Local Reviews: Dirty Vespuccis

Dirty Vespuccis
Self-Titled
Self-Released
Street: 08.01.2008
Dirty Vespuccis = Negative Charge + Against All Authority + No Friends
There are a few reasons why I’ve avoided so-called “street punk” for most of my life. First of all, I don’t really have the body type to pull off skin-tight leopard print pants. Also, that big scary guy with the three mohawks who I often saw at punk shows (is he still around?) scared the living crap out of me. Anger and snottiness are all fine and good, but when punk rock becomes an idiotic fashion show, I want no part of it. Dirty Vespuccis forgo all of the fashion-related aspects of street-punk and deliver blasts of pissed-off punk rock more indebted to Minor Threat and The Germs than The Casualties and The Virus. Highlights include the strongly snotty theme song, “Filthy, Dirty,” the furiously pissed “Flag Hugger,”  and the appropriately misanthropic “Die!Die!Die!” and “Human Demise.” The band also injects their punk rock with some thrash and ska, though it’s when the songs are loud, fast and short that the album is at its best. If you need a dose of angry apathy, but can’t be bothered to sew a million patches onto your dad’s old jean jacket, check out Dirty Vespuccis.