The Beaten Hearts - 2010 recordings

I love that this blog has been around so long now that I can sometimes review bands I wrote about years ago and people will be like, "Who the hell were they?" If you've never heard The Beaten Hearts, that's okay. You get to hear them now! 

The availability of the 2010 recordings of The Beaten Hearts on Bandcamp ought to be a huge deal for fans of 21st century garage punk and Canadian punk in general. This was Brian LaManna's band in between The Valentine Killers and Phone Jerks. The lineup also included Derek Lounder and Jeremy O'Neill from Fear of Lipstick, former Teenage Hurricane and future Phone Jerk Tyler Boutilier, and the legend himself, Mr. Ray Auffrey. In retrospect, we can all wonder how in the world we ever forgot about a super-group like this! Perhaps it was because they only released two singles. Six of these songs were released on 7" records in 2011 (on Maladroit Records and the venerable Sonic Jett Records). Five have never been officially released until now. In my original review, I dropped all the usual band comparisons (New Bomb Turks, Humpers, Dead Boys, Saints, Teenage Head, Pagans) but also commended the quality of the songwriting. Listening back to these songs now, I'm noticing a melodic, heart-on-sleeve sensibility that reminds me somewhat of Pat Todd. 

While the importance of The Beaten Hearts as a precursor to The Phone Jerks or a hint of what a second Valentine Killers album could have been are cool things in their own right, the music would be worth revisiting even if this had been a band of nobodies. Brian's talents as a songwriter and especially as a lyricist are super-underrated, and there are more than a few gems in this set. When people are releasing fanatic bootleg compilations of 2010s Canadian punk rock a few decades from now, "Red Line Gurls" will certainly be a go-to cut. "Back to the Deadline" brings to mind Iggy Pop fronting The Saints and is a stone cold ripper. "(This Is) How It Ends," which Brian wrote about his mother's death, is the kind of powerful ballad that I wish more punk groups would have the nerve to try. Was there any doubt that Joel Jett, with his impeccable taste, was not going to pass up releasing these songs on his label? "Badlands," the A-side of the band's second 7", is a scorching homage o.g. Cleveland punk rock with lyrics inspired by Terrence Malick's classic film. "Rhonda Lynn" is excellent poppy garage punk rock 'n' roll that will get your toes tapping and your head bobbing. "AM Sound" finds the band again worshipping at the church of The Saints, and who's going to complain? "She's Stimming Outta Control" is the original version of a song that would become one of the best Phone Jerks tunes. This is a hugely personal and significant song for Brian, and the world is a better place for having it in it (twice). 

How crazy is it that these songs were recorded 15 years ago? I am happy to report that they hold up great in the light of 2025. I know we live at a time in which there's so much stuff out there. There are more things to listen to than we have time to listen to. But if you dig soulful garage punk with a '90s feel and a power pop heart, The Beaten Hearts are an essential listen. I'm always talking about how Canada freaking owned punk rock in the early 2010s, and this album ought to be part of that conversation.

-L.R.

