Wednesday Night Heroes - All On The Outside

  The Wednesday Night Heroes formed in Edmonton, Canada in 1997 whilst still at school. They were a street punk band who released 3 albums of catchy, fast paced music; The Wednesday Night Heroes (2001), Superiority Complex (2003) and Guilty Pleasures (2007). There were also a handful of singles and split's with The Cleats and For The Worse.

  Influenced by UK punk bands such as Oxymoron, Peter And The Test Tube Babies, GBH and The Ejected, they've had several line up changes down the years but mainstays included the MacKinnon brothers Graeme (vocals) and Luke (bass), Konrad Adrelunas (guitar) and Jay Zazula (drums).

  Despite splitting in 2009 they got back together for a one off show in 2014. Graham MacKinnon has previously featured on this blog with his new band, No Problem.

  From Guilty Pleasures, this is On The Outside.....

Just flip the switch for the new sensation
Or flip it off for punk of the streets (and they say)
WE STAND...OUTSIDE...Won't be like them
WE STAND...OUTSIDE...Like we give a shit

Better get back to the factory
Poisonous gas is killing me...ALL ON THE OUTSIDE
Watch them come, watch them fall
Read the writing on the wall...ALL ON THE OUTSIDE

Full speed ahead in the wrong direction
Why we wake up now from this fantasy (and they say)
WE STAND...OUTSIDE...never be like them
WE STAND...OUTSIDE...Like we give a fuck

Better get back to the factory
Poisonous gas is killing me...ALL ON THE OUTSIDE
Watch them come, watch them fall
Read the writing on the wall...ALL ON THE OUTSIDE

Like this...ALL ON THE OUTSIDE
ALL ON THE OUTSIDE
We stand...ALL ON THE OUTSIDE 

When they say streetpunk's through
Just look' em down and say fuck you

We stand...ALL ON THE OUTSIDE
ALL ON THE OUTSIDE...from you
ALL ON THE OUTSIDE
ALL ON THE OUTSIDE
Watch them come, watch them fall
Read the writing on wall
(don't know line please add)

When they say streetpunk's through
Just look' em down and say fuck you

The Go Set - Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards

  After a spate of the best songs from 2015, today I'm going back a few years to post a cover of one of Billy Bragg's best songs. It's by The Go Set, a folk/punk band from Melbourne, Australia.

  They formed in 2003 following the demise of vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Justin Keenan's previous band, Eddie Would Go. Influenced by acts as diverse as The Pogues, Radio Birdman, The Clash, AC/DC and the aforementioned Billy Bragg, they recently released their latest album, Rolling Sound. The current line up features Justin Keenan (vocals/guitar), Ago Soldati (drums), Lachlan McSwain (bagpipes/tin whistle), Evan Young (bass), Ben Fraser (guitar/vocals/mandolin) and Tom Collins (guitar/mandolin/double bass).

  Back in 2007 they released an album entitled A Journey For A Nation, featured on it was Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards. Not only do you get a great cover of a great song but the video is pretty special too......

The Straps - We Were Punks

"Thought we'd gone away, but we're here to stay...."

  The Straps, originally from Battersea, South London, (they soon relocated to Brixton), formed in 1977. Their original line up consisted of Dave Reeves (guitar), Howard Jackson (vocals), Steve Macintosh (guitar), Green (bass) and Brad Day (drums) though Jackson was sacked after one gig and replaced by John Grant (aka Jock Strap).

  They were popular enough to regularly sell out decent sized venues around the London area and they were also regular stage sharers with the likes of The Damned, U.K. Subs, Stiff Little Fingers, Sham 69, Adam And The Ants etc. They went through several line up changes, at various times they featured Andi Sex Gang as well as Jim Walker (PIL), Pete Davies (U.K. Subs), several future members of Theatre Of Hate and even Rat Scabies guested on a track. Rumours that comedian Lee Evans was sacked as drummer should be taken with a pinch of salt though they did sack one drummer after he sold his drum kit and spent the proceeds on glue!

  They released a couple of singles, Just Can't Take Anymore and Brixton and a self titled album and that was about it..........Until 1991 when they reformed for a one off gig at Brixton academy alongside Sham, The Subs and The Lurkers. They carried on gigging but split again in 2008. Before rising yet again like a phoenix from the flames to record a new album, Brave New Anger (review : http://vinseneb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/album-review.html?m=1)

  Coming very soon is an interview with vocalist John Grant. In the meantime have a listen to one of their newer songs, from 2007, this is We Were Punks......

The Barbecuties - I Wanna Be On Mutant Pop

"I wanna be on mutant pop cos Lookout Records sucks....."

