Days N Daze formed as a duo (Whitney Flynn and Jesse Sendejas) back in 2008 and are an energetic diy "riot folk" band from Houston, Texas. They've been responsible for numerous releases including 2013's Rogue Taxidermy which was the first album I heard by them. They also guested on Leftover Crack's Construct Of The State album.
Last week saw them release a new album called Crustfall and it's one that fans of the band will lap up. As well as Flynn (vocals, trumpet, guitar) and Sendejes (vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, harmonica, percussion) the band now also features Meagan Meloncon and Geoff Bell. They're not just your typical singer, guitar, bass, drums kinda band, they're far more interesting than that. Check out the new album and their earlier releases here : https://daysndaze.bandcamp.com/
To promote Crustfall, they're going to be extensively touring, you can check dates and venues on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/daysndaze/
Not easy to decide what song to post from the 16 that appear on the new album as I'm spoilt for choice but I think I'll go for the fast paced and rather humerous Days N Daze Of Our Lives
Thinkin’ back thinkin’ back to the good days I realized they were shit days And I was just too hammered to notice A moment of sobriety sure sheds A lot of light upon the truth Once upon a time I truly thought you were our friend But it turns out you're a black hole You consume till nothing's left You project your insecurities on others And it makes me fucking sick
All we did was give and give And all you did was take You told us that you cared about us You’re a fucking fake Cause in your eyes your Jesus Christ Yeah I’m so sure
You drive me crazy You drive me to drink I hope you drive your car off a cliff You self obsessed asshole I was so much better off after you split You drive me insane You drive me out of my head If it’s between living with you and death I’m better off dead I sincerely hope our paths never cross again
I hate to say but I’d find it entertaining If you sat on a tack or got stuck in the rain Or if you got super high Went and bought lucky charms When you poured yourself a bowl All the marshmallows were gone Every Time you play guitar I hope you break A & G Every Time you find a 40 oz Its filled up with my pee I hate to say I wish these things on you But you deserve it cause there’s no excuse To be such an aloof and shitty person
All we did was give and give And all you did was take You told us that you cared about us You’re a fucking fake Cause in your eyes your Jesus Christ Yeah I’m so sure
If you check out Bandcamp, you'll find name your price downloads of previous releases Throwing Stuff Fuck You and Stuff We've Thrown plus there's the track from the new album that you'll also find a video for below https://throwingstuff.bandcamp.com/
The album's called Fit, Fine & Well and it collects together tracks that cover the lifespan of the band. Expect fast, aggressive songs that have something to say. In support of the album they'll be appearing at The Manchester Punk Festival and there'll also be gigs with Australian band, Clowns.
This is I Know What's Best.....
I walk with the dead but I still fear death I don’t have the patience to count each breath Another summer ends and I feel safe No longer the outdoors do I have to face Wading through the weeds to get there Up to my neck, I could be anywhere The difference between lonesome and lonely It just comes down to fucking poetry I know what’s best Wrap me in electric fence I can’t get out, not letting anyone in Just pluck up the courage to ask how I’ve been If I don’t have enough sleep I’ll fall apart at the seams I’m trying my best not to be alone But I still can’t push out of this comfort zone Trying to keep busy every night of the week Searching for an escape from the losing streak
I’ve never been so stupid in my fucking life Ignoring all of the internal strife Trying to find some grip on a helping hand Let it slip and bury my head in the sand
Corner Boys are from Vancouver, British Columbia and their recent demo brings to mind another great new power pop band, TV Crime (https://tvcrime.bandcamp.com/track/hooligans). Both bands turned up out of the blue with debut releases that featured songs that impressed me no end. Hopefully both bands will go on and fulfill their undoubted potential.
Corner Boys feature Wade (guitar/vocals), Joel (bass/vocals) and Patrick (vocals/drums), their demo was recorded by Jeff McCloy and features 3 tracks. You can find it here name your price : https://cornerboys.bandcamp.com/album/demo
As good as Someone's Chasing Me and Remote Control Freak are, it's track 3 which is the "hit." This is Joke (Of The Neighbourhood).....
