WISCONSIN PUNK PAGE - THE BASEBALL FURIES "This Is The Greatest Rock n Roll Album Ever" EP
Odd little 4-songer. "Carshouter" is fairly straight ahead & lickedy paced, but the other three buzz along at a much slower clip. Lo-Fi but definitely not No-Fi. Catchy, but not poppy. It rocks, but it isn't mining the same territory as, say, the Hellacopters. I dunno', there aren't any useful comparisons springin' to mind, which is probably a good thing. Fans of the whole Rip Off/Estrus thingy will probably dig it a bunch. I know I do.
SUBTERRANEAN - THE BASEBALL FURIES "This Is The Greatest Rock n Roll Album Ever" EP
What's with the connection between punk rock and baseball? The Baseball Furies toss up "Coney Island" which sounds kinda like Circle Jerks/Supersuckers, "Fuckin' Jim" which moves them into a Dead Boys feel on the A side, and "Carshouter" and "Teenage Love Dolls" on the B side serving up more of the same.
MAXIMUM ROCK-N-ROLL - THE BASEBALL FURIES "This Is The Greatest Rock n Roll Album Ever" EP
Well, I wouldn't go that far. This is good though. The A-side has 2 tracks. One, a bouncy number entitled "Coney Island
U.S.A.", thats pretty catchy and moves right along. The 2nd song is slower and has a bit of a DICTATORS feel. Side b starts
off with the no frills, peddle to the metal "Carshouter" (think early New Bomb Turks) and is finished off with another
midtempo rocker that sounds like Darby Crash singing for THE HEARTBREAKERS.
FLIPSIDE #106 - THE BASEBALL FURIES "This Is The Greatest Rock n Roll Album Ever" EP
Weird fucking name for a band. The printing almost makes it look like Baseball Turtles at first glance. Very DIY sleeve
actually says "This is GREATEST rock-n-roll record ever!" on the front cover, real big, black and white. Hey, that's a
clever way to get those words into your bands record review, right? 4 frenzied '77 style cuts, ultra raw. Sloppy as your
Mom's snatch after a rough game of Bible Bingo. Aggro in your face attitude, fuck shit up punk ala The Candy Snatchers.
GOOD.
MMR-BRUCE - THE BASEBALL FURIES "This Is The Greatest Rock n Roll Album Ever" EP
Well, over here you got some bold rooster motherfuckers call The Baseball Furies who bill their debut single as "This is the
greatest roc-n-roll record ever." And ya know whay? It's pretty fuckin' rockin'! It sounds kinda like Ohio's TKO's with
a Dead Boys flavor lingering after the drugs wear off. There's a smattering of the raw power era STOOGES pop/ Williamson
dirt going down on this cocksucker. Not safe for you pop-punk twits. You go directly to Lookout Records. Do Not drink beer.
Do not raise hell. No fun for you. You go rot in that smug frat buy clique with the HI-Fives.
MULTIBALL - THE BASEBALL FURIES "This Is The Greatest Rock n Roll Album Ever" EP
You should know it's still alright. "Coney Island USA" takes about 15 seconds before shouts of "fuck" and "I dont care!" The
first side moves a little slower in its youth, but the flip features all the anger and the tempo of modern day Furies in
"Carshouter." Good old fashioned punk for these times.
THE KINGS OF TRASH R'N'R - THE BASEBALL FURIES "This Is The Greatest Rock n Roll Album Ever/Sounds of Mayhem" EP
Greatest, was released a few years ago on the bands own label, which may missed out on, but Big Neck decided to re-release it
which is great cause lots of people missed out on it. What you get with these boys is an early Pagans type sound but faster
and much more furious, hence the name. As for the second single you actually get a feel for what mayhem does sound like and
does it ever sound good, the Furies are much tighter on the one. Man do the Furies kick ass, these boys are hands down the
best band of 99, hell! the whole decade, everyone send your money to Big Neck now or lose out big time!
TRASH TIMES - THE BASEBALL FURIES "This Is The Greatest Rock n Roll Album Ever" EP
The aside here is mid tempo trash. It ends being influential and the tones can be bent and evil on "Fuckin Jim." The flip
is faster with rocking 145 structure. It's hard to go wrong with a formula like this.
