This Adelaide group has been around for well over a decade by now, yet it almost appears as if they've finally found their own groove just now on LP number four - or at the very least i can say, having taken a perfunctory glance over their previous records, that their newest one is playing in a different league altogether as everything here from the songwriting to the arrangements and production smoothly assembles into a way more realized vision while keeping things interesting with plenty of stylistic variety. I'm reminded of a whole bunch of other Australian groups in the garage-/post punk spectrum, among which are garage-/pub rock-leaning acts á la Mini Skirt, Hideous Sun Demon and Pist Idiots, post punk/-core acts like Batpiss, Bench Press or Rip Room aswell as some traces of classics from the likes of ('80s) Scientists and The New Crists.
Another beauty from italian powerhouse label Goodbye Boozy Records. You might remember Buenos Aires group repulsion switch from their 2019 demo and a bunch of EPs they put out since then. Here, we've got easily their strongest batch of tracks so far of their refreshingly simple yet equally explosive, garage-flavored oldschool hardcore sound. Another known quantity here at 12XU headquarters is synth punk guru Klint from Schleswig, Germany who takes charge of side b here with his usual workmanlike precision, curious experimantation and a new couple of tunes mostly on the rougher edge of the spectrum, perfectly complementing the RS tracks.
Following their most ambitious record so far in last year's Material LP, which expanded the sonic pallette out into the weirder fringes of somewhat Desperate Bicycles-leaning art punk and also featured some of the most infectious power pop songwriting of that year, the newest 7" by Nick Vicario aka Smirk, who's also known as a member of Public Eye, Crisis Man und Cemento among others, keeps things comparatively simple and straightforward this time while his heavily sample-backed songs and arrangements still unerringly hit their mark every single time.
Last year's steamroller of a (mini-)LP named Estray is a tough act to follow up for sure but the (probably) Leipzig/Berlin-based group manages to do so admiarably well on their newest album, retaining all of their previous qualities while expanding their garage punk sound with quite a bit of an abrasive noise rock edge which reminds me a lot of NY noise-/garage punk act Brandy and earlier Science Man. A good deal of melodic pop smashers á la Wouldn't You, Fomo or Get Clean is still present here so fans of that catchy, somewhat Booji Boys-esque power pop won't feel duped either.
A delightful batch of laid-back, off-kilter psychedelic- and garage punk goodness by a Toronto group. These tunes do have some slight US proto punk vibe to them in addition to pretty unmistakable space-/acid rock leanings, kinda like a mix between recent LPs by Jean Mignon, Peace de Résistance or older stuff like Faux Ferocious, even some early White Fence - with plenty of eggpunk weirdness on top. What's not to like?
Following a thorougly fun demo and first EP in '21/'22 respectively, this Leipzig, Halle and Berlin-based group's debut LP packs some considerable punch which is no surprise really, given that we've got folks of Liiek, Ambulanz, Dee Bee Rich, Lassie, Exwhite at work here, of which the latter three groups would make for the most obvious reference points here. That is to say, playful but energetic garage punk you could further compare to a bunch of predominantly european bands including the likes of Dadar, The Dirtiest, Shitty Life, Mitraille, The Gobs, Finale… possibly even a bit of Booji Boys in their most melodic moments.
As i understand, Brick Head is the solo project of Sarah Hardiman who's also playing in Deaf Wish, Moon Rituals and a bunch of other groups you might've heard of. Following a still somewhat shaky debut album, the overall vision comes into much sharper focus here as all the parts just click into place on this one, interweaving familiar styles and flourishes into an ultimately quite unique experience. Carriying the hallmarks of a number of australian groups, the first things to come to mind are various incarnations of Alien Nosejob, the straightforward garage punk of Eddy Current Suppression Ring, the minimalism of The UV Race while over the course of the record, a kinda hazy, melancholic melodicism á la Kitchen's Floor increasingly takes center stage.
Funny what a few years of eggpunk-related insanity do to your brain. When Channel 83's previous EP dropped in 2019, i considered this shit to be pretty far out there and totally bonkers while in '23, i can't help but think they fit right in with the current wave of quirky synthpunk acts. I don't consider that a bad thing at all though. These new songs rip!
A whole barrage of digital singles in recent weeks already appeared to foreshadow a new record by the London, Ontario group and indeed here it is, their second LP in all its glory, carrying an excellent new batch of their quite distinct, catchy as hell, always slightly off-kilter and quirky genre mixture containing elements of garage-, post- and synth punk, space- and psychedelic rock. You might compare some bits and pieces here to such groups as Pow!, Useless Eaters and of course the recent collaboration Telegenic Pleasures which also features some of the band members at work here - at this point though, i'd say they're pretty much carved out their own, instantly recognizable little niche.
I think this is the same band i've been yapping about many moons ago.. Their 2016 EP appears to have been completely wiped from the face of the earth and the web though, which is a fucking shame really 'cos this was good stuff already. But admittedly, this shit is so much better… Melodic punk and garage vibes rule supreme here with more than a little hint of Dickies and some distinct '77 and power pop flavors that would already make for a perfectly solid EP. What propells this one from good to plain out-of-the-ballpark spectacular though are the advanced songwriting chops on display here, running circles around 99% of all other current punk groups playing simple, straightforward pop tunes. This is truly transcendent, next-level shit, i mean it!
