Over-Gain Optimal Death – Die Underground
Die Underground releases March 28th via Riot Season Records.
Deebeat Ramone – Idonwunnadi3
D. Sablu – Free Speech For The Dumb
Punter – Australienation
Melbourne’s Punter already have a strong demo and a brilliant 2023 EP under their belt but if you thought that latter one was as good as it could possibly get, you’ve heard nothing yet! Building on that same familiar mixture of occasionally metal-infused, sleazy-ass hardcore- and garage punk á la Polute, Cheap Heat, Cement Shoes or Cülo, unafraid of over-the-top guitar solos and with further kinship to postcore acts like Dollhouse, Flea Collar and the larger-than-life drama and melancholy of Pist Idiots, Split System, these are thirteen deliberately and carefully crafted precision blows, every single one delivering without fail a meticulously planned and perfectly executed set-up and payoff. Yeah, these bursts of jet engine-powered rock’n’roll are anchored in tons of rock-solid song construction way smarter and more elaborate than you’d expect at first glance and peppered with plenty of unexpected stylistic flourishes and eccentricities that still never seem to overindulge and even their most extravagant – sparingly and deliberately placed – accents like the odd bit of organ, bagpipes and even an epic sax solo in the closing track It Ain’t Pretty never fail to hit their mark and enhance the impact of these songs.
Album-Stream →Yuasa-Exide – Hyper At The Gates Of Dawn
On their, like, hundredth release in just about three short years, this Minessota group has crafted an enchanting sonic landscape of timeless cool, combining elements of relaxed and strummy, insanely catchy indie rock and noise pop with just a tiny hint of shoegaze and Sarah Records-esque oldschool indie pop to insanely appealing results, which at times come across like a mix of the more power pop-ish ends of the Bevis Frond Spectrum, Flying Saucer Attack, LoFi-era Guided By Voices and a smidge of Eric’s Trip, Sebadoh and Archers Of Loaf maybe? Also there’s some quality akin to the more psychedelic side of eighties Flying Nun Records á la The Clean and The Stones. Moving on to increasingly more recent references, you may also sense lots of kinship to the densely foggy sonics of early Rat Columns or The Molds, the dreamy indie rock of Treehouse, the early works of Male Bonding, Wavves or, most recently, the Lo-Fi haze of Italy’s Purp and the catchy-as-fuck indie rock / noise pop hymns of Vacation.
Album-Stream →Baghed – Smear Campaign
After their already quite notable, still way heavier egg-leaning 2023 EP, this Reading, Pennsylvania group really kicks into gear for their long-playing debut with a sound constantly riding the line between garage- and hardcore punk while not trying to reinvent the wheel for these tunes, mostly staying true to some fairly basic garage formulas but damn, are these folks getting everything about that so fucking right – as far as quirky, dumb and fun rock’n’roll riff orgies go, you can’t do much better really.
Album-Stream →Piggy Bank – Pattern Recognition
The debut EP of this Portland group is kind of all over the map stylisticly but also fucking brilliant at all times, with the first two songs leaning into a sound between angular garage- and post punk, holding a delicate balance of dissonant textures and catchy hooks like you may have heard previously from groups such as Reality Group, Print Head, early R.M.F.C., Exit Group and Beef. Technology Discriminates Against The Poor then sounds a bit like a kraut-y Spray Paint fused with the likes Mononegatives or late Useless Eaters. False Reality reminds me somewhat of the spaced-out garage punk of Pow! while Identify has a quality of catchy minimalism similar to shit like Busted Head Racket and Daughter Bat and the Lip Stings. Beat Struggle then goes all-in on the motorik kraut-y vibes before the record gets to its worthy conclusion in the form of a neat cover tune of old dutchmen Ivy Green and the slow-burn synth punk grooves of Conflict Driven Entertainment.
Album-Stream →Various Artists – Battle For L.A.: A see/saw Benefit
I’m rarely ever posting compilations here ‘cos, quite honestly, most of these are too much of a mixed bag. I’m gonna make an exception here though as this shit has been put together by none other than see/saw dude Evan and just as you’d expect from him, this thing is certainly a couple notches above your average “Everybody send me your unreleased stuff for a good cause”-type comp and absolutely stacked with exclusive tracks by what amounts to a massive who’s who of the international punk underground right now. That, plus your 10$-or-more donation will be spent in support of those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. Win/win i’m gonna say! What’s not to like?
Album-Stream →Strawberry Moon – Smoon
Following up on a rather inconsistent, undercooked 2022 album, this Richmond, Virginia group’s newest EP is in a whole different ballpark altogether, a highly flammable little package of only certified smashers that at times would more comfortably blend into the crowd a decade prior – Rearview for example sounding a bit as if you fused the melodic punk rock of early Swearin’ with the melancholy of Royal Headache. This record pulls off that trick gracefully, held together by some top-notch songwriting chops, a tight, ultra-focused band performance and not least the soulful vocals of Katie Bowles who effortlessly delivers on that certain Siouxsie-vs-Debbie schtick that so many singers have been trying to emulate before but fell way short of more often than not. She totally sells it though!
Album-Stream →Butter Swamp – Punk-Sure!
Hey, have y’all heard of the tragic death of egg punk? I’m sure you have but it appears Butter Swamp of Appalachia, Virginia haven’t gotten the memo yet. C’mon guys, it has been decided last week you’re not supposed to sound like that anymore! Oh well, i guess Ex-Lumpy dude is gonna have to put up with the embarrassing zombies of his distant past for a little longer then. He’s probably not gonna love this record. But as for me, i always liked my punk best when it’s nice and dead and rotting. May it die another thousand deaths as long as i’m still breathing!
Album-Stream →