Refuse Resist

Mind: Yourself | Rodent Popsicle

By BARRY THOMPSON | August 19, 2008

3.0 Stars

Last time our paths crossed, Mike Resist had consumed more than 30 Jello shots. One could argue that this was a bad choice, but I would respectfully disagree — he has ample cause for celebration. Eight months isn’t supposed to be enough time to go from opening matinees at the Midway to having, like, plenty of real live humans come to your shows. Through some cocktail of perseverance, market savvy, and mayhem, Refuse Resist have accomplished the improbable. They’re also the only hardcore band I’ve seen inspire impromptu go-go dancing. With almost every song making its point and ending in well under three minutes, Mind: Yourself isn’t out to waste anyone’s time, and it doesn’t aspire to anything beyond fast, gnarly rage chow à la Minor Threat and Agnostic Front and maybe Trouble. It’s a splendid ambiance for those occasions when every single piece of furniture in the room must be destroyed. The fastidious clamor emanating from Shawn Refuse’s soundhole is evocative of a truly nonplussed Cookie Monster, and this is a wondrous thing. Here’s hoping the Red Sox replace “Tessie” with “Still in Massachusetts” as their anthem next time they take the World Series, if only for its chorus: “Why am I still in Massachusetts?! State that I love and I haaaaate!”

Topics: CD Reviews , Minor Threat, Shawn Refuse, Agnostic Front, More

| More

Most Popular

The Current Issue

Table of Contents

Cover Archive

Masthead | Authors | Contact us

Blogs

Where To Follow Me
Talking Politics | March 24, 2013 at 11:09 AM

Mo Takes His Turn
March 21, 2013 at 12:59 PM

[Q&A] KMFDM's Sascha Konietzko on art, Columbine and having balls
On The Download | March 18, 2013 at 3:22 PM

See this film series: The Belmont World Film Series @ Studio Cinema in Belmont
Outside The Frame | March 18, 2013 at 11:00 AM

See this film: This is Spinal Tap [with post-film talk by expert from Acoustical Society of America] @ the Coolidge
March 17, 2013 at 12:00 PM

ARTICLES BY BARRY THOMPSON

HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS | WELCOME OBLIVION | March 13, 2013
Whereas the monsters and ghosts of NIN songs can scream in your face and rip you to bits with their fangs, Welcome Oblivion tracks like techno-folk haunter "Ice Age" and the doom-pop jaunt "How Long?" make uncredited cameo appearances in your nightmares until you go insane and eat your own hands.

JOHNNY MARR | THE MESSENGER | February 25, 2013
Going solo is rarely a good decision. For every exception to the rule of who flourishes after unburdening themselves of the half-talents that have been holding them back — Justin Timberlake, for one — there are dozens of embarrassing Dee Dee Ramone rap albums that exist because Joey and Johnny Ramone weren't around to kibosh a terrible idea.

WHAT'S F'N NEXT? BUKE AND GASE | January 29, 2013
Almost every person I've told about Buke and Gase assumes that they'll hate this band, which isn't their fault.

BLEEDING RAINBOW | YEAH RIGHT | January 23, 2013
The only defect of the sort-of-but-not-really debut from Bleeding Rainbow (no longer called Reading Rainbow, possibly due to litigious ire festering under LeVar Burton's genial television persona) is that the Philly foursome merely hop off the launching point forged by Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and a handful of others from the oft-exalted grunge era.

10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED PLAYING IN BANDS IN BOSTON | January 25, 2013
We hear you just moved to "the Bean", and you're thinking about starting a real life rock-'n-roll band! Here's a bunch of bullshit you should know about.