Bovver 96 - Knuckle Girls

 
  Back in time a few years today, Bovver 96 were an Oi band from Philadelphia who between 1996-98 released a couple of eps and an album. Unlike most Oi bands, this lot featured female vocals, courtesy of Jersey Diabla (aka Deidre). Also in the band were Juston (drums), Andy (guitar/backing vocals) and Jeff (bass).

  The ep's were Ghetto Oi (1996) and Knuckle Girls (1997) and the album, which came out in 1998 was called 96 Bottles Of Beer.

  Recorded at Cycle Sound Studios and released on Steelcomb Records, this is Deidre shouting loud and proud that her and her friends are more than a piece of ass, it's called Knuckle Girls......

 

Model American - We've Had Enough

  Model American were a short lived hardcore punk band from San Francisco. They released a s/t album in 1997 but after being sued over the rights to their name they split. When their album was re released in 2002 (by Session Records) they used the name MAPS (Model American Playing Secretly). Aside from the band's own material the album featured them covering songs by Bad Brains, 7 Seconds and The Adolescents.

  Vocalist Tim Presley went on to be a member of The Nerve Agents and also featured for a while in The Fall. Drummer Andy Granelli (aka Andy Outbreak) also joined The Nerve Agents and was a member of The Distillers whilst other band members included DJ Patton (bass), Josh Spatero (guitar), Josh Stinson (guitar), Ken Kirby (guitar) and Travis Dutton (guitar/backing vocals).

From the album, this is track 1, We've Had Enough......

I've seen so much 
These negative ways
Attitudes start shaping
Values astray
It's time to start thinking
Using our minds
Sticking together
Willing to fight

We are disillusioned
And we've had enough
Look onward for a future
And never look away

Enough
Too hard to get by
No interactions
While dragging their minds
You discard ambition
Living a lie
With false presumptions
There's no need to try

I know it might be hard enough to see
But we're living in a time
With many empty voices
Negativity consumes the mind
You'll have to break away
Or pity is what you'll find
Working towards a better life
With Strong Positive Minds

 

The Epileptix - self hate

  Yesterday's update featured a song that was an example of good old fashioned sing along pop punk, today's is anything but. From Detroit band The Epileptix, it's an obnoxious,  incomprehensible aural assault on the senses that is still manages to be as catchy as hell.

  Featuring Timmy Vulgar (Clone Defects, Human Eye, Timmy's Organism) on vocals , Nai Sammon aka Jack Shit  (The Piranhas) on guitar, Rob Low on bass and Tyler on drums they were short lived but fondly remembered.

  Active in the latter part of the 90's, they released the Kill Yourself cassette, the Self Hate ep (from which today's song is taken), the EP ep and the Punk Fuckin Rock Split 7" (with The Druggies). Their last release was the Greatest Fits album which came out in 1999 on Tom Perkins Records.

  If you like your punk music a little on the wild side, this is for you. Self Hate.....

 

Pink Lincolns - Your Generation Sucks

 

"You're ripping off the 70's
Got no originality 
Your silly ass pants don't fit
Your music sounds like shit....."


  From Tampa, Florida, The Pink Lincolns formed in 1986. Between 1987-2005 they released 5 studio albums and several singles (including splits with Screeching Weasel and The Queers). Most of their best material was gathered together on the compilation album, Background Check.

  Unfortunately I never got to see them live but my friend Kenny recalls seeing them on his first day at Kent State University when they played with local band Boy In Love at The Mantis and vocalist Chris Barrows "broke every chair in the place." 

  There's several songs that I was thinking of posting but I've opted to go with one from the 1997, Bill Stevenson (The Descendents) produced album, Pure Swank. This is Your Generation Sucks...... 

Automatics - Punk Rock

"We don't care if you think we suck
  we just want to play punk rock.."

  Not to be confused with any of the other bands that share their name, The Automatics that are featured today are a band from Portland, Oregon who started off with pop punk sensibilities and got gradually heavier as they went along. Announcing themselves in the mid 90's with several eps and a self titled album on the legendary Mutant Pop label they were a band that didn't go in for the shiny bells and whistles production favoured by several of their contemporaries, instead they packed their releases with a 1-2 fuck you, pedal to the floor array of short and in your face snotty tunes. In total they unleashed 3 albums and a multitude of singles, splits and eps.
  The song that I'm posting today comes from their 1997 10 More Golden Greats ep. Most of the tracks on this disc were under a minute in length and this one was one of those, with vocals that remind me a little of Jello Biafra, this is called Punk Rock.....

