Hemiptera - Notti Nere (Guest Review by Darren Bourne)

  

   There must be something in the water in Brighton, England. The home of one of the most influential

Crust Punk bands Fall of Efrafa, who still to this day, seem to have a huge cult following & Hemiptera

are heading in their footsteps, and doing a superb job.

  So, if you’re missing that style, and if you want some Melodic Anarchist crust with cello, then look no

further, because these are the new kids on the block & they’ve nailed that style & are making their

own waves. Songs that build up, and build up, then come crashing down & destroy anything in its

path, yet, leaving you going back for more.

  If you’re a fan of bands like Light Bearer, Cwill, Morrow, Ekkaia, Archivist & of course Fall of Efrafa,

then you may want to check these guys out, and some of the spoken word parts remind me of early

90’s French Emo (but in Italian) and for a Demo, the 5-track tape has come out great.

  The full Demo can be downloaded name your price here:

https://hemiptera.bandcamp.com/album/demo-mmxxiv

  They have some Demo tapes & shirts for sale over on their Bandcamp page & gigs planned, so go

check them out live, because these are good people, with good politics, and that’s just what I want

in my punk rock.

  And the stand out track for me is Notti Nere... 

Kazmer - You're The Product (Guest Review By Ralph J Rivera)

  

  So here we go again. "King Ralph" trying to tell you about yet another female fronted "Crust/Anarcho" band you need to hear.

  Well like "Flower" and "Dogma" this band NEEDS to be heard! The message has always been the same since the 80's! We are all just pawns on a global chessboard! I'm thankful that bands like Kazmer exist in 2023!

  Coming out of that hot bed of rebellion called Portland, Oregon their 2 song demo floored me! I knew they were gonna do something great. I've seen live footage of this band and they definitely bring the anger! Mary on vocals, Dave on guitar & the rhythm section of Richie on bass & Isaac on drums are a completely tight knit unit. This band studied their roots and it shows when Mary just belts out her lyrics and Dave just shreds on guitar through every song. Of course it's all held together by a solid back beat. Bands like this give me HOPE!

   They take their chosen craft seriously and are one of the best bands playing this style of music today. Give this cassette a listen. It's Name Your Price right now on their Bandcamp page : https://kazmercrust.bandcamp.com/album/never-enough but there are cassette versions coming real soon!

  Prepare to be floored! They are a modern day version of Sacrilege!

  Here's a very appropriate song called "You're The Product". STAY ANGRY!...

Flower - The Contrarian (Guest Review By Ralph J Rivera)

  

  How do I write a review for an album I've listened to every day since it was released on December 26th, 2022? Well I'm gonna give it my best shot and hope you all give this one a listen.

  "Flower" from Brooklyn, NY have made quite the impact already on the modern "Crust Punk/Anarcho" scene. Since 2017 they have released 3 hard as hell to find cassettes that set the new bar pretty high. Consisting of Danny on vocals, Willow on guitar, Mar on bass and Calder on drums. This powerhouse has already been compared to all the greats of the past (Sacrilege, Amebix, Antisect and Nausea) which all comes through in their blistering attacks on religion, gentrification and prejudice. But I don't think anyone was prepared for this full length album "Hardly A Dream".

  Currently available as a download on their Bandcamp and pre-orders are up over at "Profane Existence"  https://profaneexistence.storenvy.com/products/36347656-flower-hardly-a-dream-lp

  If this masterpiece had been released earlier it would have topped many lists for Album Of The Year, including mine. 12 songs of thoroughly modern Crust Punk classics that range from full on ragers to nearly psychedelic jams that remind me of the legendary "Iowaska". To me the crowning achievement is the 9th song "The Contrarian" in which singer Danny completely vents her spleen in a nearly spoken word explosion of rage. I can't recommend this album enough and if it matters I personally pre-ordered the LP/T-Shirt bundle! When 2023 comes to an end I can't see anything topping this for AOTY.

Name your price download : https://flowernewyorkcity.bandcamp.com/album/hardly-a-dream

  This is The Contrarian... 

