Showing posts with label Big Neck Records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big Neck Records. Show all posts

Sunday, July 12, 2026

Bart and the Brats - Brats Being Brats


Bart is back! Out on Big Neck Records, Brats Being Brats is the 7th 7" record from La Rochelle, France's one-man wrecking crew Bart and the Brats. The title says it all. You should expect nothing different than usual from Bart. He's not attempting five-minute epics or trying to learn a fourth chord. He's not singing about his feelings. He's here to deliver four more tracks of thumping meat and potatoes rock 'n' roll that bridges the 1977 punk explosion to the '90s budget punk heyday. Expect vocals drenched in attitude, lyrics that tell it like it is, pummeling power chords, rapid-fire drums and bass, and songs that never overstay their welcome. Who can't relate to songs about killing your TV and needing three coffees before noon? As always, Lo'Spider was on hand to catch this madness on tape at Swampland, Toulouse. As France shows the whole world that it's unbeatable on the football pitch, Bart and the Brats would make one hell of a run if there were a World Cup of punk rock. Vinyl is limited and sure to go fast!

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Saturday, June 13, 2026

Piss Poor - Under Attack


I love the band name Piss Poor since that was one of my dad's favorite adjectives when I was a child in the '70s and '80s. And based on the name, you can probably surmise that this Connecticut-based band (another Jeffrey Thunders jawn!) doesn't fall into the easy listening category. Out on cassette tape on Big Neck Records, Piss Poor's new EP is as old school as it gets. Think OG hardcore a la early Black Flag and Void with a touch of Germs reckless danger and Samoans get-bent attitude. The band tears through 6 tracks in 7-and-a-half minutes in a bruising style that very much lives up to a title like Under Attack. You know what to expect: guitars that go through your bones, stabbing bass lines, and a singer who really knows how to holler. This is relentless, real deal stuff from a band that's poised to make some serious noise. Fucking excellent, pure and simple!

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Saturday, July 19, 2025

Gino and the Goons and Chinese Junk - Talk Trash With


Out on Big Neck Records, we've got ourselves a garage punk split LP of epic proportions. Gino and the Goons (USA) and Chinese Junk (UK) are two of the biggest names in the game. They've joined forces to deliver a stone cold ripper of an album called Talk Trash With. Each band contributes five songs in its signature style — the venerable Gino and the Goons pounding out rip-roaring, booze-soaked degenerate rock 'n' roll and Brit knuckleheads Chinese Junk blasting snotty, lo-fi garage trash like the '90s never ended. I appreciate that these two bands have different styles yet totally fit together on the same record. This album was made to be cranked at maximum volume while you pound cheap beer and contemplate who you're going to flip off next. Gino and the Goons have a really good new album out on Slovenly Recordings, and their contributions to this split are even better. I can easily imagine this band tearing into "Come On and Shake It" and blowing the roof off of some sweaty dive! This is the rock 'n' roll that your parents, teachers, and pastor warned you about! Songs like "Shut Up About the USA" and "Crimewave" capture Chinese Junk doing what it does best: smashing it up at full speed and full fury. If real deal garage punk rock 'n' roll is your thing, this album is a for-sure must-buy. 

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Friday, January 03, 2025

The Battlebeats - Live at Northspace Garut


Have I ever reviewed a live album before? I'm generally not a fan of live albums, but there are some exceptions to the rule. One is the new live album from The Battlebeats, Live at Northspace Garut. First of all, the recording sounds genuinely good. Fidelity-wise, it is comparable to the band's studio releases. Just as importantly, this album gives you a feel for what The Battlebeats sound like as a live full band as opposed to a one-man recording project. Given that I've ranked The Battlebeats in the top tier of today's garage punk/trash/budget rock universe, a quality live album definitely strengthens my case. 

