Motormouth - self titled 7"

 

Motormouth, a new trio out Brussels, has debuted with a four-song 7" that should excite any fan of old school punk rock. Comprised of Angelo from Warm Toy Machine, White Fangs, and Permanentz and Morgan and Mathieu from Immigrants, Motormouth doesn't fool around on this self-titled release. The band smashes through four blistering tracks of snotty three-chord punk rock in just under seven minutes. The band's attack is fast & aggressive but certain to keep your toes tapping. "Code Brown" is practically hardcore, and "Too Tough" will go over nicely with the pop-punk crowd. But all in all, Motormouth falls into the category of pure punk rock. These guys aren't reinventing the wheel, and we thank them for that. This thrilling release is available now from Madrid's Take the City Records and Frantic City Records' new subsidiary Roaring Blood.

-L.R.

https://roaringblood.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-7
https://takethecityrecords.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-7-pre-order

The Prostitutes - the last two

This is my 11th time reviewing The Prostitutes for this blog, and it looks to be the last. The last two is the title of the latest single from The Prostitutes -- signaling a defined ending to a 27-year institution of American punk rock. And if these really are the last two Prostitutes tracks, it's great to hear this band going out exactly as it came in: with absolute fury. Even with its modern edge in production and guitar tone, "Sick to Death of Myself" has the feel of a classic Prostitutes song. Let me correct myself: it is a classic Prostitutes song. It knocks my head off in the same way that songs like "1-2-3 GO," "Twenty-Two," and "Living Wreck" did back in the day. This is raging, explosive punk rock from a true master craftsman of the form. From Pennsylvania to Ohio to Long Beach, California to Pennsylvania again to Baltimore to Ohio again with an ever-changing supporting cast, Kevin McGovern has kept The Prostitutes going strong for two-and-a-half decades plus. And now is the right time for him to close the book on this musical entity as he moves on to other things (most immediately the truly excellent Trouble Seekers). And so these last two tracks (recorded in 2020) complete a discography that includes two full-length albums, five 7" singles, 12 digital singles/EPs, and one un-released album. If you have somehow been living under a rock since 1996 and never experienced The Prostitutes, I can't recommend the Complete Recordings 1995-1998 compilation enough (in my book, Can't Teach Kids Responsibility is a top five 1990s punk rock LP). For those of you who are longtime fans, I assure you that you will find the last two to be a fitting swan song. Tonight I will drink to the storied legacy of The Prostitutes -- and to new beginnings for the force of nature that is Kevin McGovern!

-L.R.

https://theprostitutes1.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-two
https://www.instagram.com/tutespunk/
https://linktr.ee/TheProstitutes

Tenement Rats - Sods Law

Following three killer singles released 2016-18, Los Angeles punk trio Tenement Rats finally release their debut LP. And it's a doozy! Out now on No Front Teeth Records, Sods Law features ten tracks of snotty '77 punk rock that take inspiration from both sides of the Atlantic. This is what you'd call a vintage No Front Teeth release: a non-stop barrage of three-chord punk bangers full of attitude and aggression. No track surpasses two-and-half minutes, and song titles like "Decease and Exist," "Exterminator," and "Nerve Gas Love" give you a great idea of what to expect. This is old school punk rock in its rawest and most exciting form. As always, the lineup features Jonny Watkins on guitar & vocals and Shaun Clark on drums. Tsubasa Muratani from Rough Kids plays bass. Together these guys tear into these tunes with power and ferocity. If you have a soft spot for the more pummeling side of '77 punk rock, you need these filthy rodents in your life!

-L.R.

https://tenementrats.bandcamp.com/album/sods-law
https://www.facebook.com/tenementrats/
https://www.instagram.com/tenementrats/
https://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/

Fried e/M - Modern World

Are you ready for a kick in the teeth? How about 11 kicks in the teeth?! Modern World is the long-awaited debut long player from Missouri's Fried e/M, and this thing will absolutely pummel you! Each track is a short & intense blast of total sonic aggression. The sound is reminiscent of the earliest American hardcore: fast and blistering as hell, but still rooted in old style snotty punk rock. The guitars, drums, and bass all hit so hard. And the vocalist is absolutely phenomenal. This dude is no run of the mill screamer. Every word he spits out exudes attitude, indignation, and a complete disdain for everything and everyone. None of these songs even get close to two minutes in length. And they're all total rippers. Remember when you listened to punk rock for the pure nihilistic thrill of it all? Fried e/M sure does. If you're into the Circle Jerks, Germs, The Lewd, early Black Flag etc., you need to be all over this shit!



