Released in May 2015, Anxiety Junkies’ debut album ‘Self Sabotage’ was a low budget but well accomplished foray into hardcore punk, presenting a bunch of short and sharp tunes that really drove home the band’s DIY leanings. Barely a month after release, drummer Alex moonlighted with Forced Entry, giving an insight into how – although miles from DC, New York and other places readily associated with hardcore – Georgia, too, had its own burgeoning scene. Exactly one year on from ‘Self Sabotage‘, the Junkies made a full return with ‘Gentrified Homicide’, an angry politically charged release that takes in a few more influences than before.
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VINCENT CARR’S SUMIC – Rekindled
Approaching the writing and recording of his fifth album, Vincent Carr stumbled across that age old problem all artistes face, whether a musician or writer: that potential stumbling block being, in his own words, “how to remain true to yourself, without repeating yourself”. With that in mind, although largely instrumental, ‘Rekindled’ almost feels thematic in its aim to reconnect; it’s music has a slow burning retro style that celebrates a love of things with an old spirit, while simultaneously looking at things afresh.
NIGHTMEN – Fifteen Minutes Of Pain
If you imagine the sounds of proto-punk from 1975 transferred via Sweden, you’ll know almost instinctively how this release from Nightmen sounds. This Scandinavian quartet dish up some really honest and authentic music on this audio love letter to the days of New York Dolls and the Ramones’ debut; the twelve tracks crammed into under half an hour showcases the sounds of leather and sweat, with a little camp trash thrown in for good measure. In short, ‘Fifteen Minutes of Pain’ might be heavy on the recycling, but the energy combined with a knack for hooks and riffs makes it an essential listen.
BONGO & THE SOUL JAR – What Have You Got To Lose
The Black Milk Project released their debut EP ‘Holes‘ in March 2016. By the time the recording had been made available for streaming and purchase via Bandcamp, it had already been a case of all change for the Sheffield based jazz poppers with vocalist Delia Taffler having moved on. Guitarist Kris McAdam had other projects and interests on the go, however, and his funk pop outfit Bongo & The Soul Jar had already set about recording their debut full length. That debut, ‘What Have You Got To Lose’, is a brilliantly professional work with it’s core sounds culled from a late eighties and early nineties vintage. While the musicianship is strong, it’s never overly showy: each play of the album uncovers the work of a very natural sounding musical unity; the funk grooves that lie at the core of the best tracks possess an almost timeless quality.
THE LIPPIES – The Lippies EP
This 2014 EP from The Lippies brings punk rock aplenty, sharp feminist attitudes and even sharper arrangements across six tracks for a brief, but thrilling listen. Although very much a DIY affair, it’s got a fantastic sound quality and production value, meaning right from the get-go the talent within this music unit can be heard so clearly. …And this is a good thing: although so much punk benefits from a fuzzy, lo-fi attitude, it would have been a shame if these songs – and the bass sound which drives them, in particular – had been lost due to a muddy end sound.