It Burns are from Carbondale, IL, which is this teeny tiny hidden punk mecca nestled in southern Illinois. They play straight-ahead, driving punk rock that reminds me of the Tunnel Rats or the Candy Snatchers, with a little bit of Social Distortion slickness. Their bass player is the mighty king of Carbondale, Ray Suburbia (who lives in Milwaukee now). The Phenoms, from Chicago, play a similar type of New Bomb Turks-y punk rock, like a Confederacy of Scum band without all the redneckiness. This is a pretty good record as a whole—but the cover—man, it’s cool and everything, but it’s kinda impossible to tell what the fuck is going on.
–ben (Beercan)