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!

Bad Bad Another Insect Bite EP

BAD BAD’s LP from a little while ago was nice low wattage psych, but that’s all been pulled away here. Behind the curtain is a smoldering shithole of dumpster electronics and weirdo punk. Sometimes like DEVO when they first discovered synths, other times turning darker, like CHROME but nerds, the songs here are sharp and catchy and careful. It sounds wrecked, but it’s never haphazard. There’s a certain precision in not sounding precise, and BAD BAD has absolutely, truly perfected that sound on this EP. BAD BAD, please make twenty more records that sound just like this one. I will never get enough.

Bad Mojos I Hope You OD CD

Judging this band by its cover and its label I was expecting a bluesy garage band. BAD MOJOS are poppy punk with buzzsaw guitars, and a vocalist that sounds like that guy from the SPITS. It’s high energy and every song is under two minutes.

Bitemarks Sucia LP

While knowing that BITEMARKS has folks from older Florida bands such as TRUE NORTH and PALATKA might not give you a full picture of this band, it does work as a starting point. It has a similar feel to those 90s No Idea post-hardcore bands in that it’s aggressive and punchy but catchy and melodic without sounding cheesy or boring. Where this differs is that it is a little more straightforward, a little more rock, and the vocals are snotty and in your face. It’s like if one of those Chris Thompson bands had guitars that are big and heavy sounding rather than that noodly stuff. Top it off with a full sounding recording, and you have a record that really smokes, even if it is only single sided.

V/A Paris Is Burning CD

Paris might be burning, but it sounds pretty damn good to these ears. Ten Parisian punk bands grace us with a couple of tracks each. Whether it’s the UK SUBS-esque HUMAN DOG FOOD, the GBH-inflected BREAKOUT, or the ever-ebullient techno pop punkers LOUIS LINGG AND THE BOMBS, the standard is uniformly astonishingly high for a compilation. The moody goths yearning for the days of ALIEN SEX FIEND even have HARASSMENT to keep ’em happy. I guess this does make them all a bit European sounding. But then again, it is Paris for fuck’s sake. Even better, this CD, brought to you by the trifecta of labels Sick My Duck, Sheekiz,and General Strike, is available for free from any of the featured bands, with a purchase of any of their other records. Given that this was sent in by LOUIS LINGG AND THE BOMBS, you ought to get it from them!

Young Skulls Bomb Train Blues / We’re Gone 7″

This guitar-drums-organ trio of heavy-hitters from the likes of CHROME CRANKS and TRANS AM announce themselves with swagger. Two thick-necked, grinding garage rock numbers with the sweaty intensity of a rawer JOHN REIS project.

WLMRT Lube 2 EP

Fast, intense art punk with synth up front in the mix and maxed- out vocals. Even with the synth, freaky art riffs, and occasional group vocals, there’s nothing tender about this, which is so refreshing. There are some super-catchy grooves worthy of being called “hooks” but they’re buried in the mix in a very cool way that kind of sneaks up on you. Weird, angry, fun, and it seems like you could dance to it, or at least kind of flail around and shake spastically.

Witch Fever Toothless / Daddy Pt. 2 7″

Gritty rock’n’roll vibes that remind me of fatally tough ’90s rockers like BABES IN TOYLAND and L7. High production value and undeniable talent on the part of the vocalist make the sound fall somewhere between the current wave of underground punk witchiness and radio-ready hard rock. The lyrics are explicitly about claiming empowerment, which is pretty excellent whether it’s performed in a basement full of sweaty punks or a rock club full of regular people.

