-NFT RECORD REVIEWS 2006-

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2ND DISTRICT - ‘EMOTIONAL SUICIDE’ CD
This is THE most important punk rock band of the last decade... ’Don’t Mess With The Hard Punx’ is my record of the decade hands down... I just can not believe that record still even after listening to it almost every day for the past 2 years. It would’ve been too much to ask for ‘Emotional Suicide’ to reach the levels of that awesome album but, shit, it’s not amazingly far off. These guys have just got it. The way in which they merge pop, glam and punk is unrivalled. By a long way. They have created a sound that truly is their own, and you hear that shit so much that a band has a exclusive sound and it’s never true but these guys do! The ‘Young and Disorderly’ limited 7” came out earlier this year on Drunk N Roll Records and that was the first taste of this new sound and new line-up (hence the 2nd in the band name), and shit did it excite me and get me ready for this new full-length. I instantly fell in love with this record because it’s new DISTRICT and it was always going to be great. It is different to ‘Don’t Mess...’ but not in a bad way at all, and in fact I like that it’s quite different because it elevates that record to an even higher level. Nothing will ever touch ‘Don’t Mess With The Hard Punx’ maybe even in my lifetime so that’s where I’d say to begin with the DISTRICT, but this is a great record and you need to get everything you possibly can by these guys.
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

A GLOBAL THREAT - ‘WHERE THE SUN NEVER SETS’ CD
This is another band that I’m really happy to see on BYO. I was really glad when the UNSEEN joined BYO and those 2 records were the best thing they ever wrote. A GLOBAL THREAT have been around a while, working hard, and it’s great to hear them on BYO with this fuckin vicious record. 18 tracks in just over half an hour. This never slips... pure East Coast hardcore punk like only Boston does it!! I always considered A GLOBAL THREAT in a different league. They aren’t generic at all and they don’t feel put-on like so many bands do. Antagonistic and political subject matter
BYO Records
www.byorecords.com

AFS - ‘ONLY BEER CAN SAVE US NOW!’ MINI CD
A compilation of live and studio tracks. I’m really hard to convince about live recordings because I’ve heard so many that just blow, but I gotta say that the live tracks on here are the show-stealers of the CD. I really fuckin like the ‘liveness’ of this, it just works. The recording has balls and energy and fucking presence. If yer not familiar with the A.F.S. (Arthritic Foot Soldiers) sound, they mix antagonism, humor and politics with a hefty dose of old-school skate. A blend of English and American heavy punk rock. This is a cool follow up to ‘Tales Of A Drunken Generation’ and I’m just so impressed with the live stuff... cool cover art again too and further evidence that kids don’t know shit. Older punk rockers are all about it.
Voltage Records
www.voltagerecords.com

AGAINST ME! - ‘AMERICANS ABROAD!!! AGAINST ME!!! LIVE IN LONDON!!!’ CD
AGAINST ME! are the masters of transformation and re-invention. With each release they practically re-characterize themselves and their sound. Each record is like a capsule, a concept but always unmistakably AGAINST ME! and that’s the key. So in true AGAINST ME! style they have released this live album with a brand new track that is in fact the title-track ‘American’s Abroad’. Don’t be fooled in thinking that any band can release a live record. That couldn’t be further from the truth and at least 80% of live records should be melted and recycled into something better. AGAINST ME! however, are one of the very few bands that should release a live record. It’s very importannt that they did do this because this is a band that you have to feel as well as hear. The energy, originality, spontaneity and urgency and apart from being at one of their shows, a live recording is the closest thing to encapsulating that and of course, the production and authenticity to an actual live AGAINST ME! experience makes it even closer. AGAINST ME! are one of the most important contemporary punk rock bands and this is their ‘It’s Alive’ or ‘Hallraker’ or ‘Evilive’ and I truly believe it will be regarded in that calibre in years to come, and I actually feel really proud that the recording was made over here in London. A great 32 page photo booklet is included with this CD too.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

THE AGGROLITES - S/T CD
I couldn’t wait for this to come out... THE AGGROLITES were the highlights of the past two ‘Give ‘Em The Boot’ compilations and they have that fantastic sound that is so representative of early Hellcat. Dirty Reggae is the exact definition. It’s so hard to place the era of this music and that’s so great that THE AGGROLITES managed to do that. This could be from the mid 1960’s up until today... these fuckers nailed it. The voice has got so much passion and soul. It’s abrasive and smooth all at once. It's like honey gravel... you just don’t hear stuff like this anymore. The voice actually reminds me a lot of the REDSKINS and shit is that a welcome comparison and huge compliment. This is just such a kick in the balls to all those lacklustre, generic, shitty bands that can’t hold a candle to these guys... this is a lesson. Enjoy it but learn. This record has got me obsessed and hooked like crazy. I mean, amazing bands like THE SLACKERS, HEPCAT, DAVE HILLYARD ROCKSTEADY 7 etc really got the sound but THE AGGROLITES got it so deep that it’s straight from the speakers into the bloodstream. This hasn’t left my player in 3 weeks... it’s not going anytime soon. This is raw, wonderful talent and enthusiasm put on wax and hats off to the AGGROLITES for recording the record of the fuckin year.
Hellcat Records
www.hell-cat.com

GG ALLIN AND THE MURDER JUNKIES - ‘TERROR IN AMERICA’ DVD
Ahh GG, it’s always a pleasure! This DVD compiles 3 shows from the MURDER JUNKIES’ 1993 ‘Terror in America’ tour which would be GG’s last. This is the tour that was labelled, “the most violent tour in the history of Rock ‘N’ Roll” and shows a totally out of control GG. Absolutely unpredictable and very dangerous. I have seen a home video of his last show on the tour hours before GG died where he’s walking the streets blood-soaked and naked with a riotous clan of savages behind him and it’s truly intimidating viewing. The three shows on this DVD are from New Jersey, Texas and Georgia and they showcase GG at his most vicious and malicious with a total disregard for himself. Abusive from the get-go, these shows are raw and erratic and that unpredictable nature adds to the danger. It was obvious that GG wasn’t going to last much longer because he was truly out of control at this stage. Alive released a CD of this tour but when you have the visuals to go with it, the excitement and danger escalate. There truly will never be another GG ALLIN and that’s a really sad thing because he represented the free spirit of rock n’ roll rebellion. He did what he had to do no matter what and that’s why he’s so important. Sure these shows are entertaining and in a way that only GG can entertain, but more than that, they are a testament to his undying sprit and aggressive soul that no one can replace. It’s so great (and important) that MVD have released 3 great GG DVDs because he is an enormous part of American punk rock history. The bonus material on this DVD is so cool because you get to see a calmer GG at an in-store where he does some great artwork on a toilet seat for some kid and just talks to a lot of people and there’s footage of the MURDER JUNKIES in the studio, GG getting his head tattooed and some film of GG at the family pool. I love that stuff... to see this rock 'n' roll terrorist and Outlaw Scumfuc with cut-off denim shorts cleaning the pool! I think it’s really important to see that stuff. I guess that’s the difference between Kevin Allin and GG Allin... he just had to transform to get that rebelliousness out of his body. Another killer DVD that everyone should own because, like I said, as well as containing killer GG footage, this is an important punk rock document.
MVD Distributors
www.musicvideodistributors.com

ALTERNATE ACTION / MARCHING ORDERS - SPLIT 7"
This split presents Canada’s ALTERNATE ACTION and Australia’s MARCHING ORDERS. Both bands deliver 2 tracks and both present their different styles of Oi! ALTERNATE ACTION features Greg from the GLORY STOMPERS, SUBWAY THUGS and THE LANCASTERS on vocals so you should already know what to expect and with those bands in his resume you should know that this will rule. They play faster-paced punk rock with a heavy Oi! influence and a super fucking solid sound. Both tracks are fucking great. MARCHING ORDERS play straightforward punk / Oi! with a nod to the early UK sound of THE BUSINESS and maybe a touch of the COCKNEY REJECTS too, that aggressive and attacking sound with gang choruses. They have a thinner sound than ALTERNATE ACTION and that suits their style perfectly because that’s the classic UK Oi! sound. Great split with ALTERNATE ACTION stealing the show but they were always going to because of Greg on vocals.
Longshot Music
www.longshotmusic.com

AMERICAN DISTRESS - S/T CD
From the onset you can tell that AMERICAN DISTRESS was born from CHOKING VICTIM (who are a part of the LEFTOVER CRACK, F-MINUS and INDK crack-rock family) so you should know to expect hostile and provocative, political hardcore punk rock. This is the most straight punk rock I’ve heard from this clan of rogues. It’s still heavy and chaotic but more focused on a full-out hardcore punk attack. No ska or reggae, no screaming hardcore just heavy punk rock (apart from the secret 13th track that’s a kind of rockabilly instrumental). Again, the lyrics are intelligent and challenging and the music rocks and it’s all unquestionably part of that NYC squat/crack rock scene. They have truly developed a sound and style that’s instantly identifiable, very menacing and dark and constantly inciting and harassing. This straight-up punk approach instantly appeals to me. It’s so powerful through its plainness. I mean, I really like what LEFTOVER CRAK and CHOKING VICTIM do but when it’s completely stripped down it grabs me more. This is a fuckin forceful record here and I hope they’re planning a European tour at some point...
Tent City Records
www.tentcityrecords.com

‘APPETIE FOR DECONSTRUCTION’ DVD
“It’s like Warped Tour without the assholes” ... fucking spot on. Deconstruction is Europe’s biggest independent punk festival and the attitude behind the whole thing just puts the fucking lameass Warped Tour to shame. This is like the Warped Tour used to be when it first started, you know, fun. Now it’s just a big-business embarrassment. So if you’re looking for the fun to be put back in punk festivals Deconstruction is for you. This documentary DVD presents Dave Pollack the tour organizer talking us through the rigorous coordination that goes into making this tour actually happen inter-spliced with live music, bmx, skateboard and moto-cross footage and also backstage with the artists involved talking about the tour. The DVD captures footage from England, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium and the Netherlands and each location is truly different to the last. Some of the bands included are THE SLACKERS, ANTI-FLAG, PENNYWISE, MAD SIN, BEATSTEAKS, MAD CADDIES, STRIKE ANYWHERE and loads more. The thing that comes across the strongest in the film is the enjoyment everyone involved has and that’s such an important thing, plus the mix of bands is so varied. It’s not like clone after clone like on another tour I can think of. It’s just that European feel I guess... much looser and freethinking. I really enjoyed this DVD.
Destiny Tour Booking
www.destinytourbooking.com

ASS-END OFFEND - ‘UNCHECKED AGGRESSION’ 7"
Turbulent hardcore punk, fast and unruly and a vicious follow-up to ‘Character Assassins’. This is raw and restless and a dose of real energy in these days of limp dick, childish music. Very powerful without getting metallic... just intense and that’s the shit that gets me going. Fantastic DIY approach. 5 tracks, all fierce and with a killer screen-printed cover. This is a huge recommendation that you’d be a cock to miss out on.
Poisoned Candy Records
www.poisonedcandy.com

ATARASSIA GROP - ‘NONSIPUOFERMAREILVENTO’ CD
Melodic Italian punk rock that reminds me a lot of the BOUNCING SOULS. Very positive and bright lyrics all sang in Italian and translated in English in the liner notes, but I am actually fluent in Italian so can appreciate both and I always prefer it when bands sing in their native tongue anyway. There’s a very constructive and encouraging feel to the whole album, a real feel of unity. Although mostly punk rock, there’s a few ska-tinged tracks and some truly interesting sounds merged together with a violincello really creating a really unusual backing track... I really like that. It’s really great to review an Italian band that doesn’t try to imitate the RAMONES!!! I can’t tell you...!!! This is a really great album and I was actually expecting this to be hardcore for some reason but I’m really happy that it wasn’t because I’m not a huge fan of Italian hardcore. This is very constructive stuff and totally enjoyable too.
Mad Butcher Records
www.madbutcher.de

ATTENTAT SONORE - ‘BARRICADES 1905’ 7"
Shit man, I was so looking forward to this after ‘Social Headache’ blew me away and shit am I blown away again. Absolutely killer French punk rock that has a slight hardcore element and intelligent and socially and politically aware content. ATTENTAT SONORE should be fucking huge. Dual male and female vocals and constantly attacking and very urgent... this is what I want and what I need. The production is great too... no over-the-top shit to cloud the urgency, just eagerness and energy. All four tracks on here rule and I love that they sing in both French and English. I like bands to sing in their native tongue but it’s also cool to understand the lyrics so this is perfect because you get a bit of both. I love these guys and I got nothing else to say other than get this and ‘Social Headache’ too and get blown away.
Do It Yourself Records
www.attentatsonore.com

BABAR LUCK - ‘CARE IN THE COMMUNITY’ CD
BABAR LUCK radiates obsession through his totally unbound music... think CLASH, BOB MARLEY, BOB DYLAN, CULTURE, BILLY BRAGG and PAUL SIMON all rolled into some seriously soulful positive and stimulating folk/reggae delivered with pure punk attitude. BABAR LUCK certainly does things his own way and this just sounds so natural like it flowed right out of him. It’s urgent without being unnecessarily aggressive. It’s relaxed but provoking. Perhaps it’s because BABAR LUCK was born and raised in Pakistan that he has this unique approach and ability to blend these influences because his is so far from generic and that excites me. This is raw and rootsy and I’m really impressed and you will be too. This reminds me of when I first heard the CLASH... pretty big news.
Rebel Music / 10 past 12 Records
www.10past12records.com

THE BABOONZ - ‘TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH’ CD
THE BABOONZ mix it all up like crazy, all kinds of speeds and styles thrown together. You got reggae, ska and rocksteady all soaked in simple punk rock and a touch of mod too, sometime heavy and sometimes melodic. Sometimes it’s even hard to tell what era they are from which is a cool thing. Their sound spans decades. Don’t think for a second that this is ska-punk, this ain’t no silly shit, this has got style and soul. It’s like a blend of the SPECIALS, THE GADJITS, NY CITIZENS, SLACKERS, NEWTOWN NEUROTICS, ELVIS COSTELLO and THE PIRANHAS... they have a fucking electic sound!! Forget about all that American shit and buy European!! We got all the style!!!!!
Mad Butcher Records
www.madbutcher.de

BANNER PILOT - ‘PASS THE POISON’ CD EP
These guys remind me a lot of earlier SCREECHING WEASEL when they were urgent and aggressive and that’s cool with me... and they have this other edge that’s nothing like that at all. Maybe a touch of CRIMPSHRINE or LAWRENCE ARMS and even a hint of LEATHERFACE and ANTI-FLAG. The sound is kind of old school and contemporary all at once and it all works well. It’s kind of like the old Lookout! sound merged with the new No Idea sound, that’s how best I would describe BANNER PILOT. Oh yeah, and the record sleeve is totally ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES. I think they’d actually fit in really well with the current FAT WRECK roster. These guys are all over the place in a great way and their sound ignites all kinds of shit from all kinds of punk rock eras.
Arsenic Records
www.banner-pilot.com

‘THE BEGINNING’ DVD
100% street skating DVD with a really nice DIY feel to it. It’s kinda raw whilst being really smooth! It’s the Mac touch!! I can really appreciate that since we’re working on a DVD right now and making it on a Mac and this is pretty impressive stuff I can tell you. It really comes across that Ryan Fuller had a blast making this. There’s a real fun element to it. Even though I’m more of a pool guy, I really dig watching this street stuff. There’s skating from Austen Seaholm, Tyler Hendley, Jason Martinez, Brian Price, Clyde Aaron and more. The whole thing is really interestingly edited and sometimes it cuts real fast which I really like... less slow-motion and more fast cuts! Clyde Aaron does something that I’ve never seen before where he slides along on an empty crate... fucking killer!! Loads of slams and eating shit too in between the sections. Some crazy long manuals from Austen Seaholm and long slides and grinds from Tyler Hendley. The video only lasts about half an hour but that’s a cool length. My attention span isn’t too long thanks to punk rock so this works for me! There’s a bunch of bonus stuff too with tons more skating and slams, commentaries talking through the tricks etc. I really enjoyed this and there’s a really great attitude about the whole thing. Really nice and home-made in a cool way.
White Knuckle Action Sports
www.whiteknuckledvd.com

BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT - S/T CD
What’s interesting about BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT is that they manage to broadcast a purely English melodic punk sound but they are obviously influenced by the very typically American Fat Wreck/Epitaph sound. The resulting sound is a blend of BAD RELIGION, LEATHERFACE, SNUFF, J CHURCH, NOFX and a touch of PENNYWISE. What I find with English melodic punk bands is that they have this sort of melancholic facet, a lot of minor chords, whereas the American approach is a bit more upbeat, maybe a bit too upbeat. I like the downheartedness of England, it’s deeper and more mysterious. Although this is a hugely familiar style, there’s something very interesting about it when it’s an English band. There’s so many American bands churning this style out that it all kind of blurs into one sound but English bands like BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT manage to break out of that somehow. The English production is different too... a little thinner and more ’real’.
Ten Past Ten Records

BLACK FIRE - ‘BEYOND WARPED’ CD / DVD
This is another release in the Beyond Warped dual-disc series that presents a CD and a DVD all on one disc with live audio and video features. BLACK FIRE are all siblings and play melodic yet attacking punk rock. They definitely have the Warped sound but the sound of a few years ago. They’re not about emo at all as they come from a more BAD RELIGION direction and mix it up with some early Lookout!-type beligerence and keep the pace up constantly and inject a dose of politics in the mix. I think the Beyond Warped series is a really cool series and you get a fucking comprehensive package with each release. This features 10 live cuts for the audio side and the DVD features the Warped performance, 2 documentaries, a video, bonus audio tracks and more. That’s a lot of shit and I really think that there is a gap in the scene for contemporary punk DVDs. Aside from Kung Fu’s ‘The Show Must Go Off’ it’s pretty hard to find live footage of contemporary bands so I think this rules and I’m impressed with BLACK FIRE too because I hadn’t heard of them before, and I approach Warped Tour stuff with caution because it seems to be going in a direction that gets further and further away every year from what I think punk rock represents.
Immergent Records
www.immergent.com

THE BLACK JETTS - ‘RIGHT ON SOUND’ CD
The BLACK JETTS follow up to their raw debut ‘Bleed Me’ presents them with a fuller-sounding, powerhouse of a record which put me in a slight dilemma because I’m all for raw rock ‘n’ roll... in fact, the rawer and more lo-fi the better for me, and when I heard this record was going to be more ‘polished’ than the debut I was apprehensive. Like I said, I love raw and I just can’t get with people not digging that. So, what can I say when this blew me away more than ‘Bleed Me’? Hmmm, this is new territory for me because this has none of the flair missing that I thought it might. I thought it might be that ‘hollow’ power that so many bands have, that false studio heaviness, but I was way off. This sounds awesome and I don’t often use that word because I know that expression gets thrown around and most of the time it’s describing something that’s just OK, but this time it fits perfectly. Awesome. Killer riffs, heavy and ferocious with a touch of MC5 psychedelic waywardness, STOOGES wildness and over-driven STONES. Right On sound for sure.
Dead Beat Records
www.dead-beat-records.com

BLACK SS / RAINING BRICKS - SPLIT 7"
Fuck yeah, this split rules. BLACK SS play fast and out of control old-fashioned hardcore. Raw as shit and attacking this is the shit I'm after... it's so manic and unpredictable. Kinda reminds me slightly of the QUINCY PUNX who fuckin rule. RAINING BRICKS are outta control too but have a more rock 'n' roll edge, but all fucked up and brilliantly messy. Frantic guitars and raw vocals. Sick, sick split on red wax too... this is what I'm all about.
Organized Crime Records
www.organizedcrimerecords.com

BLANK ITS - ‘HAPPY ACCIDENTS’ CD
Amazingly stripped-down and raw garage from this Seattle three-piece that asphyxiated me from the first note I heard on their split with THE FEELERS. This is the primitiveness I hunger after, this is so exposed and crude and fucking chaotic: three-piece perfection. The balance is perfect, any more might have fucked things up and muddied the chaos but this is sharp as shit and immaculately serrated and any less just wouldn’t have sliced as deep as this does. This is a fantastic debut full-length from a truly exciting band. They manage to maintain pure melody through the distorted chaos and confusion and I have never heard this executed so perfectly. Believe me, this is shit to get very excited about and excitement is a fucking rare occurrence these days, especially when you’re talking about punk rock with all the monotonous shit about. This is a wake up call... don’t settle for boring shit. THE BLANK ITS are fun, fucked up and frenzied and you’ll fall flat on your face when you hear them.
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

THE BLOODY IRISH BOYS - ‘DRUNK ROCK’ CD
You can guess from the band name and the record title what this is going to be like. Yeah it blends punk rock with traditional Irish folk sounds but it’s way more on the punk rock side and reminds me of a blend of SOCIAL DISTORTION and the SWINGIN’ UTTERS more than the DROPKICKS. Maybe a touch of the early DROPKICKS in there. It’s more along the lines of the REAL McKENZIES, faster and way more punk-based. I like this shit. I just think that the DROPKICKS got boring as shit and over the top with that bullshit. I think the folky parts were played on a keyboard on this but who cares? This is a good record. I’m easy... it could lose the Irishness and it would still be cool and it can keep it and I’m fine with that. The song-writing and attitude is cool and I wish people would buy this rather than new DROPKICKS or FLOGGING fucking MOLLY.
Sick Sad Records
www.thebloodyirishboys.com

THE BOILS - 'FROM THE BLEACHERS' CD'
'We like our punk and hardcore raw with gnashing teeth'... that's what THE BOILS state in the opening track 'The Iron Eagle and the Liberty Bell' and that's what defines their sound. THE BOILS are one of those rare bands that come along and just sink their teeth so deeply inside me that they won't come off anymore. I remember that happening with the SWINGIN' UTTERS when I was a kid and again several years later with THE BOILS' 'When The Sun Goes Down'. That was it, I was hooked. 'Woled Poison' and 'Pride and Persecution' blew me away even further and now the new record... shit, it's been too long to wait for this!!!! 'From The Bleachers' presents THE BOILS in amazing form and sounding better than ever. This is so honest and open and that's what THE BOILS are all about, they're so unpretentious and so natural. The finest in Philadelphia punk rock. This 25 track record is full of the trademark BOILS hardcore punk (and touches of reggae) and these guys should be huge. I'm sure as shit not letting these guys get away.
TKO Records
www.tkorecords.com

BOMBSHELL ROCKS - ‘THE CONCLUSION’ CD
Ten years on and the BOMBSHELL ROCKS are spitting with more energy and vigour than ever before. Their sound has explored and evolved over the years with ‘From Here And On’ marking the biggest style change into a more rock territory than their previously RANCID-esque streetpunk sounds and then ‘Love For The Microphone’ stripping their sound totally down. ‘The Conclusion’ throws these developments together to create a fuckin blistering punk rock record. I’m a huge fan of the early BOMBSHELL ROCKS sound (‘Street Art Gallery’ and ‘Cityrats and Alleycats’) and it’s wonderful to hear that again but dripping with more sophistication and experience. ‘The Conclusion’ is the sound the BOMBSHELL ROCKS have achieved. This is their sound and the conclusion is that the BOMBSHELL ROCKS are a fuckin unstoppable force. This is a brilliant record drenched in style and passion.
Combat Rock Industry
www.fireinsidemusic.com

BOOZED - ‘TIGHT PANTS’ CD
If it’s on Bitzcore you know what to expect... some serious, sleazy big-riff Rock ‘N’ Roll ala TURBO A.C.’S, TURBONEGRO, PETER PAN SPEEDROCK etc so you gotta rock if you’re gonna compete with that! Rock, the BOOZED certainly do but the most impressive thing about these guys is just how young they are. You sure wouldn’t guess that from their music and the vocal delivery is sick... very impressive stuff. Perhaps more impressive though is the fact that they haven’t just mimicked a band or sound but they've managed to cultivate a fresh sound and that’s inspiring. I mean, young bands have got to try 10 times harder to impress me because I hear a lot a hackneyed played out shit as a reviewer and 99% comes from younger bands who can’t think for themselves so just copycat a sound/image. This type of thing is a rarity. I can’t believe they have had a full-length out before this too. These guys must have been pushing to get out of their mothers wombs because these guys were born to play this and have some serious wisdom for being so young. I haven’t been impressed like this since, I don’t even know when...
Bitzcore Records
www.bitzcore.de

THE BREAK IN - ‘UNBOWED’ CD
Brutal UK Hardcore and I mean Hardcore in the true sense of heavy, aggressive and threatening sounds... no melodic shit, no delicate sections, just brutality from the get go and that’s really what I want form a Hardcore band. I want to be bruised by the music and pounded by the vocals and THE BREAK IN are all about that. They get as heavy as possible without verging on metal which is a huge plus for me. Sure there are metallic fragments but the metal never gets in the way of the hardcore and I have a problem with hardcore that’s too metallic. The vocals are great... no ridiculous growling just forceful and well-delivered. This is a vicious record and kids should lap this up.
In At The Deep End Records
www.iatde.com

THE BRIGGS - ‘BACK TO HIGHER GROUND’ CD
Wow... this is a new direction for THE BRIGGS and I fucking love this record. I’ve always liked THE BRIGGS but this was a surprise. It’s so much more mature and advanced than they’ve ever sounded. They have truly developed their sound. It’s still 100% THE BRIGGS and that’s a great thing because I wouldn’t have wanted them to lose any of their old style, but the whole thing has advanced and it’s way more sophisticated and focuses more on the rock side of things. It’s like what happened with MADCAP between ‘Stand Your Ground’ and ‘Under Suspicion’... it’s exactly that kind of a development. The sound on here is very layered and I can hear an edge of ONE MAN ARMY’s ‘Rumors and Headlines’... again, a very refined punk rock record. The vocal style has changed too from a very streetpunk growl to a much grainier, expressive style and I’m really impressed with this record. I would’ve totally been happy with another ‘Numbers’ or ‘Leaving The Ways’ but this is something else. Great shit for sure and I’m looking forward to hearing these songs live.
SideOneDummy Records
www.sideonedummy.com

BRUNT OF IT - ‘CERTAIN UNCERTAINTY’ CD
These guys have a fucking chaotic sound. They mix early hardcore and punk with a measure of ska but not bouncy, wimpy dick ska... more of a cacophonous Latin-flavoured ska and it works for me and that’s saying something because I usually employ a zero tolerance to anything that ventures on the ska/punk path, but because of this I now gotta re-evaluate that. This is so thick on the guitars and heavy, heavy bass and that’s why it works so well. If you got any thoughts of any kind of friendly, college shit get that right out of your mind. This is fast, weighty and destructive and I wish this is how more bands would merge these styles – with imagination, intelligence and control. This is how I’m going to define the term ska/punk from now on so if bands don’t live up to this they just won’t cut it but, unfortunately, I don’t see too many bands being capable of this. I’m impressed as hell.
Brikhaus Records
www.bruntofit.com

BULLET TREATMENT - ‘DEAD ARE WALKING’ 7”
The endlessly altering BULLET TREATMENT are back with another four cuts of tough, old fashioned hardcore punk. This time featuring female vocalist, the very sexy and commanding Ms. Lisa Graves from CIVET so not only a whole new set of members but a brand new voice from BULLET TREATMENT too. The players this time around are Chuck from Basement Records who dreamed up this beast, Dave from the DRIPS and Chris from the VOIDS... what a line-up. BULLET TREATMENT is a fuckin fantastic idea, always fresh, always different but always BULLET TREATMENT. Yet again, this rules.
Basement Records
www.basementrecords.net

BULLETS TO BROADWAY - ‘DRINK POSITIVE’ CD
BULLETS TO BROADWAY is made up of members of the TEEN IDOLS, ARMY OF PONCH and REHASHER and you can certainly hear these influences in their melodic pop-punk sound, especially that of the TEEN IDOLS. There’s a really mid-era Lookout! sound to this and it’s more than the clear SCREECHING WEASEL likeness. Actually having said that, this really reminds me of a perfect blend of SCREECHING WEASEL and EVEN IN BLACKOUTS that is Jughead’s other band... who also employ the dual male and female vocals with really interesting vocal lines and serious melodies, and that’s a fuckin’ fine amalgam for me!! This doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. It’s catchy, poppy and unpretentious and just a great slice of pop-punk.
Household Name Records
www.householdnamerecords.co.uk

CAMARO ROUGE - ‘GOT A CRANE IN MY HEAD’ LP
Totally naked and raw punk rock, this is stripped to the core... no bullshit heavy-production just crude and basic rock ‘n’ roll with dual female vocals and heaps of fuzz and distortion. It’s vigorous and warped and hits the nail on the head because through it’s simplicity and straightforward approach it’s got some serious impact and it’s actually a pretty layered sound that's very rootsy and almost bluesy. They know exactly what they are doing because to keep the sound this stripped down and still create this force is a fucking talent... they never pollute the sound with unnecessary shit. This has got some serious passion and soul and they certainly don’t abide to any rules... they won’t restrict themselves! There’s a certain early 1990’s sound and feel to this which is cool with me because I grew up listening to a lot of SONIC YOUTH, MUDHONEY, L7, BABES IN TOYLAND etc and there’s a definite feel of that sound here but this is much, much more raw. Highly recommended indeed.
Demolition Derby
www.demderby.com

