Album Review: Split by Two Houses and New Junk City (by Emma Prew)

You probably know that we love a split release here at CPRW. It’s often a great opportunity to check out one new band while also supporting one you already know and sometimes they cover each other’s songs too which is always pretty cool to hear. That’s exactly the case with this four track split on Rad Girlfriend Records featuring Two Houses – a band that’s new to me – and New Junk City – a band I know and love. They each have one, I assume, brand new song as well as a cover of one of the other band’s tracks.

Two Houses take the first half of the split. If, like me, you are unfamiliar with the band, they describe themselves as a reliable rock ’n’ roll band and are a trio from Chicago. Southbound And Down opens with a jangly guitar riff before the volume and distortion levels are ramped up when the vocals come in. There’s a rawness to the song and the vocals that reminds me of Tim Barry of Avail. It’s a fairly fast paced and short song, at only just over 2 minutes in length, but Two Houses still manage to fit in a guitar solo in the middle of the track. Up next is Snot A Problem which is a cover of the opening song on New Junk City’s 2014 self-titled album. The original is fast paced and quite an angry sounding song – which is understandable given the lyrics (‘You come in the door at 3am, You’re drunk as fuck and screaming at me again.’). Two Houses slow their version down somewhat and, rather than obvious anger, they simply seem resentful and bitter. It’s dark and almost grungey sounding and the band also add some fine harmonised vocals that drive the story of the song home all the more.

New Junk City are a four-piece punk rock band from Atlanta. I had the pleasure of seeing them live at Hamburg’s Booze Cruise Festival last summer and their set was one of my highlights of the whole weekend. Sticky is the name of their original song on the split and it wastes no time in getting going. Upbeat from the outset, the track immediately gets my head nodding. There’s a catchy riff threaded throughout the song but it’s the vocals and lyrics that really stand out to me. I’ve always thought vocalist John has an incredibly distinct voice, it’s got a sort of Americana or Bluesy twang it that works so well with the band’s fast paced and melodic punk rock – I love it. The Two Houses’ song that New Junk City cover is The Fear from their 2016 album I Feel So Good I Can’t Stand Myself. Having not listened to Two Houses prior to this split, I did quickly check out the original so that I could properly compare the two. The obvious immediate difference between the two is that New Junk City have included an audio clip at the beginning of their version but, after that, it is perhaps slightly more upbeat than the original with some slightly fuzzy guitars bringing a warmth to the track. It’s a super catchy tune and the layered vocals towards the end – which are more distinct than on the original – are brilliant. This is probably my favourite of the four songs.

I perhaps wouldn’t have thought to check out a slightly grungey rock ’n’ roll band such as Two Houses before but I’m glad that I have now thanks to this split. Both Two Houses and New Junk City have contributed great stuff here and I would recommend checking out both of their back catalogues out – starting with this split.

Stream and download the split on Bandcamp.

Like Two Houses on Facebook here and like New Junk City on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Traitor’s Hill by Paper Rifles

I’m throwing this statement out there now, Edinburgh indie punks Paper Rifles have been the busiest band during the COVID-19 lockdown. Not only did they manage to play a load of acoustic shows online, release an EP and record a covers album, they also found the time to release their second full length album Traitor’s Hill. We’ve been following Paper Rifles pretty much since we started CPRW when Jon performed as a solo act before eventually becoming a full band and they seem to go from strength to strength with every single release. I was expecting some big things from Traitor’s Hill.

Traitor’s Hill opens with The Greatest Change. The track starts in an eerie manner with a really long keyboard note before Jon’s solemn vocals come in. As the song goes on it builds wonderfully, starting with some pounding drums and then guitars. Jon’s vocals get louder and more passionate as the song continues to grow. The track is obviously about making a change in your life, whether it’s because of things that you’ve done wrong, stepping away from a bad relationship or even taking steps to move away from everything you know. Up next is Sleeping Dogs. Here the band take that big sound from The Greatest Change and really up the tempo. To my knowledge this is one of the heaviest sounding songs Paper Rifles have written so far, there’s a real crunch to the guitars that I adored. Sleeping Dogs is about trying to decide whether or not to try and make a positive change in a situation or just leaving it be in case you make it worse. The third song, It Started As A Joke, was released as a single with a fantastic video in the run up to Traitor’s Hill’s release. Slowing things down to a more traditional Paper Rifles tempo, this is where you really get to hear the strength of Jon’s voice. I’ve found it captivating since I heard it all those years ago and it continues to blow me away. The final verse on the track is the big highlight – it really had me wanting to sing-along with my fist passionately in the air.

