Just Some Punk Songs Top 50 Songs Of 2020

 

  And here's the Top 50 songs of 2020 as carefully selected by all the staff at Just Some Punk Songs (ie, me!)... 

50) DITCHES - Lights Out

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/track/lights-out

49) GROSS POLLUTER - Just Here For The Violence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55SbHkoKn-M

48) XYLITOL - I Want A Refund

https://thrillingliving.bandcamp.com/track/i-want-a-refund

47) COOL JERKS - The Butchers Apron

https://cool-jerks.bandcamp.com/track/the-butchers-apron

46) STRAW MAN ARMY - Option Despair

https://d4mtlabsinc.bandcamp.com/track/option-despair

45) GOLDIE DAWN - What's Inside (Never Dies)

https://goldiedawn.bandcamp.com/track/whats-inside-never-dies

44) TOYLETTES - Bernd Das Schwein

https://toylettes.bandcamp.com/track/bernd-das-schwein

43) DAUGHTER BAT AND THE LIP STINGS - Preemptive Strike

https://daughterbatandthelipstings.bandcamp.com/track/preemptive-strike

42) WHATS YOUR DAMAGE? - Killing Spree

https://whatsyourdamage.bandcamp.com/track/killing-spree

41) C.O.F.F.I.N - Out On Bail

https://coffin-aus.bandcamp.com/track/out-on-bail

40) CHUBBY AND THE GANG - Blue Ain't My Colour

https://chubbyandthegang.bandcamp.com/track/blue-aint-my-colour

39) ALIEN NOSEJOB - Sound Of Sirens

https://ironlungpv.bandcamp.com/track/sound-of-sirens

38) MR. TEENAGE - Kids

https://mrteenage.bandcamp.com/track/kids

37) RATS FROM A SINKING SHIP - Dedicated Follower Of Fascism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul_6ktQnHyo

36) LEPER - ICBM

https://leperhc.bandcamp.com/track/icbm

35) SLEAFORD MODS - Second

https://sleafordmods.bandcamp.com/track/second

34) LAS RATAPUNKS - La Pieza

https://lasratapunks.bandcamp.com/track/la-pieza

33) GG KING - Remain Intact

https://totalpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/track/remain-intact-2

32) GIRLS IN SYNTHESIS - Coming Up For Air

https://girlsinsynthesis.bandcamp.com/track/coming-up-for-air-3

31) SLOW FACTION - 1945

https://slowfaction.bandcamp.com/track/1945-demo

30) DEAD SHEERAN - Things Were Better In The Eighties

https://deadsheeran.bandcamp.com/track/things-were-better-in-the-eighties

29) REVERSE - Broken Windows

https://sprecords.bandcamp.com/track/broken-window

28) ROMERO - Honey

https://romeromelbourne.bandcamp.com/track/honey

27) DEATHTRAPS - Play The One We Know

https://deathtraps.bandcamp.com/track/play-the-one-we-know

26) ISS - Too Punk For Heavy Metal

https://totalpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/track/too-punk-for-heavy-metal

25) VINTAGE CROP - Just My Luck

https://vintagecrop.bandcamp.com/track/just-my-luck

24) THE GLOBS - Spiral Stairs

https://globsfromoutterspace.bandcamp.com/track/spiral-stairs-2

23) GHOULIES - Unpack Your Bags

https://ghouliesperth.bandcamp.com/track/unpack-your-bags

22) SHRINKWRAP KILLERS - Stolen Electronics To Shove Up Your Ass

https://shrinkwrapkillers.bandcamp.com/track/stolen-electronics-to-shove-up-your-ass 

21) DAME - Bubble Baby

https://beachimpedimentrecords.bandcamp.com/track/bubble-baby

20) PLEBS - Boring Yuppie Lifestyle

https://plebs.bandcamp.com/track/boring-yuppie-lifestyle

19) CIVIC - Radiant Eye

https://civicivic.bandcamp.com/track/radiant-eye

18) STIFF RICHARDS - Going Numb

https://stiffrichards.bandcamp.com/track/going-numb-2

17) ACCIDENTE - Vuestra Historia

https://accidente.bandcamp.com/track/vuestra-historia

16) CUIR - Synthpunk Attitude

https://offsidetapes.bandcamp.com/track/synthpunk-attitude-2

15) THE CHATS - Identity Theft

https://thechatslovebeer.bandcamp.com/track/identity-theft-2

14) PRIVATE FUNCTION - Give War A Chance

https://privatefunction.bandcamp.com/track/give-war-a-chance

13) PAVID VERMIN - The Beach Boys Never Surfed

https://pavidvermin.bandcamp.com/track/the-beach-boys-never-surfed

12) TOMMY AND THE COMMIES - Impulse Action

https://tommyandthecommies.bandcamp.com/track/impulse-action

11) CRISIS ACTORS - Informant

https://crisisactorsboston.bandcamp.com/track/informant-crisis-actors

10)  THE EXBATS - I Got The Hots For Charlie Watts

9)  THE UPPERS - Bad Dog Pound

8)  DARK THOUGHTS - Must Be Nice

7)  HANK WOOD AND THE HAMMERHEADS - Tomorrow

6)  COLD MEAT - Industry Sleaze

5)  PARDON US - Still Needs Singing

4)  RABIES BABIES - Rape Is Rape, Even If The Rapist Is In A Band That You Like

3)  LUCKY MALICE - Revolt

2)  SOAKIE - Boys On Stage

1)  BOB VYLAN - We Live Here

Just Some Punk Songs Top Songs Of 2020 (100-51)

   

  So as usual as the year comes to a close, here's my annual attempt to put together a chart in which I showcase my favourite songs released during the previous 12 months in the hope you guys will maybe discover some great new music that would otherwise escape your attention. Obviously, if you've been visiting the blog during 2020 you'll already know most, if not all of the songs/bands that'll feature and obviously you'll have your own favourites but this chart is just for fun (and in the spirit of John Peel's annual Festive 50's). Sorry to any bands I forgot or haven't included but there were many, many more great releases during 2020 than I can squeeze in. As with all these charts, the songs (and their positions) would no doubt change on any given day but as of posting, this is pretty much as accurate a representation as I can manage of my favourites of the year. The Top 50 will follow tomorrow... 

