2020: PAGE 1
SORE THROAT
‘Who Killed Gumby?’
(Private Scandal PSCDR006)
CD Summer 2020)
Gawd I must be showing my age coz I can't fathom how this CD is gonna be blasting out of someone's stereo on a regular basis, but apparently it did attract some audio masochists as it has just sold out within days or even minutes of release if the story's are to believed. For someone who never heard Sore Throat in their late 80's heyday, I was probably listening to sommert safe and boring like Rudimentary Peni's 'EP'S Of RP' or poppy junk like the Dead Kennedys 'Give Me Convenience', so this 21 track first taster wasn't even in the same ball park by a long shot. I remember seeing the bands name bandied about in the music press, but never felt an urge to delve deeper into Huddersfield's best kept secret since the Pistols played Ivanhoe's. And I gotta say I won't lose any sleep if it stays that way after hearing this. We the general punk populas seem to be conditioned these days to accept all sorts of white noise crap or grind core or whatever its called as a genre defining sound with that 'so bad it's good' mentality. Especially nearly 30 years after the event, but it still don't do jack shit for me. I loved early Discharge and Disorder but by 1987 even these bands were being parodied by a new generation and with nu metal thrown in the mix, along with mullets and dreads and not forgetting the dog on a rope anarcho ensemble that punk had became a non descript uniform of despair. In most cases the results were even cruder and way less intriguing, so these early demos sound like the dregs of that scene. "There's a groove and a swing if you look deep enough" said one reviewer. Ha! Whose he kidding? He must have ultra sound hearing at his disposable if he can spot that in amongst the cider cans and combat boot detritus that litters these recordings. So if you do find somert on this album I'll give you a free Torcha Shed single. The live side recorded in Cardiff 1988 was a little better but it was more of the same gloom as punk had shot up a banal doomy cul-de-sac, gone metal proclaimed a new noise core gurgle and Cals growl had morphed into god awful Beelzebub impersonations to varying degrees of offal lined success. Which was even more depressing to our punk rock ears. Sore Throat epitomise that era. I lived through it all and christened it punks dark ages, coz we had to wait till the early 90's to come out the dark times. So fair play to Private Scandal for giving bands like this a nice clean release to add to the noisy trainspotters audio library's, coz the audio is filthy at best and that's not in a sexist way either. Bet bit was the singers little sister telling em to shut up when they were rehearsing in his moms house lol. See even she had better taste. As I said it SOLD OUT fast so there is still a market for this crap whatever my out of date untrained ear on punks sounds are. However bedroom recordings of the bigger bands might warrant further investigation or may tempt some aficionados and completeist's but for bands like Sore Throat and home demos circa '87 this still has for me NO FUTURE!.
Private Scandal
SORE THROAT
VARIOUS
'Southend Punk Volume 1'
(Angels In Exile Records)
CD December 4th 202O
As soon I seen the cover of this one I just had to Explore it further. This 14 track compilation celebrates primal audio from Southend's early punk scene. And for a town that size, it had an enormous abundance of bands to choose from. You won't be familiar with them all, (there's even a couple I had heard of) but doesn't that make it so much more intriguing. They kick off chronologically with The Machines who were the first punk band in Southend '77, who offer us their raucous 'You Better Hear Me' off their very rare debut EP from March '78. They sound a lot snottier than I remember them from when they reformed back in 2011. The Steve Hooker band I never really considered punk, I'd read about them in the music press, but never actually heard them on record until now. And this is probably why. They sound kinda Stonesy featuring a mouth organ on the semi trashy 'How Did You Know' which dates from '79. Pity we didn't hear the Heat which was Steve's previous punk outfit instead. The Vicars feature a punky Alison Moyat off pop fame Yazoo, who actually made her recording debut on this track back in May 1979. She has a Siouxsie vibe kind of going on over a distinctly thinly layered guitar sound. The short lived Deciballs give us a banged up 'Solitary' from '79 and captured the sounds and energy of the times perfectly with this low fi but good trashy number. They remind me of bands like the Epileptics. The Psychopaths on the other hand don't really live up to their name. I was expecting something a little more menacing and derranged, but comes over a little pretentious on their 'Drugs' number. The Shocks (not to be mistaken with the Berlin outfit from the 90's) offer us more melody over shock tactics. In fact it's a little too melodic for our tastes and was missing that Ramones tag we were promised in the sleeve notes. The laid back Bullies bring in the 80's with a slow skanking melancholic number, which was surprising considering they featured ex-members of early punk outfit the Spurts. The Icons were a band of many names, and at the arse end of 1980 recorded a demo which featured this basic protest of '5.15'. Luckily for us it don't last 5 minutes but a much preferred 1.57 instead. The Sinyx are the most well known band on here (to my ears at