War of Destruction Angst LP

This is a legitimate shock. WAR OF DESTRUCTION, of course, were one of the earliest and best Danish hardcore bands, solidifying their place in the pantheon of European hardcore with the release of their self-titled EP in 1983. This EP is all new material, recorded in 2017, and get this: it fucking rips! Seriously, this is so much better than almost any similar new recording from an ’80s hardcore band with original members that it’s mind blowing! One song passes the 2:30 mark, everything is fucking fast, pissed, and super energetic, the vocals are vicious, the riffs are just as good as they were back in the day, the drumming is better than it ever was and some of these songs are as good or better than their ’80s stuff! Fellow punx, I implore you: ignore the shit graphic design and skepticism that naturally follows when you see an old school band’s new material. This is legitimately one of the best new records of the year.

Unfair Fight False Walls LP

Talented yet really campy hardcore, I guess they sound like STRUNG OUT? This kind of hardcore was never my thing and I am not going to start listening to it at 30. They have some interesting rhythms with some very intricate guitar and drums, but UNFAIR FIGHT couldn’t really hold my attention. This record sounds like a hodgepodge of every hardcore / punk band from Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords from the mid-2000s, and it is a bit anxiety inducing to me.

Tropical Trash Southern Indiana Drone Footage LP

Dissonant psychedelic noise freakers TROPICAL TRASH are back with a new LP and it is excellent. There are unexpected twists around every turn on this record, but it still feels wholly accessible to anyone who isn’t already jamming down at the knob turner fest. The vocals sometimes have a Daydream Nation-era, blasé Thurston Moore vibe that works for them. Carefully constructed songs explode in different directions through bass-heavy riffs and non-standard instrumentation. For fans of early DREAMDECAY and THEUSAISAMONSTER.

Tortraffen Ism LP

An instant must-have: track after track of addictive mid-tempo Deutschpunk from a German expat punk in Western Australia. The dark tinges of EA80, SLIME-caliber vocals spewing fierce gravel, and there’s something to be said for the brilliant simplicity of a catchy fukkn track with piles of backing vocals. Presented with a painstakingly constructed recording that’s appropriately rough around the edges…this is great.

Tørsö Build and Break EP

Holy shit y’all, a good fucking record released by Revelation Records in the year 2018! TØRSÖ join fellow Bay Area punkers PRIMAL RITE as the only cool, interesting band released by the legendary label in a dog’s age. This is an excellent record: repping straightedge 2018 with a mix of classic mosh tendencies and a ton of driving Scandi-crust influence, made distinctive by both Mae’s commanding vocals (making her one of the very, very few women to appear on a Rev release) and extremely tight arrangements. “Grab A Shovel” might be the best of the bunch, with a massive outro that absolutely devastates. Thanks to a top-shelf recording job everything sounds fantastic and even the art is interesting and relevant to the band instead of being a slapped-together computerized mess.

Tightwire Six Feet Deep CD

A QUEERS / ATARIS / FIENDS-type pop punk band from Minneapolis that are a couple years old and play done-to-death. That said, it is done well. Being a trio, it’s pretty straight forward musically, as the short songs are catchy, and the vocals are on key. For the pop punk elite only.

The Suburban Homes The Suburban Homes EP 3

Originally intended as their second release, and as such a bit on the older side, this EP nevertheless represents one more broadside in the HOMES’s attack on modern punk complacency. Definitely utilizing all the tools in the DESPERATE BICYCLES repair kit (the track “City Life” in particular borrows liberally from “Advice On Arrest”), they still manage to create something that feels now and vital.

Spit Toxic Noise LP

With nineteen songs ranging from twenty seconds to around two minutes, I think it’s safe to say at least one of these skate-punk riffs will tickle your fancy. I would describe it as CIRCLE JERKS with some blast beats here and there. The vocals are kinda snotty like Keith Morris, but the riffs range from melodic to thrashy. It’s kind of all over the place; still unsure of whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Spazz Dwarf Jester Rising CD reissue

Debut full-length from West Bay legends, Dwarf Jester Rising clocks in under 25 minutes and their irreverent stamp on ’90s hardcore is undeniable. Sample-laden guttural blasts, discordant dirges, this is what the kids call powerviolence, and it didn’t start here, but this is when people outside of California started paying attention. Dwarf Jester Rising is important, to be sure, but it’s also really fucking good. Favorite track: “Burning Tongue.”

