-NFT RECORD REVIEWS 2007-

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‘300% Cotton’ by Helen Walters
This is the third instalment in Helen Walter’s ‘% Cotton’ series presenting original and captivating T-Shirt graphics. This is a collection of artists and brands that refuse to rehash and imitate but instead push the T-Shirt into a new dominion because the T-Shirt graphic has always been exploited but never as much as today. Humorous shirts just aren’t funny anymore, punk rock graphics just don’t provoke or offend any more and it seems that laziness has taken over and artists and companies find it much easier to rework an old classic rather than put their mind to something challenging and stimulating... well, that's where ‘300% Cotton’ steps in. There’s no generic, watered-down second-hand art here, instead, you will be captivated by a collection of diverse graphics ranging from the uber-original to the stunning to the downright weird. I remember about 10 years ago being stunned by the new wave of skateboarding T-Shirts, and to me, that was the closest thing to original punk rock graphics but that too quickly lost all of it’s bite and edge turning into something very cloned very quickly and now I only get excited about the rawest punk rock designs. The simpler the better and that’s why a book like ‘300% Cotton’ really speaks to me because this is an assortment that still has bite and still has an edge, and although many of the designs may not be my style, I can certainly appreciate what they stand for and I'm so happy that this is happening. When that damn ‘FCUK’ campaign can last as long as it has we know there’s a problem, we know we’re in trouble! In my opinion, that was a huge plague on the T-Shirt graphic. It meant people didn’t have to think anymore to put any effort into what they displayed on their chests. Well, this book will hopefully fall into the right hands and start some new T-Shirt insurgency!
Laurence King Publishing
www.laurenceking.co.uk

999 - ‘DEATH IN SOHO’ CD
Brand new full-length from UK punk legends 999 with their unmistakable melancholic and melodic yet tough sound. This is a band who have been here since before the punk explosion of ’77 and still stand fuckin tough and have always held a staunch presence and haven’t changed in all these years and that’s a great thing in my opinion, why go with the flow and change with the times?? Fuck that, if you’re a pioneer, you’re a pioneer and don’t change the ingredients is what I say. This is even the original line-up apart from the bass player who’s from the LURKERS whose been with 999 for over a decade. 20-something records later, 999 still have passion and presence in spades and their fire won’t be extinguished any time soon…this band is burning fucking bright.
Overground Records
www.overgroundrecords.co.uk

A.F.S. - ‘DELIRIUM TREMORS’ CD
This is the second full-length from these UK old school skate punks whose sound is a blend of early UK punk ala UK SUBS with the later sound of LEATHERFACE and a more contemporary American twist thrown in too. As you can expect from A.F.S. they are confrontational and political but still maintaining super-strong melody in their delivery. It’s aggressive but melodic and that’s a great balance with some sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek interpretations and if you want to hear a band that truly does whatever the fuck they want, then A.F.S. are all about that - these guys have always done things entirely their own way and aren’t about to stop for anyone. A great follow up to ‘Tales Of A Drunken Generation’ with some real gems in here - ‘Trouble With Bullets’, ‘Duped’, ‘Dysfunctional’ and ‘Young Guns’ but it’s all good and a real fun while packing a tough and intelligent punch.
Voltage Records
www.voltagerecords.com

THE ACHES - S/T CD
THE ACHES from Sweden play a stripped down mix of punk, post-punk, new wave and hardcore with some brass touches and a very interesting sound it is. It reminds me of a mix of THE STROKES, PIL, ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, JOY DIVISION and THE HIVES. It’s raw and minimal and very well produced and it’s got a lot of energy and originality. The drums and bass really structure the sound and the guitar work is very selective and just comes in and out in spurts where it needs to with key chords and minimal resonance and the vocals elevate the whole thing, again, selectively and almost filling the gaps of the guitar and this works really well. The whole thing is very sharp and arty and this type of sound will appeal to a lot of different people and even different genres.
Diapazam Records
www.diapazam.se

THE AGGROLITES - ‘REGGAE HIT LA’ CD
Just in time for summer, THE AGGROLITES are back with their super-infectious and uber-talented dirty reggae…this is an awesome force…what a band. They really fill the gap between THE SLACKERS and HEPCAT…they have the smoothness and upbeat-ness of HEPCAT but with the eccentricity and imagination of THE SLACKERS and they have this whole other side that neither of those bands have…they have this very punk element to their sound even though they are strictly reggae and I’ve never heard that put across like this before…that’s something that’s unique to THE AGGROLITES and I just don’t know how that do that and still maintain this totally authentic reggae sound…unbelievable…I guess that’s why Tim appointed them as his back band on his solo album…makes sense. The album presentation even looks like a punk rock record and I love that. To convey attitude like that is quite a feat but these guys nail it. I just can’t praise these guys enough, if you haven’t heard them yet you need to get with it because this is amazing. Jesse’s voice is fanatastic…that’s a huge ingredient in their mix too…he manages to have smoothness and grit simultaneously- and that’s the AGGROLITES sound altogether. Reggae Hit LA…I think this reggae will hit the entire globe.
Hellcat Records
www.hell-cat.com

GG ALLIN & THE MURDER JUNKIES - ‘HATED’ SPECIAL EDITION DVD
There’s are thousands and thousands of hours of GG ALLIN footage around but none have ever got as close and personal as the footage on ‘Hated’. This documentary shot by Todd Phillips fifteen years ago allows the viewer to ‘sit with’ GG, get a glimpse into his mind and composition. Not only does GG paint as clear and natural a picture of himself as the world will ever see but we get glimpses into the Kevin Allin that existed before he took on the GG form, this is where you can learn about GG’s past and what shaped him into the outlaw scumfuc that he was until his dying day. If you want to see GG in all his fucked up glory, the this DVD is for you, but if you want more that that- which I always did, then this documentary caters for that too. In fact, the first time I ever saw ‘Hated’ I thought that all the GG-haters, the people who can’t stand him and just can’t understand why he did what he did should see it. He was an artist but and artist who never stepped out of character, he believed in his work and lived by it and paid for it on several occasions. It’s easy for an artist to create an obnoxious and grotesque piece of work then wash up, change clothes and go back to reality…that’s the thing about GG, his work was his reality, there’s no clean clothes for GG….there are some quite poignant parts in the GG interviews and when would you ever hear a word like that in relation to GG Allin?? And that’s why this movie is such a unique and important piece of documentation. I’m really happy that this special edition has been released because the world needs to learn about this, there will never be another GG Allin and that’s a sad thing. The thing that has always aggravated me is that just because of the fact that GG Allin was a punk rocker, he was instantly something disgusting and repulsive, if he was an artist, however he would have been revered in the realms of Bob Flanagan, Marcus Harvey, Gottfried Helnwein, Jeff Coons or the Chapman Brothers, all of whom I think are great but nowhere near as real as GG. I guess that’s the frightening thing for society, that he was just so real and so unpredictable…Todd Phillips caught GG at the pinnacle of his psychosis, rage and hate, hence the appropriate title of the movie and you certainly see a very dark side to the man. I highly recommend this even if you’re not a GG Allin fan, just if you’re a rock ‘n’ roll fan because this is a masterpiece that will never be repeated…all you phoney ‘shock’ rockers take not and hang your heads in shame, when you contract blood poisoning from getting faeces in an open wound all caused completely by yourself, maybe we can talk. This special edition contains a whole bunch of exclusive extras including interviews with GG’s brother Merle, Dino Sex, GG’s Mon and a commentary by Todd Phillips, Merle and Dino as well as music videos and a gallery of the cover art contest. The rock ‘n’ roll world needs this to keep the fire of danger and pandemonium burning, if only someone had made a documentary about Bobby Ebz maybe we’d have had more than one GG…Very highly recommended. Oh yeah, you get the opportunity to purchase a limited edition print of the GG Allin portrait painted by John Wayne Gacy with this special release as well as some GG Allin transfer tattoos.
MVD Visual
www.mvdvisual.com

ALTERNATE ACTION - S/T 7”
These no-bullshit, tough as fuck Canadian Oi! boys are back with another 7” following their split with MARCHING ORDERS at the start of the year (also on Longshot). Four brand new tracks in their heavy punk / Oi! style reminiscent of the classic early UK sound of SHAM 69, COCKSPARRER and THE BUSINESS. They are hard-hitting and tough as fuck but they still have a lot of melody in their anthemic songs. Featuring vocalist Greg of the SUBWAY THUGS, GLORY STOMPERS and LANCASTERS, you know exactly what you’re letting yourself into with ALTERNATE ACTION…it’s gonna be robust and it’s gonna be hostile!!
Longshot Music
www.longshotmusic.com

AMBIVALENT - S/T CD
This is the new AMBIVALENT demo CD and presents 11 more tracks in their aggressive, raw and very unruly hardcore punk style. The aim of this demo is to showcase their new singer as these are the first recordings with him. Their sound mixes old school and contemporary sounds with a very evident ‘80’s skate/thrash edge and they retain some great melody through their wildness which really works well. There are certainly elements of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, AGNOSTIC FRONT and ANGRY SAMOANS but also a slight touch of 7 SECONDS melody here are there and maybe even a touch of the QUINCY PUNX ferocity and speed. I like this band a lot and their new singer is working out great and I still spin their ‘2 Wrongs Make A Right’ record a whole fuckin lot.
Broken Bonez Records
www.brokenbonezrecords.net

ANTiSEEN - ‘THE BOYS FROM BRUTALSVILLE’ CD/DVD
TKO have reissued ANTiSEEN’s 2001 comeback album that infected and solicited a new generation of destructo scumfucs and this time it’s even sicker with 4 extra tracks and an additional DVD!!! I’ve said it before, and I’m going to say it again- I’m just so happy that ANTiSEEN have had this ‘second’ wave through TKO’s releases and ‘Vaults Of ANTiSEEN’ re-releases because this is more than a band, it’s a force and it can’t be ignored…there will NEVER be another ANTiSEEN so grab a apiece of true history while you can…experience the force, fuck the imitators and be subjected to some really evil pleasure. I recently read ‘Destructo Maximus’ and what a history these guys have. Not only is ‘The Boys From Brutalsville’ a sick album it’s also a fucking important one because of the fact that it marks their comeback and could be credited as the reason they are so powerful today, of course they were already huge but the old fans were already established and now they have this whole army of youth behind them too…the DVD contains ANTiSEEN’s 2001 show from the Garage in Los Angeles as well as the videos for ‘Guns Ablazin’’ and their RAMONES cover ‘Commando’…sick, sick package that will project ANTiSEEN even further for sure.
TKO Records
www.tkorecords.com

ARCHAGATHUS / MESRINE - SPLIT 7"
Two Canadian thrashers delivering four tracks each on this awesome split. Both bands play fast and raw in the early NAPALM DEATH style (MESRINE cover 'Practise What You Peach') and both are in the strictly old-fashioned hardcore approach. This is unrefined and urgent shit, a real pounding assault. Bucho Disco have a slogan that reads 'grind your mind' and they're not fucking joking! This massacre is presented on clear grey wax.
Bucho Discos
www.buchodiscos.kit.net

ATARASSIA GROP - ‘THE OLD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY’ CD
This is a best of compilation showcasing Italy’s ATTRASSIA GROP’s eleven years of melodic hardcore punk chaos. Starting with a track form a 1996 demo and ending with live cuts from 2005. This is a band who really mix things up but always have strong melody and a lot of fire - whether they are doing a straight punk song or speeding things up to a more hardcore pace or even throwing some reggae in. It’s political but with a really upbeat edge- you can learn something from this but you can also dance to it and that’s a fucking important thing! Don’t forget the fun!!! They definitely do things on their own terms and really push their sound while still maintaining strong punk rock boundaries, this is a very expressive band and you’d so very well to start with this compilation if you are unfamiliar with them. There’s something so passionate that comes across in this that absorbs their sound completely.
Mad Butcher Records
www.madbutcher.de

BAD BRAINS - ‘LIVE AT CBGB 1982’ DVD
It’s releases like this that really make it hit home about CBGB and how things will never be the same again. This show, compiled from 3 days at the CBGB Hardcore festival, epitomises the very importance of that venue as well as the impact and ingenuity of the BAD BRAINS. They truly were pioneers in a league of their own and nothing has come close since. This show is chaos from the first chord... HR is out of control for the get go. He is wildly animated and in complete control of this show. The crowd are glued and sucked in by him and it’s all so closely contained. It’s such a varied audience and they are so into it, and it’s amazing to see. Shit would I have loved to be at this show... but I was too busy eating cookies and milk and getting my ass wiped thousands of miles away... damn being born too late and on a different continent!! But thanks again to MVD this extremely important punk rock history is documented and thrown in the faces of the youth of today who just don’t understand shit like this. This is raw and urgent and so honest and in the true sense of the word... live. Bad Brains are live full stop. They cannot be tamed and this is pure evidence of that. Even when they relax things with their reggae and dub it’s still totally fierce. The crowd connects to the band like crazy and that’s a fantastic thing to see. They are on stage and it’s out of control and it’s fun and that’s the fucking definition of punk rock. Kids learn that! Don’t forget that behind all the contemporary fashion and posing there was once fun and upheaval in punk rock!!! That’s what Bad Brains represent. This is fantastic and exactly what punk rock symbolizes to me. I want to go back to these times so badly because this stuff is in my blood and I need to witness it first hand, but until that happens (if ever) I got DVDs like this. Thanks again MVD!!!
MVD Visual
www.musicvideodistributors.com

