The Cavemen - Ca$h 4 Scrap

The Cavemen are so good at what they do that they make all other bands of their type seem almost irrelevant. Out now on Slovenly Recordings, Ca$h 4 Scrap is The Cavemen's fifth full-length album and first in five years. In a way, it's a quintessential Cavemen release which finds these crazed Neanderthals tearing into some of the wildest & most ferocious rock 'n' roll your senses could ever hope to encounter. At the same time, it finds the band continuing the musical evolution that was becoming apparent on 2019's Night After Night and the follow-up EP Euthanise Me. When they still feel inclined towards sheer sonic destruction, these fellas leave nothing in their path safe from obliteration. "Booze, Ciggies 'n Drugs" is absolutely the instant classic the title promises (imagine the Dead Boys on speed), and the raging "Personal WWIII" could not be more of a song of our times. There is no living punk singer who can scream with more force and conviction than the mighty Paul Caveman. The production and performances are still raw and trashy in a way that's definitive for garage punk. But on Ca$h 4 Scrap, The Cavemen's dirty little secret — that they are highly skilled songwriters & musicians and not just pugilistic savages aiming to club you into submission — is fully exposed for the world to hear.  

I wouldn't go quite as far as to say that The Cavemen have gone "pop," but they are leaning more than ever towards the tuneful side of classic punk. "Without You" is old school melodic punk rock 'n' roll just the way I like it. "Hangin Up" sounds like it could have been an A-side on Raw Records in 1977. If you had played "Can't Remember Your Name" for me and told me it was Los Pepes, I wouldn't have doubted you for a second. The sing-along stomper "Leather Boys" brings a heavy glam rock influence. And then there are some pleasant surprises: "Flowers On My Grave" is a brooding, haunting ballad, while the new single "Night of the Demon" is heavy rock done right. To just call Ca$h 4 Scrap a vintage Cavemen record would sell it short. To call it a completely untypical Cavemen record would sell it short too. So let's just say this is the best album yet from the greatest punk rock band on Earth. 

-L.R.

https://open.spotify.com/album/2Ep6wdDYND2L0Fe9wVegbC

https://thecavemennz.bandcamp.com/album/ca-h-4-scrap-lp

https://store.slovenly.com/

https://thecavemennz.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thecavemennz

https://www.instagram.com/thecavemennz/

Les Lullies - Mauvaise Foi

Woooooo! On Mauvaise Foi, their second full-length album, French punks Les Lullies rip it up with ten of the catchiest, most rocking tracks you'll hear all year. Out now on Slovenly Recordings, Mauvaise Foi finds this Montpellier-based foursome in truly fine form. If you're offering my ears some old school punk rock and roll with hints of power pop, you know I'm always going to be receptive. And Les Lullies execute this style better than most. From the opening chords of the title track to the final strains of "Animal," Les Lullies bring the energy, the attitude, and hooks to spare. It matters little that I have no idea what they're singing about most of the time. I still wanna bob my head up and down, sing along, and make a mess around the house just for the fun of it. If your favorite '77 punk bands were the ones that just essentially played rock and roll faster and more furiously, tunes like "Mauvaise Foi," "Soirée Standard," and "Zéro Ambition" will be music to your ears (literally). "Station Service" reminds me of first album Clash, you know I'm not complaining! A cover of the Jackie DeShannon classic "When You Walk in the Room" is totally excellent and quite complementary to the album's original tracks. You've probably been hearing quite a bit about Mauvaise Foi lately from the finest blogs and radio programs. You wanna know why? Because it's freaking awesome!

-L.R.

https://leslullies.bandcamp.com/album/les-lullies-mauvaise-foi
https://www.instagram.com/leslullies/
https://www.slovenly.com/
https://www.instagram.com/slovenlyrecordings/
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec

Midnite Snaxxx - "Contact Contamination"

"If, like us, you feel the curious angst of living in this precarious period of decline, I encourage you to take a listen to two of our personal fave songs we have ever recorded."

The above quote from Midnite Snaxxx pretty much says it all! On its 7th single (and second release on Slovenly Recordings), the band captures the tenor of the times with an extraordinary pair of punk rock tracks. Recorded last spring just as the shit was hitting the fan, "Contact Contamination" taps into our collective anxiety, dread, and frustration with a fierce urgency. In many ways, these songs are the logical next step following the band's brilliant 2019 long player Music Inside. I believe the technical term for what's going on here is "punk as fuck", yet the musicianship and songwriting are wonderfully unique and highly sophisticated. Now going strong for a decade plus, the Snaxxx have undergone a remarkable musical evolution - in particular over the last few years as the current lineup of Dulcinea, Chris, Camylle, and Sammy has solidified into an absolute powerhouse. Never content to make the same record twice, this is a band that's always challenging itself to move forward. "Contact Contamination" and "Fight Back" are blistering punk anthems for our contemporary world. You can marvel at the intricate guitar interplay or shake your bottom to the inspired work of the band's dynamite rhythm section. But more than anything else, you'll feel the raw emotion that the band poured into these songs. No more bottling up your frustrations - turn this single up loud and let it all out. The extraordinary cover art is by Sarah Sequoia!

