Album Review: Wavebreaker #1 by Less Than Jake & Kill Lincoln

One of the very best things that has happened in the past eighteen months is the apparent re-emergence of ska punk. A huge part of this has involved California’s Bad Time Records who have released amazing records from Kill Lincoln, We Are The Union, Best Of The Worst, Joystick and more, as well as working on the amazing Ska Against Racism compilation with the legendary Asian Man Records. Bad Time Records work hard in showcasing new bands and proving that the ska punk scene is more than just the big three from the 90s. In June they announced a new split series which will feature a legendary band and a newer one. When I first saw this I thought this was a fantastic idea as the legendary band will grab the attention and will, in theory, get the listener to also check out the new band. The split series is titled Wavebreaker and the first release features a song each from Less Than Jake and Kill Lincoln. What an amazing combination of upbeat and energetic ska punk bands! I couldn’t wait to listen to this.

Gainesville legends Less Than Jake start the split with their track Need Some Shaking. What really struck me about the track on my first listen was the high tempo that kicks the song off. The song really has an old school Less Than Jake style to it but bass player Roger’s slick production also manages to keep the track sounding like it would fit nicely on the band’s newest full length, Silver Linings. In my opinion, LTJ are at their best when co-vocalists Chris and Roger share singing duties on their songs. On Need Some Shaking Chris does a magnificent job on the high tempo verses and Roger’s choruses will get a whole load of people singing along. The track is about not becoming stale and predictable and taking chances in your life. In all honesty, I really enjoyed Silver Linings but I’m not quite sure why they didn’t include this song on the album as, for me, it’s one of the best songs the band have released in a while.

Kill Lincoln’s effort for Making Waves is titled Going Under. I’ve become a big Kill Lincoln fan over the past year, following the release of Can’t Complain, and am itching to see them live. For me, they write songs that are begging to be played live to a room packed with people, skanking themselves into an energetic frenzy. Hopefully I can be a part of this at Fest in October. Something that really attracted me to Kill Lincoln was the energy their horn section adds to their songs so I was very pleased to hear them open the track. From there we move to a more stripped back sounding verse. It feels a bit weird to call it stripped back as there is a lot going on but there’s a lot of subtlety to it that creates a really interesting sound. The sound of the song does become fuller during the chorus and after the quieter sections it really stands out. Going Under is about struggling with your mental health and wondering how much more you can take. It’s always important to talk about mental health so I thought it was great for Kill Lincoln to do so on such a high profile release.

As I mentioned in the introduction, Wavebreaker is the first in a series of split releases from Bad Time Records. If this first release is anything to go by, we’re in for some absolute treats. Nothing has been announced (at the time of writing this) about what other combinations are in the works but I’m very excited to find out.

Stream and download Wavebreaker #1 on Bandcamp here.

Like Less Than Jake on Facebook here and like Kill Lincoln on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Exclusive Stream: Our Boring Lives by Dog Eared (Make-That-A-Take Records)

Today we are extremely proud to bring you the exclusive premiere of the debut Dog Eared EP. Our Boring Lives is released by Make-That-A-Take Records on Friday the 3rd of September. We first became aware of the three piece pop punk band after seeing them at Book-Yer-Ane Fest in Dundee at the end of 2019. I was enthralled by their fast paced pop punk sound and couldn't wait for their EP to be released. The time is now finally upon us and it's been seriously worth the wait! If you're a fan of bands like The Murderburgers, The Kimberly Steaks or Fastfade then this is a must buy for you.

You can buy Our Boring Lives from Make-That-A-Take Records (along with loads of other amazing releases including Goodbye Blue Monday, Lounar, Uniforms, Paper Rifles, Stonethrower and Seas, Starry) here.

Gig Review: King Punch with 3dBs Down and Last Edition at New Cross Inn, London 14/08/22

The activity I missed by far the most over the past seventeen months has been going to gigs. Not only were gigs exciting because I got to see some of my favourite bands but it was also an opportunity to see many of my wonderful friends, as well as travelling around the country. It was a wonderful thing and I always felt extremely privileged to be able to see and experience so many unforgettable moments because of it. So when lockdown happened a huge part of my life (and I’m certain everyone’s reading this) vanished. Obviously, I understood that it was important for it to happen so I learned to live with it and kind of got used to not being able to do my favourite hobby. After seventeen months we were finally able to go to gigs again. I bought some tickets, kind of expecting not to be able to use them but things got better and some aspects of life from the before times were able to happen again.

