PASTE PUNK DOT COM
Milwaukee’s GET RAD have a lengthy ex-member pedigree that spans the spectrum of punk and hardcore in every kind of direction. So it’s kind of it humbling that after all of the other music experience, the band members have focused on playing wickedly fast, old-school hardcore that could have come from straight from the shelves of Dischord’s earliest releases (and I’m not surprised to learn that the band has covered MINOR THREAT’s “Guilty of Being White” at their shows). GET RAD vocalist Kevin Herwig (former guitarist for SINCE BY MAN) has an agile voice that’s surprisingly similar to SICK OF IT ALL’s Lou Killer, but not as dependent on the rhythm section’s moves in terms of cadence. For the first eight songs (maybe 10 minutes long, in total), I Can Always Live is a tornado of surging guitars and blitzing percussion. The band just doesn’t slow down. A moment to catch your breath comes on the well-developed track “No Easy,” where a bass intro kicks things off and the song incrementally builds up into a molten shout-along. The whirlwind revs up again, only pausing occasionally for circle-pit inducing tempo jerks. The back to back tandem of “The Blame Game” and “Back Home” show off the band’s musical chops, which may be understated in the intentionally raw recording style. GET RAD drummer Ben Davison nails one fill after another with stunning speed and accuracy and he plays a big part in how the band molds its momentum, which is decidedly different than letting guitars chug to no end or run amok with a toolbox of dolphin squeals. After five years as a band and a steady stream of power-packing releases, I Can Always Live stands to be the band’s best shot at a hardcore breakout just yet… (jordan) link
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HEX RECORDS BLOG
There’s all these things I want to address with this record so where to begin? OK, for starters, the cover is “Thriller” as a stencil (a nicely done one at that) with the band’s logo skull instead of Michael Jackson’s head. Good start. I’m always a fan of fucking with people right off the bat. Musically, the band is called Get Rad. They better fucking deliver on a name like that. And, thankfully, they start off really good with some really fast and wild hardcore. Good. From there it slows down at times, which they probably should avoid. But I can see how a band doesn’t want to do the exact same thing from song to song. Their sound has little snippits of old Sick Of It All and Bane in parts, but usually just goes for the fast and loose approach and is generally made for stage dives and high fives without a care in the world. It’s fun stuff for sure and I can tell these kids are about having a good time without half-assing it on the music front either. link
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DR'S OF ZA BLOG
In addition to our shared affinity for local restaurants, we Doctors of Za are also staunch proponents of the local music scene. But when Gilead Media mailed me a press pack and CD of Milwaukee hardcore outfit Get Rad yesterday, I didn’t know quite why. I mean, I was glad to get the album 1. For free, 2. A day before tonight’s CD release show at Bay View Brew Haus… but the glut of my freelance work falls into the realms of local dining reviews, concert recaps, and professional baseball or arena football profiles. And sometimes I’ll slap on a moniker to write borderline offensive things pertaining to pizza. So why me?
But when I heard Get Rad’s masterpiece “Drug of Choice”, I understood. Spanning just over a minute, it wasted no time striking a chord deep within me. It’s nothing short of scripture. I’d like to share it with you.
“Drug of Choice” by Get Rad:
“Every little bite I savor in my mouth makes it easy to forget about the times when I said no to cheese,
Now all I think is ‘give it to me’,
Pizza in the morning, pizza in the evening, pizza at supper time,
Pizza is my favorite food. Crack is wack but pizza’s good,
It’s motherfuckin’ pizza time!
I can’t find any relevant “Drug of Choice” audio or video clips to post. But it’s nothing short of the best pizza-related song ever. Dean Martin, God rest his soul, and his “That’s Amore” song can eat a bag of dicks compared to “Drug of Choice.”
Go to the show, get the record and live each day like it’s “motherfuckin’ pizza time!” link
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ALTERNATIVE PRESS April 2010
Get Rad feature ex-Since By Man guitarist Kevin Herwig on vocals, but if you're looking for that style of apocalyptic, metallic post-hardcore, it might be best to check elsewhere. Get Rad's sophomore album is a 23-minute blast of scrappy, speedy hardcore with a slight sense of humor and thrash/street-punk flair, to booth. If you loved How We Are's To Teach A Hundred but wish it was lighter-hearted and more indebted to the '80s and less to the slower burn of Bane or Verse, this could be up your alley; maybe because Herwig sounds a lot like HWA's Rory Van Grol at points. While the album seems disappointingly forgettable when trying to recollect its madness, it's easy to live through. (brian shultz)
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BROOKLYN VEGAN / SHORT WAVE WARFARE
When I think of hardcore, Milwaukee definitely doesn't come to mind, yet the incredible Get Rad is here to prove me wrong. I Can Always Live is the new album from this brutal unit that knows their way around an old school jam, but also keep it current- all with a sly sense of humor. Check out two tracks from the band above, and pick up the new LP via Gilead Media/Hyperrealist. (bbg) link
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MAXIMUM ROCK N ROLL - Issue 325, June 2010
These youths sure know what they're doing. Fast, catchy hardcore; full and sick production; each song flying in on the hells of the last one; gang choruses... My biggest complaint is that it's a little too well done, like they honed their craft too finely, polished it then scuffed the polish. Eight songs would've been better than the sixteen provided. You oughta hear this 'cause I'm being pretty picky, I'm sure many kids are hell of stoked on this band and I can see why. If I heard one of these songs, I'd be pumped, but I'll pass on a whole LP (Jeff Manson)
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RAZORCAKE - Issue 57
Get rad is right! Full-on thrash hardcore that doesn’t let up. I could see them playing shows with Frontside Five. I swear that just listening to this flipped the brim up on my hat and made me run around in circles. They have a song about pizza too! My only complaint here is that I had a hell of a time trying to read the song titles, thanks to the stupid font on the back. Small potatoes compared to how great this disc is. –Ty Stranglehold
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and more to come...
