Reviews

Sir Bobos

Havana Syndrome Kill Your Brain cassette

Demented synth punkers HAVANA SYNDROME are back with a quickness after dropping a demo tape in July. Look at the cover art: a brain mainlined into a computer monitor displaying a punk whose face is being eaten by his own brain! Cool. This should give you an idea of what you’re in for. It’s aggressive, it’s fast, and the synths give the songs life through a vein of electro insanity. On songs like “Wrapped Boots” and “Mind Control,” the vocalist yelps and hollers like a wounded animal around pulsing guitar and synth lines. It would be easy to compare them to bands like RESEARCH REACTOR CORPORATION, but it kicks way more ass. Think LUMPY & THE DUMPERS imprinting onto members of the LOCUST. Pick this up and kill your brain.

TV Casualties Orphanage Fire CD

Self-proclaimed “Canola Hardcore,” whatever the hell that means. This sounds like a band that you saw on the Warped Tour when you were thirteen years old whose name you can’t remember. The EP is self-produced and self-released which is commendable, but the songs are generic and unmemorable. You could put it on in the background and no one will be offended, but no one’s going to ask you who it is, either.

Billiam The Letter W & the Numeral B EP

Melbourne’s BILLIAM is back with another EP, his fourth release this year. There’s nothing new here, and any of the four tracks could have appeared on any of the project’s previous efforts. If you’ve enjoyed any of his other records, you’ll dig this. “New Wave” and “Houston We Have Rock” are full of fuzzy three-chord punk, battered with synthesizers and left scrambling to catch up to the lo-fi hi-hats working overtime in the background. The vocals sound like they were recorded through a cell phone inside of a cave, which kind of ruins it for me, although repeating the phrase “Houston, we have rock” 16 times in 54 seconds brought a smile to my face. The B-side is more mid-tempo and features the highlight of the EP for me, the closing “Essential Feedstock Oils,” where they repeat the word “record” 27 times in 90 seconds. Heavy SPARKS vibes with a bedroom charm. It ain’t for me, but fans of 1-800-MIKEY and GEE TEE will eat it up.

Wax Static Wasted Town EP

The cover is a picture of a broken skateboard with the band name in ’90s labelmaker font, and there’s a PRIMITIVE HEARTS cover included. I love it when a band lets you know exactly what to expect from their cover art. There’s a lo-f surfy element to these songs, but it’s still a little tough while still being fun. Both “Wasted Town” and “Back to You” have an early BLACK LIPS feel to them and pair well with the PRIMITIVE HEARTS cover. The vocals are much more audible and in the mix than on their demo released in early 2025, and it benefits them well. Worth checking out if you’re into lo-fi bedroom garage punk.

The Icks The Icks cassette

Five tracks of fuzzed-out, overblown four-track fidelity, with bratty vocals and drenched in Florida humidity. The ICKS ride the line between angular, fuzzed-out punk and slow and gritty mid-tempo bore-core. “IDMTMTM” is killer and will end up on a mixtape or two. If the tape ended here, I would love it, but they use the dreaded disco beat to lead off the next song, and that is an automatic point deduction from me. This would be best played loud while skating curbs in your local cul-de-sac, or taking resin hits from a dirty bong.

Why Bother? Case Studies LP

Prolific punks WHY BOTHER? are back with another LP on the heels of an EP released earlier this year. While the former relied heavily on a synthesized version of ’80s-inspired Midwestern punk, Case Studies sees the band, yet again, charting fresh ground, but I’m not so sure that’s such a good thing. Make no mistake, every few songs, there is a song that rips. They shine on tracks like “I Take Back,” “There She Was,” or the album closer “Galaxy Eyes,” where they effortlessly combine heavy ’70s psych melodies with SPITS-style lo-fi goodness, and vocals that call to mind early GUIDED BY VOICES. Unfortunately, the rest of the record felt boring and longwinded. Songs often drift in and out of ambient and instrumental explorations that would best be saved for a Friday jam session rather than on a recording. Repeated listens could change my mind, but I’m not sure I have the attention span to reach for this one again.

Baby Tyler Sucker With a Dream LP

BABY TYLER is back and better than ever. I’ll admit it, on the first listen I wasn’t impressed. It was exactly what I expected, hardcore-tinged garage punk rippers. Nothing more, nothing less. The first two tracks didn’t do much for me at first, but the third track caught my attention with the lyric “And if you give it nothing / What do you expect in return?” This stuck out to me, and days later it was still in my head. Tracks six through eight expand on the sound of the first few songs and have some of my favorite moments on the LP. The horn breakdown on “Rinse Repeat” is a great example, as is the menacing vocal on “Good Motivator.” The bass and drums really stand out and work together seamlessly to move the songs forward, while the guitar takes a back seat and adds subtle flavor where needed. Elsewhere, the bass can be overpowering at times, and I wish the guitars hit a little harder. Lyrically, vocalist Tyler Fassnacht angrily questions his dedication to the craft, the idea of “success,” and what it means to a mid-thirties DIY punk who has spent most of his life on tour and making records. “If you give it nothing, what can you expect in return?” The answer is nothing. Fucking nothing. But if you give it everything, time and time again, you may end with an LP full of piss and vinegar, yet still poppy enough to leave hooks in your head for days.

Jodie Faster Saint Lundi LP

Nineteen songs of feverish hardcore punk from France. No distortion, no breakdowns, no songs over 1:45, and no time to slow down! Super-political, super-fast, and the origin of Saint Lundi has me wanting to quit my job and go slam a pint! JODIE FASTER has been dishing out “short songs played fast” for a decade, and it truly shows on Saint Lundi. My favorite moment on the record is when vocalist screams “fuck that!” during a split-second pause in “S.O.R.G.A.” This shit rules.

The Bacarrudas Bleed Out, Get Pushed Off a Cliff, Sink to the Bottom of a Lake, and Play a Halloween Monster House Party! LP

The title says it all, folks. A double LP full of campy, over-the-top, ’60s-inspired monster madness straight out of Philadelphia. It’s worthy of a seasonal spin during your next Pagan house party or seasonal sockhop. Songs like “Dracula’s Castle” and “She’s in Love with Frankenstein’s Monster” are loaded with all the reverb and tremolo of your fave ’60s and ’70s novelty records, and much to my enjoyment, they lean into the humor and campiness. It reminds me of the kind of stuff I would find in a used dollar bin and would scoop up without hesitation. It’s pressed at 45 RPM on 12” which adds to the novelty vibe. Overall, it’s a fun record without a ton of memorable moments, but deserving of a listen if you’re into the schtick.

Heavy Lag / Sekunderna / Teenage Bigfoot / TV Cop split LP

I love splits. This one is a cool showcase of the current dirt pop scene, with each band contributing two original songs and one cover. If that’s not enough for you, it even comes with a fifteen-page zine. The whole affair gives off heavy MARKED MEN or RADIOACTIVITY vibes, so it should come as no surprise that three of the bands either recorded or mastered their tracks with Jeff Burke. The original songs are a good example of what each band brings to the table, but the covers are the real gems here. TV COP covering MOLLY HATCHET just might be my favorite track on the split; pop punks covering Southern rock and doing it justice??? I’m into it. The TEENAGE BIGFOOT originals remind me of walking into a Hot Topic circa 2003. Not into it. On the other hand, their cover of “Dreams” by the CRANBERRIES was stuck in my head for days, and I really dislike that band! For the uninitiated, I don’t feel like anything on here will make any of these bands your new favorite. But for existing fans, Jeff Burke worshippers, or anyone looking for a few killer dirt pop covers, this LP will feel right at home in your collection.