BAD RELIGION - 'NEW MAPS OF HELL' CD
For me this album is 'How Could Hell Be Any Worse' revisited 25 years later, it's a quarter of a decade in between documents of Los Angeles and I'm certain this connection is intended- even the title and cover art harks back to that debut. Sure, there are huge differences between these records, the band are 25 years older, more mature and focussing on more sophisticated song crafting rather than assertive hardcore but make no mistake, this album lacks no energy and its focus is unwavering. BAD RELIGION certainly carved their style deeply into the scene and that's never going away and 'New Maps Of Hell' embraces that classic and trademark sound but within a way more stripped-down style and this is the best I have heard BAD RELIGION sound in years, I'm a sucker for the early stuff so it's a joy for me to hear that they've taken their music closer to their roots but still kept their progression very present. A really strong new album and definitely the direction I wanted to see BAD RELIGION in in 2007.
Epitaph Records
www.epitaph.com

‘Badge Button Pin’ by Gavin Lucas
The amount of wisdom, individuality, belonging, proclamation and assertion held in a one-inch badge is simply immeasurable…way beyond its one inch diameter and that’s what ‘Badge Button Pin’ presents Divided into 5 sections: decorative, promotional, packs, websites and art. This is a collection that really pushes the influence of the badge because in the past decade the badge has elevated itself into a new realm- the badge has always been adored and treasured but not like it is today. Today the badge is parallel to the t-shirt, and that’s a huge statement because the t-shirt has also exalted itself further than ever before, but this is an accurate declaration. If you wear, say, four badges, it’s like wearing four t-shirts. This collection showcases exactly how to use the badge and how individual each artist’s approach is: how they employ humour, repetition, vagueness, controversy and just plain eye-candy and the most wonderful thing that’s evident throughout the pages of this book is that the badge is never compromised or distorted, it remains true to itself, true to its convex one-inch. There’s some really exciting designs in here and I love the badge sets that are created to be work all together like Peter Michael Willer’s ‘Law And Order’ series and skull/poison set and George Wu / Gotta Give It Up’s ‘Buttons’ sequence where each badge actually depicts a real button. The absolute show-stealing collection in this book, for me, is the ‘Reggae Allstars’ collection by New which is a series of thirty illustrations of Jamaican reggae artists. Fantastic. Another important feature of this book is that it’s so much fun and that’s ultimately what the badge is all about. It’s for everyone and it’s fun, even when it’s making a serious point, it’s still kinds fun because of the unforgettable nostalgia and excitement of badges - I’ve worn badges pretty much from since I was about 10, now more than ever, so this book was a very exciting prospect for me and I’ve been glued to it’s pages for weeks, or perhaps pinned to it’s pages. This is great.
Laurence King Publishing
www.laurenceking.co.uk

THE BAMBOO KIDS - ‘FEEL LIKE HELL’ CD
I’m very possessive of the term ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ and it makes me sick how it just gets thrown about and stuck on any piece of shit band who just don’t represent anything of what rock ‘n’ roll is. Well, THE BAMBOO KIDS are a real rock ‘n roll band and this album excites me as much as when I first heard the EXPLODING HEARTS’ ‘Guitar Romantic’ this is the rock ‘n’ roll sound that I hold so dear and am so damn proud of. It’s raw and simple and through their straightforwardness they create an overwhelming impact and that’s the sign of a real rock ‘n’ roll band. It’s too easy to crowd the sound and over-pollute it with effects and production to hide weak song-writing but this is exposed and untreated and injects itself deep inside you. That’s real rock ‘n’ roll. To top this off, this is a three-piece and I’ve raged and raged about how much that excites me when it’s done well and THE BABMOO KIDS are pretty much the definition of the perfect three-piece. There’s only three of them so they have to be picky about what they put in and this is the key. Nothing is thrown onto the mix unnecessarily or arbitrarily. Nothing is just for the sake of it, it’s all fucking gold.
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

BIG JOHN BATES - ‘TAKE YOUR MEDICINE’ CD
BIG JOHN BATES plays straight rockabilly but with a serious punk rock influence and it’s interesting how he brings these together because he doesn’t do it in the obvious, heavy rock ‘n’ roll way. He keeps things strictly rockabilly but with a punk rock delivery and attitude. It’s too easy for bands these days to mix punk chords with a bit of twang and call themselves punk ‘n’ roll or whatever, but BJB is coming from a different direction. He’s mixing old school punk rock with even older-school rock ‘n’ roll and keeping things simple. He’s using punk as an extension of rock ‘n’ roll and that’s how it should be! It shouldn’t be too heavy. It should be straightforward and effective and that’s the track BJB is riding down.
Wolverine Records
www.wolverine-records.de

BILLY NO MATES - 'C'MONLETMESEEYOUPOGO' CD
The second full-length from Duncan from SNUFF's side-project, but things have changed since the debut 'We Are Legion' where Duncan played and sang everything himself. This has moved away from a solo-project and Duncan put 2 BILLY NO MATES bands together, one over here in England and one in Japan and 'C'monletmeseeyoupogo' is recorded with the Japanese band line-up (the UK line-up have a split 7" out and will be releasing new material later this year). What an awesome idea!! Two versions of the same band!! In pure Duncan style this is fast and frenzied yet very melodic and in pure Japanese punk rock style the music is super-frantic and fucked up! Duncan's just got one of those voices and vocal styles that lends itself so well to anything and he's instantly recognisable without being monotonous. This really fucking works.
10 past 12 Records
www.10past12records.com

THE BLACK BEAUTIES - 'CATCH A BEAT' CD
I'm astounded by this band and this album. This is unbelievable and I don't see anything else blowing me away as much as this this year, so I'm jumping the gun by 12 whole fuckin months and saying that this is my album of 2007... I'm certain that nothing will knock this... it's amazing. Wow. This is perfect rock 'n' roll and the vocals just tip the fuckin thing over the edge... they are fuckin fantastic. It's melodic but snotty and so natural and exciting as fuck. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this from start to finish and I can't wait until I hear it again (even though it's on right now). I have spun this hundreds of times and it still blows me away like the first time I played it. It was instant. There are some killer guitar parts in here and when the vocals spit all over them it's just brilliant. For example the song 'Can't Take Hold' is so outstanding with all that coming into action and with a killer middle section that's to fuckin die for... but that's just one track and they all knock me out. Another thing that's great about these guys is that it's so hard to place their era, and if I didn't know this was recorded last year I'd believe this was way, way older and that's very impressive shit. They have nailed it and driven it in so deep. They know exactly what they are doing and they should be blown away with the end result of this record themselves. I badly, badly need this band and this record. THE BLACK BEAUTIES are like PCP to me.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

BLACKPOOL ROX II - Issue 9
The new issue of Blackpool Rox (brought to you by JSNTGM Records) that also includes the second in the 'The Ugly Truth About Blackpool' compilations this time featuring 26 bands / tracks from between 1999 - 2006 including: SICK 56, KRAUL, THE TOMMYS, FES PARKER, WALTER AND THE KNOBHEADS, HIT BYAN APPLE, LIMOUSINE, THE SOUND OF SUPERSTRING, LITTERBUG, ONE WAY SYSTEM, SECTION 25, OUTL4W, THE NEON TREES, HIGGINS++, LUPUS IN FABULA, WHEN PEOPLE BECOME NUMBERS, UFX, THE STREETLIGHT, REPORTING EMILY, THE SENTON BOMBS, DANSE OF THE DEAD, EMPTY HEADED HEROES, SINISTER FOOTWEAR, EARTHLING SOCIETY, THE INTERRUPTIONS and DAS HASSELHOFFS. The zine includes interviews with Jenny Russell from H.I.T.S., ZOUNDS, THE WEAKERTHANS, ANARCHY IN HOLLYWOOD punk night at the Lava Lounge and THE GREAT ST. LOUIS. Plus loads of reviews and articles... a fucking big package for £2!!
Just Say No To Government Music
www.jsntgm.com

BLANCHE DAVIDIAN - ‘ORANGE SUNSHINE’ CD
This is the second full-length from Arizona’s BLANCHE DAVIDIAN, following 2002’s ‘Attack Of The Killer’ and presents them in full rockin’ force, this record is super guitar-heavy with a thick and solid sound, this is the ‘heaviest’ I have ever heard them and I don’t mean heavy in a metallic way, not at all, heavy in a vulgar rock ‘n’ roll way- the good kind of heavy!! Super thick JOHNNY THUNDERS riffs with some DEAD BOYS snot and BLACK HALOS glam punk…they have a pretty unique sound and the key to it is the production because they really gel all the glam, rock, psychedelia, punk etc perfectly so that it’s one huge force as opposed to a mish-mash of styles. I hear elements of early ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT and even a touch of the BUTTHOLE SURFERS in here too…but, again, I really want to stress the fact that these guys have nailed the sound and that it’s not a patchwork quilt of influences at all. This rocks in the absolute true sense of the word. Great record.
Vodka Tonic Media
www.vodkatonicmedia.com

BLUDWULF - ‘CRYPTIC REVELATIONS’ CD
New York’s BLUDWULF deliver their thrash assault in full force on ‘Cryptic Revelations’ and their amalgamation of hardcore punk rock and thrash metal is so fucking stylish and unique. These guys really are the ‘Lords Of Death Punk’ ... fuck all those half-measure bands, BLUDWULF are fully immersed and present their attack with no compromise. Mixing the hardcore of DISCHARGE, GBH, BLACK UNIFORMS, KAAOS, KLIMAX and BROKEN BONES with the punk of THE EXPLOITED, THE MISFITS and later GG ALLIN with the full-on metal edge of early METALLICA, SLAYER, VENOM etc. This is quite a fucking Molotov cocktail that you have to hear to fully understand. They fuse it all perfectly and the outcome is totally unique. It’s so punk, so hardcore, so thrash and so metal and all at the same time so the balance of all these styles creates something exceptional and totally distinct. It is so hard to place their sound time-wise and I love shit like that. There’s certainly an overwhelming ‘80’s edge to this and that’s great. I think only an East Coast band (maybe only a NY band) could do this with so much style because it’s easy to go so wrong and end up with some half-thought-out crossover bullshit. This is a fucking sick record and I sure as shit hope that BLUDWULF are planning a European tour!!!
Charged Records
www.chargedrecords.com

BOOK OF MAPS - ‘II’ CD
BOOK OF MAPS play abrupt and frenzied indie/rock that reminds me a lot of the MINUTEMEN in the way that they mutate in front of your eyes, or rather your ears, and shift and twist through styles. Actually, they have a very SST sound altogether... very undomesticated and exploratory and with this complete freedom and looseness comes a great talent because not just any band could pull this meandering creativity off. BOOK OF MAPS are tight as hell and to be able to shift and metamorphose like they do they have to be completely atuned or the whole thing would just fall apart in a clamour of bad noise. Their sound is pretty timeless in the sense that you just can’t put your finger on it because I would believe this was recorded and released in the 1970’s or the 80’s up until the present. That’s a great thing because it’s got freshness and familiarity / nostaligia all at once, which really suits a band like this because it goes hand in hand with the obscurity and peculiarity of their sound and style.
Whoa! Boat Records
www.whoaboat.com

BRAIN FAILURE / BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE - SPLIT CD
BRAIN FAILURE were always going to be the highlight of this split for me and certainly steal the show in my opinion. Their CLASH-drenched punk rock really talks to me and I'm still spinning 'American Dreamer' a shitload. They have a very interesting sound that blends Chinese, English and American styles all together and they throw in some reggae here and there too. Six really solid cuts on here. BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE need no introduction... their fast-paced skapunk is taking the world by storm. What is it with Boston and hugely successful skapunk bands??! I've never been a huge fan of this style but I gotta say these guys do it well... fans will sure be blown away with their 6 tracks. I'm sure most people will get this split because of the BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE presence and I'm certain that a lot of kids will be introduced and turned on to BRAIN FAILURE which is a great thing. I'm sure it will happen the other way around too but to a much lesser extent. Very solid split and a very interesting one with some absolutely killer artwork too.
Household Name Records
www.householdnamerecords.co.uk

THE BULEMICS - '..STILL TOO YOUNG TO CARE' CD / DVD
Holy shit, you rogues are in for a treat... Texas's number 1 scumfucs THE BULEMICS are celebrating their 'decade of satanic, drug-fueled stupidity' by showcasing this CD collection that spans their entire career and also comes with a full-length DVD through the scums at Scarey Records!! This is too much! But too much is what I want! This is a band that is resolute in wreaking havoc and keeping rock 'n' roll evil and who the fuck can blame them? Someone has to do this before we lose rock 'n' roll altogether to the faggy mall chains!! This is just non-stop. Think of a blend of GG ALLIN, ANTiSEEN and THE DWARVES... yeah, there's gonna be nakedness and blood!! This is a band that needs to be seen as well as heard so the DVD is a perfect accompaniment to the CD. It's chaos from the get-go and there's live footage and videos and photos and everything else you need to warp yourself and get fucked up! This is so necessary it's unbelievable. There's no danger left in rock 'n' roll anymore. Everyone's calmed down or dead or signed their soul away or whatever so it's all so fucking boring now, and when you get a release like this it just ignites that reblellion and complete unpredictability. That's why I listen to rock 'n' roll. I don't wanna learn anything, I just wanna get fucked up and rock out and that's what this is all about. If this was just a CD or just a DVD it would still rule but when they're back to back like this it's something else. It's a real celebration of evil shit and dangerous music and a real package. The CD has 36 cuts on it!!! A sick collection from 1996-2006 including a whole bunch of covers too like ALICE COOPER's 'Cold Ethyl', 'THE STONES' 'Heart Of Stone', THE DEAD BOYS' 'Detention Home', FATER PUSSYCAT's 'Bathroom Wall' and loads more plus 7 live radio tracks!! If you need a fix of real rock 'n' roll, with all the blood, vomit and bile, this here's what you want.
Scarey Records
www.scareyrecords.com