-L.R.

https://midnitesnaxxx.bandcamp.com/album/midnite-snaxxx-contact-contamination-ep

https://www.facebook.com/Midnite-Snaxxx-105627569476640/

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/

https://www.slovenly.com/

https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec

The Cavemen - "Euthanise Me"

At a moment in our lives when we're wildly desperate for normalcy, The Cavemen have come through for us bigtime. Is there anything left to believe in if The Cavemen aren't clubbing us in the skull with some violent and utterly repugnant rock and roll? "Euthanise Me," out today on Slovenly Recordings, is the latest EP from these world infamous savages. They come out swinging on the title track, bringing the fury and aggression as Paul Caveman screams his guts out. Now there's a lead singer who's committed. Or perhaps he just needs to be committed? Only The Cavemen could broach the subject of euthanasia as a means to ease into far less comfortable topics. But sure enough, "Eat Your Heart & Wear Your Face" really ups the ante. It's fast and mean. But in a totally perverse way, it makes me want to dance. I love the old school punk feel of this track. If you're going to wax poetic about murder and cannibalism, you sure ought to make it catchy! "Nightmare" is equally fierce and infectious - the perfect primer for activities ranging from illicit sex to binge drinking to the commission of felonies (or perhaps all three if you're a multi-tasker). "Over You" is a damn fine love song. But it's such a bitter, miserable love song that it's more like a hate song. If you like your hooky punk super tough or your tough punk with hooks, this one will leave you fully satisfied. The Cavemen have given us a vintage Cavemen release, and this is exactly what we all needed. It's a sign that a shit year is coming to an end and that rock and roll will deliver us back to the light. You are more than encouraged to crank this EP loudly enough to terrify your neighbors and nemeses. Just make sure to courteously remain at least six away. 

-L.R. 

https://thecavemennz.bandcamp.com/album/the-cavemen-euthanise-me-ep

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/music

https://www.facebook.com/thecavemennz

https://www.slovenly.com/

https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec

Song Premiere: Tommy and the Commies - "Impulse Action" and "One Arch Town"

Exciting news: Hurtin' 4 Certain, the new EP from Tommy and the Commies, releases July 17th on Slovenly Recordings! It has been nearly two full years since Slovenly released the instant classic debut long player Here Come Tommy and the Commies. Hurtin' 4 Certain is the first new music since then from this sensational mod/punk/power pop trio out of Sudbury, Ontario. The title track premiered last month on Slovenly's 2020 Isolation Sampler. I am very pleased today to debut two more tracks from an EP that will have you all going absolutely crazy and begging to be inducted into the fan club. "Impulse Action" and "One Arch Town" are vintage shots of Tommy and the Commies' signature "hooligan pop". I know everyone likes to throw around Buzzcocks comparisons, and I certainly won't disagree. But "Impulse Action" is a little less Love Bites and a little more Spiral Scratch. "One Arch Town" sounds like a song The Dickies might have written if they'd ever gotten serious for a moment. For real: this band has never sounded tougher, punchier, or more energetic on record. Even if you ordinarily hate "pop" punk, you will love this. These are songs you will want to play at an obnoxiously loud volume while you dance wildly around the house and pump yourself up for some hooligan-ish antics of your own. Power poppers, '77 punks, mods, and garage freaks unite: your next favorite record arrives in 24 days!

Slovenly Recordings · TOMMY and the COMMIES -Hurtin' 4 Certain- EP - 02 Impulse Action

Slovenly Recordings · TOMMY and the COMMIES -Hurtin' 4 Certain- EP - 04 One Arch Town

 -L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/TOMMYSCOMMIES/
https://tommyandthecommies.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.slovenly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec
https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/

Moron's Morons - Looking For Danger (Album Premiere)

