When I'm looking for music to feature on here and on the show there's a few must go to UK labels that I keep my eye on. These include Grow Your Own Records, Drowning Sailor, Serial Bowl Records, Brassneck Records and Little Rocket Records. All great labels who are very reliable. If they're releasing something you can pretty much guarantee it'll be a winner.
Case in point today as Little Rocket Records gear up to unleash a new album by gravel throated Birmingham punks Back Teeth. Their sound is of the gruff, melodic type that brings to mind the likes of Dauntless Elite and Iron Chic (I notice Iron Chic's Jason Lubrano is responsible for the album artwork).
Amusement are a melodic punk band from Portland, Oregon who's members have previously played in bands such as From Ashes Rise, North Lincoln, Bothers, Deathreat, Young Livers & Arctic Flowers. Influenced by the likes of Hüsker Dü, Leatherface, Seaweed, Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr, Samiam, Pegboy etc, they've been together for 4 years and have released 3 eps.
I played Standing on Top of the A Bomb on a recent show so today I'll highlight the bonus track that wasn't on the eps. It's a version of a song originally released by Dinosaur Jr on their 1988 album Bug. It's called Budge...
Grab a ride See the wings, most fly Try to picture me with you Let's stop We can crush at high speed Hope we can feel enough for two Yeah I gave you a nudge Not sure what to touch Hey, made my last nudge Why won't you just budge Grab a ride See the wings, most fly Try to picture me with you We can gaze Then trade to space plane Tons of rubble to sift through Yeah I need a bug Not sure what to touch Hey, made my last nudge Why won't you just budge Grab a ride See the wings, most fly Try to picture me with you We can gaze Then trade to space plane Tons of rubble to sift through Let's stop We can crush at high speed Hope we can feel enough for two
I've got to be honest. I like a bit of gritty, melodic punk rock. Stuff like Tearjerker, Rivalry and Bear Away would be recent favourites. So it makes sense I'm enjoying the new Self Titled ep by Great Silence (https://www.facebook.com/greatsilencepunk).
They're a band with members from Warrington, Manchester and Stoke. They line up thus; Will Atkinson (bass/vocals), Dec O'Reilly (guitar/vocals), Joe Watson (guitar/vocals) & Hendrik Buchheister (drums). Their debut 7 track ep is now available on cd and digital download via Little Rocket Records and it's bloody good. If you're a fan of shouty singalongs give it a go : https://greatsilence.bandcamp.com/album/great-silence-ep
Not easy to choose a highlight but I think I'll go with the ep's closing earworm. This is Something Wrong (With Being Happy)...
They originally got together as a duo under the name S.F.R. in 2004 whilst still at school and it was only in 2015 that they properly coalesced into Hummer. Plenty of gigs followed along with a couple of eps and a 2020 album titled How Did I Get Here? In April 2022 though they played their final ever gigs (Though they admit there may (or may not) be a reunion in the dim and distant future).
They did however have a few songs written which hadn't been recorded so they've tied up a few loose ends and put them out as a farewell ep titled Time To Pack Up. It's an ep that demonstrates how much they'll be missed.
Featuring a line up of Will Atkinson (Bass/vocals), Joe Watson (Guitar/vocals) & Matthew Cain (Drums), it's available from Horn & Hoof Records as a name your price download :
This is the opening track, it's a topical broadside against the easily led and it's called Apocalypse...
So here’s your flavour of the week; please tell me that this is a wind-up,
Stay at home/take to the streets; I wish you’d make your fucking mind up...
It really pains me to think we’re so easily led,
I don’t think you’ll be happy till we all end up dead...
So let’s all go out and panic-buy; we’re drowning in the desperation,
Apocalypse! The end is nigh; I feel only exasperation...
You troll-away on the net, spout your bile on the air,
You’ll queue-up for a burger or a cheap garden chair,
It pains me to think we’re so easily led,
And I don’t think you’ll be happy till we all end up dead...
So here’s your flavour of the week; please tell me that this is a wind-up,
Stay at home/take to the streets; I wish you’d make your fucking mind up,
Let’s all go out and panic-buy; we’re drowning in the desperation,
Apocalypse! The end is nigh (Oh, change the fucking record!)
I want the world to go back to how it was before,
I want an end to the madness; I can’t take any more,
Yeah, hysteria is rife and the feelings are tense,
But tell me what would it take to bring back common sense?
