As it's Halloween I think a bit of funeral punk might go down well.
Cadaver Club are from Enniskillen, Ireland, they formed in 2012 and sing about all things death, devils and dark desires. They line up Mr Crowe (vocals), his wife Boom Chic Chic (bass), Dirge (guitars) and Draggle (drums).
Their debut album was 2013's A Fate Worse Than Life and they've just followed it up with the highly acclaimed second album, It's Always The Quiet Ones. Ideally timed considering the time of year, it features 13 ghoulish songs and it's available on Pirate Heart Records. You can check out both albums plus several singles here : https://cadaverclub.bandcamp.com/
I'll be playing a different song from the album tomorrow night (Tues 1st Nov) at 8pm (UK time) in the Just Some Punk Songs show : http://mixlr.com/mick-fletcher/ but for today I'll go with the video they released a while ago, this is Southern Cemetery......
Cutting through the bullshit pedalled by the mass media, Rats From A Sinking Ship are a duo (Alex Lusty on vocals, Jamie Price on guitar) from Ilkeston in Derbyshire who mix rap, punk and metal in their quest to present an alternative version of the state of the world today.
Frontman Lusty has had a long and varied musical history, being behind projects such as John Peel favourites Frigid Vinegar, The One Three and Happy Martyr (the latter two were collaborations with long time Morrissey and Polecats guitarist Boz Boorer). Details of these and others can be found here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Lusty.
Rats From A Sinking Ship released their debut album, Rise As One, last year on Driveby Shouting Records. It was intended as a cry out to disaffected youth everywhere to stand against the breaking down of modern society cultures in favour of the accepted mainstream. Fast forward to October 2016 and they're back with a follow up entitled The Peasants' Revolt. Also on Driveby Shouting, you can order it here : http://www.rfass.co.uk/. It'll be released soon in North America by Girth Records.
The first video from the new album is a scathing condemnation of former PM Tony Blair, a man who benefited greatly from media hype but who proved to be a self serving twat responsible for helping stir up a hornet's nest in the Middle East. Hang Him........
"Toxic masculinity is ugly, our shows aren't your tough guy contest straight the the fuck up u came to see the wrong band if ur mindset is--"
Lowest Priority are from Seattle, Washington and tag themselves as both Straight Edge Grrls and Pink Bow Bitches. The Grrls in question are Kristin, Elysa, Maya and Luna. If you're a fan of raging hardcore, feminist punk then you should give them a listen.
2014 saw them release the Golden And Violet Demo, it's aptly described on their Bandcamp page as pissed off teen girl yelling. By September of this year they were back, equally as angry, with an ep titled Demo 2016. It's 4 hard hitting tracks (including a re vamped version of Golden & Violent) that deal with violence against women and empowering one another to find the strength to effect positive changes in your life. You can find it "name your price" here : https://lowestxpriority.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2016
Despite sharing a title and similar sentiments, this isn't a cover of the 7 Seconds classic. Encouraging girls to come to the front, this is called Not Just Boys Fun.....
Pushed to the side, shoved to back gotta stick together and take a stand forced fed ideals, "dressed to impress" making girls in hardcore pass a fucking test
always questioned on every moves i make use your head man, we're not the fucking same sit down and listen, girls have a lot to say not here for your validation NOT JUST BOYS FUN
If you're unfamiliar with today's band and want some sort of idea as to the type of music that Skurvi play I'll just quickly paraphrase a review from p4th radio's Eagle Spits that's on their Facebook page : "if Skurvi were a disorder they would be Hyper-mania, fast, full on and in your face. Fast paced, catchy, edgy......" Other reviews mention "youthful zest" "pogoing epileptic mentalists" "boundless energy" and "infectious confidence." I think you probably have some idea what the song at the bottom of the page is going to sound like so now for some info.
Skurvi worship at the temple of old school, they list amongst their influences the likes of fellow Brighton punks Peter And The Test Tube Babies as well as Cock Sparrer and SLF. Don't be fooled into thinking that they're a tired old cliche pedalling out a substandard variant of better music from distant times, these boys are a booze fuelled punk rock juggernaut that sound remarkably fresh in a genre that's celebrating it's 40th birthday.
