Hunx & His Punx - You Think You're Tough

It's a miserable rainy day in northern England today so I'm going to post a fun tune by a band from sunny California today. Hunx And His Punx formed in 2008 and have been releasing tongue in cheek bubblegum rock n roll/pop punk ever since. From their 2013 Street Punk album, this is You Think You're Tough....

WONK UNIT - Guts (Feat. Duncan Redmonds)

From Croydon, London, Wonk Unit have been producing their own unique brand of punk rock music since 2008 though some of them are veterans of the scene having played in several earlier bands including Steve Lamacq favourites The Flying Medallions . This song, Guts, was the opening track on their 2011 album Trolleys Thank You and features Duncan Redmonds from Snuff.

The Kids - Fascist Cops

One of the reasons for starting this blog was that it would lead to me seeking out new songs that i enjoyed enough to include herein. One song that I've recently discovered is Fascist Cops by The Kids. To be honest, I'd never heard of them before, I'd no idea whether I should have heard of them or whether they were pretty much unknown. A little digging reveals they're a Belgian band who formed way back in 1976 (Fascist Cops was released in 1978 and appeared on their self titled lp) and are still active today. Ideally I'd have been listening to this 36 years ago but better late than never, it stands the test of time very well and I'd urge you all to give it a listen....

The Murderburgers - turning 25 was shit

Formed in 2007, The Murderburgers began life as a pop punk band that seemingly aspired to be Scotland's answer to The Lillingtons, and perfectly decent they were too. Their last couple of albums however have really seen them step up their game. I thought Fat Wreck Chords  might have provided a home for them, as they did for fellow Brits Snuff, instead it was Asian Man Records who stepped up to the plate to release 2013's These Are Only Problems. Hopefully this album combined with their busy touring schedules will see the continuing rise in popularity of this awesome band. Here's a fine example of their work, Turning 25 Was Shit....

Buck Biloxi And The Fucks - Holodeck Survivor

One of the best garage punk songs I've heard for a while is Holodeck Survivor by New Orleans 3 piece Buck Biloxi And The Fucks. Clocking in at 1 min 44 it's a lo fi classic that takes it's inspiration from Star Trek and The Spits and no doubt loads of other cool shit. Plus the singer's called Pee Pee Ramone....Just listen to it, it's great



I'm so smart, no one can kill me
I know how to roll
You know, bright fluorescent sparks surround me
when I'm in a hole

Subspace wormholes open up before me on the street
and some eerie kind of force field pulses through my body heat

I took the law and threw it away
I ain't going to have to pay

It won't take my devil machine
It won't dodge my particle beam
It can't see my matter stream
It don't make two shits (won't make two shits) to me

LA Drugz - ooh ooh ooh

One of the catchiest songs of 2013 was Ooh Ooh Ooh by L.A. Drugz which can be found on their Outside Place ep. Mixing garage punk with power pop it'll stick around in your head ages after the track's finished.

Deadline- It girl

For the last dozen or so years, Deadline have been one of the UK's best punk rock bands. 6 albums and countless tours have earned them a loyal fanbase and in Liz Rose they have one of the genres most powerful vocalists. Last year, they released a 26 track best of compilation called Where were you?" This song, It Girl, is on that album.....

Lipstick Homicide - Rockerchick

One of last years most effervescent albums was Out Utero by Iowa 3 piece Lipstick Homicide. Containing 14 tracks of spiky pop punk that demand you turn the volume up loud and rock out it earned itself a place on many best of 2013 lists. This is Rockerchick....

she had the cutest smile and the coolest band 
i wonder if she knows i'm her number one fan 
and all i wanna know is how a girl like you ends up with a guy like that 
please don't shoot me down i'm waiting for the time you write me back 
she's got a sweet guitar, i really like her hair 
but she'll go home with him it really isn't fair 
all i wanna know is how a girl like you isn't even aware 
you could give me a chance i don't think your boyfriend would even care 
you know he's really not that vital to your band 
he can write a song but not as well as you can

The Lillingtons - Phantom Maggot

Possibly a good idea to always update this blog when sober, but sometimes after a few stellas and then several vodkas you start listening to the old classics and think that needs posting up. So, from what's probably become my favourite ever album (The Lillingtons - Death By Television), this is Phantom Maggot.
 thank you to whoever put all the awesome lyric videos from this album on youtube, sterling work my friend.


enjoy.......

Gnarwolves - Tongue Surfer

Despite seemingly receiving no real mainstream exposure, the UK is abundant with decent punk (and variations on punk) bands. One of the best comprises of 3 guys from Brighton called Gnarwolves. Playing energetic, edgy but fun pop punk they've so far put out 3 eps which will shortly be re released in one handy compilation called Chronicles of Gnarnia. From that album, here's Tongue Surfer....

