DS Staff Picks: Dylan’s Favorite Punk Albums, EPs & Things of April, 2023 (Presented by Punk Rock Radar)

FRENZAL RHOMB
The Cup of Pestilence

Australia’s finest Frenzal Rhomb pick up right where they left off on Hi-Vis High Tea and Smoko At the Pet Food Factory. I had this penciled in as one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and unsurprisingly, it did not disappoint. Read my album review here.

NOT
Stop the World

Here’s another one you’ve probably seen a lot of hype for on the pages of Dying Scene (and elsewhere) over the last few months. NOT is a new ALL / Descendents inspired project featuring members of Mercy Music, Sharp/Shock & others. This record is excellent and reminds me most of Chad Price-era ALL albums like Mass Nerder and Problematic, while still sounding fresh and original.

CLAYFACE
Ailments

Manchester, UK’s Clayface made a great first impression with their debut album Ailments. Some of the songs have a cool Lawrence Arms-meets-Dead To Me kinda feel, but I’d place the overarching sound into the “orgcore” category. Fast and loose, rough-around-the-edges punk. Listen below and get it on vinyl here (US) / here (UK).

WASEI
Vulgar Misplay of Burkett

If you like basically anything Epitaph or Fat Wreck Chords released in the 90’s, you’ll wanna check out this new record from Italian skate punks Wasei. Vulgar Misplay of Burkett aces that classic Epifat feel without feeling stale or unoriginal in the slightest. Listen to the album below and get it on vinyl / CD here.

DEBUNKER
Misfortunes

Here’s another one for the orgcore enjoyers (ya know, that used to be a dirty word around these parts, but I’m using it quite liberally now!). It’s another debut album, this time from Texas punks Debunker. Misfortunes reminds me a lot of early Banner Pilot, especially the Pass the Poison EP. Super fast, great hooks, cool guitar parts. I like these guys and I think you will, too! Listen below; buy on Bandcamp.

FOOL’S ERRAND
Big Up The Impact

I’m not usually a big Oi! / street punk guy, but I’ll make an exception for this record from Las Vegas’ Fool’s Errand. Songs like the album opener “It’s a Problem” are slower and bordering on pub rock; others like “Know What I Mean” and “That’s Yer Lot” are fast as fuck and closer to a mix of Rancid and Bombshell Rocks. The whole record’s awesome, though. Get it on limited colored vinyl here.

OLDIE HAWN
Missing Time

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge old school pop-punk fan. If you like any band that was on Lookout! in the 90’s (Screeching Weasel, The Queers, Squirtgun, MTX, etc.), I have no doubt you’ll like this debut album from Corpus Christi, Texas’ Öldie Häwn. Nothing revolutionary going on here, but this is an extremely solid Ramonescore record.

FIGHTS
Scampirock

DS Band Spotlight alumni, Oslo, Norway’s Fights showcase their signature “boogiecore” (hardcore punk mixed with boogie rock) sound on their debut album Scampirock. It’s hard to explain what that sounds like, so I’ll just advise you to listen to it. This is a bad ass record.

TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET
So Dumb / So Stoked

I’mma be honest, folks. I wasn’t that stoked on the last Teenage Bottlerocket album; it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything special either. So when I found out all four songs on their new 7″ So Dumb / So Stoked were tracks that didn’t make the cut for that album, I wasn’t too stoked on it either. Surprisingly, though, I like these songs more than most of that record. I think “It Wasn’t Enough” is the best of the bunch. Listen below; get the 7″ here.

THE MALPHS
Sometimes I Think About You

Australian pop-punks The Malphs‘ debut EP Sometimes I Think About You delivers six tracks of Ramonescore perfection. Check it out below, get the 7″ here (US) or here (AUS) and download the EP on Bandcamp.

LONG DISTANCE
Left For Dead

Look, another debut EP from an Australian pop-punk band! Newcastle’s Long Distance plays a very different kind of pop-punk from The Malphs, though. The band cites influences like Blink-182, Sum 41, New Found Glory, etc. and that’s evident in the sound on their four song debut EP Left for Dead.

JUGHEAD’S REVENGE
“Bridges”

“Bridges” is the second single from SoCal skate punk veterans Jughead’s Revenge‘s comeback EP Vultures, which is is due out May 5th on SBÄM Records. Pre-order the 12″ EP here (US) / here (EU), and check out the last single “I’ll Be Seeing You” if you haven’t already done so.

RANCID
“Tomorrow Never Comes”

Rancid caught everyone by surprise with the announcement of their new album Tomorrow Never Comes, and I’ve seen a lot of people lauding the album’s lead single (and title track) as a return to form for the band. I agree – this song is better than anything on their last two records – and I’m excited to see if the album makes the grade when it releases on June 2nd through Hellcat Records. 

INK BOMB
“Theme Song”

We hosted the exclusive premiere(!) for Dutch punks Ink Bomb‘s music video for their new single “Theme Song”. The video’s awesome, the song’s great. Can’t wait to hear the new album these guys (and girl) are working on.

ACID SNOT
“Biopsy”

I’ve been waiting for some new music from Barcelona’s Acid Snot since their debut album Attitudes was released in 2016, so I was really excited when I saw the band signed to Thousand Islands and Lockjaw Records. “Biopsy” is their first new song in 7 years, and it’s a real ripper. This is a big step up from that debut album. Looking forward to more to come from Acid Snot!

REHASHER
“Rabbit Hole”

Roger Lima simply does not miss, folks. The Less Than Jake bassist / co-frontman’s melodic punk side project Rehasher has long been one of my favorite bands. Their new single “Rabbit Hole” is the latest in a long line of bangers. I honestly can’t name a single bad Rehasher song.

BORDERLINES
“How Many Hours”

Here’s another one we hosted an exclusive premiere for! “How Many Hours” is the lead single from Portland, Maine pop-punks Borderlines‘ upcoming album Keep Pretending. Check out the music video below and lookout for the record coming this summer on Hey Pizza Records (LP), Mom’s Basement Records (CD), and Memorable But Not Honorable (Cassette).

FLYING FROGS
“Fenix”

“Fenix” is the latest single from Barcelona skate punks Flying Frogs‘ upcoming album WTF Is Going On, due out later this year on 20 Chords Records and Melodic Punk Style. It’s been 7 years since their last record Playing Again came out, but they haven’t missed a beat. Check out the music video for “Fenix” below.

STRIKE TWELVE
“Smart Phones, Stupid People”

Another recent pickup by our friends at Thousand Islands Records, SoCal melodic punks Strike Twelve are gearing up to release their new album new album Last Band Standing on June 30th. Check out the music video for the lead single “Smart Phones, Stupid People” below and pre-order the record here.

Hi-STANDARD
“I’m A Rat”

“I’m A Rat” is the final song Japanese punk veterans Hi-Standard recorded with drummer Akira Tsuneoka before his untimely passing in February. It’s a super fast skate punk song (supposedly written by Fat Mike) that recaptures the raw energy of albums like Angry Fist and Making the Road. Fat Wreck Chords is releasing a 7″ picture disc for the song and donating profits to Tsune’s family.