THE BULLET KINGS - 'CRASH MAD' CD EP
Three more tracks from Carl from A.F.S. new project of up-front, simple melodic punk rock ala LEATHERFACE. It's rough and raw but there's a string melody running through it all... a very American punk sound actually that really fuses well with the very English LEATHERFACE-type sound and it's got an old school yet contemporary sound. There's a full-length in the works too!
Voltage Records
www.myspace.com/thebulletkings

THE BULLET KINGS - ‘PORNO PIG’ CD EP
This is Carl from A.F.S.’ new band with a more straight-forward, stripped down punk rock approach. They mix melody with hostility and always keep things simple and punk and kinda remind me of LEATHERFACE mixed with BAD RELIGION and early NOFX and SLOPPY SECONDS. There’s four tracks on here and they are all solid and I’d be interested to hear a full-length.
www.myspace.com/thebulletkings

THE BULLET KINGS - ‘REBELS WITHOUT REASON’ CD
Debut full-length following 2 EPs earlier this year from THE BULLET KINGS that features Carl from A.F.S. who represent the same old school attitude that blends aggression and melody but THE BULLET KINGS have a much rawer edge and a slightly more American approach with early NOFX-style long chords. Again, as with A.F.S., I hear a strong LEATHERFACE influence but with a more straight-forward later ‘70’s UK punk feel. Maybe a touch of earlier SNUFF in here too and the overall sound is raw and gritty which I really like, it’s got this energetic wildness to it too that I really go for. Catchy and straightforward punk rock, the way it should be.
Casket Music / Copro Productions
www.coproproductions.co.uk

CAPTAIN EVERYTHING - 'BUENA VISTA BINGO CLUB' CD
CAPTAIN EVERYTHING remind me so much of SNUFF. They have that real blend of a very English sound merged with a very American sound which is unique to a few English bands - SNUFF of course, GOOBER PATROL, SKIMMER and CONSUMED are the only ones that instantly come to mind. It's a very hard sound to describe. It's kind of like the English take on the original Fat Wreck sound which seems to turn out tougher and more assorted than the American version. Fast drums and lots of harmonies... it's very hard not to like this... CAPTAIN EVERYTHING also mix the more contemporary Fat Wreck and No Idea sound of bands like AGAINST ME!, LAWRENCE ARMS etc. This sound really defines an era for me but still completely stands up nowadays, and it's great to hear this classic, and it is classic, uniquely English pop-punk sound when it seems to have died out a little to get replaced by the floppy fringed, tight hooded tops, slip-on Vans Emo brigade... fuck that.
Household Name Records
www.householdnamerecords.co.uk

CEASE UPON THE CAPITOL - S/T CD
CEASE UPON THE CAPITOL is a destructive three-piece from Tennessee and the amount of chaos and havoc they deliver for a three-piece is amazing. They rip and thrash and smash and with a lot of fucking style too. At times they remind me of FUCKED UP, the way that they alter between melody, total chaos and absent-minded soundscapes and the experience of this album is a real journey event. That’s certainly the feeling I get from FUCKED UP, but even more so with CEASE UPON THE CAPITOL, because they seem to flicker and transform more so. Fucking impressive compositions and musicianship and they have really delved into this to create something very deep, super-layered and intense.
Sonic Deadline Records
www.sonicdeadline.cjb.net

CHILLERTON - ‘BLEAK UNISON’ CD
CHILLERTON have a really interesting sound. It’s really chaotic and they have this really ‘disorganized’ style which is something I really go for. I could imagine this being released on No Idea. They have that unpredictable and very unformulaic approach with influence from LEATHERFACE, AGAINST ME!, THE LAWRENCE ARMS and JAWBREAKER and they have some serious fucking energy. They are heavy but with strong melody and they’re hardcore and punk all at once... a very unique sound indeed. There’s nothing I don’t like about this record. It’s got me really bewildered because I haven’t really heard anything like CHILLERTON before. I hear all these possible stimuli in their sound but CHILLERTON are totally unique. There have been some truly impressive punk bands coming out of the UK recently, which is such a great thing, and CHILLERTON have just leaped to the top of my list. Shit hot.
Boss Tuneage Records
www.bosstuneage.com

THE CLEAN-CUTS - 'LOLLIPOP' 7"
Excellent super-stripped down French punk rock with that fantastic and authentic early sound. It's frivolous and spastic and so much fun, it's entertaining chaos and pure punk the way punk should be. Think of a blend of THE SHOCKS, THE BRIEFS, TEENAGE HEAD, THE UNDERTONES, TRANZMITORS, HATEPINKS...they have the snot, the style and the fucking tunes...my only qualm with this record is that I WANT MORE!!!! Two songs isn't enough because now I'm addicted...thankfully, there are a couple more songs on the bands MySpace page (myspace.com/thecleancuts) so I can stretch my fix!!! Killer record and a band to really keep an eye and ear on...this shit rules.
Nerfs A Vif Records
www.myspace.com/nerfsavif

CLOROX GIRLS - 'J'AIME LES FILLES' CD
I'm still so into these guys debut self-titled album and follow-up'This Dimension' and was way excited about this third full-length offering from this really special band, and Oh my God have they re-blown me away for the third time running. This band is unstoppable and their mix of late '70's / early '80's LA punk and stripped down pop / rock 'n' roll is completely suffocating and in the most wonderful way. There's a huge French pop influence running through this record too (hence the title) which really adds to their already hugely compelling style. Comparisons to THE EXPLODING HEARTS are inescapable and that's a great thing... where's the problem with that?? And the fact that this record was produced by Pat Kearns concretes that comparison. This is so fantastically anti-punk that it's the most punk rock record you'll buy this year... and when I say anti-punk, I man anti the bullshit that punk has become in recent years. The CLOROX GIRLS don't whine and they don't have any faux-aggression (hey, I can speak a bit of French too). This is just natural, great song writing. As I said before, this is a special band that are really carving an extraordinary groove.
BYO Records
www.byorecords.com

THE CRACKDOWN V.S HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR - ‘BROKEN GUIARS AND TRASHY BARS’ SPLIT CD
Now, this I was looking forward to hearing. Canada’s THE CRACKDOWN start the mayhem off with their tough punk rock ‘n’ roll with a heavy ROSE TATTOO influence... they even cover ‘Nice Boys’. They have a real punch and some serious balls and really start this split off on the right foot. The second half of the disorder is provided by Germany’s HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR that features members of THE PUBLIC TOYS and THE REVOLVERS so you know that they are gonna tear some shit up and tear they certainly do. They have that melodic yet very forceful ’77 sound with a big dose of glam rock ‘n’ roll and THUNDERS-esque charm. You can certainly hear THE REVOLVERS in here! This is a brilliant split and the bands are well-suited even though their approaches are quite different. but that’s the whole point of a split. Great artwork too.
Longshot Music
www.longshotmusic.com

THE CRAWLERS - ‘ALL MY PUNK ROCK CHILDREN EP’ 7”
Absolutely fuckin ripping hardcore punk in pure Blind Spot style... I mean, if it’s on Blind Spot it’s gonna rule, that’s my rule! Fast, raw and so fucking enthusiastic it’s insane... this is the shit I need. This gives me the feeling I used to get when I was first getting into punk as a young kid... full of excitement and danger. Where the fuck has that gone??? THE CRAWLERS got it! There’s not a reason in hell not to get this and blow yer mind... features members of THE CULPRITS who also rule and are also on Blind Spot. I can’t wait for more CRAWLERS. Green wax too and just everything you could possibly ask for. This is fantastic.
Blind Spot Records
www.noheroestheband.com

THE CRAWLERS - S/T 12”
I couldn’t wait for this after the ‘All My Punk Rock Children’ EP and shit did this blow my balls…THE CRAWLERS play fast-paced raw and old fashioned hardcore punk. Straight forward and attacking this grabs the throat and the whole thing’s dripping with that Blind Spot style…dangerous and fun, that’s a fuckin terrifying cocktail. Not only does the record sound fantastic -all six cuts are absolutely killer- but it also looks cool as fuck with a fold-out inner too and the added style of a 12” when this could have come out on a 7”. I just bought a new record player and I christened it with this fabulous piece of wax and nothing else has touched it since…Fantastic band and killer record - absolutely get this as soon as you can along with their 7” EP.
Blind Spot Records
www.blindspotrecs.com

CRAWLSPACE - 'THE SPIRIT OF '76' CD
Rather than write a long-winded review of CRAWLSPACE's 'The Spirit of '76', I decided to list 50 words that I feel truly describe the band and record better than any review. You can take all the words or just any single one and there you have a true 'review' and I tell you something, I don't fucking throw words like these around often and a good band is lucky to get one thrown in a review... so here goes: Dirty, Raw, Fucked-up, Distorted, Cyclic, Fun, Exciting, Hysterical, Dangerous, Crude, Fucked-Up, Spastic, Peculiar, Fantastic, Abnormal, Sick, Magnificent, Rudimentary, Repulsive, Striking, Astonishing, Fucked-Up, Inspired, Original, Thrilling, Turbulent, Stimulating, Pleasurable, Warped, Reckless, Fucked-Up, Exuberant, Deformed, Energetic, Live, Fucked-Up, Wild, Passionate, Intense, Violent, Essential, Uncompromising, Sharp, Inventive, Chaotic, Defiant, Fucked-Up, Obsessive, Concentrated, Necessary, Real, Potent, Disruptive, Undisciplined, Fucked-Up and Awesome.
Gulcher Records
www.gulcher.gemm.com

THE CUMMIES - ‘LAME’ CD EP
Snotty Italian punk that’s melodic and raw with touches of SCREECHING WEASEL and THE MANGES. I love this sound and I don’t care if a million more bands do it... it still rules! THE CUMMIES actually approach it in a different way to most. They are more wild sounding and have a looser structure than you normally hear in this style and I think that’s really cool. It gets pretty fast and aggressive at times almost like a Punkcore or Charged sound to it but it still stays in that RAMONES mindset and this works really well! I mean, they cover BLACK FLAG’s ‘Wasted’ ...what other bands in this style would do that?! Cool EP.
www.thecummies.tk

D.C. OI! - ‘THE BLEEDING’ 7”
Another fuckin sick 7” from Glue Rot... super-chaotic hardcore punk with sick vocals and the perfect balance of early American hardcore and early English punk rock and really executed with a lot of style. It kinda reminds me of ‘The Anger and the Truth’ era UNSEEN but with tons more energy (and there was a lot of energy on that record). There’s a shitload of passion and drive behind this and that really cuts through, and that vitality is what makes this record so damn solid and stylish. This is how hardcore and punk rock are supposed to unite and this is the impact it is supposed to create. This is exciting stuff for sure. Very, very recommended.
Glue Rot Records
www.gluerotrecords.com

DEAD TOWN REVIVAL - ‘HASTA LA MUERTE’ CD
Punchy and melodic punk rock ‘n’ roll with elements of later SOCIAL DISTORTION, ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN, THE FEDS, UNION OF THE DEAD and ambitious vocals lines ala Glen Danzig. It’s heavy and adamant and the production here really pushes that especially when played loud. This record is fucking brawny and so how rock ‘n’ roll should be. There’s no skimping on here... the music is full and the vocals manifest themselves with some real presence. At times it actually really reminds me of TIGER ARMY when they do their heavier style but there’s only glimpses of this here and there. To me, this sounds like a band who has really given their all on this record and the title of this record says it all.
Sinister Muse Records
www.sinistermuse.com

DEADLINE - ‘TAKE A GOOD LOOK’ CD
With every new full-length that DEADLINE release, they push their sound a little further but always keeping the key ingredients that define them. Liz’s vocals are always great and she too has developed this further on ‘Take a Good Look’ and the album as whole is much heavier and energetic. With every release they move away from the more streetpunk vein they started in, which is a good thing because even though they did it well, that genre is always a little restrictive. Liz can lend her vocals to this heavier direction very well. She has the ability to convey a lot of power and feeling without having to force herself into that whole screechy Courtney Love / Brody Dalle style which, in my opinion, is a fucking cop-out style anyway. Anyone can screech but to be able to actually sing and not get drowned out by the music, especially when it’s this heavy is a talent for sure. This is much more straight rock than anything else DEADLINE have released and the guitars have got so much more presence than ever before but it all works well and there’s still a hell of a lot of melody. Sorry to mention Liz’s vocals again, but that is truly what does, and always has made DEADLINE.
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

DEADLINE / BRASSKNUCKLE BOYS - ‘CAN’T BE BEATEN’ SPLIT CD
UK melodic streetpunk meets US street rock ‘n’ roll in this cool split that features both bands tracks from the ‘Any Fate But Submission’ split plus a couple of tracks from DEADLINE’s debut album and also the debut BRASSKNUCKLE ‘Fighting Poor’ EP and a bonus POGUES cover of ‘Thousands are Sailing’ too. Really fuckin good split here but the BRASSKNUCKLE BOYS just tip it over the edge for me and steal the split. They remind me a lot of the HUDSON FALCONS in the way that they can fuse melody with some big-assed tough rock ‘n’ roll, some real killer anthems. DEADLINE are solid as shit and this is a band who is just getting huge... every time I see them live they are better and better but I actually think that their older material is better than their more recent stuff and the cuts on here are a perfect example of that. Raw and assertive but still melodic and very punk rock. Their more recent direction is a bit ‘rock’ for my tastes so I’d always push people in the direction of this earlier stuff to get a real taste of DEADLINE’S power. They do a cool cover of Scottish Oi! rogues ON FILE’s ‘Another Day In Paradise’ and the BRASSKNUCKLE BOYS cover TOM PETTY’s ‘American Girl’ as well as the POGUES track. A really, really rock fuckin solid split.
Haunted Town Records
www.hauntedtownrecords.com

