Benefits - Warhorse

  

  STOP TELLING ME...

  Benefits (https://www.facebook.com/benefitstheband), the issues based music collective from Middlesbrough return today with a very impressive new single. Thus far I think my favourite track by them would probably be their acerbic attack on nationalism, Flags (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2021/02/benefits-flag.html).

  It's a little early to be sure but I think this new one might be even better.

  Featuring a core line up of Kingsley Hall, Robbie Major & Hugh Major, they've changed their sound a little for this track. It's still the same well thought out, passionate stream of political vitriol but musically they go a little more up tempo thanks to additional drums provided by Jonny Snowball & Dale Frost. I was previously unsure if their uncompromising style would find the ear of the mainstream, this new single shows that the world is theirs... If they want it. 

  You can get it here : https://benefitstheband.bandcamp.com/album/warhorse 

  This is Warhorse...

Stop telling me to tighten my belt, there’s nothing left to tighten.

No squeeze. No honey pot. There’s nothing lying under the bed. And now you’re laughing, at me, as my sides are splitting, Red raw laughing, as my sides are splitting, you’re spitting. Those rusting fossils, sweating piglets, stinking broken relics, Comfy seats, dirty sheets and repeated bleats. You have the right to be disgusted, To shun this pageantry, Recognise your enemy, let them rot - the lot - let them fucking rot. This is WAR, HORSE There’s Albion’s spoilt children, aching for fame, yet again. They’re fucking on the cliffs of Dover, on that post war hangover And we bask in witless wonder. All this historic racist plunder. And we sit. And we sit. Roll over. Now sit. Entitled dribbling disasters, yet they’re not your fucking masters. You are not here for their entertainment, You are not here to make them money. Do not beg, do not bow, do not curtsey. Do not beg, do not bow, do not curtsey. as this means WAR, HORSE Stop telling me to tighten my belt Stop telling me to wash my mouth, out Stop telling me you’re telling the truth Stop telling me we’re in it together Stop telling me he did his best Stop telling me we’re levelling up Stop telling me to get over it Stop telling me! stop telling me! WARHORSE

Enola Gay - Salt

  

  Just over a year ago I featured the debut single by Belfast post-punk/shoegaze/noise quartet Enola Gay (https://www.facebook.com/enolagaybelfast/). It was a very impressive calling card, a pummelling soundtrack accompanied by well thought out and topical lyrics about racism (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2020/07/enola-gay-birth-of-nation.html). 

  This year they've continued to impress with a clutch of intelligent, razor sharp tracks, the latest of which I'm posting today. As well as releasing music (and getting plenty of airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music etc), they've been (and will be) busy playing live so check out their Facebook page for gigs. 

  Their latest song is a political treatise dealing with media manipulation and "promised fables." You should lend it your ears https://enolagay1.bandcamp.com/track/salt

  It's called Salt...

 Why’d you slugs vote for the salt

 Brainwashed by the Tory cult

 Chump changed by a different Trump

 Feel the thump now you’ve finally made the jump

 Ya say millennials are all so hysterical

 To whack lipstick on the proverbial

 Didn’t your ma ever say “Son,

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun”

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The-

 Stop voting for trickle-down economics

 With the next generation left with no food in their stomachs

 Fed nothing but tall tales and promised fables

 With Prince Andrew sitting at the kids table

 No sweat...

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

 You’ll go blind by staring at The Sun

NAW - Safe Place (Guest Review By Ralph J Rivera)

     

Bursting out out of Atlanta, Georgia USA - NAW (https://www.facebook.com/NAWAtlanta/) have nailed a sound I absolutely LOVE! Taking the best aspects of 80's/90's "Noise Rock" and filtering it through a healthy dose of modern "Outsider" Punk this band are the future!

In that same place that bands like Moon Pussy and Couch Slut occupy this is dirty, low down scuzzy tuneage that will make you wanna take a shower after being exposed to it! Insane female vocals over a constant beatdown of riffs and distortion. I LIVE to hear bands like this and after a teaser of a 2 song demo this band lived up to ALL expectations.

The new album is titled Head Pain, it's available for pre order on black or transparent pink vinyl and as a digital download : https://nawatlanta.bandcamp.com/album/head-pain

My pick off this face melting is this one "Safe Place"! But trust me - ALL 10 songs on this album will blow your mind!

I see your pain. I hear your words, but I can’t sympathize. Your discomfort and agony is all but synthesized. I can’t be your safe place. I can’t be your shoulder to cry on. I can’t be your solace. I can’t be whatever you want. You see my pain. You hear my voice, but still you ask if I could sacrifice my mental health to give you peace of mind. I can’t be your safe place. I can’t be your shoulder to cry on. I can’t be your solace. I can’t be whatever you want.

