They seem to have been rather quiet since then but now they're preparing for the release of a new 4 track ep titled Fight Back. Definitely good news for those of us that like a bit of a reggae/ska vibe added to our punk rock.
They've just released one of the songs, it should appeal to fans of bands like The Interrupters, Rancid, Voodoo Glow Skulls etc. A catchy singalong, it's called Like A Rat...
I've just checked and it's been 20 years since I first heard Newport band Strawberry Blondes (https://www.facebook.com/strawberryblondespunx). Their debut release, the Kingmob ep, was great. Even better was their classic 2007 album Rise Up. It's one of this millennium's best releases packed full of catchy punk/ska anthems such as Rise Up, Beat Down Babylon, Rip It Up etc. The follow up, Fight Back, wasn't half bad either and cemented the band's position as one of the UK's most popular new punk bands.
And then they slowly faded from the scene. There was the Nothin' Left To Lose ep in 2012 and a Vans Warped tour cd gathering together some of their best songs but otherwise things went a little quiet. They never quite went away though, even back in 2018 they were debuting a new song on BBC Radio Cymru and promising a new record was on the way. There were still live shows but it's been I long wait for them to release something new.
That wait is over. For now, it's only a track on a compilation album but it demonstrates that the band can still turn out a catchy tune. The comp is titled Still Stubborn - Volume 1, it's on Stubborn Records of New Brunswick and it celebrates the 30th anniversary of the label. There's some great bands on there and you can check it out here : https://stubbornrecords.bandcamp.com/album/still-stubborn-volume-1
The Strawberry Blondes line up with Mickie Stabbs (Vocals / Guitar), Emma Jones (Trumpet / Vocals), Ryan Londons (Bass / Vocals) & Scott Harris (Drums / Vocals) and their contribution to the comp is a mash up of 2 tracks; York Neighbors (original version by King Django from the album Roots Tonic) and Tell Di World (original version by Rocker-T. and Version City Rockers from the album Nicer By the Hour).
It's a reminder of how good the band are and it's an appetite whetter for new material. C'mon guys get your fingers out, I think you've kept us waiting long enough.
Following yesterday's update which introduced a new band that I knew nothing about, today you're getting a band that formed in South London back in 1994 who are known all over the world.
Inner Terrestrials (https://www.facebook.com/innerterrestrials) have been wowing audiences for 27 years with their fusion of "dub, punk, ska, folk and general anarchic danceability." They line up with founder members Jay Terrestrial (vocals/guitar) and Fran Webber (vocals/bass) plus drummer Ben Swan and they've just released a new album titled Heart Of The Free.
This track tells us how 50,000 acres of rain forest is lost every day and that 60% of all wild animals have disappeared during the last 40 years. It mentions how the oceans are a dumping ground for the effluent of consumerism and how contamination by man made chemicals affects every marine organism. Fossil fuel pollution and mass farming are destroying the planet but is there anything we can do, especially when big business does it's best to shut down solutions?
The Skints (https://www.facebook.com/theskints/) are from London and feature a line up of Jon Doyle (Bass), Jamie Kyriakides (Drums/Vocals). Josh Waters Rudge (Guitar/Vocals) and Marcia Richards (Keys/Sax/Flute/Melodica/Samples/Vocals). They formed as school friends in 2005 and released their first ep in 2008. Since then there's been 4 albums, including their latest, Swimming Lessons (which contains the song you're getting today). Their music is a fresh sounding mix up of reggae, dub, ska & punk and they'll provide a nice change of pace to the usual fare you get on here.
They've just released a new video for a track that's a little harder edged than most of their songs. It's about Little Englanders and ineffective politicians... climate change and dinosaurs in human clothing. It's called The Island...
