Album Review: EP 2 by Dragged In (by Robyn Pierce)

Dragged In is a hardcore punk band from Toronto made up of five guys who seem to share a love of tight, heavy riffs, and original Ranch dressing. This is the second of two EPs that Dragged In released last year, and while their sound is hard and in-your-face on both releases – the blending of hardcore with other elements from skate punk, grunge and thrash metal seems more apparent on this second offering. The result is some fist-pumping, pit-spinning melodic hardcore, occasionally slowing down to some thick, body-rocking grooves.

EP 2 opens with smouldering, grungy guitar which rumbles over even-toned words spoken in the background. It’s not easy to hear what’s being said here, but this opening on ‘Burning Inside’ sounds like a declaration of self-determination that’s just waiting to be kicked into high gear. As expected, you don’t have to wait long before this smouldering intro is fanned into some fiery drums and guitar blasting out at breakneck speed. Patty’s raspy and biting vocals compel you to ‘stay focused’, ‘dig deeper’, and ‘push harder’ – to ‘keep the fire’ of passion or righteous anger that’s burning inside of you. This rousing opening leads into ‘Until it Kills’, which bursts open with a rich and guttural chord progression. Once again, Patty vows to ‘keep fighting’ and to ‘keep digging deeper’ to achieve his goals. At this point, the EP begins to focus on the theme of finding the personal strength to fight against external forces which seek to silence, oppress or exploit, and Dragged In do a good job of leading the charge.

The third track on Dragged In’s EP 2, ‘Absolute’, is a steady and intense song beginning with some beautifully blown-out bass that’ll definitely kick up a crowd into a wild, twisting circle-pit. Here, the band pushes back against ‘absolute’ opinions, posing the question: ‘what if you’re wrong?’ Following this, ‘Stand Strong’ is powerful and uplifting – treating us, once again, to some thick and juicy chord progressions in a fist-pumping, crowd-yelling song about staying true to yourself and not buckling under the pressure of the status quo. EP 2 then finishes up with the hulking groove of ‘Get Low’, which feels like one long, awesome breakdown where everyone can hang their heads and sway along to the lines: ‘I don’t think we can get sink much lower than this’ and join in the chant of ‘get low, real low!’. This song rounds off the EP nicely, allowing you to stretch and regroup after the four previous high-speed tracks.

In true hardcore tradition, you’ll get through these five songs in less than 15 minutes but finish up the EP feeling satisfied. As a whole, Dragged In’s EP 2 is energetic, brash and empowering; perfect to listen to when you want to blow off steam, pick yourself up and keep going.

Stream and download EP 2 here: https://draggedin.bandcamp.com/album/ep-2

Like Dragged In here: https://www.facebook.com/draggedin/

This review was written by Robyn Pierce.

Album Review: Don’t Get It by Empty Lungs (by Emma Prew)

Empty Lungs are a punk rock trio from Northern Ireland and earlier this month they released a brand new 3-track EP on Canada’s Hidden Pony Records – they are also the first European band to sign to the label which is pretty awesome. I first came across Empty Lungs via a recommendation from my friend, who lives in Belfast, a few years ago as her boyfriend had filmed some of their music videos. She basically figured that as they fell under the overarching genre of ‘punk rock’ that I was bound to like them – and I did!

The first song on the EP is Don’t Get It, the title track, and it starts out with some powerful, crunchy guitars – it certainly kicks the record off with a bang. At under 2 minutes long, this is fast-paced and energised punk rock at its best. The chorus of ‘I don’t get it, don’t don’t get it, I don’t get it, I’m not with it.’ is as insanely catchy as it is enthusiastic. It’s also a song that I’m sure many young people can relate to – at least those of us that don’t necessarily conform to what is expected of us in today’s society. Thankfully we have the punk scene and bands like Empty Lungs to make us feel comfortable being whoever we want to be.

Losing It. Finding It. is the second song on Don’t Get It. This is a slower paced (and lengthier, too) track with a small amount of warm distortion to both the guitars and vocals. Overall it has more of an indie rock sounds than the first track – think Tellison. I could definitely hear it being played on the radio (6 Music rather than Radio One, mind you). It’s not all indie sounding though as there’s some big woah-ohs at the end that would go down very well at a punk show. ‘Am I just losing my mind, Are we just wasting our time?’

