CD Review: The Death Set - "Worldwide"

Artist: The Death Set
Album: Worldwide
Label: Counter Records
Release Date: April 22, 2008

Listen to "Negative Thinking":

Meet the new Minutemen! With not a song over 2:24, the Death Set's Worldwide is an amalgamation of lo-fi electronica and old school punk rock a la Minutemen and their cited influences: Black Flag, the Buzzcocks, and Minor Threat. I'm not so sure I heard the Buzzcocks so much as I heard the Go! Team's "Thunder, Lightning, Strike" (without the horns) - a DIY sound, an overdriven Casio with frenetic guitars backing up sideline cheerleaders of the 21st century. An apt reference is our local team, No Age who have combined punk and surf with new aesthetics. Other notable tunes on Worldwide are: "Intermission", "Around the World", and the transcendent "Impossible".

The Death Set have achieved considerable renown in Baltimore for their live sets (check out the pics on their website) but they are depriving LA of their presence on this tour at least - dammit if they aren't teaming up Brazilian power group Bonde do Role who are only making it out as far as Arizona. In the meantime, this is a fun record to enjoy until they do make it to LA hopefully in the second half of this year.

The Death Set's Worldwide comes out on April 22nd.