Album Review: Yes It Is by Western Settings

Here is another example of Colin being very late to the party. This time it's San Diego punks Western Settings and their February 2015 album Yes It Is, which was released on Dying Scene Records and La Escalera Records.

The first song on Yes It Is is named Revhead. Straight away I love the positivity that pours out of the track. The lyrics from the second verse in particular demonstrate this positivity - "We Are Happy, We Are Tired, We Are Filthy, We Are Hungry, We Are Dreaming, Always Dreaming, We Are Chasing, We Are Well On Our Way". To me these lyrics sum up what life as a punk is about, no matter what your life is like we are always dreaming of better things and finding a way to get them. Get It, Got In goes along at a fun pace, the melodic nature of the track gives the song a big feel and the use of multiple vocalists helps to get you singing as well. This song is about living different lifestyles and choosing the ones that's best for you no matter what other people might think. I like how they've made the songs about both sides of the argument without seemingly being overly negative about either. The third song is called Dying Without Children and for me was when the album really got going. The song starts out slowly and has a big Hot Water Music vibe before the tempo of the song is upped. The song tells a story about the troubles that a man and woman have communicating with their problems. Western Settings have added a female harmony on the track to really build up the atmosphere of the song. I really loved the last couple of lines of the track which are about turning things around by opening up; they are delivered in such a upbeat and positive way. San Antonio begins with some simple guitar guitars before some big vocals kick in. The song travels along nicely but it's the chorus that really captures my attention. It's massive with the lead singer belting out the line "Take Her 10 Versus My 27".

The fifth song - Table For One - is a fifty-four second instrumental track. It serves as a bit of an introduction to the next song Kicking and Screaming. This is a mid tempo sing-a-long punk rock song about trying to change the world even when you think nobody is noticing you. It's another upbeat and positive song with a slight feel of newer Flatliners about it. The chorus is guaranteed to get a big reaction at a live show as the band scream out "I'm Not Fucking Dead". Bricks is another short instrumental song that calms things down from Kicking and Screaming and leads nicely into the next song - the title track, Yes It Is. Yes It Is has more of an aggressive tone to the vocals at the beginning of the song, again reminding me of Hot Water Music. I really loved the switch of momentum for the chorus as the band proudly belts out the words "Thanks For The Advice, But I'll Probably Do My Own Thing, You Gotta Free Your Heart, Run It On The Inside, Shake, Bound Outside, Hold Your Head High". More brilliant positivity! Goodbye start slowly with some tender guitars and some emotional vocals. Of course the tempo increases and some more of the excellent gruff vocals come into play. They are rough and ready but also have an incredible amount of emotion in them that really is quite moving. 

Mami's Revenge is a song about realising you're in a place that you never wanted to be in. This song is a highlight on the album for me and is something I relate to, being stuck in a job that I hate. Musically the song comes off like a fists-in–the-air anthem that will get a whole room singing along. Something we all know I love! I really liked the repeating chorus of "So Let It Out, Don't Keep It In" done with the gang vocals. It had a great, therapeutic feeling to it. The Penultimate song is named Carl's Concern. This song is another that travels along at a nice pace. It never explodes into life but has a lot of melody to the track. I really love the last song on Yes It Is - Lines Of Teeth. This is one of the best songs I've heard in a while, I love everything about it. Starting with a rolling drum beat, some gentle guitars, the lead vocalists carry the melody of the song to start with before charging into a big chorus. Lyrically the song is one of the more negative on the album, but it has a great uplifting quality to it. This is the sign of some amazing songwriting, bands like Off With Their Heads and The Smith Street Band are great at doing this and Western Settings are no different. Lines Of Teeth is about hating everything around you apart from your friends and loved ones. It's about living in your own little bubble and cutting out the bad things. Absolutely fantastic song!

I wish I had heard this album a lot sooner. It's really positive sing-a-long punk rock that makes you feel great. They have a new EP named Old Pain coming out on April 29th that I'm really looking forward to, you should be too.

Stream and download Yes It Is here: https://dyingscenerecords.bandcamp.com/album/yes-it-is

Like Western Settings here: https://www.facebook.com/westernsettings

Manchester Punk Festival 2016 Preview (Part 1)

Last year I made the journey up North for the first ever Manchester Punk Festival. Put on by a collective of Manchester based DIY promoters (Moving North, TNS Records and Anarchistic Undertones), the event was a complete success. All the bands were great, the day ran incredibly smoothly and the atmosphere was super friendly. I, along with everyone else at the festival, didn't have enough superlatives to describe the weekend and so I was beyond excited when this year’s festival was announced (April 21st - 23rd). Obviously Emma and I got early bird tickets as soon as they were available. Since the tickets went on sale the organisers have been steadily announcing bands for the weekend and last week they announced the final bands. This column talks about some of the bands I'm most excited to see this year.

