Various Artists – Go-Kart Vs. The Corporate Giant

I’ll be honest with you guys, for the most part, I don’t really know what’s going on in the world of Go-Kart Records. I’m rarely up to date with their releases and would probably have a hard time listing a small selection of the label’s bands. Still, every time I have heard something from the label, the MP300 compilation for example, I have been completely blown away and always extremely happy with what I got out of it. With the label’s newest release, the fourth installment in their Go-Kart Vs. The Corporate Giant series, I’m happy to say that that the label has yet to lose it’s touch.

Like always, the compilation features a nice selection of songs from current or upcoming releases, songs that were previously only available over seas and some songs from bands that the label just likes and sees potential in, all for an extremely low price of four dollars. What more can you ask for? The album features mostly rough pop-punk songs from small, up and coming bands, with the biggest named band on the album being Ten Foot Pole (who lend an absolutely fantastic track to the album). Still, these smaller named bands know how to pack a punch. The Parasites spit out a song that would make any Ramones fan quiver with anticipation as The World Inferno Friendship Society give the listener a live version of Tattoos Fade. Some of the highlights come from the label’s own roster courtesy of bands like the female fronted Bambix and The Shocker along with Nervous Nellie. Still, the absolute best song on the compilation, and a song I’ve had on repeat for hours now, comes from the unsigned Gaslight Anthem. Their mastered version of Drive brings the album to a new height bringing in easy comparisons to bands like Samiam. If this song about friendship and brotherhood is any indication, then you can be sure that this band will do very well for themselves.

The flow of the album is very good too, the harder acts like RIFU fit right into the mix, and there’s only a small handful of tracks that seem out of place. The six-minute experimental track, Long Live The Parts 1, by Ira comes out of left field and really throws the album around a corner; followed by the incredibly aggressive, hardcore act Transmission0, you’re really thrown off track for a few songs near the end. Other than that little bump though, it is relatively smooth sailing.

I will mention that the sound is very soft and you have to really turn up the volume to hear the album, but that’s just a minor inconvenience. And anyway, when it comes down to it, it’s worth the four dollar sticker just to hear The Gaslight Anthem‘s Drive.