Cuffed Up - French Exit

Cuffed Up are a Los Angeles outfit formed through a chance encounter at Shab Ferdowsi's Sunday Brunch (Blushh) where Sapphire Jewell and Ralph Torrefranca first met, connecting about their love for the UK punk scene with bands like IDLES and Shame. A few months later, Cuffed Up was formed along with Joe Liptock and Vic Ordonez, becoming a real passion project that has turned into a full time band.

French Exit was the first single from the band’s debut self-titled EP and it sets the table for the kind of confessional punk that Cuffed Up brings in spades. The accompanying video for the single, directed by Josh Drew, wonderfully intercuts the track’s isolating feeling with the intimacy that can come when you find that one person who understands.

We all know the feeling of floating through a party, of weaving through the “hellos” and “how are yous” in a desperate attempt to find a nook or cranny in which to squeeze, a place where you can feel comfortable. Much of what works about “French Exit” comes from the way in which vocalist Sapphire Jewel navigates this isolation, pouring out a stream of spoken-word anxiety with ease and bending her voice around the exacting instrumentals in way that effortlessly draws you into the band’s world.

Bandcamp

Pinhead Gunpowder - Buffalo

Pinhead Gunpowder was an American punk rock band that formed in East Bay, California, in 1990. The band currently consists of Aaron Cometbus (drums, lyrics), Bill Schneider (bass), Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Jason White (guitar, vocals). The band's name comes from a brand of "high octane" green tea served at the Arcata co-op and discovered by Aaron Cometbus during one of his many dumpster diving adventures.

I am sharing the track Buffalo today.

illuminati hotties - ppl plzer

Illuminati Hotties are an American indie pop band from Los Angeles, California. They were founded in 2017 as a vehicle for the songwriting of Sarah Tudzin.

Sarah Tudzin began her career in music as a recording engineer. In 2018, Tudzin and her band released their debut full-length album, Kiss Yr Frenemies, on Tiny Engines.

In October 2019 Tudzin released a song for download called "ppl plzer," with all proceeds from the track going to the suicide prevention group The Trevor Project. Not only is it a great song, but it comes with a great video as well.

Winterfylleth - Frithgeard

A beautiful instrumental piece by a quite excellent black metal band. From Manchester, England. Most of the bands music is straight black metal, every now and then they throw these instrumental, almost orchestral pieces into their music, their name translates from old English to ‘Winter Full Moon’. 

Ash - Angel Interceptor

I was going down the route of mid 90's Indie / Brit Pop bands and landed on Ash's 1977. What a great album and I loved listening to it again. Checking Mixtape to see what had already been added, I was surprised to see that there isn't currently an Ash track on here. I could have gone with a number of tracks, some more obvious than others, but decided to go with Angel Interceptor.

1977 is perhaps best remembered by those who shared in its sentiments – written by a trio of teenagers, for an audience of the same, it preoccupied itself with chugging alcohol, chasing after girls and messing about with martial arts. Frontman Tim Wheeler was just 19 at the time of its release and, like most 19 year-olds, was probably enjoying legal drinking age status, but his songs recall a time just previous to chucking away the fake ID, where park benches were bar stools and a bottle of flavoured wine drink was the choice of the get-drunk-quick teen on their way to a parents-away party.

For me, the album was one of a few that were a gateway into music that I listen to these days. It has ties to friends and influences on my life that are no longer with us. For that reason, Ash and this album will always have a special place for me along with a small selection of others.

This song is meant to be one of the reasons Ash believed they needed a fourth, female member. Originally, the track's high-pitched backing vocals were performed by drummer Rick McMurray, but the band were unsatisfied with them. The title of the song is a reference to fictional aircraft featured in the 1960s sci-fi series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

It's the icing on the already heavily tiered cake. Sweet and seducing cute-punk as only Ash seem to deliver. It is simply great and what I want from them. 

