Top Tens: Fastfade's Top Ten Punk Rock Influences

MxPx
Life In General. Easily the most influential record on our early musical direction. Simple chords and melodies played to rapid drum beats.

Captain Everything
This band from sunny Watford town has had a massive impact on our creative process. These guys showed us that we can still keep our English attitudes in a genre dominated by old Californian dudes.

Pulley
Eyes Open Wide. This was the first track we ever played together and is still influential to our music writing. We even ripped off the bass riff in our first 'original' song - 'Negative'.

Seeing a Strung Out live show
The huge presence and unreal energy of this band is something we aspire to have at our live shows.

Ryan's Garage
The garage where we write and rehearse all of our music is cramped, cold and has terrible acoustics. Creating music in this kind of environment has inspired us to have a raw sound and energy and not take ourselves too seriously.

Skatepunkers
This online community has shown us that quite a few people actually still like this terrible music.

Brain Puker - Some Days
This hidden gem of a song is a huge inspiration to our musical direction. The progressive non linear structure and melodic vocals are something we try and incorporate into our style.

Blink 182 - Cheshire Cat
"Dude you guys sound just like blink in the Cheshire Cat era!" is a compliment we hear all too often. But to give credit where it's due, this album definitely changed our musical tastes back when we were 13/14 and is the reason we got into fast punk in the first place.

Rich Alexander from No Insight
This guy has recorded everything we've ever put out, makes all our video promos for us and shows up to 100% of our shows. This dude has inspired us to keep making music.

Umlaut Records
When we stumbled upon Umlaut Records through a great band called 'On a Hiding to Nothing' it made us realise that there's actually a London punk scene for melodic fast punk. After countless gigs playing with indie and metal bands, we found a scene where we actually fit in and inspired us to keep going with our melodic fast punk style.

Umlaut Records are also putting out Fastfade's next EP Side Effect, you can pre-order it here.

Like Fastfade here.

Album Review: Eat Dirt by Eat Dirt

Eat Dirt are a new band from the East of England who play angry hardcore punk rock. This month the band released their debut self titled EP.

Eat Dirt start off the EP named Eat Dirt with a song named Eat Dirt. The song is only thirty two seconds long but really serves as a guide to what you can expect from the band. It's fast, in your face and incredibly angry. This band is seriously pissed off about something. It's also quite a lot of fun and really cathartic to sing along with. The second track, Pigs, is a full minute longer than Eat Dirt (the song). It's not as fast as its predecessor, focussing more on melody rather than creating a whirlwind of chaos. The song is a protest song that encourages the beaten down to "rise up and be heard." I particularly like the dual vocals in the song, combining the harsh shouty vocals with a more melodic style. The fast paced craziness is back on the third track 48. 48 is about struggling to find the inspiration to go and fight for what you believe in. Another song that is less than one minute in length but manages to pack an incredible amount into the track. That's something that has always amazed me with hardcore music, how so much can be squeezed into a short song. The EP is finished with the song Dead. What a superb track this is. The song frequently switches its melody and style around depending on verse or chorus. This makes for an interesting style that makes it hard to predict what will happen next. The combination of a thudding rock 'n' roll sound and hardcore punk works far better than you might expect that it would. The band's guitarist gets to show off his musical chops towards the end of the song. They really wail!

Eat Dirt by Eat Dirt is a short but sweet kick in the face. If you like your punk rock hard, intense and angry but also a lot of fun then you need to be checking out Eat Dirt by Eat Dirt. Eat Dirt.

Stream and download Eat Dirt here: https://eatdirtuk.bandcamp.com/releases

Like Eat Dirt here: https://www.facebook.com/eatdirtpunk/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Gig Review: Dwarves at Belvederes, Pittsburgh 6/7/17 (Lauren Stein)

Hordes of punk rockers braved the hipster-filled streets of the Pittsburgh, PA neighborhood of Lawrenceville on Wednesday night, making their way to the safe confines of Belvederes to see the almighty Dwarves. This show, one that I was eagerly looking forward to, marked just about a year since the last time these punk rock legends were in town, and the crowd was ready to party.

