Melodic punk rock ensemble Civil War Rust have just put out their latest EP on Def Cow Records. The effort is titled Shaky and we think it’s got a real classic Alkaline Trio vibe to it. You can check out Shaky below in its entirety. If you like it, pick up a copy and support great underground music. […]
Melodic punk rock ensemble Civil War Rust have just put out their latest EP on Def Cow Records. The effort is titled Shaky and we think it’s got a real classic Alkaline Trio vibe to it.
You can check out Shaky below in its entirety. If you like it, pick up a copy and support great underground music.
The previous release from Civil War Rust was a split with Squarecrow last year.
New Jersey-based hardcore group Zombie Apocalypse have a new record coming out. It’s called Life Without Pain is a Fucking Fantasy and to get you lot in the mood, the band have been good enough to release a track from it early. You can listen to “Bullshit Destroyer” below. The full release of Life Without Pain is a […]
New Jersey-based hardcore group Zombie Apocalypse have a new record coming out. It’s called Life Without Pain is a Fucking Fantasy and to get you lot in the mood, the band have been good enough to release a track from it early. You can listen to “Bullshit Destroyer” below.
The full release of Life Without Pain is a Fucking Fantasy is scheduled for August 9 this year. Handling it for Zombie Apocalypse will be Philly’s Inner Strength Records.
Sunderland’s Zero Negative have just announced their debut album. It’s called Skate. Kill. Destroy. and the band have been good enough to let you lot stream a track from it before its full release on July 14. You can check out “Disarray” from Skate. Kill. Destroy. below. The previous releases from the group were a […]
Sunderland’s Zero Negative have just announced their debut album. It’s called Skate. Kill. Destroy. and the band have been good enough to let you lot stream a track from it before its full release on July 14.
You can check out “Disarray” from Skate. Kill. Destroy. below. The previous releases from the group were a couple of self-titled EPs last year.
French indie punks Massaw are allowing fans to stream their latest EP. The effort is titled Wan-Wan and has been released by the local label, Bad Wolf Records. You can check out Wan-Wan below. The previous release from the four-piece was the 2016 EP, Supporting Rules!
French indie punks Massaw are allowing fans to stream their latest EP. The effort is titled Wan-Wan and has been released by the local label, Bad Wolf Records.
You can check out Wan-Wan below. The previous release from the four-piece was the 2016 EP, Supporting Rules!
Folk punkers gone crusty We The Heathens have got darker and heavier on their latest release. The band has expanded with the additional of three new members and the new dynamic has allowed them to redefine their sound. Approaching Thunder features tunes from previous releases from the band, amped up and raw. It’s a belter. Check out Approaching […]
Folk punkers gone crusty We The Heathens have got darker and heavier on their latest release. The band has expanded with the additional of three new members and the new dynamic has allowed them to redefine their sound. Approaching Thunder features tunes from previous releases from the band, amped up and raw. It’s a belter.
Check out Approaching Thunder below. The previous release from the band was 2016’s album The Blood Behind the Dam.
North Carolina-based punk outfit Wolves & Wolves & Wolves & Wolves are allowing fans to stream their latest EP. The imaginatively-titled Acoustic EP is available to listen to below. As you may have guessed, the three track collection is an unplugged effort featuring reimagined versions of the band’s tunes. The previous release from the quartet was 2018’s […]
North Carolina-based punk outfit Wolves & Wolves & Wolves & Wolves are allowing fans to stream their latest EP. The imaginatively-titled Acoustic EP is available to listen to below. As you may have guessed, the three track collection is an unplugged effort featuring reimagined versions of the band’s tunes.
The previous release from the quartet was 2018’s Excommunicate Me.
UK Subs are to release Subversions II, the follow up to their covers album of last year, on June 28th. The record is out on vinyl and CD and available for pre-order now. A list of who they’ve covered for the album is below…
UK Subs are to release Subversions II, the follow up to their covers album of last year, on June 28th. The record is out on vinyl and CD and available for pre-order now.
A list of who they’ve covered for the album is below… [Read more…]
PI$$ER, featuring members of The Domestics, Revenge of the Psychotronic Man and Beat The Red Light among others, are to release their debut, 4 song EP on TNS Records on July 12th. We’re promised “beefy, catchy hardcore” from this band that comes with quite the fine resume… Pre-orders are up now on Bandcamp and from […]
PI$$ER, featuring members of The Domestics, Revenge of the Psychotronic Man and Beat The Red Light among others, are to release their debut, 4 song EP on TNS Records on July 12th. We’re promised “beefy, catchy hardcore” from this band that comes with quite the fine resume…
Pre-orders are up now on Bandcamp and from the label.