THE CARAVANS - ‘NO MERCY’ CD
The CARAVANS’ approach to Psychobilly/Rockabilly is so raw and in your face. There’s no bullshit about it. It’s aggressive and sharp. They don’t have to fill their record will all that spooky shit and sliding guitars. This is the fast and dangerous sound of early English Psychobilly that the CARAVANS have been sculpting for over 20 years. It’s so adamant and hard-hitting. It reminds me of what the BUSINESS would sound like if they played Psychobilly. There’s a huge dose of pure English punk rock in their sound, no doubt about it. This just takes all that American bullshit to school you know. These guys have been doing this for fucking years and they kick the shit out of all that recent US bullshit. The way they fuse melody with antagonism is awesome. Comes in a special digipak too. I’ve never seen one like this before. Fucking cool release.
Drunkabilly Records
www.drunkabilly.com

THE CASUALTIES - ‘CAN’T STOP US’ DVD
I remember years ago listening to the CASUALTIES and wondering why they weren’t more popular. I mean, they’ve always had a great following but I always thought they should have been way bigger and I’m really happy that that has finally happened and Side One Dummy have a hell of a lot to do with that. The CASULATIES never felt put-on like most of these ‘spiky’ bands who spout cliche after cliche about fighting the oppression and fucking the system when all they really care about is their image and checking that their spikes are still up. This DVD documents the CASULATIES tours of Mexico and Japan with live footage and tons of extra stuff. The Mexican side is my favourite, more of a documentary than the Japanese side which has more live footage but as a whole the DVD rules. It comes together really well with excellent presentation. Great camera work and audio with the live footage and of course, a killer selection of CASUALTIES songs and the footage following them around is great, especially in Mexico where a riot breaks out in Mexico City because some punks don’t think they should have to pay to see the Casualties... crazy shit. There’s hospital visits, bootleg merchandise, museum visits, beer in plastic bags and shitloads of mayhem but there’s always a really positive feeling about the whole thing and that’s what defines the CASUALTIES. That ‘community’ feeling... very approachable and genuine. Other than their music, I didn’t know too much about the guys in the band and after learning about them through this DVD, I genuinely like all of them. I think they are great guys with a really positive attitude. A real pleasure to watch and there really is no stopping the CASUALTIES. Fantastic artwork too.
Side One Dummy Records
www.sideonedummy.com

THE CASUALTIES - ‘UNDER ATTACK’ CD
THE CASUALTIES are fucking unstoppable... Each record they put out is tougher, more passionate and more relentless than before and ‘Under Attack’ is their most powerful and intense assault to date. This is a band that, in the past few years, has finally received the reverence they deserved. How they have grown as a band through their song-writing and approach is unbelievable. The early stuff rules but this is clearly where they want to be... ’Under Attack’ is their masterpiece so far. It’s just so constantly hard-hitting and uncompromising and is all about voicing opinions in these unsure times. The most important thing, for me, about THE CASUALTIES is that they never felt put-on. It’s all too easy to shout ‘fuck the system’ these days and the idiot kids lap it up but I always got the feeling of sincerity form THE CASUALTIES and even more so after seeing their Mexico / Japan ‘Can’t Stop Us’ DVD. I loved ‘On The Front Line’ and ‘En La Linea De Frente’ even more but this record has stepped everything up a notch... a load of notches actually...
SideOneDummy Records
www.sideonedummy.com

CHAPTER XI - ‘FEEL THE PAIN’ CD EP
Energetic hardcore punk from members of THE KURRUPTED and THE PANIX. Full-on attacking and very political with a touch of the classic UK ‘82 sound. The sound is solid as shit and they have a raw edge that keeps the whole thing gritty. At times it reminds me of mid-era UNSEEN. I really fuckin like this and I’d be excited to hear a full-length from these guys. The energy is awesome on here and I miss that. A lot of political punk bands just don’t seem to have any real fire burning inside them which makes it a fuckin farce but CHAPTER XI are the opposite of that. They are burning and in that sense they really remind me of LEFTOVER CRACK who I get that same fervent feeling from.
www.chapterXIpunks.com
www.myspace.com/Chapter11punx

THE CHERRY REDS - ‘BOY HERO’ CD
The CHERRY REDS’ sound is fucking sick. It’s so wonderfully English and smacks of THE BUZZCOCKS and THE BOYS but with the snot of STIV BATORS and in that sense it reminds me of the American take on the early English punk sound, and I love that. All those great early English bands were just lacking the snot and balls of bands like the DEAD BOYS and the ROTTERS but the CHERRY REDS have got that. Fucking excellent. The production is great because it maintains that early ‘thin’ sound and that’s so important. Early punk wasn’t all thick and produced and that’s the downfall of a lot of recent punk rock. This is just so punchy and so in your face that it’s vulgar and that’s what I love. This is a very exciting band. I got nothing else to say, this rules like crazy.
Positive Impact Records
www.positiveimpactrecords.com

CHURCH OF THE SATURDAY SAINTS - ‘LONGBOARDER’ 7"
This reminds me of the No Idea sound... folk/punk, acoustic and electric guitars combined and melody and explosiveness amalgamated and it’s a style I really go for. Terrific songwriting and delivery, especially with the vocal lines and it’s all kind of unpredictable in a great way. It’s like a controlled attack communicated very stylishly. Poetically. The songs are nice and short which I also love and all four songs on here rule. I’m really impressed with this throughout. I like the band name, the artwork is very interesting and the music is remarkable. Really fucking cool debut release and I’d love to hear a full-length form these guys.
Vinehell Records
www.vinehell.com

‘Color’ by Edith Anderson Feisner
To define or describe colour is a very challenging task. It may seem so obvious because we so often take colour for granted, but when you get down to the very roots, nature and principles of colour and colour theory it is a truly fascinating and extensive world. This book takes every characteristic of that world on and tackles every aspect of colour. Professor Feisner divides the book into four parts: Colour Foundations, Dimensions Of Colour, Colour in Compositions and The Influence Of Colour starting at the very basis of perception and light, moving through to colour wheels and onto colour theorists including Leonardo Da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, Odgen Rood, Faber Birren and Frans Gerritsen. She then moves onto mixing, dimension, hues, contrast, toning, definition, emphasis, intensity, balance, depth, temperatures and neutrals with examples of works by Cezanne, Wyeth and Da Vinci. A true artist has to be able to manipulate and be in complete control of their colours and to do this they must have a profound understanding of colour and that is this book’s intention. This is just so comprehensive and welcoming and never feels like a textbook which is very important thing with in-depth books like this. The presentation is pleasant and the language and communication always gratifying. The book ends with colour content identification charts, a list of colour theorists, colouring agents, value orders, colour legibility rankings, colour symbols in religion and historical colour palettes. I cannot state just how valuable this book is. The amount I have learned is incredible and I’ve been painting for 20 years...
Laurence King Publishing
www.laurenceking.co.uk

THE CONCRETE GODS - ‘ANGLO-CENTRIC GENERATION’ CD
Unfortunately there’s very few current English bands that excite me or whose albums I look forward to coming out. I don’t know what’s happened to English punk rock but it’s so disappointing right now with bands either trying to replicate an American sound or those that are stuck in some kind of UK ‘82 bubble... either way it’s fucking tedious. So thank God for the CONCRETE GODS. This is pure, 100% English punk rock (you may have guessed that from the record title) that merges old and new styles with attention-grabbing song-writing. I have absolutely no problem with bands taking influence from older bands or American bands or whatever but I have a problem when it’s just rehashed shit. In fact, I love it when I hear a flicker or hint of another band in there... that’s what the CONCRETE GODS are like, with suggestions here and there but no way is their sound reliant on that. I hear touches of THE BOYS, LEATHERFACE, DAMNED, SHAM 69, COCKSPARRER, VIBRATORS and of course ACEFACE and SUPERYOB. I think this is a fucking solid debut and a kick in the balls for English punk rock to wake the fuck up!!!
Underground London Records

THE CONCRETE GODS - ‘WORKING CLASS HERO’ CD SINGLE
This is the band that ACEFACE has evolved into and you can definitely tell, but THE CONCRETE GODS have a much more stripped down approach that veers more towards the melodic punk rock of the NEWTOWN NEUROTICS and that mod-flavour that ACEFACE had. Actually, they remind me a lot of the NEUROTICS which is absolutely fine with me!! It’s that very English sound that’s melodic yet attacking. A touch of CLASH in here too. There’s a full-length on the horizon called ‘Anglo-Centric Generation’ (loving the title) and I’m really looking forward to that.
The Concrete Gods, PO Box 26535, London, SE3 9WS, UK
theconcretegods@yahoo.co.uk

COPYRIGHT CHAOS - ‘APPETITE FOR INTOXICATION’ CD
Fast and disruptive hardcore punk that reminds me of early UNSEEN when they had some balls and vigour. They blend a political edge with a pure drunk punk methodology so it’s not boring and preachy which is a problem that way too many bands fall into... Sure, have a political and socially aware slant to your music but don’t make it a fucking lecture... COPYRIGHT CHAOS have got that blend spot on so that the disarray and pissed-ness constantly slices through the music right to the forefront and that works for me. This is a rock-solid record that I just can’t fault. It’s relentlessly hard-hitting from start to finish and it’s just an unremitting assault of an album. It’s just great to hear some provoking punk rock in these days of limp-dick whiny shit and as a reviewer I can’t tell you how welcome an aggressive and confrontational album like this is.
Step-1 Music
www.step1music.com

CRITERIA - 'WHEN WE BREAK' CD
This is the second full-length form CRITERIA containing members of CURSIVE, LULLABY FOR THE WORKING CLASS, BRIGHT EYES, WHITE OCTAVE and BEEP BEEP among others. It's quite hard to place CRITERIA since their sound hints of all kinds of genres which is a good thing. It's a very varied and strange blend of JANES ADDICTION / PORNO FOR PYROS, FOO FIGHTERS, QUICKSAND, WEEZER, CAVE IN etc... I guess the best way to describe it is guitar-heavy, layered indie/rock that mixes melody with intensity. It's uplifting and bright and makes me wonder why singer Steve ever left music for law. You can feel the passion and the reassurance that he's totally comfortable in this environment. He certainly wasn't made to be a lawyer if he's this good a musician...
Saddle Creek Europe
www.saddle-creek.com

CROSS EXAMINATION - 'THE HUNG JURY' CD
Awesome hardcore with a real Beer City edge, you just don't hear this sound often enough anymore. This is dripping with the magic of mid '80's hardcore/thrash and consequently the magic of my youth... that's how blown away I am and I hear 100s of records a week so to be blown away is a fucking big deal. Hyperactive and chaotic this is all I need. I mean right from the cover artwork I knew this would take me back to better days. All the fun and hostility and long days skating and drinking... wow. This is my record of 2006 easily. This is sick and doubly so becasue it's such a rare treat of a sound. I'm fucking lucky this fell into my pile because this won't be leaving my player for fucking ages that's for sure. The weather's getting better, I got all the wood to build my backyard ramp next month and this will be my permanent soundtrack...
Organized Crime Records
www.organizedcrimerecords.com

‘CUT SHORTS’ DVD
This DVD collects the life works of Los Angeles filmmaker David Markey. This is 30 years (1974 – 2004) of totally individualistic and extremely expressive movie creation. Markey’s films embody California... the beauty and menace of LA... the smog and the palms, Markey communicates pure California through his work. Even though the first movie on here ‘The Devil’s Exorcist’ was made when Markey was just 11 years old it breaths sophistication and ambiance. Much of it shot against the sunlight creates an unsettling tone and the repetitive synth backing adds to this apprehension... Markey knew what he wanted and how to convey it even at that age. Markey is fascinated by masks and I can’t tell you how I can relate to that. I remember the first time I saw DEVO’s ‘The complete truth about De-Evolution’ I was sucked right in, and I became even further obsessed about masks and I’ve been collecting them since I was a kid and I still watch that weekly. Markey is all about that and the fact that DEVO provide backing music to some of his films is no coincidence. There’s a lot of juxtaposition and contrast of youth and elders running through Markey’s work, the youth is very chaotic and unsettled and I suppose that reflects the moviemaker, but there’s also a strong theme of youth togetherness too. It really hard to properly describe Markey’s work. It's stunning stuff that’s for sure but you have to see it and let yourself get sucked in my his awesome creativity and ingredients. This is a guy who never followed any rules other than what he set for himself, it’s pure freedom. Fucked up freedom, sure, but also a very beautiful independence. There’s a very strong punk attitude about his work in that respect. His work is very much a cut 'n’ paste montage and he throws all kinds of things into the mix: beaches, cityscapes, pool skating, surfing, death etc. The other side of Markey’s work which is more straightforward and comprehensible is his music videos that he made for Sonic Youth, The Posies and Eyes Adrift. Of course these have the unmistakable Markey approach but there is always going to be a restriction when you have to include the band in the video etc... not to say they aren’t great too, it’s just that his movies steal the show by miles over the videos. I love this collection and maybe it’s because I’m an arty fuck up but Markey speaks to me and this type of thing I’ll watch every week for a long time. I get hooked on shit like this and I truly believe that people should see this type of thing, everything’s so shiny and polished and formulaic these days and it’s time they got some jerky, erratic and unpredictable elements in their lives.
Eclectic DVD Distribution
www.eclecticdvd.com

DC SNIPERS - ‘MISSILE SUNSET’ CD
These guys were one of the show-stealers on the ‘Let’s Have Some God Damn Fun’ comp with ‘Evil’ and I’m hooked on their scatty, spastic blend of garage fuzz and early punk rock. They have a slight Rip Off sound but that’s too easy to say because they have this whole other side that’s totally different. There’s a lot more going on in the DC SNIPERS sound than in a typical garage band. It’s layered, abrupt and arty as opposed to simply stripped-down rock n roll. Sure they’re still raw but it’s a deeper rawness, a complex primitiveness if you like. I like! The spirit of the DC SNIPERS is fantastic... fun and bizarre: ‘Electric Chair From Saigon’, ‘All Humans Are Garbage’, ‘Criminal Dog’, ‘Die (They All Want Me To)... I mean, how can you not wanna hear these guys just from those song titles? Great presentation and artwork too... these guys have got it. This is something to get really excited about and this could easily be my favourite release of the year already.
Dead Beat Records
www.dead-beat-records.com

THE DEAD PETS - 'TOO LITTLE TOO LATE' CD
I liked this record a lot when it came out a few years ago and it’s nice to see it re-released by 10 past 10 (along with their second album). I definitely prefer the direction the second record took but this is where it all started off. Very chaotic and very English... there’s 10 people playing on this record!!! Combining early English punk rock with the more contemporary American style, a touch of hardcore and a load of brass instruments the DEAD PETS create pure rock n roll confusion in a way reminiscent of the KINGS OF NUTHIN’... these guys are way heavier but it’s a similar chaos created!! I’ve said it before that they remind me a lot of the RIVER CITY REBELS in the way that the brass thickens the guitar chords up and congeals the whole sound rather than creating a ska sound which they do here and there but it’s always heavy, heavy, heavy!! I still listen to this record a lot and it’s the blueprint DEAD PETS sound. I would say that these guys are the most exciting English band that aren’t imitating anyone else and always keeping things exciting and disorderly.
Ten Past Ten Records
www.thedeadpets.co.uk

THE DEAD PETS - ‘REVENGE OF THE VILLAGE IDIOTS’ CD
The re-released second full-length from these boisterous Nothern rogues! Chaotic as always, this is more of their blend of hardcore punk and brass and even though the band seems to have lost a few members they still create a fucking clamour!! At times this reminds me a lot of THE BASTARDS but with that added brass which is a really interesting twist on this sound, again, using the trumpet and saxophone to solidify the sound and this is heavy shit! ‘Never Never’ is the show stealer for me, it’s out of fucking control... pure DEAD PETS but through all 9 tracks on here these rascals take you on a wild fucking ride with the title track being the most relaxed with it’s ska rhythm. The record closes with a cool cover of COCKSPARRER’s ‘We’re Coming Back’ that’s rowdy as all hell with the brass doing some cool shit on there and after half an hour of the cover being over, the kazoos come in and close the album off with some acapella/barbershop havoc. A really good and solid album and their slogan of ‘Wi Brass Un Balls’ describes THE DEAD PETS perfectly. Absolute disruptive exuberance!!
Ten Past Ten Records
www.thedeadpets.co.uk

DEAN DIRG - ’26 KICKS TO MAKE THE WHOLE WORLD PAY’ CD
Dead Beat are truly putting releases out that challenge the whole scene. Not satisfied with how boring bands are these days and how monotonous and analogous contemporary releases and the scene in general is, Dead Beat strive to push and advance and this is a great thing. Germany’s DEAN DIRG are another jewel in the Dead Beat crown of defiance. Another stimulating release. With a blend of straightforward punk, basic, early hardcore and a touch of garage these guys rock with a sound that gets me deep. It’s fresh and wild. 26 songs in just over 26 minutes... that’s just my bag. Short blasts of provocation with emphasis on enjoyment. This is a compilation of tracks from their self-titles LP (out of print) and the ‘Last Kid On The Block’ LP. The best way I can describe their sound is CIRCLE JERKS, THE SHOCKS and TURBONEGRO but this is only very loose and when all these elements are combined something uncontrollable is created. Get it and understand. You’ll be blown away.
Dead Beat Records
www.dead-beat-records.com

DEARLY DEPORTED - ‘WATCHING FROM A DISTANCE’ CD
Cool band name. Melodic punk rock that blends the sounds of THE DESCENDENTS, later BAD RELIGION, ALKALINE TRIO and mid-period 7 SECONDS. It’s pure melodic punk rock and doesn’t try or pretend to be anything else but it’s the very mature side of poppier punk rock. There’s nothing ‘funny’ or ‘silly’ about DEARLY DEPORTED, in fact there’s a very morose and melancholic edge... an almost LEATHERFACE edge. They do a lot with their vocal lines and that’s where they most remind me of 7 SECONDS and Kevin’s vocals and the way the vocals interact with the music is where I find the BAD RELIGION link. As much as I don’t really listen to melodic or poppy punk rock, I prefer something much faster and abrasive, I can appreciate this and it’s a pity that the style has got such a bad name because of all the weak American shit that gets churned out because I can really respect a band like DEARLY DEPORTED...
Funtime Records
www.funtimerecords.com

DEFIANCE, OHIO - ‘THE GREAT DEPRESSION’ CD
Wow, this is fucking excellent. DEFIANCE, OHIO is exactly how I would define the term folk-punk. It’s urgent and raw... no bullshit massive production and it’s got that unpredictable, live delivery that is brilliant. Acoustic punk is generally slower and more dignified like EVEN IN BLACKOUTS or WHISKEY AND CO. or RUMBLESEAT but this folky shit is gritty, raw and dirty. It’s fast and frantic and crude, and this is where the punk rock aspect comes into it. The subject matter is political and social, again another punk rock characteristic and they don’t exactly play their acoustic instruments elegantly!! The vocals remind me slightly of Jesse Luscious and absolutely work with the music. The whole thing is jagged and agitated and I love it. These guys know exactly what they want to play and execute it perfectly.
No Idea Records
www.noidearecords.com

DESPONDENT - ‘FAKE’ CD EP
DESPONDENT mix mid-era BAD RELIGION, NOFX and LEATHERFACE so they have that English/American mix going on with hints of SNUFF, GOOBER PATROL and early ANT-FLAG too. They are young and this is a solid EP with a sound that’s consistently very popular but they do it well with an attacking political edge. It’s melodic but not wimpy and that’s a very English thing. Even though this is a typically American style, I always prefer it when English bands tackle it, they seem to approach it from a different angle, a more mature angle with more balls too.
Rectum Records
www.despondentrock.tk

DIGITAL LEATHER - ‘MONOLOGUE’ CD
These fuck-ups stole the show on the recent ‘Tales From The Asphalt Dancefloor’ comp with ‘Dance ‘Til Dead’ and they’re so bizarre and distinctive that they are pretty much untouchable. The way they employ the keyboards is so abrasive and ruthless that it makes all those other keyboard bands look like a bunch of bubblegum pussies, this is uncompromising and brutal and all through minimalism. DIGITAL LEATHER was always going to be untouchable because of the people involved: Shawn Foree with members of the REATARDS, THE WONGS, LOST SOUNDS and DESTRUCTION UNIT. I mean, who the fuck is going to be able to compete with this shit??!! These guys know exactly what they’re doing and exactly how to experiment with their sounds. This is raw fucking talent-testing and these fuckers pass with flying colors. It’s raw, mechanical, emotionless and expressive all at the same time and, above it, it’s mind-blowingly good. Think a fucked up blend of SISTERS OF MERCY, DEVO, THE SCREAMERS, GARY NEWMAN, DAVID BOWIE mixed with the bands these guys are in. Personally, I don’t think that you need to be told that you should get this... it should be a given.
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

DIRTY PUNK RECORDS SAMPLER CD
Dirty Punk have put out 20 releases over the past 9 years and this sampler features one track from each of those releases and it’s a pretty fuckin impressive set of bands on here... some American bigger-namers like DEFIANCE, LOWER CLASS BRATS,THE VIRUS and legends TOTAL CHOAS, English legends UK SUBS plus a load of European bands: VOICE OF A GENERATION (Sweden), RED FLAG 77 (UK), TOXIC WASTE (France), CHARGE 69 (France), NCA (France), DISPOMANIE (France), CIDER BREAKFAST (France), THE DRIVE-INS (Sweden), DOWN AND AWAY (Sweden), WUNDERBACH (France), REAZIONE (Italy) and NEOPHYTE (France)... you can’t argue with that!!! It’s great to hear a mix of punk rock aggression and melody and it’s killer that this is lighter on the American side of things. Don’t get me wrong I love American punk rock but I really get excited about comps that feature a whole load of European bands. Fucking killer, definitely my kind of compilation and the fact that it’s a sampler is doubly impressive because this is material that Dirty Punk has actually released. Killer and it’s only 5 Euros too!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dirty Punk Records
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/dirtypunk

D.O.A. - ‘WAR ON 45 - MARCH TO THE END’ CD
This is a re-release of the classic 1982 D.O.A. 8-track EP ‘War On 45’ coupled with 10 more extra songs from other albums and singles, and an unreleased track too called ‘Fortunate Son’. The title explains it all. These songs are about war and protest and who can approach that subject better than D.O.A.? Intelligent, humorous, cutting and always absorbed. The original 8 tracks contain the absolutely fabulous ‘I’m Right, You’re Wrong’, ‘America The Beautiful’ and a bunch of covers too like EDWIN STARR’S ‘War’ which they put their snotty edge on effectively and also RANKING TREVOR’s dub/reggae-soaked ‘War In The East’ that they attack radiantly with a CLASH edge and the DILS’ ‘Class War’. This is as pertinent to 2005 as it was when it came out 13 years ago. It’s still very much a case of ‘talk-action = 0’. Some of the additional activist tracks are ‘World War 3’ from 1979, ‘Smash The State’ from’ Hardcore ‘81’, ‘World Falls Apart’ from ‘Festival Of Atheists’ and ‘Earache’ from last year’s ‘Live Free Or Die’. As always you get a killer booklet with notes, photos, lyrics, D.O.A. discography and also the amazing artwork from the Alternative Tentacles UK-release of ‘War On 45’. This is classic stuff that doesn’t get old. The kids need to hear this and learn something positive while having fun too. This spits and kicks and educates. Remember, talk minus action equals nothing and just owning this collection means you’re already doing something.
Sudden Death Records
www.suddendeath.com

DOWN AND AWAY - ‘TO SERVE AND PROTECT’ CD
I was a big fan of the ‘Set To Blow’ album when that came out a couple of years back and I still spin that a lot. DOWN AND AWAY are from Sweden and play melodic streetpunk that’s enjoyable and friendly, they certainly aren’t into the tough style that most streetpunk bands are into. This is more like the BOUNCING SOULS mixed with RANDY and THE BOMBSHELL ROCKS... very approachable and affable, they have a great attitude that’s for sure and their songs kick ass. I can’t see any reason why any punk rocker wouldn’t like this... there truly isn’t anything to hate about DOWN AND AWAY. I really like this record and I think it’s further cemented their forthcoming style and great song-writing. I actually haven’t heard their debut record but I’m going to get that for sure. You really can’t go wrong with these guys. It’s friendly enough to be instantly likeable but not so friendly that it’s wimpy. This isn’t wimpy at all, it's actually got a lot of balls. Get it, you won’t go wrong. Oh yeah, I really like the artwork throughout this record too.
Mad Butcher Records
www.madbutcher.de

THE DRIP / HEDGECREEP - SPLIT 7"
3 song split on clear wax with a big hole. First up Chicago’s THE DRIP... great name and fucking killer band. They got this raw glam/garage sound that’s nice and vulgar. Attacking, nice pace, obnoxious and snotty with raw production too... this is the sound that I shoot for and THE DRIP nail it. I love them. Both their tracks ‘Pills’ and ‘Annette’ are excellent. HEDGECREEP are slower and heavier than THE DRIP and more complex than THE DRIP’s straightforward punk attack, sometimes verging on a more hardcore sound with breakdowns. Not bad at all but THE DRIP steal the show by miles and miles.
Wrecked ‘Em Records
www.wrecked-em.com

DUN 2 DEF - ‘EVERY WEEKEND’ CD
Dual-vocal punk rock that verges slightly on hardcore at times and mixes a typically British style with a touch of the more-contemporary American sound. I hear a slight touch of LEATHERFACE on there... that gritty melodic sound. The whole thing has a raw edge and the production has a ‘messy’ edge to it, a kind of live feel that I really like. It’s definitely not polished which is a huge plus for me. It’s got the right amount of hostility blended with the right amount of melody with loads of anthemic, sing-a-long choruses and that will do me fine.
www.myspace.com/dun2def

THE ELECTRIC KISSES - S/T CD
I know I’ve said this in so many reviews before but it’s something that’s very important to me and I think a hugely important dynamic of punk rock and that’s what ever happened to fun in punk? Bands that can authentically communicate pleasure and excitement through their records... I think Full Breach has got them all! ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STORMTROOPERS, KEVIN K and now THE ELECTRIC KISSES too. This is a mind-blower of a record, the impact is amazing and it’s all kept so super-simple and that's exactly what I’m after. The more complex the songs, the less impact they have and this is where a lot of punk rock bands go wrong... keep it simple and captivating... that’s exactly how I’d describe THE ELECTRIC KISSES. Plus they are a three-piece which, when pulled off well, is the best shit ever and man, can these cats pull a three-piece off. You know a three-piece works when there’s absolutely nothing missing from the sound and delivery because it can sound thin and empty if it’s not done right, so if you want to hear it done how it should be check out THE ELECTRIC KISSES. What a ridiculously good debut... I’m beyond stunned. What a fantastic band name too... I’m genuinely electrified.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

ENTROPY - ‘GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT’ 7"
Holy shit... what a way for Bad Idea to shove itself right down our throats with this sick debut 7”. This is a label that we’re all going to have to keep our eyes on because something special is in the making here. This is a fantastic single and not only because ENTROPY rule but because of the whole concept and presentation of this thing... screen-printed, numbered and signed covers with Julia Smut’s excellent artwork, a big hole in the record and the whole thing is just oozing with pure Californian punk rock style. I was excited about Bad Idea as I was (and still am) about Hostage. You know, every now and then a label comes along that is like a mind-reader and just puts out records that make you drool, and I can tell this is what Bad Idea is going to be. What a brilliant way to start off what I'm sure will be a long, long line of killer releases. ENTROPY have the perfect LA abrasive melodic blend and these three tracks sink their teeth in and pull you into the fuckin turntable. This record has been glued to the player since I got it. This is exactly what punk rock needs... limited to 500 so hurry up and get yerself a copy.
Bad Idea Music
www.badideamusic.com

ESCAPE THE FATE - ‘THERE’S NO SYMPATHY FOR THE DEAD’ CD EP
Heavy and metallic contemporary hardcore with a huge melodic edge and plenty of breakdowns. There’s the dual vocals too with one deep, growling voice and the other melodic vocals with loads of harmonies and IRON MAIDEN style guitar parts too. I don’t really listen to this type of stuff but ESCAPE THE FATE speak to me way more than most of the bands in this genre that I’ve heard, and it does take me back to my metallic youth. It’s nice to see that hints of real metal are still around these days because I don’t know what happened to metal but it’s sure not what I grew up with. It’s funny because when I was a kid into metal it was way geeky and now it’s like the height of coolness... when did that happen?? Where’s the long-haired, patched-up, sleeveless leather jacket stinkers????? I kinda miss them. Anyway, I’m not really the man to be reviewing this but my cousin heard it and he almost creamed his pants, and he’s into ATREYU, AFI, TAKING BACK SUNDAY, A SMALL VICTORY, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, AIDEN and all that stuff so I hope that’s a good reference for all you out there.
Epitaph Records
www.epitaph.com

THE FALLOUT - ‘WHAT IS PAST IS PROLOGUE’ CD
Canada’s THE FALLOUT mix the early UK punk rock sound of STIFF LITTLE FINGERS with the later sound of LEATHERFACE and the more contemporary American sound of more-recent BAD RELIGION, SWINGIN UTTERS and the DUCKY BOYS but it’s not a chopped up replica of these bands and styles... the sound is very immersed and focussed. The songs are short and urgent and you can tell that these guys are ‘older’ punks and that’s what I look for because you can hear their experience and knowledge running right through this record. They know how to write punk rock... whether spewing out cutting and shrewd political lyrics, recounting events or just having fun they are totally absorbed in the true punk rock spirit in a way that can only be achieved through years of punk rock attention and devotion. Young bands just haven’t got this fire. They should have exploding energy because of their youth but they’re all weak and tired!! THE FALLOUT have got that fire for sure.
Longshot Music
www.longshotmusic.com