https://beatenhearts.bandcamp.com/album/the-beaten-hearts-2010-recordings

Tidal Bores - demo

I know a lot of us have been waiting for this one for a while, and here it is: the first publicly-released recordings from Moncton's newest garage punk sensations the Tidal Bores! I did my best not to break down and cry when Phone Jerks split — figuring that some former Phone Jerks would start new projects and that the awesomeness would ultimately be multiplied. It's looking like I called that right with all the amazing TJ Cabot releases I've enjoyed in recent years. And now the world can be introduced to the Tidal Bores — a group featuring members of Phone Jerks, Impulse Items, Whore Gasms, Small Package, Adhesives, and Valentine Killers. Brian LaManna is on lead vocals. If you know his musical influences, you will have a good idea of what to expect from the Tidal Bores. What I like about this demo from Tidal Bores is that it really is a demo. These tracks are live off the floor. The band isn't throwing the songs online and calling it an EP. This is the kind of thing that used to come out on cassette tape back in the day: a band's raw first recordings that hint at its potential but aren't necessarily meant to represent a finished product. And now thanks to the magic of technology, a demo tape can be digital — which means more people can hear it, and less money is spent on postage. With this little taste of Tidal Bores, we get a feel for what the band is all about. These songs rip hard, walking the fine line between 1981 hardcore and Pagans-style OG budget punk. "Zero Hour" is the only original track. "Civilization's Dying" is a cover of the Zero Boys classic. "Methanol" is a re-working of a song Brian co-wrote when he was in the Valentine Killers back in the late 20th century. Put together, these songs sure fit the tenor of the times. If someone had handed me a tape like this back in the day, and I had gone home and pressed play, I would have gone nuts. And now here we all are, getting in on the ground floor with the Tidal Bores together. I'm looking forward to a proper EP!

-L.R.

https://tidalbores.bandcamp.com/album/demo
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092916728442
https://www.instagram.com/tidal.bores

The Vains - My Ammunition

Well here's something new and exciting: The Vains are what happens when New England, U.S.A. meets New Brunswick, Canada. They are like the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge of punk rock. On vocals is Maritimes garage punk maestro and former baseball great TJ Cabot, taking a much-needed break from his strained relationship with disgruntled bandmates Thee Artificial Rejects. In The Vains, he joins Connecticut-based punk rock luminary Jeffrey Thunders and friends to form your favorite new garage punk group. If you were thinking The Vains might sound like TJ Cabot and Thee Artificial Rejects with better musicianship and production, you're not far off. Out now on Die Hipster! Records, The Vains' debut EP My Ammunition smashes through five tracks of lo-fi punk rock and roll in less than seven minutes. While not quite as "budget" as the TJ Cabot releases, this EP draws from similar influences (Angry Samoans, Saints, Crime) and rips just as hard. Clocking in at just 45 seconds, the title track walks the line between garage punk and hardcore. "Worn Out On You" is exactly what I would have expected from a Cabot/Thunders collaboration, and I love it! "Pinched Nerve" cranks like a long-lost Rip Off Records 45. "Quit Dragging Me Down" recalls some super-tough American punk rock of yore, which is no surprise considering the principals (and principles) involved. Rumor has it that these folks travel to band rehearsal by boat and record in international waters. They are too fierce for one country. The world never heard of The Vains until yesterday, so now you've got a chance to be a founding member of the fan club. Remember this review when you're literally fighting your friends to get your hands on this band's record in a year or two. 

-L.R.

https://diehipsterrecords.bandcamp.com/album/my-ammunition
https://www.facebook.com/diehipsterrecords
https://tjcabot.bandcamp.com/

Phone Jerks - "Christmas on the Floor"

Here's an appropriate post for a Christmas Eve! But honestly, a new Phone Jerks release is like a holiday onto itself! !Christmas on the Floor! is the fruit of Phone Jerks' first recording session in nearly two years. The title track is an E-Jerk original about going on a Christmas bender. The song is a classic jolt of garage punk with a '50s rock and roll touch. Those lead guitars are hot, and there's just no denying that Emily has one of the coolest voices in all of punk rock. Even if you have no interest in Christmas music whatsoever, you can just choose to view this as a song about drinking. As I see Santa passed out under the tree, I can only say that a man deserves a drink or two after delivering packages for 42 hours straight. On the "flip side", "Let's Go" is a cover of the pub punk classic by The Reducers - a song that Phone Jerks were destined to record eventually. And they sure do it justice! All in all, this is a wonderfully pleasing Phone Jerks "comeback" (ha ha). Kudos to Andrew Farrell and James O'Toole for their fine work in the production of this recording. This is what budget rock is supposed to sound like! In the spirit of the season, this single is free. So go grab it and play it tonight as you get into the holiday spirit (or better yet, get into the holiday spirits).

