2007 Rolling "Punk" (or non-indie underground) Rock Thread

i've never really heard any Oi stuff to be honest.

i've always been sort of turned off by the idea of it, but it might be great, who knows?

there's all this shit called "street punk" now where the dudes look like rancid and sound like social distortian and the name of the band is the [blank] City [blanks], but i dunno how that relates to Oi.

I usually just call all the Oi! stuff street punk because then I don't need to differentiate between proper Oi! bands like 4 Skins and the Business and bands that sounded similar but weren't skinheads or didn't want to associate themselves with the Oi! movement because of the right wing connections, such as the Partisans. It's all street punk to me!

The Varukers weren't an Oi band anyway, they're more a D-beat/discore band, i.e. Discharge ripoffs. Captain Oi Records reissues a lot of different stuff, even some new wave and ska.

New Das Oath on 31G is pretty good, sounds like all their stuff. New Career Suicide should hopefully be around by the end of the month. Mildly hyped for that.

(btw more and more i'm pretty much focused on local Twin Cities stuff, so apologies if my recommends are pretty provincial)

but here's a band we've played w/a bunch...Baby Guts...sort of remind me of earlyish riot grrrl but with more of a hardcore/punk element. First time I saw them they covered Scratch Acid..

http://www.myspace.com/babyguts

Talking of Oi - the original 1980 compilation Oi! The Album is finally being reissued properly (also on aforementioned Captain Oi). It's been reissued before but with alternate tracks for a couple of the bands, presumably due to licensing problems.

Anyone know what's up with the A Frames? Lars the drummer left, correct?

And also yeah, Lars has apparently left the A Frames. Haven't seen 'em since, though. They're playing on Feb 03 @ the Funhouse (Seattle), so I'm gonna czech. Saw the Intelligence there recently and they were ... okay. Then again I was kinda burned out, so maybe it ain't their fault.

This is what it says about a new A Frames record on the Dragnet recs site: "The next album will be called MIDNIGHT VISIONS and will be on Subpop if they like it." Doesn't sound too convinced. Someone's maybe still trying to recoup all that swell packaging $?

They're kinda similar to the A Frames (ex Frame drummer Lars is bandleader), but nowhere near as icy/forbidding. Sproingy, manic, garagey post-punk action, but with tons of hooks. Dancey, even -- in a live context anyway. Gets the assholes who wear scarves in bars out on the dancefloor.

Their recent album on In the Red makes 'em out to be more Coachwhips-like than they really are. Waaaaaay too much self-conscious "we are on In the Red" distortion. Not really a big part of the live sound, and it takes something away from the tunes, IMO. Definitely worth a listen, though.

I can't manage more than a "curious" about the new Ponys. LOVE Laced w Romance, but was totally [.....] with Celebration Castle.

Am enough in lust w/ teh Black Lips even to brave the finger-dirtying Vice records association. That's the one I'm dying to hear.

All actual "punk", "hardcore" except stuff like Hatebreed, Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan (i'm sure these are real outdated ref. by now, but i don't pay attn) that is really more appropriate for Rolling Metal Thread

Underground loud rock that doesn't crossover into outright "noise", "freakfolk", neo-psych Arthur Mag nu-Grateful Dead territory

old school SST, Touch & Go influences type stuff (might crossover w/nu-pigfuck a little but still should be here)

GOOD post-punk infl. stuff that's not all mascara, black shirts, white ties, Myspace, post-Interpol junk (Slits, Rough Trade, Pop Group, Swell Maps etc)

BUT MOST IMPORTANLY, who cares? Just have fun and talk abt cool bands.

NO INDIE ROCK

absolutely! it's more just a rolling "all the kinds of new rock music that i like thread" but i tried to explain it more.

HUGE power-pop hooks 'n' tunes, done up garage punk stylee. Much slicker than most stuff of this sort, but in a way that feels really damn good. Often reminds me a LOT of Bad Religion, but without the overwhelmingly anthemic qualities. Tons of mod influences, too. Recommended to fans of The Exploding Hearts, Registrators, etc.

