Punk

New album: Klazo || ‘Demik Dementia

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And now for something complete PUNK…meet London (Ontario) duo Klazo! When Josh Rutledge calls a record the best punk to come out of 2022 yet, you bet I’m all ears.

Josh wasn’t lying. ‘Demik Dementia is an 11-song old school punk grenade that will blast your speakers and get your blood pumping. The record sounds like it was recorded live and in one manic take. It’s intense, it’s unhinged and, due to the sweet melodies buried somewhere underneath, it’s a blast.

To top it all off, Klazo closes the record with a killer cover of Jaguar Ride by Electric Eels. What’s not to like?!

‘Demik Dementia is out now on Big Neck Records and No Front Teeth.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Gimme 5! Mickey Leigh Shares Five Records He Fell In Love With In Anticipation Of His Solo Debut

By / / Garage Rock, Power Pop, Punk / 1 Comment

With ‘Gimme 5!’ we take a peek into the collections of artists we admire. The premise is simple: artists WE like share 5 records THEY love.

Mickey Leigh’s musical career commenced early. He started his first band in 1964 at the age of 10, and by the age of 14, he was in a band with Joey and Tommy Ramone. He has been an instrumental figure in the New York punk scene ever since, including founding The Rattlers, Sibling Rivalry (with his brother Joey Ramone), and STOP.

Five decades in his career, Mickey Leigh is about to release his first solo full-length release as Mickey Leigh’s Mutated Music. The record is called Variants of Vibe and will be out this Friday on Stevie van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records. Variants Of Vibe is a rock’n’rolling record that oozes punk rock attitude and the emotional depth of the highs and lows of many lives lived. Put differently, the records sounds fun and feels real. And songs like Little Christine, No Fun Anymore, Spanish Eyes, and Standing In The Dark are instant classics. [post continues below]


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New single: Stefan Eno || This Is Great

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Stefan Eno (Stefano Lumetta from Italy) used to play in Stardumb Records alumns The Popsters, a melodic pop punk outfit with Descendents leanings. Eno also played in Tough and other acts.

Nowadays, Stefan releases music under the moniker Stefan Eno. His latest single is titled This Is Great, which basically sums up my feelings about the three songs on the single. This Is Great has everything I like about poppy punkrock. Plenty of punch and pace, strong melodies, and a little rough around the edges.

I’d like more of this, Stefan! RIYL: Stardumb Records, Samiam.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Zhoop || Lust

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After releasing a split with the mighty Smirk and a minor hit on the Bandcamp charts (WWIII), Zhoop (Hammond, Indiana) returns with a Valentine’s EP.

In all fairness, sonically, the four hardcorepunk songs on the Lust EP sound more like breaking stuff with blunt force than sweet declarations of love. But with song titles as Lust, Valentine and Love & Hate, I guess it fits the Valentine’s theme just the same.

The takeaway here: Make love & moshpit, not war.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Pantocrator || Sálvame

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Marta Delmont, Marina Correa, Xiri Romaní, and Robert Busquets are back with 14 minutes of Spanish noise pop. On their new mini album Sálvame you hear eight short songs that make you long to travel to Barcelona right now to experience this live. What an energy and power radiates from this band, breathtaking.

Sálvame is out now digitally. Add to wantlist: The Orchard

New album: Trevor Blendour || Falling In Love

By / / Power Pop, Punk / 1 Comment

I may need to call my dentist, because I’ve been spinning a record on repeat today that is so sugary sweet, I wouldn’t be surprised if the damage to my teeth is permanent. Was it worth it? I guess so, in a “I didn’t need to finish that bag of chips but I probably will do so again next week” kind of way.

I’m talking about Falling In Love by Trevor Blendour. Blendour usually releases acoustic tunes as The Blendours. Falling In Love is more electric. Or should I say electrifying? It is an highly entertaining and extremely catchy record. If you like how Masked Intruder integrates doo wop and ’60s pop influences in their pop punk, this record is a must listen for you. Although with Blendour it’s the other way around. He sounds more like a ’50s rock’n’roller or a ’60s Beatlemaniac who just discovered Green Day’s Kerplunk record – listen to songs like Lost A Girl and Cold Heart for example. It’s kinda crazy, perhaps even criminal, how effortlessly Trevor Blendour mixes those styles, how he adds sweet harmonies and make this record sound like a golden oldies covers album.

The weekend is here, Valentine’s Day is coming up. Falling In Love is a timeless, yet timely record which sure will steal some hearts!




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: All Away Lou || Things Will Change

By / / Indie Rock, Punk / 1 Comment

It’s easy to root for someone who is still passionate about playing punk rock three decades in her career. It becomes self-evident when that person wrote and played a kickass record all by herself.

I’m talking about Lou Hanman, who is best known as the singer of Caves, but also played in RVIVR, Worriers, Queen of Jeans, Katie Ellen, Mikey Erg’s band and Thin Lips. Aside from technical and production support by Kyle Pulley (Thin Lips) and Jackie Milestone, Things Will Change is all Lou Hanman. Or, should I say All Away Lou, which I assume is a reference to her move from the UK to Philadelphia six years ago.

Anyhow, Lou wrote all the songs and plays all the instruments on Things Will Change. The record is a must for fans of Caves of course, but also for fans of indie punk in general. Expect a diverse albums of pop punk bangers, indie rockers and headboppers, where Hanman’s vocal melodies shine bright. There is no lack of highlights on the record, but may I suggest a taste of Looks Right, Try As I Might, The Point, and the gorgeous Joyful Life? I think you’ll like it.

Things Will Change is out now on Specialist Subject Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Specialist Subject

New EP: ME REX || Pterodactyl

By / / Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Do you remember? Last year UK 4-piece ME REX released their full-length debut album Megabear, built from 52 short tracks intended to be played in shuffle mode, which together formed one continuous song of half an hour, but constructed differently for each listener. What a great experiment that was, but to be honest not one that we have played a lot. I wondered what the band’s next move would be, here’s the answer. Myles McCabe (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Kathryn Woods (vocals, guitar), Phoebe Cross (vocals, drums), and Rich Mandell (vocals, bass) are back with 4-track EP Pterodactyl, more traditional but also more enjoyable. That doesn’t mean their “shouty, electronic bedroom pop” or “anti-folk” – file under Indie Emo Rock – is easy. Despite the catchy sing-along choruses, this is quite complex music with clever lyrics – dynamic, theatrical and larger than life.

“The songs explore the need for change, through personal growth, decay, or the apocalypse.” – Myles McCabe

Pterodactyl is out now digitally via Big Scary Monsters. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Stiff Drinks || New Anxiety/Crashing

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Here’s a new band I’m adding to my watchlist. Stiff Drinks are a new outfit from Maryland, whose love for mod, powerpop and garagepunk shines through in their songs. Their 2021 demo showed promise, but this single is definitely a step up. Both tracks are a lot of fun, and I am particularly fond of the rock’n’rolling Crashing Down.

Keep an eye/ear out for more from this band!



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Kat Haus || Manic

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A freak chemical accident caused Alberta native Colton Benson to change his name to Kat Haus. Or so the story goes.

The 7-song Manic EP is the delightfully weird result of Haus experimenting with home recording. Haus explains: “I sorta drove myself crazy, learning how to record, mix and all that fun stuff, but I like how it turned out.” I have to say, I like it as well. Backed up by a drum computer, Haus has one foot in egg punk territory, with the other somewhere at an intersection of classic punk and postpunk. The addition of the occasional sample is pretty cool as well.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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