British Columbia label Deranged have released some great music this year, Much of it has featured on here or on the Just Some Punk Songs show (Career Suicide, UV-TV, Pressing On, Flowers Of Evil, Helta Skelta, Night People etc). They're building up a catalogue that certainly packs a mighty punch. Their most recent release is an ep by Chicago hardcore punk band Tarantula. It's titled Weird Tales Of Radiation and you can check it out here : https://derangedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/weird-tales-of-radiation-and-hate
The band formed out from ashes of Cülo and features Corey Feutz, Jared Gatis, John Nickelson and Nathan Gattis and the ep was mastered by Geza X who has worked with several of America's biggest punk bands such as Dead Kennedys, Germs, Redd Kross, Black Flag, Weirdos and The Avengers... His You Goddamn Kids album is an early 80's classic.
If you're a fan of brutal hardcore music then you'll enjoy this. Reactors Leaking Radiation.....
Dead Ending are a hardcore punk "supergroup" featuring members of bands such as Articles Of Faith, Alkaline Trio, Suicide Machines, The Bomb, Noise By Numbers, Ensign and many others. The line up is Vic Bondi (vocals), Jeff Dean (guitar), Derek Grant (drums) and bassist Nate Gluck (who replaced Joe Principe).
It's definitely one of the best hardcore albums of the year. 7 Seconds once sang "you gotta stand the strongest when dissention's all around." Well that time is now and Dead Ending are certainly standing strong. They've got the message and they've certainly got the music. Play it loud.
Today you're getting one of those updates featuring a band that don't post much info on their Facebook page so I have to waffle on in order to fill the requisite couple of introductory paragraphs before leaving you to do the bit you clicked on the link for; check out the song of the day.
Datenight are from Nashville, They're a young trio featuring Grayton Green (vocals/guitar), Isaac Talbott (bass) and Thomas Borelli (drums). I think their first release was a cassette album in 2015 but the first time I heard them was earlier this year when they released the Datenight Does Dallas ep. You can find that here : https://datenightband.bandcamp.com/album/datenight-does-dallas
One Week Stand are from Coventry, formed in 2014 and feature a line up of Gaz Cruise (lead vocals/guitar), Connagh West (guitar/backing vocals), Amber Blenkinsopp ( guitar/backing vocals), Dan Nash (bass/backing vocals) and Moose (drums). They list amongst their influences the likes of Green Day, Blondie, The Clash, The Jam and Ramones and their sound is old school pop punk with a dash of ska thrown into the mix.
In November 2014 they released debut ep, Punk Drunk Love. They followed it a year later with the Targets ep and then in August 2016 unleashed debut album Tales FromThe Bedroom. Their second album was out last month, it's titled Scratch and you can check it out (along with their previous releases) here : https://oneweekstand.bandcamp.com/
This song is a 5 minute break up song written iat the the end of a relationship for vocalist Gaz Cruise and it's called Your Last Song....
Beaten down and out and I'm tired This thing we had has expired It's time for you to go back home Peterborough bound, you're high and lonely This is definitely the perfect time to phone me but this time I'm not coming back
This is the last song I'll ever write about you
Take, take, take me away from you, you I'm so bored so don't waste my time You're out of line Go, go, go away from me You, you need to realise you're no longer mine You're out of time
Gonna pay a hypnotist to erase my memory I'm burning all the pictures of me and you Loneliness has taken it's toll but it's better than staying with you 'till I'm old Being with you's like my wallet's got a hole
This is the last time I'll ever think about you
Take, take, take me away from you, you I'm so bored so don't waste my time You're out of line Go, go, go away from me You, you need to realise you're no longer mine You're out of time
You need to realise you're out of time
Gonna hire an exorcist to exorcise my memory I'm burning all the memories of me and you
Take, take, take me away from you, you I'm so bored so don't waste my time You're out of line Go, go, go away from me You, you need to realise you're no longer mine You're out of time
You're out of time You're out of time You're out of time You're out of time You're out of time You're out of time
Damn Broads are 3 piece all female punk band from Torrington, Connecticut, who formed in 2010 after meeting through an ad posted on Craigslist. Combining elements of street punk, oi, hardcore and ska, they've been compared to bands like The Pist, Black Flag and Minor Threat. Their line up features Michelle Threat (bass/vocals), Crazines (guitar/vocals) and Taytoxic (drums/vocals).
Following a couple of demos (The Damn Demo & Politics And Lady Parts), they released their debut album, Loud, Fast And In The Dark in 2012. A couple of years later they returned with Guilty As Charged. Sandwiched in between these albums was a split with The Minor Cuts.
