The Control Freaks - Don't Bug Me

  

  I've not added too many updates this last week or two as I've been busy looking back over the year to sort out two "Best Of" shows and a Top 100 chart. Always a time consuming task (and always frustrating as no matter how long I spend on it I always seem to miss something out). 

  One band that won't be overlooked are The Control Freaks (https://www.facebook.com/ControlFreaksSF). The San Francisco garage punkers are fronted by the legendary Greg Lowery (Supercharger, The Rip Offs, The Infections, Zodiac Killers and Rip Off Records). 

  They've just ensured that 2025 finishes off in fine style by releasing a new album (their 4th). It's out now (vinyl & digital) on Sweet Time Records and it's titled TV Generation.  https://sweettime.bandcamp.com/album/tv-generation

  If you're already familiar with the band you'll pretty much know what to expect. Garage punk royalty doing what they do best. A dozen songs; catchy and fun and not a duff one amongst them. 

  The band have released a few promo videos so I'll highlight one of those songs today. Duel vocals from Greg and rhythm guitarist Amy Munoz and a nagging riff, this is Don't Bug Me... 

Hard Skin - You Won't Get Better Than This

  

  Today's song originally came out in 2024 but I'm posting it today as it's on a great new compilation album. 

  Hard Skin were founded in 1996. They're unfortunately now calling it a day. But they leave us with 30 years worth of anthemic oi! gold. 

  They first featured on this blog in 2014 https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2014/02/hard-skin-make-my-tea.html

  They bow out today with a track from the 69 song compilation titled Ceasefire? There Ain't No Fucking Ceasefire!

  It's a comp that features a great line up of bands. It's available as a name your price download and all proceeds go to a very good cause (which you can read about on Bandcamp).

https://activeslaughter.bandcamp.com/album/ceasefire-there-aint-no-fucking-ceasefire

  This is You Won't Get Better Than This...

Yunk - Housing Game

  

  Here's a great song I've just stumbled across from a band that's new to me. 

  Yunk are from Bilbao and their bio says; "A new punk and noise band from Bilbao with vibrant guitars and catchy pop melodies. An EP full of epic anthems that will make any skinhead's hair grow, sound like a cross between JJ & the A's and The Men"

  They've just released a Self Titled ep on Symphony Of Destruction Records and it's a blast. 4 tracks of melodic punk from a band I hope we'll hear much more from. 

http://www.symphonyofdestruction.org/shop/index.php?id_product=2557&controller=product&id_lang=1

https://symphonyofdestruction.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-9

https://yunk.bandcamp.com/album/s-t

  I think this is my favourite song, it's called Housing Game...

I woke up this morning
The rent is through the roof
And i can't find a place while banks are laughing
and housing IS a game

We are left in the dirt
We are left in the dirt

They build their wealth on despair while we struggle just to breath the air

I want my own
You don't need It
I want my own
You don't need It

They are the suits and vultures
The ones buying the streets
Leaving people on their own and flipping our lives for hotel suites

We are left in the dirt
We are left in the dirt

They build their wealth on despair while we struggle just to breath the air

I want my own
You don't need It
I want my own
You don't need It

Empty buildings
Boarded Doors
While the rich keep screwimg for more (X2)

4ft Fingers - Better Days

    

  Welcome back guys, it's been a while. 

  Cheltenham melodic punk quartet 4ft Fingers have long been one of my favourite bands. Great music and equally as good live shows. But it's been 17 years since their last release (2008's New Beginnings Of Old Stories album) and it's been 11 years since they featured on here :  https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2014/04/4ft-fingers-emergency-manoeuvre.html

  Happily they've announced a new album that'll be out next year on Disconnect Disconnect Records. 

  It can be a worry when a band has been away for so long. Are they going to be as good? Happily the answer seems to be a resounding yes. 

  Here's the first single from the album. The sound of a band that's matured but have kept their edge. This is Better Days...  

Pegging Mitchell - International Men's Day

  

  Imagine if the BBC's Riot Women wrote a song about men moaning about how hard done by they are. It might sound something like this. 

  Pegging Mitchell (https://www.facebook.com/pegging.mitchell) are a new band from Worcester. They've just released a debut single. It's proof that bands can be angry but still have fun. They still want to take aim at the typical targets but they're going to have a laugh whilst they do so. 

  And it's pretty obvious they can write a catchy tune to go with their well thought out lyrics. 

