Album Review: Fuckin' Woo by Flangipanis

If you happened to read my end of year list at the end of 2021 then you might have seen that I included the album Fuckin’ Woo by Flangipanis in it. As most of the readers of CPRW are either based in the UK or America, I suspect that you haven’t heard of the Brisbane, Australia, four piece so I figured I should give the album a proper review. Mostly because it gives me an excuse to spend an afternoon listening to the album again and partly because if more folk in the UK become fans of the band, then there’s more chance they’ll be able to do a UK tour. That would be nice. Fuckin’ Woo is fifteen brand new songs from the band in just twenty-seven minutes and it is the follow up to their excellent Community Backwash EP which was released in 2019.

Brand New Day feels like the perfect choice to start the album and not just because of its title. It’s a bouncy and fun track that has an air of familiarity to it. Perfect for welcoming you into Fuckin’ Woo. Despite the cheerful sound of the song, it’s actually about a much deeper issue regarding mental health. It looks into the positive and negative sides of your thoughts fighting each other and the turmoil that that can leave you in. Flangipanis follow this up with a short hardcore song called Present with the repeating lyric “I hope you like your present cunt.” This is the crass side of Flangipanis that I always get a little kick out of. They can do the deep and meaningful stuff but they’re never afraid to go for the ridiculous and offensive as well. The third song on the album is named Run Away. Run Away is a great example of how to do melodic skate punk music really well. It begins slowly with a gradual build and some “whoa-ohs” that begin to get you hyped. The tempo begins to increase and then Jodie’s killer vocals come in and it’s time to go. I adored the melody on the verses, it hooks you in wonderfully. The band fly through the first half of the song before we reach a breakdown that includes some killer harmonies backing Jodie’s vocals to complete the song.

You Don’t Have To Be A Cunt comes next. I hate the c-word but I couldn’t help but smile when I listened to it. I don’t want to say lyrical genius because that would be silly but the level of word play here is pretty impressive. Definitely not what I was expecting when I first read the title of the song. The track is about being a good person and not a bad person. It’s that simple. I enjoyed the vocal trade offs during the song. It’s fast and has so much energy. Loved it. Next is Good Little Taxpayer. This sees the band step into the world of politics. All of the bouncy fun that was on the first four tracks on the album are gone. This is Flangipanis at their most serious. It’s about all of the wrong doing that governments are doing (I’m sure the band are talking in particular about the Australian government but it certainly works for the UK’s as well) and encourages people to make a stand against them. It’s nice to see the band branch out and write a song about this topic. Worthless is a Flangipanis love song. It’s about not feeling like you have any worth but it’s okay when you’re with someone that you love.

The seventh song on Fuckin’ Woo is named Faking It. This is a ferocious punk rock song with the vocals being jam packed with venom. The song is less than ninety seconds long and is relentless. The use of the second vocalist once again adds to the energy of the song and it also adds some aggression which works really well. This is one of those songs that will really get a mosh pit amped up when the band play it live. Clothes was one of the stand out songs when I first listened to the album. Not only is it ridiculously catchy but it also feels extremely important. It’s about how Jodie used to love taking her clothes off at shows but had to stop because of men being creepy perverts. Jodie goes on to call out those men on the song. I feels like a big feminist anthem. If women want to take their clothes off at shows, they should be able to without men making unwanted sexual advances. Train Ciggie is another short, hard and fast song. It’s simply about not liking when people try and smoke on trains or when people try and spark up conversation. I’m with the band on both of these points. Writing this review I’ve learnt that durrie is an Australian slang word for cigarette – there’s a fun fact for you, for reading this far. The song is finished with a shift in melody where the band slow things down and have a group sing-along of “train ciggie, train ciggie, ciggie on a train.”

