The End Of Ernie - That Alternative (Review By Dirk Ceustermans)

  Another one of Dirk's reviews today, this time he's chosen a song from an album that came out in 2017 which though a little older than most stuff posted on here nowadays at least gives me a day off!  Over to Dirk...

THE END OF ERNIE

That Alternative

taken from "When the fun is over..."  LP, release May 2017

The End of Ernie is a band that's been around for 3 decades already. I remember seeing these

in different line ups throughout the years, but must admit I lost touch between mid 90s and mid 00's. In 2017, after seeing them a few times live again, doing solid performances, I was convinced enough to get their then newest release.

I thought of showcasing them as I saw them this month, opening up for Anti-Pasti in Brussels, which was again a great concert.

I must say that lp is a regular on the turntable, with 16 fast paced songs exactly

how they describe themselves as "A punk-orientated band, related to the 80`s, with touches towards crossover, crust and hardcore."

That sums it up quite appropriately, and the song "That Alternative" easily fits that description.

Adding to that, with lyrics expressing a 'fin de siecle' atmosphere with a good dose of anti-establishment. In this song in particular, the lyrics seem to indicate two worlds we live in, the world where everyone lives according the norm and the other world of alternatives, DIY'ers etc..

We all try to avoid and bypass those that just live bland lives, I find it's nicely pictured in the words here: making his "own sidewalk to pass by normal folks". I think singer Luc expresses the feeling not to fit in and to live it our own way. Not preaching out you should live that way, as he speaks out for himself, allowing us to think about that topic for a while. One minute, thirty seconds to be precise.

https://theendofernie.bandcamp.com/album/when-the-fun-is-over

https://www.facebook.com/THE-END-OF-ERNIE-144437752324480/ 

WITH EVERYTHING I DO

I NEED TO TAKE A STEP A-SIDE

TURN AROUND AND CREATE

ANOTHER SIDEWALK TO PASS BY

WITH EVERY MOVE I MAKE

I CREATE BEAUTIFUL IMAGES

BUT WITH EVERY STEP, I BREAK

IN A WORLD OF COMPLETE IGNORANCE

NOT FEELING WELL

IN YOUR PRIVATE COMFORT ZONE

FOR ME IT`S TOTAL HELL

I RATHER GO IT ON MY OWN

IF THIS IS THE WAY TO FOLLOW

I GLADLY TURN MY FACE

SO HOLLOW AND NO TOMORROW

WAITING FOR THE END OF DAYS

I NEED THAT ALTERNATIVE

I NEED THAT ALTERNATIVE

Abolitionist - Ugly Feeling

  Today's update certainly isn't the first time Abolitionist have featured on here but it's possibly the last. The Portland, Oregon band have decided that it's probably time to call it a day. If it is the end they've gone out with a bang in the form of new (last?) release Ugly Feeling. Featuring the talents of Dustin Herron (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Dunlap (lead guitar/vocals), Joey Mohler (bass/vocals) and Sean Rule (drums), the album is a dozen political treatises on anger, ignorance, imperfection, selfishness, disillusion and self doubt. It's the sound of a band looking inward at the human psyche and not always liking what they see. Questions are asked, "What can you do when you're at the crossroads?" What can you do when berating and controlling are all you know?" "So what now?" It's claustrophobic and uncomfortable. It's essential listening.

  There's a limited edition opaque purple vinyl version (though there's only a handful left so get in quick) and it's also available as a name your price download :   https://abolitionist.bandcamp.com/album/ugly-feeling-lp-2019

  Despite going their separate ways, they've still got a few gigs lined and you can check details here :   https://www.facebook.com/abolitionist.portland.9

  My pick of the bunch? I'm going with the title track. This is Ugly Feeling...

He just had an ugly feeling. He just couldn't relate. He just couldn't blah blah blah (isn't being a white boy great? Ugly feeling. To be honest, it wasn't all that bad growing up in the rural life … being shredded by the eggshells of an unhappy marriage of two imperfect souls living an imperfect life in a spoiled, dying world.

 

Petrol Girls - Big Mouth

(photo by Martyna Wisniewska)

  Is it just me or is the UK punk scene fucking great at the moment. Obviously on the downside there's pretty much no acknowledgement of it's existence from any major media outlets and many of the bands are struggling to attract people to turn out to their gigs but as far as the music being released is concerned it's a wonderful time to be a punk. To highlight some of that music, I put together a UK special show last week (https://www.mixcloud.com/mick-fletcher/just-some-punk-songs-uk-special/) and Petrol Girls weren't even in it! Mainly because I'd played them the week before but also because there's so many bands out there I could only scratch the surface.

