[engl] Out with the old and in with the new! Just in time for Spring we have a fresh album from The Cowboys - now spread between their hometown of Bloomington, to Chicago, and Cincinnati. "Room of Clons", their fifth album, is possibly the group's most ambitious and diverse body of work to date. Those familiar with The Cowboys' previous output for Feel It - most notably 2019's "The Bottom of a Rotten Flower", will be well acquainted with the group's penchant for songwriting across the upper echelons of contemporary garage, punk, & powerpop. "Room of Clons" asserts itself as a varied hallmark of stylistic prowess, ranging from The Cowboys' trademarked Midwestern punk odes of previous work, all the way to a massive postpunk-leaning hit (yes, you're reading right) backed with a snarky pop number accented with kazoo that would surely please even Ray Davies himself. Further along, we're treated to several tracks with frontman Keith Harman taking the lead on piano, propelling his otherworldy vocals to the same towering clouds that Scott Walker and Emitt Rhodes occupied in '69 & '70. "Room of Clons" stretches even further, but never strays from attention, as The Cowboys delve into new, exciting, and largely uncharted territory - perhaps their most abstract work, but just as worthy as their now towering discography that never ceases to impress.

[engl] Everybody’s here, so let’s play ball! Tried and true rock n' roll stalwarts The Cowboys return after a brief hiatus with their delightful sixth LP, “Sultan of Squat”. This grounded yet adventurous new album marks the reunion of the original lineup, featuring Keith Harman (vocals/keys), Mark McWhirter (Guitar), Zackery Worcel (Bass), and Jordan Tarantino (drums). It is nothing short of a glorious return to form, a long player hoping to bring a smile to the ears of listeners. “Sultan of Squat” furthers the band's trajectory into themselves, polishing off thirteen songs filled with dubious characters, whimsical retreats, and even the odd love song. As with previous releases, The Cowboys refuse to make their bed in any single genre. Lead track, “The Sultan of Squat'' opens the album with an earworm salute to America’s pastime while lofting a lyrical curveball of dark, defeated humor. The boys kick it into high gear, playing with the finesse and dexterity ten years as a band instills. It's automatic - whether they're launching into classic Midwestern garage punk (“Raining Sour Grapes”), dialing things back to piano-driven power pop (“Token Drifter”), or western slide guitar pop-rock ballads ("She's Not Your Baby Anymore"), The Cowboys are simply incredible across “Sultan of Squat”. This could well be The Cowboys' finest hour as a group, and six albums in - that's no easy feat. The best of the Midwest is back under the bright lights, pouring collective blood, sweat, and tears into a sound equal parts then and now. *LP includes 11x17 full color poster

[engl] "The fourth album by the Cowboys (from Bloomington, Indiana) is kinda like a modern Midwestern version of THE WHO SELL-OUT or SOMETHING ELSE BY THE KINKS--a basic R&R band stretching its wings to embrace more varied musical elements and dig into deeper subject matter. The Cowboys grow up! And they grow in number too, with Chris Kramer (Nobunny/Slushy) joining the brilliant Mark McWhirter for a killer guitar team. Vocalist/songwriter Keith Harman alters his whooping nasal-punk a bit, with a more naturalistic approach when it fits the mood. His songwriting skills are mighty. Zackery Worcel (bass) and Jordan Tarantino (drums) provide a solid, relentless groove. There are 16 hooky gems in this new LP. To compare the Cowboys’ songs to Pete Townshend and Ray Davies was no casual thing up front. Check “Doghouse Rag” for primo late-60s Kink-kwality pop. Then there’s the insanely hooky “Some Things Never Change,” with its nod to early 70s Sparks. This song should be a smash hit RIGHT NOW! And dig “Bodie, Don’t Jump” in all its bubblegum glory! The deceptively short “Deuce” with its 70s-style pop exploding into VU-like noise, etc. It’s very cool to see a modern R&R band progress in the true sense of the word--to mature and seek new horizons. I’ve personally seen them when they opened the very first show by the reunited Gizmos in 2014, and then when they played with us again in Chicago 2017, to this new album. It’s an impressive climb. For anybody into garage-rock or power-pop, this has gotta be an instant CLASSIC! But I’m just gonna call it rock’n’roll." --Eddie Flowers, Vulcher Magazine/The Gizmos

[engl] At long last, a proper American pressing of the incredible Volume 4 cassette from Bloomington, Indiana's hometown heroes, The Cowboys. By now, you might be familiar with the stripped down, yet intelligent and powerful rock'n'roll force of The Cowboys - perhaps from their recent full length on Hozac or from their earlier cassette output which was collected onto an LP by Lumpy Records. Volume 4 captures The Cowboys at a near-perfect intersection of their earlier, lo-fi moments of Gizmos-esque Midwestern punk snarl and the more tuneful, soul-spun moments of recent output. This definitive edition of Volume 4 reproduces the ten song tracklisting of the original 2016 cassette edition released by fellow Bloomingtonian Kora Puckett (of Bugg, Laffing Gas, and Chud) on his Turd Wurld imprint. From the opening hook of "When She Came Back" (available on vinyl for the first time here, as well as the lead cut on side B, "Porridge"), The Cowboys showcase a songwriting knack and musical ability that is rarely achieved, nor captured so well in a studio setting. Keith Harman's next-level vocal delivery leads the charge across the entire album, ranging from the strong, anthemic chants of "I Feel Therefore I Am" to the deep, melancholic closing moments of "Actors". And what's more? The musicianship across this entire album is every bit as impeccable - beginning with the forceful and driving rhythm section and continuing to the absolutely unbridled guitar playing and tone, the sum of which shapes the texture of the entire recording. A score of Bloomington-based guest musicians, including Durand Jones (leader of modern soul sensations, The Indications) and John Terrill (formerly of the early 80's new wave group, The Dancing Cigarettes) only adds to the already searing mix. Altogether, The Cowboys have captured something truly unrivaled and exceptional on Volume 4 - an album that speaks from a homespun, Midwestern vantage point and fires on all musical cylinders. The end result: ten absolutely classic sonic reductions of epic proportion. This definitive edition of Volume 4 has been cut at 45 RPM by Josh Bonati and includes a new insert with artwork from The Cowboys' own Zack Worcel plus a digital download code.