"Amoured Flu Unit are like minded individuals brought together by continued frustrations and anger against our planet and people"
Based in Salisbury, Armoured Flu Unit are a hardcore anarcho-punk band (or bin kicking anarcho thug rock) who are seeking to educate and communicate their opinions on injustice, inequality and prejudices to a wider audience. The band line up features Nath Haywire (vocals), Iain Influx (guitar / backing vocals), Danny Burch (bass) and Andy Morris (drums).
The song you'll find below is taken from their 3 track ep which came out in January on Global Resistance Records and is part of a series of nine 7" singles to benefit the Hunt Saboteurs Association (other bands releasing singles in this series include Anthrax, The Domestics, Oi Polloi etc...). A mightily pissed off condemnation of the destruction of planet Earth, this is Human Error.....
We've stamped all over natures path And raped our mother earth Intelligent and civilised? We don’t realise what its worth Destroying mother earth’s balance Upsetting natures scheme Intelligent and civilised? A nightmare from the dream
We've become a plastic world Where everything is fake Consumer goods for how we look When will we fucking awake Factories and industries Polluting every day Poisons in the air we breath This is the price we pay
Cutting down rain forests That help the planet breathe Global crisis, heating up We can’t just up and leave The polar caps are melting And water levels rise Carbon emissions, nuclear waste Intelligent and civilised?
We need to walk on natures path And hold her by the hand Restore her beauty that's meant to be Our earth, this dying land
Something else I'd like to draw your attention to is a Just Some Punk Songs show 2 part special. The members of The Church Of Oi! Facebook group were asked to select their favourite oi/street punk songs released after 1st Jan 2000. There were over 680 tracks voted for by 136 different bands and this has been collated into a Top 30 split over 2 shows (Tues 28 Mar and Sun 2 Apr, both start at 8pm GMT). Only the most popular song by any band was chosen so you'll get 30 songs from 30 different bands, thus showcasing the strength of modern day oi music. Will The Old Firm Casuals feature? Tune in here at 8pm GMT on Tuesday and Sunday to find out..... http://mixlr.com/just-some-punk-songs/. If 30 modern day classic oi songs aren't enough, if you right click the link you'll be able to access the chatroom and join in with the chat. DO NOT MISS.
Back to today's update, as we're on the subject of modern day classics, this is Wartime Rock 'N Roll.....
Knowing that both bands were releasing new videos I was intending to feature them both together in a joint update but as the Hooligan Crooners video has now been released and we're still a couple of weeks away from the one by B-Leaguers, I'm far too impatient to wait so I'll cover them seperately.
As I've already featured both bands, I don't need to repeat the info on them, aside from mentioning that they're sharing a bill together at The Mulberry Tavern, Sheffield, on March 31st and The Treaty Of Commerce, Lincoln on 1st April. Hooligan Crooners have a number of other gigs coming up so to check out venues & dates go here https://www.facebook.com/hooligancrooners/
Keep your eyes peeled for the new B-Leaguers video but in the meantime enjoy this excellent one by Hooligan Crooners. Story telling punk at it's best (think The Boys, Rancid, Social Distortion etc), this is It Goes Like This......
When I was young, it was like this…the taste of wine on the first kiss. A Fireman’s Girl with pale-pink lips. Boots and fists and Number Six. Squeezing every second from the night until its dying breath. The sun comes up, we’d kiss Goodbye with tales of fires and Gangland deaths
All good things, come to an end. Goodbye to good things. Ahoy! To new bad friends.
It Goes Like This… It Goes Like This…
I’m too old to be in love. I’m too drunk to be alone. I’m too tired to be out late, but there’s a fight waiting back at home. She says she don’t know how she feels, she says she’s bored and nothing more. Well that’s enough for me. That’s the end of our little war.
Come all you misfits, big-hearted suckers. Hawkers, hucksters, peddlars….