  Anyway, Petrol Girls, no strangers to this blog... named after a group of molotov cocktail throwing French revolutionaries (Petroleuses) are now based in Austria (another reason for not featuring them on the show). They line up with Ren Aldridge (vocals), Joe York (guitar/vocals), Liepa Kuraite (bass/vocals) and Zock (drums). They play angry feminist post-hardcore songs and new album, Cut & Stitch, is their most experimental record yet. It's available from Hassel Records and on Bandcamp  https://petrolgirls.bandcamp.com/album/cut-stitch

  To help promote the album there's a lengthy UK and European tour and you can find details here :   https://www.facebook.com/Petrolgirls/

  This song is a fine example of what they're about, it's a feminist anthem which samples Poly Styrene and tackles the subject of many marginalised groups only being tolerated when they're quiet. It's called Big Mouth...

Voices of the marginalised 
Tolerated if we remain quiet 
Bodies of the marginalised 
Tolerated under their control 
Voices of the marginalised 
Tolerated if we remain quiet 
Bodies of the marginalised 
Tolerated 
Tolerated! 

I’m raising my voice louder 
It carries me beyond their walls 
Our silence will not save us 
They can’t contain they can’t control 
They can’t control 

Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard 
But I think UP YOURS 1,2,3,4 

Keep your voice down 
Know your place 
Bite your tongue 
You best behave 
Keep your head down 
Stay in line 
Keep your mouth shut

Hood Rats - Do Not Resuscitate

  I wrote a little about Montreal hardcore garage punkers Hood Rats last year when I posted a song from their excellent Trash Party album (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2018/05/hood-rats-hostile-takeover.html). A blast of a record, if you missed it you should go check it out   https://hoodrats.bandcamp.com/album/trash-party

  They return to Just Some Punk Songs today as they're previewing a track from their next album. Unsurprisingly it's a rifftastic slice of trashy garage punk that'll go down a storm both in a live setting or blasting out of your headphones. Last time around I said Trash Party would leave you panting, sweaty and baying for more and it seems a certainty the new album will have the same effect. Another release to eagerly look forward to in another great year for punk music.

  The song's called Do Not Resuscitate...

The Prostitutes - Cheap Highs

  It's been a while since I've posted anything by The Prostitutes, I've noticed a drip feed of remastered tracks on their Bandcamp page in recent months but they've just released a brand new song so no further excuse is needed to get them back on here today. The song is called Cheap Highs and it's available as a name your price download. Check it out, along with an impressive back catalogue here  :   https://theprostitutes1.bandcamp.com/track/cheap-highs

  Music and lyrics are written by frontman Kevin McGovern whilst the most recent line up of the band also features JR Matthew (guitar) and Barry Jewels (drums). Nearly a quarter of a century from their formation, they've relocated to Baltimore, Maryland and whilst they might have been a little more sporadic with their releases of late there's been no drop in quality. A new ep is being recorded and will be out this summer. There's also a split 7" with The Pegs in the works. Kevin tells me he's written 10 new songs in the past month and will be recording them as soon as possible.

  This is Cheap Highs...

razorblade goodbyes and real cheap highs 
anything you wanna do 
hanging from a thread, a book that wasn’t read 
too little much too soon 

make a move, skip the groove 
twist your head, it’s better yeah 
still standing in line with the empty minds 
you’re not allowed 
just take yourself out 

self destructive pose, the midnight show 
an image that always cracks 
the decision wasn’t mine, you poisoned the wine 
don’t bother cutting me slack

Surfbort - You Don't Exist

  One of the most popular bands to feature on the Just Some Punk Songs show during the last year is Brooklyn's Surfbort. Their Friendship Music album was one of the best releases of 2018 so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that there'll be a song from their new ep taking pride of place on today's show (listen to the show at 8pm UK time, details here :   https://www.facebook.com/events/2445735785659571/). The ep is titled You Don't Exist, it features 4 short rambunctious blasts of unrestrained exuberance and although the 10" vinyl appears to have already sold out you can find the digital version here :   https://surfbort.bandcamp.com/album/you-dont-exist

  The band features Dani Miller (vocals), Alex Kilgore (guitar), David Head (guitar) and Sean Powell and their star is very much in the ascendancy at the moment. Not only are they releasing great music and hanging out with mega hot Aussies Amyl And The Sniffers (another band that'll be on today's show) they also recently featured in Gucci's new pre-fall 2019 campaign. Upcoming plans include going out on tour with Idles. You can find more info here : https://www.facebook.com/surf666bort/

  This is the title track of the ep, it's called You Don't Exist...

