A vision of walking around and imagining my Walkman headphones were actually giant speakers accompanying me forcing the world into dancing and performing their tasks to my music. If I had giant speakers up in the sky blasting my own music then everywhere I went people would have to listen to my music and the world would have a uniform emotion, a sort of interconnectedness. Like an unrelenting soundtrack to which everyone must acquiesce… These are my speakers in the sky.
Wrong War are Dan Smith (drums), Dave Pawlowski (bass), Matthias Weeks (vocals) and Patrick Keenan (guitar). They formed in 2019, hail from Chicago and are former members of bands such as Current, Ottawa, Calvary, The Phenoms and Salvo Beta. They play "blistering political punk rock" and have garnered comparisons with the likes of Crucifix, Battalion Of Saints and Born Against.
They've recently released a debut album titled Fixed Against Forever. It contains 9 tracks, the music is mostly fast and heavy and the lyrics are well written which is always a winner for me!
SYMPOS are a punk band from Waterford in Ireland and this is their debut release.
The song is called On The Scratcher which is a term that means on the dole in their native Ireland. It's a fantastic couldn't give a fuck slacker anthem reflecting the frustrations of the youth of the Emerald Isle. You need to check it out, you'll be impressed. For me, it reminded me of the comedy Young Offenders in many ways.
During the course of 2020 TJ Cabot & Thee Artificial Rejects have released an 8 track Demo, a digital single called Overcompensation, the Dick Charles ep, the Get Ready Get Set! ep and now a Self Titled full length. They're a rough and ready garage punk outfit from Moncton, Canada.
The new album boasts 11 lean & mean cuts clocking in at a little under the 20 minute mark. As with the best of the genre, it's authentic sounding garage goodness underpinned by some pretty catchy tunes.
As an intro this is possibly my favourite track from the album and it is called Nowhere To Go.
5 Knuckle Surprise were a Canadian punk band formed in the late 90's and disbanded in 2005. To celebrate 25 Years of 5KS, or close to that anyway... they are bringing their full length effort "Til it Hits You" to vinyl for the first time via Lonesome Surfers Records.
It is a great punk rock / pop punk album full of everything I love. Fast drums, distorted guitar and cool gravelly vocals.
The track I am sharing is Canadians Eh !? but I could have gone with any track from the album.
Stay Another Day is a song that always reminds me of Boxing Day. A routine with friends of out at some local pubs and then back to mine to carry on the drinking, it is one that will always make me smile. This year of course, is so very different!
The East 17 track has been covered by Glasgow pop punkers The Kimberly Steaks. It starts off with a gentle piano intro and East 17 style pap pop vocals which made me wonder what we were about to get but luckily it soon kicks up a gear. It's really good and it comes on an ep with 3 other tracks. Proceeds go to Glasgow SE Foodbank so go check it out.
Predictably I had to go with a Christmas themed song today and I decided on Blink-182's Won't Be Home For Christmas. A song called won't be home for Christmas when everyone is being told to stay home for Christmas!
Oi to the World! is a Christmas album by the southern California punk rock band the Vandals. It was released in 1996 by their label Kung Fu Records, who also re-released it in 2000 with altered artwork and a bonus track. It was the band's sixth full-length studio album and presented holiday-themed songs written and performed with the tongue-in-cheek humor for which the band is known.
Because Kung Fu Records itself had been formed in 1996 and was at this point still a small label, the original pressing of the album was somewhat limited and it remained relatively obscure for several years (the band's major studio albums at this time were being released by Nitro Records). The Vandals maintained a close friendship with fellow Orange County band No Doubt, who covered the album's title track "Oi to the World" for the Christmas compilation album A Very Special Christmas 3 in 1997. Their version, which was produced by Vandals guitarist Warren Fitzgerald, received mainstream exposure and popularity and spawned a music video. Partly thanks to the exposure brought by association with No Doubt (with whom the Vandals also toured), fan interest in Oi to the World! increased and in 2000 Kung Fu Records, which by now had grown in size, re-released the album with new artwork and a bonus overture, as well as a new intro for the title track.
Because Vandals full-time drummer Josh Freese was involved with other musical projects at the time of the album's recording, a number of fill-in drummers were recruited to play most of the drum tracks on the album: Brooks Wackerman of Infectious Grooves, Suicidal Tendencies and future drummer of Bad Religion, Erik Sandin of NOFX, and Rat Scabies of The Damned. Freese did play on three of the album's tracks, and both his brother Jason Freese and father Stan Freese also appeared playing horns. The original release was dedicated to the memory of Pat Brown, a friend of the band during their formative years and subject of their 1982 song "The Legend of Pat Brown". He had died in 1996.
Almost every year since the album's release the Vandals have played a traditional "Winter Formal" concert in Anaheim during the holiday season, at which they perform Oi to the World! nearly in its entirety. Other than at this special show songs from the album are rarely performed in concert, with the exception of "Oi to the World", which has become a regular part of their setlist.
Chicago’s Time Thieves are Jonathan Pool (guitar, vocals), Tim Reynolds (guitar, vocals), Annie Saunders (bass, vocals), Lilly Choi (synth, vocals), and Mike Oberlin (percussion). Earlier this year the band released their album “Space.” Full of authenticity and raw power, the work is scattered with space references throughout its entire essence. This detail is evident amongst the lyrics, song titles, and LP artwork. Sonically, it’s an intriguing infusion of indie and pop punk that encourages listeners to delve deeper into the experience and find out more of their offerings.
“Flicker of Light” is an effective introduction to Time Thieves as the composition encompasses their power pop sound, while simultaneously showcasing only a small fragment of the group’s capabilities.
Call it skatepunk or melodic punk or 90's punk or fat wreck punk or whatever. It's about fun, politics, friends and beer and it comes fron Stuttgart, Germany. Bike Age is Bonzo (Guitar & Vocals), Dave (Vocals & Guitar), Sebi (Drums) and Kai (Bass). In June they released their 5 track EP Bonzo goes to quarantine. From this I am sharing Thirty-some and counting...
NOi!se are a 4 piece Streetpunk band from Tacoma/ Seattle, WA. Base Rage On The Front Page is a single that they released a couple of weeks back. It has lots of the elements that I enjoy about punk rock. Gruff vocals, distorted guitar and fast drums. It is fast and it is great.
F.O.D. is a Belgian melodic punk rock band that gained some international fame throughout the years. The band built a steady live reputation with their catchy melodies and vocal harmonies.
Their latest and fourth album 'Sleepville' is a concept album, telling the story of Annie: how she secretly fel in love with Laura, how she got married to a man she didn't love, how she stood in live when her husband died. The vinyl version comes with a beautiful illustrated book and has 3 sides. Side A and B got released in March 2020, side C got released in November 2020.
