All Dogs

"Punks making pop music in Columbus, OH" is how All Dogs sum themselves up on Tumblr. You can't argue. It's somewhere between Swearin' and Waxahatchee. What more do you need?





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Neon Windbreaker

Neon Windbreaker are from Toronto - the town Metz are from. Neon Windbreaker are releasing an EP recorded by Alex Bonefant - someone who formerly recorded Metz. The 'New Sky' EP is coming out on 28 October through We Are Busy Bodies - a label who formerly released Metz. Neon Windbreaker are in your face and energetic and noisy and loud and exciting and fun. Neon Windbreaker sound like Metz - and that's a good thing.

Check out 'Pink Suit' below.



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Bananacondas

I like the internet. Bands from hundreds of miles away can send me their music and then I can listen to it and then sometimes I really like it and write words about it and other people who might be hundreds of miles away again might read it and like it and then they might tell their friends to listen to it and stuff. That's pretty cool, right?

Bananacondas are a Lansing, Michigan-based "not-so-typical punk" three-piece who write songs with riffs and licks and melodies and choruses that make me want to be at a house party with them doing silly but fun things. It's self-recorded but not to its detriment - the slightly rough sound suits their apparently pretty care-free take on writing songs. Music is supposed to make you feel something, and this makes me feel happy.

There are two free songs plucked from their bandcamp below, with apparently some more songs coming later this month and an album hoped for later this year. I am excited.


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Yucky Slime

Most people won't like this. It's not the best way to start a blog post, but it's true. There's lo-fi, there's noisy, and then there's Yucky Slime bringing it to a whole new level. For those that can handle the fidelity (these demos were recorded in a shed...) and the feedback and the shouting, though, there's lots to love about the London band. For instance: it's fun, it's urgent, it's exciting, it's energetic, it doesn't really give a shit, it'll make you want to jump up and down and spin round round round, and - much like Jay Reatard or Wavves - below the noise you'll find some ace hooks and melodies. Plus, I can rarely resist a sing-along "wooh-ooh-ooh-ooh" (see: 'Battlegasm').

Again, most people won't like this. But then, most music is shite and this isn't, so who cares?







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VVhile

Undoubtedly the best perk of writing about music is that bands send you their songs. What makes it even better is when something you have low expectations for turns out to be ace. "A 'noise pop punk' duo from Serbia? Okay..." I thought. But it turns out that VVhile are almost as good at selling themselves short (some might call it being modest) as they are making music.

Their songs are noisy, punchy, catchy, scruffy, in-your-face, care-free and, most importantly, fucking excellent. It reminds me of first album Japandroids and it makes me want to punch the air. Listen to songs below and download a free four-track EP from bandcamp. And someone, please bring them over to the UK for some shows.





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Slowcoaches - We're So Heavy

Other than a dirty fry up, it seems there's not much better to clear a lingering hangover than a musical slap in the face - generously provided today by Slowcoaches. A stream of the Leeds three-piece's forthcoming EP - due for release on cassette by Tye Die Tapes on March 23 - went online earlier today, and appreciatively received it was too.

Title track 'We're So Heavy' is probably the pick of bunch (though it's tough to pick a favourite), with its gloriously fuzzed up and dragging intro bursting out emphaticly into catchy, punchy punk rock in excellent fashion. You can stream and download the track below, or hear the whole thing on Tye Die Tapes' bandcamp. Catch Slowcoaches live later this month, when they head out on tour with Basement Fever favourites Dolfinz.



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Saturday's Kids - Black Pocket

It's been a while since we heard new material from Saturday's Kids, which makes this post all the more exciting, for me at least. The young South Wales band are due to put out a new 7" early next year, and 'Black Pocket' is one of the songs taken from it. Carrying the same kind of youthful, post-punk angst that we've grown to love in their previous work; the four-piece also continue to make massive forward strides in sound with this release. They're not content to sit still and be comfortable, and they're all the better for it. Catch them playing two live dates with Future of the Left later this month


Saturday's Kids - Black Pocket

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Dyke Cop

Shane from Livid Kids sent over a link to his new band the other day. They call themselves Dyke Cop, and they sound about as obnoxious as you'd expect of a band with that kind of name. Frantic and lo-fi, Shane called it "rad surf punk" and he's not far wrong. Though anyone not accustomed to listening to songs that sound like they were recorded on a phone will find it pretty impossible to bear, the rest of us losers who prefer our music rough and ready and unpalatable for most of our friends - this is ace. They have an upcoming tape through Mind Fortress Records, but you can get a sneak preview below.