The song I'm posting today is taken from their new album, Looks Do Kill. You can find details and check out a few tracks here : https://damnbroads.bandcamp.com/
Kicking off with a jingle for Pabst Blue Ribbon before swiftly bursting into a hard hitting celebration of their favourite vehicular watering hole. With punchy overlapping vocals that remind me a little in style of Good Clean Fun (not that those straight edgers would ever extol the virtues of alcohol), this is a great intro to the album. It's called Car Bar....
The Celetoids are a lo fi garage punk band from Croatia and feature members of Modern Delusion and Chresus Jist. They announced themselves with a 2015 demo which featured an early version of the song you'll see below alongside a cover of The Urinals' I'm A Bug. You can find it name your price here : https://theceletoids.bandcamp.com/album/demo-recording
Last year they released an 8 track limited edition tape on Doomtown Records which quickly sold out but which has recently been re released by Drunken Sailor Records on 12". You can find details of the vinyl version or download it digitally here : https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pupal-stage-12
You may well be thinking to yourselves, "I've not listened to much Croatian music, I wonder what sort of things the youth of that country would sing about and will I be able to understand any of it?" I can tell you that they sing in English and cover such topics as Max Headroom, the paranormal, suicide and Gremlins.
Today's guest review is by Michael Kerr who's previously featured on here in his role as guitarist and backing vocalist with Belfast oi band Takers & Users.
Suckin Diesel are a band I’m fairly familiar with, as I played guitar with them for about six years. When I played with them we were a mediocre hardcore band, since I left they’ve moved to more of a street punk sound. Ironically, I left to focus on playing in a band with more of an Oi or street punk sound. Regardless, they’ve now cemented their own sound and playing style and haven’t looked back. After years of recording live demos, they’ve now recorded an as of yet, unreleased 6 track ep that includes this song. Production wise, I think they got everything right. A complaint I have with lots of punk music is that the bass drum is too low, not with this recording though. I think they got the guitar and bass levels spot on as well. At the minute in the punk/oi scene there’s a bit of a revival of the classic sound where the production might not be as polished, or the song writing as catchy. If you prefer your punk and Oi less polished you may not be a fan of this, but if you’re a fan of melodic street punk you’ll like this. You can find more of their stuff on their facebook page.
*Edit* Anything that could be construed as a compliment is a fuckin lie, I just wrote it because their bassist has a jaw like a post box and fists like anvils.
The Sapphics are from Limoges in France and their line up features Clement (lead vocals), Tom (lead guitar), Lucas (rhythm guitar), Guillaume (bass) and Benoit (drums). They mix elements of garage, punk, surf and rock to produce a sound influenced by the Californian scene that's led them to be compared to artists such as Ty Segall and Fidlar. They formed in 2014 and are currently preparing to self release their debut album Camel Toes. It'll be available on vinyl and cd on 1st December and you can find details here : https://thesapphics.bandcamp.com/
The album contains 11 tracks of fuzzed up rock riffing. Don't visit the album expecting your basic 3 chord angry punk rock rants, this is a more laid back, spaced out adventurous affair (though that's not to say it doesn't have plenty of pulse pounding up tempo moments). Imagine The White Stripes mixed with Iggy Pop, even better just listen to the song that's posted below (which, showing their versatility, doesn't sound like either The White Stripes or Iggy Pop!).
It's not been the best of years for Californian solo artist Grim Deeds. He says 2017 has been painful and challenging but he also says that all the emotional turmoil has made for good songwriting inspiration. Between January and September he's hidden himself away in various classroms, garages and even his car where he's recorded the 31 songs that have now surfaced on his latest album, Do Not Mock Satan. The songs have had a therapeutic effect, they've given him a purpose. From talking to various people from the bands that appear on this blog, I know he's not the only one who's been struggling this year. There's been a few people struggling with work, family and life in general who have found solace in their music. It's been hard at times for them to find the time and motivation to carry on creating music but they've pressed on and I'd like to take the opportunity to let them know that there are people out there that are grateful for the chance to listen to the fruits of their labour.
And before I get too mawkish, Do Not Mock Satan.... As I mentioned, it's a sprawling album, recorded during the course of the year and it's Grim responsible for pretty much everything although he does enlist the help of a few guests such as Marky Kobane, Maria Surfinbird, Cederick Forsberg and Brad Lipman. The songs are short, often quirky pop punk ditties. If you've ventured across Grim's prolific output before you'll already know what to expect.
"The world has turned to grey as my spirit wastes away"...."and I wish I could be happy just like you and all your friends".... "though I try my best, I still walk around depressed." Even though 2017 hasn't been the best, even though the lyrics might be bleak, the music is still upbeat and lifts the spirits. Hopefully 2018 is a great year for all my punk friends. This is Dead Inside....
