Grand Theft Ippo ...
Buh?
In 2002 things were starting to get very exciting in Ipswich indeed. The number of bands was growing, but more importantly the number of people going to gigs was growing even faster. To capture the feeling of optimism and excitement in this town we decided to put out a compilation album of the most active bands.
The Deal
Presented in a DVD case with a 22 page colour booklet mocked up as a playstation game 'Grand Theft Ippo' sold out it's pressing of just 200 copies in a matter of days and entered local folklore. The booklet contained a page of information on each band on the album and a load of other silly random crap we decided to throw in for good measure.
Sinfonic - Jive Motherfucker
Immortal Alice - Funeral Pinjatas
Red Fag 77 - How Low
Junk Culture - Going Home
LoveJunk - Distant Sound
Minority - Caffeine For The Pain
Rosco - Capital Star
Nemo - My Fantasy
Violent Playground - Years
Ok Hotel - Frontcrawl
Sinfonic - Jimmy's House
Minority - Deadbeat
one:day:life - Chasing Amy
Rosco - Test Drive
Violent Playground - Paranoia
Junk Culture - Headline
LoveJunk - Closing Time
Immortal Alice - Obvious
Red Fag 77 - Moving on Top
Nemo - Junkstars
Grand Theft Ippo Reviews...
Rancid News Zine
Found on 12th June 2003
3/5
i wonder what naomi klein would say about this cover, ignoring that
urge this is one of the most lovingly put together compilations
ive ever seen...documenting everything ippo and its great bands.
personal faves were love junk, junk culture, rosco and violent playground.
for your money you dont just get the cd you get a full colour booklet
with full band bios and pictures . this is a labour of love.
Edd
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Alt-Uk.com
Found on 25th June 2003
This is the latest CD from those lovely people at Corndog Records
and shows off some of the best bands in the Ipswich (Ippo) scene
at the moment. It showcases 11 bands from the scene and I must say,
it must be a great town to live in for gigs as there isn’t
a dull band on here!
Sinfonic kick it all off and the man behind it is Chris Lawrence.
He contributes to this CD with tracks ‘Jive Motherfucker’
and also ‘Jimmy’s House.’ These tracks mix show
off some top quality mixing that gets inside of your body and bounces
around.
Immortal Alice are next up with ‘Funeral Pinjatas’ which is a really cool track with ’77 style attitude and some awesome vocals. They put in a good effort with this track and I thought that it was the best of their two tracks on the compilation. The other track which is supplied by the band for this compilation is ‘Obvious’ which is also a cool tune with a really catchy chorus that gets you tapping your feet and wishing you were at one of their gigs.
Red Flag 77 are another band choosing the ’77 style and in this compilation are supplying some amazing Punk with tracks ‘How Low’ and ‘Moving On Top.’ I’m sure that if they had been around in ’77 then they would have been massive as their music is of such a high standard and are probably one of the best bands I’ve heard in this style.
Junk Culture are another band from Ipswich churning out some top quality Punk tunes and the ones that they have put on this CD are ‘Going Home’ and ‘Headline.’ These are both awesome tunes with Punk vocals and strong guitar playing. They are a powerful band and get their music across strongly to you and it really gets in your brain and makes you think about what it is that they are saying.
Love Junk come next with their take on Punk and yet again, it is a band that does not disappoint with two good tracks here – ‘Distant Sound’ and ‘Closing Time.’ They know exactly what they are trying to do with their music and are very good at it and this is what makes the tracks so interesting and exciting.
Minority contribute to the compilation with tracks ‘Caffeine For The Pain’ and ‘Deadbeat.’ Again the standard is of a high quality and I feel that the drumming is particularly great and has a really good beat to it. Their tracks are short and to the point so you do not get bored while listening to the tracks and as they are both different I’m guessing that with them you do not get the impression of one long song like you do with Americas supply of Drive-Thru records bands.
Rosco are a female fronted power-pop band and they do it far better than any of the American counterparts. They supply tracks ‘Capital Star’ and ‘Test Drive.’ They have their own unique sound and unlike most bands of this sort they actually have talent so they’re definitely doing something right here! The music is addictive and happy and really they are the sort of band that you wouldn’t mind seeing on top of the charts as they work hard, play well and have great talent unlike most of the manufactured bands that seem to top the charts week in, week out.
Nemo have two tracks here, ‘My Fantasy’ and ‘Junkstars.’ They are another female fronted band and they have a great style here. They also have their own individual sound which they have obviously developed and refined over the years. What they do is good and this is probably how they got to support Feeder at The Mean Fiddler because they definitely deserve to be a successful band and in such a thriving scene there is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to get the recognition they deserve and hit the big time. The track ‘Junkstars’ was a good one to use to finish it all off as it is an extremely powerful song that is very guitar heavy and the vocals are of a very high standard.
Violent Playground, yet another female fronted band supply more good music to this compilation. Yet again having a completely different, but equally good sound they produce some strong music with tracks ‘Years’ and ‘Paranoia.’ I really like the style of their music and if I ever get the chance to then I will definitely go and see them live as turning down the opportunity would have to be a crime, wouldn’t it?!