Appropriately enough, the first band up was the Super Fun Time Awesome Party Band. These locals came prepared as they always do, stocked with party hats, confetti poppers, noise makers, and lots and lots of balloons. This sextet plays some loud and fast ska-punk, and the light-hearted nature of their songs is made clear by such song titles as “Party Pooper” and “Shart Attack.” When lead singer and guitarist Polka Kapolka shouts, “Let’s get ready to stumble!” you know you’re in for a good time. Plus they’ve got the coolest horn section in town. SFTAPBʻs next show is June 22nd at the Buzzbin Art & Music shop in Canton, OH with Clownvis Presley, Whiskey Daredevils, and Subourbon Son.

Next up was Porno Tongue, a band that I don’t get to see nearly enough. I first saw these guys last February at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern and was blown away. Their music is something like a cross between punk rock and jam band, complete with a handful of extended guitar solos by Joel Forsgren; these are not your typical two minute, three-chord bangers. Weed is a prevalent theme in their songs (and the in-between song banter), and frontman Jerry Lyon looks the part with his dreads. As always, their set was a ton of fun and ended with an extended version of their song, “Middle Finger.”

Last up of the local acts was Thunder Vest. Their set featured the return of guitarist Nasty Nate (also of The Scratch n’ Sniffs), which brought the Vest back to their original lineup. The crowd was pleased by this event and there much heckling for Nate. Thunder Vest plays some loud, fast, beer-infused punk rock and they really got the crowd moving with songs like the Karate Kid-inspired “Sweep the Leg.” After playing a solid set, including new song “Human Vacuum,” they closed out with “Fat Chicks,” which featured dueling guitar solos from Nate and guitarist Steve Chiang.

Touring with the Dwarves was California-based Decent Criminal. This four piece continued the momentum that Thunder Vest started, playing a unique mix of punk rock, surf rock and alternative, with some pop vibes thrown in. Their sound was definitely fun and refreshingly different. Although initially skeptical, the crowd’s interest was soon piqued and they left the bar to check out the set. You can find Decent Criminal’s music on their Bandcamp page.

Finally it was time for the Dwarves. Earlier in the week Dwarves’ singer Blag Dahlia had blown out his voice and had been passing vocal duties onto the audience during the set. There had been conflicting stories as to whether or not he had recovered, but when he took the stage Blag confirmed that there would be “Dwarves Karaoke” that night. But the show must go on, and it did so admirably.

The set was weighted towards songs sung by bassist Nick Oliveri and Blag did sing a bit throughout the set, occasionally lowering the mic so a fan could sing the next line. At one point he handed off the mic entirely to Thunder Vest frontman Scott Terzolino for two songs, “One Time Only” and “Everybodies Girl.” Terzolino’s animated stage presence helped him fit right in next to the Dwarves crew and the songs went off without a hitch. Despite the unusual circumstances, the crowd was still raging, forming a small mosh pit in front of the stage. The Dwarves' set ended too soon, and although the situation was understandable, the crowd left still craving more.

This show review was originally posted on Punksburgh.

Album Review: Renovations by Pseudo

Oh, another fantastic band from Canada is on Colin's Punk Rock World today! Pseudo are another of the many great bands that are constantly coming out of the great punk rock factory that is Canada. The three piece from Toronto put out their debut album Renovations late in 2016 and I've finally discovered it.

Renovations starts out with the song Slump (Rink-a-Dink, a fantastically unique guitar intro before the real bangers and mash of the song gets going. As soon as the vocals hit, it's impossible not to compare Pseudo to The Flatliners. The powerful gruff sound has Chris Cresswell written all over it. But saying that Psuedo are just a Flatliners rip off really doesn't do them justice, as after just one song it's clear that they are a great band in their own right. There is a great pop tinge to the music too, going along with the hard hitting melodic punk rock. Pseudo bring everything to the party. After a superb opening track we have I've Got No Eggs. I've Got No Eggs is a slower paced track with a hard hitting sound. The song is about missing someone who is especially special to you and trying to find a replacement. The track absolutely flies by, it's actually over three minutes long but it seems like it's at least half that when you're listening to it. As the saying goes, time flies when you're having fun! Cold Pressed really took me by surprise from the outset. Starting out with a grungy hardcore sound, the band switches between clean and dirty vocals throughout. I loved that Pseudo played three different styles of punk rock in their opening three tracks, showing a real variety in their sound. I was expecting a pop punk record, haha!