The third and final song is titled Fragile. The track begins with a loud and fuzzy bassline before the somewhat brighter sounding guitars and pounding drums kick in – it’s a big sound, that’s for sure. Then the vocals come in and you realise that this isn’t quite the uplifting anthem that you thought it might be – ‘We lost our friend today, She’s gone, She took her own life away, And I’ll never forget, How we cleaned up that mess.’ It’s certainly a sad song but Empty Lungs also manage to pull off a feeling of empowerment. Life is fragile but it’s still worth living, no matter how tough. (I basically just paraphrased the chorus there.)

Featuring three great individual tracks – by which I mean they don’t all sound the same – Don’t Get It is an excellent release from a very promising UK punk band. If a 3-track EP is this good then I can’t wait for a full-length album!

Don’t Get It was released on the 10th March and you can buy, download and stream it now now now! You can also find Empty Lungs on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: POSI by Great Cynics

The other day I was having one of those days when for no inexplicable reason I was feeling really down and miserable. I hate days like this. Then I was sent an email from Kay at Specialist Subject asking me to review one of my favourite bands, Great Cynics. I had already pre-ordered the album, titled POSI, a month or so earlier and all of their back catalogue is on constant rotation in our home. I had already heard POSI was an album about the struggles of life in London and trying to keep your head up despite all of the problems you might have in your life. If ever I needed to listen to a positive record then today was the day.

There had been a little bit of change in the Great Cynics camp before POSI was recorded, with long time bass player and occasional singer Iona Cairns stepping away from the band to be able to concentrate more time on her own band, Shit Present. This was a great shame as I think Iona with guitarist/vocalist Giles Bidder and drummer Bob Barrett had a wonderful dynamic, especially on stage together. I am also intrigued to see what the newest incarnation of Great Cynics is like though. This will have to wait until their album release shows in April. On POSI the bass playing was also done by Giles, a man of many talents.

POSI begins with the song Let Me Go Home. The track begins with an extended musical intro with a guitar sound that will immediately make you think "Great Cynics" even if you didn't know you were listening to a Great Cynics song. It's that wonderful and warm indie pop rock that the band have perfected over their previous three albums. Giles' vocals hit and it's like an old friend singing songs that I've been listening to for years. From the outset I'm hooked on POSI. When I first heard the start of Only Memories, the second track, I instantly thought Menzingers. The opening guitars really reminded me of the song Gates from the Pennsylvanian punks. Not to say that this is rip off of The Menzingers, far from it. Giles has one of the most recognisable vocals in the world of punk and as soon as he starts singing this song about remembering all the things you did when you were younger and trying to forget about the bad things. The ending of the song where the music dies down and you just get Giles on his own was a fantastic way to finish the track. It also leads brilliantly into the next song Blue Roll And Duct Tape. The opening guitar riffs have a lovely uplifting feel to them that just makes you want to dance. The opening lyrics of "Do You Wanna Give In To The Shit, Or Worse Get Used To It" give me a great idea of what the track is about. It's about getting on with life and making the best of it despite the rubbish that is thrown your way. After a brief breakdown, some fantastic gang vocals come in shouting "I Just Needed The World To Feel A Little Bit Bigger" along with some backing harmony "Bah, Bahs" that finish the song in a positive way.

The fourth track London, Happiness has an absolutely massive chorus that goes "IIIIIIIIIIIII Know That Happiness Is A Place In London." I'm imagining that getting a massive reaction at their album launch shows at Urban Bar, Whitechapel, in April. Quite clearly the song is about loving where you live despite all its pitfalls. Shabba Shabba is track that starts off quite slowly, before gradually building towards a big ending. Bob's drumming really stands out as he brilliantly lays down the foundations for the big finale. Shabba Shabba is about getting over a break up by blocking out your feelings and pushing the person you're breaking up with away despite them not wanting you to. Shaba Shabba leads seamlessly into the next song, Don't Buy The Sun. After a slow building beginning, the song explodes into life as Giles lets rip on The Sun newspaper. I don't remember ever hearing so much venom in Giles' voice as there is here and I have to say that I loved it. After the introduction, the track becomes a whirlwind of anger. There is a rawness to the sound of the song that only adds to the energy in it - giving you the feel of a live Great Cynics performance. Perhaps my favourite track so far. Easily Done is more of an up-tempo song that keeps POSI flowing along nicely. It seems as if a lot of thought as gone into the synchronicity of the album - it's these little things that make a good album great. Giles maintains a fast paced vocal throughout the song, stuffing it full of energy. The song is about realising that you're not perfect and that that is okay despite what other people might think.

