I hear Love, '60's blues rock balladry, ballsy post-punk mashers like 80's Austr
author: The Big Takeover
"Frontman Tim Livingston was an original '70s punk, leading Albany's Morons when that was brave down on the Bowery - never mind the Hudson Valley. You can deduce his age (and likely his three band mates) but you'd detect little vestige on WARPARTY. Maybe because he hasn't made an LP in 15 years (Since GHOSTRUNNER's lone Beneath the Apocalyptic Rain), or because he works at valuable '60's reissue label Sundazed - but the appetite remains for a variety of styles replete with political awareness. Reviewers flail at pinning this down, raining comparisons from Voidoids, and the Flesheaters, to the Jam, later Clash, Love and New Model Army. I hear Love, '60's blues rock balladry, ballsy post-punk mashers like 80's Australians, and dexterous guitars that prove ballast for Livingston's burning convictions like "American Son" and our in-foerclosure U.S. of "Innocent"." (drivingrainmusic.com) —Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover
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” a moody tour de force..."
author: Chronogram Magazine (Albany Edition)
Longtime local scenesters will probably know Last Conspirators main man Tim Livingston. From 1979 to 1982 he fronted pioneering Capital Region punk outfit The Morons, which regularly held court to pogoing throngs at clubs like Bogie’s and the Chateau Lounge and shared bills with top draws like The Cramps, The Stranglers, and, of course, Blotto. After The Morons burned out, Livingston returned with another project, Ghostrunner, which released one album, 1993’s Beneath the Apocalyptic Rain, before calling it quits.
But, as they say, you can’t keep a good man down. Nearly 15 years later, Livingston is back with The Last Conspirators, a quartet that brings a welcome, Information Age crunch to the tough, melodic sounds of late ’70s/early ’80s Brit-punk; think The Clash, The Jam, maybe The Ruts or the UK Subs, but with slightly glossier production values and lyrics that take shots at the soul-sucking, high-tech Noughties. (Check out “Crash,” brimming with grinding guitars and Livingston’s hoarse, desperate vocals; or “Walking in Hellfire,” a moody tour de force highlighted by some sweltering guitar leads.) Warparty, however, isn’t just one rocker after another. The disc also features a handful of protest ballads, Dylan- and Arthur Lee-influenced tracks like the title cut and “American Son,” a commentary on suburban alienation. Though The Last Conspirators formed as a studio-only enterprise, the group headlined a release party for the record in March. Does this mean there may be more gigs to come? See this month’s Nightlife Highlights, or visit www.DrivingRainMusic.com. - Peter Aaron Chronogram Magazine
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(Crash!) this song has got hit written all over it..
author: Here 'Tis Magazine
"On the Last Conspirators new CD, 'Warparty', the unflappably laid-back Tim Livingston sounds like he's unraveling a little; conjuring up a more deranged version of Mick Jones of the Clash. Trust me, that's a good thing, as are tunes like the mid-seventies CBGB's folk-rock of "American Son", the spacy guitar psychedelics of "Help", plus the ripping "Tribulation Blues" which recalls vintage Richard Hell & the Voidoids. And when's the last time you heard a song that reminded you of Arthur Lee's "Message to Pretty"? The title track does just that, at least to these ears. Best of all is "Crash". Other than the unavoidable reality that it's on a tiny Upstate NY indie with no distribution, this song has got hit written all over it. Like the Clash's best and worst, the topical subject matter will one day date this to hell. But like the last time we bought our Clash albums new,
it's fun now." - Jeff Jarema, Here 'Tis Magazine
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Full of conviction and urgency..
author: The Daily Freeman
An ex-Moron (his Albany band of the 80’s) Tim Livingston has a new configuration called the Last Conspirators, and a lot to say. Part of Albany’s vibrant punk scene on Lark St., in the 80’s, the now Hudson Valley resident Livingston last released a CD in 1993, so he had plenty of time to produced and write all the tunes, and it was then mixed by ex-Conehead Buddha man Chris Fisher. Livingston is aided and abetted by renowned drummer Al Kash (Savoy Brown, Fear of Strangers) bassist Jeff Sohn, and ace guitarist Terry Plunkett; whose layers of guitars and sharp solos really up the ante. With Warparty, an anxious late 70’s early 80’s straight-ahead rock groove prevails. Full of conviction and urgency, Livingston’s capable voice pushes and powers tunes like the chaotic lead off track “Help” and sixties sounding “American Son.” The formidable, hard charging “Crash!” has an in-your-face ranting rap about the information highway and the inherent shallowness of Internet based networking (“websites, chats, blogs, spamming”) the lush “Walking in Hellfire,” is a sure highlight with it’s impassioned delivery and fine guitar work, while title track “Warparty (a soldiers song)” has an antiwar vibe complete with harmonica. “Lee Harvey Oswald” (the mother of all conspiracies) is slow and vacant, and the song “Surf Rocket” sports a retro vibe to kill. There is an apocalyptic overtone to all of this, and Livingston knows how to get his point across, that is; that he is running out of patience with world leaders and war, and can’t take it anymore.
It’s about time. — David Malachowski The Daily Freeman
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