Stay Put/Fresh Specimen split tape

I've always had mixed feelings about split releases. On one hand, splits give you two bands for the price of one. But what if you only like one of the two bands? Then it's like you're getting only half a record for the price of one. And what if both bands are good, but they don't logically flow together on the same record? No such problems exist with a new split tape from Stay Put and Fresh Specimen — a couple of very cool bands from the southwest of England. This, to me, is everything a split ought to be. If you like one of these bands, you're almost certain to like the other. Stay Put from Plymouth features Sam Ratcliffe and Joe Prudames (As We Sink, Boxkite, etc.) veering away from hardcore punk and playing '90s-style college rock. The press release compares the band to a more pop Dinosaur Jr., and I totally hear that. I'm also hearing a Teenage Fanclub influence, and I've got no complaints about that. Stay Put's half of this six-song release delivers three tracks of highly melodious pop with just enough of a noisy edge. If you enjoy these songs as I do, you can check out two full EPs from Stay Put on the UK label Crew Cuts. Fresh Specimen from Falmouth features Roo Pescod (Bangers) and Charlie Murphy (a perennial favorite of this blog) splitting singing and songwriting duties. Rounding out the lineup are Cora Stocker, Ed Koral, and Hannah Gledhill. On its half of this split, this band stirs up my '90s nostalgia with a brand of melodic punk that's tuneful and guitar-heavy. I dig the sound, and I dig the songs. This is the band's debut release ahead of a full album coming in 2023, and I am super-stoked to hear more! 

Coming back to my original premise of this review, Stay Put and Fresh Specimen have collaborated on a split cassette which Roo Pescod accurately describes as "six songs of pretty glorious pop." Stay Put reminds me of bands that were my gateway to punk rock, and Fresh Specimen reminds me of bands that got me deeper into punk. I'm looking forward to hearing much more from both of these bands!

-L.R.

https://freshspecimen.bandcamp.com/album/stay-put-fresh-specimen-split

https://stayputhc.bandcamp.com/album/stay-put-fresh-specimen-split

https://www.instagram.com/freshspecimen/

https://linktr.ee/freshspecimen

Life Forms - self titled

I'm always a big fan of anything Charlie Murphy does. He's one of the most talented individuals in the modern punk rock universe. I've favorably reviewed six different bands of his, and today I'll make it seven! Life Forms, his newest band, began as a lockdown recording project. Life Forms have since become a proper band, and a debut EP is now available from Bandcamp for just £1. Murph recorded these songs with drummer Matt Cleave, his bandmate in The Red Cords. So right away, you know you're in familiar (yet somehow different) territory. What results is an EP that combines the best elements of all of Murph's projects. These songs are high-energy garage punk rippers with a post-punk edge, a touch of pop, and other-worldly lyrics. Songs range from fast and frantic ("Green Glare") to decidedly poppy ("Night Light Jellyfish") to wonderfully weird ("It Glows"). All throughout, you get a feel for what Murph does so well: write brilliant punk songs that make you wanna thrash about even as you uncover their hidden depths. Post-COVID life has filled all of our minds with disturbing thoughts, and luckily Murph channeled some of his into these most excellent songs. Now with a couple of gigs under their belt, Life Forms are a band of considerable promise. I'd advise you all to get in on the ground floor!  

-L.R.

https://lifeformsfal.bandcamp.com/releases

Freak Genes - Power Station

It is interesting that many modern-day "post-punk" bands will maintain a signature sound for years - as opposed to the bands that influenced them that were always evolving at a rapid pace. But then you have Freak Genes, who in less than four years have practically become a whole new band. Power Station, out now on Feel It Records, is already the U.K. duo's fourth LP. The band's growth between 2017's quirky, poppy Playtime and the strikingly synthetic Power Station has been dramatic and impressive. Yet if you listen to all four albums in sequence, you'd have to admit that the progression has been logical. Andrew and Charlie formed Freak Genes in the spirit of experimentation. Together they found a place where oddball songs of theirs that didn't quite make sense for their other musical projects could fit together perfectly. And while Playtime was brilliant, the band could never consider repeating the formula - because there never was one to begin with! And so Andrew and Charlie pushed onwards, gradually creating a musical identity for Freak Genes that's been distinctive yet constantly evolving. With each record, the duo has increasingly experimented with synthesizers, drum machines, and electronic sounds. And that takes us to Power Station, which the band has described as "synthetic pop for problem times". The vibe of this record is a fantastic cross between 154 era Wire, synth-pop circa 1981, and early '80s arcade game sound effects. Everything from the cover art to the album title to the songs themselves screams 1980s retro futurism. And yet this record is more of an update on '80s synth-pop than it is a proper throwback. This is no rehash of the old wave - it's the start of a new one. And after 40 years, I'd say it's about time. 