It's possible that the eagle eyed (eagle eared?) amongst you may recognise today's song. It was originally released earlier this year in demo form and it's by New Jersey street punk/oi band South Class Veterans. The band (Bosco, Dan, Sean, Greg & Scott) features members of One4One, Oxblood and Thick As Thieves.
Now remastered, the song will be on their debut single which will be available next month on Skin Collector Records in Brazil. A German label is scheduled to release it in Europe and the UK in April and it'll also be available in the US. In support of the single they'll be playing a number of gigs including one in January at the Brighton Bar with US Bombs. You can get more details here : https://www.facebook.com/Southclassveterans/
So back to today's song, it's about being working class in a world of greed. Getting up at the crack of dawn to go to a crappy minimum wage job, to slave away the day whilst your boss bitches and whines, the only respite being the all too short weekend. It's about being a cog in their wheel, just managing to get by with enough to keep a roof over your head and your family fed. It's about the life of the working man and woman. It's very good. It's called For Hire....
I've got a great top 10 for you today chosen by Morgan Brown who's a member of a couple of the best British bands of recent years, Pardon Us and Down And Outs. Originally from Ireby in Cumbria he now lives in Liverpool and has also graced a number of other bands including Flamingo 50, Town Bike and The No Marks.
Here's a couple of links to some excellent name your price music....
Firstly, please note that this is a top ten punk songs, rather a top ten songs if any genre - I listen to all kinds of stuff, but figure that readers if this blog can live without me rambling on about old country songs or Beach Boys records. Also, this is hardly definitive - I change my mind all the time, depending on my current mood, and there are definitely loads of songs which I will kick myself for not including here. That said, in no particular order, here we go:
1) HUSKER DU - Celebrated Summer
It's no exaggeration to say that the Huskers changed my life when I first heard them at 14. This is my favourite song of theirs, with all the intensity if their early hardcore material, combined with the melancholic, almost folksy tunefulness which Bob Mould was moving towards. The lyrics are at once a joyful hymn to youth, and an elegy for its passing. Perfect.
2) SNUFF - Somehow
I think some people probably view Snuff as part of the whole '90s Fat Wreck scene as a result of their later work, but I've always felt that they have a completely distinct sound, especially in their original incarnation. The whole first LP is an exhilarating listen, but this song in particular always gets me...
3) SLEATER-KINNEY - One Song For You
Combining the righteous fury of the early Riot Grrrl movement with some stellar musicianship and more nuanced lyrical take on the politics of gender and sexuality, S-K were pretty much untouchable in the later '90s. Dig Me Out may be the go-to album, but this deep cut from follow up The Hot Rock captures their mesmerising vocal and guitar interplay and rhythmic dexterity at a definite peak.
4) THE DAMNED - Love Song
Whilst I know the Pistols and Clash were important, The Damned are still my favourite early UK punk band, particularly the Machine Gun Etiquette era line-up. The blend of a raging Motorhead-inspired rhythm section with a big anthemic singalong pop melody was completely new, and stands up brilliantly to this day
5) J CHURCH - Tide Of Fate
J Church are criminally underrated, and Lance Hahn was a tremendous song writer, as well as an excellent human. His songs took in all manner of topics, from political history, through conspiracy theories, arthouse cinema, and obscure pop culture references, to more personal themes. This song celebrates the brief, joyous moments of freedom which make the daily grind tolerable, and it's wonderful.
6) NAKED RAYGUN - Home Of The Brave
Raygun strike a perfect balance between the artfully weird and upliftingly melodic sides of punk, with this track falling very much into the latter category. I saw Jeff Pezatti play this with The Bomb at a little gig in Stoke a few years ago. Me and my pals got to sing some back-ups, and it's one of my favourite ever gig memories.
7) RAMONES - Outsider
Along with Husker Du, the Ramones were my introduction to punk, and I still don't really think there is any better music. The first 3 albums defined their classic sound, but there are tons of gems in the later records too, this being one of the finest!
8) RUDIMENTARY PENI - Bloody Jellies
I love a bit of anarcho punk, and, along with the Subhumans, Peni are obvious stand-outs within the genre. Enigmatic, intelligent, chilling and so fucking powerful!
9) CAVES - Need It Most
My first 'proper' punk band was Flamingo 50, which me and Lou Hanman started while we were still in Uni. Since then, she's gone on to do great things with Caves, Worriers, the Mikey Erg Band and more, and amazingly seems to keep getting better! The most recent Caves LP is an absolute triumph, and this is one of the highlights. Mega.
10) MARTHA - Chekhov's Hangnail
The are so many great DIY punks doing amazing things in the UK right now, and I think Martha are right at the top of the heap, combining the grit and drive of punk with irresistible pop hooks and lyrics which mix the political and personal with warmth, pathos and humour. They're one of the most vital bands in existence right now, and this song is among their finest.
