Nightfreak are a band who, in their own words, play “feral punk ‘n’ roll”. Bands sometimes have a skewed idea of how they sound, or of the intents and complexities of the music they play, but in this case, these three lads from Chicago are under no illusions. Their second release ‘Speed Trials’ fills a brutal ten and a half minutes with unrelenting material that pulls the best from Black Flag and Germs and marries that hardcore intensity to rock ‘n’ roll riffs that sound like bits of Rocket From The Crypt and New Bomb Turks colliding with Keith Morris performing with a genuine anger.
Tag Archives: punk ‘n’ roll
THE UPPERS – Manic Melodies EP
The Uppers’ debut EP ‘Get Down With…’ introduced garage rock fans to a high energy band whose stock sounds often sounded like a souped up version of The Real Kids. Armed with a 60s twang and a CBGB’s punk energy, the St. Louis four piece immediately sounded ready to take on the world.
THE DROWNS – Just The Way She Goes / 1979 Trans Am
2023 was a particularly busy year for The Drowns. The US punk ‘n’ roll band – featuring ex members of The Shell Corporation, The Briggs, and Success – released a split with The Last Gang, another split with noise punks Wonk Unit, and a cover of Sweet’s classic ‘Ballroom Blitz’. The latter continued to show off their massive love for 70s glam fare, having already covered Slade’s ‘Know Who You Are’ the previous year. In addition, they toured extensively, and their live shows even took in a huge run of dates across Europe. It’s almost as if The Drowns had long given up on the idea of sleeping…
THE BEATERSBAND – 52 Ways To Murder EP
The Beatersband’s third full length release – the aptly named ‘Vol Tre’, released in 2022 – was a really fun slab of punk ‘n’ roll. The Italian band put their own stamp on a variety of cover tunes ranging from Del Shannon to The Troggs, and although it could never claim to be “high art”, the DIY recording showed off some great bass work and enthusiastic vocals. In short, despite never aiming for perfection, the release made it easy to hear why fans of punk and high energy rock ‘n’ roll might love these guys.
BAD MARY Trash & Glamour EP
Bad Mary’s third release, 2016’s ‘We Could Have Saved The World’ presented a great blend of pop punk and trashy rock, as if the band had absorbed little bits of the second Save Ferris album and Duff McKagan’s Loaded, before regurgitated them with bits of Bowling For Soup’s pop savvy, which created something of their own. It was the kind of EP that deserved to win fans quickly, and on their 2019 full length, the band showed off an equally impressive array of musical skills that suggested their love of classic styles wasn’t about to wear thin any time soon.