Reviews

For review and radio play consideration:

Please send vinyl (preferred), CD, or cassette releases to MRR, PO Box 3852, Oakland, CA 94609, USA. Maximum Rocknroll wants to review everything that comes out in the world of underground punk rock, hardcore, garage, post-punk, thrash, etc.—no major labels or labels exclusively distributed by major-owned distributors, no reviews of test pressings or promo CDs without final artwork. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!

Axefear Prophetic End 12″

Seattle’s AXEFEAR churn out a bleak and pummeling 12” that mixes the brutality of death metal with the apocalyptic howl of crust punk. Think early DEVIATED INSTINCT meeting MEMENTO MORI-era doom metal, but with a tighter modern production. Tracks like “Doomed Species” and “Genocide Pulse” hit like war anthems from a scorched earth, and while it’s heavy on tropes, the execution is precise and ruthless. Powerful blend of apocalyptic hardcore with classic Scandinavian D-beat undercurrents. Guttural vocals, buzzsaw guitars, and lyrics drenched in end-times paranoia. A brutal, well-produced slab of war noise.

Bart and the Brats Missed Hits LP

Solid, solid, solid garage punk out of France, delivered by the Nashville, TN-based Sweet Time Records. Bringing to mind some of the best-energy QUEERS records, Missed Hits delivers eleven snotty tracks, most of them around two-and-a-half minutes or less, as it should be. There are some great sing-alongs to be found throughout the track list, with standout “Fascist Cops” being a particular earworm. But for me, BART and his amis are at the top of their game on the lone French track, “Mauvais Polar,” where the energy feels even more urgent, and the guitars sound even more like buzzsaws. It’s a long journey from La Rochelle to Nashville, but it’s great that these tunes travel so well.

Broken Barcodes / Feral Housecats Runnin’ Wild in the Streets of Columbus split 10″

BROKEN BARCODES has nothing groundbreaking here, but oh my golly, is this catchy! I’m certain that their shows are a bunch of pals jumping around and singing along. All the catchiness of the EGRS, STEINWAYS, HOUSEBOAT, DIRT BIKE ANNIE, and LOST LOCKER COMBO. I get the feeling that these guys are best friends and their kids or dogs or cats prolly have play dates together while they play behind a warehouse or at the bass player’s aunt’s retirement party. This is the best way to do pop punk as an adult, wherein you abandon all the songs about crushes (because it gets creepy when you’re no longer under twenty) and dive headfirst into the silly, fun, everyday stuffs. FERAL HOUSECATS, with their terrifying band name, hit just as hard, but they pull their silliness from late ’70s and early ’80s Ohio à la DEVO-esque B-sides, RUBBER CITY REBELS, PAGANS, or BALONEY HEADS. FERAL HOUSECATS, still a very terrifying name, continue to impress with a charming, inept quality that is almost hypnotic and always on the cusp of falling apart. Both of these bands complement each other very well, and I wish there was a way I could make them my friends and make them want to drive to Northern Michigan and play in a forest near me for the squirrels and deers and me and such.

Deformed Existence / Vitriolic Response split EP

Attention all followers of crustcore: the DEFORMED EXISTENCE / VITRIOLIC RESPONSE 7″ split is truly something special. DEFORMED EXISTENCE from Japan and VITRIOLIC RESPONSE from the UK both play a style of crust, but when presented in a split format, their unique spin on the subgenre is evident. DEFORMED EXISTENCE plays two songs on their side of the disc, with both tracks bringing deep bass rumble and a full-throttle delivery. VITRIOLIC RESPONSE recorded three songs for the split, with their style carrying a more frenetic, streetwise D-beat sound into the crust. Both bands serve noisy, breakneck metallic punk in a way that harkens back to an earlier time, while the lyrics deliver current and crucial messages. This split is presented in cooperation by a host of international punk labels, and with its double-sided, fold-out sleeve, it really is a complete living artifact of global punk expression.

Dogsmiles Dogsmiles demo cassette

Self-proclaimed “polyjamerous freaks” from Jacksonville, Florida with their debut five-song demo cassette. Well, it’s more like four songs and a track of spoken word poetry with repeating sound clips between every track. I don’t necessarily know how to describe this with a quick, quippy genre. It is a true mish-mash. There are a couple songs that sound like cutesy, early 2000s Casio-keyboard-heavy lo-fi indie rock surrounding a few songs shooting for a heavier, more abrasive noisy art-punk sound, all entangled with the aforementioned spoken word track. The tie-in with all of them is that they’re all written from a modern queer activist type of mindset. If you liked early lo-fi Plan-It-X records stuff, I would imagine this would potentially be up your alley.