ABOVE ALL, GUILT PREVAILS. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, THERE IS STILL FEAR. WHAT A FORTUITOUS TOOL TO BUILD UP THE WALLS OF OUR OWN PENS. KEPT IN KENNELS, COWERING AWAY FROM THE THREAT OF EXILE. DISINTEGRATE! THE ACTION OF OUR LIFE FORCE. DENY THE INTERNAL, INDULGE THE LEARNED ACTION OF SELF DOUBT. UNWITTINGLY, WE HAVE ABSORBED THE SUPERIOR MENTALITY OF AMERICA. AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE REGARDED AS CONSCIOUS, HERE IS WHERE GUILT STILL PREVAILS. THEY SUBVERT THEIR OWN OPINIONS, TO GRASP AT ABSOLVEMENT. REVEALING- THEORY IS PERFORMANCE. DIVULGING- FEAR AS A SELF CONCERN! FOR THERE IS MUCH TO FEAR, WHEN UNITY’S FOCUS IS ON OUR CONTRASTS. WHEN APOLOGY IS THE MOTIVE FOR ALL GESTURE. A CHANCE SELF SABOTAGE IS A SINISTER LEAD FOR OUR CAPTORS. HALTING PROGRESS, USING REFUSAL AS A FOOTHOLD TO BOLSTER A PERSONAL STEP AT THE EXPENSE OF AN ALREADY NEBULOUS CAUSE. NOT ONE CORRUPTION CHANGES, FOR NO ACTION IS MADE. AN AGREEMENT REMAINS UNDONE, THE IDEA PRIMARILY SEEKING PRAISE. ASHAMED FOR THAT IMPULSE, AND LOATHE TO REFLECT; POINT A FINGER, BLAME! AND HERE IT REMAINS, STILL YET, NO CHANGE IS MADE. NO CONSENSUS, NOT EVEN A TRUE-HEARTED MISTAKE. GUILT. MARRIED TO THE STRUGGLE, AS IF A VICTORY IS A LOSS OF ONE’S OWN NAME. LIKE THE HESITATION TO SOLVE A PUZZLE AND FACE THE LIGHT BURDEN OF BOREDOM. ABHORRENCE OF CHANGE. PRIVILEGE, FEAR. FIND THE PURPOSE NOT IN THE PURITY OF THE EFFORT ITSELF, OR THE FATEDLY IMPERFECT STEPS THERE. BUT RATHER, IN THE PRODUCT, THE MOVEMENT, THE WHEELS THAT TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF PROGRESS. THE GRACIOUS ACCEPTANCE OF FLAW, IN THE NAME OF A NEW POSSIBILITY. SHEDDING THE NOTIONS OF FALSE SCARCITY, AS THE NARROWING IS NOT IN THE ABUNDANCE OF IDEAS BUT IN ITS CREATORS IMPOTENCE. FEAR. GUILT. INACTION. DISINTEGRATE, REGRESS. REGAIN INNOCENT CONSCIOUSNESS AS HUMILITY PREVAILS.

  

Silence Means Death - Atomgrad (Guest Review By Dirk Ceustermans)

   

(Photo : Tom Bruelemans)

 Belgian punk fanatic Dirk is back today with something suitably noisy for you to check out...

Atomgrad by Silence Means Death,
taken from Đornata/Silence Means Death split 12", release on Angry Voice Records in 2020.

  Bruges is a town I avoid because of its fame. The mass tourism suffocates the town in a way it does not appeal to me. I should definitely reconsider visiting now that Corona dropped a veil of silence onto its medieval town centre. I want to sense the vibes that effect Silence Means Death's (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063534879627) inspiration to dark and depressive lyrics. I guess it is the D-Beat thing to do.

  Usually crust, d-beat or power violence (a misplaced name for ultrafast hardcore imho) doesn't get me high. However some Belgian and Dutch bands seem to keep it interesting and really enjoyable. SMD is definitely one of them. I saw them perform in Ghent, with a whole string of bands that I do not recommend seeing if you went on the booze the night before. Crude SS was the reason I went over to see the gig. Crude SS were not in good form, or just plain bad that night, SMD saved the day! So I thought to feature them as recently I collected a bit of their stuff on wax.