Happy days! There's been loads of really great new releases popping up recently and I'm getting a bit of a backlog on here but I'm slowly ploughing through them. Today I'm posting a song that went down well on the show a couple of weeks ago by a band that formed above a funeral directors up in the north east of England back in 2015 but who I only came across recently. They're called Almighty Uprisers and they mix up elements of ska, punk, reggae and dub and add angry, anti-establishment lyrics to produce a heady brew that impresses. They're a 5 piece with a line up of Sparra (Lead vocals/Guitar), Scott (Guitar/Backing Vocals), Bill (Bass/Backing Vocals), Paul (Drums) and Nath (Keyboard). You can get more info here : https://www.facebook.com/thealmightyuprisers/
They released their debut ep a year ago, it featured 6 tracks and was titled Take Control. 12 months down the line they've followed it up with the Fit To Work ep, another 4 edgy reggae punk songs about politics, the ill being forced back into work by the DWP and the trouble caused by excessive drinking. You can check it out here : https://almightyuprisers.bandcamp.com/album/fit-to-work-e-p
This is the title track, it starts slow with a voice telling us that an average of 90 people have died after they had been declared fit for employment by assessors before inviting you to turn your anger into energy as you skank around your room as the pace picks up. It's called Fit To Work...
Spiritual Cramp are from San Francisco's Bay Area and feature Michael Bingham (Creative Adult / Self Defence Family) on vocals. Also in the band are Michael Fenton (bass), Stewart Kuhlo (guitar), Jacob Breeze (guitar), Blaine Patrick (drums) and Max Wickham (tambourine).
They returned earlier this month with follow up, Police State. Another 4 tracks mixing up elements of punk, hardcore and reggae but this time around released by Deranged..... https://derangedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/police-state
Their name is shared with a song by goth rock band Christian Death though comparisons with The Clash and Talking Heads are more the order of the day. The song you'll find below definitely channels the spirit of both London Calling and Psycho Killer.
This is I Feel Bad Bein' Me....
I'm always walking into rooms full of people. I'm always wondering if they see what I see. I always wonder if they know what I'm thinking I Feed Bad Bein' Me.
I want to come on like an earthquake. Instead I come on like a headache. Its not something I want everyone to see. I Feel Bad Bein Me'.
They're back today as they've just unleashed a single that's blazing a trail for their upcoming new album. The album is out later this week and is titled Take A Look Around... I'm confident it'll be a certifiable winner. They'll be launching it on Friday (June 29th) with one of their trademark energetic gigs, it's at The Stag's Head, Linenhall Street, Dundalk and it's free entry (making me sad I'm nowhere near Dundalk). More details of that gig, plus the one in Dublin on Sunday 1st July and their return to the Rebellion Festival in August, here : https://www.facebook.com/thegakk/
This is a topical song about the flood of refugees trying desperately to escape their war torn countries only to receive a less than warm welcome from certain supposedly civilised nations "who's gonna care for the warchild when nations give up hope?" It's titled Side Of The Road....
There's some very good blogs and shows/podcasts around at the moment promoting new punk music (feel free to name your favourites in the comments as I'm always keen to check them out) but I can't help but think we're a band of modern day Sisyphus' eternally rolling punk rock boulders up never ending hills of indifference. No matter how good the music is that we promote, the vast majority of the music loving public prefers naff tv karaoke. But we plough on as we enjoy it, we love discovering a new band and shouting about it in the hope others will feel the same. Manchester band Autonomads aren't a new band, they've been together since 2007, but boy are they good.
Mixing elements of dub, reggae, ska, punk & folk, they're a 5 piece featuring Jay (guitar/vocals), Porl (drums/vocals), Ehliot (bass), Perkie (keys/melodica/vocals) and Eeyun (guitar/vocals). With round 500 gigs and several European tours under their belts they're a finely honed outfit who get stronger with every release. The latest of those releases, All Quiet On The Western Front, came out last month and is the sort of record that deserves to be heard : https://autonomads.bandcamp.com/album/all-quiet-on-the-western-front
Dealing with topics such as the gentrification of Manchester (including the chopping down of the 100+ year old Birley Tree in the city centre to provide student accomodation), border controls/small island mentality and the under privilaged sleeping rough or under lock and key on both sides of the channel, the exploitation of the many by the few.
And there's the song I'm featuring today. IT'S NOT AN INSULT! This is Run Like A Girl.......