Earlier records as memorable/catchy as this?

I'm kinda wondering how old they are. Dunno why...

sweet! i fucking love the oblivions.

he reminds me more of jerry a. from poison idea. great band. looks like they'll finally play in the states again soon, since they got denied at the border for cmj.

really, disappointing, kinda generic Chicago rock that reminded me of a way worse Silkworm. but i think it was like their 2nd gig or something.

fucked up should be in nyc around the first weekend in march, sez my friend.

I think it's about song length. By the time a basic punk/hc jam hits the 5 minute mark, it's usually time to pull the plug (unless yr. Les Thugs, and shit, even then).

Aaaaaand I wasn't gonna say it, but that pseudo-Brannon shouty shit has gotta go. Some folks can deal, but for me ... NO THANK YOU, ANGRY BALD MAN. Then again, I hate pro wrestling, so what do I know?

Memphis-based rock/R&B/post-punk outfit (for all the sense that word-salad makes). Also sport a massive TV jones, along with enough Verlaine-style gtr mangle to back it up.

They've been putting out records for a few years now, to basically no acclaim. One of these grizzled, vagely "Americana" identified bands that seem to do better in Europe than in the states (think Dead Moon, Walkabouts, Giant Sand, Napalm Beach, etc.) Started on Sympathy; think their stuff is more-or-less self-released at this point.

Long intro, but I'm totally in love with this band. Killer pop songwriting, dubbed-out post-punk experiments, sleazy Stones riffs, burned-out Memphis soul, piles of tangled, raspy guitar damage, and some damn fine whiskey & cigarettes vocal tones. Marquee Moon + Sister Lovers + Jane From Occupied Europe + Sticky Fingers. Maybe with some Pavement thrown in somewhere?

...Okay, it's nowhere near THAT, but still awful damn good.

Note that I'm not sure about their very recent In the Meantime LP. It sounds kinda half-baked, but I haven't really given it a chance yet. I'm mostly carrying on about 2003's A New Commotion, A Delicate Tension. Which is in the ballpark of very good. As mentioned above.

Trice. Uh-huh. [backing slowly away]

***

Anyway, on the recommendation of someone who follows the garage/punk/wave thing more closely than I do, I bought some stuff last night:

Turpentine Brothers - "Get Your Mind Off Me" 45 (Alien Snatch Records)
Soulful garage punk from Boston. I understand they've got an LP out on Alive, though I haven't heard it. Deep, gritty vocals; ripping "blues" guitar; heavy bass + leslie/organ grind; and simple, driving drumming. Elements of the Dirtbombs, Cheater Slicks and Black Keys (whom I hate), but still distinctive. Great songs, too.

Tyvek - "Mary Ellen Claims" / "Honda" 45 (X! Records)
Abrasive, buzzy, ultra-primitive punk from Detroit. Reminiscent of the Electric Eels, Urinals, etc. B-Side, about driving shitty cars, is the fucking jam. One of the best rock 'n' roll tunes I've heard in ages. I wanna compare this to Times New Viking, but that'd be misleading. Similar crudity and ear for idiot-savant hooks, but a different set of reference points. In any event, fucking awesome.

Pointed Sticks - Wating for the Real Thing comp. LP
Amazing and near forgotten wave-punk/power-pop band from Vancouver, collecting tracks from their peak '78 - '81 era. Skinny tie pogo pop all the way. Killer songs from front to back, too. I'm just amazed I'd never heard this stuff before. Reference points include the Weirdos, the Boys, the Skulls and the Flamin' Groovies, along with modern-day camp followers like the Briefs and the Exploding Hearts. A whole bunch of these songs sound like they really shoulda been radio hits. What happened?

