Calibretto 13 No More Droids

Item: Sibling Rivalry
Author: Treble Bandoppler

Sibling Rivalry

(1999)

Reviewed by Treble Bandoppler

Discogs YouTube

Label Relapse Records / RMC RecordsBandoppler1999

acoustic pop punk punk

On coolness factor alone, this album deserves at least three cows. "Sibling Rivalry" sarcastically pits two indie punk bands, Calibretto 13 and No More Droids, against each other in loving combat. With a lo-fi center-ring introduction setting the conflict up, this album quickly kicks into some girl-punk action with Droids taking the first swing. The songs then alternate back in forth from Calibretto to Droids until the final blow is taken by Calibretto, who probably deserves the belt in this contest.

Seeing as how this is a split album, let's look at each band one at a time. No More Droids offers us some worshipful and sassy girl punk in the vein of Halo Friendlies. The cool thing is that they actually come across more believably and likable than the Friendlies. Unlike the Friendlies, who came across to me as contrived wanna-be's, Droids actually give us some genuine punk rock. Their music, even for a three piece, is full, and the instrumentation is refined and exhibits real talent. I mean, lets not get carried away, this is power chord stuff, we're not talking Stavesacre fullness, but they do use their power chords very effectively, bringing in some spice with interesting time changes. The vocals are awesome, ranging from bratty chick-rock, like would be expected in a girl-punk band, to powerful crooning. Again, the most striking thing is how believable their chick-punk vocals are though. I'm telling you, this is how chick-punk is supposed to be. Very good stuff. I have to see them live.

Ok, Calibretto 13... I mentioned before that they probably deserve the belt for this fray, but not for originality. They are a total take-off on Violent Femmes, but the thing is, they do it so well. Much like the Huntingtons pull off their Ramones stich with enough of their own influence to make it credible, Calibretto 13 really knows how to make an acoustic guitar and ornery vocals smack. Their in-your-face, nervy, slapstick sound is very refreshing, especially seeing as how punk rock has become such a pop arena as of late. And much like the Droids make chick-punk believable, Calibretto manages to legitimize their brand of Greenwich Village punk-rawk. Their most outstanding song is "Little Gay Man," a very facetious satire about how some Christians treat homo-sexuals nowadays.

This whole album is fun, smart-alec rock-n-roll, and I guarantee you will find yourself tapping your steering wheel feverishly if you play this in your car. In fact, I would give this album four cows, if it wasn't for the originality factor. However, if both bands continue to develop their mastered sounds into something more of their own, they will be outstanding in all facets. I can't wait to hear what they come up with next. While I can not in good conscience give this album four cows, I will give it a very high recommendation. This album is very worth buying, and once you hear it, you will probably cuss me under your breath, saying, "C'MON MAN! This is awesome stuff! Do you have to be such an anal jacko?!?" ...Sorry...I do love it though. Buy it, and go see their shows and tell them that Treble is a tight-[donkey]. 3 and 3/4 cows!