Skate sees bass player Paul take over lead vocal duties as Flangipanis skank into the realm of ska punk. This was another stand out and not just because my love of ska punk music. The track tells a story of a love of skateboarding and how when you were younger you would spend all of your free time doing this thing you love with your friends. The lyrics in the song create such a visual story, I’m surprised to see the band haven’t yet made a video for the song. Moving Out is an interesting song as the lyrics for the song were all taken from freepunklyrics.tumblr.com which is a blog that began by two friends writing super clichéd punk lyrics. As I’m listening to the song for a fifth time whilst reviewing it, I think I can also hear the riff from The Offspring’s Self Esteem but I may have just convinced myself in my head – have a listen and decide for yourself. The twelfth song on Fuckin’ Woo is Snacks At The Bar and it’s Jodie’s turn at a ska song. Flanigpanis are joined by the brass section of Blowhard for the song. When I first listened to the album, I was not expecting ska and I certainly wasn’t expecting a four piece horn section to appear and it’s a very welcome surprise. The song is about going out, trying to impress someone and making sure to remember the snacks at the bar. Both verses in the track will have you getting your knees up and having a wonderful time skanking away.

Asshole Aunt is a song about Jodie being a terrible aunt. Throughout the song they list all the reasons that they should not be a role model for the child and it’s equal parts terrifying and hilarious. This is one of those times where Jodie shows what a good lyricist they are even if the song is pretty vulgar. If you have a dark sense of humour then this is a song for you. Not all songs have to change the world and make you think. Sometime you just want to be amused and smile and Asshole Aunt does that for me. The penultimate song on Fuckin’ Woo is titled Perfectly Average. This track talks about being just one of the seven billion people on the planet and constantly feeling as if you’re not making any progress in your life but trying to make the best of it. There’s a nice positive feeling that comes from the song that gives me a great vibes. The fifteenth and final song on the album is Small Talk. I’m big on albums finishing with a bang, especially if they have a lot of tracks like Fuckin’ Woo does and Flangipanis deliver here. The final song is the party that I suspect Flangipanis always bring when they play live. The song starts slowly but quickly shifts into top gear as the band race through the chorus in a full throttle kind of way. The song is about cutting out small talk and just partying like it’s your last night on earth. There are plenty of “whoa-oh” moments and chances for the band’s audience to shout the words back at the band. The perfect way to end an incredible album.

I bloody love Flanipanis. Everything they release makes me really happy. I’m fully aware they won’t be everyone’s pint of pepsi as humour is a very subjective thing, as all art is, but they’re definitely worth taking a chance on. I think you’ll be surprised. The more I listen to it, the more things I find that I think are really important to hear in the current climate. There are songs about mental health, politics, feminism and living your best life. I listen to music because it makes me happy, Flangipanis make me really, really happy. I hope they do for you as well.

Stream and download Fuckin' Woo on Bandcamp here.

Like Flangipanis on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Gig Review: Random Hand at Islington Academy, London 28/1/22

I think that the three year gap between seeing Random Hand in January 2019 and January 2022 is the longest time I’ve ever gone without seeing them. Even when they had their break, it seemed a shorter time than that. I guess that’s what a global pandemic will do. I believe the original plan for this gig was for it to be in the summer of 2020 but this had to be postponed for the reasons mentioned in the previous sentence. Since the original gig was announced, there had been date changes, venue changes and line-up changes but it was finally here and I couldn’t wait.

Unfortunately we arrived at The Islington Academy a little late due to work and the early start so only managed to catch the last three songs from Babar Luck And The East End Trinity. You could feel the positive vibes that Babar and his crew always bring though, so I was pleased we were able to catch a bit of their set.

Up next were Riskee & The Ridicule. I believe the last time I saw them was also supporting Random Hand. Since then they have added Maz, the former saxophone player in Ghouls to their ranks to play bass guitar. Looking around the crowd, it very much seemed as if a good chunk of people had come out specifically to see Riskee and they must have been delighted with the show the band put on. The band started with (a) Kaboom! and didn’t slow down from then on. There was a lot of hype around the band before the world stopped and even with the break it appears that their momentum keeps on rolling. The band played a tight set and even with some issues with the sound – I think there was a problem with a drum mic – the band soldiered on and played an entertaining set.