The set was recorded by Rully Dentharza on November 11, 2023 and then mastered by Odie Fury. Andresa says this was one of his favorite Battlebeats live shows, and you can sense why when you listen to this recording. The energy and ferocity that are such a key part of The Battlebeats' studio releases are every bit as impressive in these live tracks. This whole set is played and sung with full fury. If you're a Battlebeats fan, this album will make you wish you were at this show, and it will have you hoping you get to see the band live someday. The set list features many favorites from the Search and Destroy album plus 7" cuts like "Killed by Boredom," "Get Lost," and "I'm Losing Control." The latter, one of the best Battlebeats songs, gets expanded to ten minutes thanks to a whopping eight-minute (!) guitar solo by Ferdy, who was helping to buy time for another band on the bill that was running late. Now that's the kind of spontaneous magic that you want to hear on a live record! This is a freaking great live album that truly exemplifies what wild and raw garage punk is all about. If this is your introduction to The Battlebeats, it will make you want to hear the rest of their music. And if you love The Battlebeats' music, you must own this live album. A cassette recording is available from Big Neck Records!

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Saturday, July 15, 2023

Chinese Junk/The Vains - split 7"


Well here's another great split for the garage punk faithful! Chinese Junk and The Vains are two bands I've recently featured. I will gladly gobble up another platter of punk rock goodness from each! Chinese Junk from the U.K. is one of our best modern-day budget rock bands, and The Vains are an all-star international collaboration between the artist known as T.J. Cabot and the Connecticut punk rock institution Mitch Kramer. Brassneck Records & Big Neck Records (it's a meeting of the necks!) have gotten together to release a 7" record featuring these two most excellent bands. Fortunately, none of this is half-assed throwaway material. Chinese Junk recently released one of the best albums of the year, and their three contributions to this split are in their signature style of Rip Off Records meets early Ramones. You would expect nothing less from the undisputed kings of pound shop rock. "Bugged Out" is the hit here. With its lyrics about being fed up with the human race, it's definitely an anthem for our times. The next track is called "My Neighborhood is Killing Me." I'd say that's pretty self-explanatory. "I Think I'm Gonna" is a Loli and the Chones cover and a nod to an obvious inspiration. On their side, The Vains continue to turn out an old school punk sound that combines rock and roll influences with an aggressive edge. Imagine early Black Flag playing Angry Samoans songs with Johnny Thunders on guitar. Tyler's vocals are super ferocious, and he goes into some awesomely dark territory with the lyrics. If my math is correct, The Vains have now released all but one of the tracks they recorded. So if you're like me and want more releases from these guys, start sending fan mail and writing checks. 

If you're gonna do a split 7", this is how it's done: bring together two equally great bands with similar but far from identical musical aesthetics. If you dig one of these bands but weren't familiar with the other, now you have a new band to love! Vinyl is limited to 250 randomly-colored copies, so get busy buying!

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Friday, June 30, 2023

Chinese Junk - Fly Spray


Now this is how you do it! U.K. trio Chinese Junk captured my attention last year when Big Neck Records released their Raw Deal EP here in the States. I quickly identified the "kings of pound shop rock" as a band of considerable promise. That promise has been fully realized on the full-length release Fly Spray — also released by Big Neck. Fly Spray is the kind of record I don't hear enough of these days — a throwback to the lo-fi garage punk budget trash that ruled the '90s. Imagine if the Rip Offs had been a little more into the Ramones and a lot dumber (in a good way). From the first chord, Fly Spray is a head-bobbing, toe-tapping, shout-along good time. Over the course of 14 tracks, the band crosses the two-minute mark only once (on the band anthem "Budget Stomp") and clobbers you with songs about electric chairs, unwanted callers, plastic surgery accidents, day drinking, pest control, and being overworked and underpaid. And the tender love ballad "I Don't Know What I Want (But I Know That You Ain't It)" is not to be missed. Seriously: it takes real smarts to write songs this stupid! Fly Spray is an absolutely brilliant effort and a shining example of what all garage punk should aspire to be.

-L.R.   

