bauwaves - u r everything

If the name bauwaves is new to you, it's likely because the Austin-based trio is releasing music for the very first time. Out this Friday on Salinas Records, u r everything is the debut album from this band comprised of Lew Houston (ex Wild America), Rob Barbato (Darker My Love), and Art Limon (The Anchor). Yes, Lew Houston is an old friend of mine. And it's a pleasure to finally review his music since I was in the midst of a long hiatus when Wild America was putting out records circa 2009-2010. There's a very personal story behind this record that Lew has willingly made public. Bauwaves came to be in the wake of his extreme personal crisis. He spent the year 2016 mired in a crippling bout of depression that compelled him to contemplate self-harm and quit writing songs for the first time in a decade. Gradually he found ways to get his depression under control, and a new song popped into his head one day in early 2017. So he got out his guitar, started writing, and before long he had created the songs that make up u r everything. The band spent most of 2018 refining the material and finally recorded the album in the spring of last year.

To say that Lew Houston holds nothing back on u r everything would be a tremendous understatement. This album chronicles the horrific year he spent battling depression, and the vocals and lyrics are absolutely intense. Sometimes with loud guitar bands like this, words can get buried in the noise. That doesn't happen here. Lew's vocals are very clear and direct - like he's speaking to you personally and baring his soul. You can absolutely feel the depths of his despair. Musically, bauwaves sound like they've appeared right out of the pages of Our Band Could Be Your Life or an SST Records catalog circa 1987. Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr. are obvious points of reference with the huge wall of guitar fuzz and bare bones production. The heaviness and honesty of the lyrics also bring to mind Bob Mould's solo recordings and work with Sugar. I sometimes question the future of the "album" as an art form in the digital age, but u r everything is an example of why I shouldn't. Sure, you can listen to any of these songs in isolation. But this album was clearly intended to be taken in as a whole. It's essentially a non-fiction novel in musical form. It's not always the easiest listen, but it's a powerful experience to follow Lew through the darkness and all the way back into the light. The band skillfully creates contrast between the melodic, energetic music and the often bleak subject matter of the songs. "into the light" and "to the floor" are fierce, ripping punkers; while the likes of "too far away" and "early morning summer" are densely slow-burning confessionals. "it ain't real" is full of thundering power, then suddenly takes a psychedelic turn. "just for kicks" has got to be the darkest Ramones-inspired song I've ever heard.

Human beings create art for a great variety of reasons. One of them is to share personal experience in such a way that others will relate, feel kinship, or at least understand. In this respect, music, film, literature, etc. can genuinely unite us human beings. If you've battled depression yourself, u r everything is an album that will assure that you're not alone in your suffering. If you haven't, it will give you a greater insight into what it's like to be stricken with this affliction. At a broader level, bauwaves are a band that will appeal to anyone who fondly recalls the heyday of 1980s college radio and noisy indie rock. This album is a  brave and uncompromising creation that crackles with energy and intense feeling. It's a fine debut - one that offers great promise of what's to come with bauwaves already at work on a follow-up.

 
-L.R.

https://bauwaves.bandcamp.com/album/u-r-everything 
https://www.facebook.com/bauwaves/ 

Tommy Ray! - First Hits Free

"Long-awaited" is a phrase that often turns up in my reviews. But I don't think it's ever been more suitable than it is today. The Cry! released two of the greatest albums of the last decade in 2011 and 2014, and we've been waiting for a follow-up ever since. The long awaited First Hits Free by Tommy Ray! is not quite a Cry! record. But it is a solo album from The Cry!'s lead singer and primary songwriter. Many of these songs were written for The Cry! but ultimately not chosen for the band's third album (which will likely be completed this year...fingers crossed!). This album is a little "less produced" compared to The Cry!, but Ray's songwriting has never been stronger. He wrote most of this material himself, with assistance in spots from John Nelsen and Brian Crace.

Musically, First Hits Free has more of the power pop feel of the first Cry! album vs. the glam-punk vibes of Dangerous Game. Even when he's writing about very serious subject matter (which he frequently does on this album), Ray has a knack for wrapping it all up in these irresistible pop hooks. First Hits Free is very much in The Cry!'s patented style of '70s power pop and punk by way of the timeless melodies of '60s rock and roll. But it definitely feels like a solo project, and I love how it's reflective of how far Ray has come as an artist. He's been working hard on this album for a few years now, and you can hear his growing life experience coming into these songs. This record really takes me back to my own later 20s: a time of much disappointment, uncertainty, frustration, and heartbreak. If you just skim the surface of these songs, you might take this for a textbook power pop album. This thing is full of memorable melodies, hooky choruses, and the catchiest guitar leads you could ever hope to hear. But lyrically, Ray pushes far deeper than he ever has before. Songs like "Life Goes On", "Hey Susanne", and "Trouble" find him coming into his own as a storyteller. And while he's still writing love songs, they're for the most part about the bitter letdown of failed relationships ("Ain't No Use", "Tuesdays Girl", "Good Luv - Gone South"). I love how "Take A Chance" seems so upbeat and innocent...until you really start paying attention to what Ray is singing! That's also true of "Voices" - a punky number that tackles the very serious issue of schizophrenia. "No Better", the album's penultimate track, finds Ray's songwriting ascending to new levels of complexity and sophistication. I'd call it the magnum opus of his songwriting career so far.

