Split System, the Aussie group featuring Jackson Reid Briggs (Jackson Reid Briggs & The Heaters) on vocals and Arron Mawson (Stiff Richards) on guitar, took the punk world by storm with its debut EP this past spring. That was hardly surprising given the talent involved. But whatever my expectations were for Split System, the Melbourne-based outfit far exceeded them. Not just another "super group" (also on board are guitarist Ryan Webb [Speed Week], bassist Deon Slaviero, and drummer Mitch McGregor [No Zu]), Split System is straight-up one of the most powerful and exciting punk rock and roll bands of recent memory. The band's EP was a smasher, and now debut album Vol. 1 emphatically follows suit. My god, this record is a monster!
Essentially Split System's sound is classic Aussie punk. That may sound like nothing new, but this band executes the style with a force and fury rarely heard these days. It doesn't hurt that Jackson Reid Briggs is one of the best rock and roll screamers going. He's got a fire inside of him. Meanwhile, Mawson and Webb form one hell of a guitar tandem. And that rhythm section is insane. These are all brilliant players who come together to make an extraordinary band. Vol. 1 comes storming out of the gates with "The End" and never lets up. Of course we knew some of the previously-released tracks ("Hit Me," "Demolition," "Climbing") were going to rip. But the newer material is just as good and will just about melt your face off. Songs like "Ringing In My Head" and "Grip" are pure energy and ferocity, while closing track "Feelings" has a mellowed-out Saints feel. This band knows how to rock and roll, and there are literally no songs on this album that don't entirely kick ass. Sometimes we think of these all-star groups as "side projects," but such categorization would sell Split System woefully short. If we're talking about the top three or four punk bands in Australia right now, this has to be one of them! Get Vol. 1 now from Legless Records. Drunken Sailor Records will be releasing the album in the UK with a preorder available early next month!
For his latest single, longtime F & L favorite Kurt Baker goes someplace entirely unexpected: Studio 54! New single "Move Up" (out now on Wicked Cool Records) is that rare disco rock song that actually rocks! Co-written by Baker and his pal Geoff Palmer, this track features a backing band comprised of Baker's longtime partners-in-crime Palmer, Kris Rodgers, Wyatt Funderburk, and Zack Sprague. Simply put, it's a rock and roll song you can dance to. Seriously: if hearing this song doesn't make you want to dance, you are surely dead inside. In many ways, it's a vintage Kurt Baker track with lyrics about escaping life's troubles and having a good time. The lines "It's been a hard day's life/It's always filled with strife/But when the music hits/You'll be feeling alright" are classic Baker. The disco twist in the music is a bit of a surprise, but I can't deny that Baker and friends pull it off 100%. The musicianship is supreme, and the energy is off the charts. Think more Rolling Stones "Miss You" and less KISS "I Was Made for Lovin' You." Or better yet, imagine Maroon 5 if they were actually good. That hook is pure gold. And I love the way the lyrics go so over the top that you could envision them as actual pickup lines from the disco era. The icing on the cake is a touch of outro guitar from Dave Minehan (who also recorded and engineered the track). Perhaps it's because I'm just young enough to have never been overexposed to disco, but I've got to say I'm majorly digging this tune. This brings back memories of being 8 years old and not knowing I was supposed to hate Blondie's "Heart of Glass." All I knew was that the song was a banger. To the floor!
Chicago-based power pop sensations Golden Richards are back with their first new song in seven months, and it's a doozy! "Will I Be Cool," in signature Golden Richards style, is a harmony-drenched big hook rocker. Without straying too far from the Cheap Trick playbook, it conjures up a bit of a modern alternative rock feel. The production is exquisite, and I love the way the song builds to an absolutely massive chorus. This tune is about that first time you found out that someone "liked" you and didn't quite know how to act. That is such a great concept for a love song. The power pop world is full of so many songs about unrequited love and heartbreak. But what about those moments where things are about to go our way if we can just manage to not screw it up? Being "cool" in those situations is never as easy as it seems! In a most authentic way, this song captures that mix of excitement and self-doubt. I also love that Golden Richards have worked more than a few later '70s to early '80s pop culture references into this track. If you're a Gen Xer like me, "Will I Be Cool" ought to hit a nostalgic sweet spot. Yet the sentiment of the song is so universal that it ought to appeal to listeners of all ages. Conceptually, this song has much in common with this past March's excellent single "Shake Your Hair." Gil and Billy are so good at tapping into that part of themselves that's eternally 16 yet writing with a fully grown-up perspective. If "Shake Your Hair" was the perfect spring/summer power pop track, "Will I Be Cool" is its mellower autumn counterpart. Grab it from Bandcamp for just a buck!