least) and we all know why..."Jesus I sussss!!!!". However a few demos later they offer us 'Animal' from their 'Black Death EP' circa 1981. Which isn't their best, but still rather neat in that this is what we think so take it or leave it which they convey so brilliantly. They can still capture the anger of the times mainly due to Alien's vocal which doesn't sound put on like a few others. However the anti goes up even further as the impressive but highly underrated Krondstadt Uprising offer us the snot drenched defiance of 'Blind People', which exemplifys the Anarcho protest well in vogue down Southend way. Singer Spenser Blake's vocals giving Alien a run for his money as anger personified. It also features Steve the compiler of this compilation on drums doing his best militaristic drum rolls. Allegiance To No-one is a great band name, but promises very little on this weak early 80's flange filled track. The Burning Idols give us a poppy but catchy take on 'Give Us A Chance'. They apparently formed after hearing SLF's 'Inflammable Material' and their singer had some neat quotes in a local fanzine at the time. The Prey are another band who deliver a good tune with elements of the Jam in their playing, but the singer lets em down badly with his half a croon delivery. Finally the Armless Teddies offer an instrumental, which could be a Stranglers outtake at a push as the keyboards give us a definite Guilford nod, but sadly not a Barracuda bass in range. Which was a neat finale to these 40 year old tracks and in some cases very rare finds. To add to the package it comes dressed in a very impressive and informative sleeve which includes a 16 page booklet that gives us all the band info and history plus line-ups in this slick design done by Vicky Vortex with sleeve notes by the ever present Steve. So well worth your £8 and perseverance if obscure punk is your thing. You should also check out the neat Southend punk site for even more on the bands featured plus a load more.
WORTH A LISTEN!
Available from ...Angels In Exile.
Southend Punk
THE MR
'You Are Just R&R Backer'
(Private Scandal)
CDEP 2020
The Mr are a lot more polished than the current crop of Japanese punk exports from the Private Scandal stable, and are definitely my current favourite. This is a reissue of their 1995 cassette only release. Inside the black and white grainy sleeve is a dual English/Japanese lyric sheet, although even with that it's a pot pourri of what they sound like or actually sing. Despite the linguistic guesswork they most certainly look the part. The Mr history is short lived featuring members from the Cinnamons and C and C which I'm reliably informed stands for Cock And Cunt lol. Sound wise they got a rather neat Heartbreakers swagger about em with big juicy guitars that are beefed up with the occasional Pistolian juggernaut of sound, thrown in for good measure. I even spotted some Glen Matlock bass runs so they done their homework. It's on the vocals what belie that its from young punks outta Japan, but even these have an almost Tone Dial out Neon Hearts twang about em. They offer 7 tracks which are rapidly becoming sort after heirlooms amongst the underground Japanese punk scene. Which has a strong Pistols influenced fashion sense as most of em are decked out in Westwood gear which looks just like the real thing (so take note Damien Hurst). But the scene they frequent play predominantly with a mainly early 80's distorted Disorder kinda sound. However the Mr have gone for a more punk rock sound which to be fair sounds really good. It's a shame they didn't hang around longer to take the accolades but they have managed to leave us with this 2020 CD reissue which will hopefully bring them to a new wider audience. And to prove how popular they still are, its already SOLD OUT!
WORTH A LISTEN!
Private Scandal
UDA
'Here Comes The Chaos Again'
(Private Scandal)
CDEP 2020
Not to be mistaken with the Ulster Defence Army, these Japanese scoundrels are Used Damage Asshole, which leads us down a very different route indeed. You have to give the Japanese punks ten outta ten for obnoxious band names lol and what I also really like is the guitar sound. It reminds me of early Disorder when they were good and featured Steve Curtis on vocals. UDA are very popular on the underground, as the first Japanese pressing of this record sold out within an instant. So this UK repress has only 50 copies printed up on the ever resourceful Private Scandal label, so get it first or be buggered as they say in the Chiba zone. Also don't let the slick cover fool you, these Jap vet snot rags never fail to bemuse us and in return deliver 5 short loud 'n' fast attacks of punk rock done with distortion including the vocals. Hmmm so this is what the cult punk kids listen to in Japan these days? From a Japanese perspective with songs like 'Made By Fuck' your not gonna get a long diatribe of lyrics as it's followed by a relentless 'Smash'. I love the fact that most of these Japanese punk bands use English words in the most insane way its hilarious. Bands of this ilk would've been in Punk Lives if they were around then, coz they look the real deal and it opened up my eyes that there was this seemingly very active underground punk scene literally seething under our very decadent western punk noses and most of us didn't have a clue? Can't wait to see whose next on the label? A whisper tells me it's wait for it....Visible Fuckers and Stinker in a split oh and Dead Meat whoo hooo can't wait.