OK Hotel provides one track for this compilation and this track is ‘Frontcrawl.’ Apparently this band is no more and this is quite a shame because they play some very good music that flows gracefully and is extremely melodic. This track provides great emotion and unlike most bands of the sort, they get their point across without feeling the need to go into a more hardcore sound so obviously they were a band that had great talent for what they did and I’m sure that they will be strongly missed by the Ipswich scene. If any of them create new bands then I would love to see what they would come up with because after this it would be hard to top it but as they are all such great musicians I trust they will all go on to do greater things.
OK, so that leaves one band to go that I haven’t written about that are on this compilation. This band is One Day Life, a three piece pop-punk band from the south east and play it in their own individual style. Their music is catchy and is not just a rip off of another band, they have their own sound and as a result are both pop-punk and highly individual at the same time – something that you don’t tend to get very often. Their music is melodic and catchy and is their own unique take on Punk. It is a good track in my opinion and I am sure that they always manage to put a smile on the crowds face at their gigs.
So, this is a great compilation from the Ipswich label that is Corndog Records and it shows off 11 great bands, so this is unusual because usually when you get a compilation CD there are some strong tracks but also some weaker tracks just to make the CD look less empty. If you are looking for a decent compilation of bands then look no further than this one because some great bands are on show here and the Ipswich label has obviously put a lot of effort into this one. Not only do you get 20 amazing tracks from 11 great band but you also get a 20 page full colour booklet with a DVD style case. So, it is a great way to spend £6 and well worth the money. Quickly get yourself one of these babies as they have limited it to 150 copies and it is sure to sell out quick.
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Drowned In Sound
Found on 26 April 2003
Rating, three and a tiny bit out of five
Please note: All 11 bands will be covered with at least 1 paragraph
as they all deserve at least that much so if you don't like long
reviews, piss off! Thank you
This CD is one I have been waiting for since I found out about its
conception; a 150 copies only CD compilation of all the best bands
in the Ipswich area that are trying to get out there and heard.
No matter what, this CD is on for at least a 1 star rating for concept
and design alone. In a neatly packaged DVD case designed like the
PS2 classic game 'Grand Theft Auto III', it includes a neat booklet
detailing the bands with some cool photos of all involved included
and all this for a measly £6.
Sinfonic start fantastically with 'Jive Motherfucker', some ace
riffs over an insistent break beat. Funky, not too heavy and nicely
paced, thumbs up for this one but their other track 'Jimmy's House'
is not as good so the jury remains undecided but considering it
is just one guy, I remain optimistic. Immortal Alice & Red Flag
are nice pogo punk rock (although Immortal Alice are slightly more
pop friendly) and have me swaying away but even I realise there
are better bands doing the same thing but I don't care, I like it.
Unfortunately, Junk Culture & Minority aren't that great with
chugging guitar on the go but it is all par for the course so not
good or bad, just mundane which is much worse. Love Junk play Green
Day efficiently enough but I want more! I feel things are going
slightly downhill at this point after such a promising opening...
I need not have worried, the superb Rosco bring things up a notch with female fronted pop rock at it's best. They are a band who could have been used in the soundtrack to classic movie 'Empire Records' and gone massive, instead they are simmering away so catch them while you can. Nemo don't quite sit with me, they sound competent enough and I know I wouldn't hate them if I saw them live, it just doesn't seem enough. 2 pretty girls playing slightly distorted rock should be my ideal and although it is good, it is not amazing. OK Hotel are kinda like Tiger Fernandes building into a crescendo from very quiet beginnings. This is one I want to see live as there could be something special here. One Day Life name check one of my fave films 'Chasing Amy' but that does not make them any better. Slightly better then a college punk rock band with some tight drumming but not outstanding.
All this said you can see the potential there with 1 band showing undoubted class, 2 showing they are well on the way and all the others showing the potential and drive needed in the industry. For a little over a fiver you can't fail and although my review could be seen as kinda damning, these guys are all punk... as if they give a fuck?
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PunkNews.org.uk
Found on 12th May 2003
Three Beer Cans out of five
If there was some poncey award for the best CD packaging (and yes,
some people do seem to care about such things. I personally like
to listen to the music!) Grand Theft Ippo III would be right up
there with the origami posse. Perhaps influenced by Ipswich scene
Godfather Wolfie’s new found obsession with Playstation 2
games, this compilation is housed in a DVD box with Photoshop tampered
Grand Theft Auto 3 packaging including a spiffing full colour booklet.
Oh yeah, there’s also a CD too, and it showcases pretty nicely
the strength and diversity of artists coming out of Suffolk these
days.
Kicking off with SINFONIC’S ‘Jive Motherfucker’,
which sounds like Apollo Four Fourty’s sample happy beat-rock
crossover minus the cheese, American imports IMMORTAL ALICE soon
pick up the baton and their Swinging Utters meets Lagwagon melodic
punk goes down better than a white wine spritzer at a bridge party.