Blood On The Wind had me thinking of Hot Water Music with its deep guitar tones and melodic vocal delivery. If Jon had a booming gruff voice like Mr Chuck Ragan, this would be like listening to a track from Caution. On Blood On The Wind the band sing about how the people who are supposed to be in charge use their position to only benefit themselves and their friends whilst the people who really need support struggle and often die because of this. The fifth track on Traitor’s Hill is Sea Legs. There is a melody in this song that reminds me of something else and it’s really bugging me what it is. (It might be It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls.) For me, this is perhaps the poppiest track on the album so far and it offers a nice contrast to the previous song. This doesn’t take away from the serious tone of the song though, as Jon puts in another emotive performance – there are sombre moments, angsty moments and moments where his vocals sound huge. I absolutely loved James’ drums at the beginning of Hearts And Minds. It’s a simple, repetitive beat that’s extremely striking and grabs you immediately. Like with many Paper Rifles songs, it builds and grows as it progresses before hitting a big chorus that you’ll be yearning to sing-along with. This is one of those songs that has loads of little subtleties that you’ll be discovering with each and every listen. Judas is potentially my favourite song on Traitor’s Hill. Bringing the tempo back up, it’s a rousing song from start to finish. It’s an upbeat and passionate song where Jon questions himself about whether he’s sold out from his beliefs from when he was younger or if he’s still the same person he once was. There’s a punchy approach to the vocals that make the song a real ear worm from the beginning and the chorus, with additional vocals from guitarist Kev, is something I look forward to seeing live when we’re allowed to do that again.

The eighth song, Headstrong, originally appeared on the Headstrong EP that was released in April. The Headstrong EP was released to help raise money for Health In Mind which is a Scottish charity that helps to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. As you might expect, the song is about dealing with mental health problems, particularly as a man where you are often raised in an environment where you are not allowed to show emotion and are forced to bottle things up. I’m sure the song is extremely cathartic for a lot of people listening to it. The penultimate song is Cemetary Sea. The song is originally by Jon’s previous band The Curators but also appeared as an acoustic version on the Politics EP in 2014. Paper Rifles seems to have given the song a fresh coat of paint and it sounds incredible. I loved the suspense-building guitar that leads into the driving second verse before the song really explodes into the chorus. The structure of this song is exactly what I love in a punk rock song. Traitor’s Hill is completed with the song Atlas. This feels like a new direction for Paper Rifles as they venture into an angsty and even, at times, grunge-like style. Starting out in an atmospheric and moody style, Jon goes for some higher notes than anything previously done on the album. This adds to the whole moody atmosphere they seem to be going for on the song. Of course, over time there are more and more layers added to the song and it takes you on quite the ride. This is an absolutely stunning way to finish the album.

Paper Rifles are one of Scotland’s very best bands and seem to get better with every release. It’s not just the songs that are brilliant but the overall sound and production of the album is fantastic. This was all done by the band’s drummer James at his home studio and is extremely impressive. I’ve been telling people about how good Paper Rifles are for years now and hopefully Traitor’s Hill will make even more people take notice.

Stream and download Traitor’s Hill on Bandcamp here.

Like Paper Rifles on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Column: What If The Lock Up Never Went Away

Recently it was Reading and Leeds Festival weekend. Obviously, this year the festival didn’t get to happen but the BBC did show highlights. Whenever Reading and Leeds Festival comes around it always has me thinking of past line-ups and how they were much more to my taste compared to what the festival has become now. I think about the old Lock Up/Concrete Jungle stage, which over the years, featured punk legends such as Bad Religion, Descendents, Alkaline Trio, Less Than Jake, Social Distortion, Bouncing Souls, Anti-Flag and many more alongside UK stalwarts like Lightyear, Capdown, No Comply, Adequate Seven, Sonic Boom Six, King Prawn and, in later years, Great Cynics, Muncie Girls and Apologies, I Have None. I then go on to thinking about the The Lock Up show on Radio One which was hosted by Mike Davies. This show was much loved among the UK punk community and showcased so many bands we still love today. The show ran in various time slots between 2002 and 2014 and was a great success. As well as playing the biggest punk bands from all over the world it also gave loads of opportunities to DIY bands. It was arguably one of the biggest periods for punk rock in the UK and everyone looks back at the time with a great amount of fondness. Recently, whilst bored at work, I got to pondering about what the UK punk scene would have been like if the Lock Up show had have stayed on air and continued to have the similar success it had in its prime.