Bruce Springsteen - Highway 29

I saw a discussion around which Springsteen tracks would be considered underrated. This got me thinking and with not much else to listen to, as stated previously around new music and the start of the year, I went on a bit of a hunt. For me the answer would be Highway 29. From his understated masterpiece The Ghost of Tom, I've always thought his best tracks are his narrative songs and this is a collection of tales.

On this track he tells the tale of a petty criminal trying, without much success, to live a straight life in Highway 29. Part of Springsteen’s genius as a songwriter is his ear or capturing the nuances of everyday speech in much the same way as a novelist.

Highway 29 runs from Maryland to Florida and you know this one-night stand in the motel is not going to end happily for this latter-day Bonnie and Clyde. They rob a small-town bank before a car crash that ends in ‘a road full of broken glass and gasoline’ that might have done for the shoe-shopper. Cars feature heavily in Springsteen’s songs and the journey along Highway 29 ends in tragedy. This a quiet and potent song and for me one of Springsteen’s best.

DeeCRACKS - We Can't Help It

Austrian punk legends DeeCRACKS are gearing up to release a new album, it'll be a follow up to 2017's Sonic Delusions and it'll be titled Serious Issues and released on 12th March.

It comes a new single titled We Can't Help It of which lead singer Matt says "The song's basically about life and love. How we can direct ourselves in a certain direction. Make things better or worse for us every day. But we can't help to fall in love with someone. It just happens."

With the current Corvid pandemic keeping the band off the road they've been staying active working on several videos and studio sessions which will be released to support the album. This is one of those videos. Featuring sock puppets, a no expense spared travel budget and a guest appearance from Kathy Bates, this is a catchy little number.

Facebook

Bandcamp

God Mode - Punk Rock Girlfriend

God Mode are a new DIY band with members from Scotland, Canada and Germany. They've just released a debut single which features a lead track that was actually written way back in 1982 for a different band but was never used. Dusted down and resurrected it's about a leather jacketed girl with dyed pink hair who hung around the scene for a while before disappearing into the night.

Facebook

Bandcamp

The 99ers - Kissing Johnny Ramone

Hailing from St Paul, Minnesota and lining up with Stephen Brookfield (Guitar & vocals), Emily Bee (Guitar & vocals), Doug Heeschen (Bass & vocals) and Chris Schoonover (Drums & percussion) The 99ers are band that play some pop punk delights that will put a smile on your face! A great example is the catchy Kissing Johnny Ramone. It's a great reminder that punk doesn't always have to be a serious business, sometimes all you need is a love of life and a tune to sing along with. 

Bandcamp

Canal Irreal - Pestes

Canal Irreal are from Chicago and feature Martin Sorrondeguy (Limp Wrist, Los Crudos etc) on vocals with backing more than ably provided by members of Chicago hardcore band Sin Orden. They released a debut single in 2019 called Si Somos and they've recently followed it up with a teaser  from their forthcoming debut album which will be out in the spring.

It's a fast and furious collision of hardcore and post punk that has got peoples interests up.

Bandcamp

Heideroosjes - 2020, De Tering

Heideroosjes (pronounced: hi-duh-rose-yes, HR in short), were a Dutch punk rock band from Horst aan de Maas. The band were known for their energetic shows and songs with lyrics mostly in Dutch and English, and a few songs in German and Limburgs (a dialect spoken in the Dutch province of Limburg). The band, formed in 1989, consisted of Marco Roelofs (vocals/guitar), Frank Kleuskens (guitar), Fred Houben (Bass) and Igor Hobus (percussion). This lineup never changed.

Heideroosjes played nearly 1500 shows in Europe, United States, Japan and South Africa.

Towards the back end of last year they released a new track called 2020, De Tering. Even though I am not sure on the lyrics, it is still a great melodic punk song.

Sick Thoughts - Drug Rock

The brainchild of Baltimore's Drew Owen Sick Thoughts are usually one of the most prolific acts around. He has been fairly quiet of late with just a Demos album and a cover of the Thin Lizzy classic Killer On The Loose since he put out an excellent Self Titled Sick Thoughts album back in 2018.

