Dan vs California (by Dan Peters)

My Review that’s not a Review of Blink-182: California.

Honestly I tried so hard. I really did. But not once have I had the energy to get all the way through the thing. Instead, because I want to get on with listening to the new Guttermouth EP some more, here are a selection of thoughts I have on the album:

• Cynical is my favourite and least favourite Blink song of all time. Favourite because it’s a fantastic back to form fun, fast enjoyable song. Least favourite because it’s like a spit in the face to me. A “look what we could have done but instead this will finish in 1:40 and then you have to listen to Bored To Death”.
• Bored To Death is the worst.
• The song after… (checks album track listing) She’s Out Of Her Mind is also fun, Then Los Angeles is not - are they deliberately doing it?
• Say what you will about Tom, at least he was distinctive, I honestly struggle to guess where Matt and Mark switch over with all that autotune of the vocals.
• Speaking of Los Angeles, why have you got so many songs named after towns? It just makes me not remember which one is which.
• Built This Pool is another kick in the face. “Hey” Mark says with a huge grin, “Remember when this band had a wicked sense of humour?”. “No” says the Record Exec, “Get on with songs called No Future instead”.
• Rabbit Hole is cool. I really, really like Rabbit Hole. If that was the second track on the album I probably would have been won over enough that I would have forgiven all the boring forgettable stuff.
• I heard many people say something good about Brohemian Rhapsody but I never got around to listening to it and I’m not motivated enough to care to do it now.
• I put this on for a full week every day and I can’t sing the choruses to any of the tracks except Out of Her Mind and Rabbit Hole.

Look I’m being mean, and you may of course take this whole thing with a huge pinch of salt but here’s my honest opinion in the conclusion. Blink had enough material for an incredible EP here but there just seems like so much filler that it dilutes good stuff. It’s not that bad, but there’s so much out there more worth your time/money/attention.

Top Tens: Colin's Top Ten Venues

Over the years I have managed to visit many different venues to watch punk and ska music. Sixty-four different ones to be exact - yes, I am that cool that I've kept track of them. Obviously living an hour outside of London, in sunny Colchester, the majority of venues I've visited are in London. But I've also visited various venues in Norwich, Manchester, Dundee, Brighton, Oxford, Plymouth, Bristol, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Kingston and of course Colchester. I thought it might be a fun to put together a list of my top ten favourite venues I've visited so far. (Not in any particular order).

The Underworld, Camden
The Underworld is by far the venue I have visited the most due to my love of punk music. For a few years, Camden Carnage would take place over a week in August at The Underworld. A who's who of the punk rock world would play shows and I'd spend the majority of my week sweating and shouting along. (These gigs still happen although not under the 'Carnage' name nor over just a week.) The stage is placed in the corner of the decently sized room and you are able to see the stage from wherever you decide to stand, whether it be at the front, at the back or on the raised area around the floor.

The Fighting Cocks, Kingston
The home of Banquet Records shows is the Fighting Cocks. A tiny backroom of a pub in Kingston is not really where you might expect to find some of the best shows in the country but Banquet Records have made this place so special. If you love small, sweaty shows full with some of the most passionate music lovers around, The Fighting Cocks is the place for you. Some of my favourite shows ever - including Iron Chic, Off With Their Heads, Masked Intruder and The Smith Street Band - have been at The Fighting Cocks.

The Old Blue Last, Shoreditch
Situated in London's trendy Shoreditch area, The Old Blue Last is the premier small venue. If a band wants to play an intimate London show, The OBL is often the place to play. Bands such as The Menzingers, Anti-Flag, Cancer Bats, Andrew WK, Hot Water Music and, erm, Kylie Minogue have all played gigs there. It's a tiny venue, with one of the smallest stages around but there is something special about the Old Blue Last.

Our Black Heart, Camden
Situated just round the corner from the Underworld, Our Black Heart is one of Camden's best kept secrets. Its music venue room is upstairs and is one of those strange rooms that feels tiny when it's empty but when it's full it feels massive! The room is a long one, with the stage at one end and the bar at the other. I've had the pleasure of seeing bands such RVIVR, The Mahones, Elway, Bangers and The Smith Street Band at the Black Heart. All were truly memorable nights.