Following Riskee were the penultimate act of the night, The Filaments. Last seen in London, headlining the opening night of Till The Fest in October, I was just as excited to see them again. I wasn’t the only one because as soon as the band began their set Islington went off. On this occasion, the band were playing as a seven piece with a three part brass section which is not something I’ve seen The Filaments do for years. Having that many people on the stage added to the energy that The Filaments omit. Musically, the band flick effortlessly between ferocious hardcore punk and barroom singalongs with ease and have the crowd in the palm of their hands throughout the set. Tearing through their set with minimal time between songs meant that they manage to squeeze plenty of tracks into the set but I was still wanting more when they finished. Half hour sets aren’t long enough for The Filaments! They have too many classic songs that I want to hear. They seem to have already announced a fair amount of gigs this year so hopefully it won’t be too long before seeing them again.

The night was flying by, it was soon time for Random Hand and there was a feeling of anticipation filling the venue. The band would be playing their third album, Seething Is Believing, from start to finish during the set to celebrate its tenth (or eleventh because of postponements) anniversary which, as luck would have it, is my favourite album the band have released. Though I have to say it’s a close run thing as they only release brilliant albums. To nobody’s surprise the crowd went for it as soon as the band began set/album opener Tales Of Intervention and it only got rowdier as the set progressed. I feel like there’s always a bit of a risk with album shows that a couple of the deeper cuts on the album might fall flat on the more casual fan but this was not the case on this occasion. Listening to the album live really made me appreciate the track ordering on the album. How many bands have songs of the calibre of Not A Number, Three From Six, Floating Ghosts and Bones following each other – amazing work. Like I mentioned in the introduction, it had been three years since I last saw Random Hand but this felt a reunion with an old friend where you just fall back into friendship like you’ve never been apart and it felt wonderful. Robin remains one of the best frontmen in punk rock, an extremely watchable performer and very funny whilst interacting with the crowd between songs. There are also a few moments where he takes the time to give thanks to the other bands and the venue, and you can see how genuinely happy the band are to be able to be doing gigs again. After completing Seething Is Believing, the band dipped into their discography to play an encore including classics such as Scum Triumphant, Play Some Ska, Anthropology and Anger Management to ensure the crowd went home even happier. What an absolutely blinding set and I can’t wait to see them again at Manchester Punk Festival in April… Is it April yet?

Random Hand once again show why they are one of the most highly respected bands to emerge from the UK’s DIY punk scene ever. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve seen them over the years – it’s easily in double figures now – and they never, ever disappoint. Being able to see them once again after so long was a cathartic experience. Legends.

This gig review was written by Colin Clark. Photos by Colin and Emma.

Album Review: Don’t @ Me by RECLAWED (by Emma Prew)

RECLAWED are a new Brooklyn, New York, based indie punk band who I recently discovered after their lead vocalist and piano/organ/synth player, Erica Clayton, shared their first single in the Fest Friends group on Facebook. They mentioned having previously been in several Fest adjacent bands such as Binary Heart, Weird At Last and Freya Wilcox & The Howl – the latter whom I was very sad to only discover after they’d broken up – and I was intrigued enough to give the single a listen right away. It was an instant hit with me and I was excited the learn that a full EP was only another week away.

On 14th January, RECLAWED released their debut EP titled Don’t @ Me. The EP was fully written, recorded, mixed and mastered remotely during 2020 and 2021 but I, at least, would not have been able to tell that. This has got to be the best new music I’ve heard so far this year and I’m excited to share why!