Andrew and Charlie walk a very fine line on Power Station. On one hand, the album so fully embraces the electronic/synthetic aesthetic that one has to listen very closely for evidence that any "traditional" musical instruments were utilized in its creation. But the success here is that this largely machine-made album is by no means devoid of emotion or humanity. Across their bold and interesting evolution, Freak Genes have remained a pop group through and through. Personality prevails, and the machinery is just the means to an end. These songs still possess honest-to-goodness melodies, which have come into fruition through tremendous creativity and a skillful melding of electronic sounds. This is unquestionably the "darkest" Freak Genes record, which seems completely appropriate at this moment in time. Yet it's far from a fully bleak affair. It still has its "pop" moments ("Chat" has all the basic elements of a "classic" Freak Genes song; "Let's Get To Work" is a snappy little piece of electro-funk; the title track summons the spirit of new wave era Devo). The longer, more sophisticated compositions ("Followed It Down", "Ford Fairlane", "You're Taking Me Over") are something akin to futuristic symphonies. And ultimately, these "deeper" cuts are the ones that have impressed me the most as I've spent more time absorbing Power Station as a whole. As with every successive Freak Genes release, this album is a more cohesive and fully realized creation than the one that preceded it. Given that I am most often inclined to prefer simplicity over invention in popular music, it's somewhat surprising that I am so fond of this album. But perhaps what pleases me is that these two have found a way to experiment with their craft without losing the most essential qualities that make them such a delightful musical duo. They seem to have stumbled upon an artistic path that is limited only by their collective imagination. And so I'll close with one of my go-to reviewer clichés: I can't wait to hear what they do next!

-L.R.  

https://freakgenes.bandcamp.com/album/power-station
https://www.facebook.com/thefreakgenes
https://www.feelitrecordshop.com/collections/feel-it-releases

Isolation - self titled

Well you know I like my post-punk to lean a little a more towards the punk. And if that's the case, Falmouth's Isolation is definitely my cup of tea. This band is actually 3/4 of Internal Credit (Rob, Jo, Charlie, to be exact), and there are certainly similarities between the two groups. You can still hear that high energy raw punk sound in Isolation, but with darker post-punk influences mixed in. This sounds like the kind of band that would have existed right at the dawn of post-punk: when the lines between punk and "post" punk were blurred. I'm reminded quite a bit of Warsaw, and I'm figuring that the group taking a Joy Division reference for a band name is a clear nod to that. Driven by Jo's propulsive drumming, these songs have the power and vigor to satisfy any modern-day garage punk fan. Yet their bleak undercurrents are palpable and (sadly) suited to our present state of affairs. A truly great debut - and you can download it for free!



-L.R.

https://isolationfal.bandcamp.com/album/isolation 

Internal Credit - II

Who says all sequels suck?! Falmouth's Internal Credit return with their second EP, which turns out to be every bit as crackling and frenetic as its predecessor. Our second dose of Internal Credit arrives just four months after the first - a testament to both the roll this band is on and the more sublime possibilities of our digital age. Again these guys are really pushing the tempos. At a running time of just two minutes & ten seconds, opening cut "Find You're New" is the "epic" of this set. Otherwise, tracks are whizzing by in well under two minutes. I would still describe the sound as garage/post-punk with an emphasis on the punk, but with poppy hooks and a speed approaching hardcore. That's a whole lot of cool stuff going on, but the execution is thrilling in its simplicity. Within seconds of pushing play, I find myself running wildly around the house and pumping my fist in triumph. Internal Credit just sounds like a band that has tremendous fun playing punk rock, and not surprisingly that leads to music that's tremendously fun to listen to. When I first checked in on Internal Credit, they were still preparing for their first gig. Now they've got gigs under their belts, t-shirts for sale, and a second EP to their name. Blink and you might miss a feature film and triple album!