Too Much feels like a classic Great Cynics track with its extremely anthmeic and catchy chorus. It starts out with a simple drum beat before Giles opens the song with my favourite lyrics of the entire album - "When I Wake Up In The Morning I Got Nothing To Do, Because We've Come Home From Tour And I Finished In School, So I Wrap My Legs Around My Duvet And Watch TV, On A Borrowed Netflix Account On A Computer Screen." This just painted a brilliant picture. Soon enough we get to the chorus of "Too Much, Too Much, Too Much, Too Much Is Never Enough." Another song that I can see getting a big reaction at a Great Cynics live set. The ninth track is titled Summer At Home. This is another incredibly uplifting song that really put a smile on my face. It's a track about going home and reacquainting yourself with your old friends and letting them know how much they mean to you. The chorus of "You Don't Think That You're Special, You Don't Think That You're Special, It's What Makes You Special" is another that will get a crowd singing at the top of their lungs whilst feeling empowered by Giles' words. The penultimate track on POSI is the excellent Butterfly Net. Butterfly Net is a piece of indie pop punk perfection. It's got everything I want in a song - it has great energy, smart and poignant lyrics, it's relatable and most importantly it's fun. You can sing along, have a dance and just smile away throughout the song. Lovely jubbly. Finally we have the track Things We Don't Need. It's a short track at only forty-nine seconds but it does the job. It's about getting over a break up and realising that the person the relationship made you become is not who you want to be. How many of us have been there? It's a fantastically positive way to end a record about trying to be positive.

The fact that Great Cynics are on their fourth album despite being a small DIY band is an incredible achievement in itself. This is down to a lot of hard work, sacrifice and most importantly a huge amount of talent. Great Cynics are one of those bands where it baffles me that they haven't made more of a break through into the mainstream music world. The talent is obviously there for anyone to see and since album number one, Don't Need Much, they've always felt like an accessible band to all fans of music - not just punk rock. Perhaps POSI will be their breakthrough album, it's certainly showing a band that are still at the top of their game.

Stream and download POSI here: https://specialistsubject.bandcamp.com/album/posi

Like Great Cynics here: https://www.facebook.com/greatcynics/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Top Tens: Emma’s Top Ten Bands To See At Manchester Punk Festival 2017

April 2017 sees the third annual Manchester Punk Festival taking place across three days and many different central Manchester venues. It will be my second MPF (yes, I am gutted that I didn’t go to the very first one – unfortunately I didn’t know it existed at the time) and if my first is anything to go by then MPF 2017 is going to be a good’un.

Here’s my top ten bands that I am most looking forward to seeing at Manchester Punk Festival 2017:

Faintest Idea

I’ll start with my most obvious choice, King’s Lynn six-piece ska punk party machines – Faintest Idea. I’ve seen them six times over the last year or so and each time they just get better and better and I enjoy myself more and more. It’s impossible to stay still whilst they’re playing hits such as Too Bad, Bull In A China Shop and Circling The Drain. Bring on the dancing, skanking and trying not to get knocked over by someone bigger than me.

Muncie Girls

Fresh from playing SXSW in the states, Muncie Girls are taking the underground music world by storm. They will be returning to Manchester Punk Festival after playing the very first year, this time with tracks from their debut album to add to their setlist as well as classic tracks such as Car Crash and Revolution Summer. Muncie Girls are actually playing a gig in our town, Bedford, on the Thursday night when we’ll be in Manchester for day one of MPF!

Stöj Snak

Stöj Snak is the solo project of guitarist Niels Sörensen from Denmark’s Mighty Midgets. Both solo project and band, as TNSrecords favourites, will be making an appearance at MPF this year. I reviewed ScreamerSongwriter for the blog last summer – I really liked it – and can’t wait to finally hear the DIY folk punk songs from it live. I wonder if he’ll bring a kazoo…

Matilda’s Scoundrels

This is a band that I discovered thanks to last year’s MPF – and Colin’s playlist of all the MPF 2016 bands! Matilda’s Scoundrels are a folk punk band from the southern seaside town of Hastings, incorporating mandolin, banjo, tin whistle and accordion alongside the more typical punk instruments. We only managed to catch half of their set last year due to clashing with another band but I definitely want to see their whole set this year!

A Great Notion

A Great Notion are a three-piece punk rock band from Peterborough. I know of them thanks to their 2011 split with Andrew Cream, although they’re not a band I’ve listened to a great deal and I haven’t seen them live yet. I do however enjoy enough of what I have heard of them to know that I want to catch them at MPF – and hopefully to become a new firm favourite.