Looking for some good news finally? I've got you covered! Your pals Philo Phuckphace, Turd Awesome, John Pauly Shore II, and Lawless Dick Stingher have returned with a 13-track assault on your delicate eardrums and all things decent. Warsaw's Moron's Morons have been tearing it up for a few years now with their wild and furious brand of filthy punk rock. They have done EPs with top labels like Slovenly Recordings and No Front Teeth Records and dutifully slugged their way to heavyweight status in the garage-punk world. Slovenly won the wrestling match for the opportunity to release the band's debut album, and now here it is. And I literally mean here! Looking For Danger releases this Friday on Slovenly, but you can stream it below and delight in the savage brilliance of songs like "You Put Hot In Psychotic", "Fuck You", and the sure-fire top 40 hit "Addicted To Homicide". Fans of the band's EPs will be glad to hear that Moron's Morons have taken their existing formula and simply doubled down on it. They haven't stepped far from their original Germs/Dwarves/Pagans/GG inspirations. As the title of the album suggests, they have set out on a mission of pure sonic destruction. And while many of these songs recall a time when punk music reveled in its capacity to be offensive, anti-social, or just plain wrong, this is no novelty record. Moron's Morons, first and foremost, write killer punk rock tunes. From the opening notes of "Rise With Me", the band conjures a musical violence that sends chills down the spine. Songs like the raging "Wonderlust" and "Garageman" scorch on a level I haven't encountered in the garage-punk scene since label mates The Cavemen first wreaked havoc upon an unprepared world. "Rate Your Teacher", re-recorded from the last EP, just might be powerful enough to raise Darby Crash from the dead. "Sidewalk Service", with its Stoogey snarl and primal keyboard strains, demonstrates that Moron's Morons are expanding their repertoire. And just in case you were still unsure about this band's exact place in the punk universe, covers of Pure Hell and Cosmic Psychos make the Moron's Morons m.o. crystal clear. This is primitive and scuzzy punk rock at its very finest, and of course Slovenly Recordings was going to be all over it. "Fuck You" is sure to become the anthem of social distancing 2020. Listen...if you dare!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/morons-morons-looking-for-danger-lp 
https://moronsmorons.bandcamp.com/album/looking-for-danger-slovenly-recordings 
https://www.facebook.com/moronsmoronspunk/ 
https://www.slovenly.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec 

Gino and the Goons - Do The Get Around

Any "greatest rock and roll band on earth" conversation that excludes Florida's Gino and the Goons is hereby declared illegitimate! And fortunately we now find ourselves in the season of Gino and the Goons - the music gods' reward to us for persevering through trying times. It began in September with Black Gladiator/Slovenly's full-fledged release of the band's phenomenal third album Rip It Up (the world demanded more than 300 copies of that thing!). It continues today with the arrival of the band's fourth album Do The Get Around. It culminates next month with the release of the band's fifth album Off the Rails (on the venerable Big Neck Records!). So unless you were one of the lucky few that got your hands on Rip It Up last year, you're looking at getting three new Gino and the Goons albums in one three-month period. As they say: Christmas has come early!

Rip It Up was perhaps the most acclaimed record of 2018 within budget rock/garage punk circles. The Black Gladiator reissue ensures that this blistering slab is now available to all who desire it. And with digital mastering handled by Tim Warren, you are guaranteed to have your ears melted upon contact. Head on over to the Slovenly Recordings Bandcamp to get in on the action! Out today on the always terrific Drunken Sailor Records, Do The Get Around is far from a rehash of its predecessor. If Rip It Up was the best '90s garage punk record released this decade, Do The Get Around is its rowdier, sleazier, and far more boozed-up companion. It's definitely an album fit for a drunken sailor! Gino and the gang dig even deeper into the blues, country, and primitive rock and roll on this 10-track smasher. The songwriting is so authentically old school that I had a few of these tracks pegged as possible covers. But besides the 1959 Dale McBride rockabilly side "Prissy Missy", these are all Gino and the Goons originals. "Pills In My Pocket" brings to mind The Replacements when they were young, wild, and rarely sober. "Take It Off" is quintessential budget trash and not exactly politically correct (hint: it's not about reducing the federal deficit). "I'm Your Man" is punked-up rhythm & blues slop that could just about bring Johnny Thunders back from the dead. The raucous "SAMF" is most definitely NSFW.

What can be said about Gino and the Goons other than that this band has just got it? You look to some bands for the bad-ass attitude, others for the killer tunes, others for the musical chops, and others for the unassailable set of influences. But Gino and the Goons are the rare band that can check off all of those boxes. They get that rock and roll ought to be raw, unruly, and played excessively loud. Put on Do The Get Around, and whatever space you're currently occupying will be transformed into your own personal dive bar. With you possibly having to choose between three Gino and the Goons albums for purchase, you may be seeking my guidance on how to prioritize. I will gladly oblige. Sell a kidney, donate some sperm, and settle for the cheaper toilet paper. You gotta have all three records! Order your Do The Get Around vinyl here!



