I’m sure every city has a few bands that should have made it big but didn’t. In 1070’s Richmond, Virginia, one of those bands was Single Bullet Theory. They were an new wave / art rock band with a catchy style and a lively vocalist. Their tale is a sad but all too common one for those serious musicians caught in the traps of commercial music. Instead of re-telling it, you can read about it here. But the good news is that Artifacts/yclept records have released a retrospective of their music from 1977 to 1980 that should make clear why so many have fond memories of this band.

There are some good tunes on this collection but you can also sense the confusion abounding in the search for a sound. They do not sound like an art band as much as a high quality punk pop group. “Boys’ Night Out” has a cool Ramones sound while “Lies” is a smoothly raucous commercial rock song. The band is best when in a tight melodic punk groove like on “Peggy Got Her Eyes Full” and worse when they appear to be seeking the pop charts like on “Keep It Tight”, which did manage to make it to #78. Yet most bands would give their wisdom teeth to have this much talent and energy. So download this oldie but goodie and remember the party times.

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The State Lottery is a post-punk band with a strong sound and a strong message. They have new exciting albums titled Cities We’re Not From and When The Night Comes. Cities is the earlier effort and it has equal arts of urban rudeness and Midwest alienation. There is an interesting mix of The Hold Steady and Bad Religion in these tracks. The newer When The Night Comes has a bit more emphasis on lyrics and melodies and a tighter feel. The whole collection of tracks is nicely helmed by vocalist Bobby Gibbons. The first song Coming Alive is a catchy but typical track. The two albums are available from If You Make It, a new exciting web site for fans of independent punk rock.

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When The Night Comes
Cities We’re Not From

Coolrunnings hail from Knoxville, Tennessee. They have two short EPs you can download from the Free Music Archive; Babes Forever and Buffalo EP. The music is odd but catchy, showing traces of punk, psychedelica, electronica, and surf beats all in glorious lo-fi. Babes Forever has some nice tracks in “Better Things” and “When I Got High With You” but their strangeness really comes through with ” Trippin’ Balls at Dur Weinerschnitzel”. Highlights from Buffalo include the lo-techno surf rock “Burnout” and the title track. Love it or hate it, you have to admit it is different.

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Babes Forever
Buffalo EP

I have written favorly before about the music coming out of the South American punk oriented LePork Records. Caminata Lunar China may be one of their best albums yet. Las Vin Up is a female punk group with a lot of spirit. The main lanquage is Spanish yet this is not an obstacle to the infectious attitude this band projects. I especially like the opening track “Escobas y Cacerolas” and “Killer Pussy” which I think is a cover but I can’t remember from who . More great punk sounds from south of the equator.

The album is available in 160kbps MP3.

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Ska Punk has made its way around the world but this is the first Dublin ska punk band I’ve heard of. Of course, Chewing on Tin Foil can claim influences from not too far away. There is plenty of influence from The Specials and other British bands. But there is still something new here. Chewing on Tin Foil is a quieter and gentler Ska band. Their online album Get Rich or Try Dyin’ is fun and irresistible. “Breso” has a lot of jagged rhythms and driving percussion while the title track with its switch back and forth from hard rock to wistful ska may be the best song on the album . The 17 tracks are all quite engaging. Give this a try.

The album is freely available from Quote Unquote Records. If you enjoy the band, support the artists by donating to the band or by buying the CD.

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The Canadian psychedelic punk band Holy Cobras is a rude assault on the ears full of chaotic feedback, shouting vocals and electronic retching. In other words, I love it. As wild as they get, they still keep at least one foot in high velocity rock. Their newest album titled Dead Bodies Float into Space is available at the Free Music Archive and is an unique listening experience. The first track Mama Jihab is punk rock. However it soon evolves into a psychedelic jam called Mohammed Ya ya. Vocals are shouted rather than sung yet it all comes together in a barrage of notes and noise. Drug Store is minimal street punk while the title track blends distorted guitar and electronic samples into a wild collage. I suspect this is a good band to see live but I find this casual garage band of an effort still pretty exciting.

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The hardcore/punk/emo band Dahlia Seed were a part of the NY music scene in the mid 1990s. They broke up in 1996 but those around during that time state they were a seminal influence on upcoming hardcore and emo bands. This is my first time hearing them thanks to the artists placing all three of their albums for free download and listening on their website. The three albums are Survived By, Valentine Kid’s Litter, and Please Excuse All The Blood. The most significant factor in the music of Dahlia Seed is vocalist Tracy Wilson, whose voice confronts in a method between singing and screaming. Yet the rest of the band is just as powerful and confrontational often making this more hardcore punk sounding than Emo at least to my ears. Dahlia Seed had a fully realized sound that goes straight to the listener’s emotions. That is something few bands with such a short life can be said to have accomplished.