Shock Futur Noir EP

I swear, some of my favorite hardcore records of the past few years have come from France, and Bordeaux’s SHOCK doesn’t disappoint. Heavy NYHC influence on this five-song EP, as well as some clear influence from NEGATIVE APPROACH, and maybe even BOSTON STRANGLER. Lots of driving riffs, a couple banging breakdowns on “Futur Noir,” “Nuit de Brouillard,” and the three-minute “Guirre a la Guerre,” and some cool effects sprinkled in here and there.

Scheisse Minnelli Waking Up on Mistake Street CD

Fairly prolific German skate punk that at their best recalls later RKL (whom Destiny also released back in the late ’80s), though the production clearly dates this to the modern era. Not quite as show-offy musically as RKL, but there are lots of licks (from all instruments), and, like, the cover art is by Dan Sites who did literally all of the RKL artwork. The lyrics are junior high in quality, but not problematic or anything—just kinda goofy and about skating and shit, and occasionally surface-level political. I have a soft spot for stuff like this (and LOVE RKL) but I would probably enjoy them more live.

S.B.F. Same Beat Forever LP

Damn, they really weren’t kidding. Programmed drums pretty much stick to the same beat the whole time, but this sounds raw and punk as fuck. Drum machines can create chaos; I don’t know why some people aren’t convinced of this. I’m hella in it when they do a more hardcore vibe, but sometimes they lose me with the more standard rock stuff. Luckily, this only happened twice, and this record goes hard as fuck pretty much the whole time. I would really love to hear this sound further developed and experimented with. I like this record a lot, but I’m even more interested to see where this could go.

The Sadists The Sadists CD

There are four catchy, early New York punk style songs on this CD. The singer has a bratty, whiny vocal style and the band is tight in a Young Loud and Snotty way. Yet, it’s not annoyingly retro.Great stuff. They just need a better name.

Ryan Dino Chapter One: The Final Chapter LP

Mr. Dinosaur is actually Mr. Bell: Atlanta wunderkind and contributor of brawn and brains to notable rulers such as PREDATOR and GG KING, to name but a few. “Chapter One: The Final Chapter” finds Ryan out front, collecting material from various sessions over the past few years, and completed with shifting line-ups. It’s a uniformly kick-ass assemblage of material that’s wonderfully varied: merging the expected expert-level punk with nods to DIY pop, tongue-in- cheek metal, dark hardcore, and atmospheric weirdness. It’s epic from every angle, and a very deep-dive into the murky recesses of an extraordinarily capable punk brainiac—often funny, sometimes grim or damaged, always world class. It demands repeated listening and prompts a fair amount of obsession from the jump. Get lost.

Rubella Gallows Humor LP

According to press, Cleveland’s RUBELLA has put out over 60 releases since 1998 and they’re all a little different. On this vinyl release, the band consists of dense, minimalist synth with mostly plain, somber, clear vocalizations. There is a ’90s 4AD Records feel to it, underscored by rumbling, low frequencies. The earnest vocal delivery sometimes reminds me of someone who had a past in folk-punk, but I don’t think that is really the case here. Overall, a solid release for the synth crowd.

The Rusty Robots Sweethearts, Kisses, Bloody Knives EP

Punkabilly ahhhh-go-go from fuckin’ Leipzig, OK? Three tunes total, though I can hardly tell the difference between em. Total hairspray overdrive skull’n’bones schlock here, no new or embarrassing ground broken, so no real harm done. What does morning-after smoked fish and stout barf sound like? Probably this.

Ruin By Design From Ashes to Empowerment CD

DC punk with a definite RITES OF SPRING feeling, albeit more hardcore and with more gang vocals. The title appropriately encomases the vibe lyrically and musically. Lots of exclamations in the lyric sheet, emphasized in all caps. If the songs were longer, the vocals might be too grating, but they keep things on point just enough. I find their sound to be honest, and their lyrics relevant (albeit a little cheesy), which is more than I can say for many current bands I’m introduced to.

