77 SPEARS continue their mission to release a double A-side single every 45 days throughout 2023 – digitally, of course – complete with sleeve art. Those losers neglected to send me the second round but you can click here to see what I said about the first two.
Peace. Love. Happiness. is up first and… it’s half a minute of d-beat-driven hardcore. Tj’s bile-fuelled vocals are splattered across a dirty punk groove, sliced down the middle with 4 seconds of startling psych-soul guitar. How about that? I’d take an album full of this stuff any day. The minute-longer Stop The Clock is no less ferocious for being a little more considered, alternating between an East Bay Ray guitar line slicing through blast beats and a more mid-paced punk roar.
In contrast to the ugly negativity of the music, the bittersweet optimism of Tj’s minimal lyrical flourishes is a joy, covering such lightweight topics as the passing of time and, y’know, the meaning of life.
“Free. Weightless. Feel no shame. All regrets are fucking useless. Peace, love, and happiness.”
Peace. Love. Happiness.
I like this Singles Club campaign a whole lot. It’s neat waiting to see what they’ll come up with next and the quality is high. Taking inspiration from different strands of the genre, 77 SPEARS manage to produce a curiously timeless, thoroughly gnarly brand of hardcore punk.
Released by One More Time Records on 28th September 2023
I find that I can’t see all of the things in front of me sometimes I just need, reminding to release my breath, I’m trying
I hear our laughter in the rain it’s like this dead town inhales again
dead town
New Sheffield band THE LONESOME DEAD are releasing this Greatest Hits EP as their debut, so-named as the four tracks ‘span the band’s short two-year history’ (chortle). So how about a curious mix of 60’s psychedelia, punky power-pop, and BAY CITY ROLLERS? Read on, it’ll all make sense…
Traditional, timeless song-writing lies at the heart of these tracks, evinced immediately on the instant classic All I Am Are These Bones. Like SIMON & GARFUNKEL as psych-lite, set to sharp, mod-punk power-pop, I may be being cheeky with the ROLLERS comparison, but it is there in the phrasing, unexpected and utterly charming. The sparky, crashing chorus of Dead Town dream-teams SIMON & GARFUNKEL with THE CHORDS, while Devil Birds peppers it’s stark, darkly churning indie-garage with a little of Arthur Lee’s LOVE. It also marks the first time I can remember hearing a song about the Common Swift.
Guides of the dead seasons on their wings souls escaping hell In skies full of screams
devil birds
According to the bio: “…seen for most of human history only in flight, they are a bird feathered in folklore. Their screaming calls were once thought to be souls escaping from hell, or themselves the guides of the damned…” How cool is that?
Common Swifts are an incredible bird and a joy to see, but like so many others, they are in huge decline, warranting their inclusion on the UK bird’s red list. They need our help, find out more at: https://sheffieldswiftnetwork.org
We Stand On Their Shoulders, their hymn to the “hard-fought victories won by working-class people” (NHS, parks, libraries, paid holidays, etc) sees that irresistible teeny-bop inflection sneaking in on the vocals, a perfect synthesis of sixties sensibilities with scything guitars and meaty rhythm section.
THE LONESOME DEAD may be pilfering the past for musical ideas but they execute it in dashing style, displaying a clear love and respect for the craft, coupled with a curious sense of innocence. Utterly enthralling, particularly for a band so fresh off the blocks. Can’t wait for what comes next.
Initially formed in late 2018, Manchester scene veterans BRUISE CONTROL originally set out to create classic garage punk. The pandemic gave them the opportunity to home in on a new sound, adding an experimental, post-punk edge influenced by the likes of PISSED JEANS, AMYL & THE SNIFFERS and BLACK MIDI. Following a couple of EP’s, Useless For Something is their debut full-length album.
In an admirable adherence to quality over quantity, there are only nine tracks, and two of them are instant punk classics: Taxman combines the clean intricacies of THE DAUNTLESS ELITE with the anthemic elements of INCISIONS, while Bruise Control brings together HARD SKIN and CHUBBY & THE GANG for a meaty brawl. Dead On Arrival owes a debt to THE FUTUREHEADS and FRANZ FERDINAND‘s brand of 2000’s indie and, by extension, GANG OF FOUR‘s Damaged Goods, the vocals adding blue-collar warmth to a sound traditionally saddled with art-school frigidity. The herky-jerky, mildly psych flavours of Disco Fury continues down this angular path but, ultimately, frenetic garage punk is the bedrock of Useless For Something. A solid rock intro and sped-up MC5 riff does much to elevate Bottom Feeder‘s Detroit-facing ramalama, Useless spicing up proceedings with a clean guitar lick and hoarse vocals. HMRC wraps up some cheap, thuggy thrills with a dirge and a noise-fest, while Come On Down peppers weighty garage rock with churning guitar and frustrated vocals. Never Again sees the album out in triumphant style, a bright and vibrant punk song with towering riffs, sparkling guitar and no-nonsense vocals.
