Suchergebnisse: Dance Music

Review: Two towering labels, Alternative Tentacles and Crispin Glover, break the mould for a momentary merger on this artistic collision of rogue planets: a new split reissued 7" housing that infamous syncretic, Patrick Fitzgerald, Motorpsycho and Jello Biafra, and their twin versions of Fitzgerald's original song 'Punch'. Fitzgerald is best known as a pioneer of folk punk, famously channelling his sardonic wit into a fleeting, light but somehow also epical sound. 'Punch' first surfaced in 2009 as a one-off single released under Crispin Glover's remit; it's now heard once more in both versions, tracking incendiary denunciations of politics on Fitzgerald's part, amid a suicidal, guitar-driven ascension into the air.

Review: Not to be confused with the 12th studio album by Mary J. Blige, or any of the other records with 'London Sessions' in the title (and there will be many, many), it's now 50 years since Iggy Pop and his Stooges sat down to record the now-legendary LP, Raw Power, with sessions taking place (you guessed it), in London. Logically, this extended player collates some of the best versions that didn't make the final cut into one place, and as such is definitely a must for diehard fans and collectors.

Not that others should be put off in anyway. We'd still recommend getting a copy of the original as it was intended to be released. The players designed it that way. But this is also a well-worth owning piece of punk rock history, with unrelenting, unpolished, uncompromising and unapologetic noise sounding as infectious today as it did back then.

Review: Following 'New Rose' as only the second ever single released by The Damned, 'Neat Neat Neat' has gone on to become, not only one of the band's biggest hits, but a timeless punk anthem used in everything from series like The Boys and The Simpsons, to the epic heist/chase sequence in Edgar Wright's Baby Driver, to even being covered by vastly differing acts from Elvis Costello to My Chemical Romance. This vibrantly coloured 7" captures a handful of cuts from a 1994 live performance in Mulhouse, France, boasting the aforementioned single on the A-side with a curious selection of covers on the flip, ranging from Johnny Cash's 'I Walk The Line' to 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' from The Righteous Brothers and even a rendition of 60s mod originals The Craig's 'I Must Be Mad' lobbed in for good measure.

Review: Fat Dog make a riveting return to the spotlight with new single 'All The Same'. Following up their 2023 debut 'King Of The Slugs', their latest track is a hardcore stadium-crusher, hadron-colliding motifs of coldwave, EBM and anthem punk for an electronic statement reminiscent of Scalping or Yard Act, but to an end all of their own fashioning. It's no wonder this cold-punk five-piece group of lads are billed as "music to grow your hairline to"; despite the huge sonic histrionics present in their music, the track somehow manages to provoke the release of cortisol and oxytocin in the brain at the same time, nailing that ever so delicate blend of humour and tension.

Review: Originally founded by former members of Youth Of Today and Gorilla Biscuits, Judge would become another legendary example of the 1980s New York hardcore scene, with their 1989 Bringin' It Down LP widely considered to be one of the most vital cornerstones. At the dawn of 1990, a year on from their album release and a year before their official disbanding, the group dropped the There Will Be Quiet 7", boasting two of their most monstrous cuts, 'Forget This Time' and 'The Storm II', and now for the first time in over three decades, their ever-faithful label-home Revelation Records have authentically reissued the OG 7" single for both lifers who've likely parted ways with their copy, and newcomers still unearthing the plethora of classic material that built the bedrock for the scene's current moment in the sun. Militant straight-edge hardcore, delivered with beastly metallic riffs and a message so earnest, sincere and palpable, it'll convert you if you're not careful.

Review: While influencing a massive array of modern emo, pop-punk and indie-rock outfits, Hot Water Music have made it abundantly clear that they don't feel the need to go home just yet.

Their latest, sad times lamenting opus, 'Feel The Void', sees the group recording for the first time with latest addition Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners), who stepped into the band initially for live settings upon Chris Wollard taking a sabbatical for mental health reasons.

Now, for the first time since 2004's 'The New What Next', the band have opted to work with producer Brian McTiernan, arguably responsible for the three best albums to come from HWM during their 'glory days'.

Beyond a return to form, everything from the anthemic 'Hearts Stay Full' to the muted crawl of 'Ride High', screams of a seasoned group of artists with so much more to say. While often replicated, 'Feel The Void' outsads, outfeels and outriffs any would be imitators, and only further cements a status that really was in no need of maintenance.