The Owl Sanctuary, Norwich
In a relatively short space of time The Owl Sanctuary in Norwich has become the premier venue for underground rock music. After originally opening in 2014, earlier this year the Owl was forced to move venues. Despite this setback it has flourished. The biggest and best names in punk rock, based in the UK and internationally, have graced the stage. With a big emphasis on independence and the community the Owl is a blueprint for what all new venues should be.

Zombie Shack, Manchester
I've only been to Manchester's Zombie Shack once but I quickly fell in love with it. A new addition to this year's Manchester Punk Festival venues, Zombie Shack is themed like a tiki bar with additional zombies. It's only a small room, which is basically a loft for MPF main venue Sound Control, but it is a fun and quirky place to visit.

Urban Bar, Whitechapel
Another small room upstairs of a pub - there's a theme here. I'm not sure that I've ever been to a gig here and not left completely covered in sweat. That's good though as it is always a good show. Urban Bar is a great place for DIY promoters to put on gigs with sales from the upstairs bar going towards paying the bands. Buy drinks upstairs!

Electric Ballroom, Camden
I've said many times that I'm not keen on bigger venues. There's always an exception though and in this list it's the Electric Ballroom in Camden. As you enter the building and head down the stairs you are encountered by a huge (compared to what I'm used to) floor space and stage. The stage is nice and high up as well meaning you can get a decent view of the stage from wherever you stand.

Sound Control, Manchester
Sound Control is the home of the Manchester Punk Festival. Comprising of three different floors with rooms of different sizes, it's the perfect place to host a small festival. Amazingly all three rooms are absolutely great for live music, all have great sound and excellent viewing points. It's a great way to get fit as well - going up and down the stairs all day on the day of the festival to see different bands!

DIY Space For London
A venue that, at the time of posting this, I have only been to once but it just had to be on this list. DIY Space For London is a volunteer-run crowdfunded space in South East London. By day it's a space for creative work, meetings and a social place and by night it runs screenings, talks and of course live music. The first time I went to DSFL I was surprised by the size of the place and just how organised and how well run everything was. DIY Space For London is a place that all the volunteers who have invested so much time in making it work, and London in general, should be proud of.

Album Review: Mr Splashy by Wonk Unit

Wonk Unit are releasing a brand new album. This is exciting news in the world of punk rock music. The much adored Londoner's new album, Mr Splashy, comes out on TNSrecords on the 23rd of September. I was lucky enough to get an early copy.

Mr Splashy starts out with the song Awful Jeans. Starting out with Wonk Unit leader Alex, who has one of the most distinctive voices in all of punk rock. If a song comes on shuffle that you don't recognise, as soon as you hear him sing you know it's Wonk Unit. Awful Jeans is a fun punk rock song about a terrible pair of trousers. Wonk Unit aren't always the most serious of bands, but bands don't always have to be deadly serious. It's good to have fun. That being said the lyric "There's Kiddies In The Sweatshop, For Primark And Top Shop, Just So You Can Wear Those Awful Jeans" is kind of hard hitting. Up next is a song named I Told You So. This song has a much more traditional punk sound to it, something that long time Wonk Unit fans will know they often stray from. I Told You So is a track about being right when someone has ignored advice you've given to them. The advice given in this instance is about having rubbish tattoos. I found this quite relatable - a friend of mine has terrible tattoos that he regrets. I imagine most people have a friend like this. Bin Him is a foot tapping, head nodding, hand clapper of a song. It's a song about leaving someone who is abusing you in a relationship. Heavy stuff. I think it's a song about empowering people to find the strength to stand up for themselves when times are unimaginably hard. Something I really enjoyed about the song was the addition of a female vocal to accompany Alex, this adds a lot of power to the song.

