Published on Nov 10, 1999
I’ve been listening to this CD since the first day it arrived in
my mailbox. Not since first re-discovering punk with Bigwig have I
seriously dug a punk CD this much. Bursting with musical chops and
the kind of simple, yet interesting guitar work that typifies a
punk band, Jakkpot continually perk your ears with their biting
sarcasm.
For instance, on track nine, “Nobody Wanted Us,” the band whips
through lyrics that serve as the band’s fight song. “We’re the
assholes in Jakkpot baby.” In “Young and Dumb,” vocalist Rude-A
proclaims, “She’s so young and dumb/ fuckin’ dumb.” That’s the
chorus. And also, like Bigwig, the disc is short, clocking in at
only 30 minutes.
So what about the music? Well, get a hold of Metallica’s
Garage Inc. and listen to the guitar riff in their cover of
the Anti-Nowhere League’s “So What.” That riff is simple, but
catchy. Jakkpot captures the spirit of that riff throughout this
disc. Individually, the members are competent musicians but
together with vocalist Rude-A leading through rants about “You
ain’t shit / without a leather jacket” and the aforementioned
“Young and Dumb,” this band is hot.
The other main musical element you note immediately is the
cleanliness of the snare drum fills on this record. Sharp as Devo’s
whip. While all great bands have scorching releases, I truly doubt
Jakkpot can top this stellar release. The musicianship, the
songwriting and the execution of these three traits are right on
the money.