Boom! What this canadian group has spit onto their debut tape is seven minutes of absolutely flawless and unrelenting, slightly garage- and KBD-soaked oldschool hardcore fury exposing not a single weak link in their breakneck performance.
Oh my… it took a good two years (or rather, two somewhat below-the-usual-standard years) for this Los Angeles duo to come up with a follow-up to their fiendishly fun debut EP. Just as back then, this is nothing short of another glorious spectacle of sleazy, stinky, forbidden synth-/electro punk delight, the likes of which you'll only ever encounter in the shadiest corners of Bandcamp's adult entertainment section.
I've been a bit late to the party when it comes to this Atlanta group which has been around for over a decade by now, with their 2018 No Face 7" being my first exposure to them. Also, i didn't know at that time they're sharing members with post punk minimalists Nag. Now that certainly makes sense. Not only is this clearly the same singer here, but there are also abundant sonic similarities to note. Predator kinda sound like the slightly more sociable cousin to Nag, leaning heavier into garage territory with occasional hardcore moments. I mean like… at times they almost sound like they're actually enjoying themselves!
This Melbourne group's newest EP starts out quite good, then becomes even better with every song, first suggesting kind of a mix between synth-less (at first) Ausmuteants, Ex-Cult, Sauna Youth, early Teenanger… but also with a slight post punk edge á la Flat Worms, Constant Mongrel. The latter tendency (plus the formerly elusive synths) then kicks into overdrive in the record's second half and that's where things go from good to great, culminating in the epic anti-hymn Australia - an unmistakable fuck you to nationalism in their home country whose lyrics strike me as unapologetically frank and straightforward.
I know you've all been waiting for this. The second dispatch from Copenhagen garage-/hardcore punk duo OK Satán has arrived, filling us in on seven epic new stories from their magical world limited only by an ever-expanding technicolor horizon, dealing with important and controversial topics such as their names, your very problematic face and them not giving a shit. Another brilliant, multi-layered masterpiece!
Another worthy release by London group Italia 90. The A-Side Borderline presents their post punk sound in its most slick and accessible iteration so far, having a bit of a Gotobeds, Sleepies or B-Boys bent. If you ask me though, the main attraction here is the much darker, edgier b-side Declare, which comes across like a more sophisticated throwback to their very first EP, showing a similar minimalist, noisy Swell Maps- and Membranes-leaning vibe.
An awesome new ruckus let loose by some Philadelphia group, equal parts garage punk and noise rock and carrying the spirit of so much classic shit on the intersection of old school (post-) punk and (proto-) noise rock. At one point you might recall Brainiac, but mostly it's 80's stuff like U-Men, X (AUS), Flipper, Feedtime, No Trend… even a hint of early Minutemen shines through on the closing track. Of the more recent scene, i'm thinking of acts like Cutie or Patti.
Yup, accurate title for the third cassette by Minneapolis punk project Dummy aka Sean Alberts of Skull Cult, QQQL and Belly Jelly fame. Another metric ton of smart, quirky and at times surprisingly elaborate Garage-, Synth- and Egg-related weirdness that never fails to make me smile is being crammed into a rather convenient form factor here.
Here's yet another short and sweet tape carrying one of those delicious oldschool hardcore/KBD-style/Garage Punk hybrids, so simple and elegant and flawless in its execution. I never get tired of this kind of shit.
This Sydney/London based duo hits every nail on the head straightaway on their first EP with an honest urgency to their straightforward lyrics and a sound not entirely dissimilar to recent british DIY phenomena like Silicone Values or Suburban Homes, although Nasty Party supplement their obvious Television Personalities vibes with quite a bit of Buzzcocks drive. I'm also vaguely reminded of Proto Idiot and Freak Genes.