Turn OFF - Skinhead Girls

    

  Turn OFF (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035553116706) are a ska punk rock band from Châtillon Sur Loire, France who I don't think I've come across before but I found myself enjoying their new single. 

  Their previous releases are available on Bandcamp : https://turn-off.bandcamp.com/

  This latest release is both catchy and has a straight forward message. To help convey that message they enlisted the help of women from the alternative scene from all over the world to participate in the project. Those participants being Solweig MONOI, Elisa Los Fastidios, Marie et Véro Carmen Colère, Stef, Stephe, Louise, Mélodie, Jane Dance On Your Grave, Marion, Cath, Dztorb et Ingreen Las Fokin Biches, Coco Ekymose, Céline Psycho Squatt, Rosa The Not Amused, Génessis Falso, Nao, Micky Shock, Anne Stachel, and Nell.

  So check it out, it's called Skinhead Girls...

Faintest Idea - Not Coming Back

  

  After a quick search on Just Some Punk Songs I was surprised to notice I've not featured a song by Kings Lynn ska punkers Faintest Idea (https://www.facebook.com/Faintestidea) since July 2015 (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2015/07/faintest-idea-mutual-aid-alternative.html). Despite playing numerous tracks on the show since then it's been an absence of almost 8 years from the blog. That sorry state of affairs is rectified today.

  The politically charged outfit have just released what on first hearing could well be their best album yet. The Bandcamp write up describes it as a call to arms which sits partway between an autobiography and a political polemic, marching to a beat of blistering horn riffs and shout-along choruses (if I see a snappy line that's better than anything I can write I'm not afraid to nick it!).

 

  It's an album that'll get you dancing as you seethe about the state of the world around you. It's an album that thrills from start to finish. It's also very much a collaborative effort with the band, Doug (Drums & Percussion), Mark (Guitar & Backing Vox), Dani (Bass & Vox Bobble), (Trombone & Vox), Katie (Alto Sax), Dave (Trumpet & Backing Vox) & Lil Dan (Tenor & Bari Sax) aided and abetted by the likes of  Rikk Richardson (The JB Conspiracy / The Indecision), Riskee (Riskee & the Ridicule), Pook (Beat the Red Light / Redeemon), Jordan (Incisions) & Adam Davis (Link 80 / Omnigone). 

  Just one of several great albums that TNS Records are releasing this year, it's available on coloured vinyl and digital download : 

https://faintestidea.bandcamp.com/album/the-road-to-sedition

https://tnsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-road-to-sedition

  So many highlights to choose from but I'm going with this stark warning. Not Coming Back... 

Strawberry Blondes - New York Neighbors - Tell Di World

  

  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.

  This is New York Neighbor - Tell Di World... 

Inner Terrestrials - Eco War

   

  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. 

  

  It's 11 tracks of socially aware, genre hopping music which is passionate but also thoughtful. It's available on red marbled vinyl, cd and digital download and you can get more details here :  http://innerterrestrials.bigcartel.com/  and listen here :  https://innerterrestrials.bandcamp.com/album/heart-of-the-free-2 

  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? 

  This is Eco War... 

Dogshite - '79 In Our Time

    

  Anthrax's Grow Your Own Records rounded off 2020 in great style with the release of a splendid Self Titled album by Ottawa peace punks Dogma and they've kicked off 2021 equally impressively..,

  Dogshite (https://www.facebook.com/Dogshite/) are "female fronted Punk Skankers from London" who've been around for just over a decade and who feature a line up of Sam DFL, Carmel Reynolds, Chris 'Liberator' Knowles and Guy McAffer. They've just released a new 10" (ltd red vinyl) featuring 19 tracks of which 7 are new and the remainder are plucked from the band's back catalogue. It's titled Mass Deception and it's also available on cd and as a digital download :   https://anthraxuk.bandcamp.com/album/mass-deception 

   It's protest punk at it's best (as you'd expect from Grow Your Own) but as well as lyrics condemning the futility of war ("I was a soldier, I came to fight, a lonely soldier, sent here to die..."), social conditioning ("you don't know you'll never know what you can be, you'll always be divided cause violence is your creed") and individuality ("I'm just gonna do the things I do, you're not gonna stop me till I'm through") etc... we also get a backbeat that quite often makes us want to get off our arses and dance around. 