For me the punk scene, in times before COVID-19 at least, was thriving in 2020. There’s an incredible amount of amazing bands emerging throughout the UK. There are great amount of shows on all the time and plenty of festivals for bands to play but I think it’s fair to say that they aren’t always the best attended. You’ve got to imagine that if The Lock Up was still on air, shows would be better attended and you might see DIY punk shows at bigger venues than the ones that currently that put on punk shows. This would obviously be in huge part due to the increased exposure bands would be getting because of being featured on a mainstream radio station. Nowadays bands are competing to get on Spotify playlists, hoping to get some decent exposure. Some bands can get exposure from that but it surely can’t match the boost you get from a Radio One play. There would also be more bands than ever getting together to play punk music because they’ve been inspired by what they’ve heard.

That does lead me to something that would be a negative if The Lock Up still existed. To my knowledge, the UK punk scene for the most part works together as a community. Bands and labels work together, swapping gigs, sharing each other’s music and generally working as one to help the scene grow. I worry that all these bands trying to get played on The Lock Up would create a competitive atmosphere that would involved lots of bitching, backstabbing and one-upmanship that just isn’t needed in the punk scene. There is a risk that the special community feeling that spreads throughout the scene would be lost and that would be a massive shame.

As was mentioned in the introduction, a big part of The Lock Up radio show was their stage at Reading and Leeds Festival. For a lot of bands this stage was a stepping stone for getting to play to hundreds of thousands of people on the main stage. I’ve been thinking about which of the current bands in the scene would have played on the main stage by now if The Lock Up still existed. My first thought was The Menzingers. That band are already playing in decent sized rooms throughout the UK without much radio play. With the backing on The Lock Up still behind them it definitely wouldn’t be a surprise to see them on the big stage. Seeing that many people shouting “I will fuck this up, I fucking knowing it” back at the stage would be a pretty special moment. From the ska scene you can’t look past The Interrupters being an ideal candidate for the main stage. Since the release of Fight The Good Fight in 2018 the band have blown up (in punk terms) and their brand of positive unity music would fit in perfectly. Also an outside bet would be Canada’s Pkew Pkew Pkew. The band’s infectious pop punk is perfect for radio play and instantly takes up residence in your head. Plus their inclusion in the Tony Hawks reboot is surely going to unearth a massive new fanbase for The Boys.

I’ve also been thinking about the current crop of UK bands who might find their way onto The Lock Up stage. Nervus and Fresh would undoubtedly have played it by now. There was a stage when it seemed as if at least one of those bands were on tour with whatever big band were over from the USA so it would only be right that they were featured. I would also imagine Darko would have played at some point. As one of the most beloved skate punk bands in the UK and Europe, I’m sure they would have had substantial play time on the radio show and would wow everyone in the tent. Wonk Unit are one of the bands that really unite the old school punks along with the new so would be a shoe in to appear at some stage. The hottest young band in the UK at the moment are Aerial Salad and are certain to do some big things in future years. Imagine where they would be if they had the Radio One hype machine behind them. They might just skip The Lock Up stage and get on the main stage. They have that much appeal, it won’t just be the punks who love them. Then, following on from the likes of Lightyear, Capdown and Random Hand representing the ska punk scene, you’d have to include Call Me Malcolm, Bar Stool Preachers, Millie Manders and The Shutup and Popes Of Chillitown from the current crop of bands.

In trying to think of a negative, I thought of the effect that The Lock Up Stage might have on various festivals around the UK and Europe during August. In the past few years, since less punk bands were booked for Reading and Leeds, we’ve seen the growth of festivals such as Boomtown, Rebellion, Brakrock and Punk Rock Holiday. I do wonder if Reading and Leeds was still filling The Lock Up with punk bands, would these over festivals attract the big names of punk rock that they currently do? Reading and Leeds is one of the most prestigious music festivals in the world and, at the time, for a lot of these bands it most have been a bucket list festival to play. Because of this, bands will have arranged their tours around the traditional August bank holiday weekend rather than earlier in the month when Boomtown and Rebellion take place.

I guess with the extra punk festivals and in theory a bigger punk audience due to the extra exposure, there will be plenty of great bands to fill all of the festival slots and it would give more of a chance to the smaller bands to play for big audiences which is only a good thing.

To finish this column of pondering I should come up with a conclusion. I think that The Lock Up show was absolutely fantastic for UK punk rock and opened doors for loads of fantastic bands. It is much missed and you can’t ignore the legacy it created. We need more radio shows dedicated to punk rock music at a mainstream level. Punk rock is plodding along nicely in its underground status but imagine how it would thrive again with big backing. It would be an incredible time.