  These guys from Bruges bring you an excellent blend of Motorhead in a D-Beat package. Vocals do remind me of the singer and good friend Pies, from Belgian's D-Beat legends Capital Scum, but the music has that unmistakable Motorhead inspiration. 

  I selected Atomgrad, one of the first track I heard from them, ripping D-Beat drums and that definite Swedish D-Beat influence in it. At first I even though the title was a Swedish word, but research enlightened me this refers to "closed cities" around military bases or nuclear research plants etc... The song refers most likely to Pripyat, founded on February 4, 1970 as the ninth "atomgrad", a type of closed town in the Soviet Union, to serve the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. (from wiki). 

  There you go, you got the threat of nuclear disaster, the D-Beat and the superb musicianship, the ingredients to get some exciting powerful punk from one of the most touristic cities in Flanders. Very appropriate for a city drenched into silence during this pandemic era.

https://silencemeansdeath.bandcamp.com/album/split-lp-with-dornata 

  Atomgrad...

Take a last deep breath while you still can A nuclear fallout the end of our days Atomgrad Radiation will strike without a sound Can we escape to survive Atomgrad We took the future from our children away The price we pay is way too high Living into a nuclear world All the warnings we have ignored See us moving to our final course The acid rain drips from my face

Burning Flag - Broken Britain

   

  It's been 4 years since I last featured Halifax crust punks Burning Flag (https://www.facebook.com/burningflagpunk) on here (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2017/08/burning-flag-this-town.html) and since then they've had the difficult task of finding a new vocalist following the departure of MD. Happily, with Holly Searle (ex Kiss Me Killer), the transition has been seamless. The remainder of the line up remains the same and sees Jonesy (Guitar), Mark Midgley (Bass) & Matt Fortune (Drums) continuing to provide a powerful and atmospheric backbeat.

  There's been several well written reviews popping up online telling you how good the new album is so all I need to do is echo those views and tell you that Matador is a really impressive metal tinged behemoth combining anarcho punk with hardcore noise. Subjects covered include macho aggression, the right to choose, the destruction of Mother Earth, right wing cops etc... 

  You can pre order the cd or download the digital album here :   https://burningflag.bandcamp.com/album/matador 

  The vinyl version will be released by Phobia Records (date to be confirmed)

  I've already played Eat The Rich and Step Back on the show so today I'll highlight a song that shines a light on the state of the nation. It's called Broken Britain... 

What, democracy, do we live in?

When voting for a broken Britain What, future, do we face? When voices can be swayed by hate Don’t think they’ll ever change Funded by the upper classes Only way to make a wave, is to riot in our masses Resist, organise, revolt (Welcome to a broken Britain) Reject, liberate, exalt (Welcome to a broken Britain) How, complicit can you get? With a vote to kill the NHS How, many lies are unseen? Do as were told, what to believe Don’t think they’ll ever change Funded by the upper classes Only way to make a wave is to riot in our masses Resist, organise, revolt (Welcome to a broken Britain) Reject, liberate, exalt (Welcome to a broken Britain) What? Future, do we face? When we’re swayed by hate

  

Motherfucker Teresa - Blue Lives Murder

  

  I've got to be honest, I come across loads and loads (and loads) of bands whilst looking for music to shout about on here and there honestly aren't enough hours in the day to properly listen to everything. So when you see a band with a name like Motherfucker Teresa (https://www.facebook.com/mfteresa666/), they stand out from the crowd and entice you into checking them out. 

  Grabbing your attention is one thing but keeping it is another and happily the Denver, Colorado outfit managed to keep me interested with their shouty, energetic, crusty style of punk rock. They play political punk, they're anti proud boys and pro Antifa so they're on the same wavelength (I assume) as most of the visitors to this blog. They're pretty damn noisy too. 

  And they've recently released a 9 track album titled Old News Is Still New News. It deals with subjects local to them (Fuck Nancy Pelosi is a 13 second swearathon aimed towards the speaker of the US House Of Representatives whilst Me And mitch mcConnell In A Dark Alley isn't going to win any awards for lyrical complexity but it lets us know what the band would like to do to the senate majority leader) and further afield (Plastic despairs about the mess we've made of our oceans and House Of The Rising Rent (101 Gentrifications) deals with a growing problem in most developing countries). There's even a lively cover of Body Count's Cop Killer. 