   It's definitely an album you'll want to check out. 

  This track is called '79 In Our Time... 

The Skints - The Island

  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.

  You can listen to Swimming Lessons here : https://mrbongo.bandcamp.com/album/swimming-lessons

  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...
 

Almighty Uprisers - Fit to Work

 

  "WHAT PLANET ARE YOU LIVING ON..."

  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...

Big Brother - Eye in the Sky

 

  Big Brother are a 3 piece band from Toronto who formed in 2013 and who mix up fast punk tunes with liberal doses of ska. Their aim is to make music that makes you think. They've recently released a new 6 track ep titled Hate Week and the core line up on it is Chris Spadafora (vocals/guitar), Ian Wilkinson (vocals/bass) and Spenser Murray (drums). There's also been contributions from The Filthy Radicals' Dave Boxenbaum (keyboards) and Andrew DeNure (sax/trumpet) whilst a couple of tracks featured guest vocals from Andrew Younger and Eric Crowley.

  Next month they're heading off to play in Japan for the first time where they'll be headlining the Antiknock 34th Anniversary and you can get more info here :   https://www.facebook.com/BigBrotherTo/

  The new ep impressed me. The punk outweighs the ska for the most part although the popular skacore theme of being infested by bugs features on one of my favourite tracks. Elsewhere there's songs about your freedom of choice merely being an illusion, blissful insanity, finding the answers to your problems instead of wallowing in self pity and the lack of empathy in modern society.

  I'll play a different track on tomorrow's Just Some Punk Songs show (https://www.facebook.com/events/236980510574377/) but today I'm highlighting a song about how even good men can be led by circumstance to do bad things, it's called Eye In The Sky...

He wanted to be a cop
He thought of all the bad guys he could stop
He wanted to do some good
He thought he'd bring justice to his neighborhood

He never thought he would struggle to get by
He never thought that he would become the bad guy
He never put any bullets in his gun
He never thought he'd have to hurt anyone

But he had, a kid on the way
And he knew, it'd grow the same way
He had to take this job, to pay for the school
So his kid could have, a life he could not

He's at the bank, he hands the bank teller a note
"Give me all your money"
I gotta gun hiding under my coat
She sounds the silent alarm
The cops are on their way
Please lead me to the vault, I haven't got all day
He hears the siren and he know's that hes gotta bail
He isn't interested in spending life in jail
But they, they followed him
They had, an eye in the sky
They could see the town
They tracked him down
He threw away his gun
He threw up his hands
But they shot him anyway

Spanner - Above It All

 

  Q) : What's on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show (Sunday 10th Feb 8 pm UK time :  https://www.facebook.com/events/552069175312614/) 

  A) : An hour of the best new punk releases including the song that's being highlighted on here today. Feel free to join me if you're a fan of new punk music.

  Spanner are a militant ska punk band from Easton, Bristol who've "been mixing politics and pleasure" since around 2000. It's been a while coming but they've just released new album We Won't Be Stopped. 12 tracks of well written and highly catchy social commentary you can find it name your price on Bandcamp : https://spanner.bandcamp.com/

  It'll also be available on cd and vinyl and there'll be a proper album launch, a benefit for Bristol Antifascists, at the Red Lion in Easton on March 30th. Find out more details here :  https://www.facebook.com/spanner.easton/ 

  Above It All, 12 tracks of agitation and revolt in which the lyrics are lengthy and thought provoking whilst the music will get you dancing as you rage against abuse and brutality, raise your fists to fight fascism, pile your barricades high to thwart the bailiffs or bring Jeremy Kyle to account. I can't imagine why anyone who's reading this wouldn't want this album so go get it, listen to it and join the struggle.

  This song deals with animal rights and the capacity of the human race to destroy. It's called Above It All...


