Album Review :: Ma Jolie & Super Luxury

Written by: Andrea Janov, CC2K Music Editor

Ma Jolie :: Jetpack Mailman :: A-F Records

Ma Jolie is a Pennsylvania hardcore band that I have been hearing a lot about. Their EP, Jetpack Mailman, made me understand why. They capture the feel and energy of a show so well, that I was half on guard for a stray fist. Each track on this EP shows a different side, peels, off a different layer of their sound, that just gives you a peek at just how complex they are.

The EP starts off with Tired Life, a hardcore track that jumps right in, no buildup, no buffer. It is aggressive with just enough of a hook to give the thrashing pit something to sing along with. Ego Tourism, is slower, deeper, gravelier than the first track, but there is still something catchy to draw the audience in. Pittsburgh, is sung like an anthem (so much so that I think that Philly may feel a bit betrayed). This is the one that everyone will be singing along to say their fists flail in the air. The last track, Canyons, has cool layered vocals that create only the best kind of chaos.

Super Luxury :: Ten Solid Years of Applause

Super Luxury caught me off guard. I am not normally a noise rock fan, being one of those people who maybe doesn’t quite get the experimentation of it all. But Ten Solid Years of Applause, really struck me. It is an aggressive garage rock style of noise rock that reminded me of Bleach era Nirvana or maybe some early MC5. The music is full and heavy, and the distortion and reverb is raw and exciting. The sounds are weird and distorted as you would expect any noise rock album to be, but you can hear passion and sometimes, only sometimes, the hint of a melody. Throughout the whole album, I felt like I was at a live show, the rawness of that performances really comes through on this recording.

Also, the punk rock kid in me can’t help but be a fan of their sense of humor, there is a song titled “Ian Mackaye made so much money out of Fugazi that he lives in a solid gold house and drives a solid gold car and he sits on his driveway but he can’t go anywhere because the wheels are made of solid gold”

I know that noise rock isn’t for everyone, but I think that Super Luxury has something unique to offer. They pair that noise with some great screaming, passion, and a dash of humor.