-L.R.

https://friedem.bandcamp.com/album/modern-world
https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/modern-world

Sanguisuga - self titled

Does Marco Palumbo ever sleep?! In addition to running the illustrious No Front Teeth Records, he's also managed to release music with his bands Miscalculations, The Gaggers, Telegenic Pleasure, The Flesh of the City, La Rabbia, Cold Callers, Disco Lepers, and Botox Rats all within the last four years. He couldn't possibly have had another band in the works, right? Wrong! He created Sanguisuga with some band-mates of his, and for good measure he's singing everything in Italian! Is there anything this guy can't do? I swear he's going to be the first punk singer to perform on the moon! Sanguisuga (translates to "leech") has released its self-titled debut album on Wanda Records. Stylistically, this isn't far from the Gaggers (you can especially hear it on "Disumanizzato" and "Serpente Odioso"). Think razor-sharp '77 punk snot with a hint of Killed By Death influence. Obviously I don't know what the lyrics are, but I'm 100 percent sure Marco isn't singing about sunshine and roses. His caustic, snarling vocals are immediately recognizable in any language. There are some interesting touches in the songwriting on this record. "Guerra Psicologica" reminds me a little of The Stitches, while "Esistenza Inhumana" is firmly in modern punk/post-punk territory. "Declino Sistematico" has an early '80s SoCal vibe to it with the melodic guitar and backing vocals. This debut from Sanguisuga is full of snotty punk bangers that are sure to please fans of any of the aforementioned bands. It's one thing to be merely prolific, but it's another thing entirely to be in all of these bands and consistently turn out killer recordings. Yet another top-notch effort from Marco and friends!



-L.R.

https://wandarecords.bandcamp.com/album/same-5 
https://sanguisuga.bandcamp.com/releases 
https://www.facebook.com/wandarecords/ 

The Prostitutes - Nineteen

I recently did a Facebook post asking people to name "the five greatest punk rock bands from the state of Pennsylvania". As far as those types of posts go, I usually let my friends do the talking and withhold my own opinions. I'm actually thinking about doing a full top ten list that I'll publish here. But I will tell you this: my #1 greatest Pennsylvanian punk band, without a doubt, is The Prostitutes. That might have even been true if the band had broken up 20 years ago. But I continue to be awed and inspired by the amazing music Kevin McGovern continues to turn out under The Prostitutes name - now 23 years after the release of the band's debut single.

Now based in Baltimore, The Prostitutes in their latest incarnation are a tight power trio also featuring JR Matthew on guitar and Barry Jewels on drums. The recent digital single "Cheap Highs" was a clear indicator that the 2019 version of The Prostitutes are a major force to be reckoned with! In short order, the band is back with another outstanding single that's available as a name your price download from Bandcamp. "Nineteen" is like the older, wiser counterpart to the band's classic song "Twenty-Two". It's a tale of aimlessness, dead-end employment, and rampant chemical abuse. Except in this case, the lyrics come from a place of perspective and reflection. I think most of us have those moments where we look back upon on our younger selves and think, "What in the hell was I doing?!". If you're a great artist like Kevin McGovern, you turn those thoughts into a song. This is exactly the kind of music you would hope to hear from a punk band nearing the quarter century mark of its existence. Lyrically and musically, it's informed by life experience and personal growth. Yet it still rages with a passion and purpose. Kevin doesn't rest on his past glories. Working with his new band mates and kindred spirit producer Tim Shock, he's moving forward! But don't for a minute think that means that he's fully retired his notorious nasty streak. "Not Around" is full of the blunt truth-telling and eloquent tongue-lashings that have been a Kevin McGovern signature for years. And it just straight-up rocks! "Now I'm leaving town/Low budget hearse in reverse" just might be the line of the year. This song is vintage Prostitutes, yet it feels updated for the musical landscape of 2019 punk rock.