It Goes Like This. It Goes Like This. It Goes Like This. It Goes Like This…
Hawkers, hucksters, peddlars, duffers. Hawkers, hucksters, peddlars, duffers. Put the pedal to the metal. Push this old skip til she roars. They’re beating on the windows and they’re tearing at the doors. Throw the monkey from the hood, like a rag-doll in the rain. Let’s put some miles between us, until we meet again.
It Goes Like This. It Goes Like This. It Goes Like This. It Goes Like This…
Haircut are a female fronted hardcore punk band from Charlottesville, Virginia who's line up features Juliana (vocals), Daniel B (guitar), Ben (bass) and Daniel R (drums). A couple of them previously played in Animal Planet.
I'm posting a song today that should have been on here last year but it seems to have been overlooked for some reason. It's by Vanity, a band from New York who started off as a duo (Evan Radigan & Colman Durkee) but have now expanded in numbers and moved away from their Oi influenced sound more towards a glam/ Brit Pop vibe. Don't worry though, they're still well worth your time.
Boat Show are a feminist garage punk band from Freemantle, Australia who line up Ali Flintoff (vocals/guitar), Jennifer Aslett (guitar), Indigo Foster-Tuke (bass), Stella Donnelly (guitar) and George Foster (drums).
They only formed last October but have already released debut album Groundbreaking Masterpiece. Proving that you can sing about serious issues whilst still having a bunch of fun, the album contains 10 catchy tunes that are well worth checking out.... https://boatshow1.bandcamp.com/album/groundbreaking-masterpiece
The Ratz are a 3 piece, 3 chord punk band from New Haven, Connecticut who feature a couple of members of The Lost Riots (Jeffrey Thunders on vocals & guitar and Matt Mullarkey on bass & vocals) and a drummer called Elvis.
If, like me, you like fast, catchy, scuffed up female fronted pop songs with buzzsaw guitars and frantic drumming, you're in for a treat today. UV-TV are a trio from Gainesville, Florida and are a band that have the delightful knack of being able to transport us back to a time when the likes of The Shop Assistants, The Jesus And Mary Chain, The Primitives etc were churning out barbed wire kisses bathed in a sun drenched haze.
The line up of UV-TV sees Rose Vastola on vocals & bass, Ian Bernacett on guitar & vocals and Ryan Hopewell on drums. Their first release was a 2014 demo on High Fashion Industries (https://youveeteevee.bandcamp.com/releases) and this was followed a year later by a split 7" with L.A. band Shark Toys. Earlier this month they released their debut album, Glass, and it's available on Deranged Records..... https://derangedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/glass
Glass has been described as "shoegaze stripped of it's fat and it's fluff." Check it out, it's great. I played Only Matters When a couple of weeks ago on the Just Some Punk Songs show and it went down a storm so today I'll post the 62 second opening track, Wasting Away....
Taking their name from a song on Rudimentary Peni's classic Death Church album, Slimy Member are a dark, anarcho punk band from Dallas, Texas. With a demo and a s/t ep already under their belts, they've recently returned with debut album, Ugly Songs For Ugly People. It'll be physically available soon on Occult Whispers (US) and Drunken Sailor (UK - the first 100 copies on green vinyl) or you can get it digitally here : https://slimymember.bandcamp.com/album/ugly-songs-for-ugly-people
A few of the guys on The Global Punk Network have been playing songs from the album on their shows and they've always been very enthusiastically received, this is one of my favourites, Always The Loser.....
Mob Mentality are new Oi! band from Pennslyvania who feature ex Hooligan 77 frontman Dan Hooligan. Earlier this month they released their debut ep, No Honor, No Guts, No Glory and it's an excellent calling card for a band that will no doubt go down very well with the boots and braces crowd. You can snap up the ep, name your price, here : https://mobmentalityoi.bandcamp.com/album/no-honor-no-guts-no-glory-e-p
The song I've chosen to post sees the band promising to keep on fighting till their dying day, this is Hardcore Hooligans.....