This column was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: In Your Face! by Radio Blast

Radio Blast are a four piece Ramonescore pop punk band who formed in 2018 in New York. Influenced by the likes of The Huntingtons, Young Rochelles, Isotopes, Dan Vapid, Jagger Holly and Dee Cracks, the band have had a productive two years. Firstly releasing their debut EP Let’s Rock in May 2019 and then releasing their second EP In Your Face! in August 2020, along with a handful of singles squeezed in between. Today I’m reviewing that new EP In Your Face! which was released by Mom’s Cellar Dwellers.

The EP begins with the title track In Your Face. This opening song is a great introduction of what to expect from Radio Blast – fast buzzing guitars, pounding drums and wonderfully snotty vocals. In true Ramonescore fashion, it’s brilliantly simple with a blunt and to the point style that allows the song to get stuck in your head. There’s also a great cameo from Rev. Norb of Boris The Sprinkler doing a voiceover that I thought was fantastic. The second song is named She’s A Cannibal. It’s a super serious and deep song about getting invited over to a girl’s house and realising too late that she’s quite partial to eating people. This is a powerful song that I found deeply moving. It also put a massive smile on my face and I quickly found myself singing along and having a little dance on my chair whilst listening and reviewing.

Radio Blast released the third song Boy With The Six Pack as a single in the build up of the release of In Your Face! The song is actually quite a sad song about being young and feeling the pressure of everyone’s high expectations, in this case being the high school quarterback and everyone counting on you to win the big game. These expectations eventually lead to the quarterback becoming depressed, staying in his basement and not wanting to come out. The final track is titled Teddy. This is another song that references sport, this time ice hockey. I must admit that 99% of my knowledge of ice hockey comes from watching The Mighty Ducks (best trilogy ever) so I’m not sure I get all the references but that didn’t stop me really enjoying the song. Radio Blast have a great skill in writing simple pop punk tunes that are incredibly infectious. I love it.

In Your Face! is a great showcase of a new band playing homage to a much loved genre of music. I feel like Ramonescore is becoming a more and more niche genre (particularly in the UK) so it’s always fantastic to discover new bands still keeping the genre alive.

Stream and download In Your Face! on Bandcamp here.

Like Radio Blast on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: I Am Not Me by Out Of Love

Earlier this year, before the world broke, I was alerted to this new band who had released their debut single before playing any shows. The band was London-based Out Of Love and the song was S.L.U.M.P. From that first listen it was clear that this was a band that had a massive upside and I was excited to see what came next. What did come next was a couple more singles and then getting signed to Venn Records to release their first EP I Am Not Me. All of this without even getting to play a gig yet.

I Am Not Me begins with the aforementioned S.L.U.M.P. This song is an anthem for anyone in their mid-twenties, or even thirties, who isn’t where society often dictates they should be at this stage of their lives. This is a big melodic punk song with some fantastic pop sensibilities. The song is packed with hooks that will have your attention immediately and quickly find a home in your memory. The guitars on the track have this great whirly, grungey, dirty quality to them that contrasts the cleaner vocals brilliantly. When the chorus hits, and the gang vocals come in, there is an added intensity that shows off the band’s annoyance at not being judged very nicely. Up next is the EP’s title track I Am Not Me. The song starts slowly, with the track giving off an atmospheric vibe before exploding into life for the chorus. The track, which you might have worked out from the title, is about not feeling yourself, struggling mentally but actually enjoying how it feels. The chorus is simple, catchy and incredibly cathartic. It will earn some massive sing-alongs.

All Grown Up is a shorter song (less than 90 seconds long) that really brings up the tempo. When I first listened to the song I was swiftly reminded of Brighton punks Gnarwolves. Wasting no time it getting started, the song burst into life immediately as the band sing about growing up, not fitting in and not wanting to turn into people that they think are boring. The song, in essence, finishes after about forty five seconds before shifting into a really long and atmospheric outro that then leads into the final song, My Perfect World. The track ensures that I Am Not Me concludes in a positive and hopeful manner as Out Of Love sing about accepting everyone and living in a peaceful community. You know, the way the world should be! I loved the ending of the song in particular as they sing “this is my world and you’re all invited, no borders, no boundaries, no guns and no fighting” and then song ends abruptly leaving the final message of the track in your mind. Quite a powerful way to conclude a fantastic debut EP.

If COVID-19 hadn’t been a thing this year then I truly believe Out Of Love would be a band on the lips of every punk fan in the UK. I Am Not Me showcases a band with an incredible upside and are certainly going to find themselves playing some huge shows whenever shows are allowed to happen again. In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with playing this EP over and over again. Get on this quickly so you can be that smug person who says I knew of them way back when. Everyone loves that person.

