-Itis
Exit 420 Hat Light Records

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Comments: Light up a fatty, cuz you are about to get a bad case of -itis. Not gingivitis, or laryngitis, or even diverticulitis, but just "itis." The band out of Colorado Spring, aptly called -itis, has 10 CDs under their hemp belts, and have just released their new CD, called Exit 420. And no, that's probably not named after an exit on the Colorado highway system …

The CD begins with a touching topic, one many teenagers across the nation face and can result in extreme ramifications, even with the possibility that their parents might banish them from the house or never speak to them again. It's about coming out … as a pothead. "Hey Mom, I Smoke Pot" is a hilarious tribute to the truth. The band sounds similar to Sublime, with a happy Ska groove at one moment, and then they jump to distorted guitars and a hard rock vibe. Just like the band itself, it's irreverent and hilarious.

The next track is about more doobage, "One Hit Wonder." This is heavier song, with more energy and almost menacing during the verses. The guitar leads from Craig Soderberg are tasty, and lead singer Mark Rodio owns an earthy, low and warm delivery. If you can imagine, the song is about weed that is just too extreme, from "a joint or a bong," one hit is all you need.

When they actually just focus on writing a hit, they bring their hungover A-game. "Somebody I'm Not" is like a Hootie and the Blowfish feel-good anthem. They have those quirky, Ska-type riffs pushing a happy energy your way, and the chorus is catchy as all get out. This is one of the "high-lights" of the CD.

"What I'm Doing" is even better, somehow, than "Somebody I'm Not." The back and forth tandem vocals are impressive, and the chorus is tightly rolled. This is the song you keep coming back for another pull.

After a while, the nonstop barrage of pot verbiage is going to do more than just numb you, though. Like the title track "Exit 420," the cutesy lines of "You might cough, but I swear you won't care in a little while," eventually catch up with the band.

It's surprising these guys can bring the heat like they do on "Part of Something." This is a feverishly paced rocker, and of course, they reference weed again, but the song itself is about liars and mental fornicators. This is Soderberg's fastest solo, and he can rip things up when he wants to. Drummer Jameson Becker shines his brightest on this track as well. Musically, this is an impressive composition.

The rest of the CD is more of the same type of feel good music. They have songs about jerking off called "Jerkin' Off," and about nutcases women they've run into called "Problem." So, when you get to the final track, "Azz Go Boom," you won't be expecting this. It's rap, it's outrageous, and if you thought their lyrics were a tad childish before, try on lines like, "Hit dat azz like a bass drum, then fill it up with cum," or even better, "just my dick wants to see what you had for lunch." This is purely insane, and so outright sarcastic of the genre that Weird Al Yankovic might even need some prescription marijuana to calm down after hearing this.

-itis doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel; no, they attempt to smoke it. But when it's all said and done, they entertain, they are competent musicians who write cool hit songs, and Exit 420 may just convince you to exhume some old, bad habits, and take them for a drive or two again.

www.itisrocks.com

Track listing:
1 Hey Mom, I Smoke Pot
2 One Hit Wonder
3 Somebody I'm Not
4 What I'm Doing?
5 Powder
6 Exit 420
7 Under the Table
8 Part of Something
9 You Did It Again
10 In God We Trust
11 Epic No More
12 Jerkin' Off
13 I'm in Trouble
14 Wasting Together
15 Thoughts
16 Problem
17 Azz Go Boom

HRH rating: 7.4/10