I got more unwanted male attention when I was twelve years old I still have my keys between my fingers when I'm walking home Humans only love you when your smiling I'm told So look happy, look happy, keep smiling, keep smiling
Chorus
You run like a girl, not an insult You cry like a girl, not an insult
Gotta be the man they say don't show how you feel But its all constructed and you know it just ain't real When I was young they said you know that boys don't cry Keep it down and grit your teeth until they day you die
Laugh and feel and cry and scream Yeah I'll laugh and feel and try and scream Laugh and feel and cry and scream Yeah I'll try and scream yeah I'll cry and scream
Another Friday, another guest review. This week Ade Bailey selects a song by a band he went to see on their recent UK tour, Jaya The Cat, and gives his thoughts on their recent album, A Good Day For The Damned. You can check the album out here : https://jayathecat.bandcamp.com/album/a-good-day-for-the-damned
Ade is a member of political punk band Enemies Of Promise and also hosts his own show (Revolution Rock) on Global Punk Radio.
For those of you not familiar with Jaya The Cat, they are the brainchild of Boston’s Geoff Lagadec, the man with undeniably the best beard in Punk Rock. Based now in Amsterdam, they have had a revolving series of members alongside Lagadec since they emerged in 1999. They came to my attention back in 2012 when their track ‘Here Come The Drums’ jumped out of a very average free compilation CD given away with Vive Le Rock and just blew my speakers off their fixings. Here they are in 2017 with their first new album since then, and an absolute belter it is too. It’s tricky to explain what JTC do – it’s always been a beautiful mix of reggae, ska and punk with each record leaning a little more heavily on one of those genres. 'A Good Day For The Damned' seems to be one of those JTC albums that is firmly headed in the punkier direction. It opens with ‘Wine Stained Futon’ and we’re already on familiar ground – a rolling, instant singalong JTC chorus and the constant themes of good times, drinking (lots of drinking) and late-night shenanigans. ‘Rough Guide To The Future’ kicks it up a gear with a huge ska-tinged track, bursting with big guitars and swirling Hammond organs. Business as usual then and everyone’s very happy indeed. ‘Sweet Eurotrash’ is pretty much a perfect JTC tune with all the elements we’ve previously mentioned and lyrics about the perils of hotels, touring, drink and drugs which can’t help but make you smile. As we get further into the album, here comes one of the stand-outs for me in the form of ‘Huddersfield Rain’ a massive anthem (in the vein of Here Come The Drums) which speaks of a post-gig romance set in that hub of West Yorkshire culture. My only gripe with this otherwise perfect track is the mention of sitting on some ‘docks’ in Huddersfield which I’m assuming is a little poetic license on Geoff’s behalf and we can probably forgive him.
For what is a pretty raucous album, its gentler moments are still sublime, a case in point being ‘Fucking In Love’ a light reggae sway-along that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy - it’s great. As the album comes to a close, we get ‘Streets Of Shoreditch’ which is probably the very best track on a very good album. Its unremarkable beginning lulls you into a false sense of security as the first verse ambles nicely then – boom! The chorus, with its almost folk influenced roots, gives you a drunken sing-along on a par with the best of them. As well as being one of the best live acts out there (they tour almost 12 months a year so they should be good!) this record is definitely the best thing they’ve done. Every track is belter and it’s difficult to spot any filler. Certainly one of my albums of 2017 and as they have just been confirmed for Rebellion next year, I expect we can catch them at a venue near us next year too.
Arthur And The Spooners are a 5 piece band from Berlin who's music incorporates elements of reggae, ska, oi, rhythm and a touch of hardcore. All of these compononents coalesce to produce a sound that's not only fun but is as catchy as hell. Amongst their influences they list a wide range of artists including The Specials, Cock Sparrer, The Business, Judge Dredd, Peter & The Test Tube Babies, Bruce Springsteen etc....
Their 2009 album All Spooned Up was released by Contra Records and now they return with follow up, Skinhead Spoonstomp. It's a collaborative release from Contra and German label Steeltown Records and you can check it out here : https://steeltownrecords.bandcamp.com/album/arthur-the-spooners-skinhead-spoonstomp-lp You may find some of the songs familiar.....