Too Old To Die Young is a sentiment that rings true to plenty of us aging punks, living for high Beats Per Minute and living with high blood pressure. It also encapsulates the timeless feel to this record. Bracket are self proclaimed musical ‘misfits’ and were somewhat coerced into making this album by Fat Mike. […]
Too Old To Die Young is a sentiment that rings true to plenty of us aging punks, living for high Beats Per Minute and living with high blood pressure. It also encapsulates the timeless feel to this record.
Bracket are self proclaimed musical ‘misfits’ and were somewhat coerced into making this album by Fat Mike. They live in the cracks between punk and pop punk – as well as flirting with other genres – but here they have produced an album that will make perfect sense to punks of all varieties and ages. If your dad keeps harping on about 80s punk, then firstly I’m sorry for your troubles, but here is an album for both of you!
This is not an attempt to reinvent any wheels. They’ve been there, done that. This is simple and pure punk rock songwriting, delivered with melodic aplomb. It’s a blend of old and new that bridges the generational gap between The Ramones and Masked Intruder.
“Cloud Ate” takes some bouncy baby steps to start the album, with an improvised guitar riff, before immediately finding it’s stride and setting the pace for what’s to come. There is a beauty in the simplicity of the songs; a sense of pure joy that emanates through each track. With some frankly delightful Oohs N Aahs in the background.
That’s right, I said delightful. Because this album is delightful and I don’t think Bracket give a shit if it’s punk rock or not. The vocal duties are traded, shared and intentionally layered in a way that sounds like The Beach Boys if they actually got into the whole Charles Manson cult thing.
Aptly enough “A Perfect Misfit” is one of the standout songs here, combining all the best elements of the album into a punky brew. There are self-deprecating lyrics across most of the 26 minutes of the LP, but one benefit of growing older is that you run out of fucks to give. Sure, they may not have made it big. Sure, they might on average be the wrong side of 40. But they are a band who are comfortable in their sound, even if they might not be as comfortable in their skin.
This is a great little power pop album, just in time for summer. Fat Mike has made some questionable choices in his life, but convincing Bracket to go ahead with this album is not one of them.
4.5/5 Stars
The Aggrolites have returned with their sixth studio album REGGAE NOW! a continuation of their unique brand of funky soulful skinhead reggae. This organ driven “dirty reggae” has almost never felt so tight and cohesive as what they put on display here. “Pound for Pound” opens the album with a self-promotional dance number. “Boss of […]
The Aggrolites have returned with their sixth studio album REGGAE NOW! a continuation of their unique brand of funky soulful skinhead reggae. This organ driven “dirty reggae” has almost never felt so tight and cohesive as what they put on display here.
“Pound for Pound” opens the album with a self-promotional dance number. “Boss of hot sauce or what else it may be, Aggro is Aggro stylistically” Jesse toasts over a classic Aggrolites rhythm so steady you could use it to set your watch. This upbeat rocksteady style gets revisited on several tracks, as “Groove Them Move Them” and “Aggro Reggae Party” are sure to be quick additions to summer party playlists. While songs “People Win” and “Help Man” deliver on a more classic Aggrolites sound, where the vocals are delivered with a little more power. Focusing more on delivering the story than harmonizing with the instruments. “Help Man” has the “Countryman Fiddle” style of storytelling that is extremely popular with fans, especially in a live setting.
REGGAE NOW! has The Aggrolites showcasing more of their soulful side. The first track to do this is “Say or Do” which sounds like it was directly lifted off an Alton Ellis album. It has the steady rhythm but the vocals sound poured directly from Motown and displays a deeper sense of emotion. “Love Me Tonight” follows with a beautiful love song that showcases some delightful vocal harmonies. Even the final track, the instrumental “Shadow Walk”, puts some emotion in a dub track.
Speaking of instrumentals there are several to be found here, as what would a roots reggae album be without at least a couple. However, other than “Shadow Walk” and “15 or 50”, these tracks do not do enough to differentiate themselves from the rest of the album. They are most certainly very danceable and may sound better in a live setting but here they tend to blur into the other songs without carving their own space. It makes for a serene playlist for the background, but does not quite draw the attention as some of the other songs found here.
The Aggrolites have always sounded like a punk band trying to play a traditional rocksteady reggae sound, where they would loosely incorporate many different styles of music into a unique blend they dubbed “dirty reggae”. On REGGAE NOW! they have fully evolved into a world class reggae band with a tight incorporation of jazz, funk, and blues. One could almost forget the “dirty” aspect to this sound as the music is as bright and clean as the Caribbean origins of the genre.
4/5 Stars