Don’t @ Me kicks off with a short, catchy and super melodic country-folk sounding song called When It Came To You. It’s definitely not the sound I was expecting to hear but I really love it all the same. The song is about reflecting on a difficult breakdown of a relationship in the past but looking for the positives in this and certainly not regretting what happened – ‘I don't regret a single word I said to you, You were actin' out the scene that you wanted to’. Next up is A Lie We Tell Ourselves which was the first single from the EP and thus the first song I heard from the band. Gone are the country-like sounds of the previous track and instead we have an energetic, passionate and slightly angsty tune that immediately grabs your attention. Erica really belts the lyrics out alongside crunchy guitars and some rhythmic drumming that sounds almost like clapping. Like When It Came To You, this is another song that seems to have a positive spin to it. At least, how I’m interpreting the song is that you should try to live your life to the fullest and not be bogged down by feeling like you need to be in a relationship or live a certain way. There’s a similar theme to the third song, Breathe Out, as Erica sings ‘I have no reason not to be happy’. It’s a feeling I know well myself. A repetitive guitar riff opens up the track and soon serves as a steady backing to the vocals which absolutely take the forefront in this song. Erica has a wonderful voice and is supported by some subtle backing vocals at points which really adds to the overall feel of the song. Breathe Out is perhaps one of the slower paced tracks on the EP but that doesn’t stop it from packing a punch.

Wasted sees RECLAWED getting amped up again for an upbeat guitar and synth driven head bopper of a song. You can instantly hear the pent up anger and frustration in Erica’s voice as they sing the opening lines ‘You said you had it figured out, You said "it's just a gap year", You said you had a plan for it all, You said you wanted to save’. There’s a distinct bite to the vocal style that reminds of Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer which is, obviously, no bad thing. Wasted is arguably the catchiest and most earwormy song on Don’t @ Me and it just puts a massive smile on my face every time I listen to it. Wrong About You opens solely with piano – once again showcasing a different sort of sound, this is definitely not an EP of seven songs that all sound the same – before the vocals and drums come in. It’s fairly slow-paced and subdued to begin with but there’s a feeling that things are building, up to when Erica sings ‘I'll admit when I was wrong, Oh, I was wrong’ and the song is transformed into a full band number, no longer restrained. There’s some great musicianship on display in this track from the band’s multiple guitarists (Freya Wilcox, Zachary Walden, Tom Malinowski – although I’m not sure they’re specifically all playing on this one track) as well as Erica’s piano/organ/synth playing. Wrong About You takes the listener on quite the journey and what a journey it is.

The penultimate song of Don’t @ Me is what I feel can only be described as an emotional, piano-led, indie power ballad. Your Girlfriend Sucks opens with the line ‘Hello? It was me, I've been looking for you’ – presumably a nod Lionel Ritchie (and maybe Adele?) – sung in a soft and gentle voice. By the second verse however there’s a bit of that bite I mentioned in Wasted being injected into the vocals. Your Girlfriend Sucks is far from your traditional punk rock song, vocals accompanied purely by drums and piano, but there’s still a punk spirit to it all. The song is about wanting to make sure your friend is okay when they’re having a rough time, particularly when you don’t think their partner is good for them. It’s a tricky subject matter to convey in a song but I hope some listeners can find comfort in the words. The EP does what all good records should do and finishes with a bang. Don’t Come Around is an angry and gutsy track that is just begging to be sung along to at the top of your lungs – maybe at a future Fest. Don’t Come Around is about drawing the line at the end of a relationship that ended badly and admitting that, similarly to A Lie We Tell Ourselves, ‘I’d rather be alone, Than waste time waiting around on a change, That’s never gonna come’. Erica really seems to let out a lot of frustration throughout the track, not least when repeating ‘I didn’t ask you to stay’ at the end of the song. This is another track that I think will be highly relatable and a comfort to many listeners. The track, and the EP as a whole, feel empowering to me and that’s definitely something I look for in music.

I almost can’t believe just how much I enjoyed this EP. I’ve listened to it on repeat for several days now and still can’t get enough. There’s a lot of variety on offer but I love it all. This is a release, and a band, that I’m going to be raving about to everyone and anyone who will listen for months to come. Don’t @ Me by RECLAWED is the best new music I’ve heard in some time – certainly so far this year – and I highly encourage you to check it out.

Stream and download Don’t @ Me on Bandcamp here.

