[engl] Fast hardcore punk with definitely a twist of their own

[engl] 20+ years old hardcore thrashers getting angrier and faster. 20 minutes of no bullshit.

[engl] 'Just a little sun, gets wasted on my own. Won't you come and open up and join me?' Through the dense cloud of gloom cast over the beginning of the 20’s, bursts TUBULAR SWELLS – a joyous sonic enterprise that pairs impeccably with the hopeful rebirth of our communities and of our lives.

[engl] What started out as an exciting career kick off back in 2019, with the “Fat Skeleton” EP on Iron Lung Records, HOMELESS CADAVER continued to write with the intention of making more records and finally playing a show but the 2020 police had alternate plans for the band. We don’t need to get into the details on that but they’re out now and picking up where they left off. Before the break they had recorded most of these four songs intended for a release on a Southern Californian label (details also withheld here, NDA blah blah blah) but the label didn’t have the patience to deal with the mess so HC was dropped and the world moved on. Well kinda, it was early 2020, so I guess you could say the world moved… in. Anyway, the band finished the songs late last year and sent them to us so here we are, offering stripped down, juvenile thug synth KBD inspired garage stains about hustling, dating and excessive pleasures. Speaking of excessive, at one point during the “Champale Wishes and Cadaviar Dreams” (title of the century if you ask me! -Jensen) completion phase the band did up some deluxe horn and string arrangements to accompany the EP. And then laughed really really hard when they threw them directly in the trash because “that shit sucks” and “what are we Juliards?”. They certainly have a way with words…

[engl] Hood Rats exist somewhere in the land between French Oi and Dwarves-esq garage rock and I'm extremely here for it.

[engl] About The 4th full length by the Italian vampire punx is finally out. Eight tracks of pure passion, desperation, anger and questions that will never be answered. Darker than ever and with a new rhythm section that'll make you twist and shout, this record will drag you down the abyss of existence to release you releaved and stronger than before. Fans of The Cult, A Flock Of Seagulls, Chameleons and Fields Of The Nephilim won't be disappointed.

[engl] Reuben Sawyer is nothing if not prolific. He’s also a man of many talents - his various projects have included the coldwave sounds of The Column, Hollow Sunshine’s blown-out psych-noise, Anytime Cowboy’s take on countrified weirdo-pop, and even ambient house courtesy of Rose. Oh, and he’s a visual artist too, of course. Pfft, who needs an attention span anyway? One thing he’s also dabbled in, however, is post-punk. Human Trophy is firmly in line with that tradition, but pulling from multiple directions at once - one minute this album rattles along like Big Black with the tempo down and the textures dialled up, the next we’re firmly in Christian Death territory. The twisting guitar lines and pummelling bass of ‘Forming Horrors’ even call to mind his blackened punk project Dry Insides, but with less velocity and a helluva lot more menace. Is ‘Corpse Dream’ a goth record? Possibly. Whether goth is a lifestyle choice for Sawyer or not, he’s certainly adept at immersing himself in sounds and making them feel like a comfortable fit. As with all his projects, it feels like another effortless facet of Reuben Sawyer - and in keeping with the rest of his output, it’s absolutely packed with songs you’ll wanna play again and again. Penultimate track ‘The Roads’ is built on a none-more gloomy pile-up of darkly portentous rhythms and a firm sense of disquiet, but once you’re locked into its circular riffage you’ll feel an urge to keep the loop going endlessly. Then there’s the closer ‘Blood Apex’, a dual-vocal nightmare set to music which draws you back in even as it attempts to push you away. Yeah, it’s pretty great. Who knows where Sawyer’s restless muse will take him next - he’s spoken before of wanting longevity from The Column, before unveiling another ludicrous number of projects. Maybe there’ll be more from Human Trophy, maybe he’ll decide it’s high time for a sludge project or start delving into glitched-out techno. All seem possible (and likely). But if this is the only record we get under this name, at least it’s 100% solid gold.

[engl] Hailing from the southern-most state of Chiapas, HURAÑA seems to have appeared overnight with a fully realized vision of wonderfully off center scrappy punk with echoed vocals, punchy drums and richly layered guitar work in the vein of moodier DEAD KENNEDYS songs, without all the silliness. There is a healthy dose of irrepressible hardcore power on here too. We get the feeling there isn't a whole lot of punk music coming out of this region of Mexico but HURAÑA could very well be the spark to ignite an exciting new scene. The certainly have the power, quality and message. Seven mindstickers altogether including a cover of the VULPESS' hit "Me Gusta Ser Una Zorra" which will only be available on the vinyl version of the EP. Always loved that song and definitely do it justice. 300 copies of 70gr black vinyl housed a custom die cut ILR glue pocket sleeve with lyric sheet and download card included.

[engl] To mark the 15th year of both Static Shock Records and Hygiene, we bring you the '15 Minute City' EP, which is also the 100th release of the label. Has it really been four years since their ‘Private Sector’ album on Upset the Rhythm? In that time the band have had a small tweak in line up with the addition of Lucy from Primetime on bass. Hygiene have returned with their most urgent and essential recordings and not many bands can say that after 15 years. Lead track '15 Minute City’ is an absolute bundle of DIY greatness…it has the chaos and chorus of one the classic 70’s / early 80’s Swell Maps 7”s. ‘L.T.N’ is a robotic and stiff post punk song that doesn’t outlast it's welcome as it lasts just over a minute. Last track ‘Petrol’ is a childlike punk gem that gets stuck in your head after one play. Hygiene are one of the most underappreciated bands in London in 2023.

[engl] For fans of The Getup Kids, Motion City Soundtrack & Saves the Day. The LP started life as a solo album for singer Alan Hiom but, during the pre-production phase of the record shifts in mood and musicianship soon developed into the album you hear today and the band I Said Goodbye. The songs on this record are a mixed bag lyrically but the underlying key is honesty. The songs are written from experiences and feelings that are real, written from the heart so that through empathy and/or shared emotions they can be enjoyed by all. Take Me Home is about missing a loved one whilst on tour whereas Robertson Drive is about the passing of a family member. No two songs lyrically or melodically are identical on this record and that is one of the things that helps I Said Goodbye’s LP stand out in the current sea of sound-alikes and copy cats. This is a very British sounding band, based in Norwich and featuring on drums Pete Wright of Ducking Punches.