Punter - The Golden Hour

  

  I think it's fair to say that one of 2025's most raucous releases will be the new album by Naarm/Melbourne trio Punter. They first featured on here back in 2025 when I mentioned that I was unfamiliar with them but they'd knocked my socks off   https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2020/01/punter-minutes-silence.html. 

  Three years later I featured "a beast of a track that stomps all over anything else you might listen to today" https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2023/02/punter-years-silence.html

  And now they return, as good as ever. Lining up thus; Nathan Burns (guitar, lead vocals), Bella Steel (bass guitar, vocals) & Jake Revell (drums, vocals). They've unleashed an album titled Australienation. It's available in Europe via Drunken Sailor Records, Australia via Televised Suicide Records and Green Noise Records (USA).

  It takes no prisoners, it'll sweep you up in a maelstrom of noise. But it's not noise for noise's sake, they bring plenty of invention and melody to the party. I highly recommend you check it out : 

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/australienation-lp

  It's an album packed with highlights so I'm spoilt for choice. Eeny meeny miny moe... strap in, I'm going with The Golden Hour...

Those blessed ringlets falling soft around her shoulders
her eyes were wild, impassioned, flashing like a flood
and her heart sent rage and empathy,
K Cider and some Ketamine
All coursing violently throughout her blood
Now have you ever met somebody so affectionate and genuine,
intelligent and mental all at once?
And you felt you'd never have 'em 'cause they'd seen some shit you
hadn't
but then suddenly you'd both fallen in love
in love
When he left England
Was a mess
Between eviction and that pregnancy test
Now when he bought her the ticket, said “come see me in
Melbourne”, the Department sealed their fate.
It was the same story that you heard before, now
of two lovers,
and the State.
(Love
Love
Love and the Border)
Met up in Asia 'cause they couldn't let go
(Young
Hearts
Shoulda' known better)
He crashed the moped, did the rest of the dough
(Love
Love
Love and the Border)
And every single time a goodbye was said
(Young
Hearts
Shoulda' known better)
He knew it surely can't be long 'til she's…

PUBLIC HOUSE - Death Van

  

  Last May, guest reviewer Paul Austin introduced you guys (and me) to a new band from Melbourne called Public House https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2024/05/public-house-rich-cunt-party-guest.html. 

  He said the song, Rich Cunt Party, was "a blistering relentless tirade of punk rock energy with a buzzsaw guitar riff complemented by pounding drums and ferocious vocals" and expressed his hope that it wasn't a one off release.

  Happily it wasn't.

  They've (they being Wolfy (aka Wolfgang Buckley, vocalist with Stiff Richards), Jimmy, Stringer, & Kalani) just released a follow up single. It's another winner. It details what could happen to you if you don't toe the line. You can find it here : https://publichousebanned.bandcamp.com/track/death-van

  It's called Death Van...

You’re talking shit, on your favourite page

You didn’t know that they detected your name

They got your address and they’re forming a plan

They’ve got a bed in the back of the van

All your family and friends, will never see you again

You told somebody ‘bout the things you don’t like

The man is coming, to take you tonight

All your family and friends, will never see you again

All your family and friends, will never see you again

You broke the rules, and now you must pay

The van is coming, to take you away

You say goodbye, to your kids and your wife

The needle’s ready, to kiss you goodnight

All your family and friends, will never see you again

All your family and friends, will never see you again

All your family and friends, will never see you again

All your family and friends, will never see you again

City Escape Artist - One Million Robots

  

  "They're like Pennywise."

  "Nah, more like Bad Religion... but faster."

  Was part of the conversation in the chatroom when I played today's song on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show. 

  The band in question are City Escape Artist (https://www.facebook.com/cityescapeartist). They're from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and they feature a line up of David Wince (Vocals/Guitar), Jon (Drums), Trevor (Guitar/Vocals) & Sean (Bass/Vocals). 

  They've been around for more or less a decade and have just released their 4th album. It's titled Modern Day Ghost and if you like your punk rock in the vein of the aforementioned bands you'll want to check it out. It's available on cd and digital download : 

https://cityescapeartist.bandcamp.com/album/modern-day-ghost

  This song's a definite highlight for me, it's called One Million Robots...

Damaged Life - If You Die Tomorrow

    

  As often happens on a Monday, today I'm featuring what was probably the most popular song on last night's Just Some Punk Songs show.

  It's by a trio from Leipzig in Germany called Damaged Life. They're a relatively new band who spent a couple of years in the rehearsal room before emerging fully formed into the daylight. The members have previously been in the likes of One Step Ahead, Resistenz '32, Bambi Shoots Back & Krachlabor. 