DEADNECK FURY - S/T CD EP
Seven tracks of heavy rockin' with slide guitars and an old fashioned metal edge. It reminds me of a simplified early METALLICA. The guitars are very prominent and they have that thick rhythm guitar sound but it's way more stripped down and straightforward with a more hardcore punk edge or tough, heavy streetpunk sound with a lot of attack. It's like a blend of early METALLICA, HEADWOUND, HUDSON FALCONS and NIBLICK HENBANE... yeah, it's tough rockin.
www.deadneckfury.com

THE DEEP EYNDE - 'BAD BLOOD' CD
'Shadowland' was a real defining point for the DEEP EYNDE. Their sound characterized and really came to life on that record and this is a band who in my opinion, never sounded like anyone else. Sure there were influences audible in glimpses here and there but the overall sound has always been unique. Their sound got much heavier and broad on 'Shadowland' and it's got even broader and fuller on here with a hell of a lot of guitar presence which works really well. Fate's voice has always been absolutely fantastic. He has a great range and a very interesting style somewhere in between GLEN DANZING, MORRISEY and SIMON LE BON, and these are all fantastic vocalists, and this newer musical direction has allowed his vocal style to thrive even further. Their distinctive blend of dark, heavy melancholy and strong melody is superb. This is an excellent follow up to 'Shadowland' and I'm so happy for these guys who have certainly paid their dues. They rule live too.
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

DEEP THROAT - ‘MOSH TO THE MASSES’ MINI CD
Heavy Italian hardcore with Paolo from MADIDO RESPIRO on vocals. Thick and fast and still with a very old-fashioned mentality which is fantastic to hear and coming from a much more thrash direction rather than a stripped down hardcore one, so the chugging guitars are very dominant and there are metallic elements running through it but employed in a great way, it’s never too metallic, it’s always verging on the hardcore side of things which is the way I like it. This is a very solid EP indeed with three interesting ‘ballads’- one for Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrat, one for James Brown and one for Neapolitan singer Mario Merola. I’d love to hear a full-length form DEEP THROAT.
Wet Breath Records
www.myspace.com/deepthroatalessandria

DERANGED INSANE / UNHOLY GRAVE - SPLIT 7"
Brazilian vs. Japanese thrash... what a fucking treat! Brazil's DERANGED INSANE open this split with 4 crude and unruly cuts of prime Brazilian hardcore and Japan's UNHOLY GRAVE rack up another split in their insanely long line with three raw covers of NAPALM DEATH, G.B.H and ANTI-CIMEX in their unmistakable grindcore style. An absolutely riotous split... this is a lot of chaos for one little 7" to contain! Comes with a really cool booklet-cover. Excellent stuff.
Bucho Discos
www.buchodiscos.kit.net

DESTRUCTION UNIT - ‘DEATH TO THE OLD FLESH’ CD
The first time I heard ‘Self-Destruction of a Man’ I had to manually shut my mouth because my jaw had dropped so far down, and their track on the ‘Tales From The Asphalt Dancefloor’ made me have to throw my fucking jeans out because I soiled them so badly... shit, I was knocked out, so reviewing this is fucking exciting for me. It’s so wonderfully deformed and fucked up and the keyboard employment is astounding. To be able to generate this much aggression and raw spitting bile through keys is awesome and I actually mean awesome. This is so warped, so repulsive and so fucking fantastic. I have this fucked up thing where I love going to the dentist because I love it when they pick around my gums with that hook and when they pierce the gum and then put it back in that same cut... I almost cream myself and that’s the same feeling I get from this. That uncomfortable and unpredictable ecstasy. This is totally erratic and exciting. As soon as they perfect cloning I think Ryan Wong should be replicated a million fucking times and then we might be able to preserve the fun, rawness and outright danger of rock ‘n’ roll for the future. Even with this, THE WONGS, THE REATARDS, DIGITAL LEATHER and TOKYO ELECTRON and whatever else he’s involved with, one Ryan Wong just ain’t enough. This is amazing.
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

DESTRUCTORS 666 – ‘MANY WERE KILLED FEW WERE CHOSEN’ CD
In case you don’t know, this is the DESTRUCTORS who originally formed in Peterborough in1977 and this CD collects their four recent EPs and a bunch of unreleased tracks too including a version of the BLANKS ‘Northern Ripper’ (the BLANKS was the band that vocalist Allen Adams joined after the DESTRUCTORS first broke up and ‘Northern Ripper; is their only single). It’s heavy mid-temp punk rock in the classic DESTRUCTORS style and in my opinion the DESTRUCTORS always stood out among their contempories in the ‘80’s because everyone else was upping the pace and I consider the DESTRUCTORS as the classic UK ’82 sound rather than DISCHARGE, BROKEN BONES etc this is a cool compilation of their recent (and very prolific) recorded output and it’s fits the full-length format well and it’s cool that they included the unreleased stuff on here too because they could’ve made another EP with those cuts. This is a band who has gone through a lot of name / member changes but still sound tough and passionate as fuck.
Rowdy Farrago Records
www.myspace.com/thedestructorsuk

DIRTY LOVE - ‘TRASHED’ CD
I was really excited to hear this full-length after last years ‘Baby You Suck’ EP. DIRTY LOVE are able to infuse tons of spit and hostility into their infectiously melodic punk rock with huge doses of rock ‘n’ roll and touches of glam. Sometimes it reminds me of a female-fronted LOWER CLASS BRATS mixed with TEXAS TERRI. Lizzi Love’s vocals are fucking great. The pre-eminent attraction of DIRTY LOVE’s sound is that they perfectly blend the classic English 1977 punk rock sound with the more-contemporary US take on that classic sound and this is something that really works. This is a balance that’s fucking difficult to get right and pull-off but they do it flawlessly. This is a fucking impressive debut and with the experience this band has behind it (features ex-members of UK SUBS, MENACE and THE STAINS amongst others) it was always going to be a force to be reckoned with. The cover is fucking great too and I can’t stop looking at it.
Shout Back Records
www.dirtylove.me.uk

DIRTY SOUTH REVOLUTIONARIES - QUEEN CITY UNDERGROUND' CD
The DIRTY SOUTH REVOLUTIONARIES unleash their debut full-length that is set on ripping yer throat open and pissing in the wound, yeah it's hostile as fuck. Their attack is structured around a hardcore punk base with touches of old-fashioned metal to thicken things up and solidify the assault. Think of a blend of ANTiSEEN, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, SLAYER, LEFTOVER CRACK, PANTERA, CHOKING VICTIM, GG ALLIN and HATEBREED all wrapped up into super hard-hitting short blasts, these guys do not fuck around. Two vocalists, heavy guitars and bombarding drums and bass...this is Molotov rock n' 'roll that never lets up, these guys are focussed on putting the danger and un-ease back into rock 'n' roll and thank fuck for that.
Tent City Records
www.tentcityrecords.com

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS - ‘REASONS TO REVOLT’ CD EP
Fast and energetic youthful punk rock with a real full sound. These guys are English but their sound definitely incorporates the more-contemporary US sound with touches of RANCID, and musically they remind me a lot of earlier NOFX mixed with a faster BAD RELIGION and a great sound it is. There’s a lot of power in these 6 tracks. I’m surprised a band with this much force comes from the UK!! There seems to be a real lack of energy and drive in young English punk at the moment but these guys have it in spades. They mix a lot of aggression into this melodic yet heavy sound and they do it all really well. I’m certainly impressed and would’ve really liked this to be a full-length.
Fierce Panda Records
www.fiercepanda.co.uk

D.O.A. - ‘BLOODIED BUT UNBOWED’ CD
This is the best of D.O.A. from 1978 - 1983 and originally came out in ‘83 by which time D.O.A. had released a series of 7”s and EPs including ‘Disco Sucks’,’ World War 3‘, ‘Prisoner’, ‘War On 45 ‘, ‘General Strike’, ‘Positively D.O.A ‘, ‘Right To Be Wild’ and a couple of full-lengths too in the shape of ‘Something Better Change’ and ‘Hardcore 81’ and it’s sure as shit no revelation just how influential D.O.A. were and still are. This compilation is a switchblade flashed in your face straight from the cover art to the whole presentation and, of course, the music. This is a fucking wake-up call, a wake-up siren. It’s hostile, sharp and intelligent and that’s a concoction that can’t be fucked with. Joey Shithead always knew what he was doing and still does. He’s never been afraid to question or ruffle feathers. I remember when I first heard ‘Something Better Change’, I was about 14 and I had to pick my teeth up off the floor. I mean, this was 13 years after it was released and it knocked me the fuck out. That’s the way I have always felt about D.O.A.. You just can’t fault this collection here. You need this but you also need to get all the records the songs are taken from. There’s so much great shit on here: ‘New Age’, ‘Smash The State’, ‘I Don’t Give A Shit’, ‘Rich Bithc’, ‘2+2’, ‘World War 3’, ‘D.O.A.’, Woke Up Screaming’, ‘Fucked Up Ronnie’ etc. Kids these days need to hear this to get a dose of some real ‘get up and go’ hardcore punk rock with soul and fire, a fire that's still burning so bright after nearly 30 fuckin years…I wonder how many of these popular bands of today will still be flying the banner after 3 decades...
Sudden Death Records
www.suddendeath.com

.O.A. - ‘THE BLACK SPOT’ CD
Another great and very necessary D.O.A. re-release that originally came out in 1995 following the awesome ‘Loggerheads’ and a very important time in D.O.A.’s career which presented them with all the energy and fury of the very early D.O.A.- not that D.OA. were ever weak, but the fire from the first three records never went out…it will never go out and that sprit seemed to get further fuelled with this couple of releases in the early/mid 1990’s including ‘Loggerheads’ and ‘The Black Spot’. Another very important feature of this record is that it was recorded just after drummer Ken Jensen died (replaced by NOMEANSNO’s John Wright) which makes for a testing time. ‘The Black Spot’ showcases all the elements of D.O.A. truly coming into action: all the intelligence, humor, spite, hate, aggression, astuteness, positivity and passion…it’s all here some 20 years after they originally formed (it’s all here still another 12 years down the line!!!!) and all delivered in their trademark sharp, jagged and melodic hardcore punk style. ‘The Black Spot’ is such a fucking ride, it’s so much fun from the killer ‘Blind Men’ right to the end, this record rules and has done for over a decade and still has more freshness and energy than shit coming out these days…thank God for these reissues!!!!!!!
Sudden Death Records
www.suddendeath.com

DR. NORTON - 'YOUR PLOT-THE PRISON-MY ESCAPE' CD
This Berlin foursome has a really interesting sound that seems to be structured around the really early US punk sound but then they throw in all kinds of other styles and influences and each song mutates throughout and the result is really fascinating to say the least. Aside from the obvious punk approach and attitude there's some pop, new wave, almost psychedelic '60's garage and rock integrated for good measure. It's really hard for a band to pull this type of highly-diverse and wide-ranging style off because they can get too lost in the mix and focus too heavily on certain parts, but DR. NORTON seem to be able to fuse seamlessly... very impressive. They are also able to fuse the Euro / US styles so well. There's some serious talent here that's for sure
Go-Kart Records
www.gokartrecords.com

THE DWARVES - ‘FEFU THE DVD’ DVD
This is a DWARVES fucking feast! A bag full of surprises! It predominantly showcases the wonderful ‘Fuck, Eat and Fuck You Up’ video that unites the Dwarves with the Suicide Girls... what the fuck more could you ask for??!!! You know exactly what to expect... nakedness, blood, balaclavas, wrestling masks, deformity... the whole shebang. Yeah that’s what the ‘FEFU’ video is all about and you get the dirty and clean versions on here but don’t worry, the clean version ain’t that clean! Plus there’s the making of the video with Bob Sexton and a hilarious movie about a girl trying to lose weight so that she can get in the Dwarves video shoot and after relentless exercise resorts to blowing lunch in order to lose the weight. There’s also a whole load of live Dwarves footage spanning from 1985 - 2006!!! Footage from the Thank Heaven tour, the Must Die tour, Blood Guts and Pussy tour, Young and Goodlooking tour etc as well as the ‘I’m a Living Sickness‘ and interviews from 1992 and 2005... what a package!! Can there be a better mix of Dwarves depravity and evil blended with the Suicide Girls’ fucked up beauty? I think not!! This unity was bound to happen!! The ‘FEFU’ video is just awesome but the early stuff is what makes this DVD extra special. This is like 20 years of Dwarves wrapped into one DVD and that can only be a good thing! There will NEVER be another Dwarves so engross yourself in this shit before you miss out on the immorality and debauchery... then you’ll be sorry!!
MVD Visual
www.musicvideodistributors.com

ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK – ‘TRANSWORLD ULTRA ROCK’ CD
I’m still receiving regular thrashings from ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK’s last full-length ‘Beat Me’ so the notion of a new record was pretty exciting. So can ‘Transworld Ultra Rock’ deliver the same kind of hammering? Well, in a word: fuck yeah. This is the lunatic, overblown and bizarre ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK that we have all come to know and love. The title of this new record says it all…I mean, you can guess what this is going to sound like even if you don’t know the band, to me it screams BLACK SABBATH, AC/DC, TURBONEGRO, MC5, THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT and MOTORHEAD and that’s pretty much spot on. These guys are 100% joking and 100% serious at the same time- huge riffs, super-tight, preposterous and nonsensical lyrics and a massive wall of rock sound…how else could it be? The most important thing about EES is the fun, the wild spirit…if you’re missing that, then you’re missing the point of this Japanese party beast – go see them live and you be convulsing with fun. I’ve heard people try too hard to dissect this band and it seem to me that so many people are missing the point and deliberate retardedness. If you take them too seriously it just won’t make sense – but don’t get me wrong either- you have to take them fucking seriously too.
Double Peace Records
www.electriceelshock.com

ENEMY 13 - 'SELF DESTRUCTION IS...' CD
This was one of the standout bands on the Broken Bonez label sampler and I was looking forward to hearing this full-length. ENEMY 13 play fast and chaotic hardcore punk with a very old school edge. They deliver a fucking full-on attack that rages throughout the album's 13 tracks and it's all very unruly and fierce. This is an intese band here. They seem super-focussed at what they do and that really comes across strong. They are fucking serious and devoted to what they do: "Don't self destruct, keep soldiering on. This war that we call life can be won" is the message in their insert and that's the attitude and stance behind ENEMY 13 and it's really got that old-fashioned hardcore flavour about it all... very positive through their aggression and I like that a lot.
Broken Bonez Records
www.brokenbonezrecords.net

ESCLAVES SALARIES - ‘CA AUGURE MAL’ CD
French-Canadian political punk rock very reminiscent of a heavier and more hostile CLASH. They actually remind me a lot of THE ARGIES (Argentina’s answer to the CLASH!) with their very strong melody and group-choruses. There’s a strong ska/reggae presence in ESCLAVES SALARIES too, again, in a kind of CLASH way so it works well. This is a super-urgent sounding record and there’s a real sense of anxiety and angst about it which is great, a lot of pressure in a kind of ‘let’s get together and change things’ way and I’m down with that, and there’s a very strong anti-fascist echo throughout. There’s a lot of intelligent aggression here and that’s the best kind of aggression!! Their style takes elements from all kinds of styles and eras. There’s a definite 80’s Oi! sound as well as an early punk sound but mixed with a strong rock edge and a really contemporary punk sound too, and this blend makes this a very strong and prominent band and I’m truly impressed with this record.
Fire and Flames Music
www.fireandflames.com

THEE EXIT WOUNDS - ‘BAD DAY’ CD
“If the DEAD KENNEDYS would play Psychobilly they would sound like THEE EXIT WOUNDS” ... that’s what the press-release says and that’s pretty fuckin dead-on-balls accurate. I mean a track like ‘2 Wheeled Sinner’ is scarily close to the KENNEDYS! It reminds me a lot of a psyched up ‘Police Truck’ and that’s fine by me! Formed by members of DEMENTED ARE GO you should know what to expect! A wild blend of psychobilly, punk and rock ‘n’ roll with all the chaos and ferocity. These are guys who know what the fuck they are doing. These ain’t no new-comers, these are well-seasoned fuck ups! I’m very picky about my Psychobilly and even more so when it’s combined with punk rock because too many bands just can’t get that blend right, but THEE EXIT WOUNDS should be the definition of that sound because they have got it exactly right.
Wolverine Records
www.wolverine-records.de

THE FALLOUT - ‘THE TURNING POINT’ CD EP
This EP collects 7 covers by this band’s favourite old Ontario bands including THE VILETONES, NOBODY’S HEROES, THE ALLIES, THE RED SQUARES, THE YOUING LIONS, U.I.C. and YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH. It’s a cool little release that the band originally recorded for fun but it makes a nice break between the band’s ‘official’ releases as well as providing a history lesson for the kids! THE FALLOUT put their own twist and style into the songs and these are obviously bands and songs that had a huge influence and impact on the band members as they were growing up. The reason the EP is called ‘The Turning Point’ is because that was the name of a Toronto punk club in the ‘80’s where a lot of early bands played and where the band members spent a lot of time, so it’s quite a personal release, but it fits in perfectly in the band’s discography and I think it’s actually a pretty important release.
Longshot Music
www.longshotmusic.com

FAST CARS – ‘WELL... YOU STARTED IT!’ CD
This new album from Manchester’s excellent FAST CARS features not only new tracks but also five of their classic songs from the 70’s that have been re-recorded and holy shit is it overflowing with enthusiasm and energy. Their unique blend of punk, rock and power pop merging the styles of THE CLASH, BUZZCOCKS, T-REX, DAVID BOWIE, UNDERTONES, THE JAM etc is so powerful, so open and so honest and that’s not been lost 30 years after they originally formed. A real band never loses that passion, the excitement is inescapable and this record is bursting at the seams with that exciting fire. Aside from the dates appearing beside the song titles making it obvious when each track was written, this album flows so smoothly that you wouldn’t believe that there was 24 years between some of these songs…and that’s fantastic. This is super, super necessary and sounds so young a fresh it’s frightening. This is the sound I’d kill for. This is the sound that gets me to the core and this CD just won’t leave my stereo.
Detour Records
www.detour-records.co.uk

LOS FASTIDIOS - ‘ANEJO 16 ANOS’ CD
Mad Butcher presents another Italian punk rock best of collection along with the ATARASSIA GROP compilation they just released, this time from the classic LOS FASTIDIOS marking their 16 years. With a mixture of fast-paced, stripped-down and very attacking punk rock and slight touches of reggae, there’s something very old school about their punk rock sound that I adore, it’s so solid and vigorous and like a lot of Italian bands they manage to keep a really strong melody running through their music but they lose none of the force and that’s fantastic because that is a very hard balance to get right, if it’s too melodic it loses all the fire and I lose interest but LOS FASTIDIOS never enter that territory. As well as a best-of collection, there are 2 unreleased cover cuts on here- the ANGELIC UPSTARTS’ ‘Solidarity’ and COCKSPARRERS ‘We’re Coming Back’ both played as ska versions. When Italians get punk rock right, they are fucking unstoppable, I mean there’s a whole heap of shit coming outta the boot too because they get it so fucking wrong sometimes and I know this first-hand because I’m Italian myself but if you want to hear it done so well get this and get the ATARASSIA GROP comp too.
Mad Butcher Records
www.madbutcher.de

THE FLAMING TSUNAMIS - ‘FEAR EVERYTHING’ CD
Holy shit this is fucking chaos! It’s all over the place with elements of all kinds of shit thrown together and the result, as hard as it is to place your finger on, reminds me of a blend of MR. BUNGLE, BUTTHOLE SURFERS, SLAYER, THE DICKS, VOODOO GLOW SKULLS, BIG BOYS, TRACTOR SEX FATALITY, OBITUARY, LEFTOVER CRACK and so much more! There’s metal, ska, reggae, jazz, funk, grind, punk and I think everything in between too! It’s pure fucking pandemonium from beginning to end!!! They will yo-yo between styles and paces with the greatest of ease and somehow it all flows. Fuck knows how they do it because this is all over the fucking map!! If you’re tired of generic and formulated music then you just have to get this album... it’s fucking impressive shit that’s for sure.
Kill Normal Records
www.killnormal.com

THE FLATLINERS - ‘THE GREAT AKE’ CD
Not to be confused with the Texas hardcore punks of the same name, Canada’s FLATLINERS present a very layered sound that combines melodic punk rock, with elements of hardcore and reggae at times. Their sound is very full and thick and certainly characterizes the more recent Fat Wreck style. It’s sophisticated, comprehensive and with great production to allow this type of song-writing to be conveyed correctly. There’s a lot going on but it’s easy to absorb because of the production. At times I hear a slight touch of AGAINST ME!...it’s in that vein of really rocking punk rock, it’s melodic but not poppy at all, it’s more epic and artistic and this is definitely a direction that Fat Wreck seems to be moving towards, which is cool, this is modern punk and as much as I’m a sucker for the classic, old school I can dig this.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

FRONT - 'BITTE RECHT FREUNDLICH' CD
Perfectly retro German new wave / punk with so much style and energy. They really nail that old-fashioned late '70's / early '80's sound and throw in just the right amount of spasticness and eccentricity and it works so fuckin well. Their sound is totally stripped down yet really full- great production and the songs are the perfect length to stab you and run away. The sound is so wonderfully European too...think of elements of the SHOCKS and HATEPINKS in their sound too. The songs are simple but still interesting and that's the key thing, to get that belence roght is quite an undertaking because it's easy to get too simple and it's easy to get lost and get too complex...but FRONT have the balance perfect. Excellent old fashioned European punk rock that's got balls and is fun at the same time. This is what it is all about for me. This is a very impressive record here...excellent.
Dirty Faces Records
www.dirtyfaces.de

FRONTKICK - 'THE CAUSE OF THE REBEL' CD
I really like FRONTKICK and I really noticed a progression in their sound between 'Guitars And Crime' and 'Underground Stories', and that progression continued on their split with the RADIO DEAD ONES and remains on 'Cause Of A Rebel'. It's a more melodic and solid rockin' sound. It still has a lot of the streetpunk elements but they've just developed that further to this fuller and really powerful sound that really defines them now. The evolution on style is not just because of the change of vocalist, it may have been sparked by that, but it's a deep-set development. It's a really interesting style for sure and it's full of classic and contemporary elements all mixed in the right way. I've always liked this band and they get more solid and defined with each release they do. Look out for these guys.
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

THE GENERATORS - ‘WELCOME TO THE END’ CD
People Like You released this very record 10 years ago and this re-release marks the 10th anniversaries of both THE GENERATORS and People Like You Records. THE GENERATORS have really craved their sound in the scene over their 10 years, they are unmistakable and you can see how this debut album sparked all that was to follow for them. They really have racked up a loyal following and some super-solid releases with their great mix of early English punk rock and more contemporary US streetpunk. This is a hard working and passionate band and they really set their style in this first record, this is where the distinctive GENERATORS ingredients first came together and stuck for good. I really think a lot of this band because they have always done things their own way, they don’t really sound like anyone else other than THE GENERATORS and I can tell you for sure that this doesn’t sound like a decade old record…This re-release slots in just before the release of their new record "The Great Divide" that will hit at the end of Summer, so get acquainted with the old and the new simultaneously.
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

THE GIZMOS - ‘LIVE IN BLOOMINGTON - 1977/1978’ DOUBLE CD
Gulcher Records has put out this sick GIZMOS live compilation from 1977 and 1978 to celebrate their 30th anniversary!! 2 CDs and 48 cuts from 7 shows. This is absolutely exciting shit right here. The first disc contains 2 shows, the only 2 shows that Ken Highland GIZMOS-incarnation ever played and they are from the Monroe County public Library and the first Cincinnati Punk Rock Festival at Bogart’s. This is the show-stealing disc and a fucking mind-blower. As a bonus there’s 3 extra tracks from Bogart’s from the original GIZMOS line-up. Disc 2 contains 27 tracks from the Ted Niemiec/Dale Lawrence embodiment recorded at 5 shows from the Monroe County public Library, Bluebird and Knightbridge Manor. I just can’t stress how exhilarating it is to hear this and it’s just such a pity that rock ‘n’ roll metamorphosised into what it did (and let’s not even talk about what happened to punk rock) with all the thrill and urgency sucked out of it. The sound on here is the sound I fucking live for... it’s so gripping and urgent and makes more sense to me today than 99.9% of contemporary rock ‘n’ roll and that’s fucking sad. I have to live real rock ‘n’ roll through records that were recorded before I was even born or from when I was a toddler because most of today’s shit is just so sterile and un-exciting. This represents everything great about rock ‘n’ roll... all the fun, all the rawness and all the electrifying energy, plus there’s some great covers here too... KISS’ ‘Deuce’ and ‘Strutter’, THE MODERN LOVERS’ ‘Gloria’ and ‘Astral Plane’, ALICE COOPER’S ‘I’m Eighteen’ and ROCK ERIKSON's ‘You're Gonna Miss Me’ ... killer stuff. Totally real and absolutely fantastic, this is uber-essential listening.
Gulcher Records
www.gulcher.gemm.com

‘GRAFFITI TV - THE BEST OF VOLUMES 1,2 & 3’ AND ‘GRAFFITI TV - THE BEST OF VOLUME 4: FUNKY ENAMEL’ DVDs
These 2 DVDs collect the best of Graffiti TV Volumes 1-4 and both showcase some sick, raw footage of legal and illegal graffiti from all over the world. The whole thing is totally DIY and home-shot which I think rules, really gives it that street look- which it actually is- and Volume 1 starts off with some grainy night footage of some taggers writing on a cop car…fuck yeah. The legal stuff is cool and of course there’s unlimited time to shoot that stuff because there’s no pressure to be fast or to get away, but I gotta say, it’s the completely unruly illegal tagging that does it for me! That’s what it’s about! A 100% fuck-you attitude and total disrespect for everything in their path and in broad daylight- cars, vans, building, store fronts…whatever, it all gets sprayed. That’s the side of things that I come from with a background as a tagger and a progression to stenciling. There are a whole bunch of interview type segments too talking about the underground sets and possees in the graffiti scenes and there are break dancing and beat segments too. The most interesting interview is with COPE who talks about train cars and graffiti back in ’80 / ’81 and shows you how to break into fenced pens. Loads of killer, raw footage of train tracks and climbing fences and bridges, freight trains and stealing cans from shops, this will make taggers drool. There’s a really cool bit where they film themselves going into a train yard where the security guard is asleep so they have to creep past him and the ‘Hardcore Bombing’ section is sick. It’s important for kids to see this because I think way too many teenagers jump into this for a couple years and do it all half-assed and then forget all about it, but on these DVDs you see that these guys live for this and travel to do this, it’s not just a passing phase it’s completely focussed and it absorbs their time and their lives. It’s just like punk rock and skateboarding - that’s the shit that people think you’ll eventually grow out of but that will NEVER happen, it you’re dedicated you’ll be doing it until you just can’t do it anymore- until you can’t pump a ramp because you got arthritis or you can’t climb a wall anymore or you got no voice left!!!
MVD Visual
www.MVDb2b.com