If you had told 25-year-old me that I'd be reviewing The Prostitutes in 2019, I would have said, "No fucking way!" I certainly didn't foresee myself still writing about punk records when I was pushing 50, and I probably didn't foresee The Prostitutes making it out of the '90s alive. Yet here we are, and one thing that's become clear to me through the years is that punk rock is not something that people "outgrow". Over 40 is probably the median age of the people who read this blog and the members of bands I write about! I can sit here with a straight face and tell you I'm genuinely excited about The Prostitutes future. Whether you're a longtime fan or just hearing this band for the first time, "Nineteen" is essential listening.



-L.R.

https://theprostitutes1.bandcamp.com/album/nineteen-not-around
https://www.facebook.com/tutespunk

The Flesh Of The City - self titled

Strangely, yet another killer band from the Gaggers/Shanghai Wires/Miscalculations/Disco Lepers family tree has arrived with seemingly zero press. I figured that ought to change! With Marco Palumbo's lead vocals so immediately recognizable, you probably have a pretty good idea of what to expect from The Flesh Of The City. The band name alone makes it quite apparent that you're not in for any easy listening! In the most satisfying way, The Flesh Of The City manages to be the perfect combination of all of the bands referenced above. On this full-length debut, Marco and company deliver eight tracks of menacing punk rock blending snotty vocals, sharp guitars, and bleak visions of a world in despair. Songs like "Visceral Jolt" and "Inside You" lean a little closer to The Gaggers, while "Patron Saint" and "Other Peoples Ideas" would sound perfectly in place on a Miscalculations release. "Flesh of the City", the album's masterful centerpiece, is the best of all of Marco's projects condensed into a single song. I appreciate that the identity of this band is less about a particular musical style and more about the exploration of Marco's dark worldview. A brilliant artist in many regards, he crafts these depictions of life that are disturbing yet incredibly compelling. And the instant he opens his mouth to sing, he's got you hooked. If you long for a time when the lines between punk, post-punk, and new wave were virtually non-existent, this may be the album for you. Get it from No Front Teeth Records in the UK and Dirtyflair Record Company in Australia!



-L.R.

https://dirtyflairrecordcompany.bandcamp.com/album/the-flesh-of-the-city 
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/large-grid?lightbox=dataItem-jorncw86 
https://www.facebook.com/dirtyflairrecordcompany 
https://www.facebook.com/No-Front-Teeth-Records-117591658310943/ 

Trash Culture - Just A Ride

I love it when a band describes itself far more profoundly than I ever could. London's Trash Culture says it's "playing music because we have to, for if we don't we will kill our work colleagues". That's brilliant, and I don't doubt those words for a second! On its debut release, Trash Culture tears into eight tracks of fantastically pissed-off punk rock. Cunha on lead vocals sounds like he's fed up with everything and everyone, and for damn sure we're all gonna hear about it! (You can surmise that "I Wanna Die" is not a ballad). Musically, this is just straight-up ripping punk that recalls everyone from the Zero Boys to Anti-Nowhere League to the Dead Boys to GG Allin. Cunha is a real deal screamer, and these are songs you'll want to shout along with loudly while you pogo into the night. Ben Perrier from Los Pepes recorded and mixed this album, and it sounds crackling! Trash Culture likes to joke about being the opening band that nobody gets to see, but I have a feeling they'll be ascending to headliner status in short order. Here's hoping they someday come to the States and play with The Hot LZ's. Imagine the havoc they'd wreak!



-L.R.

https://trashculture.bandcamp.com/album/just-a-ride 
https://www.facebook.com/trashcultureband/ 

The Jackhammers - Your Problem Now

How about some PUNK ROCK today?! The Jackhammers hail from Glasgow, and their long list of band interests includes such things as belligerence, wanton destruction, auto-erotic asphyxiation, and public executions of bankers. Clearly this is not a group of sensitive singer/songwriters! Considering that these guys have cool names like Jim Shit, Andy Drankit, and Horace Cockpuppet, they certainly give themselves a lot to live up to. Well no problem, because their music rips! Your Problem Now is the band's latest 7", out now on the eternally dependable No Front Teeth Records. If you like raging old school punk rock with a nasty streak, the only thing that really needs to be said is that you need this record. What a crackler! Should you require any further hints about where these fellas are coming from, consider that they cover "Not Now No Way" by the almighty PAGANS and absolutely crush it! Get your mitts on this record, blast it obnoxiously loud, and piss off the neighbors. What else could you possibly need in life?!



