Album Review: Besides by The Burnt Tapes

London via Athens gruff punk rockers The Burnt Tapes have just released a short b-sides EP named Besides. Containing three songs that were written and recorded over the past year for different compilations and projects that didn't come off, the band deciding to release it as a stop gap before they release a new EP.

First up is a song named Go Drunk, You’re Home. This is a slow paced song that really focuses on the big sing-along moments rather than being a whirlwind of a punk song. It's a song about feeling like you're being left behind in life and making sure you have a lot of great memories. I really enjoyed the use of two different vocalists on the song - more bands should use multiple vocalists especially in music like this. It does give the feeling of inclusiveness that all punks love. Of course there are also some "woah-oh" harmonies thrown in towards the end of the song, as you would expect from the best sing-along punk rock music. Next up is the track South To Motherboy. The song starts out a little slow with a short and quiet guitar riff acting almost as a siren, warning that something big is about to happen. The pace is certainly upped here showing a different side to The Burnt Tapes. The upped-pace gives a sense of urgency to go along with lead singer Phil's raspy, strained vocal. South To Motherboy is a song about not wanting to let somebody down and also not being able to let them leave your life. This is a bit of a heart-on-your-sleeve track with Phil really singing with a lot of passion. Finally we have Adrenochrome Heights. This song originally appeared on a Struck Dum Records comp earlier in the year. The tone on Adrenochrome Heights feels much darker than on the previous two tracks. There is also a lot more focus on the guitar work, with Phil and Pan having some great duelling riffs throughout. Phil's vocals are really pushed to the limit here, really portraying so much emotion that really gets you invested into the song.

The Burnt Tapes are one of the very best up and coming punk bands in the UK. Playing shows all over the UK, as well as the odd tour of Europe, they are picking up more and more fans all of the time. This EP showcases the band’s continuing growth as musicians and songwriters and should help tide over fans of the band who are eagerly awaiting a brand new EP of new material.

Stream and download Besides here: https://burnttapes.bandcamp.com/

Like The Burnt Tapes here: https://www.facebook.com/burnttapes

Album Review: Downers by Dead Rejects and Positive Junk

Another day, another split review. This one is titled Downers and is brought to us by two ska-punk bands - New Jersey's Dead Rejects and Positive Junk from Coventry, UK. Before I stumbled upon the release on Bandcamp I hadn't heard of either band so was excited to hopefully find two new favourites.

Dead Rejects kick off the split. First up is a song named It Gets Worse. This is an intro track which is just some beautifully played piano that leads brilliantly into the second song, Hear Me Out. As soon as the piano finishes we are greeted with some guitar and a huge primal scream. Hear Me Out is a full on hardcore punk rock song - fast, furious and full of anger. It's about the frustration of wanting to be heard. An explosive start to the split. Keep Dancing is a more melodic style. Lead singer Shane Sparacello's vocals are raspy, reminding me of Mark from Boston street punk act The Unseen. They work fantastically on the song which is a great sing-along. It's about going to gigs and how that one night dancing along with your favourite band can make you forget about all the troubles that are happening within your life. Hugely relatable. The fourth song is named Burning Bridges. Burning Bridges is a song of many styles and tempos. Style wise it switches between ska and hardcore effortlessly - being a very skankable tune during the ska before breaking through walls with some devastating hardcore. Burning Bridges tells the story of a friendship that ended in a bad way and then questioning why it happened. "What Happened To You? What Happened To Me? What Happened To Everybody?" sums this up perfectly. The final Dead Rejects song is Lonliness. This is definitely the most ska-sounding song on the Dead Rejects half of the split, with the first verse of the song having a slight pop tinge to it as well. It plays at a mid-tempo pace throughout most of the song, allowing plenty of dancing before building to a big, fast paced punk rock finale. A brilliant song.

