Gulag Beach - Potato Mash Bash

Berlin-based Gulag Beach are many thousands of miles from the American West Coast, but everything about their music just screams California. Out on Germany's Rockstar Records, Potato Mash Bash is already the fourth LP from these old school beach punk destroyers. By now, the Gulag Beach sound is well established. And the band does not veer from it here. Think surf-tinged melodic punk with anthemic choruses, Rikk Agnew inspired guitars, and some top-notch rapid fire drum work. I'm hearing the influence of everyone from Youth Brigade ("DINTE, pt. 1") to The Adolescents ("Dollar Hero") to the far more recent Bodies ("Ode To Capitalism", "Generation Maybe"). This isn't anything you haven't heard before, but these guys pull off the textbook Cali-punk sound exceptionally well. There will always be a place for punk bands like this one that bring tremendous conviction and genuinely strong melodies to the table. And at a time when the world needs punk rock anthems more than ever, Gulag Beach sure endeavors to write them. These songs ought to get you fired up to take on the powers that be or...at least jump in the circle pit. Another excellent release from Rockstar! 



-L.R.

https://rockstarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/potato-mash-bash 
https://gulagbeach.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/gulagbeach/ 
https://www.facebook.com/rockstar.empire  

Psychotic Youth - 21

Well this blog definitely lived up to its name with the stuff I reviewed this past week! And perhaps that's the way it ought to be. But fear not: I have by no means turned my back on the poppier stuff. And when it comes to poppier stuff, does it get any better than Psychotic Youth? Jörgen and company are still going strong after 34 years, and new album 21 absolutely sounds like vintage Psychotic Youth! For real: this is one of the greatest power pop bands of all-time still operating at the peak of its craft.

After an 18-year gap between the band's classic LP Stereoids and the triumphant comeback The Voice of Summer, we only had to wait two years for 21. And this album is everything you would expect from Psychotic Youth. It's a whole lot of power pop, a little bit of garage, a little bit of punk, and a little bit of surf. The harmonies are to die for, and as always Jörgen absolutely excels at writing about matters of the heart. He will devastate you with his songs about loss, longing, and relationships gone sour - and then turn around and write something like "You're The One" that reminds us of why we bother to endure all of that heartbreak in the first place. I always have to chuckle when people criticize pop-punk or power pop bands for writing love songs and not tackling more "important" topics. Seriously? The quest for love has defined our species and its art for thousands of years. What could be more important than that?! I think we become even more aware of this as we get older, which explains why Jörgen is writing some of his most powerful material in his 50s.

21 is the work of a songwriter and band that are aging like fine wine (I know: a terrible music reviewer cliche, but still undeniably true!). I would honestly put this album up there with anything Psychotic Youth has ever done. It has everything from snappy punky pop ("Nr 1 In My Heart") to Ramones inspired goodness ("Wither Up and Die") to tear-out-your-heart balladry ("If Not For You") to vintage Psychotic Youth wall of guitar power pop ("Dreams"). Jörgen Westman belongs to the masters class of power pop songwriting, and it is a treat to hear him still at the top of his game. Do not miss the CD bonus track cover of Marshall Crenshaw's "Cynical Girl" - a tip of the cap to an obvious influence!



-L.R.

https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/21 
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/psychoticyouth4 
https://www.facebook.com/Psychotic-Youth-298457281060996/ 

Betty Machete and the Angry Cougars - "Stay In Your Lane"

Whew! If you feared that after all of these years, Betty Machete and the Angry Cougars might have mellowed-out a little or settled comfortably into "musical maturity", you can breathe a little easier today. If anything, the passage of time has only deepened the rage and ferocity driving this Ohio outfit's recorded output. It's as if they're siphoning all of the rancor and discontent that's in the air and using it to acquire musical super powers. "Stay In Your Lane" is the Angry Cougars' 7th EP, and it's every bit as fierce and pummeling as the band's first. Ms. Machete still sounds like an individual you do not want to mess with, and behind her the band remains in permanent attack mode. As always, it's tricky to categorize the music beyond calling it loud and aggressive rock n' roll. The title track is a fast and furious Motörhead inspired punk ripper, while "Who Dies First" slows the pace but dials up the heaviness in a big way. "Grudge Match" comes on with thunderous, AC/DC caliber arena riffs, then turns on a dime to blazing and supremely pissed-off hardcore punk. Track four, exclusive to the vinyl, is a cover of Iggy and the Stooges' "I Got A Right" - arguably the first ever punk song.