The line up features Jimmy Skurvi (lead vocals), Perry-Scope (guitar/backing vocals), Liam (bass/backing vocals) and Craig (drums). They got together in 2008 and released the Pints Half Full ep in 2014. Earlier this year they released their debut album, Get 'Em In, on STP Records and you can check out several of the tracks here : https://skurvi.bandcamp.com/album/get-em-in
They've been busy touring in support of the album and on November 13th (my birthday!) they'll be supporting the U.K. Subs in Lewes, East Sussex.
Hard Evidence are a street punk/oi band from St Louis who formed in 2013 and who list amongst their influences Slaughter And The Dogs, Cocksparrer and The Crack. The line up comprises of Ryan Brown (vocals), Bryan Clarkson (guitar), Jim Ulrich (guitar), Dave Jafari (drums) and Nathan Pionke (bass).
2014 saw the release of their debut album, Last One Standing as well as a split ep with Butcher Boys. It wasn't till earlier this year though that I caught onto them when firstly they released a split ep with Dog Company and then quickly followed it up with an excellent self titled album which came out on Rebellion Records (Europe) and Longshot/Pirates Press (U.S.).
The new album has been picking up some great reviews and very well deserved they are too. They're one of the genre's best new bands and that's at a time when the genre seems to be churning out plenty of great new bands. Ryan Brown's vocals are mightily impressive and the rest of the band can certainly hammer out tunes that are both meaty and catchy as hell. Prime example being the song you'll find below, Yesterday's News......
I don't really care about the news today And it's all the same People point their fingers Tell you who to blame Points of view but they're all skewed It doesn't matter anyway Because those at the top are the only ones that get a say And there’s so many problems And I'm just trying to live day to day But if you put the world on your shoulders It still won't go away And I have got the feeling that it's not as bad as they say And they predict disaster the same as yesterday Headlines are tragedies Sad little passion plays Peddlers of misery 24 hours a day There’s no solutions Just a world in decay Here to remind us We’ve no power anyway
Talk show host are from Toronto and list amongst their influences Bob Mould, Weezer and Against Me. They mix up power pop, punk and indie and have a line up of Sean Woolven (drums/vocals), Chris Veinot (vocals/guitar) and Fab (bass). Chris and Fab were previously in a band called Hey Mister! whilst Sean is also a member of The Most Serene Republic.
Earlier this year they released their debut ep, Disunion Tour, and they followed it up in May with the Perfectly Competent ep. Both of them are on Bandcamp "name your price" : https://welovetalkshowhost.bandcamp.com/
The lead track of the latest ep is a catchy little number called I Don't Wanna Go To The Library.....
Bottom half of a double billSix months not a single thrill Where are you? What are you? Can’t stand a sunny day No crosswalks anyway Where are you now? When are you? I’m gunning for Orion Wasting time, breaking time tonight Meet me on Orion All right! No light from a dying star That look won’t get you far How are you? Why are you? I’ve seen your type before You probably shouldn’t come around here anymore What are you now? When are you? Gunning for Orion Wasting time, breaking time tonight Meet me on Orion All right!
Yesterday I featured a song from Bournemouth band The Crash Landings which was taken from their much lauded new album All Guts No Glory. Today I'm very grateful to vocalist/guitarist Si Foulkes for sending me this top 10. Si says it was too difficult to choose an all time top 10 so instead he's gone with 10 songs that are currently being played to death.
The Crash Landings will be playing a number of gigs over the next few months so watch out for them.....
04/11/16 The Sanctuary, Basingstoke - with Faintest Idea
24/11/16 The Anvil, Bournemouth - with Sonic Boom Six
07/01/17 The Flag, Watford - Bands & Booze All Dayer
28/01/17 Vale Social, Stoke
04/02/17 Rifle Club, Portsmouth - with The Members
31/03/17 Winchester Gate, Salisbury - Punk & Disorderly Benefit, inc TV Smith, Hooligan Crooners, B-Leaguers, 5 Go Mad
27/05/17 Bar 42, Worthing - Bash The Bishop Weekender
The Crash Landings are from Bournemouth and formed in 2013. They list amongst their influences the likes of Social Distortion, Argy Bargy, The Business, Rancid and Cock Sparrer so it's no surprise that their sound is catchy, sing a long punk that occasionally features the odd ska flourish. The line up features founder member Si Foulkes (vocals/guitar), Ant Woodhams (vocals/guitar), Seb Brown (vocals/bass) and Neil Frewer (drums).
