The Gaggers' final single!

My fourth time posting on The Gaggers will unfortunately be my last. The Gaggers - probably my favorite punk band of the last few years - recently called it quits. But while London's snot-punk kings will be severely missed, not all the news is bad. The silver lining comes in the form of the long-awaited release of the "missing" tracks from the Rip You Apart recording sessions. That's right: we get one last Gaggers 7", and it's a total killer! "Bad Taste", "Summer Of Hate", and "Grown Up Fast" date back to 2008 and feature the band's original three-piece lineup with Busy Signal on drums. These songs were supposed to be on the band's debut LP but were left off in the interest of keeping the album lean and mean. But by no means are they "lesser" tracks compared to the rest of Rip You Apart. I mean, come on. There's no such thing as a second-rate Gaggers song! 

Listening to these tunes, I'm quickly reminded of why I went so crazy for The Gaggers in the early days of this blog. These songs are vintage Gaggers - filthy '77 punk with throat-slashing guitars and snotty as hell vocals from the inimitable Terminal Gagger. Think Jabbers, Pagans, and Dead Boys with an English point of view. "Bad Taste" can instantly be added to the list of classic Gaggers tracks. Right off, I'm pumping my fist in the air and shouting along to that scathing chorus. And "Grown Up Fast" proves to be the real gem of the lot - a true punk rock anthem and a fitting way for this great band to bow out.

No Front Teeth Records proudly offers three versions of the "Bad Taste" 7". There's the regular version with the multi-colored sleeve, a limited version with a red-toned sleeve, and a super limited version with comic cover art and Gaggers postcards designed by Jackie Sudden from Jet Comix. Order any or all of these versions while supplies last! What a run this band has had over the last seven years: nine fantastic singles, two superb albums, and a leading role in England's most formidable wave of punk groups in three decades. The release of "Bad Taste" is a wonderful thank-you to fans. And we fans, in turn, thank The Gaggers for all the amazing music!

-L.R.

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Stalin Video: the debut album!

If you described Stalin Video as The Gaggers meet Now in 3D, you'd be literally correct. The trans-Atlantic super-group Stalin Video features members of these two recently defunct bands joining forces and merging their signature sounds. Animalistik is the band's debut album, and it's a Grade A ripper. Throw the snotty punk rock of The Gaggers into a blender with the scuzzy synth-punk of Now In 3D. Toss in a lyrical obsession with murder, torture, and large scale brainwashing. The resulting concoction is hard to swallow yet nothing short of extraordinary. What else would you expect from a band with a genocidal authoritarian dictator for a mascot?

Don't let the synths and robot man backing vocals fool you. Animalistik is not some brooding post-punk art piece. It's a punk rock record all the way - and a crackling one at that. Imagine The Screamers on a dystopian sci-fi bender, covering an entire volume of Killed By Death. The lyrical vision is deeply disturbing, yet fantastically open to interpretation. Is this a glimpse at a nightmarish future, or are we already there? It's chilling to envision killer dogs roaming the streets and evil doctors experimenting on live subjects. And "My Face On Your Head" is a mind fuck I'm still struggling to process. Yet songs like "Animalistik Journalist" and "Suspekt" seem more topical than speculative - reminders that the human horror show is already well in progress. Terminal Gagger, reborn here as Vinny Stalin, spits out every gruesome detail with a fury bordering on delirium. And musically, Stalin Video is the best of the two worlds its unites: fast and frantic, with a whole lot of electro creepiness bubbling under. This may seem like an odd choice of words, but this is a thrilling record. These songs have a way of compelling you to sing along - which is a total blast until you realize what's coming out of your mouth. I'll never look at a Lincoln Continental the same way again.

Animalistik is that rare punk rock album that manages to be different yet completely great. I have to admit I'm usually lukewarm on synth-punk. But to me, this record would not have worked without the synths. The precise combination of influences that makes up Stalin Video has yielded something truly special. And so far, it's definitely the punk rock record of the year. If you're bummed that The Gaggers are no more, the dark offerings of Animalistik ought to lift your spirits. Get it from Wanda Records!



-L.R. 