-L.R.

https://phonejerks.bandcamp.com/album/christmas-on-the-floor
https://www.facebook.com/Monctongaragepunk/

Nerve Button - Volume 2

So if you're not yet hip to maritime sham glam, now is an opportune time to become so. By next year, it will be passé after it becomes the official soundtrack of the QMJHL bubble. Moncton, New Brunswick based goon squad Nerve Button is back with its first album in four years and first new recordings since January of 2018. The album title Volume 2 makes it clear that Nerve Button is still Nerve Button. And thank the heavens for that. Just in case another band tries to claim that they invented maritime sham glam, Nerve Button has cemented the phrase as its intellectual property by making it the title of Volume 2's opening track. In a brilliant move, the band chose to make its signature song an instrumental. So what is maritime sham glam? To my ears, it's '77-style punk rock created under the influence of North American proto-punk and U.K. junkshop glam (and probably a few other things as well!). 

In very recent years, I've found my tastes in punk rock gravitating towards bands that don't take themselves at all seriously. I'm really into bands that are totally stupid, but in a smart sort of way. With that in mind, it all makes sense that a new Nerve Button album was exactly what I needed. I love the band's mix of a classic '77 sound and lyrics that fall into the tongue-in-cheek/of questionable taste/"That's so wrong!" category. Volume 2 is a super fun record full of dumb, obnoxious songs that ought to be played loud enough to irritate neighbors, passersby, spouses, and family pets. You can hear that throwback Canadian (by way of the U.K.) first wave sound on some tracks and a more overt glam influence on others ("Pink Jellybean", "Queen of the Tarts"). In a year in which angry and/or political punk music has been omnipresent (and not without good reason), songs about stolen underwear, getting sloshed, liking it "up the chuck", and the sound life philosophies that will keep you off of Dateline NBC are a welcome reprieve from all of the heavy seriousness of the moment. But while Nerve Button might like to goof around, its music is anything but a joke. Recorded live off the floor, Volume 2 is an absolute ripper of a record. The tunes are killer, and that guitar tone ought to be the envy of any garage/punk group. You may know some of these guys from famous infamous bands they've played in, but Nerve Button ought to be huge in its own right. Volume 2 is hands down the best punk rock album I've heard all year. Get it from Wanda Records!

  

-L.R.

https://wandarecords.bandcamp.com/album/volume-2

https://nervebutton.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nervebuttonband/

TJ Cabot & Sonic Hz - "Overcompensation"

So it had to happen that two of Moncton, New Brunswick's most celebrated musical entities would join forces. All of Atlantic Canada has responded with shock and awe. On the surface, this seems the most unlikely of marriages. You've got the retro synth wave of Sonic Hz crossing paths with the DIY trash-punk of TJ Cabot. It's like Vangelis meets hardcore Devo, or The Screamers giving Jan Hammer shock therapy. Details on how this collaboration came about have been suppressed due to an ongoing contractual dispute between TJ Cabot and his band-mate Millhouse Deville over the rights to several unreleased tracks and a Rollie Melanson rookie card. However, the message board chatter indicates that TJ Cabot and the artist known as Sonic Hz were seen congregating at an abandoned '80s shopping mall and exchanging ideas about a shared musical vision that no one ever dared to anticipate. "Overcompensation" turns out to be the perfect fusion of two disparate musical worlds. It's as if TJ Cabot's '70s robot punks climbed aboard one of Sonic Hz's '80s spaceships and created a soundtrack for a movie that would only be available today on VHS. This song is something very different for TJ Cabot (it would not be the same track without the synths), and it's totally unlike anything you've heard from Sonic Hz. And at three minutes, it's twice the length of the average TJ Cabot track. So you're getting more bang for your buck (actually the track is free, so really it's more bang for no bucks). If this song is not already being piped into retail stores, public parks, and medical facilities all throughout the greater Moncton area, it is up to you citizens to submit your requests.