BUFFALO BEAT - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
Baseball Furies, faster and more "punk" in the traditional sense, play the Stooges to the Blowtops MC5. Having recently gained the attention of Crypt, (garage rock's Stax), the Furies seem poised to take their sweat-rock to the next level, however disgusting that may be. Sounds of Mayhem is full of the unflinching bravado Baseball Furies fans have come to expect- check out "Night of the Rock-n-Roll Rumble" for affirmation, sissy boy.
SUBTERRANEAN - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
4 songs of lo-fi punksploitation in the classic mold, a shining jewel of ear slicing, throat-shredding, taperecorder-overloading rock'n'roll violence.
MAXIMUM ROCK-N-ROLL - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
Why, I wouldn't be surprised if the Baseball Furies shows could border on the edge of mayhem - this EP is something to behold.
A blend of streetpunk, blazing HC, and possibly a little scuzz rock, "Sounds of Mayhem" is one AWESOME 7" slab. Highest
recommendation.
PUNK PLANET - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
Aaaawwwwwriiiiiiiiight! Kick ass rock n roll that reminds me a lot of the Dummies or any of Estrus' more punk moments.
(Screaming Furies...) If this came out 20 years ago, it would have been booted by that snobby guy from Norway on Killed
by Death Vol. 1 for sure. About as good as it gets! I'm proud to share a state with these fellars.
SAVAGE - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
Furious, punked-out, testosterone rock-n-roll outta Buffalo. Ripping sound, fast as fuck and... Great! Four songs that'll blow away bands
like the Spider Babies or (most of)the Rip Off bands. The other good band outta Buffalo, together with the Blowtops, with whom they share
bassplayer. Recorded by the same team that brought you the first Blowtops single. Baseball Furies are definitely go! Think Japanese,
think Dirtys, think fuckin' great! GET THIS!!!
MULTIBALL - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
Constant bleeding treble assaults. Teengenerate, and what have you. What you have isn't quite as varied as the Flying Bomb
10", but that is the difference in a circle's area with a 3 inch increase in width. Steal these signs, tip of the hat,
play, flip, play, and try to hold your hips still.
A FINE MESS - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
A classic illustration how getting bored in a dull, windy, cold city can result in some hellish torment a.k.a as punkrock. The sounds
these upstate New Yorkers make is a decent example of how lowfi punk rock with tons of overload and distortion can be quite appealing.
What makes it moving is the rushed in, shredded and disgruntled vocals who fail to succeed in the battle with the music. There's
an obvious and intense investment of teenage rampage and angst which only builds up the basic mold of punkexploitation and satisfies
greatly my personal eagerness for teenage kicks. The band shares a bandmember (the bassplayer) with other Buffalo locals, The
Blowtops, where he manages to pull a totally different creepy and haunted territories. These tracks of punk rock'n'roll violence
are what makes searching for new bands and endless, yet intriguing challenge.
TRASH TIMES - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
This one is total energy with non painful guitar breaks. These gents have the punk energy and the authentic shit rock sound.
Good to see some people still know how to rock.
CYCLOPS ZINE - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
This 7" ep contains four songs from Buffalo New York’s Baseball Furies. Each of these two minute blasts is pure noisy pleasure.
The lead singer sounds like a singer from my youth, Leyland from the Grave Digger V/Morlocks. They remind me of an American
version of Guitar Wolf. All of the songs are loud, fast and have tear your throat out vocals. The A side has "Go Berserk" and
"Night of the Rock-n-Roll Rumble." Go berserk is just what they do on these two tracks. The B side has "Tokyo (Under Siege)" and
"Shotdown, Drag Out." For me, the highlight of the 7" is "Tokyo." They crank the speed up even more for this one and halfway through
the song Odie, the singer, lets out a scream that’ll rip the paint off your walls. Then the song just stops for a couple of seconds
and then comes crashing back in for thirty for seconds of breakneck noise. These guys have got to be great live.
WSUM - THE BASEBALL FURIES "SOUNDS OF MAYHEM" EP
These guys are very reminiscent of Japanese rockers like Guitar Wolf, Teengenerate, and Gasoline. Super distorted vocals and just plain LOUD. Not for you sissy assed indie rockers.
CRIMEWAVE MAGAZINE - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
This is stripped garage punk rock n roll album, nothing like a very good fuck you snotty punk rock album to relax the nerves. This Buffalo relocated to Chicago band has songs on their first full length about booze, girls, guns, drugs, and hate that is more intelligent then you would think. It’s got the musical edge of ’77 Dead Boys with a style of Black Flag, it screams, smacks, and is still in my stereo.