They write about stuff like telling the boss to stick his job where the sun doesn't shine, hate mongering tabloids, sweary friends etc and they've recently released their debut album All Guts No Glory which is picking up plenty of glowing reviews. If it sounds like your cup of tea you can get it here : https://www.mainstagemerch.com/product/the-crash-landings-all-guts-no-glory-cd-album/
Mixing the classic '77 stylings of The Clash with something more modern (I'm being reminded of Gosport band Night Of Treason), this is The Wall.....
It's a little like groundhog day today on here, just like yesterday I'm showcasing a band from Cumbria that have a new album out and to tie things even closer together they played the same all dayer as The Scumbrians that I got to a couple of months back.
Fat Albert are from Workington and line up with Jen (vocals/guitar), Barry McGlasson (drums/backing vocals) and Dave Carr (bass). They formed in 2008 and list amongst their influences the likes of U.K. Subs, Cocksparrer, Toy Dolls, Dropkick Murphys and Cockney Rejects.
Their debut release was 2010's Tales Of A Two Pint Rambo ep though numerous line up changes plus the tragic death of drummer Simon in a road accident meant it wasn't until 2013 that their debut album, Useless Generation, came out. In 2015 they released the Just Like A Disease ep and now they're back with new album, Stand Strong.
Solid, working class punk that's both rocking and catchy, this is Living In Workington.....
The Scumbrians are a young band from Whitehaven, Cumbria who went down very well when I saw their set in Lancaster a couple of months ago. Since then they've been busy putting the finishing touches to their debut album and they'll be unleashing it next week (29 Oct). They've also won their way through to the final of Cumbria's Battle Of The Bands competition, the final takes place in January and they'll be hoping to land the £1000 prize in order to splash out on new equipment.
The line up of the band features Luke Norman (vocals), Jake McAllister (guitar), Kristie Mason (bass) and Ryan Hodgson (drums). Give them a like and get more info on Facebook..... https://www.facebook.com/scumbrians/
Definitely a band to watch, they recently supported Bad Manners and the new album is sure to bring them to the attention of a wider audience. They sing about the stuff that's going on around them, mixing up serious commentary with songs that might just see them sticking their tongues into their cheeks (if you've heard the track Jimmy Saville you'll know what i mean!). The song you'll find below is a modern day call to wrap up the rockets entitled Throw Em Away......
Something a little different today, I'm going to do a label spotlight on Braindead Records and highlight 10 of my favourite songs from their catalogue. If you like these songs then get onto their Bandcamp as all their releases are very generously available "name your price." https://braindead-records.bandcamp.com/
Braindead have been releasing punk, garage, riot grrrl, thrash and alt music for the past couple of years or so and have found their way onto this blog several times. It started up in 2015 in St Louis, Missouri, and is run by Todd Parker, Kenny Joslen, Sam Evans and Brandon Vitale. As well as the Bandcamp they also a number of other places you can check out.
They seem to be aiming to create a family vibe, many of the gigs I see advertised on their Facebook page feature bills consisting of several of their stable of bands. They've new releases pencilled in both for this year and next so watch out for those. There's a couple of their releases that I need to listen to a bit more but from the albums I'm familiar with, here's a Top 10 I put together :
Horror Section are from Missouri and they combine a love of pop punk and horror movies to create the kind of music sounds something like The Ramones partying with The Misfits down at the drive in. They've been releasing spooktastic tunes since 2013 and you can check out those ghoulish delights here : https://horrorsection.bandcamp.com/
Their latest release is coming out on Eccentric Pop Records and it's a split 10" with Dan Vapid And The Cheats titled Twilight Zone (Vol.1). Nicely timed for the Halloween season it'll feature 3 songs from each band. The Horror Section have just released a William Shatner starring video for one of their songs, this is Nightmare At 20,000 Feet.....