The fourth song on Mr Splashy is titled And You Call This Normal. And You Call This Normal feels as much like a poem as it does a song. If you have seen Wonk Unit live you will know that Alex often recites poems on stage between songs so it's no surprise for something like this to pop up on the album. This poem is beautifully accompanied by some acoustic guitar and some cello that really pull on your heart strings. A really powerful and emotional song. Silly Voices is a lovely love song. There is plenty of the traditional Wonk Unit lyrical charm in the song. Lines such as "But We Just Work, There Ain't No Drama, Life Ain't A Fairytale And There's No Palava" and "In Bed Watching The Netflix, Watching The Bake Off, Holding The World At Bay, I Like My Humour Gentle, Because The World's Mental" as well as the simple chorus of "You're My Bird And I'm Your Geezer" stood out. Owen Meaney is the name of the sixth song. It's also the name of a Lagwagon song but isn't a cover. Owen Meaney is a short song with minimal lyrics but is sure to get a crowd singing along loudly nonetheless. Je M'Appelle Alex brings us to the halfway point of My Splashy. I loved the beginning of the track with the crunchy guitar and Alex's vocals setting up the song. The song is about the frustration of people asking for a guest list spot at a gig when the band needs as much money from the doors as possible. This is one of my favourite songs on the album. It's a faster aggressive punk song that builds from a slow intro into a snarling, venomous banger.

The opening song on the second half of Mr Splashy is another song in the style of poem. Old Train is a song about old style trains and the fun/mischief you could get up to on them. Going again with the stripped back acoustic style. The cello in particular adds so much atmosphere to the song and the brass gives the song a much bigger feel. Ode To Summer is a fast paced punk sing-a-long. One of my favourite Wonk Unit songs ever, it's about being thankful for having a nice summer season. It's not going to change the world but it's the type of song that puts a massive smile on my face. At just one minute and thirty-one seconds long the song is quite short but there is a feeling of epicness about it. I can imagine this being a great set closer for Wonk Unit. Pale Moonlight is another different sounding song. Wonk Unit have a great skill in writing very diverse sounding music. Keeping within their distinctive punk rock sound, Wonk Unit tread slightly into a dancey/pop vibe on the track. The next track, Model On The Northern Line, is another song that sways into the pop world. The chorus in particular will be stuck in your head for days. Alex sings the lines "I Think Only In Diamonds" over and over and you will too.

Old Man sees the pace get picked up and for me this is when Wonk Unit are at their best. A straight forward punk song that you can sing and dance along with. It's yet another song that puts a great big smile on my face. The sound makes me feel very nostalgic, I can't quite put my finger on why exactly at the moment though. The penultimate track on Mr Splashy is named Hot Day You Know It and it tells the story of a hot day in London. I really liked the raw and rough sound of the music on this song, especially the distorted sound of the guitars. It gives the track slightly more of a heavy sound, something that we haven't heard on the record so far. Mr Splashy is completed with the song We Are The England. This is a song attacking all that is wrong with our country. Topics touched include propaganda in the media, selling all of our industry and the decline in apprenticeships for young people. Another stand out Wonk Unit song, not just on Mr Splashy but in their entire discography.

Mr Splashy is without a doubt my favourite Wonk Unit album yet. It shows of a lot of the strings on the Wonk Unit bow whilst always managing to sound like Wonk Unit. It's silly, thoughtful, provocative, sweet and, at all times, full of heart. Cracking job.

Order Mr Splashy here: http://www.tnsrecords.co.uk/?p=8279

Like Wonk Unit here: https://www.facebook.com/wonkunitband/

Art of Punk: 176 Records and Greg O’Grady

After 9 years of putting on gigs in London, Angela – the founder and overall mastermind behind the wonderful 176 Records – has decided it’s time to call it a day and move on to other things. It will be sad without the 176 shows in London but I can’t begin to imagine how much work goes into putting on gigs – and gigs with such great line-ups as hers have had – so I also understand. 

The last ever 176 show is this Friday at DIY Space for London with ONSIND, Kamikaze Girls, Break Ups, MOLAR and Apartments. As of today it is sold out, so if you didn’t get a ticket then I’m sorry but you’ll definitely be missing something special.