  You can find the single here : https://peggingmitchell.bandcamp.com/track/international-mens-day

  This is for all those hard done by blokes, it's called International Men's Day... 

The Local Offenders - You Weren't There In '82

  

  There's a new gang in town. 

  Supposedly it's London town but I'm not sure I'd take that as gospel? 

  They're a mystery band called The Local Offenders. 

   All they admit to for a line up is this; 

 Vocals: whoever’s sober

 Guitar: someone’s cousin

 Bass: the only reliable one

 Drums: banned from three pubs

  They play oi! music with very much tongue in cheek. They claim they're taking the piss out of the scene but they're treating it with fond respect to my ears. They bring to mind favourites such as Hard Skin and City Miles. They sing about Doc Martens, pubs, working class heroes and girls. 

  They've just released a debut album called Oi! The Satire and it's left me all warm and fuzzy. Check it out : https://thelocaloffenders.bandcamp.com/album/oi-the-satire

  Here's a blast of nostalgia about back in the day. It's called You Weren't There In '82... 

I saw Sham at the Bridge House

Before they ever made it big
I was there when it all kicked off
You were still in your crib
Got the first seven-inch
Bought it right from the band
Got the badges, got the patches
This is real Oi, man!

Not you! Not you!
You weren’t there in ‘82!
Not you! Not you!
You weren’t there in ‘82!
Don’t talk to me about the scene
When you don’t know what it means
You weren’t there in ’82!

I remember every show
Every band, every fight
Kings Cross on a Friday
Tottenham Saturday night
You can read about it online
But you’ll never understand
I’ve got the scars and stories
This is real Oi, man!

Not you! Not you!
You weren’t there in ‘82!
Not you! Not you!
You weren’t there in ‘82!
Don’t talk to me about the scene
When you don’t know what it means
You weren’t there in ’82!

I’ve earned my place, paid my dues
These boots have forty years on you
You’re a culture vulture, you ain’t real
You don’t know how it used to feel

I was causing bovver with my droogs
While you were sucking from your bottle
Running wild through the streets
You were still learning how to toddle
Now I’m fifty-three and grey
But I was there back in the day
And I’m still more authentic
This is real Oi, man!

Not you! Not you!
You weren’t there in ‘82!
Not you! Not you!
You weren’t there in ‘82!

Well mate, I wasn’t born ’til ’84
But you keep fighting that old war

You weren’t there in ’82!
You weren’t there in ’82!
You weren’t there in ’82!
None of you were there in ’82!

Public Figures - Onto Something

    

  Public Figures are a new punk infused power pop quartet from Melbourne who boast a line up of Evie Vlah, Gigi Argiro, Lakota Vella and Mary-Lou Hylands. 

  They've released 3 singles over the course of the last 18 months and these will feature on their upcoming debut ep alongside 3 more tracks. The ep will be titled Figure It Out! It's released on Feb 18th on 12" vinyl and you can find out more here : https://publicfigures4eva.bandcamp.com/album/figure-it-out-ep

  One gig saw them wow a 10,000 strong Melbourne crowd as support for Amyl And The Sniffers. Their star is definitely in the ascendancy. 

  This is my pick of the available tracks, it's called Onto Something...  

Dr Sure's Unusual Practice - No Pigs

    

  Dr Sure's Unusual Practice (https://www.instagram.com/drsuresunusualpractice/) are a now-wave music band from Melbourne featuring a line up of Dougal Shaw, Jake Suriano, Miranda Holt, Mathias Dowle and Asher Bates. 

  They're "7 years, 3 European tours, 3 LP's and a hoard of EP's and mixtapes into the project." I've played them on the show before but haven't yet introduced them on here so let's rectify that. 

  They've a new single out on the 10th of this month. One of the songs is already available. It's a love song with a difference of which the band say; “Pigs is an Animal Farm reference - it’s nothin’ new for art to hold a mirror to society. Sing “10 year old kids locked up in your prison” and you pretty quickly recognize the absurdity. Music can have a role in making that shit plain as day, bringing people together.” "It's about a farm with a pig problem," quips Shaw, describing the song's Orwellian portrayal of a coercive ruling class, "Animal Farm style, but the other animals are clued on to it, they're getting fired up."

  It'll be available on 7" coloured vinyl and as a digital download 

https://drsuresunusualpractice.bandcamp.com/album/no-pigs-desksitter-7

  This is No Pigs...