Former Victim/Androids frontman Joe Zero returns today with the 4th of 5 quick fire singles that are leading up to the release of his new album, The Eternity Man. The Irish punk pioneer, who's now based in Manchester, will be playing acoustic versions of some of the songs from the new album at his upcoming gigs. Those gigs include Punk For The Homeless at the Belfast Pavillion on 1st April and the Rebellion Festival Acoustic Stage in August.
This time around, Joe offers up a narrative on life's struggles. "A material view and spiritual view....we all end up in the same place." Proving his versitility, the new song ventures towards folk, it's a modern day sea shanty that touches on the journeys of Herman Melville's Captain Ahab and Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. It'll be interesting to see which direction the final single in this run heads off on.
The Nuts are a female fronted pop punk 3 piece from Piacenza in Italy who's line up features Vale (vocals/bass), Molby (guitar/backing vocals) and Palmi (drums/backing vocals). I first came across them a few years ago when they released an impressive self titled ep and now 3 years later they're back with debut album, Upside Down. You can get the vinyl version from Monster Zero or digitally from Bandcamp : https://thenuts1.bandcamp.com/album/the-nuts-upside-down
You probably won't be surprised that they play catchy Ramones influenced tunes, there's plenty of bands that do but The Nuts are better than most. My favourite song on the album is probably Can't Seem To Get Away (From You) but as there's a video for A Night With You, I'll go with that......
"It’s raining shit and I’m not wearing rubber boots today. Nothing ever goes my way....."
The Priceduifkes are a hard hitting pop punk band from Belgium (Nijlen/Herenthout/Grobbendonk) who's name translates roughly into English as small prize pigeons and who've been releasing music for over a decade. The current line up features Cowboy Mambo (guitar), Ricky D (vocals/bass), V.S. (drums) and Tony Crackup (guitar).
Last month they released their new album, Goathorse. You can pick it up from Monster Zero (Europe), Rad Girlfriend Records (US) and Bearded Punk Records Belgium. If you want the digital version, you can find it here : https://thepriceduifkes.bandcamp.com/
There was once a Spice Girl (Shitty Spice or something) who recorded a goddamn terrible cover of a pretty awful 80's smash hit. You may recognise her in the video that's posted below. At least this time around her crap dancing has a decent backing track!
Low Levels are from Vancouver and formed in 2014. Influenced by the likes of Wipers, Fugazi, Hot Snakes etc they blend elements of Washington DC hardcore with west coast punk rock to create an original, energetic post punk sound all of their own.
The line up consists of Al Boyle (guitar/vocals, he was formerly in Hard Feelings, The WPP and You Say Party), Byron Slack (drums/vocals, ex Invasives) and Emily Jayne (bass/vocals, ex Devil Eyes & Learners).
Last year I posted a song from their debut s/t 7 track ep (http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/low-levels-strip-mall.html) and I'm happy to report that they're back with a brand new ep. It's called Lost In The Trance and it was recorded at Little Red Sounds by Felix Fung. You can find both releases here : https://lowlevels.bandcamp.com/
I played a song from the new ep on last night's Just Some Punk Songs show (saved version here if anyone is in the mood for an hour's worth of cool new punk rock tunes.... http://mixlr.com/just-some-punk-songs/showreel/just-some-punk-songs-140317/) and it went so well with the guys in the chatroom I'll share it with a wider audience. Catchy, gritty and featuring vocals from both Al and Emily, this is Gym Strip.....
With the imminent release of the brand new album from Booze & Glory, I eagerly took up the offer to interview vocalist/guitarist Mark and guitarist/vocalist Liam. The album is called Chapter IV and it's out on 17th March on Burning Heart Records. Having been lucky enough to have heard it, I'm sure it's going to be a big hit for the band so make sure you check it out. You can get more info on the album plus their extensive 2017 touring schedule here : http://www.boozeandglory.com/
Just Some Punk Songs (JSPS) : For those that are unfamiliar with Booze & Glory could you start by telling me how you got together as a band and what you were hoping to achieve
Liam : We got together in 2009. I’d just got back to London after having just spent a year in Australia and I heard that Marek was looking at putting a band together, so we talked. Marek had previously been in a band with Bart back in Poland, We got Mario on drums and that’s where it all started. To start with, we just wanted to kill some free time, jam some of our favourite songs and hang out.
