Review: Ignore the typically self-depreciating title - when the 'same old bollocks' in question happens to be a set of songs that changed the world irrevocably, they can have all the reissues they want. Capturing the notorious London punk monarchs on their first foreign live outing, to Paris in September 1976, this double album presents pretty much the whole of their only studio album Never Mind The Bollocks thrashed out in adrenalin-fuelled fashion, with the addition of three other lesser spotted tracks. This trio, namely a suitably snarling cover of the Monkees' 'Stepping Stone', plus originals 'Did You No Wrong' and 'Satellite', are worth the admission price alone, with the latter's delightfully nihilistic polemic ("Lookin' like a dirty lavatory/There ain't no bid for your chastity") proving unmissable. The dog's, inevitably...
Review: After recording sessions for their legendary fifth LP Combat Rock would come to a close at the end of 1981, punk heroes The Clash embarked on a six-week jaunt across Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand (where they shot the iconic cover for their forthcoming record) and Hong Kong. Hitting the city of Kowloon on 25th February only a few months out from record release, this was an era when Hong Kong was still a colony of the British Empire (the last existing dependency of any significance at this time) and enjoyed less government interference in personal freedom, yet there had never been an act as bold as The Clash over to visit. With a setlist that reads today more like a greatest hits including the signature opener 'London Calling' along with bangers galore from 'The Guns Of Brixton' to 'I Fought The Law', '(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais' and 'Jimmy Jazz', with the band even treating the crowd to an early earful of Combat Rock lead single 'Know Your Rights' more than two months before official release (a time when no one had smart phones to film and throw up on YouTube or include on Setlist.fm as "New Song"), this performance and tour would also be one of the final to feature drummer Topper Headon, who would be fired due to his heroin addiction just a few months down the line, marking the end of the original line-up.
Review: Infamous, ill-fated and iconic all in equal measure, the Sex Pistols US tour of January 1978 has gone down in the annals of punk history as a chaotic state of affairs. Mismanaged by their team, stuck on a label only interested in their prowess for generating headlines and performing night after night to crowds more curious than engaged, the resulting jaunt would eventually lead to the band's total implosion. After years of these live recordings being distributed in piece-meal form, the recordings from this tour have finally been accurately sourced, re-sequenced and now delivered as individual live LPs with this pressing coming from their show at the Longhorns Ballroom in Dallas, Texas. The sheer exhaustion, frustration and oncoming burnout are evident through these feral performances, almost as if hearing the once youthful pioneers imploding in real time. Currently undertaking a costly world tour accompanied by former Gallows vocalist, Mr. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes himself standing in for the now MAGA touting John Lydon, it's the closest fans will likely ever get to experiencing the Never Mind The Bollocks era, with these authentic real thing recordings coming in at a close second, delivered from the familiar comfort of your turntable.
Review: Given The Clash's wholehearted embrace of dub and reggae in their sound, it was significant when they came to Jamaica for the World Music Festival in 1982. Now you can relive that momentous gig thanks to a high quality sound board recording which captures the energy of the performance and the band when they were riding high off the back of Combat Rock. The hits are non-stop, from 'London Calling' to 'The Guns Of Brixton', 'Bankrobber' to 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go?'. The kind of band who truly made their songs come to life on stage, no one did it like The Clash - stick this on and you'll have no choice but to agree.
Review: A well recorded, fascinating glimpse into the earlier days of the most notorious punk band of all time, captured at a show at the rarely acknowledged 76 Club in Burton-on-Trent. It's a suitable setting, of course, as British punk was the voice of the suburbs and the small towns around the UK that, ironically, all so often banned them from visiting. The material that would form their only studio album - surely one of the most seminal LPs of all time - Never Mind The Bollocks... was still taking shape at this point, with 'New York' and 'Seventeen' present but nestling under working titles alongside non-album original 'I Wanna Be Me'. There are also outings for a selection of cover versions that show the influences that shaped the revolutionary sound about to turn music on its head, from The Stooges' 'No Fun' and The Who's 'Substitute' to the Dave Berry 1964 single flip track 'Don't Gimme No Lip Child' and The Monkees' '(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone'. Top chaos for cash fun.