Astpai
I'm discovering more and more fantastic bands from mainland Europe but there are few as good as Astpai, especially live. Zock and the boys put everything into their performances and their energy and enthusiasm is infectious. Astpai are a perfect fit for the Manchester Punk Festival.

Atlas Losing Grip
Sadly Atlas Losing Grip had to pull out of last year's festival so it's great to see the Swedish band back in 2016. Combining traditional metal music with melodic punk rock they are one of the most innovative bands around. 

Bangers

Making the long trip up from Cornwall are Bangers. The three-piece have been a big part of the UK’s DIY punk scene for a number of years now and always deliver a fantastic set. Roo, Andrew and Hamish have been consistently releasing album after album of big sing-a-long punk rock. After headlining Manchfester back in October it will be great to see them back in Manchester.

Crazy Arm

Long-running folk/punk band Crazy Arm are one of the few bands returning to the festival for the second year. I was so impressed with the Plymouth based band’s set last year and am really excited to see them at the festival again. I really hope that they play Tribes this year. Crazy Arm are also one of Emma's favourites.

Faintest Idea

This set is guaranteed t be a highlight. The best band in the UK's ska punk scene will get the festival moving and singing the bands political brand of ska punk. By the time the festival comes around their brilliant new album Increasing The Minimum Rage will have been released on TNS Records. This is going to be a set people will be talking about for a long while.

The Flatliners

When Canadian punks The Flatliners were announced it was a big statement of intent for the festival. One of the most popular bands on the planet, they will pull in a huge crowd and without a doubt will be one of the highlights of the festival. With a discography full of big sing-a-long punk rock anthems there will be a lot of hoarse throats come the end of their set.

Gnarwolves

Gnarwolves were one of the last bands announced for the festival and my word what a massive addition they are. Gnarwolves are one of the biggest success stories to come out of the UK's punk scene so it seems only right that they play this festival. The Brighton three–piece’s brand of fast and furious pop punk has been sending crowds crazy for a number of years now and will be massive highlight from the festival. Expect crowd surfs and stage dives a plenty during their set.

Roughneck Riot

Folk punks Roughneck Riot are a Manchester favourite. After seeing them at the festival last year I was taken aback by just how popular they were. The crowd at Sound Control went nuts for them! This politically aware band combine folk and punk rock brilliantly and will be another of the stand out bands at the festival. Roughneck Riot are one of the most important bands in our scene.

Sam Russo

Why Sam Russo isn't a household name is beyond me. He is a supremely talented songwriter and performer who will not only break your heart but also put a big smile on your face. Live is where Russo is at his best - whether he's singing his songs or entertaining the crowd with anecdotes of his life, Russo is unmissable.

Wonk Unit

London's Wonk Unit are another band returning to the festival for a second year. After taking part in a massive UK tour with their friends in Slaves, Wonk Unit are becoming more and more popular amongst alternative music fans across the country. They are a band who are impossible to pigeonhole into a genre but are just as impossible not to really enjoy watching live.

For all your Manchester Punk Festival infortmaton go here: http://manchesterpunkfestival.co.uk/site/

Top Tens: Derrick Johnston from Make-That-A-Take Records Top Ten Punk Rock Influences

Dundee's Make-That-A-Take Records is one of my favourite labels in the world, consistently putting out fantastic punk rock records from bands all over the world. It is run by a wonderful man named Derrick Johnston who is also in the bands Shitgripper and Uniforms and performs acoustically as Tragical History Tour. This is his top ten punk rock influences. 

Jerry Lee Lewis

My Dad used to listen to classical music and it terrified me as a child. My mother played folk music so I was surrounded by it but it wasn't until my uncle gave me a slab of LPs that I discovered music for myself. The greatest hits of Jerry Lee Lewis was amongst that collection and the speed, energy and seeming anarchy of the whole thing spoke to me in ways that music never had before. It fitted perfectly with my childhood hyperactivity.

The Offspring

I've got an older sister and she was always into music so I heard a lot of great stuff through her as a kid. She also had slightly older pals, including the one skater dude in our town, and would always make her mixtapes that I would then steal. Again, it was the speed and obnoxiousness of "Smash" that drew me in and its anti-authority message kept me. It was the soundtrack to my early teenage summers when we'd partake in backyard wrestling and bike rides. They also sent me directly to...

