I'd heard through the grapevine that the new album from The Action Is got a whopping two stars from an unspecified reviewer at the Chronicle.  Being quite familiar and enamored with their music and intrigued as to why they ranked so low, I secured my own copy to see what the lack of buzz was about. Within a few seconds of my initial listen it became quite clear why the 'Chron dissed it so hard. I'd find it impossible for any of those glad-handing, ass kissing prima donnas to find any sort of merit in an honest to God, steel belted, live nude rock record. The production is barebones, letting the music do most of the talking,
thanks to Young Heart Attack’s Stephen Hall and Chris “Frenchie” Smith's expert tag team knob turning. The performances are great. Front man Adam Farina's voice sounds better
than I've ever heard it before, and lead axe Paul Ali's trademark fuzz-o-matic solos fit like a glove, conjuring the bombastic blues fury of The John Spencer Blues Explosion and Ron Ashton. From brilliant Yardbirds riff-copping to occasional Sonic Youth inspired
cacophony, Alibi embraces the same ethic that I've come to love and respect from acts like Queens of the Stone Age, that being the welcoming of a band's collective influences rather than settling for ten songs that sound exactly the same, making the final product much greater than the sum of it's already impressive parts.  Forget the Alibi is a seriously solid record made with love, sweat, and beers, and no lack of “stars” or insight from a “reputable reviewer” can change that. This record wasn’t made for those dandy fop trend seekers; it was made for those of you who love real rock and roll. Buy it now and support the scene!
-Victor Hell