The Kings of Nuthin'

Fight Songs... for Fuck Ups (2002)

Already known in the Boston area for their great live shows that include fire-breathing sax, crowd-surfing bass, a guy with a washboard strapped to his chest and lots of sweat, the Kings of Nuthin' now appear ready to expand their audience with their release "Fight Songs… for Fuck-Ups."

While the band does have one other CD in circulation, this is basically their first release since the other never seemed to make it much beyond family and friends. It includes 15 songs packed into 37 minutes, with many of them being known to anyone who has seen them live on their own or as an opening act to popular Boston shows from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones (2000 Hometown Throwdown) and Dropkick Murphys (2002 Live on St. Patrick's Day).

Their hyper-rockabilly style filled with horns, piano and sing-along choruses actually would seem a perfect complement in a scene of the Bosstones' horns-and-ska mix and the Dropkick's Irish punk.

The CD starts with an instrumental and then goes into the outlaw 50's-ish "Shit out of Luck" and "Waitin' to Leave" that could work both as background music in a "Happy Days" episode or on the main stage of the Warped Tour.

"Nuthin' to Lose" sets a private-eye mood as the fourth track and "The Kids Will Have Their Say" is one of several anthems of youth and delinquency. "Drive All Night" starts out country-ish and quickly picks up as one of the best songs on the disc, followed by an equally-as-stirring "Iron out the Irony"

"Callin' to Let You Know" is a sad-sack doo woop and the disc finishes even stronger than it starts with the energy of "Another Year", "11 to 3" and "Fight Songs for Fuck-Ups" as tracks 13-15.

The songs are all incredibly catchy and the sound mix is great for what is really a debut recording. Hardcore fans may not be interested here, but those looking for music that will tempt them to move and punch something at the same time will likely be.