-L.R.

https://internalcredit.bandcamp.com/album/ii
https://www.facebook.com/internallycredited

Freak Genes - III

The always wonderful Freak Genes are back with what is already their third album in 20 months. On Qwak Qwak, you could hear Andrew and Charlie flirting with electronic instrumentation. III (out on Drunken Sailor Records) finds them all-in on synth-pop. Think more 154 era Wire, less Pink Flag. That's quite a leap for inside of two years, but in my business we call that a "natural progression" (Wire themselves did the same thing!). Everything that was charming, wonderfully weird, playfully non-conforming, and non-conventionally catchy about the duo's first two albums remains fully in tact. Perhaps the more cohesive synth-pop sound makes this particular album feel less all over the place. But I can assure you that it is still somewhat all over the place! The one-sheet promises "garage rock meets Gary Numan", and tracks like "Get Ready To Go" and "Strange Light" deliver exactly that. You can pick up the influences immediately yet still recognize distinct qualities of these guys' other bands. They are never afraid to experiment, but they always come back to writing memorable tunes with hooks. Meanwhile songs such as "Breach" and "Now It's Done" demonstrate that even synth pop era Freak Genes have not totally left post-punk behind. And if your favorite part of every Freak Genes album is coming across a song that makes you go "I don't know what the hell this is, but I sure like it!", "Stitches" and "Close Up" are oddball tracks that you will surely enjoy. There will never be such a thing as two Freak Genes songs that sound the same. Is it just me, or could "Nothing In Between Us" pass for one of The Cure's "poppy" songs?!

I can't fully put my finger on what delights me so much about Freak Genes. I think it's that they've made me fall in love with post-punk and new wave again. This was music I grew up on, yet I've been mostly lukewarm on its modern adherents. Charlie and Andrew take those influences and actually have fun with them. Even if there's a dark turn or two on III, it remains a joyful musical creation that's an absolute pleasure to listen to. Originally inspired by the idea of recording misfit songs, Freak Genes have become a misfit band (and that's a lower case "misfit"....these guys are probably 20 albums away from attempting horror punk). And I hope that's what they continue to be forever.



-L.R.

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/iii-lp 
https://www.facebook.com/thefreakgenes/ 
https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenSailorRecords/ 
http://www.drunkensailorrecords.co.uk/products/637628-freak-genes-iii-lp-drunken-sailor-records-drunkensailor-106

Internal Credit - Internally Credited

My New Year's resolution to write about more new bands is not so challenging when I come across music this good! Internal Credit is about as new as it gets. From what I can gather, this digital EP Internally Credited is the band's first release. This is some truly great punk stuff from Falmouth, UK! Charlie Murphy, one of my favorite people in music, is part of the lineup. But the rest of the band was already playing together before he joined, so you won't want to classify this as another "Charlie project". The full lineup is Rob Camp on bass, Jo House on drums, Morgan Mathews on guitar/vocals, and Charlie on guitar/vocals. I would describe Internal Credit as garage punk with the emphasis on punk. I just love the rawness and energy of these six tracks. For the most part, the band plays fast and furiously, with absolutely tremendous enthusiasm. I wouldn't call this "pop" punk, but all of these songs are quite tuneful and seemingly crafted for the purpose of singing along. Songs like "Paint Flakes" and "Other Ways" barrel along with a hardcore urgency and just might leave you catching your breath. You can hear the old Charlie Murphy influence rearing its head on "Today, Alright" - and that's never a bad thing! "Need To Turn" is definitely "anthemic" punk rock that will have you shouting along at home (or at the gig!). "Grey Photograph", with its chaotically poppy charm, kind of takes me back to the heyday of bands like The Real Losers and Hipshakes.

Internal Credit is the best new punk group I've heard in a good while. After twenty-some years of writing about music, I still get excited hearing punk music stripped down to its essence and played with maximum gusto. Listening to Internally Credited, I can't help envisioning what the band's live performances are like. I imagine kids dancing like crazy, shouting along, and just having a generally wild time. Those of you in southwestern England can find out for yourselves when Internal Credit plays with Youth Avoiders in Bristol on April 18th. Might as well familiarize yourself with the songs now!