The notorious Albanian bootlegger Merkush Murat is cranking out the goodies at such a rate that I can't even begin to keep up. A package from Tiranasaurus Recs recently arrived at my doorstep. Its contents (CD bootlegs of John Peel sessions from Generation X, the Buzzcocks, The Only Ones, and The Rezillos) made it apparent that my fondness for U.K. '77 punk is public knowledge as far away as Albania. Another package arrived this past week — loaded with even more Rezillos-related audible treats. I realized it was my moral obligation to put aside all other pressing duties and start putting pen to paper. News of Merkush's Rezillos blitzkrieg had to be shared while this stuff was still in print. And so here we are.
Let's begin with the caveat that none of these items are for sale (because, you know, that would be illegal!). But through an innovative distribution deal with Mutant Pop Records, Merkush has allowed these bootleg discs to ride free with sanctioned purchases from the Mutant Pop mail order catalog. It's a very cool arrangement by which purchases of contemporary pop-punk releases entitle you to bonus selections from bands that were fundamental to the genre. And on that note, I can think of few bands that were more fundamental to pop-punk than The Rezillos. If Ramones, Undertones, and Buzzcocks are the holy trinity of first generation pop-punk, The Rezillos in my estimation are the next band in the discussion. If you've worn out your copies of Can't Stand the Rezillos and the band's early singles yet still find yourself wanting more, these bootlegs will be very much to your liking. Selections include These are The Rezillos (a compilation of John Peel Sessions from December 1977 and May 1978), File Under: Lo-Fi Pop-Punk (a fan-recorded live set from 1977 that was widely bootlegged in the '80s), The Last Show (a recording of the band's farewell gig in Glasgow from December 1978), and Some Product: Carri On (audio of interviews with Fay Fife & Eugene Reynolds and Jo Callis). Also in my goodie basket was The Revillos!, an album-length compilation of 1980-81 BBC sessions from Fay and Gene's quite different yet equally awesome post-Rezillos band.
The contents of These are The Rezillos will be familiar to longtime fans: it's the same eight Peel Session recordings that were previously bootlegged under the title Peel Sessions 1977/1978. It includes some of the band's most beloved songs plus a truly bizarre arrangement of "I Can't Stand My Baby." File Under: Lo-Fi Pop-Punk wins no points in the sound quality department but features spirited performances. Leaning heavily on cover songs, this set reinforces the influence that the British Invasion and early rock and roll in general had on The Rezillos' sound. The Last Show is a recording of the same gig (December 23, 1978 at the Apollo Theatre in Glashow) that was previously documented in the official live release Mission Accomplished… but the Beat Goes On. The interview disc will be of particular interest to hardcore Rezillos fans. The Jo Callis interview in particular takes a deep dive into the history of this band we all love (I say "we" because you wouldn't have read this far if you weren't a fan too!). The Revillos! BBC disc weighs in at 11 tracks and includes songs from three different sessions. Featuring smash hits such as "Rock-a-Boom," "Scuba Scuba," and "Snatzomobile," this compilation affirms that Fay and Eugene more than held their own as songwriters after separating from Jo Callis. With The Revillos!, they doubled down on the camp factor and sci-fi/horror obsessions that had made their former band so unique in the punk rock class of '77. I feel as if any Rezillos fan ought to love The Revillos! — just as any B-52's fan ought to love The Revillos!
