Customer Reviews

The Resignation

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Rx Bandits are my second favorite band behind Pink Floyd, this is my second favorite cd of theirs behind Progress, which is like saying Godfather Pt.1 is my favorite behind Pt.2, they are both so great. This cd is different from anything else you will ever hear, the sound on this cd is hard to explain, maybe ska,reggae,rock,jamband-ish.This is a great cd to get stoned to, if you are into that. But otherwise this is an amazing cd, and the DVD is a great addition, a good preview to how amazing they are live. I saw them live last summer, and it was the best show I've ever been to. The lyrics on here are great, the music is unbelievable, and the message is one that should be heard.

Assuming the acid-wrought art damage cover art didn't immediately pique interest, here is a consumer exercise:

Imagine your favorite punk rock album. Now, replace the sloppy playing, half-baked guitar solos, and whiny, Rotten vocals, and replace them with one of the tightest rhythm sections ever witnessed by human ears, gorgeous, harmonized sax-plus-trombone riffs, and a singular voice that positively drips sincerity.

You're not listening to the radio. You're listening to the RX Bandits firing a shot across its bow.

Whichever background you hail from, there's something to like on "The Resignation." From blistering punk rails against superficiality ("Sell You Beautiful") to politically-charged reggae rave-ups ("Overcome"), to moody, dark dance-rock that, for once, actually takes absolutely no inspiration from Depeche Mode at all ("Taking Chase As The Serpent Slithers"), it's a record that fires on all cylinders and never fails to deliver ("Decrescendo"). If none of this is intriguing, there's also at least one 7+ minute prog-flavored adventure present, and enough energy to power a steel drum factory.

You can complain about the lyrics in a time where one of the recent pop hits of the moment included the line "you make me wanna la-la." You can pretend that it's not interesting music and that you're "above" such "juvenile" endeavors. You can even play the part of the checker-pantsed ska ubermensch and myopically declare that there are better ska records to be found, in blind assumption of a singular genre's uncontested dominion over all things musical (see: metalheads).

You can do any or all of these things... and you can also get the hell out of my car/apartment/place of business.

This band takes their music seriously. They push themselves to the extreme to bring you the sweet sounds of rock. Their style is ingenius and extremly unique. Cannot be touched

I just cannot believe the talent of this band. It is overwhelming how incredibly awesome this band is. Having loved "Progress," I waited, almost exploding, until the day it came out, and bought it right off the bat. It has not left my cd player since.

The Rx Bandits used to be a fun little 3rd-wave ska band with silly lyrics and simple guitar riffs, as all 3rd-wave ska bands are. But this band has evolved like no other I have seen. "Progress" is one of the, if not THE best cd I have heard. And I hoped "The Resignation" would be just as good, if not more. And boy did my wish come true. There's just too much to say about this album. The musicianship, the words, the overall energy and impact is just amazing.

It's hard to put Rx Bandits into a specific genre, and that's what I like. This cd could please almost anyone, complete with great horn parts, rocking guitar riffs, and emotional filled lyrics.

The bonus DVD is a wonderful addition as well, complete with "Sell You Beautiful" (the single) live, coupled with 2 songs off of Progress, an acoustic version of "Overcome (The Recapitulation)", an interview with Matt Embree, the guitarist and lead vocalist, and pictures.

Enough ranting. This album is a must buy. The best of the year by far. If you haven't heard of Rx Bandits, well, this is the moment that you should.

This is the best live band you will ever see in your lifetime, I Skanked so hard when they played this album live I almost passed out. They are very down to earth, they hate the Radio, and they have brought back SKA in a way you wouldn't believe until you listen to this for yourself! This is the most creative sound and not many other bands should be allowed in their presence!!! Support SKA and we just may see more awesome bands like this.

Classification of this album is difficult. It's equal parts ska, punk, metal, dub, reggae, and God knows what else. But, Matt and the gang pull it off. At first, it might not come off as good as their previous album "Progress" (which if you don't smoke enormous amounts of pot, get first. You'll thank me later.) But, it grows on you. It's experimentation puts you off at first, but as you listen to it more and more, you come to appreciate the complexities of it. Soon, you'll realize what a masterpiece it is musically, and lyrically the brilliance of it. Once again, if your just getting into them start with "Progress" (Their first 2 albums were embarassingly bad, so don't even bother.) But get this soon after: you will never regret it.

I am clueless as to why these guys aren't ridiculously popular. They've grown since the last album. They have tremendous talent with the music, the lyrics are fresh, cutting, full of meaning, and easily gets stuck in your head. They hit home on a multitude of topics including the current political state of affairs. This is one of the very few bands I can listen to on repeat and not even think of changing the cd for weeks at a time. HIGHLY reccomended! As a musician of 15 years, I tip my hat to the Bandits. Well done, and please, Don't stop!!!

The Rx bandits come back with what might actually be 2003's best cd. It is filled with awesome guitar riffs and great vocals.. the songwriting has really improved a lot since their earlier albums. All you 3rd wave ska fans might be dissapointed by the lack of bpm. but i'd defenitely give this a chance.. if you're into chilling... pick this cd up.

Rx Bandits have greatly evolved since their release of "Halfway Between Here and There." They started out being just that regular ska punk, which is great and all, but it's been done many many times before. With "Progress," that is an exact reflection on the album itself. In my opinion, however, nothing compares to "The Resignation." While "Progress" is a very musically advanced album, a few of the tracks lack a certain "umph" or catchiness. "The Resignation" has every aspect of music in which to revolutionize the way we listen to ska music. In fact, pretty much every track is absolute genius. Seriously. The Rx Bandits aren't afraid to experiment, and the result are 12 tracks of time singature changes, tempo changes, and three minute outro/breakdowns. Most of these songs break 6 minutes, which is very unlike ska, or previous Rx Bandits songs (besides Infection).

So if you haven't picked up "The Resignation," do it. If you've never heard anything by the Rx Bandits, pick up this album. It took me awhile to get used to it, but now I find myself not removing it from my CD player. This will change the way you think about music.

The newest effort from the Rx Bandits provides the next step in the evolution of their sound. It is much lighter on the ska elements and heavier on the punk and straight up rock sound. Despite this, they have not lost their edge in the least. Their lyrics are still as politically charged and potent as ever, deploring the injustice of war (overcome) and the superficiality of our society (sell you beautiful). The free dvd is an added bonus with live tracks for sell you beautiful and other older songs as well as an interview and picture gallery. In all, this proved to be a great album, just as amazing as their older material despite the different sound and hardly missing a beat. It's amazing to think that the guitar, base, and drum parts were recorded live--these guys are real, true punk punk rockers and I wish I had gone to see them live on their last tour. It's a shame that a band with decidedly anti-corporate views would put out its music on drive-thru records, which is an ensign of Universal Records... Ah well, its still great music that's a worthy buy.