TJ Cabot & Thee Artificial Rejects - Demos Recorded in the Anus of the Maritimes

TJ Cabot & Thee Artificial Rejects' Demos Recorded in the Anus of the Maritimes arrived in a mysterious package with a return address simply stating "Atlantic Canada" and a warning about the explosive capabilities of its contents. I donned protective gear and dug in, quickly receiving a jolt of trashy, aggressive punk rock that practically screamed 2005. Remember that period of time when raw, blown-out garage punk got even rawer and more blown out? TJ Cabot & Thee Artificial Rejects have taken up that crusade, walking that fine line between being really catchy and hurting your ears. On this recording, the band tears through 10 tracks of ripping garage punk that's informed by everything from the Stooges to the Saints to the Angry Samoans to Sick Thoughts (no alliteration intended, except perhaps by the band itself).

Forensics tests have indicated that more than one maritime province may have had a hand in the ultimate completion of this project, although my geography team has not been able to fully verify the accuracy of the album title. Suffice it to say that this is the garage punk album of the year so far. The tunes are killer, and the sound is lo-fi in a super tough way. "I Am The Enemy" had me bobbing my head with such a raging intensity that objects were flying off my desk and pets were glaring in disapproval. "Occipital Neuralgia" is what might happen if you tried to re-write "I Got A Right" to make it even nastier. "Vile Converted Mind" is obnoxious Samoans-inspired budget trash worthy of 1999. "Using You/Using Me" sounds like it could have been the lead track on a Rip Off Records 45 from the label's heyday. Since this is a purely digital release, I can't quite tell you to place this album on your shelf next to your Real Losers and Catholic Boys LPs. But I trust you to use your imagination. If pandemic punk turns into its own genre, this is your new gold standard.

Editor's note: Due to a legal dispute with Millhouse Deville, several tracks from this original recording have been removed from Bandcamp. My sources tell me that a mysterious third party will be intervening to bring the missing material back into circulation. I will keep you posted.



-L.R.

https://tjcabot.bandcamp.com/album/tj-cabot-thee-artificial-rejects