  You can find it here : https://motherfuckerteresa.bandcamp.com/album/old-news-is-still-new-news

  Below you'll find another anti cop song, it's called Blue Lives Murder... 

You kill people for selling CD's
I say 'You're a fucking disease"
You think you stop people from breaking laws
Well I say you're the fucking cause
"Protect and Serve?"
What fucking Nerve?!
"Serve and Protect?"
What Disrespect!!
Choke you out til you can't breathe
Laughing when your family grieves

Chorus:
You say your life is in constant threat?
We say you ain't seen nothing yet
You say your life is in constant threat?
We say you ain't seen nothing yet
Dead cops get what they deserve
And Deserve just what the get
Dead Cops get what they deserve
And Deserve just what they get!!

Beating women like Ray Rice did
Killing more people than I.S.I.S.
You're an epidemic and a crisis
Six Feet Under's Fucking Finest
Why are you so fucking evil?
Why are you so fucking evil?!
Why are you so fucking evil?!
WHY ARE YOU SO FUCKING EVIL?!?!

(chorus)

Defend the klan and DAPL
Blue lives matter can go to hell
Killing kids then bragging on FOX
Big guns compensating small cocks
You claim to live by the badge
Killing mothers under the flag
Well I say that badge ain't shit
But a shiny price tag

(Chorus)

Comrades - Bodega Cats

  Comrades are the New York punk/ska/crust/folk collective who first appeared on here in July 2014 with a song about cats (http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/comrades-cats-not-cops.html).  In fact I'm wearing the Cats Not Cops t shirt as I type this intro to a new song by them which also features cats in the title. It's from their new record and it's damn good.

  Forming in 2009, Comrades released debut album We Got This!!! in 2013. A decent summation of it that I saw proclaimed it "Fast and full on punk rock. Blistering and angry with dual vocals..." Fortunately, as well as being pissed off, the band can also write catchy tunes.

  Fast forward to Christmas Day 2017 and they released Matter Of Fact. 8 tracks, some raging ska punk, some stripped down folk, all worth checking out....  https://comradescollective.bandcamp.com/album/matter-of-fact

  If you check back in a few days, Alexis from the band will be sharing her Top 10 songs.

  From Matter Of Fact, this is Bodega Cats....

CIGAR GUTS AND BOOZE BREATH 
WITH THE STENCH OF PISS AND DEATH 
BODEGA CATS THAT I CAN PET 
TRYING HARD NOT TO GET WET 
MAKING TIME IN THE BACK ROW 
WHISKEY PIZZA AND A FREE SHOW 
TAPPING SPOTLIGHT HALO GLOW 

CAUSE IM FEELING STICKY IN SOMEONE ELSES CLOTHES 
ROADSIDE FREE BIN IS CLOSED 
AND ITS SMASHED FINGERS PRETTY DRESSES 
IM CARDIAC ARRESTED 
FEELING STICKY IN SOME ONE ELSES CLOTHES 

SIDEWALKS EATING UP MY SOLES 
CHEWING MUD UP AS THEY GO 
THE TEMPERATURE DROPS AND THEN WE ROLL 
SIDEWALKS EATING UP MY SOULS 
WITH CHILDREN GETTING PERMISSION FOR ROLES 
DRINKING ALL THE BEER THEYRE TRYING TO DISPOSE 

CAUSE IM FEELING STICKY IN SOMEONE ELSES CLOTHES 
ROADSIDE FREE BIN IS CLOSED 
AND ITS SMASHED FINGERS PRETTY DRESSES 
IM CARDIAC ARRESTED 
FEELING STICKY IN SOME ONE ELSES CLOTHES 

IM SPILLING INK AND DRAWING BLANKS 
I LOST THE BOOKMARK AND THE PLACE 
THROWING ROCKS AND GETTING STRAIGHT 
BUSTED LIPS FROM CHILDRENS GAMES 
HOPSCOTCH HIPS AND LOSING DAYS 
SIDEWALK SLAMS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY 
AND IM RUNNING AWAY FROM ALL THOSE BILLS IM NEVER GOING TO PAY 