On Saturday the 14th of August I got to attend my first gig in 524 days. It had to be at my favourite place in the whole world, the New Cross Inn in South London, for a Be Sharp Promotions show featuring 3dbs Down and Last Edition, headlined by King Punch.

I can’t lie, I was slightly apprehensive the entire day of the gig but myself and Emma have both been fully vaccinated and we took lateral flow tests the morning of the gig which came back negative so we felt safe in the knowledge that we wouldn’t be spreading anything about. After a stress free train journey, we arrived in our spiritual home in time for doors. As soon as I saw some old friends, any apprehensions I had quickly faded and I was just super happy to be back and set for an exciting night of ska and punk.

Leicester’s Last Edition were the first band on and I couldn’t think of a better band to reintroduce me to live music. This was also the band’s first show back as they sadly had to drop out of a show earlier in the month due to illness. As soon as they started their set you could see in their faces how happy they were to be back on stage together. This feeling quickly bled into the crowd as the band soon had everyone moving. I had these strange feeling of muscle memory kicking in as my body began to do things it hasn’t for months. It was an amazing feeling. Last Edition’s upbeat brand of ska punk filled the room with smiles as they played through favourites such as This One, Last Orders and 10 Years as well as brand new(ish) songs Good Luck, Shorts Until September and Half Drunk At Half Time. This was a fantastic kick off for the evening.

Up next were DIY punk legends 3dBs Down. These guys were the band on the bill I was most looking forward to seeing, after they released my favourite album of 2020. This was finally an opportunity to see some of the songs from it live. As much as I enjoy the band’s previous material, I was very pleased the set was mainly songs from the amazing Get Your Retaliation In First. One of the major things I love about the album are the big three part harmonies that Matt, Si and Tage perform. It’s brilliant on record but live it’s just something else. I was so impressed with how seamlessly they were performed as some sound quite complicated to do. The band opened up with At My Signal with the very appropriate lyric “it’s good to see you, welcome home.” I’m not sure a more poignant lyric has ever been sung at the New Cross Inn. They also played Moussaka, Pink Cardigan Twinset, Hang In There Man and Idiot Ignorant Evil before closing the set with Count To A Million. My only complaint from the set is that they didn’t play longer as I was having such a nice time and didn’t want it to stop.

Last up were the undisputed champions of a New Cross party, King Punch. After the previous two bands, the crowd were suitably warmed up and ready to get crazy for the seven piece. Not many bands can match King Punch for the energy that they have on stage. If there was any fatigue from not having played a show in so long then it didn’t show. If anything they picked the energy up the further they got into their set. Unfortunately guitarist Tor had some technical problems at the start of the set but that didn’t seem to hinder the band one bit. Personally I noticed because I happened to be on that side of the stage as he was trying to sort it out. King Punch basically played the entirety of Sit Still without a guitar and it still had the crowd in a frenzy. King Punch have always liked to throw a cover or two into their set and this was no different. Their now classic cover of System Of A Down’s Chop Suey went down as well as ever and there was also a brilliant cover of The Pixies’ Where is My Mind. Unfortunately due to Saturday trains still being rubbish (I haven’t missed those) we had to duck out of the gig early but not before we got to hear Enrico, Wishbone, Another Bomb, Weekend Warrior and a brand new song which I’m very excited to hear a recorded version of.

As a first gig back after over 500 days I couldn’t think of a better one. All three bands absolutely smashed it and the promoter, venue and crowd ensured it was a safe environment where, as far as I’m aware, everyone felt comfortable. Long may gigs continue. Let’s never go so long without one again!

This review was written by Colin Clark. Photos by Emma Prew.

Album Review: A Beginner's Guide by Making Friends

Since London/Brighton skate punks FastFade split in 2019, lead singer and guitarist Ryan Mansell has been a very busy man. Not only did he start emo punks Maisonette, who have a new EP due to be released on INiiT Records in the future, he also formed a new skate punk band named Making Friends. Back in May the four piece, which also features Daniel Farrell, Bill Laken and Pete Thomas, released a second EP titled A Beginner’s Guide. Unsurprisingly, the EP’s four songs clock in at just eight and a half minutes so expect some fast and short songs ahead. For me, that’s how I enjoy my skate punk so I’m quite looking forward to listening to this.