ROCK-N-ROLL PURGATORY - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Oh blessed mighty gods of rock-n-roll, thank you! This stripped down garage punk, rock-n-roll, whatever, is one of my top picks for the year. I've listened to it over and over. There is so much venom and spite it'll blacken your heart and taint your soul. The lyrics match the primal assault: "Got no reasons why I'm here tonight/ Got no feelings for Jesus Christ/ Got my reasons when I clench my fists/ With bad bad flavor and bad bad blood, I wait." Bruised and bleeding. I love it. Really. I said love!
UP YOURS - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
BigNeck Records has become a regular in this section and UpYours! is by the way on the labels opening page. More than justified from both sides as Big Neck is indeed one of the current best providers of harsh, crude, raw and unpolished trashed and broken punknoise and mutated blues'n'roots stuff popping up in todays underground. Former Buffalo residents, THE BASEBALL FURIES, may have relocated to Chicago, but hooked up with BigNeck to release their ever first fulllength : "Greater Than Ever". After a whole set of 7"s, a monster of a 10" this lp/cd finally saw the light of day. Recorded by Jim Diamond at Ghetto Recorders and with additional assistance by Tom Potter (Bantam Rooster) on some tracks, the band sees its massive and explosive potential packed and embodied in 4-piece suicide bomber unit ready to get launched immediately. The fury which drives this 4-piece was sometimes pretty out of control after a couple of tunes, but all through "Greater Than Ever" it's kept vivid, awake and ready to be lit instantly, but never risks to get out of control. I guess the out-of-control factor is kept for the live exorcism a Baseball Furies gig is due to be. Yet another excellent package of underground medicine provided in genuine overdoses by the BigNeck folks.
PUNKROCKS.NET - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Take the Stooges, early Saints, The Rip Offs and a smatter of Cleveland ala Pagans & Dead Boys, rev it up to double speed, and crank the living shit out of this, and you will have captured the spirit of rock n roll bred punk in it truest form... The Baseball Furies. It's been a long time coming, this full-length platter, but goddamn if it doesn't deliver. 7 or so years of throwing it down have made the Furies one incredibly volatile wrecking machine... all that pent up frustration that wouldn't fit on their Estrus 7" of a while back. These guys kick like it's the dawn of punk, when the R&B levy broke and the garage rock treasure trove slammed head first into the Ramones. Within all this rock n roll clatter exists some absolutely scorching songs and street savvy lyricism ("Wasted Life")... necessary ingredients missed by many of their counterparts. And though the Furies manage to inject some infectious hooks underneath, it's the primal energy, raging arrangements and honest delivery that really set the Baseball Furies apart.
If you like your punk rock straight forward and stripped down; loud and inspiring, melodious and uncompromising, 'Greater Than Ever' may be the best fuckin record you've never heard. No better time than the present to recognize a future classic. An aweseome effort all around, and another killer offering from Big Neck.
CARBON 14 - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
This is THE record man! One of the best punkrocknroll records this year, bar none. Thumbs up to Big Neck Records as a great newer label for getting this release too, not to mention some others. Named form on of the gangs in that cult classic flick the Warriors, this band is slamming bats all over the place. Amped up Iggy and The Stooges circa Raw Power without the Bowie overtones. and dare I say better! In your bleeding face with some of that old school sound but they throw ya down and beat ya senseless with their own righteous deadon distinctions. Fourteen fuzzed out, loudfest, fist raising, head shaking freakouts to go over all frequencies, yeah! Not a lame song in the bunch. Kick ass absolution; I can't recommend this full throttle blast of slamming cuts enough. Pure wedges of spit on punk to brow beat them SUV yuppie pussies waiting for the next media fear threat, whether they are your neighbors or sitting next to you at the stoplight. Myu copy is already wearing out from the constant play. Get it, find it, crank it!!
GARAGE AND BEAT - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Loud and lascivious rock and roll from a band that reminds me of Richard Hell and The Voivods. They don't really sond the same, but their edgy approach, poetic bent and artistic style are in the same general ballpark. The sound is big and energetic, the vocals are full of bile and venom and the songs explore themes of not so quiet desperation as a way of life. "I Hate Your Secret Club," "Disposable Hustler," "Rant and Rave," et al. are filled with lyrics about a world far removed from the mundane day to day existence of the socially adept and are delivered with conviction. Raise your fist and yell.