CAUSE IM FEELING STICKY IN SOMEONE ELSES CLOTHES 
ROADSIDE FREE BIN IS CLOSED 
AND ITS SMASHED FINGERS PRETTY DRESSES 
IM CARDIAC ARRESTED 
FEELING STICKY IN SOME ONE ELSES CLOTHES

Burning Flag - This Town

 

  Burning Flag are a UK hardcore punk band from Halifax who's line up features Md (vocals), Jonesy (guitar), Matt Fortune (drums) and Mark Midgley (bass). They formed in 2013 and released the Still A Lie ep the following year. 2015 saw a debut lp and they've recently followed it up with album number 2, Izabel. You can check those releases out here : https://burningflag.bandcamp.com/

  The album's title is the name of the woman that showed the band around Auschwitz and spoke to them about the horrors that occured there. It's also the name of the closing track. Other songs deal with topics such as the gun laws in the USA, the pollution of the planet and life in a shithole rundown town where the skys are gray and job prospects are not much brighter.

  I played this song on last week's Just Some Punk Songs show (https://www.mixcloud.com/mick-fletcher/just-some-punk-songs-010817/) and the chatroom guys were impressed with the gloomy atmosphere and relentless deep bass rumbling. It's called This Town.....

Warwound - Let The Truth Speak

 

photo by Kevin Frost
 

  Warwound originally formed way back in 1982. Influenced by the likes of Discharge, Crass, Rudimentary Peni, Motorhead, Bad Brains etc they were a "fast, no bullshit, hardcore punk band" who released a few demos and played a few gigs round the Midlands area of the UK before calling it a day shortly after a couple of members left to join The Varukers.

  Fast forward 32 years to 2015 and original member Damian Thompson (now on guitar) resurrected the band with Rat Varuker joining on vocals, Ian Glasper on bass and Steve Wingrove on drums. Genre veterans, they've featured in numerous bands including Varukers, Sacrilege, Discharge, The Vile, Flux Of Pink Indians, Stampin Ground, Hellkrusher etc.

  Next month will see the release, on Unrest Records, of new album Burning The Blindfolds Of Bigots. There'll be a UK tour to coincide. Before that, they'll be touring Europe. Check details on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/warwoundofficial/

  The song you'll see below is brutal, relevant and will definitely get your blood pumping. This is Let The Truth Speak.....

 

Comrades - Lice Bingo

  Do you think the songs in this blog are a little too poppy, maybe you'd prefer something a little noisier once in a while, then this could be the song for you. I'll add the lyrics as without them you'll be at a loss as to what the hell's going on. It sounds like the end of the world with everyone dying horribly. Bloody good it is too.

  Comrades are New York City's finest crust/folk/ska/punk tribe, they previously featured in this blog last year ( http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/comrades-cats-not-cops.html) and they're back again due to the release of their new video (a video that'll go down well with any skaters amongst you).

  Taken from their excellent We Got This!!! album  (https://comradescollective.bandcamp.com/album/we-got-this-2) (http://antiauthority.bigcartel.com/product/comrades),  this is Lice Bingo........

They gave you a funeral, but not a wake your asleep and you don't realize how much they take from your soul just another hole to fill with empty promises and words and every dollar that you spend is one more that you have to earn, it's an endless cycle no one learns. 

Yo requerdo risa 
as the cities burned 
Yo requerdo risa 
at the end of the world 


bad habbbits bad habbits bad habbits getting worse 
self serenading rainy days 
lying facedown in the dirt 
my friends say i should get some help 
but getting better just feels worse 

Yo requerdo risa 
as the cities burned 
Yo requerdo risa 
at the end of the world 

brutish tendancies lead me away from anticipating, affectionate nights, new conversations, with hope continoulsly deflating that anyone can fathom rewiring, undomesticating we're all wrong wrong and backwards leaving books unread, smiles turned down, knives unsharpened and brains unfed, you'd say i'm not a hero for anything worthy on the side of the road beat up anxious and dirty