FAR CUE - ‘ANOTHER DAT AT THE OFFICE CD
Unmistakably English hardcore punk with a blend of the early UK punk/Oi! sound and the later, faster hardcore style with elements of THE BUSINESS, FRANKIE FLAME, GBH and THE EXPLOITED. Very full on and always attacking which is what I like... I got no time to rest! I want to be mowed down by punk rock and FAR CUE have got that belligerence but manage to combine melody in there too and that blend works really well. Young bands take note. This is what energetic punk rock sounds like and this is how you blend aggression with melody. I don’t know why young bands follow that wimpy American sound so much. It’s like the kids have less energy than the older guys. How does that work?! This is a fucking solid album from a band who know what they’re doing. Cool and sardonic look to the record too.
Step-1 Music
www.step1music.com

LOS FASTIDIOS - ‘REBELS ‘N’ REVELS’ CD
This fantastic Italian political punk rock band is back with another fucking great record. Blending melody and power with intelligent and perceptive lyrics, mostly in Italian but a couple of songs are sung in English and as always the lyrics are printed in Italian, English and French in the booklet which is cool as fuck. I have always heard a lot of the BOUNCING SOULS in LOS FASTIDIOS, that strong melodic backbone running through the music and a robust vocal line to go with it. This is productive and beneficial punk rock that’s really enjoyable too. This isn’t preachy shit, these guys won’t bore you with their opinions and outlooks, they will just share it with you. It’s not forced down your throat like some shitty macho hardcore bands do it. This is a very hard working band that never fail to impress me. I hugely recommend anything by LOS FASTIDIOS.
Mad Butcher Records
www.madbutcher.de

THE FEELERS - ‘LEARN TO HATE THE FEELERS’ CD
This is insultingly raw and I mean that as a huge compliment. It’s like THE FEELERS know you wanna hear them so badly that you’ll lap up the abuse and beg for more but you’ll only get about 20 minutes of maltreatment from these 15 cuts and I tell you, the experience is shocking, wonderfully shocking. FEELERS is fucking right... you gotta feel this... don’t listen, don’t think, just feel. Get that nasty shit inside you and get threateningly spastic. I must have spun this for an hour and a half straight and I feel fucking fantastic. OK, so it took me about an hour to write these few lines and I had to spell and grammar check every word and my brain was in and out, but fuck it, that’s the FEELERS and I want more. Exciting and fun and delightfully fucked up and you know, I could’ve just said that these guys got the early Rip Off sound and Sean from the REATARDS is a member and that would’ve sufficed to make this a necessity, but I wanted to let you know how deep these guy got me.
Dead Beat Records
www.dead-beat-records.com

FILTHY THIEVING BASTARDS - 'MY PAPPY WAS A PISTOL' CD
Any record that takes it's title from 'Dang Me' is already gonna get me excited, not that these filthy bastards need anything to get me stimulated because they stole my heart as soon as I heard their first EP. I hold a special place in my heart for Darius Koski and Johnny Bonnel and the SWINGIN' UTTERS too because they changed me more than any other band has and I haven't been able to get them out of my head for over a decade. These sounds and songs have shaped my youth and accompanied me through my adulthood. I love these guys to death and everything they lay their hands and minds to is beautiful. The FILTHY THIEVING BASTARDS sound has evolved over the years and through their 3 releases. This record sees them throw in all kinds of sounds and directions they have previously explored and also new territory. This perhaps has a slightly more rockabilly feel to it. As always with these guys there's shocking talent on here. They convey melancholy and emotion like no other band. Lots of minor chords and notes and intelligent, lyrical prose. These are jaw-dropping songs and these boys continue to shape me. This is a fantastic record.
BYO Records
www.byorecords.com

THE FIRE LINE - ‘GUNMETAL’ CD
THE FIRE LINE are all about putting the balls and ferocity back into rock ‘n’ roll. They are a raw and vigorous two-piece from Manchester whose sound is a stripped down and heavily distorted garage fuzz. The guitar is played through a bass amp which heightens the deformity of this raw, raw sound. There’s no bullshit about this, it’s just exposed rock ‘n’ roll played by two guys who just can’t stand the limp-dick, frail shit that has crept into the British rock ‘n’ roll scene. To be honest British rock ‘n’ roll is a fucking embarrassment these days. Where the fuck has it gone?? Don’t tell me that shit like HARD-FI, KEANE or COLDPLAY are what we have to brag about when it comes to contemporary rock ‘n’ roll... what a fucking humiliation. That’s the exact mirror opposite of what THE FIRE LINE represent. Coming from a much grittier and rough American direction, they are all about injecting the vigour and intensity back into this music that was once defiant and a great job they are doing too. You can actually download all their music for free from their website or write to them and request a copy of the CD for free. Very cool indeed.
www.thefireline.co.uk

FIXED IDEA - ‘LA MEURTE’ CD
I always look forward to Broken Bonez releases, they are such a cool DIY label. FIXED IDEA mix punk rock and Ska, well more rocksteady, and the sound is really stripped down which I like! There’s no doubt that these guys can write and play. They go off on weird tangents a lot and some of the compositions are outright bizarre and this is something very interesting that you don’t hear too often in this genre... and thank God becasue there are way too many stale and lacklustre skapunk bands around. You can feel that they have a blast playing this stuff and that’s cool to hear and they know how to incorporate fun into their music without getting silly and with a good amount of attack and aggression too. There are a couple of completely punk rock tracks on here and that breaks things up in a cool way, so the record is constantly speeding up and slowing down and that’s cool with me. I’m always a bit jaded about skapunk because I’ve heard to much bad stuff that tries so over-hard to amuse but this isn’t that at all. This is way more sharp and smart.
Broken Bonez Records
www.brokenbonezrecords.net

FLATLINERS - ‘LET IT GO’ 7"
This is the final release from Texas’ FLATLINERS and shit does it see them go out with a bang. Make that a fucking explosion. Rampant hardcore punk that’s antagonistic in a great way... not macho just full-on and compelling and they have the perfect balance of styles which just makes their sound so damn accessible. They nail it. At times they kinda remind me of the QUINCY PUNX, and that’s another band that in my opinion manage to blend punk and hardcore really well. It sucks that they’re calling it a day but what a way to quit. This is a farewell overflowing with style and passion. Great cover art by Michael Bukowski which makes this final release that much more special and spattered clear purple wax too.
Slab-O-Wax Records
www.slab-o-wax.com

THE FORECAST - ‘IN THE SHADOW OF TWO GUNMEN’ CD
I really like the way Victory Records put out uncharacteristic releases every now and then and they’ve been doing this for a while with STUDENT RICK, RIVER CITY REBELS, THE TOSSERS, ACTION ACTION and THE FORECAST. This is their second full-length for the label and you may instantly expect a heavy, intense hardcore sound from Victory but THE FORECAST are the opposite of hardcore. They combine folk/country with organic melodies and delicate rock and an almost late 80’s/early 90’s English indie sound. A lot of THE FORECAST’s sound hangs on the layered dual male and female vocals and intricate harmonies. Sure they get heavy at times but in a totally rock way, nice and thick with a really prominent and full bass backing. At times the darkness and bareness of the music reminds me slightly of THE HANDSOME FAMILY especially on tracks like ‘Welcome Home’ and ‘Some things never change’. The whole album is pretty diverse and always shifting paces but as I said, the vocals and vocals-lines are what define THE FORECAST.
Victory Records
www.victoryrecords.com

FOUR DEADLY QUESTIONS / THE ANSWER LIES - SPLIT CD
Here are two very well-suited bands (other than the fact that they have questions and answer in their names) because even though their approaches are different, their direction and purpose is the same. Both bands create a hell of an impact through simple and confrontational punk rock but THE ANSWER LIES are the show-stealers of this split for me with their fast and attacking hardcore punk that’s fucking spirited and wild. They have the ingredients that make me drool and that excites me and it’s hard to find bands that can still excite me these days. FOUR DEADLY QUESTIONS are so close but THE ANSWER LIES just have the edge over them in my opinion. In fact, FOUR DEADLY QUESTIONS have the more interesting sound of the two bands but it’s THE ANSWER LIES’ straightforward-ness that sucks me in and won’t spit me out. Awesome split.
Geykido Comet Records
www.gcrecords.com

FRONT - ‘LIVE UND IN FARBE’ CD
FRONT have a very erratic and impulsive sound. It’s very early punk rock mixed with a touch of new wave and garage and the energy and liveliness of the show certainly comes across on this recording. I like their spontaneous sound a lot. It reminds me a bit of THE ROTTERS mixed with LE SHOK and that’s cool with me! I’m a bit hard to please when it comes to live recordings but I dig this... it’s so raw and unpredictable and reminds me of the Rave Up sound of all those early ‘punk nuggets’. The rawness of the recording suits the spontaneity of the music and it’s a really enjoyable CD. I’d really like to hear a studio record from FRONT because it’s hard to picture their sound exactly from a live recording but I bet they sound fucking good.
Matula Records
www.matularecords.de

FUCKED UP - ‘HIDDEN WORLD’ CD
What can I say that hasn’t been said about FUCKED UP already?? Is there anyone who doesn’t like these guys?? They have just swept everybody off their feet and somehow managed to re-write hardcore by keeping it the same... I, along with everyone else, don’t know how they have managed it but I too have been blown back by this amazing band and absolutely killer record... it’s just perfect hardcore. I can’t believe the lengths of the tracks on here. I mean, I have the shortest attention span and usually start to twitch around the 3 minute mark but that just hasn’t happened with FUCKED UP and 9 of the 13 tracks on here are over 5 minutes long with one over 7 minutes and one over 9 minutes!! Unbelievable. But so much happens in these songs that they just fly past and it’s all so exciting that time is never an issue. Hell, they could all be longer and I’d be absolutely fine with that and I’ve never felt that way about a band before. Well, maybe before I was a punk and into PINK FLOYD when I was a kid I could hack those uber-masterpieces like ‘Interstellar Overdrive' and ‘Atom Heart Mother’ but not since I was 13!! What’s really strange is that FUCKED UP cite PINK FLOYD as an influence and as obscure and outrageous as that may sound for a hardcore band to say... it’s fucking true. Amazing that it works and I just don’t know how it works but you have to believe me that it just does. I absolutely loved their ‘Police’ 7”. I’ve never been so beautifully suffocated by a band as with FUCKED UP... I’m amazed and truly have entered their Hidden World and I don’t want to leave...
Jade Tree Records
www.jadetree.com

‘GOD SAVE THE QUEEN’ DVD
This is a fantastic punk rock anthology featuring legends from the US and the UK. The DEAD BOYS start the whole thing off with ‘Sonic Reducer’ one of my favourite punk songs of all time, and we get to see Stiv Bators in his full, snotty glory looking cool as all hell followed by JOHNNY THUNDERS with a live montage of ‘Born To Lose’ and an interview with Johnny too where he talks about Paris, drugs, New York, Heartbreakers etc. UK SUBS are up next with ‘CID’ one of the most important UK bands that are still going now!! The GERMS serve up ‘Media Blitz’ next and yeah, it’s chaotic and unpredictable!! The godfather of punk rock IGGY POP delivers ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ with his STOOGES. The rest of the DVD is dedicated to UK bands featuring THE ADICTS, THE BUZZCOCKS, THE EXPLOITED, THE SUBHUMANS, VICE SQUAD (with interview too), GENERATION X (with interview too), TOY DOLLS, CHELSEA, X-RAY SPEX (with interview too), 999, BLITZ, GBH, GOLDBLADE and SHAM 69 with a MARKY RAMONE interview in the middle of it all. A very comprehensive anthology covering all sides of the punk rock spectrum with many interesting choices. It would have been very easy to just have the SEX PISTOLS, THE CLASH, THE RAMONES etc but this collection delves deeper than that and exhibits the different and even more obscure facets of this 30-year old beast. It’s great to see the fun-side of the scene with the TOY DOLLS and the political side with THE EXPLOITED and GBH. I still think that the DEAD BOYS steal the show and is an amazing opener but that’s because I love everything about Stiv and the DEAD BOYS. Kids could really learn a lot from a DVD like this.
Music Video Distributors
www.mvdb2b.com

GOOD RIDDANCE - ‘MY REPUBLIC’ CD
GOOD RIDDANCE have been ripping shit up with their punk and hardcore blend that mixes old and new styles for over a decade and ‘My Republic’ sees them more enthusiastic and spirited than ever before with that trademark merging of punk and hardcore sounds. Think of a mix of THE ADOLESCENTS, BAD RELIGION, NOFX, AGENT ORANGE, PENNYWISE etc... a very Californian sound but with no particular age and that’s a great thing. They know exactly how to mix melody with force and to get that balance right in the middle of punk and hardcore. The pace of the music alters throughout the record and that’s a cool thing and no matter what it’s always unmistakable GOOD RIDDANCE. They have certainly forged their sound. GOOD RIDDANCE are one of those bands that’s it’s impossible to imagine not being there. They are a staple and a household name and when after over a decade they release a powerball like ‘My Republic’ (great title) they show no signs of age or strain whatsoever.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

THE GREY - S/T CD EP
It’s pretty hard to place THE GREY’s sound. It’s definitely arty post-punk rock with heavy emphasis on the rock. They mix heaviness and subtlety but in the old-fashioned SST way... the songs are like a journey that intensifies, spirals and unwinds but not like these fucking new bands with all their breakdowns and build-ups and shit, this is nothing like that. There are long instrumental sections and there’s no real formula to any of the songs which is a cool thing because you just can’t communicate that loose, journey-type feeling if the song-writing is all rigid and super-structured. I grew up with that SST ambiguity and I always found it to be the perfect companion to the faster, heavier shit that I’ve always listened to so I’ve got a lot of time for THE GREY and I’m looking forward to their full-length this winter.
Sonic Deadline Records
www.sonicdeadline.cjb.net

GUIGNOL / NANUCHKA - ‘DRINK THE BEST WINE FIRST’ SPLIT CD
I can’t explain how blown away I was with this split... I was expecting to like it because I really go for the Fistolo style and sound but this knocked me back! GUIGNOL are described as ‘mad marionette music’ and NANUCHKA are defined as ‘Firewater meets... the Go-Go’s’ and that’s it... I don’t even want to expand on those perfect characterizations so instead I’ll just tell you that both bands, but especially GUIGNOL instantly struck a chord with me that ran deep and shot me back to my childhood listening to my family playing Neapoletan music with wonderful raw energy that I truly believe influenced me and guided me into punk rock. That raw urgency, energy and power. Excellent stuff here that is honestly a rare treat and exactly what I need.
Fistolo Records
www.fistolo.com

THE HECKLERS – ‘MY HEAD’ 7”
These guys are fuckin vicious! 3 tracks of wonderfully messy garage punk rock. ‘My Head’ is a raw and wild killer!! ‘Walking Like A Panther’ has a more melodic edge but is still raw as fuck!! Brilliant track... and the 7” closes with a great RUBINOOS cover of ‘Rock and Roll Is Dead’. The whole thing has a slight early GG sound to it with the vocals really upfront in the mix. Man, this is such a cool release and I’m hooked on their totally DIY, undomesticated sound... I need more!! Big hole too!! I’m blown away and what a way for Go Ape to start.
Go Ape Records
www.fancymag.com

HELL PROMISE - ‘AIM FOR HELL’ CD
Heavy metal/thrash, nice and old school and with good vocals... throaty but not ridiculous and at times it’s really closer to hardcore than metal and that works well for me... they got a fuckin good mix. They manage to put all the intensity across without being over the top. The production is great because it’s not crazy heavy, it’s way thinner than it could be and that’s something I really go for. Fuck all that fake intensity that over-saturated production gives bands that haven’t got the energy to start with. HELL PROMISE don’t have that problem... they got brutal energy.
Rock Star Music
www.rockstar.com

HOSTAGE LIFE - ‘SING FOR THE ENEMY’ MINI CD
Canada’s HOSTAGE LIFE pack quite a fucking punch on here with their fast-paced blend of hardcore and punk. It’s tough yet melodic and at times the vocals really remind me of Lars Frederiksen. The sound is pretty wild and the whole thing is fortified with some serious fucking energy and perceptive lyrics. At times they sound like straight-up streetpunk, at others melodic hardcore and this works for me. They constantly keep the pace up which is a huge plus for me because as much as I like streetpunk, it can be a little on the slow side for me and start to drone but HOSTAGE LIFE take care of that shit! The best I can describe their sound is a blend of the BASTARDS, DISASTERS and later-period AGNOSTIC FRONT and I’m really impressed with this. They got a full length out real soon so that’s something to keep yer eyes peeled for.
Household Name Records
www.householdnamerecords.co.uk

HUDSON FALCONS - ‘LA FAMIGLIA’ CD
Oh yeah, the FALCONS are back to agitate!!! These guys are the definitive example of how to mix tough streetpunk with some heavy rock ‘n’ roll. No over-the-top shit, no crow-barring riffs in there just to fit the rock ‘n’ roll in, just a natural and relentless style... THE HUDSON FALCONS are the top dogs of this genre. It’s not unknown that New Jersey boasts the most robust sound in punk rock but the FALCONS own that stoutness. This record is about family, blood and non-blood, relations and relationships and that’s a subject that these guys can tackle productively and positively. You can hear the enthusiasm and the affection pouring out of the speakers. I love this band and every time they release something it blows all those other bands that are attempting to do this right out of the water. Although this music is tough, it’s also sophisticated and very encouraging. Excellent record.
Street Anthem Records
www.streetanthemrecords.com

HUDSON FALCONS - ‘SINGLES COLLECTION 1997-2002’ CD
The greatest thing about the HUDSON FALCONS, and this is the thing that grabbed me about them when I first heard them years ago, is just how natural they sound. It’s hardly uncommon to hear over-the-top, uber-hostile street rock ‘n’ roll that really forces the blue-collarness of the band in your face but the FALCONS were never like that. They do what they want to do without feeling the need to stick to any formulas or imagery. Well, actually they do stick to one formula and that’s that it’s gotta rock!!! Nobody does it like these guys and the reality is that they should be huge because the way they unify punk and rock is incomparable. Very stylish and very instinctive, tough and so approachable. This CD is a collection of 20 singles that are now out of print, previously unreleased and original versions of album tracks and is full of all that FALCONS charisma. I really urge you to get a hold of any of their stuff that you can because it will wake you up. I remember after I heard them it made me look at some of the stuff I was listening to in a totally different way. So much of it seemed so weak and artificial after hearing the HUDSON FALCONS and my standards have been raised ever since. Never enough Falcons!!!!
Street Anthem Records
www.streetanthemrecords.com

DIE HUNNS - ‘YOU ROT ME’ CD
Another Hunns record and another Hunns line-up! This is the first proper full-length since Corey joined where she really has become an integral part of the Hunns sound. The sound has changed completely on this album. They have moved away from the big-riff rock ‘n’ roll and onto a way more stripped down and raw approach that really takes advantage of Corey’s voice. She is a really great vocalist and she can actually do a lot with her voice. She doesn’t just scream like most of those other female punks... that’s so boring... she actually has soul and style in her vocals and this is the record where that and her interplay with Duane’s vocals has genuinely developed and I really like where this has headed. It’s nothing like I was expecting but it’s a great surprise. This record has elements of LOU REED, TOM WAITS, IGGY POP, TOM PETTY and DAVID BOWIE... and so much of it is so stripped down which is the total opposite of the old HUNNS sound that was huge and powerful. This is just as powerful but in a totally different way and it’s so cool to see Duane push this and acknowledge this new direction and really make Corey a big part of the band. Duane is definitely about keeping stuff fresh and that’s amazing because being who he is, he could just churn out the same stuff over and over (and that would be fine!) but he doesn’t. He has a lot of ambition and that shines through brilliantly on ‘You Rot Me’.
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

THE HUNNS - ‘BEYOND WARPED’ CD/DVD
I found this as a pretty strange addition to the ‘Beyond Warped’ series. I’m absolutely thrilled that they released THE HUNNS and surprised because they are anything but a typical Warped band. Sometimes I feel that ‘real’ punk rock gets more and more overlooked as the scene become ever-more popular and safe, so hats off to Immergent for putting this out. I don’t need to say that Duane Peters rules, you know that already, and I know that you want this so just get it. You don’t need to be told that you need this!! In case you don’t know what this ‘Beyond Warped’ series is all about you get a dual disc that’s a CD on one side and a DVD on the flip. The CD contains the live Warped set audio and the DVD contains the footage, plus here you get a cool interview with Duane and Corey talking about how they met and how she became part of the HUNNS, and they talk about the first rehearsals with her etc. There’s also a couple of live club performances too plus more shit. Just get it.
Immergent Records
www.immergent.com

I FARM - ‘IV’ CD
I FARM truly are like a metallic DESCENDENTS and how that works is beyond me because they sound killer, but if I hadn’t heard them I wouldn’t go for that description and boy would I miss out!! You need to hear this! Crazy heavy riffs and manic vocals. There’s a totally SST vibe to I FARM and that’s so welcome. Totally creative, they throw all kinds of things into the mix... melodic breakdowns, abrasive guitar bursts, wildly flailing structures and rasping sounds but it comes together perfectly. Sometimes it’s like, “what the fuck is going on??!!!”’ but I love that! The pace changes and vocal variation is great. It’s too hard to describe I FARM, you just gotta get it to hear it and feel it because it’s way too hard to piece together from my shitty description! You’ll be hooked I guarantee it.
Go Kart Records Europe
www.gokartrecords.de

I WALK THE LINE - ‘DESOLATION STREET’ CD
When I heard I WALK THE LINE’s debut record a couple of years ago I was excited because I knew Ville from WASTED was on vocals and those guys blow me away with everything they put out. I think Ville’s got some real presence on that mic so I was eager to hear this new band. I was taken aback by the subtle and morose sound coming out of the speakers as opposed to the hardcore punk that WASTED nail so sickeningly well. But this sound worked and is just so natural. Even though it’s not as fierce as the hardcore/punk rock of WASTED or MANIFESTO JUKEBOX (whose members are also included in IWTL) it’s by no means less powerful or spirited. The energy isn’t coming from as obvious a direction as with those other bands. It’s deeper and darker in I WALK THE LINE’s songwriting and the keyboards really thicken the whole sound up and intensify the sinister element. Where IWTL may have started out as a side-project from these bands touring together and passing the time, it has become something way greater and concentrated and ‘Desolation Street’ has taken the songwriting and sound to that more absorbed stage. This is a band that will keep going and going because there’s no boundaries with their direction and I believe that this project will outlive all their other bands.
Combat Rock Industry
www.fireinsidemusic.com

INACUN - ‘KLEPTOMANIAC’ CD
As soon as I opened the package, this album cover stuck in my head and all I could think of was SST records... so I can tell you I was excited to put this on because this really looks like an American young punk rock band’s record from the early 80s, but these guys are actually English and current. There is a definite SST edge to this but I think it’s completely unintentional but I really fucking like it. It’s very melodic, perhaps more melodic than I was expecting but that’s totally cool with me and I found myself spinning this several times in a row. It’s very melodic but it’s not poppy, this is more about song crafting and vocal dexterity and it’s all very minimal but totally focussed. I’m very impressed and especially because I really don’t listen to any very melodic music but this has grabbed me and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spun this since it arrived.
www.inacun.co.uk

THE INOCULATORS - ‘DROPPED THEIR BRAINS’ LP
THE INOCULATORS really mix things up like crazy. They are foul-mouthed rogues who are able to flip between heavy punk rock, melodic punk and an injection (ha ha) of reggae while managing to keep it heavy and thrashy. Blunt lyrics and a real ‘fuck you’ attitude to the whole album and I like that when it’s mixed with the more melodic side of things. It reminds me a bit of THE SLEAZIES, SCREECHING WEASEL, THE NOBODYS or THE QUEERS etc in that sense, vulgar but likeable. Sound-wise I hear a definite resemblance to LEFT ALONE, CHOKING VICTIM/LEFTOVER CRACK, PLAN A PROJECT. RANCID, WASTED... it’s a blend of manic punk rock with a chaotic ska/reggae flip and don’t think for a second that this is some wimpy-dick skapunk nonsense. This isn’t friendly. It’s fun, sure, but in a total punk rock way. It's got balls and it’s repellent but it’s affable too. It’s like they’ll take you out for a meal and then spit in your food. This blend works really well for me and I could see these guys fitting in well on a label like Hellcat. It’s that more aggressive side of the punk and ska/reggae blend. Great artwork on this record too, and the producer has worked with RANCID, NEKROMANTIX and the HORRORPOPS so yer getting the picture now.
www.inoculators.com

THE INSURGENCE - ‘LOST’ 7”
THE INSURGENCE really mix things up on this 7”. The title track is a solid, tough punk rock number with lots of guitar and a sing-along chorus. ‘Ghost Town’ is a vicious hardcore blast that reminds me slightly of the NERVE AGENTS. Fast and frantic but still maintaining a strong melodic edge. The last track ‘Friday Nite’ is the most melodic of the three and has a more punk rock ‘n’ roll fee to it. I’ve been spinning this record for weeks and I’m not even slightly bored of it at all. They do all the styles really well and it’s always got their stamp on it so it doesn’t sound direction-less or undecided. I’m really looking forward to a full-length so I hope it’s on the horizon!
Flotation Records
www.flotationrecords.com

INTENTION - ‘AFRAID AT THE EDGES’ CD
Vicious hardcore that fuses old and new styles but with a deep-rooted punk rock sound. I hear elements of STRYCHNINE, THE EXPLOITED and DEAD KENNEDYS but fused with a whole different approach and at time it reminds me of a really out of control BENDER. It’s fast and explosive and will have a wide appeal because their blend extends beyond any particular genre. There’s a definite UK ’82 edge, a combination of American and English hardcore sounds, straight punk rock and metal and the concoction is brutal. A fucking antagonistic debut here. These guys must be out of control live.
Black Records, 152 Goldthorn Hill, Penn, Wolverhampton, WV2 3JA, UK

IT BURNS / THE PHENOMS - SPLIT 7"
IT BURNS are chaotic and heavy and the name of their first song on here, ‘Rock and Roll Destruction Machine’ describes them pretty fucking well! They are disordered in a fantastic way, all messy but so much urgency and energy and that’s what I like. Their second track ‘Henry Fisher’ about the child molester who got 12 years is a fucking scorcher of a track too. THE PHENOMS are out of fucking control too!! More of a raw garage approach than IT BURNS but no less frenzied! This is the first time I heard either of these bands but they both grabbed me by the balls because this rawness and urgency is what I look for in punk rock and these bands got that in spades, plus they can write killer tunes which is a bonus!!!! Great split and clear wax too.
Beercan Records
www.beercanrecords.com

THE ITCH - ‘THE COURAGE TO BE HATED’ CD
Fantastic name and great cover... this is a fine fucking record. Stripped down and raw erratic punk rock just the way I craze it. It verges on very early hardcore at times and that suits me perfectly. The urgency and energy is awesome, they keep all the songs short, mostly around the two-minute mark and that’s another thing that gets me excited. No fucking about, just energetic pressure and attack, attack, attack!! 18 tracks in half an hour is definitely my bag. There’s a whole bunch of instrumentals on here and that's yet another thing I love about it... these guys just blow me away. I truly was itching for a release like this. I haven’t been this keyed up and excited about a band in a long time and I don’t see this leaving my stereo at least until the fall. This certainly will be my soundtrack to the summer.
Wee Rock Records
www.weerockrecords.com

THE JACK SAINTS - ‘ROCK AND ROLL SAVED OUR LIVES... BUT NOW IT’S TRYING TO KILL US!’ CD
Dirty and gritty garage rock n roll with a Rip Off sound. It’s raw and straightforward and that’s how I like it. That’s how I want it. Nothing over-complicated, just basic rock n roll with lots of energy. They’ve released stuff on Man’s Ruin and Scooch Pooch so that gives a good indication of what sound to expect, and the drummer is formerly of the NEW BOMB TURKS... and Captain Sean Doe from THROWRAG guests on a couple of tracks too. The key is their plainness.. just fast and vulgar rock n roll. It’s like cheap drugs and cheaper sex all mixed up. No pretense, short and fast and just a blast. I really like this record.
Scarey Records
www.scareyrecords.com

JAED - 'CATHERINE / GUTTER GIRL' CD SINGLE
Female fronted straight forward punk rock that blends the sounds of earlier indie/punk/riot girl bands like L7, HOLE, BABES IN TOYLAND and the BREEDERS with a more melodic, Damaged goods sound of THE COGS and FUR and the spit of SCREECHING WEASEL. The blend of melody with antagonism is something that I really go for. This isn't cute, poppy punk... it's way more confrontational. It's like it draws you closer just to kick you in the balls and I really like that. I'd love to hear a full-length.
Instant Karma
www.jaedmusic.com

JAED – ‘DIRTY DAYS’ CD
Melodic yet gritty simple punk rock with that enchanting sound that you don’t hear anymore... the sound of great female/female fronted bands like the BLEEDERS, L7, HOLE and THE SUNDAYS blended with THE SMASHING PUMPKINS and the poppy new wave sound of THE DARLING BUDS and THE PRIMITIVES and the Damaged Goods punk sound of bands like FUR and THE COGS. It a great mix that reflects all kinds of times and scenes and you can hear the infatuation and love that vocalist Vanessa Eve has for this music. You can hear her youth in this, her life lived listening to these bands and this record echoes all this very effectively. I was looking forward to this full-length after hearing JEAD for the first time last year and it sure delivered!
Instant Karma
www.jaedmusic.com

