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Epitaph Records -- Millencolin

*Sigh*, the `90s: the Chrétien and Clinton administrations are in full swing, Tom Cruise isn’t completely scary yet, and teenagers all across America are finding sweet release in the sounds of ska, pop-punk and hip-hop. As if to crack open a time capsule from this not so distant past, Ajax, Ontario’s the Johnstones release Word Is Bond.

The Johnstones combine the upstroke guitars, horn section and organ of third wave ska with power chords, acoustic guitar and funk leanings. They tend to have pop-punk-oriented lyrics focusing on girls and having a good time but also throw in hip-hop braggadocio. With these elements the band is extremely adept at transferring the most appealing quality of ska from the live setting to recorded form; that quality is fun. The silly lyrics, the multitude of instrumentation, and the many voices that chime in all sound like one big chaotic party. The only problem with that vibe is the album is too late for summer.

The opening song is a fairly standard ska-punk song, with “whoa-oh"s and the vocals delivered in an unintelligible skat-like manner, not at all bad but nothing too memorable either. Next comes the song “L.A.D.I.E.S.” which one almost feels guilty listening to and enjoying so much. Having ridiculously rapped verses with lines like "hey yo check it so ladies, why don’t you have all my babies, it’s doggie style but I don’t have rabies" that might make you cringe, but the way they are delivered you can’t help but smile. The chrous is an anthemic bit, using a catchy guitar line and repeated hook of "This is for the ladies!."

Mainly where the band falters is in the structure of the record. “Sunny Days,” which is an acoustic pop song with some light reggae tinges that would please the sandal and popped collar golf shirt-wearing crowd is really quite good (think Jack Johnson, that’s right, I know what Jack Johnson sounds like). It has an infectious breezy attitude, catchy lyrics, some nice room to just let the guitar play and the laid back rapping is reminscent of something like the Pharcyde. However the song comes in at track number 5, totally tripping up the moment the album was building. It would have been far more effectively placed at either the beginning as a pseudo-intro to the party or some calming hangover music at the end. Speaking of the end, the album's cohesiveness falls apart when it is coming to a close. It finishes on the completely unnecessary second version of “L.A.D.I.E.S.," and before that is the false ending of “No Song Here…” which is really a funky group rap after a few seconds of silence. It starts promising but is ruined by the use of the ever-classic “fart” bass and useless talking parts.

Beyond the structural problems, slightly weak lyrical content and one or two choruses that don’t really work, what you have is very enjoyable modern ska CD. If you are searching for a feel-good record to help melt away those dreary November days, this may be the one you're looking for. If you don’t like any rapping I do suggest you stay far away from this because there is a heavy emphasis on that sort of delivery.



People who liked this also liked:
Big D and the Kids Table - Strictly RudeThe Clash - London CallingLess Than Jake - Hello RockviewLess Than Jake - Losing StreakRancid - Life Won't WaitStreetlight Manifesto - Everything Goes NumbAgainst Me! - is Reinventing Axl RoseLess Than Jake - B Is For B-SidesBig D And The Kids Table - How It GoesAgainst Me! - Searching For A Former Clarity



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    Posted by Chodabraider on 2008-02-10 23:09:33

    .

    Posted by j3ss_93 on 2007-09-10 20:59:45

    Ok first of all whoever said that shit about this band get a fuckin' life i mean seriously.Honestly go be a fucking cock sucker on your own time cuz you are really being fucked. You have 2 options: Go be a stupid douche bag somewhere else or shut the fuck up! Cuz all ur being is a stupid dick. Finally, this band is Fuckin' awesome I luv them! YOU FUCKIN' ROCK!! The first time I heard you on MOD I was like holy shit I luv this fuckin' band they are awesome!! And maybe I had the thought of the the singer/guitar dude (aka Jarek Hardy) in my head.LOL U guys still rock nd I will always luv u guys as a band no matter what the situation is !!!! :D

    Posted by anony on 2007-05-09 17:26:08

    ryans the hottest drummer
    i WISH he raped me!!!

    Posted by red_eyed420 on 2007-01-01 13:36:58
    My Score:

    wow wow wow! This cd honestly represents what the ska music is all about and that's just having a fun time. The hip-hop style of lyrics actually really works for these guys and it's there live energy and brilliance that seperates these guys from all the other pretenders. Thanks for the breath of fresh air Johnstones!