You troll-away on the net, spout your bile on the air,
You’ll queue-up for a burger or a cheap garden chair...
It pains me to think we’re so easily led,
And I don’t think you’ll be happy till we all end up dead...
Apocalypse! The end is nigh…
And they've also just released a first demo track. It's one of those DIY punk earworms that sounds both familiar and fresh. It's melodic and memorable, strong vocally and the instruments are played with plenty of vim and vigour. It makes me want to hear more which I guess is exactly what a calling card is supposed to do.
It's going to be titled Let's Try This Again, it'll be out on September 16th on Top Drawer Records on coloured vinyl, cd and digital download and you can pre order it now :
It'll be another collection of those crunchy melodic punk songs that impressed us so much last time around as attested to by the by the teaser track they've released. A snappy little tune, this is called Goodbye I Will Not Miss You, You Dicks...
gonna quit gonna quit gonna quit gonna quit this job
getting tired getting tired getting tired getting tired a you all
this time you've gone too far I can't give you a pass
on your way out don't let the door hit you in the ass
goodbye I will not miss you you dicks
you're a dick and you're a dick and you're a dick and you're a dick as well
you can all go go go go go go to hell
this time you've gone too far I can't give you a pass
on my way out don't let the door hit me in the ass
At the end of last year I posted a song by punk rock "supergroup" Rivalry and mentioned it was pretty damn special. Well they've just released a debut album titled Sometimes You Have To Look Back and it's one of the albums of the year. It's available via Brassneck Records and I can't recommend it highly enough https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sometimes-you-have-to-look-back
Today however I'm not here with a second track from that album. Instead I want to point you in the direction of another album that's just out on Brassneck.
What Goes Up are a melodic punk band from Tokyo (with a heavy emphasis on melodic). They're formed from the ashes of Leeway (https://leeway.bandcamp.com/) and feature a line up of Indi (Guitar/Vocals), Yasu (Guitar), Matty (Bass/Vocals) and Neko (Drums). On the evidence of the new album it's easy to see why they're making waves in their homeland. The album's titled What Goes Up, it's being pitched as being of interest to fans of bands such as Discount and Lemuria and it's bulging at the seams with catchy tunes. The contrasting vocal styles of the 2 singers (Indi & Matty) work well together. You can find it here : https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/laws-of-gravity or here : https://whatgoesup.bandcamp.com/album/laws-of-gravity and here : https://radgirlfriendrecords.bandcamp.com/album/laws-of-gravity
This is the opening track, it's called Professional Forgetters...
where have i been? where did you go?
on the front porch, out the back door, or passed out on the floor?
been here before
still the same place, is that your face?
can’t remember anymore
professional forgetters, the pain of that old sting
i scratch my head until it bleeds
i’m bitterly regretful, that time you spent with me
just flushed out of my memory
pack it up and move along
another town we all wear down
i can tell that something’s wrong
i’m wearing down, we all wear down
where have you been? where did you go?
been here before, i can’t remember anymore
I've just had a message from my friend Gary Hockney who's recommending a new album by a band from Cardiff that his old band played with way back in 1984. He tells me "they are still coming up with fresh sounding stuff and the lyrics are vital" so interest piqued I'm going to check them out...
...And now, after listening to the album, I can say I'm impressed.
As Gary mentioned, the lyrics are deserving of a mention whilst musically the band are spot on. It's driving, melodic punk rock at it's finest. The song I'm going to highlight is a topical piece of observational social commentary. It's called Sites And Sounds...
Jousting tongues and boorish banter
Weekend tales allude to more.
Jonny stoops and does his laces as he's heard it all before
His hi viz strains as chest is pumped out, the air turns blue he's warming up, foreigners and bitches up next, that's it Jonny's had enough.
A site to behold, a one star comedy gold, opinions as facts now told from the tooled up tunnelled visionary. He won't let it go and now he stands all alone as two bob tin pots go yes he's so illuminating. This building stands on it's foundation, courtesy of many hands who's paths to this point all will vary, yes we are all immigrants.
A site to behold, a one star comedy gold, opinions as facts now told from the tooled up tunnelled visionary. He won't let it go so now he stands all alone as two bob tin pots go yes he's so illuminating.
They're a band who's sound owes a lot to UK punk legends Snuff. Bassist/vocalist Dan Goatham has, as you quite possibly already know, been a member of Snuff for the last few years.
