First Blood

They Say...

Review by William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

First Blood, a various-artist collection, is not so much a label sampler from start-up record company OxBlood as it is an examination of the rock music scene in the firm's region, the Kansas City, MO/Lawrence, KS, area. With a couple of exceptions, the tracks were all newly recorded and produced by Paul Malinowski (who has worked with Season to Risk, Open Hand, and Shiner), and not necessarily by bands signed to OxBlood. (American Catastrophe, whose "Iron Horse" is featured, is OxBlood's flagship act, with its debut album Excerpts from the Broken Bone Choir.) In fact, White Whale, who contribute the closing track, "Matchbox," are on Merge Records, which released their debut album WWI in 2006; In the Pines, responsible for the attractive acoustic track "How to Love Her," are on Second Nature, which released their self-titled debut in 2006; and Roman Numerals, of the raucous "Consent to Dissent," are on Anodyne. The ringers are the Golden Republic, a defunct band which presents its final track, "Hemel Dalingen," and the Pedaljets, whose "Burgundy" is a remixed track from their final 1988 recording. It isn't surprising to find that a 1980s number has been sneaked in here, since so much of this music sounds like '80s pop/rock. Roman Numerals got their start as a Joy Division tribute band, but a lot of these artists seem to have a similar affection for '80s styles. Republic Tigers' "Made Concrete," for example, recalls the days of synth pop, and Softee's "Sugar Vendor," with the appropriate video, could have been an MTV favorite in 1985. The set is highly listenable, starting out with hard rock, going softer in the middle, and revving up for the end. There are several performers -- mostly, those mentioned here -- who have national potential. At very least, OxBlood has demonstrated that there is a Kansas City/Lawrence scene worth documenting, which justifies the existence of the label.