Consisting of Amy 80 on vocals and bass, Jamin 80 on vocals, Russ 80 on drums, guitar, and vocals, Jens 80 on rhythm guitar, and Matt 80 on lead guitar, TA-80 are punk/pop/rockers who debuted in Arizona back in 2001. Just last year, they’ve released their most recent album, Turn It Up, on Snubbed By Allegedly.
The title track sets the pace with a command to “TURN IT UP!” and who are we to deny such a suggestion. After blowing the speakers and plugging into the power backup, we get to enjoy a rad anthem bound to get the listener ready for what’s to come.
While we may never see a smile on Glenn Danzig’s sourpuss, ” Rainbow Fentanyl” will give anyone who’s never wondered, “what if the Misfits’ Halloween was written like a 2000’s pop punk tune,” a new upbeat option to add to their Halloween night playlist.
“Scream All You Like” reveals itself to be a song for any self doubters out there. When depression hits and you think “what’s the point?” When you believe that everything is going to turn out rotten and wonder if it’s better to just be without it in the first place. Feeling that the bare minimum may still be a little to ambitious. Songs like this are a helpful reminder that we’re not alone in these thoughts and that it’s ok to not only want, but demand better for ourselves.
Turn It Up closes with “Quarter To One.” They keep going to a quarter past 2 with hands raised and pumped all the way to the end. After the colossal feat of making a punk song a solid 4½ minutes, (Half Past 4?) the gang celebrates with well deserved drink clanks and sounds of triumph.
To wrap it up in a nice little package, if you’re looking for some pumping jams with early to mid 2000’s punk sounds and Joan Jett attitude then this album is recommended. Hope you all enjoy
Curtis grew up in Michigan on classic rock. Luckily, there were family members who were there to introduce him to other genres of music not traditionally on the radio, like blues and punk. Then the internet opened up the floodgates to genres and subgenres of music that he never knew existed, like folk punk. Even today, he’s learning about niche styles and diving head first into the menagerie of artists who’ve settled in those parts years before him. Now, he gets to use those new influences and mangle them up into his own music and make it as weird as he’d like.