Dark Thoughts - Mike's Dream

  

  Regular Just Some Punk Songs visitors may know of my love for Philadelphia trio Dark Thoughts. They've featured on here several times in the past and despite not releasing an album since 2019 they popped up last year with a song that featured on an international benefit compilation album titled No Occupation: Another Benefit for Mutual Aid in Gaza. 

  That song (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2024/06/dark-thoughts-bubbles-gonna-burst.html) proved that even after a few years away they were still as good as ever. It was titled Bubble's Gonna Burst and it resurfaces on the band's newly released 4th album. 

  The album's called Highway Till The End and as per usual it's a fat free sonic delight. It's available on vinyl via Stupid Bag Records (US) and Drunken Sailor Records (UK/EU) and as a name your price download : 

https://dark-thoughts.bandcamp.com/album/highway-to-the-end

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/highway-to-the-end-lp

  This song is called Mike's Dream... 

Dark Thoughts - Bubble's Gonna Burst

 

   First up, apologies. I've been a bit slack posting updates on here the last week or two. No real reason, just apathy and football. But I've a good one for you today. 

  Hopefully you remember me posting several songs by Philadelphia trio Dark Thoughts a few years back and pretty much creaming my jeans with my enthusiasm for each of them. I'll post links to all 4 songs that I featured as they're that good : 

 https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2016/07/dark-thoughts-no-more-soul.html

 https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2018/07/dark-thoughts-hate-this-song.html

 https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2019/08/dark-thoughts-do-you-dream.html

 https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2019/12/dark-thoughts-please-dont-leave.html

  The band released 3 killer albums and a single between 2016-2019 and you can find them here :  https://dark-thoughts.bandcamp.com/

  The last 5 years have been quiet, though the band are still touring and I've heard occasional rumours of new material but it's been a long wait. And then today I stumbled upon a new song. A teaser for a new album? Let's hope so. 

  It's one of a fine collection of tracks on an international benefit compilation album titled No Occupation: Another Benefit for Mutual Aid in Gaza. It's a follow up to a compilation that I posted a song from back in February :                                                https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-dissidents-brother-did-you-weep.html

  It's available on cassette and digital download, a few of the other bands featured include Alien Nosejob, Soup Activists, A Culture Of Killing & Interrobang! and "all proceeds minus bandcamp/paypal fees benefit Gaza Soup Kitchen, which is dedicated to getting food to people who are starving due to the actions of the Israeli government, a violation of international law and basic human decency, materially supported by many of our governments."

  You can find it here : 

 https://thedissidents.bandcamp.com/album/no-occupation-another-benefit-for-mutual-aid-in-gaza

   From Dark Thoughts, this is Bubble's Gonna Burst... 

Dark Thoughts - Please Don't Leave

  Shit! Shit! Shit! I've got to choose a "favourite" song from the new Dark Thoughts album to post at the bottom of this update. It's pretty much an impossible task because every bloody song on the damn thing is a favourite!

  The band, as you hopefully already know, are a 3 piece from Philadelphia who've featured on here several times previously. The last time was in August when I said "Ramones, Leave Home, Rocket To Russia.... Forest Hills' finest, The Ramones, released 3 absolutely killer albums in little over 18 months and I've got to be honest with you, on the evidence of their first 2 albums plus their new single, Dark Thoughts are going to do something very similar." Do you know what, they've done just that. For my money, their triple whammy of long players are as impressive a debut run as anyone has achieved. If we were still back in the 70's during punk's golden age everyone would be shouting about how great this band are. As it is, the commotion is not as loud but I'm sure I'm not the only lover of punk music saying similar things. They're the best band around, tell all your friends.

  So the new album... it's titled Must Be Nice, 12 songs crammed into a trim sub 20 minute run time. Listen, enjoy, listen again. You'll soon be able to get the physical release via Stupid Bag Records or Drunken Sailor Records but no need to wait to hear it as it's available as a nice early Xmas gift name your price on Bandcamp...  https://dark-thoughts.bandcamp.com/album/must-be-nice

  So to choose a song to finish on. Lets go with Please Don't Leave...

Dark Thoughts - Do You Dream?

  Ramones, Leave Home, Rocket To Russia.... Forest Hills' finest, The Ramones, released 3 absolutely killer albums in little over 18 months and I've got to be honest with you, on the evidence of their first 2 albums plus their new single, Dark Thoughts are going to do something very similar. Stupidity of the highest order to compare Dark Thoughts with The Ramones? Not in my book. You might not agree but for me their Self Titled debut and the follow up, At Work, were pretty much flawless pop punk classics. Album number 3 is titled Must Be Nice, it's coming soon on Stupid Bag Records and my hopes are sky high.

  The band is from Philadelphia and features Jim Shomo (guitar/lead vocals), Amy Opsasnick (bass) and Daniel Cox (drums). As you'd expect from a band that hold The Ramones in such high regard, their songs are usually short, fast and catchy as hell but don't expect them just to be a virtual cover band. Rather than mimic their heroes they take all the components that made The Ramones so great and they've reconstituted them to create their own sound. Boy, what a sound it is.

  They've just released a track from their new single, it's a sub 80 second blast of energetic, feel good punk and it bodes well for Must Be Nice. The single will be out on 7" via Peterwalkee Records and you can get the teaser track name your price on Bandcamp :  https://dark-thoughts.bandcamp.com/

  This is Do You Dream?....

Dark Thoughts - Hate This Song

  Dark Thoughts are a trio from Philadelphia who featured on here a couple of years ago with a song from their amazing S/T debut album (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2016/07/dark-thoughts-no-more-soul.html) and now they're back with album number 2. First time around we were treated to a dozen frantic Ramones inspired songs in less than 20 minutes and this time around it's pretty much more of the same (definitely a case of if it ain't broke don't fix it). The members of the band are Jim Shomo (guitar/lead vocals), Amy Opsasnick (bass) and Daniel Cox (drums). The album is titled At Work and it's on Stupid Bag Records (US) and Drunken Sailor (UK/Europe) and it's available name your price on Bandcamp : https://dark-thoughts.bandcamp.com/

  I could try and write a review of the album but that would just be wasting your time. You've either heard it and love it by now or you should stop reading and go download it immediately.

  If 18 minutes of succulent punk rock seems a little daunting, ease yourself in gently with this 64 second prime cut. It's called Hate This Song....

Dark Thoughts - No More Soul

  Dark Thoughts are a Ramones influenced trio from Philadelphia who've recently released their s/t debut album on Stupid Bag Records. It's an album that gets through it's 12 catchy songs in less than 20 minutes, all killer no filler as a lesser band once said. You can check it out here : http://dark-thoughts.bandcamp.com/. They'd previously released the Four Songs ep in 2014.

  The line up is Jim Shomo (vocals/guitar), Amy (bass) and Daniel (drums). They'll be supporting The Muffs at the Boot & Saddle in Philadelphia on the 17th of this month.

  This is No More Soul.......


No more soul
no more sun
no more dancing
no more fun
no more truth
no more looking in your eyes
no more rest no more sleep
no more company to keep me 
warm at night

You know I never had the money, honey
but your voice is like a symphony
that i play on a tape in my room
when I am feeling down 
and this is more than a sense of attraction
cuz I still can't get no satisfaction 
cuz you you're out there somewhere
and I'm stuck here hanging around

So if you see me on the street
just walk on by
don't look my way
no no no
it hurts too much to say hello