-L.R.

https://thejackhammers.bandcamp.com/album/your-problem-now
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/large-grid?lightbox=image_rdc
https://www.facebook.com/TheJackhammers/ 

The Prostitutes - Don't Want A Future

If you had told me 20 years ago that I'd still be reviewing The Prostitutes in the year 2018, I would have thought you were nuts! At the time I didn't foresee The Prostitutes even making it through the '90s - much less another two decades on top of that. And the 26-year-old version of myself could not possibly have imagined that I'd still be writing about punk rock records in my later 40s. Yet here I am still, and here are The Prostitutes still. Don't Want A Future is the band's brand-new digital EP, released via Bandcamp this past Thursday. That might seem like an ironic title for a band that is 21 years past its debut release. Yet to me, it's perfect. After numerous implosions and reincarnations of this musical entity over two decades plus, Kevin McGovern has been the sole constant. As a singer, lyricist, and artist, he is truly one of a kind. He has taken The Prostitutes from Pennsylvania to Ohio to California and now back to Pennsylvania. With the exception of one song dating back to 1998 ("Give Me Head Or Give Me Death"), Don't Want A Future is essentially a recap of the last three years of Kevin's life. He's gone through some serious stuff, and I love that these songs reflect that. If anyone overheard you singing along to these songs, they would probably be worried for your mental health!

McGovern worked on Don't Want A Future with producer Tim Schock from August through November of 2017. While immediately recognizable as a Prostitutes recording, this EP shows considerable progression from the band's existing body of work. It's still very much inspired by classic punk rock, but you can tell that great time and detail were devoted to crafting and refining these songs. Compared to the raw adolescent fury of the band's early recordings, these songs are darker and more melody conscious, but no less raging. And there's just no mistaking that voice!

I have long considered The Prostitutes to be one of the greatest punk bands of my generation, and Don't Want A Future only enhances the group's legacy. It pretty much writes the book on how the punk genre can "mature" without losing its edge. Longtime fans will love these songs, but I don't think you would require a familiarity with previous Prostitutes releases to appreciate this EP. It very much stands on its own. I suppose at this point, nobody should be surprised that Kevin McGovern has turned out another punk rock masterpiece!



-L.R.

https://theprostitutes1.bandcamp.com/album/dont-want-a-future 
https://www.facebook.com/tutespunk 

Trampoline Team/MAMA - split 7"

So I have gone from a flurry of posts in July and August to very sparse activity in September. With school work again consuming most of my free time, the blog updates will likely be infrequent for a while. I do have a couple of album reviews (Role Models, The Safes) in the works, but they may take some time. With that in mind, I wanted to do a quick write-up on a release that a lot of you should be very interested in. Both MAMA and Trampoline Team are bands I've raved about recently. They've gotten together for a limited split 7" on Giveaway Records - a release that does not disappoint! I like that these two bands are very different yet still make an ideal pairing for a split. MAMA's two tracks are exactly what you'd expect: thundering '70s style arena rock with dual guitar leads and radio-worthy hooks. It's impossible for me to listen to "Double Trouble" and not imagine it blasting from the 8-track tape deck of a 1978 Camaro. Trampoline Team counters with a pair of tracks that are right up there with the songs from its recent 7" (the best punk rock single of the year, in my opinion). A title like "Headless Cock" sure promises a lot. And let me tell you, the song does not come up short! A la the band's previous hit "Drug Culture", this track comes on with exuberant dual vocals, great snotty lyrics, and an old school punk sound that's catchy yet totally ballsy. "Scrap Addiction" - reminiscent of the Ramones and Angry Samoans, is another infectious toe-tapper from this powerhouse New Orleans trio. 

Limited to just 100 copies, this split is available from MAMA's Bandcamp while supplies last. This will be the only vinyl appearance for MAMA's two contributions to the split. If you're just interested in the digital tracks, Giveaway Records has this split available as a free download at its Bandcamp. MAMA and Trampoline Team are two of the best bands out there right now. So I recommend you track down not just this split but also everything else both bands have released!



