Ikara Colt - Chat And Business

Year: 2002

Label: Epitaph

Please don't let the Epitaph label dissuade you, this band sounds nothing like the Orange County jock-punk they normally traffic in. In fact, this record originally came out in England on Ada Records, and was licensed by Epitaph in America.

Anyshit, the band basically sounds like a revved up version of The Fall, with a hint of Wire, Joy Division and probably a bunch of other English post punk bands that I would have deemed "gay" when they were peddling their wares. They are quintessentially English, in that they never sacrifice melody even when they are dragging out their vocals with deadpan nonchalance, or slashing through punk squalls with there trebley guitars.

This record is fantastic, and I don't see why this band operated in relative obscurity before finally breaking up one more album later.

DL