While rawer than both Cry! long players, this full-length debut from Tommy Ray! ought to delight anyone who loved those albums. Ray's style of singing and songwriting is instantly familiar, and if anything he has refined and grown his talents over the last six years. First Hits Free is just a fantastic pop record, and I find it a very authentic rendering of what it's like to be a young man still trying to navigate adulthood. This is a guy who's busting his ass to make it as a musician, and he's given us an album full of his reality. We don't have to call it the "next best thing" to a new Cry! record since we're actually getting a new Cry! record in the near future. But even if we weren't, this would be a tremendously satisfying next chapter in the musical life of Tommy Ray! Digital album is releasing later this month on Apple Music, Spotify, etc. Physical release coming on the German label GadM and SP Records out of Japan! 



-L.R.

https://gadm.bandcamp.com/album/tommy-ray-first-hits-free 
https://thecryband.com/tommy-ray 

Dead Meat - self titled

Essential new band alert! Dead Meat may be a new name to you. But regular readers of this blog will certainly recognize some of the principals involved. Vince from Suicide Generation is on lead vocals. Adrian from The Speedways is on guitar. Jake from The Cavemen smashes the drums. And Ben from Los Pepes recorded these guys. Man, that's a lot of star power! And the songs do not disappoint. You can stream the band's debut EP over at Bandcamp. Dead Meat plays great straight-forward trashy punk rock that's raw, tough, and catchy as hell. This band slots right in there in that Bloodstains/KBD territory smack dab between first wave punk and early hardcore. Cool song titles like "I'm An Infection", "Leave Me To Die", and "I Give Up" will give you a good idea of Dead Meat's vibe. The EP is not downloadable (unless you are crazy enough to actually spend £1,000!). But No Front Teeth Records will be releasing it on vinyl soon! Meet the hot new punk band of 2020! 



-L.R.

https://deadmeatpunk.bandcamp.com/album/dead-meat-ep 

Radio Buzzkills/Black Russians - Mutually Assured Destruction

HOLY SHIT! The Cold War has turned hot with the inevitable confrontation of pop-punk superpowers. Mutually Assured Destruction is the name of the record, and this is the clash of adversaries we've been awaiting since 1947. Flying the flag for the USA, the Radio Buzzkills come armed for battle with the only three chords they'll ever need. They dare to square off with the mysterious Black Russians, who have been lurking behind the Iron Curtain in preparation for the obliteration of capitalism and the entire western way of life.

Fresh off of delivering one of the finest pop-punk albums of recent memory, the Radio Buzzkills could have been excused for running low on sonic weaponry. But they have successfully re-loaded for this epic confrontation with their arch-enemies. "You're My Chernobyl" is a classic mid-paced pop-punk love song with snotty vocals, cool '50s/'60s inspired harmonies, and more than enough Soviet references to get their foes' blood boiling. And then for the real burn, "Can't Stop the Western Bloc" immortalizes the Miracle on Ice and the cracks it placed in the myth of Russian supremacy. This track demonstrates to me the magic of the Radio Buzzkills. Under ordinary circumstances, hearing a song in the style of Screeching Weasel would just make me want to listen to Screeching Weasel. But in this case, I must say I'd rather listen to the Radio Buzzkills. I can't quite tell you why, other than that this is about as perfectly executed as pop-punk music gets.

Undeterred by the Radio Buzzkills' unprecedented display of power, The Black Russians counter with the might and menace of an internationally feared fighting force. "We'd Have A Riot Doing Krokodil" is really just the warmup. Ever wonder why the Communist Party never had its own party anthem? Well "Communist Party" is exactly that - the theme music you cue up when you've crushed your enemies, achieved world domination, and really need to let loose. If Khrushchev and Castro had thrown an epic kegger in 1962 and brought Sloppy Seconds back in time to rock the stage, it would have sounded an awful lot like this. Dig that first-class guitar shredding! "Ain't Putin Up With You" brings the East/West beef into the modern arena with a pop-punk meets Motörhead rocket launch that will be felt across all continents.