Now they're back with a brand new album called Behind The Eight Ball and it's more of the same high energy, Irish influenced punk that brings to mind the likes of The Dropkick Murphys and The Pogues. Check it out here : https://mickeyrickshaw.bandcamp.com/album/behind-the-eight-ball-2
With a video that's a great summation of what you can expect from the band, this is the lead track from the new album, it's called Rats In Allston.....
Stuck behind the eight ball of an antiquated system, you fell into the rhythm of the cage. Education failed you, and after that, they jailed you. And now you're on your ass with bitter age. You can warm yourself with whiskey, warm yourself with gin, sleep out on the church steps, but they're not gonna let you in. Their savior was a failure when you're sleeping in the rain. The pouring water passes like your life into the drain.
When the sun goes down on the west in a cold cold world that we're lost in, You'll be sleeping in the gutter, face down with the rats in Allston.
Stuck in the clink, you'll wind up dead. At least you had a roof on your head. A hot and a cot and a daily bread. Out on the streets, you don't have a name. You've cut all your ties, you're living in vain. Nothing to lose, nothing to gain. You're begging for survival, you're begging for a buck, you're begging for a second chance, but nobody gives a fuck. Employment's not an option with a record and no skills. Stuck behind the eight ball, it's the system that had you killed.
Destination Venus (no prizes for guessing where they got their name from) are from Biddulph/Stoke and formed in 1993. They released a split 7" in that year with The Living Dead and were part of a 4 band compilation on German label High Society International Records in 1994. '96 saw Smoking Troll Records release their Rot n Roll album and it was back to H.S.I. Records a couple of years later for the follow up album, Speak Up Brown ... You're Mumbling. Following an appearance at Morecambe's Holidays In The Sun Festival in 2001 they called it a day.
And that was that.
Until a brief chat in 2011 led to them giving it another go. Their comeback gigs went down well enough that the reunion became permanent and this led to a brand new album titled All Aboard The Good Ship Venus. You can listen to some of the songs here : https://www.reverbnation.com/destinationvenus1/songs
The current line up features Rob Lad (lead guitar/backing vocals), Kev Kirkham (bass/backing vocals), Crabby Venus (vocals), Rick "Rocket" Wright (drums/backing vocals) and Paul Lindop (rhythm guitar/backing vocals). Original bassist Stu Marsden is now a member of the excellent Wolf Bites Boy.
Next up for the guys will be an appearance supporting The Subhumans at the Underground in Hanley on Nov 4th and they'll follow that up with a special charity Christmas single in aid of Douglas MacMillan Hospice. Titled I Just Can't Wait For Christmas, there'll be a vinyl version as well as digital downloads.
The new album has seen them compared with the likes of The Toy Dolls, The Dickies and Sloppy Seconds and the song I'm posting is called Billy No Mates....
their batons are out you're all outa luck they kick you to shit but don't give a fuck black, white, man or boy don't matter what race you're just another brother with blood in your face they taser you down writhing in pain fry the fucking son of a bitch again......
Force Fed Lies are a new band from the North East of England who's line up features Carlton Train (guitar/vocals), Steve Winter (bass/vocals) and Ian "Dusty" Doust (drums). I can find very little info about them online but I think it's fair to say from listening to the few songs that are floating around that they're a hard hitting, politically and socially concerned act that are angry about certain aspects of life and aren't afraid to loudly voice those concerns.
The song you'll find below is a condemnation of heavy handed policing, it's accompanied by a powerful video that showcases some of those instances of unnecessary (and illegal) acts of police violence. It's called No Go Area....
Tear Them Down are from Goteborg in Sweden and list amongst their influences the likes of The Briggs, Voice Of A Generation, Bombshell Rocks, U.S. Bombs, Teenage Bottlerocket, Rancid etc.....
They formed in 2010 and feature Vic (guitar/vocals), Gorb (guitar/vocals), Jonte (bass/vocals) and Maaran (drums).
