A Roundup of Recently Released Punk Records

Review by Class Warrior

I have spent much of my leisure time the last few nights working on a very long review – my magnum opus, if you will permit me the indulgence. In order to keep the record-reviewing endeavor fun for myself, I have decided to take a break from it and look at some punk seven inches and albums that have been released in the past year or two. None of these warrants a full-length review on their own, so I have compiled them into one.

Autistic Youth – Idle Minds LP (2010) – I saw this band in 2007 in Portland, and they made absolutely no impression on me. This record, however, is pretty awesome. I’ve only had time to listen to it once, but I’m looking forward to exploring it more. Good, catchy mid-tempo punk songs with interesting bass parts, good, strong singing, and an emphasis on melodic songwriting. There are even some background shouts and harmonies! Not boring at all. For a starting point, think early 80s Southern California with a touch of the Wipers (AY are from Portland, after all!), but they are not just derivative. This release has some style! If you are looking for a current punk band to listen to, you could do a lot worse (trust me on this – and see below!) than Autistic Youth. Too early to rate accurately, but right now I’ll give them eight punk points. Everything’s better when it comes from the Northwest – that includes beer, women (and men, I suppose, for I am a NWer by birth [even though currently I am in the Frozen North]), and punk bands!

Bloody Gears – s/t 7” (2010) – I liked this EP, but they wear their Wipers influence on their sleeves a little too prominently. The vocalist’s style bears an uncanny resemblance to Greg Sage. When a band sounds almost like another band, I ask myself: would I rather listen to this band or the band that influenced them? In this case, I would rather put on the Wipers’ first album (or their second or third, for that matter). At least they didn’t remind me of some crappy band. Five punk points. If they develop a bit of their own style on future releases, I can see their punk points shooting way up.

The Bombettes – You Have No Chance, Lance 7” (2009) – Ugh. This group has all the elements of bands that I’m a sucker for—emphasis on melody, an attempt at that 1977 sound, and female vocals being the three most important—but the components do not come together at all. The phrase that comes to mind when I listen to this is “aggressively boring.” The choruses are the weak point – the verses and instrumental parts provide an okay buildup, but the band and singer bungle the choruses in an aggressively boring way. The lyrics I bothered to listen to were aggressively boring lines about love. Damn it, I want to like this band, but they bring nothing to the (turn)table that distinguishes them from the many thousands of bands that have played this style of punk rock. The good news is that it sounded slightly better the second time I listened to it. I can’t see myself listening to it a third time, however. Three punk points.

Defect Defect – s/t 12” (2010) – Another Portland band. They take their name from a Wipers song, which is a valid reference. I saw them at the same show as Autistic Youth (and the Vicious from Sweden, who put on a great performance. I saw some bands that night that ended up being fucking great!). I bought their 7 inch there; it sounded so run-of-the-mill that I never played it again after the first time. This record is a dramatic improvement from their earlier effort. Early Wipers meets hardcore punk, done with intensity and style. I dig this. I can see myself listening to this more than a few times, which is all I can ask of a band. Seven punk points.

Direct Control – Farewell LP (2009) – I love Direct Control. They are (or were, I should say, as they have disbanded) the best of the early eighties hardcore revival bands that seemed to be omnipresent in the middle part of this decade. Other groups had the sound, but they were missing something – I think it was DC’s vocals (done by guitarist Brandon) that set them apart. This is a short album – it contains nine short fast blasts of righteous ripping hardcore punk. It’s over in about fifteen minutes. Nothing has changed from their demo and first EP; these songs are full of angry shouts and power chord crunch. No blast beats, no double bass, just fast HC the way Reagan liked it. The second song “Mortality” kinda reminded me of the old Italian bands Wretched and Indigesti, which is a very awesome thing to be reminded of, in case you’re wondering. I’m not always in the mood for music like this, but when I am, I reach for Direct Control records as often as any other band. Eight and a half punk points.

Insubordinates – s/t LP (2010) – I have to admit that I haven’t listened to this all the way through, nor do I have any plans to finish it. I should like this. The band plays some solid early 80s LA punk with some saxophone here and there. Right up my alley, even if it is derivative and the style is done almost to death. The component of this band’s style that makes it sound like nails on a chalkboard is the singer. He has a high-pitched whiny screech that just irritates the hell out of me. I haven’t read the lyrics, but I get the feeling he’s not singing about anything that’s meaningful to me. I could be wrong, though. Two punk points, all of which go to the instrument players.

Knuste Ruter – Var Det Bare En Logn 7” (2008) – This little platter rocked hard from the first note to the last. They are from Norway, which makes a lot of sense – they remind me of country mates So Much Hate, who were around in the late 80s and very early 90s. Knuste Ruter’s sound is a little more straightforward, but in a similar vein. 80s Euro hardcore, which is a reference that will make sense to you if you’re familiar with the sound. Another comparison would be one of my personal favorites Siste Dagers Helvete, who also were from Norway. Apparently Knuste Ruter has a full length out now, which I will try to track down. Eight punk points!

Red Dons – Fake Meets Failure LP (2010) – This band emerged from the ashes of the Observers, who never made much of an impression on me. This record is different. It is making one hell of an impression! These folks have the Southern Cal meets Wipers sound that seems so popular these days, but there’s a ton of stuff going on in the background of the songs that helps to lift this band above the teeming horde. There’s some really nice guitar work on here – good soloing and nifty lead parts. Solid drumming. Vocals with character, a very slight amount of grit, and the ability to carry a tune. Lyrics are interesting and not cliché. The production is slick without detracting from the punkness of the band’s sound. Some of the songs are a little too long, but not everything can be perfect. Get your hands on this album, for it is worth at least eight punk points!

Tranzmitors – Busy Singles LP (2009) – I first heard this band when I found their song “Bigger Houses, Broken Homes” online (probably on Myspace or the Deranged Records website) in 2005. I found the single in a Portland record store several months later and bought it. That song leads off the album, and it is great. Easily the best song on here. These Vancouver, B.C. natives, along with bands like the Exploding Hearts, were one of the first groups to look back to the time-honored power pop sound of the late seventies and early eighties. When they hit (like with “Bigger Houses”), they hit hard. The best songs have a strong driving sound and clever lyrics. Even though this is a singles collection, don’t expect hit after hit. Their formula doesn’t hold up quite as well over an entire album. I noticed this on their full length album from a couple years ago – there were several strong songs, but the rest just weighed down the LP. Power pop songs need a hook, and a lot of the Tranzmitors’ tunes just don’t have a good one. The album is worth buying just for “Bigger Houses,” though. It holds its own compared to any power pop songs you want to mention.

For the record, there are two covers on here – one done originally by White Heat (which blows away the cover – the original has a desperate RICK SPRINGFIELD sound mixed with late 70s cheap production, which is almost impossible to recreate effectively) and another by the Moondogs (I haven’t heard the original). Six and a half punk points/skinny ties.

That just about wraps it up. Stay punk.