Lesser Creatures - Issue 2

It seems like just last year that Lesser Creatures released their debut album Issue One. That's because it was just last year that Lesser Creatures released their debut album Issue One! Exactly 11 months following my review of Issue One, I have the tremendous pleasure to review the follow-up, Issue 2. With a little help from his friends (such as Zac Buzzkill, Ruben Patino, and Black Russian 666), Nick Spoon has turned out another album of textbook pop-punk. With this release, he has essentially created his musical diary for 2021 -- which turned out to be one of the best years of his life. This is a nice change-up from the usual misery of "pandemic" releases. Now that doesn't mean that every song is happy-go-lucky. But taken as a whole, this is an album about making the most of your circumstances and living your best life. I heard "Nobody's Keeping Score" last year at a time when I felt particularly discouraged by the rising tide of extremism, conspiracy lunacy, and general toxicity in modern-day society. This song offers a perspective on that issue that really lifted my sprits. Simply put, life is too short for you to let that shit -- or anything else -- drag you down. You don't have to worry that the bad guys are winning if you simply realize that there is no competition. Throughout Issue 2, Nick applies that same general philosophy to various aspects of his life. Just because it was a great year, that didn't mean it was a perfect year. But through all the trials and tribulations, our hero emerges triumphant. Let's hear it for the good guys of the world! Musically, this is everything you would expect from a Lesser Creatures album. Nick wears the influence of Lookout! era Screeching Weasel on his sleeve but still puts 100% of himself into these songs. He can write a catchy tune like nobody's business. And even though this set of songs is extremely personal, it's still great fun. Cleverly released on 2/22/22, Issue Two is highly recommend to any superfan of '90s pop-punk. It's available on compact disc from the mighty OUTLOUD! Records or in digital form from Lesser Creatures' Bandcamp. Amazing cover art is by Paulinho Tscherniak!

-L.R.

https://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/album/issue-2
https://lessercreatures.bandcamp.com/album/issue-2
https://www.facebook.com/lessercreatures/
https://www.facebook.com/OUTLOUDrecords/

Wild Wings - Foil Landscape

Ohio's reigning champions of psychedelic, art-damaged, post-apocalyptic space punk have returned! Foil Landscape is the third release from Youngstown-based Wild Wings. This four-song 12" is the band's first vinyl release and the debut release on the brand-new label Color And Time Tonight. This label intends to specialize in punk rock, hardcore, noise, psyche, and outsider rock. Wild Wings could be categorized as all of the above and then some. Foil Landscape is a formidable follow-up to 2018's tour de force SHOWBIZZZ. The promotional material recommends it to fans of My War, Chrome, Acid Mothers Temple, and The Germs. I couldn't have said it better myself! Wild Wings cook up a mind-melting concoction of Rust Belt proto-punk, '80s hardcore, and heavy rock which they launch into the deepest realms of the universe. As always, Kenny Halbert's songwriting acknowledges familiar influences even as it fully disregards convention. I always love a band that can write a three-minute song that feels epic (imagine, then, what they can do in five minutes!). If you crave sludgy hard rock, spastic hardcore, and a mind-fuck trip through space and time, it's all on the menu -- sometimes all within a single song! In so many cases, music this adventurous and creative is just that. But in Wild Wings' case, it all comes together perfectly. Foil Landscape plays like a psychedelic punk symphony in four movements. It's not just original -- it's fucking great! The songs are top-notch; the playing is powerful and dynamic. This is music that goes through your bones and transports you to new worlds. 

For five decades, Northeastern Ohio has lent itself to a particular aesthetic within the punk rock universe. Wild Wings embody that aesthetic in every way. If you are an Ohioan punk historian or simply someone who longs for that moment in time when hardcore was forging a bold new path for itself, Foil Landscape is the album for you. Hit up Color and Time Tonight's online shop to order a copy on clear vinyl. And be on the lookout for upcoming releases from TV Drugs, Sacred Hate, and Vaxer!

-L.R.

https://wildwings.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/WildWings69
https://colorandtimetonight.com/
https://www.facebook.com/colorandtimetonight

Ingrates - "Kickin' Down The Doors!"

