Andiamo

by Authority Zero

Overview

Arizona punks Authority Zero return with their second Lava/Atlantic release, and it's a good one. Rather than pretending they're post-everything or pop-something, Andiamo basks Authority's West Coast soul in the dry desert sunlight, stripping tracks like "Painted Windows" and "Revolution" to their Bad Religion and Green Day roots while spicing others with ska, reggae, and Spanish influences. Robust harmonies support the grainy power of Jason DeVore's lead vocal throughout, and Bill Marcks' guitar lines are always built for speed and economy. Best of all, producer Ryan Greene (No Use for a Name, Nerf Herder) stays out of the way, going for that even-levels sound familiar to any fan of the Cali punk and hardcore canon. Authority Zero's reggae and ska influences have never been superficial novelties, and on Andiamo, they take up a sizable portion of the set list. "Madman" mixes up beats with muscular punk chording, while "Retreat"'s dubby reggae intersects with wiry ska-core and bleary-eyed surf guitar. Authority also reveal more than a sonic connection to the Sublime/Long Beach Dub Allstars throne, offering the turntable and percussion skills of that collective's Marshall Goodman on a completely unironic cover of the Wall of Voodoo classic "Mexican Radio." Other album highlights include the rapid-fire blasts "Society's Sequence" and "Siempre Loco"; a bonus live run through "Rattlin' Bog" will have you catching your breath. Rather than skating by on punk rehash and generic ska grooves, Authority Zero prove there's still energy in both, and a certain vitality in keeping things simple. ~ Johnny Loftus

Product Details

Release Date:	06/29/2004
Label:	Lava Records
UPC:	0075679319326
Rank:	2415

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Authority Zero   Primary Artist
Erick Edwards   Spoken Word
Bill Marks   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Jim Wilcox   Vocals (Background),Drums
Bill Marcks   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Jason DeVore   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Michael "Miguel" Happoldt   Guitar,Guitar (Rhythm)
Marshall Goodman   Turntables,Percussion
Jeremy Wood   Vocals (Background),Guitar (Bass)

Technical Credits

Ryan Greene   Audio Production,Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Roger Lian   Digital Editing
C. S. Gray   Composer
Brent Ashe   Package Design
Gregg Nadel   A&R
Liz Barrett   Art Direction
Authority Zero   Composer
Howie Weinberg   Mastering
Joe Nanini   Composer
Wyn Davis   Digital Editing,Editing
Jason DeVore   Sketches
Marc Moreland   Composer
Michael "Miguel" Happoldt   Mixing,Producer,Engineer
Stan Ridgway   Composer
Baraka   Editing,Digital Editing
Chapman Baehler   Photography
David J. Holman   Mixing
Erick Edwards   Narrator