BLANKGENERATION.COM - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
And from my pal Bart of BIG NECK RECORDS…he was so, so, so kind enough to send me a copy of the BASEBALL FURIES "Greater Than Ever" CD. These fuckers haven't really hit me until now. If I were fifteen years old these kids would be my TEENGENERATE. They have all the hooks and 70's punk of the KIDS, VIBRATORS, and NUBS mixed with a lofi garage punk attitude that can only come from much hate and drugs. I'm twenty-three and the BASEBALL FURIES are my new TEENGENERATE. I have a new TEENGENERATE! Happy days! The other CD Bart through in was the BLOWTOPS "Blackstatic." Not the chaoticly/fuzzball on the turntable noise that I expected, but the music is still killer. DEAD BOYS in a grave and with a rotten mind…
BLANKGENERATION.COM - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
These fuckers haven't really hit me until now. If I were fifteen years old these kids would be my Teengenerate. They have all the hooks and 70's punk of the Kids, Vibrators, and Nubs mixed with a lo-fi garage punk attitude that can only come from much hate and drugs. I'm twenty-three and the Baseball Furies are my new Teengenerate! Happy days!
SAVAGE MAGAZINE - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Finally, Big Neck got this stomper out! In the last couple years the Furies have become my favorite punk band together with the Clone Defects (with whom they also share some similarities both musically and soundwise) so this album was eagerly awaited up here in Polar-land. The Furies are still angry as hell and very very desperate sounding… They have the energy of a hundred lame-ass garage rock copy-bands and enough originality to blow your amphetamine-drenched head off. So why aren't they getting the attention they so rightfully deserve? Hello??!! There's 14 blasts of in-your-face blitzkriegpunkrock songs with a heavy 70's punk rock vibe mixed with some Killed-by-Death craziness and 80's American hardcore and 90's garage punk. There isn't one filler on this album, all tracks deliver the goods; Wake-Up Call, Arch Enemy, Get Activated, Disposable Hustler, I Hate Your Secret Club… the list goes on. Jim Diamond's turned the knobs on this one and you can hear a furious Tom Potter on Get Activated which adds for extra pleasure. This is a must. So when do we get these guys to tour Scandinavia?? Can you hear me Buffalo??!!
DISGRUNTLED - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
It's about time! After 2 years in the making, This is the Baseball Furies at their best. 14 fire roasted tracks of blatant fury aimed at destroying everything you love and hold dear! Awesome.
CLEVELAND FREE TIMES - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
You'd think with the accelerated pace of our digi-times, middle-road Joes would finally be cool with faster, nastier sounds. Sure, the Hives are getting a little play, but it's still jarring to read a Rolling Stone or Entertainment Weekly review calling the Strokes "fast" or the White Stripes "raw". Makes you wonder what blood vessel would blow should these cultural arbiters ever stumble upon the Baseball Furies. This Chicago combo has released a 10-inch EP and some singles over the last four years, but this is their first full album - it features tornadoes of frenzied guitar riffs, and flailing drums with kidney-punch fills that yank back the chain, then let the song go to attack again. The band's got the sharp ability to vary tempos, and a scathing bug-eyed spitter who sounds like he's just been given the chair and is screaming "Frame-up!" This is some of the most visceral, careening rock going, but still fun enough to toss in empty-whiskey-bottle-dangling Johnny Thunders solos. Greater Than Ever never becomes just retro, though, as retro claims usually rely on well-worn genre earmarks. And sounds like this never have, and seemingly never will, get ingrained on the radio. (Grade- A)
NEW CITY CHICAGO - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
The Baseball Furies are slowly peeling off the "best-kept-secret-in-Chicago" tag, playing a hybrid of punk/hardcore-inflected garage rock that's as sloppy as it is intense. "Greater Than Ever" runs the buzzsaw-guitar sound through sheet rock, exploding off the record with a surprising freshness. Especially notable is the track "Outcast", a breakneck-paced blast from hardcore's past that amalgamates everything from "Group Sex"-era Circle Jerks to Poison Idea to the lot of nineties garage-punk bands.