In this album, F.O.D. experimented with symphonic instruments to add a bit to the drama of the story and make it more "storytelling".
The track I am sharing today is the 3rd track from the album and is called Fall In Line.
When Jesse Thorson’s previous band Pretty Boy Thorson lost a couple of key members in November of 2009 it posed a bit of a problem for the front man. The Slow Death was his answer. Drawing on Cock Sparrer’s working class anthems, the Lemonheads sometimes rollicking/sometimes somber vibe, and the East Bay pop punk fury of Crimpshrine, The Slow Death have carved out their own niche of melodic punk. 2011's Born Ugly Got Worse is a great punk rock album and I could have gone with any track from this, but have settled on Phantom Limbs.
Much Better are a three piece band from LA. In April the band released their third EP, For The Kids!
I am going with Leftovers which does that wonderful thing that many pop punk bands do with taking a song that’s really sad and turning it into a celebration. This helps anyone who’s going through a similar thing to relate and realise that they’re not alone. It’s a cathartic feeling that is very good for people. Leftovers is about dealing with the breakup of a relationship and trying to get out of old habits and traditions. The track features a lengthy breakdown section that splits the song into two. This adds to the emotion of the song, making you realise that the singer is really heartbroken.
Much Better write wonderfully crafted pop punk songs that have fun, witty and meaningful lyrics, plenty of moments to sing along with and it also feels fresh.
Don Blake are a pop punk band from Bolton and are possibly one of the best kept secrets in the UK punk scene. They play fast fun pop punk filled with great harmonies. If you’re a fan of bands such as The Copyrights, The Dopamines or Teenage Bottlerocket (and who isn’t!?) then Don Blake are a band you will love.
Their latest offering is a a six track EP named Anti-Charisma Wholesale which was released back in June. I am going with A Comfortable Lie which starts quite quietly before building towards the opening verse. This is a more traditional pop punk song. The verse is full of melody that hooks you in quickly and when they switch to a more punchy style for the chorus you can’t help but want to sing along. The chorus has this thing about it that has you wanting to listen intently and sing every word.
The EP is great and well worth your time! Hopefully I'll get to see them in the not too distant future!
Brightview are a three-piece emo-punk band from Bad Nauheim, Germany. Their latest release, Proper Confessions, was released in early September and the band describe its as being ‘six songs coming straight from our heartstrings’.
455 gives me instant Gaslight Anthem vibes – which is absolutely never a bad thing – and also perhaps a hint of fellow Germany-(via USA)-based punks Little Teeth. The opening verse of ‘We spent nights raising glasses, Singing to our favourite songs, Always annoyingly loud, off-key, Singing ’til our pain was gone’ hits all too close to home in these corona times we’re living in but it’s brilliant nonetheless. 455 is perhaps a little slower paced than other tracks but it certainly doesn’t lack any emotion.
The Hype Pathetics are a three piece band from Denver, Colorado who play catchy, fast paced indie pop punk music. Having only formed in the autumn of 2019, the band is already on their second release. In February they released their first single Red On White and then in August came their three track EP Alright.
I am sharing the third and final song which is also the EP’s title track, Alright. This was my favourite when I first listened to the EP. This is one of the catchiest and most infectious songs I’ve ever heard. It’s extremely simple and repetitive but I don’t believe I’ve had more fun listening to a song in a long time. The song is about trying to get in touch with someone and hoping that they’re okay.
From their Facebook page, Steele Justice state they sound like the lovechild of Kid Dynamite and The Goonies. Interesting. They are set to release a new album called "the way the cookie crumbles" and have just announced Not Today to promote this.
Steele Justice have been around since 2015 and so far have released an lp and a cd ep which can be checked out at their labels Bandcamp page.
Not Today has Dries Olemans (from bands such The Setup, Loud Love, Overlord, Circle etc...) collaborating on vocals and we get quite a different vibe overall to their usual sound. Dries puts a bit of the grunt to beef up the song giving it a bit of the “Circle treatment” with tons of power and it is great. I look forward to their album when it drops!
Formed in 2018, in Frankfurt am Main in Germany, Dark Ruby are a melodic rock band, fronted by the brilliant Valeska on vocals, Jens on drums, Steven and Andre on guitars. They used lockdown to write and record an excellent EP titled "Cure". It was recorded in the most part remotely, but the drums were recorded in the band's rehearsal room.
I am sharing the first track from the EP which is titled Taking My Space. It starts off moody then some sadistic riot gurrl vocals kick in. Some excellent twin guitar interchanges and as always, rock solid drumming!
The Red Lite District are a 4 piece from Glasgow who've released a string of eps over the past 3 years in which they take elements of old school punk rock and give it a modern twist. The latest of those, Peephole, is set for a December 11th release but is already streaming on Bandcamp.
The current line up of the band is David Cameron (Guitar and vocals), Graham Dickson (Guitar and backing vocals), Barry McAvoy (Bass and backing vocals) and Derek McKee (Drums and backing vocals). With the Lockdown scuppering their touring plans this year they concentrated their energies on putting together the new ep. It's 5 tracks which reflect what's been happening both around them and in their minds during 2020.
I'm sharing the opener, it's a catchy tale of a local Glasgow killer haunting the discos of the 1960's. It's called Killer Disco...
Banner Pilot is a punk band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Their music is influenced by acts such as Jawbreaker, The Lawrence Arms, Screeching Weasel, and Hot Water Music. Heart Beats Pacific is their third studio album and probably my favourite by them. The album was recorded in June and July 2011 and was then released by Fat Wreck Chords on CD and LP on October 25 the same year. Heart Beats Pacific is the second studio album by Banner Pilot on this label. I am sharing Alchemy from this album. It is the first song and a great introduction to them.
Stöj Snak are a Danish four-piece folk punk band who released their new album Life, Death And Everything In Between on 23rd of October on 5FeetUnder Records, TNS Records and Make That A Take Records.
As a taster Bliss Point was released in hand drawn and animated lyric video format in mid-September. The video itself is captivating and is a wonderful accompaniment to a truly beautiful song. Opening with a steady finger picked guitar riff and subtle synth part before some distinct harmonica playing and the rest of the band come in, Bliss Point is one of the more mellow sounding songs on the album but that is definitely not a bad thing. It’s also one of the longer songs on the album, clocking in at 6 minutes, but it never feels too long. The song builds and builds throughout its duration with the real highlight coming well over half way through the song as Niels declares ‘I don’t want to leave, Let’s live while we’re still breathing, I don’t want to leave, And dream before we fall asleep’. I can’t express how much I want to sing along to that at a Stöj Snak live show one day. Hopefully I can!