The Fadeaways The Fadeaways LP

The FADEAWAYS have been serving up garage rock right for two decades, and really have never needed to tweak the formula too much. Their latest is formalistic and somewhat orderly, but with enough sneer and grit to send it home. The drums are lovingly blown-out, as are the vocals, and the fuzz is there but not so shaggy as to get in the way of tightly-arranged tracks that get to the core of what’s still satisfying about rock’n’roll all these decades in. The FADEAWAYS aren’t running out of steam any time soon, so neither should you.

Flèches Flèches cassette

Solid debut tape here from France’s Flèches out of Brittany. Slathered in sharp production, these nine thoughtfully-composed tracks range from tough and upbeat punk rock to post-hardcore in the vein of later DAG NASTY, sometimes boldly veering into anthemic territory. It’s a smart, slick sound with plenty of brawn baked in; a modern take on prevailing 1990s sensibilities. These guys have, like, feelings and stuff.

Graphic Violets Immune From Evil cassette

Six tracks written, performed, and recorded by Rob Garcia out of Richmond, VA. Perhaps it’s the singular vision, or just impeccable taste, or some mysterious third option, but the end result here is simply fantastic. Citing the Flying Nun catalog, along with TELEVISION PERSONALITIES, SWELL MAPS, and more, Immune From Evil is here to pull the listener out of the winter doldrums and leave them feeling sunny and optimistic, even in the face of, well, everything else in the world. Each of these six tracks have a multitude of aspects that will catch your ear and get your head bopping along. Not sure if this is just a bedroom project, or a foundation laid to build upon going forward, but here’s hoping for even more in the future, because sometimes it’s just nice to have nice things.

Hase 14 Songs cassette

Austria’s HASE is a three-piece hardcore punk band with all members sharing vocal duties. This is an absolute barrage of pummeling, powerviolence-inspired fastcore. Fourteen songs in a total of eight-and-a-half minutes, all culminating in a punch-in-the-face CROSSED OUT cover. To make that even cooler for the PV devotees out there, the bassist’s vocals sound similar to the backing vocalist from the classic DESPISE YOU recordings, and that’s who takes the lead on the cover song. Truly battering. The packaging of this tape looks awesome, too. In all my years, I have never seen a cassette with an internal O-card slip, which is glued together around just the thinner portion of the cassette with band info and a thanks list covering both sides. Very slick. I can’t say enough good things about this release. I absolutely love it.

Kārtël Ningun Ser Humano es Ilegal cassette

Wow, this is a powerful release, starting off with the quality of the recording—this is perfect for the band. Thick and precise, I can hear every instrument. The songs remind me of some Japanese bands mixed with a lot of other influences. I think I listened to this five times in a row when I first got it. The vocals sound powerful and impassioned. This is so good I am writing it down for my year-end top ten already. Unfortunately, it seems to be sold out already. This definitely needs to have another pressing, whether tape or vinyl. Top-notch hardcore punk.

Los Bangers Demo ’25 cassette

The blown-out garage flair of Temuco’s LOS BANGERS lands somewhere between early HUMPERS and TEENGENERATE, keeping the glorious ’70s-born sleaze alive and kicking. From the syrupy “Teenage Kicks”-meets-JOHNNY THUNDERS-core of “Explode Heart,” to the screaming piano of the DOLLS-esque “Electric,” and on to the DEAD BOYS-style rough rocking of “Sweet Sweet,” this one is coming in hot. Don’t be surprised when you find yourself reaching for the volume knob to crank it up.

Mantarochen Cut My Brainhair cassette

From Leipzig, Germany, MANTAROCHEN releases their second full-length album on cassette. The band plays an icy post-punk/coldwave kind of thing, with really haunting, low-end female vocals hanging over ever-present synth, sparse drums, and gangly guitar riffs. I really enjoy the instrumental opener “Delta (Intro),” as it sets the mood for the brooding tracks that follow. Some songs move with a little urgency, like “Shadow,” but mostly we get a mid-tempo pace, leaving plenty of space for these dark reveries. That said, none of the songs linger on: they’re all in the economy of sub-three-minutes. “Pull Me” may be my favorite of the album, with an unnerving synth trill and a single note-bend on the guitar—it’s angular, almost a little sci-fi, and perfectly droning. Clean production, but not overly polished. If this type of genre is at all up your alley, you will like this.

Mother Nature Loving, Joyful and Free 12″

More often than not the term “Mother Nature” is associated with the more nurturing side of the natural world; flowers, butterflies, sunshine, all that. It’s easy to forget that Mother Nature also includes the brutality of natural disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. After hearing their pleasantly-titled Loving, Joyful, and Free I think it’s safe to say that the Leeds hardcore unit MOTHER NATURE represents the violent, pissed-off side. The band cranks out six tracks of bone-crunching hardcore with a twist, utilizing discordant, phased guitars that leave you disoriented while the John Brannon-style vocals knock you flat on your ass. Featuring members of the FLEX, MOB RULES, and WHIPPING POST, the brute force on display should come as no surprise. Highly recommended.

