This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Oh say, can you see, by the toilet stall light, what’s so proudly being hailed as punk rock’s next big thing? I could go on in that vein, but honestly, it’s too much like work. And frankly, these guys aren’t really worth it.
Meet New York’s Star Spangles, the latest It Rawk Band of the moment. Thing is, after you listen to their over-punctuated debut disc Bazooka!!!, you realize that their moment actually took place at CBGB in 1977. From their shag hair and black jeans to their blitzkrieg-bop beats and neck-wringing guitar licks, it’s obvious these guys have a serious jones for the classic punk sounds of The Ramones, The New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders’ Heartbreakers — with little touches of Cheap Trick’s power-pop crunch, The Replacements’ anthemic punk sloppiness and some spiky new wave thrown in for good measure. All of which make these 13 cuts decidedly catchy and indisputably listenable, albeit in a nostalgic, derivative kinda way. Ultimately, Bazooka!!! is above average, but not worth anyone’s pledge of allegiance.