Imperial Wax - Rammy Taxi Illuminati

(photo : Tom Walmsley)

  "If it's me and yer granny on bongos, it's the Fall" said Mark E. Smith and for over 40 years it almost seems as though due to the transitionary nature of the band nearly everyone except for yer granny featured in one of the many line ups. Over the past 11 years though, Pete Greenway (guitar), Keiron Melling (drums) and Dave Spurr (bass) survived the cull and remained as the longest running engine room in the band's illustrious history. But then tragically Mark dies and the band are left without their iconic frontman. I suppose they could either call it a day or despite the seemingly impossible task of replacing a legend, carry on regardless. On the evidence of their debut album, it seems as though they made the right decision.

  And so to the man with the impossible task. New singer Sam Curran. No matter who the new frontman was, he wasn't going to be Mark E. Smith and thankfully he doesn't try to be. So farewell The Fall, possibly the band who've given me the most enjoyment in my life, and welcome Imperial Wax.

https://imperialwax.co.uk/

  The new album... It's titled Gastwerk Saboteurs and it's out now on Saustex Records   http://www.saustex.com/IMPERIAL-WAX.html

  You can also find it on Bandcamp : https://imperial-wax.bandcamp.com/album/gastwerk-saboteurs

 A dozen inventive post-punk tracks that cherry pick bits from various genres. The Fall are no more but Imperial Wax have made an album that shows plenty of promise and deserves your attention. I'll play a different song on tomorrow's Just Some Punk Songs show (https://www.facebook.com/events/2445735785659571/) but today you're getting my favourite. This is Rammy Taxi Illuminati...

Stolen Wheelchairs - Breaking Down

  Short and sweet today, a song I've been meaning to get round to for a while now, it's by Philadelphia hardcore punk band Stolen Wheelchairs and it's taken from the wryly titled ep Out Of Steps. The band were spawned from the simple belief that wheelchairs should be free for all people. They're the "Robin-Hoods of Healthcare" and although they may not be a major threat, musically they pack a mighty punch. The ep came out in March and it's available on impressive looking coloured vinyl, cd and digitally :  https://stolenwheelchairs.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-steps

  Originally the brainchild of 16 year old Osc4r Capps, they're now an energetic 4 piece, caffeine fuelled and in your face. The songs are very impressive for a debut. Definitely a band to watch out for :  https://www.facebook.com/StolenWheelchairs/

  This is the pick of the bunch. It's a blistering speedball of a song, it's called Breaking Down...

The Freeze - Office Of Family Design

  A week ago I posted a review I did with Richard Brown. As you may know, Richard is the frontman of Massachusetts punks The Proletariat, a band who appeared on legendary compilation album This Is Boston Not L.A. and who recently released their first album in many years. Today I'm posting a song by The Freeze, a Massachusetts punk band who appeared on legendary compilation album This Is Boston Not L.A. and who recently released their first album in many years. Like the Proletariat's album, it's bloody good.

  For a band that formed (in Cape Cod) in 1978, and who haven't had an album out for 20 years, The Freeze sound way better than they've probably any right to. The album's called Calling All Creatures and it features 12 songs written by core duo Clif Hanger and Bill Close. You can get it from Slope Records on ltd translucent green vinyl, cd and cassette                          https://sloperecords.com/releases/freeze-calling-creatures/                                                                  and Bandcamp 
https://thefreeze1.bandcamp.com/album/calling-all-creatures

  As well as Clif (vocals) and Bill (guitar/vocals), the modern day incarnation of The Freeze also features Zack Carmichael (guitar), Johnny Justice (bass) and Aaron Hjalmarson (drums). The album's described as having blazing riffs, sneering vocals and a rhythm section that kicks you right in the gut. You can get more info here : https://www.facebook.com/rabid.reaction/

  This song is called Office Of Family Design...

My wife and I had
maintained compliance
We followed
The Family Guide
We worked the careers
they'd chosen for us
Raised a family exactly
of five

So we were shocked
When we received papers
Violations inside
Together we read that
We must report to
The Office of Family Design
And we knew
We knew that wasn't a very good sign

We spent the next week
In a state of confusion
Just wondering what
We'd done wrong
We chalked it all up to
A clerical error
And promised each other
That we would be strong

Appointment day
We dressed in silence
The ride they'd promised arrived
We were left on the steps
of a windowless building
The Office of Family Design
The doors opened
and a voice said
"We thank you
For being on time"

Through bright sterile lights
We saw Sex assigned hallways
Each marked with a pink or blue line
We heard the Autogen Voice say
There's no need to worry
this will be a common corrective rewind
After the 5 minute process
you wont have violations
You'll be free to move on with your lives
With a future this bright
I smiled at my wife
For what I didn't know
would be the last time