***

P.S. I retract the claim that the Viva L'ADRM singer has a "whiskey & cigarettes" voice. First it's a brutally stupid cliche. Second, he doesn't. He sounds exactly like Lou Reed used to. You know, when Lou Reed could sing.

amazing live band, don't have any recordings by them yet, but they blew me away...2 drummer massive fugazi type stuff live....had an earlier EP out, now the new one is on Level Plane Records.

Anyway, big time in the midwest punk scene, some of the dudes used to be in Vida Blue, which ended up being on Southern as Ten Grand cuz the dude from Phish gave them $10,000 for the name Vida Blue (which he used for a side project)....

Ten Grand's lead singer is a real legend amongst people I know, sadly i never saw them was going to go to the show that was scheduled for the nite he died in mpls...he's also in that Afropunk documentary DVD.

so...long story longer...here's Tornavalanche's myspace site!

http://www.myspace.com/tornavalanche

anyway they are touring again and coming to mpls....this mp3 is awesome!

http://www.indiepages.com/moto/dance.mp3

but i am sold on jay reatard, turpentine brothers, and psychedelic horseshit - death cult (reatard, KKBBQ, black lips, etc) and siltbreeze records (TNV, psychedelic horseshit, sapat) have made 2007 sooooo awesome so far.

some dudes from mpls...former folx from Soviettes, Salteens, Banner Pilot, more....The Gateway District...this is pop punk the good way. Makes me smile a lot.

anyway, they have a new limited edition blue vinyl 7 inch that you'll never be able to find outside of mpls but here's the myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/thegatewaydistrict

fucking christ these 2 gateway district songs fucking RULE....

Doesn't the vocals on Embrace's "Building" sound like Dave Vanian from the Damned? Well at least until Ian starts shouting.

2nd the no-longer-so-new Cheater Slicks. Best thing they've done since Whiskey, better than Don't Like You. Every song is memorable & distinct. Even the dirgey stuff has hooks.

Also loving a bunch of singles on Columbus Discount Records. New Necropolis 45 is raw as hell, still catchy. Recent El Jesus de Magico, Night of Pleasure and Psychedelic Horseshit singles are even better. "Bring On the Curse" might be my favorite song of 2007. Assuming it came out in 2007. Who knows.

Any word on that Terror Visions thing? Still haven't heard it.

Yeah I was listening to the new Cheater Slicks this morning, it's great. I like most of their stuff though.

Late to the game, but that Carbonas 'Frothing at the Mouth' track is a ripper. 2006/07? I dunno.

anyone heard the CPC Gangbangs record on Swami? Montreal ex-spaceshits/sexareenos types, but a lot punker + uglier than the KK/BBQ side... not really my thing, but I'm old as the hills. Really looking forward to the Black Lips record though, all the songs I've heard are super accessible stompalongs.

Haven't heard the CPC Gangbangs LP, but I love the singles. Teenage Crimewave b-side is fucking crazy great.

Also looking forward to the new Black Lips. Dig both tunes on the newish Bad Magazine single (Cold Hands / My Struggle): somewhere between the Feelies and the Seeds. A little tame maybe, but I guess that's the price of wisdom.

Just bought a Tyvek dbl 45 on What's Yr Rupture. It's great. Best stuff so far, and I love the Mary Ellen Claims / Honda 45. Four songs, all familiar from the Fast Metabolism CDR, but much improved, sound-wise. Needles Drop, Frustration Rock, couple more.

Also picked up the 1st issue of a newspaper-style zine called Z GUN - appears to have been out for a while. Store clerk said it was "like Forced Exposure". Looks like the handiwork of Terminal Boredom's Scott Soriano, and it IS a lot like Forced Exposure - also a lot like TB, no surprise. Totally worth picking up. Great, long, readable articles about obscure punk shit and tons of spot-on reviews.

I'm hoping to pick up that Z Gun mag too. It's Scott Soriano and some other dude.

Black Lips is good. First play did pretty much nothing for me, the second and third totally clicked. The song that's (in a roundabout way) about their guitarist who died is really kinda touching, and funny at the same time, which is high praise IMO.