BRUISE CONTROL present a compelling proposition: feet firmly on the garage floor, they rescue spare parts from Detroit proto-punk a la THE STOOGES, post-punk, 2000’s indie, hardcore and the modern iteration of Oi! wielded by the likes of THE CHISEL and CHUBBY & THE GANG. That they turn a potential dither of disparate elements into a seamless fusion, emerging as an inexplicably seasoned unit, is frankly astonishing. Classy.
Header photography by James Darcy
released April 28th 2023, so out now on vinyl, CD, cassette, streaming and digital
There’s no blame, not guilty? “This poor chap’s just wealthy Just think of their future, The poor prick
The gavel raises then turns into dust, As the jury’s bribed and defence is hushed
We’ll lock them all We’ll lock them all In Brazen Bull
‘Big Joke’ lyric
London’s OCCUPANTS – Michael D. Phillips (Vocals, guitar), Will Showler (Bass, vocals) & Mark Slobodian (Drums) – formed in late 2019 and this brand new four tracker is the follow-up to February’s No Grace EP. The band bio states that their influences ‘range from JESUS LIZARD to BLOC PARTY to NAPALM DEATH‘, an interest-piquer if ever there was one.
Bands operating under the banner of what could broadly be described as ‘noise rock’ tend, said Stephen Fry, to dry their hands on the towel of overstatement. OK, so he wasn’t talking about noise rock but you get the idea. Not so OCCUPANTS, who employ some vicious pruning to strip everything back to a bare (post) punk soul.
Big Joke wastes no time drawing the listener in, a maelstrom of jagged guitars, gutteral bass, frantic drumming and bug-eyed vocals. Graced with a killer, repetitive rock ending, it’s an attention-grabber for sure, but wait ’til you hear the bass sound in Havana Syndrome. This is what the instrument was created for. “My head is swimming with electric, Kill it now, kill it now! Is it in my head?”, vocals on the verge of hysteria. Guitar lacerations, tempered by a cathartic, KILLING JOKE-worthy chorus, a band whose influence winds in and out of these recordings. Elements of KJ’s early guitar sound aid a sense of impending catastrophe on the chaotic title track, so by the time they get to the minute-long Weird Symbols, they are too far gone to let up. Propulsive, agitated and brutally brief, you’ll want to catch your breath before diving back in.
Lyrically, these songs go down some interesting avenues (I googled Brazen Bull – it’s a torture and execution device designed in ancient Greece). The bio states that ‘they take aim at overt narcissistic tendencies, “affluenza”, paranoia and grief‘, but the EP’s suffocating sense of anxiety and mental distress is graphically encapsulated in the lyrics to Havana Syndrome:
Jagged blade scrapes Throbbing brainsʼ beat Shaking hands sweat A pressure builds (Is this you?) A pressure builds (Is this you?) Hiss of white noise Is this you? The pressure spills The pressure spills (Is this you?) Is it in my head? Is it in the rest of me? Is it in my head? Is it in my head? The deep red glow from my burning ears Are you behind the sound? As shapes all warp like an oil smear, Pressure spills, pressure spills The Image blurs and the limbs go weak Are you behind the sound? My head is swimming with electric Kill it now, kill it now! Is it in my head? Is it in the rest of me? Is it in my head? Is it in my head?
I hear the sound, I hear the sound, I hear the sound and it all breaks down
Havana Syndrome
Serpent Shine is a sonic panic attack. A stark, heady milieu of noise rock and propulsive punk that falls somewhere between early HEAD OF DAVID dirt and pounding KILLING JOKE tribalism. Happily, the capering spirit of hardcore ensures that this recording is too fuckin’ punk for JESUS LIZARD. Sorry boys. A funtime meltdown.
‘Serpent Shine’ is set to release on 26th August 2022 on streaming/download.
If they’re not the world’s only British-Dutch-Seychellois punk band, they’re at least the most handsome
from band bio
Having met in 2018, bonding over their love of THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM, THE HOLD STEADY, THE LAWRENCE ARMS, THE MENZINGERS, AGAINST ME! and ALKALINE TRIO, Alex and Josh started out as FREE DOGS before recruiting the two James’ to become the fully fleshed, Leeds-based CHARACTER ACTORS. Where’s God Etc. is the first taste of an album they’re currently working on.