Stream and download I Am Not Me on Bandcamp here.

Like Out Of Love on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Night Terrors by Ode To Sleep

In July, two piece riot grrrl act Ode To Sleep released their debut EP Night Terrors on INiiT Records. Having previously been sent one of the tracks for the CPRW Records Music Venue Trust compilation, I was keen to check out some more songs from the band. Ode To Sleep consist of Liz Hayward (vocals and bass) and Jade O’Leary (vocals and drums).

Night Terrors begins with Call To Action. The track starts out with a pounding drum beat and some distorted bass guitar before some fantastic melodic vocals come in. It’s clear to see that Ode To Sleep are not worried about taking a few risks and going off in different directions with their sound as the song switches between the melodic sound and a more intense sound. There’s a great deal of positivity that comes from the track, as the band’s singer Liz sings “find your reason to believe in something beautiful, are you willing to break the system to save us all.” The song is certainly empowering. Captive Audience was the first Ode To Sleep track I got to hear due to its inclusion on our compilation. There’s a grungey feel to the song along with some bouncey and poppy, fast paced vocals. I would have never have believed that these two styles would have worked so well before listening to Captive Audience but Ode To Sleep have proved me wrong.

The third song is named Everything Is Better. The track has a lengthy introduction that leads wonderfully into some more fast paced vocals. The way in which Liz delivers the vocals really capture your attention and makes you want to listen and absorb each and every word. As the song goes on, the passion in Liz’s vocals grows and really begins to move you. The final song on Night Terrors is titled Ethical Negligence. Ensuring that the EP finishes with a bang and also having you itching for more from Ode To Sleep, this is a song that starts abruptly but grows more and more as it goes on. Liz also saves their best vocal performance for this final track, doing a magnificent job showcasing a very impressive range. The track is about living your life as ethically as possible and how it’s important to make sure you’re doing the right thing rather than just blaming the rich – though they should be held accountable as well.

This is a very strong debut EP from Ode To Sleep. Touching on a range of subjects from human and animal rights, as well as mental health and environmental issues, they are a band with a lot to say. Liz and Jade have only been together as a band since October 2019 and are already showing a huge amount of promise. One to watch.

Stream and download Night Terrors on Bandcamp here.

Like Ode To Sleep on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: When The Day Is Done by Territories (by Chris Bishton)

Members of Territories have been playing together for many years. Although the band only formed in 2015, they came out of Canadian street-punk band Knucklehead when they decided they weren't done playing together after they split. They needed a rename in order to reflect the new direction – fiercely melodic, anthemic punk – that they were now set to play.

It led to the new band and now this 10", six song EP When The Day Is Done – the latest release as Territories after their S/T debut album in 2018, along with a few follow up singles.

The first song is Second Son. There's some Bouncing Souls influence in there, obviously always a good thing, but then there's also evidence of their street-punk sound from their Knucklehead days. It's catchy and energetic and picks up perfectly from where the debut album left us.

The second track is Defender. This was always a favourite song of theirs for me. It was already released as one of the aforementioned singles last year, so I'm already familiar with it and hearing it again, it sounds so good. The song is soft, but still fast and gritty enough to have that punk edge with singalong harmonies. SOS then wraps up the first side.

The first song on the second side is The Lockdown. You'd obviously be forgiven if you assumed this was going to be about COVID and the associated closure of swathes of shops, businesses, music venues etc. But it's not. It's about the drills kids do when there's a mass shooting at a school and a call to end gun violence.

It's a chilling subject and a brilliant song. For me, it has a kind of Americana vibe to it, something that seems appropriate since most associate mass shooting tragedies with the US. There's clear lyrics here, painting a picture of kids being told to stay away from windows, turn off sound from phones and not make any noise etc. The repeated line "the kids say no, the lockdown's gotta go" remains in my head hours after listening to it.

The penultimate track is Welcome Home. Lots of harmonies and opportunities for singalongs in this, before concluding with Quit This City, another I'm already familiar with as it was previously released as a single. It's a cracking way to end, not least as it's about getting away and having a new start, before it's too late – a subject so many of my friends have mused about these last few months since lockdown (the COVID one, not the mass shooting one).

They haven't released an enormous amount of stuff because they're still a pretty new band, but I really love Territories and this EP is as good as everything before. I hope the inclusion of a few songs that had already been released was just to bring some of their more recent songs together. Even more so, I hope it means they've got more songs in them that will result in a new LP sometime soon. I've got my fingers crossed.

Stream and download When The Day Is Done on Bandcamp here.

Like Territories on Facebook here.

This review was written by Chris Bishton.