We were shocked
When we received papers
Violations inside
Together we read that
We must report to
The Office of Family Design
And we knew
We knew that wasn't a very good sign

Institute - Roll Music

  Institute are from Austin, Texas (although half the band have now relocated to New York) and they've just released one of the year's best albums. It's called Readjusting The Locks and it's a beast of a record. I was impressed 4 years ago when I first came across them (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2015/01/institute-giddy-boys.html) but impressive as they were back then, they've stepped up a few levels. Despite being geographically rent asunder, Barry Elkanick and Adam Cahoon (Texas half) met up with Moses Brown and Arak Avakian (New York half) in Houston to demo the album before meeting up again in Brooklyn a couple of months later for the proper recording. The result is 13 politically charged shots across the bow of the neoliberalist establishment. It's a clarion call against "sweeping the well being of humanity under the rug in the name of advancing ourselves." The band argue that without a true plan for a sustainable future, false promises will take us past the point of no return. The album's available on ltd edition clear and brown marble "Bourbon" vinyl : https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/products/sbr222-institute-readjusting-the-locks

  You can check it out on Bandcamp here : https://institute.bandcamp.com/album/readjusting-the-locks

  This is Roll Music...

The Fistulas - Inside Of You! (Review By Dirk Ceustermans)

  Our resident expert on all things Belgian Dirk Ceustermans brings us another killer band from his native land today....

Fistulas - Inside Of You! 

  Sometimes I don't open my letterbox for days, my records are sent to the address where I work so only commercials, bills and flyers from stupid politicians get dropped in it. Don't they read the sign saying "No Commercials / No politic promises"?

  But sometime ago, checking the amount of paper to be thrown away from the letterbox, there was this tiny parcel. in it a cassette, from the Fistulas! Yeah course, Dr Weskes said they were recording, and here it is. But a cassette? ok, get the deck activated again and er... hang on, this is not a cassette!
It's an usb stick in the size and shape of a cassette! Brilliant!

  On gets the pc, opening the folder (sooo modern.. oh la la) and play the mothers. The Fistulas are brave: They get some (un)healthy PNC dished up on your earplates. In times like these it takes some bravery.

  Garage punk in its ultimate simplicity and titles like Glitch Bitch, Bikini Girls, Sex Machine, Pushy and Inside of You! don't deny their urge for ehm Rock 'n' Roll

  I know Dr Weskes for quite a while now, and I know he is a real good guitarman, and on stage he is quite a showman as well. In this band that won't be any different. The rhythm section Krikke on bass & Wizarizer on drums keep things easy enough for us to shake a hip or two.

  The song Inside of You! sounds like someone desperately has an urge to... well.. you know. I only just now watched the video they put onto the tube, and it made me Laugh Out Loud. Fistulas are eL Ow eL, and they sure are enjoying the fun, I can hear that.

10 tracks on this usb cassette, you can hear 8 of them on their website: http://thefistulas.com/music/
Make sure to watch the header movie too, coolage!!

Inside of you!

Bambies - REd GuiTar

  Bambies are a trio based in Montreal playing pop infused garage punk. The members of the band hail from Costa Rica, France and Canada (Sami, Feli & Franki) and have been together since 2015.  Their debut release was a rough and ready demo which surfaced around a year ago and now those 3 tracks have been rerecorded and take pride of place alongside 3 new songs on their Cassette ep. You can find both the demo and the digital version of Cassette "name your price" here :   https://thebambies.bandcamp.com/album/cassette

  They're planning to record an album later this year and you can get more info on them here :   https://www.facebook.com/lesbambies/

  They claim to like Portland, Oregon pop punkers Mean Jeans and that influence shines through on the ep. Guitar driven catchy tunes that'll get your foot tapping, they're starting to get global attention so check them out. This is REd GuiTar...

No Collusion - Aw Naw

  When you see a band getting hailed as the Derry Chats and a song described as the Irish Smoko it's hard not to feel at least a slight tingle of excitement as you rush to check them out. Today I'm featuring No Collusion and damn, they're good.

  Based in Derry, Northern Ireland, No Collusion are a trio comprising Ruairi (drums), Dualta (bass) and Shea (guitar/vocals). They list amongst their influences the likes of Cockney Rejects, UK Subs, The Nipple Erectors, Peter & The Test Tube Babies, Slaves, The Chats, Idles, Minor Threat and Black Flag. Young, irreverent and talented, they're the sort of band the UK punk scene needs to encourage so go check them out and give them a like   https://www.facebook.com/NOCOLLUSIONBAND/ 

  They've just released debut ep Sticking Sets and as calling cards go it's very promising. You can find it here : https://nocollusionband.bandcamp.com/releases

  This is the "hit" from the ep, a slacker anthem that's bound to resonate with many a youngster. Not all punks are concerned about the climate, discrimination, government etc, sometimes it's more important to be able to get your hands on enough money for a bag of baccy and a bit of grub. This is called Aw Naw...