SCREAMINGBLOODYMESS.COM - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
This Buffalo band who've taken their name from a gang in the film the Warriors have been playing since 1996 but this is their first full-length. They sing songs about bad booze, nasty girls and fucked up drugs. "I Hate Your Secret Club" was the title song to a single released on Estrus records and at times they sound like an irate version of Bantam Rooster of the New Bomb Turks. Volatile and pent up angst burst through the speakers "I shoot whiskey in my arms. Brings out my charms - wasted life. I got cocaine to start. Jumps out my heart - wasted life. I got blow jobs for free. Herpes on me - wasted life." Screams singer Odie on 'Wasted Life'. Recorded in Detroit by Jim Diamond who is the 'the' garage rock producer, Greater Than Ever is sure to impress any music lover who likes to get drunk in a small bar and jump up and down to really loud rock and roll.
SMASHING TRANSISTORS - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
I better hide my knives, lock away my guns, warn the corner liquor store that if they see me coming to bolt their doors and shut off the lights and inform any online company's that sell fireworks that are illegal in this state not to honor any orders billed to my credit card. I should probably go downtown behind the old furniture store and snag some mattresses to pad the walls. While I'm at it I should devise a plan to climb over the lumberyard fence late at night to swipe some plywood to put over the windows. Why all this preparation? Am I expecting a revolution to start in the streets? A tornado? A gangland gun battle outside my door? Close...but no cigar! The reason why is because I've got this Baseball Furies album to listen to. Hell, the better half saw it sitting on the table, made sure my medical insurance was up to date and said "Me and the kids are going out of town for a few days." Yeah! The Baseball Furies cause me to go through this routine every time they release something. Recorded in Detroit under the auspices of Mr., Jim Diamond before these numskulls dug themselves out of the snowbelt shit-town that is Buffalo, New York for good for the big city of Chicago, they managed to top their classic "All American Psycho". Lemme tell ya-That record still get played mucho around the Smashin' Transistors digs. I keep on the shelf right next to my motorcycle helmet. I have to cuz it's like the musical counterpart of a bloody and fiery crash. "Greater Than Ever" is a News at 11 viewer video recreated for IMAX theaters. The Baseball Furies are one of the few bands who pay perfect homage to the Stooges "Raw Power" by not imitating it yet still using it as a jump off point. They kick it in the nuts, throw it in the trunk of their beat to shit car which always fills up with exhaust fumes and take it too seedy and dangerous towns til eventually finding a dark alley where they can torch it. The stand there watching the flames lick the sky and say to each other "That was fun! LET'S DO IT AGAIN!!!" And then they do!
PUNKROCKS.NET - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Take the Stooges, early Saints, The Rip Offs and a smatter of Cleveland ala Pagans & Dead Boys, rev it up to double speed, and crank the living shit out of this, and you will have captured the spirit of rock n roll bred punk in it truest form... The Baseball Furies. It's been a long time coming, this full-length platter, but goddamn if it doesn't deliver. 7 or so years of throwing it down have made the Furies one incredibly volatile wrecking machine... all that pent up frustration that wouldn't fit on their Estrus 7" of a while back. These guys kick like it's the dawn of punk, when the R&B levy broke and the garage rock treasure trove slammed head first into the Ramones. Within all this rock n roll clatter exists some absolutely scorching songs and street savvy lyricism ("Wasted Life")... necessary ingredients missed by many of their counterparts. And though the Furies manage to inject some infectious hooks underneath, it's the primal energy, raging arrangements and honest delivery that really set the Baseball Furies apart.
If you like your punk rock straight forward and stripped down; loud and inspiring, melodious and uncompromising, 'Greater Than Ever' may be the best fuckin record you've never heard. No better time than the present to recognize a future classic. An aweseome effort all around, and another killer offering from Big Neck.
ODYSSEYZINE.COM - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Are you sick and tired of everything? Do you need a shot of good old snotty, snarling, punk rock adrenaline to get you through the day? The prescription is "Greater Than Ever" by the Baseball Furies. To say their latest release is superb is the greatest of understatements. They explode on stage, and they manage to do the same through your speakers. It's a whirlwind of destructive tendencies and old school aggression. The songs so kinetic, you'll swear that the razor-sharp smoke and booze guitar riffs are actually taking swings at you. This is all the proof you need that it's still possible to make a great punk record.
MAXIMUM ROCK-N-ROLL - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
As far as the record review, this is great. Total lo-fi self destructive rock-n-roll massacre... as they say "misery loves company" and the BASEBALL FURIES have taken a chair at my table providing me with a soundtrack fitting for my dog shit of a day. Fans of the Valentine Killers, early New Bomb Turks, Bantam Rooster, or Teengenerate should buy this today.