Modest is a brilliant song that switches between the poppiest of punk and the hardiest of hardcore. Pseudo do a fantastic job of keeping you guessing what's coming next. Modest is full to the brim with so much emotion, using the angry man style of vocal brilliantly to portray so much aggression inbetween the more laid back sound. This is just excellent songwriting. Outlaws is one of my favourites on the album. The tempo is upped and the melody just flows along beautifully whilst keeping a gritty edge. The song is about that person who has to be the alpha in everything and wanting to put that person in their place. I imagine we all know a person who has to be in charge of everything all of the time and how annoying that person can be. I'm sure we all want to put that person in their place for time to time. The album's title track, Renovations, is another that really takes you by surprise. Beginning with a beautiful piano led intro before Pseudo unleash a storming melodic hardcore track that the likes of Strike Anywhere or Propagandhi would be proud of! The song itself is about knowing somebody you care for is in a really bad way and not wanting to lose them forever. The seventh song on the album is named Albatrosses. Pseudo switch the style around again with some mid-tempo pop punk. While it doesn't quit hit the same heights as some of the other tracks on Renovations, it still has its place on the album. The song doesn't really come into its own until the ending when some brilliant aggressive vocals pick the song up and power it through to its conclusion.

What an incredible song Plastic Bottles & Tubs is! It's up-tempo pop punk with gruff vocals. The energy that comes out of the song is infectious and instantly has me nodding my head and tapping my toes as I listen, whilst sat behind my laptop. This is exactly how I love my punk rock music. It gets me wanting to move, wanting to sing and wanting to throw my fists in the air. There's some great gang vocals and a superb guitar solo thrown into the song for good measure. What a tune! The penultimate song on Renovations is named Lifeblood and is based on, and largely inspired by, Apache Blessing. Beginning with some crunchy guitars we are again treated to some gruff pop punk. Of all the styles of punk that Pseudo have squeezed into Renovations I think that they do the gruff pop punk the best. Something that Pseudo do really well on all of their songs is build. The ending of Lifeblood is absolutely huge - it has to be heard to be believed. What an explosive ending! Finally we have the song Fun Guy. This mid-tempo number feels like a fantastic way to bookend Renovations. There's something about it that just feels like a final track. I've always been very big on the flow of an album's track listing and Pseudo have done a fantastic job of that.

Renovations is a great, fun and inventive album. If you love The Flatliners but were a little disappointed by their newest album you can do a lot lot worse that given Renovations a chance. I don't think that you'll regret it!

Stream and download Renovations here: https://pseudotheband.bandcamp.com/album/renovations

Like Pseudo here: https://www.facebook.com/pseudotheband/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Sex, Drugs and Wishy Washy Politics by Eat The Evidence (by Dan Peters)

Quick Disclaimer: Colin's Punk Rock World does not condone the recreational taking of illegal substances in order to expand your mind and have an amazing time. Any anecdotes about drug use during this review are purely hypothetical and you can’t prove anything unless you have pictures of mental house parties down in Brighton circa 2003-6.

In my efforts to remain an impartial reviewer I like to set myself challenges and reviewing an album from a bunch of incredible dudes that I’ve been good friends with for around 15 years is gonna be tough. I will tell you a few facts though, to help sway the fact that I may come across overly positive without it just being because we’re all friends. Eat The Evidence have been a sleeper big band for at least three years now. I have been to several ETE shows and I have never seen them play to less than a packed out show. From little shitholes in Harrow to their recent album launch show, crowds of people have always been jammed in to see them play live. They are talented dudes who have a flawless live show that has done nothing but get stronger each time they play. Something of a super group, all the members have had reasonable success in previous bands before coming together.

Sex, Drugs and Wishy Washy Politics is actually the debut Eat The Evidence album. Despite several of the tracks having the odd home recording, this is the first time everything has been placed in one properly mixed and mastered place. If you’ve been unlucky enough to miss ETE at one of the aforementioned packed out shows then it’s gonna be a hard time describing the style to you. They are a third wave ska/reggae group with grime vocal stylings and unique instrumentation. Or “that rapping ska band with the accordion”. Either descriptor will do.