Separation, exploitation 
You can justify anything
When every living thing's at our disposal
And you think the human race is king

Property, authority, hierarchy
Lies at the root of it all
But from where you think you're stood on top of the world
There's a very long way to fall

Objectification, severed relations
Numbers replace lives
Mass torture, cruelty, abuse and slaughter
Are neatly normalised

CH:
Categorised as commodities
Legitimises the atrocities
Ringing any bells from history?
Let's fight like hell for all to be free

Domination, subjugation
Ours is the loudest voice
But what makes our species really stand out
Is it's capacity to destroy

Domestication, annihilation
For fun, food, profit and science
Unquestioning acceptance
Of horrific daily violence

CH:

It's not up to us how other animals should behave
We've got no place to control or to enslave
What makes you think that you can decide their worth
Their lives, their conditions, their death and their birth?
Why do you accept that human progress and gains
means inflicting so much misery, suffering and pain?
The slaughterhouse, the zoo and the laboratory cage
Must be demolished and abolished with all our rage
But we can't stop there because there's so much more
Total liberation is what we're fighting for

Scandal - Broken Down Dreams

  Another new single from Romania relocated to London street punks Scandal today. This time around they add a pinch of ska and reggae to the proceedings to cook up a very tasty concoction. The video you'll see below was filmed in Romania on their Payback Days tour last month.

  The band are turning into one of the most prolific around when it comes to this kind of music, they featured on here recently with their Payback Days single ("one of their best songs yet"   https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2018/11/scandal-payback-day.html). Back in February they released impressive album On A Roll :  https://scandalstreetpunk.bandcamp.com/

  2019 promises to be busy with plenty of touring, as well as gigs in Europe, including Germany, they'll also be playing the Undercover Festival at The Dome London (April) brfore July sees them at the Obscene Extreme Festival (Trutnov, Czech Republic) and the Exit Festival (Novi-Sad, Serbia). There'll be a new ep in the spring. You can get more details here :  https://www.facebook.com/scandalstreetpunk/

  The new single is about growing older, having no regrets about your vices but realising that eventually things will have to change. Bittersweet but it'll get the audiences bouncing around and singing along. This is Broken Down Dreams. It's the sound of a band at the top of their game.

I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING, I HAVE TO GO TO WORK SKA TUNE IN MY EARS, I MIX MY COFFEE WITH RUM ON MY WAY TO THE WORKSITE, TEN FAGS AT LEAST PUNK ROCK IN MY HEAD, I’LL DRINK A COUPLE OF BEERS LUNCH TIME WITH THE LADS WE ALL NEED SOME REFRESHMENTS WE GET SOME BLOW AND WEED NOW THE WORK IS OVER I HEAD DOWN TO THE PUB, PUNK ROCK IN THE JUKEBOX CHORUS TOO MANY VICES TOO MANY DRINKS TOO MANY DRUGS TOO MANY DREAMS TOO MANY VICES TOO MANY DRINKS TOO MANY FIGHTS AND BROKEN DREAMS BEER AFTER BEER, SHOTS AFTER SHOTS I ́M SO EXCITED, I ́M WAITING FOR THE GIRL A SHAG INTO THE RESTROOM, I ́M FUCKING DRUNK AND HIGH MY HEAD IS SPINNING, I FELL I ́VE LOST CONTROL I GOT INTO A FIGHT, I DON ́T KNOW WHAT TO DO MY MIND IS PLAYING TRICKS ON ME THE FLOOR IS WET AND COLD, THERE ́S BARS BEHIND THIS DOOR I ́LL QUIT EVERYTHING FOR SURE YEARS ARE PASSING BY, I HAVE NO REGRETS FOR THE THINGS THAT I ́VE DONE AND SAID ALL THE THINGS MUST COME, MUST COME TO AN END THINGS I WILL NEVER FORGET

Kill The Masters - Questions

 

 "If I keep heading down this road
  I'll never know, I'll never know
  If I should stay, or I should go
  It's like Joe's question long ago
  And if I stay will I remain
  Become a tyrant or a slave
  Running free, running away
  I guess that they are both the same"

  Kill The Masters are a 3 piece band from just down the road from me in Bolton who play a mix of punk, ska and post hardcore. Their line up features Oli BoBo (guitar/vocals), Sam Cummins (bass/vocals) and Rebecca Broughton (drums/harp).