Roht Iðnsamfélagið Og Framtíð Þess LP

You should expect a monster, and you will receive a monster. Thunderous and monotonous and fully exposed, ROHT take punk and drag it into a dark dark place; like RUDIMENTARY PENI and PAILHEAD, they are playing the game but never playing by the rules. I suppose you can call this industrial hardcore or something like that, and they would fit as nicely (or poorly) on a bill with LARD as with DYS. I had every expectation that this record was going to be good as soon as it was announced. I didn’t think it would be this good.

Richard Papiercuts Twisting the Night 12″

Anyone who needs to read a review in order to determine whether to purchase this record almost certainly hasn’t heard 2015’s IF, the best LP of that year in my estimation, and probably one of the greatest of this dismal decade. This four-song 12″ EP continues in the tradition of that record, which is to say it’s wonderful. RICHARD PAPIERCUTS easily gives lie to the common punk fallacy that the best music is always made by those who don’t know what they’re doing—it frequently is, of course, but PAPIERCUTS proves it’s possible to use an encyclopedic knowledge of music to create something unique, rather than cresting the wave of whatever flavor of nostalgia is in vogue this month. This is all to say that while I’m sure there are specific reference points on this record, it’s hard to point them out because it’s all melding into something of its own (and because they’re probably largely bands I’ve never even heard of!). I can say that this record’s got a more ’80s pop lean to it than the last one: big sounds and big hooks and danceable rhythms. I can drop a reference to TEARS FOR FEARS or maybe even like PET SHOP BOYS or something (that one spoken line in “A Place to Stay”!). Or, just as impossibly, I can try to describe how this record makes me feel: peaceful, energized, optimistic—in a word, buoyant. But either approach is inadequate in conveying the beauty of Twisting the Night, a record that deserves to not just be heard, but to be listened to with focus and intent.

Red Delicious Far From the Tree EP

This is so good! Hardcore with tough and growly female vocals sung in Portuguese, sick riffs, and sludgy breakdowns. There’s something old school about the vibe, with slower parts that almost have the kind of sassy, deliberate delivery of MINOR THREAT. The fast parts are brutal and fun at the same time, a combo that is sadly not as pervasive as one might hope. Listening to this record is the closest thing to being in a circle pit that you can do without actually moving. Every member of this band brings in cool, interesting elements. And they managed to cram eight tracks onto an EP. Don’t miss this!

Qlowski Pure as Fear EP

Stylish and busy post-punk from Italy. There’s an opposition in QLOWSKI’s tunes: the keys and melodies are pure dancefloor new wave, but the beat and mood is far darker. I realize this is sorta thee bread & butter post-punk tactic, but it feels extra unnerving in this instance. The best moments recall BLACK SUNDAY, the worst I’ve already forgotten.

Q Quiche EP

I suspect that if I’d paid more attention to the “mysterious guy hardcore” bands Á  la HOAX and them, I’d have a better frame of reference to review this record, as Q seem to share those bands’ self- destructive aggression and disinterest in sharing information. From my vantage point, Q are very much a band that fit in with the late ’90s Pessimiser / Theologian scene. There are occasional blastbeats, tons of mid-to-slow tempo stomping riffs, and shrieked, nearly metal styled vocals while the guitars are pure hardcore punk. They could easily be slotted in on one of the Cry Now, Cry Later comps alongside heavy hitters like MAN IS THE BASTARD, STAPLED SHUT, or especially CATTLEPRESS. This is an odd, unsettling record, I haven’t heard many like it. Worth checking out, especially for those with nostalgia for the powerviolence days.

