Despite the dumb heavy metal graphics on the pic sleeve, I think this is easily peculiar enough to transcend this month’s crop of standard Britpunk. It’s a weird mixture of common elements—real gravelly Oi vocals, staccato CRASS-like choruses, slow/fast guitar-heavy music—anchored by a distinctive fuzz bass. Description won’t suffice; you’ve got to hear this one for yourself. I love it.
A disappointment. Over their past two singles, ERAZERHEAD had developed a pleasant, hard rock sound reminiscent of the LURKERS/RAMONES. In place of this, they do an awful cover of the old DION AND THE BELMONTS song, while the flip tries for a more upbeat approach. Unimpressive.
This live EP renews some of my faith in ERAZERHEAD. They’ve recaptured their earlier snappiness and guitar power here, which suggests that bad production was mainly to blame for their recent vinyl failures. Check it out if you like(d) the LURKERS, and have a good laugh during “Get Pissed Again,” a punky rewrite of CHUBBY CHECKER’s big hit, “Let’s Twist Again.”
Originally a lighter-weight RAMONES pop/punk band, they’ve gotten even lighter (BEATLES, STONES influence) with a folkish influence. Simultaneous with that though, is what I’d call a BUZZCOCKS influence of occasionally great hooks and melodies, and “noise” freak-outs. Bizarre.
This one is heads up for ERAZERHEAD. When they’re hot, they’re hot. “Zombie” uses the same riff as the RAMONES’ “Rock and Roll High School,” which makes it great fun.
RAMONES clones who sound more like the LURKERS except for some obvious vocal touches. Even so, these are the type of good poppy tunes that “da brudders” don’t seem capable of producing these days. I guess that’s a recommendation.
More RAMONES-y punk-pop from ERAZERHEAD. “Summertime Now” is a fast, danceable paean to summer with tasty guitar backing; the flip is a much weaker pop ballad with a dull sax. A 50/50 proposition.
Both sides have a slight HEARTBREAKERS rock ’n’ roll feel, with punkier drumming and some sharp guitar work. Unfortunately, the lyrics would make Johnny Thunders look like a paragon of enlightenment.
This is the third INSTANT AGONY single, and they’re slowly degenerating into mediocrity. I like the lyrics and the general approach, but I find the specifics very ordinary. Generic English punk.
A good new 45 from INSTANT AGONY. “Nicely Does It” has a bouncy medium-paced beat, a boss guitar riff, and ironic lyrics; the flip lacks the latter, but adds a better chorus. Both cuts definitely grow on you.
’80s Britpunk at its unimaginative worst. This band plods forward uneventfully, spitting out hackneyed lyrical clichés along the way. It sounds like they don’t care, so why should anyone else?
A severe early CLASH influence, right down to the Joe Strummer vocals, mars the offerings on this band’s second 45. The better of the two tracks is “Fight to Win,” an unadventurous ’77-style punk number with a fair melody and uninvolving background choruses. This kind of thing has been down better elsewhere.
More catchy pop-punk from MAJOR ACCIDENT. Despite their occasional faster-than-usual tempo, all these songs have hooks galore. “Dayo” is particularly distinctive, with its repetitive sing-alongs and stampeding drum assault. Their best so far.
“Respectable” is just that—melodic and well-executed mid-tempo pop-punk stuff; the flip is a bit catchier and zippier. Pretty decent.
Can old hippies still produce good music? MICHAEL MOORCOCK proves that they can rise to the occasion with “Dodgem Dude,” a wonderful psychedelic blast with loud guitars and haunting background vocals. A really excellent cut, not equalled by the flip. Flicknife is an innovative little label.
An absolutely stunning EP by the BARRACUDAS, wherein they finally live up to the enormous potential hinted at in “Somebody,” a classic track from their first album. This is brilliant mid-’60s garage rock with elements of ’60s punk (the vocals and fuzz guitar) and folk-rock (the chords and jangly guitar). A must for aficionados of that era’s music.
The SAINTS’ current album is bound to be a disappointment to some and a surprise to all. The mid-to-slow-tempo numbers use acoustic guitars and even brass section at times, and the slick recording actually does justice to solid compositions like “Follow the Leader” and “Curtains.” Quite frankly, though, Out in the Jungle qualifies as nothing more than competent light rock—nowhere near past triumphs like “I’m Stranded.”
Charlie Harper (of UK SUBS) and Knox (of VIBRATORS) pair up on this album of lackluster ditties in a proto-punk style. The songs on this release, while unrepresentative of the talent here, also display a noticeable lack of passion. These URBAN DOGS do have a pedigree, but here I could have mistaken them for strays.
The A-side contains bands that all, more or less, owe their chops to the NEW YORK DOLLS/HEARTBREAKERS school of rock ’n’ roll (except the BARRACUDAS). There are groups like the BAD DETECTIVES (a DOLLS song) and the BABYSITTERS (HEARTBREAKERS?), and songs like GENOCIDE’s “Private Hell,” which can be compared to the DOLLS’ “Private World.” The B-side slips into more mundane rock, and isn’t at all memorable save for the reemergence of former SWELL MAP NIKKI SUDDEN.
