Recently there's been a surge in new punk bands, and along with this 'new' punk scene there has been new flavors of punk; the ska-punk of Rancid, the pop-punk of Nirvana. But what happend to rock & roll? Where has it gone? Enter stage right, Ammonia, who effortlessly combine punk and rock & roll to make Mint 400 a distinctive treat for anyone.
Along with making any type of rock & roll comes the PMRC-minded people who don't like the lyrics. Ammonia's first single "Drugs" has made some radio stations refuse to play it due to the title. Searching further down we come to the song "In A Box" that has the lyrics "Sit in/fall out/I got no life", which sounds similar to the "Tune in, turn on, drop out" catchphrase of the 60's. But as singer/guitarist Dave Johnstone explains it's not like that. "There isn't really that much of a message. "Drugs" is about apathy towards drugs. "In A Box" is about living your life..in a box. Being in Perth [the band's hometown] is feeling closed, not being able to see the world."
The first song on the album is "Ken Carter". This song starts out with a very watery sounding intro and, a loud distorted chorus. And then there's "Drugs". Although this song is very simple musically and lyrically, it has been making its way around radio stations, and MTV, along with everyone else, seems to love it. Later down the line comes the aformentioned "In A Box". With its jangly chords played in ska fashion it's sure to be a hit with everyone. However, the music is not always that happy. There are some darker songs such as "Little Death" and "Face Down". "Face Down", as the name implies, is about drowning.
The band hails from Perth, Australia and went on to Sydney to record a live session for the alternative radio network, Triple J. And now they are showing the American public what new music is all about. Will they be the next great thing? Very possibly.