That didn’t quite go to plan!!
England Will Never Change
JSPS : Though the band is based in London, your line up features members from several different European countries. With Mark having now moved back to his native Poland, does the distance between you all make things difficult or is it an advantage coming from different backgrounds?
Mark : With us playing mostly in mainland Europe at the moment, It’s actually made things easier. We now have our own studio in Poland, so we all just meet up there a week before going on tour to rehearse. Its certainly an advantage us all coming from different backgrounds because it means that wherever we are in Europe there’s a vague possibility of at least one of us being able to speak a few words of the language! 'Cause We're Skinheads
JSPS : I mentioned I was going to be interviewing you to a fellow admin at the Church Of Oi Facebook group and he commented that one of his top 10 favourite ever songs was 'Cause We're Skinheads. There's lyrics in that song "We don't care for politics and all that white power shit, but we all agree better dead than red." Is it difficult in a scene that's riddled with politics to speak out and criticise the more extreme elements and have you ever encountered any problems from either side of the political divide?
Liam :No, we’ve never had any trouble. From the start we made it clear where we stand. We do not support extremists and do not want their support at our shows.
Only Fools Get Caught
JSPS : Early on you were tagged as an Oi band and whilst you still belong in that genre you've moved away somewhat from your skinhead roots, with your newer releases being more melodic. Is it just a case of natural progression due to line up changes and improving as a band over time or is it a concious effort to appeal to a wider audience?
Liam : I do think it is a case of natural progression. Over the years we’ve grown as writers and musicians, as well as growing as people. When we started, we were less able to articulate our thoughts and feelings than we are nowadays. I think its only natural that the sound would progress -for example with line-up changes: since Frank has been playing drums with us, his input has given our sound a lot more depth.
London Skinhead Crew
JSPS : I've commented a few times on this blog that the Oi scene is currently undergoing a resurgence with some great music being released and plenty of excellent new bands popping up. Just a quick glance at the number of views your videos are getting on Youtube highlights that there's a massive audience out there for this kind of gritty street music. As Just Some Punk Songs trys to promote new music, are there any new bands you'd like to recommend we check out?
Mark : You should check out Hardknocks from Los Angeles and Legion76 from Philadelphia. As for the UK, Arch Rivals and Seaside Rebels have been putting out some great songs recently. Suede Razors from San Francisco, The Upset from Barcelona and Lazy Class from Poland.
JSPS : Your new album, Chapter IV, is out on March 17th on Burnibg Heart Records. What can people expect from the album and why Burning Heart?
Mark : Chapter IV still has the same essential core as our previous recordings, we’ve just expanded on that sound. We spent a lot more time on the writing, recording and production than we have done before and we think that’s immediately noticeable in the finished result.
We’ve been thinking of using some different instruments for a while and i finally convinced Liam to add some of the many things he plays. As a result the album has Banjo, Mandolin, Accordion, Piano and even a String Section!
Burning Heart Records have an incredible history, releasing records by bands such as Turbonegro, The Hives, Millencollin, Refused and Parkway Drive. After many years of co-operation with Epitaph, Burning Heart decided to once again go it on their own, with fresh ideas and new artists. We’re really proud to represent Burning Heart, along with our friends and label-mates Giuda and recently signed Buster Shuffle.
JSPS ; You've a busy 2017 lined up touring in support of Chapter IV, you'll be playing Europe, The U.S. and then Japan. What can the audiences expect and how do you think you'll cope with such a daunting looking schedule?
Mark : This year we’re playing over 100 shows, over four continents, so it’s going to be a busy year. We’ve also got an unusual amount of UK shows too!
We can’t wait to get to Japan as its somewhere we’ve always wanted to play. There’s nothing we love more than playing in new places.
At the shows, the audiences can expect to be hearing songs from Chapter IV, along with the usual live favourites. Like all of our shows, we expect it to be hot and sweaty, the usual stage invasion sing-alongs: a fun night for all involved!