Nape Neck Nape Neck LP

You can skip reading this review and just buy the record. NAPE NECK is the realest shit, and I have already bookmarked this for end-of-year top ten season. Outstanding collection of post-punk meets no wave squall that sounds like a GANG OF FOUR, TEENAGE JESUS AND THE JERKS, and ERASE ERRATA tag team against your brain. There is a forward propulsion to these tracks that is effortlessly compelling and enormously fresh. Syncopated drums lock in with heavy bass grooves, while guitar lines tangle in and out and transform into a percussive element of rhythmic palm muted strumming. All three members sing, usually at the same time, their voices weaving an urgent tapestry of sound that comes together in ecstatic, unified chants on tracks like “Demonstrations” and “A Worm.” This LP compiles two previously released cassettes, and is bewildering in how fully formed the band emerged from the beginning. Essential urgent punk for right now.

Peacemaker Internal Revolution CD

Polish band PEACEMAKER serves up metallic hardcore driven by sharp riffs and militant conviction, merging mid-’90s Eurocore with a socially conscious edge. Think EARTH CRISIS attitude filtered through a cold Eastern Bloc lens. Tracks like “From Nowhere” and “Stay Human” punch with purpose and style, and a guest vocal from Brasi of BLOODSTAINED strengthens the crossover appeal. While nothing groundbreaking sonically, the heart and rage are real, and the message cuts through. If you’re into STRAIGHT OPPOSITION or later VITAMIN X, this’ll scratch that itch. Not revolutionary, but definitely resistant.

Pisuar Your Life Complation cassette

Seven bursts of shit-fi raw punk without a hint of D-beat or black-clad pretension? Now yr fukkn talking, punk. Warsaw’s PISUAR released two demos last year, and the folks at Brainwasher saw fit to combine them this year—I couldn’t be happier. CUNTROACHES-level not giving a fuck meets pure, unadulterated hardcore punk noise explosion in the form of nihilistic stomps, with vocals acting as another instrument of noise and an overall presentation that makes me (or you, dear reader and future listener) feel like a voyeur in a way I can’t describe. It’s like…old punks like me don’t really get to experience punk like this, you know? It’s not for me, and I respect that. I appreciate it. I’m just going to stand over here and stay out of your way, because you kids (PISUAR specifically, punks in general) clearly don’t need my help. But am I grateful? Oh fukk yes, I am. Hands down, best release I have heard this month.

Rare Spam Double Pleasure cassette

Montreal art-punks RARE SPAM’s Double Pleasure was a breath of fresh air for me. Why? Because it’s not your average “guitar album”—it’s an album in which all instruments are beautifully woven together to create a surreal tapestry. Yes, jangly and seasick guitars play a crucial role in setting the mood, but it is never to a degree that they dominate everything. The bass delivers incredibly catchy, laidback bass lines and gets bonus points from me for its mastery in the lost art of experimenting with effects on the old four-string. The drums are definitely a big part of the sound as well. Sometimes layered with drum machines, sometimes oozing with dry vintage mojo, but always, always unbelievably groovy while being minimal and modest. To top off all that, the vocals are effortlessly cool in their delivery of memorable hooks and nonchalant lyrics. Some might call it psychedelic with the way they incorporate effects, fluid tempos, and interesting soundscapes, but to assume it’s your stereotypical, run-of-the-mill psych rock would be a huge mistake.

Shark Noises Beautiful LP

DCxPC Live has been doing a great job with their live recording series, and this is definitely a worthy addition to that library. High-energy punk that brings to mind IDLES mixed with APOCALYPSE HOBOKEN. Production is great, and the band is tight and charismatic as all hell. Honestly, I wouldn’t even know this was a live album unless you told me. Sounds good enough to be of studio quality. The older I get, the more I default to live recordings over studio, and this is one of those records I’ll continue to spin over and over again. Really sharp slab here; for fans of the mid-’90s punk sound.

SÖT Crema-ho Tot LP

I loved the energy that these guys bring. I would say they’re generally post-punk, but they really put the “punk” in “post-punk” at times. I loved how upbeat some of the tracks were, while maintaining a more melodic approach to other tracks (like “Volver a Ser,” which also had great backup vocals). Each track is new and unique; a super fun band.

