Review: Orange County, New York vs. Orange County, California
Various Artists
(Orange Peal Records / Smell My Thumb Records)
Just reading this compilation’s title will give you a pretty good idea as to what to expect. The two-cd record pits Orange County bands from California and New York against one another in an all out, no holds-barred, cage match to the death. Also as expected, the California disc features many more ska and poppy acts.
Starting off with Forces of Evil’s super-ska stylings, California fails to display much variation until Rock Kills Kid offers a brief relief with their standout track “Dream”. A creative little rock song, “Dream” is a well-written tune that rocks some falsetto background vocals whose placement make the melody a hit. Back to the poppy, Homegrown and Madcap also make solid appearances.