-L.R.

https://internalcredit.bandcamp.com/album/internally-credited-ep 
https://www.facebook.com/internallycredited 

Monitor Shocks - M.Rutt - Soft Device

As a lover of music and literature, I find it very cool when those two arts forms come together.  Monitor Shocks is the name of a project that combines music, comics, and short fiction. It's the creation of Charlie from Red Cords, Freak Genes, etc. I've been a big fan of his music in recent years, and I'm really into the idea of this project. This particular installment of Monitor Shocks centers around a fictional character named M.Rutt - a young man who's addicted to his portable electronic device. That's a very relatable theme in 2018. My personal tendency to check my smart phone a thousand times a day is something I would very much like to change. In the case of M.Rutt, his inability to concentrate drives him to write short punk songs. Those songs are very much in line with what we've heard from Charlie's other bands. And I must say that's a very good thing! These tracks are the perfect combination of Ramones simplicity, Devo-like quirkiness, and garage punk economy. If you're just interested in the music, this EP can stand on its own as a fine example of modern-day synth punk. If you would like to experience all aspects of this project, the literary portion is available at the Monitor Shocks web site. I highly recommend going all-in with this thing, since the songs make even more sense within the context of the larger story. Either way, Monitor Shocks is well worth checking out!



-L.R.

https://monitorshocks.bandcamp.com/releases 
MonitorShocks.com

Freak Genes - Qwak Qwak

Well that didn't take very long! Less than 10 months after the release of their brilliant debut album Playtime, Freak Genes are back with another long player that will disappoint absolutely no one! Out on Drunken Sailor Records, Qwak Qwak picks up where Playtime left off and quickly surpasses it. The men behind the masks, of course, are Andrew Anderson (The Hipshakes, Proto Idiot) and Charlie Murphy (Red Cords). Freak Genes began with a fun premise: what would happen if these two guys took some of the crazy, rejected ideas from their other groups and made a whole new band out of it? What happened was one of the best punk albums of 2017 or any recent year for that matter. Qwak Qwak still finds Freak Genes straddling the quirky/experimental and poppy sides of early U.K. punk. But the real advancement here is the introduction of synthesizers and drum machines to the duo's arsenal. Limited only by their own imaginations, Andrew and Charlie flutter between punk, new wave, synth-pop, garage rock, and post-punk over the course of 17 filler-free tracks.

If you enjoyed the Wire meets early Buzzcocks vibe that was so prevalent on Playtime, the first two songs "At Odds With You" and "On The TV" will quickly have you on board with Qwak Qwak. The latter is surely one of the most essential punk tracks of the year. But there was no way a band with Freak Genes' origins was ever going to allow itself to become predictable. With this record, you never quite know what's coming. These guys prove so adept at synth-pop that I would absolutely have believed that "Give Way" and "Read The Papers" were original recordings from 1980. "Destroy" sets aside the band's usual playful disposition and goes full-on scary future post-punk. "Layers", on the other hand, is delightful Kinks/Who derived pop that will have you whistling on your way to work. And then there's the wonderful "Talk 2" - which sounds like a song Robyn Hitchcock would write to play at a bar in the Florida Keys.

One spin through Qwak Qwak will suggest influences as disparate as Syd Barrett ("Anonymous"), Gary Numan ("We Want Trouble"), and Devo ("It's Not There"). And there are certainly tracks ("Not Quite Enough", "Drainage") that bring to mind Andrew and Charlie's other bands. What's remarkable is how well the whole thing flows. It's weird to say this about a band that is only on its second record, but the one thing that's consistent throughout 17 tracks is that it all sounds like Freak Genes! These are two extremely talented individuals, and their chemistry is undeniable. Their willingness to entertain almost any musical idea is what makes them unique. Their ability to do so while still aspiring to write great pop songs is what makes them exceptional. I look forward to their next 20 albums!



-L.R.