Some boy stole my baccy 
In there was my last bit of wacky 
What am I supposed to do 
That smoke was from the land of Peru 

Get a new bag of smoke 
Aw what, I got stroked 
This day can’t get any worse 
Tap me ma’s pounds from her purse 

What the fuck? Aw naw 

Some man stole my baccy 
In there was my last bit of wacky 
What am I supposed to do 
That smoke was from the land of Peru 

Went to grab a new bag of smoke 
Wrong time, I got stroked 
This day can’t get any worse 
Tap me ma’s pounds from her purse 

Skint and I want some food 
Naw, my luck’s not good 
Skint and I want some food 
What, my luck’s not good

Riot City Radio - Stand Strong

 

  Riot City Radio are a new street punk 3 piece from Plymouth who's line up features Matt Colton (bass/vocals), Tom Boutwood (drums/vocals) and Tom Murphy (guitar/vocals). The members are also in, or have previously been in the likes of Hostile Minds, Arch Rivals and Hard Wax. As they've only recently formed there's not yet much info on them on Facebook but go give them a like anyway https://www.facebook.com/riotcityradio/

  Below you'll see the first track from the band. As you might expect from their previous projects the trio turn out a well produced, big sounding working class anthem with a killer chorus and oi oi chants that the boots and braces crowd can sing along with. I look forward to hearing more.

  This is Stand Strong...

Interview With Richard Brown (The Proletariat)

  Not only did Southeastern Massachusetts punks The Proletariat appear on the seminal 1982 compilation This Is Boston Not L.A. they've also gone and released one of the best albums of 2019. Rather than just post a song from it and do one of my crappy introductions I decided to ask the band's frontman Richard Brown a few questions about the band and about his views on the punk scene both back then and now. Happily he was very accommodating and so after a couple of links I'll post the interview.

  Website :    https://www.proletariatband.com/
  Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/theproletariatband/
  Vinyl :       http://bosstuneage.bigcartel.com/product/the-proletariat-move-vinyl-lp
  CD :          https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/theproletariat22


    Can you give me a brief history of the band

The idea of forming a band was Peter's ( Bevilacqua/ bass) brainstorm around 1980... We had a couple of different guitar players early on before we could convince Frank ( Michaels/ original guitarist) to join. Once we had Frank the initial line up was Frank, Peter and myself with me doing the stand up drum thing ala Stray Cats. Our current manager, Patrick Norton, found Tommy ( McKnight/ drums) for us and we started it up. We caused a riot at an outdoor show in Providence, RI by playing a sarcastic, mocking version of "Free Bird"--- bottles, flying, police dragging us off stage, hippies attacking our van. We made the evening news and the next day got offered shows supporting Black Flag, Circle Jerks and Dead Boys. We got asked to be on This is Boston not LA, recorded two lps in the 80s Soma Holiday and Indifference... reformed in late 2016 with our new guitarist Sanders and released " The Murder of Alton Sterling" ( Bridge 9) last year and just released our third Lp Move last month.


VOODOO ECONOMICS

   You're still putting out music after 40 years, why? what inspires you to keep going?

The whole 40 year thing is a bit misleading in our case. The first run was 1981-1985, them we went dormant for three decades till 2016. People assume that because we're a political band that we reformed in 2016 because of Trump's victory...not the case. Scott Soriano (Ss Records) reissued Soma Holiday and we decided to play a few shows in conjunction with the reissue--- the shows went so well that we kept it going. As far as what motivates us after all this time that's kind of easy--- we want to speak out against racists, sexists, abusers, those that hate the LGBTQ community, war mongers, fear mongers, etc... these fucks have been emboldened here in the states under our current president...and to not speak out against them is not an alternative.

  What do you see as the major differences in the punk scene 2019 compared with when you started?

How is the scene different now (2019) from say 1983? There are some differences between the two eras, but there are a lot of things that haven't changed, for example: DIY shows are still flourishing--- we played Black Lodge in Seattle in 2017 and it reminded me of shows from my youth. Doors open, bands play, pack up quickly and lock up before the cops come--- it was great. As far as differences I find the crowds more mixed age wise, I find the younger punks to be kinder and more inclusive than punks back in the day...we'll always be outcasts, all of us, but kids today are far more receptive to the idea of "everyone is welcome, and everyone is safe here"


Has the internet been a positive or a hindrance to the band?