As was the case with Merkush's Holly box set, this Rezillos bootleg bonanza was made for super-fans by a super-fan. More casual fans will be perfectly content with a copy of Can't Stand The Rezillos: The Almost Complete Rezillos or the more recent Flying Saucer Attack: Complete Recordings 1977-1979. But if you're a total fanatic, you'll want to get your hands on these priceless artifacts of the Rezillos/Revillos! heyday. All the Merkush bootlegs discs are extremely limited, so I would advise moving quickly if you want in on this Rezillos bonanza or any of the other recent offerings (I especially endorse that Only Ones disc which trims the band's Peel Session tracks down to an all killer, no filler affair). Word on the street is that another Revillos! disc (featuring demos from 1979 to 82) and a whole slew of Devo titles were recently shipped from Albania to Mutant Pop headquarters. If you're already a Mutant Pop customer, you know what to do. If not, drop Tim a line at MutantPop@aol.com to arrange your purchases and reservations. The last I heard, Tim had copies of both Lucy and the Rats albums in stock on CD. Also worth considering for purchase are The Radio Buzzkills' Get Lost, As If and Melt My Heart by Norwegian pop-punk sensations Love Hearts, and Vista Blue's seasonal favorite Tricks and Treats. Did Merkush also just bootleg a 1978 Ramones live show from San Francisco? Why, yes he did!
Outtacontroller is one of those bands that can properly be described as first class. This Halifax, Nova Scotia–based foursome has been around for more than a decade and practically set the standard for what modern-day garage/power pop/punk ought to be. New album Come Alive (the band's fourth long player) came out a few weeks back with very little hype. But make no mistake about it: in a year full of excellent LPs in the punk/garage universe, Come Alive is one of the best. And it finds Outtacontroller at its very best. This sounds like a vintage Outtacontroller record without coming off like a copy of the band's previous releases. If anything, this release is representative of where a power pop/punk band ought to be in the "mature" stage of its existence. The guitars still buzz, and the melodies are still undeniable. Yet in spite of the fact that only one track surpasses three minutes in length, it feels like these guys have gotten really adept at giving their songs added depth and more room to breathe.
Written and produced by guitarists/vocalists Terry A'hearn and James O'Toole, these 11 songs are well-crafted and irresistibly tuneful. If you like your punk music to be melodic but not obnoxiously "poppy," this is the album you've been waiting to hear! Of course I knew that some of the singles (such as "Parts Unknown" and the extraordinary title track) were top-notch. But seriously, you can go anywhere up and down the track listing and land on a fantastic song. "Hit and Run" is a true achievement in songwriting efficiency: a "slow jam" that clocks in at just two minutes, 24 seconds and manages to rock hard even as it gives off chill vibes. "Show Me How It's Done" is the perfect title for a quintessential garage power pop punk song. "Gets Me Everytime" finds the boys leaning more pop, and then "I Wanna Be Bored" goes the other way in blistering punk fashion. "Hanging Over You" might be the catchiest tune Outtacontroller has ever released.
Come Alive is an album that was a long time in the making. The title track was released way back at the beginning of 2021. Over a full year and a half, Terry, James, Sean, and AJ took their time to properly complete the album. And all that effort shows. The songs are the strongest of the band's career, and the album sounds amazing (My god, those guitars!). The whole reason I started this blog was because I wanted to review albums just like this one. 11 years later, it's a joy to hear this style of music still flourishing. I've long joked about something in the environment of Eastern Canada being conducive to producing great power pop/punk. It's funny because it's true.
Guerrilla Teens first came to our attention back in the year that cannot be mentioned, releasing numerous socially-distanced recorded demos throughout the year. This was an exciting moment for the rock and roll world as this new band featured some prominent ex Humpers/Lovesores and a couple more Portland punk rock luminaries. Those digital releases were made available with the caveat that they would soon disappear. And disappear they did. Now Guerrilla Teens have delivered their proper debut release, a ripper of a single called "Halfway To Maybe." The demos were promising, but this is what we were all expecting from Guerrilla Teens. Out come those guitars in full fury. In comes Scott "Deluxe" Drake bellowing, "Can't make up my mind to save my life/Indecision's such a pointless crime/Remember how they said 'If not now, when?'/Well tell me what to do, and I'll lose again." Then that chorus hits, and you're shouting along, fist thrust forcefully in the air. Yeah, kids, this is rock and roll! You know the magic happens when Scott Drake and Jeff Fieldhouse make tunes together, and "Halfway To Maybe" is the perfect re-launching point for their songwriting partnership. On the B-side, "The Other End of the Leash" is a raging shot of American-style '77 punk rock and roll. It's a thumping, gritty number that builds to a chorus that smashes you in the teeth. Drake is in prime form here — fully channeling the wrath of a chained animal. And it's a thrill to hear the righteous guitar racket that Fieldhouse and Saul Koll can kick up as a tandem. Ably driving this rock and roll machine is the formidable rhythm section of "Anna Bananas" Anderson and "Teenage Tim" Connolly. What a lineup. What a band!