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.
Jeff Hill Band - "Something's Wrong With My Baby" (2:37)
The Squad - "24 Hours" (3:23)
Krypton Tunes - "Limited Vision" (3:29)
The Zeros - "Hungry" (2:19)
The Wardens - "Do So Well" (2:43)
The Letters - "Nobody Loves Me" (2:12)
The Tunnelrunners - "Forever Crying At Love Songs" (2:48)
Comic Romance - "Cry Myself To Sleep" (2:59)
Review: Secret Superstar Sounds, courtesy of Soul Jazz, offers an eclectic and excellent collection of oddball punk and powerpop rare cuts from little-known bands from the late 70s, including but not limited to The Squares, The Meanies, The Monitors, Plummet Airline, and Krypton Tunes. Falling between the cracks of punk, new wave and post-punk, these unfairly overlooked and forgotten to time gems came from a slew of DIY ethos purists inspired by the messaging of bands like The Desperate Bicycles, Sniffing Glue fanzine and early UK punk labels like Stiff, Chiswick and Rough Trade, recording everything in-house, then sending their recordings to the likes of John Peel and labels with hopes of some airplay or recognition, little of which came. A long-lost micro-genre of unfairly forgotten underground punk (but not punk) gems awaits.
Review: On the label's latest deep dive into the margins of underground music culture, Soul Jazz Records has decided to take us back to the late 1970s and Britain's DIY 'powerpop' movement - a self-contained micro-scene whose obscure and proudly independent artists mixed elements of punk with (as the extensive liner notes put it) "melodically beautiful 60s pop and garage sounds". On offer is a predictably impressive, 150-track selection of self-released songs from bands forgotten by all but the most obsessive powerpop nerds. Highlights include the gravelly, ten-ton riffs and bawled vocals of 'London' by Gobblinz, the proto indie-jangle-goes-punk strut of Xdreamysts' 'Right Way Home', the bass-heavy post-punk joy of The Monitors' 'Compulsory Fun' and the post-punk reggae/blue-eyed soul fusion of 'Cry Myself To Sleep' by Cosmic Romance.
Review: Beginning life in the late 70s as a Leeds based art collective, The Mekons have gone on to become one of the longest-running, most prolific and sonically diverse acts to be considered part of the first wave of British punk. Spanning numerous decades, projects and literal continents, the sprawling array of visionary contributors return with the succinctly titled Horror; a work written towards the end of 2022 that showcases their expansive yet solely unique approach, drawing on elements of dub, country, harsh noise, rock & roll, electronica, punk, music hall, polka and even waltz. Myriad vocalists lead differing sonic journeys such as the Jon Langford-led 'Mudcrawlers' telling the story of the Irish famine and subsequent refugees traversing to Wales, whereas Rico Bell leads the charge on the harrowing folk-horror climate change breakdown 'Fallen Leaves', with swelling violins painting an aural tapestry akin to Rolling Thunder era Dylan sitting on a dimly lit rolling green hill accompanied by The Pogues. Ranking somewhere between the collective's 23rd to 25th album (depending on which member of the fanbase or artists themselves you ask), Horror marks their first work for Fire Records.
Review: Based in New York City, YHWH Nailgun (pronounced "Yahweh") are a newfound experimental noise-rock four-piece who have varied acceptance on what can be deemed "noise". Built around the ludicrous percussive ability of drummer Sam Pickard whose use of rototoms conjures an organic yet mechanistic pulse, warped and compressed guitars collide with an array of synths and electronic elements all infused with the suffocated, ranting, rambling, unhinged shrieking of vocalist Zack Borzone. Their debut full-length 45 Pounds bubbles with a similar art-noise sass-punk quality to very early HEALTH (before they rebooted as the industrial-metal trio they're known as today) yet attempting to still fit in with the likes of The Jesus Lizard or Chat Pile. They don't whatsoever, and they're all the better for it, as these unhinged 21 minutes condense saccharine, bubblegum machinery into some of the most frenetic compositions recorded all year. Just because it can only be described as "noise-rock" doesn't mean it necessarily sounds like noise-rock.