100) MR WRONG - Nuclear Generation

https://mrwrongwitches.bandcamp.com/track/nuclear-generation

99) RAT CAGE - Jump Off A Building

https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/track/jump-off-a-building

98) FUN TIME OBJECTS - Hey Joey!

https://funtimeobjects.bandcamp.com/track/hey-joey

97) DIRT ROYAL - Lose Our Way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkWMmvBAieo

96) KNIFE CLUB - The Tibby Tan Tiger

https://tnsrecords.bandcamp.com/track/the-tibby-tan-tiger

95) YOUNG FRANCIS HI FI - I Wanna Hold You Tight (Tonite)

https://youngfrancishifi.bandcamp.com/track/i-wanna-hold-you-tight-tonite

94) KALLE HYGIEN - Absolute Bomber

https://kallehygien.bandcamp.com/track/absolute-bomber

93) JODIE FASTER - Grab & Go

https://jodiefaster.bandcamp.com/track/grab-go

92) CUTTERS - Chewed Up Fortune

https://cuttersmelbourne.bandcamp.com/track/chewed-up-fortune

91) STANDARD ISSUE - When You Leave

https://notimeforfun.bandcamp.com/track/when-you-leave

90) DOGMA - Austerity

https://anthraxuk.bandcamp.com/track/austerity

89) DENNIS COMETTI - WAXIT

https://denniscometti.bandcamp.com/track/waxit

88) NEUTRALS -  Personal Computing

https://neutrals.bandcamp.com/track/personal-computing

87) KOOL & THE GANG BANGERS - Television Victim

https://koolandthegangbangers.bandcamp.com/track/television-victim-2

86) MAID OF ACE - Nostalgia

https://maidoface.bandcamp.com/track/nostalgia

85) RIVIERA KID - Do Something!

https://rivierakid.bandcamp.com/track/do-something

84) NANCY - Take A Pikksha

https://nancymommy.bandcamp.com/track/take-a-pikksha

83) LA RABBIA - Suspect

https://larabbia.bandcamp.com/track/suspect

82) FRIED e/M - Die Laughing

https://friedem.bandcamp.com/track/die-laughing

81) BIZNAGA - 2K20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1EQ3K8WwDM

80) MEADOW BURIALS - The Sacrificed

https://meadowburials.bandcamp.com/track/the-sacrificed

79) THE SPITS - Lose My Mind

https://thespits.bandcamp.com/track/lose-my-mind

78) ERA BLEAK - Mind Control Tower

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/track/mind-control-tower

77) HOUSEGHOST - Hazel

https://houseghostdyt.bandcamp.com/track/hazel

76) MC 16 - Brave New World

https://mc16band.bandcamp.com/track/brave-new-word

75) SHOT BALOWSKI - Critique Of Everyday Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK-weS3ljGY

74) THE FALLOUT - Times Have Never Changed

https://rebeltimerecords.bandcamp.com/track/the-times-have-never-changed-2

73) RISKEE & THE RIDICULE - Blue Jacket

https://riskeeandtheridicule.bandcamp.com/track/blue-jacket

72) FATAL BLOW - Active Shooter

https://thefatalblow.bandcamp.com/track/active-shooter

71) SPRINTS - Kissing Practice

https://independentmusicnews.bandcamp.com/track/sprints-kissing-practice

70) LAY IT ON THE LINE - Nil Desperandum

https://layitontheline.bandcamp.com/track/nil-desperandum

69) PROUD CITY FATHERS - Summer Of Hate

https://proudcityfathers1.bandcamp.com/track/summer-of-hate

68) COSMIT - Stranger

https://cosmit.bandcamp.com/track/stranger

67) TONY DORK - Tongue Tied

https://tonydork.bandcamp.com/track/tounge-tied-3

66) DIAZ BROTHERS - Melancholy Hand Grenades

https://diazbrothers.bandcamp.com/track/melancholy-hand-grenades

65) DAYS N DAZE - My Darling Dopamine

https://daysndaze.bandcamp.com/track/my-darling-dopamine

64) WHO KILLED NANCY JOHNSON? - City

https://wknancyj.bandcamp.com/track/city

63) CLOCK OF TIME - Rotten Master

https://staticshockrecords.bandcamp.com/track/rotten-master

62) LITIGE - Casual Tonight

https://litigelyon.bandcamp.com/track/casual-tonight

61) THE LETS GOS - Feel Like It (2020 Version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za98RjpKnK8

60) RED RED KROVVY - Despise The Rich

https://heltaskeltarecords.bandcamp.com/track/despise-the-rich

59) SNUFF - Drink Freely From The Chalice Of Lunacy

https://snuffuk.bandcamp.com/track/drink-freely-from-the-chalice-of-lunacy

58) THE CHISEL - Rat Running Scared

https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/track/rat-running-scared

57) BORN SHIT STIRRERS - Bored Of Education

https://serialbowlrecords.bandcamp.com/track/bored-of-education

56) OMEGA TRIBE - Dandara Dos Santos

https://anthraxuk.bandcamp.com/track/dandara-dos-santos

55) STAR PARTY - All I Really Wanna Do

https://starpartyrocks.bandcamp.com/track/all-i-really-wanna-do-2

54) SCIMMIA - Uptight

https://scimmia.bandcamp.com/track/uptight

53) DISCO JUNK - I'm No Good With Numbers But I Know Which Tram I'm On

https://discojunk.bandcamp.com/track/im-no-good-with-numbers-but-i-know-which-tram-im-on

52) FROGGY & THE RINGES - Froggy & The Ringes (Soft 'G') Theme

https://kibourecords.bandcamp.com/track/froggy-the-ringes-soft-g-theme

51) THE MARK VODKA GROUP - Everybody's Punk Now

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/track/everybodys-punk-now

The Dinz - I'm Alright

 

  Before I finish the year with a 2 day special Top 100 songs of 2020 Chart, I'm going to post something by a band that sound like a throw back to 1977. They're from Portsmouth, they're called The Dinz (https://www.facebook.com/robertsofsouthsea/) and they unapologetically base their sound on punk's golden era (though they add a slice of anarcho with a funk twist). 