Like RECLAWED on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Waves by Worst Advice

Worst Advice are a four piece from Nuremberg, Germany, who first came to my attention after they were booked to play Hamburg Booze Cruise in 2020. Sadly that festival didn’t get to happen but at least I found a cool band out of it. I really enjoyed their debut EP, Faces, and even got them to appear on a CPRW Records comp last year. On the 11th of January this year, the band released their second EP Waves. Three brand new tracks mastered by Mass Giorgini no less. This was going to sound amazing.

The opening track is named It Feels. Here we have a raspy vocalled pop punk song with a wonderfully uplifting melody running through its core. If this is your first exposure to Worst Advice then this feels like a perfect way to welcome you in. It’s got that punk feel to it but it’s also really accessible thanks to some great hooks. I really enjoyed how the track wastes absolutely no time in getting started. There isn’t really an intro, it just starts and you’re into the song. This allows Waves to get off to a very urgent start. In contrast, the second song Brixton does have an intro that gives the song plenty of energy to begin with. The hectic guitar riff builds up to the opening vocals. They start in a way that I imagine will get many fists in the air. The song is about trying to find your way back to yourself and doing your best not to give up. The listener should definitely find a feeling of catharsis listening to the track. The track remains high in energy throughout the majority of its duration but does have a melody change to ensure things are ended in a big way. The third and final song is titled Escape Plan. On my first couple of listens through of the song, the thing that struck me most was the excellent backing harmonies that appear throughout the song. I’m a big fan of backing harmonies, they add such a great extra layer to a song and allow the listener to latch on to something without having to learn all the words. The song doesn’t really have the same urgency or energy of the other two tracks on Waves but does feel like it takes you on more of a journey. Of the three songs on Waves, Escape Plans feels like the perfect one to make a music video for. A fun way to finish the EP.

Waves is an excellent follow up release for Worst Advice. It sees them growing and improving as a band. Fingers crossed that they will be back on the Booze Cruise line-up this year so I can finally see them play live.

Stream and download Waves on Bandcamp here.

Like Worst Advice on Facbook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

CPRW Playlist: January 2022

CPRW Playlist: Here's what Brett, Chris, Dan#2, Emma, Ilse, John, Lara, Lee, Marcus, Omar, Rich, Richard, Robyn, Theo and myself have been listening to in January.

Top Tens: Vinyl Systems’ Top Ten Albums Not Pressed On Vinyl

In 1984, Poison Idea released an EP called Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes, the joke being that the cover features a picture of the band's singer Jerry A's own, vast record collection. According to Discogs, there are 19 versions of this seminal hardcore punk record and the band have released over a dozen albums and countless EPs and singles on vinyl since then including last year's latest, The Beast Goes East. It's facts like these that I truly love.

I first started collecting records when I was a kid, sometime after Poison Idea had warned me about my possible pretentiousness. I vividly remember buying Tranzophobia by Mega City Four on CD at the local record shop, only to have instant buyer's regret before taking it back the following day to exchange for a vinyl copy.

From then on, it was vinyl all the way. I wasn't bothered about how seemingly easy it was to scratch the record and tear the sleeve. I wasn't bothered about the supposedly better sound quality and undeniable convenience CDs had. I wasn't even particularly bothered about hissing, crackles or pops – as John Peel put it "somebody was trying to tell me that CDs are better than vinyl because they don't have any surface noise. I said, 'Listen, mate, life has surface noise.'"

Vinyl had a tactile quality to it that I loved and the physical size was perfect for pouring over sleeve notes which thanked other bands – vital in a pre-Internet age for discovering new artists, because, after all, not even John Peel could play everything; the NME and Melody Maker were often overly grunge and then Britpop focused and even fanzines were often too UK-centric for my increasingly punk tastes. If you bought something on SST, Cruz, Alternative Tentacles, Lookout Records et al, the sleeve notes would always enable you to discover your next favourite band.

But that's not to say I don't own any CDs. Of course I do. Pre-ipod/smartphone etc they were great for travelling/commuting etc, took up far less space which when I was younger was useful, and there are some albums that were simply never released on vinyl, some of which I'll obviously come onto.