-L.R.

https://tjcabot.bandcamp.com/
https://sonichz.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sonickhz/

Impulse Items - self titled

Perhaps the only silver lining in the world having gone to complete shit has been the recent explosion of digital music. For example, I love the idea that a defunct band from Atlantic Canada can throw an unmixed EP from six years ago up on Bandcamp and absolutely knock my brains out! Moncton-based Impulse Items roamed the filth-strewn Dead Boys/Germs side of the '77 punk tracks, but with a ferocity bordering on hardcore and a sense of humor that can only be described as rather unique. You see a song title like "I'm A Punk Masturbator" and can quickly deduce that it has to be the worst song ever or the absolute greatest. Somehow it manages to be both at the same time. So many punk vocalists do their best to channel the mad genius of Iggy, Darby, etc. and inevitably fall short. But this guy Danny was the real deal - at least in respect to the "mad" part! These six tracks are as raw and crazy as it gets....and awesome in every way. I like that the lyrics have been published, which enables you to go from "What the fuck?!" to "That's goddamn brilliant!" in a matter of moments. You could have waited for Killed By Death #174 to hear these songs, but modern technology and good fortune have collided and bestowed this glorious noise upon us. This band made the Reatards sound like Coldplay. And yeah, that's Emily from Phone Jerks on drums. Someone demand a reunion!

  
-L.R.

https://impulseitems.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/ImpulseItems/ 

Phone Jerks - Out the Gate

If Phone Jerks' recent 10-inch full length was not quite full enough for your satisfaction, you should be glad to hear that the band's new EP Out the Gate restores those missing couple of inches and tacks on another five for good measure. That makes 17 inches in all - essentially a full album and 42% of another. No one is getting short-changed on this band's watch! And while Out the Gate is comprised of songs recorded in the same sessions that produced Phone Jerks' two albums, it would be a huge mistake to refer to this material as "scraps". These songs weren't cut from their respective albums so much as they were being saved for a killer 7". The Moncton (yeah, that's in Canada) foursome clearly gets that punk music was made to be played on 7" vinyl. So here we have it - a joint release between Resurrection Records from the USA and Wanda Records from Germany (the Germans sure love Phone Jerks, and why wouldn't they?!). With this EP largely being a continuation/extension of last year's 10 x 10, it's logical that the vibe is similar. These songs hit that sweet spot where Rip Off Records circa 1997 and Sire Records circa 1977 smash into each other at full speed. And true to the band's intentions, this is indeed an absolute ripper of an EP. The title track (an ode to the failed racing career of Emily and Tyler's greyhound Donair) will send you straight to budget trash paradise. "Gospel" is a raging kick in the teeth a la first album Saints. "Kill Kill" falls somewhere in between and must immediately be considered a classic Phone Jerks song. And I love how the band can take Protex's "Don't Ring Me Up" and make it sound like something Teengenerate might have written!

No less of a authority than the distinguished Mick Fletcher has placed Phone Jerks in the highest pantheon of present-day garage punk, and I concur wholeheartedly. I just love how raw and tough these recordings sound (the guitars, as the kids say, are fire). James from Outtacontroller (who have a new album coming out NEXT MONTH!) re-mixed these tracks and absolutely deserves some kind of award. I think in the beginning of Phone Jerks, there was the novelty of "Holy crap! It's just so great that we still have bands that sound like this!" But with each passing release, I'm more struck by what great songwriters all of these fine individuals are. That's right, I'm saying it: Phone Jerks aren't just cool - they're actually good! If you like old style punk rock that's equal parts guts and hooks, this is a must-hear band. The digital version of Out the Gate includes a bonus cover of "Drive Me Crazy" by The Penetrators. Talk about a perfect choice in cover material! I would generally recommend that all fans of The Penetrators check out Phone Jerks and that all fans of Phone Jerks check out The Penetrators. And they really nailed this rendition of "Drive Me Crazy". If they ever needed to, they could totally headline the Catalina Wine Mixer as Atlantic Canada's preeminent 1980s Penetrators cover band. Vinyl ships this coming Saturday. You can order now over at the Resurrection Bandcamp!