Dead Kennedys

I fell in love with this band the first time I ever saw their name and before I heard a note of their music. I read a Kerrang interview with Dexter of The Offspring and saw that they were referenced in the liner notes of their album. I knew that I had to hear this band but couldn't find their music anywhere (pre-Internet) so saved up my paper round money and ordered the CD from Goldrush Records in Perth. Once I gave "Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables" its first spin, it blew my mind and it has stayed with me ever since, influencing me musically, politically, aesthetically and so much more. The greatest punk band of all time, to my mind.

Green Day

If The Offspring introduced me to speed and the Dead Kennedys to politics, it was Green Day that introduced me to simplicity, hooks and catchy melodies, which then pretty much directly led to me picking up a guitar and learning to write songs for myself. I had an old dubbed cassette tape with "Dookie" on one side and Nofx "Heavy Petting Zoo" on the other and I must've listened to that tape thousands of times before I wore it out. "Dookie" was my gateway record, but I think "Nimrod" is their overall best piece of work, "Insomniac" is my go-to album and my favourite song is on "Kerplunk" (2000 Light Years Away).

Propagandhi

I, like everyone else, first heard Propagandhi on the Fat Wreck comps but it wasn't until Craig, guitarist in my old band 13 Broken Fingers (now in Get It Together) played me "Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes" that I had to go and unpeel my brains from his bedroom walls. That record became an obsession and I had to read everything in the liner notes and followed up on all suggested resources; it informed my politics at the time of the second Iraq War when we were protesting and soundtracked our encounters with the G8 when they came to Gleneagles. Without question one of the most important bands alive and essentially peerless in modern punk.

Against Me!

"Reinventing Axl Rose" was a record that redefined what was possible with punk rock in my mind. It had never really occurred to me that punk could be played with an acoustic guitar and it was this record more than any other that convinced my that the songs I was writing solo were just as valid/worthy/punk as anything else played loud and with distortion. The Acoustic EP just blew my mind; so much pain, heart and soul in one place, by punks. I felt kinship and supported, like it was okay to follow your own path even if the only thing ye had was an acoustic guitar, which at times was literally the only thing I had.

Crass

It was probably reading interviews with Laura Jane Grace that led me back to Crass. I'd always been aware of them from my early days of getting into punk but the music was just so abrasive and out there that I had trouble understanding it in my youth, even though the message was strong and I was attracted to their politics. Once I was a little older, it made a lot more sense to me and I dived deeper into their catalogue and history, and I was deeply inspired by how committed they were to their ideals, how they did everything collectively and how they endlessly fucked with people. Anyone who's into DIY punk and isn't in some way influenced by Crass and everything they did and stood for is either in denial about it or straight up just doesn't yet know. They older I get, the crustier I become.

Rancid

The "band as gang" image/mentality has always been attractive to me and our ragtag crew of small town cowpunk country roasters felt exactly like that, something that's carried over with me throughout my life. Rancid were the ultimate punks when I was a kid; gnarly yet cool and punk as fuck with just the best songs and an unfuckwithability. Their influence was undeniable with regards Uniforms; I think Jamie and I harboured some sort of Tim/Lars fantasy as the last guitar-slingers and town and we'd always bombard our American touring buddies with questions about Rancid. I once stole a Rancid hoodie from my pal (in plain sight) and wore it until it disintegrated.

Leatherface

Before the Tim/Lars dynamic, you had Frankie/Dickie. I didn't get into Leatherface in a big way until my early twenties but they were a band that I'd always been familiar with name-wise. The first record I actually owned was the Hot Water Music split, after that I had to devour everything. It was hearing Frankie Stubbs sing that offered me the assurance that I too could sing in a punk band, that my gravel voice was something to be embraced, not hidden and be ashamed of. Since then, putting on a Leatherface LP is like putting on an old warm jumper; they're pretty much the greatest band in the history of UK punk. My original pressing of "Mush" is framed atop my record collection and is one of my favourite records of all time. I feel deeply privileged that MTAT had the honour of hosting what was to be the last ever Scottish show from Leatherface at BYAF V. That will live with me forever.

