Iron Chic

Iron Chic: Not Like ThisNot Like This (2010)
Dead Broke / 86'd

Reviewer Rating: 4.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: canaandrumzzcanaandrumzz
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on September 10th 2010I firmly believe that one day a book will be written about Latterman and the incredible number of (similarly incredible) bands that its members have gone on to form out of its ashes. This book will be essential to Punks of the Future (I'm calling that one as a potential future band name) to both kee.

I firmly believe that one day a book will be written about Latterman and the incredible number of (similarly incredible) bands that its members have gone on to form out of its ashes. This book will be essential to Punks of the Future (I'm calling that one as a potential future band name) to both keep track of who is in what band and the general timeline of the recorded output of said bands, and to also put into perspective the powerful effect of the songs of this select group of bands had on punks of all ages in the first decade of the 21st century.

As to what the debut full-length from one such post-Latterman band actually sounds like, Iron Chic's songs are each very anthemic with a lot of vocal harmonies backed by '90s emo guitars, along with those very distorted bass tones that always have a heavy presence in my favorite songs on the album; the drums range from keeping a solid mid-tempo presence to the full punk rock gallop in a few places. All of these elements are met with lyrics that demand to be sung along to.

The second track, "Time Keeps on Slipping (Into the Cosmic Future)" starts fast and stays urgent even into the bass-and-vocals bridge that eventually crescendos back to the full band, urging the listener to sing along to the final vocal refrain. The moment is so perfect that you can see the inevitable stage dives and sweaty side hugs bound to occur during a live performance.

The next track, "Timecop" keeps the same tempo and urgent feel as the end of track 2 but ups the heartfelt sing-along quotient, telling the listener that "we can recalibrate," and between these two songs the experience of the whole album can be felt--heartfelt and true to make even the most cynical of punks raise up his/her glass and want to make their ideals a reality again and remind you, like in the final track, "Every Town Has an Elm Street," that "Home is where we are today."

If the aforementioned book is ever actually written, Iron Chic are due for an entire chapter on Not Like This for being a wholly unique record that encapsulates the aesthetic that, for lack of a better term, the Latterman-core bands represent that makes me a sucker for records like this.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

TibbsTastic (2 weeks ago)

Love this record!

OrgcorePunker (March 18, 2013)

Rock!

Thumbs (May 21, 2012)

Thumbs down.

chuzwuzza (May 19, 2012)

Yeah all the songs sound similar, but they rock. WOOHHOOO

RussWould (September 23, 2011)

This album grew on me like crazy.

mowlio (February 10, 2011)

I've grown to love this album, have an extra star...

mowlio (January 22, 2011)

good solid consistent album, nothing too memorable though.

ak3punk (December 30, 2010)

Love this band.

tsiege (December 9, 2010)

I'll grant the songs all kind of sound the same, but I don't care this album fucking rocks and all I want is more

Levendus (November 16, 2010)

I agree (with whoever said it)

Between this album, the Menzingers and RVIVR, 2010 has been one of my best years for finding amazing new bands/ albums

jp13 (November 10, 2010)

So good!

mrdogg45 (October 12, 2010)

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, this is way to similar to Latterman to warrant a chapter in this hypothetical book. By no means wholly unique, it is a totalyl legit gang-vocals delivery system.

pullintothenextsidestreet (October 11, 2010)

This album is absolutely overrated! Amazing how much people are craving new music but seriously, have you forgotten what good music even is?

ArejayPUNX (October 10, 2010)

It's pretty fantastic and made a great initial impression on me, but I haven't really listened to it enough. Wouldn't be surprised if I get more and more into it. I'd say so far it's second or third best of the year for me, with RVIVR and House Boat's EP in front of it.

go2hell (October 7, 2010)

I would love if there was a "Latterman Family Tree" somewhere... like the Slapstick Family Tree that's on Wikipedia...

DangerMolotovArmstrong (October 7, 2010)

does anyone know where i could score a copy of this on disc

wyld_stallyns_rule (September 24, 2010)

Great album. Makes me feel tingly in all the usual places.

b0cephus (September 16, 2010)

I burned this and the RVIVR LP on the same CD and It hasn't come out of my car all summer. Super good record!

makeshifty (September 14, 2010)

Almost all the songs start off cool but sound the same at the end. Two of the songs were on the demo. Dude has the vocal range of gruff to gruff. But at least the lyrics are good.

drugmoney (September 14, 2010)

rating is for the actual album, this review is shit.

xshoutoutx (September 13, 2010)

This review is mind-bogglingly horrible --- this record is not!

preston (September 13, 2010)

I've dug em since the demo, but I wasn't expecting much from this, but it hooked me right away.

insinceredave (September 13, 2010)

Good stuff.