  They released a debut Self Titled album in 2019 on Trashwax Records ("No garage punk, no surf and no rockabilly type stuff at all here...Punk Rawk from Pompey (Portsmouth in England). A blistering album of 77-78 styled punk (although they only got together in April 2018)...All original tracks and banged out over a couple of weeks...A bit of early SLF, a touch of The Addicts and a whole heap of attitude...Not surprising this is such a good album considering their previous ! (Bananafish, Mild Mannered Janitors, SKAW, Racketeers).... 300 copies on a rather fetching shade of Banana Yellow!" : https://www.trashwax.com/product/lp-the-dinz-s-t-ltd-edition-trash-wax-release-yellow-vinyl). 

  Since then, there's been the Carry On Dinz ep and the Investment Wanker ep plus a couple of other tracks, one which I'm featuring today. You can find them all here : https://thedinz.bandcamp.com/ 

  If you like your punk rock music to have that authentic, back in the day sound then The Dinz are for you. This song is called I'm Alright... 

DIRT BYRDS - Blame (Guest Review By Ralph J Rivera)

    

  When you get tagged on Facebook and click the link to see the following... 

  OMG! Can't believe I just discovered this band at the end of 2020! Top Notch Modern UK Post Punk that puts "IDLES" to shame! THIS IS THE SOUND!

   ... then you pay attention. Especially when it's someone as rabidly keen on punk music as Ralph J Rivera. So I had a listen to the band that had impressed him so much and whilst I'd question as to whether they're post punk (Bandcamp tags them as blues grunge hardcore post-rock punk rock, but hey, who cares about tags) and I'd say that good as Idles are, I actually think Girls In Synthesis are currently the benchmark when it comes to post punk, he's got one thing spot on. DIRT BYRDS (https://www.facebook.com/dirtrockhq) are bloody good and I'm grateful he drew my attention (and now yours) to them.  

  ***Can I just mention that I'm not sure if Ralph has heard the stuff they released before the 2 eps when they were the similarly named Thee Dirt Byrds. More info on that here :  https://timetobeproudrecordsbelfast.com/the-dirt-byrds***

  Over to Ralph... 

  So talk about pressure. Once my brother Mick asks me to write about a UK band HE's never heard of I'm scared! But let me introduce you to one of the best Modern Post Punk bands playing this style these days.

They're called DIRT BYRDS and they're a trio from Bangor, Northern Ireland comprising of Keith Farr, John McLachlan and Ben Simpson.

I stumbled across this band on a Pop Punk comp of all things and discovered that they were SO much more than that. The best modern Post Punk bands can transcend ALL styles and these guys pull that off perfectly! They have 2 amazing EP's out on their bandcamp site (https://dirtbyrds.bandcamp.com/) but this song is from the "Who Made You The Judge" EP and it's called "Blame". Absolutely amazing music that you need to hear and this band are the cutting edge of modern Post Punk!

  This is Blame... 

What’s Your Damage? - Useless Generation

    

  There's something about Quinn Anderson's vocals that draws me in. They're simultaneously distinctive, yet at the same time naggingly familiar. She's the focal point of Chicago new wave quartet What's Your Damage? and is ably backed by Wiley Willis (drums), Sean Kelly (bass) and Bob Shields (guitar). They featured on here back at the start of 2020 when Jason Long introduced us to a song from their Self Titled (very good and name your price so go snap it up) 8 track ep  https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2020/01/whats-your-damage-killing-spree-guest.html

  They return today with another 80's influenced winner, this time taken from the split album they released in September in collaboration with Houston, Texas duo The Prettybads. It's another name your price digital delight with What's Your Damage? dealing with modern day issues such as our buy buy buy society, police violence, uniting against discrimination, a call for workers to revolt etc... 

  You can get it here :  https://whatsyourdamage.bandcamp.com/album/the-prettybads-what-s-your-damage-split 

  The song I'm featuring from it also features on a very decent compilation album from Thumper Punk Records titled United We Skate Vol. 6. https://thumperpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/united-we-skate-vol-6 

  This is Useless Generation... 

  

White Stains - Quarantine (Guest Review By Ralph J Rivera)

  

  Ralph's back with a recommendation we check out White Stains... 

Pittsburgh, here in the US, has always been a hotbed of Punk Rock talent. Maybe it's because they're so far away from the major city area but for years there's been tons of great Punk Rock bands coming out of that area. Let me introduce you all to the White Stains!

This band have absorbed YEARS worth of Punk/Hardcore and filtered it into something new and relevant! Not many bands can do the whole 80's/90's sound and pull it off with integrity. I don't know these guys but I'm pretty sure they grew up listening to the same bands I did. The selling point to this band is their vocalist. He has somehow channelled Darby Crash, Jerry from Poison Idea and Duane Peters when the U.S. Bombs were still an awesome band!

This IS Punk Rock 2020 and if these guys manage to put out an album in 2021 it's gonna kick everyone's ass! I'm SO glad that bands like this still exist.

Check out their excellent new ep, Make Me Sick, here (it's name your price and yeah I know it features 10 tracks but unless you're Circle Jerks, 13 minutes does not an album make!): https://whitestainspgh.bandcamp.com/album/make-me-sick

A song that's perfect for these times of pandemic and disease, this is Quarantine...

The Kimberly Steaks - Stay Another Day

    

  As has become tradition on Christmas Day, I'm posting something seasonal... 

  Was East 17's Stay Another Day actually a Christmas song? It features bells and seems to get played alongside the likes of Slade, Wham and The Pogues at this time of year but it's actually about the death of the brother of one of the band. It's also mawkish, sentimental crap (hey, I'm allowed an opinion!). 