If you're a fan of Vanilla Muffins, you may recognise this. No Punkrock In My Car....
The Mercenaries are from Paris and list their influences as Rancid, The Aggrolites, The Specials and Bad Religion. Their line up features Loki (guitar/vocals), Bad Ness (vocals), Franky (bass), Mad Phil (drums) and Jo Robinne (keyboards). If you check out their debut ep, Long Way... on Bandcamp you'll no doubt agree that they've got that classic Hellcat Records ska/reggae/punk sound down pat. Even more impressive, going by the two songs that have so far surfaced, their new album, Rocky Road (due Nov) is going to be a step up and will be one not to miss. You can check out the ep (and a taster from the album) here : https://the-mercenaries.bandcamp.com/album/long-way
The first new song from the album, Night Call, went down a storm on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show, I'm sure this second track will go down equally as well here. This is Another Night......
The Prowlers are from Montreal and have been together playing their infectious brand of oi music since October 1998. They're influenced by the 80's UK oi scene as well as by local bands such as The Dischords, Gassenhaur and Shock Troops.
The song I've posted below comes from their 2012 Hate Us single which was released by Germany's Mad Butcher Records. It's a beefed up cover of a 1969 single by Jamaican reggae group The Versatiles and it's called Spread Your Bed.....
Not sure what things are like in your part of the world but over here in Britain the media seems obsessed with scrounging benefit cheats. Today's song is about the biggest one of the lot.
Autonomads are a diy "dub/reggae/ska/punk/folk collective from Rusholme, Manchester. Featuring Robbie Wild (guitar/vocals), Porl (drums/vocals), Ehliot (bass), Perkie (keys/melodica/vocals) and Eeyun (guitar/vocals), they're veterans of around 500 gigs and play "crusty political sounds from the heart of the north."
They got together in 2007 and released their debut album, No Man's Land, in 2009. 2012 saw them release From Rusholme With Love, a split album with Black Star Dub Collective. Their latest release, 2014's One Day This Will All Be Gone... Everything Now! is widely considered to be their best so far. You can find it "name your price" here : https://autonomads.bandcamp.com/
It's an album that concerns itself with issues such as squatting, injustice, austerity, the media.....(basically life in general), they've channelled their anger and produced a great record. From it, this is Our Elizabeth.....
our elizabeth, bring out the guillotine she's our benefit cheating queen she's irrelevant, always has been that's our benefit cheating queen do you think they'll throw me a party on the scale of the jubilee when they find out i've been cheating benefits as long as her majesty scum! a drain! a parasite! that's the words they use for us but they don't commission boats for me i can barely afford the bus sitting in her castle people rotting on the streets the biggest council house this nation's ever seen protected by the state and paid for by the people get lizzy in the stocks and eradicate this evil our elizabeth, bring out the guillotine she's our benefit cheating queen she's irrelevant, always has been that's our benefit cheating queen our elizabeth, bring out the guillotine she's our benefit cheating queen well i heard they gave lizzy a little pay rise it's hard work cutting ribbons when she's got bags below her eyes they talk about spongers in the tabloid newspapers they should sack old lizzy and up their wages we've been conscripted in this system that we all despise fed up of the bullshit, the corruption and the lies every year a wedding, party, jubilee frankly i don't give a fuck about old lizzy our elizabeth, bring out the guillotine she's our benefit cheating queen she's irrelevant, always has been that's our benefit cheating queen.....
One great thing that's come out of blogging is that it's led to some really good conversations about music (some of the best of these just consist of "what about this song?" "yeah that's awesome but what about this!....") with people I didn't previously know. There's some very knowledgeable and very enthusiastic punk lovers out there and one of those is a guy from Leeds called Ashley Colman who's just sent a couple of mix cds crammed full of great songs, many of which I've not heard before and some which will make their way onto here once I've had a proper listen. Now the reason for mentioning this, aside from saying thanks, is that one of the songs he's included is by a band called Dirty Revolution, a "tropical reggae punk" outfit who were based in Cardiff and were together from 2007 till 2014 (although much more of the Conservatives in government could lead to them reforming!).