Its available for pay what you want on their website

http://www.ironchic.net/

Slacker (September 13, 2010)

Top notch

mikexdude (September 13, 2010)

Also, I was never a huge fan of Latterman--besides No Matter Where We Go, which I adore--but this record sounds an awful lot like a more dynamic and "mature" Latterman. But that's kinda' what I liked about Latterman, the awkward and youthful moments.

I guess this just doesn't hit me as hard, even though it's good.

encorp (September 13, 2010)

Really, really great album!

Man.. 2010 is bringing me to god damned tears with good albums.

Stack this up with Menzingers and RVIVR..

This fuckin kid is happy!

racecargrin (September 13, 2010)

I saw these guys last night, and that really made me fall in love with this album. I don't know if any other band's songs beg to be sung along to as much as the Chics'. Definitely my full-length of the year.

mikexdude (September 13, 2010)

I do Not Like This.

Actually, I do, I just really wanted to make that joke.

RedScare (September 12, 2010)

A book, huh? Yeesh.

Indecay (September 12, 2010)

I really like this. Good stuff.

MN_DrNick (September 12, 2010)

Excellent album.

frank460 (September 11, 2010)

The end of "Time Keeps on Slipping (Into the Cosmic Future)" is great!

withoutbellson (September 11, 2010)

pretty good. i think a 9 is alittle heavy.

ashtraymonument (September 11, 2010)

balls to RVIVR, this shit is amazing

victim (September 11, 2010)

I really like this, but still like their Demo best

woodprop (September 11, 2010)

One of my favourites this year. Also pleased they threw in a few fast songs.

levi-dolphin (September 11, 2010)

Really good album!!! It makes me wanna hear a new Latterman album (or maybe thats just the review wearing off on me)
anyway, both Iron Chic and RVIVR are really good!!! 4&5 stars yaaaay

Make_Way (September 11, 2010)

This has strong album of the year potential. It has that almost timeless quality; like an album that you lost track of years ago recently discovered that just fuckin' clicks with you so hard. Can't wait to get my physical copies of the album; I've listened to the stream about 30 times, and I'm probably underestimating.

I also liked the review.

tobias19 (September 11, 2010)

I dare someone to write a review of Iron Chic or RVIVR without mentioning Latterman.

lliquid (September 11, 2010)

The review found here is a hundred times better than this one:

http://mindequalsblown.net/2010/09/iron-chic-not-like-this/

Babrook (September 11, 2010)

Good stuff but I don't really see it being in my top 10 this year. It's no RVIVR.

Bryne (September 11, 2010)

I like it, but I don't think it's setting the world on fire like everyone else does here. Solid stuff.

FaithIsForFools (September 11, 2010)

You fuckin' kidding me? This band, Latterman, and all related, are dogshit bands with no fuckin' talent.
Fuck this garbage... anyone cumming over this seriously has brain damage.

Morons.

exitenglish1208 (September 11, 2010)

so good.

bakla (September 11, 2010)

I hope I can catch these dudes at duh FEST!

ericaisawesome (September 11, 2010)

One of the best this year. Can't wait to see them on Monday.

Chaos_is_Goose (September 11, 2010)

Small Bones is better

Chaos_is_Goose (September 11, 2010)

I think this is about as good as an album like this can get nowadays. Kind of a played out style.

GenerationX89 (September 11, 2010)

agreed that this ranks in the best of 2010

Cos (September 11, 2010)

I am totally unfamiliar with any of the related bands, but I really like this album. There's not a clunker in the bunch. I still think its funny that 90s emo has evolved into grizzled, drunken beard punk. And if you told me in high school that the singer from Slapstick would be one of the leading lights of said movement, I'd have called you fucking crazy.

victimofadriveby (September 11, 2010)

AMAZING ALBUM! Takes the best elements of Small Arms Dealer and Latterman. One of the best of 2010!

TSOL (September 11, 2010)

Played this nonstop for a few days. Good album, but the album kind of just blends together as above-average stereotypical orgcore. Fuckin boring after a while, unlike Latterman, which is amazing.