I’m sure it’s going to be hard work doing such a long tour, but we’re not about to start complaining about it. We get to do what we love and we couldn't be happier!
One of the most eagerly awaited albums of 2017 is the debut from UK bovver punks Hard Wax. The band features Tom Boutwood (also a member of both Arch Rivals and Hostile Minds) and Matt Couch (Hostile Minds).
Not content to rest on their laurels, they've already been back in the studio recording a couple of new songs for another release later this year.
As you'll see below, they've recently released a video that highlights their modern take on good old fashioned glam/rock n roll. This is Bootboy Stomp (All Night Long).....
The day is long and you’ve been working hard But the thoughts racing through your mind are what’s going on tonight Shave you head and shine your boots Dressing smart will make you feel brand new, Looks like it’s going down tonight
So put your boots on And start stomping to the same old song Watch the DJ spin 45s I know that I can dance all night
Work all week, just trying to make it through But now Fridays here put your troubles behind you Pull on your jeans and grab a drink For two days we don’t have to think Looks like it’s going down tonight
So put your boots on And start stomping to the same old song Watch the DJ spin 45s I know that I can dance all night
The night feels young but it’s getting light Time for one last song, DJ get it right Don’t want to stop but it’s almost over It’s my last drink, don’t want to go home It’s been a good night, my memory is blown Won’t remember a single thing tomorrow
So put your boots on And start stomping to the same old song Watch the DJ spin 45s I know that I can dance all night
The Cavemen are "four delinquent cretins" from Auckland, New Zealand who've been playing primitive rock n roll since 2011. With a line up featuring Paul Caveman (vocals), Jack Caveman (guitar/vocals), Nick Caveman (bass) and Jake Caveman (drums), they play raw garage music influenced by the likes of The Stooges, The Cramps, Sonics, Motorhead, Elvis Presley etc.....
Their bandcamp features a bunch of releases including the 2015 self titled debut album and the excellent 2016 follow up, Born To Hate. Expect very good sleazy, lo fi rock music with a dose of humour..... https://thecavemennz.bandcamp.com/
A throw back to before rock n roll became sanitised and over produced, this is just one of the many great songs from the latest album. Why won't you.....
Top Italian pop punkers Latte+ return today with a song from their excellent new album, Stitches. The Ramones influenced trio, Chicco (vocals, moserite guitar), Leo (bass, backing vocals) and Puccio (drums), formed in 1997 in Empoli and have built up an impressive back catalogue of pop n roll delights. They collected together the cream of the crop on 2016's Punk Rock 20 compilation (https://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/album/punk-rock-20). They also contrbuted an excellent version of Who Killed Sensei to the Teenage Bottlerocket tribute album, Skate Or Fly, that came out late last year on Ramone To The Bone Records (https://rttb-records.bandcamp.com/album/rttb-41-16-a-tribute-to-teenage-bottlerocket-skate-or-fly).
So what is Stitches like? Short answer, it's bloody good. If you enjoyed 2014's No More Than Three Chords album then you'll be pleased to know there's another 13 rocking, fun tunes. The vocals are harmonious, the choruses are catchy as hell and most importantly the guitars are low slung. Kicking off with the chanted mantra of Chin Up! Chest Out! Stitches is an infectious delight. You can snap it up from Professional Punkers (Italy/South Europe) or Monster Zero (North Europe). Alternatively it's also available digitally on Outloud! Records https://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/album/stitches
I'll be playing one of the album highlights, Everybody Listens To The Ramones Even My Mum, on the next Just Some Punk Songs show (Tuesday 14 March at 8pm gmt.... https://www.facebook.com/events/384633791919654/) but today I'll go with their latest video, this is Darkness Inside Your Heart.....
Anoraks are an east London punk band who formed in 1996 and who are one of those frustrating bands that can't be arsed to post a decent band bio on Facebook meaning I have to actually do some work to bring you the few facts I can find. I did get the line up direct from one of the members who says aside from himself (Si King), there's also Gary Minall, Bev Rage and Tom (Spud) Perry.