My golden rules when buying records are: That I don't collect variants – the only duplicate copies I have are when I've mistakenly bought the same record twice! I try to buy either directly from bands or labels. I never buy a record as an "investment" – every single record I've bought is because I like (or thought I would like) the music and I've never paid more than £30 for a record.

Following these rules means that, over the years, the number has steadily grown. I've got a reasonable sized collection – not what I would call out of hand – but it's a few thousand albums and large enough that I now concede to my family that if it gets much bigger there really won't be anymore room for them. If and when that happens, I'll have to enter the horror chamber hell of selling some on Discogs. The annoying vinyl plant pressing delays have helped a lot with reducing my consumption this last year, but any vinyl collector will tell you it's a really hard habit to cut down on.

Anyway, I think that's enough of a preamble, although I must state a disclaimer here. These aren't records that are rare and therefore I wished I owned on vinyl. This is a list of albums that I *think* have never been pressed on vinyl, however I stand to be corrected. I've Googled them and can't find any reference to vinyl pressings and Discogs doesn't list any of them either, but the Internet is not always the Oracle on everything so if I've made a mistake, sorry (and also let me know if you have a copy for sale).

Finally, the list isn't in any particular order and having complied it I've realised that 1) a helluva lot of albums I thought were never on vinyl, actually have been at some point and as such 2) the list is very specific to me, my tastes and probably my age, which means a number of the bands on the list might be new to you. If this is the case, I urge you to check them out. After all, for me that's the beauty of CPRW. I was never going to tell you about the Bad Religion or NOFX album that's a classic but was only ever released on cassette (there isn't one). It was always going to be heavy on smaller and DIY bands that are brilliant, but might only be best known for supporting Jawbreaker or Green Day in front of 50 people at gig in the early 90s.

Alcohol Funnycar – Time To Make The Donuts

Formed in Seattle in the early 90s at a time when the city was exploding with successful grunge bands like Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, Nirvana et al, the 1993 debut from Alcohol Funnycar didn't quite fit the city's persona. It's melodic pop-punk. Hüsker Dü meets Dinosaur Jr is how I always describe them and this was released on C/Z Records. It was followed up two years later by another CD only album (Weasels), and I assume they then broke up. I always maintain that if they'd hung on for just a bit longer, their style of punk would become much more popular and they'd almost certainly have had a better shot at success. When it was released, this CD album somehow made its way over here because I remember buying it at Selectadisc in Soho and, if I can still remember where and when I brought an album from that long ago, it tells me it has to be pretty damn good.

All Systems Go – All Systems Go!

All Systems Go were a Canadian punk "supergroup," formed in the late 90s by members of Big Drill Car, the Doughboys and the Asexuals after those bands split. Later on, alumni would also also include members of the Descendents and The Carnations. This self-titled album was their debut, released in 1999 on Coldfront Records. It was followed up three years later with the album Mon Chi Chi, but after a number of line up changes they didn't put out any subsequent albums. The pedigree is there, but like a lot of supergroups they never really hit the heights. However, this is a fun melodic punk album that I've picked for this list not least because I could never get enough of Big Drill Car and occasionally when I wish Big Drill Car had done more, I'd like to be able to spin All Systems Go to scratch that melodic 90s itch.

The Tim Version – Creating Forces That Don't Exist

A hugely underrated band! Floridian and Fest stalwarts, it's harmonic, gruff punk with a sound that is very typical of Gainesville/No Idea Records etc. They've released four albums over the years, but Creating Forces That Don't Exist was their first release in 2000, on ADD Records on CD. It's not on Spotify or Apple Music, so you should head to Bandcamp to check it out. After a couple of decades, the band are still together, but because they haven't been that prolific I don't spin them as much as I'd like. Having this on vinyl would give me a great fourth option.

