The Cundeez - Gangs o Dundee

 

  One from a few years ago today. The Cundeez are a working class punk band from the streets of Dundee. With their broad accents and occasional use of bagpipes they're an authentically gritty Scottish treat that should go down well with those that think bands like The Real McKenzies are slightly too polished and maybe not genuinely Celts.

  They've been together for around a decade, originally they were best known for re writing punk classics for their local football team, Dundee United. With frontman Gary Robertson also being a poet and published author it was only a matter of time before the football songs took a back seat to gritty socio and political themes. 2017 will see them release new album Teckle And Hide.

  The song I'm posting below featured on 2010's debut album, Cundee Radio and is a pounding look at the tribal goings on in their city. It's all police sirens and Oi Oi Oi chants and it's really rather good. This is Gangs O Dundee.....

THE Gakk - Off The Fags & Booze

  Listing amongst their influences the likes of SLF, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Subhumans, Dead Kennedys etc, The Gakk are a 5 piece band from Dundalk, Ireland. They're a melodic street punk outfit who also incorporate elements of ska and reggae and who are renowned for their energetic live shows. They released an album in 2010 called This Band Will Self-Destruct.

  Amongst their other releases was the single Giving Me Away which you can snap up as a free download here : https://thegakk.bandcamp.com/releases

  The track I'm posting below was on their debut ep (The Gakk EP) and is also the song they finish their live shows with. Available to d/l here : https://www.reverbnation.com/thegakk this is Off The Fags And Booze. I played this song on last night's Just Some Punk Songs show and the guys in the chatroom were telling me it brought to mind the Dead Kennedys (Too Drunk To Fuck & Police Truck were both mentioned). See what you think.....

The Scandals - Perfect Timing

  The Scandals formed in 2004 and are from Bayonne, New Jersey. Fronted by gruff voiced songwriter/singer/guitarist Jared Hart (who has a new solo album out titled Past Lives And Pass Lines), the line up is rounded out by Anthony Iarossi (guitar), Sean Carney (bass/backing vocals) and Paulie Yaremko (drums). Influenced by the likes of The Bouncing Souls & Social Distortion and utilising a do it yourself ethos they've shared a stage with numerous top acts including The Gaslight Anthem, Youth Brigade, Agent Orange, New Found Glory, Alkaline Trio etc etc etc......

  Last year they re released their debut album, The Sound Of Your Stereo, and it's from that record that today's song is taken. You can check out the album (and the rest of their music, including the recent split with Jaguar Shark) here : http://thescandals201.bandcamp.com/album/the-sound-of-your-stereo


  Here's a song that you might just wanna hang out with, this is Perfect Timing......

The State Lottery - Geysers

 
  A song today that popped up on my Facebook "on this day" page, it was one that I'd shared on my timeline a few years ago but had forgotten about. Sounding a bit like Bruce Springsteen mixed with The Clash or maybe The Exploding Hearts, it still sounds great and is deserving of place in this Blog.

  The State Lottery feature members spread out around a number of states but mainly write songs either in or about Detroit. They got together in 2006 but the distance between them seems to have pretty much curtailed any activity in recent years. Their first album, Cities We're Not From, was released in August 2008. A couple of years later they released a follow up called When The Night Comes. This was the album that featured today's song and the line up on it was Andy Dennison (guitar, organ, bass. vocals), Bobby Colombo (vocals, guitar, organ), Dave Garwacke (drums), Jordan Owen (bass, guitar, vocals), Niki McUmber (sax, organ, piano, vocals) and Chris (piano).

  Other releases included a split single with The 255s and a single called Fistfuls Of Sand. You can snap up all those releases "name your price"  .... http://thestatelottery.bandcamp.com/

  This is Geysers......
 

The Class War Kids - Reflection! Rage! Rebellion!

 
  Another top quality raging whirlwind of political punk rock goodness for you today.

  Class War Kids were from Newfoundland, Canada, and between 2008 and 2010 released a couple of killer albums (A Strong People Need No Leader and Reflection! Rage! Rebellion) as well as Twinkles Last Stand (an ep which includes their version of Joe Strummer's Coma Girl : http://theclasswarkids.bandcamp.com/).

  Three members of the band now play in melodic hardcore band Brutal Youth (https://brutalyouth.bandcamp.com/)

  The title track of their 2nd album, this is Reflection! Rage! Rebellion......

  We're not the ones making threats with tear gas and guns
Who show up with riot shields and batons
Chasing people through the streets with trained dogs
Throwing people in the back of locked cars
Who see fallen tycoons and run to their aid
Breaking up peaceful protests with bullets and grenades
Setting perimeters and barricades
Who's loyalty comes for the highest price paid
But if a riot breaks out in the streets today 
You can bet we'll be the ones the state-run media will blame
Reflection! Rage! Rebellion!
On the day they outlaw freedom, only outlaws will be free
I'd rather die on my feet than live here on my knees
We're not the ones privatizing our lakes and our streams
Who make 100 Grand when people need to eat
With hired guns out policing the streets
Driven by power, driven by greed
Looking to ensure the whole world becomes privatised
Who value profit over people's lives
Who will sell off the water that fall from our skies
Who will take all they can and never be satisfied
But when a riot breaks out in the streets tonight
You can bet we'll be the ones who turn the fucking tide!
Reflection! Rage! Rebellion!
On the day they outlaw freedom only outlaws will be free
I'd rather die on my feet than live here on my knees

Tyvek - 4312

  Tyvek are garage band from Detroit who formed in 2004 and have spent the last decade releasing no frills, snappy gems of energetic punk rock.