Spares Spares 12″

Portland’s SPARES, formed in 2022 and featuring Mike Vera and Ryan Shanahan of Deep Elm Records band LOCK AND KEY, say their influences lie in early DC emo, ’90s Amphetamine Reptile, and San Diego’s post-hardcore scene, and it seems like the ingredients are all there. It’s well-recorded (bassist Matt Vera did the tracking and mixing) and there are moments of genuine tension and grime—”Grease Stains” being a standout to my ears—but too often, things drift into safe mid-tempo zones or suddenly get all melodic like someone slipped a WEEZER record into the wrong sleeve (“Din,” I’m looking at you). Vocalist Gabriel Matthews does a great job switching between singing and half-singing, but he sounds best when he’s screaming out those vocal chords. Look, if you’re name-dropping AmRep, I want to hear some HAMMERHEAD, not careful mood-building. There’s real potential here, but next time, less vibe, more violence. Or, you know, just play the music you love and ignore the randos who offer unsolicited advice.

Tàrrega 91′ Ckaos Total 12″

This is an absolute bulldozer of a record! D-beat, but this isn’t just another D-beat band. They sound like there is a lot of passion behind the songs. Passion and anger. At times, they remind me of early era ANTI-CIMEX, MOB 47, and many of the 1980s hardcore punk bands from Scandinavia, but with better production than many of them. The last song is a total D-beat rocker that DISCHARGE would have been proud to have written. What a way to end this album. It hasn’t been far from my turntable since the day I got it.

Vague Fugue Vague Fugue cassette

Solo project of Nathan Loud from Portland, Oregon. Scuzzy guitars, slappy drums, distorted vocals, and phone-call-quality samples; a lo-fi dirge born in the basement, destined for the crappy cassette player in yours. The music finds a tension between droning guitar lines paired with largely unrecognizable lyrics (thank you for providing printed lyrics) and faster sections of psych-drenched hardcore. “Make Them” comes out as the gem for me, with a catchier chorus than the rest and solid riffing—but then end the fucking song! What’s all that feedback, shouting, and random guitar soloing in the last thirty seconds? All that aside, this is a decent little EP with some humor attached in the laborious description of the plastic and paper that were sourced for the cassette, as well as the “Limited (500,000) Cassette” line on the Bandcamp page. For a taste of something way left of the dial, try out VAGUE FUGUE.

Weatherwise Demos cassette

The vocals remind me of one of the singers from the band ALL, and a different singer reminds me of one of the singers from the ARRIVALS. Musically, I feel like there is way too much going on in these songs for it to be interesting. Maybe I have to be driving in the wee hours of the morn blasting this for the two-hundredth time, knowing all the changes in the music and the yell parts and such. This is a complicated demo to talk about because it pulls from all the great punk, indie, emo, mosh, and metal things that are loved, but hovers an atom’s width under delivering something memorable. Maybe like a PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS kinda thing. I’m not familiar with this style of emo-pop, change-heavy, almost-exciting style. “Sticks & Stones May Break My Bones (But My Actions Will Haunt Me Forever)” is my favorite song on here, with the straightforward structure ringing in an AGAINST ME! and THIS BIKE IS A PIPE BOMB vibe. I’m interested to see how this band evolves.

偏執症者 (Paranoid) MMXXII LP

偏執症者 (or PARANOID) is the definitive Swedish hardcore punk band for our contemporary ears. With the owner/operator of D-Takt & Råpunk Records, Joakim Staaf-Sylsjö, as their leader, 偏執症者 creates blistering guitar leads, full-speed D-beat blasts, and heavy chug sessions. MMXXII was first released a few years ago as a digital album, but now thanks to Beach Impediment Records out of Richmond, Virginia, physical copies can easily be had. Complete with artwork by Joe BB on the cover and an exceptional fold-out poster, this issuance of MMXXII is definitely something special.

Aufruhr Zur Liebe 3 x 3 = Nein LP

According to the label’s bio—which is the source of everything I know about this release— AUFRUHR ZUR LIEBE was only active from 1983 to 1986 in East Germany, and none of these recordings had been issued on vinyl or CD before. So, it’d be fair to say that listening to 3 x 3 = Nein feels like opening up a time capsule from an ancient, isolated civilization. Upon hearing the hypnotizing, shamanistic atmosphere of the first two tracks, I was ready to buckle up for an hour of dissociating in minimal synth soundscapes. But all of a sudden, it threw me a solid curveball with a shift to a more guitar-heavy post-punk sound. Then another with abrasive, cathartic no wave with the help of some saxophones, then another with more conventional rock’n’roll…but I don’t think the lack of coherence in sound is a big deal, considering the fact that the label stayed true to the original track lists on this compilation album. If anything, it’s a very unique and intimate experience to listen to a band lost in time, experimenting to find its voice in a different era, in a different place.