What's Yr Rupture just put out a Fucked Up 12" where they try their hand at Krautrock. It's worth hearing. It was up on I think Pitchfork last week or something, but I dunno if it is now.

I ordered the Homostupids album from Parts Unknown. I'm expecting to like it going on descriptions but it'll prob take a while to get here.

There was some good stuff on that one-sided Homostupids ep. Rackety and lo-fi with some fuckery (like tape wobble on vocals) that kept it interesting. The last track really chugged. Gotta check out the LP, but from what I read, I seem to recall it sounding a bit more straight up.

What I wrote about the new Black Lips album on the rolling country thread, fwiw:

1. the album does have some old-time yodeling country moves on it, so it kinda fits here. Anyway, I think it might be their most songful and funniest and most rocking album, which I totally didn't expect especially giving how their live album earlier this year didn't click for me like their three previous studio albums had. The advance I have doesn't have song titles, and neither does the press release I kept, but I'm really loving their use of almost-doowop bassman-and-high-voice switchoffs in tracks #8 and #4, the latter of which is all about good luck and bad luck and superstitions. Also really like #1, which is trippy and appears to be called "C'Mon Trip" or something; #5 I guess it is (having trouble reading my notes) which is sort of their exuberanly politically incorrect and totally war-whooping version of "Indian Outlaw" (or Don Armando's 2nd Ave Rhumba Band's "I'm An Indian Too" maybe?) with every wigwam peace-pipe tomahawk cliche in the book and possibly the longest laundry list of Cherokee Navajo etc etc Indian nations in any song ever, and maybe especially #6, which has to be one of the most blatant "Louie Louie" rewrites in history, except they do it as "L.A. L.A." as far as my ears can tell, with plenty of party in the background voices tossed in. The Dylany sea-chantey tunes rock and roll, too. As does the yodeling.

Their myspace I notice they lead off with a song called "Katrina"; not sure if that's one of the songs I just talked about, or not).

wig wam bam, bam-sham-alam. Hiawatha didn't bother too much 'bout Minehaha and her tender touch.

track #8 seems to be about "bad kids" who live out on the strip and take all the pills and have hissyfits and don't give a shit and draw penises on the walls of the bathroom stalls and get bad report cards in the USA like you and me oo-wee.

followup with corrections:

Oops, an occupational hazard of using random play on the CD player: That "L.A. L.A."/"Louie Louie" song (in which Hollywood High figures prominently) isn't track #6 on the Black Lips' Good Bad Not Evil at all; instead it's #6 on the 2004 Bomp! CD reissue of Stiv Bators's 1980 L.A Confidential which I've also been listening to. The other song on there that I'd been assuming was Black Lips is "It's Cold Outside," one of a bunch of '60s-style powerpop numbers with actual power on Stiv's CD. Also, I like his version of the Sonics' "Have Love Will Travel" better than his version of the Damned's "Neat Neat Neat", which is just okay. And none of which has anything to do with country. Though track #7 on the Black Lips album -- which I'd been thinking of as a Dylan sea chantey, but which is really more like a Hee-Haw/Ray Stevens novelty tune about how do you tell a child that someone has died, with spoken verse parts to kids bewtixt the choruses -- is country for sure. (Now, though, without those Bators cuts, I'm less sure that the Black Lips album is their best one ever. But it's still really good.)

I'm not sure what to make of the Fucked Up 12" on WYR? A-side (something about "Pigs") is a LONG piano-driven piece of near-ambient muscle rock. It's kind of krautrock, maybe? But not really. I hear more of the Tom Waits/Pogues-worshipping end of the punk continuum. Builds and builds towards a hardcore crescendo that never quite arrives. It's good, but frustrating.

Loved the 1st Homostupids (Brutal Birthday 1-sided thing). Total Chrome damage art punk garbage. Less thrilled with the comparatively straightforward Blag Flag styles on the follow up (The Glow). So I'm holding off on the LP.