Review: Never too shy for irony, Australian rock band from Melbourne, Amyl and The Sniffers, are keeping the mullet cuts and beer spitting sound of the southern land's sound well alive. It's Rough Trade that have taken up Amyl and The Sniffers for their debut album recorded in Sheffield with Ross Orton towards the end of 2018. Six months on and the four piece are rattling the walls more than ever with a raucous ballyhoo of garage-punk that sees the band's ferocious Pouges-y mix of Irish drunkenness hit the wall with the Californian sounds of Pennywise and Australia's own Frenzal Rhomb. With thrashings of guitars, unique and raw Australianisms, and sweaty, smashing drums: Amyl and The Sniffers are popping off.
Review: Originally released in 1977 (the year that punk died), 'Rocket To Russia', still stands as arguably one of the most vital punk staples to ever come out of the genre. The strength of lead single, 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker', was enough to secure the band a deal with Sire Records, who would front a hefty sum for the budget, which was poured into production costs. Admittedly, the project didn't sell in the high regions the members had hoped, citing the influence of the Sex Pistols as a negative blanket over the scene, but the more psychedelic, surf-rock sonics may have been too much of an outlier for the time. While sporting another essential cut in the form of, 'Teenage Lobotomy', as well as the iconic rendition of, 'Surfin' Bird'; the album would mark the final endeavour of all four original Ramones before drummer Tommy would depart, whilst remaining on as producer for the acclaimed follow up the next year, 'Road To Ruin'.
It's A Long Way Back To Germany (UK B-side 1978) (2:15)
Come Back, She Cried AKA I Walk Out (demo 1978) (2:18)
Yea, Yea (demo 1978) (2:02)
Please Don't Leave (demo 1980) (2:20)
New Girl In Town (1983) (3:24)
Bumming Along (demo 1983) (2:15)
Unhappy Girl (demo 1983) (2:21)
No One To Blame (demo 1983) (2:23)
Roots Of Hatred (demo 1983) (3:30)
My-My Kind Of Girl (acoustic demo 1983) (3:00)
Street Fighting Man (Walter Lure vocals 1984) (2:51)
I'm Not An Answer (Dee Dee vocals demo 1984) (2:14)
Planet Earth 1988 (Dee Dee vocals demo 1984) (2:55)
Review: The first volume of a two-part collection, this impressive compilation chronicles the lesser-known recordings from the black leather jacket-clad kings of punk and (more importantly) New York. The two volumes of Rare Ramones present a selection of B-sides, demos and previously undiscovered rarities, with entry numero uno covering the beginnings of the band, starting with the mythical Slug demo recorded in 1977 and finishing in 1984 with early sessions of material that would eventually appear on the latter-day catalogue staple Too Tough To Die. An absolute treat and essential grab for any Pinhead worth their salt.
Review: Though much of the devout U.K. Subs fanbase will insist that the band's debut full-length Another Kind Of Blues is the begin and end-all of the pub-rockers turned punk icons seminal offerings to the punkosphere, both their legendary frontman Charlie Harper and guitarist Nicky Garratt have previously stated that they believe their fifth LP Endangered Species is their crowning achievement. With lyrical cynicism showcasing Harper's razor sharp wit and riffage that simultaneously reflects the burgeoning hardcore scene forming across the Atlantic in 1982 (an era that saw the first batch of albums from future legends such as Black Flag, Negative Approach and Circle Jerks) whilst furthering their own brand of homegrown rock-centric punk into frenetic new directions, the work was severely ahead of its time with regards to where punk was at and where it was heading, with bangers such as the title-track or sarcastic 'Down On The Farm' still going as hard today as they did over four decades years ago.
