Pinch, punch, first of the month! It is the beginning of the penultimate month of the year and the nights are getting darker and days getting shorter. So if we’re gonna be spending a bit more time indoors these days, isn’t it as important as ever to have a decent array of new music to keep us occupied? That’s where our weekly new release round up can help- we present to you our 5 picks of the week!
Decent Criminal- ‘Vertigo‘
At Punk Rock Philosophy, we are absolutely thrilled whenever California’s Decent Criminal release new tracks. Their 2023 album ‘There’s More To It Than Climbing‘ was one of THE best releases last year (go and check it out now if you haven’t already!). New single ‘Vertigo‘ maintains the band’s form of perfecting the melancholic/sunshine fusion- a rousing and crisp melody combined with Tristan Martinez’s vocals that sing of deep emotion and existential ponderances. And it’s catchy as hell. The four piece- started by Tristan and his brother Hunter (drums) in 2014- are still bringing the goods ten years on with the help of bassist Jesse Hernandez and Paige Beller on guitar. Hopefully the wait for a new album won’t be too long! In the meantime, stream ‘Vertigo‘ HERE.
O’Phantom- ‘Cold Call‘
No, we didn’t just choose this because its Halloween and the band have a synonym for ghost in their name…although that didn’t hurt! We picked this single by newcomers O’Phantom because it is a slice of glorious, retro alt-pop and a pretty strong debut single. Formed through a shared love of music and independent venues within their North East hometown of Hull, the band are inspired by the rugged and isolated northern landscapes of their surroundings. Apparently starting life as an acoustic song, ‘Cold Call‘ has morphed into something more meaty and atmospheric with an essential bass line and rousing synth sounds. But it still maintains a sense of fragility- it seems perfect for the cold, dark nights ahead. I reckon this lot are gonna do great things in 2025! Listen to the track HERE.
Frightwig- ‘War On Women‘
Frightwig are heroes. Not just for writing a song that has ‘vaginal ultrasound’ in the opening line, but for penning this hard hitting and topical track reminding people about the assault on women’s rights, including restricting reproductive freedoms and denying and dismissing the impact of sexual violence. Formed in the early 1980s at a time when the US was cultivating its own brand of punk rock, Frightwig were an in-yer-face, tour de force of punk attitude and mayhem. Now in the election year of 2024, the band have an important message for US voters- get out there and make a difference! ‘War on Women‘ is a track built around powerful refrains- ‘Till the War on Women is Over‘ and ‘It’s Our Right to Choose‘. The stakes are high, and this track details why.
Oh the Humanity!- ‘Gutted‘
A breakneck bit of shred punk now- the tempo and force turned up to 11! You want something to blow the cobwebs off now Halloween is over, and if there’s a track guaranteed to bring your energy levels up, it’s the new single from Massachusetts punks Oh the Humanity! Formed in 2012, the band combine metal riffs with singalong punk choruses and the energy of DIY basement hardcore shows (examples of which are seen in the video for the track). ‘Gutted‘ is two and a half minutes of every punk/metal crossover you can think of including facemelting guitar twiddles, driving drums and a powerfully melodic vocal by singer Kevin Athas. ‘Gutted‘ is the first track from their upcoming album ‘Ground to Dust‘ out in January 2025. Stream the new track HERE.
Zombina and the Skeletones- ‘Don’t Kick My Coffin‘
Ok, I know I said Halloween is over and technically it is, but if you’re heading to some spooky parties this weekend then this track will get you in the right mood! Liverpool’s horror punks Zombina and the Skeletones have just released their new album- ‘The Call of Zombina‘- their first for ten years! It is ten tracks of “Hammer Horror melodrama as art-therapy” and if you wanna get a taste of what that means then check out their new single ‘Don’t Kick My Coffin’. It’s kitsch, it’s fun and it deftly mixes garage rock with a bit of surf and psychobilly. Perfect Halloween concoction! You can purchase the album HERE.
Oh and if you are interested in why the genres of horror and punk mix so well, check out our interview with researcher Dr Darren Gray and Dan Phillips of We Are Horror Records HERE.
That’s it for this week my friends (or should I say fiends?) Mwahahahaha! Have a great weekend and if you don’t want to miss a post on Punk Rock Philosophy then subscribe for alerts below!