Molly Saya Go vs Channel Thirteen -
ARTIST PROFILE

Molly Says Go vs Channel Thirteen - 'MSGvsC13'
PunkAs


Members 'Molly Says Go':
Jason Allender (vocals)
Toby Retallick (guitar)
Nigel Coursey (drums, vocals)
James Sutherland (bass, vocals)

Any punk rocker in Christchurch knows how small the scene is down here. I've been going to Molly Says Go gigs regularly for the last 2 years, and they really are the best thing Christchurch has to offer, except for maybe RSI. As for Channel Thirteen, this split album was my first serious taste of Wellington punk. I had downloaded two of their old songs, Thinking Back and SMG, off this site months ago and they have drastically changed their style for the best.

Real Groove magazine called Molly Says Go "party animals" describing the music as "mixing ska and punk with a simple, honest outlook and attitude, set to classic genre themes". The song Beach is a brilliant opening track, and true of this description, with lyrics about wasting the day away on gold sandy beaches. My favourite track on the Molly Says Go half of the split is Toby Sucks, which takes the piss out of rugbyheads with not only its blatant lyrics, but also the comical quoting of the Eye Of The Tiger riff. Molly Says Go's structure is definitely straightforward, but in their case, I reckon this complements their songs, rather than detracting from them.

Channel Thirteen's half of this album is more melodic hardcore sounding, and the songs seem to have had more care taken on them while being written, which is in contrast to Molly Says Go's straight up punk rock sounds. The first thing that struck me on first listen was the definite 'two halves' of this album. They start the second half off with my favourite Channel Thirteen track, Reflecting. Real Groove said about Channel Thirteen: "[they] are more intense and thoughtful, their hardcore fever augmented with strident vocals and memorable hooks". This is so true. A friend of mine has doubts about the singer's vocals, but I think they suit the music perfectly. I mean, they definitely stand out, but in a strong emotional way.

On the whole, this CD showcases the absolute thriving punk/hardcore scene all over the country. From Molly Says Go's opening track, to Channel Thirteen's finale, Three Days, with such refreshing clean guitars, this split album simply rocks.

A real album, put out by real bands, for real listeners.

Review: James Ingram

Molly Says Go have been together since 1996, and since then they have played gigs all over Christchurch and the surrounding areas such as Timaru, Methven and the Temple Basin ski area. The band has had a high live work rate, playing venues and parties, and supporting Aussie platinum-sellers Jebediah in Christchurch.

MSG play a frenetic blend of fast beat punk with overt ska influences. Their influences come together on their 1999 debut release, the EP Kids I Partied With, which showcases their ear for a catchy melody amid the rapid fire song delivery. The EP is still available on request from the band.

A young band (average age around 21) with a bright future, Molly Says Go are presently involved in releasing a split album with Wellington's Channel 13.

 

http://www.nzmp3.co.nz/mp3s/beachmsg.mp3

 

http://www.geocities.com/molly_says_go