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/qwak-qwak-lp 
http://www.drunkensailorrecords.co.uk/products/615875-freak-genes-qwak-qwak-lp-drunken-sailor-records-drunkensailor-089 
https://www.facebook.com/thefreakgenes/ 
https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenSailorRecords 

Murph & The Gazorpos - Too Scared To Rock 'N' Roll

Charlie Murphy is one of my favorite people in rock n' roll. Even if he went out and started an a cappella quartet or a Haircut 100 tribute band, I would want to own every record he made. I first came to know him from his dynamite power pop project Murph & The Gazorpos, but I've quickly become a huge fan of all of his other bands as well. I'm hearing that the next Freak Genes album is gonna blow all of our heads off! While we await that LP, we now get to enjoy what could be the last Murph & The Gazorpos release for a while. Charlie is stepping away from this project to focus on other things, so as a parting gift he's given us a six-song digital EP that is the band's best yet in my humble opinion. Too Scared To Rock 'N' Roll wonderfully combines all of the things I love about Murph & The Gazorpos. It's chock full of A-grade power pop hooks, hyper-caffeinated punk energy, heartfelt vocals and lyrics, and enough scorching rock n' roll guitar to power a major metropolis. Just push play, and it's instant happiness! The title track was a standout of the recent Nerve Centre/Girlsville Neon Maniacs compilation. But even if you own that already, the remaining five tracks make this EP well worth the £6. Songs like "All Or Nothing" and "Wolf" are first-rate numbers walking those oh so fine lines that separate punk and pop and good old rock n' roll. "Another Beat" evokes the Exploding Hearts' "I'm A Pretender" without coming off like an inferior copy. "Picking Up The Pieces" makes me wanna jump up and down on my bed until I either break it or collapse from sheer exhaustion (sounds like a great way to spend a morning!).

I know I've said this two or three or seven times before, but I urge each and every one of you to purchase the entire Murph & The Gazorpos discography from the Nerve Centre Records Bandcamp. That will cost you a grand total of like $15, and that's an investment that will bring endless joy to any fan of peppy, punchy pop. Seriously: how could you not love this band?!!!



-L.R.

https://nervecentrerecords.bandcamp.com/album/murph-the-gazorpos-too-scared-to-rock-n-roll 
https://www.facebook.com/Murph-The-Gazorpos-194355557642608/ 
https://www.facebook.com/nervecentrerecords/ 

The Red Cords - "Gonna Find My Baby"

Now is that time where I try and catch up on some great stuff from last year that I have not yet reviewed. For this particular piece of unfinished business, I will tackle perhaps my most egregious omission of 2017. The Red Cords are the pride of Falmouth, U.K. "Gonna Find My Baby" is, I believe, the band's third single. Given my admiration for Charlie Murphy's other musical endeavors (Freak Genes, Murph & The Gazorpos), it's no surprise that I had "Gonna Find My Baby" earmarked for review this past fall. But then I kept putting it off and putting it off, and here we are nearly eight months after the release date. Shame! But it's never too late to discover great music, and the digital version of this release is still a red-hot bargain at £2! "Gonna Find My Baby" is wonderful primitive rock n' roll straddling the worlds of garage and punk. It's everything a great trash-rock A-side ought to be: wild, catchy, and guaranteed to set you off on a spree of furiously hyperactive activity. You'd probably need a couple of energy drinks to equal the jolt this tune provides. Potential side effects include dizziness from excessive dancing and ear damage from cranking up the volume so loud. On the flip, "Bad Moon Brain" is the closest you can get to first album Ramones without trying to sound like the Ramones. Brilliant! At a total running time of two minutes, 51 seconds, this single demands to be played over and over.

"Gonna Find My Baby" is available from Murphy's own Nerve Centre Records. It may very well have been my #1 single of 2017 if I had paid attention just a little bit sooner. On the list of the great failings of my adult life, my procrastination on this review ranks way up there. What a perfect punk record!



-L.R.

https://nervecentrerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-red-cords-gonna-find-my-baby-bad-moon-brain-single 
https://www.facebook.com/nervecentrerecords/ 
https://www.facebook.com/theredcords/ 

Freak Genes - Playtime

For me, the very best thing about writing about music is discovering a new band and falling in love almost instantly. I'm far from an authority on music, and I don't even attempt to write proper reviews. So really my for usual goal for this blog is to get so super-excited about a record that perhaps you'll be persuaded to give it a listen. Today's proverbial shouting from the rooftops concerns Freak Genes, who in less than three weeks have gone from a band I had never heard of to serious contenders for my album of the year honors. 