I've played Vanilla Poppers a few times on the Just Some Punk Songs show (shows get saved here if anyone wants some cool background music to accompany their internet browsing : https://www.mixcloud.com/mick-fletcher/) and truth be told I thought I'd already featured them on here. Turns out I haven't so today I'll be correcting that oversight.
They're from Cleveland (Ohio) and Australia (vocalist Christine Pap moved from Melbourne to Cleveland) and formed in 2015 featuring members of bands such as Prison Moan, Cruester, Grin And Bear It, Rubber Mate, Perverts Again etc...
As well as Christina Pap, the band also features Jo Coone (guitar), Steve Osborne (bass) and Drew Vaccaro (drums). This song is about that feeling you get when you're walking home alone and you think you're being followed. You think you've glimpsed something out of the corner of your eye, you can hear footsteps coming up behind you and you're getting paranoid that someone's coming for you. It's called Footsteps....
I've mentioned a few times about the amount of great new oi music that's currently being released. There's been a recent resurgence of exciting new bands who despite often getting bad press and subsequently assumed to be guilty of harbouring extremist political or racist viewpoints are actually nothing of the sort. Most of these bands are apolitical, though in the case of the band I'm featuring today, that doesn't mean they won't write about hard hitting subjects. They aren't prejudiced, they won't discrimnate. If they have a beef with you, expect both barrels no matter who you are.
I featured Leicester band B Squadron on here a couple of years ago around the time of their debut ep, Saturdays Soldiers. It was a superb debut but as I mentioned at the time they'd just split up. Fortunately (I'm assuming at least in part due to the buzz created by the ep) they soon got back together and have gradually built up a reputation as one of the grittiest and the best new bands around. They wowed the crowds at this year's Rebellion Festival and will be back there next year. It's been a while coming but they're finally preparing to release their debut album.
Sons Of Tigers is out in January on Rebellion Records and it promises to be a modern day classic. Influenced by the likes of Blitz, 4 Skins, Cockney Rejects, Last Resort etc (you can check out frontman Travis' favourite songs here : http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/top-10-songs-chosen-by-travis-b-squadron.html) it's an album that'll start the new year off with one hell of a bang.
As a taste of what's to come, they've just released a song from it. This is about our green and (not so) pleasant land and it's called This Is England.....
Out of all the Top 10's I've posted on here thus far, my favourite is from Rebel Time Records' Randy Smith. The reason being the effort he put into the update, not only writing extensive comments but also putting up cool picture/videos for his choices (http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/top-10-songs-chosen-by-randy-smith.html). It was a no brainer that I was going to ask him to do one of the regular Friday guest reviews and he's come through with another winner. If you're interested in checking out Rebel Time Records then here's a couple of handy links :
In the immortal words of Forrest Gump: "My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.”
Well, in this particular case, the gettin' was good! And what I got, in the form of a FB message, was an introduction to a band called Urban Vietcong.
Back in May of this year I received a FB message from a guy named Bebe who said he liked the label (Rebel Time Records) and wanted to let me know about the band Urban Vietcong (out of Livorno, Italy) which he sings for. He included a couple of videos and left it at that.
Sidenote: after some FB back-and-forth with Bebe later on, I was stoked to learn that Bebe and Urban Vietcong's bass player both played in another of my favourite Italian bands, Trade Unions. Bebe seemed stoked to learn that anyone outside of Italy had even heard of Trade Unions. Look for Trade Unions on Youtube ...
The first video was for the lead-off song "Attacco" from the band's debut release, a 6-song CD called "A Colpi de Machete." What the heck, I press play, and, immediately, just one bite in, realize that this is good, real real good. An ooey-gooey, super-catchy, 3 minute almalgamation of streetpunk/oi and left-radical politics. In fact, the whole album is quite simply a pot of political punk rock gold, chock full of songs of protest and resistance.
Visually, the video starts off with a quote from Davide Rosci, imprisoned in Italy for his part in the 2011 riots in Rome that saw an armoured police vehicle set ablaze (He was released just a short time ago). Sonically, the video starts off with a sound bite from the movie 'Giordano Bruno,' something along the line of "all men are equal and have the right to think and raise their heads to the sky where the sun shines on the truth." Lyrically, the song deals with, as Bebe put it, "what should we, the proletariat (understood as workers, students, unemployed) do to organize, create and be more united..." Looking at the Italian lyrics, I noticed it name-checked, for example, the Black Panthers, the Viet Cong and the Palestian resistance and called for unity, organization, priortization and attack. A lot to chew on in just one song.