-L.R.

https://resurrectionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/out-the-gate 
https://www.facebook.com/Monctongaragepunk/ 
https://phonejerks.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/GetResurrected 

Phone Jerks - 10 x 10

Wow! Wasn't it just a year ago that Phone Jerks suddenly turned up on Alien Snatch Records with a debut long player that ultimately became my 2018 album of the year? Here they are already with an even better followup! 10 x 10 won't be my 2019 album of the year for the simple reason that it's a 10-inch record and thus technically not an LP. I do realize that the fabled 10-inch is not everyone's favorite format. But I'm a big fan, and I think Phone Jerks have utilized it in the way the music gods intended (see also, Problematics' Blown Out and Teengenerate's Savage). 

I don't know how to put this, but 10 x 10 is kind of a big deal. It's Alien Snatch's 100th release, and it also commemorates the label's 20th anniversary (I remember Alien Snatch 001 quite well: it was The Johnnies' 12 Steps To Nowhere, and never in my then 28 years had I ever handled such a thick slab of vinyl!). The title is of course a reference to this being 10 songs on a ten-inch record. But it's also the mathematical computation that equals 100 releases. Look at those Jerks with their clever hidden meanings! I'm not suggesting that Daniel has been plotting for years to make this his 100th release. But seriously: can you think of a band that better exemplifies the spirit of a label that has kept the heart of garage punk/'77 punk/power pop beating for two decades and counting? Between these four band members, they probably own a solid majority of those 100 releases. And of course Phone Jerks hearken back to those exciting times of later '90s trash punk rock and roll that certainly inspired a young man from Germany to start his own record label.

What I noticed pretty quickly about 10 x 10 is that it's a tougher-sounding affair than the self-titled LP. It's less of a budget rock party record and more of a straight-up ripping rock record. The '70s punk influence is more prevalent, and the band members take turns sounding properly fed-up on lead vocals (what was Nicholas McNally doing to these people in the studio?!). At times I'm reminded of a more pissed-off Rip Offs (wouldn't that just be Zodiac Killers?!). And Brian's songs in particular bring a Saints/Lazy Cowgirls edge that was not as pronounced on the last record. With the band pairing down the 16 songs it prepared for this release to the ten strongest cuts, 10 x 10 is the ultimate in all-killer, no-filler. All four Jerks contribute essential tracks. "Benchwarmer" is Tyler's attempt at writing a Makers song, and who can deny that the world needs way more of that sort of thing? Andrew's "Vehicular Manslaughter" makes me nostalgic for a time when I could compare a dozen bands to the Dead Boys every year. Emily's "Frigg Off" has to be the most "eastern Canadian" song title ever. It's about people who are easier to get along with when you see them as little as possible. That's kind of hilarious, but I bet everyone reading this can relate! "U-Turn To Jane's" tells the true story of when Tyler and Emily were both nearly killed just trying to get a pizza. My overall fave track is "She's Stimming Out", a song Brian wrote about the days of his daughter's autism diagnosis. This track rips it up like "Demolition Girl" crashing into "Sonic Reducer", creating the perfect energy for a tune that could not be any more loving and uplifting. This song makes me proud to be a human being. 

I give 10 x 10 a ten out of ten. Every track is a smash...in the face! It's rather fortunate for me that Phone Jerks chose to release this as a 10-inch 45. When album of the year time rolls around, I will be spared the difficult choice between Phone Jerks and certain label mates/country mates of theirs. No civil wars will be breaking out on my watch! If the self-titled LP was best suited for the world famous "Who are they ripping off here?" drinking game, 10 x 10 is more like the record you put on when you feel like punching someone. I think for the practicality of everyday life, this record may be even more useful. If you still insist on hating ten-inch records, just think of this as two killer 7-inches that magically flip themselves over. Happy birthday, Alien Snatch! I will have the German beer flowing all day in your honor!



