Speaking of Deluxe Bias… here's the newest cassette of miniscule runtime from that Wyoming label specializing in exactly that one kind of thing. Another completely blown-out assault on the senses walking a thin line between ultra-rough LoFi fuzz-, garage- and eggpunk resulting in some exquisite mayhem which may plausibly get described as a curious blend of the likes of Print Head, Warm Bodies, Snooper and Fugitive Bubble.
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An awesome debut cassette by this group out of Athens, Geoargia, delivering a salvo of fuzzed out tunes on the intersection of hardcore- and KBD-soaked garage punk. While at times resembling the noise-laden output of groups á la Lumpy and the Dumpers, Soupcans and Black Button i think this stuff would fit equally well within the catalogs of LoFi specialist cassette labels Impotent Fetus and Deluxe Bias, having a similar shambolic energy in common with acts like Septic Yanks, C-Krit, early Electric Chair, Exxxon and Motor Corp.
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Two outstanding releases rolled in this week dabbling in unapologetically oldschool aesthetics, both prevailing in their own way by fairly different means. No Brains from Utrecht, Netherlands present an uncompromisingly straightforward blend of timeless garage punk and early eighties, somewhat hardcore- and KBD-adjacent noises. I give this shit 0/10 stars for originality and 20/10 stars for sheer unrelenting force. That averages out to an actual 10/10 record, mind you. You think otherwise? That's 'cos you suck at math dude, deal with it.
Also plenty of garage action, although with more of a '77 and power pop vibe, is what we get on a brand new EP by California group The Celebrities via US garage punk bulwark Total Punk. A bit more relaxed tempo-wise but these are perfectly fun and catchy little tunes with some pronounced Dead Boys-meet-Dickies energy goin' on here, making for an exquisite sugar rush of an admittedly, at times, kinda cheesy quality which thankfully always gets countered by way an expertly crafted wall of fuzz. I give it a 11/10 for all the glitz, glamour and star power. Maths man, nothing we can do about it.
New shit by these Olympia, Washington Lo-Fi punks and you kinda know what's gonna hit you: More of that deliciously blown out and catchy-as-fuck garage-/electro/fuzz punk dementia for the moderately desensitized mind, hellbent on damaging your speakers, corrupting your soul, spilling your booze and puking on your carpet. Very negative influence these kids, stay away!
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Oh look, it's that mysterious dude again who also goes by such names as Zhoop, Djinn, Nightman, Feed, Brundle and even more disguises i can't recall right now. As usual he does exactly one thing on here and he gets it right every single time - five excellent no-frills minimalist detonations on the intersection of garage-, hardcore- and fuzz punk.
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Excellent new shit by a group from Karlsruhe, Germany featuring, as far as i can tell, the two members of Thee Khai Aehm. There are parallels to be drawn to that group, especially concerning the heavy dungeon-esque vibe of which much is retained here as well, but overall i'd say this group's garage- and fuzz punk sound is a different kind of beast altogether, involving way higher velocities and more stylistic variety. The opener has some primal proto punk energy to it while the melodicism of As Loud As Me reminds me of early No Age or Wavves. Give Me Beat ventures deep into hardcore territorry and closing track Fomo Boy is a forceful blast of classic dungeon punk excess. Well… if the word "classic" even has any meaning for a genre this young. Whatever, there's no use arguing with this kind of fury.
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Luxury new fodder for garage- and eggpunk aficinados by this Cincinati, Ohio group. Soft Violence and Why Fight resonate the quirky madness of groups like Prison Affair, Nuts, Beer, Cherry Cheeks and Pringue but extend that aesthetic with a distinct psychedelic feel transported mainly through the polyphonic vocals here. The latter tendencies are also leaving their mark on Null Future, which expertly treads in oldschool garage punk territory resulting in a vibe á la Mononegatives with a more purist fuzz punk edge. Closing track It Goes On, then, closely resembles the kraut-y psyched-out post punk vibes of fellow Cincinnati groups The Drin and The Serfs, suggesting some of the same folks might be at work here.
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Two current powerhouses of weirdo garage- and synth punk join forces for this neat new little EP and guess what: It sounds exactly like you'd expect and all i can further say is what the fuck is not to like about that proposition? The shit rules!
Last year's demo by this London group has been a thoroughly pleasant occurence already and their newest EP even packs considerably more of that same kind of punch, their mix of noise-heavy postcore and garage-leaning fuzz punk at times coming across like a variant of Hot Snakes or Obits with more of a melancholic undercurrent which also kinda reminds me a lot of Wymyns Prysyn, with further credible comparisons to be made to acts such as Ascot Stabber, Crisis Man, Zero Bars, Beast Fiend and Mystic Inane.
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Following up on their incredible 2021 demo, this Copenhagen group delivers an equally exciting debut full length. On one hand, this sounds vaguely familiar as the local legends Lower and (early) Iceage have sure left their mark on Pleaser's music - having a similar appeal of larger-than-life drama tangled up in chaotic and emotional no-holds-barred performances - in addition to lesser known Copenhagen groups like Melting Walkmen, Echo People and Spines. But then again, Pleaser totally hold their own owing to top-notch song substance and plenty of neat little surprises like some black metal flourishes in the instrumental The World Says Its Name, Morricone stylings and a Murderer-esque psychedelic cowpunk haze in Drive of Distress while Light and Fire and This Is How I Die have some distinct Poison Ruïn vibes to them. Last but not least, in The Dream, a good bit of Rites of Spring, Dag Nasty collides with some 90s Leatherface or Samiam vibes as well as somewhat younger noise pop acts á la Star Party, Times Beach, No Age, Male Bonding or Joanna Gruesome.
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