Believe it, kids: "Stay In Your Lane" kicks ass! It's tremendously satisfying to hear Betty Machete and the Angry Cougars sounding as committed as ever to slaying anything in their path - six years after they unleashed "Book of Hate" on an unsuspecting world. I can't think of another band that hits the spot quite like BMATAC when you're mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. If you're a strictly digital person and have thus far missed out on the wonders of this band, the time for catching up has arrived. Angry Cougars are now on Spotify! Your enemies and friends alike ought to be on notice.

  
-L.R.

https://angrycougars.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/AngryCougars 

Tiger Touch - "Hawthorne Boogie"

How about some righteously crank-worthy ROCK AND ROLL! Based in Portland, Oregon, Tiger Touch is a band comprised of former members of West Coast outfits The Gimmicks, Black Furies, Bonneville Power, and People Electric. And let me tell you: these dudes aren't screwing around! "Hawthorne Boogie" is the band's second 7", and it's a double dose of high energy action rock that kicks you straight in the teeth. These two tracks definitely bring to mind '90s Scandinavia via Detroit 1970, but what I enjoy about Tiger Touch is that there's even more going on than that. This band's sound is a potent cocktail of punk, glam, garage, heavy rock, and just good, old-fashioned '50s rock n' roll. These guys know their rock n' roll history and have absorbed their lessons well. And man, can they ever play: you've got three guitars raging like fire and a rhythm section that's as tight as it is relentless. The title track is MC5 worship done right - with thundering riffs, thumping drum work, and no shortage of epic soloing. On the flip, "Berlin City" hits with comparable power and even punches the pace up a tad. Turn up the volume and let the energy flow through you!

Even if you don't ordinarily go in for the "rawk" thing, Tiger Touch just might sway you to the dark side. And if you do, "Hawthorne Boogie" will have you in air guitar heaven. When it comes to punk rock n' roll, this is how you do it!

  
-L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/tigertouchpdx/ 
https://tigertouch.bandcamp.com/ 

Priors - "Call For You"

Bam! Fresh off of the sense-numbing assault that was their brilliant New Pleasure album, Montreal's Priors hit us hard and fast once more with a crackling new EP on Slovenly Recordings! With New Pleasure being such a shock-and-awe moment in recent-day garage punk, Priors really needed to come strong to keep the fire burning. Well, they've done just! In terms of both intensity and quality, there's no letup on these three killer tracks. Hearing the band tear through "Call For You" (a relative epic at two minutes, 47 seconds!), I might be inclined to say that this 7-inch format is the best way to take in the relentless sonic fury of Priors. This is some premium high-speed punk bashing, perhaps with even more rancor and madness in the vocals than usual. Doesn't that sound like a recipe for awesomeness?! Push play on this one, and it'll give you a jolt that no energy drink on earth can match. The aptly-named "Destroyer" is a near-perfect bite of what Priors have been cooking for a while: noisy, forward-looking garage-punk played at a hardcore pace. "Swelter" fires away in the same manner - powered by raw-as-fuck guitars and a general sense of going off the rails. If these three tracks don't leave you feeling dazed and battered, you've got the volume set way too low!