There is a new Sick Thoughts single which has just been released. The A side is a classy garage stomper with an insistent riff. The flip side, Drug Rock, is another high energy rock n roller and is equally as impressive. It is Drug Rock that I am sharing today.

Bandcamp

BONE IDL - Kaleidoscope

These are a 4 piece from Chepstow in South Wales called Bone Idl who recently, released a very promising debut Self Titled ep.

They formed last February and due to the pandemic haven't yet had the chance to play live as yet. They sound fresh faced and energetic, playing bouncy late 90's/early 2000's influenced punk rock that would have been at home on the P-Rock channel playlist alongside the likes of 4ft Fingers, Uncle Brian, Captain Everything etc. (They list amongst their influences Drug Church, Alkaline Trio and Dookie age Green Day). They're trying to keep things "as British and as relatable as possible in meaning and metaphors."

A strong indicator that we'll be hearing more from them in the future, this is the opening track, it's called Kaleidoscope... 

Facebook

Bandcamp

City Miles - Songs Of The Truth

City Miles were a Oi, streetpunk band from the UK. Their debut album Social Upheaval was a genre classic and earned them lots of praise and plenty of new fans when released back in 2019. Tragically the release was overshadowed by the untimely passing of their lead singer/drummer Marc 'Mates' Maitland. And so a brilliant band was no more.

To remind us how good they were comes this previously unreleased nostalgic look back at late night radio shows, home taping and the music that shaped our lives. It's called Songs Of The Truth and it is great.

Bouncing Souls - Quick Check Girl

It's Valentine's Day... One of the of the best love notes from one of the best bands.

Enjoy!

Tired Radio - Making Plans

Tired Radio play melodic punk bangers out of Brooklyn, NY. Last August they released their 9 track album, Patterns. "There are only Patterns. Patterns on top of patterns. Patterns that affect other patterns. Patterns hidden by patterns. Patterns within patterns. If you watch close, history does nothing but repeat itself. What we call chaos is just patterns we haven't recognized. What we call random is just patterns we can't decipher."

I'm sharing the track Making Plans which is bold and brash with its huge production and snappy drums. Great lead guitar riffs and tone meander amongst reflective lyrics and gritty vocals. Themes of depression and anxiety take the creative lead in this track, neatly setting us up for the rest of the debut album. “Remember when you told me that I’d never change, that I would always stay in the same damn place? Well you were dead wrong ‘cos I’ve been fixing my brain and I’ve been feeling real good as of late”.

Bandcamp

The Cavemen - Schizophrenia

Another track from the great garage punk boys from New Zealand.

Hidden Mother - Sing Sing Death House

Hailing from a village in Scotland called Ballindalloch, Hidden Mother is a new outlet for the talents of Brèagha Cuinn. You may be familiar with her as she's also guitarist/vocalist with 2 piece vegan, straight edge, riot grrrl punk band Bratakus. Recorded in her bedroom, she's just released an spookily atmospheric cover of The Distillers' classic Sing Sing Death House. It's a different beast to the raucous original though future recordings won't all be in this style, I've been told we can expect a variety if styles. 

You can find the song as a name your price download here.

Sincere Engineer - Tourniquet

Another great track from the great Sincere Engineer and a brilliant animated video to go with it. The second track Deanna and her band have shared from their soon to be released Red Scare debut release.

Not much else to say as it has all been said before on this bad,

Enjoy!

Dead Rejects - Anti-Social Summer

Dead Rejects are a skacore band based in New Jersey who have been releasing on a very consistent basis since 2012. In December of 2020 they released their latest EP which was titled Anti-Social Summer. Featuring three brand new songs of venomous skacore with big choruses, Anti-Social Summer is another excellent addition to the Dead Rejects discography.

There’s a lot of buzz around the ska scene in America at the moment and I feel like Dead Rejects should be a band that get mentioned way more than they do. If you’re a fan of Suicide Machines, Leftöver Crack or The Infested then you’ll love Dead Rejects.

