Ghoulies - Shafted By The Algorithm

Holy hell: 2025's first great punk rock album is a ripper! Ghoulies hail from Perth and kick up a tremendous racket on their new long player Shafted By The Algorithm. These 12 tracks will batter you senseless in a way that's positively thrilling. Style-wise, this is fast and frenzied garage punk with demented synthesizers. Alec Thomas and Charles Wickham takes turns writing and singing these songs, which blaze by at 100 miles per hour and smash everything in their path. It's hard to even put a label on this record. Is this egg punk on amphetamines? Is this hardcore with synths? All I know is that the intensity, unrelenting weirdness, and pure fury of this record are off the charts from wire to wire. And these songs aren't just wild and crazy —they're genuinely good. Out of 12 tracks, only one of them needs to go past two minutes. If a few of these songs had gone any longer, someone might have gotten hurt. What a brilliant album! Vinyl will be out on the German label Erste Theke Tontraeger in March.

-L.R.

https://erstetheketontraeger.bandcamp.com/album/ett-095-the-ghoulies-shafted-by-the-algorithm-lp
https://ghouliesperth.bandcamp.com/album/shafted-by-the-algorithm-2
https://open.spotify.com/album/7BUQUHRuiLOXpBnHlykjvg
https://www.instagram.com/ghouliesgram

MONONEGATIVES - Counterclockwise Interjection

The last time I checked in on MONONEGATIVES, these London, Ontario based synth-punk sensations had just released their incredible album Apparatus Division. Somehow I slept on three additional singles last year and was determined not to miss another one. Well, I kind of did: MONONEGATIVES' new single on Dowd Records,  Counterclockwise Interjection, sold out in the 7" and 3" vinyl formats almost immediately upon its release. However, this single is very much still available in digital form and features two of the best tracks MONONEGATIVES have ever done! One of these songs, "Consumer Trust," was meant to be vinyl-only. But after the incredible response to the vinyl release, the band decided to have Tremendo Garaje premiere the song digitally on its YouTube channel. Lead man/creative genius/architect of the madness Rob has declared "Consumer Trust" his legit favorite MONONEGATIVES track ever. With that in mind, Tremendo Garaje took the liberty of reversing the order of the tracks on YouTube. "Consumer Trust" truly is a remarkable track. I love the way this song uses the synthesizer not just as background but as a true artistic tool to create a tone and mood. If you want to hear a full realization of what the genre of synth-punk ought to be, both of these tracks are highly recommended. The strange future is now the present, and MONONEGATIVES have provided the soundtrack!

-L.R.

https://mononegatives.bandcamp.com/album/counterclockwise-interjection
https://www.instagram.com/mononegatives/

Priors - NEWNEWNEW

Back with their first new music since the superbly blistering My Punishment on Earth was released in late 2020, Montreal's Priors show no signs of letting up on the force and intensity. NEWNEWNEW, the band's new EP, unleashes three tracks of an appropriate tenor for a self-proclaimed "fuck you to the industry." As always, Priors take the best elements of nightmarish synth-punk, pummeling garage punk, and bleak post-punk to create a ferocious sonic concoction that is uniquely theirs. All three of these tracks are truly formidable. "Expelled Virtue" marries angular guitars to a vocal fury rendered almost surreal by Max and Chance's skillful production. The title track is a straight shot of aggressive punk rock that flat-out rips. "Voice of Reason" is synth-punk with just the right balance between the synths and the punk. These tunes will get you fired up for the next Priors album -- which is already recorded and could possibly see the light of day by year's end. Now available as a strictly digital release, NEWNEWNEW is highly recommended listening if your ears yearn for a good clobbering.

-L.R.

https://priorsmtl.bandcamp.com/album/newnewnew
https://www.facebook.com/priorsmtl

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. 