Tragical History Tour

Next on my list is another artist that I’ve heard of but not listened to a great deal. Tragical History Tour is the acoustic punk offerings of Derrick Johnston, also known for being the founder of Make-That-A-That Records in Scotland. He has a new album due to be released later this year so we can expect to hear a few songs from that, as well as others from his back catalogue. Also, ‘Tragical History Tour’ is just such a great name.

Ducking Punches

Making their Manchester debut with their new line-up are CPRW favourites, Ducking Punches. The Norwich band were due to play at last year’s MPF but unfortunately Mr Frank Turner decided he wanted to take them on his European tour which clashed. Since then Sophie, Cal and Serge have sadly left the band but thankfully new members Ryan, bass, and Marcus, guitar, have stepped in. We actually saw the new Ducking Punches back in January and I can safely say that the Manchester audience are in for a treat.

Great Cynics

Another band that has had a bit of the line-up change are Great Cynics. With the departure of Iona (who you can still catch at MPF 2017 but with Shit Present – who narrowly missed making this list), Great Cynics have a new bassist on board as well as the addition of a keyboard player. It’s been a while since I’ve seen any form of the band so with their brand new album due out not long before MPF, I am very much looking forward to seeing Great Cynics – and you should be too.

Martha

Arguably Durham’s greatest indie pop punk band (well, perhaps tied with ONSIND), Martha will make their Manchester Punk Festival debut this year. I’ve never seen the band live before so I’m looking forward to changing that, plus I really liked last year’s album, Blisters In The Put Of My Heart.

The Toasters

The oldest band on my list – and probably one of the oldest of the whole MPF 2017 line-up too – are The Toasters, third wave ska legends who formed way back in the early 80s (which is long before I was born). Of course, for a band with so many years behind them they also have an extensive back catalogue. A back catalogue that I must admit I haven’t listened to in much depth BUT every time one of their songs comes on, I can’t sit still or keep from smiling. They are definitely going to be great fun.

I can't wait!

This top ten was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: State Of Repair by And The Wasters

Some long time readers might remember that my 2015 album of the year was The Anachronist's Cookbook by Will Tun And The Wasters. Since then the band have had a bit of a line up change and now go by the name And The Wasters. On March 12th the band released a brand new EP named State Of Repair and after enjoying the previous release so much I was pretty excited to hear this.

The EP begins with the track Lion's Share, that the band have also made a video for - check it out here. Something that I really loved about Anachronist's Cookbook was the sense of not really knowing what was going to happen next on the record as the band incorporate so many different styles into their sound. Whether it's punk, ska, folk, reggae, gypsy, rap or even throwing in some French, it was always hard to prepare for whatever could be coming next with the band. Lion's Share takes the ska energy that will get you dancing and adds some great accordion playing that really gives And The Wasters a sound all of their own. The track talks about how the people who already have the most seem to continue to get the lion's share of everything else. I really enjoyed the breakdown section which features mostly trumpet and vocals that serve as a rallying cry for the people who go without to start getting back what's fair. The second track is named Small Victories. The first thing I noticed about the song was that it features a different vocalist to Lion's Share. The fact that the vocal duties are shared around the band add to that sense of "what's going to happen next" that I love so much about this band. Musically it's not quite as upbeat as Lion's Share but there are still plenty of great skanking moments. The track is about how despite all of the hardship that goes on in the world there is a small victory to be had by knowing you've got a small community of people who believe in the same principles as yourself. I really like this positive outlook.

The third track on State Of Repair is titled Reduce, Reuse, Rebel. The song is a very accordion heavy sounding track, something that differentiates And The Waster brilliantly from many of their peers. The element of ska is still very present though and the song will have you skanking along despite the lack of horns during the bulk of the song. I loved that the bulk of the song focussed on the music rather than the lyrics, showing off the high level skill that is featured in the band. Reduce, Reuse, Rebel is a song about how society as a whole rarely uses things again when they quite easily could. Something I'm sure many of us are often guilty of. There is a nice chanty section of lyrics with the simple lines "Capitalism Is Killing Us All" which will get some great crowd participation at an And The Wasters live show. The penultimate song is named Bound As One. Bound As One is a much slower track than the previous three on the EP. This gives the song more of a serious feel to it, despite using the slew of instruments that have featured throughout the EP. Vocally it's a lot more understated too, really making you listen to the message of the track rather than just making you dance. State Of Repair is finished with a track named Intro Dub. Finished with a track named Intro you say? Yup, confused me too! It's a two minute instrumental song that allows And The Wasters to venture down a reggae road, showcasing another string to their bow. I'm not normally big on instrumental songs but this is one I can listen to over and over again without getting bored. A great way to finish the EP.