I will be attending the final 176 show although I must admit I have only been to a handful of the many gigs that Angela has put on over the lifetime of 176 – unfortunately I only really started going to the smaller and more DIY punk shows in the last two years. Looking back at Angela’s list compiling all the shows since April 2011, I can see that I missed a lot of great ones – and that’s just the shows under the 176 name, she was putting on various London gigs before then as well.

Angela wrote a final statement on the 176 Records blog at the end of August summing up the end of 176, which I highly recommend you go and read now. I’m just going to share the last paragraph from that blog post as she talks about the design for the 176 Records posters – which, after all, is partly what this Art of Punk post is about.

Biggest thank you to Greg O’Grady who has made 176 look so much better than I ever could. When I first met Greg I was finding pictures of animals on Google and adding some text. Whilst I thought this was good enough Greg didn’t so he rudely, without me asking, designed a poster for the RVIVR show I had coming up – telling me I was no longer allowed to use the stag poster I had expertly created.

Before:

After:

As a designer myself, I can see why Greg felt the need to step in and help. (I may have done the same thing to Colin with this blog and the Facebook banner in particular…) I’m not sure if Greg has designed every single 176 Records poster but he’s certainly designed the majority of them, as well as the 176 Records logo that has been used since July 2013.

It would be wrong to say that all of Greg’s 176 posters look the same but there are definitely some similarities and themes than run through most of, if not all of, them. Flat blocks of colour and distinct patterns and shapes occur through most of the design. They also more often than not feature animals – perhaps a nod towards Angela’s original ‘posters’. The pug on the Bangers poster, above, has got to be one of my favourites. The pug also makes a reappearance on the last 176 poster – x 2!

I’ll miss seeing 176 poster designs but most of all I’ll miss going to the shows and I know I won’t be the only one. Thank you Angela and Greg.

Album Review: Hardcore!! Bootlegs!! by Little Sparta OX1

Little Sparta OX1 are a new band with a lot of promise. Describing themselves as middle-classhole punks, the three piece combine a good mix of folk, punk and ska. In June they released a new four track EP named Hardcore!! Bootlegs!!.

The first song on the EP is named Topshop Marxists. Topshop Marxists is acoustic track featuring guitar and violin. It goes along at a wonderful up-tempo pace and is full of life. Lead singer and guitarist Joe has a fantastic vocal for this kind of music. It's a good mix of pop punk and a rough edge. On Topshop Marxists he sings about the higher classes believing that they are better than lower classes. There is a fantastic gang vocal section towards the end of the track that put a massive smile on my face. I really love gang vocals and this makes me think of Little Sparta OX1 in a small club with a room full of people singing back at them. It's wonderful. Next up is 0240. This song has a slower tempo to it with Joe's voice displaying more anger than on the previous track. He sings about realising you're not treating people as well as you should and wanting to apologise. Violinist Paula does a fantastic job on the track - giving 0240 a bigger, yet more sombre, sound. The third song on the EP is titled Please God Is It Like This (At All)? This track sees the paced pick up again with some speedy guitar playing combined with some more melodic violin playing. It's about playing shows in small towns to small crowds and loving it. The lyrics "I'd Fucking Die Tomorrow For A Heaven Just Like This, Please God Is It Like This At All?" really sum up the entire song. There is a real sing-a-long charm to the song. Folk punk is at its best when it can get a whole room of people singing along together in unison - this track could do this with ease. The final song on Hardcore!! Bootlegs!! is named Borussia Dortmund. This track is almost ballad like in delivery and I love it because of this. Joe's vocals are fantastic on this track. It's a song about individuality. I really loved the lyric "one size fits no-one at all." That's a tattoo worthy lyric, if I was brave enough to get a tattoo. Borussia Dortmund is just such a beautifully written song, I can't really say the right words to really do it the proper justice. Just go and listen to it.

Go and check out this hidden gem of an EP. I really look forward to seeing Little Sparta OX1 going from strength to strength and becoming a well known name in the UK's punk scene. I will be championing them to anybody who wants to listen.