The band say that Where’s God Etc. is an ‘accidental BLINK 182 song’. You do yourselves a disservice, boys. Intro apart, this is a ragged, sticky-floored gig anthem in two minutes, for lovers of melodic, poppy punk rock that hasn’t been squeegeed to death. Feel-good hooks and slower ‘woah, oah’s’ are brought to life by crunchy guitars, chunky rhythm section and an endearingly strained vocal not too dissimilar to Chris McCaughan (THE LAWRENCE ARMS), tempered with a little Lance Hahn (J CHURCH) wobble. The lyrical conceit is cute too. Who doesn’t want to escape the insanity from time to time?
Lyric-wise, it’s basically just about needing to get the fuck out of dodge, man. The title comes from the movie Scream. I picked it after a particular rowdy Halloween screening I went to in Dublin a few years ago
Singer and songwriter Alex Rijpma
A single song makes for a tricky review. I mean, unless it’s the next The Sound Of Silence, California Uber Alles or Staring At The Rude Boys, there’s only so many music-based adjectives to go around, right? Thankfully, there should be an album out by the end of the year and, while Where’s God Etc. may not be The Sound Of Silence, it could be the ‘existential crisis anthem of the Summer’. Why not? It’s dead catchy, like.
Following 2020’s ribbitingly raw Soft ‘G’ EP (reviewed here), Froggy & his mysterious crew of snack-headed bozos are back with their debut full length album of amphibious pond-core.
Mixing 60’s garage with first-wave London punk is the job of lead-off tracks Ringe Rock and Pond Scum. The drumming is tighter than you’d expect, the bass gurgling, guitars raucous and, coupled with Froggy’s angry rants now peppered with a more laid-back disposition, it’s clear there’s been some growth in confidence. Ultra-cheap keyboards feature prominently, as on the catchy Being Louche Is Not A Crime, cockney-accented vocals and great drumming elevated by a gloriously cheesy keyboard solo (“he’s so louche!“). Or the council estate, WILD BILLY CHILDISH pounding of Good Livin’, wonky circus keys adding texture. The crew go all in on joyous side one closer One Chord Frog, a minute-long, garage punk blaster sporting a killer chorus and just the one chord. Oh, you boys.
Side two opens with Growin’ Grapes. Y’know, call me old Mr grumpy pants, but I’m not sure I’m ready for Froggy-as-Southern-revival-preacher, waxing lyrical about his hemorrhoid problem. Maybe by the second or third album (New Wave Of British Pondcore? The Shape Of Ponds To Come?), but this early in his career? TMI. There’s a dance instruction song (Do The Frog), a wearily predictable attack on Kermit (Fuck You Kermit) and a brilliant slice of sweary, garage punk in Tadpoles (“keep yer tadpoles out of the pub!”). That I’m ready for. The hijinks close with the epic Space Frog, practically a rock opera at 3:27. A countdown and some cheap sci-fi sound effects usher in the revelation that Froggy was the first frog-man on the moon. Eh? A final flurry of kitchen sink keys, one more shouty chorus and we’re done here.
Head-scratchingly bizarre and not about to change the face of punk, or garage punk for that matter, one thing for sure is that Froggy & The Snackheads are the apex predators of the UK pond scene. With ten songs in a little over twenty minutes, you ain’t gonna get bored and, while the gibbering humour may be hit n’ miss, there’s some quality, rough-house garage punk larks to be had. I do think that Froggy & his pond pals missed a trick by not releasing this on a lily-pad shaped picture disc but I guess bright frog-green coloured vinyl will have to do.
Released on 1st July by Kibou Records (UK) and Amok Records (Germany). Listen to some advance tracks and pre-order now at Kibou.
Manchester duo THE SEWER CATS follow 2020’s Zelda EP with their debut album, which sees Cass (drums/vocals) and Josh (guitar) throw some tangents into their punk racket.
Cute Aggression has more depth than you’d think for the fruits of a garage-punk two-piece. Answer The Question sets out for familiar territory, taking to task the scourge of lying politicians (“well you’ve gone too far, I see you sweating on Andrew Marr“). Fuzzed-out, dirty guitar, crash-bash drums, angry femme vocals and a righteous break-down: in short, scuzzy, garage punk rock. There are plenty of these straight-ahead, gnarly punkers on this album – take a bow Cute Aggression, Will To Survive, Can’t Quit You Now‘s head-shaking party anthem (shades of THE GOSSIP) and the short n’ sweet distorted shout-a-thon of Shit In Your Hands And Clap. There are, however, some real head-turning moments, like Delia‘s sassy, rock n’ roll call-out to JOHNNY CASH‘s killers’ lament. The slow dirge of My Dark One, speeding up for a dual male/female shout-off, with some deliciously over-driven, dirt-rock guitar. Check out Sausage Fest, a sass-riot of towering guitar work and righteous lyrics or the atypical, sinister pacing and rock n’ roll showdown of What Do I Know About Men? Highlight among highlights English Spaghetti gets seriously pissed off, with a sublime chorus, gentle indie respite and a furious, feedback-riddled breakdown. Russian Doll, when it’s not biting your head off with primitive ire, has a touch of the emo’s about it, as does Five Minutes. The latter sees the band show remarkable restraint, real emotion shining through on the gorgeous slow sections, juxtaposed with jarring anger.
