MIKE CASE'S REVIEWS
DAVE NORMAN'S REVIEWS
CD review for Kid Dynamite- Kid Dynamite
This is the debut album for Kid Dynamite and is in my opinion better than the new CD. This album is a hit and miss, there are a few really good songs and a bunch of really bad ones too. This CD is only 27 minutes and is filled with 19 short songs so at least the bad songs are not real painful and can be skipped, however you will need to memorize the order of good songs quickly. I was pleased to see that they changed their format in some songs to prove that they have the ability to play a bunch of different types of punk. This album stands out against the new one because of the contrast in music. I still don't understand why they decided to abandon this style for their second album- Shorter, Faster, Louder. I like the guitars in this CD much more, but the lead vocals remains the same which is a shame. They did a good job with throwing in a lot of background vocals that added contrast. I think that the lyrics in this album are really good, unfortunately the lead singer forces you to read along, not sing along because of his voice. These guys would be an amazing band to see live but they broke up. Hopefully they will focus on the type of music that they prefer and produce two solid bands that are good in each of their respective styles of punk. This CD is not bad but I grew sick of it easily and could not handle listening to it more than once a day and would probably only pull it out every week or so. I think this album would be a better choice than Shorter, Faster, Louder unless you are a hardcore fan. If you like the mp3s and are willing to take a risk or have a good used CD dealer nearby then you should check this CD out. I think it all comes down to whether or not you can tolerate the lead singer's voice, other than this problem they could have been another Bigwig.
I will give this CD a 76 out of 100, it's much better than the other album but still not a must have unless you like his voice.
Review by Mike Case
Kid Dynamite- Shorter, Faster, Louder
As much as I would like to give Kid Dynamite a good review I just can't do it. This album is one of Dave's favourites and I listened to it closely a few times while reading the lyrics and I still couldn't get it. Many people will like this CD but I am not going to be one of them. I think the biggest problem is the vocals, I do not like the lead singer's voice and my favourite parts are when the background vocals come in or they are singing a melody type thing instead of actual words. The guitars and bass are solid but not spectacular and they do have a couple good choruses. But that is still not enough. Dave warned me that it takes a couple listens but I still didn't catch on. If you like the mp3's then you will have no problems, even if you don't like them give them a couple of listens just in case. Obviously I'm not a big hardcore fan anyway but I am always open to new music, if you like hardcore you will really like this, in fact it may even be too soft for you. I wish I could give these guys a better review because I like their attitude and know that they would be awesome to see live, and I would definitely go and see them live, but they broke up. However, I do not own this CD and will not own it unless something in my head changes. If somehow after listening to it everyday at Dave's I do change my mind I will post a new review. I hope you give them a chance because it all comes down to what you think, not what I think.
I give this album a mediocre 69 out of 100. I would have given it 70 but I like the number 69�hahaha.
Reviewed by Mike Case
CD review for Kid Dynamite- Kid Dynamite
I have to admit, the first time I heard these guys I thought, �WOW, this isn�t even music�. But then I bought the Kid Dynamite-88 Fingers Louie split and realized their true potential. I downloaded some songs off of Napster and boom, I ran out and bought the CD. I love Kid Dynamite man! They play fast, short, aggressive songs with catchy lyrics and wicked melodies. Truthfully, I don�t like hardcore at all, but these guys are an exception. Actually, I don�t even know if I�d classify them as hardcore, more of a melodic hardcore would suit them. Now, the vocals were new to me and I didn�t like them when I first heard it, but now I think they are incredible. You really should download the mp3s and decide for yourself. This CD is kind of two-sided, as some is pure hardcore, and others are melodic. Luckily(for me) the hardcore songs are only about 30 seconds long and the melodic songs are about 1-3 minutes. Other songs shift from hardcore at the starting to melodic midway through. I really enjoy this CD and hope you will like Kid Dynamite as much as I do.
Kid Dynamite gets an 88/100
Best Songs (3 0�clock, Wrist Rocket, and Fuck-U-Turn)
Review by Dave Norman
CD review for Kid Dynamite- Shorter, Faster, Louder
Well, after getting hooked on Kid Dynamite through their split CD with 88 Fingers Louie, and after buying their debut album, I picked this up. At first I was on a fence on whether it was better than the first album, and as of now, one month later, I haven�t moved. Don�t get me wrong, I still love the CD, and it has the same feel as the self title, but it does have some differences. The vocals have improved, first off. I don�t really enjoy the screaming on a few tracks on the first CD, but only two songs are complete hardcore on this album. The rest have a good, crisp sound that don�t get as good as Wrist Rocket, Pacifier or Bookworm from the previous album. Although, this CD is more consistent throughout the entire thing, and does not have a bad song. As Mike has warned you, if you don�t like Jason�s voice, you don�t like the band. This is not the case when I listen to Kid Dynamite. It is impossible to describe his voice, so I advise you download the mp3s and judge for yourself. Again, these are very thought provoking lyrics, and it may take a while to get accustomed to the band, but once you realize their talent, you�ll be hooked. Trust me.
I�d have to give Shorter, Faster, Louder an 89/100.
Best Songs (Death & Taxes, S.O.S., and Introduction To The Opposites)
Review by Dave Norman
CD Review for Kid Dynamite/88 Fingers Louie Split
I got this CD because at the time it was 88 Fingers Louie�s newest (and unfortunately their last) material, but aside from the amazing 88FL songs, Kid Dynamite really grew on me. This is probably the only way it was possible for me to get into them because I heard they were hardcore-which I didn�t like. Since then I give all hardcore a chance because I hope to hell it might sound like Kid Dynamite. Heart A Tact is an amazing song with a sub-par intro. I didn�t like the yelling, but the last half is probably their best song, melodic palm mute with catchy, meaningful lyrics. Rise Above is not really that great because it is a Black Flag cover, and I don�t like Black Flag-it is also too heavy. Breakin�s A Memory is a really good song all the way through so I�ll post that. Take a listen because it is cool. Now, I�ll talk about 88 Fingers Louie. THE BEST SHIT THEY HAVE EVER DONE!!! Out There is only okay because they made it hardcore. Slow Chorus Overlap is a great all around 88FL song because it incorporates most stuff they have done. Reparation is my favorite song that they have ever done. I�ll post this because it is just so�damn kickass good!!! I can�t really explain but I�ll try � slow melodic emotionally stinging guitars with hovering high singing. That probably didn�t make sense, so just listen to the MP3.
This has gotta be the best split I have, so I think 90/100 is fair
Best Songs(Slow Chorus Overlap, Reparation [both 88FL] Heart A Tact, Breakin�s A Memory [both Kid Dynamite])
Review by Dave Norman
Mike's mp3 for S/T:
Bookworm
Dave's mp3 for S/T:
Wrist Rocket
Mike's mp3 for S,F,L:
S.O.S.
Dave's mp3 for S,F,L:
Got A Minute?
Dave and Mike's mp3 for Split:
Breakin's A Memory
