JFA

To be honest, I thought this album was a remastered and re-issued live album. From what DC-Jam Records says, however, this is the first album (live or otherwise) released from this legendary skatepunk band since 1999.

JFA has that early California skatepunk sound from the mid-to-late `80s that isn’t quite hardcore, but isn’t pop-punk, crust punk or gutter punk. They just put out good, old-fashioned, straight-from-the-belly punk rock. There is nothing delicate about the songs -- they’re fast, rough and ready to rock you face off of your head. If ever there was music to slam dance to, this is it. Personally, I listened to JFA as a young skate punk in the late `80s and listening to this I understand why I loved to skate to their songs.

As far as the sound quality goes, it’s not the best or worst live album I’ve heard. The drums get murky at times and the bass overpowers the vocals at times. To be honest, JFA was not built upon crisp sound or percussion musicianship. This album is a great example of the energy, frenzy and culture that JFA helped form when they originally formed back in March 1981. Old skate punks will love this for the nostalgia, but this live album would appeal to anyone who loves 100 MPH punk rock that makes your adrenaline rush upon pushing play (an not one song goes over 2:30).