Reviews

Just Say No To Government Music

Higgins and the Magic of the Marketplace Dream Consumer Dream! LP

A solid mid-paced rodgering delivered by a Mr. Andy Higgins of LITTERBUG. On putting needle to groove, your ears will detect a certain level of LEATHERFACE worship, which is by far the overarching impression here, but HIGGINS does indulge here and there in bursts of sonic experimentation. Still, combining catchy riffs, heavy Stubbs/Hammond guitar interplay, and guttural, whisky-on-the-gravel vocals (as also employed by the likes of STRAWMAN and FOUR LETTER WORD) are the stock-in-trade. The lyrics appear to combine references to punk nostalgia, British popular culture, and the lower tiers of English professional football. For your middle-aged British LEATHERFACE fanatic reviewer, this was a very enjoyable listen.

In Dire Fucking Straits January’s Kids LP

What do you say about a record that reminds you of Sarah Kirsch and KING MISSILE and some commercial version of SHOTWELL-by-way-of-WEAKERTHANS? Yeah, I don’t know either, to be honest, but by the time I was finished trying to figure it out I realized I had listened to the whole damn first side twice….and I was kinda liking the weird sporadic tambourine. IDFS is truly endearing in their shameless honestly, and that honesty wins out even when I admit that I don’t exactly need the tracks in my life. Anthemic and sweet and tongue in cheek, but never shite or trite—let this one sink in and you’ll be rewarded.

Litterbug Abstract Melodies Saying Terrible Things LP

Tuneful indie-punk from the UK, with strains of later VISIONS OF CHANGE, DESCENDENTS, or even SENSELESS THINGS. The record avoids the pop punk tag because although the guitar lines provide a lot of melody, the vocals themselves are somewhat deadpan (rather than sung) and the choruses aren’t particularly hooky or catchy. The vocal delivery draws welcome attention to the slice-of-life lyrics, which have a tongue-in-cheek humor not unlike a punk version of HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT. Good stuff.

Stay Clean Jolene Live at the Dog Bolton 22/2/14 EP

This apparently no-longer-together UK band has some nice, early LEATHERFACE worship going on here. This four-song 7″ EP is an excerpt from a live recording, the rest of which is available digitally, but not on vinyl or CD as far as I can tell. Anyways, this is pretty cool in the modern melodic hardcore vein that had some great UK bands in the ’90s.