The EP starts with Goodbye Forever. The song starts how you might expect a skate punk song to start – there is a pounding drumbeat driving the song forward and a technical guitar riff that really catches your ear. When Ryan’s vocals come in the music drops out, I really liked this as it made me really listen to what was being said. From there the song continues along the traditional skate punk route. Ryan’s vocals feel urgent and are backed by some great harmonies. I loved the switch towards the end of the song when Goodbye Forever jumps into a moody emo style. I didn’t see it coming and it’s a fantastic surprise. The second track is titled Happy Complaint. This track starts out slower than the previous one with a bass line opening proceedings before being joined by the rest of the band. The drums in particular give the song a high tempo feel but the vocals contrast this brilliantly with a more melodic style that again really catches your attention. Midway through the song a great guitar solo comes in to give the song an extra dimension before the song finishes in a more urgent fashion.

Early Grave is a bit of a throwback to Ryan’s previous work with FastFade. There’s that big Captain Everything influence in the guitars and it feels as if Making Friends have really raised the tempo. The track is about trying to run away and escape your problems, something we’ve all wanted to do at some point. It’s great to hear a band like Making Friends who are in their early twenties tackle mental health in a song. The song has a brilliant feeling of catharsis during the finale with a big sing-along of “why should I pick up the pieces, when I could just run away, can I take these useless feelings, with me to my early grave.” The final song on A Beginner’s Guide is titled Ant. The song is not even ninety seconds long but seems to pack a huge amount into it. The tempo and melodies are all over the place on the song, continually keeping you guessing what’s next? I feel like a song like this just shouldn’t work but Making Friends have impressively made it work. Ant is about having a friend who brings you down and stepping away from that relationship.

What I really loved about this EP was how fresh it sounds. Making Friends take the skate punk genre and breathe new life into it with a variety of styles and influences. Big things are clearly on the horizon for the band.

Stream and download A Beginner's Guide on Bandcamp here.

Like Making Friends on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Salem II by Salem (by Lara Roberts)

Salem are back after only a few months, with their second EP – Salem II. The first EP took me completely by surprise; as soon as I listened to it, I felt like I was 15 years younger. While the sound took me back to my (embarrassing) emo phase, the EP still felt new and exciting to me and I fell head over heels for it – Will Gould’s explosive vocals and dark lyrics mixed with fast tempo emo-pop melodies really ticked my boxes. I got tastes of My Chemical Romance, early Fall Out Boy, and a dash of Alkaline Trio. Plus, I was intrigued by the pairing – Will Gould from Creeper, and Matt Reynolds from Howard’s Alias?!

The second instalment builds on this mid-00s emo vibe, but it definitely has much grander ambitions than the first. The gothic imagery conjured up by the lyrics and the amped up dramatic atmosphere give this release an almost theatrical feel.

The title of the opening track, William, It Was Really Something, is a fun play on the title of The Smiths 1984 classic William, It Was Really Nothing. But that’s where the similarities seem to end – the Salem drums hitting much harder and the guitars a lot faster than Johnny Marr’s iconic 80s jangle. The immediate-ness of the song and singalong-ability is clear from the start, and it makes a fantastic opening track.

DRACULADS (another excellent title) begins with rolling drums, leading you to a melody and vocals that wouldn’t be out of place on American Idiot; it’s got multiple layers and sounds like it was made for a musical.

The punchy, catchy emo-pop continues with Keep The Thorns and Sweet Tooth, both calling on gothic imagery of altars, vampires, and descending deep into hell as you fall deeper into love (or lust, I’m not judging).

The EP comes to a strong close with Heaven Help Me. While the dark symbolism continues in the lyrics, musically the closing track lends itself more to punk rock than emo-pop. A fantastic ending to this cute, dark, fun, sexy EP.

I’ll admit – I expected more from this when I first listened to it. And the second, and third time (you can see where I’m going with this). But that’s only because the first EP was almost flawless to me. After revisiting this one a few weeks later, I don’t know why I was being so overly critical – Salem II is a natural progression from Salem. Just as The Black Parade was a natural progression from Three Cheers.

For fans of My Chemical Romance, (early) Fall Out Boy, Alkaline Trio, and the iconic emo fringe.

Stream and download Salem II here and like Salem on Facebook here.

This review was written by Lara Roberts.