    Posted by melll on 2006-12-20 17:55:38

    I've never enjoyed a concert/show more than the Johnstones shows I've been to ... the energy is amazing. They're so good.

    As for the rumour. I haven't talked to anyone from the band much, so I'm not saying I know them personally. But they're nice guys. It's just solid bullshit to say any of them would do something like that.

    So whoever started it.. go play in traffic.

    Posted by Jesuede on 2006-12-15 17:03:56

    All I have to say is get real. If they raped the girl, and even if she told the trusth, she would make a claim. Not post it over the fucking interent. Second, most are in their teens, how are they supposed to be in possesion of drugs.
    To anyone single shithead who believed this, get the word 'fucktard' written on your forehead. I mean common sense, what did you like skip school all your life?
    Also to those who don't like them, you don't like them case closed! you don't have to let the world know.

    Jesuede.

    Posted by wedotheska on 2006-12-10 12:44:24

    and anyone who actually takes the johnstones lyrics seriously is stupider than helen keller

    Posted by wedotheska on 2006-12-10 12:39:45

    your a retard, i bet ryan and jarek did fuck your girlfriend, and i bet she loved it.

    if youve ever met either ryan or jarek you would know that they constantly have girls hanging off of them and would never need to drug anybody to have sex with them.

    as for mounds of coke? thats ridiculous as well, ryan and jarek dont even smoke weed

    so quit making up stories just because you walked out of the dungeon and your girl was getting pork roasted. somebody should castrate you

    Posted by GRWilde on 2006-12-09 13:46:25

    I have been to numerous shows,Just to see the Johnstones! They give an Awsome Live show! I think whoever wrote that they were cokehead? rapers? Is a complete Idiot and don't know them or what they are about. Try going to a show, talk to them and then tell me if they are shit or fucked up on blow!
    Hey whoever started the rumor are a bunch of (B.A.B.I.E.S)
    you need some titties, some titties, You ASS!

    Keep Rockin Johnstones!!!! GRWilde

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at 1:08 AM (EST)

    i fuckin love the johnstones they came to my school last friday and i just have to say im in love with all of them so if any one disagrees with me they have serious issues and need to get them sorted out!

    Posted by stephanieeska on 2006-11-27 10:33:01

    this is a bunch of bullshit.

    the johnstones are amazing guys and they wouldnt fucking drug and rape a girl.

    and they dont do mounds of coke.

    whats wrong with you people.

    get the facts straight before you try and spread useless shit.

    your just jealous of their accomplishments.

    so get a life.

    Steph

    Posted by jarek on 2006-11-26 12:35:41
    My Score:

    haha, everyone in our band is gonna end up posting on this. i had to, its just soooo funny. you guys are fucking retarded whoever posted this. suck my nuts. yea, i raped a girl, good one. thats gonna fly.... better yet, if you know we raped your wannabe girl, go tell the police you idiot. then we'll do dna tests, which will probably be skewed do to the INSANE mounds of coke ive been doing, and ill get off scot free to go rape another girl, probably your next girlfriend

    Retard

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 24, 2006 at 10:29 PM (EST)

    You guys can all munch on my piss flaps. These guys didn't drug and rape anyone. I know them, shit I've known Julian for 7 years now. Plus, the show was in fucking Oshawa- you don't have to drug anyone in that town, they do it themselves, and it was probably some pansyass little 14 year old bitch wanting attention. Don't spread shit about the band members, fuckers. Focus on the music.

    -Hecate Hellfire

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 23, 2006 at 4:25 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    you this one guy whos been posting anonemesly about rapings and drugs is a fucking retard. serously, your posted like 50 times just to keep your stupid rumor going

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 23, 2006 at 4:21 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    haha, its pretty funny how one person can make up this ridiculas rumor and every belives it

    Posted by millman on 2006-11-23 01:35:39
    My Score:

    great guys and a solid ska album, mcmaster represent!

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 23, 2006 at 12:42 AM (EST)

    This is Brent from the band.

    Wow those accusations are completly absurd, apparently the second your album hits a store you become not only a junkie but a sex offender. That's gonna be a tough one to break to my mom.

    And just as an aside to the album review, which seems to have been lost amongst the multitudes of libellous comments, is the comment on the underlying beat to the "hidden" song, that beat containing "fart" bass is Herbie Hancock's " Chameleon". Which is a pretty famous jazz tune, if you're not feeling it thats cool, just thought it should be said.