"Halfway To Maybe" is coming out soon as a 7" record, but you can grab the digital version now from Bandcamp for $3. If all you punk rock and roll fanatics aren't already going ape over Guerrilla Teens, you will be soon!
The second album from More Kicks arrives nearly three years after the first, yet somehow it seems like it's been longer that. That's easily explained. More Kicks came out in November 2019 — just a few months before the shit hit the fan for the entire world. In "pandemic time," it's as if we haven't heard from More Kicks in half a decade. So what a wonderful return Punch Drunk is. It's being said that this album (out now on Stardumb and Dirtnap Records) is a significant departure from the more straight-forward power pop of the band's debut. In many ways, that's very true. It would be an injustice to try to nail this record down to any specific genre. Yet if you think of "power pop" as a broad, non-restrictive concept, Punch Drunk just might be the ultimate power pop record. It sure is pop, and good lord is it ever powerful!
I've had the pleasure to follow the career of James "Sulli" Sullivan over a number of years now, and I consider him to be one of the finest songwriters going these days. He was on a bit of a hot streak at the time COVID hit, and there's no denying that he took it hard when he suddenly found himself unable to play shows or even properly rehearse with his band-mates. He ended up making the brilliant solo album Light Years, but you knew he was itching to finally get the band back together. The title Punch Drunk refers to Sulli's state of mind as he was putting this new record together in what he calls a "horrible moment" for himself and the world. And yet the feel of this album is triumphant and energized. You can sense the excitement Sulli, bassist Paolo Mantovani, and drummer Kris Hood had in finally being able to (in the near words of Ray Davies) rock out and have fun again. This album hits harder than any More Kicks recording ever has — when it wants to. And sometimes it goes softer than the band has ever gone before. Palpable influences range from Brit-pop to noisy indie rock to first wave punk to the Replacements/Paul Westerberg. Yet it all sounds familiarly like More Kicks.
Sulli as a songwriter and singer has an immediately recognizable style. With this album, he's added a pinch of what worked so well on Light Years to More Kicks' established power trio sound. Nobody is going to hear this album and protest about it being too different. All the different is good different. It's like the band thought, "Let's make an album that rocks harder but is also more pop...and noisier and punkier." Somehow Punch Drunk manages to be all those things and more. Tracks like "Hurts Like Hell" and "Come Home" are on the punk side of power pop, which is always a sweet spot for me. "Color Me Stupefied" is quintessential Brit-pop and magnificent at that. "Seven Ways," which is rough and raw yet still fundamentally pop, brings to mind the golden age of college radio. If you looked up "perfect pop song" on a search engine, new single "Terminal Love" ought to show up. I heard "Rest of Our Lives" and immediately jotted down the words "vintage Sulli." But when this album veers from the hard pop style, it veers significantly. The recent single "Animal" sounds like a post-punk band did a mash-up of "My Sharona" and Pete Shelley's "Homosapien." It's quite possibly the best song More Kicks have ever done. With its loose charm and brilliantly self-effacing lyrics, "Phoney Middle Aged Art" is wonderfully Westerbergian. "Got Lucky" is intimate and reflective — just a guy pouring his heart out over sparse keyboards and a drum machine. "Goodnight Goodnight" is literally and figuratively a marriage of solo Sulli and the full band rock and roll of More Kicks. I hate to keep making Replacements references since I find the influence to be more spiritual than stylistic. But there's definitely that similarity here where the ballads/slow songs end up being high points of an album.
This was supposed to be the part where I assured you all that you will love Punch Drunk. But because I'm a terrible slacker and now a couple weeks late on this review, I might as well just say that I already know you love it! I've seen the rave reviews, and I concur with them fully. This is the work of not just an exceptional songwriter but also a truly fantastic band clicking on all cylinders. The pandemic had More Kicks down but never out. They've come roaring back with the album of their lives. I suppose we can say this for COVID and More Kicks: it took the sophomore slump off the table! If you follow this blog, you need to own Punch Drunk.