They're now getting ready to release a new album which will feature another dozen modern day classics. It's up for pre order now on vinyl & cd via Boss Tunaege. 2 songs are already streaming and both are everything we were hoping for : https://bosstuneagerecords.bandcamp.com/album/behind-these-walls
The song I'm highlighting is the one that the chatroom for the latest Just Some Punk Songs show decided was the best one played on that show. Melodic punk doesn't really get much better than this so the title is rather apt. It's called Our Favourite Song...
"Wake Up Wake up Scrambled thoughts for breakfast..."
Tearaway Manor (https://www.facebook.com/tearawaymanor) are a new trio from Redditch, a town just to the south of Birmingham. They play a style of melodic punk rock which takes inspiration from many of their favourite 90's era bands including the likes of Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, Jimmy Eat World, Homegrown, New Found Glory & Neck Deep.
They've just released the video for their debut single and it's a very impressive calling card that suggests they may be one day talked about in the same conversations as those influences. The melodies are infectious, the chorus is big and ideal to sing along to and the lyrics are very well written. It's energetically performed pop punk music with the right amount of bite.
The single isn't officially released until the 20th of May but you can pre order it on Spotify
So why is it after almost 10 years that I still keep updating this blog?
Part of the reason is (rather obviously) I still enjoy telling people about the music I like but after all this time I think it's just as much that I still feel enthusiastic about new music and this is a way of pushing myself to keep seeking it out. Without having to post updates most days, it's very doubtful I'd come across many of the bands that I listen to. Hopefully I'm helping you guys discover new stuff you love too.
A new band I've discovered this week are Faulty Cognitions. They're from San Antonio, Texas and after noticing that they're supporting Marked Men in San Antonio this coming Sunday I dug a little deeper and found that they've just released a Demo ep.
The line up of the band is Chris (Guitar/Vocals), Yole (Bass/Vocals), Nick (Guitar) & Mike (Drums). The demo is rough around the edges but very promising. They play melodic punk rock of the type that should see them getting appreciative crowds singing along in sweaty venues. They draw you in straight from the superb opener Las Cruces (catchy as hell with very good lyrics) and then they more than keep your attention throughout. As it's available as a name your price download there's no reason not to get acquainted with it https://faultycognitions.bandcamp.com/album/demo
This is one of the harder hitting tracks and as I'm a sucker for a cop song it's the one I'm highlighting today. It's called Thin Blue Line (Is a Warning Sign)...
Fascist flag blowing in the wind (thin blue line is a warning sign) On a suburban lawn you swear you'll die to defend (thin blue line is a warning sign) No one's coming for your guns but I wonder if they did (thin blue line is a warning sign) Would you wave that fucking flag while gunning down the pigs (thin blue line is a warning sign)
Blue lives they don't matter Blue lives don't exist Blue lives they don't care about you They're all terrorists
It's intoxicating watching cities burn (thin blue line is a warning sign) They don't look like you so they're none of your concern (thin blue line is a warning sign) Hate anyone who doesn't think like you (thin blue line is a warning sign) Want to see them dead, that's why you back the blue (thin blue line is a warning sign)
You say not all cops with a bad analogy Fuck a rotten apple, that's just the police
Blue lives they don't matter Blue lives don't exist Blue lives they don't care about you They're all terrorists
I assume Oldham punk band Clayface (https://www.facebook.com/ClayfacePunkRawk) take their name from the DC comic book super villain that was an adversary of Batman. What I know for sure is that they've a debut album on the way which will be titled Ailments and which is available for pre order from a bunch of cool labels; Horn And Hoof Records, Cats Claw Records, Serial Bowl Records, Punk Rock Radar & White Russian Records.
I've got to be honest, despite Oldham only being around 30 minutes down the road from me, I'd not actually heard of the band before I came across their new single (it seems it doesn't matter how many years you do this blogging stuff for, there's always bands out there that you miss). They've actually been around since 2012 and have a sound that's instantly recognisable (throaty, melodic punk rock, similar to several bands from the genre and on the evidence I've heard so far as good as pretty much any of them). I notice they're playing a gig in September at the Museum Vaults in Sunderland alongside Just Some Punk Songs favourite gruff voiced punks Tearjerker which I'm sure will be a top night.
The band are comprised of Devon Carson, Jeff Dean, Katie Karpowicz & Mike Soucy. They're a talented bunch and have featured in numerous previous bands including The Bomb, The Methadones, Dan Vapid And The Cheats, Noise By Numbers, Heavy Seas etc...