Not to sound like a politician, but honestly there are pros and cons. Its easier to find venues in other cities, to learn the lay of the land, if you will, about different scenes, and to get your music and message out to more people. The downside(s) are the music streaming sites exploit the bands, who receive laughable payments via miniscule checks... attendance at live shows, I think suffers, because people can hear all of a bands new material from the comfort of their couches and chairs. Why deal with ticket prices (no matter how reasonable), the late hours, the cost of a few drinks...


ANOTHER BANNER RAISED

After 40 years of playing live, is it easy (or even possible) to maintain that energy generated in the early days and what are the audiences like nowadays? are they mainly the people who've been following you for years or do you get many youngsters coming along?

Personally the easiest way to maintain a high level of energy is to write/play new material that forces you to play at that level. At first it was easy to do old songs that you hadn't done in decades, but that got old for us pretty quickly. Right now our set is probably 50% older songs and 50% new stuff. It keeps it interesting, I also like to throw in a different cover as well. The first few shows was a mix of people who had seen us, people that had just missed seeing us in the day and new kids that probably got hold of BNLA. Evidently we were a bit of a "bucket list" band... every show had people saying "I didn't start going to shows till 1986 and by then you had split". With a few exceptions we have always ( since reforming) tried to get newer/ younger bands on the bill, their audience would probably never go see us and the old cats might never venture out to see new bands.


What was your favourite gig of all time and conversely, what was the worst?

Strangely enough the best and worst shows, in my opinion, took place just a few months apart. The Worst Prole Show Ever: Exit 13, Worcester, Massachusetts, January 1983. January in Worcester, to begin with, is as morbidly depressing as January anywhere else inside the Arctic Circle. Cold, gray, wet... Exit 13 dank biker bar with inbred staff and literally NO paying customers. Ooof. Best Prole Gig Ever: Was the Mission of Burma farewell show at the Bradford Ballroom in Boston---March 1983. It was definitely the largest crowd we had ever played to. There were two shows, afternoon show was Burma/Dangerous Birds (Thalia Zedek's first band) and Negative FX... evening show was Burma / The Proletariat / Christmas.


THE MURDER OF ALTON STERLING

Are there any plans for the band to come over to the UK or Europe?

We have always wanted to play in Europe and hopefully we get to. Ideally we hope to arrange a hub and spoke type set of shows with say a festival and then other shows off of that. With Boss Tuneage releasing the vinyl Move Lp, hopefully it spikes enough interest in the band to make a trip over necessary.


As a left leaning band does it frustrate you that nothing ever seems to change in the world of politics with the corrupt and the inept rising to the top whilst the planet is crying out for visionary leaders to try and tackle issues like climate change, inequality, hunger etc...

Sadly the only change that ever seems to happen is a change for the worst. Far too often I find myself holding my nose as I cast my ballot for the candidate I consider to be the lesser of two evils.


 Tell me about your new album

The new lp is titled Move. I guess anyone that is in a band that puts out a new record probably finds it to be "their best record yet"... and I'm no exception. We hadn't been in a studio since 1984/85 and my mind was completely blown with how different the process had become. Initially I feared that the record might sound "too clean", but it came out great. We wrote the songs over probably a ten month span with a pretty unique way of writing. Sanders(guitar), Peter (bass) and myself would use a drum machine, record the song and then send it cross-country to Tommy (drums) to add his beats... I should mention that three of us live on the east coast (Massachusetts and Rhode Island) while Tommy lives in San Francisco. I guess the lp's subject matter is in line with previous Proletariat albums, very political, but different in that while Soma Holiday and Indifference railed against the then fledgling supply side economics, Move rails against an economic thought process that over the last three decades plus has become more established and dehumanizing.



MOVE

Gee Tee - I'm A Germ

 

  Gee Tee are a lo-fi garage punk n roll band from Australia's Gold Coast. They're a band I first heard a couple of years ago when I came across their Death Race ep. Last month they released a split ep on Goodbye Boozy Records with Sydney band Satanic Togas. You can find the 2 Gee Tee tracks here :   https://geeteeband.bandcamp.com/album/h-s-s-im-a-germ-satanic-togas-split and the Satanic Togas tracks here : https://satanictogas.bandcamp.com/album/satanic-togas-gee-tee-split

  The Gee Tee side kicks off with H.S.S.  69 seconds of raw and trashy punk with the singer telling how he failed science and math and how there wasn't even a teacher in class. No wonder High School Sucked. The song you'll find below is slightly longer but still doesn't get to the 90 second mark. Our favourite uneducated vocalist admits he doesn't like baths or combs and he doesn't want soap in his home. He also doesn't like sprays or wipes, please don't kill him cause he's alright. This is I'm A Germ...

