Total Sound Group Direct Action Committee

That busy little beaver Tim Kerr is at it again. He’s been a driving force in such bands as the Big Boys, Poison 13, Jack O’ Fire, Lord High Fixers, the Monkeywrench and now the Total Sound Group Direct Action Committee. The sound here is raw R&B punk with a touch of jazzy class and snot-ball vocals thrown in for good measure. The album opens with the sounds of rioting mixed with gongs and whistles but quickly settles into a nice Southern hip-shakin’ rhythm on "The Hard Sell." Think Deadly Snakes fronted by Bobby from the Gruesomes and you’d be in the right ballpark. The catchiest rocker here is probably "Burn Bright! Ring True!," with its hypnotic whammy bar/tremolo guitar groove and powerful choruses. Also great are the soulfully jazzy Hammond B3-led instrumentals "Happy Boys Happy" and "Message With No Words." There is a revolutionary sprit to the lyrics and artwork here that’s mixed up with Kerr’s nebulous Young Lion Conspiracy movement, but any bigger message here is secondary to the main attraction, which is the seriously ass-kicking rock action.