  And it's been covered by Glasgow pop punkers The Kimberly Steaks (https://www.facebook.com/thekimberlysteaks). 

  I've got to be honest, I was a little wary as I began listening, it starts off with a gentle piano intro and East 17 style pap pop vocals but worry not, it soon kicks up a gear (in a similar way to Sid Vicious' My Way), the guitars fire up and frontman Greg's vocals are a vast improvement on the boy band original. It's really good and it comes on an ep with 3 other tracks. Proceeds go to Glasgow SE Foodbank (https://glasgowse.foodbank.org.uk/) so go check it out :  https://thekimberlysteaks.bandcamp.com/album/stay-another-day 

  Merry Christmas to all of you. 

  This is Stay Another Day... 

Crashed Out - Lockdown Blues

    

  Rejoice my fellow Brits, 'tis the season to to be jolly and as we all know, on Christmas Day, the Corona Virus will be taking a well earned day off and we can all relax our guard and meet up with our families. Only for the one day though as the following day we'll all be back to staying alert, keeping our distance and listening to government briefings. This time around it looks as though restrictions will be getting tighter as the virus mutates it's way into 2021.

  Crashed Out (https://www.facebook.com/crashedout.uk), the veteran melodic 4 piece street punkers from Jarrow have kept busy during the pandemic recording a new single. It features their reinterpretation of an Eddie Cochran classic and pairs it up with a cover of Motorhead favourite Ace Of Spades. It's available digitally with all proceeds going towards helping keep Trillions Rock Bar (a live music venue in the heart Newcastle Upon Tyne) going during these difficult times. You can get it here :  https://crashedout.bandcamp.com/album/lockdown-blues-ace-of-spades  

  Classic tune, modern day lyrics, this is Lockdown Blues...

I get up at noon what will I do I wonder, I have a cup of coffee and I take a long shower, Walk the dog watch tv everyday I do the same? I'm a lazy sod and the virus is to blame, because of Corona and it ain’t a little flu, Cos they ain’t no cure for The lockdown blues I’m on a lockdown and it’s a weird situation, like a ghost town and it’s right across the nation, Covid is to blame that’s what we got to fear Don’t have to go to work so I have another beer, because of Corona and it ain’t a little flu, Cos they ain’t no cure for The lockdown blues I Gotta get away I really need a vacation, But I’m sitting tight waiting for the vaccination, This ain’t going away and we gotta face the facts, Well that’s what you get if your gonna eat bats, because of Corona and it ain’t a little flu, Cos they ain’t no cure for The lockdown blues

Silicone Values - The Last Work Of Piss Artists

  

  One of the more interesting newcomers of 2020 are Bristol DIY collective Silicone Values. They announced themselves in June with a single called I Hate Fascist Rock And Roll (I think we're all with them on that one!) and they followed it in September with the excellent dystopian pairing of Utopian Futures & Nuclear Sun (which was covered here :  https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2020/10/silicone-values-utopian-futures.html).   

  Now they complete a hat trick of killer singles with the release of "two more tinnitus inducing one-trick ponies..." 

  Buying into the Desperate Bicycles rallying cry of "It was easy, it was cheap, go and do it" they bring us a couple of sub 2 minute lo-fi delights. Just As Simple As That is a jaunty blast of budget post punk whilst the song you'll find below marries up a splendid title with a terrace style chanted chorus of "who do you think we are?" From what I can make out, it's a critique of modern day Britain, or at least a sizable section of it. 

  You can get it here : https://siliconevalues.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-work-of-piss-artists-b-w-just-as-simple-as-that 

  This is The Last Work Of Piss Artists... 

Tabloited - Tühi vaev

    

  Tabloited are Mart Niineste (vocals/guitar), Sander Päeren (guitar/vocals), Georgi Maksimov (bass) and Kallervo Karu (drums). They're from Tallinn, Estonia, and they're influenced by both golden era punk such as The Ramones and The Clash plus local acts such as Vennaskond, J.M.K.E. and Psychoterror etc. The last 5 years has seen them building up a pretty sizeable back catalogue of 3 albums and numerous eps and singles and they've just released an impressive new ep titled Kaua võib? (It translates as For How Long?). 

  The ep is both catchy and melodic and though I've no idea what frontman (and former music journalist) Mart is singing about (lyrics are in their native tongue, but I've been told that the song I'm featuring today is about "pointlessness of hatred and totalitarian views. as elsewhere, we too have an issue with a rising far right in politics and society and lyrics reflect my reaction to it.") it's still a very enjoyable listen. Those golden era influences are especially noticeable on the track you'll find below. Translating as An Empty Effort, it's a top notch song with a very cool guitar riff popping in and out that reminds me very much of some of the better Buzzcocks b sides. The accompanying video sees the band intercut with footage from old chronicle and propaganda films. 

  The ep's available as a name your price download : https://tabloited.bandcamp.com/album/kaua-v-ib-ep

  This is Tühi vaev... 

J Prozac featuring Andy Nihilate - Regret

  

  One very welcome newcomer to the punk rock scene in 2020 is Laptop Punk Records. Named (I'm assuming) after a song (https://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/track/laptop-punk) by The Gungans which featured on their Meesa Meesa Meesa! album, it's a label created by Gungans vocalist and Just Some Punk Songs favourite Grim Deeds (https://grimdeeds.bandcamp.com/). If you thought Grim Deeds was prolific in releasing his own music, you ain't seen nothing yet! The first Laptop Punk Records release was a song by Rocky Rochelle called Don't Sweat The Smallpox. It came out on the 18th October. In the 2 months since then there's been about 24 other releases including music by the likes of Vista Blue, The Anti-Bodies, Pavid Vermin, Brad Marino, The Биты, Marina Surfinbird and many more.  