SKIP JENSEN - ‘ABSCOND’ LP
This is the debut full-length from this Canadian one-man band. Skip’s approach is raw and jagged so beware! It’s super trebly and distorted and has a slight RIP OFF sound at times but he makes those records look like big-production records!! This guy is super-crude, I mean rawness to the fucking bone. The music is so overdriven and the vocals are distorted to fuck and it’s brilliant. Sometimes the vocals remind me slightly of Gibby Hanes. This guy is explosive and this is the sound of his soul laid bare, it doesn’t get more intimate that this... I mean you’re in his bloodstream. This is the first time I’ve heard Skip and as much of a fan as I am of the one-man band style, Skip blows all the shit I’ve heard right out the water! Rawness and genuineness are something I truly cherish in music and Skip is all about that. I’m sure he knows no other way and that’s perfect. I’m really captivated by this record and I can’t stop spinning this... literally, my player hasn’t seen anything else since I got this over a month ago...
Demolition Derby
www.demderby.com

THE JONESES - ‘TITS AND CHAMPAGNE’ 12” EP
I know there probably hasn’t been one review of this record that didn’t mention ‘Pill Box’ but fuck it... I’m mentioning it too because the impact that song (and ‘Graveyard Rock’) had on me when I first heard ‘Someone Got Their Head Kicked In’ nearly fifteen years ago was phenomenal. These spitting, burning rock ‘n’ roll gems in between all that punk and hardcore stuck out in my brain and I was fucking hypnotised. So now, thanks to Full Breach Kicks, and in a time where we so desperately need the sound of THE JONESES, the kids who have very little to get inspired and excited about have ‘Tits and Champagne’ and even though it might be more than 15 years old it still slices the throats of 99.9% of the bands out there today. This is real rock ‘n’ roll... dirty, sleazy, raw and simple and the power of real rock ‘n’ roll comes only through simplicity, but the correct employment of this straightforwardness and THE JONESES are the embodiment of that. Unfortunately that bluntness has long been lost in rock ‘n’ roll and with that went the magic too, because now with all the insane amounts of production on punk rock records we may as well just give up and not use the words ‘punk’ or ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ anymore. Thanks to records like this circulating again and a few true rock ‘n’ roll bands keeping the real spirit alive we might just save it. This is so fucking necessary that if you need to think about it you’re totally fucking incompetent.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

KAMIKAZE SPERM - ‘S.B.C.’ CD EP
Chaotic hardcore punk rock with a slight touch of early DROPKICKS and RANCID but not as obvious as that. This is way more out of control and erratic in a great way. They have some interesting sounds including a melodica (I think!) and a harmonica and it sounds like they have a fuckin laugh playing this stuff. 4 studio tracks and 3 songs recorded live at the ‘It’s Punk Up North’ festival. I really fuckin like this and the band name too.
Noize Anoize Music
www.noizeanoize.co.uk
kamikazesperm@hotmail.com

‘KAOS CONTROL #1’ DVD
Fuck yeah, this is pure punk rawness... THE SHITGIVEITS live and a pool session too. The whole thing is punk as fuck and all cut ‘n’ paste and that’s what gets me. I love this shit. First up there’s THE SHITGIVEITS live at Winston’s which is spliced with band/interview footage and raw punk skating. Totally wild, THE SHITGIVEITS play old-fashioned skate punk/hardcore with absolutely no bullshit. This is folled by THE SHITGIVEITS’ ‘War Whore’ video. Next up you get almost half an hour of the Clairemont Contest featuring ripping from Brad Edwards, Matt Dove, Zack Dowdy, Benji Galloway, Pat Ngoho and Taylor Smith who’s 11 fucking years old and ripping the place apart!!! That kid’s outta control, and it’s all set to THE SHITGIVEITS soundtrack. The DVD ends with a trailer for the Punk Vs. Punk DVD that’s coming soon and that looks killer. It’s gonna feature JFA, THE SHITGIVEITS, THE SCREAMIN’ YEEHAWS, THE SHIFT, THE GIZZARDS, THE YUCKS and a heap more so get this and then get that!
Kaos Control Videp, Po Box 22661, San Diego, CA 92192-2661, USA

KEVIN K - ‘ROCKIN ROLL DYNAMITE’ CD
Well, I could keep this review super short and just say that the record title says it all... do you really need to know more than that?? Do you want more than rockin roll dynamite???!!! Well if you need more incentive than that you don’t deserve this because you just don’t get it, but listen up because you got one more chance to get it right... KEVIN K represents everything punk rock is supposed to be... fun, sinister, simple, sleazy, decadent, exciting and honest. No bullshit gimmicks, he’s been rockin for years and can sure as fuck teach any of these new fucking bands a whole bunch of shit that would make them bunch and leave with their tails between their legs, embarrassed that they ever thought they might be punk rockers. The way he mixes menace with melody is fantastic and is truly on a par with THE RAMONES but with the added squalor of THE HEARTBREAKERS. He truly does rock and I don’t throw that word around because these days it seems that everything apparently rocks, getting a fucking cup of coffee rocks, going to the mall rocks... fuck that... only real rock ‘n’ roll rocks and KEVIN K truly fuckin rocks and he’ll never stop rockin... convinced yet?
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

KEVIN K AND THE REAL COOL KATS - ‘PERFECT SIN’ CD
KEVIN K has been thrashin around for nearly 30 years and personifies the original punk rock spirit. The sprit of fun and danger delivered through simple rock ‘n’ roll and heaps of style. This is his twelfth full-length and it continues in that fervent spirit. KEVIN K is pure passion... a lifestyle and an obsession not like the bands and kids of today who switch scenes and lifestyles at the drop of a hat... this is commitment. You know, there’s more excitement and enthusiasm in this record than 99% of newer stuff coming out and that’s because this is honest. This is what KEVIN K knows and what he is, what he’s always been and he doesn’t even have to try to excite you because it’s all natural. Not trying to redefine punk rock or push the envelope... fuck that. This is just pure time-tested rock ‘n’ roll that stimulates me no end.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

THE KILLER - ‘BETTER JUDGED BY TWELVE THAN CARRIED BY SIX’ CD / DVD
Fast and heavy hardcore with pure Chicago style. This isn’t average or typical in any kind of way. THE KILLER certainly know the exact path they want to go down and nothing’s going to get in the way of that, that’s for sure. It’s hardcore no doubt about it but it’s very hard to place. Sure it’s old fashioned but not in the immediately distinctive way and yes it has a metallic edge but, again, not in a conventional way. When hardcore becomes hard to place but is still undeniable hardcore that’s a fucking fantatstic thing. I can’t stand what hardcore has become and I know we can’t live in the past and re-hash all the old great shit so what’s the answer? The answer is THE KILLER. Tough without being exaggeratedly macho, intelligent without being cutting or boring and heavy without being way too metallic and as far from generic and monotonous as you can get. There’s a hell of a lot of style flowing through this album and it’s been a long time, literally years since I used the word style and hardcore in the same sentence. The DVD that makes up the other half of this release is a live show in the band’s hometown at the Metro from earlier this year and is fucking cool... not some filler disc like a lot of these CD/DVD releases seem to be. Nine live tracks and a video too. This whole release is just great, the whole style and appearance and everything is just killer... I guess these guys are killer by name and by nature...
Organized Crime Records
www.organizedcrimerecords.com

THE KING BLUES - ‘UNDER THE FOG’ CD
I was so blown away by these guys when I saw them live for the first time. They mix shit up like crazy and somehow it all works. I mean, they play a crossbreed of raw acoustic punk and unrefined reggae and also have ukulele thrown in. It’s directionless but with pure direction if you can get that. There’s nothing set but they know exactly where they are going and that’s so fresh I can’t tell you. THE KING BLUES have the sound we need back in the English punk scene, the raw creativity and freedom that’s been long lost. The press-sheet describes them as a mix of AGAINST ME!, BILLY BRAGG, CHRIS MURRAY and BEDOUIN SOUDCLASH and I’d say that’s fuckin spot on... maybe I’d throw BABAR LUCK in there too. Very interesting shit indeed and the shot that the youth needs. Raw rebellion!
Household Name Records
www.householdnamerecords.co.uk

LAST TARGET - 'ONE SHOT, ONE KILL' CD
I couldn't wait to hear this CD. I've been hooked on LAST TARGET since hearing their debut EP a couple of years ago (Luck / TKO). This is Ryoko's newer band (former vocalist from THUG MURDER) and she is unstoppable. I fucking love her voice and the fire and passion that burns through her vocals and song writing is unbelievable. 'One Shot, One Kill' was released last year in Japan and BYO have released this US version and I'm not fucking around... you need this so badly. You should know THUG MURDER and that should be enough to make you want this already. You may have already heard LAST TARGET on the TKO's 'Punch Drunk IV' comp, but I'm telling you, this is as urgent and fervent as punk rock gets. This is spitting chaos non-stop and a big fuck you to all the monotonous bands out there. I love this record and I truly back anything Ryoko does. She's got passion and style like crazy.
BYO Records
www.byorecords.com

THE LAST VEGAS - ‘SEAL THE DEAL’ CD
High-energy, big riff rock ‘n’ roll with a real glam edge. The first time I heard these guys was on their split with BIBLE OF THE DEVIL and they stole the show by miles on that so I was really looking forward to hearing this. Soaked in the decadent and debauched style of HANOI ROCKS, MOTLEY CRUE, THE CULT, CHEAP TRICK, 20/20 etc these fuckers sure know how to rock. On top of that, the LAST VEGAS have this strange element where they really remind me of METALLICA too... which is weird because they haven't got that type of metallic heaviness... I can’t quite place it but it really works!! This is not the typical approach!!! A lot of the solos really reminds me of 'Appetite for Destruction' era GUNS 'N' ROSES and there's a hint of TEXAS TERRI in all this too! It’s a fucked up, balls out rock n’ roll Molotov!! I dig this shit a lot because it’s on the right side of rock ‘n’ roll for me, the side that doesn’t give a fuck... the degenerate side!! Not that bullshit macho so-called rock ’n’ roll that’s so formulated it hurts. This rocks for real.
Get Hip Records
www.gethip.com

THE LAWRENCE ARMS - ‘OH! CALCUTTA!’ CD
This record is so active... there’s some serious vitality here. These guys have always had this enthusiastic and energetic sound but it’s stronger than ever on ‘Oh! Calcutta!’ (any record that takes it’s titles from The Simpsons is gonna be a winner with me!!). Their sound is a mix of the abrasive chaos of CHOKING VICTIM/LEFTOVER CRACK and the rasping melody of ANTI-FLAG all topped off with the classic Lookout! sound of CRIMPSHRINE. On top of all the dynamism this is actually intelligent punk rock with clever lyrics, talented compositions and killer presentation too. It’s amusing but shrewd and even touching. They have that SCREECHING WEASEL melancholy sometimes too. Maybe that’s instilled into Chicago punk bands! The vocals are spot on, perfectly forceful and never overpowering. This is a great record and overflowing with eagerness.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

LEFT ALONE - ‘DEAD AMERICAN RADIO’ CD
I’ve heard a lot of people saying that this record isn’t as good as last year’s ‘Lonely Starts and Broken Hearts’ because it’s not as tough but that’s bullshit... it may be less heavy but it’s way stronger direction-wise and song-writing-wise. I liked the last record a lot but I found it lacking focus, only very slightly, but that’s what’s fallen into place here and what makes this record all the stronger. This album is a lot more melodic with a slower-pace and heavy on the Hammond with a much more clean guitar sound. They even venture into a more rock ‘n’ roll / country sound on ‘Done Wrong’, ‘Waiting For You’ and ‘I Hate Emo’. I think this is a solid as fuck record that kicks the ass off ‘Lonely Starts...’. It’s way more creative and I guess that’s what the kids have a problem with. They want bands to stick to formulas and I’m happy to see that LEFT ALONE have not done that and I hope to hear a continuation in the direction of ‘Dead American Radio’.
Hellcat Records
www.hell-cat.com

LEFT HAND PATH - 'THE WRECKAGE' 7"
Brutal hardcore/thrash, heavy and intense. This is straight from the old school, before hardcore was fashionable and over-metallic. This is just super-concentrated and powerful. I haven’t heard a hardcore band in a long time that deserves the title ‘hardcore’ but shit do LEFT HAND PATH define that term. This is the shit I grew up with before it turned into the shit that it is today. I love the title because it’s like LEFT HAND PATH are born out of the wreckage of hardcore, the breakdown of what was once an amazing movement and now they are the resurrection! Six tracks that will teach the kids what hardcore really is.
Organized Crime Records
www.organizedcrimerecords.com

LEGEND OF DUTCH SAVAGE - ‘DIRT FIST FEET’ CD
This is the debut CD from these raw Portland Rock N Rollers. They mix shit up on here like crazy and the end result is a fucking fascinating record. They certainly have a punk rock approach to their music but they don’t let that restrict their sound, rather direct it though the rawness of punk rock delivery and attitude. Melody and aggression... the vocals are the icing on this fucking killer cake. I love them and they are perfect for what these guys are doing. I’m really blown away by this band and this record. They just fuckin nailed what they were attempting with mixing all this shit up. The rawness of the recording is the cherry... it works fantastic.
www.legendofdutchsavage.com

LENNON - ‘BEYOND WARPED’ DVD
This is part of the Beyond Warped ‘Live Music Series’ but it’s just a DVD not the usual dual-disc CD/DVD, and presents LENNON’s 2004 Warped set from Charlotte, North Carolina. LENNON mix heavy, hardcore music with harmonious female vocals and lots of breakdowns and heavy bass riffs. The tracks are interspliced with band footage between each cut (there are 6 songs in all). LENNON are another example of how the Warped sound has expanded over the years. They definitely fit into the mould but they aren’t the absolute typical Warped band. They aren’t super-poppy punk and they aren’t Emo. The DVD contains loads of extra stuff but you have to put the disc in your computer because it works like a CD-ROM. There’s also interviews, out-takes and lots of other shit on there too.
Immergent Records
www.immergent.com

LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT - ‘NAVIGATE BY HEART’ CD
Wow, this really took me by surprise. I was expecting this to be dark, melodic punk rock in the vein of MANIFESTO JUKEBOX but I was way off!! This is raging Finnish hardcore that’s fast, heavy and hectic. Well-written and very stylish with smart lyrics. It’s so shocking how European stuff like this just blows all that US shit out of the water... you can feel the passion and fascination coming through the speakers and the production isn’t all over the top. There’s a certain style about European bands, especially in hardcore, that the US can’t touch and when you’re talking about Finland... shit, there’s no way you can compete with that... this shit is untouchable. 14 tracks in under half an hour, the energy never lets up. This was a great surprise!
Combat Rock Industry
www.fireinsidemusic.com

LITTERBUG - ‘SPEAKING THROUGH THE GAPS’ MINI CD
This may not be the sound that instantly comes to mind when thinking of JSNTGM bands but once you get deeper into this release you will see that it fits in perfectly with the JSNTGM ethic. This is punk rock in attitude and delivery and not some generic, heard-it-all-before punk shit. I hear a slight resemblance to CARTER USM who, in my opinion, were a lot more punk than a lot of bands who called themselves punks. It’s layered but simple and that’s the key factor. There’s no bullshit overshadowing the rawness of the song. It’s bare bones layered over bare bones and I like that. A lot happens through this simplicity. A nice departure without being too much of a variation!
JSNTGM Records
www.jsntgm.com

THE LITTLE KILLERS - ‘A REAL GOOD ONE’ CD
This is wild! Raw and rowdy rock 'n' roll that blends garage and punk with a touch of glam. Perfect New York debauched sleaze, this is the real rock 'n' roll. There’s an unpredictable and really natural sound to this record and that’s because they pretty much recorded it live in the studio and I fucking love that... that’s how it should be done. Rock 'n' roll is a wild beast so let it be wild! No overdubbing restraints! I can imagine the LITTLE KILLERS releasing stuff on FULL BEACH KICKS. They remind me a little of THE URGENCIES and THE SODA POP KIDS with a definite RIFFS thing going on! This is a killer record from these LITTLE KILLERS and as the title states ‘A Real Good One’, that should actually read, ‘A Fucking Great One’.
Gern Blandsten Records
www.gernblandsten.com

LIVEFASTDIE - ‘BANDANA THRASH RECORD’ CD
I was expecting LIVEFASTDIE to be heavily influenced by GG ALLIN but I wasn’t sure which era-GG they would sound like and I was hoping that it wasn’t the MURDER JUNKIES because that’s when GG ran out of ideas. Thankfully LIVEFASTDIE are born out of the early sound of the JABBERS and the SCUMFUCS... that raw rock n roll urgency with a huge dose of fun. GG really nailed that sound and LIVEFASTDIE drive that nail in deeper... this is fantastic punk rock. The vocals even sound live a young GG... quite high and nasal and the whole key to this style is that it comes across as dangerous without being over the top and that’s where GG lost the way later on. This is a fantastic record and it's so great to hear that raw, attacking, stripped-down punk rock sound that I fell in love with delivered so fuckin well.
Dead Beat Records
www.dead-beat-records.com

THE LOCOMOTIONS – S/T CD
It’s unbelievable to think that THE LOCOMOTIONS was just an idea thrown around between bands in a practice room because this bares none of the symptoms of a side-project. This is devoted and wild and rips like crazy. The energy is overwhelming and you can feel and hear these guy's excitement. It’s so stripped down yet so powerful and that’s the exact definition of true rock ‘n’ roll, When it’s so bare that the bones are sticking out and there’s so bullshit to cover-up the lack of ingenuity and song-crafting, just raw and exposed. Think the early sound of the REAL KIDS and the YOUNG CANADIANS with the newer chaos of THE ENDS, EXPLODING HEARTS and THE HATEPINKS. I tell you, it’s a mind-blower and it’s fucking excellent. Thank God they crossed paths in the practice rooms but it was destined to happen because something as fervent as THE LOCOMOTIONS just wouldn’t have contained itself!
Dead Beat Records
www.dead-beat-records.com

‘LOOK AT ALL THE LOVE WE’VE FOUND: A TRIBUTE TO SUBLIME’ DVD / CD
SUBLIME truly were one of those natural, eclectic and instinctive bands that truly transcended genres and merged all kinds of styles with the greatest of ease. They are simply a band that cannot be ignored. So few bands manage to crack genre-barriers so effectively because it takes some serious song-writing to be able to pull that shit off successfully without running the risk of becoming a laughing stock. Even if people don’t cite Sublime as anywhere near their favorite bands, they still like a at least a song or two and that’s a great achievement. As stated in this tribute DVD they were a community-based band and at their early shows you’d get punks, skinheads, cholos, black gangsters, frat kids and Asians all together in a warehouse and what other bands could do that? Sublime are a band that truly deserve a tribute because Bradley brought the raw and soulful sounds of Tenor Saw, Eek A Mouse, Tappa Zukie, Yellowman and Barrington Levy to a brand new and young audience and that’s the side of Sublime I love, which is so strange because I’m 110% a punk rocker but it’s their development of this rootsy reggae style that I love. This DVD collects artists from all kinds of genres together which is very fitting given Sublime’s free and varied approach presenting their take on Bradley and Sublime’s music including a solo acoustic performance from Bargain Music, trebly surf from The Ziggens, Unwritten Law, hip-hop from Living Legends and Blackalicious, legends Fishbone do their take on ‘Date Rape’ with tons of brass, and Los Lobos do a great version of ‘Pawn Shop’. It’s amazng to see what an impact Bradley and Sublime had on the artists involved here as Bob Forrest talks about the open-mindedness of Sublime’s music, the possibilities and the looseness, Murs talks about how they appeal to everyone without being contrived with authentic ghetto energy and not a suburban interpretation of rap, and most involved revere the self-titled record as Sublime’s masterpiece with Murs even saying that it’s on a par with Frank Sinatra for our generation. What else can you say? A DVD like this just underlines the importance and achievement of Sublime’s work and Bradley’s free-thinking. This package also comes with a bonus CD featuring a bunch of stuff not on the DVD including Brain Failure, Chuck D, Dr. Israel, Bedouin Soundclash and Mystic Roots Band.
Music Video Distributors
www.musicvideodistributors.com

THE LOVE DRUNKS - S/T CD
Rasping and rough, this is some critically raw garage... crude and bluesy and frantically urgent and that’s how real Rock ‘n’ Roll should be. All these bands that claim to play Rock ‘n’ Roll and then over-saturate their records with obscene levels of production. Fuck that, THE LOVE DRUNKS keep the bones visible... you don’t need to cover up shit if the song-writing and energy grabs your throat naturally, and vigour and insistence is something THE LOVE DRUNKS have naturally. This is more than a recording of music, it’s a record of infatuation and passion. I can’t believe this is their debut record. They sound like they’ve been kicking around for years and beautifully damaged by it. I just hate the way ‘garage’ and ‘rock n’ roll’ and ‘high-octane’ etc just get thrown around and 99% of the time the bands are none of that. They are just some generic shit camouflaged by image and production. There’s nothing raw or zealous about any of that shit, it’s all weak. THE LOVE DRUNKS define all the true definitions of that to me. They are truly hot-blooded and out of control and nothing can disguise that or enhance that. Nothing generic about these guys, they are 100% natural which is why they’re on Alive.
Alive Records
www.alive-totalenergy.com

LOVE EQUALS DEATH - ‘NIGHTMERICA’ CD
I was expecting LOVE EQUALS DEATH to be a dark, horrorpunk band with that name, that album title and that cover art, something along the lines of the MISFITS or AFI but it’s really not. It’s really attacking and upbeat hardcore punk with a sound more reminiscent of early PENNYWISE, NOFX and early AFI when they were an amazing hardcore band (so I was kinda right!!) with a touch of the NERVE AGENTS and THE FRISK. I wouldn’t have minded if they were a MISFITS-esque band but I much prefer what they turned out to be. It’s more straight-forward and attacking but with a strong melody running through it. I even hear elements of the DESCENDENTS in there, only small touches here and there but they really compliment the sound. Their press release mentions BILLY IDOL and DURAN DURAN and I can totally hear those influences in there too, so you can see that this isn’t a band you can directly pinpoint which is a cool thing. Great Bill Stevenson production too, full-on and dominant that solidifies a really impressive debut.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

LOVE THAT KILLS - ‘...TO CRUEL NAILS SURRENDERED’ CD EP
LOVE THAT KILLS contains members of XCANAANX and THE BREAK IN amongst others so you know what to expect... viciously heavy hardcore, hostile and forceful with breakdowns and guttural vocals. This is the sound of categorically British hardcore. It’s so brutally intense but there’s a fundamental melody running through the whole thing and that precise blend is what makes this sound. The American approach seems so different to me, even though they merge melody with heaviness they do it very differently. I don’t know, it seems more ‘separate’ but with LOVE THAT KILLS it’s all layered and intertwined. Even though this is a 6-track EP, there’s enough force on here for about 10 albums worth. This will knock you right back.
In At The Deep End Records
www.iatde.com

THE LOVED ONES - ‘KEEP YOUR HEART’ CD
I’ve heard a lot of people compare THE LOVED ONES to BLINK 182 and GREEN DAY but I don’t know what the fuck those people are talking about. Sure there’s a melodic edge to THE LOVED ONES but it's way more along the lines of later DESCENDENTS mixed with BAD RELIGION and ANN BERETTA. It’s much grittier than that empty sound of BLINK 182 and way more frantic and edgy than GREEN DAY that’s for sure. I really believe that it’s because these guys are from the East Coast that they approach this style in a totally different way. They are able to mix a heap of melody into their sound without every sounding childish and it’s always very refined. I mean, ‘Hurry Up And Wait’... a song like that truly nails that sound. The presentation is great too. The cover art rules and, again, is very stylish. This is how I define melodic punk. Melody doesn’t mean simple or infantile, and thank God THE LOVED ONES can see that.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

THE MAGIK MARKERS - ‘A PANEGYRIC TO THE THINGS I DON NOT UNDERSTAND’ CD
This is some fucking intense and daunting shit!!! Total confusion with drips of coherency seeping through every now and then. Clarity through chaos but only momentarily!! It’s a great thing when music can scare the shit out of you... I haven’t been this terrified since I was about 12 and bought my first BUTTHOLE SURFERS record! Confused speech, bird-like whistling... it kinda reminds me of the dialogue in that David Lynch animated film ‘The Grandmother’ and that was a fucking scary piece o’ film. Uber-primitive and super raw you have to get lost in the MAGIK MARKERS, you can’t hear them you have to listen to them, feel them and smell them... smell the MAGIK MARKERS... sniff the MAGIK MARKERS!! There’s only 2 tracks on this release but they’re both 20 minutes long, and although comes across as improvised it really is a journey and as disjointed and cacophonous as it may seem, it all comes together to guide you through this journey into their world. Touches of the VELVET UNDEGROUND, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, MC5, BUTTHOLES and some outright bizarreness... it kind of makes me think of the type of noise that is constantly going on in a serial killer’s head...
Gulcher Records
www.gulcher.gemm.com

MANIC HISPANIC - 'GRUPO SEXO' CD
That's right! The vatos are back to put their Latin twist on some more classic punk rock. So what's in the bag this time? There's 'Welcome To Paramount' (GREEN DAY's 'Welcome To Paradise'), 'Grupo Sexo' (the CIRCLE JERKS' 'Group Sex'), ' Big Chorizo' (FEAR's 'Beef Baloney'), 'I'm Just A Cholo' (the DESCENDENTS' 'I'm Not A Fool'), 'Stuck In The Bano' (the WEIRDOS' 'Solitary Confinement') and loads more. The greatest thing about MANIC HISPANIC apart from the amusement, is the range of the punk rock covered. There are songs from all kinds of punk eras and genres and that's so cool to hear. For example on this record they cover GREEN DAY, MINOR THREAT, THE CROWD and 999 among others and these are very different styles of punk rock yet they manage to put their trademark on anything! And it's really exciting to hear what they've covered next and see if you can get it. There's some serious punk rock history in this band featuring members of the ADOLESCENTS, CADILLAC TRAMPS, AGENT ORANGE, the GRABBERS so this isn't a fuck around. These are punk stalwarts who, along with having a blast, deliver serious lessons on punk rock history. So kids, stop fucking around at the back of the class and learn some punk rock roots with some vulgar Latin humour. Always a pleasure with MANIC HISPANIC.
BYO Records
www.byorecords.com

MANIFESTO JUKEBOX - ‘STRAIN’ CD
‘Strain’ marks MANIFESTO JUKEBOX’s return to Combat Rock Industry who released their debut (and brilliant) record ‘Desire’, BYO released their second full-length ‘Remedy’ a few years back and no surprise there really... of course a big US label was going to want a piece of MANIFESTO JUKEBOX. If you’re unfamiliar with the MANIFESTO JUKEBOX sound... what’s the matter with you?? Where have you been??? Anyway, they blend hardcore and punk with a dark and rough yet highly melodic edge and have been likened to bands like LEATHERFACE, HUSKER DU, SUGAR, RITES OF SPRING etc and as much as there certainly is an influence of these styles in their music, the MANIFESTO JUKEBOX sound is very unique and multifaceted and ‘Strain’ sees them break the mould. This is pure MANIFESTO JUKEBOX... this is certainly no copycat band. These guys push themselves further with each release and I have to say that I think ‘Strain’ is their strongest work so far. Fantastic artwork on this album
Combat Rock Industry
www.fireinsidemusic.com

MATCHBOOK ROMANCE - ‘VOICES’ CD
MATCHBOOK ROMANCE have a very moody and eerie sound that mixes melody with jarring notes and chords and the vocals can be pretty downcast, and in that way they remind me a lot of ALICE IN CHAINS but mixed with FAITH NO MORE. It’s a strange blend, and they merge delicate melodies with heavier parts but not in the obvious way that a billion bands are doing. I mean, a track like ‘Monsters’ sounds like nobody else. They never employ the obvious routine of subtle, heavy, subtle, heavy etc. They are way more sophisticated than that and they don’t whine or scream. Really they don’t fit in any category and that’s cool. They just do what they do and don’t follow any particular recipe and that’s fresh.
Epitaph Records
www.epitaph.com

CHAZ MATTHEWS - ‘AMAZING GRACELESS’ CD
Chaz was the DIMESTORE HALOES vocalist/songwriter so you know to expect some gritty, punk rock ‘n’ roll and in this solo project he strips it right down, raw and very open. This naked, more understated sound is a fantastic vehicle for Chaz’s immersed and sincere vocals. No question this guy can, and always has been able to deliver fantastic songs but this is the best and most beautifully exposed I have heard him and I think it works so effectively. There’s no strict definition here... Chaz is in complete command and steers the listener all over the place and the ride is amazing. Chaz plays everything on here and I wouldn’t want it any other way. This is 100% him and the way he mixes melody with melancholy is incomparable. An inspiring and stirring record and what a fantastic title too.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

THE MEMBERS - ‘AT THE CHELSEA NIGHTCLUB’ CD
Everybody knows ‘The Sound Of The Suburbs’ right? Well you should! THE MEMBERS are responsible for that classic and this is the first-time CD issue of their debut release from 1979. THE MEMBERS had a very open-minded and liberated sound that’s characteristically English punk, but has been long lost. They fuse punk rock simplicity with reggae chord splashes and their sound, which is preety hard to pinpoint is like a combination of THE BOYS, THE CLASH, THE PIRANHAS and the VAPORS, like I said, wonderfully English that you just don’t hear anymore. Bands like the RIFFS come pretty close but this is the enchanting real deal. It absolutely fantastic to see this re-released and the fact that it’s on CD will make it more available to younger kids who are still scared of vinyl. You get the 11-track debut as well as 8 bonus tracks including the Stiff single versions of ‘Solitary Confinement’ and ‘Rat Up A Drainpipe’, the ‘Fear On The Streets’ compilation track and single versions of ‘The Sound Of The Suburbs’ and ‘Offshore Banking Business’. The sound is just so sophisticated. It maintains that simple punk rock urgency but it’s very experienced and I miss this sound a lot.
Captain Oi! Records
www.captainoi.com