Basic Shapes Low Energy LP

What a bait and switch. This album kicks off with a noise rock groove, setting my expectations for something that mines the ’90s for dark, syrupy riffs, before yanking away the rug and showcasing a pretty snappy hook-laden grip of garage punk cuts. This hits nicely on the ear, keeping it tight where it counts and then blooming riffs into big hooks with plenty of abandon. The French act veers into some nice and pointy post-punk structures à la GANG OF FOUR, but always drives it back to a melodic soaring spirit. In some ways, this record reminds me of the heyday of the HIVES, but with a DIY heart beating in its chest. I’m all for that, and would be pogoing my dumb ass off at one of their shows.

Blanket of M Finger Forest CD

Solid garage rock out of East Texas; this is what I would consider true-to-heart RAMONES-core. It doesn’t come off as gimmicky nor sticky-sweet the way other players of the genre are wont to be. Instead this is some raw, downstroking, honest-to-God rock’n’roll. For a trio, this band sounds huge. Your standard power chord affair, it’s the vocals that really do it for me—heavily layered, a little off-key, but nonetheless catchy. My only complaint is that this slab is over too soon! No joke. I was disappointed when I hit the end, as I was promptly returned to our bleak reality.

Columba Triste Columba Triste 12″

Tastefully-played French Oi! from Lille’s COLUMBA TRISTE. While there are countless bands currently playing this style, I’ll always be a sucker for melodic and moody Oi!, and COLUMBA TRISTE does it well. They sound very smooth and refined, with vocals that remind me of contemporaries SYNDROME 81. There aren’t really any misses on this 12”, but the final track “Dans La Vase” stands out. Good stuff.

Cyanides Black Bricks EP

Debut EP out of St. Louis, giving us a grip of out-of-this-world, synth-garage-psych-rock multi-hyphenated tunes that do a great job of establishing who they are and what they’re here to do. The combination of sounds here is the kind of thing that would be soundtracking Frankie’s Tiki Room in Vegas—by that I mean a genuinely cool-without-trying oasis that provides respite from an otherwise crushing nightmare (in this case, the strip). Digression aside, these four songs are for fans of DEVO, RESEARCH REACTOR CORP, maybe even ROTARY CLUB, or anyone who likes a coating of sci-fi in their garage tunes. Will be keepings tabs on future releases for sure.

Des Veines D​é​mo 2024 cassette

I really enjoyed the balance these guys struck with a bit heavier and more distorted guitar in more classically punk tracks like “Torrent,” with a more melodic rock style to tracks like “Nous.” The vocals are charged with emotion, without being over-the-top or super angry like a lot of punk; they were refreshing. That being said, some of the tracks felt a bit long to me, as it sometimes felt like they said what they needed to a bit earlier in the song. However, each track brings something new to the table, so I would definitely keep listening.

Exploatör Apokollaps LP

I’ve been looking forward to this record, and I am not disappointed. EXPLOATÖR has an impressive pedigree, as the band members are like a who’s-who of Swedish hardcore. Their lineage features too many bands to list. This is a great record with a sound that leans heavily on their roots in TOTALITÄR. They bring the D-beat and some very catchy riffs to songs that seem to fly by as quickly as they started.. If you like Swedish hardcore, D-beat, etc., you will enjoy this album.

Fuck You Commercial The Complete Collection cassette

Compilation of four cassette releases from this Hawaii-based project. Each volume plays like a  chaotic mixtape teetering back and forth between vintage radio and TV commercials from Hawaii and speedy, blistering hardcore. Chipper voices and Muzak jingles from the past try to sell you cars and vacation packages one second, while gruff-voiced, anti-consumerist hardcore screeds blast the plastic packaging apart the next. Even better is when the two components overlap and create a sound collage of superficial consumer culture overtaken by menacing punk. Musically, there are cues from classic West Coast USHC in the vocals and straight-up bruising instrumentation, but also nods to sample-heavy powerviolence of the Slap-a-Ham blastbeat flavor. Operators are standing by to take your order! (Or you can stream for free on Bandcamp).

Generation Decline Stygian cassette

Nice and crusty hardcore from Bremerton’s GENERATION DECLINE. There’s a lot of good stuff going on on Stygian: thrashy riffs, chugging metal riffs, some soaring stadium leads, blastbeats, D-beats, and hardcore breakdowns. All said, it’s a busy but coherent listen, thanks largely to the solid vocals tying everything together. If you’re into ANTI SECT, AXEFEAR, AVSKUM, and NIGHTFEEDER (all bands they’ve shared bills with), you’ll be into this.

