With how common it has become for strong artists to get watered down by overproduction, it is refreshing to hear some raw, straightforward garage rock made solely for the love of music. Cardiff-based quintet James And The Cold Gun recorded their self-titled debut album (Loosegroove Records) from their very own garage, bringing an astute balance of polish and roughness – in other words, pure rock n’ roll.
Punk is a music genre often associated with grassroots and “sticking it to the man”. Par for the course for the evolution of anything, the harsher edge of punk has softened from studded and spiked leather jackets and mile-high mohawks of the eighties to button-down flannels and sometimes Hawaiian shirts and Vans. But the message tends to be one and the same; rebellion, anti-norm, and angst wrapped in a DIY bow.
Doyle made his annual return to The Whisky for two blistering nights of horror and heavy tunes. There’s always something special in the air when Doyle comes to the iconic venue. You can practically taste the crowd’s hunger for nostalgia and making new memories with the titan of horror punk and metal. The crowd was filled with an abundance of younger fans, which was a pleasant surprise. Like many of us old-school fans, the question of who will carry the torch of the scene is always everpresent. But that question was surely answered by the throng of teenagers getting into the pit and screaming along with every word. Alongside the young hellions was a decent number of hardcore fans who had made the drive from all over the country to be in attendance. Seeing that dedication and hearing their stories of how Doyle’s music has influenced their lives was remarkable and reassuring that this music and scene will never die.Continue reading
The pop-punk genre will never die. It’s fresh, fun, sometimes a bit silly, and wholly needed in a world full of stress and hate. People need music that makes them happy. People need music that will put a smile on their faces. People need music that will invoke a fresh breeze, wind in their hair, and a joyful being. Thank Gallus for the new album We Don’t Like the People We’ve Become (Marshall Records).
The most telling feature of Tomorrow Never Comes (Epitaph Records) is the cover. A band logo and four headshots are framed in a grid. It’s like seeing a novel that puts more emphasis on the well-known author instead of the book’s title, and it’s a testament to the longevity and the roots (radical) of Rancid, a band that’s been active since the early 1990s. Their tenth full-length focuses on the musical experience instead of a flashy album appearance.
“Negative Approach meets The Breeders” is the description offered by the members of Scowl of this their latest release the Psychic Dance Routine EP (Flatspot Records) – if that’s not a tagline that grabs your attention outright I don’t know what is and what help there is out there for you! Said EP is the follow-up to the 2021 How Flowers Grow debut full-length.
Over the last few years, the likes of cybergrind and mathcore have reared their ugly heads into the musical zeitgeist, for better or worse, introducing to the world new visions when it comes to how to write and perform music. Enter Codefendants, a newly formed trio consisting of Fat Mike, Sam King, and Ceschi Ramos. The group’s debut album, This Is Crime Wave (Fat Wreck Chords, Bottles To The Ground), is their titular foray into a new world that combines hip hop, new wave, and an underlying dose of punk rock.
Think of high-profile collaborations and what springs to mind? Self-indulgent widdling like the simply dreadful Dylan & The Dead live album, Sting, Bryan Adams, and Rod Stewart‘s unwanted ‘All For Love’ for the movie The Three Musketeers, Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey, Korn, and Skrillex? I’m sure there are many other offenders out there but you get the picture, ideas that may have sounded promising on paper but ultimately should have remained there.
Ryde, a seaside town located on the Isle of Wight is home to former BBC sports presenter turned controversial conspiracy theorist David Icke – it also happens to be where the young trio by the name of Grade 2 originate from. Formed in 2013 at the tender age of 14, the band is comprised of childhood friends Sid Ryan (vocals/bass), Jacob Hull (drums), and Jack Chatfield (guitar/vocals) who united over their love of classic Punk Rock, Ska and O!
Punk Rock Vegan Movie, a new documentary written and directed by Moby, is out now and streaming for free on all platforms! The film debuted at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival and also was featured at the prestigious San Francisco Indie Film Festival this month. The film, which is Moby’s directorial debut, is a passionate and stylistically idiosyncratic look at the ongoing relationship between the worlds of punk rock and animal rights. It includes interviews with some of the biggest names in punk and rock history, like Ian Mackaye, HR, Dave Navarro, Ray Cappo, Andrew Hurley, Tony Kanal, Tim McIlrath, Water Schreifels, Dave Dictor, Derrick Green, Steve Ignorant, Theo Kogan, Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, Amy Lee, and Captain Sensible.