The Men – We Are the Men EP (2009) [Self-Released] // Grade: B+

I’m not gonna lie, Brooklyn’s The Men are big sloppy mess… But I mean that in the best possible of ways.  This 4 song EP sounds like it was recorded in a basement on an overdubbed tape with an old dusty tape recorder… And I wouldn’t want it any other way! It perfectly captures the sort of frenetic power & enthusiasm that’s gone out the window in modern day punk & hardcore bands armed with a copy of Pro-Tools on their laptop.

Over it’s 4 brief tracks, The Men wear their influences on their sleeves and channel them straight into a smothering attack that pings back and forth across a who’s-who of veritable Punk and Hardcore classics. “Hated” & “Ailment” crank out just as much of the Stooges as they do Flipper. “The Man” takes an interesting melodic turn evoking fond memories of Mineral, and… well, actually the entire 80’s Dischord catalog before “Sketchy Pussy” drops it all back into chaotic crescendo fitting for the track’s name. It’s sloppy, pummeling and lacking any pretense. Crank it loud and enjoy!

We Are the Men is self-released by the band which pressed a mere 300 copies of the EP which you can grab at one of their shows or over at Insound. Those of you who have give up on vinyl, fear not… You can simply download the tracks courtesy of The Men (check the link below). It’ll be well worth the 2 minutes you spend downloading. The band is currently recording their full-length and it’s one that I’ll be looking forward to come 2010.

Download The Men – We Are The Men EP for Free (Click Here)!