Melbourne band Romero released their debut single Honey earlier this year and they've just dropped a rather splendid follow up.
They're a 5 piece with a line up of Alanna Oliver (vocals), Adam Johnstone (guitar), Fergus Sinclair (guitar), Justin ‘Murry’ Tawil (bass) and Dave Johnstone (drums). The single's titled Troublemaker and it marries up the soulful vocals of Alanna Oliver with some playful instrumentation. It's classy stuff and I look forward to hearing more from these.
Catholic Guilt are a pop punk rock five piece band from Melbourne, Australia. They have been working hard for a number of years now and they’ve just started to find an audience outside of their home country. Their newest EP This Is What Honesty Sounds Like was released by Wiretap at the end of August. The multiple vocalists and fantastic lyrics really help the band stand out and they should definitely be a band you should be checking out.
The EP opwns with A Boutique Affair which is an up-tempo pop punk song about the struggles of making new friends as you get older, particularly if you grew up as a bit of an outsider. The track begins with a distinctive drum beat and a stop/start guitar riff before the vocals come in. Those opening vocals really hook you in to the song and have you excited to see where the song will go.
Reading three-piece Launch Control have recently released a brand new EP named Attention Economy and it’s really good. What I love about them is how fresh they sound compared to a lot of bands in their genre. If you are finding the melodic skate punk style a bit stale then you really need to check out Attention Economy.
The final track on the EP is the five minute long Marketing For Martyrs. This is an emotional and powerful song that truly takes you on a journey. The track begins with what’s basically a spoken word section, before moving to uptempo melodic punk before finishing with what I can best describe as hip hop influenced. It’s incredible how Launch Control have moulded these styles together so well. If I could only pick one song from this EP to see live it’s Marketing For Martyrs. It’s such an impressive song and the perfect ending.
The Brass are a five piece melodic hardcore band from Portland, Oregon. Consisting of Matt Forbes on lead vocals, Ryan Brodie and Brander Mercer on guitars, Adam Martin on bass and Neil Bryan on drums, the band released their latest EP Mob Neutrality in August. The highlight for me is Matt Forbes’ vocals, they really give the band their own unique sound. If you like bands that shred and gruff vocals with interesting song content then The Brass are a band you should be listening to.
I am going with the EP's closing track Citizen You. Saving one of their more powerful songs for last ensures that Mob Neutrality ends with a bang. After a slow build that lets you know things are about to go off, it feels as if the song goes at full throttle for the majority of its duration. It leaves you breathless but in the best possible way. It’s another track that really allows for some big crowd participation and I’m always here for that. Superb way to finish the EP.
Youth On Drugs are a Canadian pop punk band from Hamilton, Ontario. They released their first full length album in April. Titled No Slow TempOs, the album features fourteen songs with only two being over two minutes in length.
The penultimate track is the brilliant I Wanna Be An Alien. Featuring some incredibly catchy lyrics, harmonies and some great gang vocals, this song is a favourite of mine. The track is about – you guessed it – wanting to be an alien. In particular it’s about wanting to escape from the place you’re in and getting lost somewhere else. I can see a really silly music video being made for this track complete with a green screen, inflatable alien and a cardboard rocket ship. I can hope, I guess.
Florida’s Kid You Not have released a new album titled Thanks, I Hate It and it features ten new mid-tempo gruff punk anthems. Co-released by Deep Elm Records and Bypolar Records, the album was released on the 30th of October and it shows some great leaps with their songwriting. If you’re a fan of bands like Iron Chic, Red City Radio or, in the UK, Burnt Tapes or The Run Up, then you should already be aware of Kid You Not.
The Bums Lost immediately bursts with energy with an up-tempo beginning. That beginning is brought to a startling halt with the lyrics “I feel like I’m dying, and sometimes I wish I was, to get it over with.” These lyrics really set the tone for the song. It’s about feeling lost and confused in your life due to your mental health. As the song progresses the band talk about wanting to try and make a change but being too stubborn. The slower bridge that builds towards the song’s final moments is one of my favourite moments on the entire album.
Shinjoku Riot are a Mexican punk rock band who this year released a new EP titled You Belong Her. All four songs on the EP are potentially the best the band has written. The overall sound of the EP is great as well, it doesn’t feel as if any expense was spared with the recording and production.
The third song Creando Momentus is sung in the band’s native Spanish. Translated into English Creando Momentus means ‘creating moments’ so I guess the song is a positive one about living your best life. The guitars feel warm and retrospective and the use of gang vocals throughout the song gives the song that inclusive feel.
Shut Up! Twist Again! are a four piece are from Bayonne, France and play a great mix of indie punk and orgcore.
Outsiders features Oskar from The Kendolls and Tear Them Down. Outsiders asks the question of what becomes of the people who don’t fit into society? This is one of my favourite songs on an album packed with fantastic songs. It takes you on a series of highs and lows, there’s softer moments, moments of real intensity and moments that will bring people together. Having Oskar’s more intense vocals on the track was a masterstroke of an idea. It adds such an interesting extra dimension to the song that really makes you pay attention.
Apathy Cycle are a four piece punk rock band from California who formed in 2009. Featuring members of bands such as Intro5pect, Broken Society and Leftöver Crack, the band have previously released two EPs, the last was in 2014. Then back in April, after six years, the band released a self-titled full-length. They mix skate punk, hardcore and ska which makes for a real interesting album.
Forgotten Genocide starts out with a ominous sounding introduction before making the switch to a skacore style. The song makes you think you’re getting ready for a gigantic circle pit before switching things up and getting you skanking up a storm. Throughout the song it does switch between the more melodic skate punk sound and the ska which creates an amazing sound. The song itself looks at horrific moments in history that have been forgotten and how this is wrong. They make the point that if we don’t remember these atrocious moments in our past, we will repeat them in the future.
New Zealand's premier purveyors of tasteful
garage punk rock, The Cavemen released a brand new 4 track ep on Friday
titled Euthanise Me. As always with The Cavemen, you don't just get a
"hit" and 3 b sides, you get a full ep's worth of great music. The title
track is a rowdy rocker that's accompanied by a fun sci fi video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyB9SRQZc6U)
and the closing track sees the guys slowing things down a little and
introducing doomed romance into the mix. I am going for one of the
middle tracks which is Nightmare. It is a frantic sub 90 second hit of
fat free budget rock banger that will get you bouncing around if garage
punk is your thing.
Broadway Calls is an American punk rock band from Rainier, Oregon. The band has released three records and toured the United States and Canada extensively and often. More recently the band has completed tours in Europe. Broadway Calls have toured with such bands as Alkaline Trio, The Gaslight Anthem, Rancid, The Bouncing Souls, and Bad Religion. They recently released their fourth album Sad In The City which is also their first on Red Scare Industries whose label boss Toby Jeg said it’s the best thing they’ve ever put out. That is a big statement when you look back at how many amazing releases Red Scare have put out over the years.