-L.R.

https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/apparatus-division
https://mononegatives.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mononegatives/
https://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/bigneckrecords/

Andrew Anderson - Music Album Idea

This is my second day in a row reviewing an album that was inspired by and recorded during COVID-19 quarantine. I can guarantee you there will be more of these reviews to come. When musicians are placed in a position of having to stay at home, what do you think they're going to do? They're going to make music, of course! Sometimes that means writing songs. Sometimes that means performing on live video (and for all of you people who are griping about the current omnipresence of these videos, nobody's forcing you to watch them....so quit your bitching!). Sometimes it means making an entire record and releasing it online. That's what Andrew Anderson (Proto Idiot, Hipshakes, Freak Genes) has done. Music Album Idea is his second solo album in less than five months. He set out to record and release one song every day while under quarantine in Bulgaria. After 11 days, he had himself an album!

I've been an admirer of Andrew's talents for quite a long time, and a project like this really gives me a deeper understanding of who he is as an artist. You might already think of him as an unconventional and rather unique songwriter. But Music Album Idea is far more experimental and idiosyncratic than anything Andrew has done before. I appreciate the spontaneity of coming up with a new song every day and putting it out there permanently. This is so different from the way recording an album usually works: where you write dozens of songs, throw out most of them, and agonize for weeks or even months on every minute detail of the tracks you finally chose to record. I would not necessarily want to listen to every band's "instant album", but I was certainly drawn to this one because I'm a big fan of Andrew Anderson. And Music Album Idea is not your typical COVID-19 concept record. It's more like a journey into the mind of one person living in isolation. Sure, "Living In The Egg" is about how quarantine is like being trapped in...an egg! And Andrew's descent into madness on "Crooked Mile" might be a musical reflection of how a lot of people are feeling right now. But there are lots of little slices of everyday life events as well: noticing the cat outside that comes to stare in the window, learning a new language, watching a documentary on a disappearing village in Bulgaria, and being awed by a mountaintop monument. I love the story behind "Transparent Shelter" - which was made with a Vermona synthesizer that Andrew purchased from a man in Asenovgrad. The man had bought the synth for his son in hopes that he might someday be a musician. Well the kid grew up to be a doctor, and the synth didn't come out of the box until Andrew purchased it. "Transparent Shelter" finds him experimenting with his new toy and recording the results.

Because Music Album Idea is so driven by synthesizers and all the creative possibilities they enable, Andrew Anderson comes off here as not just a songwriter but also a composer. At times, you'll hear echoes of his other bands ("Ten Ten" and "Gotta Move" could probably be Proto Idiot or Freak Genes songs). But for the most part, Andrew goes wherever his mind takes him without any regard for where these songs may fit. I especially like the playful instrumental "Intro" (which Andrew describes as "Steve Reich meets Steve Wright"). I find "Julian" to be an exceptional song - and not just because I love cats. The funky "Gotta Move" ought to be an anthem for these times. And "Monument" has a chilling beauty to it that is probably unprecedented in Andrew's catalog. If you're a fan of Andrew Anderson as I am, I highly recommend Music Album Idea. And be sure to click on the individual song links in Bandcamp. Most of them include pictures that help tell the story of the song!



-L.R.

https://rigmarolerecords.bandcamp.com/album/andrew-anderson-music-album-idea

Mononegatives - Sure Shock

Ready to have your ear-hole ripped open?! Mononegatives have a new 7" called Sure Shock on No Front Teeth Records that will slash at your senses and catapult you to the darkest recesses of your mind. The Canadian trio (featuring members of Isolation Party and Klazo) delivers five tracks of raw punk meets new wave/synth-punk on this high-anxiety smasher of an EP. There's definitely a pronounced Screamers/Tubeway Army vibe here, but it's mixed in with a modern-day ripping lo-fi punk sound. All in all, this is a highly original and fascinating take on punk rock meets new wave. It's dark and discordant yet also full of bouncing energy. It's punk as fuck yet weird as hell. And I dig it! This is like what '70s punk would have been if the robots had taken over! Currently the 7" is available in the U.K. from No Front Teeth. A North American release is expected very soon as well. In the meantime, all of Mononegatives' digital releases can be purchased for cheap via Bandcamp. Don't miss the instant classic track "5 Second Future"!