Now this is how you avoid the sophomore jinx! Ingrates, a duo from the California desert, burst onto the scene last year with a debut single that could have passed for a long-lost punk rock 45 from 1977 U.K. I was blown away by the band's righteous blend of energy, rawness, and killer hooks. This set high expectations for a follow-up release, and I'm here to tell you that those expectations have been met. New single "Kickin' Down The Doors!" is nothing short of an anthem. If you're looking for a song to get you pumped up to take on whatever challenges await you today, this is it! This tune manages to be poppy and supremely rockin' at the same time. I love that vintage '77 punk guitar sound, and these guys could write the manual on how to turn out a sing-along chorus. To my ears, the production sounds a little tighter and cleaner on this go-around, but it's still plenty raw. On the virtual flip side, "Learn To Love It" adds a pinch of classic glam rock influence to Ingrates' punk/power pop sound. Again, the energy level is off the charts. This single, like its predecessor, was recorded as a duo. However, Ingrates are assembling a full band with live shows in mind. That is a very good thing since two singles from this band leave me wanting more!

-L.R.

https://ingrates.bandcamp.com/album/kickin-down-the-doors-b-w-learn-to-love-it-2
https://www.facebook.com/Ingrates-110389511496921

Hue Blanc's Joyless Ones - self titled

After a decade in hibernation, the illustrious Bancroft Records has been reestablished in Durham, North Carolina (this label goes from one beer mecca to another...is Germany next?). I always associate this label with a golden era of Midwestern garage and punk (although not all of its acts were Midwestern or American at all!). Algoma, Wisconsin's Hue Blanc's Joyless Ones would have fit right in with the Bancroft roster back in the day. They were even set to do a 7" with the label -- which for various reasons never materialized. No worries, though. All these years later, Hue Blanc's Joyless Ones remain one of the finest musical acts in all of the American Midwest. And their self-titled fourth album (and first full-length in seven years) has turned up on the relaunched Bancroft imprint. All is right with the world! 

Hue Blanc's Joyless Ones are a very difficult band to describe. It's a cliché to say a band "has its own sound", but it's 100 percent true in the case of HBJO. There's literally no other band out there that sounds like this. Think bluesy garage rock meets pre-punk meets post-punk meets psychedelic rock meets non-pretentious poetry meets straight-forward Midwestern rock and roll featuring two songwriters with contrasting and complementary styles. If this were 30 years ago, we could just call it "indie" and be done with it. But in the world of 2022, I'm going to side with Goner Records and categorize this as "mutant rock." It doesn't fit into any box, and why would you want it to? While it has its share of quality rockers (check out the opening 1-2 punch of "Black Charms" and "Winter Palace"), the new album is at its best when it unfolds in surprising and interesting ways. This album is a big-time grower (there I go with the clichés again!) that sucks me into a musical journey that's unpredictable but always enjoyable. The songs are fantastic all the way through, and "All Dale Merrill's Party Stores" has to win the award for song title of the year. This is the kind of release that ought to exist on vinyl; I'm thrilled to report that it does! Get your copy straight from Bancroft Records. Also available is the new album from Zurich Cloud Motors. I'll have more to say about that very soon!

-L.R.

https://hueblancsjoylessones.bandcamp.com/album/hue-blancs-joyless-ones
https://bancroftrecords.bigcartel.com/product/hue-blanc-s-joyless-ones
https://www.facebook.com/Hue-Blancs-Joyless-Ones-109660445742590/
https://www.facebook.com/bancroftrecords/

The Clams - "Crazy Boys"