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The Gaggers blame you!

Not all of the great 1977 U.K. punk albums came out in 1977. A few came out in '78 or even '79, and I can think of one that arrived 34 years after the fact - The Gaggers' smashing debut Rip You Apart. It definitely merits a place on your record shelf next to your well-worn copies of Never Mind The Bollocks, Damned Damned Damned, and Eater's The Album. It really is that good - and even the more modern acts it's drawn comparisons to (Stitches, Briefs) are similarly devoted to the original sound of punk rock. If you don't already own this album, I'm giving you one week to acquire a copy before I'm forced to intervene for your own good.

Needless to say, The Gaggers had a lot to live up to on their much anticipated follow-up to Rip You Apart. I would have been perfectly happy if these Londoners had, in the grand tradition of '77 punk, delivered a sophomore album that was 80 percent as good as their debut. But in all honesty, they've really outdone themselves. New album Blame You was three years in the making and totally worth the wait. It'll blow your head off! What I like about this effort is that The Gaggers still sound like The Gaggers - yet you can hear an obvious progression in both their sound and their approach to songwriting. The slashing guitars and snotty vocals are still there - and the vitriol emanating from Terminal Gagger's filthy mouth has not lost even the slightest edge. But the band shows plenty of new ideas and infuses slight touches of art-punk/new wave/whatever you wanna call it into its razor sharp attack. I don't think "maturity" is quite the right word to describe what they've done with this album. But there has definitely been an evolution in their sound over the last few years. A couple songs even cross the four-minute mark - and they're among the best tracks on the album!

Blame You is exactly what it needed to be. Far from a mere rehash of Rip You Apart, it's the logical next phase of The Gaggers' sonic destruction mission. It's better produced and more thoroughly thought-out than its predecessor. The band comes out swinging with the snot-drenched belter "Steal Your Girl" - as pure of a blast of punk fucking rock as you could ever hope to hear. Terminal Gagger sounds like his head might explode, and Dagger Gagger channels Johnny Thunders and Cheetah Chrome in one fell swoop. Once these boys get that first punch in, you just know it's on. Tracks like "Raw Nerve" and "Deface Me" are every bit the smashers their titles promise, while the stinging "Instant Low" immediately joins the short list of all-time great Gaggers tracks. And if every great punk album needs a brilliant closer to leave a proper lasting impression, "Make A Mess (Outta You)" definitely fits the bill. Even a happy-go-lucky fellow like me can't help wanting to kick someone in the head after listening to this song! Having left a calling card like this, you know The Gaggers aren't about to mellow out anytime soon. And the world is far better for it. 

While it did take three years for Blame You to see the light of day, you certainly can't accuse The Gaggers of being unproductive. The band's latest single, "Instant Low", is already its 7th (and already sold out!). If you're able to track down a copy somewhere, do it for the great non-LP B-side "Gagging For You" (which, as you can probably guess, is not a love song). And if, like a lot of people, you've missed out on a few of The Gaggers' 7" releases (they usually sell out in two blinks of an eye), Wanda Records has issued a dandy singles compilation called Rip You Off that features a killer selection of out of print material from 2009-12. If you've been dying for a second chance to own classic tracks like "Two Fingers Down My Throat" and "Outta Your Mind" on vinyl, your dreams have come true!

Two years ago, I suggested that The Gaggers were the best punk band on the planet. And Blame You only strengthens my case. Love it or shove it!



-L.R.

http://wandarecords.bandcamp.com/album/blame-you-lp-teaser
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Fun with Gaggers and Stitches!

Woo! So after 16 years, Jim at Rapid Pulse Records finally gets the one band he's always wanted to have on his label. No doubt he's released stuff from bands similar to The Stitches, but there's nothing like the genuine article. Mission accomplished! Jim can now retire to a luxurious life on a 500-foot yacht. He will welcome visitors every other Tuesday.

Rapid Pulse and No Front Teeth have proudly collaborated to release perhaps the snottiest split 7" in the history of time. Featuring exclusive tracks from the Stitches and Gaggers, it simply can't miss. And it doesn't! On one side, you have the long-ruling degenerate legends from southern California. On the other, you have the unruly up-and-comers from London who are poised to inherit the throne. And the winner here is....you, the record buyer!

