Not only are
the A.K.A.s everywhere, they're everywhen, too, gleefully scooping up punk past and prehistoric and rolling it into their exhilarating sound. Garage punk from the '60s? Got it, thanks to keyboardist Josie Outlaw, whose psyched-out playing sloshes the '60s over much of this album, kicking off with "This Is the Way We Move," the band's explosive mission statement, whose chorus, "Everybody make some noise," entitles this set. But Outlaw isn't only gunning for the '60s; she's got the '70s in her sights as well -- check out her new wavey stylings on "In Case I Die." In the time-travel sweepstakes, however, guitarist Vegas Davis has Outlaw cornered, as he slams, slashes, and bashes his way through punk's halcyon days of yore. Ripping a page from
the Stooges here and hardcore there, running riot through the old school and the new school, Davis pays homage to his heroes while never truly disturbing their musical graves. Bassist Justin Perry and drummer Chachi Darin's slash-and-burn tactics are the powerful phalanx behind Davis' whooping cavalry charges -- which makes the guesting
Jello Biafra the unit's mascot, his hilariously ironic "Deaf Before Dishonor" perfectly setting the stage for
the A.K.A.s' own salesmanship on "Everything Is a Commercial."
Anti-Flag's Chris #2 and
Hawthorne Heights' J.T. Woodruff also put in unforgettable appearances. The adamant "Commercial" is just one of a slew of infectious, hook-laden numbers within this set, which rattles from the rip-roaring punk rock of "Let Your Mamma Know" to the dance-crazed new wave of "In Case I Die Tonight," blistering into the
NOFX-ish "Dead Flowers Forever" and onward to the
Rancid-ish, bass-addled "We Write Our Own Anthems." With plenty of attitude, a knife-sharp wit, and an overwhelming urge to flay modern life, they've got the goods, and your noisy approval is guaranteed. ~ Jo-Ann Greene