Albums & songs of note - 2020

In no particular order, here are some of the albums & single released songs that I have enjoyed in 2020.

The Sewer Rats - Magic Summer  

Worriers - You Or Someone You Know  

Dave Hause - Patty/Paddy  

Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM  

Touché Amoré – ‘Lament’  

Off With Their Heads - Don't Tell Me How To (Live)  

Deftones - OHMS  

The Lawrence Arms - Skeleton Coast  

Long Beach Dub Allstars - Long Beach Dub Allstars  

The Smith Street Band - Don't Waste Your Anger  

Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone  

Brian Fallon - Local Honey  

Time’s Arrow - Weakerthans cover  

John K. Samson - Fantasy Baseball At The End Of The World

Sophie Moon - Sounds Are Fine

Wrong War - First Shot Misses

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!

This is First Shot Misses.

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SYMPOS - On The Scratcher

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.

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TJ Cabot & Thee Artificial Rejects - Nowhere To Go

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.

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5 Knuckle Surprise - Canadians Eh !?

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.

It is all very 2000's era music and it is great.

The Kimberly Steaks - Stay Another Day

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.

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Blink-182 - Won't Be Home For Christmas

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!

Have a good day everyone!

The Vandals - Oi! To The World

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.

Time Thieves- Flicker of Light

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.

Bike Age - Thirty-some and counting...

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...

Jeff Rosenstock - Scram!

The second appearance from the great Jeff Rosenstock. This time I am going with Scram! from this years great N O  D R E A M.

NOi!se - Base Rage On The Front Page

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. - Fall In Line

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.

The Slow Death - Phantom Limbs

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 - Leftovers

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 - A Comfortable Lie

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 - 455

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 - Alright

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.

This is Alright.

Steele Justice - Not Today

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!

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Dark Ruby - Taking My Space

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!

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The Red Lite District - Killer Disco

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...

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Banner Pilot - Alchemy

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 - Bliss Point

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!

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Romero - Troublemaker

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.

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Catholic Guilt - A Boutique Affair

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.

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Launch Control - Marketing for Martyrs

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.

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The Brass - Audience

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.

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Youth On Drugs - I Wanna Be an Alien

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.

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Kid You Not - The Bums Lost

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.

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Shinjoku Riot - Creando Momentos

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.

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Shut Up! Twist Again! - Outsiders

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.

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