Frenzal Rhomb - 5000 Cigarettes

Formed in 1992, Australian's Frenzal Rhomb were a band that occasionally popped up on the latest Fat Wreck Chords compilation but were never really one of the groups that caught my attention and demanded i seek out more of their work. Then in 2011 they released Smoko At The Pet Food Factory and it quickly became one of my favourite albums. Packed full of harmonies, frantic drumming and guitar riffs and a plethora of catchy as hell songs, it's an album that I'd urge you to seek out. This is 5000 Cigarettes....

The Restarts - Drone Attack

Formed in 1995 in London, The Restarts are a 3 piece punk/thrash/ska band who mostly write about social and political issues. Very much advocates of DIY punk rock, they're veterans of the pub and squat gig scene. From last years A Sickness Of The Mind album, this is Drone Attack....

The Boys - Cop Cars

Way back in time today to 1977, today's song is from the self titled album by The Boys. The London punk pioneers didn't achieve the same commercial success as some of their contemporaries but they still influence many of the bands that you'll see featured in this blog. I was going to post their classic First Time single (hunt it down if you've not heard it) but instead I've gone for Cop Car. Enjoy.....

A quick word

I'm enjoying compiling this blog, it's filling up nicely with some truly excellent music. Obviously it's music that you can find easily enough elsewhere online but i don't think you can have enough places promoting the music I (and hopefully you) love. If your definition of punk differs from mine, i apologise, go do your own blog....it's easy and it's fun.

You'll have already probably heard a lot (if not all) of the songs on here, but if you stumble upon something new (or something old) that you've not previously come across and you find a new favourite band, then brilliant, the blog is doing it's job.

There are people visiting the blog, please feel free to add comments, maybe even suggestions for future updates but only stuff i like will be added. So if i'm not adding some great music, it's down to my taste not the quality of your suggestions.

I was undecided as to whether to just post new songs but if i did that, either i wouldn't be updating as often as at present or the quality would dip a lot quicker than it will if i also add older tunes, even the odd classic from the early days of punk. After all, a great song is a great song no matter how old it is, plus i'm probably older than a lot of you so maybe there'll be records you missed.

A lot of the posts I've been posting on the band's facebook page, hopefully they don't mind. It's in the hope that visitors to their page will check it out and find a treasure trove of similar stuff to enjoy and support (i can dream!).

Should i write more on the updates? If I was a better writer then it'd be an idea but it's the music that's the star around here, I think it's better if i just try to add a side order to the tasty main course.

Thanks if you read this far, I'll shut up now and get back to adding some more punk songs......

The CRY! - Smirk

  It's very early days yet but I'd be surprised if anyone releases a catchier album in 2014 than Portland, Oregon's power pop heroes The Cry! Taking their influences as much from early pop artists such as Buddy Holly and The Beatles as from the likes of The Ramones or The Clash, The Cry! plough a similar field to  their hometown forebears The Exploding Hearts. Founded in 2011 and still in their early 20's, their 2nd full length disc, Dangerous Game, is out in March and will hopefully find the audience they deserve.

This is Smirk....

Big Eyes - Back From the Moon

Last Year, Seattle based power pop punk 3 piece Big Eyes released their second album, Almost Famous. Filled full of female fronted catchy tunes it's well worth tracking down. For me though, the jewel in their crown (so far) is their single from the previous year. Released on Grave Mistakes Records, Back From The Moon was my favourite single of 2012 and thus is well deserving of a place in this blog....

SNUFF - Rat Run

A band today, Snuff, that have been in existence in one form or another since 1986. Their latest album, 5-4-3-2-1-perhaps? was their first  release for many a year but time hasn't dulled their ability to pen a catchy punk ditty. This song, Rat Run, was probably the highlight for me....

Perfect Pussy - Driver

After unleashing one of 2013's best demos, Syracuse band Perfect Pussy have released the first single from their forthcoming album, Say Yes To Love.. If the single's any indication, the album will be a blast of energetic, noisy but most importantly wonderful punk rock. This is Driver....

Jabber - Maybe Next Year

Founded in 2012 and playing a similar type of feel good, upbeat pop punk to Lipstick Homicide, here's a band from Oakland, California called Jabber. This song is the lead track off their Too Many Babes ep which you can get here : http://jabberpop.bandcamp.com/album/too-many-babes

THEE SPIVS - FLICKIN V'S

One disappointment from 2013 was the news that London's Thee Spivs had decided to call it a day. Formed in 2007, they recorded 3 albums and a handful of singles, this was one of them.....

