I’m going to admit it, because this tape kicks off with a track called
“Die Hard II,” I was pretty intrigued. Commander Keen, four scamps from
Cookeville, Tennessee, make rock-and-roll music like they used to in Boston, or
they still do if the “they” in this sentence is signed to Exploding in Sound
Records (a nice label to release your music, truly). Like a cross between
Loewenstein-fronted Sebadoh and early Foo Fighters, Commander Keen blaze like
guitar-shaped rockets and burst over packed arenas in a volatile blaze. There’s
a Gas Station Dogs joke to throw in here somewhere – something along the lines
of, when do Low Budget Dreams become
“Rock and Roll Dreams [That] Come True”? Or something. I tried.
“Die Hard II” makes with the rock, and I’m happy with it, as I am with
the also-awesomely-titled “Shark Week.” I’m totally down with “Brain Waves” and
“Knoxville,” too. I could take or leave the long songs (“The Camel,”
“Nashville”) but that’s mainly personal preference. I’m not at the stage in my
life where I want straightforward rock songs that bloom with lengthy solos and
then into denouements. But if I know what you kids are listening to these days
– and I really fucking don’t, so take that for what it’s worth – you’re going
to love it.
--Ryan Masteller
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