Enola Gay - The Birth Of A Nation

  We can no longer allow racism and police brutality to exist and flourish ANYWHERE in 2020. RACIST SCUMBAGS are crawling out from under rocks all over social media to make themselves heard. It’s not enough to just not be racist but we must hold each other accountable. Ideally, this session made at home, wasn't meant to be our first release seeing as we hadn’t planned on releasing music until after lockdown but 2 weeks ago we wrote our reaction to the current events and we couldn’t stay silent. We must be louder. We cannot stay silent. #MakeRacistsAfraidAgain  

  Above is the statement from Belfast band Enola Gay (https://www.facebook.com/enolagaybelfast/) that accompanies their excellent debut single, The Birth Of A Nation. They're an exciting new 4 piece that tag themselves post punk, shoegaze & noise and who feature a line up of Fionn Reilly (vocals), Joe McVeigh (guitar), Adam Cooper (bass) and Stevie Curtis (drums). Due to the lockdown, the single was written and recorded by the band at home and all profits go The Bail Project, a non-profit organisation that helps bail the wrongly imprisoned.   https://bailproject.org/

  It's a bass heavy and very powerful song and comes with an equally hard hitting video which contrasts professional media footage with handheld videos from people on the streets who were in the middle of the protests in an attempt to highlight the scope of the brutality towards peaceful protesters during the BLM protests. You can get it here : https://enolagay1.bandcamp.com/releases

  The Birth Of A Nation...

Space-age times with stone age minds
Modern-day slaves, no chains, institutionalised
Land founded on stealing and dealing
Resorts to shooting n' looting
This is a sign of the times

Knee to the neck from those who serve n protect
In the eyes of the law you’re all a suspect
Don’t want you to reflect on the image they project cause when you’re subject they still demand respect

The last defendant of the second amendment
Whose your fear furloughs the ongoing resentment
Tear gas to the face cause his skin face was brown
Reminiscent of a story of Oxford Town

The Black gets whacked, 6 warning shots in the back
The White gets a slap on a better day sacked
The black gets killed for the white man's thrill
Cause the white man gets off, labeled mentally ill

Break the legs
To rebuild the bone
Burn the house
Rebuild a home x2

I hear them say get out of their country
from the same ones who owe us 6 counties
I don’t remember a witch hunt for Kneecap
Course not- cause they’re not fuckin black

Rubber bullets hit the deck, proper RUC
Fired into the crowd, in Washington DC
You’ll never kill our will to be free
Cause in our minds we hold we hold the key

Less hate, less peelers, less madness
More blacks, more dogs, more Irish
Less hate, less peelers, less madness
More blacks, more dogs, more Irish

(More blacks, more dogs, more Irish)

The Black gets whacked, 6 warning shots in the back
The White gets a slap on a better day sacked
The black gets killed for the white man's thrill
Cause the white man gets off, labeled mentally ill

Break the legs
To rebuild the bone
Burn the house
Rebuild a home x4

Ghost Of The Avalanche - Civil Unrest

  Are you looking for something "fast, sweaty and delivered with love for raw, snot-nosed punk" or maybe something "fresh, vital, vigorous and huge fun, without an ounce of fat anywhere."  Then maybe this is the band for you....

  Ghost Of The Avalanche are a bass n drums punk duo from Bath who despite their lack of personnel certainly make some noise ("It’s amazing how much racket one bass guitar and a drum kit can make"). The line up features Nick Wilton (Bass/Synth/Vocals) and Robbo Clark (Drums/Percussion/Vocals) and as you can tell by all the quoted comments, they've been getting plenty of positive press. They have a wide spectrum of influences including The Bronx, Death From Above 1979, The Misfits, Fats Domino, Elvis and Roy Orbison. Have I mentioned they also like noise!

   
You can get more info on them here : https://www.facebook.com/GhostOfTheAvalanche/

  Their most recent release is their 5th ep, it's titled Civil Unrest, it contains 6 short, no fucking about blasts of frenetic energy, only one of the tracks passes the 2 minute mark but although brevity is very much the order of the day there's no shortage of invention. It came out in October to coincide with cassette store day (as of writing there were just 4 tapes left) and you can check it out here :    https://ghostoftheavalanche.bandcamp.com/album/civil-unrest

  This is the opening song and title track, it's called Civil Unrest...