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Thursday, September 15, 2022

Bart and the Brats - self titled


Following a 10", a 7", and a split 7" with Take the City, France's Bart and the Brats have unleashed their proper debut LP via two of the greatest punk record labels ever: No Front Teeth and Big Neck Records. And as expected, it's a smashing slab of wax! Bart and the Brats are the solo project of the prolific punk musician Bart De Vraantijk (Pneumonias, Wild Zeros, Teenage Hearts, The Janitors, etc.). With this project, Bart hones in on the classic '77 punk sound — taking equal inspiration from both sides of the Atlantic. If you dig The Kids, Zeros, the first two Ramones albums, and the tougher/snottier side of early U.K. punk, then Bart and the Brats will be right up your alley. You know I'm always a sucker for the classic '77 sound, and Bart really hits the sweet spot on these 12 ripping tracks. He knows how to write a rockin' punk tune that will get your head bobbing and your toes tapping. There's no fooling around here: every song gets the job done in two minutes or thereabouts, and then it's on to the next one. With this being a Bart De Vraantijk project, you know you're getting a little of that garage/budget rawness in the production and performance. But stylistically, this album is all about the sound of '77. Bart is a master at writing catchy tunes that are chock full of attitude, and he has delivered the goods on this self-titled release. If ever an album existed that needed to be co-released by Big Neck and No Front Teeth, this is the one!

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Sunday, June 26, 2022

The Battlebeats - You Don't Know Me


Boom! The greatest '90s garage punk band of the 2020s continues soothe our ears with its gloriously thumping racket! Out now on the legendary Big Neck Records, "You Don't Know Me" is the third 7" release from Bandung, Indonesia's The Battlebeats -- and the second of three singles due out from this band in 2022. In the same vein as the recent EP Killed By Boredom, "You Don't Know Me" updates The Battlebeats' primitive budget rock assault with a tougher edge and a higher quality of production. While Teengenerate and '90s Goner Records remain the obvious reference points for Andresa's songwriting, these tracks also dig back into the primordial ooze of '70s American punk rock and old school garage rock. These are killer tunes -- some of Andresa's strongest yet in terms of both composition and performance. This is the kind of record that Big Neck would have been proud to have released 25 years ago. How fortunate we are to have this label still going strong at a time when bands like The Battlebeats are on the rise! If you're looking for some real deal garage punk rock and roll to rip through your earhole, this is the noise you need!

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Tuesday, March 01, 2022

Chinese Junk - Raw Deal


How about more hot stuff from the always great Big Neck Records! The label's latest release is a four-song tape from London-based trio Chinese Junk. Featuring ex-members of The Ulcers, Griswalds, and The Unreleasables, Chinese Junk are the self proclaimed "kings of pound shop rock". The appropriately-titled Raw Deal sounds like the best thing that Rip Off Records never released. It tears through four tracks of fast and snotty lo-fi punk rock in just a tick over five minutes. Song topics range from dead-end towns to being broke to cheating girlfriends to X-ray vision. Now this is my kind of garage punk! Or should I say pound shop rock? These tunes have all the necessary ingredients: energy, catchiness, and attitude for days. What a brilliant release! If you long for the later '90s heyday of trashy garage punk, Chinese Junk is the band for you!

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Saturday, February 12, 2022

Klazo - 'Demik Dementia


Holy smokes, do we ever have a ripper here! Brace yourself! London, Ontario duo Klazo plays fast & ferocious punk rock that meets at the intersection of early hardcore, post Reatards garage-punk, and old school Rust Belt punk rock. A co-release between Big Neck and No Front Teeth Records, its new album 'Demik Dementia is a goddamn classic upon arrival. This is truly a vintage Big Neck Records release! The one-sheet summarizes it as "blaster tracks with compulsive yelling amplified by fire, alcohol and carbon monoxide poisoning," and it would be futile for me to try and come up with a better description. How can just two people kick up a racket this enormous? On this release, Rob and Jesse tear through 11 tracks that smash everything in their path. And while the sheer force and manic energy of the music are undeniable, what separates Klazo from so many other bands of this style is that they've got songs. And I love how the band complements all the killer original material with unbelievably awesome covers of a couple of classics: PACK's "Nobody Can Tell Us" and Electric Eels' "Jaguar Ride". Those cover selections give you excellent reference points for what Klazo is all about, and the band totally crushes both songs. 

