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Album name: Life & Live
In the last couple of years, a little band from Taipei has been carving a name for itself on the walls of the city's music scene. PunkHoo has been performing at well-known venues like Riverside, Underworld, and The Wall, entertaining audiences and building up a small fan base. Before they released their debut album, I'd seen the name but never really heard of them. "Life & Live" impressed me so much, however, that I couldn't wait to interview this up-and-coming group.
For first impressions, I was struck by how young this band is and how deep their friendship goes; the trio grew up on the same street and even served in the army together. They've been playing music together since junior high, so there's real chemistry and lots of history. These common bonds help the band come together naturally, a trait that's landed them ample gigs. But, of course, the real reason they've built up such a following is their music, straight-forward attitude, self-expression, and the dedication to what they do best.
According to members of PunkHoo, "We sing whatever's on our minds. We're constantly playing around with music." This penchant for everyday lyricism is evident in their simple, upbeat songs. The melodic offerings of "Life & Live" work towards the sound of pop-punkers like new Green Day, Blink 182, or MxPx.
The debut album, which was actually released in 2006, is full of fun, head boppin' tunes that are easy to move around to and sing along with. The name, "Life & Live", represents that fiery, young energy and fierce sense of 4/4 expression played out by many a pop-punk band. This album, in a word, is fun--it's fun to listening to, it's fun to watch live, and you can bet it is fun for them to perform. If you're having a bad day, just listen to the song "I want to go back to kindergarten," (好想回到幼稚園)--loudly screaming along loudly to random English lines like "I don't give a sh*t!" will certainly put a smile on your face.
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May 2008
