MC16 - Polytechnic

  

  I think this makes it half a dozen Just Some Punk Songs appearances for Shropshire trio MC16 (https://www.facebook.com/MC16band) so they must be doing something right. They've been drip feeding us some excellent singles over the last 5 years (https://mc16band.bandcamp.com/). 

  Their latest release is a track on the January 2024 edition of Dammit Record's Dam-Nations compilation series (they feature alongside other cool acts such as Lone Creep, North Sea Fever, Be Fair etc...).   

  You can find the comp here : https://dammitrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dam-nations-january-2024

  Often on comps you'll find that bands offer up throwaway tracks that they aren't going to use elsewhere but happily MC16 bring home the bacon as always with this one so I wouldn't be surprised to see it resurface again, hopefully on an album (hint hint lads!). 

  It's called Polytechnic...

Polytechnic, we are learning faster Polytechnic, we are learning faster Live wire, live wires Make bigger fires Live wire, live wires Make better fires I got myself a Mickey Mouse degree No doors opened, no opportunities Polytechnic, we are learning faster Polytechnic, we are learning faster Live wire, live wires Make bigger fires Live wire, live wires Make better fires Please read it, it sounds important Who sent it? it looks important Who signed it? It looks important You can’t stay in bed all day, when you wanna earn a living for your strikers pay You can’t stay in bed all day, when you wanna feel special on your birthday You can stay at work all day, if you wanna watch your kids in the school play You can’t stay at work all day, if you wanna decorate your hallway

MC16 - United States of Generica

    

  When I was sent the new single by Shropshire trio MC16 (https://www.facebook.com/MC16band) I replied to bassist/co vocalist Andy Quinn that I was thinking of describing it as "a brooding social commentary about cookie cutter gentrification and the creeping death of social identity in favour of identikit modernisation" but couldn't decide as to whether that was a well written summation of a very impressive song or whether it was total bollox. For me, it's a snappy and pretty accurate one liner to which he replied "Well that put a smile on my face, clearly comedy if the writing falls down!" 

  It's the way I tell 'em. 

  The band's take on the single is that it "bemoans the process and solution of ‘Saving our High Streets’ which seems to condense down to ‘If we can help rich developers and rich brands become even richer then we will save it." Andy comments that “High streets have just become memories now. I remember some of the great characters of our high street like the man who was always dressed as a cowboy shopping with his Mum, and the busker with only one string on his guitar. Now its just a middle ground of mediocrity!” 

  Guitarist and co-vocalist Carson chips in with “You can’t just blame the death of the high street on the internet. High streets are very product focused but me personally, I don’t buy a new brand label t- shirt every week but I would be more of a user if they were more service or experience focused and built on need not gain.” Drummer Duffy tells how “I used to think I was psychic. I could be in any city centre for the very first time and know where all the shops were. But then I realised that all the city centres are all just generic. I am not psychic Pah!”. 

  I think my one line description was pretty accurate all things considered guys. I'll just add that it's a great single and a worthy addition to an impressive back catalogue of single releases (most, if not all, are featured elsewhere on this blog and can be found on Bandcamp https://mc16band.bandcamp.com/). Debut album next chaps???

  This is United States Of Generica... 

MC16 - Anti

  I've featured all the singles released by Shropshire trio MC16   (https://www.facebook.com/MC16band/) on here (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/search?q=mc16) and as their new one is of the same high standard there's no reason not to continue doing so. They're a band that believe "music should challenge, confront, question and entertain - capturing the spirit of true punk rock music." They're a band with both a message and the happy knack of writing a catchy soundtrack to back their well thought out, often political, commentaries on the injustices they see going on around them. Words are powerful, often more so than weapons in these days of the internet, when the president of the USA uses Twitter as a place to vent scattergun thoughts and even the ordinary man on the street can cause outrage amongst millions by saying the wrong thing.

  On the single, the band ask the question do words actually mean as much now that it's so easy to share them. Or is it all too often a case of protesting just to appear cool. Is it becoming the fashion to virtue signal but then to move onto the next cause without ever taking any action to back up your words?

  You can get the song here : https://mc16band.bandcamp.com/track/anti

  It's called Anti...

MC16 - Brave New Word

  It's always great to see a band that you've been shouting about for a while doing well and looking at the quality of the latest video by Shropshire trio MC16 (https://www.facebook.com/MC16band/) not only is their music very impressive, they also have the wherewithal to promote it with a very polished visual accompaniment. I was going to comment how much their sound has progressed and how tight they now sound but listening back to the first song I heard by them it's pretty clear they were fully formed right from the start (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2018/08/mc16-sleeping-on-cardboard.html).


  It's no surprise their new single is great, everything they've released thus far has been top notch. I hope we get an album in due course but until then I suggest you head over to Bandcamp and check out their small but stellar back catalogue : https://mc16band.bandcamp.com/

  Available as a name your price download, Brave New Word describes how once we could bullshit in the school playground about how our dad was bigger than your dad, how he was in the SAS or was a member of the IRA. Nowadays we can just make up false identities for ourselves online. The internet has become the playground. There's so much sensationalism about that we're numbed to real world events as very little shocks anymore. Not only do they write a good tune, MC16 are a band with relevant things to say....

MC16 - The Sergeant

 

  A couple of months back on the show I played Sleeping On Cardboard by MC16, it caused a stir with the chatroom so I stuck it on here (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2018/08/mc16-sleeping-on-cardboard.html). I couldn't find out much info about the band but at the end of last week I was contacted by Andrew Quinn from the band (he's living in Shrewsbury so I'm taking a leap and saying MC16 are probably based in Shropshire. I should have asked him for some info before writing this!). Anyway, he told me they'd just finished recording a new song and would I like it for the show. Not only for the show, I replied, get it on Youtube and I'll post it on the blog. So that's what you're getting today.

  I doubt many of you will know about MC16. Aside from a lack of info (or photos) on their Facebook profile, they've only got 32 likes and they hardly update, seems they have proper lives rather than sitting round online all day like some people do (yeah I'm guilty of that!). They did play Rebellion this year though and they are putting out some great music so make sure you check them out. https://www.facebook.com/MC16band/

  The new song benefits from having been produced by Dave Draper (who if I'm right is the guy behind The Invisible String Quartet and has worked on cool releases such as Nosebleed's Scratching Circles On The Dancefloor). At the moment the band aren't sure what to do with the song, they haven't got a label so hopefully you guys will help share it around. No one wants to be the first to quit a regime of macho bullshit, just keep on safeguarding interests that aren't really yours. This is The Sergeant... 

MC16 - Sleeping On Cardboard

  Today I'm posting a song that went down so well with the chatroom folk on last week's Just Some Punk Songs show that even though it came out last year (it resurfaced again on the recent Rebellion 2018 New Band (introducing) Stage compilation : https://compilationalbums.bandcamp.com/album/rebellion-2018-new-band-introducing-stage) I thought it deserved to be discovered by a few more people.

  Sleeping On Cardboard, is a single (I think their debut?) by a band called MC16. This is the part of my introduction where I usually give you some info from their Facebook page but all that's in the info section is this... "Life Is A Way Of Punk." They've since released a couple more singles, Prisoner On Watch and Innocence Is Not A Technicality. Maybe one day you'll be able to find more info here :  https://www.facebook.com/MC16band/ 

  For me, this is the pick of their singles and it highlights the plight of far too many of our servicemen and women. Enlisted to serve their country, promised everything but now a burden and parasite. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, their medals mean shit when they're sleeping on cardboard. "If the enemy doesn't get you the system will" ... The song's a slow burner with a powerful message, have a listen, you'll like it. Sleeping On Cardboard...