Stream and download Hardcore!! Bootlegs!! here: https://littlespartasuck.bandcamp.com/album/hardcore-bootlegs

Like Little Sparta OX1 here: https://www.facebook.com/littlespartasuck/

Fest 15: Preview 2

Every year The Fest in Gainesville, Florida, features not only the best bands from America but also plenty of talent from all over the punk rock world. Over the past few years the very best of UK punk rock have played the festival including the likes of Muncie Girls, Great Cynics, Don Blake, Caves, Leagues Apart, Bear Trade, Gnarwolves, Pale Angels, The Murderburgers, Woahnows and Frank Turner. This year, like always, there is great selection of bands travelling across the Atlantic to Gainesville.

Wonk Unit are one of the most talked about bands from the UK scene. The London based group have grown a cult following in the UK and will be back in Gainesville for the second year in a row. Wonk Unit are like no punk band you've ever seen before, practically reinventing the sound whilst remaining very true to their punk sensibilities. Always incredibly entertaining live, you're guaranteed to come away with a massive smile on your face. Another of the UK's brightest punk bands Ducking Punches are also returning to The Fest for the second year running. The Norwich based five piece's folk tinged punk music tackles subjects such as love, death, addiction and mental health. Frontman Dan Allan manages to write about these difficult subjects in a way that makes you feel uplifted come the end of the song - he makes you feel like you're not alone in your struggles. Expect some big sing-alongs at both the acoustic and full band Ducking Punches shows.

Leeds based Jake and the Jellyfish are one of my favourite bands from the UK. Combining punk, ska and folk music, they have a wonderful ability to get you dancing and singing along whatever style they are playing. Lead singer Jake McAllister has a brilliantly distinct voice that will grab your attention from the outset. I believe that Jake and the Jellyfish will also be doing full band and acoustic sets at The Fest. Both are not to be missed. London five piece Ghouls are one of the best live bands in the UK at the moment. Playing pop punk music with a healthy dose of brass, these five young men will blow you away with their high energy set. Having played many of Europe's top festivals including 2000 Trees, Mighty Sounds and Hit The Deck, this will be Ghouls first time in the USA and are sure to make a big impression.

Some of the finest of UK acoustic punk music is also represented at The Fest. For me the most notable artist is Edinburgh's angriest young man Billy Liar. Billy plays a spellbinding brand of acoustic punk rock music guaranteed to captivate any audience. Billy plays all his song with so much emotion you can tell how invested he is in what he does. Such a brilliant songwriter, musician and performer. Another of the UK's brightest acoustic performers is Andrew Cream. This year at Fest he is actually playing with his full band so I would expect that is set will pack even more of a punch. His latest album, Self-Portrait, is a Colin's Punk Rock World favourite and we're looking forward to hearing songs from that album played live in Florida. At the beginning of this year I had the pleasure of seeing The Barnett Brothers lives at The Lexington in London. Supporting that night was Eastbourne's Brightr. Since starting out in 2015 he has toured everywhere playing his gloomy emotional pop songs picking up plenty of fans along the way.

Another of the most talked about newer bands in the scene are London duo Kamikaze Girls. Last month they released their fantastic new EP Sad - an EP about it being okay to feel sad. Musically they play raw, fuzzy alternative rock music and have a powerful and energetic live show. Aerial Salad are a band from Manchester who I actually only discovered because they are playing The Fest. They are a three piece indie punk band with a hint of 90s Green Day snottiness about them. In 2016 they have released two EPs - Stop Pushing and Roach - both of which are fantastic.

Top Tens: Colin's Top Ten Less Than Jake Songs

When people of my age first start getting into punk music the majority of the time the way in is through bands like The Offspring, Green Day and Blink 182. For me however is was through Gainesville's ska-punk legends Less Than Jake. Next month not only will I get to see them yet again in London but I will be travelling to their home town to see them at The Fest. Because of this I decided to do a top ten list of my favourite Less Than Jake songs.

Before I start, a special mention goes to the song I'm A Dude which featured in the film Good Burger. It's a bit of a novelty song but I've always found it very uplifting and always puts the biggest smile on my face. I've seen Less Than Jake play this live as well which was awesome.

