A very eclectic mix this week if I do say so myself….
I’m writing this on 4th July which for the UK is election day (and I think this date might be significant for the US too?) so by the time you read this, we may well be living in a slightly different political landscape depending on the outcome. I would imagine that whatever the outcome, we’re gonna need some good music to distract us from the interminably tedious electoral coverage so…. plug in and tune out.
First up is an ear worm of epic proportions from SoCal punks Heartwells. Their new track ‘Coasted‘ is a little blast of punk goodness- a raucous rocking thrash intro that sprawls out to a laid back ska groove. It never fully leans into that though- just when things get very relaxed, frontman JT brings everyone back for a riff-fest and the cycle starts again. The song is about the reality of living in California and how that compares with the dream of living in the Golden State. All that glitters….The single is taken from the band’s new LP ‘The New Old School‘. Click HERE for more info on obtaining a copy, merch, shows etc.
Next up is Nashville based heavy duo Friendship Commanders with new video ‘Outlive You (Steve Albini Mix)‘. The track is featured on the band’s new album ‘BILL – The Steve Albini Mixes’ out on July 22, which would have been the legendary producer’s 62nd birthday. ‘Outlive You’ was Albini’s favourite as he related to the content of the song which sings of the fear of outliving someone you love. Vocalist Buick Audra can balance complex emotion with a clear force in her performance (of which this track is a prime example) and the duo move more towards grunge in this new collection of recordings, but keeping the intensity of their hardcore roots.
Irish punk performer Meryl Streek is back with an emotional new track about his late Uncle, the titular ‘Paddy‘. A personal track which sees Streek speak fondly and passionately about a much loved and missed family member set to a hammering heartbeat of drums and swirling melodic backdrop, it’s an incredibly moving and fitting tribute to a man who lived life on his own terms. The track is released via Venn Records and comes as the politically-astute and combative Streek announces his next album ‘Songs For The Deceased‘ out in October. There’s also a lot of live dates across October and November, and as someone who has seen Meryl Streek live twice- you do not want to miss it. Here’s all the links you need.
Time for some “big pussy energy” now from a duo that consistently deliver the goods….Manchester punk duo The Sewer Cats. ‘Boo Hoo‘ is just under 2 minutes of frantic fuzzy punk with vocalist Cass giving it her all, oscillating between defiant bratty taunts of “boo hoo” and a menacing growl. There’s a lot packed into a short run time which serves as a great taster of the band’s new album ‘Obnoxious‘ which is out in September. Pre order links HERE.
From the archives….
Aaaaand as always, I’ll sign off this week with something else I’ve been listening to/revisiting. At Rebellion Festival last year, I was lucky enough to catch Chicago skate punk icons Pegboy’s set. Formed in 1990, the band are stalwarts of the punk scene. Although their last studio album was 1997’s ‘Cha Cha Damore‘, the band continue to tour and their classic ‘Superstar‘ is a fixture of their electric live sets.