The debut Album of this Philadelphia group is, in a word, fucking impressive. Versatile, inventive post punk this is, moving about somwhere inbetween the repetitive abstraction of Nots, the no-bullshit direct attack of Lié, grooves, noise eruptions and melodic textures reminiscent of early Protomartyr, some sparkling Sonic Youth-esque walls of noise and the relentless propulsion of Nervosas, then closing out the album with a jam enveloped in a thick psychedelic haze.
Damn, i thought i was done blogging for the week and then this unexpected little gem of crude and shambolic noise by a Budapest group crops up last minute, their sound striking me as a peculiar fusion of oddball garage punk in the Eddy Current Suppression Ring and UV Race vein with similarly weird acts in the post punk and oldschool indie rock field such as Treehouse, Kitchen's Floor, The Molds and City Yelps.
An exquisite jet-propelled racket, the second longplayer by Athens, Georgia group McQQeen - now proudly carrying the Big Neck Records seal of quality. What kinda starts out a bit in the vein of bands á la Flat Worms, The Cowboy and Fashion Pimps & The Glamazons with a conspicuous Psychedelic/Space Rock undercurrent then expands into a quite comprehensive sweep through much of what is and has been great on the intersection of garage punk, noise rock, post punk and -core including contemporary acts of the Metz, John (Timestwo) or Spray Paint kind as well as the occasional flourish of Destruction Unit's space punk excess, the fuzz punk orgies of early The Men, even some slight touches of U-Men or McLusky are to be found in there.
Some familiar faces at work here, although it takes some detective work to untangle the nebulous web of connections especially of guitar player and vocalist Robert Pawliczek. That dude has played in a lot of groups although i can't exactly confirm all of them. So he seems to have had a hand at, among others, Heavy Metal, Bobby Would, Needle Exchange, Itchy Bugger, Pitva… also, possibly, Diät and Idiota Civilizzato? Of those two i'm the least sure. On bass duty, we appear to have the same Bill Gray known of Bands like Shark Toys, Rearranged Face. And this being a Refry Records release, of course they've got Vinny "Vaguess" Earley completing the line-up on drums. As you might have suspected, the music fuckin' rips too, their post punk with some garage overtones striking me kinda like a super brittle and dry version of Rank/Xerok or the aforementioned Diät.
While i couldn't quite warm up to the previous EP of Sydney's Nasty Party, with their newest release they really hit the spot once again just like their did with their brilliant debut EP. Treading in somewhat similar territory to Mekons- and Television Personalities-worshipping groups á la Suburban Homes, Silicone Values or Proto Idiot, they round things off with a strong Buzzcocks flavor.
After their more power pop-leaning debut EP, the first full length of this Cleveland group featuring Nervosas' Mickey Marie on guitar and vocals, while not a exactly departure from their previous record, expands their color palette quite a bit. Overall the vibe here is more grim and melancholy, steering closer to moody yet melodic post punk territory with a distinct Wipers influence while once again proving their stunning ability at crafting catchy and unique hooks. Of more recent bands, you might consider them in a loosely related Orbit to groups like The Estranged and Daylight Robbery.
These Nashville garage punks' latest EP continues the strong cowpunk vibes that took center stage roughly since their Rides Again EP, this time making a much stronger case for their vision though, thanks to a much improved song substance and a super tight performance, which ain't all that surprising once you learn that at least in their current incarnation, these appear to be the exact same dudes otherwise known as Safety Net. The two middle tracks Barn Burner and The Plan then again have a bit of a Flat Worms or - quite fittingly - The Cowboy feel to them.
While this canadian dude's previous EP was plenty of fun already, his newest one is even better. Eccentric and at times rather kinky garage punk this is, kinda like a more laid-back Erik Nervous or Liquids with some Modern Lovers-esque proto punk vibes or a more energetic variant of the recent Peace De Résistance album. Then again, Who? comes across as kind of a goth/dark wave/dance punk hybrid, which he also manages to pull off smoothly.
Fun DIY punk shit by some dude based in Marmora, New Jersey, oscillating between the poles of electrically driven garage- /synth punk and bizarro post punk with some quirky, over-the top goth stylings. Think of a mix between S.B.F., Set-Top Box, Stalins of Sound or early Kid Chrome… fans of The Spits or Isotope Soap shouldn't miss out on this as well.
This San Francisco group just delivered a stunningly confident debut LP made up of smart post punk and postcore, bursting with elaborate, dramaturgically dense song structures, tightly interlocking grooves and arrangements. In the contemporary landscape you might compare bits and pieces of this record to an expansive cluster of groups like Batpiss, Meat Wave, Bloody Gears, Stuck, Bench Press, Noughts, Lithics or Tunic. Going a bit further back in time, you might aswell recognize the obligatory bit of Drive Like Jehu, Fugazi or Jawbox, even find some Wire-esque flourishes in there if you just listen closely enough.