Lyrically, this album is a masterclass in pointed protest. Celebrations of female empowerment, told with clear-eyed intelligence, without losing any of the zeal. SEWER CATS’ response to the folk song Delia’s Gone, made famous by Johnny Cash, is a prime example. The original, a song about a 14 year old murdered by her boyfriend, is told from the perspective of her guilt-ridden killer. Delia sees the victim taking back agency, making a defiant point about the negative attitude women face when dealing with violence towards them.
Watch me suffer at your hands Was it hard for you? Don’t complain to the jailer man He can’t save you I was evil, low down and devilish Liked to travel around Yeah, you may have done me then But you’ll never bring me down
from ‘Delia’
The hilariously savage Sausage Fest is feminist diatribe perfection, depressing though it is to see how little progress has been made – or how far we have slipped back.
Lord, save me from the sausage fest 3-5 straight white men, again Guitar solos going on for days Macho bullshit is what they crave Leave him now before you are a song
Crazy ex-girlfriend, it can only be so long Steal his gear Drink his beer Come on Get your own band now
Lord, keep us from the guitar dicks Self-indulgent, self-obsessed little pricks Downed 10 pints, now he wants you to drive Oh girl, how’s that boy still alive?
Sausage Fest
Answer The Question sums up the spreading political zeitgeist nurtured by a new breed of dangerous politician – “Welcome to post-truth, You are all fake news. Nothing’s sacred anymore, words are meaningless, rotten to the core“. The governments’ blatant dismantling of the NHS and Little Englanders also fall under this duo’s steely glare but their words can also be thoughtful and open to interpretation, as on My Dark One: “Follow me outside, feel the warm grass, eat with bare hands, and dream of summers past, distilling without words, the very essence of you, drink the last drops and think of you anew“. There is a prudent economy to the wordage on this album that renders it eminently sing-along-able.
SEWER CATS personify sassy, fuzzed-out punk rock with a Northern Brit-grit DNA, all gum-chewing, spit-in-the-eye fuck you’s. Comparisons with riot grrrl pioneers BIKINI KILL are valid, if mixed with the fuzzy sonics of DAISY CHAINSAW, a dash of femme-fronted anarcho-punk and the primal dirt of early WHITE STRIPES. Not-so-cute aggression. Yeah!
Released by TNS Records on 15th April 2022. Order here
Newbies 77 SPEARS formed in April of 2021 but didn’t actually get in the same room as each other until August. Hailing from the North West of England, the five track Oops…, is their first release, vocalist TJ having previous with the likes of CRACKED ACTORS and THE ELECTRIC CHEESE.
Alone In My Thoughts kicks off with some mid-paced, grimy motörpunk, standing out with distorted vocals and wind-tunnel guitar effects. Vegas Baby! showcases economic, crunching riffs, a strong chorus and vocals straight outta the Northern UK hardcore scene of the late 80’s/early 90’s. Shouting Into The Abyss lays on ‘evil’ vocals, stoner riffs and a pounding, relentless drive and Leave It All Behind‘s dark crunch leads to a frantic ending. Finally, If I Could Only Get Some Sleep speeds up with a no-frills 80’s hardcore approach, the breakdown giving us a chance to hear the bass and drums working alone. The former sounds gnarly, with some razor-edged guitar, frenetic drums and distorted vocals enhancing the frustrated vibe.
Most of the lyrics are about personal things, but more broad in concept as opposed to focusing on specific details. Mental health, identity, family, friendship… trying to stay focused on all that is good and not overly worry about things outside of my immediate control. I try to keep the lyrics as positive as possible as I want these songs to be representative of that side of my personality.