    And honestly anyone who believe any of that slanderous bullshit is an idiot. First of all no body is raping people, its a disgusting thing to do and nobody is raping anybody. Honestly do you really think if it was true that you can just rape someone and get away with it, I've seen enough CSI to know that its not very easy to you know just get away with shit. No police investigator would tell some stupid punk kid details about a case, thats illegal and no one is that stupid. Grow a fucking brain already.

    As far as doing mounds of coke, I'm a student, I barely have enough money to eat and get drunk let alone be doing mountains of an incredibly expensive drug. Again grow a brain before you make stupid comments on the internet.
    PS. Whoever said I was a nice guy, you're cool keep it real.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 8:32 PM (EST)

    i had some close friends at the show in oshawa and it was actualy Timcognito that was looking to take advantage. It doenst surpirse me knowing tim through some mutual frineds. in fact , form what ive heard tim is known for these types of activites. A friends mom who is a community leader and block parent and said his late night acitivtes have been brought to her attention before, he was never formally confronted but its pretty clear around here that you dont walk alone if hes at a party.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 3:32 PM (EST)

    Ryan from the johnstones her
    ummm so ya i just read this and ya first off im not suprised most of you dont like the album becuase generally serious punks do not--- im not a punk and dont attempt to appeal to them

    second raping and coke?

    soooo, me and jarek generally have girl friends and they generally are from our universities and are over 20... and we didnt rape anyone nor were any of us involved in any investigation and have never been in my life. basically this just isnt true. ive heard a ton of outragrous rumours about us but i think this is by far the most rediculuos, and is 100% false. i dont know who started it but it is a lie

    second as to the mounds of coke i do-- ive maybe done any hard drugs maximum 5 times in my life and dont do drugs in general.

    sooo ya.... its nice how rumours can start but this one needs to stop because its abserd

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 20, 2006 at 8:44 PM (EST)

    get out of life.
    fake post.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 20, 2006 at 8:19 PM (EST)

    also, who ACTUALLY cares if they raped some chick? really. anyone?

    Are you for real? get the fuck out of punk rock

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 20, 2006 at 6:17 PM (EST)

    despite the meaningless and immature lyrical content, this album is excellent. ska isn't really about the lyrics, anyways. it's more about playing good, fun music, which is exactly what this band does, so quit hating.

    also, who ACTUALLY cares if they raped some chick? really. anyone?

    Posted by JonDaley on 2006-11-20 14:30:56

    well now that is a different argument really. I would praise Fucked Up too I happen to love triumph of life BUT it is far more effective in the context of Hdden World rather than a 7" single. It did work as a teaser for the album but as for compartmentalizing the ideas within the album Dangerous Fumes did it more effectively thats why that got a higher score. an argument could easily be made that the aim for this record was to be a fun record and it accomplished its goals for what it is nothing more nothing less. If the aim was an effective socio-political commentary it failed but that isn't what the records aims were. I'm not under the belief music has to be about that all the time, you maybe be under that belief and if you are than by all means give this a half mark. But under the idea of this band accomplishing their goals 7 out of 10 is how effectively I rate that. I'm glad you like Fucked Up though, they are one fo my favourite bands currently active.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 20, 2006 at 2:13 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Oooh. I appear to have struck a nerve. Listen, all I'm saying is that this band is garbage, and Fucked Up isn't. Regardless of genre, bands like this do not need to exist and bands like Fucked Up should. You as a reviewer on a popular music website should be attacking mediocrity and praising integrity. Of which this band has none of the latter, but is full of the former. Unless you just don't care about shitty, boring, generic music getting pumped out all the fucking time.

    "THIS IS FOR ALL THE LADIES! ONE TWO FUCK YOU! TITTIES! ASS!"

    Next.

    -mybulldogfront

    Posted by JonDaley on 2006-11-20 13:46:18

    they're not. one is vapid, pointless and sexist. the other is, well, triumph of fucking life. if you don't get it, it doesn't matter. carry on.

    -mybulldogfront


    "get it"? obviously you seem to have problems following a logical process. The two releases are of different genres, by different artists and different formats therefore there is nothing about them that can be judged against the other. There is no line of reasoning that could lead one to believe that the score of one impacts the other. So my giving one a higher or lower score should really have nothing to do with other right? right. You sir are wrong, better luck next time though. When you attempt to be condescending you could try and you know actually have a point. carry on.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 20, 2006 at 12:51 PM (EST)

    they're not. one is vapid, pointless and sexist. the other is, well, triumph of fucking life. if you don't get it, it doesn't matter. carry on.