I am going with the title track which is a reaction to the summer of 2020 when everyone should’ve been staying home because of COVID-19. The track talks about how it was great to stay home all day and have lots of spare time, then how it got boring and hard for your mental health but ultimately knowing it was for a greater good. I would imagine over the next year we’re going to hear a lot of songs on this subject, I would wager that this will be one of the best. The melody at the start of the song really brings you in and when the pre-chorus and chorus come in it gets intense and really pumps you up. 

Facebook

Bandcamp

Zoanoids - Time of Judgement

A four-piece out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Zoanoids are a self-described “horror and sci-fi Ramonescore band” that put out a demo in 2019 and released a few singles in 2020 leading up to their eponymous debut on Hey Pizza! Records. As a person who isn't much of a horror movies fan and is pretty indifferent to most Ramonescore bands (heard it once...), they still have a lot to offer (and if you do like those things, you’ll likely dig this).

I am going with Time of Judgement which is quite the banger and reminded me a bit of the latter Lillingtons offering. is also a banger.

Overall the album is 13 tracks in 27 minutes, with only two tunes passing the two and a half minute mark, and it’s a record that I found myself listening to front to back, and then front to back again. Sometimes I felt like the friend in the group who is kind of chuckling along at all the references the group is making without actually knowing what they all mean, but it’s a party and I’m sure I’ll figure them out later.

Facebook

Bandcamp

Billy No Mates - Look At You

S.F. Sourdough was released at the end of last month and it hasn't actually taken 10 years to make, rather it's been "sat on the sidelines" according to Duncan Redmonds, AKA Billy. Essentially Duncan's solo sideline project that started back in 2004 and which has featured a cast of supporting members from so many bands that I have loved, including but not limited to Vanilla Pod, Guns n' Wankers and Sink.

At times, a truly pan-global band of contributors – Duncan recruited people from Europe and Japan to help with live shows – this latest record, S.F. Sourdough, was recorded at the backend of 2010 in the US and features some proper punk rock royals. This time Joey Cape of Lagwagon, Tyson Annicharico of Dead To Me/Western Addiction and Sergie Loobkoff of Samiam contribute to Duncan's Billy No Mates melodic/skate-punk/sea-shanty/Snuff-esque sound.

So, do Duncan's US helpers take the Billy No Mates project in a different direction? Not really. In fact six of the 12 tracks on this album are re-recordings that have been available before. But that's not a bad thing! It's great to have that familiar Billy sound blaring when I inevitably crank up the volume on this. Tuneful, fast, melodic, punk rock with brilliantly observant and often funny lyrical vocals, but without a Snuff-style brass section, giving it that more recognisable Billy No Mates feel.

I am going with Look At You which is a particular past favourite of mine.

Fox Face - Slow Burn

These are a Milwaukee, Wisconsin garage punk band that in the days of endless Pop Punk bands all regurgitating the same chords and bands trying to recapture the Post Punk sounds of the 80's are blazing their own trail. 2017's "Spoil And Destroy" album was amazing. But nothing prepared me for the absolute uniqueness that was going to be "End Of Man". This is what we're looking for and this is what we need in 2021! Bands writing their own music that sounds like nothing else. I am going with Slow Burn as my song of choice. Enjoy!

This is my choice of songs to post, it's called Slow Burn...

Bandcamp

Blast Bomb - Rock 'n' Roll Junkie

Influenced by the likes of Turbonegro, Blast Bomb are a Hamburg based 5 piece that play down & dirty rock n roll (along the lines of bands like Deathtraps, Hip Priests, Scumbag Millionaire etc..) and they're rather good at it.

They released a debut single in December titled Rock 'n' Roll Junkie and they've just released another track called Go Away. Feb 26th will see the release of the Rock 'n' Roll Junkie ep which features both songs plus Outta My Mind and Bulletproof.

A spotlight junkie with a mic, Johnny's riding the rock n roll rollercoaster and he's having the time of his life. He wouldn't have it any other way. This is Rock 'n' Roll Junkie...

