[engl] RANK / XEROX from San Francisco finally return with four songs of messy post-punk with hidden pop james and dark guitar scratchers and synth screamers. Distorting messy and catchy at the same time.

[engl] On their first release since 2017, the elusive RANK/XEROX treat us to two delightfully dreary pop tunes that present a Factory/4AD gloom with an icy silver lining. There is hope in the notes but what lingers most is a dystopian trod through life on Earth in 2019. The resiliency of humanity is inspiring but will that be enough to keep us all going? Probably not. The fatal flaw of humanity is, well, that it is human at its core. Let's dance? 350 black and 150 transparent green vinyl records housed in a 12pt reverse board glue pocket sleeve with an 11x17 poster and download card included. Recorded by the band. Mixed by Mikey Young. Mastered by Joe Carra. Art by Kevin McCarthy.

[engl] Debut record of this post punk band from Vienna, Austria. Tracks taken from the self-released tape, recorded on 4-track, mastered to perfection by Eric Brady. Limited to 500 copies. Post-Punk to dance to, touching the body at the very right places, mostly german lyrics you will know by heart soon even if you are from…

[engl] You probably forgot about Rouge. That’s understandable. It’s been two long years since these Berlin punks dropped their debut cassette. But the folks who were paying attention knew better. There was enough promise in that 2022 release to suggest they had more up their sleeve, and it was clearly just a matter of time before they were ready to share it. Well, that time has come. Once again they’re teaming up with Phantom Records, this time making things official with their first vinyl release. They’ve seemingly spent these last couple of years honing their craft--across the eight tracks on this release, they sound much more confident, bolstered by a production that’s a little more polished, though not necessarily slick. Still, they manage to make this a distinctly Rouge-ish affair, mixing the frenetic pre-hardcore punk of the Bags with the drippy garage of Thee Oh Sees and a heaping helping of contemporary Aussie-styled, po-faced post-punk/new wave and anchored by excellent guitar work and an energetic vocal performance. Good music for bad times! (Alex Howell)

[engl] Berlin, you never-ending source of punk bands that don't sound like any other "just another synth and guitars band" that has ever existed and come across as tight as if they had at least three four Lenze in the constellation in the first year Humpback. Now Rouge with their first EP and the members simply make potential name dropping of their other bands superfluous. Immediate, new and organic. Rhythmically surfed guitars, coquettish synthesizer, fixed drums, melodic and playful (lead) bass and a voice that can pull out all the stops from calmly narrative, needy to squeaky hoarse indignation, form the cornerstones of your new favorite band.

[engl] 9 new ones from Chicago's psychotic sons - screech on blast, phasers on stun, razors out and over all too quick. Comes with a download code. Colored vinyl copies come with a flexi of "Woke Up Applauding". All LPs come with a digital download card.

[engl] Genre defying and explosive, Jerusalem’s Ryskinder melts together Psych Rock, Hip Hop and electronic music. Pulsing with lo-fi Middle Eastern groove And Hebrew lyrics touching both the political and the surreal in a trademark poetic style ""Rak Lhitim"" (meaning ""nothing but hits"" in Hebrew) is his first compilation album.

[engl] Best kept secret of the British early post-punk, fans of Joy Division and The Sound have to listen to Sad Lovers. This beautiful collection of their early recordings, demos, alternate version and peel sessions originally came out in 1984

[engl] Sarcasm's final offering is the much-needed shot in the arm you don’t even have to queue for. Sonically their six-track EP is a potent mix of the ignorant anarcho clatter and arch post(-graduate) punk you already love them for, but moreso. Picture UK DECAY squatting the Barbican. Still eschewing distortion for a truly inspired use of phase, the cavernous production (another Falco joint) will leave you staring at a city trader until he switches carriages. Whether it's echo-laden pronouncements on our worst instincts for techno addiction (‘Digital Colony’) or odes to modernist artists Paul Nash (‘Marsh Personage’) each track is as desperate as it is restrained by the same conditions. Heavily reminiscent of FALLOUT and the more cerebral end of UK82, mercilessly taut and lyrically about as obtuse as you’d hope from punk songs about rare varieties of lichen. Some guy once said something about the need for pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will in abject times, and this band amply proved the evergreen joy to be had in being a smart arse. Bury ‘Creeping Life’ under the rubble of the A3030 at Stonehenge when they start tunnelling, because this is one for the well-groomed future druids. Justified and ancient, ‘Creeping Life’ absolutely goes. (Bryony Beynon) 350 copies pressed on blue vinyl in a garish sleeve and with a fine looking insert.

[engl] SAVAK is Sohrab Habibion, Michael Jaworski & Matt Schulz Beg Your Pardon, SAVAK's third release in as many years, follows a compelling progression from their past releases (2016's Best Of Luck In Future Endeavors and 2017's Cut-Ups) -- equally the most punk rock and sublime record in their repertoire. The new album features everything from noisy careeners and '80s hardcore nods to slightly glammy stompers and straight-up, New Zealand-inspired, guitar-pop songs (and that's just in the first 10 minutes of side one). The band recorded and produced Beg Your Pardon themselves in their Gowanus practice space and then handed off the songs to Mikey Young (Royal Headache, Kelley Stoltz), Geoff Sanoff (Nada Surf, Luna), Ed Ackerman (The Jayhawks, John Wesley Harding) and Matthew Barnhart (Superchunk, METZ) to mix.