    -mybulldogfront

    Posted by JonDaley on 2006-11-19 23:07:25

    keep it up

    Posted by JonDaley on 2006-11-19 23:06:47

    how are the two related in any way shape or form?

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 19, 2006 at 7:25 PM (EST)

    "this is for all the ladies" gets a 7.

    triumph of life 7" gets a 6.

    riiiiiigght.
    keep it up!

    -mybulldogfront

    Posted by JonDaley on 2006-11-19 16:23:06

    from the sound of it if I had listened to this album after all this talk of rape and douche baggyness I would have had the emotional impulse to score it lower but as it stands not knowing the band members and their stories this is a really fun record.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 19, 2006 at 12:37 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    pure crap.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 19, 2006 at 12:04 PM (EST)

    a member of this band is in their 20's? i assumed it was all 16-17 year olds due to the level of childish content in their material.

    Posted by blake88 on 2006-11-18 14:49:41

    now it all makes sense the drummer is a cokehead rapist! there was this fifteen year old kid barfing in a toilet and the drummer was just laughimg at him while saying things only understod by vulcans at a show i was at it was funny but still weird. also he hits on a lot of 14 year olds thats weak for someone in their 20's hell thats weak for a 17 year old

    Posted by eyeslikebombs on 2006-11-18 14:22:28
    My Score:

    score is for album title.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at 2:12 PM (EST)

    in all fairness, Brent the bass player is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at 4:54 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    90's ska, pop-punk and hip hop sucked ass.

    Ok, maybe not hip hop.

    Posted by timcognito on 2006-11-18 02:57:49
    My Score:

    i logged in so i could give them a shitty review.
    i'm the dude who's been posting anonymously for a bit now.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at 2:54 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    yeah.
    i'm pretty sure it was the drummer and the guitarist that drugged her.
    i was helping out at a show in oshawa, and it happened.

    i could have hurt them.

    yeah, the suck even after the mountains of coke they do.

    if punk rock has taught me anything in life, is that coke is not cool.

    Posted by JonDaley on 2006-11-17 22:48:15

    the drummer from this band, that guys from The Blackout Pact and that armed robbery dude should form a band.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 17, 2006 at 6:42 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Their drummer was actually a prime suspect in a rape case that took place a few years ago. The father of someone I know was in charge of the investigation. He was never formally arrested, although it was pretty clear that he was responsible. Anyway, this band sucks, rape or no rape.

    -Chinatown

    Posted by feeeding5000 on 2006-11-17 17:34:47

    You ever hear about a band, and think to yourself, "Hey, these guys don't need to exist..." Well, that's the feeling I got from this review. Maybe they don't suck as badly as it sounds like they do. Also, what's up with the drugging girlfriends thing. I fail to see the appeal of a passed-out girl...eww

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 17, 2006 at 1:21 PM (EST)

    yeah it's me.

    johnstones are lame.
    can rot in hell for all i care.

    so can my now, ex-girlfriend haha

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 17, 2006 at 12:33 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    recorded stuff doesnt hold a canlde to their live show

    they dont take themselves eriously and its just a huge party

    Posted by baseball on 2006-11-17 12:16:15
    My Score:

    heard a couple songs...not the whole album

    some silly tunes, but awfully catchy

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 17, 2006 at 11:40 AM (EST)

    these are some pretty serious accusations. The worst part is knowing the band, I believe it.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 17, 2006 at 10:04 AM (EST)

    to the dude who said the thing about them drugging a girl he knew, is that you tim?

    they tried to drug my friend tim's girlfriend at the time.

    Posted by JonDaley on 2006-11-17 02:38:09

    lost all respect for the johnstones as soon as they drugged a girl i knew in an attempt to get with her.

    shitty dudes.
    shitty tunes

    are those her panties?

    - jones the bones


    hahahaha fucking gold.

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2006-11-17 01:42:36

    i lost all respect for the johnstones as soon as they drugged a girl i knew in an attempt to get with her.

    shitty dudes.
    shitty tunes


    are those her panties?

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 17, 2006 at 12:57 AM (EST)

    i lost all respect for the johnstones as soon as they drugged a girl i knew in an attempt to get with her.

    shitty dudes.
    shitty tunes