  They've just released a debut 5 track S/T ep that hits the street punk sweet spot. It's available on cassette and as a name your price digital download. The cover shows the bombing of the presidential palace “La Moneda” on September 11, 1973 in Santiago, Chile, an event covered on the 2nd track 9/11 '73.  They're definitely a band to keep an eye (and 2 ears) on.

  You can find it here : https://damagedlife.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-ep

  This is the opening track, it's one hell of an introduction. It's called If You Die Tomorrow...

 try to get your words out to the crowd

 I'm sick of your misleaded mouth

 condemning and despising seeds

 you're a creep that nobody needs

 if you die tomorrow

 i wouldn't remember your name

 if you die tomorrow

 it wouldn't be a shame

 if you die tomorrow

 i wouldn't remember your face

 someone else would take your place

 a world worth living for

 but not for me and just for you

 prevent the new and keep the old

 welcome to your horror show

Taste Testors - She Didn't Tell Me She Was A Dopehead

  

  Attention! TASTE TESTORS are not a pop-punk band!

  Or so the promo blurb goes for a new band from Seattle called Taste Testors (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558819749110). What they do admit to being are a Ramones influenced outfit that "will tickle the record nerds taste buds with hints of garage, bubblegum, early so-cal punk, and doo-wop."

  They may be a new band but they ain't no scene newcomers; they feature members from the likes of The Briefs, Rabid Dogs, The Piniellas, The Greatest Hits, Clean Lines and more. Their sound is timeless and with vocals by Steve E. Nix (The Briefs, The Cute Lepers) they're instantly familiar. The other band members are Nils Larson (guitar), Leif Larson (bass) & Vic Sanchez (drums).

  The album's available via Moodkiller Records on blue vinyl and digital download. It's Self Titled and you can find it here : https://tastetestors.bandcamp.com/album/taste-testors

  I've played a couple of songs from it already on the Just Some Punk Songs show and this week I'll play this one, it's called She Didn't Tell Me She Was A Dopehead... 

The Samples - Tears For Souvenirs (Beanie Mix feat. Hannah Beanie)

  

  One of my favourite albums from last year was Speak Truth To Power by Worcester punk veterans The Samples (https://www.facebook.com/TheSamplesPunkBand). I featured a track here :  https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-samples-badgers-song.html

  The band included a free 'companion' CD bundled with the first 150 pre-orders of the album and they've now been kind enough to give it a wider release. It features 10 tracks made up of remixes, new songs, a cover version and a couple of demos of main album tracks and if you loved the album as much as I did then it's a must listen.

  It's titled Nothing But The Truth and you can find it here :  https://thesamples3.bandcamp.com/album/nothing-but-the-truth-speak-truth-to-power-bonus-tracks

  I'll play a different track on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show but on here I'll highlight the Beanie Mix of one of the tracks from the original album (the original version of the song also featured on a split 7" single collaboration with Rum Lad). It features vocals by Hannah Beanie and it's called Tears For Souvenirs... 

J Prozac - Take Me Away

 

  J Prozac (https://www.facebook.com/jprozac) is back today with a new single. The frontman with long running punk outfit The Prozacs is certainly no stranger to this blog, no surprise when he effortlessly keeps turning out catchy earworms. The full band line up is J Prozac (Vocals, Rhythm Guitars, Tambourines & egg shakers), Greg Russian (Bass), Mark Pena (Drums) & Angelo Quaglia (Guest lead guitars).

  If you get in quick, you can grab this single on yellow 7" vinyl (200 pressed on Lighthouse Records (Germany) with 100 made available in the USA). It's also available digitally :  https://jprozac.bandcamp.com/album/take-me-away

  The flip side of the single is a cover of a song originally released by The Bates back in 1996 on the album Kicks 'n' Chicks and there was a video for it a few months ago. It's great so check it out :   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Be5BeWYkM

  The other song is equally impressive, it hits the sweet spot between pop punk and power pop and it features J wishing he could go to a place far away from here. It's called Take Me Away 

Cult Crime - Throwaway Kids

  

  Cult Crime are a garage punk n roll band from Toronto who've been together for a little over a year (from what I can gather they're now a trio after starting initially as a solo project, one of the members being Curtis Tone who's also graced the likes of Imploders, PlasticHeads & School Damage). They released a demo in December 2023 and have just released a 3rd single. 

  As with previous releases it's available as a name your price download on Bandcamp :  https://cultcrimeband.bandcamp.com/track/throwaway-kids

  There's a debut S/T album pencilled in for early next month via Ugly Pop Records ("featuring nine cuts of snarling, hard-nosed punk that recalls 1981 hardcore on both sides of the Atlantic, seasoning classic LA a la Adolescents/TSOL/pre-Henry Flag with a dash of primo Blitz").

  This song is called Throwaway Kids... 