Musically, Urban Vietcong hits the sweet spot. Attacco is an instantly memorable, melodic and meaningful song. It's taut, it's tense, it's tough. Catchy-as-heck, anthemic, shout-a-long streetpunk(as are all the songs on the album). The kind of song that has me singing along after a first listen. Personally, I'd say the band are, in terms of music and message, comparable to such equally inciteful and insightful contemporaries as Action Sedition, Afterboltxebike, Cor Fort, Mossin Nagant, RPG-7, etc. All bands that, I guess, could be lumped together as 'redcore' bands and all bands that I have on repeat.
Apparently, the band will be back in the studio to record their second album early in 2018. Something to look forward to for sure.
.........................
Lyrics:" Discoccupati senza dio e rifugiati presi a calci in faccia trattati come feccia il proletariatovariegato e incazzato va reso coscienzoso e pure organizzato PRIORITA' è la casa e si difende coi picchetti PRIORITA' e il lavoro si bastona i sindacati PRIORITA' la scuola lotta con gli studenti PRIORITA' è la strada si difende dai fascisti Non stringeremo le cinghie le farem rotear davvero caricheremo uniti assalteremo il cielo Non mancheremo il colpo vi spazzeremo il via con il sangue agli occhi non sarà solo utopia Lo stato borghese si difende con i maiali sguinzagliando digos usando tribunali seduti sempre dalla parte sbagliata insieme allo sfruttato dietro una barricata ATTACCO vietcong a colpi di machete ATTACCO al razzismo come pantere nere ATTACCO come Palestina contro israele ATTACCO come Spartaco contro il potere "
Neutrals are a couple of guys called Phil and one called Allan and they're from Oakland, California. Relocated Glaswegian Allan McNaughton plays guitar and sings, Phil Benson plays bass and sings whilst Phil Lantz is the drummer and is responsible for recording their music.
Last year they released the snappily titled Promotional Cassette (official demo of summer 2016). It was such a good title they decided to call their latest release Promotional Cassette 2. They remind me a little bit in places of Suburban Homes with their cool sounding diy indie/post-punk tunes and I'd recommend you check them out on Bandcamp and Facebook (they definitely deserve more than their present 182 likes so click that button!).
It's been two and a half years since Hi-Fi Spitfires last appeared on here (http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/hi-fi-spitfires-night-raid.html) but the north east of England punks are back with the title track of their new 5 track cd, Doors To The USA. They've not spent the time away sat round twiddling their thumbs though as vocalist/guitarist Steve Straughan has been playing with UK Subs whilst bassist/vocalist Tony Taylor is in First Wave and drummer/vocalist Nelly is in Garden Gang.
They've been playing Clash/SLF inspired punk since 2008 and if the song you'll find below is any indication, they're getting better all the time. As well as the new ep, there's plenty of tour dates (many on mainland Europe) lined up and you can check out details here : https://www.facebook.com/Hi-Fi-Spitfires-186592394697401/. Also worth watching out for is the re release of debut album England Screaming which will be on red vinyl.
This is proper old school style UK punk rock, Doors To The USA.....
First Base are self confessed power pop nerds from Toronto who's sound reminds me very much of Teenage Fanclub when they were effortlessly putting out classics such as Bandwagonesque, Thirteen and Grand Prix. They've been putting out their own string of impressive releases for the best part of a decade ( https://firstbase.bandcamp.com/) and with new album Not That Bad they've quite possibly come up with their best stuff yet.
Drunken Sailor Records have had an excellent 2017, as well as First Base they also boast excellent releases from the likes of Corner Boys, TV Crime, Booji Boys, Kuken, Cheap Whine, Marvelous Mark, Acrylics and many more.
Formed in 2012, Canker Blossom are a high octane pop punk band from Baltimore comprising of Alicia Passmore (vocals/guitar), Jonah Gallagher (drums/vocals) and Nathan Leek (bass).
They released their debut album, Gooner, in 2013. Album number 2, That's So Killer, followed in 2015 and they've kept up their run of biannual releases with new album, In Space. You can find them all on Bandcamp : https://cankerblossom.bandcamp.com
Listing amongst their influences the likes of Bikini Kill, The Muffs, The Ramones, Operation Ivy, The Ergs, The Descendents etc, they're a band that should definitely be checked out by those of you who bemoaned the demise of Michigan female fronted punks The Lippies. They're fun, catchy and not without bite, they recently played The Fest and on 1st December they'll be supporting The Descendents in Baltimore. You can find out more about them here : https://www.facebook.com/CankerBlossom/
"This album is a tribute to all the people who lived through the First World War, and to those who did not."
I've been meaning to post something by The Dreadnoughts for a week or two but thought it'd be an idea to wait till this weekend with Armistice Day being yesterday and Remembrance Sunday being today.