All three albums are available in 160kbps MP3 for the band’s website.

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I love Anti-Clockwise and I make no apologies. It takes me back to the my days in Los Angeles as I waited in line to see X or Black Flag while the young punks wondered what this old guy in his 30s was doing there. This Lisbon based band has a good old school punk sound even though it leans toward heavy metal a bit too. While some of the lyrics on their album titled Love Bomb Baby are silly and overly violent (”Domestic Tattoo”: “You break my heart, I’ll break your face”), it mainly comes across as good comic book sensationalism. Due to lyrics like the one I quoted, I wouldn’t recommend this to the easily impressible. However, those mature punkers who understand the music’s cathartic benefits will like it.

The album is available from their web site in 320kbps MP3.

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In perusing the Lepork Records’ Mixtapes series, I took an instant liking to the South American punk group Mamushkas. Their EP titled MHKS is one of the current offerings from Lepork Records and I was immediately taken in by the catchy melodies and heavy hooks of this band. They remind me a bit of The Ramones; rebellious but with the appeal of a teen matinee idol. While the lyrics are in Spanish, the infectious attitude rings loud and clear. Give this 20 minute taste of Southern Hemisphere punk a try.

MHKS EP is available in 160kbps MP3.

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I recently featured a punk group called The Leftouts from the Argentinian netlabel LePork Records. Julian, who runs the label, wrote to me and informed me of his series of mixtapes that are also on the site. It features a number of excellent South American punk and post-punk bands. It is a solid collection representing the state of punk rock in the South American continent, well worth a listen by punk fans and music lovers alike.I especially like Distraccion Massiva, Mamushkas, and Silencia Apache whose “Reos Juveniles” has a nice Ramones thing going for it. Metmorfica’s “Invisible” is especially interesting as it reminds me more of Carlos Santana rather than any punk band although their “Mrs. Brain” shows they are really feminine punk. However there isn’t really a bad track on the three available albums of this five album series. Give these mixtapes a listen .

The three albums are in VBR or 192kbps MP3.

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Mixtape III
Mixtape IV
Mixtape V

Ultrabunny is a full frontal assault of noise. Wavering between comic book and avant garde, this noise-rock band is a no compromise ensemble that is confrontational in both its sound and political stance. They have released four live recordings which you can find at the Free Music Archive. Even I find four albums of this unrelenting sound attack to be overwhelming but one or two will be sufficient to curdle milk or agitate the neighbors. Live @ Cakeshop. NYC, 7/29/06 is a typical example. The first track exhibits a wide range of sound and noise. While they deserve the noise moniker you will also think of post-punk and avant-rock. “Squirrel Attack”, which they laughingly call their hit single, barely has a melody and a vocal. Vocals are not their strong point but they make it up in pure audacity. Give one of these marvels of madness a try.

All four albums are available in 320kbps MP3. If you enjoy their music support the band by buying their CDs.

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Live @ Cakeshop, NYC 7/29/06
Live @ Ratward Noisefest, Phoebus VA 8/7/04
Live @ The True Vine, Baltimore VA 8/8/04
Live @ Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY 3/18/05

Lepork Records is a new net label specializing in South American punk artists. The small offering of online albums is interesting but I was especially drawn to The Leftouts and their free album titled Last One Standing. It is a raucous effort incorporating power pop with punk. I especially like the opening track, “19 Days” and the tense title tune. This album, as well as the albums by other bands on this net label deserve a listen for their inexhaustible energy but also to show how global the punk genre has become.

Last One Standing is available in VBR MP3.

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The rock and ska celebration continues with this German band called Boxing Fox. The album titled The Shepherd Hates Us is a rousing chorus of sharp brass riffs, skanking guitars and frantic vocals. Despite some nice metal and punk touches, This is fairly old school ska in the style of Madness and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. “The Last I Know” is a case in point, The guitar and vocals may hint of Rancid but that opening brass riffs and beat would have made The Skatalites proud. The seven tracks are all party music of the rude and celebratory kind. Highly recommended.

The album is creative commons licensed and available from the band’s web site in 192kbps MP3.