Saw The Oh-Sees a couple months ago: current incarnation of John Dwywer's OCS project. The records are wispy bedroom psychedelia - and GREAT - but the live show was way more Coachwhips-like. Raw, infectious, super danceable, rock n roll R&B with boy/girl vocals. More restrained and tuneful than the Coachwhips ever were, with traces of the folk psyche stuff thrown in for balance. Best & most surprising live show I've seen in ages, no contest. John said a new LP was being recorded by TV On the Radio's Dave Sitek, and would be "more like the live stuff." Supposedly mixing in the fall. Out sometime? Anyone know anything about this?

Without those Bators cuts, I'm less sure that the Black Lips album is their best one ever.

a little more on the 80s touch n go, noisy side of punk, but these dudes are from Mpls...real good if you like Pissed Jeans, etc etc

Charles de Gaulle

http://www.myspace.com/charlesdegaulle

Two new 7" records this spring/summer by Timmy VL's Human Eye. Dude used to front Clone Defects, who started off GREAT - Tom Perkins 45 w/ Bottled Woman still kicks my ass every time I play it - but went down the shitter fast. Human Eye seem to be charting the opposite course. Debut on In the Red a couple years back didn't quite click. Appreciated the ideas, but the energy wasn't there, production worked against 'em, etc. But both of these new records are killers. Apparently recorded at the same time, in the same place, by someone who really gets what the band are up to - one out on Cass, the other on Ypsilanti. 4 new tunes and a quick cover of the Urinals' Hologram (nice, but doesn't add much to the original). Not sure how much membership crossover there is with that ITR LP, but I'm pretty damn sure they've got themselves a new drummer. Fucking ace.

ooh clone defects cool i'll check that.

Also, v. impressed with Hozac Records, vinyl production arm of Horizontal Action fanzine. Recent 45s by White Savage and Black Dogs are both great. Blank Dogs = catchy, rinky-dink synth punk with a mean streak that doesn't disguise it's pop heart. White Savage = Feral, pounding no-wave garage punk.

Blank Dogs 6-song EP ("The First Two Weeks" on Freedom School Records) is likewise excellent, upping the single's lo-fi ante considerable. For fans of that cotton needle sound.

Black BLANK Dogs. Yeesh.

Two new 7" records this spring/summer by Timmy VL's Human Eye.

two?! dammit.

I was just going to mention the Blank Dogs records when I saw this thread had been bumped.
Also similar and worth finding on Hozac: Spider 7". Good luck.

I've got the Terror Visions lp, and it's okay. Maybe a little tooo self-conciously anti-social to be more than a curiosity. The new-ish Jay Reatard 7" and Final Solutions album on Goner are much better (though almost completely unlike TV).

If it's okay to talk about PW Long in here, I highly recommend God Bless the Drunkard's Dog, vinyl only album. No surprises, but way better than his past solo albums, and possibly most Mule too.

I'm not too terribly impressed with this Volt band on In the Red.

The 2nd album by Qui (fairly generic 2-piece sludge, now with David Yow on vocals) is gettable on soulseek, and it's kind of growing on me, though I feel no urgency to sit myself down listen to it the way I do, say, . I think they may need a bass player.

*the way I do, say, the new Beasts of Bourbon album (Little Monsters) - which is very good.

I think the Qui album will grow on you. I luv it. I'm putting them on in December which I'm pretty excited about

two:

Tokyo Electron (these guys were really good at Gonerfest II)

Lamps

Is the new Lamps that great? I like the last one, but I need something more than a loose approximation of the Cheater Slicks.

dunno, but that "Eliseo" tune is doing it for me

jay reatard was great live!

i missed it ;_;

sustitute...lets go

blood visions...lets go

Finally got the Homostupids album in the post yesterday, played it twice this morning, pretty impressed altho people had talked up a Gravity Records sorta emo chaos element to it that I didn't really hear. Pissed Jeans' Sub Pop single was in the same package but they have their own thread. Not heard enough new jams across the board recently... need to buy more new stuff, but less stuff overall. Fatal Flying Guilloteens have an album on Frenchkiss called 'Quantum Fucking' that does the garagey end of old AmRep to decent effect, if that excites any of yez

these guys are coming to mpls, from TX...Boxcar Satan...sometimes a bit "psychobilly" for my taste, vox sound real beefheart but they get a little weirder/noisier than average for this kinda stuff...