They're a folk/punk band from Vancouver who formed a decade ago and have a bunch of releases available from Bandcamp, the latest of which is new album Foreign Skies. Their first release in 7 years, it's a World War 1 themed concept album and it's a must for anyone who loved classics such as The Pogues' The Band Played Waltzing Matilda and The Men They Couldn't Hang's Green Fields Of France etc. You can order the vinyl or cd versions or stream it here : https://thedreadnoughts.bandcamp.com/album/foreign-skies
Don't expect just your basic folk punk album though, as they say on their site (http://thedreadnoughts.com/) you'll get a sea shanty morphing into a Balkan dance, a Klezmer romp fading into a Queen-esque symphonic ballad and a Viking war chant crescendoing into a German polka. Intrigued? Just check it out for yourselves.
"During the Great War, all armies on all sides executed their own soldiers for “cowardice” or for “disobeying orders”. They remained criminally unaware of the psychological damage that this new form of warfare was doing to the people they had lined up and shot." This is Back Home In Bristol...
bless me father I have sinned bless me if you may by the power of jesus christ I came to you this day
I am just a middle farmer's boy Jim wilson is my name and I've been out hard where devil runs I'll never go again
well yes I know my duty sir and I know the god I serve I tried to stay out in the eastern line I tried to keep my nerve
but all I could see were lily white arms and a gold and silken dress and all I could hear was a country dance and a calling from the west
chorus: well I wish I were back home in Bristol again raising a cider with West Countrymen rolling in the arms of the the fair Kitty Wrenne back home in Bristol again back home in Bristol again
seventeen days and seventeen nights we held up underground through misty panes and thick green light I saw death raining down
and when it all was finished I just turned away in fear bless me father and and hold my hand until the dawn is here
(chorus)
I hear the party coming down to wrest me from my cell father don't you pray for me or speak to me of hell
just deliver me a little song and a final taste of rum and tell the buggers who shoot me down just where ol' jimmy's from
Are you someone who thinks there's too much unnecessary swearing in modern society? Then you should possibly fuck off now and give today's update a miss! If you're Dermot O'Leary and have stumbled across this page in the search of an alternative to that anodyne crap you introduce on the X Factor, good on you mate but you might want to skip to a different post.
Hopefully I haven't lost too many of you as today's song is well worth hanging around for.
The Blunders are a 3 piece post punk band with biting social commentary. The line up is Mark Gunstone (guitar/vocals), Ian Coates (bass/guitar) and Karl Hulka (drums). They're from Trowbridge (South West England) and they recently released a 6 track ep titled People Get Smaller. https://theblunders.bandcamp.com/album/people-get-smaller
They tell it as it is; your views don't matter anymore, the people at the top aren't listening, it's all about profits, time moves slow in your factory hellhole, sheep are no good in battle, Dermot O'Leary is a fucking redcoat who must have sucked cock to get on tv!
Another Friday, another in the regular series of guest reviews. Today's song is chosen and reviewed by Barry Phillips from Hooligan Crooners (and previously Demob). Regular visitors will have seen Hooligan Crooners feature on here a few times but for those that are new to them I'd recommend checking them out : https://hooligancrooners.bandcamp.com/.
Thanks to Barry for the lengthy review, it's always good when someone gives plenty of info to accompany the song. The photo, above, features Barry and Pogonbgd together.
Pogonbgd (Belgrade, Serbia) Late October, I was in Belgrade (on a shoestring budget) doing some research for the book I am working on - “In Search Of Tito’s Punks” – trying to trace how Demob’s “No Room For You” became (more than) a cult classic in ex-Yugoslavia and is better known there than in the UK or US (taxi drivers in ex Yugo know it!). I’d previously made contact with Pogonbgd a 4-piece streetpunk/melodic HC outfit from Belgrade after stumbling across them on the Internet and being mightily impressed. Then I discovered that, they too, have recorded a cracking version of the song - or “To Nije Mjesto Za Nas” as it’s known in ex Yugo. Pogonbgd is a play on words; on the one hand it means “Pogo New Belgrade” (New Belgrade is the sprawling residential and business “new” city built on the opposite side of the Sava River from Old Belgrade) and on the other Pogon means “machine or engine” - so it means (approximately) “Belgrade Machine/Belgrade Engine”…neat eh? The band was formed in February of 2004 and consists of Đinko (Marko Građin) - Guitar/Backing Vox Dimke (Dimitrije Bolta) - Bass Guitar/Backing Vox Dovla (Vladimir Bejin) - Drums Sale (Saša Otašević) - Guitar/Vox Along with their old friends and punk-rock accomplices Trnje (“The Thorns” is, I think, the closest translation) we met in an “old-school” Belgrade bar, made our introductions, and talked about football – the band are a potentially incendiary mix of Partisan and Red Star fans. Then we jumped into cars for the mazy journey through Belgrade (via a stop to collect beers and wines) to the destination. And what a destination! On the basement floor of a multi-story building is the studio that Sale and the band have built. Overcoming setbacks like the devastation caused during the flooding of Belgrade in 2014, they have created a first-rate studio, complete with a bar in the mixing-room. It’s much more than a studio, it’s a place for them, their friends and other bands to hang out and record, rehearse, collaborate. And, of course, there is a picture of Del Boy and Rodney from Only Fools And Horses…as there seems to be everywhere in ex-Yugoslavia. After much conversation and more drink, Pogonbgd played a mini-set of 5-6 songs (including “To Nije Mjesto Za Nas” – thanks lads) which featured some songs from their belting 2017 album “Pogonophobia”. To say they are streetpunk/melodic HC may give a sense of their sound but it doesn’t quite do them justice since they are not bound by such conventions. One-listen to their recently released YouTube live video of “U Redu” (which I think means “OK”), where they are joined onstage by legendary Serbian blues guitarist Dragoljub Crncevic, will give you an idea of what can happen when you are this good...imagine Motorhead with Brian Setzer guesting. For now, check out “Vagoni” (“Wagons” ?) from “Pogonophobia” (the full album is also on YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_PI8a7sWSM Find them on Facebook too https://www.facebook.com/POGONBGD/ And, if you’re ever in Belgrade, be sure to look them up.