THE GREAT ST. LOUIS - ‘FOREVER NOW’ CD
I have heard a lot of great things about THE GREAT ST. LOUIS so I was eager to hear this record and I can certainly understand why they’re generating such a buzz. They have a very full and layered sound but never getting too complex... it’s just very packed punk rock. They have some great melody running through it but it’s always hard-hitting. They have a sort of early Lookout! edge to their sound too and it really lies somewhere in between an American and English sound and it’s also very hard to place era-wise and that’s great. This could’ve come out 20 years ago or ten years ago or yesterday... I love it when a band can do that. I hear elements of LEATHERFACE, MANIFESTO JUKEBOX, SOCIAL DISTORTION, J CHURCH, FUGAZI, CRIMPSHRINE and SNUFF, so needless to say, this here is a very capable and interesting band. There’s some real soul in this band and this record and tons of passion. It’s been a long, long time since I was this blown away by an English band.
Just Say No To Government Music Records
www.jsntgm.com

GUFF - 'SYMPHONY OF VOICES' CD
There won't be one review of this record that doesn't mention the fact that Steve Perry from seventies rock legends JOURNEY happened to be in the studio while GUFF were recording and ended up asking them to cover and unreleased JOURNEY number- 'I Can See It In Your Eyes' and sang on it and produced it!!! That's some crazy shit huh?!! That type of thing doesn't just happen to any band! But that's not the only interesting thing about this record of GUFF...that's just and extra feature! GUFF have an interesting sound that blends a really '90s melodic punk sound of later-day DESENDENTS and BAD RELIGION but with a total rock edge too, loads of guitars and a really thick and solid sound. They have an interesting style that sounds very modern but that is also completely old school and their songs are really deeply worked- there's a lot of passion going into this music, this isn't first draft churned out stuff... Another interesting feature of this record is that the front and back covers are reversible - there are 2 separate styles so you can choose which you prefer.
Go-Kart Records
www.gokartrecords.de

CHIP HANNA & THE BERLIN THREE - S/T CD
Chip fuckin rules, not only as a musician but as a guy... he's the fuckin best. So you know the drill now... Chip plays some really old-fashioned country and rockabilly and this time he is backed by The Berlin Three, all members of contemporary psychobilly giants MAD SIN, and shit can these guys play. On here you get a mixture of some old country classics, some countrified punk and some of Chip's own originals too and it's a motherfucker of a record... what a sound. It's the fullest sound I've ever heard Chip have and those MAD SIN fuckers really up the chaos with their insane psychobilly style. Chip's the real fuckin deal... this is the shit that's in his blood so it's 100% genuine. This is the sound he grew up with and a life he can relate to, not some phoney bullshit like so many bands I could name. If you want to get educated while listening to some Grade A real rock 'n' roll then this is the ticket. This is killer.
I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com

HARD-ONS - 'MOST PEOPLE ARE A WASTE OF TIME' CD
Wow! A new HARD-ONS record!!!!!!! If you are unaware of this band you NEED to get with the fuckin programme or hand yourself into the punk police because you're a fuckin impostor. This is Australia's number one punk rock export's 10th record in 22 years!!! When people talk about the true pop-punk greats, the ones that have really made a mark like the BUZZCOCKS, QUEERS, SCREECHING WEASEL, MR. T EXPERIENCE etc the HARD-ONS need to be included in there because they are so vital. As a punk rock kid 'Love Is A Battlefield Of Wounded Hearts' was my fuckin soundtrack because it just seemed so much more grainy and ballsy than all the American poppier stuff that I liked too, and more varied too because they'd mix all these other elements in there without losing the shape of their sound or direction. This is a fantastic record right from the amazing opener 'What Would Stiv Bators Do?'. These guys have no rules and never did, and this is another classic to chalk up on their long, long list...'Very Exciting!' released on Bomp! A few years back was killer and DO NOT miss out on this... and get their entire back catalogue too while you're boning up on the HARD-ONS.
Household Name Records
www.householdnamerecords.co.uk

THE HATEPINKS - 'TETE MALADE / SICK IN THE HEAD' CD EP
Oh yeah, the French fuck-ups are back!!!! More eccentric chaos from THE HATEPINKS!! Fast, serrated and super-spastic and wonderfully sick in the head! It's always exciting to hear THE HATEPINKS and this EP is packed with their erratic and whimsical pogo punk but there's just one problem... 7 songs just isn't enough for this spastic head!!! I need more!! All the tracks rule on here and again, have killer titles like 'My City Is Sick Of Pizza', 'Should I Kill Myself Or Go Jogging?', 'Your Ass Is A Stereotype' and 'Sexual Liberation Is For Animals'... fantastic. Always a pleasure to review and hear these rascals and I hope another full-length is in the works!!!
TKO Records
www.tkorecords.com

THE HEARTATTACKS - ‘HELLBOUND AND HEARTLESS’ CD
I was wondering when Hellcat would expand their sound into the more glam-style, and I think it’s really great that they have, and THE HEART ATTACKS is a fuckin cool way to start introducing this sound. I really liked their ‘Heart and Scissor Killers’ release last year and a bunch of tracks from that are on here like ‘Guilty’, ‘Heart Attack’and ‘City Sickness’ but they’ve all been made more punchy by Lars Frederiksen’s production. I’m a total sucker for this decadent, seedy hairspray rock ‘n’ roll but its got to be done well and THE HEART ATTACKS certainly pull it off. Their sound is a blend of HANOI ROCKS and early GUNS ‘N’ ROSES sleazy, glam rock ‘n’ roll delivered with JOHNNY THUNDERS debauchery and the punk rock spit of the DEAD BOYS and THE JONESES... surely that’s enough to want this!!
Hellcat Records
www.hell-cat.com

HEARTBREAK STEREO - ‘ECHO ROAD’ CD
I was really interested in hearing HEARTBREAK STEREO. I know they have a record out before this one but I haven’t heard it, but I’m going to fuckin track it down because this EP rips! It reminds me a mix of WASTED, BOMBSHELL ROCKS, DEAD BY GUN and TWOPOINTEIGHT. It’s fast, melodic and intelligent and they don’t do things by half. This is interesting and they really try some exciting stuff on here. If you used to love streetpunk but then got bored of all the generic bullshit that started crowding the scene and you want to get back to the original excitement you had, then HEARTBREAK STEREO are the ticket you need. The whole thing is very stylish from the cover art through to the music. Keep your ears open for HEARTBREAK STEREO!!!
Fast Freddie Productions
www.myspace.com/heartbreakstereo

HELLSONICS - ‘DEMON QUEEN’ CD
Heavy female-fronted rock ‘n’ roll that right from the album opener ‘U-Turn’ spits fiercely. It reminds me of TEXAS TERRI in the way that they blend heaviness and chunky riffs with raw sleaze and it’s heavy in the right way. It’s not a vulgar metallic heaviness because that’s something that I just can’t get with... this is a much more sinister, dark heaviness. At times it actually really reminds me of L7 and the vocals especially remind me of Donita Sparks. This is a very interesting approach to psychobilly / rock ‘n’ roll and it’s a real breath of fresh air to hear this done from a different angle. There are way too many copycat bands out there and the music starts to lose shape and impact and it becomes more a fashion circus than anything else, but THE HELLSONICS are all about the music and pushing the envelope. This is far from generic psychobilly... it’s all done by their own rules.
Drunkabilly Records
www.drunkabilly.com

THE HEROINES - ‘HURTS SO GOOD’ CD
Female-fronted German punk rock with fantastic vocals... kinda remind me of Holly Ramos which is a great thing!!! I love it when female punk singers can diffuse lots of power and spirit without having to put-on some rasping vocals ala Courtney Love. There are way too many girls doing that in the scene... yawn! But Galactica’s vocals are the opposite of that. The Heroines have a very full and potent sound and the vocals really elevate the whole thing. At times there’s a touch of Texas Terri too, musically and vocally and, again, that’s fine with me! Great album!
Wolverine Records
www.wolverine-records.de

THE HOAX – ‘...AND SO IT WENT 1979 – 1981’ CD
Another spectacular and absolutely necessary release from the fantastic Bin Liner Records (the UK’S very own ‘Killed By Death’ label brought to you by Detour Records). This awesome, yes that’s right, I used the word awesome and I NEVER use that word but it’s perfectly fitting when referring to this AWESOME compilation featuring the HOAX’s first four EP’s (‘Only The Blind Can See In The Dark’ 7”, ‘So What’ 12”, ‘Blind Panic’ 7” and ‘Quiet In The Sixpennys’ 12”) plus some unreleased cuts and a couple live tracks recoded at the Mayflower in 1979. I’m sure you’re drooling by now and so you should be because this is amazing. In case you’re unaware, THE HOAX were a fantastic raw Manchester power pop / punk band – melodic and dark, unpredictable with a dangerous yet addictive and approachable edge. Very punk and very pop all at once and just brilliant. Definitely get this, and get everything on Bin Liner and Detour while you’re at it! Another blinding jewel in the Bin Liner / Detour crown.
Bin Liner Records
www.detour-records.co.uk

HOME BLITZ - S/T CD
Holy shit... I don’t know where to start with this thing…OK, let me just tell you that I’ve been listening to this for two weeks now, because I like to get the to the core of a release before I review it and I sat down 2 hours ago to do just that but instead listened to the thing twice through because I’m addicted to this record and I’m still so excited about this (even though this must be, literally, the hundredth time I’ve listened to this now) that I couldn’t write anything down- I just wanted to get absorbed into it all again. OK, snapped out of it and I gotta put some words down about this because otherwise I’ll just keep listening to it and never get anything done and as much of a compliment as that is to HOME BLITZ and Gulcher, I’m pretty sure they want an actual review! So here goes, HOME BLITZ is mind-blowing New Jersey abstract power pop noise created by 21 year old Daniel DiMaggio and this CD collects the first self-titled 7”, the second Live Outside 7", five songs from a cassette release, the new 5 track Weird Wings 12" EP and 2 bonus cuts, that makes 17 cuts in total of this wonderfully fucked up noise. It’s amazing how much melody Daniel manages to inject into his wild and odd compositions because even through their raw and undisciplined approach they are exceptionally structured pieces. This blew me away. Several times. Check out the HOME BLITZ MySpace page at www.myspace.com/homeblitz and the Gulcher website (address at the bottom of this review) – read Eddie Flowers description of HOME BLITZ and this CD because no one paints a better picture than him and get absorbed by this wonderful individual.
Gulcher Records
www.gulcher.gemm.com

HONEY DON’T - ‘DON’T ASK ME’ 7”
Wow, this is a wild mix of folk, rock ‘n’ roll, blues and punk rock with some added BLACK LIPS-style weirdness and fascinating it is. I guess there was a clue in the Carl Perkins band name that this would be rock ‘n’ roll and if I didn’t know these guys were Italian, I would truly believe this came out of the US. They have a very urgent, raw and capricious style which I absolutely adore and that’s what generates the ‘punk-ness’ of their sound. The harmonica on here is outstanding and really gels this wild, wild noise together. The sound is so free and so disobedient in such a cool way. There is no real formula to any of this and it truly works. A very impressive 7” . All three tracks are superb and I can’t wait to hear more from HONY DON’T.
Rijapov Records
www.myspace.com/rijapovrecords

HOSTAGE LIFE - 'WALKING PAPERS' CD
Canada's HOSTAGE LIFE have a modern punk sound with their roots firmly embedded in the old school, which is a very delicate balance to achieve, because if you go too modern you can lose any soul. Their sound is powerful but very approachable too and that again, shows that they have the old/new equilibrium. It's clever, humorous, cynical and very, very passionate and you can see this right from their presentation and artwork and I really like that. These guys are just doing what they want and what they know and not trying to force anything, so it all really flows naturally. This will definitely appeal to both young kids and older punks.
Household Name Records
www.householdnamerecords.co.uk

THE HUMAN TARGETS - ‘YOU!’ CD EP
Guttural UK ska punk that’s fast, raw and chaotic. There’s nothing radio-friendly about this which is a good thing because it’s always a gamble with ska punk. I’m extremely strict about what I’ll listen to in the genre but THE HUMAN TARGETS are coming from a direction that I can grasp. Most importantly they haven’t got a brass section... phew!! I’m really down with the muddled rawness of it all. It reminds me a bit of THE DEAD PETS and KING PRAWN and is really pretty solid.
www.myspace.com/thehumantargets