WORTH A LISTEN! for the guitars.
Private Scandal
SLEAFORD MODS
'All That Glue'
(Rough Trade Records)
CD May 15th 2020
My first real introduction to the Sleaford Mods on record. They are highly regaled in all sorts of musical circles. Even Iggy rates 'em, but we know old Ig's taste is iffy these days. Sir Penny Rimbaud follows em on twitter. Alas Rimbaud's arm ain't wrote a lyric that changed a generation in decades. So are they really any good? Maybe it was time Punk Rocker jumped head first into 'All That Glue' their latest electro/punk opus, which turns out to be a double CD. In fashion with some of the last few reviews (Chats/Amyl) this album is dressed in yet another prominently white cover from the Rough Trade camp. Has colour been banned in Rough Trade city, along with everything else these days? 'All That Glue' is a collection of all their "crowd pleasers, B sides, unheard tracks and rarities" from 2013-19. So maybe not the best choice to stick my head in a Grantham urinal. But looking at the 22 song track list, there's definitely one on here I recognise and that was by pure chance. Whilst flicking through channels one Sunday morning a Tour De France cycling show came on and 'TCR' was playing out during the rolling credits which caught my attention. However 2 CD's later and quite a few years I gotta say I'm not half as impressed as I was expecting to be with this rant marathon. Even 'TCR' their most commercial song sounds a little sterile without visuals. Those ambient beats by Andrew Fearn which you hardly notice until the gobby Jason Williamson takes a breath, are a little too mellow for my needs. I thought they'd be more up front and in your face. But he mixed the fucker so maybe thats how he likes it? The final track on disc one 'Tweet Tweet Tweet' was easily the most atmospheric number on the album with its neat bass line and forboding backing vocals. The anger is projected in the delivery, which is strangely unleashed only a few times between the majority of the dreary slower numbers. I was shocked at how depressing the Sleaford Mods sound! I was expecting a more ferocious upbeat style and they definitely loose the cutting edge when they slow things down or even try to sing shock horror!. Surprisingly they lose the accent way too often for my liking too. You almost get a feeling its dare i say it put on. I'm probably wrong. but when i hear anger on a record i wanna believe it even when its the 6th studio take. But I'm beginning to wonder how real it all actually is? Lyrically this is a mish mash of observations which only make sense to the geezer who writes em. If you can't create a hook it becomes redundant. It's like a middle class educated bloke trying to be common to get his point across to the working class. Which if true they have to be careful, coz the great ignorant public will suss em out eventually. I think most of the more obscure lyrics are too personal to become outright anthems and could get lost to even the intellectuals frothing at the mouth for mod mania. These Mods/punks or whatever you wanna call em? Are a lot more crafty than they would really like us to believe. Which isn't a good sign if your a fan coz it could feel slightly manufactured or worse still patronizing. I'm really glad this come with a massive lyric sheet coz you fuckin' need it to keep up with the Notts dialect, which to be fair sounds very laborious after so many takes with the word 'tit' in em. It also exposes the fact that the lyrics aren't as good as I was hoping they would be. Sometimes the words you imagine sound better. Songs like 'Rich List' promised a lot but lyrically delivered very little, same with 'Jobseeker'. 'Jolly Fucker' on the other hand was the best rant and a lot faster which is where their best rants work. 'Blog maggot' reminds me of John Copper Clarke in delivery. Where as 'Tied Up in Nottz' was another standout on the city's urban grime. 4 or 5 tracks at a push show glimmers of occasional PIL esqe drop out or a Lydon wail. We even get a Mark E, Smith kazoo rolled out again. Middle class students which is the bands main hardcore following, love a bit of northern role play on record, as long as they ain't gotta live it fer real. But why a band with this much 'down on the street' credibility has to ban flags, sexism, racism, homophobia or any of the other nasty shit on their face book page pretty much exasperates me! This is real life in England now mate! If you want honest opinions or wanna portray real life you gotta include all the ups and downs of life's rich tapestry and adopt a sense of humour like every other cunt on the street has too. Otherwise its pointless and you wouldn't be in this business of creating an opinion or craft a lyric of what you see or experience down the pub without all its nuances. It screams double standards which is another bone of contention. I was hoping i could listen to this on a regular basis but now I'm positive I can't. Musically its just not that rivetting for my tastes. But apparently I'm in the minority as its sold out! New punk indeed? I doubt it very much, I'm beginning to think the Sleaford Mods have turned into some of the things they rant against.