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It should be said at the beginning that there is no Wrench Tuttle. Former Blue Rodeo band member Bob Wiseman used the pseudonym and, from what I’ve read, went to great length to present him as a real person to the Canadian media. In Her Dream: Bob Wiseman Sings Wrench Tuttle was the Canadian musicians’ first solo album and was released in 1989. CHART magazine named it as one of the top 100 Canadian albums. Blocks Recording Club out of Toronto will be re-issuing a limited edition vinyl but the free and legal digital version is now available through WFMU’s Free Music Archive.

This album may best be described as a casual mixture of country and punk. Bob Wiseman feels at ease in both genres. His somewhat raspy and out-of-control voice makes the perfect edge to this rough and ready album. The opening “Older Brother” is a good example of his somewhat outrageous folk-rock blend and is what Hank Williams might sound like if he was a punk rocker. Other tracks like “Bhopal” are pure and surreal alternative while “Dog on a Leash” is blues-rockabilly. Whatever genre Wiseman leans into has his unique touch which I am tempted to call a Canadian version of Tom Waits’ equally rough and mystic styling. This excellent album will grow on you.

The album is available in its free and legal online version at WMFU’s Free Music Archive in 192kbps MP3.

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I acquired Glass Candy’s debut album Love Love Love in 2003 when it was released and it still gets regular play on the CD player. Glass Candy has a somewhat campy sound that wavers between goth, punk and disco. Often billed as Glass Candy and The Shattered Theatre, Its primary attribute is the tortured voice of Ida No who often sounds like she is channeling Siouxise and Deborah Harry at the same time. She also reminds me a lot of Wendy O. Williams on the more turbulent songs. Johnny Jewel’s pulsing electronic riffs are also instrumental in giving the music a somewhat ominous sound.

Glass Candy has placed three of their earlier albums, plus quite a few demos, on WFMU’s new Free Music Archives, a rather unusual move for an established band that is still going strong. Love Love Love is more punk and goth than the others making it danceable but disturbing. “Crystal Migraine” and the title track are standouts but I also recommend the over-the-top “Love on a Plate”. There is an interesting take on The Rolling Stones’ “Last Time”. The Sick Sounds of Glass Candy has more of an electro-pop sound and shows strong Italo Disco influences. “Your Dream Lover’s on Video Again” and the following “Life after Sundown” are representative tracks, both unusual in their seven minutes plus duration. “La Brea Tar Pits” is a good atmospheric instrumental piece. The third album is titled Iko and the title track is the classic New Orleans “Iko” made famous by a number of musicians including Dr. John. Glass Candy’s version has little to do with the song’s Cajun roots which is why it is so interesting. However its jaunty rhythms also makes it one of the happier tracks by this band. There are two other tracks plus three remixes. As these albums become more recent it appears that the group is paying more attention to the disco aspects of their sound. Overall, I find Glass Candy to have a distinctive sound that will appeal to a number of rock, punk and electronic dance enthusiasts.

The three albums are available in 256kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music, support the artists by buying their CDs.

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Love Love Love
The Sick Sound Of…
Iko

The Transister’s 2008 release is titled Under Control and it is a free and legal blast! The title tune starts this 25 minutes EP with a energetic riff that drives the equally forceful vocal. The energy of this danceable yet listenable album comes from a blend of punk, goth, darkwave, and electro-pop that is a more than a little hardcore yet has enough hooks and melody to entrap the most casual listener. I like “Walking in a Black Hole” and “JB is Dead” but the highlight has to be “Living Like a Superstar”, a smart and sassy number that is somewhere between Bauhaus and Disco. Goths, New Wavers and Dance freaks can all unite under this audacious album.

Under Control is available from AFmusic in MP3 and Ogg Vorbis format.

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Todd Millenacker of Avenpitch was generous enough to send me this ten track online sampler of their music. I previously reviewed the compilation series TC Electropunk in which Avenpitch provide some of the highlights so I was please to be able to listen to their sampler. I was not disappointed as Avenpitch has a fairly unique blend of punk and electro-pop that reminds me of of a 21st century post-punk version of such entertaining old school punk bands like Offspring mixed with 80s styled New Order. Take a listen to the sharp melodic hooks all over “Butterfly Radio” and you’ll know what I mean. If you’re the dance maniac type you’ll probably trip all over “Jack The Idiot Dance”. I didn’t find a weak song on the sampler but “Replay”, ” Maybe I Was Wrong”, “Wreckage” and the wonderfully rude “Dusseldorf” are impressive leaders of the pack. Anyone who consider themselves knowledgeable on the indie rock scene needs to become familiar with this excellent band.

The free album is available in 192kbps MP3 and can be downloaded directly from the link below. If you like the music. support the artists by buying their CDs.