With its snotty, demented vocals and flamethrower guitar leads, "Without You" sounds like classic mid-to-late '90s Stitches. Oddly enough, it's a leftover from the 12 Imaginary Inches sessions. If it didn't quite fit in with the Stitches' early 2000s art-damaged direction, it's still up there with the better stuff from the band's storied heyday. And since the pure '77 snot-punk sound is more my thing anyway, I'm a happy camper. Hard to believe this full-on rager is just seeing the light of day in 2013. Lohrman sings like he has totally lost his mind! If you're like me and cherish your vinyl copy of 8 x 12 like it's a precious jewel, "Without You" will be your favorite Stitches song in years.

While I led this piece with the Stitches, I could just as easily have declared The Gaggers the main attraction. "Gag On This" just might be the band's signature song - a frenzied blast of snot and scum that will leave you feeling violated (and thoroughly delighted!). It's seriously got one of the best vocals I've ever heard on a punk rock song, and again The Gaggers sound like they just stepped out of a time machine from 1977. Take whatever you imagine to be snotty punk rock and double the snottiness. Hell, just go ahead and triple it. That's what The Gaggers sound like. I hear an obvious Stitches influence along with a big dose of the Jabbers, and the guitars remind me of early Buzzcocks. Those who lament the loss of good old fashioned "fuck you" sentiment in contemporary punk music will have their hearts warmed by the Gaggers' unrelenting depravity and hate. This track is everything punk music should be - raw and wild and sure to offend the delicate sensibilities of everyone you truly despise. It's the best pure punk song I've heard since The Inversions' "Hung By the Phone" ten years ago (which, by the way, was also released on Rapid Pulse!).

So here's the deal, folks. This is the single of the year by far and a true instant classic of punk rock. It's one of the greatest bands of today versus one of the greatest of all-time. I think anyone would have been happy with just any two songs from these bands, so it's especially cool that they both came through with A-grade material. So quit your bitching about the punk rock of today being sub-par and cough up six bucks! Operators are standing by!

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-L.R. 

http://www.undergroundmedicine.com/rapidweb/
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The freaking Gaggers, man!

Holy crap, did it really take me a year to finally write about the almighty Gaggers?! Shame! Better late than never, I suppose. If we're talking the greatest punk rock bands walking the Earth today, The Gaggers are top five at least and making a frantic push for #1. And for sure they've got to be the best band to come out of England in...well...a long fucking time! If you played a Gaggers record for someone, you could easily pass it off as some forgotten gem of punk greatness from the first wave. With most bands you can tell that they're newer groups emulating the sounds of long ago. Not so with The Gaggers. They are 110 percent the real deal. I haven't heard a new punk band sound this delightfully raw and fantastically snotty since The Prostitutes first set fire to my eardrums back in the mid-'90s. High praise for sure, and this band more than merits it. Any time people talk Gaggers, certain references pop up. Pagans. Jabbers. Dead Boys. Germs. I don't disagree, but The Gaggers don't sound like they're copying those bands. They sound far more like a band that could have existed alongside those groups 35 years ago. Their guitar sound is filthy and ferocious. Their lyrics are nasty and uncouth. They play with destructive abandon, yet their songs are catchy as hell. And if you like "snotty" vocals, these guys have the best out there right now. When these blokes say they play "in your face, spit in their arse punk rock", they're not kidding!

Already on its second pressing (the first sold out in a day!), new single "Psychosomatic" is the first Gaggers release to feature their new-and-improved four piece lineup. The title cut just might blow your head off! In my book, it's an instant classic. Think Registrators' Terminal Boredom meets Stitches' 8 x 12. You Killed By Death geeks are gonna go bananas! On the flip, "Can't Control My Eyes" is another snot-rocket set to explode in your face. Prepare yourself!

Why is this record selling like hotcakes? Uh, because it's freaking awesome! If you don't like this, you're either half-dead or a closet Nickelback fan. Bring on that new LP!



-L.R.

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