Dyke Cop - Wish I Was Dead

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New: Male Bonding - Tame the Sun

So we're being drip fed new material from upcoming second album Endless Now from Male Bonding and going by what we've heard so far it sounds like it's going to be fucking excellent. Tame the Sun is significantly shorter and punchier than the previously previewed Bones and perhaps a little closer to what we know of them from their debut release only without the lo-fi veil.


Male Bonding - Tame the Sun

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Yung Mums

Scrappy, abrasive and lo-fi garage-punk from Vancouver all-girl three-piece Yung Mums, showing that good music is often knowing when enough is enough rather than messing around with being 'tight' or sounding clean. They're fairly simple jams but perfectly judged - just the kind of excellent stuff that would start out on Sex Is Disgusting were they UK-based.


Yung Mums - Thru With U


Yung Mums - Dead South


Yung Mums - Cobra

Bandcamp | Facebook | MySpace | Image from Bodies of Water

Effort

Cardiff's new fuzzy pop-punk-ish duo. First they played in a kitchen, then they supported Abe Vigoda, and now they've gone and recorded some demos.

Listen below, or download all three for free over at bandcamp.


Effort - With You

Effort - Hearts and Glass

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Évariste Galois

This won’t be for everyone, but it will be for some people – which makes it worth writing about, right? Right. For those people it’s not for, please accept my apologies. Or give it a chance to grow.

Évariste Galois are from Cardiff. They’re named after a mathematician, which makes them automatically awesome in my eyes. They, like many Cardiff bands, are made up of members of other bands such as singer and guitarist Matthew who plays drums in Saturday’s Kids and guitarist Sion who sings and plays guitar also in Saturday’s Kids.

They play American inspired almost emo and pop-punk tinged alternative rock, which isn’t usually my cup of tea but which, for some reason, I enjoy here. Like Saturday’s Kids, there’s the odd mistake here and then but the songs just have a real nice feel to them which I find difficult to resist – and they’re also good live. They were also thinking about splitting up recently, but they decided against it so that’s good news.

A little while back they released a split CD with Matthew’s other band Saturday’s Kids available over here. They also have some stuff available on bandcamp, or you can listen and download below.


Évariste Galois - Fauna


Évariste Galois - Past

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Pheromoans: Release Debut Album

Pheromoans full length album is something I've been looking forward to pretty much since the day I heard they'd be releasing it, so it's pretty good to see that it - in all its 17 track glory - is finally out now. Technically released yesterday (and posted on here today because I'm rubbish), It Still Rankles is out through Convulsive Records and, although I've not heard it yet, is sure to be crammed full of brilliant pissing around, lo-fi punk racket.

The Brighton/London/Gatwick Airport/generally south-East based five-piece were featured on this very blog back in November here if you want to read some superlatives. Otherwise head to Convulsive Records here to find out more info and details of how to order. You can also stream some non-album tracks below.

Pheromoans - Robotic Son

Pheromoans - Sussex Tomb 1

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Eagulls: Debut 7" Released Today

For all the looping synth complexity, twinkling electro sounds, and fancy experimentation around today, it's still good (heck, even refreshing) to hear a band getting hype for writing trusty old guitar led punk songs.

Eagulls are indeed much hyped, but perhaps it's for that very reason. There's no messing about and no pretence, the Leeds band just get on with fairly simple but importantly really good songs. Although their sound is more along classic British rock lines of the likes of Stiff Little Fingers, early Blur, and hints of The Cribs, it comes as no real surprise that Eagulls are formed from the embers hardcore bands. Guitar sounds softed, pace slowed down and throats slightly more lubricated and Eagulls' sound is born.

Their debut 7" is released today through Not Even Records. A list of where it can be bought can be found here.

Council Flat Blues - Eagulls

Acrostical - Eagulls

MySpace | Kudos to The Pigeon Post for being there as early as always

Twisted

As much as I love looping experimental synth-led songs and bands with 15 members and 20 effects pedals, no frills punk still more than does it for me. And not even just the early and original punk of The Ramones and The Clash, I welcome with open arms bands carrying on where they left off.