-L.R.

https://mamamamamama.bandcamp.com/album/mama-trampoline-team-split-7-ep 
https://giveawayrecords.bandcamp.com/album/trampoline-team-mama 
https://giveawayrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mama-trampoline-team 
https://trampolineteam.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/trampolineteamm/ 
https://www.facebook.com/MAMAbandchicago/ 

Trampoline Team - "Drug Culture"

After all of these years of listening to and writing about punk rock, it's still a real kick for me to hear a new record that absolutely knocks my head off. There's just nothing better. Less than 20 seconds into Trampoline Team's new single "Drug Culture", I found myself exclaiming "YES!" at a volume completely inappropriate for indoor conversation. I am not one to argue about what is or is not punk rock. All I can tell you is that if someone came to me and asked, "What's punk rock?", I could very well just play them this single and be done with it. This is how you do it, man: pummeling buzz-saw guitars, a full-on fuck-you attitude, and a beat that compels furious head-bobbing. After getting totally floored by the A-side, I figured there had to be a slight drop-off with the B-side. Turns out the only thing dropping was my jaw. "I Don't Play Games" is every bit as good and could easily be mistaken for the "hit" if you didn't know any better. This single is a smasher! It sounds like it could have come out in the heyday of Rip Off Records or even the late '70s/early '80s. Buying it (or anything else) from Trampoline Team's Bandcamp will help fund the band's upcoming tour of Europe. For information on how to procure a physical copy, hit up the band on Facebook!



-L.R.

https://trampolineteam.bandcamp.com/album/drug-culture-b-w-i-dont-play-games 
https://www.facebook.com/trampolineteamm/ 

Introducing Girl Drink Drunks!

Certainly this new era of digital music provides an instant gratification that was not available to us in previous decades. Remember when you couldn't hear bands unless you actually went out and tracked down their records? We could debate at length as to whether it was better that way, but it's hard to deny that there are certain advantages to our existing world of streaming and downloading. One major example is that you get to hear great new music almost instantly after it is recorded. Portland, Oregon's Girl Drink Drunks are the best new punk rock band I've heard in a good while, and they've been swell enough to give us a preview of their forthcoming debut LP. Without the wonders of modern technology, we might have had to wait months or even more than a year before these songs saw the light of day. This is the latest band from legendary Portland garage-punk howler Joel Jett (Flip Tops, The Minds) - who I consider to be one of the finest punk vocalists of my generation. Joining him in this band is a who's-who of Portland punk players including Rodrigo from Piss Test, Kevin from White Night, and Matt and Jonny from the mighty Hot LZs. With all of these guys involved, you know what to expect: straight-up pummeling punk rock with pissed-off vocals and lyrics. What's not to love about that?! The band is very motivated to get this record out. So if you run a label and like what you hear, get in touch with Girl Drink Drunks ASAP. This album is gonna be SO hot!



-L.R.

https://girldrinkdrunks.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/girldrinkdrunks/ 

Introducing Jonesy!

So I recently received a message from Vinny from The Fanatiques and Clean-Cuts - a Frenchman I can always count on to carry the torch for '77 style punk rock. He told me he had a new band going based in Montreal, Canada. Of course I checked the band out and was duly impressed. The group is called Jonesy, and its debut single is out now on the eternally dependable No Front Teeth Records. Essentially Jonesy combines the musical influence of classic '77 punk (Sex Pistols, Heartbreakers, Dead Boys) with lyrics influenced by the likes of GG Allin and The Dwarves. If you're easily offended, you may want to steer clear! But if you enjoy the sleazy side of '70s punk rock n' roll and can appreciate the humor/shock factor of blatantly distasteful lyrics, I think you're really gonna love this band! The Steve Jones/Cheetah Chrome style guitar work is absolutely ripping, and these songs totally lend themselves to singing along (although you may feel the need to take a shower afterwards!). I am very interested in finding out what Jonesy has in store for us on future releases. Will they get their minds out of the gutter? Do we even want them to? Another winning release from No Front Teeth!



-L.R.

http://jonesyrocknroll.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/jonesyband
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/large-grid?lightbox=image_oad 

Here are Tenement Rats!

