Indian Burn Records Compilation

Indian Burn Records

Rarely has it been so hard to tell the winners from the also-rans on this 22-song comp that pretty much sums up the Omaha/Lincoln angry-young-man punk scene. Forget about the hardcore that was (thankfully) left off; this is mostly Blink/Green Day "punk/ska" fodder with an extra helping of fun-loving misogyny (Straight Outta Jr. High, The Thuggs). What's a matter guys? Can't find a girlfriend? With lyrics like these, here's hoping you never will. It's no surprise that there isn't a single female voice heard throughout this 65-minute boy's-only CD.

When it ain't being overtly anti-PC (and just plain hateful) it's juvenile in its attempts at irony. The bands that seem to try the least come off as the most genuine. Lincoln's Seasick Bob wins the "best of show" prize with a 3-minute toss-off that sounds like they're playing it for the first time. The Thuggs manage to delve to new lows in offensiveness, but you still can't help but shout along (if you're a guy).

Other stand-outs that deserve more than one listen and avoid the usual sanitized FM-friendly "punk" rock sound:

Carsinogents' ol' set standard, "Pest Control," is as good as ever, except for the noticeable drop-off in volume, thanks to this CD's overall poor mastering. Do yourself a favor and search-out their EP.

 Though sloppy, Rocket F.M.'s "Human Resources" is a nice slab of slacker-rock. Reminds me vaguely of Omaha circa 1994 (Cactus Nerve Thang or Culture Fire ring a bell?). 

Joe Avary ("Movie Star") has a neat voice and a nice, urban Urge Overkill delivery on his hand-made track. 

The Miscasts ("Rock Anthem") is the closest thing to hardcore here, and a breath of fresh air amid the CD's usual frat-party punk. 

The rest is MTV-ready sugar punk, well-played and uninspired. Too many times, the bands take the easy way out and give us nothing we haven't already heard a a few hundred times before. Comp CDs are suppose to provide a tidy record of a certain time in a region or genre. If that was the goal, this does an adequate job of summing up where Omaha's non-hardcore "punk" scene resides circa 2000+.