Thin Lassie (https://www.facebook.com/ThinLassie) are a space-punk quartet from Duisburg, Germany with a line up of Alex (vocals/keyboard), Danu (guitar), Andy (bass) & Dirk (drums).
It's 4 fun tracks of punked up pop of the kind you used to get on Mutant Pop Records. It features Sci Fi themed tunes about Han Solo, aliens and absconding Martian girlfriends.
The title track is my pick of the bunch, it's a song about an alien attack. It's called Invaders From Venus...
So why is it after almost 10 years that I still keep updating this blog?
Part of the reason is (rather obviously) I still enjoy telling people about the music I like but after all this time I think it's just as much that I still feel enthusiastic about new music and this is a way of pushing myself to keep seeking it out. Without having to post updates most days, it's very doubtful I'd come across many of the bands that I listen to. Hopefully I'm helping you guys discover new stuff you love too.
A new band I've discovered this week are Faulty Cognitions. They're from San Antonio, Texas and after noticing that they're supporting Marked Men in San Antonio this coming Sunday I dug a little deeper and found that they've just released a Demo ep.
The line up of the band is Chris (Guitar/Vocals), Yole (Bass/Vocals), Nick (Guitar) & Mike (Drums). The demo is rough around the edges but very promising. They play melodic punk rock of the type that should see them getting appreciative crowds singing along in sweaty venues. They draw you in straight from the superb opener Las Cruces (catchy as hell with very good lyrics) and then they more than keep your attention throughout. As it's available as a name your price download there's no reason not to get acquainted with it https://faultycognitions.bandcamp.com/album/demo
This is one of the harder hitting tracks and as I'm a sucker for a cop song it's the one I'm highlighting today. It's called Thin Blue Line (Is a Warning Sign)...
Fascist flag blowing in the wind (thin blue line is a warning sign) On a suburban lawn you swear you'll die to defend (thin blue line is a warning sign) No one's coming for your guns but I wonder if they did (thin blue line is a warning sign) Would you wave that fucking flag while gunning down the pigs (thin blue line is a warning sign)
Blue lives they don't matter Blue lives don't exist Blue lives they don't care about you They're all terrorists
It's intoxicating watching cities burn (thin blue line is a warning sign) They don't look like you so they're none of your concern (thin blue line is a warning sign) Hate anyone who doesn't think like you (thin blue line is a warning sign) Want to see them dead, that's why you back the blue (thin blue line is a warning sign)
You say not all cops with a bad analogy Fuck a rotten apple, that's just the police
Blue lives they don't matter Blue lives don't exist Blue lives they don't care about you They're all terrorists
Today's song is one that's been rattling around in my head for a couple of week's now. Maybe you've already heard it, if not you should take a listen.
It's by Sex Mex (https://sexmexsux.com/) who are from San Antonio, Texas, and who seem to have been pretty prolific of late. I don't know much about them so rather that write some stuff to pad out this post I'll instead post a clip of them performing live in what appears to be a local bar/shed combo! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT0zAiuPNBo
This is the closing track and it's wonderful. I'd recommend you listen to the Bandcamp link as it's got a better sound quality than the Youtube clip you'll find below. It's called We'll Be Gone...
Something a little different today. As I mentioned when I played this song on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show, it's not really punk, but it is very good. I wasn't sure what reaction it'd get from the chatroom folk but they've good taste and they loved it.
It's a song that has a very 60's feel to it, especially in the rather lush vocals. Probably the nearest thing I've posted to it on here would be something by The Exbats.
It's a song by Big Blood, a band from South Portland, Maine, who I don't recall having come across before despite them being pretty damn prolific over the last (almost) 20 years. It's a sad state of affairs on my part and something I need to rectify.
It's a song that'll feature on an album titled First Aid Kit which will be released on June 9th. If this teaser track is any indication, it's an album I'm going to fall in love with. You can get your pre orders in here : https://dontrustheruin.bandcamp.com/album/first-aid-kit
I think it's fair to say that no country is setting the standard for exciting punk releases quite like Australia is and Private Wives are worthy of a mention when discussing that country's best new bands. If you're lucky enough to be Down Under, keep your eyes peeled during May and June as they'll be touring to promote the ep.