[engl] Truckincowpunkabilly at ist finest!!! This is the long awaited last Cowslingers album. On their 9th album these Cleveland Cow-Punks combine Country with Rockabilly with Punk, Trucking and Love Ballads. They also feature some great cover songs like "Rabbit's Foot" and "Whole lotta Rosie". The LP features "Fortune Teller" as a bonus track.

[engl] Here’s the debut LP from CRISIS MAN, the sound of standing barefoot in the garage and watching all your stepdad’s power tools on the shelves gradually rattling to the floor. Nine songs of heatstroke music performed by alums of Ceremony, Acrylics, Violent Change, a pure punk blend featuring bending and winding guitar parts twisted alongside springy bass lines and hopping mad drum hits while the vocalist barks and growls like a coyote lost in a Whole Foods hot bar. Straight to 12" in a Tascam tone warm as a Novato sunset, a must-have for record flippers and headcleaner huffers alike. Hardcorepunk in 2022. Phased-out vocals are sung into a microphone covered with a sock over some claustrophobic clatter. Nine songs of frenetic, free-spirited weirdness. An aural display of what living in the bay area feels like, the rent is due, the car doesn't run anymore, a techie just took the last seat on the crowded BART car. The glass was full to the brim with anxious energy already, but now it's been knocked on the floor.

[engl] "When I was first told about Duds, it came with the considered opinion that the guys were far from what you’d call ‘careerists'. 'They don’t take themselves too seriously' was another comment. I could have taken this as a warning that they weren’t in it for the right reasons - but that couldn’t be further from the truth. From my perspective Duds simply won’t bend over backwards to "get on". They do what they do and you can take it or leave it. I took it - with both hands…with a vice-like grip. They have the invention and urgency of Edinburgh legends The Fire Engines. The Post-Punk ethic. Short songs, short sets = short album. They’re one of the most thrilling bands I’ve seen in years - and the fact that they’re releasing this brilliant piece of work on the Castle Face label adds the last piece of a perfect ‘outsider' jigsaw puzzle. Duds sitting alongside Oh Sees, Ty Segall, White Fence, Useless Eaters et al. THERE IS A GOD!” - Marc Riley, June 2017

[engl] Questionably a hardcore band’ is how Daddy’s Boy describe themselves, and one listen to their discombobulatingly brilliant debut LP should answer all your questions as to what that could possibly mean. Recorded with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, GREAT NEWS! is the sound of punk folding in on itself and racing through sounds you might have previously identified with dumb genre tags like post-punk and possibly even no-wave - except this isn’t either of those things. It rages smartly and discordantly across a wide terrain of undulating rhythms and coruscating rifferema, eventually settling on something that’s… well, kinda uniquely Daddy’s Boy. So what makes this sound? Specifically, four humans who are too clever to simply follow the ‘three chords, now form a band’ template without trying to fuck up the corners (and work their way into the centre). Members of Split Feet, Retreaters and Fake Limbs pile up together to create this delicious cacophony, and you’ll be glad they did. When vocalist Jes Skolnik intones, “I’m so fucking important,” you know it’s drenched in venomous irony, but it’s difficult not to agree: GREAT NEWS! feels like a record that’ll last way beyond those ‘best of the year’ lists and continue to pulverise your eardrums for years to come. It’s the sort of record that felt like the future when Touch & Go Records pushed hardcore past its knuckleheaded limitations 40 years ago, and still feels like no one ever really caught up. It’s the riffs from Cows’ Cunning Stunts, cribbing notes from Crass’ Feeding Of The 5,000, with vocal delivery pitched to ‘gloriously matter-of-fact’. Oh, and no spoilers, but in Skolnik, Daddy’s Boy might just have one of the smartest lyricists in (questionable) hardcore right now. Mark my words, this is some record.

[engl] Down In The Basement is the third album from the Swedish rock 'n' roll horror sensation The Dahmers. The album collects eighteen tracks with a raw & chilly essence. The Dahmers is a Frankenstein's monster of music, influenced by garage punk, classic rock and 60's pop they deliver deadly catchy hits. The tracks on ’Down In The Basement’ have been recorded during a period of 2016-2018 and holds some of the bands strongest tracks so far. The band is quickly rising to be one of the most popular party and garage acts out of Sweden. Down In The Basement is an eighteen song long pleasure trip.