The Hell Cut the Cord EP

Snarling like a puzzled panther, the HELL lurches through five slices of driving hardcore punk hostility. Harkening back to Cleveland classic (spin age) blasters like ELECTRIC EELS or the PAGANS, this is just the kind of seething punk I wanna hear. When nothing else in the world makes sense, snotty, nihilistic hardcore does. Razor-sharp guitars cut through to the front of the mix with riffs that would make Pat Smear blush. Four concise rippers occupy the topside of this platter, with a longer-form number on the B-side that unexpectedly breaks the five-minute mark. A brilliant follow-up to their full-length from a couple years back, the HELL is on an absolute tear. 

Karma Sutra The Daydreams of a Production Line Worker LP reissue

For the uninitiated, KARMA SUTRA was an anarcho-punk band from the Crass Records era, and they released a limited amount of original recordings. However, due to the cult of CRASS, KARMA SUTRA has had a few reissues of their material through the years, and for good reason. KARMA SUTRA emerges from the anarcho-punk scene with a sound that is reminiscent at times of KILLING JOKE, but also demonstrates the pop-infused post-punk of bands like THATCHER ON ACID and NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN. In other words, you have aggressive, dark punk blending with world music, primitive synth and drum machine work, radio field recordings, and lengthy melodic excursions. The Daydreams of a Production Line Worker is absolutely one of those albums you have to put on and sit with, as it is a constantly shifting sonic adventure.

The Latin Dogs Warning! EP reissue

A time capsule of raw punk from Michigan—this reissued EP follows a once unreleased LP recorded straight to boombox in ’82. Grim hardcore from the era of cheap beer and cement basements. Total DIY ethos, somewhere between BATTALION OF SAINTS and early NECROS. It’s lo-fi, blown-out, and essential for anyone who lives for the sound of Midwestern punk being born in real time. The fidelity is trashy and perfect. An archeological artifact for everything-punk freaks—warts, hiss, and all.

Metdog Questions and Answers Regarding Computers and Screens LP

Do you remember the scene in Napoleon Dynamite where Kip sings “I love technology” over a Casio beat at his wedding? Imagine that with backing by ERIK NERVOUS and you have Melbourne band METDOG’s new record. A concept album of sorts, these thirteen songs are, as the title suggests, all about computers and screens. Opener “First and Last Day of My Life” is about the day Dad brought home a PC and changed the course of the singer’s personal history. The track list gives away the lyrical content for the rest: “What My Computer’s For,” “Screen Time,” “Computer Talk,” “Computer Games,” etc. You get the idea. Musically, the band buzzes with scruffy pop that intertwines guitar leads with bubbling synth washes and will resonate with fans of GEE TEE, RESEARCH REACTOR CORP., and, of course, DEVO. There are quite a few nice surprises, like when “Hey Siri” moves from garage punk to a pounding NEW ORDER-style club beat, and the synth take on “Miserlou” on “Surfing the Web” that probably has DICK DALE posthumously pissed. It’s a fun, low-stakes time for very online eggos. There is a vinyl pressing, but I think this one is better suited for digital download.

Minot And You’re Not cassette

Debut release by a three-piece band from Missoula, Montana, although this cassette plays as if it’s two releases spooled into one. The A-side is five songs of catchy and driving garage pop/psych, not unlike something you would find on In The Red Records. Very fun and I dig it. The B-side, however, has only three songs. Each of them are longer, with none of them clocking in under three minutes. All three of them are slower, more mature/less catchy, and considerably more artsy than the previous side. I was in the midst of jotting things down for the review during the first listen and had to rework it all because the difference in sides felt so jarring. It’s a bit funny when you start to notice how much your personal musical tastes and exposures can make you interpret things differently from others. For example, my initial inclination was to talk about how clean, slick, and professional the songs on this cassette are, but everywhere I look, the band seems to have “lo-fi” as a descriptive term for their band as often as they can affix it. Either way, I like MINOT (A-side MINOT, anyways), but this is definitely one of the cleaner cassette recordings I have reviewed in a while.

No Dreams All Bent Out of Shape CD

For fans of that style of ’00s songs by twenty-somethings talking about crushes, heartbreak, everyday pleasures, work and stuff, maybe parents, too. I like the sound of it, but I’m also instantly bored. It’s the movie soundtrack songs that you skip over to get to the song you bought the movie soundtrack for. I’m thinking the lesser JIMMY EAT WORLD, SIGNALS MIDWEST, PROMISE RING, TEXAS IS THE REASON, or SENSE FIELD songs, and on and on. This is completely adequate, but I think if you’re going to hit this style nowadays, ya gotta go for more than regular. Maybe they could consider switching instruments clockwise and see what happens. It could be genius or it could be horrible, but it won’t be medio-core.