They've just released a new album, their third following Spirale Infernale (2018) and Le Feu Et Le Sable (2020). It's not a massive departure from the very enjoyable previous album, we're treated to 11 lovingly crafted melodic punk ear worms. Titled Armer L'harmonie, it was produced by Derek Grant from Alkaline Trio and Rodrigo Palma from Saves the Day and it's available on vinyl & digital download from Rad Girlfriend Records (US) and Little Rocket Records (UK).
An example of what to expect, I'm not sure if this is just about the ghost of a loved one returning from the grave or if it's more about loss and loneliness. Either way it's a thing of beauty. It's called Visited...
What do you get if you lock members of Blitz, Down and Outs & Ducking Punches in a recording studio together?
Something pretty damn special.
Featuring the combined talents of Neil Mclennan, Mark Magill and Pete Wright, Rivalry (https://www.facebook.com/rivalrytheband) are an exciting new melodic punk "supergroup" who'll be releasing a debut album next year on Brassneck Records and Fixing A Hole (Japan).
To let us know what to expect (to be honest, it's pretty much exactly what I was expecting) they've just released a debut single. You can grab it from Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/1C3uXb51zD27BI0i39kSKu
If you're familiar with the band member's previous work you probably aren't even still reading, you'll have clicked play and be enjoying the music. I don't blame you. This is Satellite...
I featured Standard Issue (https://www.facebook.com/standardissuepunk) on here a couple of years ago when I posted a song from their excellent Those Who Have Come Before ep. Since then they've released an ep titled Idiocracy and now they're back with a new single of which both sides are excellent examples of full throttle punk rock.
The band are from Riverside, California and feature a line up of Mike Cantrell (vocals/guitar), Chris Clement (bass) & Andy Stomper (drums). I played the flip side of the single on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show. It's titled Another Day, Another Fight and it's every bit as good as the A side (to be honest, I think it's my favourite of the 2 tracks). A Furious pace and a great message (Why Can't We Live In Peace?), it's pretty much perfect hardcore punk.
The A side (which I'll play on next week's show) is another short burst of adrenaline inducing noise that'll have you running round punching walls and screaming at the top of your lungs. It's called Can We Be Free?
Bear Away (https://www.facebook.com/bearawaymusic) are a four piece melodic punk band from Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They've been around since 2019 and feature a line up of Dom Brining (guitar/vocals), Jacob Thundercliffe (guitar/vocals), James Charnock (drums/vocals) & Lewis Ward (bass).
They've just released a debut album titled A Drastic Tale Of Western Living and you'll love it. It's 10 tracks of beautifully crafted, singalong anthems. It's a joint release from Brassneck Records (UK), Engineer Records (UK), Sell The Heart Records (USA), Shield Recordings (EU) & Waterslide Records (Japan) and you can get it on vinyl (yellow or black), cd or digital download https://bearaway.bandcamp.com/album/a-drastic-tale-of-western-living
It's pretty much impossible to choose a favourite track, the standard is uniformly high throughout. I played Unless That Rainbow Is Black and Filled With Knives! on a recent show and the chatroom folk loved it. I'm sure they'll be equally enamoured with this one on next week's show. Fully utilising the vocal talents of the band's multiple singers, it's called When the Earth Turns Slow...
Well it's October and thoughts start turning towards the Just Some Punk Songs end of year chart. I'm honestly struggling with it this year as there's been so many great releases to choose from and I'm sure there's more in the pipeline yet (hint, hint, Cyanide Pills you promised us an album this year). I think I might have decided on my Number One track of the year but today's blog update features a song that should certainly be up around the top as well..
Tearjerker (https://www.facebook.com/TearjerkerNE) are a very exciting new band from Sunderland who formed last year and released a debut single a few months ago titled Done And Dusted (I missed it at the time so I'll make amends and play it on this week's show). Now they're back with a follow up and it's even better. The line up of the band is Mick O'Brien (Vocals / Bass), Christopher "Frenchy" French (Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals), Marty "Jacka" Jackson (Rhythm Guitar / Backing Vocals) & Brent Copeland (Drums / Backing Vocals). Joining them on this single are Mick Jones (who you may know from bands such as Diaz Brothers, H.D.Q., Loudmouth & Red Alert) on backing vocals and the legendary Frankie Stubbs (Leatherface) on guest vocals. The song was recorded at the Bunker, Sunderland, by Phil Jackson and mastered by Leatherface bassist Graeme Philliskirk and it's out on his label Little Rocket Records. There's an album on the way which I'm definitely looking forward to.
