To those of us who have lived most of our lives in the post-punk era, it's hard to gauge the influence of the mainstream on punk rock. This is a sTo those of us who have lived most of our lives in the post-punk era, it's hard to gauge the influence of the mainstream on punk rock. This is a subject of much debate (especially debates where the word "sellout" is lobbed back and forth), but I think that it might be even more interesting to study a more subversive aspect of punk: its influence on the mainstream. Though it's all but indetectable to us young'uns, according to most rock critics whose careers have straddled the original punk era it's undeniable. There's a certain swagger, a certain nihilistic attitude whose seeds were sown in John Lennon and Mick Jagger, but finally came to full flower in the guise of the Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten. Conshafter play the type of pop music that couldn't have existed before punk happened. Not only is it too smart and too bitter to find much precedent in in the pre-punk era, but the attitude (nihilistic rage tempered with self-absorped hyper-sensitivity) is easily tracable back to Johnny Rotten's personae. But to get back on task here, this is pop music, not punk rock. Conshafter are definitely on the other side of that line that separates punk rock bands with mainstream success (Green Day and Blink 182) from mainstream pop bands with detectable punk influences (Weezer). If you listen to "Porn Star Mustache," (chorus: "my girl did something rash / left me for a porn star mustache") it's obvious; the big, simple-but-memorable riff, the immediately hilarious lyrics, and the whoa-enhanced chorus combine the best aspects of John Cougar Mellancamp and the Offspring. Musically, throughout the rest of the disc punk rock is clearly just an ingredient in the band's stew of influences, with hip-hop's staccato vocal style and the punchy beats of electronica (perhaps via Radiohead) playing a large part as well. That said, the combination is potent and Your Day Job is a strikingly-well-textured record. Each song's instantly hum-able tune is supplimented by some other identifying mark: an organ solo, maybe even hand claps. Nothing revolutionary, but taken as a whole it betrays a knack for putting the right sound in the right place. A similar knack is also apparent in the lyrics, which are some of the best I've read in a while. Perhaps it's because I spend so much of my time in a cubicle, but the fact that Your Day Job is a concept album based loosely around working in corporate finance is immediately appealing, and the countless clever observations and turns of phrase are like deja vu. "Day Job" in particular provides is a well of great images, my favourite being "As I walk down the hall / I hear my boss chuckle / At another dumb quip / Man, what a dumb prick." However, "Midlife Crisis (Ballantyne)" is definitely the album's lyrical high-water mark. Sort of like Blink 182's "Stay Together for the Kids" or "Adam's Song," the lyrical poignancy is magnified when contrasted with the rest of the band's words, but rather than dishing out abstract generalizations, lyricist Chris Konstantinos translates all of his thoughts into a series of vivid images of a man who engaged the cruise control on life's highway and doesn't like where he ended up. Eventually he decides to kill himself in the one aspect of his life that he genuinely loves: his sports car. In the space of a pop song that barely lasts three minutes the listener develops a rapport with the character so deep that s/he is genuinely saddened by the song's outcome. In nearly every conceivable way Conshafter gives you more than your average pop or punk band. The lyrical content, the songwriting, the production (well, except for that hollow drum sound... apparently their drummer was playing empty pizza boxes)... all of it is a step above and beyond normal fare. Head over to www.conshafter.com and check these guys out.. the mp3 downloads are conveniently situated in the same place as the album lyrics, so don't fight it, like it!

Conshafter make no secret of their adoration of Weezer. The first song on Your Day Job name checks the band's Pinkerton record, and they all dress like Rivers Cuomo—right down to the nerdy glasses. They are not at Weezer's level yet, but in the humor department, at least, I'd have to give Conshafter the edge—at least in comparison to Weezer's last two records. Your Day Job is loaded with songs that display a sharp, worldly, sarcastic sense of humor. "Porn Star Mustache" laments that "My girlfriend did something rash / Left me for a porn star mustache." "Still Around" tells of another girl who just won't go away: "Check my caller ID, you're on there twice / A simple e-mail would probably suffice." The rest of the record grapples with everyman (or everywoman) themes like dead-end jobs, slacking off, escaping from society's conventions (usually in a fast car), and perpetual ennui. "Midlife Crisis (Ballantyne)" brings the suburban dream to its knees with one line: "There's only one good thing in your life / Turbo Cabrio in Arctic White." While not quite ready to match either of their idols (Blink-182's Enema of the State is also referenced affectionately) in the hook-writing department, Conshafter is an endearing band with a definite talent for crafting catchy tunes with poignant lyrics. This is easily the best unsolicited record I've received in the last year. At an apparently young age, the boys of Conshafter seem to have come to an understanding of what life should really be about—even though they haven't quite won the battle against conformity just yet. At the very least, they are aware of the absurdities that made the movie Office Space a cult favorite for closet corporate rebels, and they have managed to effectively channel them into pop-punk songs worthy of repeated plays. Nice job, guys. Let's hope you can quit yours soon.

