Even though they got started in 1997, it wasn't until 2002 that Rotterdam's Apers actually started releasing full-length albums. Since their early 7"s, compilation appearances, and cassette-only releases were usually rare, badly-recorded, or otherwise forgotten, a remedy comp was in order. Wild and Savage Apers (issued through the band's usual imprint, Stardumb) rounds up seven years of the Apers' energetic punk revivalist tomfoolery. The Ramones are the main influence here, filtered through the slaphappy aesthetic of Screeching Weasel and the Queers. Kevin Aper is the voice of the whiny playground smart aleck, too busy putting people down and trying to look cool to realize he isn't getting any dates. "I Hate Guys With Girlfriends," "Drama Queen [Of the Local Scene]," "Beat You Up" -- you get the idea. Attitude occasionally stands in for melody and musicianship, and if you don't like songs about girls, you've come to the wrong place. But the Apers' songwriting naïveté and garage band amateurism is, for the most part, quite endearing, especially on cuts like "Lousy Day," "Pick Me Up," or the garbled, energetic early recordings "Want U2B My Baby" and "Pinball Wizard" (not that one). Fans of Groovie Goolies, "Demons"; take note.
© Johnny Loftus /TiVo