  Led by vocalist/guitarist Kevin Boyer, there's been several line up changes down the years but no drop off in their inventiveness. From early single Mary Ellen Claims through to the recent Blunt Instrumental 3 cassette, they've often challenged the listener with deceptively complex blasts of primitive diy noise.

  Taken from 2010's Nothing Fits album, this is the wonderfully in your face 4312......

The Lie Detectors - They Came From Outer Space

  Are we alone? Given the vastness of space, hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe and each of those containing billions of stars, it's not too much of a stretch to say it's quite possible that there's life out there somewhere. And if whoever might be out there ever decides to turn up in our neighbourhood one day and invade the Earth, hopefully that invasion will be against the backdrop of a pop punk soundtrack.

  Some of my favourite punk songs of all time have a sci fi theme. The Rezillos, Spizz Energi, The Dickies, The Misfits, The Lillingtons, The Riverdales and many more have successfully combined the two genres and today I bring you a band that certainly didn't shy away from writing about aliens. They even named their debut album UFO ( https://theliedetectors.bandcamp.com/album/ufo).

  The Lie Detectors were a Glasgow band who also released a second album called Monster Munch, which today's song comes from and which is also available name your price.....  http://theliedetectors.bandcamp.com/album/monster-munch

  They aren't around anymore though Mikel Clelland and Tam Burger are still together with surf punkers The Lemonaids : https://thelemonaids.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-the-beach

  With the intention of destroying the human race, They Came From Outer Space......

The Atoms - Sandy Stole My LP'S

(a typical day at the beach in Derby)



  What's better suited to a crisp February morning than a bit of surf punk, featuring a band from that well known favourite British surf spot, Derby!

  The Atoms got together in 2000, originally featuring Joe, Jimmy and Jess Atom but now comprising Joe Atom (vocals), Johnny "Headlock" Speedking (bass/vocals) and Gaz "New Guy" Speedking (drums/vocals). You probably won't be surprised by their influences :  The Queers, Screeching Weasel, Groovie Ghoulies, Zatopeks, The Hunchbacks, The Apers........ No doubt they've probably also tapped a toe or two to The Beach Boys and The Ramones.

  Starting their beach party with the 2001 Don't Wanna Dance ep, they've also released a few splits and featured on several compilations as well as unleashing a couple of full lengths, 2006's Staying True With The Atoms and 2010's Surf Derby. You can find the remastered and expanded Surf Derby (free of charge!) as well as their latest release, AAAAAAAARGGHHH!!!, on their bandcamp :  http://theatomsuk.bandcamp.com/album/surf-derby-re-master-free-download  .

  From Surf Derby, this is the opening track, Sandy Stole My LP's......

Kingons - Wonderful Girl

 
  At the beginning of this month I posted a song by Japan's The Cistems and mentioned that some of them were now in a band called Kingons. Since then I've been eagerly waiting to do a follow up post featuring that awesome band....

  Kingons are fun. The enthusiasm for what they're doing emanates from every pore as you'll see if you watch the video below. They comprise of Takahashi ChokuWataru on vocals, Kj Monmon on guitar, Nakata on bass and Handa on drums. They put out killer album in 2010 called Pop Of The World and they've also released a few eps, the most recent being 2013's Past Rendezvous. 2015 will see them shortly sharing a bill with The Apers on the Dutch band's Japanese tour.

  From their 2010 ep Wonderful Girl, this is the title track. I love this kind of stuff so if anyone's got any suggestions of more of the same please shout out in the comments.....

Night Birds - Thrilling Murder

"The human race is worthless man, and they should all be killed."

Today I'm in the mood for a snappy punk song that I can sing along to so after a little thought I'm going to post an oldie by New Jersey surf punks Night Birds. The band formed early in 2009 after bassist Joe Keller's previous band The Ergs split up. They announced themselves to the world with a demo and followed this up in 2010 with a 5 track s/t ep (from which today's song comes) and the Killer Waves single. 2011 saw them working like crazy, seemingly constant touring as well as the Midnight Movies single and a debut album (The Other Side Of Darkness) plus their Fresh Kills compilation. Since then, they've become one of punks most popular acts, releasing a couple more classic singles and the 2013 album, Born To Die In Suburbia. Featuring their trademark guitar sound and vocalist Brian Gorsegner revealing how he spends his nights dreaming about ridding the world of assholes, this is Thrilling Murder.....

Suspect Parts - Change Your Mind

  Featuring members that have also at one time or another been involved with a smorgasbord of great bands (The Briefs, Thee Spivs, Clorox Girls, Red Dons and LA Drugz just to name a few), Suspect Parts produce music that's sweet enough to rot your teeth. Combining the harmonies of the best 60's pop bands and adding a little of the edge of bands like The Ramones and The Buzzcocks, they take a classic retro sound and give it a modern day sheen. So far they've released 4 singles (and a cassette which collects the singles together) and garnered a raft of great reviews. My pick of their singles, this is Change Your Mind......

Wax Phantom - See-Thru

Here's another band that i had high hopes for, unfortunately they split after only recording an ep and a split 7 inch  (with Criminal Culture). The ep was released in 2010 and the lead track, See-Thru was one of my favourites of the year. The band, Wax Phantom, were from Long Island and they took their name from an episode of Scooby Doo. It's available for "name your price" on their bandcamp page :

http://waxphantom.bandcamp.com/album/dont-fool-with-a-phantom-ep