Positive Junk, who is actually just one man named Tyler Atkins, starts his half of the split with the song Voices. It starts similarly to the Dead Rejects opening tracks with a slow start before a big scream wakes the track up. Voices is about combating the voices inside your head. It heavily features a ska guitar sound whilst Atkins, like Shane Sparacello, sings with a raspy voice. The song Demons also follows the topic of mental health, starting out with a hardcore punk rock vibe before transitioning into a upbeat ska punk party. I love how the different styles define the different moods of the song. The opening hardcore style is when the song talks about struggling with your demons and feeling like you're losing, while the upbeat ska is played when the demons are beaten. A very special song. Up next is a song going by the name of Leech. More fantastic skacore music here with a little bit of pop thrown into the mix. The "Don't Count On Me, To Let You Know When I Am Down" line sounds like it has been lifted from the Sum 41 track Fat Lip and they really pulled me in. A creative piece of song writing. Listening to Leech reminds me structurally of a pop punk song but with a very, very distinctive skacore sound. It's ace. Positive Junk's penultimate song is called Wasted Daze. Wasted Daze is about being stabbed in the back by your best friend and feeling like you've wasted all of your time. Jumping between bouncy ska and more serious straight forward punk rock seamlessly, it's a fun sounding song even if the lyrical content is sad. The final song on the split is named So Much Worse! This is another beautifully played piano song to complete the split.

Downers is a fantastic split showcasing two quality skacore acts from both sides of the Atlantic. Whenever I think the ska scene is beginning to get short on fantastic bands some more always pop up. Dead Rejects and Positive Junk are another two of those. Check out this split and both bands’ back catalogues.

Stream and download Downers here: https://positivejunk.bandcamp.com/album/downers-2

Like Dead Rejects here: https://www.facebook.com/DeadRejectsNJ/

Like Positive Junk here: https://www.facebook.com/PositveJunk

Art of Punk: Bryan Kienlen

Forgive me if I’m pointing out the obvious here but… Bryan Kienlen is the bassist of The Bouncing Souls. He has also been the man behind all of their artwork (nearly 30 years!), from the band’s early DIY gig flyers and first EP covers to their latest album, Simplicity, Bryan has designed them all – which is pretty good going for one man if you ask me!

After finishing high school, Bryan was all set to go off to art school but that would have meant giving up The Bouncing Souls who were just beginning to pick up momentum… so he didn’t go to art school and, as they say, the rest was history. Of course, he’s never given up creating visual art in place of musical art as the two work hand-in-hand. Plus, he also works as a tattooist, at Neptune Tattooville in New Jersey, when the band isn’t on tour as well.

The Bouncing Souls’ latest album features the iconic ‘face’ in the middle of its artwork. The same face that appears on almost all of their previous releases, not to mention on hundreds and hundreds of posters, t-shirts and other band merchandise for years. The ‘Ball Guy’ has acted as a sort of a mascot for the band, although it shouldn’t really be considered their logo as the classic crossbones heart probably serves that purpose better. I read somewhere that the ‘Ball Guy’ was a representation of Bryan himself – at least that’s what someone else in the band said, I think!

Something I like about Bryan’s art, and the artwork throughout The Bouncing Souls’ career in particular, is that it is so varied. The band’s album covers, for example, are so varied in visual style – Anchors Aweigh is an oil painting! – but the ‘Ball Guy’ has found his way into the majority of them. I do, however, like how it isn’t always so obvious – see Anchors Aweigh again, plus Ghosts On The Boardwalk.

I recently watched the 2004 Bouncing Souls documentary, Do You Remember?. The tagline for the documentary is ‘Fifteen years of The Bouncing Souls’ so obviously it is a little bit dated now, but it was great to hear the band talk about how they formed and see lots of footage from all those years ago. It was also particularly interesting for me to see Bryan creating art for the band, which included hand illustrating mail cards and CD artwork, plus spray painting designs onto fan’s own t-shirts – very DIY. You can watch the whole thing here on YouTube, but if you need persuading I’ve included some screenshots.

You can also check out a wide variety of Bryan’s designs, both for The Bouncing Souls and other bands, on his website. If you’re a tattoo fan then I recommend following Bryan on Instagram as well as his photos are mostly of his tattoo art.

Album Review: Blowing Minds & Melting Faces by Burn Burn Burn! and ...Whatever That Means

Split releases are always a fantastic way to discover new bands. Earlier this year I discovered two fantastic bands in the form of Burn Burn Burn! from Seattle, Washington and ...Whatever That Means from Seoul, South Korea. Together they released a split titled Blowing Minds & Melting Faces back in July.