[engl] SAVAK is a Brooklyn-based post-punk band formed in 2015 by singers/guitarists/songwriters Sohrab Habibion and Michael Jaworski. Drummer Matt Schulz has been the other constant member over the course of 5 LPs, an EP, and multiple 7” singles. To round out their recordings and live performances, SAVAK has welcomed a variety of bass players and other musician-friends on horns, strings and keyboards. From the onset, Habibion and Jaworski's intent has been to give each other space to bring in ideas and to support the other songwriter in the process. Setting aside any notion or formality of there being one “lead singer,” they’ve taken a shared approach, setting aside their egos for the benefit of the song. The band extends this ethos to everything it does, typically taking turns singing songs at shows and sharing an equal number of contributions to each recording. SAVAK’s 5th full-length album, Human Error / Human Delight, will be out April 15th, 2022 on the band’s newly-minted record label, Peculiar Works Music. Like more than a few albums coming out these days, this is the band’s “pandemic record,” which happened to suit the dual-songwriter approach quite well, as Habibion and Jaworski wrote and recorded separately, isolated in quarantine, sharing files back and forth. Whenever the coast seemed clear, they met up with Schulz to add drums and various overdubs. The completed tracks were then handed off to long-time SAVAK producer, and occasional bass player, Geoff Sanoff, for mixing. The album was initially conceived as two separate EP releases, with songs falling under one thematic umbrella or another. Human Error tracks deal with frailty, shared struggles, humility, and self improvement. Human Delight celebrates togetherness, understanding, joy and even hints at transcendence.

[engl] Savak are back with their fourth album, "Rotting Teeth in the Horse’s Mouth". The band recorded the album at their Gowanus studio and the record features appearances by Scott McCloud (Girls Against Boys, Soulside, Paramount Styles), Michael Hampton (The Faith, Embrace, S.O.A., One Last Wish, Fake Names), and Anthony Roman (Radio 4). The band was formed in 2015 by members of The Obits, Holy Fuck, Edsel, Nation of Ulysses, and The Cops. Their influences range from '60s Texas psychedelia to British pub rock to early-'80s American hardcore. Savak is Sohrab Habibion, Michael Jaworski and Matt Schulz. It comes on solid white vinyl. This is a co-release with Ernest Jenning Record Co. from Brooklyn, NY.

[engl] This is fucking great. Immediate, tense stabs of abrasive post-punk, punctuated by raw, desperate [bavarian] vocals. Propulsive, straightforward rhythms suggest an alternate history where KILLING JOKE recorded with RUDIMENTARY PENI and appeared on the Bullshit Detector comp. Comparisons (favorable) could be drawn with recent Euro acts like STRUCTURE and DIÄT. I should mention that the album comes with a very plush lyric (and translation) booklet. Can’t recommend highly enough. - MRR

[engl] How weird can we go at the ETT hq? and the answer is - extremely weird, thanks to SET-TOP BOX. Some of the weirdest punk songs I've heard and what should i say? I freakin love it. Crack a drink, put your feed up, turn off yur brain and just relax to this TV GUIDE TEST BOX. Both tapes combined to a great full-length vinyl debut. The minimalism is monumental, the tone is dismal, and the delivery is deadpan, everything you are looking for in a first date, or your last meal. On their debut LP SET-TOP BOX siphons radiator fluid and rat piss along with a heaping helping of hopelessness and trauma into a ghastly broth of negativity that would probably cave your head in if it wasn't for that dumb skull of yours. Leave it to Diptheria Derbyshire or Kenny Logarithms, these jams are lethal and catastrophic, a level of punk danger you won't be ready for, repeatedly adding pressure to your weaknesses and reminding you how tough those synthesizers can really sound when pushed to their limit. Twelve songs of grudge-centric punk slime, run through a filter of fried armpit hair and burned out electronics, something you surely do not want to miss. Maybe you're already too late, fuck it, these guys are straight from the future and came all this way back to tell us that IT SUCKS. Hallelujah. Eggpunk, Devocore, whatever you wanna name it, we made it and here is more, but in a different way,unique, weird and over the top. Lofi, fucked up, but in a damn good way, I have no idea what those kids are doing down under, but they do it right! I just love the complete concept behind this whole thing These guys play a thumping, tough as nails, stripped down and catchy as hell brand of classic 1-2, 1-2 UK82 inspired hardcore punk with bruising vocals, sharp guitar riffs and a rhythm section that sounds like it's done a pharmacy full of speed. Gritty and loud production elevates what could otherwise be doomed to dollar bin hell. Four songs of ripping punk created by some of the key members of the Bay Area punk scene. Staying away from the epic side of things, SABRE keeps their songs catchy and punk. No fakes on this platter just punks playing what they love. That says it all. No trend, no fashion, just pissed friends shreddin' fast and loud.

[engl] A Sydney-borne future classic in the making. Downer synth-pop stylings that have New Order as a clear point of reference, but infuse the stuttering drum machines and shimmery guitars with a very Australian sense of anti-romantic fatalism. Some smart production brings these well-crafted poppers into the hi-fi field they belong in. Featuring members of Aloha Units, Natalia And Her Naptime and Houseband. Originally released on Paradise Daily Records. "Incredible ten track 12" from Australian synth punks SEX TOURISTS. I'd place this somewhere between the excellent, postpunk leanings of fellow Aussies ORION and the fine tuned, pop-inflected hits of TOTAL CONTROL. A serious contender and one of the best Aussie releases that I've heard in recent memory. Trust me, if this is your thing, you'll get plenty of spins outta this one." Sam/ Feel It Records.