Meet Me On The Moon is a song about getting away from all the troubles on earth with that special someone. The song is a lot of fun but also shows a serious side when you think about how bad the world must currently be if you want to escape all the way to the moon. I can see this song being a big favourite with Broadway Calls fans.
Burnt Tapes are a Melodic punk rock band from London who write songs about sadness, regret, nostalgia and mental health. A lot of the boxes ticked there for me. In September they released their EP Grower and it is a cool little collection of songs showing off their progress as a band.
Getitgotitgood begins with a short introduction that builds towards Pan’s vocals. Pan’s vocals give the song such an infectious energy that have you wanting to sing along immediately. The song’s highlight is without a doubt the chorus, which may be one of my favourites the band has written to date. Pan definitely has a fantastic skill for writing some huge hooks. This is one that I’m really looking forward to seeing live when such things are allowed to happen again.
My Kid Banana are a four piece band from Saint Paul, Minnesota, who write pop culture punk songs. Way back in February the band released a new album named Nostalgic Interference and it’s taken me far too long to get around to checking it out.
Decepticunt is an angrier song on the album as you might be able to tell from the title. The song is about getting out of a bad relationship with someone you thought was great but in actuality is an awful person. I imagine the song gets a great reaction at My Kid Banana live shows.
On My Arms are a four piece band from Venice, Italy. The band formed in 2011 and are heavily influenced by bands such as The Ramones and The Queers, as well as more modern day acts such as Teenage Bottlerocket. I first became aware of the band due to their excellent Life At Thirty EP which was released in 2018. In May, On My Arms released a new five track EP titled More Than Drugs.
I am sharing Going Home With You which is perhaps my favourite song of theirs. From the outset it’s an uptempo sing-along that’s full to the brim with this infectious energy. The way in which Ganz delivers the vocals is fantastic, punchy on the verse and then loads of melody in the chorus.
Civic are a "gutter rock" 5 piece (Darcy Grigg, David Forcier, Jim McCullough, Lewis Hodgson & Roland Hlavka) from Melbourne. They've released 3 yop notch singles on Anti Fade Records and have now added a 4th in the shape of the Radiant Eye 7". The A side, and title track features a saxophone and is a blistering garage rocker with some great hooks. Definitely one you'll be rocking out to.
The Shell Corporation hail from Los Angeles and feature a line up of Jan Quixote, Curtiss Lopez, Seantonamo Bay & Jake Margolis. They released both their debut album (Force Majure) and debut single (Bread And Circuses) back in 2011 and have since released a couple more albums (Mandrake & Fucked). Earlier this month they released a new 5 track ep titled Told Ya So.
It's an impressive helping of political hardcore from a band that tell us in the title track that 40 year old punk rock songs are still relevant today (and to prove it, they turn in a belting cover of the 7 Seconds classic Here's Your Warning). Another highlight is Unfollow, a song that takes aim social media and people's often dodgy online activities ("Why do I still hit reply to you? I love you in person but your online persona is a trifling bore").
Shot Balowski are a 3 piece based in Carlisle and Glasgow who's line up features Debbie Ullrich (bass/vocals), Tef Lovegrass (drums/vocals) and Simon Whittle guitar/vocals). Earlier this year they released a debut, self titled album and it ain't half bad.
They're a band with a left leaning political worldview who write snappy little punk tunes on subjects such as militant suffragette martyr Emily Wilding Davison, orange hued has-been Donald Trump, hate filled red top The Daily Mail, boxing icon Muhammad Ali, sexy people with guns and fast cars on American tv etc. They even make a good fist of the Bob Marley classic Redemption Song.
This is a fuck you to those greedy, grasping twats that are doing their best to keep most of us in poverty. It's called Critique Of Everyday Life...
Another Belgium band, Crackups are a quartet featuring Thomas, Niels, Toon & Siebe from Antwerp who play some great Garage Punk. They have been around for a number of years but early 2020 saw them return with a 7" (Floor) and now a mini LP titled Greetings From Earth dropped another bomb on Flanders' fields.
Bruce are another cool Belgian garage punk band and have members from Aarschot and Bilzen. I am going with Next Time to introduce the band as this song has a bit of history. The track appeared for the first time on a compilation of Belgian 60's inspired bands back in 1987, when some members of BRUCE were in a band called the Leftovers. This version gave it the fantastic Bruce makeover, however this time without the ever present wah wah guitar lead, reminiscent of their inspirators, the mighty Cosmic Psychos.
The Scoffs are old school punk rockers from Seattle who have a long list of influences including the likes of Cock Sparrer, Sham 69 and Dead Boys etc etc etc. They line up with Steve "Knuck" Bostick (vocals/guitar), Gabor Szakacsi (guitar/vocals), Nate Manning (bass/vocals) and Rob Olsen (drums).
Earlier this year they released a debut 5 track EP titled Talk Is Cheap. It's anthemic punk n roll with songs about not trying to force your point of view on others, spreading lies till they become accepted as truths, murder, police violence and how you should own up to your own mistakes. It's good stuff and you can get the cd and digital download on their Bandcamp.
Everyone likes a good cop song and The Scoffs have recently released a video to go with theirs. This is Little Blue Tyrants.
Beans always jokes that he doesn't
understand how MDM Amazing is his most popular songs as they all sound
the same. I guess what he means is that they all use the same few chords
and to answer his questions it is probably because it is about taking
MDMA at a festival and having a jolly good time.
One other
predictability from Beans is that he will release an album on his
birthdays on 1st December. He has done this every year since 2009 and as
this year is his 40th he is releasing 2. Knee Deep In Nostalgia, which
has a host of musicians participating and The Unfotseebale Future which
is a collection of songs written during and inspired by the 2020 happens
and Recorded at home, solo. As with anything these days a number of
songs have already been released in the build up to the release.
Titled
Album Of The Day, it is on the Knee Deep In Nostalgia album and is about
listening to music with his daughter. It's a cute little song and a
needed escape. Simple but effective and always a place for another Beans
song.
The Chats are a punk band from Australia's Sunshine Coast who play "shed rock". I'm not totally sure what shed rock is (I assume they don't have a garage)? ike many punk bands they write songs about stuff that's important to them. Unlike most other bands though, rather than writing about politics, gender issues or the environment, Josh Price, Eamon Sandwith and Matt Boggis are more concerned with the stuff that affects their daily lives. Like getting stranded with no bus money, their mum stealing their stuff or getting bothered whilst on a smoke break.