Review: This Midwestern emo classic gets its first vinyl reissue since the album's initial release in 1995. Like true audiophiles, the album - often shortened to just Shmap'n Shmazz - has been remastered from the original tapes. For those wondering, Cap'n Jazz are trailblazers in their field - widely recognized for having shaped the sound of mathy Midwest Emo. And after they left Cap'n Jazz, the members formed a slew of other terrific groups, including the mighty American Football, who are regularly lauded as pioneers. But 30 years on from their sole release, Cap'n Jazz are quite rightly ready for their victory lap. Immerse into cuts such as the timeless 'Little League' and the high-octane 'In The Clear', where the yelpy vocals and pummeling drums are the essence of high-octane rock n' roll, and you'll get the fervour surrounding them.
Review: Dead Kennedys' best frontman Jello Biafra's onetime collaboration with the band D.O.A. produced this hardcore punk gem - 'Last Scream Of The Missing Neighbours' - which fused the best of both bands' sounds, while namechecking every popular and/or political scandal at the time, such as Willie Horton, the Iran-Contra Affair, Oliver North, and the US crack epidemic. Just six tracks on this indelible EP, now reissued via original label, Alternative Tentacle do well to satirize the powers that be in true punk fashion, culminating in the 14-minute military meat-grinder that is 'Full Metal Jackoff'.
Review: Following two sold out farewell shows at the Scotiabank Arena in their hometown of Toronto at the end of January 2025, Canadian early 2000s pop punk megastars Sum 41 have bowed out gracefully upon their own terms. With that sombre farewell in mind, what better time to repress and revisit their surprisingly dynamic back catalogue of records, including 2007's much underrated Underclass Hero? Their fourth full-length (or possibly fifth, as many fans still often debate whether 2000's Half Hour Of Power can be considered their debut album) marked the first of two consecutive projects without founding lead guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, who would amicably depart to focus solely on his Brown Brigade solo-work. Following up the thrash-metal indebted mature left turn that was 2004's Chuck, which truly began to take shape on 2002's snarling The Offspring-worshipping grunge-punk career height Does This Look Infected?; losing their highly skilled axeman known for his juxtaposition of face-melting guitar solos next to anthemic hooks, led to somewhat of a revert to the more familiar pop-punk joviality of their earlier work, yet bolstered by more seasoned songwriting chops. Utilising an extensive array of acoustic guitars, synthesisers and a more expansive sonic scope to make up for their whittled down line up, the material has often been compared to that of Green Day's high-concept theatrical opus American Idiot or My Chemical Romance's even bolder The Black Parade. At a hefty (by punk standards) 52 minutes, this was the band's lengthiest LP to date, boasting some of their most dynamic and heartfelt cuts such as the triumphant opening title-track as well as the emo-tinged skate-punk longtime fan favourite 'Walking Disaster', culminating in a (now) near two-decade old pop punk rock opera. A bold swing for the fences in search of new direction, the Underclass Hero deserves your sincere reappraisal.
Review: The complete studio recordings from Austin, Texas noise rockers Scratch Acid - all remastered from the original tapes. Formed in 1982, they received minimal attention outside their hometown scene and their time as a band was short-lived as they split in 1987. Nevertheless, the band members have punk rock CV's for the ages (frontman David Yow formed The Jesus Lizard with bassist David Sims) and they leave in their wake a treasure-trove of frenzied, darkly-atmospheric tunes. The recordings, which you leave you dumbfounded how they didn't become more popular, are the perfect companion to messy nights in. Instead of looking like a hipster-by-numbers and putting Nick Cave's The Birthday Party on - put a track from this collection on instead; say 'Owner's Lament'. It's way cooler.
Review: Australia isn't the first location to pop into your mind when the word punk is mentioned, but Brisbane trio The Saints were actually the first band outside the US to release a record in the genre, beating luminaries like The Damned and Sex Pistols to the title. Eternally Yours was their second album and brings a raw, unapologetic energy to vinyl with its blend of punk rock, garage and power pop. Kicking off with the iconic 'Know Your Product,' the album hits hard, capturing the essence of the band's bold, infectious live sound, with tracks like 'This Perfect Day' and 'Private Affair' lacing catchy melodies with a defiant attitude. A forceful energy and sharp sound in full force.
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.
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