From the Around Hear section of the Illinois Entertianer 12/03
Noticing a marked resurgence of spiky heads in the 'nabe, it's not all that surprising to find this balls out punk CD from power
trio Squared Off fall into my lap. Given the average Joe concerns of most of the loud fast rules lyrics and playing, I'm going
to assume that I'm not endorsing any misanthropic jingoist notions from the undecipherable "Made In America." Because the
anthemic salute to 9/11 heroes in "Our Fallen Bretheren solidly dons the noble mantle of early Hüsker Dü/Black Flag, raising
the listener to a great high before trailing off in the final two cuts. While the guys might consider reworking "Two Way Street"
in a Clash/ska-beat way to break things up a bit, let me add that the great drums throughout keep things from getting boring.
(Contact: www.earwaxfactory.com.)
-- David C. Eldredge

From the Around Hear Section of the Illinois Entertianer 01/04
Carrying high the mantle of the everyday average Joe or Joanna, the DIY balls-out punk of Squared Off rings as refreshingly
true as ever -- especially given these decidedly less than secure socio/political times. Sure, they may sound like seminal '70s
L.A. punkers Fear or any other band captured in The Decline Of Western Civilization, but has anything really changed for
the better since then? 'Cause while others may think the punk genre is faded, this listener thinks it's faded like a pair of
comfy jeans. Hands down the best Around Hear around here to these ears this year.
(Contact: www.earwaxfactory.com.)
-- David C. Eldredge