'Demik Dementia is reminiscent of a whole lot of great records that came out in the early-to-mid aughts. But as the title suggests, it's fully imbued with the anxiety, despair, and rage of this unprecedented moment in our existence. If you love garage trash, Killed By Death comps, or just great punk rock in general, you need to be all over this release!

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Sunday, May 30, 2021

MONONEGATIVES - Apparatus Division


Call it synth-punk, electro-punk, post-punk, punk/new wave, or whatever you like. Just know that MONONEGATIVES do it better than almost any band out there. On its debut album Apparatus Division, the London, Ontario trio has condensed all the anxieties and terrors of present times into a 12-track synth-punk masterpiece. Out on the legendary labels No Front Teeth and Big Neck Records, Apparatus Division expands and refines the musical vision of last year's extraordinary EP Sure Shock. A laboratory analysis of MONONEGATIVES' musical DNA would confirm the group's ancestral relations to Devo, Wire, The Screamers, Joy Division, and Tubeway Army. But this band manages to take those influences (and others) and craft a sound that comes off as original and contemporary in the modern-day dystopian nightmare of 2021. 

I would still describe MONONEGATIVES as a band that puts the "punk" in synth-punk. 10 of these dozen tracks clock in at under three minutes, and four come in under two. These guys still can rip into a song with speed and fury. But even with the relatively short running times, a lot of these tracks find the band slowing tempos and using synthesizers to create tone and atmosphere. The approach to songwriting is so creative that some tracks are like two songs in one -- transforming from moody post-punk to a raging ball of fire without warning. I like how this band takes full advantage of synthesizers in punk rock. The synths are not just there as background -- they are central to the songs and developed with a composer's mentality. Impressively, the band pulls off a sound like this that successfully mixes the primal guts of garage/punk with the synthetic sensibilities of electronic new wave. It's all part of a larger artistic vision that also encompasses the band name, song titles, and art work. Apparatus Division is the sort of album that ought to be absorbed with headphones. Just press play and let MONONEGATIVES pull you into their wild, strange world. Are you entering a surrealist future or just the frightening present that your conscious mind won't allow you to acknowledge? The answer is open to interpretation. 

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Monday, December 16, 2019

Gino and the Goons - Off The Rails

And now the other shoe has dropped! It was just a month ago when I promised that the fourth album from Gino and the Goons would quickly be followed by a fifth. And here it is on Big Neck Records - an absolutely legendary label for real deal punk rock and roll! The Gino/Big Neck alliance was truly a match made in heaven, and Off The Rails does not disappoint. I already made my case for why anyone who loves rock and roll needs Gino and the Goons in their life. I'm going to direct this particular review to those who are already fans. My message is simple: you need this goddamn record! Off The Rails is similar in spirit to the recently released Do The Get Around. This is the Goons at their loudest and loosest - the group powering through ten smoking tracks of wild '50s rock and roll meets blistering Stooges sleaze meets sloppy '70s punk meets '90s garage punk trash extraordinaire. But the band's secret weapon for this release was the one-and-only Jim Diamond, who was enlisted to mix and master these songs. I didn't think it was possible to make Gino and the Goons sound any wilder and crazier, but this production has done just that! The album title says it all. Gino and the boys absolutely tear it up, and from the first note it's sonic wildfire. This is the perfect combination of music that makes you wanna dance and music that makes you wanna raise hell. And isn't that just about everything that rock and roll should ever aspire to be?! Capturing the essence of live rock and roll on record is easier said than done, but I swear that if you close your eyes you'll actually think you're at a show. You can practically smell the sweat and cheap beer. "On My Way" and "She Can Take It" have already been previewed online, and honestly the whole album is of the same caliber. "Got No Friends" is THE rock and roll anthem of 2019 - a song that's sure to have people everywhere gleefully shouting along to the line "I'm annnnnnnnti-social!". If you already finalized your top ten albums of the year list without accounting for the imminent arrival of Off The Rails, you might as well tear the whole thing up. Gino Gambino for president!



-L.R.

https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/gino-and-the-goons-off-the-rails 
https://www.facebook.com/GINO-and-the-GOONS-269493892726/ 
http://www.bigneckrecords.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/bigneckrecords/ 
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