CAUSTIC TRUTHS - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Furious true! Psychotic true! Well skilled masters of their craft with punk songs that keep the CD alive and interesting. Still, even with their amazing writing and talent, they seem to be stocked in a never-ending screaming pattern.
AMP - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
It's about fucking time! After 4 EPs, The Furies have unleashed the album I've been dreaming off. Seriously folks, it was worth wait. An entire album of noisy '77-flavored Punk Rock. Actually, these folks are far more energetic and intense than most of what passes for Hardcore today, let alone Punk. They blew through SF recently and left a cloud of dust and a sweaty bunch of Rock'N'Rollers in their wake. Wow!
SLEAZEGRINDER.COM - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Opener "Wake Up Call" is already in progress when you press play on "Greater Than Ever", implying that no matter how quick you are, you're still always gonna be one step behind the Baseball Furies. You'd figure that a band that names itself after a rollerskating, proto-corpsepainted street gang full of disgruntled minor-leaguers is going to come out swinging at the fences, and the Furies do not disappoint. Is there such a thing as hardcore garage rock? Well, there is now, baby, as "GTE" sounds like what would have happened if it was Black Flag imploding into sonic fireballs at the Democratic National Convention in '68, instead of the Five. The guitars splatter and unravel- think greasers and freak power, think Pistols, think Detroit Rock City, all filtered through the shaky fingers of teenage drug abusers- and there is much shouting, much speed-punk gospel, much action involved. Baseball Furies exhibit exactly the kind slink and savagery that punk rock's been limping along without for far too long now, and I don't think you'll find a more incendiary slice of insurrection rock this side of Fireballs of Freedom. Pretty fuckin' enthralling stuff.
GARBAGE DUMP FANZINE - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
After 7 years running, the BASEBALL FURIES, originally from Buffalo, NY and now moved to Chicago, succeed in releasing their first full lenght album. These are 14 tracks of snotty, raw, crude punk rock played with fury and aim to destroy everything in sight, pounding drum rhythms and blazing raw-as-fuck screaming guitars reminding me sometimes of the new punk bands of the nineties, but most of the times of the best '77 punk rock bands, with such songs as "Arch Enemy" where the best DEAD BOYS are the main hint. The vocals are inspired and add that unique touch to their music making'em one of the best bands in the amazing Chicago scene right now. If you're looking for something fresh and new you're outta luck jack, because this album is deeply rooted in the tradition of real punk rock, intended to be raw, simple and nasty like a spit in your face.Expect to read and hear a lot their name in the upcoming future, believe me!!
CYCLOPS ONLINE ZINE - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
“Greater Than Ever” is the first full-length album from the Baseball Furies on Big Neck Records. After more than seven years together, countless singles and two years in the making, we finally get their first lp. It’s about damn time. It was worth the wait however. “Greater Than Ever” is 14 tracks of blistering punk rock n’ roll. On the first song, “Wake Up Call”, the Baseball Furies are louder, faster and more pissed than ever. “… Say I’m livid. Ask why I’m vicious? No alarm, just wake-up call.” “Arch Enemy” is my favorite song on the record. This one has a great guitar riff and they slow it down, just a touch. Odie screams, “Got no reason why I’m here tonight. Got no feelings for Jesus Christ. Got my reasons when I clench my fists, with bad, bad flavor and bad, bad blood, I wait.” So many great songs come from pain and this is one about the pain of addiction. “Disposable Hustler” is driven by Hollywood’s rumbling bass. The guitars smashes in and out all the while Odie falls apart. “I Hate Your Secret Club” was the title song to a single released on Estrus records. It starts off with a chiming lead guitar part. It then turns into a blazing rant against corporate Wall Street types, I think. Man, these guys are mad as hell. “Desperate Measures” is about the sick urges of one fucked up guy. It rocks and has a great guitar solo. I like it. “Wasted Life” is 38 seconds of punk rock. Here are the whole lyrics: “I shoot whiskey in my arms. Brings out my charms – wasted life. I got cocaine to start. Jumps out my heart – wasted life. I got blow jobs for free. Herpes on me – wasted life.” “Ain’t Comin’ Home” is a rock n’ roller that ends the disk. It’s the punk rock equivalent of “Rolling Stone.” “Hey listen up, I got no time. For good-byes and replies. Stories of those times. Yeah I’m leaving and believing that’s no crime. In a highway motor home too fast to find.” If you like your rock fast and angry this record’s for you. The Baseball Furies are the best punk rock band out there today.
