Review: Little American Champ – Nothing Forward, Nothing Backward EP (2012)

Out of Lansing bursts forth the three-piece punk rock band Little American Champ, packing lots of energy, heart, emotion, and catchy riffs. While they don’t play anything "new", per se, Little American Champ stands out with the amount of sheer energy they put in their music. Fast, smart punk riffs are nicely paired with Midwest emo elements that very much put these boys on the map.

               
 Distorted, feedback-y powerchords are nicely meshed with that Midwestern-emo-twinkly sound, giving each riff a catchy sort of twang to it that is memorable and very in-the-moment.

                
The vocals are also very true to their genre. Vocalists Jonny and Alex Janis have a melodic, shouting quality to them that keeps them grounded to their Midwestern emo/punk roots. They’re also very honest. Little American Champ needn’t paint you fantastical pictures-they’d rather get straight to the point (“I don’t have anything to report/…Thank fucking God that you stayed home” – What’s the Secret, Max?). Admittedly, the lyrics can be hard to understand (perhaps from mixing for loudness?), but such is the nature of things when you have a punk band that is as loud, fast, and energetic as Little American Champ.

The most exceptional part of their music-aside from their honest, angsty punk rock sound-is their percussion. Drummer Danny Petrill never wastes a note, hit, or kick. The execution of the rhythm section is exceptional and is the most defining instrumental feature of this band. You have to listen to truly understand the musicianship flowing from Petrill.

Little American Champ proves that you don’t need something new to hit you in the face every time you hit play. The classics are just as nifty as the new provided that the instrumentation is tight and the energy is high. Little American Champ turns the energy level to 11. Seriously, they sound like they’re excited to play each track. I’m terribly surprised that no label has signed these guys yet. I would absolutely keep my eyes and ears on this band in the future.

http://littleamericanchamp.bandcamp.com/

8.5/10

Katt Hass

For fans of: Secret Grief, The Riot Before, Small Parks

Review: Bike Tuff- S.U.D.S. (2010)

Michigan local band Bike Tuff is bringing back punk!

Miss the good old days of punk rock? When you used to spend too much time in too many basements throwing down and thrashing about to the grungy raw tunes of your angsty youth? Have no fear, you needn’t look at Punk with such nostalgia. Bike Tuff presents everything you needed/missed in a garage/basement punk band. Raw emotions and vocals are laden in raw, grungy punk melodies and riffs that will surely have you spilling beer shirtless in khaki shorts, white socks, and converse.

But Bike Tuff isn’t all about being rough and gritty. This fast-paced punk E.P. offers a lot of heart with relatable lyrics and an honest presentation of them (aka, no repeating choruses over and over and fucking over again). My only worry is that they might fall into that same “one-note-coarse-instruments” trap that a lot of punk bands fall in. These tracks can run into each other rather easily (with the exception of ‘East Hall Shoes’).

Bike Tuff has a lot of potential as a punk band. This E.P. is a great, refreshing, honest start for them. I look forward to listening (and reviewing) future releases. Bike Tuff is definitely worth keeping your eyes and ears on.

http://bikingtuff.bandcamp.com/

8/10

For fans of: The Bravest Kids, Homelife

Katt Hass