Their debut ep, This Is A Mutinty, came out in 2011 and debut album, Their Fault, Our Problem followed in 2014. The ep, Ett Liv I Harlighet (on which they sung in their native tongue) was released last year and their new ep, Abide is out now. You can check them out here : https://tearthemdown.bandcamp.com/
If high energy street punk is your cup of tea, you won't find many better eps released this year (all 5 songs are great). This is the lead track, Take A Walk In My Shoes......
In a groundhog day kinda way, today I'm bringing you another super cool band from Switzerland who've got a new release out on No Front Teeth Records. This time it's the turn of Bad Mojos, a Lofi-Weirdo-Retardo-Punk outfit that I came across just over a year ago and who I posted a very uninformative update about here : http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/bad-mojos-if-i-were-you.html
So what have I learnt about them in the past 14 months? Not a lot to be honest. They had a bunch of really good songs that NFT bunched together on the Punx Faggots Freaks 7" and now the same label has released their debut album, Passout City. It's 11 tracks of fun, Spits influenced lo-fi garage punk that you can check out here : https://badmojos.bandcamp.com/album/pass-out-city-ep
Nasty Rumours are a power pop influenced punk band from Bern, Switzerland who line up Juli (vocals), Flo (bass), Jamous (guitar) and Danny (drums). They're veterans of a number of Swiss bands including The Strapones, Skaladdin, Tight Finks, The Fuckadies, Unhold and Delilahs.
They formed in 2013, have toured Europe sharing stages with the likes of U.K. Subs, Stiff Little Fingers, 999 etc and are currently wowing audiences down in Australia. Next up is a tour of South Africa.
They've released a few singles including their latest split ep with Australian punks Numbskulls which is out now on No Front Teeth Records. You can check those releases out here : https://nastyrumours.bandcamp.com/
Heavily influenced by the catchier of the late 70's punk scene (The Boys, Undertones, Generation X, The Adicts etc) they also incorporate elements from more recent bands such as The Briefs & Cute Lepers. This is from the new ep and it's called Because Of You.....
Pretty baby you’re not falling for me anymore No love, No love Pretty baby you left me and you’re out of the door Wua-wua-uuu Pretty baby you’re not falling for me anymore No love, No love Pretty baby you left me and you’re out of the door Wua-wua-uuu
No more heartache No more heartache – good times are over because of you
In what seems to be getting to be a monthly occurrence, Just Some Punk Songs is bringing you yet another new Vista Blue song. I'm guessing it's not easy to be so prolific whilst keeping up the high standards that we've become accustomed to but the Nashville, Tennessee kings of power pop seem to find churning out catchy tunes somewhat of a doddle.
This time round, and not surprising given their love of horror movies and the time of the year, they're treating us to a 5 track ep featuring songs based on some of those movies (Friday 13th, Halloween, Trick "r" Treat). The ep goes by the name October Days (And October Nights!) and it's available on Bandcamp "name your price." I'll be putting this ep on my phone alongside all the others as they make a great soundtrack sing along with whilst bored outta my mind at work. https://wearevistablue.bandcamp.com/album/october-days-and-october-nights
I could have chosen any of the songs to highlight as Vista Blue don't release eps comprising of one great track plus filler, every song seems to effortlessly lodge itself in my brain, they're all catchy and fun. The one I've gone with conjures up images of Jan And Dean heading off with their girls to sunny beaches and surf cities, the twist being as it's October, this time around the singer has found a nice secluded place by a lake that he can take his girl to. Surely nothing can go wrong in that scenario!
This is Crystal Lake.....
Back in May 2015 I posted a song by Montreal band Pale Lips which was pretty damn cool in a jangly pop punk kinda way. Imagine 60's garage, female vocals, catchy harmonies all with a modern twist. Similar to another blog favourite, Peach Kelli Pop (which is obviously a good thing). http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/pale-lips-candy-song.html
Anyway, they released a killer single earlier this year and the 2 songs featured on it were an appetite whetter for their debut album, Wanna Be Bad, which is out on vinyl on November 1st on Hosehead (Canada) and Resurrection (U.S.) and which you can check out here : https://resurrectionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wanna-be-bad
A lot of the songs I post on here are angry, hard hitting bangers that deal with serious subjects. This ain't one of those. It's one of the catchiest releases of this and any other year and it's got the added bonus of being very much influenced by The Ramones. Mary-Lou Sniffin' Glue.......