State Of Repair picks up right where Anachronist's Cookbook finished off. Despite all the line up changes, And The Wasters remain a top top quality band and one that deserve all of your attention.

Stream and download State Of Repair here: https://andthewasters.bandcamp.com/album/state-of-repair-and-the-wasters

Like And The Wasters here: https://www.facebook.com/willtunandthewasters/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Starting With S by Spoiler

Spoiler are a melodic skate punk band from Toronto, Canada. Influenced by 90s Fat Wreck and Epitaph Records (who isn't?), last year they released a three song EP named Starts With An S. As is often the case, I'm quite late to the party on this one but it's a party I'm glad that I eventually found.

Interestingly all three songs on the EP begin with the letter S, the first being the track Snooze. It starts out with an alarm clock noise before launching into some energetic skate punk that really reminds me of old school Lagwagon, with lead vocalist Scott channelling his inner Joey Cape. The song is about the joy of snoozing before getting up and dealing with the world - something everyone can appreciate. The second track is named Something More. With that title I'm sure you can have a good guess and what the song is about - feeling stuck in a rut and wanting more from your life. The guitars on the track are very busy and technical whereas Scott's vocals do a great job of supplying the melody. This makes for a very interesting sounding song that got me listening to it over and over again. Lastly we have Summer. Musically there is much more of a modern pop punk sound to start the song. It's an uplifting song about enjoying the summer and how the season has an ability to help you forget about all of the misery in your life. It made me think about all of the fantastic summer memories I have and how much I also enjoy the summer. Most of all this song really made me smile!

Starts With An S is a short and sweet EP that really does a great job of introducing you to what Spoiler are all about. It's a bit of a throwback sound with a modern twist, drawing from great influences without feeling like a complete rip off. If you love Lagwagon then I have no doubt you'll love Spoiler.

Stream and download Starting With S here: https://spoiler.bandcamp.com/album/starting-with-s

Like Spoiler here: https://www.facebook.com/SpoilerSkatePunk/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Limits by Traits (by Dan Peters)

Just a Random Project?

Have you ever had someone come up to you and tell you they’ve mixed two of your favourite things and all of a sudden you’re ever so slightly nervous? You think well this could be the next peanut butter and nutella but it could also turn out to be the next Batman v Superman! So it is that I press play on the brand new shiny Traits EP, Limits. A supergroup formed by members of not one but two of my bestest UK bands, Random Hand and The Human Project. Will this just sound like one or the other and will each side compliment the other? Let’s find out…

Well for starters take what you know about each of the satellite bands surrounding Traits and just throw it all in the bin. I’m surprised from start to finish at how much Traits are their own beast, not sailing on the strengths of their formers and instead looking to carve a path of their own. This isn’t Ska-core and this isn’t Melodic Hardcore. In the place of what I assumed was going to be the foundations of their sound is good times late 90s style pop punk. Traits aren’t a group that are taking themselves too seriously but are a band with a great sound and I had a hell of a lot of fun listening to them.

This departure from what I’m expecting initially comes as a bit of a shock as I listen to the title track of the EP Limits and I find myself having to go back and repeat because I was waiting for the double time to come in the first listen through. So second time round I settle into the groove and appreciate the almost new wave feel of the riffage on display (the track reminds me of Ever Fallen In Love by the Buzzcocks) and get to grips with Human Project vocalist Jonny Smith not singing about class war and politics and instead getting a little irreverent.

Things do get up to double time in the second track, Nobody Likes A Narcissist, which is the skatepunkiest track of the bunch. I love fast songs, of course, and this scratches my itch nicely without the need to get too technical or obtuse. We’re All A Dick Sometimes could have come straight off of a P-Rock video from the early 2000s and I love it for that. Fed To Me, whilst maybe being the “heavy track” of the album, is still a real teen angst pop punk anthem and sounds like a great radio friendly standout tune. Rounding things up is The Little Things, again keeping that upbeat old school vibe going.

This EP is a nostalgia hit for those of us who grew up in the 2000 era pop punk bubble. Not in any way a rip off or just a tribute but rather a development of a slightly lost genre that would fit in well back then and is a pleasure to listen to right now.

Stream and download Limits here: https://traitsband.bandcamp.com/releases

Like Traits here: https://www.facebook.com/traitsband/

This review was written by Dan Peters.