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Review: From the fast-rising Midlands duo that sit somewhere in-between The Sleaford Mods, Idles or even the soulful tones of Rag 'n' Bone man, this is a debut album that provides coherent, emotional and sometimes intimate moments that will give the listener goosebumps and the temptation play on repeat until the sun goes down.
Heartfelt subject matter provided by Joe Hicklin with beats and samples provided by Callum Maloney are the basic ingredients that make this 15-track album many peoples favourite release of 2024 and one that complements their live shows that many have been fortunate to witness in the buildup to this release.
Switching between spoken word, angry outbursts of shouting and soulful vocals, backed by some smooth bass lines and big pounding beats the journey the listener travels through during this album is an emotional one that's at times light-hearted yet its thought-provoking approach makes it an enjoyable listen. Serious subject matter is covered here such as mental health and being stuck in a job you may hate and cannot escape from. Butchers Bin is about class awareness, lives being trivialised like pieces of meat in a shop window. Shithouse boasts one of the best opening couple of lines any song could ask for and is brutal in its delivery. Dig is an anthem to end the album that is joyous, contains various degrees of tension and by the time this is over one realises that it sits perfectly with every other album you may have purchased over the past decade.

Review: Primarily known for his sprawling LA-based psych/garage/punk/all of the above work as Osees aka Thee Oh Sees aka Oh Sees, John Dwyer links up with experienced percussionist Dave Barbarossa (Fine Young Cannibals, Adam & The Ants) for the retro bratty glam-punk experience of the year - Chime Oblivion. Their self-titled debut is packed full of squelchy synths, jagged minimalist guitar lines and high-pitched eccentric vocals, paying clear homage to classic acts such as The Slits and Bow Wow Wow. Chock full of bite-sized bangers including 'Neighbourhood Dog' and 'Kiss Her Or Be Her', both of which scoff at the notion of a three-minute track, this is retrofitted throwback dance-punk in the stylised era before it even had such a moniker.

Review: This six-track EP, crated between the late 'Cloud rap' icon and producer Nedarb Nagrom, is a miraculous refind and repress. The EP originally dropped in 2016 during the early wave of Peep's rise to the broth cream of the etherground emo rap and SoundCloud scene. Peep was still in the thick of lo-fi, punk and emo experimentations, and fellow traveller Nedarb had already been a frequent collaborator. The Katy Perry song referenced in the title is a red herring, as these tracks are original internet artefacts through and through, bearing none of the same pop sensibilities; they're loose and aerated, packing slipshod 808s and drawly hooks from the pink-haired icon.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Beginning life in the late 70s as a Leeds based art collective, The Mekons have gone on to become one of the longest-running, most prolific and sonically diverse acts to be considered part of the first wave of British punk. Spanning numerous decades, projects and literal continents, the sprawling array of visionary contributors return with the succinctly titled Horror; a work written towards the end of 2022 that showcases their expansive yet solely unique approach, drawing on elements of dub, country, harsh noise, rock & roll, electronica, punk, music hall, polka and even waltz. Myriad vocalists lead differing sonic journeys such as the Jon Langford-led 'Mudcrawlers' telling the story of the Irish famine and subsequent refugees traversing to Wales, whereas Rico Bell leads the charge on the harrowing folk-horror climate change breakdown 'Fallen Leaves', with swelling violins painting an aural tapestry akin to Rolling Thunder era Dylan sitting on a dimly lit rolling green hill accompanied by The Pogues. Ranking somewhere between the collective's 23rd to 25th album (depending on which member of the fanbase or artists themselves you ask), Horror marks their first work for Fire Records.

Review: One of the most vital hardcore punk releases ever committed to record, the self-titled Minor Threat compilation took the band's first two EPs, the original self-titled and 'In My Eyes', released in June and December of 1981, respectively, and collated them into a visceral work that has only grown more essential with time. Before expanding his sonic palette and abilities with Fugazi, a younger, more disillusioned Ian MacKaye led a cathartic barrage of hyper-intense, exceptionally brief pieces that reimagined punk at its most direct and extreme values. With the iconic cover of younger, exhausted MacKaye brother Alec (now of Hammered Hulls, formerly Untouchables, The Faith), hunched over despondently, and recreated by everyone from the likes of Rancid to even Nike (yes, that Nike), it goes without saying that the name Minor Threat, the singular image, and even the inadvertent push of the straight edge message due to the track of the same moniker, are all integral, historic pieces of the hardcore punk blueprint and subsequent memorabilia.

Review: Forty years ago a yet unknown cult band was to release a LP that never came. Interesting enough, Rema-Rema - made up of former members of The Models and Siouxsie & The Banshees - delivered 4AD one of its first releases: Wheel In Roses (1980). All tracks from that EP, in their new wave, post-punk glory, feature on this Fond Reflections LP, a compendium of sorts detailing across 17 tracks the band's raw and unplugged sound. Collected, re-mixed and engineered by band member Gary Asquith and mixing technician Takatsuna Mukai, the result is an archival, patchwork collage of a lost but not forgotten trip down the lanes of UK folklore. Get to grips with "Fond Affections", "Feedback Song" and "Why Ask Why".