The Mercenaries are from Paris and list their influences as Rancid, The Aggrolites, The Specials and Bad Religion. Their line up features Loki (guitar/vocals), Bad Ness (vocals), Franky (bass), Mad Phil (drums) and Jo Robinne (keyboards). If you check out their debut ep, Long Way... on Bandcamp you'll no doubt agree that they've got that classic Hellcat Records ska/reggae/punk sound down pat. Even more impressive, going by the two songs that have so far surfaced, their new album, Rocky Road (due Nov) is going to be a step up and will be one not to miss. You can check out the ep (and a taster from the album) here : https://the-mercenaries.bandcamp.com/album/long-way
The first new song from the album, Night Call, went down a storm on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show, I'm sure this second track will go down equally as well here. This is Another Night......
Takers & Users are a great, newish (est. 2014) band from Belfast who play "sing along" streetpunk. In June of this year they released their debut album, Backbars And Alleyways, on Randale Records. It's the type of record that hasn't had all the edge smoothed out for mass consumption and sounds all the better for it. It's definitely an album that will still fondly be played in years to come and will still sound as exciting and vital as it does today. Their only previous release was last years Bootboys ep which featured 4 songs from the album. Amongst the new material on the full length is a cover of Runnin' Riot's Judge, Jury, Executioner.
It's a little over a year since Pardon Us featured on Just Some Punk Songs (http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/pardon-us-only-pain.html). Since then they've released a split ep with Only Strangers and covered an Iron Chic song in support of the McAllister family fund and now they're back with a brand new single which features an angry condemnation of the climate of xenophobia fostered by many of our politicians in order to advance careers and bolster profits. Targeting scapegoats and playing politics whilst the needy suffer, as a biased press cheer from the sidelines is leaving these guys fucking blazing with rage. Brexit? Not in their name.
Featuring ex Down And Outs drummer Morgan Brown on vocals and guitar, Pardon Us also boast Alex Howard on bass and Gabrielle Dos Santos on drums. From Liverpool, this is a band with plenty to say, give them a listen.
This is Fumin.......
I'm fucking fumin'. I can barely contain my rage. Contempt keeps bleeding from my pen and blackening the page I fucking blazing Feeling so alone and lost As you suck up all the profit and we shoulder all the cost
You search for scapegoats, preying on the weakest in the pack With the weasel-words of your poison press always poised for an attack Are you so distressed? Have you been oppressed? Are you taking back control? Did you buy some easy answers when you sold your shitty soul?
I'm fucking fumin' I can barely contain my rage. Contempt keeps bleeding from my pen and blackening the page I'm fucking blazing Feeling sickened and so ashamed Playing nation states with your racist mates like it's all a little game
I wanna rub your nose in the mess you've made Make you see what you have done
Take your nation states and your racist hate Fuck you - not in my name
When seeking out great music to share in this blog I have numerous sources that I keep an eye on in the hope that a new release will appear. One of these troves of aural treasure is Cardiff label/punk vinyl distro Brassneck Records. They're building up an excellent catalogue of releases, many of the bands have already appeared on this blog (Spoilers, Holiday, Hot Mass, Ghost On Tape, Traverse etc....). You can find them here : http://brassneckrecords.bigcartel.com/ or here : https://www.facebook.com/brassneckrecords/
If you want to visit the Bandcamp page where their releases are "name your price" (and why wouldn't you?) then click here : https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/
As a fan of Brassneck I was pleased that owner Scott McLauchlan agreed to send me a top 10 list. After a little indecision; " I'll have a look into the top 10 thing but I'm famously indecisive and will probably spend a week changing my mind. I'll get on it though." "I'm shit at top 10 lists. How about a random "here are 10 great songs from bands beginning with the lettter A" or something? I don't know how specific you want me to be with the concept of "favourites" but I know how to play good songs". this was what Scott came up with.....