MERCY KILLERS - ‘BLOODLOVE’ CD
This is Craig’s from THE FORGOTTEN, THE BASTARDS, TRANSPLANTS and PLUS 44 newest band that allows him to really communicate and get productive because he’s finally right at the forefront of a band. Even though you can really hear his input in all those other bands, especially THE FORGOTTEN (his longest running band) it was still time for him to step wholly under the spotlight and that’s sure what he’s done with the MERCY KILLERS. This is dark and intense, heavy and vigorous with lots of minor chord progressions giving it a dark and almost gothic edge at times with some even metallic parts here and there. Even though bands like THE BASTARDS and THE FORGOTTEN can get pretty heavy at times, THE MERCY KILLERS is heavy in a totally different way. It’s a much more complex band than any other I’ve heard him in, much more concentrated. I always found Craig to be the ‘added-in’ guitar player in bands like THE TRANSPLNATS and THE BASTARDS because he joined those after they had already started but with the FORGOTTEN he was imperative because that’s completely his sound and now he’s developed that further in the MERCY KILLERS. I was really looking forward to this full-length because I like Craig and I liked what I’d heard by the MERCY KILLERS already and it gets a definite thumbs up from me. It’s distinctive and imaginative and draws influence from all kinds of times and places and the blend works fucking well.
Hellcat Records
www.hell-cat.com

ROGER MIRET AND THE DISASTERS - ‘MY RIOT’ CD
It’s crazy that after decades of AGNOSTIC FRONT and NYHC, Roger Miret has found this new lease of life with the DISASTERS and their straight-up ’77 punk rock approach. He’s really thrown himself into this and you can see that he’s having an absolute blast doing it and the passion and excitement is blinding. Their three full-length have just flown out so naturally and urgently and get more solid each time around. Roger has always meant a lot to me and I’d back anything he did but I have to say that when I heard the DISASTERS first record it blew me away just like the first time I heard AGNOSTIC FRONT when I was a kid... the guy is unstoppable. In all honesty I never thought he would be able to play punk rock as well as hardcore but shit, the guy is relentless!! His vocals are fantastic and I saw this sound coming out in later AF and it excited me back then. THE DISASTERS truly is Roger’s riot.
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

MISCHIEF BREW - ‘SMASH THE WINDOWS’ CD
I first heard MISCHIEF BREW on their ‘Bakenal’ EP and I was hooked straight away. I can’t tell you how much of a sucker I am for folk-punk and how often I get let down by bands that just don’t cut it with me... bands that just don’t excite me and who are churning out hackneyed shit. So needless to say that when a band comes along that strikes me and excites me, I hang on to them with both hands and clasp like crazy. That’s how I feel about MISCHIEF BREW and shit does ‘Smash The Windows’ blow me away. This is wonderful, this is the sound I am after, the perfect blend of folk and punk rock grit. They really don’t stick to any kind of formula which makes this record so varied and that’s so great and the whole thing sounds so fucking spontaneous and fiery and that’s something I’ve missed from music in a long time. It’s hard to place MISCHIEFS BREW’s sound and I don’t really want to pin it down because it’s so unbound and impulsive but think of folk delivered with a purely punk rock attitude with sharp and provoking lyrics... THE POGUES, SHOULDERS, SWINGIN’ UTTERS, FILTHY THIEVING BASTARDS come to mind, maybe a touch of THOSE UNKNOWN... but it won’t do just to compare them to these bands because really they sound nothing like them when you really listen. This is something all their own. I mean, songs like ‘Nomad’s Revolt’ and ‘The Lowly Carpenter’ just blow my mind and I could listen to just those 2 songs in loop all day and I’d be happy, but the whole album is burning hot and I strongly urge you to get your hands on some MISCHIEF BREW material. I’m surprised this disc hasn’t melted the amount of times it’s spun in my player.
Fistolo Records
www.fistolo.com

MISCHIEF BREW - ‘SONGS FROM UNDER THE SINK’ LP
This is a collection of MISCHIEF BREW songs from 1997 - 2002 and what a fantastic title for this compilation. The liner notes call this a kind of ‘lost album’ and shit, thank God they found it and decided to release this stuff! It’s totally assorted style-wise (not quality-wise!) as to be expected with material spanning a 5-year period and for me, that miscellany is what defines MISCHIEF BREW and what makes them such a stimulating and impetuous band. I just can’t fault this band. They are melancholy and fun all at once, they just know how to mix things up and get perfect balance. They are interesting and fascinating and the sound and song-writing just sucks me in. Erik Petersen certainly doesn’t do things any way but his own and that’s such a thrill to hear. His imagination is wild and that comes through the music with all the enthusiasm. I’ve spun this record 4 times in a row today and I don’t see it stopping any time soon. I’m so happy that I’m on holiday for the next couple weeks because this will be my soundtrack for the Summer. I can’t wait. Brilliant cover art on this record too...
Fistolo Records
www.fistolo.com

MISCHIEF BREW / BREAD AND ROSES - ‘LOVED BUT UNRESPECTED’ SPLIT 7"
2 tracks for each band with MISCHIEF BREW delivering a raw rendition of country / folk song ‘The Preacher and The Slave’ and an acoustic version of one of my all-time favourite MISCHIEF BREW songs ‘Nomads’ that appears as ‘Nomad’s Revolt’ on the ‘Smash The Windows’ full-length. I’m totally in love with this band’s sound and the way they communicate through that fantastic open rawness is just amazing. Such great lyrics too. BREAD AND ROSES also present some super raw tracks on here and shit are they good... the first track is the fantastic ‘Let The Wind And The Sea Be My Grave’ ... great lyrics and superb delivery. Their side closes with a rendition of ’Dump The Bosses Off Your Back’ that sounds so beautifully live and spontaneous. A fucking awesome split here that you mustn’t miss out on.
Fistolo Records
www.fistolo.com

THE MISPELT - ‘DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT’ CD EP
THE MISPELT blend a very traditional English punk rock sound with a really American edge to it and that works really well for me. It’s faster-paced and straightforward with just the right amount of melody. They have a cool approach and the right spirit, it’s fun and DIY and all in the right way. The title track is the show-stealer and a really fucking great song... it’s actually pretty hard to place THE MISPELT’s sound and that’s a great thing. This could be old or contemporary and I love that about it. I would definitely like to hear a full-length from these guys.
www.themispelt.co.uk

MISSILES OF UNCERTAIN DESTINATIONS - ‘THERE’S NO PROFIT IN PEACE...SO KEEP THE MISSILES COMING’ CD
Fucking chaotic English hardcore that’s got this really un-obvious almost arty edge of THE PLOT TO BLOW UP THE EIFFEL TOWER, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN or THE LOCUST but be sure that the unconventional creativity doesn’t get in the way of the hardcore intensity. This is fucking concentrated and compelling. I can’t belive that this is a three-piece... the chaos they generate is unbelievable. The presentation of the CD is really cool. It’s got this whole hand-made screen-printed kind of feel to it and it’s glittery and really arty, and it’s limited to 500 copies. It’s fantastic to hear hardcore that’s got real authority and not some faux-aggressive shit, and you go European to hear that... we don’t do weak hardcore here... the US got the monopoly on that shit. Fucking impressive EP and I’d love to hear a full-length.
www.missiles.org.uk

MODERNETTES - ‘GET IT STRAIGHT’ CD
Sexy and sleazy new wave from these Canadian MODERNETTES. ‘Get It Straight’ gathers tracks for their ‘Teen City’ EP, ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’ LP, ‘View From The Bottom’ EP, live cuts (some previously unreleased), rehearsal material and their last show at Gary Taylor’s with YOUNG CANADIANS’ Art Bergmann guesting on guitar, all from 1980-1983. Their style is poppy but gritty with cute yet sinister sounds and in that way they remind me a lot of the STEPMOTHERS. Such fun, but such dangerous fun!! Sudden Death truly do release pure gems of original Canadian style and this is another jewel in their punk/hardcore/new wave crown.
Sudden Death Records
www.suddendeath.com

MONSTER SQUAD - 'ALL OUT OF CONTROL' 7"
MONSTER SQUAD rule. Their blend of UK '80's punk rock with a huge injection of American style works really fuckin well. Loads of guitar and group vocals the sound is always attacking. Fuckin full-on and very, very stylish. All four tracks are killer and there ain't really much else to say. These guys sound and look cool as fuck as does this 7", great fold out artwork and coloured vinyl. I really like everything these guys have put out and they just get better and better with each release. These guys should be fuckin huge.
Gluerot Records
www.myspace.com/gluerotrecords

THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS - ‘SHADOWS EVOLVE’ CD
Aside from having the best fuckin bandname I’ve heard in years, THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS rock like crazy. After hearing the ‘Run For Our Lives’ single I was fervently waiting for this full-length. This sound takes me right back to my youth, my sonic youth. The MORNING AFTER GIRLS’ sound is a blend of early UK/US indie and psychedelic rock. There’s a slight Alive/Total Energy sound to this. They mix heavy riffs with the hazy melodies of PRIMAL SCREAM, STONE ROSES and MY BLOODY VALENTINE and it works really well because it’s got that gritty, dirty edge. It’s melodic but jagged. The guitars whine and wail but they growl and snarl too... that SONIC YOUTH approach of raw melodies and super feedback. These ‘girls’ are going to get huge.
Best Before Records
www.bestbeforerecords.com

MUDHONEY - ‘UNDER A BILLION SUNS’ CD
There was a time when I existed on a diet of BUTTHOLE SURFERS, DEAD MILKMEN and MUDHONEY. These dreamy, fucked up sounds sculpted my youth and sucked me in away from the wimpy SOUNDGARDENs and PEARL JAMs that began to infect the scene. I was off in my own acid-drenched musical world. So that was probably 15 years ago and I can’t even remember the last time I listened to either of those 2 bands... oh yeah, MUDHONEY were on a Disaster Records compilation a couple of years ago that didn’t grab me too much, but aside from that I really can’t remember. I sold all the records and began a strict punk rock career. So as I spin and spin ‘Under A Billion Suns’ it’s like reliving a past life. It’s a fantastic feeling because I never fell out of love with this sound I just moved on and progressed (or regressed) to punk rock but this is where my roots lie. MUDHONEY have not lost any of their magic. I admit that I’m out of touch with anything after ‘Piece Of Cake’ but it’s all there... the lunacy, the eccentricity, the amusement and the heavy, heavy rockin’ and now I can’t get them out of my head. I’m gonna have to buy all the old records again from e-bay and I’ll probably rekindle my love affair with the BUTTHOLES and MILKMEN too. Damn MUDHONEY throwing my routine off!!!! This is just old MUDHONEY to me, nothing more and nothing less just pure MUDHONEY and it’s fucking sweet.
Sub Pop Records
www.subpop.com

NECKTIES MAKE ME NERVOUS - S/T 7”
This is a fucking impressive debut 7” and I am gritting my teeth for a full-length!! Raw and crazy energetic hardcore punk rock. Urgent and chaotic as fuck. The attack is overpowering and magnificent. This is confrontational and intelligent. How can you fuck with that? Fantastic vocals that remind me slightly of Jesse Luscious at times, in fact, there is a slight CRIMINALS element to NECKTIES MAKE ME NERVOUS which is cool with me! There’s nothing else to say. Just get this and get blown away. I hope these guys are working on a full-length!!!!! Oh yeah, no need to shy away for this absolutely necessary 7” just because you don’t got a record player because this 7” comes with a CD-R version too so there’s no excuse!
Geykido Comet Records
www.gcrecords.com

NEIN NEIN NEIN - ‘DEINE SZENE IST EIN ZOMBIE’ CD
This has got me disorientated. I can’t think of the last time a band knocked me back like this. This is a fucking mind-blowing record. NEIN NEIN NEIN’s hardcore punk sound is totally recognisable yet totally original. None of the songs on this CD reach the 2 minute mark, that’s 23 tracks in half an hour... fucking brilliant, but it’s not all super-fast, thrasy hardcore. It’s melodic and really well written and the songs do a shitload in that short time. For just a three-piece these guys create a lot of fucking chaos and I always say that when a 3 piece comes together perfectly. It’s the better than anything else, and NEIN NEIN NEIN prove that 1000 times over. Sometimes they remind me of a more hardcore DISTRICT with a touch of THE FEDS, 7 SECONDS and THE FRISK but it’s hard to explain this very interesting band. I have to see these guys live!! Really cool partly clear CD too and great presentation. I’m totally blown away.
Matula Records
www.matularecords.de

NEUROTIC SWINGERS - ‘SEXY AND MYSTERIOUS’
The NEUROTIC SWINGERS are back with their stripped down, dynamic and altogether spastic punk rock and who the fuck can resist this???? Sure as shit not me. Along with the HATEPINKS, the NEUROTIC SWINGERS define and set the standard for the finest in original and quirky French punk rock. It’s fast and it’s fun and every track is a jab to the neck. ‘Sexy and Mysterious’ is a great definition of the NEUROTIC SWINGERS... this is a fucking gorgeous sound but it’s sure bewildering and that’s what I love. It’s such a lovable sound that instantly grabs you but it’s certainly an acquired taste too because it’s so eccentric and that rules. I’m sucked in every time. It’s always a pleasure to hear these guys and they never, ever disappoint. ’Sexy and Mysterious’ is the most intoxicating their sound has been... it’s awesome and this record rules. Never mind the finest in French punk rock, this is one of the finest contemporary European punk bands that you musn‘t miss out on. Get this and get the vinyl version because you get a bonus track ‘Queen Of Void’ and it’s cooler anyway...
Demolition Derby
www.demderby.com

THE NIPPLES - ‘WEEKEND TOYS’ CD
This is absolutely fucking awesome and I don’t throw that word around. I’m not one of these people that rates average shit as awesome... it’s got to grab me by the throat and get inside me and THE NIPPLES do just that. Fantastic old school hardcore punk with the sickest vocals. No shouting, no growling just a killer high-pitched voice that’s got so much balls. The vocals actually remind me of early AFI when Davey Havok’s voice was great mixed with a young and hardcore Mike D, a young nasal GG Allin and Tom from MINOR DISTRURBANCE and all with the stabbines of Jesse Luscsious... the vocals are what tip this band over the edge for me. Don’t think for a second that the music is in any way boring, it’s just that topped with the vocals the whole thing is elevated enormously. I love it when a vocalist doesn’t have to put on some gravelly ‘punk’ voice or hardcore yell or whatever and still sound tough and urgent. There is a touch of early AFI musically too in here with lots of speeding up and slowing down but not in a lame way. The songs are super short and there’s 22 of the fuckers on here... and all in 25 minutes. I think these guys recorded my dream record. This is the shit and again, I don’t fuck around... THIS IS AWESOME.
Basement Records
www.basementrecords.net

NO RESPECT - ‘EXCUSE MY SMILE’ CD
The NO RESPECT sound reminds me a lot of the NY CITIZENS but they speed things up to a more punk-tinged sound, but generally it’s a sound that really harks back to that ‘80’s Ska style. The pace throughout the album differs, sometimes a slower, more bluebeat/reggae-orientated sound and at times much faster Ska. It never gets too heavy which is a great thing in my opinion, the guitar never takes over the sound which is important because that’s a problem with a lot of bands that mix Ska and punk... they don’t know how to do it well enough without polluting the sound with too much guitar. These guys maintain a punk rock presence without drowning the sound and create the effect through speed rather than heaviness which works much better. I’m extremely fussy about which ska/skapunk bands I like and can listen to. First off they have to have some style and subtlety because this is a style that is easily fucked up and over-exaggerated if the band doesn’t know what they are doing. NO RESPECT don’t fall in that category because they have a certain refinement in their sound and writing. I can tell you that you can tell a mile away that this isn’t an American band, even through the production. It’s much more raw and ‘honest’ than that tripe. The sound definitely takes me back to my youth and even though I don’t listen to a massive amount of Ska anymore, I can certainly appreciate and enjoy this record.
Mad Butcher Records
www.madbutcher.de

NOFX - ‘WOLVES IN WOLVES’ CLOTHING’ CD
‘Wolves In Wolves’ Clothing’ is a curious and very diverse NOFX record. I mean, it’s 100% NOFX and unquestionably so but they have this inclination, and indeed, talent to be able to kind of ‘theme’ their sound with each album they put out. Each release has a totally separate feeling about it in a concept album kind of way and I love that. That fact that they can play around and mould and remould their sound but always remain instantly recognisable is a brilliant thing. It’s like with everything NOFX release they just further establish their significance and weight. They pioneered this sound but constantly keep it fresh. On this new record they manage to mix the definitive ‘Ribbed’ slightly metallic sound with the uber-pioneering more melodic ‘Punk In Drublic’ sound and always input new elements like on ‘We March To The Beat Of An Indifferent Drum’, ‘Instant Crassic’ and ‘Getting High On The Down Low’ with it’s almost KINKS approach. Basically NOFX can do what they want and in a great way. They never skimp and they so easily could because they have a super-winning formula and could just churn out record after record of the same stuff and it would sell like hotcakes. But NOFX aren’t lazy so they constantly push themselves with each record which is why each one has such a different feel to it but there’s always the trademark NOFX ingredients: fun, intelligent and provoking lyrics, insanely fast drums, touches of reggae, harmonies and of course, Fat Mike’s voice and vocals. NOFX don’t have to prove anything and they could be arrogant as shit if they wanted to be because they are just so eminent and influential but they’re not like that and that’s a fantastic thing. NOFX stands for determination, awareness, questioning and fun and that’s what punk rock should be all about.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

NOCTURNAL EMISSION - ‘THE AMERICAN WET DREAM’ CD
Cool title, it’s repugnantly sophisticated!! NOCTURNAL EMISSION certainly don’t fuck around with their brutally heavy thrash/hardcore. Gloomy, fast and metallic this is a fucking chaotic 20 minutes. Inexorable and aggressive, ‘Eat Shit and Die’, ‘I Like It When You Die’, ‘In The Eye Of The Pissing Snake’... this is completely ruthless. Totally DIY and totally dedicated... this isn’t fashion music! Learn yerself a lesson in true thrash/hardcore.
Poisoned Candy Records
www.poisonedcandy.com

NONE MORE BLACK - ‘THIS IS SATIRE’ CD
NONE MORE BLACK have always astonished and impressed me. They have this really fascinating sound and the way they put their songs together is fucking great. They don’t seem to follow any specific recipe or even fit in any particular category. They certainly fit suitably on Fat Wreck with this out of the ordinary approach that’s hard to describe. I can definitely hear hints of later ONE MAN ARMY (especially vocally) and AGAINST ME! but there’s all this other stuff going on that’s hard to nail. They mix all this shit up and somehow it all manages to come together insanely well. Not only the music, but the whole presentation of ‘This Is Satire’ is totally absorbing... the cover, the song titles and the inner artwork... it’s all truly bizarre but amazingly so. ‘This Is Satire’ is a fantastic title for a band and record like this. The lyrics are deep and ridiculous at the same time and it’s all profound and outlandish all at once and I love that. Bands you just can’t describe well are the best bands. They make my job hard but it’s fucking exciting to hear such an attention-grabbing band.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

‘GLEN O’BRIEN’S TV PARTY – THE HALLOWEEN SHOW’ DVD
Glen O’Brien’s TV Party is how I like my television, super fuckin raw, abstract and totally unpredictable. It’s got such a wonderful home-made DIY grainy feel to it and this 1979 Halloween show is the height of that eccentricity and impulsiveness. Glen is the party’s cross-dressed host who tells us about Halloween and all the Souls who aren’t Saints, Christianity and Paganism and most importantly that ‘Halloween reminds us that our body is just a costume that we can change’. Fucking right on... the costumes are all sick and totally backyard and that’s what's so fucking fun about them... free and imaginative and amusing. Fab Five Freddy has the best costume hands down with is a nickel bag outfit and talking about getting high and paralysed on angel dust. The whole thing is so super improvised and that rules! He talks about getting drugs in your treat sack. Chris Stein who’s in witch get-up talks about Halloween in NYC and Debbie Harry comes as an umbrella... a beach umbrella. It’s totally wild and totally impetuous and that’s why it works so well. It’s literally a filmed party. It all gets super fucked up when they start taking telephone calls from the public. It’s just totally off the wall and real fun, there’s no structure to the whole thing and that pure chaos is what makes it so great. There's a bunch of bonus live music stuff on here too including Blondie with 'The Tide Is High', the weird and amazing Klaus Nomi, Compton Maddux with the hilarious 'Ca Ca Disco' and more too. This is exemplary New York lunacy and full of that magic of the time that you just don’t get anymore. So, thank God someone archived this shit!!!
Brink DVD
www.brink.com
Music Video Distributors
www.musicvideodistributors.com

OI POLLOI - ‘PIGS FOR SLAUGHTER’ CD
A compilation of legendary Scottish anarcho-punks OI POLLOI spanning their 23 years of disarray featuring a handful of rare and unreleased tracks as well as their most well known material. This is a seriously important band and this is a very necessary release, especially if you haven’t heard of OI POLLOI or don’t own any of their material. This is intelligent, provoking and positive punk rock. Most of these contemporary ‘fuck the system’ chaos punk bands don’t really have shit to say or anything to fight against and even if they did, they wouldn’t really want to fight for it but OI POLLOI are 100% dedicated to what they believe in. This wasn’t about fashion of posing, this was the spreading of awareness and positive change and great punk rock music. I just don’t see any chaos left in punk rock anymore, there are way too many fashion part-timers with nothing to say and nothing to believe in. This is the opposite of that and just underlines the importance of passion and dedication to a just cause: anti-fascism, anti-vivisection, anti-police brutality, anti-nazi, anti-global ruin... their slogans include: ‘No Compromise In Defence Of Our Earth’ and ‘No Filthy Nuclear Power’ ...this isn’t about trends, it’s about shit that will make a difference. A fantastic compilation and I urge you to get a hold of anything you can by this legendary band. Great liner notes too.
Step-1 Music
www.step1music.com

ON FILE - ‘EJECTED FROM THE PREMISES’ CD
This is a re-release of Scotland’s ON FILE debut record coupled with their ‘Another Day In Paradise’ EP. Their sound is a very interesting blend of straight-forward Oi!, early punk rock, more modern streetpunk and all with a catchy, melodic edge. It kind of reminds me of a blend of THE TEMPLARS, ANTI-HEROS, SHAM 69, THE BURIAL and early LOWER CLASS BRATS. It’s such a fascinating sound. It’s not overly aggressive like a lot of Oi! can be but it packs a hell of a punch and they transfer tons of enthusiasm and heartiness through these great melodic songs and that’s something I really like. With Oi! it’s so easy to be exaggeratedly aggressive but to craft great skinhead songs that redefine a genre that has become overcrowded with pseudo-skinhead shit is something serious and I truly believe that THE TEMPLARS and ON FILE are pretty much on a par in that department. This is pure Skinhead dignity done perfectly and with style and heart. It’s fantastic that this record has been re-released and is now widely available because this is an Oi1 masterpiece.
Step-1 Music
www.step1music.com

THE ORIGINAL THREE - 'BEEN DEALT A LOSING HAND' CD
I love that name and the cover art is fucking fantastic, raw and ominous just like the music. THE ORIGINAL THREE features Ian from the BLACK LIPS and they play raw and sinister, mid-paced garage punk rock. It's fuzzy and uneasy and keeps you on edge the whole time and that's how I like it. I find that a lot of garage punk has been losing the rawness and getting too melodic. I want angular, highly-distorted and agitated and that's what this is all about and they mix in some fucked up bluesy style too. Their sound is thin and cheap and that's perfection. That's the stripped down to the bone rawness that I'm after.
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

THE OTHER - ‘WE ARE WHO WE EAT’ CD
This is horrorpunk done perfectly. There’s a massive old-fashioned gothic presence of the SISTERS OF MERCY, BAUHAUS, JOY DIVISION, THE MISSION, 45 GRAVE etc blended with the dark punk of THE MISIFTS (of course) and the newer style of bands like BALZAC, LIVE NOT ON EVIL and the DEEP EYNDE. This is the perfect blend... too many bands jump on this horror bandwagon with no knowledge or history. AFI is not horrorpunk, it’s bullshit so if that’s the only indication you got, you just ain’t gonna cut it, and if you’re just going to copy the MISFITS that won’t cut it either. THE OTHER know exactly what they are doing and exactly where they are coming from. They have history. It’s like young bands playing pyschobilly when all they’ve heard is fucking TIGER ARMY... what the fuck??? What about the METEORS? Who? Fuck you... anyway, this album rules.
Fiend Force Records
www.fiendforce.de

P.A.I.N. - ‘OH MY GOD! WE’RE DOING IT!’ CD
This is a re-release of P.A.I.N.’S (Propaganda and Information Network) debut record from a decade ago. Through raw dub, reggae and punk rock P.A.I.N. challenge inconsistent politics and attack and question through intelligent and bright lyrics: “So many thousands across the country with nowhere to go at night, so they take over empty derelict houses to call their own and try to put right, can’t you see that squatting is not a moral wrong it’s a cry for help from those in need, anxious for a roof over their head when the council are deaf to their pleas”. There are bands that just use politics as a front and something to sing about and there are bands that truly believe in what they are writing and singing about and who are devoted to it even when they’re not making music and that’s P.A.I.N. Their sound and attitude is unquestionably English and this record could have come out in the late ‘70’s, early ‘80’s or really anytime up to the present. It’s old-fashioned and fresh all at once and it’s a pity that you don’t really get bands like this anymore... really staunch, raw political bands. It’s all just silly shit these days where very few punk rock bands have got anything really important to say.
Iron Man Records
www.ironmanrecords.co.uk

PARKWAY WRETCH - ‘HOMESICK’ CD
Jesus Christ... this CD has been glued in my player for a month and I don’t think it’s coming out! This is a fucking sick album... wow. Faster-paced hardcore punk with great lyrics and even though they keep things simple, which is the absolute key and reason that this works so successfully, the whole thing is so interesting and just sucks you right in. The songs are short and fucking sharp and there’s a raw and very urgent edge to this that, again, just grabs you. The vocals are brilliant and really raise the whole thing up another notch. Seriously, I’ve spun this a number of times everyday for the past month and I’m not even slightly bored of this. In fact, I still get excited about the next time I’ll hear it.
Formula 13 Records
www.formula13.com

PATH OF RESISTANCE - ‘CAN’T STOP THE TRUTH’ CD
After almost a decade PATH OF RESISTANCE (featuring members of EARTH CRISIS) return with their second full-length of true, old-fashioned Straight Edge Hardcore. Heavy and passionate with a focus on togetherness, strength, devotion and vigour as ‘At Full Strength’ declares; “Fairness, Dedication, Loyalty, Compassion, Commitment, Ferocity, After all this time it still means the same thing to me, Still at full strength inside my heart’. This is the Hardcore sound I grew up with, heavy but very punk rock too that merges the very early sound with a newer approach but without getting too metallic and always attacking and urgent. Hardcore got way too metallic for me in recent years and I couldn’t hear that great old sound. There was no assault. It became all produced and noodely with ridiculous vocals so it’s great to hear this insistent attack from these stalwarts who really believe in what they are doing. Real passion and perseverance. Cool front cover that harks back to the great old days too.
Victory Records
www.victoryrecords.com

DAVID PEDROZA - ‘I’M YOUR CARNIVORE’ CD
David Pedroza fronts the PUT-ONS and this is his solo material from 10 years ago available for the first time, and you can certainly see where the PUT-ONS get their distinctive sound from. There’s no shadow of a doubt that Mr. Pedroza can write and he’s a totally volatile singer and guitar player so there’s no set ingredient to any song (I find that to be the case with the PUT-ONS too). It’s so liberated and sincere but to do this successfully you need aptitude, and he’s got that for sure. If you haven't got that the record will sound all over the place and directionless. Just to give you an idea of what the sound is like, although it’s really hard to describe, imagine a touch of BECK, TOM PETTY for sure, BOB DYLAN / NEIL YOUNG folk flavour, JONATHAN RICHMAN candidness, a splash of THIN LIZZY and buckets of pure Pedroza. The songs come across so naturally but there’s a hell of a lot going on in each one and it’s virtually impossible to describe them properly because all these sounds and styles interlace and connect to create distinctive compositions. You may hear glimpses of this and that but by the time you make the connection it’s gone and diverted, that’s the beauty of it. I listen to a lot of stuff that isn’t punk rock so I have a great appreciation of stuff like this but if you’re expecting this to be punk or sound like the PUT-ONS then get that out of your head! This is just a collection of great songs in no particular style other than integrity.
Manic Records

PENDULA - ‘WAKE-UP!!’ CD EP
PENDULA’s sound is pretty interesting. Female-fronted punk rock that’s very edgy and hysterical and I hear a resemblance to TEXAS TERRI in here, especially in the vocals and vocal-lines but even in the song structures which is cool with me. But this is much more raw and unadorned which, again, is totally cool with me. I’m a huge fan of female vocals but I’ve been let down so many times by that screeching COURTENY LOVE-esque / BRODAY DALLE bullshit that I can’t stand so I’m really happy to say that PENDULA don’t do that. It’s much more soulful and gritty that obvious. I like this a lot.
www.myspace.com/pendulatheband