Wax Phantom - See-Thru

Here's another band that i had high hopes for, unfortunately they split after only recording an ep and a split 7 inch  (with Criminal Culture). The ep was released in 2010 and the lead track, See-Thru was one of my favourites of the year. The band, Wax Phantom, were from Long Island and they took their name from an episode of Scooby Doo. It's available for "name your price" on their bandcamp page :

http://waxphantom.bandcamp.com/album/dont-fool-with-a-phantom-ep

The Exploding Hearts - Rumors In Town

Formed in Portland, Oregon in 2001, The Exploding Hearts mixed the punk sounds of The Clash with their own brand of power pop and looked as though they were going to become one of the best bands around until a fatal road accident after a gig tragically resulted in the deaths of 3 members of the band. Their legacy comprises of an album, Guitar Romantic, and a compilation, Shattered. Taken from us too soon but not forgotten, this is my favourite song of theirs, Rumors In Town.....

Against Me! - Drinking With The Jocks

Against Me! are now streaming their long awaited Transgender Dysphoria Blues. Here's a short, angry blast that concerns itself with the issue of feeling alienated from ones peers..... "all of my life, wishing i was one of them."
This is Drinking With The Jocks

I'm drinking with the jocks
I'm laughing at the faggots
Just like one of the boys
Swinging my dick in my hand

All of my life, all of my life
Just like I was one of them

Look at all of them bitches, yeah
I'm gonna fuck them all
Look at all of the pussy, yeah
Fill them up with cum

All of my life, all of my life
Wishing I was one of them

There will always be a difference
Between me and you
Between me and you

All of my life, all of my life

The Riverdales - Countdown

Sometimes, after a long day at work, all you want to do is chill out and stick on some catchy, fun punk tunes. This is one of those tunes. Taken from the 2008 re release of their Phase 3 album, this is The Riverdales with Countdown.....

The Arteries - Bleed Away

From Swansea, South Wales and influenced by the likes of AC/DC, Fugazi, The Descendents and Hot Snakes, The Arteries rock......

Boys - Sundae Skool

One of the best demos of 2013 came from a band called  Boys who come from Cincinnati, Ohio. I think this description from Bloated Cat Records sums them up pretty well "Boys is the brainchild of 20-year old Megan Schroer. I don't know what to really say about these songs except that they are super catchy and all around great. It's a very pure kind of pop punk."
If you're a fan of Lipstick Homicide I'm sure you'll enjoy this. If you do it's available for "name your price" here : http://boysohio.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2013


I'm tired of being pessimistic 
Always leaning up against the wall 
I tried to call you but you must've missed it 
Is there a reason why you never call me back? 
Well, I'm over it. 
"I'm tired of being optimistic" 
That's what you say but you don't ever try 
You tried to call me, but I must've missed it 
Yeah, there's a reason why I never called you back again 
'Cause I'm over it 
and whining about it won't make it any easier 
I don't know your plans 
But I'm not gonna waste my time on someone I don't care about 
I get it, you got it 
I got it, you get it 
I got it that you get it but you never really got it at all 
I sense that maybe we've been miscommunicating 
And isn't it frustrating the way you won't stop complaining? 
And if that's what you're saying 
That you'd rather just keep playing all these games 
Well, I'll just quit while I'm ahead 
I'm tired and and I'm over it 
You're mad 'cause I don't give a shit 
About your problems anymore 
You make them easy to ignore

Tthe Mice - not proud of the usa

Back in time today to the mid eighties. The Mice from Cleveland released this power pop classic at the height of the Ronald Reagan presidency, the opening ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba......is sure to get your foot tapping.

Social Circkle - Drunk cop

2009 saw the release of one of my favourite hardcore albums, City Shock by Social Circkle. Mixing aggression with melody and fast paced punk guitars, the Boston act split in 2011 but not before leaving a killer body of work. Here's Drunk Cop......

THE LOVE TRIANGLE - Be Old Soon

Here's a slice of British rambunctious indie/pop/garage/punk/rock n roll from The Love Triangle. Taken from last years Clever Clever album and featuring 2 members of The Shitty Limits....

You can get the album for "name your price" here : http://staticshockrecords.bandcamp.com/album/clever-clever

Joanna Gruesome - Sugarcrush

Taking inspiration from the C-86 indie scene, Sonic Youth, Riot Grrl and MBV, from Cardiff this is Joanna Gruesome with a stellar track from their wonderful Weird Sister album. A sugar coated rush of Welsh noise pop with a razorblade smile.....