Sure, I had some indication that I was going to dig Freak Genes before I had even heard a note. Co-conspirators Andrew Anderson (Proto Idiot, The Hipshakes) and Charlie Murphy (Red Cords) are guys I admire and respect for their existing contributions to the world of garage/punk. And Freak Genes' album Playtime has come out on Alien Snatch Records - probably my favorite label of all-time. But Playtime might not exactly be the album you're expecting from this pair. Basically these two decided to take all of the crazy, discarded ideas from their regular bands and make a whole new group out of them. The result is a brilliant fusion of new wave, pop, garage, and minimalist '77 U.K. punk. The beauty of this project is that there was no specific formula or rule book for what the songs needed to be. So you can have everything from Wire/Devo strangeness ("Let's Go Slow") to pure crackling punk ("Exposed") to jaunty psych pop ("Jekyll & Hyde") to new wave garage dance rock ("Going Through the Motions") to something that sounds like Ringo Starr cutting a '70s crossover country track ("Not Alright With Me") all on the same record. And yet everything fits together so splendidly. The album has this general vibe of quirky but really catchy, and these two prove to be remarkably good at writing that type of song. They've really caught fire as Freak Genes - churning out 16 songs here with another full album already in the can. Playtime is one of those albums that just flat-out delights me. It's consistently fun, distinctively British, and quite odd in an entirely good way. Really it all boils down to it just being a terrific album, anchored by standout tracks like the jagged & cheeky "Going Wrong", the poppy lead single "Mind The Gap", and the wonderfully weird "Still Disgusting". I suppose there's a chance that a song or two on here won't click for you. But at a total of 16 tracks, that still leaves you with more than enough gems. And with no song exceeding three minutes and the majority clocking in under two, this does not seem like a "long" album at all. I'm left wanting more - which is certainly a good thing with a second album soon to follow!



-L.R.

https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/freak-genes-playtime 
https://soundcloud.com/freak-genes 
https://www.facebook.com/thefreakgenes/ 

Meet Murph and the Gazorpos!

Hey, let's talk pop! I vowed to keep a close eye on Murph and the Gazorpos after hearing the Falmouth, UK band for the first time on that fantastic new Girlsville comp. When it comes to me and Murph and the Gazorpos, it was love at first listen! It's not every day that I come across power pop with enormous hooks, caffeinated punk energy, and a real rock n' roll edge. This band is on to something special! Singer/guitarist Murph is Charlie Murphy - who also plays in The Red Cords and runs Nerve Centre Records. Unbeknownst to me, the band's first EP came out in April. Arriving hot on its heels is a brand new EP called A Little Reaction - which you can currently stream over at 50thirdand3rd.com!

With Murph's Red Cords band mate Matt Cleave along for the ride on drums, it's no surprise that Murph and the Gazorpos pack a little more oomph than is usual for a power pop band. Essentially A Little Reaction is catchy-as-hell pop bashed out with the fury and raw energy of garage punk. I can hear the influence of everyone from King Louie to Nick Lowe to Gentlemen Jesse to those numerous Good Vibrations Records greats. Leadoff track "What Do I Do" has got everything you could want in a power pop song: a melody you can whistle all day, lyrics that cut to the core of heartbreak, a beat you can't resist dancing to, and lead guitar work that would make Dave Edmunds holler in delight. And "You Did It", which I just raved about last week, gets my vote for power pop song of the year!

A Little Reaction is available from Super Fan 99 in a super-limited (only 30 copies worldwide!) 5" square vinyl and cassette bundle. Download should be available soon from the Nerve Centre Bandcamp. I think I might have a new favorite band!



-L.R.

http://www.50thirdand3rd.com/premiere-murph-gazorpos-little-reaction-ep/
https://www.facebook.com/Murph-The-Gazorpos-194355557642608/
https://nervecentrerecords.bandcamp.com/
http://superfan99.bigcartel.com/product/murph-the-gazorpos-a-little-reaction-vinyl-tape