Priors New Pleasure LP

Insistent, kinetic fuzzed-out punk pop. Itchy repetitive guitar riffs serve as foil to the just-this-side-of-annoying keyboard melodies that drive the songs. The vocalist’s delivery is snotty yet deadpan, detached yet sneering: little escapes their disdain. PRIORS pound their way through fourteen songs here, most of which come in around the two-minute mark, save for the epic title track, which despite its five-minute-plus is no slow burner.

Pożoga Wolfpack Attack EP

We got us a ripper right here. No shortage of driving riffs, barking vocals and straight up nassssty bass tone. I would call it D-beat leaning hardcore, with plenty of moshy parts, but nothing too derivative. The band would definitely fit well on a bill with the UK’s ARMS RACE. Clear influence from GBH, VARUKERS, DISCHARGE, etc., and even reminded me a bit of BLOODKROW BUTCHER. There’s also a pretty rocking cover of “No Hay Futuro” by Spain’s RIP. The band is based out of Dublin, but comprised of immigrants from all over the world.

Parsnip Feeling Small / Winter 7″

The first PARSNIP 45 was a total moment of mind loss for me: a true and total encapsulation of C86/TVP, ’60s and ’80s Mod Girl Dreams, umm, DOLLY MIXTURE if they were way punker…and here with the second we have more of the same! The first song is a perfect DAN TREACY meets DOLLY MIXTURE dreamscape! My mind was a plastic bag before the song was over!!! It sounds almost like the song is sort of writing itself as it goes along in a totally pop freedom manner, like listening to a SWELL MAPS 7″ you dreamed of. Flip the disc over and there’s this fucking perfect BANGS/PANDORAS pop garage song about the tyranny and delights of winter, what more would you want out of a 7’?! PARSNIP are a true and total delight, and I want fifty more 45s like this immediately, OK punkers?

The Outta Sorts Caligula EP

Local garage punk of the swing-swang-swingin’ variety. Real piss- in-yer-icetray stuff: foolish boppin’, elder juvenile delinquency. The title track attempts to link Trump and Caligula via their penchant for grope violations and it only gets brainier from there (just kidding, it doesn’t!). “I fucked a devil and I made her cum!“ Ahem, well, OK, cool?

Organa Organa LP

German anti-oppression powerviolence and grindcore that sounds like the industrial soundtrack to Brazil meets HIS HERO IS GONE, COMBATWOUNDEDVETERAN and the most downtrodden riffs from the CURE. Neo-crust breakdowns, blistering grindcore attacks, and open intermittent D-beat sections that are so brief you can’t ignore their ingenuity. Gnarly charred vocals spew out lyrics in both German and English. Lyrical themes decry the ugly existence of fascism, racism, nationalism, sexism, and homophobia. ORGANA, lay down six brutal tracks through shattering noise and fury. Production is super heavy—well done. This is a one-sided LP with a circle of barbed wire etched on the other.

No Statik Mysterious to Ourselves LP

Exactly what you would expect from NO STATIK. Fast, heavy- hitting, punchy hardcore. Mysterious to Ourselves doesn’t really lack anything that is hardcore, as it has all the tropes of a hardcore record: the blast, the fast, the chug, the breakdown. What has always stood out to me the most about NO STATIK is the cadence of frontperson Ruby. The way that anger, anxiety, and depression seem to just exude from the mic. They do get weird by adding some instrumental tracks to the end that serve as some soundscapes and noise, but in my opinion they could have gotten weirder. This record feels urgent and intense, the production is crystal clear, and the art is really fucking dope. I am assuming this is the last record from NO STATIK since they are billed as playing 1-2-3-4 Go! in Oakland with the tagline “say goodbye.”