Review: Cleopatra Records are no strangers to collectible 7"s from the archives of Iggy & The Stooges. In recent times we've had the likes of 'The Passenger', 'Scene Of The Crime' and even a live spot with David Bowie in 1977 thrown into the mix. Now comes something which feels so right tucked up tight on a 45 - a raucous live rendition of The Kingsmen's classic beat track 'Louie Louie', a song which would go on to be a lifelong staple in Iggy Pop's performance career. On the flip comes another rarity - a blistering version of The Stooges' own cut, 'Wild Love', all pressed up on purple vinyl for your listening pleasure.

Review: Borrowing a title from a 50ft sport climbing route in Oliana, Spain, there's definitely something big and wonderfully overbearing about the debut offering from Hot Face. Freshly pressed onto London's revered and always-forward thinking Speedy Wunderground imprint, the work here more than lives up to the label's name, going at listeners with pedal to the metal for the most. Comprising two tracks, an original and 'dub', the opener nods to the likes of King Gizzard and other sprawling, epic prog-metal-psyche outfits, offering up huge guitar solos and switching tempos with cunning, guile and groove. Flip it to find the alternative take, which ups the impact of drums, taking us closer to dance music as it's more widely recognised, and the heyday of big beat, if anyone remembers that one?

Review: Favourably compared to The Ramones during their early tenure, yet never managing to reach the same critical or commercial heights, The Zeros were one of the true first wave pioneers of punk, hailing from their sleepy San Diego city of Chula Vista, California. Originally released in 1978 as their second single following on from the previous year's 'Wimp' b/w 'Don't Push Me Around', the iconic 'Beat Your Heart Out' is easily the band's most vital contribution to their own legacy, thanks in no small part to being popularised by The Muffs' rendition in the 90s. Recreated from the OG pressing with 'Wild Weekend' on the flip, 'Beat Your Heart Out' is also infamously known for being the track the band opted to repeatedly play over and over again for the duration of a now legendry San Francisco performance. No other cuts, just that one single eight times in a row. Now, that's what we call punk.

Review: The Zeros were a pioneering punk rock band from Southern California who burst out in the late 70s before calling it quits at the turn of the decade. They had a spell of activity in the 90s, but it was their grip of early singles which cemented their legendary status, culminating in 'They Say That (Everything's Alright)' and 'Getting Nowhere Fast' in 1980. Short, sharp and catchy as hell, this is So-Cal punk rock at its finest, now repressed by Spanish label Munster on white 7" with the original artwork intact.

Review: Mal-One is a historian of punk rock music in many ways. From growing up on the same street as the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones and Paul Cook, to studying the culture in many aspects from the sound, artwork and people in the scene. Mal-one is a beacon to the origins of the UK Punk beginnings. Many say his artwork captures the scene and time perfectly. 'When The Two 77's Clashed' is the lead single from the full-length album Punk Rock Is Back! At first listen, you immediately hear the UK influence and Sex Pistols up, front and center. The alternate version is on the B-side is a touch more reserved and holds back on the energy of the original, focusing more on the bassline to take the lead then the all-out angst of the album version. For those interested in this period of Punk music, Mal-One is staggering figure of the culture.

Review: Daisy Chainsaw commanded a unique spell over the English punk and garage rock scenes of the early 90s. Never quite totally placeable, their earliest gigs involved frolicking around onstage in soiled gowns and strewing rag dolls and grapevines across stages. Forming part of their debut EP at the turn of the '90s, 'Love Your Money' became the bands breakout sensation hit, the song being a satirical rip-roarer of snarling punk and rockabilly, with a highly-strung backbeat and lyrics decrying the record industry's avaricious ways; PSA to artists, they just love your money, or the money they think they can make off you!

Review: Pinhead Gunpowder are most famous for featuring Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day in a more furious mood than his day job requires, but the band was originally formed by Aaron Cometbus who remained the main songwriter. In 2000 they released a split EP with Dillinger Four, and the three Pinhead Gunpowder tracks from that release now make their mark on this release. Included is the searing 'At Your Funeral', which sounds like classic Armstrong finding artful ways of expressing his hatred for someone in snotty punk style. The B side is made up of live cuts from radio shows, making this a must grab for fans of the band and West Coast punk in general.