Today's song is by a band who hail from Germany and have been "sentimentally retarded" since 2001. Influences include The Ramones, The Queers, Mr T Experience and The Beach Boys so you won't be surprised as to how they sound, old school bubblegum pop punknroll  is very much the order of the day. Comprising of Hot Rod (vocals/guitar), Erguz (vocals/bass), Old Nick (guitar/vocals) and Han Solo (drums/vocals), they've self released 4 albums, which you can check out here :
http://thebarbecuties.bandcamp.com/ .
  A new album, The Barbecuties Go Down With Style, is recorded should be released soon, in the meantime, here's one from their back catalogue, it's called I Wanna Be On Mutant Pop......

Head - Killed By Death

Formed in Seattle in 1990, Head consist of Ree Ree (bass/vocals), Touch (guitar) and Tulu (drums), Giggles was added on second guitar for a few years but left in 1999. They released several singles and eps, mostly on their own Evil Clown label as well as a couple of albums (1997's The Monkeys and 2006's No Hugging No Learning). As far as i know, they still emerge from hibernation a couple of times a year for the occasional gig even if they've not made it as far as a recording studio since they recorded a split 7" in 2012 with The Manges. Today's song comes from their last sole release, it's the b side to Spend The Night Alone (which is itself a great song that I urge you to check out), it's called Killed By Death and if you listen closely you may hear an affectionate poking of fun at many of the people who read this blog.......

Boston Chinks - Coltrane

 
Back in time to 2007 today for this rip roaring garage rock single that came out on Goner Records. Boston Chinks, aren't from Boston as their name suggests they were actually from Memphis and featured a line up of Alex Gates, Billy Hayes, Christopher D Johnston and Stephen Pope (Hayes and Pope went on to play with alt rock favourites Wavves).
  They're probably best remembered for touring with Jay Reatard and for the split 7" they cut with him (Jay Reatard contributing Let It All Go, Boston Chinks backing it up with Swollen Vessels).
  Their name came from a piece of graffiti on a wall in Boston which said "Boston Chinks Go Home", their sound comes straight out of the garage. This is the lead track from their debut platter, it's called Coltrane.....

The Queers - End It All

Yesterday's featured artists The Muffs released the original version of today's song on their 1995 Blonder And Blonder album. The song was covered by one of my favourite bands, The Queers, on the 2007 reissue of their classic album Don't Back Down (which had first seen the light of day in 1996). There's not many punk bands that can match Queers frontman Joe Queer (aka Joe King) when it comes to churning out harmonies to die for and his vocals on End It All are no exception to this rule. I assume everyone's familiar with the band so I don't really need to add much more except that Love Songs For The Retarded is pretty much as good as any album ever released and should be in everyone's collection (and several other of their albums aren't far behind), so without further ado, a sweet sounding song with a bitter centre, this is End It All.........

Everyone's wrong
And you can't get along
Will you take it easy
Or will you go end it all now

Someday you'll find
That you're out of your mind
Will you take it easy
Or will you go end it all now

Do you want to take the time now
Do you want to ease your mind
Will you take it easy
Or will you go end it all now

If you want it easy
You might as well end it all now

If you want to hurt another
If you want to hurt them now

You'll be gone forever
If you go end it forever
Will you go end it forever
Will you go end it all now

End it all now
End it all now

The Snazzy Boys - They Came from Outer space !!!

Trawling the net for far too many hours seeking out punk songs to add to the blog I come across a hell of a lot of music. Much of it, I'm not keen on so it just gets a quick listen (possibly too quick, leading to me to dismiss it too hastily) but on occasion I find nuggets of gold (quite possibly nuggets that have been mined by many others already but are new to me). I've got to be honest, if I see what looks like upbeat pop punk with a sci-fi theme, I'll probably give it a slightly more generous crack of the whip. It's a rich genre, going back as far as The Rezillos and Spizz Energi (probably further than that) and including a lot of my favourite bands (hello Lillingtons, Dan Vapid etc). Today's song is from Italy's The Snazzy Boys. Formed in 2005 in Ospitaletto, they don't seem to be around anymore, splitting in 2010 (though I would love to be wrong about this), they were influenced by all the right groups, The Damned, The Boys, The Lurkers, The Spits, The Briefs etc, and play a '77 style of upbeat pop punk that has just the right combination of killer tunes and bite. Their releases include a couple of 7"'s, Organized Octopus (2006) and the Play Your Bollocks ep (2007) as well as a self titled album (2009). If you like quality retro pop punk, treat your ears, this is They Came From Outer Space.....

Mark Sultan - Beautiful Girl

Montreal's Mark Sultan has been part of numerous bands, often with co collaborator Blacksnake (aka King Khan), one of which, The Spaceshits have already featured in these pages. Today's song however was recorded under his own name and features on 2007's The Sultanic Verses. Blending early rock n roll, pop, garage and lots of woo woo's, this is the gorgeous Beautiful Girl.....

Fe Fi Fo Fums- You Might Get Me

Slowing things down today with a slice of lo fi garage rock from Seattle's The Fe Fi Fo Fums. The band released an album, Shake All Night, in 2006 as well as a handful of singles. This song, You Might Get Me, was the b side of 2007's I Just Wanna Boom Boom Girl......