No Idea / NOLLKOMPETENZ split LP

Bear with me y’all, this is one of those weird ones that came with very little info and required a bit of internet research that was mostly available in languages I don’t speak. So it seems like Sweden’s NO IDEA were around in the mid-’80s, only appearing on a relatively obscure cassette compilation during that time. This is brand new material, recorded some 32 years after their debut. It’s very much in line with what you’d expect from a bunch of dudes who haven’t been actively punk in three decades plus: awkward metal interludes, mediocre songs, and so forth. The vocals sound good at least. NOLLKOMPETENZ seem to be one of those admirable (but frustrating for an MRR reviewer) bands that don’t have any internet presence so I can’t tell you much about them but the tunes are pretty solid. They walk an interesting line, equal parts hardcore machismo, punk simplicity, and garage rock swagger, with some intentionally over the top guitar solos all held down by the super dirty bass and an extremely on-point drummer. NO IDEA are a write-off (though the ’86 material was recently reissued on an EP and may be worth looking up) but NOLLKOMPETENZ are intriguing and well worth a listen.

The Next Mad House CD

This band started in 1978, and played the Mabuhay during the club’s early punk heyday of the late ’70s. This a full-length of new songs which comes after a decades-long hiatus. A good mix of spunky punk and power pop songs. This reminds a lot of the BRIEFS, but there is a NEW YORK DOLLS quality at times as well. Good stuff.

Neo Neos Kill Someone You Hate LP

Really obnoxious, generally speedy, one-man band type garbage can pop from the impressively—perhaps destructively—prolific NEO NEOS. Generally speaking, some songs are so purely conceived, they would sound great in any setting, with any kind of production value. These are not those songs. The joy (or anger) of this record comes from the fact it sounds like shit: a cacophony of useless punk made useful by sheer volume and repetition. It’s a feat of will and hubris that’s commendable. A good record.

Negative Vibes Broken Mind CD

Nothing fancy here, just eighteen bursts of utterly fantastic hardcore punk—and if Poland’s NEGATIVE VIBES are any indication, “fancy” is fukkn overrated. East Coast meets ACCÜSED vibe, these kids channel ’80s USHC brilliantly and their doses of unadulterated fury are a breath of fresh air.

Natural Man Band Electrical Man EP

The first song seemingly intentionally quotes directly from a DEVO song in the intro, then speeds into a birdcrash explosion of UKDIY Midwestern art school relentlessness. This definitely feels like a band that would have played with the EMBARRASSMENT in 1982. The second song is too funky for this hater, but I like the lyrics a lot: “Don’t ever trust your city to take care of you.” Watch out for that Michigan water, no one else is! The music is a total wash over sound: there’s no space, just a swathe of chants and sax and guitar tumble. Seems like the Midwest is alive with pleasure and here’s some audio to take you there?

Mighty Quinn & the Oakland Ronin Mighty Quinn & the Oakland Ronin CD

Apparently, this band had a song played on an episode of Scrubs, or at least its singer did. I wouldn’t call this punk, maybe punky alternative? It reminds of early RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS before they became a household name on MTV. I was never into that CHILI PEPPERS or JANE’S ADDICTION “punk influenced” sound. Not bad but not my thing. Where’s Spin when you need it?

Melting Walkmen Daylight Savings LP

Copenhagen’s MELTING WALKMEN shift gears between energetic post-punk and somber lads staring at their shoes, but they mostly keep it upbeat. The dueling guitars work through varying degrees of dissonance that truly complement one another. The shouted vocals feel similar in each song, adding little dynamics, if any. In “Petrified” it sounds as if the singer is hearing the song for the first time and doesn’t quite know what to do, but not in a cool, fun way. Anyhow, it’s decent. The vocals bum me out, but the instrumentation is excellent.

Lisa Marr / Tranzmitors In the Summer EP

Right off the bat with a FASTBACKS cover—that there is some bold shit. LISA MARR has a great voice, and I love the TRANZMITORS, but I’m not sure they really did much of anything with this song. In my mind, if you’re going to cover a great band like the FASTBACKS, you really need to do something with it. It kind of just sounds like a cover of “In the Summer.” They also cover two CUB songs. I honestly don’t know the originals, which might be better for me, as I have no reference point. My complaint about not doing anything with the A-cut aside, this is super poppy and catchy. It is right up my alley and I kind of love it. The one original is worthwhile and not at all dissimilar from the others. I can see myself listening to this over and over again. That voice!