  Plus there's the only song released this year by J Prozac, vocalist with Westfield, Massachusetts pop punk legends The Prozacs. It's a song which sees Jay ably backed by a couple of his Prozacs bandmates, drummer Jimmy Craig and bassist Kyle Carnage. There's also the welcome return on vocals of his wife and former Stiletto Bomb front woman Andy Nihilate. 

https://laptoppunkrecords.bandcamp.com/track/j-prozac-featuring-andy-nihilate-regret

  It's Jay at his bittersweet best. He's wanting to turn back the clock and do things differently but of course that's not how life works. It's about struggling not to live in the past but finding it hard to move on and let sleeping dogs lie. Jay knows he needs to let go but it's not easy. It's called Regret... 

GG KING - Remain Intact

  

  Greg King should be a familiar name to you. He's best known as the the vocalist with Atlanta legends Carbonas and has featured in numerous other bands. For the last decade or so he's been releasing garage and hardcore influenced punk with the band GG KING. Top notch fare such as the Joyless Masturbation single (https://totalpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/joyless-masturbation-7) and the Unending Darkness album ( https://scavengerofdeathrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unending-darkness) have carried on the Carbonas legacy. 

  February of next year will see the release of a new album, it'll be titled Remain Intact and it'll be available from Total Punk Records. The title track is already streaming and it sure whets the appetite. Check it out and be wowed by one of the catchiest guitar riffs I've heard for a while. It's an upbeat, very easy to fall in love with song that suggests the album could well be the band's best yet.  https://totalpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gg-king-remain-intact-lp 

  Some of you may have heard rough mixes of the title track and a couple of others when a promo tape surfaced last March (https://ggkingatl.bandcamp.com/album/remain-intact-promo-tape). 

  This is Remain Intact... 

ISS - Facemask

  

  ISS are the North Carolina duo that have gone down extremely well whenever I've featured them on here or on the Just Some Punk Songs show. Right from their first blog appearance 3 years ago with the X Ray Spex sampling Part Time All The Time (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2017/10/iss-part-time-all-time.html) through to the latest show in which one of the listeners chose Too Punk For Heavy Metal (https://totalpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/too-punk-for-heavy-metal) as their favourite song of 2020. 

  Maybe it's not their favourite track of the year now, as the late release of an ep titled Spikes gives them another 5 great songs to challenge Too Punk... for that accolade. 

  The ep is on Sorry State Records and at the moment is only available on cassette. As is usually the case with this band, if there's sampling going on throughout the ep, I haven't got a clue what songs are being used even though I feel I should (so feel free to shout up in the comments if you recognise something familiar). The cassette has unique packaging containing real spikes! But the title also refers to the spikes in Covid cases and the deaths during the pandemic. The title track deals with this whilst the song you'll find at the bottom of this update is a real smack in the face which raucously demands the wearing of facemasks. It's an ep very much of it's time and proves (not that it needed proving) that punk can still be fresh, inventive and relevant 40+ years down the line. 

  You can get the cassette here : https://www.sorrystaterecords.com/blogs/news/record-of-the-week-iss-spikes

  This is Facemask... 

Joy - Idols Of Perversity

    

  Often when I have a song lingering on the "to do list" for ages it eventually gets forgotten about and passed over in favour of newer releases but the song you're getting today is too good to not feature. 

  The band are called Joy, they line up with Pasha Jovanovic (guitar, lead vocals), Griz Palella (drums, electronics, vocals) and Heiress V (bass) and they're from New Orleans. Rather intriguingly they tag themselves anarcho-spice but don't worry, rather than sounding like the girl power wannabes they lean more towards a darkly delicious post punk style of music. 

  The beat, both drum and electro, is up front and in your face whilst Pasha's vocals are just right for this kind of thing. They released a debut Self Titled ep in October. I think there's a cassette on the way in February from Girlsville Records but for now you can get the digital version here :   https://joyno.bandcamp.com/album/joy 

  This track is called Idols Of Perversity...

Idols of perversity A woman's place is on the cross Sickly and bedridden Barefoot and pregnant Idols of perversity They only like you when you're serving time Flattery is the dull edge Persistent as the rising tide Where is the needles eye if not the upturned nose? Property, possession, perversion, obsession Your body's nothing more than a currency site of extraction, a mine, an attraction

Fakoma - Police Man

    

  If you've got a much better memory than mine you may remember me posting a song back in March from a very cool compilation album released by Mort Clique Shows from Cologne in Germany (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2020/03/fernando-teenage-narcs-quarentine.html). The comp was called Solidarity! - Support Your Local Punk Scene and proceeds went towards helping the venue where Mort Clique stage their diy shows stay afloat during the Covid lockdown. 

  Today you're getting a song from the equally impressive follow up comp, Solidarity! - The Second Wave. It's for the same worthy cause and the track list is packed with bands you'll have seen on here. It features music from the likes of Gym Tonic, Alien Nosejob, Stiff Richards, Ausmuteants, Kool & The Gang Bangers and many more. You can get it here : https://mortcliqueshows.bandcamp.com/album/solidarity-the-second-wave

  I played a song from it on a recent Just Some Punk Songs show by a band called Fakoma. who are from Cologne and who will be releasing a Self Titled album in January. If the opening song is any indication it's going to be well worth checking out. The digital version is available for pre order now (with the vinyl due early in the New Year) : https://fakoma.bandcamp.com/album/fakoma-s-t 

  This is Police Man... 

Rat Cage - Hypocrite City

    

  File under short, fast and noisy as fuck... 

  Rat Cage (https://www.facebook.com/ratcagehc/) are a hardcore punk band from Sheffield who earlier this year released one of 2020's most brutal albums. It was titled Screams From The Cage (https://ratcage.bandcamp.com/album/screams-from-the-cage) and was likened to a steel girder to the forehead. It was also described as slamming a firm British stamp on the classic Swedish Hardcore blueprint. 

  Going off the evidence presented by the song you'll find below, 2021 won't see them reining things in any... 