I'm also informed that a live ep is due out soon (hopefully available at the end of this month) and it'll be followed by an ep featuring new tracks. Amongst the live dates planned, they'll be supporting Sham 69 at The 100 Club on 24th March, they'll be appearing at the Great Yarmouth Scooter Rally in August and September will see them playing an open air festival in Leipzig, Germany. You can get more details here : https://www.facebook.com/KingRage77/
No idea when the following snotty, '77 influenced punk song was released but it's definitely worth posting. This is Kill The Stupid.....
I think I'm right in saying that today's update features the first band from Serbia that I've featured in Just Some Punk Songs. As I'm relying on Google translating the info I'm passing on, please forgive any errors I might make.
Hund formed in 1989 in Arandjelovac and are a melodic punk rock band who's current line up features Secure (vocals), Marko (vocals/bass), Chacky (guitar), Come (guitar) and Worm (drums). Their name is taken from the German word for military dog.
You can find out more about them on both Facebook and their website and they also have a Youtube channel featuring their music.
Below you'll find the video for their new single. It's called SFRJ (Sviram PUNK!) which Google translates as Yugoslavia (I Play PUNK!) and it's really rather good.....
Until recently, Neil Tunstall was bassist with Durham band The Relitics (https://www.facebook.com/Relitics/ I've previously posted songs from their Bricks And Mortals album and their split with Australian band Myrtle Place). He's now left (though he'll be appearing with them at the Nice n Sleazy Fest in May). His plans now are to get back to writing and recording his own material so watch out for that.
Here's his 10 favourite songs, though like several others he's struggled to keep to just 10. Thanks Neil......
1) BAD RELIGION - Do What You Want
Everything a punk song should be, short and to the point.
2) REFUSED - Coup D' Etat
The Shape of Punk to Come is a mind-blowing album as it brings in electronica and some jazz references, but this is from their previous album Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent.
3) PRIMUS - Frizzle Fry
Primus are my all-time favourite band and Les Claypool is way out there with his playing and thought processes ... shrooms!
4) RANCID - Journey To The End Of The East Bay
A long time ago a friend of mine, who is no longer with us, threw down a taped copy of Lets Go and said 'You like mad shit, try this'. Matt Freeman's opening bassline on this is killer.
5) MASTODON - Blood And Thunder
Best band in metal at the moment for me. I first saw them supporting Tool about 10 years ago and not a bad album in their whole back catalogue.
6) MESHUGGAH - Straws Pulled At Random
A very heavy band, but this song has a beautiful soaring guitar solo towards the end. The song goes down at about 3:06 and more layers get stripped away until the solo at about 4:00. Both Meshuggah and Refused are from around Umea, Sweden ... something in the water there.
7) NOFX - Radio (Rancid Cover)
Thay've played this live every time I've seen them. A great reggae take on Rancid's original that then kicks back into full on punk. It's on the Rancid/NOFX BYO split series recording where the each cover six of each others songs.
8) H2O - Faster Than The World
A great band I've seen in a few places with no barriers, the way things should be. The best show was probably at Trillians, Newcastle, a few years ago when a kid who probably wasn't even old enough to be in there stepped up to the mic and took Freddy's (Cricien, Madball) part in Guilty by Association and killed it.
9) MADBALL - Set It Off
So many great songs its difficult to pick just one, so why not this one :-)
10) LEATHERFACE - Not Superstitious
Gives me chills up and down my spine. I'm not sure who had more genius, Frankie Stubbs or Dickie Hammond (RIP)
11) SICK OF IT ALL - Death Or Jail
The band that spawned H2O by giving the roadies a go. Fuck knows how Lou Koller still plays guitar spinning around even the smallest stages. Craig Setari is no slouch neither!
12) AGNOSTIC FRONT - For My Family
For me this says a lot about the punk and hardcore scene, that people look out for each other ... you disappear in the pit and people are there to pull you up.
13) HAZEN STREET - Are You Ready?
Hardcore supergroup. One great album and, maybe without contracts and legal bullshit that then kept Chad Gilbert from doing shows with them, there might have been more.