They are back with a new single and it's great. It's fun, catchy and rocks like a motherf---er. It's titled AC/DC CD and it extols the virtues of "the 2nd greatest band in history." The accompanying video will bring a smile to your face with Josh, Eamon & Matt rocking out in a way that would make their heroes proud. According to our fresh faced trio, there's only one band better!
The b side is a cover of AC/DC's Rocker and it's only available on the 7"
Kingsway Flyers are a new 3 piece melodic punk band from Stockport featuring Antony Walsh, Anthony Morrison and Ben Relton. Anthony "Morry" Morrison played bass in Epic Problem whilst Anthony Walsh was vocalist/guitarist with The Vox Dolomites and has also been in D.F.A. and One Man Stand.
They've a debut album on the way which was produced at their local Pressure Drop Studio by Will Farley and to whet our appetites they've put 3 of the tracks on Bandcamp as a free download.
Fans of the members' previous output will feel at home with some gritty, melodic punk rock. Driving guitars and strong vocals added to catchy tunes is always going to go down well and the teaser songs leave us eagerly awaiting the full length. They're a band to keep an eye on.
The Fallout are a Toronto based punk band who have just released an updated version of a song which was written by bass player Patty O'Lantern many years ago whilst he was a member of The Embarrassments. It was inspired "by Basquiat artwork. I wrote it just after Bush won his 2nd term." There's a new sheriff in town but he's very much a part of the old order.
You can get the song, name your price on Bandcamp.
Reverse formed in Stoke On Trent in 1990 and released a fair few splits and singles before splitting in 2003. Japanese label SP Records put out a collection of their work in the form of 2011's Chasing Ghosts album.
A couple of years ago they got back together and have recently released a brilliant new album titled Empty Spaces. With a line up featuring Paul Beard (drums), Dan Rowley (guitar/backing vocals), Mick Flock (guitar/backing vocals) and Nick Sharratt (bass/vocals), they're better than ever. It's a dozen catchy as hell songs that'll have you singing along.
I'm going to go with one of the tracks that isn't streaming on Bandcamp as my choice tday. This is Broken Windows...
Slalom D are a politico-punk outfit from Sunderland and this is what they have to say about themselves -
SLALOM D burst on to the NE punk scene in 2017 with their incendiary mix of explosive guitars, juggernaut drums and politically-fuelled lyrics. Early gigs quickly generated a loyal fan base which has been growing steadily since: a refreshing mix of young upstarts, original rockers and everything in between, all drawn to the band's obvious respect of what's gone before combined with a boldness to forge something new. A non-stop onslaught of controlled chaos and sinew-stretching harmonies, Slalom D capture the essence of 77, chew it up and spit it out in the face of complacency, bigotry and intolerance: Slalom D are a punk rock band.
They've got a new ep that features 3 tracks, Final Girl, Step Out Of Line and an extended Final Girl dance/dub version. Copies are available for £4 from the Slalom D Facebook page, Hot Rats record store and the Ivy House pub. Virtual copies will be available via Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.
This is about survival. You know in horror movies, there's always someone who eludes the killer, there's always someone who makes it through to the end. Just like in real life, no matter how grim things look, there's always hope. Hang on in there and you can make it. This is Final Girl...
ToyGuitar are a punk rock band from San Francisco, California, United States formed by Jack Dalrymple who is known for numerous other bands included One Man Army and Dead To Me. In 2015 ToyGuitar released In This Mess on Fat Wreck Chords.
I am sharing Human Hyenas which has a Bowie-esque twinge and sounds more 90's than 2015 and not in a bad way. It is a great tune from a great record.
Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards was an American street punk band formed to release the songs that Lars had written that didn't fall under the Rancid banner. Their songs include subject matter consisting of drinking, fighting, drugs, sex, prostitutes, gangs, and street life.
The band members were Lars Frederiksen (vocals and lead guitar), Gordy Carbone (also credited as "Unknown Bastard") (vocals), Jason Woods, aka Big Jay Bastard, (bass), Craig Leg (rhythm guitar) and Scott Abels (also credited as "Skatty Punk Rock") (drums). While Craig did not appear on the first album, he was always been a touring member of the band.
The band was formed after Lars' friend and bandmate in Rancid, Tim Armstrong suggested writing songs about Lars and his friend Ben growing up in Campbell, California. The band was then put together as an outlet to release these songs, as well as covers of Billy Bragg's "To Have and to Have Not", Holland-Dozier-Holland's "Leaving Here" (which was also covered by Motörhead). This first album was named Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards.
Lars and Tim then got together to write the second Bastards album, Viking, this time the focus being more on Lars' recent life (with the exception of the songs "1%", "The Kids Are Quiet on Sharmon Palms" and "The Viking".) after having "got outta Campbell". The album also included cover versions of The Blasters' "Marie, Marie" and the Anti-Nowhere League's "For You". Unfortunately Lars has no intention of creating another "Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards" album.
I am going with the song "Little Rude Girl" was originally intended to be used as a Rancid song, slated to appear on an aborted split 7" with Rancid and Richmond, VA punk band Avail on Lookout! Records.
Banquets are a punk rock band from Jersey City, New Jersey. They deliver a collection of strong, catchy, tuneful anthems. Were it not for the obvious heart and emotion in the songs, the band might seem almost calculating in how perfectly crafted their songs are for fist pumping sing alongs in sweaty clubs. From the first notes of opener "Little Shallow," to album highlights like "Call it a Comeback" and "March 19th," Banquets deliver hook after hook after hook. The band haven't changed dramatically in the years since Top Button, Bottom Shelf but they've refined their attack, resulting in perhaps a more consistent, focused set of songs.
Singer Travis Omilian is in top form here; his distinctive vocals sound the better than ever and the production is clean and crisp, allowing every line to be heard, understood, absorbed, and shouted back at the next show. The band have stepped up the game as well: the drums sound huge and powerful, but not to the detriment of the rest of the fellas, with furious riffs driving along the songs.
This is one of the standouts for me and it is Call It A Comeback.
Slick Shoes is an American punk rock band from Antelope Valley, California, United States. Their name comes from the hit 1985 movie, The Goonies, 'slick shoes' being one of the character Data's many gadgets. The band formed in 1994 and made their first release as a self-titled EP in 1997. They released six full-length CDs, four of them on Seattle-based Tooth & Nail Records. They also released an EP, a split with Autopilot Off and a greatest hits CD entitled The Biggest & The Best, featuring three previously unreleased songs.
The band had gone through numerous line-up changes over the years, but singer Ryan Kepke and Joe Nixon (drums) performed on every release, while Jeremiah Brown (bass) played on all except their final album, Far From Nowhere. This was their first release without Tooth and Nail Records. Far From Nowhere was released on SideOneDummy Records in the summer of 2003.