Review: Bringing bruising good time Oi-punk to the new generation, Chubby & The Gang have made quick work over the course of their two exceptional full-lengths. Now, less than a year removed from the life affirming scrappy anthems of 'The Mutt's Nuts', the gang (no pun intended) return with a literal 'Labour Of Love.' The single features three new cuts, all love songs, delivered with the manic, crusty, anthemic beauty one could ever desire from new school hardcore-by-way-of-Oi! punk revivalists.

Review: Logically landing on 31st October, 1981 (well, the year is far less significant than day-month), 'Halloween' was one of horror punk outfit Misfits' early singles, released through Plan 9 Records. Just 5,000 copies were pressed on black 7" vinyl, the most sought-after now are those with a full lyric sheet which was missing from many copies. It's also notable as the first time the group used their logo inspired by genre-specific US movie magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland.

This would be the last Misfits outing with guitarist Bobby Steele, and reflects just how wild and daring some of their ideas were. Track one, 'Halloween', has cultish, chant-like qualities, but pales into comparison with the longer sequel, 'Halloween II', which features verses in non-standard Latin, just to throw petrol on the whole fire and brimstone feel.

Review: The year 1982 can definitely be regarded as a vital one for the working-class Oi-punk movement. One that saw the release of debut full-lengths from the likes of the abrasive Blitz, and the somewhat underappreciated The 4 Skins, who were endlessly plagued by a myriad of line-up shifts. By the time their second full-length, A Fistful of...4-Skins arrived, the group were already onto line-up number four (no pun intended), and this time period is where the 'Five More Years' 7" single rears its skinhead from. Topped with the anthemic opening track from the album, and tailed with the CD reissue bonus cut, 'On The Streets', this sampler/taster/snapshot/teaser/whatever else you'd like to consider it, serves as a perfect piece of oi-punk memorabilia and entry point for those who don't mind doing some of their homework in reverse. These recordings are also notable for being some of the sole studio pieces from The Last Resort vocalist, Roi Pearce, who would serve with the skins for only the one full-length, and subsequent From Chaos To 1984 live album released the following year as swansong.

Review: Before the release of their highly anticipated new full-length, 'Please Don't Take Me Back'; set to drop this October, Durham City's favourite emo/pop-punk outfit, Martha, offer a taster of what's to come with this 7" single, featuring the upcoming LP's opening cut, 'Beat, Perpetual'. While a sonically light-hearted yet earnest ode to the road and world of touring, the lyrics weigh up the isolated nature of the past two years that completely changed the core members working dynamic and livelihoods, while the b-side boasts a rapturous cover of 'Dreaming Out Loud', by Wisconsin indie group Tenement. A short sweet single to wet beaks and fan anticipation before the real deal arrives come autumn.

Review: The Exploited are one of the most important Scottish punk bands, period. Their hardcore sound started belting out from Edinburgh in 1979 and by the time they released their second album Troops Of Tomorrow three years later they were UK-wide legends. Of all the tracks on the album, 'USA' is one of the sharpest, calling out the superpower in no uncertain times set to a pile-driving hardcore beat. Now Cleopatra are pressing the tune on 7" for the very first time, backed with 'UK82' and 'Hey You', the latter of which was originally a secret track on Troops Of Tomorrow.

Review: How does it feel to be unemployed? Well, depending on your politics and circumstances - and in turn, how you look at it - such a state can either feel like complete uselessness or complete freedom. When it came to releasing their debut single 'Unemployed', hardcore punks Kraut knew just as much about the latter state of mind as they did the former. Channelling the fury of the anti-work movement so adjacent to the punk scene - "make those stiffs live in fear... don't give 'em a chance to organize!" - the single amounted to a scathing and knowing take on political disunity in England and the discontent bubbling under. Now reissued via New Red Archives as it first appeared in 1981, it comes alongside two equal stonkers, 'Last Chance' and 'Matinee'.

Review: Often referred to as "Ramones-core", "Weasel-core" and "leather jacket punk", Wyoming mainstays Teenage Bottlerocket have amassed a sincerely devout and faithful cult following thanks to their retro influences and effortless ability to re-purpose their old school influences for a modern audience. Following up their 2021 debut full-length Sick Sesh! with the snappy four-track 7" So Dumb feels like a brief moment of self-therapy and catharsis, with the lead title-track taking aim at people's ignorance and refusal to work together during the covid pandemic, while the B-side opener So Stoked balances these frustrations with the signs of community that were evident. Here the band asks for ten minutes of your time to look at both sides of the coin with a reliably urgent batch of bouncing, classic pop-punk.