Dead Arms - Apocalypse Yow

  Dead Arms are a 4 piece noise punk band with members from London, Kent and California. Those members, General Waste (vocals), Phil Glitter (guitar), Danny 5 Bands (bass) and Kitty Techno (drums) also feature in USA Nails, Los Bitchos, Death Pedals and It Often Takes A War. (Quick plug, both Dead Arms and USA Nails will feature on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show which starts today at 8pm GMT : https://www.facebook.com/events/449173645663091/).

  Formed in 2011, they name as influences the likes of Hot Snakes, The Stooges and Nirvana but admit that the bands people most often compare them too are Jesus Lizard. Off and Part Chimp. You can get more info here : https://www.facebook.com/DeadArms/

  They've just released a new album, it's titled Simply Dead (https://deadarms.bandcamp.com/album/simply-dead) and if you're a fan of pissed off noise then it'll be for you. There's songs about a racist called Nigel who immigration drove to racial hate, broadcast news being full of lies (spin is king), homelessness etc. The music is hard hitting, the lyrics often cryptic and relevant to the world around us, it's an album with plenty to say. Case in point the song you'll find below, accompanied by a Brexit themed video of braying jackasses, this is Apocalypse Yow...

Guess the guest on Through The Keyhole 
Never meant to get this far 
Fame rips my life apart 
Now you know I’m a fucking liar 

EAT - CAT - MEAT 
Make me invisible 
EAT - CAT - MEAT 
Make me invincible 

Guess the guest on Through The Keyhole 
Never meant to get this far 
Fame rips my life apart 
Now you know I’m a fucking liar 

EAT - CAT - MEAT 
Make me invisible 
EAT - CAT - MEAT 
Make me invincible 
EAT - CAT - MEAT 
Make me invisible 
EAT - CAT - MEAT 

Why don’t you come here? 
Why don’t you come here, no more? 
Why don’t you come here? 
Why don’t you come here, no more? 
Why don’t you come here? 
Why don’t you come here, no more? 
Why don’t you come here? 
Why don’t you come here, no more? 

Guess the guest on Through The Keyhole 
Never meant to get this far 
Fame rips my life apart 
Now you know I’m a fucking liar 

Loud Noises 
Pained Voices 
Loud Noises 
Pained Voices 
Loud Noises 
Pained Voices 
Loud Noises 
Pained Voices

Human Leather - You May Think It's Big and Clever, But All I See Is Fights, Vomit And Tired Nurses

  Another noisy one for you today, this time it's a snappily titled song from Brighton duo Human Leather. Featuring Tom Close on drums and Amee Chanter on bass it's not that surprising they've drawn comparisons with Rhode Island noise rockers Lightning Bolt. They recently released a 6 track ep titled Succulent, all songs are "pipin' hot out of the band oven." If you want it on vinyl it's available on 12" black vinyl, side A features Succulent whilst the flip features a remastered version of their 2016 ep Getting To Spend Time In The Canoe. It's limited to 200 copies so don't hang about. You can find details along with the digital version here :   https://humanleather.bandcamp.com/album/succulent

  You can find more info here : https://www.facebook.com/humanleatherband/

  They've also made the cover of the latest Suspect Device zine

  Not only do Human Leather kick up a racket, they've also come up with inventive and humorous song titles such as One Day I Hope You Realise That We're All The Same Species, Living In The Same Biosphere And That Focusing On Melanin Content Of Skin Is Pathetic. They're probably the longest song titles since Pizzatramp released their split with The Domestics. The song you'll find below is about how it's fine to drink in moderation but not to piss your life away. It's titled You May Think It's Big And Clever But All I See Is Fights, Vomit And Tired Nurses...

Hats off 
Well done 
Deserve a medal 
You really do 
Showed them 
You did 
Round of applause to you 

Fuck your mind 
Drink your money 
Who needs a liver when there's new ones? 
Where's your time? 
Down the pan 
Either that or sucked down a black hole 

Escape reality from time to time 
Everyone does it, and that's fine 
But now reality has long gone 
Tried to run, pushed under the rug 
Can't face the facts in this hole you've dug 
And the pub's always your siren song 

Waste 
To feel wasted 
Mind and money 
Slips away 
All 
That you wished for 
Was this it? 
Piss away your days 
Last orders 
Time's up 
Put the binge down 
People please 
A culture 
That's soaked with 
Pride in shots 
And heart disease 

Want to talk, but your head's around the cistern 
Want to fuck, but your head's around the cistern 

You are what you drink 
All you are is bitter 

What an ugly life you've lived 
In a fucking ugly world 
With the life of an only child 
That died

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.....