-L.R.

https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/phone-jerks-10x10 
https://phonejerks.bandcamp.com/ 
http://www.aliensnatch.de/ 
https://www.facebook.com/Monctongaragepunk/ 
https://www.facebook.com/ALIEN.SNATCH.RECORDS 

Klackers - self titled

What was I just saying about Moncton? There's got to be something in the air or the water or the Timbits that is producing so much amazing music up there. Up next out of Hub City is Klackers' debut album - released as a limited-edition red glitter cassette designed and packaged by the band. What I love about this release is that it's not really possible to pigeonhole it in today's terminology. It's minimalist and lo-fi, but maybe not quite "garage". It's got a great pop sensibility, but it's certainly not "pop-punk". It's probably too punk to be "indie rock". There are even keyboards! This album definitely has the spirit of something that might have come out on Kill Rock Stars in the '90s with a hint of Radio X Records to boot. It essentially inhabits the world where do-it-yourself/budget punk and lo-fi pop converge, and yet it couldn't sound fresher in 2019. The songs are super catchy, and they're carried off with an attitude and exuberance that are totally infectious. A cover of the Bratmobile classic "Gimme Brains" acknowledges an obvious influence, while "Sleepover" is an absolutely delightful re-imagining of an Adicts song you might know. I feel like if you were 15 and you heard this album, you'd be inspired to start your own band. It creates a "Yes, you can do this too!" type excitement that has me fondly recalling countless punk records I purchased in my youth. DIY lives!



-L.R.

https://klackers.bandcamp.com/album/klackers
https://www.facebook.com/klackersband/

Unfinished Business: Chiller - self titled

Before I could even think about writing about new music in 2019, I wanted to go back and look at the releases from 2018 that I most regretted missing. Up first is an album that I'm nearly a year late getting to. It's the debut from Moncton, New Brunswick's Chiller, released in February of last year by Dirt Cult and Rockstar Records. It was personally recommended to me by Daryl Buote, who had it as his #1 album of the year. I was able to really sit down and spend some time with this release over my Christmas break, and I must say that I was absolutely wowed by it! This thing is a stunner!

Chiller is Ilisha and Eric from Feral Trash essentially doing a continuation of Feral Trash. With this band, Ilisha moves from drums to guitar and the lineup is rounded out by Erin from Black Tower and Tim from Mother's Children. As you would expect, this album is not too far off from Feral Trash. It's dark melodic punk with the expected reference points (Wipers, Masshysteri). That sort of thing is sometimes to my liking and far more often not. In the case of Chiller (what a fitting band name!), I'm really into it. Part of that is that they pay just as much attention to the "melodic" part of the equation as they do to the "dark". These are well-crafted songs that are hummable in a totally sinister way. Perhaps more importantly, I'm struck by how this band achieves a sound that is so very dark yet so often quite beautiful. There are truly amazing things going on with those guitars. And even with the songs mostly staying under three minutes, there's a level of sophistication and texture to these tracks that goes way beyond punk. This is the perfect album to listen to on your headphones as you take a long walk on a cold, gloomy day and reflect on your life. I can see why a February release was so ideal. If you're starting to suspect that there's something in the air in Moncton that produces amazing music, well I'd say that's pretty much scientific fact at this point.

  
-L.R.

https://chiller-monckton.bandcamp.com/releases
https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/chiller 
https://www.facebook.com/chillerband/ 

Phone Jerks - self titled

WHAT?! Phone Jerks have released an album? On Alien Snatch Records?! One of my favorite bands put out a record on one of my all-time favorite labels, and nobody knew anything about it until a week ago?! Now that was a fiercely-guarded secret! Respect!