Sharp Objects - DMZ

Here's another band who are overdue a new album, hopefully 2014 will rectify the situation as their 2011 self titled debut was a feature of many best of the year lists. The Californian band features members of The Bodies as well as Briefs' guitarist Daniel J. Travanti and their album is packed full of spikey but catchy punk rock tunes.

The Little Richards - Keep It In Your Jeans

Another up and coming band who've recently released a very promising ep. The Little Richards (from Salem, Massachusetts), combine the pop punk of The Ramones with classic rock n roll to great effect. Mining a similar vein to the wonderful Mean Jeans, their song, Keep It In Your Jeans, is as good a tune as you'll hear all year.
If you like it, it's available for "name your price" here : http://thelittlerichards.bandcamp.com/track/keep-it-in-your-jeans-3

Rebel Spies - We Must Be Cautious

It's easy posting a different song every day when I'm adding my favourites from last year interspersed with the odd forgotten classic, it's a bit harder posting new songs that people might not have heard yet but still keeping up the quality. I'll try my best though, starting with a new band called Rebel Spies, from Detroit they comprise of ex members of the likes of Suicide Machines, Hellmouth, Hi Fi Handgrenades etc. Their debut single shows lots of promise, watch out for them....

Dan Vapid and the Cheats "I Wanna Go To Machu Picchu Before I Die"

Punk music and sci fi have both been entwined seemingly forever, ever since The Rezillos had to cope with a Flying Saucer Attack and decided on Destination Venus. My favourite pop punk album, The Lillingtons - Death By Television, certainly had more than it's fair share of moments that concerned saucermen and ape men on the moon.

From 2013, my favourite album cover was from Dan Vapid And The Cheats' second album, snappily entitled "Two." It was a great album containing plenty of pop punk classics. This was my favourite....

The days are long but the years are short 
and they all keep adding up 
time slips by like a blink of an eye and I'd rather have experiences than stuff 
Lately it seems like people keep dropping off like flies 
I wanna go to Machu Picchu before I die 

Let's go to O'hare and grab the next flight to Peru 
Go high up in the mountains with ruins and a view 
Lately it seems like people keep dropping off like flies 
I wanna go to Machu Picchu before i die

Quango "Fatality"

Supposedly, if the Blogger stats are correct, nearly 200 people have visited this blog in the first week and a bit of it's existence. Hopefully some of you listened to and enjoyed some music, hopefully you'll come back for more. Even better, give some comments, make some recommendations of songs that might be at home here.

This blog certainly isn't going to impress anyone with the writing, writing which is kept brief as it's the music that is the star around here. If someone finds something to listen to which they a) haven't heard before and b) want to hear more of then that'll make me happy.

Enough talk, here's a single from last year called Fatality by  London "supergroup"  Quango.



And best of all, you can get it "name your price" here : http://firstworldproblemsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fatality-7

Pacer - Red Shirts

Not a song about disposable extras on Star Trek but rather a hope filled message that no matter how much your love life may currently seem as desolate as a distant, barren planet, don't give up. "Honestly, I'm telling you it will get better"

This awesome song is taken from my favourite album of 2012 (Making Plans, get it here name your price : http://wearepacer.bandcamp.com/album/making-plans ). Formed from the ashes of another great band, The Steal, in my opinion Pacer are even better and i can't wait to hear some new material.

lyrics

She Said “I wanna see the world”
And I said “hey I do to!”
But she said “well that’s the problem,
I don’t want to see it with you”
You can be so in sync
That it makes you sick.
Then you realise
you don’t see eye to eye.

We kiss in thunderstorms
persuade ourselves it’s perfect.
We’ll build for years and years,
to realise it’s all worthless.
Lie there with your head on my heart
and listen to the beats.
We’ll say that we’re in love?
We don’t know what that means.

So tell me at what point,
does it get better?
Foolish hearts looking for love,
foolish souls all sat alone.
Loneliness,
It always leads to longing.
And then you realise
You are obsessed over nothing.

We kiss in thunderstorms
persuade ourselves it’s perfect.
We’ll build for years and years,
to realise it’s all worthless.
Lie there with your head on my heart
and listen to the beats.
We’ll say that we’re in love?
We don’t know what that means.
And “young love” will tear itself apart,
tear you up and break you down,
you’re gonna fall apart.
But honestly I’m telling you it will get better.

You’ll run through thunderstorms
to find that one whose perfect.
You’ll Build it for years and years
and realise that it’s worth it.
Lie there with your head on my heart
and listen to the beats.
We’ll say that we’re in love
And we’ll know what that means.
And this love will go straight your heart.
Build you up and strengthen you,
you’ll never fall apart.

But Honestly I’m telling you it will get better.

Cyanide Pills, Formica, from the album Still Bored...