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The reviewers on Distemper’s Jamendo page seem to be in agreement that the group is the best Ska-punk band from Russia. I’ don’t know just how big that category is but they certainly know how to rock. Having never heard any other Russian Ska-Punk bands, I can not offer an opinion but I will say this may be one of the best Ska-Punk bands I’ve heard, perhaps bowing only to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Specials, and Let’s Go Bowling on a good day in Fresno. Distemper have two albums freely available from Jamendo. The titles are probably badly translated but, for better or worse, they are Think Me is Your Friend and To Me on a Dick…!!!. I’m pretty sure the latter title is supposed to be describing a particular anatomically impossible sexual act that I have sometimes suggested in anger. The band itself has been around since 1989 so these are no overnight sensations. Both albums offer top-notch tracks bolstered by a crisp brass section, sharp guitar riffs and a pleasant but abrasive vocalist. I am sure the words are rude and punkish but since they are in Russian I’ll leave the lyrical analysis to someone else. The beat and overall musical fun is enough for me. And don’t forget to check out the very funny canine punk album covers.

Both albums are available in VBR MP3.

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Think You is Your Friend
To Me on a Dick…!!!

I am still awaiting the WFMU Free Music Archive but my patience is wearing thin. I just noticed that the deadline has been moved from November to December. What is a poor aging music fanatic going to do? At least WFMU was kind enough to release a second volume of goodies to hold us over until the archive is unveiled.

Like Vol. 1, it is a cornucopia of sounds all freely available under a creative commons license. There is some punk and alternative rock, some world music, some indie, and a lot of music that defies simple labels. The opening track by Kurt Vile is an addictive rocker in the alternative tradition and a bit more mainstream than most of the other songs. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’s “Jules Lost His Jewels” is a sloppy but exhilarating bit of party rock. The Yolk’s “I Do What I Do” is so 70s garage rock I can smell the 30 weight oil. If you are looking for more experimental bits of music try the avant track by Mary Halverson & Weasel Waiter or Illusion of Safety’s shoegaze/ambient “I Could Be Wrong”. The global groove is represented by Fosboro and Getatchew Mekuria. I also like the contributions of Indian Jewelry, Ole Time Relijun, and Teeth Mountain. I am SO waiting for the archives!!!

This collection is available in 256kbps MP3.

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Leave it to Mary Shelly Overdrive to celebrate Halloween with class. They just released two EPs titled Shock Theatre and Bride of Shock Theatre loaded with their customized shockabilly / hardcore metal nuances guaranteed to rock you and shock you.

Actually Shock Theatre is a re-release, having first surfaced a year ago. This version is slightly re-polished with the most obvious change being a revamped vocal duet from lead singer Mark Wood and bassist Wyckedevil Jones on Rob Zombie’s “House of a Thousand Corpses”. The Rob Zombie cover is my favorite song on the EP but the other five tracks also deliver the goods . The recordings starts with a sample of the notorious Blood Feast trailer then glues the tracks together with samples of other horror/gore films. A great party game would be to try to identify all the films represented on this EP. I think I got 100 percent right but I’ve been a hardcore horror film fan since my childhood when I would sneak out of the bedroom to watch the forbidden Creature Features while everyone else was sleeping.

Bride of Shock Theatre uses the same technique of audio samples to set the mood. The songs are equally hardcore and spooky, all being originals except for three covers of songs by Blue Oyster Cult, Bauhaus, and New Math. The covers are good but it is the originals that really bring this EP to life…or should I say undead? The highlight of the EP is the pulsing “Lament of Janos Slorzeny”. Both of these albums are required for any respectable Halloween party.

The two albums are available in 160kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music, support the artists by purchasing their new self-titled full album…and thanks for featuring the blurb, guys!

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When I reviewed Beans’ first free albums I managed to miss their newest effort titled Sundown mainly because the link was suspiciously missing from their main website. Several readers were happy to tell me about the album which was released this year and available on the band’s MySpace page. It is clearly their best effort. While I enjoyed the other albums, Sundown reveals a tighter sound that is equally concerned with melody and lyrics as it is with just sounding rebellious. I still hear The Clash and Rancid but there is now a stronger lean to the driving melodies of Bad Religion. The music is old school punk and just the thing for my more mischievous moods (like when I want to drive my Classical music loving wife a little insane). The first three albums are good but this is the real contender.

The album is available in 128kbps MP3.

