Very scrappy pop punk from Olympia, WA. Like a messy FASTBACKS trying to play PROTEX with a bratty attitude. So yes, it is awesome! Perfect sweaty basement freakout music. Songs about relationships, self doubt, desire, and boredom. Badass!
Two songs in, this EP had me thinking of one of the unsung heroes of early 2010s melodic hardcore/pop punk hybrids: UNFUN. Bands like them and CANADIAN RIFLE hit that sweet spot between those two labels, gruffing up one side and melodically infusing the other. If that sounds like a modern LEATHERFACE description, you’re not far off. CIGARETTE CAMP may feel less worn or mature, but they deliver on the things Frankie Stubbs always does: personal-feeling vocals/lyrics, guitars for days, and anthemic moments that hit like a bucket of water if you happen to be on fire. What I’m going the long way around to say is that this is so, so, so very satisfying. Punk with head and heart put into it is what we will always need, and it is delivered here in spades.
Crasher-crust noise punk from Philadelphia. It’s a well-crafted 7” where both the songwriting and the smart usage of the classic pedal arsenal are strong—there is a good balance between fast- and mid-tempos, and the screaming vocals let the songs breathe but sound forceful when they’re happening. The songs are so well-written that they would work without the screaming/swirling jet sounds of the guitar, which in could go against the noise-not-music ethos within the record, as the added effects are not masking rather traditional songs but upgrading primitive, non-existent ideas to something truly otherworldly. Here, the noise is masking knowledge and talent if you let yourself lead into mindless headbanging (which the record offers), but if you arrive via the main bands of the members, you probably will not feel cheated, either. Or if you listen beyond aesthetics and pay attention to what is actually happening. Nowadays, the look and slogans of this style seem more popular than ever, yet most bands do not come close to getting the essence of this sound. CONDUMB does; they get it and do it just right.
This third DARK THOUGHTS album follows the same musical line that everyone already knows: the RAMONES style. It’s amazing how the band can explore something as limited as this simple style. For those who follow DARK THOUGHTS, their trilogy of records complement each other a lot; although this album is very interesting, I still feel attached to the second one, though I’m flirting with the new one. Dee Dee would approve of this band.
Six years after their last record, Philadelphia’s DARK THOUGHTS have reemerged as dialed-in as ever on this brand new slab. The tunes are tight and concise, never overstaying their welcome and always getting the point across within their brief duration. Applying the poppy and speedy formula of classic SCREECHING WEASEL and RAMONES to maximum effect, the songs hit hard with relatability, realism, and hope. They’re what I wished every band sounded like when I was sixteen. “Please Don’t Be Lonesome” is the perfect reassuring follow-up to the previous album’s heartbreaking “With You,” with which I positively tortured myself at the time of its release. Or is “Sweet Success” the real happy ending? Either way, I’m glad the story isn’t over.
On this, their debut LP, SENSUAL WORLD has created a unique flavor of mid-tempo, doomy post-punk and soulful, melodic vocals à la mid-era GOSSIP or KING WOMAN. It is a sludgy trek through songs loaded with emotional intensity, like someone reading aloud to you from their journal. This is one of those records that creates its own environment in the listener’s mind. If you’re down for the journey, look these folks up.
These guys are from Philly. Outside of their sports fans, I love Philly (my brother used to say that the toughest guys in the world come from Philly). This is straightforward punk rock/power pop. They just come out of the gates and get to it. No nonsense. Melodic and mid-tempo, this really is catchy. I like the balance between the punk grittiness and the pop smoothness. All that, and they still manage to bring a sense of urgency to the table. Excellent.
Really great mutant swamp rock out of Philly. Post-it punk in theory reminding me of a fucked and angst-ridden SCIENTISTS, FALL, VENOM P. STINGER, SWELL MAPS, or more recently FREAK VIBE. “Watchlist” will eat you for lunch. Bad drugs for bad times. Kick me.