PENITRAITORS - 'WANK FOR VICTORY' CD EP
I liked the PENITRAITORS as soon as I heard them on the Vanity Rock compilation. They're young, raw and vulgar and that's enough to get me excited. The cover shows a naked chick bent over flipping the bird and touching her arsehole... that, I like. They change pace a lot between fast thrash and mid-paced punk rock and mix UK and US styles and have all the sprit of punk rock intact. They're crude, fun and offensive and that's what we need over here. This is a big 'fuck you' to all the bullshit that has crept into our scene.
www.penitraitors.cjb.net

THE PHENOMS - ‘HOME BRAIN SURGERY KIT’ CD
Whoa, I’m hooked on THE PHENOMS. Their breed of raw KBD garage punk is what the fuck I’m after. The attack is awesome, it’s a wonderful multiple stabbing and I haven’t been this blown away by a band in a shitlong time. There’s way too much sissy bullshit around these days and not enough stripped down, hostile punk rock chaos. This has all the best elements of bands like the CANDYSNATCHERS, QUINCY PUNX and ZEKE all of which blew me away when I first heard them years ago but this great, unruly and dangerous style seems to have taken a back seat to wimpy dick shit so I’m so glad to get excited again by a sound that I’ve missed so much in contemporary punk rock. ‘Home Brain Surgery Kit’ is damn fucking right. Hopefully kids will get a hold of this and brainwash themselves and lobotomize themselves to kill their taste for all the weak shit out there. This rules and is so goddamn necessary I just can’t tell you...
Beercan Records
www.beercanrecords.com

THE PHLEGMS - S/T EP CD
THE PHLEGMS really mix it up on this 4-track EP. They mix a melodic almost SCREECHING WEASEL-esque sound with a tougher, streetpunk edge and they really don’t keep their songs obvious... that’ a great thing. There’s a really old school sound to THE PHLEGMS and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Is it the old Lookout! sound? Maybe... I like that I can’t quite place their sound. They really do what they want and they even do that really long intro where you think it’s going to be an instrumental track and then the vocals come in, I like that. They are working on a full-length and I’m really looking forward to it.
www.phlegms.tk

PHOENIX BODIES - ‘RAISE THE BULLSHIT FLAG’ CD
Fuck yeah, this is out of fucking control thrash from Indiana. Super fast hardcore, heavy and abrasive as shit. There’s absolutely no compromise with these guys. I can’t get with a lot of these newer-wave thrash/noise bands but PHOENIX BODIES do it for me. They have all the ingredients right and I’m hooked. Hardcore should be fucked up, it should be extreme and as close to musical apocalypse as you can get and that’s what this is. It’s a beautiful throat-slashing.
Holy Roar Records
www.holyroarrecords.com

THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION - ‘FALLING’ CD
This is the first time I've heard THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION’s music after hearing a lot about them and I was really eager to hear this record and shit am I impressed with this band. This is melodic yet gritty punk rock. That’s it... no hardcore leanings, no bullshit just straight up punk rock in the vein of HOT WATER MUSIC or LEATHERFACE but more urgent sounding and not as muddy as that. I don’t know why Finnish punk rock bands have just got so much style... maybe there’s something in the water out there but every damn thing that comes out of Finland is mind-blowingly good. This is sophisticated and subtle but rocks like crazy and it’s got this sinister yet melancholic edge that all works perfectly. It’s definitely the type of band and release that you’d expect from Combat Rock Industry. I love this and I’m kicking myself for not already owning their earlier stuff after all the great things I’d heard...
Combat Rock Industry
www.fireinsidemusic.com

PIEBALD - 'KILLA BROS AND KILLA BEES' DVD
This is a DVD and CD package from PIEBALD who I knew absolutely nothing about before watching and listening to these discs and to be honest, I was kinda dreading this because of the whole look of this release and how these guys look. I know that's a bit shallow of me but these guys look like guys I hate. Anyway, I watched the DVD first and it didn't really grab me but I liked the parts that included PIEBALD playing. It sounded pretty interesting. I guess fans of PIEBALD will really enjoy this DVD because there's a lot of fucking around on there that will amuse fans for sure. So anyway, I put the CD straight on after watching the DVD and shit, this CD really grabbed me. This is anything but by-the-numbers punk rock that I was initially expecting. This is very assorted and PIEBALD aren't afraid of exploring. Some of the stuff on here is so weird that I just don't know where it came from!! But all in a good way... it kinda reminds me of a mix of SHOULDERS, NEIL YOUNG, TOM PETTY, CAT STEVENS, TALKING HEADS and some other weird shit too! I'm really impressed with these guys after hearing this CD. They are extremely mature musically and the songs are sophisticated and fascinating. I can't believe I was this wrong about a band. Very impressed indeed.
SideOneDummy Records
www.sideonedummy.com

PN - ‘THROUGH SATIN VEILS GROPES DEISRE’ CD
To me, PN play a highly developed, intricate and subtle blend of post hardcore and rock that got basterdized and labelled as Emo... that awful, awful word. I truly believe that this is what it was supposed to sound like but this is way too experienced and dexterous for just anyone to be able to write or play, especially dumb kids, so they watered it down, killed any soul it had and retailed it as ‘Emo‘. See, I’m a dirty fucking punk who can’t concentrate for more than 2 minutes so the drill for me is fast and snotty but I grew up with bands like PINK FLOYD and SYD BARRET and PN to me sounds like post-hardcore blended with that style of peculiar and sophisticated song-writing and, shit, I’ve never seen that in any other fucking ‘Emo’ band I can tell you that. This is far from retail music... this is really passionate and well-written and should be on every Emo-kid’s shelf because they need to learn the art of their genre. Whatever happened to subtlety??? 99.9% of those kids could really learn something from a band like PN and see that it’s about real passion and not a trend.
Funtime Records
www.funtimerecords.com

POINTED STICKS - ‘WAITING FOR THE REAL THING’ CD
I hope all of you paid good attention to my review of ‘Perfect Youth’ last year and got a hold of it if you didn’t already own it because that is one fucking necessary punk rock record. Don’t make me tell you again to get that... it’s fresher than any of today’s shit and it’s 25 fuckin years old. So now you got another one to add to the list because Sudden Death present this 24 song collection of previously unreleased tracks, compilation tracks, different versions of tracks, live radio broadcasts, singles and demos and a lot of the material was recorded over here in England scheduled for release on Stiff but never came to fruition. I cannot stress my affection for the POINTED STICKS and I fell in love with them as soon as I heard them and the number of times ‘Perfect Youth’ has spun on my turntable is unbelievable. It still excites me to this day so the arrival of this new compilation stimulated me like crazy. I so strongly urge you to get both of these records from Sudden Death because this really is the shit that you can’t miss out on, and the sad fact is that there just aren’t many contemporary bands than can thrill like this. Excellent stuff.
Sudden Death Records
www.suddeandeath.com

PROPS - ‘HOW-TO’ DVD
This is a beginner to intermediate BMX how-to DVD that covers dirt, street, ramp and flatland. Chris Doyle is up first and talks us through the x-up, one-handed x-up, seat grab x-up, barspin, 360 etc going through each trick step by step with slow motion footage so you can see what’s going on and he also gives extra tips for style too. After he explains how to do all these tricks you see a segment of him doing it all and he’s pretty fuckin fluid. Next up are Alistair Whitton and Ron Kimler with the ramp section each giving step by step instructions and tips including stretching techniques and safety gear. It starts off with the simple dropping in and carving and progresses on to peg stalls and peg grinds and moves on to the more demanding tailtap, feeble stalls, sprocket grinds etc that require more sophisticated weighting and balance techniques, and again the segment ends with both of them doing these tricks and more. The next section is Chad DeGroot’s flatland which is my favourite... absolutely killer stuff... peg wheelies, megaspins, rock walks, backyards, frontyards, 180 bunnyhops and his end footage is sick! The last portion is the more raw and aggressive street stuff which is much more spontaneous featuring grinds, rails, wall rides, wall taps, manuals etc and even a bike set-up and how to build a 3 foot launch ramp. I should be hostile towards this DVD and say that it sucks since I’m 100% skateboarder and BMX’s are my sworn enemy(!), but this is some impressive shit on here, especially the flatland stuff. I’m sure a lot of kids will find this stuff useful but it seems to me like there’s a million things to remember and most of it seems a bit geeky to me but I did enjoy this I gotta say, and the ramp-building section is essential viewing for any kid whose into BMXing or skateboarding.
White Knuckle Action Sports
www.whiteknuckledvd.com

PUPPETS WHO KILL - ‘THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON’ DOUBLE DVD
OK, this show is fuckin sick. Sick as in vulgar and sick as in awesome. This is the first exposure I’ve had to this show and boy was it an instant sensation with me, it definitely appeals to my provocative and nasty sense of humor. Just to set the scene for you, this show is about 4 puppets... Bill a serial killing ventriloquist’s dummy, Buttons a killing, nymphomaniac teddy bear, Rocko a chain-smoking, vicious dog and Cuddles a deadly comfort doll who have all failed to be rehabilitated by incarceration so stay in a half-way house with Dan who looks after them and keeps them out of trouble. Well, tries to keep them out of trouble. A lot of comedy tries so hard to be innovative, raw and confrontational and just fails miserably but Puppets Who Kill naturally does that. It’s executed with such style and raw humor that it’s fucking flawless because this is the type of idea that could easily turn out to be shit if it’s not performed and written properly. It’s got the magic and utter chaos of something like the Young Ones when that was a pioneering program and it’s great to see something come along with some real balls and real obnoxiousness when most comedy these days is about a bunch of fucking middle-class lamos complaining about everything. Fuck that, I want something rebellious and disobedient that stretches the boundaries of comedy. Just to give you an idea of the type of shit these puppet fuckers get up to... get this: Bill attempts to take the families of the victims he’s murdered to court and ends up cutting his own balls off and Cuddles gets possessed by Satan and has to sodomise Dan to let the demons out. That’s the kind of sick shit I'm talking about. There’s something about Puppets Who Kill being set in the real world that makes it even more offensive and I love that. It’s not like the Muppets where you’re always aware that they are puppets. You just take it as a given that they’re real and independent-minded. It’s like there are some pretty provocative cartoons like Family Guy and American Dad which certainly pushed the boundaries that programs like the Simpsons initially broke, and they just took it much further, but because these are cartoons it somehow seems much less offensive. Bring it into the real world, a world we live in and instantly recognize, and it becomes much more unpleasant!! A the small-budget feel of it works fantastically for this too. This absolutely rules and I’m getting the first series right away. Don’t miss out on this fresh and fucking hilarious, nasty shit.
MVD Distributors
www.musicvideodistributors.com

THE PUT-ONS - ‘GET YOUR KICKS’ 7”
Straight from the outset, the title track throws you throat-first into that trademark PUT-ONS blend of early English punk rock with a Californian twist... melodic, punchy and urgent with great riffs and vocals lines and that’s the PUT-ONS right there, a simple but fantastic guitar line on this track. ‘Sleeping With The Devil’ has a touch of SCREECHING WEASEL in there in both the vocal and guitar lines and is another killer track. There’s just nothing negative to say about the PUT-ONS, they just write and play killer, killer punk rock with the right amount of aggression, melody, vulgarity, fun, snot and attack. Green wax too. A mandatory release.
Puke and Vomit Records / Manic Records

THE PUT-ONS - ‘SCHOOLDAYS IN DISGRACE’ CD
This is massively inspiring stuff and for punk rock to be inspirational these days is a fucking rarity. I mean, THE PUT-ONS approach punk rock like no other band I’ve ever heard. Sure there are tons of influences audible here but the result is something totally exclusive. It’s snotty and sophisticated all at once and so far from generic or obvious it’s unreal. This is brilliant song-writing here. ‘Schooldays In Disgrace’ (which is an awesome title too) is like a cocktail of all the magic of the DEAD BOYS/STIV BATORS, DAVID BOWIE, THE DICKIES, THE BOYS, THE DAMNED, CHEAP TRICK, THE REAL KIDS, THE GIZMOS, TOM PETTY, POINTED STICKS and THE RAMONES. Sometimes it doesn’t even sound like punk rock at all but it is through and through. I can’t explain just how blown away I am by this record. I was expecting to be knocked back after hearing the ‘Dr. Kervorkian’ 7” but this is insane. I’m knocked out. Absolutely brilliant stuff.
Manic Records
www.theputons.com

RADIO REELERS - ‘THE NEXT BEST THING’ CD
I remember when I first heard the CANDYSNATCHERS and they just blew me away. The way they fused simple rock ‘n’ roll with crazy fun and total unpredictability grabbed me by the throat and I never forgot that but I can tell you that I searched and searched to get that feeling again and until I heard the RADIO REELERS’ ‘Shakin’ At The Party’ I thought I'd never get it again. The RADIO REELERS are everything about that... straightforward RAMONES riffs, speeded up rock ‘n’ roll, entertaining, electrifying and impulsive. This record never let’s fucking go. It’s the best I have ever heard them and they blew my mind the first time. The RADIO REELERS really are non-stop. Non-stop fun, non-stop energy, non-stop power, non-stop party. The vinyl gives you a bonus track and the CD gives you a bonus video... cool shit. This record is reason enough to have a party so get it and call all your friends and you’ll have a fucking blast and you can make it a weekly thing.
Dead Beat Records
www.dead-beat-records.com

MARKY RAMONE - ‘START OF THE CENTURY’ DOUBLE CD
This double disc release collects the INTRUDERS studio recordings on one CD and the second disc is a collection of RAMONES songs recorded live from different sets in Mexico... it’s Marky’s tribute to the RAMONES. What can you say about Marky? Well, he fuckin rules, not only as the fuckin awesome drummer he is but as a songwriter and a person too. He always comes across well in documentaries too, his passion in unconcealable and his pride of being a RAMONE is massively obvious and that’s a great thing. Although the INTRUDERS have the unmistakable RAMONES feel, especially through Marky’s distinctive drumming, they are not clone songs at all. Even if it was just a RAMONES rip-off it would have been fine with me! But it’s not and never has been with the INTRUDERS which is really cool. Dee Dee’s and Joey’s solo stuff just sounded like the RAMONES full stop but Marky is more resourceful, playing around with the sound. The whole thing was recorded in analogue which just fuckin rules. The live disc is obviously gonna be a winner... ’53rd and 3rd’, ‘Sheena Is A Punk Rocker’, ‘Blitzkreig Bop’, ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’, ‘Teenage Lobotomy’ and tons more RAMONES classics. Awesome package containing 47 tracks!!! Some are produced by Lars Frederiksen with guest vocals from Joan Jett on ‘Don’t Blame Me’. Of course this release is obligatory, all RAMONES all the time.
Fuel 2000 Records / Varese Sarabande Records
www.feul2000.com / www.varesesarabande.com

RAZOR BOIS - S/T CD EP
Staunch streetpunk from Moscow sung in English and blending old and new punk rock sound and style. The attitude and presentation is great: proudly anti-fascist, youthful and upbeat. I really like the singer’s voice and the pace of the songs is cool, more on the fast side which I like a lot because sometimes streetpunk can be a little slow for my liking. I got nothing bad to say about these boys and I would love to hear a full-length from them. ‘Fight Ignorance, Not Each Other’, ‘Gun Down Some Nazis’, ‘Bad News For The Scum’ ...it’s all productive. I’m impressed with this and the video is cool too.
Boycott The Fencewalkers Records / www.razorbois.skunx.ru (Russia)
Give Praise Records / www.givepraiserecords.com (USA)

THE REATARDS - 'NOT FUCKED ENOUGH' CD
The REATARDS blow me away. There's such revulsion in Jay's song writing and vocals. He sounds like he just doesn't give a fuck about anything, the perfect stance for the pure chaos that the REATARDS is. If this isn't fucked enough I don't know what they got in their minds!!!! This is criminally raw and that's a huge, huge compliment. It's like insultingly raw and fucked up and that's where the beauty lies. This will push away the people who don't get it with a hard shove and a stamp on the neck but for the spastics like me who drool over this shit, we get drawn closer to this addictive mess. Self-depreciating and unsafe. Surely that's the true definition of punk rock? I fucking love the REATARDS.
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

REDUCERS SF - ‘RAISE YOUR HACKLES’ CD
I remember when I first heard the REDCUDERS SF I was absolutely blown away because here was a band that managed to take a blend of streetpunk and Oi! and make it completely their own without a trace of generic shit. They managed to inject a huge dose of melody into their sound without losing any of the balls because this is still tough as nails but doesn’t have shit to prove. Anyway, that was about 7 years ago and ever since then I’ve been hooked on this band and I often have to stick ‘Backing The Longshot’ on just so I don’t get too depressed about how I can’t get exited about bands anymore because there’s so much uninspiring shit out there. ’Raise Your Hackles’ is so necessary right now, I can’t tell you, and I hope that there are a whole bunch of kids who hear this and get blown away like I did years ago. The opener ‘Fad Away’ is just amazing and worth the release alone but all 13 tracks are fucking brilliant and I can’t even express the high I’m on after each listen I give this album and that’s a feeling I haven’t had in a long time. I knew this was going to rule and the importance I place on this record is totally deserved. Excellent, excellent, excellent.
TKO Records
www.tkorecords.com

REZUREX - ‘BEYOND THE GRAVE’ CD
This I was really looking forward to after I heard ‘Dia De Los Muertos’ on the last ‘Give ‘Em The Boot’ comp. REZUREX features members of TIGER ARMY and NEKROMANTIX and is fronted by Danile DeLeon of THE INSAINTS, CALAVERA, 45 GRAVEROBBERS and DEEP EYNDE so between them they have some staunch punk rock history. You either like this sound or not and I agree that there’s a lot of bullshit psychobilly/rockabilly around these days but REZUREX’s sound doesn’t fit in that category. If you can imagine a sound that combines elements of the above bands with the attack of the MISFITS and a Latin/Spaghetti Western twist you’re getting close. DeLeon’s vocals are sick. They really mix up the styles on here and there’s a very rooted straightforward Rockabilly sound to the whole thing, an almost JOHNNY HORTON sound that’s built on with a touch of the STRAY CATS and THE CRAMPS. It’s a pity that a style can be bastardised when so many bands can’t do it right, but when it all comes together like the REZUREX do it, it’s amazing. I’d expect no less from a band with a history like this and this is a killer debut. If you’re jaded about the direction psychobilly/rockabilly has headed in get this record because it will throw you right back to the sound you remember. This ain’t no bandwagon sound, this is experienced and fanatical.
Fiend Force Records
www.fiendforce.de

RIFU - ‘BOMBS FOR FOOD, MINES FOR FREEDOM’ CD
Political hardcore thrash from Norway. RIFU don’t fuck around... this is brutal and intelligent, aware and passionate – just like hardcore should be. RIFU certainly aren’t about trends... they are about hammering their positive messages through your skull. RIFU is relentless both musically and in belief. Sometimes verging on the more metallic, but RIFU are out and out hardcore, a blend of old and new styles with singing and screaming and always attacking. RIFU will blow your fuckin mind. I’ve been down on hardcore for a long while now and very rarely a band comes along that re-ignites the spark I once had but that’s what RIFU have done. I just can’t feel 99.9% of the hardcore bands I hear because they sound so empty, no enthusiasm, no energy just hardcore posturing and I got no need for that shit. I need to feel it and I can feel RIFU.
Go-Kart Records Europe
www.gokartrecords.de

RISE AGAINST - 'THE UNRAVELING' CD
This is a re-release of the first RISE AGAINST record from 2001 that's been remixed and re-mastered with 2 early bonus tracks too. For those of you who are familiar with RISE AGAINST you will know that they have a very specific and eminent sound so the purpose of re-releasing this debut album is to bring it to the standard of sound that RISE AGAINST are distinguished by and apart from that, it's a god way to throw some hardcore punk in the faces of the new punks!! RISE AGAINST have a sound that is soaked with the flair of the old days... BLACK FLAG, ADOLESCENTS, BAD RELIGION and D.I., a touch of early Lookout! Records and merged with a newer style. It's fast and hostile yet melodic and tight. They remind me of very early PENNYWISE (when they still had kick) and sometimes even a hint of more-abrasive SCREECHING WEASEL (perhaps not so surprising as this was recorded by Mass Giorgini assisted by Dan Lumely at Sonic Iguana). The two bonus tracks are 'Join The Ranks' and 'Gethsemene' which were not included on the original release of 'The Unraveling' so that's going to be reason enough for fans to want this CD (as well as hearing the new mixes). RISE AGAINST are hugely popular but they have a different approach to other big bands. They are intense and varied. Maybe it's because they're from Chicago, I don't know, but they're coming from a different direction.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com / www.fatwreck.de

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STORMTROOPERS - ‘ON FIRE’ CD
I’ve been asking now for a few years, ‘what the fuck has happened to the fun in punk rock?’ and I finally found the answer... the ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STRMTROOPERS took it!! I don’t think they’re giving it back either!! This is what it’s all about... straightforward, fun punk rock ‘n’ roll. No bullshit posing around, no phony ‘fuck the system’ sloganeering, no fashion crap just pure rock ‘n’ roll exuberance. I mean, these guys with their cut off denim hotpants with the pockets hanging out, aviators and sleeveless denim jackets with nothing underneath are way cooler than all the try hard so-called punks with their £50 bullet belts. This is in the true spirit of punk rock. Totally simple and totally fucking rocking. If you don’t get this then you just don’t get punk rock at all. This is so badly needed in these times of serious and whiny ‘punk’ that’s just so far removed from what punk rock is supposed to represent. The Germans do punk rock like nobody else. Get this or give up.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

RODRIGUEZ - ‘BLACK FINGERTIPS’ 10”
Raw and distorted garage that’s really sharp and chaotic. The music is jerky and urgent and the vocals are provocative and this is a combination that I love. It’s so coarse yet so stylish and so simple which is why they are able to create such impact. This is so straightforward, so good and so easy for me to review because they have all the measures right and everything fuses perfectly. I just can’t fault this. It’s fun and fucked up and that suits me fine.
Relax-o-Matic Vibrator Records
www.relaxomatic.free.fr

THE ROGUE NATIONS - ‘THE AMERICAN RUINS EP’ 7"
This is Chris and Kevin from MY SO-CALLED BAND’s new band and it fucking rules. It’s melodic but chaotic and it’s got that great messy style that I love. It’s urgent and live and really takes me back to the sound and feeling of the magical old days. They just nail that frenzied early/mid ‘80s American hardcore/punk sound and it’s so well-written and played, and I love the vocals which are just the icing on the cake. This is excellent.
Su-I-Cide Watch Records
www.suicidewatchrecords.com

THE RUDE BOYS - ‘SKA FEVER’ CD
This nine track CD collects all the recordings the Welsh RUDE BOYS made in their year-long existence between 1988-89 and it truly captures the sound and feeling of that time. You don’t get this sound anymore, not like this. Sure there’s no short supply of ska bands these days but, seriously, 99.9% suck. They are so far removed from this old sound that it doesn’t even seem like the same genre. The pace on here is perfect. I don’t know why it all got so fast later on... American shit killed this sound!! This is pure British ska style... touches of MADNESS, REDSKINS, THE SPECIALS etc and a lot of soul, it’s important that the kids hear this and re-evaluate what they think the ska/2-tone sound really is because it sure ain’t any of that ‘funny’, radio-friendly college shit…
Step-1 Music
www.step1music.com

RUM RUNNER - ‘DEAD MEN ARE HEAVIER THEN BROEKN HEARTS’ 7"
Canadian folk delivered with a pure punk attitude that’s very reminiscent of the SWINGIN’ UTTERS and the FILTHY THIEVING BASTARDS and I always found Darius Koski and Johnny Bonnel to write very sophisticated folk songs. A lot of bands have latched onto this style and understandably so, but it’s a very hard sound to get right and RUM RUNNER have got that refinement and proficiency. The title track is a fucking great debut single and their cover of the POGUES ’Body Of An American’ is great and no doubt the upcoming full-length will be crammed with tons of raw folk melancholy and spit and I’m really looking forward to that. I’ve always been a fan of this sound and it lends itself to the punk spirit, urgency and attitude so well but it’s been ruined for me by so many shitty bands that bastardized it so it’s great to hear RUM RUNNER doing it so well and not gimmicky. Killer blood-spattered clear wax too.
Longshot Music
www.longshotmusic.com

RUM RUNNER - ‘IN GUNS AT CYRANNO’S’ CD
I was really looking forward to this RUM RUNNER full-length after hearing the debut ‘Dead Men Are Heavier Than Broken Hearts’ 7” that’s been spinning on my turntable for fucking months. They just nail that folky sound and mix it in with punk rock attitude and urgency with perfect measure. As much as I’m a fan of this sound, it can bug the shit out of me when it’s not done right, when it feels so put on and the folk sounds crow-barred in there... RUM RUNNER sound natural and the song-writing is so fluid. You know, this used to be a sound that really excited me and over the years with so many bands just fucking it all up and not delivering any kind of passion or soul, it’s become a sound that I’m sceptical about and that’s a real pity... BUT when I hear stuff like RUM RUNNER I’m just in love again. It relight’s that excitement of hearing the SWINGIN’ UTTERS or THOSE UNKNOWN when I was really young or the FILTHY THIEVING BASTARDS or even more recent bands like MISCHIEF BREW and MUTINY that have reignited that flame and it’s just great. This really works.
Longshot Music
www.longshotmusic.com

THE SAINTE CATHERINES - ‘DANDING FOR DECADENCE’ CD
Three guitars!! Yeah, the SAINTE CATHERINES have a sledgehammer sound that is dark, thick and very layered. Sometimes reminiscent of darker NOFX with long, ‘whining’ chords that flicker between majors and minors and a huge dose of LEATHERFACE. That heavy and sinister melody. Very interesting style to the whole release and it’s the initial sign that this isn’t going to be a run-of–the-mill punk rock record. This is intense and the way that they use their three guitars is the key element to their sound. It’s very well written because if you don’t apply this carefully the sound can get muddy, too heavy or confused or needlessly complex but that’s never the case on here. It’s always intense but never too heavy. Great production of course! But before the production happens, the songs have to be written and these guys know what they’re doing. These three guitars are totally comfortable with each other. There’s a very No Idea! sound to these guys. This is the first time I've heard the SAINTE CATHERINES and I’m really impressed. They have 2 previous full-lengths and some 7”s and an EP which I’m definitely checking out.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

THE SCARECROWS - ’FEATURING MARC FORD’ CD
This is THE SCARECROWS ‘revival’ record from 1988 (after a one-year break) featuring Marc Ford from BURNING TREE and it’s a masterpiece of raw fervour and obsession. It’s gritty and bluesy and delivered with a pure punk rock attack... stripped and urgent and best of all, THE SCARECROWS did what the fuck they wanted to do not falling into any capricious trends (that could’ve made them more money and got them more recognition). They were fully engaged in their passion and dedication to real rock n roll and that’s so fucking bright that it’s blinding on this record. This was California in 1988... it must have taken balls to sound like THE SCARECROWS and really stick to their guns with all that faux-glam hairspray metal going on around them. Instead of cashing in on that vogue THE SCARECROWS delivered a record burning with spirit and soul rather than some characterless shit that was being churned out at the time by a million bands. This is enthusiasm that you can’t add into a band’s song-writing if it’s not there already. David Pedroza’s voice is so natural but he’s got that bluesy rawness that so many vocalists have to force. This is fucking awesome.
Manic Records
www.davidpedroza.com

THE SCARECROWS - S/T CD
This is David Pedroza from the PUT-ONS old band from the 80’s and it’s got that unmistakable Pedroza style to it... exciting and unpredictable compositions and pure freedom. This self-titled collects 11 tracks, 9 of which were recorded in 1984 and never released until now!!! The other 2 tracks were recorded a year later and released as a 7" (‘Pitchfork’ and ‘Police Car’). It’s fuckin crazy that those 9 songs didn’t see the light of day until now. There’s a real SST sound to this, and to Pedroza’s work in general, and that’s a sound and style that’s really missing from punk rock... that arty freedom. Bands these days are too scared to stray from a particular formula so there’s nothing really exciting happening but that’s not what Pedroza is about. He’s all about inventiveness and nonconformity and, fuck man, that’s what punk rock is all about. This record is brimming with imagination and it’s all over the place in a great way, not like they don’t know what direction they’re going in because they know exactly. This was always going to be an exciting record for me because I’m hooked on anything this guy puts his name to but you should get a hold of this and be thrown right back to those unconventional and truly rebellious punk rock days.
Manic Records
www.davidpedroza.com

SCRAP - 'MULTIMEDIA RELEASE 1' DVD
Whoa!! This is some raw shit right here!! Totally DIY and that's what I'm after... all fucked up and backyard. This is the first DVD release from Scrap Records and it's got a bunch of bands from all over the world. CRIMINALS OF EVOLUTION are up first with some really abrasive shit and Manga-style graphics... really chaotic stuff. THEODORE BASTARD from Russia is up next with some really weird animation and eerie music. The first un-animated sequence comes from New York's PETE MISSING and DJ HAZZARD which has a kind of industrial feel to it with chaotic live footage slices. London's DEAD SILENCE remind me of THE STREETS... beats, drum n bass, hip-hop all mashed togther. DRADONS 2000 from Wales serve up some hardcore punk and squatter sounds. The DEAD PLANTS are the fucking show-stealers of this DVD with their super-raw rockabilly and fucked up video of a mechanical horse that shits... crazy shit but good shit!! Bristol's PINK PORK CHOPS deliver some crusty anarcho squat punk with loads of meat carcasses in the vieo. New Zealand's MISSING TEETH play straight up hardcore punk and they rule. If the DEAD PLANTS weren't on this DVD these guys would have been the highlight for sure. Brighton's REN is really weird shit... George W. Bush's face all distorted with some fucked up samples. BROKEN are up next and these guys rule. I was hooked on their 'Homeland Insecurity' CD for ages. They are pure American Hardcore and you get a bit of an interview with them too. London's K-LINE are the most melodic band on the DVD and have that kind of English take on American punk rock sound. ENGINE ROOM from Brighton are a percussive, tribal clan and HEADJAM close the DVD with thier female-fronted blend of punk rock and live drum n bass. This is a really fucking cool DVD and it's perhaps one of the weirdest things I've ever seen. The variation is insane!! I love the DIY-ness of it all and I'm really looking forward to the next volume.
Scrapkillarroadmovies
www.scraprecords.com