This is the opening song (and the one that went down a storm when I played it on yesterday's JSPS show). It's called Hey Bestie...
They've recently released a very promising 7 track demo of short, catchy, old school punk songs that'll take you about 10 minutes to listen to (though it's highly likely you'll immediately want to give it another play). If the final song sounds familiar, it's because it's a cover of a track by Wire which featured on the band's 1977 classic album Pink Flag.
This is my favourite track, it's called I Feel Fine...
Our world has gone to shit right in time
For me to learn how to walk a straight line
Things have never felt this clear
Now it’s all downhill from here
We are fucked
But I feel fine
It only took the end of days
For things to finally fall into place
Oh the irony
No life after the party
Nothing to live for
Or to look forward to
It’s all impending doom
And it’s happening
When I’m starting to finally bloom
We are fucked
But I feel fine
A very catchy track today that has the classic sound of a song that could easily have been an indie chart smash hit back in the days when fresh faced punk and power pop bands were churning this kind of thing out every week. It's a love song, the kind of thing that broken hearted teens (and those of us that are no longer teens) can empathise with only too well.
It's by a band from Ventura, California called TV PARTY (https://www.facebook.com/tvpartyventura/). I'm not sure but I'd like to think they're named after the Black Flag song. They released a Self Titled debut album in 2018 and have just followed it up with a new one titled Psychic Driving.
It's a dozen ear worms where TV PARTY take influences from many of your favourite bands and wear them proudly on their sleeves. It starts strongly with opener Bag Of Five Marbles, follows it up with the toe tapper Motorbike Libido (she loves The Beatles) (a song I played on a recent Just Some Punk Songs show) and never really lets up. You want an impressive bunch of songs that'll imprint themselves on your brain, then look no further. It's available on vinyl and digital download : https://tvparty1.bandcamp.com/album/psychic-driving
This song is from the back end of the album but it's well worth the wait. It's called Mary...
i don’t wanna tell you i love you anymore
i don’t wanna hear you screaming at me
you shattered my heart like a wine glass
so now I’m calling mary
i don’t wanna tell you i want you anymore
i don’t wanna hear your sweet talking voice
you dropped my heart like a burning cigarette
so now I’m calling mary
i don’t want to
i just want you
whenever she isn’t home
i can’t help it
don’t forget your mine
you are my very own
mary mary mary
come on
Hailing from Bangor in Northern Ireland, Dirt Byrds (https://www.facebook.com/dirtrockhq) are the punk trio that feature Keith Farr (vocals/guitar), John McLachlan (bass) and Ben Simpson (drums). They're no strangers to this blog and they return today with a track from their very fine new album Standing In Line.
It's been a long while coming with the band's intention of having it ready by 2019 getting scuppered by Covid but better late than never and I suppose we can't complain as they have released other music in the meantime. The album's available on cd and digital download (with the cd having 4 extra bonus tracks) and there'll be a vinyl version out in May.
So, a quick Google search doesn't reveal anything about today's band but it does bring up plenty of images of "brightly glazed figurines of men, women, wise men and old sages, seated or standing, holding flutes, scrolls, pots, fish and other objects of mystical importance or sometimes fishing."
So it's going to be a short write up to accompany a short song.
The Chinese Mudmen have a couple of eps available via Australian label Goblin Records. Titled Meet The Mud and Mud On Mud, they're lo-fi budget garage bangers with none of the songs stretching to the 2 minute mark. The opening track of Mud On Mud being an abbreviated and rather lively version of The Who's My Generation. You can find them here : https://goblinrecordsaus.bandcamp.com
My favourite track is a delightful punk ditty about getting the bus. It's called 779...
One of the big hits with the folk in the chatroom on last night's Just Some Punk Songs show was the 2nd single by a new power pop/punk band from Montreal called The High Kinks (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087370122295).
They're a quartet made up of Flo The Action (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Suspicious Dave (Guitar/Backing vocals), Emma (Bass/Backing vocals) & Joey Anxiety (Drums). They introduced themselves at the tail end of last year with a debut single featuring the songs ADHD and Regrets. Impressive and catchy it suggested we had a great prospect on out hands.
