Review: This was the golden age of Adam & The Ants - for one or two of the more serious-minded post-punk fans from the early 80s at the very least. A BBC Sessions album that is a tribute to the great DJ himself, John Peel who, had it not been for him, many may never had been introduced to the band. Featuring many different versions of tracks that were included on the debut Dirk Wears White Sox (released later in 1979), these tracks seem even more adrenalin-fuelled that the versions we eventually heard on the fantastic debut that for many has never been matched by anyone since. The opening two tracks, however, come from the early 1978 session that were not part of the debut and opening track 'Lou' doesn't even feature Adam Ant on lead vocals. This track was performed by the band's then manager and punk icon Jordan and sits well with the rest of this impressive collection of recordings that could be classed as Adam & The Ants part one (of three different versions). These sessions link the first two versions of the band very well and are a world apart from the commercial and more successful songs that eventually made them a household - and playground - name for the next decade and more.
Review: Hearing the journey of a song you really love and all the different incarnations of that song is a pleasure as opposed to solely listening to the same take that makes an album over and over again. Buzzcocks have released the demos they made in the lead up to the release of Love Bites, their second studio album and highest charting album. 'Every Fallen In Love' sounds grittier - the bass and guitars are louder than the polished album version so it makes it a bit more underground punk DIY in style. Moreover, 'Nothing Left' shifts the emphasis to make it all about the riff. There's also numbers on here that didn't make the album, such as 'Mother Of Turds', where you hear them barely able to contain their laughter. It's great to hear a band not taking every step so seriously and enjoying their route to success.
Review: Evoking an even more visceral reaction than the likes of Amyl & The Sniffers or Idles (who they recently supported on tour), the debut album from Brighton's latest hyper pissed off post-punk pair Lambrini Girls is a declarative, venomous volley of malice aimed squarely at any and all xenophobes in attendance. Proud and self-proclaimed LGBTQ+ allies, with vocalist/guitarist Phoebe Lunny even drawing ire for a recent interview quote in which she happily admitted "I will scrap any Terf, any day, in person", the duo craft menacing, minimalist noise-punk that comes for the heads of everyone from the standard 'Filthy Rich Nepo Baby' to the pervy workplace bosses on 'Company Culture' - "Michael, I don't want to suck you off on my lunch break", snarls Lunny over grinding symmetrical riffs, while the closer gives us their 'in summation' lecture with the aptly titled 'Cuntology 101'. Whether they're the dogs who shouldn't have been let out for fear their tear through your restricted world view, or you're the dogs who now need to be rounded up and put in dark ages, Who Let The Dogs Out is the definition of verbally castrating first, asking questions later.
Review: Are The Ramones now best known for being on t-shirts worn by people who have never heard the band? Maybe. But either way, Too Tough To Die, which was released 40 years ago, is often seen as a return to form. Really, it deserves a more radical categorisation. Released in the mid-1980s, the album felt out of step with the era, not in a negative way, but in how it captured the contradictions of its time. Made without a clear direction, its incongruity became its defining feature. As Joey Ramone noted in a 1988 interview, "Around '84, the world was changing drastically... Things were getting scary. So, our songs started changing." This shift in tone marked a new chapter in their musical evolution.
Review: This Ramones album - one of their very, very many - is packed with relentless guitar energy and a proud punk ethos. Originally released in 1987, it captures their raw spirit and is packed with gritty rock licks and infectious melodies. Featuring standout tracks like the opener 'I Wanna Live' and the guttural vocal bite of 'Garden of Serenity' it showcases the band's evolution while staying true to their signature sound, during what was a pivotal moment in the US punks' lengthy career, a decade or so on from their explosive arrival.
Review: Formed in the Annan, Dumfries/Cumbria no man's land of English/Scottish borderland in 1978 before dissolving in the early 80s, The Limps are another case of a forgotten punk gem who never truly received their flowers. Releasing only a handful of singles during their short-lived tenure, which managed reliable spins from legendary DJ John Peel, this compilation collates every known recording of the band's output onto one singular slice of wax, including cuts taken directly from their Peel Sessions. The much anticipated pressing also comes just as the band are enjoying somewhat of a resurgence due to the use of their track 'Someone I Can Talk To' in the 2024 teen comedy Snack Shack. According to guitarist and songwriter Andy Septic (nowadays known as Cumberland Council's councillor and former mayor of Cockermouth Andrew Semple) - "John loved the second record saying it was a 'considerable improvement' from the first. We recorded his show on tape then years later we put it on YouTube and that's where the film director heard us", before humorously clarifying, "We've received a bit of money, but there's not much when it's got to be divided between four of us". Don't sleep as this small batch or rarities won't stick around long.