Deforesters – Leonard

A recent release. Anthemic, singalong, hook-laden, super catchy bangers from start to finish – this was my album of the year in 2017. Canadian punks from Toronto, this was the only album they put out and I don't even think it came out on CD, so you'll have to listen online if you want to hear it. If you like those bands like Timeshares, Banner Pilot, Arms Aloft etc. who have albums stacked with quite similar sounding songs, but all of which are absolute bangers, this is for you. The band split when their guitarist left shortly after the album's release, but the phoenix from those ashes are the band Lizard Queens featuring former members who I think are currently recording an album. Hopefully that one will get a vinyl pressing.

Billy No Mates – We Are Legion

Duncan Edmonds is a legend of the British punk scene. Best known as the heart and soul of Snuff, but active throughout the last 30 years with numerous bands, Billy No Mates is his solo project where he recorded everything by himself (hence the band's name). We Are Legion is the debut album put out by 10 Past 12 Records, the label that released numerous Snuff records, but they didn't give this a vinyl release. It's got a very Snuff-esque feel to it, which, for me, is a great thing – such is my love for this sort of melodic British punk. Another of the albums, SF Sourdough, got a vinyl release last year so I still hold out a bit of hope that one day this will be pressed, but for now I'm listening to this on YouTube in the absence of a copy on CD.

Small Arms Dealer – A Single Unifying Theory

This was the first of two CD albums released by the band in 2006 and then 2007 (the later being the Patron Saint Of Disappointment and which could also easily be on this list), both released on Deep Elm Records. From Long Island, NY, and a precursor to Iron Chic (Jason Lubrano was the vocalist for both) there's definitely an Iron Chic/Wax Phantom/Latterman vibe to them, but you can also liken them to Hot Water Music, Dillinger Four and Smoke Or Fire. The description on the release's Bandcamp page says it best – "they play with the frenzied desperation of a band with one foot in the grave, and the vitriol that spews from vocalist Jason Lubrano, combined with the guns-blazing, take-no-prisoners attack of the guitars and rhythm section, blows the fucking lid off the proverbial rock 'n' roll coffin."

Sinkhole – Groping For Trout

Fast, melodic, catchy 90s skate-punk from Boston. Groping For Trout was the first of three albums for this band, but the only one to miss out on a vinyl release. It comes close to being Ramonescore in places but it doesn't meet that formula fully. Drummer Chris Pierce went on to play for a tonne of other bands including Doc Hopper, Drag The River, The Ergs and The Measure [sa].

China Drum – Diskin

Strictly speaking this album was by The Drum – the name that China Drum renamed themselves towards the end. The band were around throughout the entirety of 90s, plus an overlap at either end of the decade, although they only released three albums. Diskin is the last of these and was put out by Mantra Records on CD in 2000. China Drum were a UK based melodic punk band from the north east, drawing early comparisons with their local cousins Leatherface, but this album marked a different type of sound for the band and, as such, it's not up there with their brilliant Goose Fair or the follow up Self Made Maniac. Perhaps that's why they dropped the "China" bit from their name to mark a shift in style as this is more alternative rock with electronic and guitar feedback elements thrown in, some way off their punkier roots. I wouldn't buy this album now, but I'd love to have this as a vinyl release if only to complete my China Drum set.

Enemy You – Stories Never Told

A band that I consider to be pretty seminal, I'll always associate them with Red Scare Industries who put this out. It's the second of their two albums and was one of the label's very early releases. Maybe it was because the label was in its infancy that at the time in 2004 it only got a CD release, but I'm still hopeful that this fast, melodic, skate punk-ish cult classic will eventually get a vinyl pressing. In the meantime, if you want an Enemy You fix on vinyl, checkout Can Anybody Hear Me? (A Tribute to Enemy You) by The Lillingtons and put out by Red Scare last year. Alternatively, there's some joker on Discogs who wants £1,700 for their only other album – Where No One Knows My Name, released on vinyl by Lookout Records in 2000.

Articles – Better Than Me

I've selected my final pick not just because it's the most recent, but always because it's banger. One of my favourite releases from last year, I don't think Articles released either CDs or vinyl copies of this album. A very DIY punk band – the type of which I love – and a band from Gainesville playing raspy, gruff punk complete with gang vocals. It's only seven songs long, but I'd love to see those seven pressed on vinyl.