Burn Burn Burn!'s half of the split features two songs that were unreleased b-sides from their 2015 EP Have Fun. First up is Maps Of Brick Walls. When I first heard Maps Of Brick Walls I instantly thought of Jeff Rosenstock. There is a mayhem to the music that Rosenstock has made a fairly successful career of. Burn Burn Burn! have their chaotic charm down to a tee. It's a fast paced track that really grabs your attention. The drumming in particular really drives the song forward and provides a great back bone to the mayhem that appears to be going on throughout the song. The second Burn Burn Burn! song is named Drink It Away. This track is a little more restrained than the chaos that ensued on the first song but keeps up the fast pace. The verses especially have a pop punk feel to them while the chorus is insanely catchy and so easy to sing along with. It's a song about using alcohol to escape your problems and the chorus just goes "So Drink, Drink, Drink Away, I'll Drink, Drink, Drink Away Tonight!" Two very strong songs.

The ...Whatever That Means half of the split contains three songs. First up is a short track named Can't Take It. The song goes off like a starting pistol and doesn't relent for its forty-five second duration. This is some pop punk perfection, as a female vocalist lets out all of her frustrations in life in no time at all. Up next is This Betrayal. A male voice takes the lead on this more melodic track. Multiple vocals are always great on a release, but when it's two voices that are completely different it adds so much freshness to a band’s sound. The song has a great sing-along aspect to it as well, with the chorus being very catchy. There's a nice treat towards the end of the song as well, as the female vocals come in for a short bit of one-two vocals. The third and final ...Whatever That Means song is named Just Another Day. This track has more of a summery pop punk feel to it. Like the sort of pop punk you would expect in a montage on an Amercian teen movie. The chorus again really stood out with the male vocals taking the lead and the female vocals adding some fantastic harmonies. Three great tracks all of which show something different from the ...Whatever That Means sound. Great stuff.

I'd never heard of either of these bands before I stumbled upon them on Bandcamp. Both are just brilliant new bands I am looking forward to checking out more from them.

Stream and download the split here: https://whateverthatmeans.bandcamp.com/album/blowing-minds-melting-faces-bx3-wtm-split-7

Like Burn Burn Burn! here: https://www.facebook.com/BurnBurnBurnMusic/

Like ...Whatever That Means here: https://www.facebook.com/whateverthatmeansmusic

Gig Review: The Menzingers at the Scala 12/10/16 (by Emma Prew)

I’ve mentioned a few times in various contributions to this blog that The Menzingers are almost definitely my favourite band. I know it’s not always good to claim one band (or album or whatever) is your absolute favourite, but there isn’t another band or artist that gets me quite so excited as The Menzingers do. I love them most at a live show and I hadn’t seen them (full band) in over two years, so needless to say I was ridiculously excited for their London show on Wednesday night.

The last time I saw The Menzingers, and indeed last time they were on tour in the UK (aside from their Reading Festival appearance last year), they brought with them The Holy Mess and The Smith Street Band – an awesome line up. For this short run of UK dates, they had Swansea-based Hot Mass and Philly comrade Roger Harvey on board.

First up were Hot Mass. I’m not entirely sure how to best describe Hot Mass’ sound as it is quite different to that of your average punk band. They are very guitar-driven with distorted and fast-paced riffs. Definitely the kind of music to get your head nodding along to and just what was needed to open the show. They’ve become a new favourite of Colin’s with their latest album, Nervous Tensions, and I know he particularly enjoyed seeing them live. We both said the song Action At A Distance was our favourite for its shout-along style chorus.

Then it was time for something different again. It was quite a surprise (I mean, not literally a surprise on the night – I do generally look up and a listen to support acts beforehand) to have an acoustic artist on before The Menzingers, especially after the more typical punk line up of the last tour. That said, Roger Harvey’s set was a refreshing change in sound and pace – I guess you could say he was the calm before the storm. I’d listened to his debut album, Twelve Houses, which has more than just acoustic guitar – some songs include brass, while others are a little bit electronic-sounding – but I actually enjoyed him better live with a more stripped back sound. There was a little bit of talking somewhere in the audience, as is often unfortunately the way with acoustic artists, but most were deeply absorbed in Roger’s music. I’ll be listening to him some more, for sure.