Pop Punk today. Hailing from Leeds and inspired by the likes of The Buzzcocks and The Briefs, Cyanide Pills released their second album, Still Bored, last year. Full of snotty but catchy and fun tunes, it ended up on my best of the year list. Here's Formica, a girl who kills all known germs dead.....

Irreparables - I Wanna Make A Fanzine

A couple of years or so back, a trio from Spain and England got together in the seaside resort of Brighton to record a diy tape. Just to show that punk doesn't always have to be faster and louder, this is Irreparables with I Wanna Make A Fanzine. Close your eyes and imagine you're back in 1977.....

Desaparecidos - Te Amo Camila Vallejo

New 2014 releases will start appearing soon but in the meantime here's another one of my favourites from 2013. punk and politics have long been entwined and it's something that Nebraskan Conor Oberst and his band Desaparecidos do very well. Named after the "disappeared ones," the people who were arrested by various South American military governments and subsequently vanished without trace, the band formed in 2001, broke up in 2002 but reunited a few years ago and have since released several excellent singles.

this, their most recent, was inspired by Chilean student leader Camila Vallejo Dowling ( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/oct/08/camila-vallejo-latin-america-revolutionary ).

The Kidnappers - Spanish Girls

Sometimes, when you're listening to classic oldies, they sound so fresh and so exciting that you think "even though i've already posted a song today, i need to get back on there and add this."


Recorded in a basement in Germany in 2003 and still sounding as energetic and as vital today here's Kidnappers - spanish girls....

Shook Ones - Thin

Split singles or eps are becoming pretty popular, last year saw one of my favourite bands, Shook Ones, release a collaboration with Death Is Not Glamorous. It's been a long time (2009) since Shook Ones released their last album (the wonderful The Unquotable A.M.H.), hopefully 2014 will see them back with a bang.

In the meantime, here's a song from their split single which in my mind was unfairly overlooked in many of the year end best of lists.....

Royal Headache - Stand And Stare

Australia today. after bringing out their debut album (which was one of the years best) in 2011, Royal Headache released possibly the best single of 2013. I'm not the only person who can't to see what this year brings from them.

I'm gonna look and lie with me
And I know that you don't are
And I don't want anything from you
‘Cause I'm just gonna stand and stare

STAND AND STARE
STAND AND STARE
STAND AND STARE
STAND AND STARE

I like a thing about you
Do not seem angry with anything you have
And I don't believe in you
‘Cause I see you every day
I don't care

STAND AND STARE
STAND AND STARE
STAND AND STARE
STAND AND STARE

So you seem my favorite girl
Stand and stare
Stand and stare
Stand and see now, baby
Not anymore, no
Stand and stare
Stand and stare
Stand and stare

The Putrid Flowers - Midnight In Mid-America

Scotland's The Murderburgers released one of the best albums of 2013 and i recommend that you track it down. no doubt i'll post a song by them eventually but today i'll be concentrating on a group from New York City called The Putrid Flowers. The Murderburgers love them and posted a link to their new album, Midnight In The Summer Of Caffeine, which is available free here : http://www.putridflowers.com/free.php

This track was released a few months ago, it's upbeat, driving pop punk was a great early taster of what's on the album. if you like the Americana stylings of bands like The Menzingers you'll probably enjoy this...

The Putrid Flowers - Midnight In Mid-America

Onsind - Dissatisfactions

  The buzzcocks once wrote a song called raison d'être, the raison d'être for this blog is to allow me to shout out to the world about the music i love. hopefully someone, somewhere will listen to a song they haven't heard before and discover something that stimulates their ears and gets their foot tapping.

  the first couple of songs featured were by american bands, this next song is from the north east of england.

Onsind - dissatisfactions

feel free to sing along :

Crumpled papers on the front seat, 
These prescriptions give descriptions of the side effects; 
Never mess with medicine they say, 
Youʼre inconsolable, itʼs uncontrollable, 
The GPʼs hand upon your shoulder, 
Sheʼs saying "Chelsea, honey, take it day by day" 

Yeah it gets better, 
But it also could get worse, 
Tainted blessing, stubborn curse, 
And all the same, you just take it day by day (by day by day) 

So sick of fighting with your fickle fucking brain, 
This inner dialogue is driving you insane, 
But worst of all you feel mundane, 
A boring list of old complaints, 
You know the score, youʼve played the game, 
As the seasons fade away, you just take it day by day (by day by day) 

Thereʼs something wrong with me, 
I donʼt think Iʼll ever be okay, 
I just take it day by day (by day by day)



and more importantly, get the album (name your price) here : http://onsind.bandcamp.com/album/anaesthesiology