SECOND CLASS CITIZEN - ‘CONSPIRACY OF TRUTH’ CD
Fast and assertive hardcore punk with elements of AGNOSTIC FRONT, HUDSON FALCONS and HEADWOUND. It’s fucking solid and tough in that characteristic East Coast hardcore style. It’s naturally robust and attacking and in an old-fashioned way which is exactly what I want, a constant assault and a vicious strike without ever getting metallic because that will blow a potentially great hardcore band in my book. SECOND CLASS CITIZEN keep things relentlessly heavy and strictly hardcore. A fucking solid record here that will reinstate why you initially liked hardcore so much. I know it’s easy to forget sometimes will all the shit that has somehow crept in and raped the hardcore scene in the past 10 years.
www.secondclasscitizen.4t.com

SHARKBAIT SKATEBOARD ZINE #27
Raw as fuck, DIY skate zine, one-sided black and white Xerox and fuck you... that’s the rawness I love. Totally pirate zine here... no time to make two-sided copies just steal what ya can when ya can... it’s gotta be fast!! I love that and that’s how No Front Teeth started out so I got a lot of love for shit like this. Great attitude in this zine and a real fun spirit. You got interviews with Abby Weitz from the Lookaways, great one with Bill ’Watermelon Slim’ Homans and David Dean who’s starting an on-line art gallery. Bunch of photos too and just a fuckin cool read. I dig this a lot.
2201 N.14th Apt. D5, Ponca City, OK, USA

THE SHITGIVEITS - ‘FREEDOM FROM REALITY’ CD
Totally raw, totally DIY skate hardcore punk with a Beer City sound. There’s a definite UK ’82 edge to the hardcore, a bit of GBH or Exploited but then it’s merged with the whole skateboarding aspect which is something pretty unique to that style and I like that. THE SHITGIVEITS do have the political edge too but it’s fused with the raw skatepunk style of JFA and all this combining of styles and sounds and even cultures works well. I can only take so much GBH or DISCHARGE or whatever until I’m like ‘OK, enough of this shit’ but THE SHITGIVEITS I can take until the cows come home. I love the DIY look of the whole thing and their version of the Dog Town cross and of course, the music kicks you in the balls... 22 fuckin times!!
In Your Face Records, PO Box 22661, San Diego, CA 92192-2661, USA

THE SHITGIVEITS - ‘LET’S GET SHITFACED’ CD
THE SHITGIVETS don’t give a fuck. Straight from their cover that shows a girl getting literally shit–faced and a guy on the back cover about to get shit-faced with a pile o’ turd in his hands. This crudeness is carried right through their music... old fashioned, lo-fi skate hardcore that’s just a breath of fresh air... or is that a waft o’shit? Whatever, this rules because this carries all the aggression and power that skatepunk is supposed to. To me, skatepunk is supposed to reflect a sweaty, erratic pool session with all the spills and that’s what the fuck THE SHITGIVEITS deliver. No over-production, whining shit, just an old-fashioned skate blast.
In Your Face Records, PO Box 22661, San Diego, CA 92192-2661, USA

THE SHITGIVEITS - ‘VICIOUS CIRCLES AND AMERICAN DREAMS’ CD
This is the latest offering from San Diego’s skatepunk rogues THE SHITGIVEITS. It’s raw, fast and vulgar and with those ingredients I’m sure gonna like the taste. Totally old school skate hardcore/punk with style... not the shit that passes for skatepunk these days. This is the dangerous shit from when skateboarding was dangerous. No shiny production, no poppy edge, just raw-to-the-bone chaos and you call tell that THE SHITGIVEITS don’t compromise and are set to attack just from their song titles: ‘War Whore’, ‘Fuck With You’, ‘Trench Coast Mafia’, ‘Fight Your Own Wars’, ‘Fucked Up System’, ‘Trails Of Kaos’, ‘Adrenaline and Insanity’ ...this is a killer record that’s strictly not for the pussies.
In Your Face Records, PO Box 22661, San Diego, CA 92192-2661, USA

SHOCK NAGASAKI - ‘LATE 4 LIFE’ 7"
SHOCK NAGASAKI don’t fuck around with their punk rock... They keep it simple, powerful and anthemic and what an impression they made on the split with STRAITJACKET. There’s no straying from primitive punk rock roots with these guys and they inject a whole lot of early punk rock spirit and magic into their music. They don’t try and force anything. The pace is great, it’s the slower, early English pace and sound with a prominent rhythm section driving the whole thing and it works so fucking well. This is exactly the sound we need today. Great cover art on this too and it’s on Slab-O-Wax so you know it’s gonna be killer looking vinyl. This time splashed pink and white. Excellent record and I’m biting my nails for a full-length...
Slab-O-Wax Records
www.slab-o-wax.com

THE SHOCKER - ‘UP YOUR ASS TRAY’ CD
This is Jennifer Finch from L7’s group and boy did I have a thing for Jennifer back in the days of ‘Bricks are Heavy’ ...anyway, Jennifer still rules and still rocks. L7 was the blueprint sound that bands like the DISTILLERS and CIVET are born from and THE SHOCKER continues in that same vein of gritty LA punk rock that’s sexy and dangerous that L7 crafted. It’s produced by Dean Menta who produced FAITH NO MORE and there’s a definite element of that sound in here. This is by no means bog-standard punk rock. It comes from a different angle, especially different from the typical LA punk sound because it’s got roots. In the 1990’s music sucked... but L7 kicked ass. Here was a bunch of girls who were tougher and more dangerous than all the grunge wimps put together and that’s what THE SHOCKER are all about. I can’t wait to see them live.
Go-Kart Records Europe
www.gokartrecords.de

SIDE SIXTY SEVEN - ‘BEYOND WARPED’ DVD
SIDE SIXTY SEVEN remind me a lot of a mix of early PENNYWISE and mid-era BAD RELIGION. They are fast and simple and have a definite skate hardcore sound. This DVD is 8 songs from their Warped Tour set from 2004 in Canada and they are a decent live band. This is the sound that used to define the Warped Tour and you still catch glimpses of it but it’s been replaced by the way more popular Emo sound which is a damn shame. SIDE SIXTY SEVEN remind me of being 15 and skating all day long so I have no problem with that at all.
Immergent Records
www.immergent.com

SINKING SHIPS - ‘DISCONNECTING’ CD
SINKING SHIPS play old-fashioned hardcore that’s straight-forward and pulsating. There’s no exaggerations and overstatements about these guys. This is just powerful hardcore energy, aggressive and melodic. No bullshit breakdowns and metallic solos to fuck things up, no macho bullshit and no posing around. The whole thing is very stylish and understated and that’s a rare trait in a hardcore band. The sound is a blend of BANE, KILL YOUR IDOLS, AGNOSTIC FRONT, COME BACK KID and at times it really reminds me of a heavier EXPLOSION. It’s rowdy but super-tight and the vocals are the icing on the cake for me... they are fantastic. This is great hardcore and these guys should get huge but given that the kids of today are fucking idiots and settle for the weak shit that they are force-fed they will most probably miss out on this as it will be so far over their heads... idiots.
Revelation Records
www.revelationrecords.com

THE SIX STRING JETS - ‘SAVAGE BEAT’ 7"
Four songs from these Memphis sleazy rockers. Fast and out of control rock ‘n’ roll with a touch of glam and cool gaudy vocals. At times they remind me slightly of the SODA POP KIDS but mixed with the straightforwardness of the RAMONES. Nice and fast pace with a good dose of tastelessness these dirty fuckers deliver an acute attack and there’s no fucking around, they keep shit moving and vigorously. This blend of big riff rock n roll and punk rock spit has got me.
Wrecked ‘Em Records
www.wrecked-em.com

SIX TOYS - ‘FORBIDDEN WAR’ CD
Melodic and heavy hardcore/punk from these Belgians who have a very current Fat Wreck sound. It’s a very layered sound both musically and vocally and that seems to be the direction a lot of melodic punk rock is going in. They remind me of a blend of NOFX and STRIKE ANYWHERE... it’s a kind of complex simplicity. The pace varies throughout the course of the record with some songs verging way more on the hardcore side of things but it’s always got a very melodic edge and they have these little metallic touches that appear in gaps here and there and thicken up the sound but doesn’t get in the way. I'd never call these guys ‘metallic’ but they certainly have hints here and there which is part of what makes up their layers.
Funtime Records
www.funtimerecords.com

THE SKEPTIX - ‘HATE AND FEAR’ CD
18 years after THE SKEPTIX called it a day ‘Hate and Fear’ comes snarling out like a rabid dog. Yeah THE SKEPTIX can still fuck shit up like crazy. This is classic SKEPTIX... raw, fast, political and rampant they certainly haven’t slowed the pace down!! From the opener ‘Life Today’ this record chugs, provokes, attacks and slices all the way. There’s a great booklet with this too, with all the band members (still the original line-up!) writing and loads of photos too. This has more energy and fire than most of the new, younger punk bands. They just don’t seem to feel it like THE SKEPTIX. They should listen and learn from these older, passionate punks.
Thunk Records
www.thunkrecords.com

THE SKEPTIX - ‘LIVE AT CBGB’S’ DVD
Not only does this DVD contain UK punk legend’s THE SKEPTIX 2003 performance at NYC’s legendary CBGB’s but over 2 hours more of tour footage. This is a fuckin comprehensive film. You get to drive from State to State with the band, meet their drivers (Jeff from the Midnight Creeps and Dave from Tilt), get drunk with them and catch sets from all over the USA... New York, California, Texas etc with plenty of before and after show footage, interview sections and we get to meet friends they made along the way including the Street Brats from Chicago (of which there’s also a montage video at the end of the DVD with THE SKEPTIX’ Fish guesting on guitar too) and heaps of US punx. THE SKEPTIX are fuckin energetic and vigorous and I just love it when older bands kick the living shit out of all these young punk bands that have no energy. THE SKEPTIX are chaotic, raw and spirited and it’s fantastic to see that the kids get excited about them because they are a seriously important band. This is a killer DVD... totally punk rock but well documented. It’s got that cut-n-paste edge but it’s organised too. Definitely recommended.
Thunk Records
www.thunkrecords.com

THE SKULLS - ‘BEYOND WARPED’ CD/DVD
The SKULLS rule and have ruled for almost 30 years... definitive snotty and fun Californian punk rock. It’s absolutely fantastic to see that they are part of the Warped Tour. That tour needs more old timers, more pioneers and along with the HUNNS release, this is my favourite in this chain. Without the SKULLS there probably wouldn’t be a Warped Tour at all because the amount of bands that they inspired is unreal. They're an absolutely fantastic live band and you can see that on here... lots of attack and heaps of fun. THE SKULLS should drive the kids crazy but the kids just wanna mope around with hair in front of their eyes instead of having fun. Fuck them, this rules!!!
Immergent Records
www.immergent.com

THE SLACKERS - ‘PECULIAR’ CD
The ludicrously talented SLACKERS are back and it's in their truly eccentric and, indeed, peculiar and unconventional style. This is a set of brand new songs that were recorded part live and part in the studio but not in the way that you’re thinking. This is not a mix of live and studio tracks, nor are they live-studio tracks... this is something totally different!! The rhythm section was recorded live at Ernesto’s in Holland and the vocals and horns were added in the studio. Who else would do things that way around? No one because that requires some serious live-performance aptitude that most bands just don’t have, even if they’re great musicians. The live-set can still be demanding but the SLACKERS are the most natural and comfortable live band I have ever seen. I’ve said it many times before that it sounds like the record is playing when they’re on the stage and that’s mind-blowing. The SLACKERS strive to keep things fresh and fascinating and yet again they succeed enormously on this record.
Hellcat Records
www.hell-cat.com

SMASH POINTS - S/T CD
SMASH POINTS have the perfect mix of streetpunk, hardcore and Oi! and with great raw production too. Fuck the full, heavy-production sound, this is close to the bone and adamant. Their sound is like THE BOILS merged with THE BUSINESS, ANTI-HEROS, BOMBSHELLS and LOWER CLASS BRATS and it’s fuckin great. This really fuckin works. Aggressive but not overly-hostile and always attacking. This seriously is the sound I crave and it comprises all the greatest elements of all those styles... the snotty punk approach, the belligerent hardcore attitude, the coarseness of streetpunk and the straight Oi! antagonism all blended together and delivered with urgency and true punk rock primitiveness. This is a great record here.
Step-1 Music
www.step1music.com

SMUT PEDDLERS - ‘THAT’S AMORE, LIVE AT DIPIAZZA’S’ DVD/CD
I’m so happy that the SMUT PEDDLERS have become part of the TKO family and I really believe that ‘Coming Out’ has exposed them to the larger audience that they deserve, and I think that putting a SMUT DVD out is a fucking awesome idea. This is a band that really mustn’t be ignored or overlooked and of course TKO recognise that. This is a band who still represent the true punk rock spirit, are not afraid of speaking their mind and ruffling some feathers and with the astuteness to back up their views. Whatever happened to provocative punk rock?? Punk rock used to be the home of defiance, confrontation and obnoxiousness and thank God for bands like the SMUT PEDDLERS for keeping that alive even when it means they’ll turn a lot of people against them. Fuck those fools, they just don’t get it and they sure don’t belong in punk rock. This DVD showcases a 22-track live SMUT PEDDLERS set at DiPazza’s pizza parlour and shit is it fantastic to watch. I’m so bummed out that I’ve never seen them live because they truly are one of the few bands that actually excite and stimulate me and I was so eager to see them last year when they were supposed to come over to Europe but then all that MAD shit happened and all that excitement went down the drain. Anyway, even though this is on a screen it still absolutely rules to see a full SMUT PEDDLERS live set. There’s also a CD of the live audio for the show which is a really cool idea too. They look great, sound great and in my opinion should be absolutely fucking huge. This is a total pleasure to watch.
TKO Records
www.tkorecords.com

SNITCHES GET STITCHES - ‘EVEN A BUTCHERED CORPSE CAN SHINE’ CD
I’m still hooked on last year’s ‘I liked You Better When You Were A Corpse’ so needless to say, I was fucking excited about this new release and fuck me, if these guys have taken their insanity up a couple notches... this is fiercer, more erratic and more intimidating than before!! Still hostile and impulsive, melodic, hardcore and truly peculiar, these guys have delved deeper into their fucked up world and fucked up sound and really found the roots of it... there’s no going back now. There’s no real placing their sound, which is a great thing, they just do what the fuck they want. I can tell you pretty much no releases stick around my stereo for over a year and get played as much as their last CD has been, so that’s saying more than I can put across in words. Now both these CDs will stick around and be played back to back for a long, long time and even though it’s playing as I write, I can’t wait to spin this sickeningly good record again... crazy shit...
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

SNUGGLES / WHISKEY SUNDAY - SPLIT 7"
Two tracks from each band. SNUGGLE have that gritty, messy early Lookout! / No Idea sound of CHRIMPSHRINE, CLEVELAND BOUND DEATH SENTENCE and even a touch of PINHEAD GUNPOWDER. Nice and disordered yet melodic and both their tracks ‘Heavy Hangs The Head’ and ‘Jolly Roger’ are solid as fuck. Old fashioned skatepunks WHISKEY SUNDAY serve up 2 shots of old school skate rock with a real early TKO streetpunk edge in the form of ‘Sunday Morning’ and ‘Sometimes You Lose’. Can’t fault this split. Both bands deliver solid shit and their styles are completely different which is cool too.
Vinehell Records
www.vinehell.com

THE SODA POP KIDS - ‘WRITE HOME’ CD
OK, this is a-fucking-mazing debauched glam rock ‘n’ roll drenched with early Bowery lewdness and sexy threat. Evolved from the KILL CITY THRILLERS with the addition of Tony Mengis from the excellent RIFFS and Stevie Kix from THE WEAKLINGS, so this isn’t amateur stuff here. The vocals are fantastic, screechy and fucked up and kind of remind me of Lloyd from THEE INDIGENTS and I love these high, abrasive vocals. Simple, energetic and dangerous and that’s what the fuck I want. This has the perilous rock ‘n’ roll charm of the NEW YORK DOLLS and THE ELECTRIC CHAIRS and the straightforwardness of CHUCK BERRY blended with straight punk rock impulsiveness and a syringe-full of glam and it’s just perfect. It’s pretty enough to draw you right in but vicious enough to spit in your face and kick you in the balls. It’s like bubblegum and strychnine and I love this so much.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

SOLDIER DOLLS - S/T CD
It’s been over two decades since the SOLDIER DOLLS called it a day but you wouldn’t think that these guys had been dormant for that long because this new album spits and kicks hysterically. They must have built up some serious antagonism in these inactive years. They have the highly British 1980’s sound of G.B.H, THE EXPLOITED, SUNHUMANS etc but mixed in with an almost melodic ‘80’s US hardcore edge so in that respect it’s almost as if they’re carrying on from exactly where they left off, but this sounds fresher than most shit coming out these days. There are a bunch of old tracks re-recorded on here but they don’t sound dated. The production has definitely rejuvenated them but the songs themselves can just stand up to any contemporary sound. These days Britain hasn’t got much to shout about punk rock-wise unfortunately, with this fickle and indecisive youth. So hearing old bands like the SOLDIER DOLLS and the SKEPTIX etc releasing stuff again after a latent period is just fantastic.
Longshot Music
www.longshotmusic.com

SOME GIRLS - 'HEAVEN'S PREGNANT TEENS' CD
SOME GIRLS is made up of members of THE LOCUST, PLOT TO BLOW UP THE EIFFEL TOWER and GIVE UP THE GHOST among others so you can image the chaos these guys will present. Yep, it's pure disorder. Fast, distorted and fucked up this drags you around the room by the hair and kicks you in the face but, boy, does it feel good. I mean, check out the record title... and the cover shows a pregnant nun... fantastic. Insane tempo changes, vulgar, warped, intense as fuck and relentlessly antagonistic. SOME GIRLS are going to be unstoppable. This is the ruthless hardcore thrash that you need.
Epitaph Records
www.epitaph.com

THE SORE THUMBS - ‘LISTEN UP!!’ CD
THE SORE THUMBS are something special and I got that feeling the first time I heard them a few years back. Their sound is truly extraordinary and is sort of a mix of early and recent ONE MAN ARMY, THOSE UNKNOWN, SWINGIN’ UTTERS and REDUCERS SF with even a touch of CRIMPSHRINE or PINHEAD GUNPOWDER in there and they do so much with the vocal lines that keeps it all exciting and unpredictable. The progressions are interesting and coupled with the vocal lines it’s fucking explosive. Absolutely sick song-writing and sharp lyrics. THE SORE THUMBS do the same thing that the REDUCERS SF do so well and that’s being able to inject a huge dose of melody and catchiness into the music without losing any of the balls... because this sounds tough and that’s a really difficult thing to do to maintain that balance. The whole thing’s got that early TKO sound too and the production is spot-on. I just can’t find fault in this record because it’s fucking flawless. I loved their debut but this is on another level. I honestly can’t imagine any punk rocker who won’t fall head first for THE SORE THUMBS sound because it’s so appealing and alluring. It’s in its own category and in its own league. Listen up... indeed we will, this album should lunge this fantastic band to the fucking stars... it honestly is that great.
Radio Records
www.radiorecords.org

SPARKLE OF HOPE - ‘IT’S CALCULATED MURDER!’ CD
Heavy and full-on hardcore that blends the new young sound with some old school metallic presence. It’s that metallic weightiness that’s missing form a lot of newer, younger hardcore bands who spread themselves way too thinly over that whole Emo style. SPARKLE OF HOPE manage to merge that heaviness with melody but not with such an obvious break as I mostly hear with newer hardcore bands. Hey I grew up with old-fashioned hardcore so I want power, power, power! I got no time for breakdowns! These guys keep the power up constantly and their divergence is straight down the metal route... no whining here! There’s just way more style to a band like SPARKLE OF HOPE, their approach is just that bit more sophisticated and distinct and to add that extra bit of style, the Mike Bukowski cover art gives them even more edge.
Funtime Records
www.funtimerecords.com

STABBED IN BACK - ‘A PORTRAIT OF NOISE’ CD EP
Fast and melodic hardcore punk with a pretty varied sound that reminds me of early NOFX mixed with early UNSEEN and AFI, It’s melodic but coarse and has a lot of fucking balls and presence. It mixes the very approachable Epitaph-type sound with some nasty shit! Something unpredictable and resilient and that’s something that’s missing in most bands these days. More bands need to take a sound and twist it into their own style like this because, let’s face it, no one’s going to rewrite punk rock so we have to work within certain boundaries, but that’s no excuse for laziness or copy-catting. STABBED IN BACK demonstrate this perfectly in these 4 tracks.
Basement Records
www.basementrecords.net

STENCH - ‘MORAL DEBAUCHERY’ 7"
I think it’s so fucking cool that Puke N Vomit is releasing old English punk rock like they did with the co-releases of the SKEPTIX records. This 7" is a re-release of the STENCH ‘Moral Debauchery’ EP from the early ‘80’s and it’s quintessentially English punk rock... I mean perfectly. The pace is perfect, not too slow like way too many bands were but no breakneck speeds either... just attacking and urgent with huge doses of vulgarity and repugnance and all that shit that made English punk so beautiful. With song titles like ‘Nonces’ and ‘Raspberry Cripple’ yer gonna get my vote straight away. What I like is that through all it’s obnoxiousness it’s kinda smart and that’s the best kind of punk rock. Vocalist Peter Paediophile's later band TORCHA SHED have just released a 7" through Puke N Vomit too and you should get yer dirty hands on both these 7’s... you really won’t be disappointed.
Puke N Vomit Records
www.pukenvomitrecords.com

STIG - ‘RUM ‘N BRASS’ CD
Jesus Christ STIG is some fucked up shit... this is all over the place chaos!!! Samples, beats, brass, Hawaiian guitars, keyboards, heavy guitars, random noise and tons of other shit I can’t describe!! The pace is constantly changing as is the vocal style and heaviness... crazy, crazy shit. Definitely very punk rock in it’s approach: very free and experimental and quite obviously not giving a fuck what people think which is a great thing. At times there’s a slow reggae feel, at time it's faster Ska, then it’s kind of big band music, then it’s totally fucked up noise, then even more fucked up noise, then it’s like lounge music... you just gotta hear this because I can’t describe this properly. Tthere aren’t enough words to describe this justly.
Rebel Music Records
www.stignoise.com

STREET BRATS - ‘SEE YOU AT THE BOTTOM’ CD
After hearing THE STREET BRATS ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ 7” I was hooked on them and I mean hooked. That record has spun and spun I’m surprised the grooves haven’t worn right through the vinyl. So needless to say the thought of a full-length was thrilling me. Before I say anything else about ‘See You At The Bottom’ I want to say that I love this record. Fuckin’ love it. This excites me like when I was a kid and couldn’t wait to get home from school so I could listen to my punk records... songs in my head all day and then ecstatic to get home and hear them again. Just now it’s work instead of school but that feeling’s back!! Their mix of ‘70’s punk rock, melody, streetpunk aggression and a hint of glam is just perfection. They are able to blend the melody of SCREECHING WEASEL with the glam rock of THE BOYS, the aggression of the RIVER CITY REBELS and the interestingness of ONE MAN ARMY topped off with the power of the RAMONES and style of THE CLASH... that’s the level I’m talking about and the STREET BRATS have nailed it. Fantastic vocal lines, back-ups, loads of guitars and a great rhythm section... nailed, nailed, nailed. I knew this record would blow me away and I hyped it up so much in my head so man, believe me, this is a Molotov. This is a necessity and we’ll be seeing the STREET BRATS at the top.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

STREETSIDE PROPHET - ‘TALKING TO WALLS’ CD EP
Fantastic band name and a really captivating release here. Really attractive songwriting and in no particular genre or style. It’s totally un-regimented in a great way. It’s got an almost folky edge to it that reminds me of MISCHIEF BREW but only very slightly in flashes here and there, and at times I get hints of PINHEAD GUNPOWDER and an almost LEATEHRFACE-esque melancholic heaviness but, again, so slightly. Fantastic, melodic vocals and engaging vocal-lines with prosaic lyrics. This really grabbed me. The production is really interesting on here too. The vocals are right upfront and the music is really contained and this really works well and it’s kind of heavy yet ‘thin’ all at once and I like that a lot too. I’m really impressed with this. Cool artwork too.
Formula 13 Records
www.formula13.com

STRIKE ANYWHERE - ‘DEAD FM’ CD
STRIKE ANYWHERE don’t convolute their music. There’s no beating about the bush or drawing out in their song-writing and they can seamlessly fuse punk rock with hardcore with none of the bullshit breakdowns or metallic leanings. There’s something special about STRIKE ANYWHERE’s sound that manages to merge the very influential sounds of early Lookout!, early Epitaph and, of course, Fat Wreck and I can’t think of a band that even comes close to doing that. I mean, there are elements of NOFX, AGAINST ME!, PENNYWISE, BOUNCING SOULS, ANTI-FLAG, RANCID, BAD RELIGION, DESCENDENTS etc and that’s something pretty fucking unique, and especially when they are able to do it without directly sounding like any of these bands. There’s just nothing forced about their songs, it all just flows out so unpretentiously and sincerely. The lyrics are intelligent, arousing and expressive and ‘Dead FM’ is the record in which all these great elements of their song-writing stick like superglue and won’t come apart anymore. This is rock solid.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

THOUSAND NATURAL SHOCKS - ‘UNDER THE SUN, ATTACK’ CD SINGLE
I was expecting this to be a modern hardcore/Emo band because of the name and cover art but shit was I way off and thank God for that. My heart sinks when that shit comes through the speakers. THOUSAND NATURAL SHOCKS sound is hard to place which is always a good thing, it makes my job hard but that’s also good. It’s kind of arty-indie I guess, but these guys just do what they wanna do. Sometimes it's bluesy, touches of funk, punk delivery, there’s lots going on with the music. These guys are young and have a clear idea of the direction they want to be going in and they can certainly craft songs and mould their sound and that’s fucking impressive for their age because so many bands, and especially younger bands, just steal other bands’ sounds and copycat the whole thing. It’s great to see and hear that these guys are defining their own noise.
www.thousandnaturalshocks.com

TIME AGAIN - ‘THE STORIES ARE TRUE’ CD
TIME AGAIN are quintessentially Hellcat. Everything about them reflects that Hellcat cast, their style, their sound, their image and that’s all cool with me. It actually reminds me of the early Hellcat sound. There’s a totally early RANCID feel to this and they’re not hiding the fact that RANCID are a huge inspiration. Vocalist Daniel Dart even dons the trademark Armstrong style and sure looks like him too. The song writing is solid and it’s straight Californian punk rock... you know exactly what you’re getting with these guys and I can’t imagine that anybody would be disappointed by this record. Sure it’s been done before but TIME AGAIN do it really well and I have no problem with punk rock sounding like it did in the past, in fact, that’s a huge bonus for me. It’s simple and effective and that’s all I ask out of punk rock so it gets the thumbs up from me. It’s just such a familiar sound. Tim Armstrong even features on the title track and it’s always a pleasure to hear him. The only reservation I have is that they look like a walking billboard for Machete. It looks like they walked around the warehouse and picked one of everything, but that’s neither here nor there. This is a fucking cool record and I’m sure they’ll do really well. It’s the best thing Hellcat have put out in a while.
Hellcat Records
www.hell-cat.com

TOKYO ELECTRON - S/T CD
Thrashed out garage punk with style just dripping off it and that's no surprise really since it features vocalist Ryan from the WONGS, REATARDS, DIGITAL LEATHER etc which should be enough for you to piss yourself with excitement and want this so badly. There's so much stylishness on here it's fucking scary. A touch of the Rip Off sound (not surprising) but pushing the margins of garage punk and presenting a whole new scale of confusion. It's beautifully dangerous and unpredictable, which is key because much of garage has become pretty monotonous and conventional so TOKYO ELECTRON stick two fingers up at that and generate some fresh chaos. Impulsiveness and irregularity is fucking exciting stuff and that's what Ryan is all about. Impressive and electrifying as fuck. You don't really need to be told that you have to get this, in fact, you should have stopped reading this review as soon as you heard Ryan was singing...
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

TOMMY AND THE TERRORS - 'UNLEASH THE FURY' CD
Ahhh... Boston punk rock... breathe in the havoc, you know what that means. Tough, ardent hardcore punk with balls the size of your fat head. This is the staunch sound of East Coast punk rock that's here to stomp on all the weak, no balls pussy shit that's plaguing the scene. TOMMY AND THE TERRORS are here to keep punk rock ruthless and threatening, no watering-down, no big production, just straight, nasty punk rock. I mean they are fucking terrors so what did you expect?!! 'Unleash The Fury' is damn right. This is soaked through with raw energy and enthusiasm and you can sense from the onset that this is two fingers up and a huge fuck you to the shit that's killing the punk rock sound and scene. TOMMY AND THE TERRORS blend the old UK punk/Oi! sounds with a newer US hardcore and streetpunk style and the result is fucking unstoppable. These guys take this punk rock fucking seriously and aren't about to let a bunch of floppy-fringed or baggy-pants young pussies take their scene away from them.
TKO Records
www.tkorecords.com