THE JET BOYS - ‘TEENAGE THUNDER (REVISITED)’ LP
This is a re-issue of THE JET BOYS insanely killer debut ‘Teenage Thunder’ that originally came out fifteen years ago in Japan and now, thanks to Demolition Derby, not only is it available again but it’s on vinyl for the first time ever and with 2 extra vinyl-only bonus cuts!!! This is so uber-necessary it’s no joke…this is absolutely wild Japanese garage punk that’s just so out of control and so much fun. They are so stripped down but they have so much going on, they rock like fuck with killer licks and some real balls and I fucking love them. They are so nasty but no fucking nice!! The songs grab you and shake you, I remember the first time I heard these guys I was blown a-fuckin-way so I was over the moon to hear about this vinyl reissue I can tell you!! You NEED to get this and while you’re at it, get the ‘Jet Patrol’ LP too and hook yourself up with some really sleazy, untamed and absolutely rockin punk.
Demolition Derby Records
www.demderby.com

JETSET RADIO - 'FROM ASHES TO LIFE' LP
This is Germany's JETSET RADIO's debut full-length and they present a very powerful and prominent melody in the style of the BOUNCING SOULS with a touch of latter-day SCREECHING WEASEL, ALKALINE TRIO, MADCAP etc. It's that melodic sound that has some balls too. This is very well written and these guys aren't afraid to be dead honest and just put their hearts on wax. They don't need to force anything, they are proud of their catchiness and melodic-ness... you can tell that, and that's a cool thing because this has more soul than all of that put-on, uber-punk shit that really means nothing at all. Even though this is way more melodic than what I'm accustomed to, I have found myself spinning this record a hell of a lot and getting really absorbed in their harmonic and melodic riffs and vocals lines.
Wanda Records
www.wandarecords.de

THE JONESES – ‘KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES’ CD
We would all be mentioning THE JONESES in the same breath as GUNS ‘N’ ROSES if they had gotten what they truly deserved, if they were justly recognised as just how important and pioneering these sleazy fuckers were but never making it big has kept them pure. Pure feral. No matter how wild or exciting a band is, once they break it on a large scale they inevitable lose their edge…so for that reason I’m glad that THE JONESES remain an shadowy diamond. This is the dangerous, yet critically addictive flavour of real rock n’ roll…it’s raw, stripped-down and so close to the bone. It’s real and it’s thrilling with a real sense of unpredictability. You ever heard that said about G N’ R?? Or L.A.GUNS?? Didn’t fucking think so. The backbone of THE JONESES sound , style and attitude is so strictly punk rock and that tough edge is the crux of their music and teamed up with their seedy rock ‘n’ roll riffs and Jeff Drakes’ bitchy snarl this shit is untouchable. ‘Keeping Up With The Joneses’originally came out in 1986, yeah that’s 21 years ago and it’s still as fresh as fuck, there’s no expiration date on real rock ‘n roll and records like this just set that in stone. This is dangerous shit, sex, drug and alcohol fuelled rock ‘n’ roll, true leaders and in those respects no one can keep up with the JONESES.
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

JOSHUA JUGBAND 5 - ‘JOSHUA JUGBAND 5 / DAMASCUS DOLDRUM’ CD
This is a compilation of 2 CD-R releases, ‘Joshua Jugband 5’ and ‘Damascus Doldrum’ originally released between 2002 and 2003 (on Slippy Town and Ramadan) and comprises 7 instrumental cuts, all untitled and clocking in at over an hour long in total so lock the door, pull the curtains shut, turn out the lights and let this psyched out Swedish water wash over your sponge-brain and get heavy, trance-heavy. Super lo-fi and thickly distorted, this is an uber-intense psychedelic guitar and percussion groove. It’s cyclical, slurred and droning and all in a great way. It’s like a musical leech that locks itself on to you and slowly sucks... and as you start losing more and more blood everything seems to make more sense somehow... everything’s going blank but shit it's sure sounding good!!! This is a serious... SERIOUS jam but with some serious balls and concentration. This ain’t no ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ faggotry. This is way more deep and powerful and in all honesty, it’s the type of thing I need after listening to too much short, rasping punk rock. I think everyone needs this shit.
Gulcher Records
www.gulcher.gemm.com

JUDDER AND THE JACK RABBITS - ‘DEATH FOR THE DEAD’ CD SINGLE
This is fucking great... totally stripped down double-bass punk rock in the style of a much more raw TIGER ARMY blended with the NERVE AGENTS and DEEP EYNDE. I love the production on here... or even lack of production, it’s so fucking raw and edgy and totally DIY. The disc is even stencilled and spray-painted which is fucking awesome. All three tracks on here are killer. I can’t fault this in any way, these guys should be huge. They convey pure urgency and excitement and I seriously hope they are working on a full-length. It seems to me like they could have a whole bunch of labels chasing them. Keep it this raw guys!!!! Excellent shit.
www.myspace.com/judderandthejackrabbits

KEVIN K - ‘HOLLYWOOD’ CD
The unstoppable KEVIN K returns with another gem of a record. This is a man who truly represents everything great about rock ‘n’ roll - pure honesty, absolute passion and fantastic songs. This is a man who gets my soul in the same way that Joey Ramone, Stiv Bators and Joe Strummer do. There’s this deep familiarity and an instant bond from the first time I ever heard him that I can never shake off. He’s so important and I’m so thankful for his prolificness because I can never have enough of this guy. On ‘Hollywood’ Kevin is accompanied by several of his bands... THE HOLLYWOOD STARS, THE REAL KOOL KATS, THE ST.PEPE ALLSTARS and THE LOWER EAST SIDE BAND and there’s some fantastic solo-acoustic cuts on here too. ‘Hollywood’ is everything you could possibly want from KEVIN K. It’s got his unique and distinctive song-writing that fuses spit and melancholy and raw openness with grief, humor and power, but it’s way more than a fantastic KEVIN K record or, rather another fantastic KEVIN K record. It’s an absolute rock ’n’ roll diamond. It’s fucking perfect and Kevin’s just got that flowing. He’s a fountain of rock ‘n’ roll genius and he can’t help but let it all pour out of him so naturally and effectively and thank God someone’s recording this as it flows!! I love this guy...
Full Breach Kicks
www.fullbreach77.com

KEVIN K AND THE HOLLYWOOD STARS - ‘COOL WAYS’ CD
The King of the underground is back with his 16th, yes sixteenth, album and you can bet yer ass that it’s another delicious slice of power-pop / punk rock. This time backed by the Hollywood Stars, Mr. K delivers 12 instantly addictive cuts in his unique honest, touching and fun style. This is a man who pours his life and soul into each release and he’s done that 16 times now, this is a committed and unfaltering man. Impressive as hell. ‘Cool Ways’ was recorded in California and that’s reflected in the songs, maybe the tapes were left out in the sun because this record is oozing with that Californian atmosphere, so not only is the guy an authoritative New York icon but he can nail the West Coast style too while stamping his indelible mark and style all over the music. KEVIN K’s records are just so easy to listen to, form the first listen they become a permanent fixture, they are effortless and an absolute pleasure, this is faultless song-writing here and don’t think for a second that he’s released the same record 16 times…not at all, sure the RAMONES and THUNDERS influences are permanently reoccurring but he’s a versatile musician and each release presents it’s own character. I love this guy and I hope he never slows down- sorry Kevin, but you can’t ever stop!!!
Rank Outsider Records
www.rankoutsiderrecords.com

JOE SHITHEAD KEITHLEY - ‘BAND OF REBELS’ CD
Joey Shithead proves yet again that he’s un-fuckin-stoppable and that he’s got even more strings to his bow as he delivers a whole array of styles on this solo album ranging from punk rock to rock ‘n’ roll, ska, country, some bluesy and funky shit too. There’s 14 other musicians with him on here!!! It’s so different to the Shithead we’ve become so attached to and familiar with for almost 3 decades but it’s 100%, unmistakably Shithead. He gets to really experiment with his voice and vocal lines which is really cool and even subject matter and he still maintains all the bile and fuck-you attitude that D.O.A. are and always have been about. I was really looking forward to this as soon as I heard it was under way because I knew it would present all these new elements and facets - even more than his first solo / spoken word album ‘Beat Trash’. This is just filled with so much passion and fun and it really comes across that Joey had a blast doing this and I think that if a ‘newcomer’ picked this up and knew nothing of Joey’s past and pioneering punk / hardcore importance they would be blown away- because if you know D.O.A. you will certainly draw some parallels (more than just the fact that he ‘covers’ ‘Dangerman’) but it really is a different thing altogether…and he delivers it really well and naturally. I hope that non-punks pick this up and then find out about D.O.A. so they can see how talented punk rockers are and that we just CHOOSE to play three chords. Of course get this. Joey rules.
Sudden Death Records
www.suddendeath.com

KILLING CALIFORNIA - ‘GOIN’ SOUTH’ CD
Well, it’s no secret that we really dig what KILLING CALIFORNIA represent since we helped distribute their debut full-length ‘Ropeless Romantics’ here in Europe. ‘Goin’ South’ takes their unique attack to the next level. Their sound is a truly interesting mix of rock ‘n’ roll and hardcore- they are heavy but never metallic, they have some serious riffs and tons of balls but they don’t have any needless aggression bullshit. They are forceful in all the right ways, energetic and urgent and always individual. This is a band that plays by their own rules, follows no trends and that’s very apparent in the outcome. There’s hints of BLACK FLAG and TSOL here and there and at times they remind me of BONECRUSHER or DISCONTENT but only in little bursts here and there because they have no set of rules, they just do what they do and it’s heavy, intimidating, melodic and exciting all at once…they are their own category and that’s the very definition of KILLING CALIFORNIA.
Basement Records
www.basementrecords.com

KING LOUIE AND THE LOOSE DIAMONDS - 'MEMPHIS TREET' CD
As per usual, when an Empty pack arrives there's a fight for reviews, every fucker here want to review Empty releases, with me being no exception...so when this arrived I jumped on it...it was between this CD and the LOVER! disc so I just snatched whichever I could and as much as I love that LOVER! record, KING LOUIE AND THE LOOSE DIAMONDS blew me away and blows me away every time I listen to it even though I must have spun it literally hundreds of times since I got it and I've not had it long!! This is an absolute superband featuring, of course, KING LOUIE from the EXPLODING HEARTS and KAJUN SS- with Chad Booth also from KAJUN SS, Harlan T. Bobo from VIVA L'AMERICAN DEATHRAY MUSIC , Jack Oblivian from THE OBLIVIANS and TEARJERKERS and Adam Woodward also from TEARJERKERS...so what a fucking line-up huh? These diamonds were destined to shine blindingly from the onset although this record almost didn't see the light of day because the studio the DIAMONDS were recording in caught fire and burned down but the masters survived...what the fuck does that tell you? I'm sure there were some higher powers at work there...or maybe the Memphis Grease protected them or some shit...ether way, it's definitely a sign for you to go out and get this drool-inducing album of inimitable Memphis power-pop. I can't believe this but Empty have got 2 fucking releases in our 'record pf the year' contenders...Tommy's got the LOVER! album and I'm backing this fucker.
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

KRIMINAL POGO - S/T CD
This is the RESISTORS (featured on our 'Kamikaze Broadcast' compilation last year) who have now changed their name. Raw, female-fronted punk rock that's straightforward and unadorned and the songs are all short and destructive and that's how I like my punk rock. Great group vocals too. Very crude and confrontational and totally DIY, and how could you possibly argue with that?? Sometimes it reminds me of BLATZ, in that chaotic and jarring kind of way, which is fine with me!! I love this sound because it represents real punk rock disarray to me.
Ditchdiggin' Records
www.myspace.com/theresistorsla

LEGEND OF DUTCH SAVAGE - ‘ALL WILL BE GOOD WHEN I’M GONE’ CE EP
I was excited to hear this after last year’s ‘Dirt Fist Feet’ CD and I’m glad to hear that they have kept that wildness and unpredictability running right through this release too. The way they fuse stuff together on here is unbelievable. I catch glimpses of ALICE COOPER, BLUE OYSTER CULT, THIN LIZZY and TOM PETTY but all amalgamated with a real punk rock edge and rawness. Honestly, the result doesn’t sound like anybody else and don’t take those aforementioned bands as a direct comparison because the upshot is totally unique. There’s a real SST sound to this too which I like a lot. Really refreshing to get to review and listen to something like this.
www.myspace.com/legendofdutchsavage

LEFTOVER CRACK / CITIZEN FISH - 'DEADLINE' SPLIT CD
I knew this would be an interesting follow-up split between these two bands. This is two ska/punk bands that I think really define the whole genre in both the American and European scenes. There is so much style about this and style is not generally a word I use when referring to ska/punk because way too many weak, phoney bands have blackened the whole genre, but this is a completely different league. The UK's CITIZEN FISH kick this off with their 7 tracks of unmistakable UK ska/punk with a very heavy emphasis on old fashioned punk rock that always keeps a heavy presence throughout and never gets drowned out by the brass. This is some of their strongest material to date, very riled up indeed. I was super looking forward to LEFTOVER CRACK who were always going to steal the show for me... they are just such an interesting band... so heavy and so purposely abhorrent. It's just fantastic and oozing with some real punk rock obnoxiousness. This is also some super-solid new material form this great band. What a split this is and how suited these bands are. The great thing is, both bands are political and agitated but so different in approach really. CITIZEN FISH are just quintessentially UK ska/punk and LEFTOVER CRACK are inescapably American but, as I said at the start of this review, both are at the top of their game no doubt. Great split.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