PLASTIC!
SLEAFORD MODS
THE CRAVATS
'Hoorahland'
(Overground Records)
CD March 2020
Gotta say the Cravats are keeping up the momentum by releasing a second album within 2 years of the last one. And a mere 37 years since 'The Cravats In Toytown' hit the fan, 'Hoorahland' carries on pretty much from the critically acclaimed 'Dustbin Of Sound' with an equally consistent production job which was neat. However 'Hoorahland' definitely ain't as intense or as powerful as 'Dustbin Of Sound' and we only get 12 tracks this time round, But beggars can't be choosers coz this follow up gives it a good run for the money (fer about 6 of the tracks at least). And these really do hit home. I like the Cravats best when they stumble upon a good tune or chorus, because for the most part they love going off on confusing tangents which to be honest leaves me lost in a cacophony of platitudes, and ends up like some jazz punk improvisation sesh. It might be cool or arty to like that kinda stuff, but I ain't neither. What I do like best and it entertains us so much more is when they deploy crunchy guitar riffs courtesy of Viscount Biscuits pumping high up in the mix and the sexy sax of Svor Naan flavouring the proceedings. It gives them a sinister edge for the Shend's uber cool narration to devour. Lead singer Shend's lyrics just seem to be picked up like litter from the sidewalk of his mind. If it rhymes they're in, no matter what context. And 9 times outta 10 he does make them work, which is an art form in itself. As he ad libs his way through the Cravats universe in his very best baritone actors voice, which is a rich Redditch version of Orson Wellian trajectory. This bizarre scenario unfolds before our very eyes during the opening track 'Goody Goody Gum Drops' and brings it all together gloriously, I loved the line..."I'm the capital letter at the beginning of any sentence you care to construct, I'm an attractive aqueduct". The 2019 single 'Shy' follows next and is no wallflower either. It boasts some pounding hollow drums and an annoying sax along with some hilarious lyrics on the inadequcies of being shy. So you can see why it was picked as the single as shysters everywhere get un-mercilessly nailed to a tree. Jello Biafra appears on 'Now The Magic Has Gone' which has a definite Kennedy's eerie carnival vibe, which they excelled in. As our two old queens battle it out in the baritone/tenor tympany of put downs leaving us with a definite standout and could've come straight off a Dead Kennedy's album, which is another startling contrast to behold. Sadly after those high octane cinematic offerings. I thought 'Hoorahland' went downhill pretty fast during the mid album session, when the energy levels were lost on the slower plodding numbers like 'Good For You' or the instrumental 'Oh How We Laughed' which garnered more of a cringe. To be honest it was quite laborious to listen to and seemed like filler to me? When i seen the title 'There Is No God' on the track lists my hopes were raised, but aurally it was also disappointing for a Cravats song on the almighty. You expect a little more from the eloquent Shend but he skirts round the subject. Reading the press release, when you got Henry Rollins or Mark Reilly giving out endorsements you know its content might be a little suspect. However it took the Eco friendly 'Trees And Birds And Flowers And Sky' to bring the album back to life once more. The line "fry the animals fry the plants, as you lie on the sofa in your underpants" is probably a good assumption on how it will all end. But not quite yet, for the equally quirky 'Morris Marina' is a must for all you vintage late 70's British car buffs as it lists a load in this highway ode to all the motors that never made it to Top Gear but were cult status symbols on the council estates of yore. We finish off with the title track, which turned out a total anti climax to what preceded it, No wonder they left it till last! Oh well. 'Hoorahland' comes dressed in a neat surreal cover that looks like it just stepped outta a Bioshock game with a nice booklet of lyrics to ponder over. Its WORTH A LISTEN! for the 6 tracks highlighted only, so a 6 track EP would've made more sense. But sense is something you never quite get with The Cravats.
