bending the rules: tiny reviews for the tardy
FEN FEN – S/T mini album
New band from Detroit, MI named ‘in reference to a deadly weight-loss drug’. Seven tracks of primitive garage rock, the sneery, freewheeling vocals bring to mind ’77 punk, while the splashing drums, raw guitar and rumbling bass ooze STOOGES earthiness. Untamed feedback and swivel-eyed vocals won me over to this stripped back racket, with suitably intense lyrics as unhinged as the music. Refreshing to hear some real garage punk rock that sounds like it was recorded in an actual garage.
released on November 25th 2022 by Painter’s Tapes and King Pizza Records. Cassettes are available. Check it out.
GET THE FUCK OUTTA DODGE – GTFOD Vs kiYOmi
These guys are sure churning ’em out at the moment, what with this and a recent split with DAS KAPITANS, wherein they covered each others songs. That said, this isn’t a new recording per se. They sent tracks from their mouthy, buzzing noise-fest It’s Not Our Fault That Your Boyfriend’s Stupid to Japan, where a mouthy, buzzing vocalist called KiYOMi plucked four of ’em out of the ether and shouted over the top. Cue the already frenetic breathlessness of the originals turned up to 11. Comes with manga comic art, and I could indeed imagine this as the soundtrack to some unhinged anime. Great fun.
released on 9th December 2022 by Do It Thissen Records. Some limited lathe cut vinyl versions were made, not sure if there’s any left. Either way, you can listen here.
THE CROOKS – Mediacracy LP
Italian band THE CROOKS celebrate 25 years together with a power-pop/new-wave/pub rock magnum opus, emerging with something of a concept classic. Detailing the story of Tony, who gives up his social media-poisoned life to travel the world’s dusty back roads as a Woodie Guthrie-esque troubadour, this album is jaw-dropping in its historical authenticity. There’s an inevitable American Idiot feel to the story-telling, but if you’re the type to trek to Rebellion every year to see bands like THE MOTORS, THE BOYS, and EDDIE AND THE HOTRODS, then you should really check this out. These songs are instantly catchy and will transport you right back to 1978/’79, with the added bonus of listening to songs written in the last two years, rather than your greatest teenage hits. That’s a good thing.
Interestingly, this album features Kevin Preston from Green Day/Prima Donna, Raldo Useless from Gluecifer and Ricky Rat from Trash Brats/Dead Boys among others.
released on 28th October 2022 via streaming and on blue vinyl by ProRawk Records (US) and Maninalto (IT)
THE DREADED LARAMIE – Everything A Girl Could Ask EP
THE DREADED LARAMIE are a ‘power-pop & femmecore band from Nashville, TN’. Apparently, ‘a single humbucking pickup is the only equipment used to record, mix, and master their new EP’. I have no idea what that means…
…but I do know that three tracks of warm n’ fuzzy pop is what you get. The sunny, sweet vocals are like a cool breeze on a hot day, but what makes this stand out from the pack are the guitars. When soloing, they have a sharp, glam edge, somewhere between SUEDE and THE DARKNESS, a captivating contrast to the otherwise spotless pop music. This delicious fretwork reaches its apotheosis on the wholly satisfying Where Do All The Hardcore Kids Go?
These guys write songs you want to find yourself singing, and it’s that classic writing, along with the pure vocals, that bring to mind BLONDIE, THE PRIMITIVES and THE DARLING BUDS, with just a hint of glitter. Actually, I loved it.
released May 13th 2022 on streaming and 7″ picture disc by Wiretap Records, Sell The Heart Records, and Engineer Records
https://thedreadedlaramie.bandcamp.com/album/everything-a-girl-could-ask
PERSONAL PUNK 
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