Your Average Criminals

 http://www.myspace.com/youraveragecriminals 3/5 Sue stars
Hello Kids, first let me say thanks for the kind words and the responses I received. You guys rock. Second let me say that this blog is just my opinion and something new and different I am trying so if you don’t like it or think it’s written at a third grade level or see a typo know some things here, it’s just my opinion and that’s all you should always judge for your self and I am just trying to get some bands and venues reviewed from my perspective and not one of a pandering local music writer , I need to write at a basic level so everyone can understand it ,like the Dispatch or almost any other newspaper and please don’t blow up my email with hate mail trying to argue with me you stalkers. Whew.
Your average Criminals Okay that said let’s start with the somewhat new band on the Columbus scene Your Average Criminals a three piece playing something like ska punk rock lite fun. It’s not really ska but it has that kind of beat in the rhythm. The guitar work on the demos I heard uses about the same setting on the amp and has that thick juicy click clack when he jams harder for emphasis and the slightly distorted muddy sounds when he is softer and keeping the rhythm as in their song Love to Hate to Love to Hate and switches to a more collared shirt rock akin to Ween in the song Rule the Sun. The singer gives off the same vibe begging with some dual vocals in the song Better in Black and ending with the Weenish styles again. Sometimes the phrasing seems a little tired or unenthusiastic but I wonder if the band is just playing it cool, sarcastic mellow like a sarcastic lounge song in punk styling’s. The songs are not fast but still have that ironic smirk attitude that comes with the collard shirt rock of later Devo and Ween without the insane effects and weird subject matter. The tunes are a little catchy and the singer does do well at throwing you a hook or two and the drummer keeps it well timed but nothing over the top just straight beats with good rolls here and there. I only got to hear the demos on their myspace page but I can see the actual pro recordings being a little bit flashier and not so muddy. I would check them out live and probably will to give a live show review but would like to see them develop their style, their sound a little bit more before I judge them so to be fair the demos might be a bad recording the songs might lack a little umph but the style is there hidden behind the recording quality and I can see them writing some really good material soon, and wonder what they sound like on their upcoming recording. Right now I will give them 3 out 5 stars and wish them good luck I think they can pull something off and you can check them out April 7^th at Circus Columbus and tell me what you think.