BLEEDERS – Gash EP

bleeders-gash-cassetteIn the run up to the release of this cassette, Bleeders had been steadily building a following on the live circuit on their home turf of Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas. That sort of makes sense since they have a sound that would surely work much better live; on record, their no-frills, no-wave, distorted, zero budget approach is hellishly ugly. So much so, that it makes label mates The Meltaways seem like a manufactured, multi-million dollar, radio groomed pop rock trio by direct comparison. The recording of ‘Gash’ is so raw and unrelentingly grotesque, it borders on being unlistenable. Looking at it another way, it’s so hard going, that’s an achievement in itself.

Continue reading

COACH N COMMANDO – FBP!K!K!

cnc2016Coach N Commando are a two-piece act that are almost the dictionary definition of the word niche. These self-styled country punks create a raw sound that sounds like the deformed mutation of Lux Interior, Reverend Horton Heat and a toothless bluegrass hobo. Their 2016 release – their first for Brooklyn’s King Pizza label – is both intricate and ferocious; ugly and smart. Long standing fans will recognise a few tracks reworked from previous records, but rest assured that the re-recordings are an improvement at every turn. The eight songs that make up ‘FBP!K!K!’ play like disastrous musical travelogues retold via a telegram from a previous generation. With bad motels, dirt roads and broken relationships at the core, it’s like everything and nothing you’d expect from such an unholy alliance of sounds.

Continue reading

HEY HALLWAYS – Absence Makes The Heart Forget EP

hey hallways cassetteAlthough presenting themselves in two very distinctly different moods, on their 2014 EP ‘Absence Makes The Heart Forget’, San Francisco’s Hey Hallways’ work always shows a huge DIY spirit and self-belief. Their obvious willingness to pay homage to some great punk and garage rock sounds from the tail end of the 1980s will win over fans of the style almost instantly. The first half of this release has so much energy within it’s crudely recorded material, while the second is a very different beast – one that’s almost certainly guaranteed to be a love/hate affair.

Continue reading

FORCED ENTRY – CS

Forced Entry CSThe state of Georgia, USA: while home to REM, Indigo Girls, Baroness, The Allman Brothers, Sevendust and countless other bands, it’s not always the first place that comes to mind when you think of hardcore punk. However, by the mid ’10s, Atlanta had forged itself a fairly sizable underground scene. In Savannah, one of a few circles of hardcore bands can be found as part of a very close-knit community. Anxiety Junkies released their first full length to high praise from DIY punk blogs and the like, as well as playing regular live shows. As part of the Savannah crowd, Forced Entry could also be discovered making noise on a minuscule budget. Bringing together ex-members of Sauna Heat and Gym Shorts, their debut cassette – appropriately titled ‘CS’ – captures approximately fifteen minutes of pure fury.

Continue reading

THE RIZZOS – Worse Things

the rizzosAt the beginning of 2015, Brooklyn’s The Rizzos released their debut EP ‘No Parents, No Rules’.  Far from perfect, it showed a great promise for the future and was worth checking out for ‘Vomit Kiss’, a punky number that showed the energy within the band in a brattish and youthful manner.  That glimpsed promise comes really through on this seven track cassette – issued just six months later – where The Rizzos really hit their mark consistently, blending their garage rock roots with some serious early sixties bubblegum vibes and some classy power pop.

Continue reading