Punk

New EP: Crime Line || Street Rips

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Veterans from the Norfolk music scene started Crime Line a couple of years ago. We previously wrote about the band’s first two EPs (here and here). The third one bubbled under in what I assume was a busy week, but the fourth one definitely makes the cut. Crime Line plays punkrock with swagger and a thunderous rock’n’roll side to it. They are no copycats of The Bronx, but their sound definitely has a similar feel to it. The singer has a fantastic screaming voice – or what laryngologists would call their worst nightmare. On the Street Rips EP, Crime Line make sacrificing tonsils, eardrums and bloody fingers in order to create kickass rock’n’roll sound like an enticing idea.

Four EPs in, will we see a full length record next?



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Dennis Cometti || Suburban Condition

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / 1 Comment

In a recent write-up, I stated that Aussie punk bands are after global domination. It was a casual statement after yet another great release from Down Under, not really being serious of course. But ever since, I am picking up signals everywhere that it may be true after all. You see, these Australian bands are touring Europe frequently. I’ve seen Civic, Split System, Satanic Togas and Gee Tees in just the past couple of weeks and they were all amazing, winning audiences over easily. Meanwhile the pile of prime punk quality records out of Australia keeps getting higher and higher. The latest addition? Dennis Cometti’s Suburban Condition.

Dennis Cometti are a trio from Perth with an Aussie football band logo, thick Aussie accents and, depending on your scene and day job, hairdo’s that can be decribed as either typical or atypical. More importantly, they play razor sharp punk anthems with the refreshing feeling of unexpectedly receiving a ball to the face. If you are looking for subtle, look elsewhere. Dennis Cometti attack their songs with brute force, and it’s a blast. So here we are, Australian punk bands are having their way with us and it feels…pretty great actually. Is this how authoritarian rule develops?

Dennis Cometti’s previous record made it to #11 in my 2020 ATOY list. Surely, Suburban Condition will have a spot in my 2023 list as well. LP out now at Bargain Bin Records.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: The Wind-Ups || Jonathan Says

By / / Power Pop, Punk / 2 Comments

Jake Sprecher’s The Wind-Ups make a welcome return (consider us fans of his debut LP). A new LP is expected this Fall, but meanwhile we can enjoy a new four song single that sees Sprecher paying tribute to one of his heroes Jonathan Richman. He does so in typical The Wind-Ups fashion: creating original pop music with blunt force and sharp objects – pop music for those with a distorted sense of what pop music entails. My favorite song of the four is Medusa’s Spell. It even has harmonies!

Fun fact, Richman plays lead guitar on single closer Little Boy Blue, and his partner Nicole Montalbano plays tamboura on the title track Jonathan Says.

7″ single available at Blue Arrow Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Blue Arrow

New EP: Crossed Wires || Ellipsis

By / / Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Halifax trio Crossed Wires dropped off the face of the earth for seven years or so after their last release in 2016. On their new 6-song EP Ellipsis, the band displays a sense of urgency that suggests the pent up energy and inspiration boiled over, and inevitably had to come out. Ellipsis is a 15-minute thrill of an EP, that has all the right elements of what an indie punk record should sound like. Buzzin’ guitar work, rockin’ drumming, and killer vocals all built upon a foundation of high energy and strong melodies. Compared to their previous output, Crossed Wires has never sounded this polished. It’s a sound that suits them well and doesn’t come at a cost of losing their intangibles. Rain is my jam for today.




The Ellipsis EP is out now on cool looking vinyl at Noyes Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Noyes Records

New EP: Nothing Special || Pipe Dream

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Nothing Special are a bunch of underpromising and overdelivering kids from the underground scene in Toronto/Durham. On their new EP, the quartet sound quite polished and have a modern indie punk sound. Use Modern Baseball as a reference point and you get the idea, although the hypercatchy pop punk blast Rearranging Pieces gives off some serious ’90s vibes as well.

Add to wantlist: Streaming only I guess

New EP: ALF || The Demo

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ALF is a new four-piece from Perth debuting with an eight song EP that is high on punk spirit, noise and attitude. Like most punk bands coming out of Australia right now, ALF churn out guitar riffs like there is no tomorrow. They are loud and speedy as well. Pretty sure we’ll be hearing more from ALF soon, but this is a great start.