Out Of Order formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2001. Now based in Montral, they're an oi influenced street rock n roll band with a line up of Scott Maracle (lead vocals), Joel Bellemare (guitar, backing vocals), Mitch Cayouette (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), Jean-Luc Biladeau (drums) and Yves Thibault (bass/ backing vocals).
Influenced by the likes of Oxymoron, One Way System, Blitz etc, they released a s/t demo in 2008, a debut album (Written On The Walls) in 2011, a 7" split with Gag Order and a second album (Better Days, released 2014 and available here : https://outoforderqc.bandcamp.com/album/better-days).
Last month saw the release, on Randale Records, of their new album. It's called Stuck In The Mud and you can find more details on both this and on their forthcoming UK tour here : https://www.facebook.com/OutOfOrder2013/
From the new record, this song looks back at days long gone, the video's great too. It's called Old Days.....
look back, those old days, they're gone, dissapeared look back, those old days, they're gone, dissapeared I've been walking down these streets all alone i've been knocking on the doors but no ones home grasp onto sanity it slips out of my hands there is no reasoning that i can understand there is a voice that keeps on calling me it reminds me of our past in our youth, we were so care free we were young and thought it'd last ive been waiting on this world for far to long trying to figure out what the hell is going on the clock it tick a little faster every day stare out the window and watch it slip away look back, those old days, they're gone, disappeared those were the days, now we must move on they were forgot and now they’re gone ohh this world keeps spinning round and round we were lost and never found look back, those old days, they're gone, disappeared
Do you wanna get high? Then this aural delight should be just the thing to get you buzzing.
Razorbumps are from Denton, Texas and feature Austin (bass/guitar), Keaton (percussion) and Jenn (vocals/artwork). They mix garage punk with deliciously catchy pop harmonies that are sure to give you a rush. They formed in 2015 and so far they've just released a demo : https://razorbumpstx.bandcamp.com/releases
Most of the ep is a bit more rock n roll/garage punk influenced than the song you'll find below but I'm posting my favourite of the 5 tracks. This is seriously addictive, catchy female fronted pop punk at it's best. Do You Wanna.....
I've been hearing the term Devo-Core quite a bit recently and thought maybe it'd be an idea to try and put together a Top 10 list of bands (I ended up with 20) that seem to be getting lumped together under this tag. I also thought "is there such a thing as Devo-Core or is it just some bolloxy, flavour of the month name tossed around by people who should maybe know better?"
I've no idea, and I'm guessing many of the bands that are getting tagged with the name are thinking "we're nothing like Devo" but sod it, the A.V. Club recently ran an article on Devo-Core (http://www.avclub.com/article/exploring-weird-lo-fi-world-devo-core-249888) so I'm going to hitch a ride on the bandwagon and try and use it as an excuse to post a bunch of great songs. I saw a nice description of Devo-Core as being a beautiful melding of arty nerd-wave and hardcore punk, whatever it is, this post isn't intended to be a definitive guide, it's just an excuse to do something a little different from the usual updates.
To try and make sure I get as good a list as possible, I've enlisted the help of Global Punk Network dj Paul Jones and Richter Scale Records head honcho Lomo Steve. You can listen to Paul's saved shows (which feature many of the bands listed below) here : http://mixlr.com/paul-jones-6/showreel/ and you can check out Richter Scale here : http://richterscalerecords.limitedrun.com/. I should also point you in the direction of Jimmy who's the real authority on this kind of thing, you can check out his Youtube channel here : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFh2l5P3ah_3gvWjkiD77w/featured
Between Paul, Steve and myself we came up with 20 bands that loosely fit this made up genre (though you can argue amongst yourselves as to whether or not they should be there). I've picked a song from each band so below you'll find a handy guide to a genre that may not actually exist that's got a name many people don't like and features a bunch of bands, most of whom sound bugger all like Devo anyway. As Lomo Steve says, "Devo-Core as a label does kinda suck. I find it quite amusing that I love all these Devo bands yet I can't stand Devo!"