Review: Iggy Pop's performance at the 2023 Montreux Jazz Festival is a thrilling showcase of both his legendary past and revitalised present. Marking his third appearance at the prestigious event, Iggy delivers a fiery set with a seven-piece band, reinvigorating Stooges classics like 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' and 'T.V. Eye', while captivating the crowd with solo anthems such as 'Lust for Life' and 'The Passenger'. The show also features new material from his recent album Every Loser, including 'Modern Day Ripoff' and 'Frenzy', proving his ongoing relevance in the rock scene. Recorded with pristine multi-track audio and complemented by stunning 4K visuals, the concert blends the raw energy of vintage Iggy with the vitality of his current creative resurgence. This live recording captures a moment of remarkable musical power, reaffirming Iggy Pop as one of the most dynamic and enduring figures in rock music.
Review: Bristol's heavy post-punk groups Idles present their first full length album after a slew of records dating back to 2012. Brutalism collects the best of the bands antics, from vocals that shift from wailing snarls and smokey mob calls to punkish drawls, or the more spoken word and poetic emotional ballad that is album closer "Slow Savage". Guitars can thrash away or chill out melodically in the background, with the character of this album's songs striking up a familiar feeling of late-'90s punk to mid-2000s indie. Album highlights for us include "Mother", a song championing one woman's die hard working week, to the screeching, distorted anthem "Stendhal Syndrome".
Review: The ultimate sleeper hit, All We Know Is Falling was the great almost for Paramore, the Tennessee emo outfit who would go on to huge things, just not as an immediate result of this album. Having recorded the emotionally charged guitar anthems that make up the record in Florida, the group were advised to allow word of mouth do its thing and slowly build a cult following.
In some ways it was shrewd - they now have a lot of loyal disciples - from other perspectives it wasn't, with this outing failing to enter the Billboard 200 chart when it was released in 2005. Skip forward to 2014, though, and thanks to the success Paramore became, and the blessing of fans looking into their back catalogue, All We Know Is Falling was certified gold in the US having already achieved that coveted status in the UK a few years earlier. Which makes perfect sense given this is benchmark setting stuff for the genre.
This Perfect Day (LP3: singles & live 1977) (2:09)
LIES (2:39)
Do The Robot (1:54)
Lipstick On Your Collar (2:38)
One Way Street (2:46)
Demolition Girl (1:55)
River Deep Mountain High (3:48)
This Perfect Day (live) (2:10)
Run Down (live) (2:42)
Erotic Neurotic (live) (3:04)
Demolition Girl (live) (4:56)
Nights In Venice (live) (4:05)
Introduction (LP4: live At The Hope & Anchor, London 26/11/1977) (2:20)
Do The Robot (3:44)
Lost & Found (2:53)
Lipstick On Your Collar (0:57)
River Deep Mountain High (3:20)
Untitled (Second version) (2:56)
Run Down (2:47)
This Perfect Day (2:33)
Messin' With The Kids (4:17)
Orstralia (2:23)
Nights In Venice (5:20)
(I'm) Stranded (3:15)
Demolition Girl (3:42)
One Way Street (2:44)
Review: Originally released in 1977 (the year of punk's simultaneous birth and more notably, death), (I'm) Stranded has gone on to become, not only one of the most vital pieces of OG Aussie punk, but commonly considered as one of the quintessential early blueprints for an entire generation of artists. Staying on course and not even wading into the creative differences that would soon loom large over each subsequent follow up, this box set arrives as a joint collaboration between L.A. garage rock label In The Red, Universal Music Australia and spearheaded by Feel Presents and The Saints founder Ed Kuepper (later Laughing Clowns), who collectively deliver the original LP remastered for the time in four decades, along with never-before-pressed-to-wax bonus discs of a five-song live performance from Paddington Town Hall in Sydney in 1977, the band's full set from the Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival, London November 1977, all three tracks from the 1977 This Perfect Day 12" and all four tracks from 1977's 1-2-3-4 double 7" single, as well as the previously unreleased 1976 demo mix of the (I'm) Stranded LP. Also boasting a 28 page 12" x 12" photo essay of the band covering their origins from 1973 through the end of '77, authorised band history, an 8" x 10" 1976 promo photo, and sticker, this is fan service and an album celebratory box set done right.