The Demo is out now on Optimal Tapes and Records. Goodbye Boozy Records wil have the EU version later this month.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Star 99 || Bitch Unlimited

By / / Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop, Punk / Leave a Comment

After a couple of higly promising EPs (see our write-ups here and here), Star 99 finally graduate to the full length format with an album called Bitch Unlimited. They pass the bar with ease. The alt pop/indie punk of the band from San Jose is full of life and kinship – fun fact: the four members of Star 99 lived together in their formative years. Among the lists of influences on the band’s sound is the “feeling of sitting in a dirty backyard with your homies on a beautiful day.”

Star 99 sound punchy yet twee on Bitch Unlimited. At no time does the music suggest that you might lose a life or two in the moshpit at their shows. Rather, you see yourself bounce, sweat and smile among strangers that will quickly become friends. Bitch Unlimited is a dynamic record. Spit Take for example starts out beautifully with guitar and vocals only, then the rest of the band crashes in and it becomes a cathartic song, almost uplifting if not for the lyrics that end on the devastating lines: “Did you settle // Bottom shelf// A discount price.” It’s just one example of how Bitch Unlimited can be appreciated on multiple levels, sweet and sour, quiet and loud. The change ups between singers adds to the fun, and when they join forces it’s complete synergy, like in the standouts Jackie and South Second.

Bitch Unlimited is out now via Lauren Records. Vinyl (tri-color!) expected to ship this Fall.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Lauren Records

New album: Cyanide Pills || Soundtrack To The New Cold War

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Damaged Goods released LP #4 by Cyanide Pills this week, and it sounds exactly like you’d expect from the Leeds lads: the good good stuff! Cyanide Pills bash out smash hit after smash hit on Soundtrack To The New Cold War, starting the LP by what may very well be the biggest raise-your-fist-and-sing-a-long anthem on the LP, The Kids Can’t Be Trusted With Rock ‘n’ Roll, a song previously released on a 7″ single alongside a killer cover of The Kids’ Do You Wanna Know. The new LP has another song starting with those exact four words (Do You Wanna Go Out Tonight) that is almost as catchy.

There are few euphemisms in the track list of Soundtrack To The New Cold War. Low Budget Rock ‘n’ Roll, Hope You’re Having Fun, That’s Alright With Us, The King Of Morale and Say It Out Loud? It is all pretty explicit, these words of celebration, frustration, worry, but also words of stimulation, battle cries as well. As expected, most of the songs are played at a decent pace with infectiouos melodies, like their forefathers of the late ’70s uk (pop) punk scene. On album closer It’s Over, Cyanide Pills go a little doo wop and full harmony and it’s a thing of beauty if you ask me.

Four records in, and I have yet to see this band live. Hope to change that soon and sing and bounce along to the hit-packed discography of Cyanide Pills.

Add to wantlist: Damaged Goods || Discogs

New single: Ruckus || Two Easy

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If the goal of a demo as way to get people excited about your work, new AU/US five-piece Ruckus sure are up to the task. The Two Easy demo cassette has only two songs, but they cut pretty deep and make an instant impact. “It’s getting hot in the city!” they howler in the protopunk banger Hot In The City. The second song, Sick Of Love, is equally great. Ruckus sound like a bunch of out of time rock’n’rollers that have just discovered the intensity of punk, and these first two songs would not look out of place on those compilation LPs in your collection featuring forgotten sixties and seventies punk gems.

Two Easy is (already sold) out on Ruckus Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: The Business Casuals || Office Party

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If you work at an office, there is a fair chance that you’ll have some colleagues that listen to punk music, even though you can’t tell from their business attire. Perhaps you catch them talking about a concert they visited recently, or perhaps they are carrying around a Descendents coffee mug to signal their allegiance. Members of Nightbeast, When Sparks Fly, Bribing Senators & Moontemple come out explicitly as office punks with their new project The Business Casuals. They follow the old adage of write what you know, by singing songs about co-workers like Sheila who is a Yelp frequenter, and cheatin’ Jeff from Accounting. They also sing about their daily struggles at work, like having to report to Linda in HR because of misdemeanors, and colleagues that reply all.

Musically, The Business Casuals sound like a mix of Riverdales and NOFX. Office Party is an EP full of catchy pop punk that will be good for a couple of chuckles. Fine concept, excellent execution. Can’t wait for the next release with songs about colleagues who forget to attach files to their mails, jerk bosses, useless meetings and watching cat videos in the boss’s time.


Get the Office Party EP at Coffin Curse records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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