Perfect Buzz Supermassive Superstar CD

Patrick “Petey” Foss has been a stalwart of the Portland punk and garage scene for over a decade now. He fronted PURE COUNTRY GOLD in the early ’00s as they’d tear up the local dive bars with their twangy, country-tinged punk blasts. Foss’s vocals now actually sound like his voice is getting younger as time rolls on. His current band, PERFECT BUZZ, has put out five new blistering tracks that they self-released, but they would have been at home on Estrus Records in their heyday. The opening track “Supermassive” has the swagger of MONO MEN or early MUDHONEY. “Wordsmithing” pulls from ’60s garage pop OBLIVIANS-style, and the closer “Superstar” is a fuzzed-out, lovelorn psych tune. Let’s hope we see a full-length from them soon.

Powerplant Crashing Cars / Never Smile 7″

New single from the prolific London-based POWERPLANT. With a slew of singles, EPs, and a couple LPs since 2018, this band has been busy. Formerly a solo project of Ukrainian Theo Zhykharyev, POWERPLANT is now a fully-membered band with Theo on guitar and vocals, supported by bass, drum, and synth (didn’t see any credits on this particular release to name them, however). Check out the band’s KEXP performance from September 2024, it feels like everyone is absolutely red-lining—the drummer is in a full sweat on the first song, the bassist is ping-ponging up and down the fretboard, the synth player is operating more keys, buttons, switches, and knobs than two hands allow, and Theo sells it hard into the mic, screaming, crooning, death-hollowing, and beating his guitar lifeless. If listening back to that performance and previous recordings in juxtaposition to “Crashing Cars”/”Never Smile” taught me anything, it is that this group plays a wide range of sounds, from moody dungeon synth, to black metal, to synth-driven post punk, to spurts of hardcore, often all in one song. On display here is something a little more catchy and driving. “Crashing Cars” has Zhykharyev crooning in a way that reminds me of FRANZ FERDINAND or the STROKES—the kind of alt/indie rock that was hard to avoid growing up—but I mean this in a positive way, if you can believe me! The even, smooth vocals sound really great in contrast to the jittery band, and makes for a perfectly tragic love song. “Never Smile” offers even deeper, richer vocals, maybe more like the haunting qualities of NICK CAVE, but still has a fast, driving beat, synth pushed way to the front of the mix. I admit that this is my introduction to POWERPLANT, but better late than never, as this group fucking rips.

Reason Why Cut You Loose EP

The gang over at Mendeku Diskak have done it, quite simply, once again. This release from REASON WHY is a lot of fun, emulating the classic Riot City or No Future sound to great effect. It’s not going to win any originality awards any time soon, but you can shove yer innovation where the sun don’t shine when it’s this much of a laugh. Fun sing-along at last orders UK82 by way of Istanbul.

Saufknast Saufknast LP

Classic punk band that’s not afraid to get in your face. I loved the fast tempo throughout, and the taunting, dare I say antagonizing, guitar. They didn’t slow down or stop for one second. My absolute favorite part was the breakdown in “Goldjunge.” I was headbanging with that puckered-up metal face, as they quickly transitioned into a slick guitar solo. Great way to end a great album.

Short Leash MK Ultra’d EP

This EP is some damn fine, burly-as-hell, mostly fast hardcore. The recording sounds fantastic as does the music, and the vocals sound tough as hell. This record left me wanting to hear more. This band has a pedigree as well, featuring members of NO TIME, KILL YOUR IDOLS, SHARK ATTACK, and VIOLENT MINDS. This record sounds like a mix of NEGATIVE APPROACH and ANTI-CIMEX, what’s better than that?

Sick Move Intrusive Thoughts LP

DIY from Baltimore that could fit on any Fat Wreck Chords or Epitaph comp or even be on one of those two labels. The LP is orange-ish or brown-ish in color and has a lyric sheet to follow along to all words, or to karaoke along if you’d like. Vocals are on the gruffer side of things, but the hooks are very hooky and completed by “ohhhhh”s and group choruses. It’s fast and tight like NOFX, BAD RELIGION, AMERICAN STEEL, BRACKET, GOOD RIDDANCE, and PENNYWISE. I think I expected something a little more challenging or more Baltimore from a Baltimore band. This record is great but, for me, it sounds a bit formulaic from such an iconoclastic city.