The Jasons - Scene Police

  Four mongoloid brothers pissing people off with their immature antics and playing pure Red-Blooded American Punk Rock from Crystal Lake! Thus goes the description they give themselves on Facebook. They of course being Jason V (lead singer/lead guitar), Jason 3D (bass/backing vocals), Jason Hell (drums/backing vocals) and Jason R (aka Hollywood) (lead guitar/backing vocals). Collectively known as The Jasons, they're the Ramones/Teenage Bottlerocket/Screeching Weasel/Riverdales/Queers influenced punk band that have been slicing and dicing their way through the scene since 2014. They've just released a new album but before I get to that here's a link to their previous releases... https://thejasons4.bandcamp.com/

  So the new album is titled Blood In The Streets and it's pretty much what you'd expect or want from the band. 14 tracks of catchy horror themed punk with harmonies galore and lyrics about Camp Crystal Lake, Vera Sanchez (the girl who got a spear in the eye), wheelchair bound Mark who got a machete in the face and jacking off to Dee Dee Ramone. A fun album, all done in the best possible taste.  They've a lengthy US tour coming up to support the album and you can check out dates here :   https://www.facebook.com/thejasonsband/

  This song is a definite highlight, it's called Scene Police...

Internal Credit - Find You're New

  "You're playing a lot of angular bands this week Mick"   "These sound like Vintage Crop which is good as I like Vintage Crop." Just a couple of the comments in the chatroom when I played a song from the new Internal Credit ep on Sunday's Just Some Punk Songs show. Hopefully they'll give you some idea of what the band sound like although you'll get a better idea if you head over to Bandcamp and check out the ep yourselves. It's their 2nd ep so I suppose its apt to call it II :   https://internalcredit.bandcamp.com/album/ii

  Their first album only came out in January and a song from it was featured here :
https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2019/01/internal-credit-internal-credit.html  I don't think there's much difference between the eps, maybe the production on the new one is a step up but both are really good. All the songs deserve your attention, all will have you wanting to bounce around. I think it's fair to say Internal Credit are one of the best new bands to come along in 2019. You can find more info on them here : https://www.facebook.com/internallycredited/

  This is the lead song on the ep, an up tempo "angular" garage/post punk banger that I can't imagine any JSPS visitor disliking. It's called Find You're New...

Total Massacre - Border Wall

  Total Massacre are from Los Angeles and list amongst their influences the likes of Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Adolescents and Dead Kennedys as well as oi legends such as Angelic Upstarts and The Oppressed. They play aggressive hardcore punk and write politically charged songs on subjects like how the system works for the rich but not the poor, dipshit president Trump, casting off your chains and taking to the streets and how if you're a fascist they're coming for you. They've just self released new album The System Works... and it's both powerful and thought provoking. It's available on vinyl and as a name your price download :    https://totaleffingmassacre.bandcamp.com/album/the-system-works

  You can get more info on the band here : https://www.facebook.com/totaleffingmassacre/

  Despite being an LA band, gravel throated frontman Cap'n No Fun's accent sounds (to my grizzled old ears) as though he's Australian (he also brings to mind the vocals on classic track Stuart by The Dead Milkmen!). I really enjoyed his vocal performance. The rest of the band, Mike, Jeff and Tommy all provide suitably boisterous backing. This song is about white supremacy and it's called Border Wall...

The legacy of slavery: 
The dumbest assholes in the 
Whole fucking country get 
Representative democracy, while 
The rest of us get stuck paying 

For a border wall 
A total waste of cash 
What's it good for? Votes in Texas 

Fuck their border wall 
Fuck their border wall 
Fuck their border wall 
Fuck their border wall 

What's it good for? 
Midwest votes 
Sausage-eating assholes 
What a brain-dead shitshow 
But they love their 

Border wall 
Fuck their border wall 
Fuck their border wall 
Fuck their border wall 

Grandma and grandpa 
Retire down south 
Sure, they're afraid of their brown-skinned neighbors, but 
Their vote counts 

More than yours 
More than mine 
Turns out it's worth more than 
All of ours combined 
We couldn't possibly have designed 
A dumber system if we fucking tried 

There's a lot of things 
You gotta remember in 2019 
They mean voter suppression 
When they say "voter ID." 
When they say 
"border security," 
Those motherfuckers mean white supremacy 

Oh yeah, and uhhhh 
Fuck their border wall 
Fuck their border wall 
Fuck their border wall 
Fuck their border wall

Hairnet - Blow Dryer

  Hairnet are from Calgary, Alberta and feature members of Glitter, Janitor Scum and Dream Whip. They recently released a debut ep on Pee Blood Records titled Anarchy Is A Comin' It's supposedly available on cassette though I have no idea where you can buy it from. Fortunately I do know where you can find the digital version     https://hairnet.bandcamp.com/releases

  Of the 4 songs on the ep, 3 feature male vocals but the one I'm posting today, the lead track, is female fronted. A discordant affair featuring pounding drums, shambling guitars and couldn't give a fuck vocals it seems to tell the tale of a 29 year old's misfortunes whilst drying their hair. Follicle cleansing, live wire, electric fire.... I doubt it was a happy ending. This is Blow Dryer...