Tim Barry

I have never witnessed a musician as captivating, enthralling and playing with as much power and passion as I have Tim Barry. I have long been a fan of Avail, having first read about them in a Kerrang feature about the Deconstruction tour and their roots-y gruff melodic punk bluster would be a massive influence in my own writing. However, seeing Tim Barry solo was something else entirely. Uniforms were on tour in the States with Loaded 45 and we'd flown out the day after my father's funeral. Suffice to say, I was an emotional mess. Our tour rolled into Tempe, Arizona and we shared a bill with Tim Barry and Kevin Seconds, a fact in itself which was enough to blow my tiny mind. I will never forget standing at the side of the stage with Jamie watching Tim holding the audience in the palm of his hand and elicit the most visceral emotional response from a crowd I've ever witnessed. I stood there with tears streaming down my face and knew I'd carry that moment in my heart forevermore.

Check out MTAT here: http://makethatatakerecords.com/

Buy stuff from their Bandcamp here: https://makethatatakerecords.bandcamp.com/

Like MTAT on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/makethatatakerecords

Like Shitgripper here: https://www.facebook.com/shitgripper

Like Tragical History Tour here: https://www.facebook.com/tragicalhistorytour

Album Review: Ivy League TX by Ivy League TX

Ivy League TX are a three-piece punk band from Midland, Texas who formed in 2009. On the ninth of January they released a brand new three-song self-titled EP. I checked it out.

The opening track is called Daily Pt. III. It starts with a soft, piano-led, bluesy audio clip before the song really begins with some powerful vocals that really jump out of the speakers and into your heart. So much emotion comes out as he sings about trying to grow and become a better man. This is the perfect example of the punk rock, fists-in-the-air anthem. The second song on the EP is called Four Years and it features guest vocals from Drew Fish. This song starts with a building sing-a-long section before the tempo of the music picks up, with the drums in particular really pounding along throughout. I like the way they seemingly use two different melodies for the vocals and the music, this gives the song a very interesting sound and helps keep it from sounding too much like everything else. The EP finishes with the song Cold Burn. This is my favourite of the three songs on the EP. It wastes no time at the beginning with some more emotional vocals starting things off. Cold Burns has a bit more of an emo feeling to it than the previous two songs, especially during the chorus. The combination of jangling guitars and the screams of "COLD BURN" during the final section of the song is incredible and is a moment in a song that really needs to be heard live to fully appreciate.

These three songs really serve as a great advertisement for what Ivy League TX are all about. They play fast and aggressive yet emotional and heartfelt punk rock music that will have you shouting along as well as thinking very deeply. Great stuff!

Stream and download Ivy League TX here: https://ivyleaguetx.bandcamp.com/

Like Ivy League TX here: https://www.facebook.com/ivyleaguetx

Album Review: Person Up/Mess by Woahnows (by Emma Prew)

At the end of February, Plymouth-based pop punks Woahnows released a new double A-side single on Specialist Subject Records. The tracks were self-produced by the band at a place called Livewire in Saltash, Cornwall, which is an independent youth music charity and where Tim Rowing-Parker, Woahnows’ singer and guitarist, works. (Check out Livewire here – they do great things.)

The first track, Person Up, kicks off with a loud jangly guitar riff that I now can’t get out of my head. The first line of the song ’Cause I wanna, wanna, wanna, wanna tell you so bad is also infectiously catchy. The song is about not believing in the need to ‘man up’ (see what they did with the song title there?) and be a tough guy. Guys get emotional at times too and that’s alright. In the middle and again towards the end of the song there are more of the jangly guitar and some uhh oohhhs that I can very clearly picture Tim performing live on stage – I think he’s second to Giles from Great Cynics in looking super happy when he performs live.

The second song, Mess, is slower than the first and has an overall more melancholic sound. With repetition of the line It’s such an honest mess, Mess is a song about falling out of love with someone. It hurts to admit it but you know it’s not going to work out, which I’m sure is something a lot of people can relate to. The song features an awesome little distorted guitar solo in the middle which, again, I can’t wait to see live.

Both songs are pretty short at under 3 minutes each – although I guess that’s pretty standard in the world of punk rock. Despite the fact that the songs are about dealing with some tough times, Person Up and Mess are dynamic and catchy – which seems to be something that Woahnows do very well. 

The band are going to be supporting The Smith Street Band, along with Apologies, I Have None, on their UK tour in July and they will also be at Manchester Punk Festival in April. I will be catching them at both (twice for TSSB, in fact!) and you should too.

Additional comment: The album artwork is awesome.

You can stream and download Person Up / Mess here: https://specialistsubject.bandcamp.com/album/person-up-mess

Or buy the 7” from Specialist Subject Records here: http://specialistsubject.limitedrun.com/products/567482

And like Woahnows here: https://www.facebook.com/WOAHNOWS/