BLANKGENERATION.COM - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Allow me to be bold - if you do not love this record you are a moron. This is punk rock as punk rock is meant to be. Absolutely zero bullshit. No gimmicks. Just some seriously urgent punk rock destruction designed to knock you down and then kick you a bit as you struggle to recover from the devastating blow. And that's just after the first song. It only gets worse (read: better) from there. I feel like making copies of this record and sending it to the plethora of shitty "garage" bands out there to show them that this is how it's really done. If you consider yourself a fan of good, fast punk music you need this record, like, yesterday.
BLANKGENERATION.COM - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
One of the great singles bands of the last few years finally unleashes its full-length debut (though the fucker was recorded in Y2K and I THINK they have at least one more [recent] album in the can). When I first chucked this on the platter-spin-thingy, I was a bit bothered by the fact that so many of these tunes were already on previous releases, BUT FUCK ME, they's good songs and repeated listenings make it congeal nicely into a cohesive whole. If ya' ain't heard 'em before (where ya' been, prospectin' fer stank worms?), the 'Furies coulda' fit equally well on Rip Off or pre-suck Estrus. In fact, their CLASSIC "I Hate Your Secret Club" offa' their fairly-recent (now-suck-wait -- BFuries + Mistreaters = resurgence?) Estrus 45 is on here, and I'd have to say that the song is SO GOOD that it's worth buying this LP just for that one tune. Or the single, but then you'd be missing out on multiple gems like "Arch Enemy" or "Disposable Hustler." It seems unlikely that enough killers'll be shat out over the next couple months to knock this 'un outta' any sane rocker's 2002 Top Tenner list.
BLANKGENERATION.COM - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Yes, it's finally here. After years of waiting, the Baseball Furies first full-length is upon us. And it is erection-inducing to say the least… The Furies play nothing but truly desperate rock-n-roll, free of pretension, sideshow antics, or scene-making poses. This shit is absolutely no-frills, smack-you-in-face punk-n-roll. Primal rock lacking any of the garage scene bullshit so predominant these days. Songs about gutter living, booze, broads, guns, drugs, and hate that are ten times more intelligent than you would have thought. They coulda been a Rip Off band. They coulda been a Crypt band. But none of that ever happened, because shit never works out for nice guys, for the true rock-n-rollers, for the bands more concerned with everyone having a good time, getting drunk, and delivering some real rock action. Their Top 40 hit, "I Hate Your Secret Club", which Dave Crider pulled his head out of his ass long enough to release, is included here, along with a batch of songs that have been staples of the Furies live set. The songs deliver on record, and a now a word about the Furies live show: they might not be "on" 100% of the time, but they always come through with a good time. They ripped through Buffalo for old times sake a few weeks ago, a show which saw drunken young girls writhing on the floor, Odie breaking every mic stand on stage, then throwing one of them at the crowd for being too complacent, singing half the set from his knees, and then culminating with Hollywood breaking his bass in half in disgust, and A-Ron announcing "Apparently Odie is too drunk to play anymore." Needless to say, I left satisfied. I've heard them sound better, but that's not the point. The point is I had a shitload of fun that I wouldn't have had without the Furies being there. So, the album sounds great and is one of the top three records released so far this year. Songs like "Breakdown" and "Disposable Hustler" are shots to the kidneys that can not be ignored. A much needed dose of reality in today's underground music scene. The funny thing is there's already at least one more Furies album already in the can, supposedly recorded in NYC with Jerry Teel. Label exec's should be running for the phone right now. I just hope we don't have to wait another two years for it to come out.
HORIZONTAL ACTION - THE BASEBALL FURIES "GREATER THAN EVER" LP/CD
Finally!! After years of beers, tears, and security careers, the Buffalo boys find a new home right here in Chicago and release their first fire-roasted full length. If you've cut your teeth, you've ripped your shirt, and you can't find those damn birth control pills, then you should probably just buy this album and try to relax. Great for hurting those people you love most, and bad for kids to play at Grandma's birthday party. Just find yourself, and slide this in, and everything should work out fine.