10. My Money Is On The Long Shot (See The Light)
When See The Light was released in 2013 it was my favourite Less Than Jake album since Anthem was released in 2003. My Money Is On The Long Shot was the stand out track from the album and was an example of Less Than Jake reverting to their third wave ska roots. The band made one of my all time favourite music videos for the song as well, where they got a massive collection of their friends to mime the song. Watch that here.

9. Liquor Store (Pezcore)
Liquor Store is proper old school Less Than Jake, released on their debut album, Pezcore, all the way back in 1995. This early song is where it all began for the band and is still a firm favourite twenty one years later.

8. My Very Own Flag (Pezcore)
I first heard My Very Own Flag on a Moon Ska Records compilation when I was first really getting into ska punk. I only had heard Less Than Jake's newer albums, Border and Boundaries and Anthem at the time so this was my first exposure to real old school Less Than Jake. It's a song about not liking the rules and regulations laid down by the older generations and wanting to make your own rules. There is a fantastic whoa-oh section to close out the song that really gets a crowd singing loudly.

7. The Science Of Selling Yourself Short (Anthem)
If ever a song was going to be a radio friendly hit for Less Than Jake The Science Of Selling Yourself Short is that song. First Appearing on Anthem, the song sees the band slow things down (something they rarely do) and play a sing-a-long reggae style. Interestingly the song was a last minute idea for Anthem and has turned out to be the band's most well known song.

6. Look What Happened (Borders and Boundaries)
One of my favourite things about Less Than Jake is the dual Vocals of Chris and Roger. On Look What Happened (which was also released on Anthem) they really make the song shine. With Chris taking the verse and Roger the chorus it gives the song a much bigger feel. Live this song is an absolute banger, massive sing-a-longs, plenty of dancing and a break down and build towards an ending that will blow the roof of anywhere that it's being played.

5. Al's War (Hello Rockview)
Al's War is the final song on arguably Less Than Jake's most popular album Hello Rockview. To my knowledge this is one of the first times they really went away from the ska punk sound that has made them so popular. This is an anthemic punk rock song that proves that Less Than Jake aren't one trick ponies.

4. Pete Jackson Is Getting Married (Borders and Boundaries)
Pete Jackson Is Getting Married is one of Less Than Jake's most underrated songs in my humble opinion. Bass player, Roger, has for a long time had my favourite vocal in the world of punk music and it's at its very best on Pete Jackson. It's a fast paced punk song that has energy flooding out of it. This is everything I love about punk music condensed down into just under two minutes. It's fast, it's fun, it's a bit silly and it makes me smile.

3. Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts (Pezcore/Losing Streak)
I don't think my top three will actually surprise anyone and it is probably the same for many other Less Than Jake fans. Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts appears on Pezcore and Losing Streak and has long been a fan favourite. With its building intro and its big chorus, the song can get a Less Than Jake crowd brilliantly rowdy. Sometimes I feel like Less Than Jake's brass section doesn't quite get the credit it deserves, on Johnny Quest they are at their best, adding so much to the sound of the song.

2. All My Best Friends Are Metalheads (Hello Rockview)
On another day this song could have easily been number one on this list. It's a classic, not just for Less Than Jake but for the genre of ska punk as a whole. I love this song so much that I based my first email address on it. It's an instant sing-a-long and circle pit starter. As soon as you hear the audio clip of a Victor Lundberg speech titled An Open Letter To My Teenage Son you know things are about to get exciting. The song itself is about not judging people for the things that they believe and not being afraid of being judged for your beliefs.

1. Gainesville Rock City (Borders and Boundaries)
Whilst my friends and I were in college, during the summer holidays we would make a point of going to the beach every Monday. This tradition became known as Beach Monday. For the journey I made a mix CD which had Gainesville Rock City as track number one. As soon as that key turns, the engine starts and the one two punch of horns and guitar riffs come in you know you're in for a high energy party. Chris and Roger's dual vocals are at their very best on this track which is an ode to their hometown of Gainesville.

I actually surprised myself a little bit with this list. I figured I'd have a lot more tracks from Losing Streak and Hello Rockview. I consider them my favourite Less Than Jake albums and are generally considered classics. I guess I like them best as a whole with many of my other favourite LTJ song popping up throughout their discography.