up already! sheesh, i don't have time for you losers anymore. i'm going to go lift weights. and i meant the statement about beating you guys up so be on the lookout. assholes

    Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-08-12 15:41:26

    "the 3 of you combine into one gigantic mangina and have the biggest gay orgy ever! p.s. i'm 6'4 265 and i can take you 3 at the same time anytime, anywhere!"

    HAHA! Oh lordy...Oh god make it stop. I'm at work right now their totally going to come over here and read this if I don't stop laughing.

    *ahem* right. So your big. And obviously witty (and well read, I mean really mangina that takes smarts). Anyhow being that Jones, Sickboi and myself live miles apart (and across the country) I don't think the three on one will happen anytime soon. However if you're ever in the San Jose area feel free to swing on by and you can "take me", as you put it. I have no problem fighting, or losing. However if you think something on here (I mean anything from the pickled dick joke, to me making threats about raping your mom and making your dad watch before I slit his throat and let him drown face down in a pool of his own blood) is worth fighting over you must come from the kiddie pool end of the gene pool.
    -Dante
    P.S.: P.S. Stands for "post sript" meaning after what you wrote. Since you never put a name down I couldn't have known where you originally planed to stop writing. You including the P.S. just shows me that you thought about your own size well after you made that clever "mangina" comment. So if it took you long enough to consider that a "p.s." you're obviously quite slow and aren't even smart enough to mask it.

    Posted by AlmostPunkEnough on 2005-08-12 15:08:32

    "the 3 of you combine into one gigantic mangina and have the biggest gay orgy ever! p.s. i'm 6'4 265 and i can take you 3 at the same time anytime, anywhere"

    who are you, tate??

    Posted by ThomPunkAheaddotcom on 2005-08-12 13:53:39
    My Score:

    Great band!

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 12, 2005 at 1:48 PM (EDT)

    the 3 of you combine into one gigantic mangina and have the biggest gay orgy ever! p.s. i'm 6'4 265 and i can take you 3 at the same time anytime, anywhere!

    Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-08-12 13:30:43

    For real on what Jones said. The three of us combine like members of Voltron (or a circle jerk) and e-destroy chumps like you all the time.
    -Dante
    P.S. I'm not a douchebag, I'm an illiterate asshole.

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-08-12 13:19:41

    "Sickboi, I'd rather have a "Kick you in the fuckin face"..you dumbshit"

    "Dante, shut the fuck up you douchebag"

    they'll eFuck your shit up, pussy

    dont front

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 12, 2005 at 11:58 AM (EDT)

    Dante, shut the fuck up you douchebag

    Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-08-12 11:17:29

    Why the hate towards Sickboi? That was slightly uncalled for. No sit in the time out zone and wear the "angry" hat till you've learned your leason.
    -Dante

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 12, 2005 at 10:59 AM (EDT)

    Sickboi, I'd rather have a "Kick you in the fuckin face"..you dumbshit

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 12, 2005 at 10:23 AM (EDT)

    Now that's a fuckin band name

    Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-08-12 08:54:31

    I could totally see why pandas don't have sex. If I were a panda and they put me in a cage with a female panda I'd be like, "Oh great, she looks just like me".
    -Dante

    Posted by sickboi on 2005-08-12 08:31:50

    Would you rather have a"Pickled Dick" or a "Feable Weiner"?

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 12, 2005 at 6:25 AM (EDT)

    I like this band theyr'e silly and dorky and good fun pop punk (avoiding the dumb pitfalls that other bands fall into such as many of the corporate bands on MTV) they're early shows started out in my town in the UK. People should also check out a band called Encyclopedia, they tour with Pickled Dick a lot and are for fans of, Atom and His Package and Ozma and the like, would be into this http://www.purevolume.com/encyclopedia
    go get it.

    Posted by AlmostPunkEnough on 2005-08-12 04:54:46
    My Score:

    i really like the MP3's they have on purevolume, this shit is a lot of fun and definitley has a Lookout! feel to it. it's only $8.25 on interpunk, i think i'll pick it up the next time i order stuff. score is for the songs on purevolume.

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-08-12 04:08:05

    haha..panda-monium..nice. now that is funny, since they got a panda on the cover

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Posted by XmeepX on 2005-08-12 02:41:42

    I would like to hear this