Album Review: Chick Chicken EP by Skiv

Skiv are a band we’ve been having the joy of seeing live for a couple of years now. The melodic punk four piece have become a staple in the South London punk scene thanks to their entertaining and, at times, raucous performances. I’ve said on many occasions that they are also one of the most talented groups of musicians in our scene and that talent always shines through when you see them live. They have previously released a three single collection named the Meal Deal EP. After many delays due to various lockdowns in the UK, Skiv recently released a new EP named Chick Chicken. The band was kind enough to send me an early copy.

The EP begins with its title track, Chick Chicken. This is an ode to the takeaway a couple of doors down from the band's beloved New Cross Inn in South East London. It’s a short one minute long song where Jordan, Conor and Liam all take turns singing a verse. It’s a short and sweet song that put a smile on my face. I believe this is the first time that Conor and Liam have handled vocal duties on a Skiv release and this shows where the band are heading on the rest of the EP. The second track is named Berlinerluft. Bassist Conor takes lead vocal on this song and it’s nice to hear. Conor was the lead vocalist for his former band Cereal Box Heroes and it’s great to hear him step behind the microphone again. The song is about relying on alcohol to help quiet the voices in your head when you’re going through some deep and heavy things. This is definitely a more open and emotional side of Conor that we’re not used to but this is an incredibly well written song.

The third song, Devil In Dartford, sees Liam and Jordan team up on the vocals. Liam’s gruffer voice alongside Jordan’s smoother style sounds fantastic, the two work extremely well together. On this song Skiv manage to blend some rockabilly into their usual melodic punk sound. I’m surprised this works as well as it does but I guess that proves what a talented bunch these guys are. Devil In Dartford is about a young, troubled boy who turns pretty evil as he gets older. I’m not sure if this story is true or fictional but the band does a fantastic job of painting a picture with the lyrics throughout the track. The final song on Chick Chicken is one I recognise from seeing Skiv live. In A&E begins with some fantastic bass playing and builds up to Jordan’s superb vocals. I’ve been saying since Jordan’s days in DropThis that he’s one of the best singers in the UK’s DIY punk scene and I continue to stand by that statement. Jordan and Liam team up again on the song with Jordan handling the verse and Liam the chorus. This is potentially my favourite song that Skiv have released so far.

If you’re new to Skiv then the Chick Chicken EP will work as a superb introduction to the band. The EP does a wonderful job in showcasing all four members of the band’s incredible talent. I like that all three vocalists had songs featured on the EP and I assume that this will be a big feature of Skiv’s live set in the future. Great job on the EP guys.

Stream and download Chick Chicken EP here.

Like Skiv on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Hearts Of Gold by Dollar Signs

Hearts Of Gold by Dollar Signs has been far and away my most anticipated album of 2021. I’ve been following the band since hearing Yikes in 2015 and have enjoyed watching them grow a bigger and bigger following over the years. In March, Hearts Of Gold was released on Pure Noise Records and it definitely felt like a big occasion. I’ve seen Dollar Signs compared to The Menzingers and Spanish Love Songs in the more mainstream alternative music press but I would certainly say there’s a lot of Jeff Rosenstock in their sound as well. It certainly feels like Hearts Of Gold had a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding it – does it live up to all the positive attention it received? Of course it does.

Hearts Of Gold begins with I’m Afraid I Make Yr Depression Worse. The song starts out slowly as lead singer Erik Button and his acoustic guitar tell the sad story of a relationship where one person brings the other one down mentally and emotionally. As the track goes along different members of the band come in before they all join together for a bombastic finale to the track. The energy that builds towards the end of the song coincides with Erik realising that he needs to make himself better to improve the relationship. Up next is Negative Blood, one of three songs that Dollar Signs released in the build up to the album’s release. There’s a chaotic nature to the song that is classic Dollar Signs. I guess this is partly why they chose it as a single. It’s a positive sounding song where Erik sings about how his mental health issues are making him a tougher human being. He’s getting by and surviving despite the hardships life throws at him. I especially enjoyed the lyrics “trying to be more positive but I got B-negative running through my blood.” The third song is named Bonghammer and it is about trying to grow up but always having a reason as to why things don’t quite go as planned. I’m sure there are plenty of people reading this or listening to the song who will heavily relate. I often refer to myself as a terrible grown up. The imagery created with the lyrics “now I got frames for all my posters, I gotta use an old bong as a hammer, cuz I don’t have a toolkit like my father” is sublime.