Ever presents RED FLAG ’77 have been around the Ipswich scene for aeons. Their rough and ready street punk has 13 years of experience behind it and it shows. JUNK CULTURE are equally venerable Ippo dignitaries and while their constant boasting about being Ipswich’s worst band might not be too far off the mark (just kidding Andrew!) the scuzz of ‘Going Home’ and ‘Headline’ are surprisingly palatable.
LOVEJUNK are a band I really rate, and while their offerings here aren’t the best songs they’ve ever written you’d be hard pushed to root out a better power pop band anywhere else in Britain. MINORITY, meanwhile are pretty dire. American accents, riffs a two year old could write, you know the score. There’s probably a band like this in every town in Britain right now.
ROSCO are a bit more like it. Female fronted, pop, and unashamedly so but with the songs to back it up. Reminded me a bit of Blondie. NEMO also feature a lady on lead but are a bit more obtuse, this is US influenced indie rock like a more polished Sonic Youth. VIOLENT PLAYGROUND are similarly inclined but even more left-field. Impressive stuff nevertheless.
OK HOTEL owe a lot to the lace gazing dreariness of Radiohead before they really pushed the boat out. Wrist slittingly downbeat and not a little pompous, pass the anti-depressants please doctor. If you thought that Minority were bad then you obviously haven’t heard ONE DAY LIFE. Off key singing and recycled Blink riffs are the order of the day: someone please pass the shotgun. I’m sure these guys are cultivating their ‘hardcore’ edge as we speak and reading up furiously on Converge before they add the inevitable ‘emo’ twist to their sound. When done well pop-punk can be magnificent. When done poorly it can be the most appalling sound on earth.
With only 200 copies of this compilation printed up it might be hard to scrounge. Nevertheless, it’s well worth a spin. I was personally astounded by the quality of Violent Playground and Sinfonic and while some of their contemporaries leave a little to be desired Ipswich can count itself lucky.
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PunkTastic.com
Found on 27th May 2003
Three Stars out of five
“Ippo, what’s that?”, I hear you cry
in disbelief. Surely it’s not some distant relation of the
hippo that you’ve never had the pleasure of viewing. Of course
not! For those of you that don’t inhabit Joe Royle’s
current favourite place, Ippo is in fact Ipswich. ‘Grand Theft
Ippo’ is a twenty track compilation CD that features a host
of Ipswich’s favourite punk rock sons and daughters, and Immortal
Alice!
The first thing that strikes you about the compilation is just how
well its has been packaged and presented. Instead of your usual
CD case, ‘Grand Theft Ippo’ comes within shiny DVD packaging,
made up to look like the popular ps2 ‘Grand Theft Auto’
series. Inside said package is a lengthy colour booklet that gives
details of all the featured bands. Hats off to Corndog Records for
trying to do something different.
There are some very familiar bands on here that anyone who knows the UK punk scene will recognise. The likes of Lovejunk, Junk Culture and Minority are all present and correct and all contribute some solid tracks. The compilation also throws up a few less-familiar gems as well. Particularly worthy of mention are Sinfonic, with the fantastically titled ‘Jive Motherfucker’ and Rosco, with ‘Capital Star’. As with any compilation there are both good and bad tracks on offer, but that’s why your stereo has a skip facility. The real class acts on display, however, prove to be Immortal Alice and Red Flag, both playing punk the way it should be played.
‘Grand Theft Ippo’ proves to be a solid compilation,
and one that shows that Ipswich has it’s fair share of talent
in the punk rock department. The whole thing is well presented and
the good tracks on the compilation certainly outweigh the bad. If
you want to see what a thriving local scene is capable of, then
you should give the Ippo lot a listen.
Mark
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AboutTheMusic.co.uk
Found on 7th June 2003
Rating - 8/10
As a scene-promoting concept, it was a pretty damn good
one; local fun' loving label Corndog Records choosing to promote
and generate interest in original Ipswich music by compiling a 20
track album of acts based in the region. It's brilliantly packaged-
the cd comes in a DVD case mock-up of Playstation staple 'grand
theft auto' and features an endearingly chaotic booklet. And on
the evidence of 'Grand Theft Ippo', Punk never really died: it just
took up a permanent residency in a (supposedly) sleepy provincial
town in East Anglia. The majority of featured Ippo bands seem to
like their rock loud, fast and aggressive (and often peppered with
expletives.) Immortal Alice and Red Flag crank up their amps and
party like its a cider-soaked 1977, whilst Junk Culture, Love Junk
and Minority provide a more melodic touch to proceedings. And its
not just Suffolk's the more
mature acts who display a love for the power-chord. The new wave
is represented by youthful Blink-182 admirers One:Day: Life, who
deserve a honourable mention for referencing cult director Kevin
Smith's 'Chasing Amy.'
There are exceptions; OK Hotel's slow-burning prog (featuring the
thunderous drumming skills of legendery, decadent scene player Richard
J. Woodward), and the opening 'Jive Motherf*****' by Sinfonic. A
roaring success all round.
8/10
Matt Tomaik