The Wind Ups - Oh I Know
Happy Like This releases October 27th via Mt. St. Mtn.
Witching Waves - Vessel
Streams and Waterways releases December 1st via Specialist Subject Records.
Darkdive - Roach King / God's Love
Darkdive releases November 10th via Already Dead Tapes and Records.
Institute - Ragdoll Dance
On their fourth album, the Texas post punk overlords Institute present themselves as strong as ever with plenty of tricks left up their sleeve for keeping listeners on their toes, never knowing what they're gonna do next. Overall, the previous LP's trend towards a more melodic and relaxed sound is continued here, creeping a lot closer to the aesthetics of singer Mose Brown's NY based project Peace de Résistance, taking cues mostly from the first wave of art- and post punk groups. There's a strong vibe á la Television, Modern Lovers or early Soft Boys goin' on in songs like City and Wonder. Dead Zone then feels a bit like Wipers-meet-Saints while All The Time echoes the likes of Metal Urbain, MX-80, Suicide and Chrome. Dopamine for my Baby weirdly has a strong touch of contemporary NY group Straw Man Army to it. All of it then culminates in the epic, slightly Wire-esque closing track Warmonger.
Album-Stream →Checkpoint - D R I F T
Another insane quality release courtesy of Erste Theke Tonträger by a Melbourne group featuring members of such household names like Pinch Points, Dr. Sure's Unusual Practice, Gonzo and Dragnet. Right out of the gate we're greeted with an adventurous sound somewhere inbetween garage-, synth- and art punk calling to mind acts like Ghoulies, Set-Top Box, Isotope Soap and a bit of Erik Nervous. Second track Friends continues in that direction, then takes a sharp turn into psychedelic post punk territory somewhat reminiscent of groups like Marbled Eye, Yammerer, Waste Man or Public Eye. Break surprises with a relaxed psychedelic garage- and fuzz pop groove, followed by Ice Summit, a compact, economical garage rocker echoing the likes of Parquet Courts, Tyvek and Shark Toys. Then, shit gets truly weird with Drift - a sprawling garage-and-eggpunk-goes-progressive-rock kind of exercise unafraid to go real cheesy in the expansive middle part. Side B then comes across more homogenous, less ambitious but by no means less enjoyable, these straightforward bangers reflecting the likes of Cherry Cheeks, Smirk, Metdog, Powerplant and Freak Genes, among a ton of other shit.
Album-Stream →Onyon - Last Days On Earth
Once again, Leipzig group Onyon convince me by virtue of their adaptability and solid Craftsmanship rather than novelty, reproducing a number of tried and tested formulas that firmly click into spec on their second LP. Post punk that ain't trying anything funny, you could say. This time we get just a smidge of eggpunk weirdness added to the mix. Songs like Dogman then have more of a garage punk edge to them. There's a touch of Wire in Egg Machine, oldschool goth-/deathrock vibes in Invisible Spook and bits and pieces of Gun Club are sprinkled throughout the whole of it. Needless to say, echoes of other more or less recent artifacts of the Leipzig scene like Ambulanz, Lassie and Laff Box are to be found in there aswell.
Album-Stream →Chain Whip - Call of The Knife
This LP by Vancouver's Chain Whip, now available via Drunken Sailor and Neon Taste, is hardcore punk done right, simple as that - a huge bucket bursting at the seams full of catchy septic oldschool fun, spiked with a subtle touch of '77 spirit in no-frills smashers á la Hate Wave. If you dislike groups of the Imploders, Headcheese, Illiterates, Fried E/m or Cement Shoes type, you're sure gonna hate this one too!
Album-Stream →Satanic Togas - Your Choice
Did i ever mention i've been a christian once? Yeah i know. True story and i hope y'all had a good laugh. Nowadays i'm only worshipping Satan though. Huge fan! The music's a lot better too. The Devil's australian, as everyone knows and so are his togas, who have as of yet utterly failed to ever shred a single tune that doesn't fucking rip. Their newest extended play has more of their signature blend of garage-/synth-/eggpunk and power pop goodness burning fast and brightly with obvious similarities to other recent shit á la Research Reactor Corp., Ghoulies, Gee Tee, Daughter Bat & The Lip Stings, Alien Nosjob, Buck Biloxi, Set-Top Box and Eric Nervous.
Album-Stream →Drýsildjöfull - Verri en vondur
Just weeks after their recent tape on Iron Lung Records here's a new one already by this, presumably, icelandic group, this time again coming to us courtesy of dungeon-/blackened-/experimental specialist label Grime Stone Records and it's their strongest, most fully realized one so far if you ask me. Take the rough specs and traits of black metal, noisy synth-, hardcore- and electro punk, complement that unrelenting force with a slightly eggpunk-y aesthetic that just seems a little too cute and quirky in face of all that grimness and you just might end up with something similar to what these folks are going for.
Album-Stream →Wimps - City Lights
These folks have been around for a good bit longer than this blog and also have been a constant part of my life's background hum all the way, although things have gone a bit quiet around them in recent years. Their first new LP in five years once again presents the Seattle group in peak form though. Their secret weapons have always been their simplicity, tons of quirky charm and a unique knack for churning out catchy-as-fuck little slacker hymns that just grow on you, presented in an unpretentious, straightforward garage punk and fuzz pop sound.
Album-Stream →