Bringing together members of B-Movie Rats, LaDonnas and Rum Bar Records’ signings The Hi-End, The Mochines are a no nonsense garage rock band featuring some of the genre’s old hands. Following a few years away, their 2023 release ‘Modern Information’ finds this group of friends sounding particularly energised, and on its best cuts, sounding even sharper than ever before.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
DAS KAPITANS – Get Up
Whether approaching an early Mudhoney aesthetic (‘MTV’), adopting a sound that blends the melodic indie of early Franz Ferdinand with heavier, almost grung breakdowns (‘Always Here’), delving into something much moodier and channelling Pavement (‘Sausage’), or throwing themselves head first into a world of minute long, punky bangers (the bulk of 2021’s ‘Ten’ “long player”), Das Kapitans often guarantee their audience a good time. For those who’ve followed the band since near the beginning, it’s been interesting to watch them grow.
DUCK & COVER – EP
In 2022, US band Duck & Cover released the ‘Attention Economy’ EP, a short listen that hit hard and fast with a world of trashy riffs that blended a love of garage rock with The Replacements, and even added a tinge of 80s glam to a few of the vocals. The tracks have since appeared on streaming services as three digital singles, but whether heard together or apart, the material retains its appeal. 2024’s two track ‘Trash Fest’ showed off a little more melody around the edges – particularly noticeable in the vocal approach taken on the massively hooky ‘Girl From Nowhere’ – but the band’s love of a wonderfully retro sound held firm.
THE LEN PRICE 3 – Emily’s Shop / I’m A Fake
Within garage rock circles, the Len Price 3 have become a hugely popular fixture. Between their high energy live shows and some superb recorded works, the Medway lads have continually given the UK scene a kick up the arse. Despite not being the most prolific act in terms of studio work, they’ve been remarkably consistent, and the best bits of 2022’s ‘Ip Dip Do’ and 2023’s ‘Chinese Burn’ are every bit as powerful as the band’s earliest works. With such a high quality threshold, it’s no wonder that, despite hailing from a corner of Britain that isn’t exactly renowned for its musical heritage or wealth of live venues – it seems to have always been Billy Childish against the world – the LP3 managed to attract the attention of the Wicked Cool label in the US.
PUSH PUPPETS – Tethered Together
Chicago’s Push Puppets are a pop rock band who think a little bigger than most. There are moments during their second album ‘Tethered Together’ that hark back to the alternative boom of the 90s, moments that celebrate power pop, and there’s even a touch of melodic prog within some of the guitar work. It’s to main man Erich Specht’s credit that he has the creative vision to make everything fit together so well, but since he’s given sole credit for writing the songs and creating the album’s string arrangements, alongside being the band’s vocalist and guitarist, and being the co-producer of this record, he obviously has a very clear understanding of the direction he wishes the music to take, despite everything being drawn from different influences. What this creates, of course, is the kind of album that encourages its audience to listen closely.