  The song is a taster for an upcoming split 12" that they'll be unleashing in collaboration with Macedonian band, Nervous SS. The album will be titled Skopje Vs Sheffield and it's going to be out on February 15th on La Vida Es Un Mus Discos. Both bands contribute half a dozen songs each, 5 originals and a cover (Rat Cage will covering the UK Subs classic Emotional Blackmail whilst Nervous SS cover New Police State's  Мртов Војник). You can pre order the vinyl version (on red or black) here :  https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/skopje-vs-sheffield 

  On this track, Rat Cage vocalist Bry Suddaby gives an impressive throat shredding performance and he's ably backed by a band that take no prisoners. This is Hypocrite City... 

TJ Cabot & Thee Artificial Rejects - Nowhere To Go

  

  Busy Busy Busy... 

  Both Alien Snatch Records, who this month are responsible for releasing 3 excellent albums (so don't be surprised if I'm returning to feature more music from the label very soon) and one of those bands, TJ Cabot & Thee Artificial Rejects who during the course of 2020 have released an 8 track Demo, a digital single called Overcompensation, the Dick Charles ep, the Get Ready Get Set! ep and now a Self Titled full length. As I revealed back in June (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2020/06/tj-cabot-thee-artificial-rejects-whats.html), they're a rough and ready garage punk outfit from Moncton, Canada, featuring Phone Jerks frontman Tyler Boots. Trashy, lo-fi and proud of it, they're budget rock n rollers for fans of the likes of Jay Reatard or Gino And The Goons. 

  The album boasts 11 lean & mean cuts clocking in at a little under the 20 minute mark. As with the best of the genre, it's authentic sounding garage goodness underpinned by some pretty catchy tunes. You'll want to check it out. I'm not sure how many of the vinyl variants remain (there were 100 on clear vinyl with black swirls and 200 on black) so head on over to Bandcamp now :  https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/tj-cabot-thee-artificial-rejects  

  I think this is possibly my favourite track, it's called Nowhere To Go... 

SYMPOS - On The Scratcher

  

  Today's song was kindly brought to my attention by Wayne Elliott (ex bass player with Doctor And The Crippens and now host of the Pulsebeat radio show  https://www.mixcloud.com/Wayne_Elliott/). It's the debut release by a band based in Waterford called SYMPOS (https://www.facebook.com/sympathychips) and it's a damn fine mission statement. 

  The song is called On The Scratcher. It's a term that means on the dole or social welfare in their native Ireland and it reminds me somewhat if another great recent Irish debut release (http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2019/05/no-collusion-aw-naw.html). It's another couldn't give a fuck slacker anthem reflecting the frustrations of the youth of the Emerald Isle. Humour and attitude abound. You need to check it out, you'll be impressed. 

  On The Scratcher...

Wrong War - First Shot Misses

    

  Wrong War (https://www.facebook.com/wrongwarmusic) are Dan Smith (drums), Dave Pawlowski (bass), Matthias Weeks (vocals) and Patrick Keenan (guitar). They formed in 2019, hail from Chicago and are former members of bands such as Current, Ottawa, Calvary, The Phenoms and Salvo Beta. They play "blistering political punk rock" and have garnered comparisons with the likes of Crucifix, Battalion Of Saints and Born Against. 

  And they've recently released a debut album titled Fixed Against Forever. It contains 9 tracks, the music is mostly fast and heavy (there's a bit of d beat sound bubbling not too far below the surface which compliments those US hardcore influences) and the lyrics are well written and are more thought provoking and abstract than most bands manage. For example we get lines like "Day spent in bright-lit city, With sounds of market-tongues...", "A pyrrhic victory, calling over the din, The lonely moan, of the next battlefield..." and "When it’s all fools -- and firebrands, Glorifying -- a promised land, They’ll kindly tell you -- where to stand. Ever closer to hell."

  The album's available on vocalist Matt's Council Records label :  https://wrongwar.bandcamp.com/album/fixed-against-forever 

  This is the track I played on a recent Just Some Punk Songs show which impressed the chatroom regulars, it's called First Shot Misses...

It’s what they would write... You know what will happen. Fixed, altered, in every way. An assertion profession, And the indifference of your adversaries. There’s a time, When they will win. There's not an answer, To every question. First shot misses. Ride out the day, Consider it a warning. Few notes that you bray In violence we’re drowning. There is a time, When they will win. There's not an answer, To every question. First shot misses. You know what we’re trapped in, Exit obscured and out of sight. As it all wears thin, remember… This is what they would write! You know what will happen. Fixed, altered, in every way. An assertion profession, And the indifference of your adversaries. So what are we waiting for?

Motherfucker Teresa - Blue Lives Murder

  

  I've got to be honest, I come across loads and loads (and loads) of bands whilst looking for music to shout about on here and there honestly aren't enough hours in the day to properly listen to everything. So when you see a band with a name like Motherfucker Teresa (https://www.facebook.com/mfteresa666/), they stand out from the crowd and entice you into checking them out. 

  Grabbing your attention is one thing but keeping it is another and happily the Denver, Colorado outfit managed to keep me interested with their shouty, energetic, crusty style of punk rock. They play political punk, they're anti proud boys and pro Antifa so they're on the same wavelength (I assume) as most of the visitors to this blog. They're pretty damn noisy too. 

  And they've recently released a 9 track album titled Old News Is Still New News. It deals with subjects local to them (Fuck Nancy Pelosi is a 13 second swearathon aimed towards the speaker of the US House Of Representatives whilst Me And mitch mcConnell In A Dark Alley isn't going to win any awards for lyrical complexity but it lets us know what the band would like to do to the senate majority leader) and further afield (Plastic despairs about the mess we've made of our oceans and House Of The Rising Rent (101 Gentrifications) deals with a growing problem in most developing countries). There's even a lively cover of Body Count's Cop Killer. 

  You can find it here : https://motherfuckerteresa.bandcamp.com/album/old-news-is-still-new-news

  Below you'll find another anti cop song, it's called Blue Lives Murder... 