Mandates Dead in the Face LP

This is a throwback. This is punk rock that is 100% rooted in rock’n’roll. The way it’s delivered reminds me of the DEAD BOYS. It’s faster-paced, it’s got a sense of urgency, it’s got lead guitar. The “Made in Canada” logo on the back cover doubles as a seal of approval, as Canadians are particularly good at power pop. As this one moves on, it definitely straddles that line between punk and power pop. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Outside of the quality of the recording, if someone told me this was from 1978, I’d totally believe that. Excellent.

Louis Lingg and the Bombs Kiiroichurippu: Hopeless Love in the Age of the Glitch CD

Four new tracks, all sung in Japanese, from these long-standing Parisian pop punk techno ravers. While lyrically they’re proudly in the CRASS anarcho-punk camp, at least on this effort, there’s mercifully little of the ATARI TEENAGE RIOT electronica, and much more of the straight ahead speedy pop punk. Kinda like J CHURCH on 45 (as opposed to 33), albeit with a Parisian female chanteuse, singing in Japanese (though the whoa- oh-ohs manage to comfortably span the linguistic divide). Fantastic stuff. Self-released, so snap it up from the band.

Th’ Losin Streaks This Band Will Self-Destruct in T-Minus LP

Has it really been fourteen years since the first TH’ LOSIN STREAKS LP? Well, that certainly is too long to wait for a second album. During those lost years they may have discovered a time machine and gone to London to play some gigs at the Railway Hotel. This Band Will Self-Destruct in T-Minus has a mod-y garage rock feeling reminding me of a more restrained, early period the WHO. The songs are catchy. The guitar playing is punchy and crisp. Great album.

Legionaires Disease Mass Hypnosis in the Air CD

A compilation of all the LEGIONAIRES DISEASE recordings: the eight-song 1978 studio recording that the “Rather See You Dead (Than With Wool On Your Head)” 7″ would come from, the four-song 1985 studio recording, and a thirteen-song live set from 1980 at Hurrah’s in New York City. The tracks are rough and primitive, but with that compelling rawness of a punk band just having a great time. The CD booklet is really nice too. It starts out with an intro from U-Ron of REALLY RED describing LEGIONAIRES DISEASE’s singer Jerry Anomie getting released from jail, going to see the SEX PISTOLS in San Antonio, and then coming back to Houston inspired and starting the band. The booklet is filled with photos, fliers, interviews, and remembrances. It is really nice collection of this wild first wave punk band.

Leftöver Crack Leftover Leftöver Crack: The E-Sides and F-Sides CD

Unpopular opinion in 4, 3, 2, 1…LEFTÖVER CRACK are great. LEFTÖVER CRACK are important. LEFTÖVER CRACK still, in 2019, deserve so much more than the mall-meets-the-gutter status that the self-righteous punks bestow upon them, because context be damned, LEFTÖVER CRACK are fukkn great. A 30-track collection of EPs, splits and outtakes sequenced brilliantly—catchy punk, infectious ska-punk, anti-cop, anti-authority, anti-racist, pro-punk melodic punk. I don’t know what else think you want from this subculture we all claim, but MINOR THREAT is a starter band too, you dig? You don’t ditch your Pay To Cum EP just ’cause the suburban punk twerp rocks a BAD BRAINS shirt, do you? Just saying. Important punk is still important, and even though the kids like ’em, LEFTÖVER CRACK are still great.

Lazy Class Interesting Times CD

This is street punk / Oi! from Poland with vocals in English. These guys have been around for about five years. This is decent and certainly anthemic in the vein of RANCID or the COCKNEY REJECTS, with a bit of MOTÖRHEAD-style rock. Although certainly not on those bands’ level, this is pretty solid for crowded genre.