That initial assessment has been confirmed by the release of the new single. 2 More tracks both of which will rock your socks off. You can pick out influences from throughout the entire history of the genre, think The Clash, Exploding Hearts, The Cry, Tommy And The Commies and many more. The best thing about The High Kinks, they don't pale in comparison to those bands.
Why Bother? are a quartet from Mason City, Iowa, made up of Terry (vocals/synth), Speck (guitar/vocals), Pamela (bass) & Paul (drums). Not much is known about them, they don't even play any live shows, but they do put out cool music on a regular basis. They released an album a couple of years ago titled A Year Of Mutations which collected together tracks from their first 4 eps and which earned comparisons with the likes of The Zero Boys, Toxic Reasons, The Spits and early Joy Division. Feb 2022 saw the release of Lovers and Addicts, a collection of 6 new tracks and 3 covers (of songs originally recorded by The Suicide Commandos, Beex & The Heartbreakers).
Their first (proper) album was titled Lacerated Nights and it was released in September 2022, it was followed less than a month later by an 11 song cassette called There Are Such Things.
This track is only on the digital version, it's a cover of a song that featured on All Bagged Up: The Collected Works 1977-1980, a compilation of music from Los Angeles punk legends The Bags. It was also featured in the 1981 documentary The Decline of Western Civilization (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s2MwQtK17k).
By Born Shit Stirrers standards, this is quite an epic song in length (stretching just past the 2 minute mark). It's also fast paced, shouty and great fun. It's about a girl that all the cool kids had a crush on and it's called I'm In Love With Karen Grant...
An anthem against guns, it's a fast paced, catchy song about the right to bear arms and the tragedies that all too often result from that right. It's called Gunman...
Many of the songs I post on here are intelligent, well thought out and passionate commentaries on modern day society. Today's song isn't one of those, it's just a whole bunch of fun.
One of my favourite videos from last year was for Hard To Be Broken by Mad Mojo Jett, a budget garage rocker that gladdens my heart every time I watch it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDbCKR0Hpqk). The video for today's song has a similar effect.
Blowers (https://www.facebook.com/blowersband) are the garage punk band from Melbourne who I featured on here a couple of years ago (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2021/03/blowers-hitman.html). I described them as being "a mash up of Cavemen style sleaze with some of the "pop" sensibilities of early period Ramones." I've been granted an early listen to their new album and happily that comparison still stands up.
The album boasts 14 tracks of lo-fi rock n roll fun that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's the sound of a band having a ball. The band in question is Kit Convict (vocals/guitar), Andrew Porter (vocals/guitar), Shannon Aswell (vocals/drums) & Pip McMullan (bass). The album's titled Blown Again and it'll be available on vinyl and digital download on April 14th via Chaputa Records (Worldwide) & Spooky Records (Australia).
This morning, I noticed one of my friends on Facebook asking the question "Do you think punk died before 1983?"
The obvious answer is of course it didn't.
A Just Some Punk Songs return today for South East grime punks Riskee and the Ridicule (https://www.facebook.com/RiskeeandtheRidicule), a band (Scott Picking (Lyrics/Lead Vocals), Jimbo Aglony (Guitars/Screams), Jordan Mann (Lead Guitar) & Matt Verrell (Bass/Drums)) that are influenced by those days before 1983 but who are fresh faced enough not to have experienced them first hand. That said, they can still produce the same levels of energy and excitement of that era for a newer generation of fans.
They've a new album on the way. It'll be out on August 25th and titled Platinum Statue.
I doubt punk will ever die whilst people still have something worthwhile to say and still have the passion to shout it out loud. This is the band's new single, it's called My Name...
You know my name but I don’t know yours. We’re not the same and that’s my get out clause. You know my name but I don’t know yours. We’re not the same, not the same, not the same, not the same.
You lot got real fucking brave, keyboard at your fingertips now you got shit to say? Don’t feed the trolls they’re under the bridge for a reason, the beautiful people walk the bridge and go on to somewhere decent.