The album kicks off with ukuleles, slide whistles and a “funny because it’s true” story about British Imperialism. Once you wrap your head around the musical arrangement you’ll find a fun romp of a song that will stick like glue to your memory banks.

No ’Ists No ’Isms is an ETE classic with all the trademarks of the band, the accordion rhythm, the reggae beats and bass, easy upstrokes and guitar noodles over tightly rapped lyrics with tighter harmonies. Vocals throughout the album are irreverent and often funny to the point of laughing out loud but always with a potent undertone of political savviness. Duck Hunt is all about the ridiculous notion of trickle down wealth but you need to be paying real attention to catch the witticisms within.

Alongside the political banter is the sex and drugs side of things mentioned in the title of the album. Songs like You Only Say You Love Me When You’re High and Come Down With Me hark back to fond memories of party days, with all the (figurative and literal) highs and lows that comes with adding drugs to your party lifestyle.

I’d like to take a moment to appreciate the wit and intelligence in almost every aspect of the vocals of lead singers Tom and Jack. Lines like “You take a swig on your Bulmers, Your mind’s as open as Woolworths” are at once incredibly clever and just shy of ridiculous. It’s stuff like this that’s a Hallmark of the ETE experience. There’s everything available from biting political satire to the kind of in joke that you’d only pick out if you were smashed off your gourd in Riley Road that time when handsome Jack climbed over the house whilst tripping his nuts off. Actually maybe that didn’t happen, I don’t remember I was pretty munted! Either way, this is an album you can pour over and over on subsequent listens and always find some new and clever that you missed in a track you’ve already listen to fifteen times and swear you know back to front.

I feel like I’m rambling a bit, I guess I’m starting to give myself flashbacks a little so I’ll shoot for a conclusion. Sex, Drugs and Wishy Washy Politics is an utterly unique blend of almost nothing you’d think to add to a reggae/ska album and yet somehow everything else seems pale and washed out next to it. Eat The Evidence already showed that these songs are instantly likeable and amazing to dance to in their live experiences and now I feel they finally have something that is a good enough sounding representation of them to listen to. Just for the fact you will have never heard anything like this before, you should check them out. Once you’ve inevitably fallen in love then I highly recommend seeing them live because there’s nothing like an ETE live show.

N.B. the track listing of the link I’ve listened to doesn’t match the CD I own, doesn’t matter though what kind of square listens to an album in order these days anyway.

Stream Sex, Drugs and Wishy Washy Politics here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5Ol1IVVAlGPkit5vGhZATG

Like Eat The Evidence here: https://www.facebook.com/EatTheEvidenceBand/

This review was written by Dan Peters.

Gig Review: Descendents at The Forum, Kentish Town 4/6/17

I've finally seen the Descendents. They were a bucket list band of mine since I've known what a bucket list was. And now I have finally seen them! I don't think I've been so excited for a gig in years, probably not even for Fest last year. If you were to do a ranking system for the most influential and important bands in punk rock the Descendents would have to be placed very close to the top. Ahead of bands such as Green Day, The Offspring, blink-182, NOFX, Rancid, Bad Religion and 99% of all the other bands you or I can probably list.

The evening before the gig Emma and I were at The Burnt Tapes album launch (go check them out here, they are incredible) and I was talking to a friend and asked if he was going to see the Descendents the following night. Knowing that he is a fan of the band, I was somewhat surprised to learn that he wasn't because the last time he had seen them he found them a little boring. I was left a bit speechless by this as I couldn't believe the Descendents could be anything less that amazing on stage. I guess I was going to find out the following night.

Emma and I arrived in Kentish Town and discovered the punks were out in force tonight. We were waiting at Kentish Town Underground Station for Emma's pal James Jackson and I've never seen so many people sporting the t-shirt of the band they're about to go and see. We were expecting there to be a massive queue at the Forum when we arrived but surprisingly it wasn't. I guess all the punks were at the pub. We soon got in and excitedly waited for the Descendents.

There were two support acts for the evening. First up were The Kenneths from London who Descendents drummer Bill Stevenson had worked with on their latest album. The three piece played a high energy style of punk rock 'n' roll and used the space on the stage really well. Second up were old school punk rockers Abrasive Wheels from Leeds. Combining '77 style punk and Oi! music, the four piece successfully got the crowd moving during their 45 minute set.

