A new Warttman Inc. release by a group made up of some of the usual suspects known from bands such as Research Reactor Corp., Satanic Togas and The Gobs, so you already kinda know what to expect. Needless to say, this is some gloriously dumb and rippin' shit.
Orlando's Cherry Cheeks aka some dude by the name Kyle Harms has already made some waves last year with a string of four increasingly awesome EPs, yet his debut full length on Total Punk feels a bit unexpected as it, for the most part, departs from the heavily synth-based garage- and power pop sound of its predecessors for a somewhat more conventional, guitar-centric DIY garage punk aesthetic. That certainly doesn't mean these new songs were lacking any of the earlier releases' thrills - this shit's a rather inventive and unpredictable affair once again, quirky and catchy as fuck, bearing some similaritiy to acts like Freak Genes, Powerplant or Set-Top Box.
Doesn't look like these texans are gonna run out of tunes anytime soon, having just cranked out their second album over the course of just a few months. Thankfully the mix is a bit less tinnitus-inducing this time while the new songs seamlessly continue the wonderful chaos Big Bopper established earier this year, made up of post- and garage punk, noise- and math rock elements roughly in the vein of Patti, Rolex, Cutie, Mystic Inane or Brandy, plus some traces of early Minutemen.
In an act of criminal negligence i somehow failed to post any of the previous EPs by Smirk, the solo Project of Nick Vicario whose other groups Public Eye, Crisis Man and Cemento might ring a bell with regular visitors of this blog. After both EPs were compiled into an LP by Drunken Sailor Records earlier this year, we already get to enjoy his newest extended play via Total Punk / Iron Lung Records on which his ultra laid-back though never sleepy take on sample-backed garage punk sounds the most mature yet, more to the point and catchier than ever before.
Perfectly exhilerating shit, the first crumbs of noise we get from some group or project that might or might not be based in Los Angeles. The first two tracks deliver a flavor of electrically driven garage punk taking cues from acts like Mononegatives, Useless Eaters, Powerplant, RRC or Alien Nosejob while the closing track ups the weirdness considerably, going all-in on pure synth punk mayhem.
Now that's what i call kidpunk… It's the most heartwarming beautiful kickass thing i've heard in a while and i'm way too soft to withstand that kind of shit anyway. Nuff said.
It only took them like… twelve years but finally the Munich duo has released their second 7" via Slovenly Recordings and it's an irresistable blast of garage- and electro punk with echoes of The Spits and Stalins Of Sound, plus an unlikely touch of Big Black in the highly combustible opening track Shut Your Face.
In case you like your hardcore punk wild, catchy and innocent like it's 1981 on the US west coast… there's your new jam as it won't get much more 1981 than this Toronto group's debut EP. These five ridiculously appealing tunes don't sound anachronistic in the slightest though. Rather, with their timeless garage and KBD vibes, they fit in just as well with contemporary groups á la Launcher, Freakees, Liquid Assets or Cement Shoes.
With this London dude's debut tape having been such an incredibly fun ride, its follow-up - a hot mess made up of reworked/remastered/re-heated older demos and a pair of new tracks - sure feels a bit unfocused in direct comparison, yet still manages to kick plenty of ass on its own. Another adorable batch of quirky DIY garage punk that, despite its british origin, has a predominantly australian feel to it with groups like Set-Top Box, R.M.F.C. and Satanic Togas coming to mind as well as the unavoidable Ausmuteants/Alien Nosejob, a touch of Useless Eaters.
A Cleveland, Ohio group presents a rough and dissonant mix of noise rock and post punk with a sharp garage edge on their first EP which, in the current music landscape, positions them roughly inbetween such Groups as The Cowboy, Spray Paint, Flat Worms and Plax, at times supplemented with a certain Flipper vibe.