As is often the case before a headlining band takes to the stage, Colin turned to me and asked what song I thought The Menzingers would open with. I instantly said ‘Lookers’, as the band’s newest song (that is actually available to stream and whatnot online) it seemed appropriate to me. Colin thought it was perhaps a bit risky for them to open with a new song… but guess what they opened with? Besides being a new song, Lookers is also a song that starts fairly gently with just Greg’s guitar and vocals, before the rest of the band kicks in. So it turns out this is also an excellent way to start a Menzingers gig. I must admit I hadn’t been completely sold on Lookers when I first heard it but hearing it live for the first time was something else. It was also really great to hear the crowd singing along despite the album the song is from, After The Party, not even being released yet.

The singing, or perhaps more shouting, continued into live show favourite The Obituaries with everyone in the room screaming ‘I will fuck this up, I fucking know it.’ at the top of their lungs. The band were on top form with a performance that seemed to me to be so ever slightly more perfected than when I’ve seen them previously – definitely not a bad thing. They flowed skilfully from one song to the next with a setlist that just worked. Highlights for me from their set included; I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore, Who’s Your Partner, Sun Hotel, Rodent, Rivalries and, of course, Good Things. Although, for whatever reason, the band chose to not play any songs from their debut album, A Lesson In The Abuse Of Information Technology (I guess a band gets pretty sick of playing the same 10 year old songs all the time). As the album that got me into The Menzingers, I was a little bit disappointed by this but the quality of the rest of the set more than made up for it. As well as Lookers, we were treated to another track from their upcoming fifth album called Thick As Thieves. Tom takes the lead on this one and I just have to mention how much I love watching him perform – he simply cannot stand still. The Menzingers are a band that is definitely at home on stage, but they are also very appreciative of their audience – Greg and Tom (being the two vocalists) each expressed this – and you can tell how happy they are performing.

In what felt like no time at all the band was leaving the stage but we knew they’d be back – after all, they hadn’t played Gates or In Remission yet. Returning for their encore, Greg, Tom, Joe and Eric were joined by fellow Philadelphian (is that a term people use?) Roger Harvey to add some acoustic guitar to Gates. I wouldn’t have thought adding an acoustic guitar – rather than playing an entirely acoustic version – would work but it actually sounded really good, so cheers Roger. The band then found they had more time left than planned and decided to fit in their cover of The Bouncing Souls’s Kate Is Great. It was my first time hearing The Menzingers version live and it was awesome. As predicted, In Remission was the band’s closing track. By this point my throat was well and truly raw from shouting along to the rest of their set but that didn’t stop me, nor the rest of the crowd, from singing along one last time.

The Menzingers are the best and I simply cannot wait to see them again in two weeks time across the pond at The Fest!

Album Review: Geezers by The Wonder Beers

You might be able to guess what punk rockers The Wonder Beers are all about. The band from Kingston Upon Thames love writing songs about drinking beers, eating kebabs and partying. In July they released their new album Geezers on Lockjaw Records.

Normally when I review an album I like to talk about each song individually and look into what they are about. That's not something that I really feel the need to do on Geezers. Like I said in the introduction, every song on Geezers is about going out, getting drunk and having a great time with your mates. If you're looking for an album that you hope will change the world politically, then this definitely isn't an album for you. If you're looking for an album full of party punk hits that will leave you smiling, then Geezers definitely is an album for you.

Party Punk is the best way to describe The Wonder Beers sound. Each of the eleven songs on Geezers is a big punk rock anthem designed to get everyone listening shouting along with the band. Musically there is a big feel of the UK's 1980's Oi! movement in the sound – bands like Cock Sparrer, The Business and The Cockney Rejects. This is working class punk rock at its finest.

I feel like The Wonder Beers were formed by a group of friends at the pub who love punk rock music that wanted to make a band with the intention of having as much fun as they possibly can. This certainly comes across on Geezers.