Review: Formed in 1989 in Orange County, California, the melodic punk band Farside enjoyed an influential eleven-year run before disbanding in 2000. Over their career, they released three albums, two EPs, and a split with Sense Field. Their 1994 sophomore album Rigged was released through Revelation Records and became a fan favourite across punk, hardcore, emo, and alternative rock genres. back then the band was made up of vocalist and guitarist Michael "Popeye" Vogelsang, bassist Bryan Chu and drummer Bob Beshear and this all was their first with Kevin Murphy who shared guitar, vocal and songwriting duties with Vogelsang. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Farside and the original label are issuing this special mint green eco-vinyl pressing of Rigged complete with a 16-page booklet.
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais (Boston 1982) (4:20)
Capital Radio (London 1978) (3:03)
City Of The Dead (London 1978) (2:41)
I Fought The Law (London 1978) (2:28)
London Calling (Boston 1982) (3:31)
Armagideon Time (London 1980) (4:34)
Guns Of Brixton (New York 1981) (4:04)
Know Your Rights (Boston 1982) (3:59)
Should I Stay Or Should I Go (Boston 1982) (2:57)
Review: The Clash are post-punk icons whose music still draws in new generations of anarchists some 40-odd years after the band peaked. Back in 1978, they were still at their very best and it was then that they recorded the BBC Sessions that now make up this new vinyl release. Alongside all the tunes from those recordings are a series of selections from their 1982 East Coast tour in the United States of America. All the classics are here such as 'London's Burning', 'I Fought The Law', 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' and many more along with some less-known gems.
The Inevitable Return Of The Great White Dope (4:00)
Mama's Boy (4:26)
Three Point One Four (3:33)
Mope (1:05)
Yummy Down On This (3:38)
The Ballad Of Chasey Lain (2:31)
RSVP (0:21)
Magna Cum Nada (4:01)
The Bad Touch (4:07)
That Cough Came With A Prize (0:15)
Take The Long Way Home (3:10)
Hell Yeah (0:39)
Right Turn Clyde (4:17)
This Is Stupid (3:06)
A Lap Dance Is So Much Better When The Stripper Is Crying (2:17)
The Ten Coolest Things About New Jersey (5:42)
Along Comes Mary (3:24)
The Bad Touch (The Eiffel 65 mix) (4:28)
The Ballad Of Chasey Lain (The Flirt mix) (3:42)
Mope (The Pet Shop Boys extended remix) (7:52)
Review: To mark the 25th anniversary of Hooray for Boobies, the Bloodhound Gang have reissued their infamous third album on splatter-coloured 180g vinyl, giving fans another chance to dive into its wild mix of genres and humour. Originally released in 1999, this album catapulted the band to worldwide success, selling over four million copies and topping charts everywhere. Musically, it's a collision of rap-rock, punk, and electronic beats, packed with cheeky, often absurd lyrics that have become the band's signature. 'The Bad Touch', the album's standout hit, is driven by a playful, catchy synth line that pairs perfectly with its notorious lyrics. Elsewhere, 'The Ballad of Chasey Lain' blends rock energy with humorous storytelling, while 'Mope' is an eclectic mix of samples, pulling from sources as diverse as Metallica and Pac-Man. This reissue also features three rare remixes, including a hyperactive Eiffel 65 version of 'The Bad Touch', a sultry take on 'The Ballad of Chasey Lain' and Pet Shop Boys' extended remix of 'Mope'.