Where do I start when talking about the Descendents set. First of all it was bloody long - they managed to squeeze thirty-five songs into an hour and a half set that included not one, but two encores. Unsurprisingly the set was heavy with songs from last year's brilliant Hypercaffium Spazzinate album but almost all of the classics as well as some rare, old school favourites were also played. Starting out with Everything Sux, the crowd at The Forum was immediately strapped in and ready for what was going to be one hell of a ride. I was amazed at just what a well oiled machine the band were. I know all four members are absolute legends in the punk world and complete masters of their craft but the Descendents really don't play that many shows. If you didn't know this though you would have never noticed. Bill, Stephan and Karl never miss a single note or beat as Milo prowls around the stage singing songs of love, loneliness, growing up and, of course, coffee. There wasn't much time spent between songs for banter with the band preferring to power through song after song. The stamina of the band was incredible, remember these guys are all in their fifties but they played like they were half that age. For anyone in the crowd who is in a band, this was a lesson on how to play a set. There was a no thrills approach to the songs that I particularly enjoyed as well. There was no throwing in extra break downs or solos or getting the crowd to sing or clap along, instead sticking with playing a song and moving on to the next one. This shows just how good the songwriting of the Descendents is, each song felt like a big deal without any funny business being thrown in. Like I said earlier, they played all of the classics during their set. Highlights for me included Coolidge (which is my favourite Descendents song), Hope, On Paper, Clean Sheets, Coffee Mug, When I Get Old, Thank You, Descendents and I'm The One - that's a lot of highlights. In all honesty though, out of all thirty-five songs there wasn't a single dud. The crowd around me, and I assume throughout the venue, sang their hearts out to one of the most beloved bands ever. We knew that this was a very rare opportunity to see the Descendents and we had to make the most of it. On a personal note it was absolutely incredible to finally see them live for the first time. If I never see them again I can happily say that at least I saw them once when they were still at the top of their game. Top of their game despite being a less than part-time band and getting older in age but definitely not spirit.

I don't have much else to say except - it was the Descendents, of course it was incredible!

This gig review was writen by Colin Clark.

Gig Review: The Burnt Tapes and Friends at Urban Bar, Whitechapel 3/6/17

This past weekend was a particularly exciting weekend for punks in London as the Descendents were playing the Forum in Kentish Town on the Sunday. The night before that was also an exciting night for Emma and I though as it was The Burnt Tapes launch party for their incredible new EP named Alterations. The party was taking place at one of my favourite venues, Urban Bar in Whitechapel, with a stacked line up of bands. O'Holy Ghost, Shinjoku Riot, Triple Sundae, Wayfairer and Werecats were all supporting what was promising to be a very special night to celebrate a great band's great release.

When this gig was announced I knew it was one I just couldn't miss. Normally I have to work Saturday nights but, after a little bit of bargaining with a colleague, I got an early shift and all was well. As we arrived in London we discovered that Whitechapel Underground Station was closed for the weekend so we had to make our way to Aldgate and walk the rest of the way. Thankfully the first act, Wayfairer, wasn't due on until 7.30 so we arrived in plenty of time. When we did arrive at Urban Bar we were greeted by Burnt Tapes bassist, and possibly the most positive guy in punk rock, Tone. After some hugs and hellos we made our way upstairs where we bumped into Burnt Tapes guitarist Pan (who is also a member of the CPRW team) who filled us in on the band's tour, including his sun stroke. The Burnt Tapes had gone all out with decorating Urban Bar in anticipation for the party, with colourful bunting, balloons, inflatable animals, pineapples and a massive inflatable palm tree. The party was ready! (We also bumped into Mark of Müg/Umlaut Records, but we see him everywhere! Hi Mark).

Wayfairer aka Ian was first to take to the stage. Except he wasn't on stage, he decided to play his set down on the floor. After reviewing his EP earlier in the year, Emma was particularly looking forward to seeing him live and he definitely didn't disappoint. This is exactly how I like my acoustic punk rock. It's no thrills and direct to the point. Ian's voice carries very well in this setting and I wish I would have known the words to his songs so I could sing along. This was a great set that was finished off with an Alkaline Trio cover. A brilliant way to kick start the night.