T.A.C.K. Tackle cassette

If you’re one for numerology, keep both your eyes on the number two here. Tackle is the second cassette release by T.A.C.K., who are a two-piece band from New Orleans. The band is comprised of drummer Stella, and guitarist Roach, both of whom share vocal duties. Their first cassette came out in April of 2023, marking almost exactly two years between releases. I played a show with T.A.C.K. in their hometown roughly two years ago and the power went out twice during the course of their set, due to a massive rain storm. What’s ironic is that for all the times it has come up, the number two in numerology is often associated with harmony, and that is one word I would absolutely not use to describe T.A.C.K.’s lo-fi, twangy, bopping, oompa-oompa cowpunk. T.A.C.K. finally follows up their debut five-song cassette with something more substantial, a whopping eleven tracks, each as trashy as the next. I find every song on this cassette incredibly catchy, and as a live band, T.A.C.K. is wildly commanding and entertaining.

Usurp Synapse Polite Grotesqueries 10″

Legendary Indiana-based screamo outfit USURP SYNAPSE resurfaces with Polite Grotesqueries, a vinyl reissue of their AssIIAss cassette originally released on Zegema Beach. Criminally overlooked compared to their early-’00s peers, the band delivers technical, aggressive, and unpretentious art-noise that calls to mind early DAUGHTERS, RACEBANNON, or a less perfect the LOCUST. Cramming a handful of minute-long panic attacks between a couple of two-minute epics, this EP may come off slightly more restrained than some of the scorched-earth chaos from their heyday (collected on the excellent 2003 compilation Disinformation Fix), but I don’t think they’ve ever sounded this good on record. Whatever they’ve been doing during their extended vanishing act, I’m not about to question it when the results slap this hard. Welcome back, you beautiful chaos demons.

Vampiric Baptism Vampiric Baptism cassette

One-man black metal action out of Tennessee. Really solid stuff, and very impressive that this is just one dude, sans the operatic vocals on “War Garden.” That’s only just a guess, though. It could potentially be the same guy! This is your standard black metal affair, but there are a couple tracks that reach outside of the genre, such as “Blood Sucker” which sounds like it came straight from the Matrix soundtrack. Great, bloodcurdling vocals; raw and natural without any additional effects, minus reverb. The album closes on a really lovely acoustic rendition of “War Garden.” Highly recommended for all fans of the grim and frostbitten

Wild City Alchemist Junkyard LP

You know the phenomenon in nature where an animal uses bright coloration or other means to advertise that it’s best not to fuck with them—think a poison dart frog or blue-ringed octopus? I had to look it up; it’s apparently called aposematism. But, in retrospect, it’s something I should have kept in mind as I picked up this LP. Its garish sleeve, the awful album title, the generic-ass band name, its unironic billing as a “rock’n’roll” record, the fact that the band has been around since 2018 and this is the first I’m hearing of them—it all screamed, “Dude, don’t, it’s gonna be a bad time!” Yet, I heeded none of these warnings. Instead, I focused on the fact that the act was out of Melbourne, a city which has given the world countless incredible bands, and just assumed it was all going to be fine. And initially it was. The first couple of tracks maybe feature some not great lyrics, but they otherwise kind of sound like the BLACK LIPS at their GUN CLUB-iest, which is cool enough. But then there’s “Silver to Gold,” which is more of a hard-rockin’ number, something like a blander take on what GOLDEN PELICANS were doing a decade ago, with lyrics that sort of invert the themes of the Girl Scouts’ “Make New Friends” via one of the clunkiest hooks I’ve ever heard (seriously, you’ll have to go listen to it because it’s too wordy to write out here!). But as bad as all that is, it’s not what sinks this record for me. At about two-and-a-half minutes into the song, the band slows things down to a crawl, and the singer says “Alright motherfuckers, let’s turn this shit up!,” then bites his lower lip (I assume!) while the band launches into an instrumental breakdown that’s so farty that it sounds tailor-made to score a Toyota Tundra commercial circa 2005. It’s maybe one of the worst moments I’ve had to sit through in all my time reviewing records for MRR. To be honest, the rest of the record wasn’t terrible…at least from what I can remember.  But it’s all a blur after the sting of track three. It might have sounded like a bar band covering the SCIENTISTS’ “Blood Red River.” I don’t know. I should have known to stay away!

77 Lies Love Songs, Vol. 1 CD

As they say in their Bandcamp bio, this is a “three-piece punk band from Charlotte, NC.” Easily singable, straightforward, zero thrills, and on-point. Their messages are clear, from being scared of the United States in the opening track “United States of Fear,” to getting wasted as lyrically illustrated in the song “Wasted.” The third track “Fight” shows us where they got the name for the Love Songs, Vol.1 CD with the lyrics “Let’s fight, let’s fuck”. All four songs clock in at under six-and-a-half minutes, so that’s pretty cool. If you’re a fan of the CASUALTIES, BLANKS 77, SWINGIN’ UTTERS, or ANTI-FLAG and can take your punk milquetoast and uninspired, then I’d say you can’t go wrong with this.