There are few things I love more in life than '77 style punk rock. I'm especially pumped when I hear a band do the style so well that I can't believe the record wasn't actually made in 1977! Tenement Rats are a current band out of L.A. that sound so much like a real deal punk group from the '70s. I'm talking raw, primitive, and snotty as fuck punk rock that delivers a nasty attitude and killer tunes in equal abundance. The band's ripper of a debut EP is a new release on No Front Teeth Records, but it sounds like something that ought to be sandwiched in your vinyl collection between old 45s from The Users and Killjoys. Song titles like "Baby I'm Nauseous", "Do the Death Drug", and "Cold War Shithole" promise a certain kind of band, and boy do they ever deliver the goods! Seriously: this is the punk rock kick in the teeth that you've been waiting for! It comes as no surprise that members of No Front Teeth standouts Radiohearts and The Gaggers are involved with this group alongside singer/guitarist Jonny Watkins. I'm a huge NFT fan, and this is the best thing the label has released in a while...a must-have for fans of Eater, Slaughter and the Dogs, and GG & The Jabbers!



-L.R.

https://tenementrats.bandcamp.com/album/7
https://www.facebook.com/No-Front-Teeth-Records-117591658310943/
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/#!large-grid/c5hn 

New Gaggers single!

Yes, you read that right. Today's post concerns a new Gaggers single! And when I say new, I mean new for real. These aren't old songs that the band had lying around and decided to release. These are two brand-new songs for 2016. I know: you thought The Gaggers were broken up. So did I! But now they're back, and they're not going away anytime soon. You didn't think they'd let the world off that easy, did you?!

My first impression of this new single "Don't Follow Me" is that The Gaggers are showing quite a musical progression from their earlier releases. Every great punk band struggles with the question of how to move forward over time, and rarely is it the right move to keep making the same record over and over. The Gaggers seem to have found the perfect recipe for sustaining themselves as a punk band - updating their sound without fully abandoning their roots in Jabbers/Pagans/Dead Boys degeneracy. Marco's vocals are as snotty as ever, and the energy level is still at a 10. But I'm hearing way more going on in these songs - especially in the sophisticated guitar work and slick backing vocals. "Don't Follow Me" mixes elements of '77 punk and '80s new wave in a way that's highly creative yet still true to the band's identity. That guitar solo is something else! On the flip side, "1000 MPH" has a dark, desperate feel to it - demonstrating that "maturity" for a punk band need not come at the expense of intensity.

"Don't Follow Me" is available in three different versions from No Front Teeth Records. It's also available in the U.S. from Rapid Pulse Records - in a limited release of 60 copies. Wherever you may reside, don't sleep on this release. This is incredible new music from perhaps the greatest punk band of the present day. It's gonna go fast. Snag a copy here or here!



-L.R. 

https://www.facebook.com/ThE-GaGgErS-135749029825516/ 
http://www.undergroundmedicine.com/ 
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/ 
https://soundcloud.com/umed-jim/the-gaggers-dont-follow-me 

Introducing 12 Gauge Pinup!

Nothing gets me more pumped than reviewing The Prostitutes or any of Kevin McGovern's other bands! So it's fitting that this is F & L post #500. On multiple occasions, I've named The Prostitutes as the greatest punk band of the '90s. Kevin McGovern proved to be a force again in the 2000s - first with the short-lived Inversions and later with a California-based reincarnation of The Prostitutes. Now residing in Las Vegas, McGovern has begun a proper assault on yet another decade. And the world may never be the same. His new band is 12 Gauge Pinup. After only a couple of months together, the group has produced a debut EP called Grind. And just as I anticipated, it's a total ripper!