THE CRAVATS
Overground Records
THE CHATS
'High Risk Behaviour'
(Bargain Bin Records)
CD March 27th 2020
These Ozzy oiks remind me of the Shapes from Lemington Spa circa '79 (but without the accent). They were one of my fave cult punk bands I discovered on the John Peel show back in the midsts of time. I'm sure JP himself would have positively loved the Chats with total abandon. But whats different is the Chats seem a little more adventurous and snotty, coz they have the ability to churn out literally an albums worth of fun packed, hilarious punk (or "shed rock" as they like to call it) angst on life on the Sunshine coast. They got ginger hair, mullets and don't look old enough to drink in bars, let alone get thrown out of them. But low and behold the Chats find themselves to be the unlikeliest new punk sensation to come outta Australia since Amyl And The Sniffers. Within a year of forming in 2016 they ignited the hilarious 'Smoko' anthem which went viral on You Tube in 2017. These uncouth Aussie snot buckets ain't looked back since! Boasting a CV of sellout shows in Europe and the States, copping major supports, sharing management with the Cosmic Psychos and scoring a publishing deal with Universal Music. Which means they have been given the oomph to release their records worldwide (and other bands products too) on their own Bargain Bin Records label. The fruits of this endeavour is 'High Risk Behaviour' their debut album. It's full of 14 daggy rockers you'll be hard pressed not to like. Ain't it great to see a bunch of kids knocking tunes out so frequently and consistently and begs the question were they destined for this? The answer is staring at you in singer/bassist Eamon. He's without a doubt the punk driving force of this trio. He seems to have all the anger, all the attitude and don't take shit. They sing of getting a dose, running away from meals without paying and getting scammed. All good clean Australian fun you might think, but the likes of which don't ever get a storyline on Ramsey St. that's fer sure. But what does make me question their integrity is they admit they've never actually done a lot of the song subject matter themselves, but even so, get 10 outta 10 for observation. Opening track 'Stinker' boasts a neat solo which they could do with adding more of in this attack on the driving heat in the sunshine state. Followed by the rowdy 'Drunk And Disorderly' which is one of the funniest tracks I've heard in quite a while. We are then confronted by 'The Clap' which is set to be another contagious anthem. Not forgetting the hilarious 'Identity Theft' which sealed it for me with lines like...."I was payin for drugs on the internet, i was feeling invincible with my vpn, so they took all my cash straight outta the bank, they even caught me on my web cam at home havin a wank" lol fuckin brilliant! And thats just the first 4 songs. A band knows it's doin something right complete with bum notes left in when it opens an album so strongly. The Aussies are a strange breed, but I like 'em coz they seem down to earth and with no pretences and not a pose within satellite range. Although their earlier demo material was a million miles away from this all out punk attack. Be warned listening to 'Bollocks' 3 times a day does have that effect on ya. Their devil may care point of view makes you wonder if the fame and fortune which is inevitably beckoning, will change 'em much? But who gives a fuck when you can 'Dine N Dash' or get barred from pubs for the way they look (which did actually happen). Songs like this reminds me of my own youth. It's that kinda vibe which is missing from the punk scene these days, Their sound employs a clean quitar, bass and drums sorta like the late 70's low-fi UK punk with minimal production or effects. And is a brave move but shows the songs themselves can stand up on their own and on stage too, no doubt. You also notice they do have a similar sound as the album progresses, so a second album would pose different questions? But the Ramones did it for so long so why not the Chats? Their '4573' postcode builds up into a great riff as the local haunts of Coolum where the band originate from gets fingered. The last couple of numbers start to show some progression from the usual blazing catchy rants on the anti authority number 'Do What I Want' and finally the closing track 'Better Than You' shows some dare I say it melody. It reminds me of something Green Day would write but the clean guitars don't quite give it that power. Could this be the new direction of the chats? Who knows? I much prefer their snottier numbers. So it will be interesting to see how they develop their style. Just hope the lock down don't stifle their creative juices as I know tours have been cancelled so it will definitely have an impact on their creative surge without rehearsals or live shows to look forward to. And as they know... "relaxation, mood alteration, boredom leads to intoxication" .The CD comes wrapped in a strangely similar basic looking sleeve like The Sniffers. Featuring a predominantly white diy Photostat job with the lyrics pasted on which reflects the bands mantra. I keep asking myself how come Australia has produced some class punk acts over the last couple of years when its been relatively quiet since the Saints and more recent acts like Rust made a minor dent on these shores? So Australia could be leading a new renaissance in street level DIY punk and not a spiky stud in sight which is quite refreshing? If your a kid or even an old cunt like meself, this is the ultimate soundtrack to lock down!
Coz its a stinker!
OZ CONTENDER!
THE CHATS
Bargain Bin Records