Face to face you’ve got shit to say it’s beef and I’m eating. I’m taking off heads like I’m the king and this is treason. The capitalist machine the music industry is in parts, first the mainstream will eat anything they put into the charts. Second it’s not about talent it’s about who’s down to sell their hearts and third is watch the underground and go steal all of its art. Fucking Rembrandts and the Nazis imposters hiding in the dark and any musicians who want it can get it I’ll come and tear you all apart.
You you you you better watch your mouth, I’ll come to your show and I will bang you out. I’m the fucking landlord, this is my house I am not normal I am something else.
Da da da da da da da da da da, da da da da da da da da
I’m gargantuan, I’m in your mouth like calcium, one speed it maximum, the big cat's here so mousy run. Bring me a better rapper than me and I’ll sing, bring me a better singer than me and I’ll rap. If you find someone’s who’s better at both I’ll write them a better hook for their track. Blap!
If you always do what you did you’ll always get what you got, you got to evolve to roll big kid, you can’t simmer for too long stay hot. The power's always with the people, the future the present the past, not a single lightbulb illuminates without the say of the working class.
You know my name, but I don’t know yours. We’re not the same and that’s my get out clause. You know my name but I don’t know yours. We’re not the same, not the same, not the same, not the same.
You you you you better watch your mouth, I’ll come to your show and I will bang you out. I’m the fucking landlord this is my house I am not normal I am something else. You you you you better watch your mouth, I’ll come to your show and I will bang you out. I’m the fucking landlord this is my house I am not normal I am something else.
If you ain’t running away how can they catch you? You shine through the black you platinum statue.
I was going to mention that today's song was topical but after thinking about it, I could post it pretty much any week and it would be topical. Unfortunately thoughts and prayers don't seem to be having much of an effect. Maybe it's time for a new approach?
As mentioned, the song deals with a seemingly never ending cycle of violence, one that nobody seems to have the will or the wherewithal to put an end to. It's called Get Shot...
Get shot at work Get shot at the mall Get shot at school Get shot at the club Get shot in my car Get shot in the stree Get shot at home What the fuck?!
Freedom Freedom Freedom God bless the USA
Get shot at the park Get shot downtown Get shot at the store Get shot at church Get shot a walmart Get shot at court Get shot in my yard What the fuck?!
Doesn't matter who you are - GET SHOT Doesn't matter where you are - GET SHOT Doesn't matter what time it is - GET SHOT God bless the USA
Doesn't matter who you are - GET SHOT Doesn't matter where you are - GET SHOT Doesn't matter what time it is - GET SHOT God bless the USA
Get shot at work Get shot at the mall Get shot at school Get shot at the club Get shot in my car Get shot in the stree Get shot at home What the fuck?!
They formed in 2019 and they play "Melodic skatepunk with fast riffs, three-part vocal harmonies, catchy hooks and lyrics with strong opinions." Their line up is Oli (vocals), Basti (guitar/backing vocals), Mally (guitar), Jens (bass) & Julian (drums/backing vocals).
They've just released a debut album titled Breathe and it's full of fast paced, anthemic songs bursting with energy. The band mix anger with melody to produce a very fine calling card. Check it out... https://melonball.bandcamp.com/album/breathe
It's always a good day when you're looking for new music and you stumble across a song that blows your socks off.
Alright (https://www.facebook.com/alright) are a trio (Cotty, PK and Ant who are also members of hardcore band AVAS https://avas.bandcamp.com/album/get-it-right ) from just down the road from me in Bolton. I don't recollect having heard them before despite them releasing music since 2016 but I'm gonna make up for lost time by checking more of their stuff out.
Firstly though I want to share a track with you from their new ep. Titled EP 8, the theme of the ep is "about trying to be cool, gig politics, and writing lyrics in a punk band when you don't drink, don't do drugs, don't know anything about politics but have a strong dislike of everything and everyone." There's only 2 songs on it, both short, both fast, both great. Snap it up as a name your price download here : https://wearealright.bandcamp.com/album/ep-8
This is called This Songs About Everything I Know, So I Ain't Got Much To Go Off...
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