Now here's a real blast from the past! Rum Bar Records has reissued The Clams' second single, which was originally self-released back in 1987. This is a major treat for anyone who enjoys garage/pop/girl group rock and roll. The Clams were Cindy Lawson (guitar, lead vocals), Patty Jansen (bass), Karen Cusack (drums), and Roxie Terry (lead guitar). They were mainstays of the Twin Cities club scene in the later '80s -- releasing two singles and an EP along the way. Lawson, a music legend in Minnesota, has recently joined the Rum Bar family. In May, the label will be reissuing her solo EP New Tricks and releasing a full Clams discography titled The Complete Clams. But up first, we have this dandy 7" featuring the tracks "Crazy Boys" and "Train Song". Both songs are high energy blasts of raw and catchy rock and roll. To say that The Clams fit right in with the Rum Bar roster would be a severe understatement. It's not hard to hear the shared musical DNA with the likes of French Girls, Pale Lips, The Sorels, Beebe Gallini, Hayley and the Crushers, Natalie Sweet, and many more amazing Rum Bar artists. The label is even offering a special deal that bundles this Clams 7" with singles by Beebe Gallini, French Girls, and The Short Fuses for just $22 (Hurry: supplies are running out!). You may notice that the digital single flips the order of the original 7" -- promoting "Crazy Boys" to A-side status. Honestly, it makes little difference. Both tracks are hit-worthy. The Clams are one of those bands that fall into the "shoulda been huge" category, and I'm stoked that their material is about to be introduced to new generations of fans along with anyone who may have missed out the first time around. Can you imagine what it would have been like to have been a fly on the wall at clubs like 7th Street Entry or The Uptown Bar back in the '80s? "Crazy Boys" will give you a little taste of that!

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/crazy-boys-b-w-train-song
https://cindylawson.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

Brad Marino - "[She's] Doing Her Thing"

Brad Marino is on some kind of roll! He's back with his second single of the year already, and it freaking smokes! Arriving hot on the heels of the Kinks-inspired rocker "Girl, I Want You", "[She's] Doing Her Thing" is an upbeat pop tune with a pronounced '60s feel. It actually reminds me quite a bit of Brad's early Connection stuff. It's right there in that garage rock meets British Invasion wheelhouse, and you just won't hear this style of music done better. My first reaction to "[She's] Doing Her Thing" is that it sounds like the sort of song the Ramones would have covered. Listen to it once or twice, and you'll be whistling that melody all day! How amazing do those guitars sound? Check out this killer tune via your favorite streaming platform today!

-L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/bradmarinomusic
https://bradmarino.bandcamp.com/

Matt Speedway - Dream Diary Of A Madman

The trilogy continues! Dream Diary Of A Madman is the second in a series of digital EPs featuring demos recorded at home by Speedways singer/guitarist Matt Julian. In preparation for a new Speedways album, Julian set himself a goal of writing & demoing two songs a week back in January. He hit his target and was able to lay the best three songs aside for the new LP. The five remaining demos became Dream Diary Of A Madman, which is currently a name your price download from Bandcamp. As was the case with Only Trouble Is, Gee Whiz, these recordings are all works in progress. Julian literally recorded them on his bed using a Tascam 4-track, a keyboard, and a couple of guitars. This makes for a more intimate listening experience compared to the more polished product of a Speedways record. You're getting the direct inspiration here. These songs are straight from the heart and soul of a talented songwriter without any outside input. And in this raw state, Julian's songwriting is never bound to any particular genre. These are the kinds of recordings that we sometimes never hear until an artist is dead and a record label is looking to make a buck. So I applaud Julian's generosity in sharing these songs with the world. I categorized Only Trouble Is, Gee Whiz as being for Speedways super fans only, but now I'm changing my tune. I'd actually recommend these demos to anyone who wants to hear one of our finest contemporary songwriters in the most stripped-down setting imaginable. 99% of power pop songwriters would envy being to classify "Strawberry Jeans" and "Angel Street Guitars" as "leftovers". "I'll Still Be Waiting For You" and "10th of the 10th" fully epitomize the title of the EP. The lovely "Daylight" convinces me that a Matt Speedway acoustic album would be absolutely worth buying. 

The Matt Speedway demos trilogy will conclude next month with another five-song installment called The Sincerest Form Of Flattery. And with the new album now in the early rehearsal stage, this is looking to be a big year in the Speedways universe. If these are the cast-off tracks, the actual album is going to be something else! 

-L.R.

https://mattspeedway.bandcamp.com/album/dream-diary-of-a-madman
https://www.facebook.com/JustAnotherRegularSummer
https://thespeedways.bandcamp.com/