The Scaners formed in 2016 in Lyon (France) and are a synth punk band who's members have also graced the likes of Savage Riposte, Sway, Les Barneurs, Cortona, Malone and Lads In Vertigo. Those members are Pav (lead vocals/organ), Dédé (guitar/backing vocals), Tama (bass) and Pierrick (drums/backing vocals).
In August they released a 6 track name your price demo, they returned a couple of months later with a self titled ep which is available on vinyl from the ever reliable No Front Teeth Records ( http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/ ). The label describe it as "sounding like The Spits if they were on Rip Off." You can also find it, along with the demo, on Bandcamp.... https://thescaners.bandcamp.com/
One of the names I came across for the first time when I was putting together the two Rebellion Festival Introducing Stage shows that I did was a 3 piece diy punk band from Manchester called Aerial Salad. I played a song called Conservative Thinking and decided I'd have to watch out for new material from them. A few months later and they've just released their debut album. It's called Roach and it's a breath of fresh air.
The line up is Jamie Munroe, Jack Appleby and R'kid and they're already earning comparisons with the likes of Green Day & Jawbreaker. The album is on cd via Wonk Unit frontman Alex Johnson's Plasterer Records or digitally here https://aerialsalad.bandcamp.com/album/roach
CHECK MY MIND I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS NIGHT OUT HERE NOTHINGS EVER RIGHT, IT’S ALL THE SAME IT NEVER CHANGED
NO AMBITIONS AND NO FUTURE PLANS ITS FALLING WAY OUT OF MY HANDS, I STAY THE SAME I NEVER CHANGE
ON AND ON AGAIN I SEEM TO FIGHT, BUT OUT HERE NOTHINGS EVER RIGHT IT’S ALL THE SAME IT NEVER CHANGED IT NEVER CHANGED
A BLANK EXPRESSION CROSSES OVER YOU A FEELING THAT YOU NEVER KNEW YOU ARE THE SAME YOU CANNOT CHANGE STARING OUT OF YOUR DARK FRONT ROOM THE EXPIRATION DATE IS DUE I NEVER LIVED HOW CAN I DIE
ON AND ON AGAIN I SEEM TO FIGHT, BUT OUT HERE NOTHINGS EVER RIGHT IT’S ALL THE SAME IT NEVER CHANGED IT NEVER CHANGED
I DON’T KNOW, I CAN'T ESCAPE I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS NIGHT IT MAKES ME CRY I DON’T KNOW ITS FOUR A.M, I CANNOT SLEEP AGAIN I CHECK MY MIND
Gestures are a garage punk band from Stockholm who were formed as a solo project by guitarist/vocalist Sick Vic. He released debut ep Shattered Mind in May of last year before expanding the band into a trio by adding Don Jovi (bass) and Simon (drums). This month will see them release new ep Bad Taste on Punk Slime Recordings. It's got 4 tracks, one of which is a cover of The Yardbirds Top 10 smash, For Your Love.
Attracting comparisons with the likes of Regulations and Jay Reatard, this is the kind of band that UK label No Front Teeth usually snap up. They're raw, down and dirty but catchy as hell. You can get more info here : https://www.facebook.com/gesturesband/
An early taster for the ep, this is the excellent single they released from it, it's called Kicks....
I suppose I can claim to be a long time fan of I, Ludicrous. After hearing them grace the John Peel show, I quickly rushed out to get their excellent Preposterous Tales flexi disc and also bought debut album It's Like Everything Else (both 1987....it's hard to believe it's 30 years ago!). Since then though, I have to admit to not paying much attention and have missed out on what appears to be at least half a dozen other albums plus assorted other releases. Recently I noticed they had a new album out called Songs From The Sides Of Lorries and after checking it out I have to wander why I let them disappear from my radar for so long.