You kill people for selling CD's
I say 'You're a fucking disease"
You think you stop people from breaking laws
Well I say you're the fucking cause
"Protect and Serve?"
What fucking Nerve?!
"Serve and Protect?"
What Disrespect!!
Choke you out til you can't breathe
Laughing when your family grieves

Chorus:
You say your life is in constant threat?
We say you ain't seen nothing yet
You say your life is in constant threat?
We say you ain't seen nothing yet
Dead cops get what they deserve
And Deserve just what the get
Dead Cops get what they deserve
And Deserve just what they get!!

Beating women like Ray Rice did
Killing more people than I.S.I.S.
You're an epidemic and a crisis
Six Feet Under's Fucking Finest
Why are you so fucking evil?
Why are you so fucking evil?!
Why are you so fucking evil?!
WHY ARE YOU SO FUCKING EVIL?!?!

(chorus)

Defend the klan and DAPL
Blue lives matter can go to hell
Killing kids then bragging on FOX
Big guns compensating small cocks
You claim to live by the badge
Killing mothers under the flag
Well I say that badge ain't shit
But a shiny price tag

(Chorus)

MOAR - Second Century (Guest Review By Dirk Ceustermans)

     

  

  Moar from Dirk today... 

Moar - Second Century (Black Milk Celebration Day 7", Belly Button Recs, 2020)

   Yet another Belly Button release, this time from the man that runs the label himself: Rafael Valles Hilario.

  Moar (https://www.facebook.com/moaroam/) is the man's band, but I understand this release is his output only, as he mentions:

"I had these slower songs laying around and thought they wouldn't fit for MOAR in a live setting so decided to do it myself"

  Moar released stuff on his label in the previous years, that could be placed somewhere in the 

Coneheads-Liquids-and-other-quirks section, if you like it being compared.

However this 8 tracker sounds even more lo-fi on these 60s psych inspired recordings than previous renditions of the band/man.

  I selected 2nd Century because it represents the vibe on this 7", well, maybe not this much because 

most song are slower but you must find out yourself. 60s inspired, for sure, so if that's your thing, check this band out! The 8 track ep is available on 7" vinyl or as a name your price download : 

https://bellybuttonrecords.bandcamp.com/track/second-century-2

  This is Second Century...

Knife Massage - White Male (Guest Review By Dirk Ceustermans)

     

  Dirk shifts his attention to Holland today as he recommends another cool band for us to check out... 

  Belly Button Records is a very interesting label from Antwerp, Belgium, that has been very active this year throwing up great releases on the carpet of tunes. Always unpredictable going from experimental over garagy towards psych or punk. 

They regularly cooperate with other Belgian DIY labels Ronny Rex and Rockerill Records.

This release, by Knife Massage, apparently a band from Rotterdam, Netherlands, really blows my mind.

As they claim on Bandcamp: 

"Angry garagepunk prawling pretards from pRotterdam Knife Massage will give you a hard time.

A massage shouldn't be given with knifes, most people know that"

(was the typo intended in the name of the city? “protter” is someone who farted in Dutch)

  Now that is great information, now you know what to expect. 

  But still this single sided 7" opens with a song that brings you in some sort of state of... "what the hell is going on? The release thankfully indicates it concerns 33rpm as it would leave you in doubt until the second track appears

Side B (on a single sided release hah!) even has a track title called "You left your head in my fridge"... nuff said!

Also great to see these guys went into the analogue Duct Tape Studios, where I also did some sessions with my mates from De Dikke Kees. I know it's a great place to record! 

  White Male is a great gem, stuck in between the other two more experimental noise songs. The lead has that awesome guitar sound in it, you know, that turned down tone and wahwah effect… it makes it so intense. Yes, another great discovery from the city of Rotterdam, excellent! I will need to hear more from this bunch, that is for sure. 

You can get the ep here : https://bellybuttonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/knife-massage-ep

  White Male... 

Neutrals - Personal Computing

    

  It seems like ages since today's song was going down a storm with the chatroom listeners on the Just Some Punk Songs show (a check reveals it was the 11th of October) but the single and accompanying video were only released last week so it's a perfect excuse to get the band back on here. 

  If you've missed their 3 previous appearances (the last of which was earlier this year with a fabulous cover of The Exploited's Hitler's In The Charts Again), a quick recap. They're a post-punk indie pop trio based in Oakland, California who feature the distinctive vocals of relocated Glaswegian Allan McNaughton (he's ably backed by Phil Benson (bass/vocals) & Phil Lantz (drums). Last year saw them release debut album Kebab Disco, an impressive mash up of 70's & 80's punk with C86 era jangle pop.

 

  2020 has seen them continue in a similar vein with the Rent/Your House ep and now the Personal Computing 7". The orange vinyl version  is available if you do the Slumberland Records subscription, but the black vinyl can be bought separately on its own online, and it is available in shops :     https://www.slumberlandrecords.com/slr30singles 

  You can find the digital version here : https://neutrals.bandcamp.com/album/personal-computing 

   In The Future predicts that life will be good; modern homes...geodesic domes, plenty of food, no more wars, robots to do our work and even flying cars. It's an bittersweet song recorded before the Covid outbreak as we realise it's a future that'll probably never transpire. 

  The title track ups the pace a little with some gentle Wedding Present style jangling and joyful backing vocals. It's about an obsession with computer magazines and obsolete machines (the one's that you sat there for ages staring at as they took forever to load). This is Personal Computing...  

  

Impotentie - Stille Rebellen (Guest Review By Dirk Ceustermans)

 

  Dirk's been busy in recent weeks writing me a few reviews, you've seen some, some are queued up ready to post and one you're getting today... 

  Impotentie - Stille Rebellen (from Leopold II is niet dood genoeg, Roachleg Records/Nosebleed Records, 2020)

  Impotentie (no translation needed for that) are two guys living in Montréal.

A Canadian that would adopt the name "De Paljas" (Fool/jester/clown) and a Belgian (sounds like an Antwerp accent to me) going by the name "De Spoiler". 