Up next was a new band named O'Holy Ghost who were playing their first ever gig. The four piece from London currently have two songs they have released all across the Internet that were recorded by Apologies, I Have None's Joe Watson. Boy, we were impressed by this band. If you're into bands like The Menzingers or Iron Chic, O'Holy Ghost are certainly a band you should be checking out. They put on a fantastic, slick performance. The band's duel vocalists helped give the songs a bigger feel with both doing a great job with cleaner singing and the more gruff, dirty vocals. Unfortunately O'Holy Ghost were the first band to be hit with some sound problems that occured frequently throughout the night. This however didn't take anything away from O'Holy Ghost's first gig. I'm looking forward to many more.

I'd seen Triple Sundae for the first time a couple of weeks earlier supporting Jeff Rosenstock at the Underworld and loved every second of it. I approached their set at Urban Bar wondering if they could catch lightning in a bottle again. Well, I think that I may have enjoyed this set more than I did their Underworld show. The high energy pop punk and Hassan's brilliant vocals work so well together and really got the crowd pumped up. Despite growing issues with the sound, Triple Sundae were excellent throughout.

Following Triple Sundae were a band who have previously contributed a top ten influences post to the site but I've never had the pleasure of seeing live. London four piece Werecats are a band I was very interested to see live. I absolutely loved the duelling vocals of Pip and Cici during their three chord pop punk assault. On record the production is quite slick and well-produced whereas in a live setting there was a wonderful rawness about them which I adored. How it's taken me so long to see this band is beyond me and I'm very disappointed in myself. This Ramonescore pop punk couldn't be more up my street and am hoping to see the band again very soon.

Mexican three piece Shinjoku Riot have been on tour with The Burnt Tapes throughout their entire tour of Europe and the UK and it's clear that both bands have developed a strong friendship. Not being at all familiar with their music I was very curious to see what they were like. The poor sound definitely hit this band the hardest which was a massive shame. Since the show I've checked them out online and am so impressed with the band. Straight forward, sing-a-long punk rock at its finest. Hopefully Shinjoku Riot will be back on our shores very soon!

Now it was time for the main event. London via Athens "regret punks", The Burnt Tapes. The band's new EP is Alterations is one of mine and Emma's favourite releases of the year so far. Pan was nice enough to let me listen early and I was completely blown away and excitedly told Emma that she has to listen to this. I also bumped into Tone at the Jeff Rosenstock gig and gushed excitedly to him just how good Alterations is. Hearing it live took my appreciation of the record up another level. I'm not good enough at words to really express just how good it was. I'm also trying to write this as a neutral to the band and not as someone who loves the band as people and not just as a band. Phil's voice was on absolute top form and was ably backed my Pan and Tone, despite Tone having to share a mic with whoever wasn't using their's due to Urban Bar weirdly only having two microphones. When we saw The Burnt Tapes at Manchester Punk Festival back in April we thought they were great, here they really took things up another level. Despite all of the technical difficulties (I felt so sorry for the poor sound man trying to fix it) The Burnt Tapes put in such a polished performance. Clearly a lot of time and effort was put in crafting these songs, not only so they sound great on record but completely rock when they are played live. One highlight for us was when Pan got a chance to take lead vocal duties on his song Things Get Weird. A song that starts slow but when it kicks in just blows everything away. The crowd at Urban Bar loved this. Finishing their set with a great surprise cover of Dear Landlord's I Live In Hell, in which Phil crowd surfed whilst still managing to play guitar, it's safe to say that The Burnt Tapes absolutely smashed it and played one of the best sets I've watched in ages. Emma and I both came away smiling.

That was the end of the night for us. Dark Days were playing a Pup cover set to finish the night but we knew we had to get a bus replacement service half the way home so decided it would be best to call it a night. As we made our way back to Aldgate, we discussed the night and particularly how much we loved The Burnt Tapes. Not only are they a fantastic band but are just excellent people. Despite the downhearted nature of their songs, they are such a positive group of guys who clearly have a huge love of punk rock music and the community as a whole. The night was named The Burnt Tapes and Friends. I don't think that title was just meant for the line up of bands playing the show but also for everyone who attended the gig. I think we all had and have a lot of love for The Burnt Tapes.

This gig review was written by Colin Clark.