Good news. A double disk compilation of local artists is out and it's dirt-cheap! The best part is that all proceeds from this project go to the Bethesda House in Bowmanville, a shelter for abused women. John Wellman had a dream to help victims of violence across Ontario and the end product is over 2 1/2 hours of music from specially hand-picked artists representing Emo, Screamo, Punk, Hardcore and Indie. There are quiet acoustic tracks for the Emo freaks and gritty, scream-filled explosions for the Die-hard rockers.

Strengths
The CD starts off properly with catchy song after catchy song. My head's definitely bopping, a quaint smile stretching across my face. A good investment? I think so. I can't wait to call my sister and have her listen, exposing her to new bands... local bands.

Shift D quickly aligns with my tastes, bringing likable, punky guitar rhythms and pleasing vocal arrangements that you'll undoubtedly be singing to yourself later. Distanced delivers guttural screams, fast guitars, lots of cymbal action and it's hard not to rock out to their tracks. Along the same lines, Red Pavement will have you headbanging with their abrasive distortion and screaming. Rumsfield's "Blister" could very well be one of my all-time favourite tracks and is a wonderful addition to the compilation. For the ska fans, the Green Division tracks are every bit as memorable, fun and singalong as Reel Big Fish. I don't even like ska but Green Division's totally cool. This is just a snippet of the diversity Flying A Kite Near Power Lines encompasses.

Weaknesses
The general rule with compilation CDs is that not everyone will possibly love every artist and every song. This CD is no exception. I found myself especially cringing for the Lovejoys song, possibly one of the worst songs I've ever had the misfortune of hearing. The Letdown Department's painfully dull acoustic jam didn't appeal to me either. But hey, if you're in the mood for a Dave Matthews Band lullaby type sound, then you will most certainly like it! However, I wouldn't say that this should deter you from shelling out the $10 because the good songs are really good and you're donating to charity. You know what that means... tax write-off!

This CD would make a great addition to your summer, as it caters to your every mood, whether you're feeling irritable and tumultuous, sad and contemplative, or upbeat and excitable.

Where To Get The CD:
At Warped Tour 2005
CD Plus, Oshawa Town Centre
Contact John at http://www.dysfunctionaldesign.com
There are also three buttons for $1 and T-shirts for $7 available! Score!

You might like if you're a fan of:
Warped Tour artists. The Used. My Chemical Romance.
Dashboard Confessional. Tool. Reel Big Fish. Unwritten Law.

Favorite Artists:
Shift D, Rudely Awakened, Rumsfield, Green Division, Torsion,
One Second 2 Late, Distanced, Red Pavement, The Turn It Ups.

Rating: 2.8/5.0

Jennn's CD Index:
1 - I'll give you $10 if you can make it through the whole CD
2 - I'm not a fan, but someone might like it somewhere
3 - There are a couple offbeat tracks but it's 90% ROCKIN
4 - This CD rocks my world in its entirety. Buy or die.
5 - Go see them live, support them, join the cult.

Photos Courtesy of John Wellman and Green Division