  They recently released their debut ep, Everything Hurts, and you can check it out "on all major streaming platforms" including Spotify :   https://open.spotify.com/artist/7IOipueFuLkkKh7ha80JGx

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

   The ep proves that they're equally adept at all the various styles they incorporate into their sound and this is evident on the 5 minute track that I've posted below. Starting off as a ska/reggae hybrid it soon switches up a gear before alternating that laid back style with powerful bursts of energetic punk. All in all a very promising statement of intent from a band that are beginning to make people sit up and take notice. I'll play a different song from the ep on Sunday's Just Some Punk Songs show but today you're getting Questions.... 
 

The Infested - Believe

  Wow! I can't believe that it's 10 years ago that Myths, Lies And Hypocrites by The Infested was my favourite album of the year. From Leeds, the band were the UK's equivalent of Choking Victim/Leftover Crack; fast, angry crack rock steady tunes mixing ska punk and hardcore and singing about stuff like assisted suicide, cops, drugs, religion, the UK being just as much to blame for the shitty state of the world as the US etc. All topics that are just as relevant today. This is a band that holds a mirror up to the world to reveal a grim reflection. If you missed Myths, Lies and Hypocrites you should check it out :  https://ehcrecords.bandcamp.com/album/myths-lies-hypocrites-ehc014

  2011 saw them release a split ep with Evesham band Officer Down and in 2013 they released another very decent album, Eaten From The Inside. So 5 years later, just as world tensions escalate, they're back with a new album. It's titled Raw Ensemble and it'll be out on 21st May (vinyl, cd, digital) on EHC Records. You can preorder or get more details here :  https://ehcrecords.bandcamp.com/album/raw-ensemble-ehc022

No Time Records will be stocking it in the US and Canada :  http://notimerecords.storenvy.com/products/23669433-the-infested-raw-ensemble-lp

  They've (I'll say they though it's pretty much a solo project nowadays with frontman G playing all the instruments whilst co founder Lee returns to add additional vocals) given us a taster (they haven't lost any of that anger or relevance) in the form of the album's first song. The mirror's reflection is grimmer than ever. There's no shortage of things for them to be pissed about which I'm confident will mean the album will be a classic.

  This is Believe.....

Terrorist threats and attacks in the West
Mass distraction, your satisfaction
Innocent children targeted in your quest
Devastation, no hesitation
Extremist views, you see so black and white
Why do we need to drag them in to the fight?
You hate our values and commodities
No justification, why can't you see?

Shut your books now, put your guns down
Al Qaeda, the IRA, AOG and the KKK
revolt, Islamic State
Purveyors of hate

We are despised because we do not believe
Warped and twisted, sick elitists
Disgusted by us and our equalities
Lives are wasted, obliterated
Detract from reality as streets fill with hate
The ignorant are utilised as bait
Sweeping statements, blame entire cultures
It's easier to hate them than unite with each other

Beheaded reporters in the East
A propaganda media feast
Militants that kill for God
Artists murdered at their drawing boards
Riots and hatred in the West
Divide communities yet again
Mosques attacked and called for blame
Innocent citizens forced to feel the shame again

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

Jaya The Cat - Sweet Eurotrash (Reviewed By Ade Bailey)

  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. 

https://enemiesofpromise2.bandcamp.com/

  Over to you Ade.....

  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.

  This Is Sweet Eurotrash.....

The Decatonics - Standards

 

  The Decatonics are a Dorset based ska/mod band who formed in 2012 and feature a line up of Sals (lead vocals), Tyrone (vocals/guitar), Rowan (bass), Steve R (keys), Steve H (drums), Mike (tenor sax), Pete (alto sax), Kent (trumpet), and Steve D (trombone). They're influenced by numerous ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul acts such as Prince Buster, Laurel Aitkin, Skatalites, The Specials, Selecter, Secret Affair, Etta James, Bob Marley etc.... Ex Gonads drummer Steve Higgins has previously featured on here as a member of Kill The Colossi (http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/kill-colossi-fuck-taxman.html).

  You can find more info on the band, including upcoming live dates, here :

https://www.thedecatonicsband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thedecatonics/

  The song you'll find below is a Jam cover and it features on a charity compilation called Gifted which is a Jam tribute album set up by the Specialized Project : a worldwide music community that raises money for suffering teenagers and young adults that have difficult circumstances in their lives. You can find out more about the 70 track, 4 cd compilation here :  http://www.specializedproject.co.uk/albumssingles/specialized-6-gifted/

  This was originally on the 1977 album This Is The Modern World. As with all the best cover versions, The Decatonics have taken a great song and put their own unique spin on it, this is Standards....