-L.R.

https://mononegatives.bandcamp.com/album/sure-shock 
https://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/ 
https://www.facebook.com/mononegatives/ 
https://www.facebook.com/No-Front-Teeth-Records-117591658310943/ 

Telegenic Pleasure - self titled

Now here's a real super-duo for you! Telegenic Pleasure is Marco from No Front Teeth Records, The Gaggers, Miscalculations, Disco Lepers, Stalin Video, etc. teaming up with Rob from Isolation Party, Klazo, Mononegatives, etc. You could say that both of these guys are kind of prolific! Together they've just released their killer debut album on No Front Teeth. This is London, England meets London, Ontario, and you know to expect something unique and cool with these two involved! I love the vibe of this record - it's synth-punk with an emphasis on the punk. These songs are dark and weird and raw and sharp, perfectly mixing first wave U.K. punk with art-damaged new wave and post-punk. Marco's snot-bomb vocals are immediately recognizable, and there is much shared musical DNA here with his other bands. I'd say Telegenic Pleasure is a little more "punk rock" than Miscalculations and clearly more electronic/futuristic than The Gaggers. But these songs also have Rob Brake's signature all over them. He has envisioned a chilling soundtrack for a doomed post-modern world. Songs run the gamut from abrasively raging ("Sealed Off") to more robotic dystopian ("Vision Burns"), with stops at all points in between. Whether you're more into the synth or the punk, this is an album you are sure to enjoy (although I don't know if "enjoy" is the most suitable word!). As is often the case with NFT releases, there are multiple versions of the LP release for you to check out if you're a collector of cool things. Get on it!



-L.R.

https://telegenicpleasure.bandcamp.com/releases 
https://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/ 
https://www.facebook.com/No-Front-Teeth-Records-117591658310943/ 

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. 

http:/wandarecords.de
https://www.facebook.com/wandarecords

Stitches v. Miscalculations!

Talk about a clash of the titans! I can't think of two bands in the world that are better suited to collaborate on a split than The Stitches and Miscalculations. Musically speaking, they are true kindred spirits. When I heard that they'd done a split, I thought that had to be the best idea since the deep-fried Oreo. So, then...does the actual product (out on No Front Teeth Records) live up to expectations? Of course it does! The concept is that both bands take a signature song of theirs and do it two different ways. There's a "punk" side and an "electro" side to this split - each featuring both bands. And what blows my mind is that I don't necessarily prefer the punk side!

The Stitches' contribution to the punk side is a previously unreleased version of "Automatic" mixed by Pete Dee from The Adicts. Miscalculations answer with "Factory Life" - a great track in an early Buzzcocks meets Warsaw vein. Even if those had been the only two songs on the record, I would have been totally happy. I love this alternate mix of "Automatic", and "Factory Life" is one of Miscalculations' best songs to date. But the electro side pushes this split from good to truly great. Both tunes from the punk side are reinterpreted in a synth-punk/new wave fashion, and it's like they're entirely different songs! The Jet Set electro version of "Automatic" is the closest thing I've heard to The Screamers in a long time, featuring one of Mike's snottiest vocals ever and utilizing synthesizer with the seeming intention of ripping open your eardrums. Brilliance! Meanwhile, "Factory Life" gets an icy Gary Numan style makeover. In art, film, and music alike, I've always been a huge fan of 1970s visions of the future. That's what this version of "Factory Life" reminds me of, especially combined with the stark minimalism of the packaging and artwork. I'm struggling mightily to determine which of the two versions I prefer. Five years ago, I would have picked the punk version just on principle. Today, I'm calling it a tie. Good on Miscalculations for constructing a song that works equally well in both modes!

As you might expect, vinyl copies of this highly collectable split are going fast. So get on it now it if you still need a copy. Having received word that Miscalculations have already completed a second LP, I am understandably psyched! Hopefully we'll be hearing that in a few months. In the meantime, be sure check out their first one if you haven't already!



-L.R.

http://miscalculations.bandcamp.com/album/7-split-with-the-stitches 
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/