File Under: Punk rating: B tracks 1) Getting Smashed 2) Enemy 3) Too Much Confusion 4) John L. Sullivan (bare knuckle fighter) 5) No More 6) The Time Has Come 7) Hit The Streets 8) Red, White, and Blue 9) Bottoms Up 10) March On 11) Down With 'Em All 12) When The Sun Comes Down 13) Vision 14) Turn It Up 15) Punks' Not Dread 16) Forgotten Soldiers 17) Worth Waiting For related links Radical Records

The Cuffs have called it quits last summer after releasing a few demo tapes, a 7", and the bottoms up album. Some sources say that their breakup is not for good, that they are just taking time off. I sure hope so, because they are a great band, and it saddens me when a great band breaks up before their time.

The band consists of 3 members: Mike; guitar and vocals, Cook; bass and vocals, and Jared; drums.

Their debut album "Bottoms Up" was released on Radical Records. As you can tell by the album name, they like to knock down a few beers.

The Cuffs music can be described as street punk with lots of ballad and sing-along type songs, that tend to be catchy at times, and no trace of politics in their massage. They definitely have a working-class massage in their songs.

Songs about, life in general; whether, it is about drinking ("Getting Smashed," "Bottoms up,") fighting ("John L. Sullivan [bare knuckle fighter,] working to pay the rent ("Too much confusion,) personal struggle ("Enemy",) or just hanging with friends, and having good times ("Turn it up,") and more such topics that are from the heart

Even though this band broke up for now, I hope that they come back and make more great music. Cheers to them!

Alex Rud is Contributing Columnist. Contact him at misftskull@aol.com.