LIGHT YOURSELF ON FIRE - S/T CD EP
Now this is fucking interesting... LIGHT YOURSELF ON FIRE have renovated and transformed death metal. I have never heard it done anything like this before. It’s arty and sophisticated but totally wild. Both the composition and production on here are totally inspiring and attention-grabbing. There’s all the intensity and hostility of death metal but not a hint of the standardization. This is certainly pushing boundaries. They call it ‘Power Death’ a blend of power violence and death metal, and shit, did they create something very exciting. It’s like jazz-metal! Yeah, it’s that fucking interesting! Granted, I’ve been out of touch with the contemporary metal scene for a while now but I truly think this is something special here. I said my goodbyes to metal a long while ago, after a long, long haul when punk rock hi-jacked me and I’ve been a hostage ever since, but this has re-sparked something deep inside... an old addiction. Very interesting indeed.
Kiss Of Death Records
www.kissofdeathrecords.com

LOBOTOMIA - S/T CD
Bucho Discos present a re-issue of LOBOTOMIA's classic, and way out of print, debut full-length from 1986 plus 6 bonus live cuts. This is a fucking special package here. Heavy Brazilian hardcore with some real style, LOBOTOMIA have a real punk rock edge to their dark thrash and, for me, really stood out as the absolute best with their classic blend Scandinavian thrash and DISCHARGE hardcore. Fantastic stuff. This re-issue comes not only with the bonus live tracks but you also get the original cover art and also lyric translations. Be fucking thankful that Bucho Discos has re-issued this so that now it's easily available, because this album falling into the realms of deletion is a real crime. Hopefully new generations will take advantage of this and get absorbed in some real, timeless Brazilian thrash.
Bucho Discos
www.buchodiscos.kit.net

LOVER! - S/T CD
OK, this I was excited about...Rich from the REATARDS / LOST SOUNDS solo psychosis and what a fucking treat this is...melodic and abrasive all at once with some real power pop jewels that blend the sounds of TEENAGE HEAD, THE REDUCERS, ADVERTS, UNDERTONES, THE HEADACHES, CAPTAIN SENSIBLE and more recently EXPLODING HEARTS, NICE BOYS and CHAZ MATTHEWS. The blend of pure melody and fucked up distorted fuzz is perfect. The whole album is totally addictive and this is a true contender for my record of the year...tracks like 'Gun In Your Face' and 'Pipe Is Too Tight' are just unbelievable and exactly how to cut a perfect power pop diamond. I could rave about this for paragraphs and paragraphs but instead I'm just going to keep it short and tell you all you need to hear: get this right now and get obsessed yourself. This is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
Empty Records
www.emptyrecords.com

LOWER CLASS BRATS - 'LOUD AND OUT OF TUNE LIVE!!!' CD / DVD
Wow... two LOWER CLASS BRATS releases in such a short time... you lucky, lucky scums. This double live release chases the tail of their still hot 'The New Seditionaries' full-length also on TKO. This is a band who deserve everything they get and what they are getting is bigger. I'm real happy for them. It seems a lot of people want a piece of these Texan droog troublemakers and rightly fuckin so. These guys so do things their won way which is why they are so many levels above so many other bands. They do Oi! with style and streetpunk with class. So, a live release... fuck yeah and the CD and DVD are recorded separately... one in Washington during 2005 and the other in California during 2006. This is a great package for sure with the DVD being the icing on the cake, because a live album would have ruled, but backed with a DVD... well, you just can't beat that. Great selection of cuts from their entire career and some cool covers too (MISFITS, RAMONES and, of course, MAD PARADE's 'Sex and Violence') and there's some killer documentary and video extra footage on the DVD too... this is not a skimpy package here. It's funny you know, because I have never been a fan of the live recording... live visual footage I've always loved, but I never really clasped onto the live audio side of things until a few years ago and then I went nuts... so now I fuckin love this shit! I think it's so damn important to chronicle live performances through both audio and video because punk rock is about energy and unpredictability and that's what these shows are all about, and with Jerry Adamowitz mastering the recordings you know this will blow you away. Of course get this.
TKO Records
www.tkorecords.com

LOWER CLASS BRATS - ‘THE NEW SEDITIONARIES’ CD
The LOWER CLASS BRATS truly are a different breed of streetpunk/Oi! band. They were from day one which is why they had such an impact on me when I first heard them. They have this fantastic ability to convey pure belligerence, vulgarity and malevolence but they never come across as faux-aggressive macho shit like so many bands do and that’s something that I hate... that put-on, hostile, forced bullshit... but that’s the opposite of what the LCB represent because these guys know how to have fun. The LOWER CLASS BRATS have forged a sound and style of their own and a new full-length is always an exciting thing. ‘The Plot Sickens’ still gets plenty of fuckin spins here at NFT and that was my favourite of their albums, but ‘The New Seditionaries’ jumped right up there on the first play and continues in the same vein as 'A Class Of Our Own'. I mean, the LCB have such a specific sound that if you like them, you’ll like everything they put out, but right from the opening ‘Go Insane’ this new record rips... it’s fucking great. Killer artwork on this too.
TKO Records
www.tkorecords.com

LR ROCKETS - ‘LONDON GIRLS’ 7”
Abrasive, distorted and fucked up noise in pure London style. It’s arty and rasping and reminds me a bit of NEIL’S CHILDREN mixed with BENDER. It’s got that stylish abandon with jagged and spastic guitars and even more spastic vocals, and that’s something I can dig like mad. It’s got a really live and impulsive feel... an almost ‘off-the-cuff’ feel of improvisation. It’s abnormal, fun and fucked up and I’d love to hear more from these freaks.
Must Destroy Music
www.mustdestroymusic.com

MAD CADDIES - ‘KEEP IT GOING’ CD
I had never really known too much about the MAD CADDIES even though they’ve been around for quite some time and then I saw them play with THROW RAG and I was really impressed, far from a standard skapunk band, they throw in all kinds of elements and have a really unique sound. They blend ska, rock ‘n’ roll, reggae, jazz and some Latin and cabaret sounds and vary paces all over this album and with such confidence and seamless ease and they sure as shit can pull this off live. They have a lot of authentic old fashioned reggae style and with a touch of MR. BUNGLE madness thrown in but it’s always very fun and unperturbed. This is certainly the direction I would push in terms of skapunk, but this is so much more that that and shouldn’t really be labelled as that because this has a lot of soul and zest and the songs are very well crafted indeed, this is pretty fucking sophisticated stuff delivered by people who can really write and play.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

MADIDO RESPIRO - ‘AN EYE ON US’ MINI CD
This is the follow up to Italy’s MADIDO RESPIRO’s self-titled release and continues in the same vein of fast and antagonistic, old school hardcore but this time sung in English instead of Italian. Straightforward and highly effective... this is how I like hardcore. No bullshitting around, no posing, no metallic nonsense, just high-impact, insistent and sharp. MADIDO RESPIRO have some serious fucking energy and represent everything great about real hardcore. This is a throwback to the better days of hardcore and the way they employ their aggression is perfect. It’s not overly assertive, it’s passionate and urgent and above all, it’s fucking honest. Great stuff.
Wet Breath Records
www.madidorespiro.it

MADIDO RESPIRO - S/T MINI CD
Fast, old school Italian hardcore that keeps things fast and wild without verging on metallic shit or bullshit breakdowns... always keeping the pace up and keeping things simple and that’s what I’m after from hardcore. The songs are short, mostly under 2 minutes and that’s another plus for me. Hardcore should be high impact, short and stabbing and that’s what MADIDI RESPIRO are all about. All sung in Italian which is cool too. At times they remind me of a mix of a more abrasive 7 SECONDS mixed with the GORILLA BISCUITS and UNION 13. This is a fucking good record.
www.madidorespiro.it

MALKOVICH - ‘KINGS N’ BOSSES’ CD
MALKOVICH is a fucking colossal Dutch Rock ‘N’ Roll force. This five-headed beast presents some real might and power. Their sound is a super-interesting mix of all kinds of rock and the combination is like nothing else really. It’s all very familiar without ever sounding cloned. To describe their sound best I’d say they remind me of ‘Angel Dust’ era FAITH NO MORE mixed with FUCKED UP and AGNOSTIC FRONT but thats doesn’t do this justice because there are so many influences coming here that it’s actually pretty impossible to accurately describe MALKOVICH. There’s some serious punk rock elements and attitude in there, some old school metal and thrash riffage ala METALLICA and some downright indescribable shit too!!! In all honesty, this is the best ‘fusion’ band I have ever heard. I’ve never heard this many styles blended so successfully. They way they switch is seamless and that’s how it has to be to work. This is impressive and rocks like mad.
Go-Kart Records
www.gokartrecords.com

MARY’S KIDS – ‘DESTROY’ CD
Fast, raw and dangerous female-fronted punk from Sweden rock very reminiscent of THE AVENGERS (they even cover ‘White Nigger’ on here) and at ti8mes there’s touches of THE SOVIETTES.. This is some really hot shit, I’m really impressed with their amazing blend of melody, aggression and unpredictability…they have this overpowering aura of everything that’s great about punk rock. It’s super-sexy and dangerously addictive and I haven’t taken this outta my stereo since I got it…this is a 10-track demo CD and every track is a fucking killer, and the AVENGERS cover rules. Check out their MySpace at the bottom of this review, you’ll fucking love it.
www.myspace.com/maryskidsmusic

THE JOYCE McKINNEY EXPERIENCE - 'LOVE SONGS FOR KIRK' DOUBLE CD
45 songs comprising the entire recorded material from this highly important melodic hardcore band. This 2-CD set includes the 'Joyce Offspring' full-length from 1988, the 'Boring Rock' 7" from 1989, the 'Cuddle This' 7" from 1990, the John Peel session from 1988 and a whole CD's worth of previously unreleased material from 1987 - 1992!!! So even if you got everything they've released you have to get this! THE JOYCE McKINNEY EXPERIENCE were something special and so damned wonderfully English. It's raw, urgent and exciting and the dual female vocals haven't been matched since! This is superb female-fronted punk rock that balances fantastic melody with aggression and attack without ever sounding strained or acted and have always reminded me of X's Exene but more turbulent. This is part of the awesome Boss Tuneage Retro Series and what a package this is, not only because of all the music but there's all the lyrics, sleeve art, photos, line-ups, flyers and liner notes from the band. Plus Welly from Artcore did the graphics for this release so you know it will rule! This is a hugely important band and an essential release. Young punks need to hear this because you simply just don't get bands like this anymore.
Boss Tuneage Records
www.bosstuneage.com

ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES - 'LOVE THEIR COUNTRY' CD
The kings of punk-rock covers are back with an album chock full of country and western tomfoolery. Just in case you are unaware of what the GIMME GIMMES are all about, they take classic songs from all eras and genres and cover them in a punk rock style and actually very successfully. In fact, so successfully that you would believe that these were original punk rock songs, which is truly impressive because the GIMME GIMMES make it their aim to choose the most ridiculous songs to cover... songs that are about as distant to punk rock as you can get. 'Love Their Country' presents 12 classic country and western cuts including DOLLY PARTON'S 'Jolene', HANK WILLIAM's 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry', WILLIE NELSON's 'On The Road Again', GARTH BROOKS's 'Much Too Young To Fell This Dam Old', 'THE DIXIE CHICKS's 'Goodbye Earl' and KENNY ROGERS's 'She Believes In Me', so you see they are not afraid to span the entire country spectrum and convert, and indeed kill these classics!! Truly though, as much as they have a blast doing this the end result is really impressive and the songs are truly transformed and that's what a cover should be all about. I hate it when covers are just a total reproduction of the original... what's the point in that?? That must be the question the GIMME GIMMES asked themselves and well, they sure as shit answered that! I mean I love HANK WILLIAMS and JOHNNY CASH but they have undoubtedly given these songs new life, especially amongst younger kids. Tons of fun.
Fat Wreck Chords
www.fatwreck.com

MEISCE - ‘BORED OF THE DANCE’ 7”
Wow, this is a fascinating mix of folk and punk/crust. It’s much heavier than I have ever heard this style done before and it really works well! The superbly-titled ‘The Death Of Michael Flatley’ puts this intense blend in full effect with an eerie and sinister edge running through the music with hostile vocals scratched all over it. Great. The second track ‘Drunk and Alone’ varies pace from a staggering to convulsing and is dominated by the violin throughout and, again, is a hugely interesting mix. Both compositions on this 7” are extraordinary and really grabbed me and I think a full-length would floor me.
Fistolo Records
www.fistolo.com

THE MENTORS - ‘EL DUCE VITA’ DVD
Wow, the fucking MENTORS... what can I say??? This is something very special indeed and it’s crazy that this collection of videos, interview-clips and live footage is just getting an official release now! This is well overdue!! This is of such importance it’s unreal! This DVD presents the MENTORS home-made videos of ‘On The Rag’, ‘Forty Ouncer’, ‘Golden Showers’, ‘Donkey Dick’, ‘When You’re Horny, You’re Horny’, ‘All Women Are Insane’ and ‘Sex Slave’ and even if you’re unfamiliar with this band you know what to expect from those titles. You got it... some serious degeneracy!! The DVD also includes three live sections from Texas, Minnesota and California. The Mentors were so unique in the way that they had this real strong humor running through their material and for me, that actually adds to the danger. It seems to make this fucked-up depravity in some way accessible and that’s fucking genius!! Their videos shock but they also amuse and if you compare that to say, GG ALLIN, it’s a very different approach. GG wasn’t about humor at all, he was about absolute destruction and hate but the MENTORS are half and half. They certainly want to provoke but with hilarity and that made them very unique. El Duce is a real character and he always reminded me of a more approachable GG. This is an absolutely essential DVD. You will be blown away, sickened and amazed. This fucker has everything you need for your sleazy, corrupt mind... bloody tampons, vaginas dripping blood, pissing and ejaculating on girl faces, masturbation, oral sex, animals fucking, drug use, tons of nakedness, and of