Bladder Bladder Bladder - U.S. Dole Queue

 

"All I've Got Is Work To No Avail
   All I Want's A Giro In The Mail,....."

  A song with a killer sing along chorus today. Originally formed in England but then relocating to Los Angeles they released a debut single, Down Town/Passport To Women in 1991 but it wasn't until they signed to Pelado Records that they really hit their stride. A split 7" with Dimestore Haloes was followed up with an ep called No-Go Girl. They featured on several compilations before releasing their only album, 2000's On The Job. Another 7" containing the songs No Control and Slots Of Fun came out the same year.
  If you like your punk rock catchy with a classic '77 sound you should check 'em out, this is U.S. Dole Queue.....

The Donnas - Teenage Runaway

 One of the best things about having a 70 mile round trip to work every day, in fact possibly the only good thing, is the chance to dig out an old album and have it pounding out whilst I'm driving. Last night I was accompanied to my place of employment by the debut album by The Donnas. The all girl quartet hail from Palo Alto, California and got together in 1995. Featuring Brett Anderson (vocals), Allison Robertson (guitar), Maya Ford (bass) and Torry Castellano (drums) (Amy Cesari took over as drummer in 2010), they went on to find major label success and to release an impressive body of work but today I'm featuring a song from that debut album.
  Released in 1997 and self titled, it's full of short but great Ramones influenced punk rock tunes. After this the Donnas would gradually move away from simplistic punk rock bangers and their audience would grow as they matured, for me though, this was them at their best. Basic song structures with repetitive and brief lyrics should be easy to write and they are, the difficult part is making them great and that's one thing the band manage with ease. Not many can make something seemingly so basic sound so good. A great example is the song I've chosen to post, this is Teenage Runaway.....

[Chorus]
Teenage runaway. (Oo-oo-oo)
Teenage runaway. (Oo-oo-oo)
Teenage runaway. (Oo-oo-oo)
Teenage runaway. (Oo-oo-oo)
Teenage runaway.
Teenage runaway.
Teenage runaway.

He left his chance behind
Dropped Coke for lemon-lime
Now what's he gonna do?
Gonna get some Mexican food.

[Chorus]

Won't have to go to school
Just hang out playing pool
Stay out late every night
He's gonna be alright

[Chorus]  

The Prostitutes - 1-2-3-GO!

  Kevin Patrick McGovern has already featured in this blog with his spin off band, The Inversions (and his all time top 10 songs will be published very soon), but today it's time I posted a song from his best known band, The Prostitutes. Forming in the mid 90's in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (before relocating to Long Beach, California), they released some great pissed off punk music and also drew a loyal following to their often drug and alcohol fuelled gigs. You can read some excellent in depth interviews with Kevin on Angelo Ruggiero's blog ( http://rawkunroll.blogspot.co.uk ). Fingers crossed there's new material which should be recorded very soon, until then you can check out their back catalogue for whatever price you can afford here : http://the prostitutes1.bandcamp.com/ . This is 1-2-3-Go!.......

Loli & The Chones - Radiation

Back to the top 10's soon but today here's a song from Loli & The Chones. Hailing from Boyle Heights, California and active between 1995-99, they released a couple of killer albums (P.S. We Hate You and Total Fucking Genocide) and a couple of singles. Playing blistering garage influenced punk rock the Latino trio (Michelle and Chris Santamaria and Vince Maldonado) were one of the hottest and most influential bands around but come the dawn of the new millennium they went their separate ways. A fine example of their awesome body of work, this is Radiation.....

Thee Headcoatees - Ca Plane Pour Moi

Formed in 1991, in Kent, as a backing band for Billy Childish's band The Headcoats, The Headcoatees soon began releasing material of their own. Featuring Holly Golightly, Ludella Black, Kyra LaRubia and Debbie Green, the all girl outfit were active throughout the 90's, industriously releasing a plethora of albums and singles. This is their 1997 cover of the Plastic Bertrand Classic, Ca Plane Pour Moi.....

Apocalypse Babys - 'Jacqueline'

  Hailing from somewhere near the border between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, Apocalypse Babys got together in 1990 at a time when the UK punk scene was viewed with indifference by a public who'd briefly pogo'ed their way through the late 70's but were now "grown up" and had settled down, donned comfy slippers and had traded in their old 45 singles for more sedate cds. Not put off by this they self released plenty of quality material throughout the 90's and early to mid 2000's. Led by original vocalist Asterix they're still a feature on the live circuit today. This song, Jacqueline, is a classic slice of tuneful new wave influenced punk rock and can be found on their 1997 Local Heroes ep......