LAS VEGAS CITYLIFE:

Penny up for Hysteria: Las Vegas' 2 Cents Worth persists in peddling its punk-rock sound and political fury
2 Cents Worth
United States of Hysteria
(AVD)

Next time you want to bitch about the apathy of the punk scene here in Vegas, listen to 2 Cents Worth's latest release, United States of Hysteria , released by local label AVD records. New, socially conscious, rockin' songs are the focal point of the CD, with 13 "bonus tracks" culled from past albums. All this for five bucks!

Despite the high turnover rate this band has had throughout the years, it remains tight. However, the sound has evolved. And that's good, considering the band is not comprised of brash young moshers fresh out of high school. They're grown-up punks with grown-up concerns.
The title track is a pointed attack on the depletion of American freedoms in the wake of Sept. 11. "Social Insecurity" is along the same lines. "Leave Me Now" and "Airhead" are a little lighter, dealing with relationship issues. And "Mastermind" alludes to religious control of human freedoms.

The first song on the CD, "Going Nowhere Fast," takes on industry: "Your service is no longer needed/we're sorry if you feel deleted" is one of the more clever lines about man being replaced by machine. "Just Like Me," the sixth track, is a more personal take on being a cog in the machinery of 9-to-5 existence.

The lyrics to the first eight songs are printed on the back of the CD sleeve, but they're still easy to make out above the heavy yet melodic ax-work. At times the vocals recall Lee Ving of the '80s L.A.-based band Fear, and the CD cover is a clear tribute to that band's More Beer. Most of 2 Cents Worth's members are from SoCal, and probably grew up listening to Ving growl his throaty love odes to the keg.

Bad Religion and Social D are two other bands whose influence haunts every note. Like them, 2 Cents Worth has a smooth rather than a hardcore sound, with occasional forays into metal territory. If this CD has a weakness, it's that the plentiful guitar solos occasionally have that '80s hair band-esque, predictable chord progression. Overall, though, melodies are hooky, and there's a bit of vocal harmonizing on some tracks that pushes the collection over to the edge of indie rock. Some of the older songs, like the stick-in-your-head "Welcome Home," could easily fit that category.
The 13 extra tracks aren't labeled on the cover, and the song names don't show up on iTunes, either. So if you're not familiar with their older releases, you won't know what the titles are. But this minor packaging problem doesn't hurt the listenability of the CD.
--Meredith McGhan

MAXIMUM ROCK'N'ROLL:

So much for my senile memory. I thought these guys were utter crap. Mebbe, I'm thinking of 2CENTS, or 5¢ Deposit?! Regardless, these guys are actually really rather excellent. Musically and lyrically, they tread pretty similar territory as early BAD RELIGION or later PENNYWISE. And they do it well, and with a sense of humor to go with the thesaurus. Eight new cracking tracks, and 13 more bonus "greatest hits" from their back catalog, which sound damn fine too.

--RK

100 PUNKS:

These guys rock, no question! Awesome energy and they have their own unique sound which I love. This is 100% pure, polished, pounding punk! The title track on this rocks as does every other song on here. 8 songs + 13 free *BONUS* tracks for a total of 21 kick ass punk songs! If you don't already have this disc...yer missin' out BIG time! AVD Records.

MERCURY:

Let’s get the cred points out of the way first: Local punk outfit 2¢ Worth features guitarist Adam Segal, formerly known as axe-swinger for influential ‘80s Cali skatepunk outfit The Faction. But a spin of 2¢ Worth’s United States of Hysteria reveals no cred-grubbing or name-dropping, just seasoned, well-crafted punk gems that recall the custom buzzsaw work and even-keeled indignation of Bad Religion before it went bald and falbby. Earmarks of an older, wiser band abound on Hysteria: the thoughtful anger, the precise guitar work, the production that gives riffs and vocal harmonies equal parts grit and gleam. If you’re looiing for angst-shot punk rock rage, keep shopping; if you’re on the hunt for a dependable, smart, melodic punk outfit sure to inspire bouts of headnodding, 2¢ Worth is the ticket.

Better yet, this eight–song disc is actually crammed with 13 extra tracks the band modestly calls “greatest misses” -- but the quality-minded will find the eight “official” songs are worth the price of admission. “Going Nowhere Fast” kicks off the disc with a restless punk rock workout and quickly establishes new singer Mark Luca as a wearied presence with a weathered set of pipes well-suited to Hysteria’s downbeat tone. His voice works particularly well on the earnest slow-burner “Descend,” and the title track, where Luca turns vocal phrases with a subtlety and control rarely found in the genere. Here’s hoping these guys keep offering their 2¢ Worth for years to come.

--Andrew Kiraly

TOXIC FLYER ZINE:

Very good punk rock that has a CA feel, like Bad
Religion and Pennywise. Full of great melodies and a
quick punk beat. Some good guitar action as well.

--VG

THE BEE'S KNEES:

Skate punk music ala Bad Religion that this time around seems to be a bit more political than they have ever been. 2¢ Worth stayed in the realm of relationship songs for the most part, but it's nice to see them going into different territory. Solid non-boy band posturing punk, and that's how it should be.

--Mike Turner