Bandcamp

Liquids - Bat Outta Hell

Indiana punk legend Mat Williams returns today with the "band" he's probably now best known for, Liquids. He's just released an impressive 27 track album called Life Is Pain Idiot which appears to collect together some of the band's best songs. It's lo-fi, DIY and very catchy. Short songs that'll make you move and smile. Fuzzy pop nuggets with a crunchy centre and hooks aplenty and there's even a very decent cover of Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell. So many gems to choose from but I'm going with this cover.

Bandcamp

Pete Bentham & the Dinner Ladies - Life Is Beautiful

Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies are a kitchencore band from Liverpool.

The band have released a new "stay positive" song which will also act to point people in the direction of the #SaveOurVenues Red List which is trying to help save the grassroot venues most at risk of closure due to the crisis. This is Life Is Beautiful.

Save Our Venues

Bandcamp

LYRICS

No you can't have your ball back

Coz your neighbours a ballbag

He votes UKIP and all that

People are cunts

Lose your faith in humanity

Watch TV shows about vanity

They should be killed by a manatee

People are cunts

But life if beautiful

If you hang on to what's personal

If you see your pint as half full

Life is wonderful

Read the comments on youtube

Yes there are people just like you

Who think that Hitler's their go-to

People are cunts

Spend some time on the networks

The attention seekers are all there

Propaganda and real jerks

People are cunts

But life if beautiful

If you hang on to what's personal

If you see your pint as half full

Life is wonderful

No you can't have your ball back

Coz your neighbours a ballbag

The world is scary and all that

Lose your faith in humanity

Watch TV shows about vanity

It can feel like insanity...

But life is beautiful 

Is beautiful if you hang on to what's personal

If you see your pint as half full

Life is wonderful

Yes life is beautiful

Even inspirational

If you see your pint as half full

Life is wonderful

Roger Harvey - What A Weird Hill To Die On

I don't usually share tracks that are politically motivated, in the main I don't tend to lisrten to music as such either with the odd exception of course.

 This is a sardonic character sketch set to acoustic country-folk arrangements, depicting an angry white person driving a sticker-laden truck around town in the USA and sitting at home commiserating with like-minded folks online. The main character in the track finds themselves at the “chaotic scene” of the Captiol riot, rushing to a blurry aftermath in a prison cell, and still not entirely willing to concede their position. It's a puzzler in parts, but a nice tune, with a great voice and some cracking lyrics.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Final Parade

I have previously shared the Bosstones most famous track, The Impression That I Get and this week they released a track out of the blue, to me at least. It has a whole list of guest appearances from ska punk / punk royalty including members of The Interupters, Rancid, Less Than Jake, Stiff Little Fingers and many more! It is an instant classic for me, all the happy smiles of ska punk and checks in at around 8 minutes. I have played it a good few times since it came out. I believe there is an albuim to follow which sounds great to me!

 

Full list of contributors

Tim Armstrong (Rancid), Aimee Interrupter & The Interrupters, Stranger Cole, Angelo Moore (Fishbone), Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers), Jay Navarro (Suicide Machines), Chris DeMakes, Pete Wesilewski, Roger Lima (Less Than Jake), Jimmy G (Murphy’s Law), Toby Morse, Rusty Pistachio (H2O), John Feldman (Goldfinger), Laila Khan (Sonic Boom Six), Robert Hingley (Toasters), Dan Vitale (Bim Skala Bim), Dave McWane (Big D and The Kids Table), Sirae Richardson, Erin Mackenzie, Brie McWane (The Doped Up Dollys), Jesse Wagner (Aggrolites), Karina Denike (The Dance Hall Crashers), Christian Jaccobs (The Aquabats), Jon Pebsworth (Buck O Nine), Peter Porker (The Porkers), Steve Jackson (The Pietasters), Felipe Galvan (Los Skanarles), Jet Baker (Buster Shuffle), Fumio Ito (Kemuri), Glen “The Kid” Marhevka (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy) and Roddy Radiation (The Specials).