Influenced as much by The Specials, Bob Marley and Public Enemy as they were by The Clash, they were one of a number of like minded bands that were having success back then (King Blues, Sonic Boom 6, Capdown, Lightyear all spring to mind as old post millennium favourites).
The song I was sent was Where Are The Police but it's not the song I'm posting today, instead I'm going with the first song of theirs I heard. It was from their 2008 mini album, It's Gonna Get Dirty, and it's called I Love Reggae and is probably the song by them that most people remember. If you haven't heard it yet, you're in for a treat......
He was dressed the same as me Doctor Marten boots and turned up jeans Standing alone under Blackpool pier
He was dressed the same as me Doctor Marten boots and turned up jeans Standing alone under Blackpool pier I went over and offered him a beer I was feeling full of love and unity Talking to him about the bands I'd seen Thinking I'd found a kindred spirit Not realising I was putting my foot in it
I said I love reggae, I said I love ska He said he loved Skrewdriver
He looked a bit puzzled when I didn't react Kept turning round looking behind his back Then he said that he had somewhere better to be Stood up and walked away from me You can call me naive, call me stupid I didn't know people still listened to Nazi music I'm not naive, I'm not stupid I don't wanna listen to Nazi music?
I love reggae, I love ska Wish I'd never heard of Skrewdriver
He had a Nazi salute and a steel-cap boot But him and me share the same roots He had a Nazi salute and a steel-cap boot And me and you share the same roots He had a Nazi salute and a steel-cap boot You and him share the same roots He had a Nazi salute and a steel-cap boot We all share the same roots
I love reggae, I love ska Wish I'd never heard of Skrewdriver I love reggae, I love ska I don't give a fuck about Skrewdriver
"Streetpunk Reggae" today from Boston, Massachusetts' Stray Bullets. Featuring Jon Cauztik (vocals/guitar), PG (guitar/vocals), Pickles (bass) and Caps (drums), they self released their debut album, The Slings And Arrows Of Outrageous Fortune, as far back as 2004. In 2006, Cauztik concentrated his energies on newly formed band Have Nots so it wasn't until the debut album's reissue in 2012 that things clicked back into gear for the Bullets. The album and The Anchor, a song which was written for This Is New England : A 100% Benefit Comp, can be purchased here : https://straybullets1.bandcamp.com/album/the-slings-and-arrows-of-outrageous-fortune.
With Have Nots on hiatus, 2014 saw the release of a new Stray Bullets album entitled Ghost Town Rockers. Still featuring Suicide Machines/Rancid influenced political and socially concious tracks that really benefit from the addition of having the lyrics available to read and digest, you can find it on the Dying Scene Bandcamp page : https://dyingscenerecords.bandcamp.com/album/ghost-town-rockers.
From that album, this is New Prisons.....
TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN, THE PEOPLE, IT SEEMED, REALIZED THAT THEIR LIVES WERE A PYRAMID SCHEME, THE AMERICAN DREAM JUST A FABLE TO KEEP THEM ENSLAVED, SO THEY TOOK TO THE STREETS AND THEY TOOK TO THE SQUARES, AMAZED UPON LOOKING FOUND SOMEONE ELSE THERE, AND IDEAS WERE SHARED AND A NEW SET OF OPTIONS WERE WEIGHED...FIRST CAME THE PROTESTS AND THEN THE ENCAMPMENTS, AND MEDIA BLACKOUTS DID NOTHING TO DAMPEN THE SPIRITS OF THOSE WHO HAD FOUND SOMETHING WORTHY TO SAVE, THEY BUILT MICROSOCIETIES FORGED ON COMPASSION, ON OPEN DISCUSSION, DIVISION OF RATIONS, AND CORPORATE FASCISM OILED UP ITS GUILLOTINE BLADE...