Sticks & Stones is a short and sad song. It’s stripped back with just acoustic guitar and piano as Erik sings about relapsing but accepting that he’s allowed to have a bad day. Having a song that sounds like this pop up on the fourth track is a great idea as it really grabs your attention and forces you to listen to the lyrics. I’m a big fan of the message that the song puts out and believe it’s important for people to hear. Up next is B.O.M.B.S. which was another track released before the album came out. This was another great choice for a single as it’s so catchy and will quickly find a home in your head. The opening guitars fill the song with energy and as soon as the vocals come in you’ll find yourself wanting to shout back at the band as loudly as you can. The track is about analysing your behaviour and questioning some of your self-destructive acts. I’m very keen to see Dollar Signs live as soon as possible (hopefully at Fest this year) and I can see this song being a big highlight. The last of the three singles released before Hearts Of Gold is up next. Bad News was also released with an excellent video you can watch here. This song really reminded me of Jeff Rosenstock’s Nausea when I first heard it. There’s a musical theatre feeling to the song that gives it so much joy. It’s about sharing your problems and bad news with your friends and hopefully it will at least make things better. This is another song that’s going to be amazing fun to see performed live.

Fistfight! starts the second half of the album. It’s a slow and simple song with the music taking a backseat to Erik’s vocals. This enables the listener to really get a grip of what he’s singing about. The track is about knowing when you’ve been beaten and coming to the realisation that it’s okay to stop and smell the roses from time to time. This leads wonderfully into the next song Nihilist Gundam. Things really go up a gear here, from the slow and steady Fistfight! we jump straight into an up-tempo and chaotic song that really drags the energy of the song back up. Given that the band have made a single video of the two songs being connected by a story, it’s clear that a lot of care and thought has gone into the running order of the songs on the album and I’m a big fan of that. Nihilist Gundam is about behaving in a self-destructive way and realising that it is perhaps time for a change. This song, more than any other on the album makes great use of dual and gang vocals which adds even more to the chaotic energy that explodes out of the song. The ninth song on Hearts Of Gold is titled Falling Off. Falling Off feels like a much more straightforward punk rock song. It starts off in quick and punchy way before the melody works its way in as the band reach the chorus. As the song progresses, more and more hooks and catchy lyrics appear and, in what is true Dollar Signs fashion, things get crazy and excitable towards the end of the song. The song is about being different and accepting that it’s okay. I love the positivity that pours out of the song and this feels like another that will be really special to watch live. Interestingly, the final thirty or so seconds feels like a completely different song where Erik talks about working on himself and how difficult it can be. This felt pretty random but perfectly fitting for something in a Dollar Signs song.

Kiss Me is a short forty-three second song where Erik and bass player Dylan trade lines in a call and response manner before coming together for the chorus. I’m a huge fan of songs that have multiple vocalists as I feel like they can give a song such a big sound. It also really invites a massive sing-along which I’m always into. The track feels like an intro for the penultimate song, I Love You. I Love You sees a great duet from Erik and Phoebe Masteller-Defiance of Dandelion Massacre and I Kill Cameron. The track has a hint of the band’s early folk punk days, as well as a tinge of country thanks to some sweet harmonica fills. The song is about a couple who are madly in love with each other but not being able to express it. There is a sweetness about the song that you don’t often hear in punk songs. This might be a bold statement but, for me, this is one of the best punk rock love songs I’ve heard in a long long time. It puts such a big smile on my face and I urge all you couples to give it a listen. I wish the band would’ve made a video for the song as I imagine it would be hilarious. The final song on Hearts Of Gold is the fittingly titled Hearts Of Gold Finale. Finishing with a stripped back and raw sounding acoustic song was an interesting choice and I did expect the whole band to jump in at some point. This never happened and, on reflection, I’m happy about this and it gives the song a more earnest feeling. Hearts Of Gold Finale is about realising that even though things might seem bad now there is plenty of time for things to improve. There’s a great sense of reassurance that you get from when a good friend looks after you. Such a fitting end to a brilliant album.

I was so excited for this album to come out and it manages to exceed all of my high expectations for it. If Hearts Of Gold isn’t placed highly in my end of year lists for 2021 it means it’s been the best year for music ever. I really feel like Dollar Signs are going to be the next breakout band from the American punk rock scene and I look forward to seeing them play in front of packed crowds in the UK as soon as it’s possible.

Stream and download Hearts Of Gold on Bandcamp here.

Like Dollar Signs on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.