War has been declared, and shots have been fired. It is impossible to determine a winner. These are two of pop-punk's best bands, and they've both brought their A-games. Luckily the title of Mutually Assured Destruction proved to be incorrect. We can now retreat to our bunkers and anxiously await a sequel!



-L.R.

https://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mutually-assured-destruction 
https://theradiobuzzkills.bandcamp.com/album/mutually-assured-destruction 
https://www.facebook.com/theradiobuzzkills/ 
https://www.facebook.com/blackrussiansussr/ 
https://www.facebook.com/OUTLOUDrecords/ 

Bullet Proof Lovers - self titled

On what is now their fourth release, Spain's Bullet Proof Lovers go the self-titled route for the second time! Kurt, Luiyi, Joseba, Gonzalo, and Juan are back, and of course they're looking to rock your face off! Bullet Proof Lovers is a five-track EP issued on 12" vinyl by Ghost Highway Recordings and compact disc by Artza Records. This is the Bullet Proof Lovers, so you know exactly what you're getting: high-powered rock and roll with big hooks. Juan and Luiyi continue to tear it up on guitar while Joseba and Gonzalo ably drive the rhythm. And Kurt Baker, the hardest working man in show business, belts 'em with gusto on lead vocals. This is the first new music from Bullet Proof Lovers in nearly three years, and they're not fooling around with the formula. They play no-frills rock and roll that straight-up rips. "Razor Sharp" is like Cheap Trick with a punk rock and roll edge. "I Don't Wanna Want No More" puts the power in power pop. "Fist Full of Dust" is an arena-sized shot of thunder. This EP may be "too rock" for the punk crowd and "too punk" for the rock crowd. And that's what makes it awesome. Turn it up!



-L.R.

https://bulletprooflovers.bandcamp.com/album/s-t 
https://ghosthighwayrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-2 
https://www.facebook.com/bulletprooflovers 
http://www.ghosthighwayshop.com/es/ 
https://www.facebook.com/GhostHighwayRecordings/ 
https://www.facebook.com/ARTZA-Records-2292089587565268/ 

Dark Thoughts - Must Be Nice

Dark Thoughts' Must Be Nice is either the last great punk rock album of the 2010s or the first great punk rock album of the 2020s. Take your pick! This is the Philly trio's third album since 2016, and it feels like they've just capped a holy trinity of modern-day punk rock. I think it's almost unfair to categorize this band as "Ramonescore". Instead I'd just say they're a great punk rock band who happen to be inspired by the Ramones (and what great punk band isn't?). Dark Thoughts haven't really altered their approach since their first album. Only two tracks on Must Be Nice exceed two minutes. And as always, the band's m.o. is to keep it simple & catchy and write deceptively good tunes. The songs leave you wanting more, and then the album ultimately does the same. Dark Thoughts could write the manual on how to worship at the altar of the Ramones without trying to be the Ramones. The closing title track hints at some room for growth/expansion of the band's core sound, so don't be surprised if Dark Thoughts top themselves again in a year or so. Must Be Nice officially releases January 17th on Drunken Sailor and Stupid Bag Records!



-L.R.

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/must-be-nice-lp 
https://dark-thoughts.bandcamp.com/ 
http://www.drunkensailorrecords.co.uk/categories/drunken-sailor-records 
https://stupidbagrecords.storenvy.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenSailorRecords/

Not The Ones - B-Side

How about I start a new decade with a complete change in my musical tastes? Just kidding! I've been a sucker for '77-style punk rock since I was just a young buck music reviewer back in the '90s, and that will likely not change for as long as I'm breathing air. I can always count on Wanda Records to feature the best '77 bands from Europe and beyond. Berlin's Not The Ones have released a couple albums and a single on Wanda in the past, and their new 7" is another cool nod to the U.K. two-chord sound circa 1977-79. The title B-Side might have you thinking this is some kind of outtakes collection, but I don't believe that's the case at all. Lead track "Mona & Lucy" is the real keeper here: a very Adverts-sounding number that you can sing and strum along with to your heart's content. It's followed by a couple more original tunes: one sung in English, the other in German. The latter track, "Wär schön, wenn Du bleibst", is a slower tempo love song in a minimalist Ramones tradition. If you like the classic '77 sound with a German accent, you will definitely dig this band. And be sure to check out Not The Ones' terrific 2016 long player Just A Bad Mood if you haven't already!



-L.R.

https://wandarecords.bandcamp.com/album/b-side 
https://nottheones.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/NotTheOnes 
https://www.facebook.com/wandarecords/