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Scouts Honor

I Am the Dust (2006)
No Idea Records

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Contributed by: Brian
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on May 19th 2006

It's hard to argue that No Idea Records has released an awful lot of records that are at least somewhat similar to their most successful alumni, Hot Water Music. What's funny is that it very well seems like Gainesville, FL's beloved Against Me! could overtake this title in the coming years (if not already), and No Idea has definitively released the first in what could very well be another long line of similarly thought releases.

Scouts Honor did sound like Against Me! before their agreement with No Idea to release I Am the Dust, and things really haven't changed all that much. I think the band may have rushed it a bit, as it's only been a year since their last release, 2005's Roots in Gasoline (364 days to be exact), and their musical styles disappointingly don't seem entirely developed beyond it. Granted, musically the band seem to have taken baby steps towards developing their own identity rather than garnering a more than obvious initial comparison, mixing in bits and pieces of blues and dirty soul, even a subtle nuance of psychedelia ("The Sun Won't Set in the West") to their folk-punk brigades, but their one vocalist sounds even more like Tom Gabel -- his whiskey and gravel-tinged yell is downright eerily dead on.

I do also have to give them credit for writing their first memorable song. "The Songs They Sing" is a down-home, enjoyable raised-nostril twangy alt-country flowing romp, which serves a nice break from what tends to be a bunch of stomp-heavy, snarling tunes (all of the first 3 tracks, "Pillar of Faith," "To and Fro," others).

While I really don't believe this is anywhere near as special an album as Scouts Honor is capable of considering their influences, this review probably still doesn't describe it as well as I'd like, either, so if you were to click on the one review linked above it should give you a good idea of what to expect here as the two albums are pretty similar. It also feels a bit long-winded at 11 tracks and just under 40 minutes. For now, I might consider checking out the other recent release from No Idea that will probably garner a few (albeit, lazy) comparisons to the aforementioned...

Canvas
I Am the Dust

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Etienne (January 21, 2007)

Stuff is damn good.

jt (December 17, 2006)

good sound

tspgatmog (October 27, 2006)

Saw these guys play last night in front of a crowd of 3 people, including members of the other two bands.
Despite these distressing conditions, they put on a great, great show. Bought the LP and im loving it! Really cool guys

Anonymous (May 22, 2006)

I really like No Idea. I just ordered some shirts and 2 CDs from them and they were here in like 5 days, which I thought was tremendously quick. I need to explore their roster a little more in-depth. I might check these guys out.

Anonymous (May 21, 2006)

you spelt 'honour' wrong

Anonymous (May 20, 2006)

was this an against me review?

anyway, good record.

wyzo

badmouth (May 19, 2006)

this is a great album maybe you're not used to it yet, okay he sounds a little like Tom but listen to this and then an Against Me! album and you'll realise you're close minded

Anonymous (May 19, 2006)

I think you mean Hot Water Music is No Ideas most succesful "alumni" not "alma mater."

StormShadow (May 19, 2006)

I really like this album. Yes, they sound quite a bit like Against Me! at times, but they have a much stronger country influence. I'd like to call them cowboy-punk. The singer actually has a great singing voice and he often uses it to sing, not just growl. There's also some excellent songwriting on a few of the songs that shows these guys are really maturing into a top-notch band. Plus, they're from stinking Peoria, Ill.!

Anonymous (May 19, 2006)

i've heard just their demo, and i don't think it sound that much like against me!
also, no idea had put out a lot of releases that sound like hwm, but also a lot of other stuff. i don't think whiskey and co. or combatwoundedveteran sounds like hwm.

Anonymous (May 19, 2006)

i think its awesoem stuff.

Anonymous (May 19, 2006)

I really don't see much of a similarity.

Laziness on the reviewers part leads to another misguiding analysis.

Great , original band.

Anonymous (May 19, 2006)

more country than against me...and I dont think they sound THAT similar. I havnt heard the whole album ,but played a show with them last month and it was sweet. Looking forward to catching them with AAA next month.