Rundown Kreeps - Me and Jay in Space

 

  This week started with a special Just Some Punk Songs show featuring an hour of vintage ska and reggae (https://www.mixcloud.com/mick-fletcher/just-some-punk-songs-ska-reggae-special/) and then yesterday the blog showcased a melding of ska with oi from excellent German band Arthur And The Spooners so what better way to round it off with some upbeat ska punkabilly from Los Angeles.

  Rundown Kreeps formed in 2009 and are a trio featuring Richard Lamas (guitar/vocals), Steven Lamas (drums/vocals) and Anthony Melendez (bass/vocals). Their influences include Streetlight Manifesto, Big D And The Kids Table, Operation Ivy, The Descendents etc. They've played several large festivals alongside bands such as Big Reel Fish, TSOL, The Toasters, The Dickies, Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Weirdos....

  Their debut release was 2015's Breaking The Routine ep and they recently returned with debut album Illside Village. They're currently unsigned and have self released the album, you can find it on iTunes, Spotify etc as well as Bandcamp (both cd & digital)....  https://rundownkreeps.bandcamp.com/album/illside-village-2
 
  If you like your punk music to bring a smile to your face whilst simultaneously causing your feet to move then Rundown Kreeps may well be the band for you. This is Me And Jay In Space....

 

Arthur and the Spooners - No punkrock in my car

 

  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....
     

Easy Killer - Nuclear War

 

  Easy Killer are a 4 piece punk band that incorporates elements of fast paced ska. They're from Clinton, Connnecticut and feature Tom Carmody (lead guitar/vocals), Brian Leete (rhythm guitar/vocals), Michael Luschenat (bass) and Pat Hennessy (drums). They've been together since 2015 and recently released their debut self titled album. It's available on local label Die Hipster Records (which is run by Lost Riots frontman Jeffrey Thunders  https://diehipsterrecords.bandcamp.com/).

  The album is also available on Easy Killer's Bandcamp page....
https://easykillerct.bandcamp.com/album/easy-killer


  This is Nuclear War.....
 

Dead Rejects - Whatever Forever

 

  Dead Rejects are a ska/punk band from New Jersey who last featured on here a couple of years ago (http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/dead-rejects-jealousy-feat-night-gaunts.html) but who return today with a song from their upcoming album Grave Mistakes. Unsurprisingly they list amongst their influences the likes of Choking Victim, Leftover Crack, No Cash, The Infested etc but they also have a liking for the catchier side of punk (Descendents, Screeching Weasel, Sum 41...).

  The 2 mainstays of the band have been Shane Sparacello (vocals/guitar) and Adam Cichocki (drums) but they've always been keen to call upon the services of other musicians when required such as current bassist Mike Benus. You can check out their music here :  https://deadrejectsnj.bandcamp.com/

  As I mentioned, there's a new album called Grave Mistakes and it's due out next month. The first single from it is a catchy number that gradually builds to an uptempo ending, it promises great things from the album.  This is Whatever Forever....
 

The Liptones - Karma Comedown

  "Have a listen to The Liptones," I was told, "best ska band in Sweden." I've got to be honest, I don't think I've heard any Swedish ska bands so I can't really confirm whether or not The Liptones are the best but going off the evidence presented by their new single, they're certainly bloody good. Thanks for the recommendation Goran.

  Formed in 1997, they appear to have released 4 albums (The Latest News, In English, The Meaning Of Life, Sidospar) plus a bunch of singles and eps. Their line up features Mo Broden (vocals, guitar), Daniel Martensson (bass), Niklas Gustavsson (trumpet), PA Wester (saxophone), Robert Eklund (drums) and Henke Bromander (Hammond organ).

  The new single is actually a split ep featuring a couple of songs each by both The Liptones and Beat Bahnhof, no doubt they'll be plugging it when they visit the UK later this year to play the Rebellion Festival. I've been told they're excellent live so try and catch them. You can get more info on them here : https://www.facebook.com/Liptones/

  Inspired by Bob Dylan's video for Subterranean Homesick Blues, here's a video for one of the new songs, this is Karma Comedown.....