No matter where he lands or whom he plays with, Kevin McGovern always delivers the same level of quality. Unquestionably, he's one of the best punk vocalists of my generation. And he's one of the few genuine originals left in the punk world. He's in top form on Grind - and as fired-up as ever! We may have to wait a few more years, it seems, for a mellower Kevin. As the new band name suggests, this is not just The Prostitutes V. 4. It's a slightly different sound: darker, and with the added element of Dale Behringer's saxophone. But if you loved The Prostitutes, you will love 12 Gauge Pinup. I guarantee it! "Movin' Away" is classic Kevin McGovern, right down to the fierce, near-manic vocal. Give it a couple listens, and you too will be shouting the lines "I don't hear a single thing/When you talk talk talk talk to me!" in your best mock Kevin voice. You don't hear a lot of saxophone in punk music, but it fits in so perfectly here that you have to wonder why more bands don't try it! But while "Movin' Away" may be the obvious "hit", it's "Vegas Grind" that best showcases the distinctions between 12 Gauge Pinup and Kevin's previous bands. It builds from a menacing slow burn to the exploding raw emotion of the chorus - incorporating sax sounds that bring to mind those early Psychedelic Furs LPs. Fittingly, the song reeks of sleaze and sin and all things Las Vegas. 

Grind, along with the entire Prostitutes back catalog, is available as a free download over at Bandcamp. If you're a huge Kevin McGovern fan like I am, it goes without saying that this EP is mandatory. And for those of you not yet turned to the dark side, you can't deny that the price is right!



-L.R.

https://theprostitutes1.bandcamp.com/album/grind-ep-2
https://www.facebook.com/tutespunk

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.

http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Front-Teeth-Records/117591658310943

Return of the Disco Lepers!

So after a four-year hiatus, the mighty Disco Lepers are back with a vengeance! These Londoners continue their quest to keep punk music vile and offensive - having just launched a three-song sonic missile called "Open Sores" in advance of a new LP due out very soon. After ten years as a band, Disco Lepers can still be counted on to deliver straight-up snotty punk rock in the timeless Killed By Death style. The title track is a total smasher - the kind of irresistibly repugnant ditty that you've grown to expect from this lovable gang of scums. You will find not the slightest hint of "maturity" - the band tearing into this tune as if on a mission of destruction and Vinny spewing vitriol like he's trying to infect everyone within earshot. "God Bless Mark David Chapman" is blistering and catchy as hell - a modern-day response to that popular joke that was going around in the '80s about a Beatles reunion requiring "three more bullets". Yeah, of course they went there! Coming on in a noisier vein, "Carbon Black" is a parting shot of jagged unpleasantness that ought to leave you fully primed for the new album Sophisticated Shame.

Out on No Front Teeth Records, "Open Sores" is sure to sell out fast. So the time to jump on this bad boy is now. I highly recommend ordering the limited edition of this release - which features the second installment in the Jet Comix series (illustrated by the immensely talented Jackie Sudden). It's incredibly cool and a total must-have if you're a Disco Lepers/Gaggers/No Front Teeth fan. So if you'd like to see Disco Lepers embark on a time traveling mission to kill The Beatles, email the label at NFTzine@hotmail.com to make the necessary arrangements! And be sure to check out the brand new Disco Lepers Bandcamp page - where you can download all of the band's releases and listen to a teaser for Sophisticated Shame!



-L.R.

http://discolepers.bandcamp.com/
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Front-Teeth-Records/117591658310943

Introducing Paper Suits!

So when you think "punk rock from Cleveland", you have certain expectations. You think old school. You think raw, nasty, and gloriously unwholesome. You think beer bottles smashing heads and hipsters running for the exit. And that, in a nutshell, is Paper Suits. This is a new band featuring a couple of Plain Dealers and a cantankerous lead singer named Willie Lunchmeat. And for sure, these fellas are more than worthy heirs to the sterling legacy of Cleveland punk. The band has released two songs - which they've hilariously decided to price at $100 per download. So either they don't want anyone to own their music, or they'd like to find out who's stupid enough to pay that much. Either way, that's pretty much as punk rock as it gets!

Okay, so you're not going to shell out $200 to own these two tracks. But you can at least stream them over at Bandcamp and hope that there's a 7" in the works. "Hate This Place" is absolutely an anthem for our times - a hate-drenched anti-hipster rant that surely has G.G. Allin nodding his approval from the great beyond. "It's not '73, suburban metro queer/Disposable razors have been around for years" has to be the line of the year! "It's In The Milk" is more on the poppier side of '77 punk, but still snotty as hell and fantastically tasteless. It makes me wanna start pogoing in my basement!

Alright! Paper Suits are hands down one of the top new punk bands out there. If you dig snotty punk rock, give these tunes a listen!



-L.R.

http://papersuits.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/whitepapersuits