WITH NO LEADERS TO SLANDER AND NO HEADS TO ROLL, THE MACHINE COULDN'T SEEM TO REGAIN ITS CONTROL, SO THEY CALLED ON THE CONGRESS THEY'D BANKROLLED TO BREAK UP THE THRONG, IN CAME THE GOVERNMENT, IN ON THE GRIFT, THEY SAID “FREEDOM OF SPEECH AIN'T A RIGHT, IT'S A GIFT, IF YOU STICK TO THE SCRIPT THAT WE WROTE THEN WE'LL DO YOU NO WRONGS”...BUT THE PEOPLE, AWAKENED, SAW WHAT WAS AT STAKE, THEY SAID “WE WON'T REPEAT ALL OUR PARENTS' MISTAKES, IT'S TIME TO RETAKE THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OURS ALL ALONG, ALTHOUGH WE'RE AFRAID WE WILL NOT BE DISSUADED, NO LONGER OBEYING A SYSTEM THAT'S PLAYED US”, THEY BUILT BARRICADES AND AWAITED THE RAIDS STANDING STRONG...
IF YOU CAN'T FIND THE ANSWERS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, MAYBE IT'S COS YOUR QUESTIONS ARE FLAWED TO THE CORE, IN A SYSTEM DESIGNED WHERE THEY'VE MADE IT A CRIME TO BE POOR...THEY TAKE US FOR GRANTED, THEY TAKE US FOR FOOLS, THEY TAKE US TO TASK AND THEY MAKE US THEIR TOOLS, THEY BUILT A NEW PRISON WHERE CLEARLY WE NEEDED A SCHOOL...
A YOUNG BOY WALKING BY GRABBED AT HIS MOTHER'S HAND, ASKED THE RIGHT QUESTION “WHY?” HAD THIS WHOLE THING BEGAN, UNDERSTANDING CREPT OVER HIS FACE AS THE WOMAN EXPLAINED, SAID “THESE PEOPLE YOU SEE ARE JUST LIKE YOU AND ME, AND THEY'RE CAMPING OUT HERE COS THEY WANT TO BE FREE OF THE MONSTERS WHO SCARE THEM, THE BULLIES WHO CAUSE THEM THEIR PAIN”...AND AS THEY WALKED AWAY ON THAT BRIGHT SUNNY DAY, HE TURNED BACK AROUND AND HE SMILED AND HE WAVED, AND I KNEW THEN AND THERE THAT THIS STRUGGLE, IT WASN'T IN VAIN, SURE, THEY TOOK DOWN THE CAMPS AND THEY PUT IN THE BOOT BUT VICTORY WAS OURS IN THAT MOMENT OF TRUTH, IN THE SEEDS TAKING ROOT IN THE MINDS OF THE YOUTH OF TODAY...
IF YOU CAN'T FIND THE ANSWERS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, MAYBE IT'S COS YOUR QUESTIONS ARE FLAWED TO THE CORE, IN A SYSTEM DESIGNED WHERE THEY'VE MADE IT A CRIME TO BE POOR...THEY TAKE US FOR GRANTED, THEY TAKE US FOR FOOLS, THEY TAKE US TO TASK AND THEY MAKE US THEIR TOOLS, THEY BUILT A NEW PRISON WHERE CLEARLY WE NEEDED A SCHOOL.
I've still got several brand new songs that I'm itching to post for you but breaking things up a little for the sake of variety, today I'm tossing into the mix a sonic hand grenade in the form of a dash of reggae from 1970. Punk and reggae have always complimented each other well and I think this instrumental fits in nicely on this blog.
Rainford Hugh Perry is better known as Lee "Scratch" Perry and is a legendary figure in the reggae world. I don't think he needs much of an introduction other than to mention that aside from his own extensive back catalogue he was also responsible for producing some of the best works of many of reggae's greats, not least Bob Marley And The Wailers.
The Upsetters were formed from the ashes of Gladdy's All-Stars and were Perry's house band around this time (several of them would go on to become Wailers).
Anyway, the song I'm posting today was released in 1970 on Pama Records and is the title track from the Clint Eastwood album........
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