Alex Hellcat - The World On Fire

    

  An obvious starting point to a blog update about Alex Hellcat (https://www.facebook.com/alexhellcatmusic) is that he's listened to more than his fair share of Rancid records. 

  He's from Regensburg, Germany and he's got that bass led punk rock sound down to a tee. 

  Below you'll find his latest song. It's about life in East Germany before reunification and the dismantling of the Berlin Wall. "It touches on oppression, rebellion, and the fight for freedom, expressing frustration, disillusionment, and perhaps lingering resentment about the past and the way history played out."

  https://alexhellcat.bandcamp.com/track/the-world-on-fire

  It's called The World On Fire...

Ever since this country was divided,
the Eastside skies are always grey.
The wall came down; we're reunited,
side by side but still not the same, no.
It was tough growing up in East Germany.
Run-down houses and few opportunities.
Anything but living the dream,
and we were watched by the state security.

We set the world on fire.
We set the world on fire.
We set the world on fire.
The system in flames was our desire.

Citizens attempting to defect to the golden west,
risked imprisonment and even death - what's left at best?
Dictatorship and state police on your back.
The system kept us numb with booze and cigarettes.
Now welcome to insanity.
And we were told the West is our enemy.
Now tell me, why the fuck is this supposed to be?
Huh, yeah well, whatever.

We set the world on fire.
We set the world on fire.
We set the world on fire.
The system in flames was our desire.

Scowl - B.A.B.E.

  

  Scowl (https://www.facebook.com/Scowl40831/) are a hardcore punk band from Santa Cruz, California who've featured plenty of times on the Just Some Punk Songs show but who don't seem to have featured on the blog. One of the main reasons for bands missing out on the blog is that when they release new music it's so popular that everyone jumps on it and features them so I give it a miss and look for something a little more obscure. I think Scowl really need to be shouted about though as they're a little bit special. 

  They're a quintet featuring Kat Moss (vocals), Malachi Greene (guitar), Mikey Bifolco (guitar), Cole Gilbert (drums) & Bailey Lupo (bass). They've been around since 2019 and have been very much in the ascendancy since. They're getting ready to release a new album, a follow up to their 2021 debut How Flowers Grow (https://flatspotrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fsr58-how-flowers-grow). 

  It's titled Are We All Angels and it's due out on April 4th on vinyl, cd and digital download :  https://scowl831.bandcamp.com/album/are-we-all-angels

  They'll be promoting it with a UK / European tour : 

  This is the 3rd single from it, it highlights Kat's impressive vocal range and it's called B.A.B.E. 

Everyone else just play along Everyone else just signing on a dotted line But you don’t even want to hear it You don’t really want to see No shaking hands, I’m shutting down I’m shutting down entirely Burned at both ends, yeah it just won’t let up I want to catch my breath Everyone here could you please just shut up? I gotta catch my breath Why does the good stuff never last? Everything sacred finds its way to filthy hands Make no mistake, I ain’t lacking in ambition I’m digging my heels I’m not taking your sour pills Burned at both ends, yeah it just won’t let up I want to catch my breath Everyone here could you please just shut up? I gotta catch my breath Don’t know any other way, comfort in the suffering Don’t know any other way, comfort in the suffering Got no feeling, seek the thrill, I’m only in this for the kill Got no feeling, just thrill seeking, in this for the- Take and you take and you just won’t let up But you’ve gotta catch your breath Everyone here could you please just shut up? But I’ll never catch my breath…

The Prostitutes - Hung By The Phone (Remastered)

  

  Punk legend Kevin McGovern has featured on this blog numerous times with his band The Prostitutes (https://www.facebook.com/tutespunk) and various other projects such as The Trouble Seekers, The Inversions & 12 Guage Pinup. He even did a few reviews back in the day and shared his Top 10 songs when I could be arsed asking people to do that  https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2014/06/top-10-songs-chosen-by-kevin-patrick.html

  He's back today as I want to share a song from a new compilation album by The Prostitutes. It's titled Broken Ballads & Savage Beats and it features 16 tracks of "Unreleased, Compilation Tracks, Demos, Alternate Versions, Singles spanning 1991-2019." It's released by Sahlugg Records and it's available on limited edition vinyl (red or black) and as a digital download :  https://theprostitutes1.bandcamp.com/album/broken-ballads-savage-beats

  It's a great comp packed with classic Kill By Death style punk tunes. It's timeless stuff by a band that never disappoints. I'll play a different song on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show but on here I'll highlight the remastered version of a song that was originally released as a single in 2002 by The Inversions. They were a short lived trio formed after the Prostitutes split up (for the first time) and saw Kevin joined by Doug and Dave McKean. It's called Hung By The Phone...