USA Nails - Smile

 

  When I previously featured London based USA Nails I called them noisy, discordant, inventive and said that they take no prisoners (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2017/02/usa-nails-stuck-for-inspiration.html). The song I posted back then was called Stuck For Inspiration but on the evidence of their new album it's obvious the band hasn't been stuck for inspiration in the past couple of years. The new album, their 4th, is titled "Life Cinema" and it's all the things I mentioned previously and more.

  The album weaves together elements of no-wave, post punk and noise rock and earns them comparisons with the likes of Wire, The Fall, Devo, Pissed Jeans and early Sonic Youth. It deals with stuff like pointless jobs, wannabe artists, social anxiety and offices that have fridges with beer in them and it's out now on Hex Records. There's a cool looking yellow vinyl version that's already sold out on Bandcamp but there's still a few copies left here : https://hexrecords.bigcartel.com/

  Black vinyl is available here :  https://www.dippedingoldrecordings.com/shop/pre-order-usa-nails-life-cinema-lp (UK & Worldwide) / https://www.bigoutrecords.com/produit/usa-nails-life-cinema-vinyl-lp-black/ (France & Worldwild)

   If it's digital you're after go here : https://hexrecords.bandcamp.com/album/usa-nails-life-cinema

  To promote the album the band will be touring the UK and Europe and you can find details here :   https://www.facebook.com/usanailsband/

    If you like your punk music to offer up a little more than 3 chords verse, chorus, verse then you'll enjoy "Life Cinema." In many ways USA Nails remind me of bands like Australia's Vintage Crop.  Think pounding drums, jagged guitars and shouty vocals. Damn it's good.

  I'll play a different song on tomorrow's Just Some Punk Songs show (you're all invited! https://www.facebook.com/events/411712896330983/ ) but today you're getting one of the official videos. This is Smile...
 

Human Leather - You May Think It's Big and Clever, But All I See Is Fights, Vomit And Tired Nurses

  Another noisy one for you today, this time it's a snappily titled song from Brighton duo Human Leather. Featuring Tom Close on drums and Amee Chanter on bass it's not that surprising they've drawn comparisons with Rhode Island noise rockers Lightning Bolt. They recently released a 6 track ep titled Succulent, all songs are "pipin' hot out of the band oven." If you want it on vinyl it's available on 12" black vinyl, side A features Succulent whilst the flip features a remastered version of their 2016 ep Getting To Spend Time In The Canoe. It's limited to 200 copies so don't hang about. You can find details along with the digital version here :   https://humanleather.bandcamp.com/album/succulent

  You can find more info here : https://www.facebook.com/humanleatherband/

  They've also made the cover of the latest Suspect Device zine

  Not only do Human Leather kick up a racket, they've also come up with inventive and humorous song titles such as One Day I Hope You Realise That We're All The Same Species, Living In The Same Biosphere And That Focusing On Melanin Content Of Skin Is Pathetic. They're probably the longest song titles since Pizzatramp released their split with The Domestics. The song you'll find below is about how it's fine to drink in moderation but not to piss your life away. It's titled You May Think It's Big And Clever But All I See Is Fights, Vomit And Tired Nurses...

Hats off 
Well done 
Deserve a medal 
You really do 
Showed them 
You did 
Round of applause to you 

Fuck your mind 
Drink your money 
Who needs a liver when there's new ones? 
Where's your time? 
Down the pan 
Either that or sucked down a black hole 

Escape reality from time to time 
Everyone does it, and that's fine 
But now reality has long gone 
Tried to run, pushed under the rug 
Can't face the facts in this hole you've dug 
And the pub's always your siren song 

Waste 
To feel wasted 
Mind and money 
Slips away 
All 
That you wished for 
Was this it? 
Piss away your days 
Last orders 
Time's up 
Put the binge down 
People please 
A culture 
That's soaked with 
Pride in shots 
And heart disease 

Want to talk, but your head's around the cistern 
Want to fuck, but your head's around the cistern 

You are what you drink 
All you are is bitter 

What an ugly life you've lived 
In a fucking ugly world 
With the life of an only child 
That died