Friday, July 07, 2023

Bart and the Brats/The Battlebeats - Chickpea Records Presents An International Garage Split: Vol. 7


Volume 7 of Chickpea Records' International Garage Split series is a budget rock geek's dream come true! It finds France's Bart and the Brats teaming up with Indonesia's The Battlebeats. These are two of the best garage punk bands on the planet, and both are represented with top-notch material on this slab of wax. The Bart and the Brats side contains four tracks from the same sessions that produced the new album Assorted Cuts. These tracks seem to have been hand-picked for this project. They're a little faster and trashier and wouldn't sound out of place on a Rip Off Records singles comp. "Can't Stand the Beatles" is an absolute ripper and perhaps Bart's most convincing attempt yet to create his own Killed By Death cut. "Can't Complain" and "Ferme Cette Porte" perfectly capture the snottier, more ferocious side of Bart and the Brats (think more '99 than '77!). "Cold Beef" is also on the LP, but I'm more than happy to hear it again. On The Battlebeats side, Andresa continues to ride the hot streak from his recent singles on Big Neck, Post Party Depression, and Otitis Media Records. He's still channeling the spirit of '90s lo-fi trash, but he continues to push the boundaries of The Battlebeats' sound. "Surrender To You" is vintage Battlebeats and absolutely scorching. "Absolute Zero" approaches hardcore intensity — suggesting a budget rock Black Flag. "Pull It Off" is pure rock and roll and brings to mind bands like The Spaceshits. "You Don't Love" me is a brilliant display of punk rock songwriting efficiency — the musical equivalent of a one-punch knockout. "Matilah Kau" finds Andresa singing in his native tongue and worshipping at the altar of The Oblivians.  

When I heard that Bart and the Brats and The Battlebeats were joining forces on a split, I had high, high hopes. Chickpea Records Presents An International Garage Split: Vol. 7 more than lives up to my expectations. This is great stuff from two of the bands keeping real deal garage punk alive and well in 2023!

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Thursday, July 06, 2023

Taxi Girls - Coming Up Roses


Coming Up Roses, the debut EP from Montreal-based trio Taxi Girls, was almost certainly my most highly anticipated release of 2023. It's no shocker, then, that it has turned out to be my favorite record of the year so far. What Jamie, Vera, and Lynn have done with this band is to remind me of the excitement I felt when I first discovered punk rock music. It's not like I've ever lost that thrill in the decades since, but Taxi Girls renew that feeling in a very big way. 

Co-released by Dirt Cult Records and Wild Honey Records, Coming Up Roses is a perfect EP in the respect that every track is essential. Not one second is wasted. Even with two singles having been released in advance, fans have plenty to dig into since all five of these songs could have been singles. I have struggled to identify the "hit" simply because I have a different favorite track every day! And since each song sounds very different from the rest, it's all the more difficult to pick a standout. But why even bother picking a standout? Coming Up Roses is basically five A-sides packaged together, and Taxi Girls have done us a great service by not making us wait months for each new song to come out! At a time when so much punk music is crafted to fit into a sub-genre of another sub-genre, I'm pumped to hear a band like this that's just pure punk rock (and pure energy). This is the kind of record that kids will hear, and it will make them want to pick up a guitar or buy a drum kit and start their own bands. And I can't help but hear a '90s punk feel in a lot of these songs that takes me back to when I was a young pup coming up in the punk zine world. "Good Grace" sounds a little bit like The Muffs if they'd tried to rock your face off. "Sunshine" has me recalling a time when Green Day was carving out an exciting future for rock and roll. The urgent garage rock anthem "Hands Off" is reminiscent of the '90s heyday of fierce & fiery feminist punk rock. Yet nothing about this EP sounds dated or derivative. Producer Ryan Battistuzzi has done a fantastic job of giving these songs a huge, powerful sound that punches up the guitars while still highlighting that amazing rhythm section and some stellar harmonies. 

Comprised of five tracks running at just under 12 minutes, Coming Up Roses is totally satisfying but will still leave you wanting more. And isn't that exactly the way a debut release ought to be? I love that Jamie, Vera, and Lynn use the art form of punk rock to say some important things, yet they understand that above all else, this kind of music is supposed to be a whole lot of fun! All these songs were seemingly made for you to sing (and dance!) along with. I envision a lot of people hearing these songs today and contemplating how amazing they'll sound live. If you're already a fan of these women from their other bands, you'll recognize the talent but also discover that Taxi Girls are something entirely new and original. From the racing summertime punk rock of "Sunshine" to the furiously rocking call to action of "Hands Off" to the quintessential power pop punk of "Stay With Me," the range of material is impressive and immensely promising. These three are formidable musicians and songwriters, and on top of that they've got the one thing that makes us truly fall in love with a band: personality. Vinyl release on Wild Honey is a one-sided 12", and it's gonna go fast! Dirt Cult is doing a limited edition cassette release. If you want a physical copy of this EP, do not mess around!

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Tuesday, July 04, 2023

The False Positives - "Leaves a Mark"


It has been a while since we've heard from Dave Harrison and his band The False Positives. New single "Leave a Mark" is Harrison's first collaboration with Todd Erickson (Holy Smoke, Shake the Faith) from Rock Garden Records. Musically, this is very familiar territory for the False Positives: powerful pop by way of Boston garage rock. But this track is a big step forward production-wise. Produced by Erickson (who also plays bass and sings backing vocals), "Leaves a Mark" sounds bigger and cleaner than previous False Positives recordings. Lyrically, it's a remarkable song about trauma and the way it can damage a person irreparably. All the influences which have informed Harrison's approach to songwriting come together here. If you like punchy guitars with slick backing vocals and a heavy dose of organ, this tune will be well worth checking out. And since the lyrics are so significant, it's good that they're included on the Bandcamp page. This song has a great hook, but just importantly, it has heart. Great stuff from Boston! 