This top ten was written by Chris Bishton aka Vinyl Systems on Instagram.

Album Review: At War With The Silverfish by Laura Jane Grace (by Ilse R. Smit)

Generally speaking, I love an intricate promo strategy. I like looking forward to releases, I love the anticipation that is fed by teasers, singles, maybe even an elaborate world building social media campaign. But thanks to Laura Jane Grace, lead singer, guitarist, songwriter and OG of Against Me!, I have a newfound appreciation for surprise releases these past two years. At War With The Silverfish, Grace’s second solo EP, was released on September 22nd 2021 by Polyvinyl Record Co and Big Scary Monsters.

Folk punk isn’t usually my thing. I don’t hate it or anything, there’s just something about it, a vulnerability in how stripped-down it can be. An emotional rawness that just makes me feel kind of uncomfortable. Like someone just handed me a bunch of their emotions and I’m there awkwardly standing there asking myself what the hell I’m supposed to do with them. Laura Jane Grace is a different story altogether. I love listening to her (my crush on her might have something to do with that).  

The first track on the EP is Three Of Hearts. Her voice, accompanied by an acoustic guitar, sounds warm, vulnerable, but mostly very sweet. Like asking someone to take a chance on you, but with the classic LJG self-deprecating twist we all know and love.

The second track, Lolo 13, is so dreamy! It’s more upbeat and the drums really round out the sound of the song. The backing vocals play a big part in the aforementioned dreamy-ness. I love how Laura uses words that don’t really rhyme without it bothering you. The lyrics are fairly repetitive, which makes me think they could do very well when performed live, since they’re easy to pick up. And not only that, I’m having a hard time sitting still while I’m writing this. I’m not surprised at all that, as I’m writing this, this is the most popular song of the EP on Spotify. Laura Jane Grace is ever so relatable when she sings about not being sure someone is flirting with her.

Long Dark Night is GROOVY! I’m loving the bassline, I’d call it my favourite character of this song. It’s a great song for road trips. It gives off a “we got a long way to go, but if we keep going, slow and steady, we’ll get there”-vibe mixed with “it will only go downhill from here”. Only Laura Jane Grace can tell me to “shut the fuck up and sit back down” and be endearing while doing it.

We reach the half-way point with Electro-Static Sweep, the longest track on the EP. The song introduces a string section, which I’m guessing is a violin, and takes a step back pace-wise. The tempo and newly added layers amplify the melancholy and nostalgia, especially when listening to the vocal effect during the beginning of the first verse that makes it feel antiquated, very compelling.

Laura Jane Grace believes that the next song, Day Old Coffee, is “the worst one she’s ever written” but released it anyway because she liked the video they made. I’m not in the position to say whether or not that is true, but I think it’s short (seriously, 1:13 long) but sweet! Or maybe I just strongly relate to my brain feeling fried and literally always forgetting I have a cup of tea standing around that has reached room temperature by the time I remember. Not a bad intermezzo at all.

Smug Fuckface is another very disarming acoustic track that I think has the strongest relation with the title of the album. Fleeting memories and fighting/negotiating that loss. Like silverfish ruining records and books.

 
Up until the start of the last song, I was convinced the EP was building up to Electro-Static Sweep, and peeling those added layers away as the album progressed. Yesterday Pt. II proves me wrong, and I appreciate that. It’s hard to label the emotion the song carries. It sounds almost cheerful and the lyrics are reminiscing. But I’m not sure if it’s a “don’t be sad because it’s over, smile because it happened” sort of thing, or that there is an agony in the recollection of meaningful memories. Let’s just say it’s an interesting song.

At this point, I’ve listened to At War With The Silverfish many, many times – in part because it’s only 14:14 long and I take my time writing these reviews. But I had a really good time listening to it. There is variety, but it’s also cohesive. It is personal and specific, but relatable. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favour and give it a (digital) spin!

Listen/buy At War With The Silverfish on Bandcamp.

Follow Laura Jane Grace on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

This review was written by Ilse R. Smit.