They were formed in 1985 by John Procter and Will Hung and joined in 2008 by Voice Of The Beehive bassist Martin Brett. They mine a similar seam of wry British humour that has entertained Half Man Half Biscuit fans for many a year and going from the evidence of the new album I'd say they're as good as they ever were.
If you haven't previously come across them, or like me only remember them from their tales of mega bullshitter Ken McKenzie, I recommend you give them a listen. The new album is available from Cherry Red (who proclaim it their best album to date).... https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/music/songs-from-the-sides-of-lorres
From Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Smogtown formed in the mid 90's and released a couple of highly rated albums (Fuhrers Of The New Wave & Domesticviolenceland) plus a bunch of eps and singles before calling it a day. I posted a song and recommended you check out the Duane Peters produced Fuhrers Of The New Wave in the early days of this blog : justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/smogtown-judy-is-model.html
Since their split, they've returned sporadically and in 2011 released the Incest & Pestilence album. There's also Gross Polluter, the band which features members of Smogtown and who have recently released an ep on No Front Teeth Records.
Today's song is taken from another new No Front Teeth release, a single which takes a couple of old tracks and gives them a new lease of life. They were intended to be released as a single almost 20 years ago so it's a case of better late than never. The flip side is called Porno Beach whilst the song you'll see below, a classic slice of Californian punk, is Switchblade New Wave.....
Spring Moods are from Forli in Italy and formed in March of this year. Already they've released their debut album, Sad Love Story. It's out on Flamingo Records, Lost Dog Records and Rumagna Sgroza and you can check it out here : https://springmoods.bandcamp.com/releases
The line up of the band is Michel D Zanchini (guitar/vocals), Fede Casamenti (guitar/vocals), Andrea Morgan Eddy (bass) and Enea Ormeni (drums). They play uptempo, catchy punk that's poppy enough to get you bouncing along but has enough of an edge to enable you to rock out. Amongst the highlights are album closer Super High, debut single First Class Bitch and the song below which comes with an accompanying video.
This is Star Wars Love Story....
All my life I’ve heard that I won’t ever be as good as I want I want All my life I’ve heard that I won’t ever be as good as I want I want
But my only good thing is you
How you supposed to loveme if you’ve never senn SW How you supposed to know how things in universe goes What you gonna do when they’ll know that? What you gonna do when the empire strikes back?
I know that I’m leaving That’s nothing wrong with you It’s only that I’ve some values Some are so cool SW is one
It's Friday so it's guest review day and today that guest is Vista Blue's Mike Patton. (https://wearevistablue.bandcamp.com/) Mike's chosen a song by The Devil Is Electric, and the song appeared on the 2001 album, I've Never Trusted A Revolutionary That Was Afraid To Dance.
Cheers Mike.....
This song always takes me back to when I lived in New Orleans. Between 2000 and 2005 or so, I was playing a lot of shows with my bands The Robinsons and Sally Stitches, and I was booking another 5-6 shows a month for other bands, at local venues, houses, and even my garage. It was a great time to be involved with the DIY scene, and there were constantly great bands on tour who just wanted to play. With some of the bands, we'd do NOLA one night, Baton Rouge the next, and try to do something like a kickball game in between.
This song perfectly sums up that time, when it was always about the music, not the money, about friends, and not fame. And to this day, I'd always rather play in a basement than play on "some dumb stage."
I came across a cool instrumental surf album recently and though I knew nothing about The Aquaholics I decided I had to post a tune on here. A bit of digging and I found out that they formed over 10 years ago in Chicago and despite recording an album with legendary producer Mass Giogini they split up before it was released. Fast forward to 2015 and Psycho Satanic Surf Party was finally completed and released. Oh, I forgot to mention, it seems that following their split, they went on to become one of pop punks best bands, Kobanes. You learn something new every day!
That wasn't the album that I'd stumbled across though.
A couple of days ago, on Halloween, they released a second album. This one is self produced, features Marky (guitar/vocals), Johnny (bass), Andy (guitar) and Ryan (drums). Ryan Flynn (keys) and Kevin Cascino (trumpets) guest. It's titled Surfing With Satan and it's wonderful. It's "dark satanic instrumental surf" that's very different from Kobanes but which will appeal to their fans. There's lots of great retro tunes, most of them feature spooky soundbites and it even features a few covers of songs by the likes of Devo and The Trashmen. You can check out both albums here : https://theaquaholicsrock.bandcamp.com/
Deadlier than Dracular, wilder than The Werewolf, more frightening than Frankenstein..... This is Trog Stomp
