Mr. Machine - "Self-titled"
Self-released

Mr. Machine is simple, fun, and very punk rock. It's non-political, enjoyable, sing-along music made by three 12 year-old kids from Lawrence. Honest to God, it is so damned refreshing to hear music that is unpretentious and just about rocking out.

It makes sense that you have to be young to be this snotty, loud, and obnoxious. Honestly, the only other band putting out Dead Boys style punk these days is the L.E.S. Stitches, and they're from NYC.

Granted, it's not polished by any standards. There are some awkward bridges, and the songs aren't groundbreaking. However, they're fun and I've probably listened to the whole CD every day since I got it. It's pretty easy to do that, too – eight songs in as many minutes. And while all the songs are fairly straightforward punk, "Go Go Goners" is a bit rockabilly, and the stop-start formula of "Paranoid" mixes it up a bit more.

All in all, Mr. Machine plays loud, unpretentious music that has the promise of being totally kick-ass in the (not so distant) future. The glimpses here and there beyond the typical three-chord punk formula – like "Paranoid" – make me really excited to see what these kids could do after a year or two playing together.

So, go see 'em, keep them playing, and hopefully they'll stick with it and turn into the next Bubble Boys.