TJ (77 SPEARS vocalist/lyricist)
The lyrics are a gem, reading like little poetic vignettes. Vegas Baby!‘s riffing on Tom Petty‘s I Won’t Back Down – “I’m an open heart who won’t back down. I’ll bare my soul and won’t back down. I am clear blue eyes who won’t back down, and just like Tom Petty I won’t back down. There are no limits on this life” – is delightful. Lyricist TJ often employs religious wording in the context of music, self-analysis and a search for meaning. A hugely effective weapon in his lyrical armoury, it allows for a non-preachy urging toward the benefits of adopting a positive mindset. Take Shouting Into The Abyss, regarding the potentially redemptive power of music: “Here you will find sacred sounds and life’s meanings can be found, so just free your heart and then your mind will follow“, though there are doubts: “Can anybody hear me? Does anybody care? Who will be your saviour? Will you scream a blessed prayer?” The encouragement of positivity continues on If I Could Only Get Some Sleep – “Kill your thoughts of killing thoughts because you need to think to grow. Numbing the mind might numb the pain, but it also numbs our senses. So… own it and live through this“. It’s striking stuff.
Five tracks of dark, UK hardcore punk with a thoughtful lyrical approach for the genre and with no danger of overstaying – the longest song here is a mere 2:15. The band add some interesting elements, most notably the subtle psych touches and it’s great to hear the slightly crusty Brit vocals of yore getting a look-in. A solid first effort.
Released across all streaming platforms on April 9th 2022, physical copies in the form of limited edition ‘hot pink’ cassettes to follow soon after. Check it out here
On this, their debut LP, the band go for a straight mix of UK82 and 90’s melodic punk, with tight drumming, guitar solos and shout-along choruses. Opener I Zombie is a prime example: propulsive, energetic and with a hugely effective guitar drop-out on the last verse. View From The Moodswings and Weaponised Idiot take in a BAD RELIGION influence, the former throwing in a metallic breakdown, the latter absorbing BR’s harmonised backing vocals to great effect. By Obsessive Number 7 though, they have become so enamored with the Californian intellects, they’ve managed to craft a forgettable BR song. Elsewhere, such as on Right To Be Offended and the short sharp shock of Blue Pill Red Pill, they set their sights on fellow Brummies GBH for inspiration, the powerful guitars and tight n’ fast drumming ensuring they don’t succumb to early 80’s stagnation.
Dreadthought is the album highlight for me. At over four minutes long, the band have crafted a punk rock masterpiece that sticks, standing head and shoulders above everything else on here. Unfortunately, it’s followed by Baby Kayfabe which, while it may be fast and catchy, the repetition grates. Mouthbreather gets proceedings back on track, a fine melodic intro and dirty punk bass ushering in a total banger with astute use of distorted vocals. The album sags a little with the final two tracks, though at least Ninjas and Pirates and Lazers and Shit finally adds some variety in slowing down the pace.
Lyrically, and to their credit, the lyrics cover mental health issues and other contemporary topics, the ills of social media in particular getting a regular kicking.
There’s no denying that SUCKERPUNCH are stop-on-a-dime tight and on An Eye For A Lie, singalong choruses and punchy musicianship abound. The songs occasionally overstay their welcome as the band adhere a little too close to a quaint style of verse/chorus/verse/chorus punk rock for these ears. Conversely though, the longest – Dreadthought – is perfect and stands out a mile as a cracking piece of songwriting. A flawed but often thrilling listen, if you like very British punk of the GBH variety, with a twist of Epi-Fat gallop, you’ll love this.
Released 30th July 2021 so available now on digital/CD/vinyl. Get it from the bandcamp page here
Aah, JAMES DOMESTIC. Not content with countless band projects and clearly having devised a way to stretch time, turns to solo work to fulfill his genre-bending needs. Faze Out is the first taster track from his forthcoming LP Carrion Repeating, due in April 2022, thanks to those pesky pressing plant delays.
James’ solo work allows a freedom to step out from the ‘brutal thrash’ arena and indulge in more eccentric experiments. Faze Out takes in surf drums, wonky keyboards and James’ frustrated, accented vocals, building up to a banging chorus, via some fuzz-punk guitar. There’s a lot going on in these two minutes and it’s testament to the deftness of touch that it never sounds cluttered. A catchy, dub-inflected romp that defies genre, file alongside the PI$$ER remix, James’ occasional forays into spoken word and the mysterious FROGGY & THE RINGES (allegedly). For a non-James related comparison, imagine an East Anglian SLEAFORD MODS sacking their laptop and rummaging through the studio looking for instruments to play, a dub producer capturing the gleeful experiment.
I retain the right to see these isolated teaser tracks as a tricky review, stripped as they are of the wider context of their eventual place on the album. That said, and considering the eclecticism of James’ output in recent years, said album promises to be an exciting piece of work. ‘It’s a foize aaht!‘
PERSONAL PUNK 