What’s this? Something that came through the soundsxp maildrop, and excellent it turns out to be. Who are they? Three slacker ‘suburbanite brats’ with a nice line in self-deprecating humo(u)r, an ear for a good tune and inability to hold on to a drummer for very long. What are they on about? Oh that’s easy – leaving education [best days of your lives – unbelievably, it gets worse kids] and having to get a job (road trip), hating the job (day job), seeing others getting better jobs (wanker), slacking (myte as well rawk), being pestered by a girl (still around), losing a girl (porn star moustache), driving around (the schwartz), and getting older and wondering where the time went (midlife crisis). It’s sort of a concept album. But I use the term loosely and besides, it’s funnily serious and vice versa. Who do they sound like? Well, the sleeve says ‘Conshafter – pathetic pop punk’, and I don’t think they can be done under the Trades Description Act (in the UK). Also Pinkerton and Enema of the State are namechecked in the autobiographical road trip. Are these enough clues? Could you tell me more? OK: songs that start gently/quietly with arpeggio/unadorned gtr intros and then turn to rocklitepop distortion gtr chordriffs (road trip, wanker); but some don’t get to the distortion (in it for the money) or do without the gentle intro (myte as well rawk). Also acoustic numbers like the strumming kerouac and solo arpeggiong dying a slow death. midlife crisis is an unchanging punkpop riff that builds up to a shout. Analysis is boring isn’t it? Anyway, Conshafter also have a good sense of melody, punkpop chord riffs and what makes a song catchy (I’ve been humming them for a week). All very clearly produced too. Not lofi at all. Do you have any favourite bits? Well any of the first seven tracks (but the remaining six tracks aren’t bad either). Fave lines : “My hands hurt/From a hard day’s work/On the playstation…. I’ve got no future/Yet no desperation…All our lyrics are senseless/So you might as well hum”. Where are they from? Weezerville, USA. Off I-76 (near I-82, Blink and you’ll miss it). Is that really a place? Yes, in the Atlas of pop. Anything else? Er. You do have to listen to the music. Reading about it isn’t the same. Check it out at www.conshafter.com So what do you reckon? 8/10. At least.

Conshafter. A group of 6 young wannabes out of Richmond, VA, who turned their backs on their careers to pursue fame in a Garage Rock band. They have a growing fan base ranging from surf punks, aging new wavers, hip-hop heads and folk-rock junkies to mindless partyers and yuppie twentysomethings. Their album 'Your Day Job', (which they describe as a loosely constructed concept album on the horrors of the working world), is on national release in America on Indie label Dork Epiphany. Their first single 'Porn Star Moustache', appears on the 'Rock and Mudrestle' soundtrack, they're currently in negotiations for a Japanese tour and receiving airplay on a commercial radio station, not to mention being reviewed by magazines and publications world-wide including MTVi. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, they have a meeting mid-November with Sony Records. And how do they do it? All by themselves. From mixing and production, to website design, logos and album art. What pro's. 'Your Day Job' is a CD which caters for everything life can throw at you, a crap job, a girl you just cant get rid of, a midlife crisis and even a girlfriend who's run off with a porn star. Sounds depressing? It's not. They describe themselves as "Garage Rock" and "The result of throwing Weezer, The Cars, Beck, the Sex Pistols, De La Soul and Buddy Holly in a blender and hitting liquify" and that’s exactly what they are, and more. There are many different influences going on, as well as a lot of individual styles of music and that’s what gives them a new and original sounding edge. A style best described by themselves as an "everything in the kitchen sink approach to songwriting". The lyrics have the wit of Blink 182, but added with the obvious musical influences of Weezer this makes them good in a way that Blink 182 could never be. With songs as funny and influential as these, this 'Buddy Holly meets the Sex Pistols via Beck' band will make it big. Go buy their CD NOW! Rocking or Shocking? Rocking. 5/5 The name's CONSHAFTER, remember it!