Dealing with a situation which I can certainly empathise with (it can get lonely in bed on your own but it's great having the tv remote!), this is a modern day melodic punk classic, it's called Love Being Alone...
It's been a long time since you called me baby, It's been a long time since we were friends, It's been a long time since you called me baby, don't you you see? It's been a long time and it's you that done this, not me!
I wanna be in your life again But I love being alone
By the time you heard me, my soul had left my body, By the time I woke up you'd already gone, The note you left me was vague at best and I'll deal with that, It's my own uncertainty and just my luck that you came back
I'll see you in your nightmares I'll see you in yours!
Pöls are a diy punk band from Barcelona who impressed at the tail end of 2020 with a debut album titled Agrieta el asfalto. They return today with the title track from their sophomore lp instinto.
They play a kind of mid tempo melodic punk that will remind many of you of my favourite Spanish band, Accidente. The lyrics are in their native tongue but that doesn't matter, the songs are so catchy you can't help being drawn in. The album's up for pre order on limited version white vinyl with black/green splatter (shipping at the end of this month) from Discos Enfermos https://discosenfermospunk.bandcamp.com/album/de-105-p-ls-instinto-lp but if you want to avail yourselves of the name your price download go here : https://pols.bandcamp.com/album/instinto
As I said, this is the title track, it's called Instinto...
Construimos esas inmensas torres,
fortalezas de metal!
Equipamos nuestros corazones,
convirtiéndolos en máquinas que nunca se cansaran!
Y negando nuestra naturaleza,
sucumbiendo al control!
Persiguiendo la imposible meta,
agotado nuestro instinto intercambiado por confort.
¿Y esque no ves, que no tiene sentido querer ser,
un ente supremo entre paredes de carne y piel,
que no encontraras placer separándote, de lo que te motiva ser?
Y bloqueamos nuestros sentimientos,
tecnodiseño emocional!
Encerradas en nuestro propio mundo,
hacemos juicios de valor que nos impiden avanzar!
Y paralizadxs por el miedo,
al día de tu final!
Eres incapaz de darte cuenta
que todo lo que necesitas va contigo allá donde vas!
Que todo lo que necesitas va contigo allá donde vas!
¿Y esque no ves, que no tiene sentido querer ser,
un ente supremo entre paredes de carne y piel,
que no encontraras placer separándote, de lo que te motiva ser?
(We build those huge towers, metal fortresses! We equip our hearts, turning them into machines that will never tire! And denying our nature, succumbing to control! Chasing the impossible goal, exhausted our instinct exchanged for comfort. And is it that you don't see, that it doesn't make sense to want to be, a supreme entity between walls of flesh and skin, that you won't find pleasure separating yourself from what motivates you to be? And we block our feelings, emotional technodesign! Locked in our own world, we make value judgments that prevent us from moving forward! And paralyzed by fear, the day of your end! You are unable to realize that everything you need goes with you wherever you go! That everything you need goes with you wherever you go! And is it that you don't see, that it doesn't make sense to want to be)
Celebration Summer (https://www.facebook.com/CelebrationSummer) are from Washington D.C. and feature a line up of Greg Raelson (bass), Glenn Boysko (drums), Dan Hauser (guitar) and Nate Falger (vocals/guitar). They play the kind of melodic punk rock that often leads to them being compared with the likes of Husker Du, Leatherface, Samiam, Hot Water Music etc.
They've been around for a couple of years or so, I first came across them when I heard the Against The Gun ep and as impressive as that was, the couple of teaser tracks they've released for upcoming album Patience in Presence suggests they've stepped things up another notch.
The album will be available on September 23rd from A-F Records on various coloured vinyl and you can get pre orders in now. The label describe it thus; "progressive songs capturing the struggles of modern life in Trump/post-Trump-era America with a pounding rhythm section, punctuated by Boysko’s intricate drumming and Raelson’s melodic bass while incorporating Hauser’s driving guitars and Falger’s poignant lyricism, visceral vocal stylings, and angular guitar structure."http://a-frecords.limitedrun.com/products/729719-celebration-summer-patience-in-presence-lp-mp3
The song you'll find below is the band doing what they do best. It's a look at power, corruption and lies with a video that features a number of politicians that even I as a Brit recognise as dodgy shysters. It's called Fraud...
