Face to Face Albums (7)
'How to Ruin Everything'
Release Date 3/26/2002
Tracks 17
Label JVC Japan
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What The Critics Say
How to Ruin Everything is Face to Face's reflection piece. The bandmembers take a look back on what made them love punk rock in the first place and churn it into an infectious disposition. They spent the 1990s fighting against the mainstream and through various personal and professional shifts inside the band, and How to Ruin Everything emerges as Face to Face's strongest material to date. Frontman Trever Keith is fierce, and his songwriting is now shaped into something courageous and meaningful. He and bandmates bassist Scott Shiflett and drummer Pete Parada ignore current punk-pop sounds for a gnarling rock growl. Songs like the shifty "Double Standard" and the spiky rock cuts of "Why Would I Lie?" are vibrant and nasty. "The New Way is spirited while resisting the social mainstream, and the self-criticism found on "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" rollicks with angry riffs and Keith's rough-edged vocals. Like those who came before them (the Clash, Johnny Thunders, the Jam) and those who've followed (NOFX, blink-182), Face to Face's underlying desire has been to remain original and in charge of its creative direction. The bandmembers are not going to listen to anyone, nor will they shift their rowdy rock stylings to match what's fashionable. "The Take-Away" is the fist in the face; it serves as a warning that punk rock is in demand and that the members of Face to Face will keep doing it their way. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
'Standards & Practices'
Release Date 2/20/2001
Tracks 10
Label Vagrant
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What The Critics Say
Punk revivalism may incite a brash attitude and a sour disposition, but there is also a soft spot. It's not always about angst and rebellion. There's a passionate side too. SoCal punkers Face to Face tone down their skate punk snarl for an intriguing set of covers on Standards and Practices, kissing the hands of those '80s new wave/indie rock/punk bands that came before them. The band picked their own favorite tunes, paying tribute to bands such as the Smiths, the Pogues, Jawbreaker, the Ramones, and the Pixies. Standards and Practices is raw and vibrant, and the underlying power behind their own versions also exudes the excitement found in the original songs and escapes the repetitiveness found on most compilations. Kicking off with the Smiths' "What Difference Does It Make?," Face to Face defines punk-pop with an amusing effort. Classic Johnny Marr guitars are exchanged for quick riffs courtesy of Chad Yaro, and the haunting imagery behind Morrissey's lyrics can only be taken lightly thanks to frontman Trevor Keith's copy-cat warbling. It's totally enjoyable nonetheless. The Psychedelic Furs' "Heaven" would make Richard Butler proud, and Keith's scowling vocals slightly capture Butler's signature smoker rasp, but with Mike Ness sarcasm. But that's the intention behind punk music of the '90s. Jawbreaker's "Chesterfield King" steps up the three-cord pogo-pounce and moshing, and it's uncanny how the band matches up to Bob Mould on Sugar's "Helpless." But it's Fugazi's "Merchandise" that illustrates why Face to Face did this album in the first place. It's nasty in the sense of presenting something completely unattainable by past generations. It's almost intimidating because Ian MacKaye's mental and lyrical caliber sparked an intensity in punk rock. Face to Face embraces that, grabbing everything behind the inquisitiveness of each song. The Jam's "That's Entertainment" wasn't left at the end for nothing. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Having helped generate the first wave of '90s pop-punk, Face to Face was due to profit from the mainstream success of artists like Lit and Blink 182 who had taken their melodic approach to punk songcrafting to new commercial heights. With so much punk credibility to be had, the last thing anyone expected these famous SoCal punkers to do is release a hard rock record; which is exactly what the foursome did when they shipped their first disc for Beyond Records in 1999. From the initial drum and guitar blasts of the record's lead cut "Overcome" Ignorance Is Bliss lets listeners in on the fact that Face to Face would not be limited to the punk genre, and that the quartet's songwriting skills stand up against the most successful of hard rock bands. This fifth studio release is ten songs deep, singer/guitarist Trevor Keith's voice is classic, and the production is powerful and detailed. Punk politics get tossed to the wind as the band slams through one mid-tempo hard rock gem after another. With their mid-'90s alternative radio mega-hit "Disconnected" -- from the band's previous studio release Big Choice -- Face to Face proved themselves as pop-punk trendsetters. Ignorance is Bliss ironically takes this radio-hook mastery to a higher level, yet the CD was almost universally ignored by radio stations just as it was praised by critics. It would be easy to assume that fans and radio programmers alike were hesitant to support such a legendary punk band playing straight-ahead alternative rock; however, a close inspection of the Face to Face discography reveals that they did indeed release a very punk record, Reactionary, a year later to similar radio and sales reaction. It's also curious to note that the band consistently sold out larger and larger venues during the two-year period each record was promoted. Face to Face might have confused some of their fans, but ultimately, stretching out musically with Ignorance Is Bliss was a sound artistic, if not commercial, decision. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Recorded in 1998, before Face to Face released Ignorance Is Bliss and Reactionary, Live nonetheless captures the intensity of this well-loved punk band's core music. Singer Trever Keith leads the crowd through fan favorites like "Disconnected," "I'm Trying," and "AOK," the last of which he introduces as one of his favorites. Keith's gruff, self-affirming lyrics and the highly charged music make this album a must for fans as well as any serious punk collectors. Face to Face is known as a band that cares deeply for its fans, and at one point Keith asks for the lights to be turned on so he can see them. ~ Ron DePasquale, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The success of the hit single "Disconnected" on Los Angeles radio station KROQ catapulted Face to Face to a new level of popularity, causing their 1995 release, Big Choice, to sell more than 100,000 copies -- a first for the southern California punk band. "Disconnected" had appeared on their previous album Over It, but the band redid it for Big Choice, making it a bit heavier and adding a somewhat humorous exchange with a "record producer" about whether to include the song on the album because they didn't want to be labeled sell-outs. The conversation ends with the band declaring "there's no way in hell this song is going on this record" and then launching right into "Disconnected." Although "Disconnected" may be the standout track, the rest of the album still measures up. In the tradition of fellow punk revival bands Down by Law and Samiam, the 13 raucous tracks on Big Choice are catchy, energetic and bursting with cynical lyrics about being tired of dealing with people and their flaws. In "Velocity," vocalist Trever Keith spits out the lyrics "Tell me all about your favorite human being/Tell me everything about yourself" and later "So let me take a good look at your perfect life/So I know just exactly how I don't want mine." "Debt" has the resounding chorus of "I don't owe you anything." It's the perfect album for when you're in a bad mood and sick of people. ~ Tracy Frey, All Music Guide
'Don't Turn Away'
Release Date 6/20/1994
Tracks 13
Label Fat Wreck Chords
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What The Critics Say
Considered by many fans to be a classic, this debut on Fat Wreck Chords (originally released on Doctor Strange, with only a few thousand copies shipped before the company went out of business) qualifies as a '90s punk must-have. The first (and by far the rawest) of three Face to Face recordings to include alt-rock radio mega-hit "Disconnected," this 13-track disc reveals a band on the brink of punk stardom. Don't Turn Away features original members Matt Riddle on bass, Rob Kurth on drums, and singer/guitarist Trevor Keith -- the one constant in what would become an ever-shifting lineup. Keith demonstrates a powerful, well-defined voice, along with a strong commitment to his material -- carefully avoiding the fake British accent snottiness that many of his mid-'90s pop-punk contemporaries found hard to resist. Providing excellent backing for their leader's trademark creations, the rhythm section stays in control and out of the way throughout most of Don't Turn Away. The band's enthusiasm gets the best of them during slower material that sounds uneven at times, but many fans might consider such caffeinated quirks endearing and forgive the unpleasantries when the trio rips through studio versions of upbeat concert favorites "You've Done Nothing" and "Pastel." A retrospective spin of Don't Turn Away will let new listeners in on something old-school Face to Face aficionados have known since the record's 1992 release: from the very beginning, Trevor Keith and company possessed the instincts to both reinforce and transform punk. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