Like I said, this album is a ridiculous amount of fun. In all honesty I thought I would be put off of the album because it is all about drinking. I don't drink at all, so I wondered how I would relate to any of it. I relate because I like music that is fun. Geezers is fun. Sometimes musicians take themselves far too seriously and forget about the whole enjoyment factor of listening to and playing music. This is without a doubt a band that doesn't forget that. Want a good time, listen to The Wonder Beers.

Stream and download Geezers here: https://lockjawrecords.bandcamp.com/album/geezers

Like The Wonder Beers here: https://www.facebook.com/TheWonderBeers/

Album Review: State Of Excess by The Lash Outs

The Lash Outs are a power pop punk band from Dallas, Texas. In March they released their third full length album, State Of Excess. State Of Excess was produced by Stephen Egerton of Descendents, ALL and Flag fame. With such a legendary figure in the punk world on board I was keen to check out this album.

The first track on the album is named Validation Song. Validation Song begins with a fun rolling guitar intro before we get to the vocals. Within a few lines there are some "Nah Nah Nahs" giving you the knowledge that this is going to be a fairly light hearted album. The song itself is about seeking validation from somebody whatever the cost. Up next is the track Sha La La. This song is about feeling like you're past your prime and that everyone who is younger than you is getting the breaks that you might deserve. Lyrically the song is quite sad but the music keeps the song feeling quite upbeat. The "Sha La La" harmonies add a positive, happy feel as well. This is followed up by Light And Sound. The beginning of this song has a great building quality that has you expecting a really big moment in the song. This long build gives you the feeling of wanting more. Sadly that big moment never comes in the song but it does lead into a big heavy metal style riff which opens the next song, Bondage Of Self. I really liked the short sentence structure in the verse, the lyrics are almost as if lead singer, Joey Holbrook, is reading from a list. This gives so much fantastic energy to the track. Bondage Of Self is a song about being self obsessed and features an extremely catchy chorus. The fifth song on the album is named Mistakes. This is a slower paced song than the previous four, with The Lash Outs really focussing on the content and message of the song. The message of the song is fairly obvious - it's about being mindful of making mistakes and making things worse. I really enjoyed the musicianship on this song, showing an influence from early rock and roll music.

The title track, State Of Excess, is the sixth song on the album. State Of Excess has my favourite intro of the whole album. The slow start with just guitar and vocals make the track instantly recognisable before the song really starts in earnest. The song itself is about the current culture of people being more fussed about things they own than anything else and the belief that you are judged on possessions. Up next is the incredibly catchy I Don't Know Why. It's about not understanding why somebody would stay in a relationship with someone who doesn't treat them well. You'll immediately  be singing along with the chorus of the up-tempo song. There is a guitar riff in the next song, Bowels Of Time (First Movement), that reminds me of the song I Want Candy. This caught my attention from the outset. The whole song is actually a completely musical affair with no vocals whatsoever. It incorporates different stlyes such as 60s rock n roll and surf rock blended with some pop punk to make a very interesting and enjoyable track. You don't often hear tracks like this on pop punk records and it showcases just what good musicians The Lash Outs are. The penultimate song on State Of Excess is titled Retail Therapy. The Lash Outs are very good in that their song titles make it abundantly clear what their songs are about - this makes the job of a reviewer much easier! It's about shopping to make yourself feel better. Something everyone is guilty of at times. There is a darker, more metal tone on this song giving it a serious edge to go along with the insanely catchy chorus of "Retail Therapy, Retail Therapy." Finally the album is completed with Work To Get By. On my first few listens of the album this is probably the song that stood out the most to me. Work To Get By is a song about how not everyone is lucky enough to be given everything they want - some people have to work to get by. I really love the message on this song, coming from a working class family myself and seeing a lot of people around me just getting things handed to them it is really relatable. A great working class anthem found in quite an unlikely place. The 60s rock vibe is strong on this track with some added keys for the first time on the album.

The Lash Outs have written a fantastic album about the world's current social status and are really quite insightful on this release. It's also a hell of a lot of fun. If you want to hear a smart album that will also have you smiling then look no further than State Of Excess.

Stream and download State Of Excess here: https://thelashouts.bandcamp.com/album/state-of-excess

Like The Lash Outs here: https://www.facebook.com/thelashouts