Home Front: Watch It Die (La Vida Es En Mus)
I figured it would be tough to follow up Games of Power, considering that record’s solid balance of oi-inspired harmonies and post-punk synth, but our buds in The Great White North substantially repeat their efforts with this release. They’re a band whose energy translates flawlessly into their live shows as well, making them easily worth the effort to see while they’re touring heavily.
Bart & The Brats / Tenement Rats: Sick Trick (No Front Teeth)
Even with the global events of the year, the overtly political lyrics became tiring. Good thing two of the more solid bands apolitical groups decided to coalesce on a 12” and knuckledrag out some new tracks dealing with life’s everyday relatable absurdities.
Ta2reeban: Nancy (Self Release)
Beirut is PISSED. Well, with what Lebanon has gone through since the dawn of the new millennium, they have every right to be pissed. That’s exactly what I thought when I heard the blistering debut EP from Ta2reeban. Then the Israeli bombings occurred, things went quiet in their camp for a bit, and they stormed back with this equally furious release. It’s awesome hearing the impact that small bands like Really Red and The Dicks had outside the Western Hemisphere. Looking forward to more stuff from these guys.
Destination Lonely: Eat LSD, Pray To Satan, Love No One (Voodoo Rhythm)
The whole garage-punk scene these days sounds sappy and homogeneous. Every other band is copying each other stylistically speaking. Hank Von Helvete said it best in 1996 on this sad state of affairs, “Not Enough Suffering, Not Enough Natural Selection.” These Frenchmen got that message clear with their new album, as the grim topics and accompanying minor chords play out as pleasantly as a CCP visit to a Uyghur home.
Twenty One Children: S/T (Slovenly Recordings)
Slovenly is known for digging up bands from the furthest corners of the world, and their latest 7″ from Twenty One Children shows us that South Africa’s punk is ripping as hard as any other. The early guard influence of NYHC and Los Angeles hardcore punk is evident here, and some of the best music of the 20th century came from that era.
Ecem Dilan Köse: I.D EXE://the_human_patch (Caz Plak)
Now, having a release from a Jazz label on here is odd, but the new album from Ecem Dilan Köse is very much worth a listen if you’re a fan of ambience and open to where the punk ethos extends its boundaries. With one of Caz Plak’s co-founders entrenched in the Turkish punk scene, they understood and rode with the idea that they don’t need to cater to just one genre all the time, and have branched into the ethereal, ambient music world on this new album. Great music for focus and decompression is offered on the two tracks.