The band was particularly successful in the Christian punk scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s and toured alongside their peers, both secular and Christian (most notably bands such as Face to Face and MxPx, respectively). They also played certain legs of the Vans Warped Tour in 2003.
They have had numerous hiatuses and quiet periods, before reforming properly again in 2015. On October 24, 2019, Slick Shoes announced they were rejoining Tooth and Nail Records with "Broadcasting Live" and a new album, "Rotation & Frequency", released in September 2020.
There couldn’t have been a better single picked to announce their return than in “Whispers.” It comes seventeen years since their last studio album, and reintroduces Slick Shoes back like they never missed a double time beat. The chords are crisp and tight with speeds shifting from a cruising state to accelerated, and Ryan Kepke’s drag-along vocal cadence flows over the top in a true revitalization of their form. Fittingly, “Whispers” is the opening haymaker that catches you off-guard and welcomes you back to the early-2000s with a sucker punch impact on Rotation & Frequency.
In their original run, Slick Shoes lived on the poppier and safer side of the skate-punk fence, always peaking over at the darker edge loaded with metal-inspiration and a swift, technical focus. You never really thought of them as the stop-and-go, thrash-infused type of band in the genre, but now, decades later, they’re packing in power with slick intricacies and heavier riffs. Quick and smooth transitions are common on most of the tracks, but what’s most noticeable is the creativity behind the new intensity in their sound. It is the albums opening track and it is a ripper.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Lithuania (AKA Eric Slick and Dominic Angelella) have been knocking around for 15 or so years. That ‘Hardcore Friends’ is their debut full-length is quite remarkable, yet while it may have taken them a decade to get it done, they don’t hang around once they get started.
I am going with e neurotic ‘2009’ is even better. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s one of the best punk songs you’ll hear all year, blessed with a chorus that should be banned in public places due to its infectiousness. It’s another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. It's raw, it's catchy and it is great.
Jawbreaker is an American punk rock band active from 1986 to 1996, and again since 2017. The band is considered to be influential to the 1990s emo genre, and has also been credited (along with California punk bands Green Day, The Offspring, Rancid and NOFX) for being part of the punk rock revival scene that decade.
I am sharing Accident Prone which is the fourth track from Jawbreaker's fourth full-length studio album Dear You. It was released on September 12, 1995. It is their only album on the major label DGC Records, and was Jawbreaker's final album before their 21-year breakup from 1996 to 2017.
Singer/guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach underwent surgery on his vocal cords shortly before the recording of Dear You. Containing much less raspy vocals, the record had higher production values compared to the band's previous albums.
Considering this change in perception, along with the album's influence on the next wave of emo and pop-punk music, it has appeared on various best-of emo album lists by NME. Similarly, "Accident Prone" appeared on a best-of emo songs list by Vulture.
The song has a very 90's feel rock feel for me, similar to that of bands like Sunny Day Real Eastate and the like. It is such a great song, with some brilliant lyrics.
C2H60 is the name of the formula for ethanol (which you may know is the intoxicating ingredient of many alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits). It's also the name of a 100% diy hardcore punk band from Varberg, Sweden.
They formed in 2017 and line up with Fredrik Olsson (vocals), Victor S (bass), Andreas Petersson (electric guitar) and Jonatan Bengtsson (drums). Earlier this month they released their debut ep, it's titled We Don't Care and though the physical version is still pending you can check it out on Spotify.
It features 6 fast and furious tracks about misanthropy, warfare & drinking. It's a 10 minute blitzkrieg of shouting, banging and bashing in which the energy levels don't dip and the pummelling doesn't ease off. As far as debuts go it's very promising indeed.
This is the title track, it's called We Don't Care...
The Travoltas are a Dutch pop punk band from the Netherlands. With a sound that combines an energetic mix of the Beach Boys and the Ramones, the band is often referred to as 'The Beach Boys of punk rock'.
They formed in 1990 and I am sharing a track from their latest release Until We Hit The Shore which came out in 2017. Tokoyo shows off their catchy pop punk influecing with some great vocal melodies. After all of these years, they are as good as they ever were.
The Lippies are a feminist punk rock/pop punk band from Grand Rapids, MI formed in the fall of 2014. Influenced by the '90s riot grrrl punk movement and bands like The Avengers, Tilt, and The Gits. While the band sadly broke up in April 2016, they reunited in 2018.
I am going with the second track from their 2016 self-titled album, 302. They were snapped up by Red Scare Industries for the release and whilst catchy and for the most part high tempo also deals in more serious subject matter than many of the bands who play this type of music. Tonia's punchy, urgent vocals espouse feminist lyrics that'll engage your brain as you bounce around your bedroom.
The Drowns are an Oi! band from Seattle, USA who formed in 2016. They have recorded two albums plus five EP's. Their Oi! music is influenced by classic rock and roll and their sound has influenced spanning from The Clash, Angelic Upstarts, Red London to Johnny Cash.
I am sharing their song Wolves on the Throne which is from their latest album Under Tension which was released at the start of this year. For me this is where the band really shines. The vocals also really remind me of Pete Shelley, but that could just be me.
The Teskey Brothers are an Australian blues rock band from Melbourne, named after the two brothers who formed the group in 2008: Josh Teskey (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Sam Teskey (lead guitar). The band also includes Brendon Love (bass guitar) and Liam Gough (drums). In 2019 they signed with Glassnote Records and Ivy League Records. They have released two albums, Half Mile Harvest (2017) and Run Home Slow (2019). At the 2019 ARIA Music Awards, The Teskey Brothers were nominated for seven awards. They won three categories for the album, Run Home Slow, Best Group, Best Blues and Roots Album and Engineer of the Year (Sam Teskey).
Pain and Misery was the first single from the debut album 'Half Mile Harvest'. Think Percy Sledge, Otis Redding, Wilson Picket etc the vocals are that good. They’re outstanding at what they do.
Brighton trio Dirt Royal play an infectiously melodic mix of punk and mod which combines social commentary with a dash of satire. They released their debut album, This Is Now, back in 2014 and their new album Great Expectations was released last week. It's described as being "Instantly catchy and addictive buzzsaw UK three-chord-punky PowerPop on exactly 12 cuts. The two vocalists sing with equal measures of punk snottiness and sugary sweetness, including their unique call and response which makes the album to a true gem. But it evokes also the sound and spirit of early The Buzzcocks, The Clash and the Kinks." and you can order it here.
They've just released a video for Lose Our Way and it is a great intro to the band and album.