  De Spoiler in fact is no one other than Kevin Alen, known in Belgium for being in Justice, that were very active during the first decade of this century. He relocated to Canada, and has been in many more bands during the course: Omegas, Sadistic Bomb Fuckers, Sanction A, just to name a few.

 

  So back to 2018, when De Paljas asked the Belgian to put some singing on recorded tracks, which resulted in a tape release initially and later on Drunken Sailor recs put out those tracks on a 7".

  On that release the tone was set: very political lyrics in Flemish and a kind of 80's Europunk vibe in the music.

  FFW to June 2020 to this new release on 12" vinyl by a DIY Brooklyn, NY label and on cassette by Nosebleed Records, here in Belgium (a guy that is in the magnificent band called CLCKWS!)

the two Quebeqois residents kept the concept of 80s punk and Flemish political lyrics.

  On his facebook page De Paljas wrote: "In Belgium, a growing movement has risen to destroy statues of King Leopold II which still stand across the country. Leopold II was a colonial mass murderer (edit: this was in the colony now known as Democratic Republic of Congo) who reigned as king of Belgium from 1865 to 1909."

Indeed so: this was all over the news in our little land, even more so, this iconoclasm, inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests, did not only happen in Belgium but in other countries too.

Stille Rebellen (Silent Rebels) is a wakeup call for us to keep remembering and resisting the upcoming right wing in Flanders, as the song goes:

"Keep resisting/Keep alive/

Don't reach out a hand to nazis in our land/

they are back/ a bullet in their head"

  Further on, Spoiler questions why there are no statues for 3 Belgian resistance during WW2, who saved 115 lives from being deported to Auschwitz, while still all our towns and cities have statues of Leopold II....

  The music of this song sounds very 80s Belgian, in fact a band called War Risk 3 comes to mind, or even Zyklome A's punkier tracks on those early recordings on one of the legendary Punk Etc tapes.

Excellent stuff, if cassettes are your thing, get them here: https://nosebleedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/leopold-ii-is-niet-dood-genoeg

  This is Stille Rebellen...

Meadow Burials - Lost Soul

  

  One of my favourite recent releases is the new ep by Bath hardcore punks Meadow Burials. Lining up with Nick Wiltone (vocals/guitar), Paul Fosbury (bass) and Jack Taylor (drums) they list amongst their influences the likes of Black Flag, The Bronx, Circle Jerks, Misfits etc... 

  The ep is called Poems and it's a bit of a bruiser. 5 incendiary tracks in just over 6 minutes, with the members recording their parts separately, isolated at home with the songs then being produced & mixed by previous drummer Ben Turner. 

  You can get it on cassette (limited to 50 copies on Transparent Dark Green shells and it's pretty much sold out so be quick) and as a digital download : https://meadowburials.bandcamp.com/album/poems 

  Highlights include The Sacrificed and Lost Soul.  Raging beasts that don't sacrifice catchiness in the pursuit of rocking out (but still rock out nevertheless). 

  This is Lost Soul... 

Shrinkwrap Killers - I Think The Sirens Are Coming For Me

  

  The Shrinkwrap Killers (aka Greg Wilkinson from Brainoil and Earhammer Studios) have already featured twice on here this year with the splendidly titled (and very catchy) Stolen Electrics To Shove Up Your Ass and It's Not A Dead Body Inside This Bag. Today sees the posting of another song as there's now a new album and unsurprisingly it also has a splendid title (and is full of very catchy tracks!). It's called Feral Rats Have Become Our Only Pets and it's available on vinyl from Iron Lung Records ("150 copies on translucent green with black splatter and 350 on black 150gr vinyl housed in a 24pt jacket with lyric sheet (essential!) and download card included.")  http://ironlungrecords.bigcartel.com/product/shrinkwrap-killers-feral-rats-have-become-our-only-pets-lp

  You can get the digital version here : https://ironlungpv.bandcamp.com/album/feral-rats-have-become-our-only-pets-lp-lungs-173 

  On a recent Just Some Punk Songs show I played the title track and someone commented "They're basically putting out the same song every time but what a brilliant song it is!" and there was a grain of truth to that statement as the "band" have a signature synth punk sound (I think I previously described it as budget bubblegum and compared them to The Spits). 

  There's plenty to enjoy on the album, highlights include This Building Sucks For A Zombie Apocalypse, Hive Robotics At The Human Zoo and Caught Pissing On The Vatican (I'll be playing it on The Just Some Punk Songs show later today  https://www.facebook.com/events/1321719428176850) but basically if you like one track you'll like 'em all. 

  There's a video to accompany this song so it's the one I'll be posting today. It's called I Think The Sirens Are Coming For Me...  

The Chisel - Not The Only One

  

  The Chisel announced themselves earlier this year with one of 2020's most powerful (and best) eps (https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/deconstructive-surgery-ep) and it very much looks as though January 15th will see them returning with an early contender for best ep of 2021. It'll be titled Come See Me and it'll be available on orange vinyl from La Vida Es Un Mus (https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/come-see-me-not-the-only-one-ep). If you're in The States then you can get it from Beach Impediment Records on red vinyl (https://beachimpedimentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/come-see-me-not-the-only-one-ep). In Japan it'll be on Black Hole Records (https://blackholekuroiana.bandcamp.com/). It'll go quick so pre order now. 

  The band are a 5 piece featuring members from Blackpool, Croydon, Acton, Chingford and Guildford who've featured in numerous other killer bands. They line up thus; Callum Graham (Nation Unrest - Vocals), Charlie Manning Walker (Chubby And The Gang - Guitar), Helm (Guitar), Nicolas Sarnella (Arms Race - Drums) and Tom Ellis (The Shitty Limits - Bass). Going by the evidence of the track they've shared from the ep, we're still getting an impressive helping of 80's inspired fist in the air oi but this time around with a slightly glossier production and a touch more melody. It's still tough as nails and still very, very good. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing the full release. 

  Working class rock n roll at it's best, this is Not The Only One...