Various Artists - Hair: Chicago Punk Cuts

Chicago’s Thick Records has a tight grip on the Windy City’s punk rock scene, and though the label might not be home to any household names, its roster is as varied as it is muscular. Thick compilations are reaching a point where they’ll surpass the beloved, reasonably-priced Hopelessly Devoted to You series that Hopeless Records/Sub City have been releasing for the past decade as the best bargain for your buck The 14 tracks on Hair:Chicago Punk Cuts are advertised as being newly recorded and exclusive to the compilation, and all were recorded by Lance Reynolds over two weeks at Chicago’s Argyle Room studios. Though often compilations are bought to fill-in a collector’s need for the exclusive tracks from a band, they’re also sought out for variety and price. On all three levels, this is one that pulls its weight. The players here are all veterans of Chicago punk rock, though in a slew of different aspects. “Walking the Plank” from Allister opens the disc, wielding a weightier edge to the pop-punk that got the band inked to Drive-Thru Records in the post-Dude Ranch signing frenzy of a few years back. Much the Same and The Killing Tree deliver “The Greatest Betrayal” and “Dressed to Fuck”, respectively. Both are of melodic hardcore’s roughest strain, with the latter being the lesser-known, long-running project of Rise Against vocalist Tim McIlrath. Cougars’ “We Blog the Hardest” is a blast of brass, indiscernible screams and robotic vocals, brazening a post-punk shake while pissing away any necessity for formula and melody. The Methadones once again yield a pop-punk wonder in “Waiting”, aping the big choruses of ‘70s power-pop. Colossal are probably one of the most underrated bands in indie rock; though the band has been on the circuit for around three years, they’ve yet to make an obvious impact. Surmising that the band’s line-up makes for a difficult touring itinerary (members do time in The Lawrence Arms, Smoking Popes, Duvall, The Heavens, etc.), it becomes apparent that they’re not a full-time band; that’s a shame. “Give Me a Tropical Cancer High” has the band’s signature jazzy flourishes and complex guitar work, though humble and unrefined. Few of the songs on Hair are throwaways, though some shine much brighter than others. Still, it’s an overlook of this section of this one city’s veterans and newcomers. Horace Pinker and The Methadones are tried-and-true codgers, banging it out successfully for years in some form or another. Ryan’s Hope and The Felix Culpa have yet to reach a climax, though steadily rising. This compilation does an excellent job of surveying the scene and gathering a diverse enough roster to keep things interesting to the very end. [www.thickrecords.com]