http://www.boxcarsatan.com/

but i actually can't go cuz my band is playing that nite with these angry yung doodz from mpls, Sarah Johnson...they might be a little more noise than this thread calls for but they def. rock hard...pissed jeans fans might check this out:

http://www.myspace.com/sarahsarahjohnson

New Black Cross is really good. Fills the void that Hot Snakes left up to a point, reminds me of Dag Nasty and maybe someone like Government Issue a bit too? Ex-members of lots of bands that a few people liked

I just got and listened to the new Crime Exalted Masters album, and it is pretty great. Johnny Strike sings more like Lou Reed and less like Tom Verlaine now (and, judging by the back cover photo, looks EXACTLY like the Hunter S. Thompson character in Doonesbury), and the band - Hank Rank, drummer from some early line-up, and two younger, probably pushing 40, guys - sound plenty tough. Writing detective fiction for the past few years seems to have had a positive impact on the songwriting as well. Vinyl only and self-released, I think.

France Has the Bomb is pretty cool! they remind me of a more garage rock Mclusky or something

http://www.myspace.com/francehasthebomb

Jay Reatard interview discussing upcoming 6-single deal w/ Matador.

these guys are playing a show with Dillinger Four in mpls this weekend but i can't go, sounds pretty good...real big-boned tough guy macho midwestern pop punk not lame like so-cal pop punk, kind of like...D4 actually not surprised they are playing with them.

http://www.myspace.com/thebrokedowns

saw the carbonas and king khan/BBQ new records didn't buy them but plan to...

new ft(Shadow Government) is amazing. like if DC post hardcore bands were as musically influenced by go-go as they claimed to be...two drummers, white noise, giant dub bass, and big riffs...i think i mentioned them upthread but if not they are parts of Ten Grand (vita blue) who were from Iowa and Southern before Matt Davis died (he was in the afropunk doc)...but anyway one of my very favorite bands on earth right now and an AMAZING live band...

http://www.myspace.com/fttheshadowgovernment

also Blind Shake who I mentioned their record w/Michael Yonkers upthread (which is great), have a new disc with just them out, and it's good...a little more 60s garage punk and less of a Hammerhead/Freedom Fighters/Amrep feels, but they are awesome either way.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=23399248

also France Has the Bomb, local all stars from Twin Cities w/dudes from Sweet Jap/Birthday Suits/Die Electric etc etc

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=127599528

the shadow govt vinyl is neat cuz it's called "the black and white album" and the vinyl is half black and half white, never seen that before.

in a strange synchronicity wrt the above post, i came here because i couldnt find a better (or newer) thread to talk about the black and whites LP. do you guys love it? i had heard the 7"s, and the album is pretty fuckin rad.

you know i love the black and whites.

also, wtf??

Woah. I guess no-one saw this - Mummies reunion tour? In Europe? Hmm, why hasn't this turned up on my Dirty Water Club emails? Are they playing the UK? More questions?

Um, didn't two of those guys die?

xpost Yeah, I heard about it a while back, but assumed it was a joke. I'd also like more info.

The postscipt on that blog link says the Mummies are just doing one reunion show in Spain, not a European tour.

Stew--I think you heard it from me. (xp)

i'd heard about the spain show a while back but when i first came across that blog entry it didn't have the post script and i was assuming/hoping against hope it would lead to a tour.

also, this pets l/p was great on first spin and is only getting better.

Andre Ethier reunites w/ Deadly Snakes on this new single:

http://feedtim.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/01-running-of-the-bulls.mp3

2007 dammit

Charles de Gaulle! <3 Ad4m Bub0lz!