AlbumsNovember 29, 20118,062 views

Shook Ones Facetious Folly Feat


Facetious Folly Feat
01. Carms Race 02. Pheasant 03. So Grown Up 04. First Lunch, Then War 05. Ebb And Flow 06. SMRT 07. Virginia Beach Vanity Plate 08. The Drop 09. Slaughter Of The Insole 10. Ink Pen Shopping Spree 11. Penn Cove Muscles
2006 Revelation Records
Our score 7

by Cory
11/18/2006

Shook Ones are a Kid Dynamite/Lifetime hybrid (read: clone) that have been picking up a lot of steam lately and with the release of their Revelation Records debut, Facetious Folly Feat, that steam will likely build into a huge following. I just have no idea why I should care for two seconds about a band that openly admits sounding so similar to two bands that I love and still listen to. Hell, Lifetime's even a band again, so I have to ask "Why waste your time ripping them off" The case could be made (and will be here) that the songs themselves are good enough to justify at least giving Shook Ones a chance to win you over, but using another band's sound as the foundation for your own just isn't the best way to start off. Fortunately for Shook Ones, their shameless emulation of Dan Yemin's bands is often overshadowed by their own songwriting talent. They're no Kid Dynamite and their certainly no Lifetime, but they are a talented punk/hardcore act that write incredibly catchy songs I haven't heard before. In fact, if it weren't for the blatant hero worship going on here, this probably would've been one of my favorite records of 2006. It's seriously that catchy, fun and well done. If this had come to my mailbox labeled "new Lifetime" I would've probably believed it if not for the slightly higher-pitched vocals. They even use a couple of samples off old records that sound exactly like ones Lifetime used. I'm not exaggerating here and I don't know how many more ways I can say that Shook Ones sound EXACTLY like Lifetime and Kid Dynamite. OK. On to the record itself. "Carms Race" is among the disc's faster tracks, a poppy hardcore number that starts with one of the aforementioned old-timey samples. It's a minute-long track that sets the tone for the record well. "Pheasant" follows in the same vein, combining upbeat melodic punk rock with a more hardcore vocal style and waiting until nearly the end to pull out the catchiest parts. I was going to keep going with each song, but they've all got the same basic style and there's no discernible low point to be found, so it just doesn't seem necessary. The recording, handled by Chris Common and Matt Bayles, is a no-frills affair that manages to replicate (wonder of wonders) the same 90's sound of the Lifetime records. Bottom Line: Despite all the bashing I've done, I really do like this record a lot. I wanted to hate Shook Ones until I realized that these guys just love Lifetime even more than I do and wanted to show it by becoming a band. Luckily for them, they have one important thing in common with their heroes: they write great songs. Facetious Folly Feat has some of the best songwriting I've heard in a long time. If you've never heard Lifetime or Kid Dynamite, by all means, run out and buy their records first. If you like what you hear, give these guys a shot too. You won't be sorry.

20 comments

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_ 11/18/2006 4:01:55 PM

Slaughter Of The Insole

anonymous 11/18/2006 4:11:23 PM

One of my top albums of the year for sure.

xdicklickx_ 11/18/2006 4:40:25 PM

good review. ive been extremely EXTREMELY hesitant to listen to this album. Lifetime lovers are a strange breed.

totalpandemonium_ 11/18/2006 5:05:30 PM

wrong. 9/10 at least

anonymous 11/18/2006 9:14:53 PM

Album of the year, hands down

something_ 11/18/2006 10:50:38 PM

amazing album, clone or not

joehardcore_ 11/19/2006 12:23:07 AM

i can never get a band that wants to copy lifetime. its never going to be as close to the real thing. sure it makes bands stars (ala Saves the Day) i cant get into this band.

Raw_Mike_ 11/19/2006 4:22:52 PM

A fair review. In Shook One's favor, I will say that if you look at most hardcore and punk bands out there right now, few of them are doing anything much more ground-breaking than them, which is really saying very little of the creativity in the genre. At least they straight-up admit to their hero worship and the fact that they exist for the sole purpose of ripping off two seminal bands.

TheWood_ 11/19/2006 4:37:40 PM

The score is more or less accurate, but this review is f*cking retarded: 2 paragraphs generalizing about their sound and 1 paragraph that actually addresses the album itself.

xcorruptx_ 11/19/2006 5:07:34 PM

So... does this band sound like anyone at all? Cory you're much too vague in your reviews. You should really say what you feel.

TheWood_ 11/20/2006 1:02:57 AM

...and for the record, Saves The Day didn't blow up until they stopped sounding like Lifetime.

joshua_ 11/20/2006 3:17:25 AM

band rules. record rules. anyone that does not like this band should choke on a gigantic dick. rip off or not this band is sweet.

wizardsbeard_ 11/20/2006 7:25:40 AM

"(They) have been picking up a lot of steam lately and... that steam will likely build into a huge following." All hail, this new breed of STEAM PEOPLE! They can enter our air conditioning ducts and fog our glasses!

anonymous 11/20/2006 3:08:17 PM

^^^^^^ rofl!

dixie_ 11/20/2006 3:11:13 PM

at least deserves an 8 or a 9.

xRyan Flahertyx_ 11/20/2006 4:26:37 PM

It's hard for me to be critical about mimicry when it's done this well. Shook Ones took a sound they loved and ran with it. Is this really so different than what any other bands in Punk and Hardcore have done? Where would any of these bands be without the Ramones? Where would any of the "metalcore" acts of today be without if not for the Scandinavian Death Metal scene? What you really should be critical about are bands that blatantly rip off a sound, and do it badly (i.e. Norma Jean).

TheWood_ 11/21/2006 1:56:16 PM

Mr. Flaherty speaks truth.

yeahdude_ 11/22/2006 6:43:16 AM

lifetime and kid dynamite don't sound exactly alike. just call this record what it is : kid dynamite worship. it's still awesome, and they got their name from a mobb deep song.

replicant_ 11/26/2006 1:12:17 PM

i hear KD with more lifetime type melody plus some talent

forrestgump_ 5/22/2007 10:04:05 PM

Sweet band. Sweet Record. Dumb review, its obvious that they sound like Lifetime and Kid Dynomite.