TOMMY GUN AND THE BULLETS - ‘SOMETHING NEW’ 7"
This is fucking excellent, fast-paced and urgent punk rock with a touch of ‘77 spit, some dirty rock ‘n’ roll licks and a whole load of balls. Musically it kinda reminds me of early D.O.A. Those quick blasts of simple, jabby chords but the vocals and vocal lines are totally different and I fucking love them! These guys got the perfect mix of that snotty 1977 sound with some streetpunk robustness and they keep things nice and simple as it fucking should be! No bullshit getting in the way of the punk rockin’! I love the production because it’s nice and heavy on the rhythm section like the early UK sound that I love so much and is really hard to come across these days because of all the huge production in the way. This rules no doubt about it.
Radio Records
www.radiorecords.org

TORCHA SHED / NEON MANIACS - SPLIT 7"
Fuck yeah, this split rules. One English band and one American band and, frankly, anything with the NEON MANIACS on is worth grabbing. TORCHA SHED deliver ‘Meet Me In The George Bar’ in typical English chaotic style, messy in a fantastic way and in your face and a throwback to better days of English punk rock when we kicked some balls way before we turned into the joke country we are now punkwise... belligerent and melodic and full of the spit that I need. The NEON MANIACS fuckin nail it yet again with ‘Zombie’... snotty and spastic, kinda new wave, kinda ‘77 but all maniacal!! These guys do what the fuck they want with no set pattern and they rule, rule, rule. Killer split with the MANIACS stealing the show but TORCHA SHED coming pretty fuckin close.
Puke N Vomit Records
www.pukenvomitrecords.com

TOWER OF ROME / GUN KATA - SPLIT CD
This split is all about pure fucking chaos. Both bands deliver rasping hardcore thrash with TOWERS OF ROME having the more fucked up edge and being the show-stealers of the split in my opinion. I really go for this atypical and vague but very stylish thrash shit. This shit used to be played by fucking geeks and the whole presentation and image of the bands and their records used to turn me right off but the way this here is presented just turns all that on its head. This has got style but still rips shit up and that’s what I’m after. The same goes for bands like DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and THE LOCUST who definitely have that stylish shit going on. This is just such a throat-slitting for all that weak pussy ‘hardcore’ out there... this is total disarray and so close to the fucking bone and is what this shit is all about for me.
Sonic Deadline Records
www.sonicdeadline.cjb.net

TRACTOR SEX FATALITY - ‘PEEL AND EAT’ CD
TRACTOR SEX FATALITY make a viciously fucked up noise. It’s so guttural and turbulent and fuses the sound of interesting and revolutionary early punk bands like THE PRICKS, BIG BOYS and THE CRUCIFUCKS with the erratic and terrorizing approach of ‘Pioughd’ era BUTTHOLE SURFERS, some critically distorted and trebly guitar, heavy and warped bass, hysterical drums and convulsive vocals. Oh yeah, add some pure chaos on top of that and you can start to piece their sound together. I can’t tell you how gratifying it is for a reviewer to get a release like this... totally ambiguous from the get go. No obviousness from the band name, fascinating artwork you really want to listen to it, so you look at the huge pile o’ shit that’s built up on your desk that you can’t bring yourself to review (more Oi! and metallic hardcore... great...) and you stick this in and absorb it. Get lost in the depth and disorder and a release that warrants your time. This is a mental release and I can’t believe that they can get it this wild and still be so intelligible. That’s some serious writing and producing there and yet another Dead Beat release that pushes boundaries.
Dead Beat Records
www.dead-beat-records.com

TWO MAN ADVANTAGE / SUPREME COMMANDER SPLIT 7"
Jeez... it’s been too long since TWO MAN ADVANTAGE put anything out because they fucking rule. Heavy and aggressive, they have the perfect mix of hardcore and punk rock. Always on the attack and always urgent as hell both of these songs are a necessity. SUPREME COMMANDER are all out hardcore, old fashioned and fast and blending melody and hostility. A release like this just smacks me back 15 years to my youth and underlines a thousand times what’s gone wrong with hardcore... this is the shit I’m talking about, the sound of my youth, the real sound of hardcore when hardcore was insistent and energetic and to the fucking point. Get this for sure.
Basement Records
www.basementrecords.net

TWOPOINTEIGHT – S/T CD
I’m really blown away by this record. I’d never heard these guys before and I was expecting them to be fairly generic Swedish punk, which is OK because as a whole Scandinavian punk rock is pretty solid but I was way off... this is far from fucking generic. These guys mix all kinds of shit up and have a very imaginative approach to writing punk rock. To take the whole thing a notch higher, the vocals just elevate the whole thing and give it that extra originality. They’re like a blend of Bruce Springsteen, Bonn Scott and Lars Frederiksen. They definitely emphasize the ‘rock’ in punk rock but not too much as to stray too far from punk, because that’s a problem I have with bands that try to do this but end up losing all the aggression, urgency, energy and simplicity of punk. TWOPOINTEIGHT definitely manage to keep a strong punk presence throughout. I’m just really impressed with this and I can’t wait to see these guys live so I hope they’re planning to come over here. Very stylish and original and I truly hope to see these guys get bigger and bigger.
Muse Entity Records
www.museentities.com

THE UNDEAD - ‘THE RIOT CITY YEARS’ CD
This is Bristol’s UNDEAD not the bullshit MISFITS-related thing! Riot City Records was responsible for releasing material from legendary UK punk bands like VICE SQUAD, EJECTED, ABRASIVE WHEELS, EXPELLED, CHAOS UK, CHAOTIC DISCHORD, ULTRA VIOLENT, VARUKERS etc and this compilation collects THE UNDEAD’s Riot City Records releases between 1981-1982 and is a great exhibition of this renowned British sound, the sound that defines punk rock in my opinion. It’s that ‘thin’ sound that just grabs me and if you hate very produced punk then you’ll know what I mean. This is the sound I just go for, raw and heartfelt and with a lot of energy. Great rhythm section driving the whole sound and that’s the key for me. This just blows away all the new stuff that’s coming out. I don’t know why bands don’t play like this anymore, it’s a fucking shame I can tell you that. This is a fantastic collection here and so necessary.
Step-1 Music
www.step1music.com

THEE UNSTRUNG - ‘WHO RUNS THE SHOW’ CD
This is drenched in early English punk style... edgy and slightly eccentric and reminds me of the direction the LIBERTINES are coming from: those CLASH-soaked, odd-progressions that mix abrasiveness with melody and that’s a style I really go for. I love the way that the music stops and the vocals continue and that it all happens in the most unexpected places and odd timings, and that it’s all so unpredictable. Good lyrics with healthy sarcasm and a dose of vulgarity. I’m fucking impressed and would love to hear more.
www.theeunstrung.com

URGENCIES - ‘DESOLATION CHIC’
Very early NYC punk / glam rock ‘n’ roll sounding (but these guys are from Texas)... that notorious style: a blend of Steven Tyler, Johnny Thunders and HANOI ROCKS, L.A.M.F tattoos... it’s debauched, decadent and dirty. A lot of bands attempt this sound and style but the URGENCIES really do come across naturally and if you can come across unpretentiously with photographs of band members re-applying hairspray using reflective shades as a mirror or all gathered around the toilet then fuck yeah, I’m excited. I love it. If I didn’t know better I would believe this was from the early/mid ‘70’s and the funny thing is these guys probably weren’t even born then. Impressive shit for sure that they can echo that sound and style so perfectly. I’m a sucker for this kind of thing and I’m excited because I wasn’t around then either so I can get stimulated about a sound and band that’s current rather than living through old NYC punk comps. Inspiring stuff and the kids can learn a hell of a lot form this.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

US BOMBS - ‘WE ARE THE PROBLEM’ 7"
Even though the BOMBS had been my favourites for years, when ‘Back at the Laundromat’ came out it knocked me back. The sound on that record got my soul. It was unmistakable US BOMBS but it was different too. Maybe the alteration was due to Chuck not being around anymore and I still believe that that is THE most significant US BOMBS record because of the time when it came out and what was going on at that time. I hate that Chuck couldn’t be on it but I can’t get that record out of my mind... that sound. Anyway, that’s the fucking sound on here. ‘We Are The Problem’ is mind-blowing, I mean, it blew me a way like the first time I heard the US BOMBS. ‘Heartbreak Motel’ is an awesome CLASH-drenched rock ‘n’ roll number and very different to the A-side but a perfect match. I am counting the days for the new record to come out and I’m so fucking excited about this. It’s always stimulating when a new US BOMBS record is on the horizon but this is going to be something else. It’s still a couple of months away so tide yourself over with this 7".
Disaster Records
www.disasterecords.com

US BOMBS - ‘WE ARE THE PROBLEM’ CD
The title track 7” blew me away last month and I was gritting my fucking teeth waiting for this record. The excitement and the pure need to hear this record was uncontrollable. I mean it’s exciting when a new HUNNS album comes out, and the GUNFIGHT ruled, but nothing compared to a new BOMBS record. It’s an amazing feeling that I don’t get from any other band. Nothing can touch that Peters/Martinez partnership and nothing can kill it, it’s proved that many times over. Each time the BOMBS put a new record together it further establishes their sound which becomes more of a trademark with every release. ‘Garibaldi Guard’ thickened up the ‘Scouts Of America’ early sound which was developed on ‘War Birth’ then ‘The World’ expanded that sound and ‘Back At The Laundromat’ was the record where everything came together. All those elements combined at the most important and testing time of the US BOMBS career and if that didn’t kill them then nothing could, and that record was a testament to that. ‘We Are The Problem’ is born out of that. This is a fantastic record in pure US BOMBS style. I loved ‘Covert Action’ but this just blows me away. There’s something just so optimistic about this record like they are really on top of things and the energy is fucking awesome. Duane’s voice is back to his trademark snarl. I found it a little more growly on ‘Covert Action’ and more recent HUNNS. You all knew that I was gonna say this ruled but I place a hell of a lot of weight on a new BOMBS release because it means so damn much to me and they have never let me down, and it’s like I fall in love with them again with every release. It’s seriously like the first time I heard them every time they put something new out.
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

V/A - ‘ANTI-DISCO LEAGUE VOL. 1’ CD
This is an international streetpunk/Oi! compilation put together by the TEMPLAR’S Phil featuring 16 rogue acts from around the globe. You know that if Phil’s at the wheel there’s going to be a lot of style about this comp because, let’s not beat around the bush, there’s a lot of shit out there these days in punk rock in general and the Oi! scene seems to have been plagued by the worst, half-assed shit going... globally... but you can rest assured none of that shit is anywhere near this compilation! Featured are: RETALIATOR (England), TEMPLARS (USA), CRASHED OUT (England) who featured on a great split with the TEMPLARS last year, HAIRCUT (France), BULLDOG SAMURAI (Japan), STOMPER 98 (Germany), COUNTERATTACK (USA), DES-KONTROL (Basque), SOUTHPAW MANNERS (USA), ON-FILE (Scotland), PISSED ON ARRIVAL (USA), DEADLINE (England), APA (USA), DEVILSKINS (Italy), NO MAN’S LAND (Indonesia), and URBAN RIOT (USA). It’s all top notch stuff and there’s no band or no track that lets it down and for me to say that about an Oi! comp is huge because I have a lot of niggles and issues with insincere and incompetent Oi! which really gets me down, and as a reviewer you can imagine the amount of that shit that pollutes my ears... Anyway, this is a killer compilation and I learned a lot of new stuff from it and I’m so looking forward to the next instalment of this very stylish and refined Oi! collection.
Templecombe Records
www.templecomberecords.com

V/A - ‘BACKSTREETS OF AMERICAN OI! AND STREET PUNK VOL. 2’ DOUBLE CD
This here’s a double-disc compilation featuring 53 tracks of tough street rock ‘n’ roll and everyone’s on it... ROGER MIRET AND THE DISASTERS, RAT CITY RIOT, THE BOILS, THE BRUISERS, ANTAGONIZERS, HEADWOUND, AMERICAN STATIC, WHISKEY REBELS, WRETCHED ONES, PATRIOT, PURE IMPACT, BRASSKNUCKLE BOYS, NIBLICK HENBANE, NY REL-X, WEEKEND BOWLERS, URBAN RIOT, IRON CROSS, THE LOWDOWNS, THE LOUTS, BLOODSHOT HOOLIGANS and the list goes on and on. A compilation should never feel like work and too many punk rock comps these days are really draining and taxing because too many labels try to incorporate too many styles into one collection thinking that it will make the compilation more varied, but instead it makes it skatty and unresolved. Keep it simple!!! That’s what this here compilation does... this leaves you wanting more even after 2 discs worth and that’s how it should be. Street music and nothing else. Of course you gotta dig this sound and style otherwise this will be over 2 hours of hell for you!! But at least you know what to expect from this. There’s nothing worse than getting a comp that looks cool and has like 3 good bands on there and then the rest is all weak bullshit. There’s no bullshit here, this collection rules.
Street Anthem Records
www.streetanthemrecords.com

V/A - ‘GIVE ‘EM THE BOOT V’ CD
‘Give ‘em The Boot’ is back with a blast and as usual you get a bunch of Hellcat artists plus a load more shit too with tons of previously unreleased tracks. RANCID start it off with an old rare B-side ‘Tattoo’ which is a fuckin cool addition to the comp because a lot of people won’t have heard this track before. Next you get the DROPKICK MURPHYS, TIME AGAIN, TIGER ARMY, and THE SLACKERS, THE AGGROLITES (who are definite show-stealers of this comp (and their new self-titled record is unbelievable), HORRORPOPS, THE BASTARDS and the NEKROMANTIX with sample tracks from their Hellcat records, Craig from THE FORGOTTEN / THE BASTARD’S band, the MERCY KILLERS plus unreleased stuff from THE UNSEEN, LEFT ALONE, THE DISASTERS, THE HEART ATTACKS, WESTBOUND TRAIN, ORANGE, STATIC THOUGHT and LOS DIFUNTOS and as always you get a great mix of punk rock, reggea, ska, psychobilly and rockabilly. This is a fuckin necessary series of compilations that set the standard for many to follow and this really is the big-name comp/sampler... TKO’s ‘Punch Drunk series has some serious shit on there but this is the big balls stuff right here. The coolest thing is that it isn’t just the same shit churned out over and over. ‘Give ‘Em The Boot’ really keeps things fresh and moving and although there are the Hellcat stalwarts who will always be included, there’s a lot of new stuff coming out with each volume. You don’t need to be told to get this... it goes without saying.
Hellcat Records
www.hell-cat.com

V/A - ‘LAMBINATION’ CD
Compilation featuring bands from Hungary, England, Ireland, Sweden, USA, Greenland, Germany, Italy and Wales... 18 tracks in all. MOUTHPIECE, NOMATRIX and SHORTY AND THE FAT BASTARDS from Ireland are the undeniable show-stealers in my opinion, all old school and raw but the whole comp is fuckin good. BREDFORD from Italy are the most melodic band on here but they still fit in well with their SCREECHING WEASEL approach (of course! they’re from Italy!!). I love comps like this. I’m a sucker for the global thing and when it’s full of pure punk rawness like this is, it’s gonna be a winner with me. Seriously solid comp with Ireland causing the most havoc!!! And damn right because this is on an Irish label. Look out for this for sure.
Deadlamb Records
www.deadlambrecords.com

V/A - ‘PUNK OCCUPATION 2’ CD
Another sick international punk/hardcore compilation put together by Sasha from Russia’s THE PAUKI. I can’t believe how fast these comps come around!! Very impressive! There’s 28 bands this time around from all over the world and the standouts for me include SECOND CLASS CITIZEN (USA), THE PAUKI (Russia), SKAM 82 (Russia), WHISKEY SUNDAY (USA), BLASTMAT (USA), THE FLOWERS OF ROMANCE (Estonia), SHITHOUSE ROCKERS (Finland), KALASHNIKOV (Italy), ABC-XYZ (Russia) and WHEN FREEDOM DIES (USA) but there are no let down tracks on here at all. It’s a very interesting comp as they usually are in this series! Not a run-of-the-mill collection here and as far from generic sounding as punk and hardcore gets! I’m a big fan of the ‘Punk Occupation’ series and I fucking love worldwide punk comps and I’m glad that more labels seem to be putting them together but there’s still not enough! I recommend you get a hold of as many volumes of ‘Punk Occupation’ as you can.
The Pauki Records
www.nm.ru/punk.html

V/A - ‘SUMMER SOUNDS- FOUR REASONS FOR THE SEASON VOL. 1’ CD
Ahh... the Summer’s finally here so what better than some RAMONES-soaked punk rock to soundtrack your days?? This is a four-way comp featuring THE BURBS, THE PROZCS, REGAL BEAGLE and THE LEBOWSKIS. THE BURBS open things up with their 4 tracks of fast paced mid-era SCREECHING WEASEL tinged sound, mixed with some QUEERS uber-melody, great start in my book! THE PROZACS are up next with their faster-paced, extremely SCREECHING WEASEL drenched sound! Poppy by jabbing and very urgent. REGAL BEAGLE remind me of a perfect blend of the RAMONES and THE QUEERS. The music is like super-fast RAMONES and the vocals are very reminiscent of Joe King and, yes, it rules. The last 4 tracks come from THE LEBOWSKIS and they are the most diverse of the four bands. Still a strong RAMONES influence running through the songs but they are a little slower than the other bands on here. This was always going to be a winner with me and I can tell you that when the bullshit weather starts coming in September I’ll stick this CD on and I’ll be projected straight back to endless days of sun, beers, backyard ramp sessions and barbecues... This rules and it’s labelled as ‘volume 1’ so I hope Cabana 1 plan on doing this every Summer!!
Cabana 1 Records
www.cabana1records.com

V/A - ‘TALES FROM THE ASPHALT DANCEFLOOR’ PICTURE DISC
Holy shit... wow, this is a comp... I fucking drooled on this when I opened the package. I mean: DIGITAL LEATHER, DESTRUCTION UNIT, THE CUTTERS, SEX FOR CIGARETTES, BLANCHE DAVIDIAN and BILLY DRUID’S ATOMIC GOSPEL ...I knew I was in for a wild and exciting ride and could barely walk up the stairs to get this on the turntable. DESTRUCTION UNIT open up with ‘Come On Feel It’ and if Ryan Wong’s got anything to do with anything you know it’s gonna blow your balls, so, needless to say this previously unreleased DESTRUCTION UNIT track is sick. A ferocious opening track. BLANCHE DAVIDIAN follows with a different mix of ‘Petunia’ infused with their glam/gothic punk rock style, SEX FOR CIGARETTES deliver the previously unreleased and absolutely fantastic ‘Boom Stomp Crash’, volatile and energetic garage punk. Now, the absolute highlight of the comp, and believe me, finding a show-stealer among this lot is an almost impossible task, but DIGITAL LEATHER, oh boy, DIGITAL LEATHER, what can I say? This remix of ‘Dance ‘Til Dead’ is awesome and, yes, Ryan Wong is involved... beautifully raw and fucked up. BILLY DRUID’S ATOMIC GOSPEL’s previously unreleased ‘Carpe Nocturne’ is a dark, one-man band number that’s sinister and abrasive and perhaps the most atypical track of the compilation but nonetheless great. THE CUTTERS close with ‘Fuck Pain’ (previously unreleased) and features Shawn Foree of DIGITAL LEATHER so it goes without saying that it’s going to be raw and wonderfully fucked up. This is an amazing compilation and the picturedisc rules too. There are so many reasons why you should get this comp but you shouldn’t even have to be told. Just get this and own a killer, killer comp that’s saturated with pure style and excitement. Shit like this doesn’t come around often enough so grab it while you can.
Vodka Tonic Media
www.vodkatonicmedia.com

V/A - ‘WARPED TOUR 2006’ DOUBLE CD
As always with the Warped Tour compilations there’s no way you can please everyone. I mean there’s going to be some bands and tracks that will get skipped without even getting listened to and a lot of frowning going on throughout the two CDs... but I think that the notion of a compilation (and of course the Warped Tour itself) being totally varied can be a cool thing. Hopefully some kids will be turned onto some cooler bands. The highlights for me on this year’s comp are: JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS, GOGOL BORDELLO, TIME AGAIN, CASUALTIES, AGAINST ME!, BOUNCING SOULS and BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH and the rest of it all kinda blurs into one. Other bands included are THE MATCHES, PROTEST THE HRO, NOFX, GOOD RIDDANCE, ANTI-FLAG, RISE AGAINST, THE BANNER, UNDEROATH, FLOGGING MOLLY, AMERICAN EYES and tons more. There’s 51 bands on these 2 discs. I think a lot of kids will go crazy for this comp and the whole thing will sell itself because if even an intolerant punk rocker like myself can find a bunch of things to like in here then you’re set... of course this will be huge.
SideOneDummy Records
www.sideonedummy.com

V/A – ‘WHERE THE BAD BOYS ROCK VOL. 3’ CD
Hell yeah, the new People Like You sampler/compilation that you know will feature some serious punk and rock ‘n’ roll. This time you got the punk rock styles of US BOMBS, THE GERNERATORS, DISTRICT, BRAIN FAILURE, ANGEL CITY OUTCASTS, DEADLINE, DIE HUNNS, SCHLEPROCK, BORN TO LOSE, ROGER MIRET AND THE DISASTERS, the ballsy rock ‘n’ roll of THE BONES, HEARTBREAK ENGINES and ADAM WEST, the psychobilly/rockabilly of THE DEEP EYNDE, MAD SIN, DEMENTED ARE GO, THE GRIT, CHARLEY HORSE and THE METEORS rounded off with the out of control mayhem of the KINGS OF NUTHIN and THREE BAD JACKS and the glam punk rock of THE BLACK HALOS. 22 tracks of fucking mayhem!! All topped off with the awesome US BOMBS ‘We Are The Problem’ video and a trailer for the upcoming BONES DVD which looks absolutely killer. Of course you should get this!
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

V/A - ‘WORTH EVERY MINUTE VOL. 1’ 7"
Ahh... the compilation 7", is there anything better? Fuck no, this is my favourite format and what a collection this first volume of ‘Worth Every Minute’ is. This is the new series of comps from Basement that follow the ‘Radio Disaster’ sequence and as much as those CDs rule you just can’t beat wax comps. It’s such a different approach to the punk comp... I mean the ‘Radio Disaster’ comps have 30-odd bands on each volume but this only has 4 bands so it’s a totally different thing and it’s great to see Basement take it on because they fuckin nailed the CD comps no doubt about it... and it’s certainly gonna go that way with these 7" comps if they all continue like this one. The 4 bands on here are THE NIPPLES, CIVET, THE DYSFUNCTIONALS and SPIDER and not only do you get these sick, sick bands on here, each track is special because the DYSFUNCTIONALS is previously unreleasec, THE NIPPLES track is an early demo, the SPIDER track is a new remixed version and the CIVET track is a rarity because it’s from their self-titled CD that they put out themselves and was only available through the band. Fucking great comp and if these are as prolific as the ‘Radio Disaster’ series than it’s actually worth getting a turntable for if you don’t have one already. Hang your head in shame if you don’t but there’s still time to fix things...
Basement Records
www.basementrecords.net

WAR OF WORDS - ‘REVENGE’ 7"
Wow, this is fucking great. Gritty and melodic hardcore punk rock that’s kinda messy and impetuous and those are things that excite me in punk. I hear a slight resemblance to LEATHERFACE in the music, but only slightly, and the progressions are interesting and unpredictable too. It’s got a strong dark and sinister tone running through the lyrics and it’s all really sharp with a stout smart edge and that’s kinda what their name reflects (killer name by the way). Their motif of a machine gun and sword crossed with a feather pen and inkpot is fantastic. With their menacing edge they add a strong melodic hardcore backbone with some streetpunk spit and boy what a sound that creates... I’m really impressed with this right from the front cover, and the whole presence of this record, I could tell this was going to be interesting and shit was I right.
Slab-O-Wax Records
www.slab-o-wax.com

WESTBOUND TRAIN - ‘TRANSITIONS’ CD
WESTBOUND TRAIN remind me of exactly half way between THE SLACKERS and HEPCAT. They don’t completely have that mysterious and sometimes dark edge of THE SLACKERS, nor do they fully have that super up-beat, exuberance of HEPCAT but they definitely are the missing link between the two blending both approaches and shit do they sound great doing it. The vocals are awesome, so smooth and fluid and certainly elevate the whole WESTBOUND TRAIN sound and again, are a good mix of Greg and Vic’s styles. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that these guys copied those bands to create this sound, I think it’s just really neat that, for me, they fit perfectly in the middle of these two fantastic bands. It’s an enormous compliment! It’s great to see Hellcat back on track with some killer rocksteady with THE AGGROLITES and WESTBOUND TRAIN and, of course, THE SLACKERS because I’ve missed this old-fashioned rootsy Ska sound from Hellcat for a while.
Hellcat Records
www.hell-cat.com

WHISKEY AND CO. – ‘LEAVING THE NIGHTLIFE’ CD
This is WHISKEY AND CO.’s second full-length and it’s so great to just hear some straight country music in the punk rock scene... no Irish/Scottish gimmickry, just pure country with fantastic vocal-lines and unadorned musical progressions. The vocals are what elevate the entire composition as it should be with country music, they are what add the intricacy and embellishment whilst being carried by the straightforward music. Plus, singer Kim Helm sure can communicate and connect through her great voice anyway. The Juxtaposition of Helm’s serene and graceful vocals over the coarse country chords is something that works fantastically and something that only a female vocalist can carry, and the fact that Helm can do this and at the same time sound fervent is amazing. There’s absolutely nothing weak or pathetic about her vocals. The overall sound is like a blend of THE traditional, very stripped down country sound of GRAM PARSONS and alternative style of the HANDSOME FAMILY but with a strong punk rock attitude and delivery running through it... maybe a touch of HANK WILLIMAS III in that respect. I’m a big fan of this band and I know a lot of people can be put off by the country thing but that’s their loss... personally I really miss this type of real country sound. I don’t know why so many people, especially young kids seem to think that country music is geeky... what the fuck?? They must be thinking of DOLLY PARTON or JIM REEVES or some shit like that because when I think of country music I think about outlaws and hobos and that’s certainly the direction this is coming from. It’s unbelievable to think that there’s a member of ASSHOLE PARADE in this band...
No Idea Records
www.noidearecords.com

YOU, ME AND THE ATOM BOMB - ‘SHAKE UP’ CD
I’m really impressed that these guys are English because you just don’t hear this much energy in British punk rock anymore. It seems that all the kids have been sucked into Emo shit or metallic hardcore so when a fast punk rock band like YOU, ME AND THE ATOM BOMB comes along it’s really quite exciting. They definitely know what direction they want to go in and they mix a melodic punk rock and a melodic hardcore sound very successfully. They have the sophisticated-ness of bands like HOT WATER MUSIC and MANIFESTO JUKEBOX with the ‘friendliness’ and approachability of the BOUNCING SOULS and that’s not a blend you come across too often at all. This has really made an impression on me.
Household Name Records www.householdnamerecords.co.uk

YOUNG CANADIANS - ‘NO ESCAPE’ CD
I know it’s only February but I already know that this will be my favourite record of the year. This is a collection of the YOUNG CANADIANS (formerly the K-TELS) material from 1979-1980 from their appearance on the timeless ‘Vancouver Complication’ compilation, their ‘Automan EP, their ‘This is your Life’ EP and 10 previously unreleased live tracks too. I love how they mix melody with vulgarity and retain intelligence throughout. They sound like a blend of TOM PETTY, POINTED STICKS and THIN LIZZY mixed with the raw punk of D.O.A and I can tell you, that this is a sound to die for. I am addicted to this sound. It will just blow you away. The YOUNG CANADIANS are endearing but they’ll kick you in the balls and spit in your face and I fuckin love that.
Sudden Death Records
www.suddendeath.com

YOUNG WIDOWS - ‘SETTLE DOWN CITY’ CD
YOUNG WIDOWS is BREATHER RESIST without vocalist Steve Sindoni but with all the abrasiveness and inventiveness. Don’t think that this is a carbon-copy of BREATHER RESIST because it’s far from that, so much so that the remaining 3 members originally planned to releas this as the second BREATHER RESIST album but decided that it just wasn’t a BREATHER RESIST album so they changed their name to mark this transformation. All the hallmarks still run through this album. It’s heavy, assertive, noisy and fucked up but the ingredients just gel differently for some reason. The destination is the same but the journey has changed and I think it’s so great that the band has recognized this development and has, in a way, reinvented itself. Of course all BREATHER RESIST fans will be blown away by this and comparisons will be inevitable but that’s not a bad thing at all, that is the roots of the YOUNG WIDOWS and where they continue to go from here excites me.
Jade Tree Records
www.jadetree.com

ZOOMEN - S/T 10”
Wild, wild, wild rock ‘n’ roll from France that just grabbed me by the throat as soon as the first fuzzy chord came in. The music is feral and the vocals are rabid and I’m in love! This is totally out of control and totally fuckin rules. Forget about all the US garage clones and get yerself some fresh European disorder. They remind me of a wilder AGGRAVATION. Man, the French know how to deliver garage. This sound reminds me a lot of the Lollipop style and that’s fantastic. Pure French style that you need to get yer hands on as soon as you possibly can.
Relax-o-Matic Vibrator Records
www.relaxomatic.free.fr