Sister Disaster are a Finnish band from Jyväskylä and line up with Hanna (bass), Sanna (guitar), Kaa (vocals/guitar) and Riikka (drums). In 2018 they released an album titled Away which you can download "name your price" on Bandcamp.
The track I am sharing today features on the Girlz Disorder comp which features all female bands from all over the world, all proper punk. The comp boasts "24 100% female punk / hardcore bands from 15 countries" and includes songs from places like Brazil, Poland, Peru, Colombia, Lithuania, Indonesia, Singapore, Mexico etc... The standard is high throughout and you're guaranteed to discover something new that you like. It's available via French label Mass Prod and you can find it below
Lay It On The Line are a melodic hardcore punk band from South London who were formed in 2012 by Phinius Gage bassist/vocalist Mike Scott along with his brother Matt and Not Katies guitarist Dave Smith. They've undergone numerous line up changes since but are currently settled as a 5 piece. They've recently released a 2nd album titled A Candle In Hell and you can snap it up as a name your price download from Bandcamp.
A type of punk that I sometimes strugle with, this toes the line very well and is everything you want from a punk album, energy, aggression, well written lyrics and a band that definitely know how to play their instruments.
Second appearance from Off With Their Heads and the title track from their latest Epitaph full band release. I absolutely love this song. The build up, the energy, the lyrics, the scream. It is everything I love about punk rock.
Be Good. Be Loud. Hand up to the sky and shout..... At the top of your lungs 'til the floor falls out.
I usually couldn’t care about who wins the Mercury music prize but I was genuinely pleased Michael Kiwanuka won it this year. He is a British singer-songwriter and record producer who is signed with Polydor Records. His 2012 debut album, Home Again, went gold in the United Kingdom and his second album, Love & Hate, debuted in 2016 at number one.He has been nominated for numerous honours, including the Brit Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, and BBC Music Awards.
Today I am sharing Piano Joint from his latest album Kiwanuka. A sublime talent with shades of Bill Wither & Mayfield. What a voice and an album worth your time.
Harold Budd is an American avant-garde composer and poet. He was born in Los Angeles and raised in the Mojave Desert. He has developed a style of playing piano he terms "soft pedal". He became a respected composer in the minimalist and avant-garde scene of Southern California in the late 1960s, and later became better known for his work with figures such as Brian Eno and Robin Guthrie.
I’m
a big fan of ambient piano-driven music. Usually when I'm at home,
whether I’m needing to concentrate, reading, cleaning or doing things
around the house, I love to listen to that sort of music. The chord
progressions that are in this particular song is something I've always
been drawn to. He’s a great artist and this is the kind of track I would
try and play along to on the piano, which I always found as an easier
way to learn than taking lessons or following tutorials. It's tracks
like this that make me regret selling my keyboard, but then I remember
how little I got round to playing it. Anyway, great track and a genre
that I will always come back to and has a place.
Scotty (born, David Scott; 1951, in Westmoreland, Jamaica – 27 February 2003, in Kingston, Jamaica) performed as a reggae vocalist and deejay.
While studying at Kingston Technical High School, Scotty and fellow students Valman Smykle and A. J. Franklin (born Franklin Spence) formed a reggae trio called The Federals. They began performing paid concerts in 1967, and shortly thereafter they attracted the attention of reggae producer and music promoter Derrick Harriott while performing at a Kingston venue called the Sombrero Club. Harriott added them to a tour of reggae artists, Derrick Harriott's Musical Chariot, and helped them record a series of singles. Their first single, "Penny For Your Song", was a local hit, but subsequent singles failed to chart, and in 1969 Smykle quit the group and moved to New York City. After the break-up of The Federals, Scotty and Franklin re-formed their group by adding two new members, Noel "Bunny" Brown and Richard MacDonald. They adopted the name The Chosen Few, and resumed work under Harriott. Their popularity increased in 1970 after they provided back-up vocals for Hopeton Lewis's single "Boom Shacka Lacka", and later that year they scored a Jamaican No. 1 hit of their own with "Psychedelic Train".
Shortly after this success, Harriott removed Scotty from The Chosen Few, replacing him with Busty Brown, the former singer for The Messengers. Instead, Scotty provided DJ work for various groups under Harriott's auspices, such as The Crystallites, his first DJ outing being "Musical Chariot". He appeared on numerous charting hits during this period, such as "Sesame Street" (1970, reaching No. 3 in Jamaica), "Riddle I This" (1970, #1) and "Jam Rock Style" (1971). His song "Draw Your Brakes", a deejay version of Keith & Tex's hit "Stop That Train", was in the soundtrack to the film, The Harder They Come.
Scotty's style prefigured the 'singjay' style of the late 1970s. He continued working with Harriott until 1972, after which he spent a couple of years working with other producers such as Harry J, Lloyd Charmers, and Sonia Pottinger. Scotty moved to the United States in 1974, settling in Florida. He established a recording studio and a record label, but these both failed, and he returned to Jamaica. He resumed recording, now in a ragga style, and was working on a new album when he died of prostate cancer in 2003.
I first heard the track I am sharing on the excellent The Harder They Come soundtrack starring the wonderful Jimmy Cliff. That rattle on the track is insane. What a great track with a brilliant Jamaican vibe. Stoooooop that train.
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band, formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band is composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Zac Rae (keyboards, guitar), and Jason McGerr (drums).
The band was originally a solo project by Gibbard, who expanded the project into a complete group upon getting a record deal.
Death Cab for Cutie's music has been classified as indie rock, indie pop, and alternative rock. It is noted for its unconventional instrumentation and for Gibbard's distinctive voice and lyrical style. Alongside their full-length studio albums, the band has released four EPs, two live EPs, one live album, and one demo album.
The group's name comes from the song "Death Cab for Cutie," written by Neil Innes and Vivian Stanshall and performed by their group the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. It originally featured on the British television show Do Not Adjust Your Set (series 1 episode 7), as well as in The Beatles' movie Magical Mystery Tour.
I was a massive Death Cab fan in the early - mid 00's but have found them more miss than hit since then. You Are A Tourist is on their 2011 album "Codes and Keys" and it is a great track. I sometimes think Death Cab are better when they keep it simple and this might be an example of this. The drums are great and the guitar really carries this track for me. Some pretty cool lyrics about how people sometimes feel about their home town as well.
The Jam were an English mod revival/punk rock band during the 1970s and early 1980s, which formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, in the county of Surrey. The band released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four number one hits. As of 2007, "That's Entertainment" and "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" remained the best-selling import singles of all time in the UK. They released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift, hit number one on the UK Albums Chart. When the group disbanded in 1982, their first 15 singles were re-released and all placed within the top 100.