Alien Snatch Records has been setting the standard for what a punk rock label ought to be for 20 years now. From assembling a roster including the likes of the Kidnappers, Real Losers, Fevers, Yum Yums, Minds, and Leg Hounds in its early 2000s heyday to releasing brilliant music by current-day bands such as Freak Genes and The #1s, Alien Snatch has remained a go-to for any fan of garage-punk and power pop. Moncton, New Brunswick's mighty Phone Jerks could not be a more fitting addition to the Alien Snatch family. Their debut LP hearkens back to countless beloved garage-punk LPs of the '90s and early 2000s. And I gotta tell you the thing is absolutely KILLER! Upon hearing "Nothing There", you just might find yourself convinced that The Rip Offs have gotten back together! Alien Snatch honcho Daniel has astutely pointed out that he could have released this album in any year of the label's history. These tunes are that timeless. Of course Phone Jerks sound like a band that could have been peers with Loli and the Chones, The Metros, Teengenerate, etc. Yet they also align perfectly with modern-day greats like Gino & The Goons and Sick Thoughts. This, my friends, is garage-punk the way it ought to be: trashy, lo-fi, and intentionally devoid of originality. Why are there not more bands like this in 2018?!

Being four upstanding Canadians who value your hard-earned dollar, Phone Jerks have delivered almost entirely brand-new material for this debut album (along with covers of "Revolution" by Australia's X and "Violence, Anarchy, Baby, Mother, Daddy-O, Dig" by Newfoundland punk legends Da Slyme). No tracks from the Goodbye Boozy 7" have been repeated, and only two songs re-appear from the band's demo tape. The instant you dig into "Bitchiker", you will find yourself fondly recalling a time when every new Rip Off Records release was an event worth celebrating. And come on: how can an album that begins with a song about killing someone not be the best record of the year?! These songs are all so ripping and catchy and tremendously fun to listen to. This is an album that you just have to crank super loud. And half the fun of this record is going through it track by track and asking, "Who are they ripping off here?"! The fact that Phone Jerks have three different lead singers makes it all that much cooler. Emily, Tyler, and Brian each bring something unique to the table (and you know, they all seem intent on smashing that table). The production (kudos Dave Belliveau and James O'Toole!) is spot-on for what budget rock ought to be. You know how modern-day reviewers are so fond of using "crackling" as an adjective? This album is crackling. Literally. 

So why aren't there more bands like Phone Jerks in 2018? I don't know, but maybe there will be after their debut album makes the rounds! Canada is ahead of the curve as always (especially in Moncton, where they observe the Atlantic Time Zone). With me poised to name an Alien Snatch release album of the year, it sure feels like old times!



-L.R.

https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/phone-jerks-s-t 
https://phonejerks.bandcamp.com/ 
http://www.aliensnatch.de/ 
https://www.facebook.com/ALIEN.SNATCH.RECORDS 

Phone Jerks - ...Can't Stand The Maritimes/No Funswick

So Phone Jerks just might be my favorite new band of the year. Well, actually "new" band is not really an accurate term. This Moncton, New Brunswick foursome has been in existence since 2014 and did release an all-covers digital EP last year. But it wasn't until this year that Phone Jerks put out original material. And let me tell you: this shit is HOT! ...Can't Stand The Maritimes is the band's first vinyl record - a short and not-so-sweet one-sided 45 released by the always fantastic Goodbye Boozy Records. The group has also put out a limited (as in only 30 copies!) cassette called No Funswick. If you long for the glory days of garage punk/budget rock/lo-fi trash, you need to get over to Phone Jerks' Bandcamp and download everything the band has released so far! This is a band that totally hits the mark for garage punk - right down to the blown-out fidelity, primitive & furious musicianship, and take-no-shit attitude. You can hear the influence of classic bands like Teengenerate and Supercharger along with a mean streak rivaling newer acts such as Sick Thoughts and The Cavemen. It's really cool that all four band members take turns on lead vocals. You have a total group effort here, which shows in an abundance of killer tunes. The single is an absolute ripper, and I have to expect that there will be a few more of those coming our way in the very near future. In 2017, the term "garage" means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To me it means raw and trashy, and I've been eagerly awaiting more bands along those lines. Phone Jerks are exactly what I had in mind!