"As per the title of this blog, this is “just some punk songs”. It’s not a definitive top ten or a best of list. Just some stuff I listened to recently while exploring the “B” section of my vinyl shelves. Other letter based lists may follow (almost certainly not in alphabetical order)."
Blotto – ‘Your Pest Miss Frankfurt’
Blotto are a sloppy/gruff punk band from Japan. I have a lot of love Japanese punk but these guys do this style as well as anyone else in any part of the world. They mainly released split 7”s (I’m aware of at least 10 of them) but discography compilations also exist on vinyl and CD.
This song comes from the split 7” with Hard Skin on Snuffy Smiles back in 2010.
Broccoli – ‘I Am A Robot’
Broccoli were (are?) one of the best bands spawned in the 1990s. In any genre. Their second album “Home” is one of the best albums ever recorded. In any genre. This is one of the best songs from that album. Flawless.
Recently reissued on vinyl via Drunken Sailor (UK) & on CD by Fixing a Hole (Japan).
The Beltones – ‘Fuck You Anyway’
You know when people say “if you look up [X] in the dictionary, there’s a picture of [Y]”? Well in this example, X = punk and Y = the ‘On Deaf Ears’ LP.
Blocko – ‘Fibs’
Blocko happened at the turn of the century with a bunch of 7”s, a 10” and an album before buggering off and forming new bands. They channelled melodic 90s UK punk but somehow didn’t sound like any of those other bands.
“Fibs” is from their split 7” with Eighty Six released in 2002 by Boss Tuneage & Bombed Out Records in the UK.
The Bananas – ‘A Slippery Subject’
Superficially, The Bananas are a chaotic, messy group of Californian punks who sound like a bunch of drunken mates singing on their way home from the pub. This belies the fact they might just be the most perfect pop band to ever exist. They released 4 LPs between 1998 and 2008 and every one of them deserves inclusion in any list I ever make. Add them to your vinyl shopping list (via Recess Records in San Pedro, USA).
Bum – ‘Debbiespeak’
Bum’s “Wanna Smash Sensation” LP was released in 1993 in a post-‘grunge’ world where the music media of the day was heralding punk as the next big thing (again). And while Epitaph, Fat, Lookout (etc) were taking centre stage, just north of the border in Canada, one of the best pop punk LPs ever recorded slipped under the radar. Bum released a load of 7”s and 3 studio LPs but they never topped their debut LP.
Bear Trade – ‘Don’t Forget You’re Going To Die’
The UK has a load of great punk bands right now and Bear Trade are one of the best. It’s pure fist in the air, singalong, woah-oh chanting, beer drinking music. I’m also a sucker for strong regional accents and BT tick that box hard. This is from their debut LP ‘Blood & Sand’ which was in my top 3 (maybe 2) LPs of 2014. You can still get it via Dead Broke Rekerds (US) and Everything Sucks Music (UK).
Big Drill Car –‘Let Me Walk’
In 1991, not long after I’d abandoned heavy metal and, just as I was digging below the surface of the more “obvious” punk releases, Big Drill Car released the ‘Batch’ LP. Along with a few other releases by their peers, The Hard-Ons, ALL and Chemical People, BDC genuinely changed how I looked at music post-metal. This song comes from their ‘Small Block’ LP released 3 years earlier and is another perfect example of a band at their prime doing what they do better than any subsequent imitators.
Bad Religion – ‘I Want To Conquer The World’
Yes, it’s Bad Religion. Everyone knows this song. If somehow you don’t own, the ‘No Control’ LP, please go and fix that now. Thanks.
1989. Epitaph. Again, you know this.
Boys – ‘Sundae Skool’
Another one of the more recent songs on this list, this is from Boys’ 2013 demo tape (and later 7”). They come from Cincinnati and they play pop punk in the style of Lipstick Homicide, The Ergs and Jabber. Melodic and catchy as hell, Boys are one of the best at what they do. If you’re going to The Fest in Gainseville this year, go and check them out.
Demo tape long since sold out, 7” available on Bloated Kat Records.
