Gotohells: Six Packs And Race Tracks

Florida is not only teeming with criminals and retirees, but it also contains one of the country's strongest punk-rock scenes. The members of St. Petersburg's Gotohells don't necessarily stand head and shoulders above the rest, but they're certainly strong enough to be considered among the forerunners of the state's bands. The songs on Six Packs and Race Tracks, the group's second album, deal primarily with cars, racing and beer, with additional emphasis on girls to boot. Semi-juvenile lyrics, simple-but-catchy chord progressions, and giddily poor harmonizing bring to mind the Queers or Fear, though the band is less interested in being cutesy than the former—and less interested in being ugly and antagonistic than the latter. Six Packs and Race Tracks won't burn a hole in your CD player from overuse, but it'll certainly make a great stocking stuffer for the redneck punk in your life. (Stiff Pole Records, P.O. Box 20721, St. Petersburg, FL 33742)