Clearly a band on a roll right now, Priors sound like nothing less than a force of nature on this latest EP of theirs. Be glad it's only three tracks - your heart might not be able to take any more!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/priors-call-for-you-ep 
https://priorsmtl.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/priorsmtl/ 
https://www.slovenly.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/

The SUCK - In-Cog-Neat-O

You all have had your little taste of street rock. Are you finally ready for the main course? You better be! I've been teasing/promising/threatening the arrival of a full-length debut from the SUCK for a while now, and finally the wait is (almost) over. In-Cog-Neat-O is up for pre-order today over at the magnificent Moms Basement Records. I gotta tell you that this thing is gonna have smoke coming out of your ears! Lean and mean at eight tracks with only two of 'em daring to eclipse the mostly forbidden two-minute mark, In-Cog-Neat-O brings on the next phase of street rock - the one that will bring hope to humanity and have young and old alike pledging allegiance. While by all means inspired by/allied with the HEAD/NECK/Vapids axis of Ramones worship, the SUCK very much has its own thing going. Packing such explosive power that its membership had to be spread across three contiguous states, this gang really brings the rock on this debut long player. For real: these dudes aren't afraid to make a punk record that actually sounds good! Those guitars pack a mega-punch, and you'll swear they enlisted an army to record some of those backing vocals. And while this album obviously owes a great deal to the Ramones and pop-punk, it also earns high marks in the originality/uniqueness department. Given that my stance on humor is "the darker, the better", the SUCK and I are definitely on the same wavelength. The closest thing to a "love song" on this record is about a guy who gets catfished. "#youredead" is a feelgood hit about threatening murder over social media. "Death Machine" is literally about building a contraption for killing people. "The Vape Store" concerns the plight of unemployed grown men who hit on teen girls. These songs are so very wrong - yet somehow so right! Elsewhere the band addresses some of the burning topics of our time: Mexican bogeymen, the ruthlessly competitive sport of flip cup, and the tangled web of love interests complicating the plot of the Twilight franchise.

Coming off a massively acclaimed self-titled EP and the instant classic web single "Party Town, USA", the SUCK had the pop-punk and Ramones-loving communities pumped for an absolute ripper of a debut album. I am confident in guaranteeing that nobody is going to be disappointed! The SUCK has come out and crushed this one. You've got The Dunk and The Alien cranking up the guitar thunder, The Basement knocking the snot out of his drums, The Problem laying it down like Dee Dee, and The Cola bringing a voice to this band's unique sense of humor and unwavering pursuit of fun. And as for the short running time...that just gives you more chances in a day to listen to the album! While leaving little doubt about its influences, In-Cog-Neat-O finds the SUCK carving out plenty of territory for itself. It's a little bit Ramonescore, a little bit party punk, a little bit pop-punk, and a whole lot of street rock! Your prayers have finally been answered. East Coast, represent!



-L.R.

https://momsbasementrecords.storenvy.com/collections/1516376-pre-order
https://thesuckstreetrock.bandcamp.com/releases 
https://www.facebook.com/StreetRockSUCK 
http://www.the-suck.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/MomsBasementRecords/ 

Van Dammes - Risky Business

Here's one I think regular readers of this blog will really dig. Van Dammes hail from Helsinki, Finland and fall towards the poppier end of the garage-punk spectrum. Out now on Germany's Rockstar Records, their latest EP dishes out the perfect mix of melody, rawness, and pure energy with a touch of organ to boot. It all makes for one highly infectious cocktail! This is super-catchy stuff, yet it's got a scruffiness to it that might appeal even to people who aren't ordinarily into power pop or pop-punk. The title track reminded me of The Kidnappers, and I was basically hooked from there. It's rare to hear a band play with this much speed and force and still keep all of that melody in tact. And the enthusiasm fueling these songs is palpable. These guys must be a blast to see live! Thankfully "I Don't Like Music Anymore" is just a song title and not a statement of intent. The six killer tracks on Risky Business have sure left me wanting more!

  
-L.R.

https://rockstarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/risky-business 
https://www.facebook.com/vandammesmusic/ 
https://www.facebook.com/rockstar.empire