One of the most popular songs that has been played on the Global Punk Network recently is Meat Wagon by Minneapolis garage punk/power pop outfit Color TV. Featuring Phil Schwarz (guitar), Devin Jorgenson (bass/vocals), Matt Allen (guitar) and A.J. Olmscheid (drums) they announced themselves with a demo last year (http://colorteevee.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2015) and are now wowing an ever growing fanbase with their s/t debut ep. Released on Deranged Records, it's 4 tracks of excellent hard edged power pop that will possibly remind you of Radioactivity/Marked Men. Yep, it's that good. You can check it out here : https://derangedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/color-tv
They recently opened for The Descendents and the demo is getting a vinyl release on Drunken Sailor Records. This is a band who're definitely on the up. From the new ep, this is Meat Wagon......
Savage Remains are a catchy horror punk band from Fredericksburg, Virginia with a line up comprising of Matt Alive (vocals), Matt Valdemar (bass), Swinger Gallows (bass) and Danny Decay (drums). Fuelled by a love of all things macabre and apocalyptic, they got together in 2015 to play Misfits/Ramones/Black Flag influenced punk music.
Their first album, Resistance Is Futile, is "a record to dance to while the Earth crumbles around you." Released earlier this year it's 12 tracks of Doomsday punk that'll pummel you senseless and you can check it out here : http://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/album/resistance-is-futile
A punchy little number today that you would have had a few months ago if the message from Kevin Talloen hadn't been hidden away with a bunch of others in Facebook's filtered messages archive. Better late than never I suppose.
Three Eyed Jack are a skate punk/pop punk trio from Oostkamp in Belgium. As well as Kevin (drums), the band also features Wietse Scheyving (guitar/vocals) and Jens Talloen (bass). https://www.facebook.com/threeeyedjack/
Their first release was a 10 track demo in 2011 and they followed it up with an album in 2015 titled Always In For Happy Days. You can check out the album here : https://threeeyedjackpunk.bandcamp.com/releases
Without further ado, I'll hand you over to Paul......
here's my top 10 (in no real order, although Discharge is most likely my number 1 :
1 Discharge: The Possibility Of Life's Destruction
The extract from 'The War Game' at the beginning, the facts about nuclear blasts then straight into the assault of the intro chords... unforgettable and for me their most powerful track off the album.
2 Conflict: Force Or Service
Although my first Conflict record was 'Increase the Pressure' it was their next album and in particular this track which really cemented my love for them.
3 The Fiend: Oppression
Until I heard this song, I was into metal only. Thrash was just coming about big time. I heard this at my mate's house as a mutual friend had just started drumming for them and he'd got a copy of the demo. They made me realise that punk was just as fast and exciting as thrash.
4 GBH: Give Me Fire
A classic. One of my mates brought this around as I was getting into various punk bands. UK82/Killed By Death/whatever you want to call the genre, it's a stormer!
5 Rudimentary Peni: 1/4 Dead
I have to admit that when I first heard RP I wasn't impressed. They simply did not do it for me. It wasn't until their second album 'Cacophony' came out that I returned to the first album and found it to be just as classy. The opener is what I liked best, although we did cover 'Psycho Squat' and 'Nothing But A nightmare' live and on our first album.
6 Doom: Life Lock
I heard their first album and the opening notes sounded like Voivod to me. When this song came crashing in I knew immediately I had to own the album. A few weeks later and I saw them at The Riverside in Newcastle. The only band I know who played there and got a mosh pit and applause for their soundcheck!
7 Hellkrusher: Hellkrusher
My mate Ali's band. I've got a mention in their thanks list as I had done some patches for them as well as a shitload of album flyers. This song sums up HK to me. Timeless and totally true...
8 Hellbastard: Death Camp
Scruff and Scotty knew how to belt out a tune. For me, it was this one that stuck in my memory. "Pushed into the grinder!" spat out with so much vitriol... love it!
9 Extreme Noise Terror: Murder
Seeing this on SNUB TV on BBC2 back in the day was an eye-opener. Saw them at The Riverside, where I had my nose kindly busted by and overly enthusiatic dancer. Summed up to me the whole vegetarian thing.
10 Crass: Big Man, Big M.A.N.
Anarcho-punk was something I got into a little later. This song struck a chord with me and although I loved all of the album, for me, this was the most relevant.