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The Croatian band 2227 appears to have been around for most of the 90s inhabiting their own bizarre corner of the rock n’ roll universe. They are (were?) decidedly hardcore but with more than a little sense of the artistic and outrageous. There is also bit of traditional music mixed with the punk atmosphere causing me to compare them to Ne Zhdali or, more recently, Gogol Bordello. Their web site appears to have most if not all of their music freely available. All three of their CDs are here. They are odd but occasionally brilliant bits of avant-rock and hardcore mayhem.

Stripcore appears to have been their first album and the first track exhibits their unique sound. Guitar, bass and drum is joined by violin in a neo-gypsy tune then seques straight into “Like it Like It”; a machine gun paced track with weird Zappa-styled lyrics. The band switches back and forth from metal to cabaret throughout, keeping the listener guessing.

No Brains No Tumor has the most punk sound of the three albums. The title tune and the cover of Tom Waits’ “Innocent When You Dream” are my two favorite tracks. Also interesting is the last track, a bonus live performance showing that 2227 must have been a very intriguing live band.

BI BI BI SABI appears to have been their last album and overall the most consistent and imaginative one. Lead songwriter and vocalist Macek seems more focused and the material seems tighter. There is also a more traditional hardcore rock trio sound on most tracks although there is some nice secondary use of violin and sax. This is the one that most punk and rock aficionados will enjoy. All three albums are a peek at a Eastern European rock scene that most of us were not familiar with until now.

All three albums are in 128kbps MP3.

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Stripcore
No Brains No Tumors
BI BI BI SABI

The Netherlands punk band Beans released their first record in 1999 but their old school punk sound would have felt at home in either the London or L.A. scene of the 70s. It is solid punk rock that way I remember it with the heavy political messages and the pulse of ska mixed with the punk guitar and vocals. They have three full-length CDs available on the web for downloading and listening.

Weapon of The Weak is their debut 1999 recording. The music tends to switch between hardcore and Clash-like ska-punk. I prefer the ska influenced cuts like “Back Off” but they are all top notch punk rock. My favorite track though is the played in hyper-drive “Forced To Violate”. The sound is amazingly professional for what is supposed to be a DIY session from the 90s.

C’mon Get It On!!! is similar but with a lean toward ska. The songs start to be tighter and better structured. An example is “Beautiful World” a ska punk tune that reminds me a lot of Rancid. melody is beginning equal time with the punk attitude. The title tune is also an great track and really shows off Bean’s political social stance. All in all, this is a really impressive effort. This is my favorite of the three albums.

So It Goes is more hardcore that the other albums so should appeal to the more hardcore punk music lovers. It is still a solid effort by a band that knows what it wants.

All three albums are available in 128kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music support the artists by buying their CDs.

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I’m not sure if the world is ready for Italian ska-punk-rock. Talco manages to deliver just that and it’s rude, confrontational and immensely enjoyable. Armed with a pulsing rhythm section, blaring rock quitars, a party-on accordian and a dynamite horn section, Talco should knock you out of your chair and on to the dance floor. The singer is no slouch either as he negotiates a vocal style somewhere between party time and road rage. The free online album Combat Circus merrily skanks through a dozen tracks with the highlights being “Tortuga”, the title tune, “Bella Caiao” and the pretty “Diari Perduti”, a waltz with an atypical female vocal. This is a great party album for the unconventional party.

Tutti Assolti is the band’s newest release, also free and legal from Jamendo. Talco goes from 10 to 11 on the intensity level with this album. They sound tighter and ruder on this sophomore effort. the opening track “L’Odore delle Morte” holds nothing back and it pretty much typifies the rest of the album. I’ve been told that Talco has very politically minded lyrics. Unfortunately I do not understand Italian but the emotional intensity Talco deals in defies all political and cultural boundaries.

Both albums are available in VBR MP3.

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Combat Circus
Tutti Assolti

I was never much impressed by the British punk group The Stranglers but the best thing about them was the testosterone loaded voice of founder and lead singer Hugh Cornwell. While the Stranglers are still around, Cornwell left in 1990 and recorded several solo albums. The latest album is titled Hooverdam and is available as a free and legal download from Mr. Cornwell’s web site.

Cormwell’s voice has mellowed out through the years. The music on Hooverdam is less aggressive than that of The Stranglers which is a plus in my book. There are some nice rock tunes here including “Please Don’t Put me on a Slow Boat to Plowbridge”, “Wrong Side of The Tracks” and “Delightful Nightmare”. My favorite track is “Within You or Without You” with its talking-blues styled lyrics and its Bo Diddley rhythm. Not every song is a winner but there are enough good times to merit a listen.

Hooverdam is available in 128kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music support the artist by buying the higher sound quality CD and check out his other efforts.

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