Now this is some pretty incredible shit right here. The minimalistic DIY garage rock on this tape by some NYC dude (or band, not sure about that) sounds kinda like some lost proto punk relic and would just as well blend in on any one of those Messthetics/Homework compilations. The sparse percussion, weary vocals, overall lean arrangements and Lo-Fi production values all do their part in lending these songs a particular quality that feels both gritty and drowsy.
Another Geelong supergroup featuring high profile names such as Jake Robertson (Ausmuteants, Alien Nosejob, Leather Towel etc.), Billy Gardner (The Living Eyes, Cereal Killer, Ausmuteants), Mitch Campleman (The Living Eyes) and Stella Rennex (Parsnip, Bananagun). Sound-wise, this doesn't stray too far from the established Ausmuteants formula and i'm totally okay with that. Not the most original thing i've ever heard but a fun and thrilling ride nonetheless, from start to finish.
The goodness continues on Total Punk's second long playing record. True Sons Of Thunder are a Memphis group featuring members of Manatees and Oblivians, among others. You might already have noticed their recent 7" on Goodbye Boozy or even their first two albums, released before this blog came into being. Their newest one sees them alternating between straight-ahead garage punk somewhat similar to The Cowboy or Flat Worms and blues-soaked, repetitive noise rock somwhere inbetween Cows, Nearly Dead and various old AmRep shit, as well as some undeniable U-Men vibes. With Skate Rock we even get a nice little hardcore ditty.
Quality stuff from Goodbye Boozy Records, as usual. Liquid Face is a project of Cal Donald, who also plays in Draggs, although what we get to hear on this 7" is even a bit quirkier than anything Draggs have ever done. Synth-/garage punk somewhat reminiscent of C57BL/6, Stalins of Sound, Puff! or anything Cruz Somers has unleashed upon us (S.B.F., Race Car, etc…). In regard to the australian scene specifically, this wouldn't feel out of place alongside the Warttman Inc. catalog either.
This Melbourne group's debut 7" pretty much hits the bulls eye at first try, setting off a flawless garage-driven, high-calories power pop extravaganza. Without doubt, admirers of Tommie and the Commies or Bad Sports, among others, will appreciate the shit out of this.
Another moldy wet lump of ultracontagious punk shit, equal parts garage punk, KBD-style mischief and hardcore punk of the very old school. Not too far off from stuff like Liquid Assets, Fried E/M or Launcher.
Seems i forgot to post this Barcelona group's first demo a while ago, stupid me. Well, here's their newest one to make up for it and once again this is a thoroughly fun little treat of quirky DIY garage punk bearing some similarity to R.M.F.C., Dee Bee Rich, Nuts or Erik Nervous.
Another record by muteant Jake Robertson's shapeshifting project Alien Nosejob. After last year's 7" on Iron Lung Records, this is the second time he's venturing into hardcore punk. Taking advantage of the longer running time, we see him mixing things up and exploring the genre a bit deeper this time, resulting in a quite varied set of tunes. Everything Robertson tackles here, it just works admirably well.
Don't know how i didn't ever stumble upon this San Francisco dude's output before earlier this year, when Modern Needs released a certain killer tape called Survey of the Animal Kingdom. Well, what's more important is that he's got a new album out already and just as expected, it once again delivers loads of stupid fun made up of some oldschool US west coast shit, timeless garage punk and plenty of KBD-style weirdness. Of the current generation you might think of Launcher, Liquid Assets, Freakees, Fried E/M... or of older artifacts by The Mentally Ill, Noxious Fumes. Also this time, the generous use of Synths creates an undeniable Ausmuteants feel.
Garage punk by a Melbourne group sounding somewhat like a curious mix of some straightforward rockin' shit similar to Mini Skirt, Flat Worms, Ex-Cult just as much as the more playful approaches taken by the likes of Vintage Crop, Dumb.