Review: Following Glenn Danzig's departure from Misfits, but before re-branding/re-establishing all musical endeavours under the name of Danzig, the enigmatic, often controversial frontman would form Samhain, generally mis-pronounced as Sam Hane. With an increased focus on the macabre, occult and a less whimsical, cartoonish flare than his previous horror-punk troupe, their short-lived tenure only covered two full-lengths and an EP, while many regard this live compilation made of two separate performances from Danceteria, New York in 1985, and the Cabaret, Metro Chicago,
Review: "I will scrap any Terf, any day, in person" is a quote from Phoebe Lunny, one half of new school visceral Brighton based post-punk duo Lambrini Girls, who following in the steps of Idles (who they recently toured as support for) and Amyl & The Sniffers, aim to provide a cathartic outlet for all the current fuckery of the world. With on-the-nose, to-the-point bangers like 'Filthy Rich Nepo Baby' or the grinding lead single 'Company Culture' that offers such (for some) tragically relatable lyrical gems such as "Michael, I don't want to suck you off on my lunch break", this is a debut of genuine exhaustive fury emboldened by menacing sonic restraint, utilising minimalist compositions to conjure feelings of decrepit unease to match their message. Self-described LGBTQ+ allies, the pair craft the soundtrack to the fractured edges of composure the left-leaners of their (or any generation) presently feel when confronted with blatant xenophobia, be it homophobic, transphobic or just basic misogyny, whichever your toxic predilection, Who Let The Dogs Out has a place for you on its shitlist.
Review: Horror punk pioneers The Misfits, or Misfits, don't do quiet. In fact, they tend to tear apart any notion of calm with every rabid track, packing them with hyper energy, razor sharp songwriting and the kind of musicality that staggers off stage bloody nosed and exhausted at the end of a two-hour set. Earth A.D. Demos does what it says on the tin. A collection of original recordings that would go on to inform the Misfits' landmark 1983 LP, Earth A.D. / Wolfs Blood, this is the record that produced anthems such as 'Die, Die My Darling', 'Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?', and 'We Bite', and this album presents the foundations and cornerstones of those songs in all their rage and glory. A must for any fan.
Review: In a time where the gruff-throated anti-Tory messaging of Idles, the reflective post-drugged out swagger of Viagra Boys and the pub-feed championing of The Chats remind us that punk can still be a vital voice of the people, both big and small, Amyl & The Sniffers have all but quietly been amassing the type of hype and buzz to go toe-to-toe with the lot. Capitalising on the momentum of 2021's exceptional Comfort To Me with last year's 7" "fuck you" to old, gatekeeping curmudgeons on 'U Should Not Be Doing That', the band return to producer Nick Launay (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) for their severely anticipated third LP Cartton Darkness. Recorded at the Foo Fighters' 606 Studios in Los Angeles, the one and only real-life Amyl (Ms. Amy Taylor) succinctly describes the message as - "driving headfirst into the unknown, into this looming sketch of the future that feels terrible but doesn't even exist yet. A childlike darkness. I don't want to meet the devil half-way and mourn what we have right now. The future is cartoon, the prescription is dark, but it's novelty. It's just a joke. It's fun."
Review: It's not often someone other than Omar S releases on his FXHE label. And it is never that he has put hardcore post-punk. But we're not complaining. There's a real dance floor chug to this new EP that would have been masterfully deployed by dexterous DJs like the late Andrew Weatherall. The whole thing has been recorded, produced and mixed by Alex Smith himself, while the trio that is Decliner are the ones who wrote the filthy guitars and laid down the sleazy drum beats. The tunes are mired in fuzz and grime and have snarled lyrics that really cut through the darkened biker disco vibes. Excellent stuff.
Review: Who said music has nothing to say these days? In an age of plastic people distracted to the point of distraction from the shocking atrocities, privilege, inequality and prejudices that are frogmarching society into a death trap of a future, Benefits stand out like a beautiful sore thumb - battered, bruised, and British, they are the epitome of an 'issues band' and we welcome any opportunity to listen and write about them.
Like some sort of rabid Idles, here the Middlesbrough one man crew make noises that defy logic, twisted cacophonous bars of ravenous distorted sound, and then layer council estate spoken word over the top. Angry enough to make you feel like there is still hope, and innovative enough to make you wonder whether - in an increasingly risk-averse music industry - enough people will get to know and love them. Make sure you do.
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