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AMPED MAGAZINE - Greg Harris

Who are Joe Borelli (guitar), Dave Reeder (vocals/songwriter), Todd Johnson(bass), Shea Moxon (guitar) and Matt Grimshaw(drums)exactly? Individually they may not be household names, but together they make up Car Bomb Driver, Tampa’s newest punk sensation. Their first CD EVACUATE was recently released on the 24 Hour Service Station label and their sound is likely to remind listeners of late-‘80s punk. But, really, why should anyone even buy this disc? Aren’t there thousands of similar bands out there? Haven’t we heard all this before? Shouldn’t we be looking ahead for the next new sound instead of going backwards in time? All valid questions, but each one entirely misses the point. Great music is not always to be found in the expected places; music is at its best when the listener has no pre-conceived expectations and is able to listen with an open mind - especially when a band like Car Bomb Driver comes along and takes a well-established genre and makes it their own by infusing it with a fresh, new energy. EVACUATE, with its driving guitars, pounding drums, and raw vocals, is chock full of snotty, vulgar, politically incorrect lyrics and smart-ass attitude and is easily one of the best releases of 2007. But Car Bomb Driver is not about by-the -numbers songs. They will take you into plenty of unexpected and humorous territories. And it’s the lead track, “Chop ‘Em Up,” that really epitomizes where this band is coming from. While a good chunk of rock music is about rebellion against authority figures and whatever the current establishment might be, “Chop ‘Em Up” is about a kid who thinks his parents are really cool but not in any traditional “up with people” sense. Not even close. Reedertells us, “I love my mom / I love my pop / Don’t ever want to chop ‘em up.” Certainly this is not a sentiment terribly common among today’s songwriters. But why does he feel this way? Among other things, Reeder explains, “They’ve got plenty of cigarettes / They never check the liquor cabinet/When I bring home a date/They leave us in the basement so I can get…”Well, you get the picture there. On the relatively safe side of things (lyrically speaking), you have the CD’s second track, “Donuts.” This song is about a kid working at what appears to be the local Dunkin’ Donuts (the name is never mentioned) but due to a lifestyle of heavy duty partying, he finds it challenging to wake up each morning and can never make it to work on time. His only thought when he first wakes up is “It’s time to make the donuts / It’s time to get things done.” Despite his robotic enthusiasm to prove himself, he always gets chewed out when he does make it in. From there though, EVACUATE gets raunchier with each track, with plenty of subject matter to make you laugh and wince at the same time. Suffice it to say, it’s a terrific, well-produced debut disc and one likely to get stuck in your player after just one listen. So what are you waiting for? Order yours today and give it a spin. You’ll be glad you did.
 
5 reasons to check out EVACUATE:
1. They opened for The Misfits in late November.
2. They’re the best thing to come out of Tampa since I don’t know when.
3. Word is the band’s live show is somewhat amazing.
4. Visit their MySpace page: (www.myspace.com/carbombdriver) or web site (www.carbombdriver.com) for further details.
5. Definitely visit www.24hourservicestation.com to find out more about this label and its wonderfully diverse roster. CBD isn’t the only band they have that’s praiseworthy - there’s a GG Allin country CD among other things.