While the Jam shared the "angry young man" outlook and fast tempo of the mid-1970s British punk rock movement, in contrast with it the band wore smartly tailored suits reminiscent of English pop-bands in the early 1960s and incorporated mainstream 1960s rock and R&B influences into its sound, particularly from the Who's work of that period and also drew influence from the work of the Kinks and the music of American Motown. This placed the act at the forefront of the 1970s–1980s nascent Mod Revival movement. With many of the band's lyrics about working class life, Jam biographer Sean Egan commented that they "took social protest and cultural authenticity to the top of the charts."
The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk and new wave. The trio were known for their melodic pop songs, their distinctly English flavour and their mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form the Style Council and later had a solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of the Jam's original compositions and played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker 330. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band's songs, including the hits "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", "The Eton Rifles", "Going Underground" and "Town Called Malice" mainly using a Rickenbacker 4001 or a Fender Precision Bass, as well as, on rare occasions, an Epiphone Rivoli.
My favourite track by them is probably The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow), so that is what I am sharing today.
Another loss earlier this month, John Nash Jr. (August 19, 1940 – October 6, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1972 hit "I Can See Clearly Now". Primarily a reggae and pop singer, he was one of the first non-Jamaican artists to record reggae music in Kingston.
Whilst "I Can See Clearly Now" was his most popular song Guava Jelly is probably my favourite by him. Possibly the most romantic reggae song ever it really showcases what a talent he was and such a great voice. Another artist that will be very much missed but has left a lasting mark on the world he has left behind.
The Devil Makes Three is an Americana band from Santa Cruz, California, United States. The group blends bluegrass, old time, country, folk, blues, jazz, and ragtime music. The group's members are guitarist Pete Bernhard, upright bassist Lucia Turino, and guitarist and tenor banjo player Cooper McBean.
This is a track about dying in Whiksey. Isn't it weird how a song about Whiskey ruining your life really makes you want a Whiskey?
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Orange County, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band lost mainstream recognition but gained an underground cult following. As of 2006, the band was no longer signed to a major record label and has since been independent. After many line-up changes throughout the years, front man Aaron Barrett is the only remaining founding member in the band.
It is a track from Turn the Radio Off that I am sharing today. Beer is a great ska punk track and you may recognise it from Baseketball. It is one of those tracks that is great live and always gets the crowd going and singing along. Possibly a great song to kick you out of the downer after the break up of a relationship of some sort.
Kerosene Kream are a 5 piece Swedish band from Stockholm featuring members of Polyester, Caligulas Mamma and Sticky Baby : Edvin (vocals/guitar), Hilda (vocals), Adam (drums), Fredrik (bass) and Theo (synth). They released a split album last year with Caligulas Mamma.
Earlier this month they resurfaced with a new ep titled Look Mum which features 4 tracks, one of them a recorded version of a track from the split (Where Is My Dog) plus 3 new ones. It's quirky synth infused fun and you can get it on vinyl from Push My Buttons or as a digital download here
Chicago
punks Sincere Engineer have signed to Hopeless Records and to celebrate
the occasion, they shared new single and music video for “Trust Me” - a
guttural anthem about self-sabotage.
"We are absolutely thrilled to join the Hopeless Records family” says the band:
“And we’re so excited to share our new song called 'Trust Me' with
everyone! To accompany it, we made a shit DIY music video that probably
has our new family thinking 'oh no, what have we done?'".
Previously signed to Red Scare, their debut album "Rhombithian" was
lauded by places like Noisey and cemented their place as one of punk's
most ambitious and honest bands. It also caught the attention of The
Lawrence Arms who brought the band on tour. A track has also been shared on here previously.
This is a great track and leaves you eagerly waiting for more.
Alien Nosejob are from Clunes, Australia and have already released an album earlier this year titled Suddenly Everything Is Twice As Loud and this has been followed up with Once Again The Present Becomes The Past. Originally planned as a concept record about Australia’s first and largest air raid, the 1942 Bombing Of Darwin, it's gradually morphed into a body of work that suggests how "history is forever repeating itself. It continues to happen. It will happen again."
Aside from a few quiet moments (a couple of brief piano pieces and the haunting synth tracks The Day After and Dead Pelican), we're treated to some pretty pacey garage punk.
This is a great taster of what to expect from the album on a whole and this is Sound Of Sirens.
Football managers wearing jeans is a trend that singer/songwriter Ian Passey has noticed sneaking into the beautiful game. Better known as his alter ego, The Humdrum Express, he's known for his offbeat observationalism (songs about leopard print onesies and James Bond lookalikes) but during 2020 the Corvid pandemic and ensuing live venue lockdown has seen him struggling to whip up the enthusiasm for writing. This changed on the last day of the 2019-20 Championship season when he bore witness to the sight of Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber's euphoric celebrations as his side avoided relegation to League One. Whilst wearing skinny jeans. Not your typical managerial regalia but enough to inspire a song.
He used to wear a suit until he axed it Found a casual substitute - stonewashed, relaxed fit From Brazil to Bulgaria On the touchline and technical area Football managers are wearing jeans
They shelved sports wear; heard ripped slim fit looked hotter When sported by Sean Dyche and Graham Potter An assistant coach in shorts in December Is an image I’d rather not remember, now Football managers are wearing jeans
Brendan Rodgers often goes out shopping The fashion league is one he dreams of topping A recent acid-wash acquisition Turned heads of those held back by tradition Football managers are wearing jeans
Away fans crudely chanted “What’s he got on?” “Dark blue, distressed, snug fit hard wearing cotton” There’s outfit help for those in need From Kenny Jacket and Neil Harris-Tweed
Neil Warnock’s flares flap in the breeze Steve Bruce cuts a dash in dungarees No foul committed, the ref says “play on” Garry Monk’s transferred to spray-ons Football managers are wearing jeans
2-0 down half time at Grimsby Town His wardrobe and his team get a dressing down Roy Hodgson still looks sharp in a suit, but Wait till you see Bielsa in boot cut!
Excitement mounting on cup final day Double denim droves down Wembley Way A united apparel from dugout to crowd Rossi and Parfitt would be so proud Football managers are wearing jeans
Football managers are wearing jeans – It’s a real game changer! Football managers are wearing jeans - A tactical jean-ius! Football managers are wearing jeans - A victory over two legs! Football managers!
Pavid Vermin are a basement rock band from Rhode Island created by Glenn Robinson. They recently released a new EP titled Titled The Beach Boys Never Surfed and it will be available later this month on Jarama 45rpm Records. Limited to 300 copies on sea blue vinyl you can get more details here.
The title track deserves to be a smash hit but the other 3 songs are also very impressive. Most of Hawthorne, California's finest might not have ridden the waves but they put out some great music. Their influence still lives on.