Review: In January 1983, Minor Threat went into Inner Ear Studio for the first time as a five-piece (Brian Baker had moved from bass to second guitar and Steve Hansgen was now playing bass). They had six new songs that would end up being the centerpiece of what became the 'Out Of Step' 12" EP. The band had also decided to re-record the song 'Out Of Step' with some extra language to try to clarify the lyrics, as well as 'Cashing In', a tongue-in-cheek song about the DC punk scene which they had only played live once. After much debate, 'Cashing In' was added as a hidden track on the original vinyl release, though not listed on the cover or label. There was still blank tape on the reel, so they decided to record an instrumental with the working title, 'Addams Family' and then recorded new versions of 'In My Eyes' and 'Filler' to hear what they sounded like with two guitars. 'Addams Family' ended up being used as a coda to 'Cashing In', but the other two songs were never mixed and largely forgotten for over 35 years until the multitrack tapes were taken into the studio to be digitised in 2021. Surprised by the discovery, Ian and Don Zientara mixed the two songs along with the complete take of 'Addams Family'. These outtakes are now released on a 7" to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of 'Out Of Step'.

Review: Out of print for years, The Prowler, the first ever EP by pop punk stalwarts Horror Section, returns under the aegis of the label Eccentric Pop for one last Halloween season. Pressed for the first time on opaque red (/250) and black (/250) vinyl, the album is an emotive blend of horro r- and pop - variants of the band's genre of choice, more than anything flaunting the infectiously low drawl of lead vocalist Tommy Boyer, amid massive grungey guitar propulsions by the Nick Habit and Teflon Dave. The five tracks are like creepy skeletons in closets, each popping out at the listener like emotive ghosts.

Review: Big guitars playing huge hooks at a propellant pace. The Goods deliver their debut EP, which looks to decades worth of garage rock and pop punk heritage for influence, while ensuring the finished tracks are every bit theirs. Retro revivalism this isn't, a veteran singer-songwriter known for sharp lines drafting seasoned talent from his local music scene in order to make something new, this most definitely is. Headed up by Rob Good, a well-known figure in the underground Oakland guitar scene, California, for the three tracks here - and this project - he's called upon rhythm section and human drum machine Paul Wiseman and highly respected session bassist Cherron Arena. The result is an EP that's personal and passionate, and incredibly thoughtful, while also compelling and high octane. A refreshing indie whirlwind.

Review: 'Neat Neat Neat' might have only been the second single released by The Damned, but its timeless longevity as an essential punk staple has seen it appear in episodes of The Simpsons and The Boys while Edgar Wright would give the track yet another lease on life by using it to score the intense opening chase sequence in 2017's Baby Driver. That's before even mentioning the vastly differing artists it has influenced with everyone from My Chemical Romance to Elvis Costello taking a stab. Pressed to artwork complimenting purple wax, this 7" offers a slice of cuts captured during a set in Mulhouse, France in 1994, with the classic single on the A-side, while the flip boasts a dynamic yet bizarre bevvy of covers, from the likes of iconic pop duo The Righteous Brothers ('You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin') to 60's mods The Craig ('I Must Be Mad') to Johnny Cash's 'I Walk The Line'.

Review: Hailing from the same early 80s Detroit scene as The Meatmen and the Necros, Negative Approach were pioneers in what would become known as hardcore punk. Their brutal, 30 second songs whip by in a flash, but there's so much urgency packed into each one of them. It's a totem of the first years of Touch & Go Records, faithfully repressed here on purple vinyl with the iconic Linda Blair artwork intact and sounding as punishing now as it did when it first lurched out of the underbelly of the Motor City. Who else could pack ten tracks onto a 7"?

Review: Landing at number 11 on the list of limited picture disc pressings coming from the beautiful crate-digging Italian punk restorers Radiation Records, as part of their Record Store Day celebrations; Dead Cities was only the fifth single from Scottish hardcore/Oi-punk legends The Exploited. Originally released in 1981 on Secret Records, this pressing marks the first time the cut has ever been made available on 7" picture disc. Limited to just 500 numbered copies, be quick to ensure you lock down a sweet slice of this authentic jaw-breaking, curb-stomping UK82 (or 81) classic, that comes with the legendary deep cut 'Hitler's In The Charts Again' as well as the venomous 'Class War' on the flip.