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Bart and the Brats - Assorted Cuts


Less than a year after the release of Bart and the Brats' full-length debut on No Front Teeth and Big Neck Records, a superb follow-up is out courtesy of the same two labels. Assorted Cuts again finds Bart De Vraantijk (Pneumonias, Wild Zeros, Teenage Hearts, The Janitors, etc.) powering through track after track of trashy '77-style garage punk that's brimming with energy & masterful in its simplicity. If you like first album Ramones, Killed By Death comps, and '90s budget punk, then Bart and the Brats ought to be your musical spirit animals. Short and sweet at a running time of just under 23 minutes, Assorted Cuts is the kind of record you'd play for extraterrestrials to demonstrate what Earthling three-chord punk rock is supposed to sound like. A touch of keyboards gives this album a slightly different feel, but the musical approach remains grounded in thumping punk minimalism. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Bart's knack for writing high quality stripped-down punk tunes is on display as always. "And Then I Drink" could be my personal anthem. "Cold Beef" kicks the living daylights out of what usually passes for "Ramonescore." "Masochistic Pigs" is truly an anthem for our times. "Kicked Out of the Webelos" is a ripping, fully Brat-ified cover of The Queers' classic. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Lo' Spider at Swampland in Toulouse, Assorted Cuts is another crackling effort from the remarkably prolific Bart and the Brats. If you want to snag a limited edition vinyl copy, be sure to hit one the links below for ordering information!

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Monday, July 03, 2023

The Dictators - "Crazy Horses"


Yes, you read that right: it's the almighty Dictators covering The Osmonds! "Crazy Horses" is The Dictators' first new single since 2021. And honestly, it's freaking great! This is, I believe, the band's first recording to feature Keith Roth on guitar and vocals — who joins Andy Shernoff, Ross the Boss, and Albert Bouchard in this latest 'Tators lineup. This is a fantastic version of a song that was well ahead of its time five decades ago — its environmental message truly chilling in the light of the 2020s. The band sounds great, and its arrangement of the song will rock your face off. Listen to Ross the Boss tear it up on guitar like no one else can! "Crazy Horses" has been digitally packaged with three of The Dictators' greatest tracks ("Who Will Save Rock and Roll?", "New York, New York," and "Stay With Me") to form a damn fine EP that's a deal and a steal for $4. Check it out!

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Friends of Cesar Romero - "Cold East Coast Shoulder" b​/​w "Greenway Thunderbird"


I again find myself awed and appreciative as J. Waylon continues to release some of our finest present-day power pop/punk/garage music with his prolific project Friends of Cesar Romero. Cold East Coast Shoulder, already the fourth FoCR EP of the year, is #37 in the band's Doomed Babe Series. The title track finds J. Waylon doing what he does better than almost anyone: writing a breakup song that will intoxicate you with its hooks even as it tears out your heart. The song title alone is a stroke of brilliance, and the lyrics are some of J. Waylon's finest. Seriously, just read that second verse:

You needed someone to fill the void/
But somehow now baby you’re annoyed/
I wrote these words down in a poem/
Then I burned it all down like Ancient Rome

It seems that even as it nears its 40th installment, the Doomed Babe Series is still picking up steam! "Cold East Coast Shoulder" is a stone cold gem from a songwriter/band that should be on every power pop fan's radar. "Greenway Thunderbird" is another fresh blast of top-quality pop, and "Don't Look Back" is a very lovely cover of a Teenage Fanclub classic. All in all, this is another stellar EP out of many produced by Friends of Cesar Romero over the years. If you like what you hear, be sure to also check out the punchy '60s-style rocker "You Really Had Me" which was released in May (#36 in the Doomed Babe Series!).

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Sunday, July 02, 2023

Zero Boys - "Don't Shoot, Can't Breathe"


Installment #9 in I-94 Recordings' Detroit covers 7" series features Indianapolis, Indiana's legendary Zero Boys. "Don't Shoot, Can't Breathe" is the band's first physical release of new music in over a decade. The title track was a digital-only release back in 2018. Now it sees a well-deserved vinyl release, and its message about social injustice is sadly more relevant than ever. 

Zero Boys are one of those bands who've managed to make a successful transition from early '80s hardcore heroes to elder statesmen of the modern-day punk rock and roll scene. Original members Paul Mahern (vocals) and Mark Cutsinger (drums) are still at it. And the "new guys," guitarist Dave Lawson and bassist Scott Kellogg, have been in the band since 2012. "Don't Shoot, Can't Breathe" is nothing short of an anthem. It's an impassioned, furious number that typifies Midwestern punk rock and finds the Zero Boys as socially conscious as ever. It's a thrill to hear one of the greatest American punk groups of all-time in such fine form — and still with something important to say. The music video for the song (directed by Eric Ayotte) is quite powerful and well worth taking the time to watch. I appreciate the thought that the band put into their choice of a Detroit cover for the B-side. They take on Alice Cooper's classic Love It To Death track "Long Way to Go" and give it the proper punched-up Zero Boys treatment. In pairing these two songs together, they reiterate what is painfully obvious in society today: indeed we still have a long way to go. The cover art references the Detroit riots of 1967 but could just as easily depict what's happening in our cities today. Of course this entire 7" series has been brilliant, but this installment is especially essential. There are a few colors of vinyl already sold out, but many remain in stock. Hit up the I-94 web site to order your copy of "Don't Shoot, Can't Breathe" along with any remaining installments in the Detroit covers series you have not yet procured. And if you haven't kept up with the Zero Boys in recent decades, you can explore most of their catalog on Bandcamp!

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