-L.R.

https://phonejerks.bandcamp.com/album/no-funswick-3-demo-cassette
https://www.facebook.com/Goodbye-Boozy-records-290057827714548/ 

Nerve Button: the debut album!

It has been, what, 42 days since I last reviewed a punk band from Canada? You had to know that I had a little something up my sleeve! Hailing from Moncton, New Brunswick, Nerve Button is the latest in a seemingly endless succession of dynamite punk groups from Up North. The band just released its self-titled debut LP on Germany's Wanda Records, and it's pure trashy fun in the Canuck tradition of Teenage Head and the Forgotten Rebels. Essentially Nerve Button takes Johnny Thunders inspired '77 style punk rock n' roll and mixes in a touch of junkshop glam along with tongue-in-cheek lyrics of often questionable taste. The result is "maritime sham glam" - a pioneering musical genre that will have you chuckling all day long and bobbing your head until it snaps. I think we can all agree that there's not nearly enough sleaze or bad attitude in today's punk music. Nerve Button feels our pain and has decided to take matters into its own hands. Politically incorrect punk rock is an art form worth preserving, and we just might have met its new kings. 



-L.R.

https://wandarecords.bandcamp.com/album/same 
https://nervebutton.bandcamp.com/releases 
https://www.facebook.com/nervebuttonband/ 

The Beaten Hearts rock!

Ever notice that the long-running joke about Canadian bands sucking doesn’t pertain to punk music? I don’t know what it is about Canadians, but they’ve always “gotten” punk rock. Maybe there’s something in the water. I once knew a guy who came back from a trip to Canada and swore that the beer tasted different…

Hailing from the beautiful Maritime province of New Brunswick, the Beaten Hearts are the latest in a long line of excellent punk bands from north of the border. Featuring the talents of lead singer Brian LaManna (ex Valentine Killers), Ray Auffrey (ex Bad Luck #13), Fear of Lipstick’s Derek Lounder and Jeremy O’Neill, and red-hot lead guitarist Tyler Boutilier, this Moncton five-piece is not exactly a gang of newcomers. And it shows in their music. Remember good old “punk rock n' roll”? It was kind of a happening thing circa the early to mid ‘90s when the likes of the New Bomb Turks, Humpers, and Devil Dogs reigned supreme. The Beaten Hearts take me back to those days. And, damn, they do this style well! Blending elements of early rock n’ roll with the flamethrower ferocity of its ‘70s punk antecedents (Dead Boys, Saints, Teenage Head), the Beaten Hearts make no attempt to be current or cool or progressive. They just put the pedal to the medal and rock. And while the cliché about bands of this particular style is that they’re “a lot of fun live”, what I appreciate about the Beaten Hearts is that they know how to make good records as well. Like any band with a ‘50s influence, they really understand the importance of a simple and well-written song. Debut single “Red Line Gurls” is one of the catchiest tunes of this (or any!) year. It’s full of tasty guitar hooks, handclaps, and ooh-and-ah backing vocals. Hear it once, and it'll be stuck in your head all day. “Rhonda Lynn” is another revved-up toe-tapping rocker, while second single “Badlands” shows a harder, nastier edge a la the Pagans/Rocket from the Tombs. And for something completely different, “Red Line Gurls” B-side “(This Is) How It Ends” slows the tempo for a melancholic but ballsy pop vibe. It’s pretty “rock”, but in a really good way. Cool tune!

Without a doubt, this is one of the best of the new bands to come on the scene since I stopped doing Now Wave. So you can see a big reason why I’m writing again - because it’s exciting to know that there’s great rock n’ roll out there. And if you have the good taste to like great rock n’ roll, check the Beaten Hearts out! The “Red Line Gurls” 7” is out Sonic Jett, and “Badlands” is out on the band’s own Maladroit Records. So hey, go buy some vinyl!

- L.R.

http://www.myspace.com/thebeatenhearts
http://www.myspace.com/sonicjettrecords