Apparently an off-shoot of two other Wales-based punk acts - State Run and Facel Vega – Leeds’ Twisted (internet-less as far as I’m aware) are unfortunately no more, but their angry strums, passionate growls, bags of energy, and bursting songs rarely passing the 2 minute mark live on in glorious MP3 form. For me, they kind of merge early Stiff Little Fingers and The Clash with hints of more modern, Lovvers-esque noise – and one track ‘Four’ which sounds a lot to me like The Hold Steady gone punk, but somehow in a good way.

They released stuff through and appeared on a compilation for Art For Blind (who also released a 7” by personal favourite Saturday’s Kids), with stuff available from them still. Other than playing or downloading the songs below, you can download a 7” available for free download from bandcamp, or you can head to reeksofeffortt for more words and a link to a different EP.


Twisted - Two


Twisted - One

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas music lovers of the world. Here's a little festive tune for you to enjoy - Stiff Little Fingers covering White Christmas live. My Dad thinks it's rubbish, bu I disagree.



Have a good one!

Saturday's Kids Update #2

More new sounds from the band that don't cease to impress me. It's a little boring to use the whole "maturing band" thing, but they kind of are - each new release brings tonnes of new ideas.

MySpace here, more songs at Art For Blind's bandcamp here, online shop here, listen below or download a zip (with permission).

Saturday's Kids - Whisper In My Ear

Saturday's Kids - Theorem

Saturday's Kids - Unattainable

Oui Messy

Oui Messy refuse to stick to any winning formula, and hats off to them for that.

A quick listen to their MySpace tracks and you will be immediately greeted with the post-punky "Salesman". Catchy guitar riffs accompany a driving bass-line, and vocal harmonies (well, in a sort of Young Knives-y way) lead up to one of the most memorable and immediately enjoyable choruses you will definitely hear for a while (I still remember it well, in fact, from one evening in Cardiff's Bar YK watching them support Saturday's Kids despite a heavy dose of alcohol - "All for the family, all for the family too!"). It's post-punk, relatively light-hearted fun.

From then on, one expects more of the same. Cardiff 3-piece Oui Messy have other ideas. "Example 1" is all dark noise and haunting spoken word distortion. A guitar plays on a loop and a drum beats in the background; screams and shouts pierce the noise every so often and bass muffles. It's a long way from the anthemic Salesman, but yet is equally as effective.

They demonstrate yet more diversity and strength through their 2 further tracks online. "Second House" is fast-paced and choppy, with a bass-line that could happily sit on any Police record. Lyrics are spat out almost in the Gareth Los Campesinos style at times, and the whole song has a vintage feel to it that I struggle to trace the roots of. It's good, nonetheless. "Come Roll Over" sees yet more change, with an almost ska and funk (as ska and funk as post-punk can get, that is) to the rallying guitar and bass parts, and a Babyshambles styled sound creeps in at times. All for the family, all for the family too!

Oui Messy are comparable to Cardiff bands Joy of Sex and Saturday's Kids (blog posts here) and, like them, are really starting to make a name for themselves in the city.

Support slots for numerous noteworthy bands left, right, and centre and a debut EP on its way, Oui Messy are one to keep an ear out for. And to see live.

Saturday's Kids Update

You might not recall, but I first wrote about Saturday's Kids on here back in March. I pretty much said they were great, told you to check out their 5-track demo EP and urged you to see them live.

Luckily for you, the four-piece post-punk band from Abergavenny, South Wales, are back on a tour of the UK, this time with friends Wooderson, heading to the northern heights of Leeds, the southern depths of Plymouth, and lots of places in between. They put on a really good live show, and you can check their tour dates in full on their MySpace, or on the funky little poster above (though it is missing a few gigs, I think). They will be making some groovy noises and some scary noises and some noisy noises in pubs, basements, and houses all over the UK.

Excitingly, the band also have a new release - a three-track 7" with homemade sleeve - which will be available in the not too distant future. It hears the band leaning towards directions that they have no previously leaned, and it's a really good release, with hints of Sonic Youth and Nirvana.

If you, per chance, own an independent record label in the UK (or the world, actually), or maybe a record store, or just feel like helping out with the release in any way, Saturday's Kids would be more than happy for you to get in touch. Either contact them on their MySpace, or email me (email address top right) and I will pass it onto them. I'm sure they'd be delighted to hear from you.

Lloyd Grossman is a Punk?

Ok, so apparently I'm a bit late on this. But it's definitely worth posting for all those people who didn't see all the news stories about Lloyd Grossman's punky past!

Apparently his band even reached number 49 in the UK singles chart! Below is a recent video of Lloyd "rocking out". Disgustingly, it isn't that bad.