-L.R.

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/do-the-get-around-lp 
http://www.drunkensailorrecords.co.uk/categories/drunken-sailor-records 
https://ginoandthegoons.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/GINO-and-the-GOONS-269493892726/ 
https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenSailorRecords/ 

Sore Points - "Not Alright"

Whew! Sore Points are back with a new 7", and they have not tempered their sonic fury in the slightest! "Not Alright" is the Vancouver trio's third release overall and first with Slovenly Recordings. The band's sound burns hotter than ever on this four-song EP (longest track: one minute, 43 seconds!). As always, Sore Points seem to exist in an eternal 1980 - when first wave punk and early hardcore smashed straight into each other and spawned some of the most exciting records ever cut. The band isn't fooling with the formula at all. This is fast, furious, and absolutely blistering punk rock fueled by pummeling guitars, a rapid fire rhythm section, and just enough melody to get your toes tapping. I think "On The Wire" is the "hit", but I swear "Not Coming Back" is the most thrillingly scorching track Sore Points have recorded to date. If you dig hardcore punk rock but wish more of it still had a foot in rock and roll, this is the band for you. LP on Deranged is top-notch, but this is the best stuff yet from Sore Points!

 
-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/sore-points-not-alright-ep 
https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/sore-points-not-alright-ep 
https://www.facebook.com/Sorepointsband/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/

Priors - "Call For You"

Bam! Fresh off of the sense-numbing assault that was their brilliant New Pleasure album, Montreal's Priors hit us hard and fast once more with a crackling new EP on Slovenly Recordings! With New Pleasure being such a shock-and-awe moment in recent-day garage punk, Priors really needed to come strong to keep the fire burning. Well, they've done just! In terms of both intensity and quality, there's no letup on these three killer tracks. Hearing the band tear through "Call For You" (a relative epic at two minutes, 47 seconds!), I might be inclined to say that this 7-inch format is the best way to take in the relentless sonic fury of Priors. This is some premium high-speed punk bashing, perhaps with even more rancor and madness in the vocals than usual. Doesn't that sound like a recipe for awesomeness?! Push play on this one, and it'll give you a jolt that no energy drink on earth can match. The aptly-named "Destroyer" is a near-perfect bite of what Priors have been cooking for a while: noisy, forward-looking garage-punk played at a hardcore pace. "Swelter" fires away in the same manner - powered by raw-as-fuck guitars and a general sense of going off the rails. If these three tracks don't leave you feeling dazed and battered, you've got the volume set way too low!

Clearly a band on a roll right now, Priors sound like nothing less than a force of nature on this latest EP of theirs. Be glad it's only three tracks - your heart might not be able to take any more!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/priors-call-for-you-ep 
https://priorsmtl.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/priorsmtl/ 
https://www.slovenly.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/

The Cavemen - Lowlife

Well here they come again! Last year, The Cavemen dropped one of the fiercest and most delightfully pummeling rock n' roll long players of recent memory with the appropriately-titled Nuke Earth. If these New Zealand neanderthals weren't already recognized as the planet's premier slingers of savage rock n' roll, Nuke Earth certainly settled the matter emphatically. So prolific is this gang that I actually missed out on the subsequently released single "Burn Out For Love". Points off for me! Next up from The Cavemen is "Lowlife" - out today on Slovenly Recordings. The title track was recorded amidst the band's recent raid of Brazil, and it captures this road-tested crew at peak ferocity. Here The Cavemen sound every bit like fellas capable of tearing the roof off of any venue that will have them. "Lowlife" cranks like some unholy hybrid of raunchy rock n' roll and full-on Stooges savagery. The sound is blown-out and positively filthy, with earsplitting guitars not quite overpowering some hopping bass lines while Mr. Paul Caveman screams out his guts per usual. Ya gotta love it! "Baby I'd Do It For You" is actually an outtake from the Nuke Earth sessions, but it sure doesn't sound like a song any band would care to discard. A la the best tracks on the album, this one manages to be fast and furious yet still catchy as fuck. It will have you head-bobbing like a maniac for a solid minute, so prepare accordingly. To finish, "Drownin'" may be this EP's most enticing attraction to longtime fans. It's a song the band recorded back when these guys were still in high school! It's raw as hell and may surprise a lot of people. I'm talking grimy budget rock blues - pretty far from what this band ultimately became! Yet it holds up quite nicely, and I think the Cavemen faithful will be really stoked to hear it. Man, can you imagine what The Cavemen were like in high school?! Sounds like the premise for a movie!

Like always, The Cavemen have come out swinging on "Lowlife". This is just one of several 7-inch records releasing on Slovenly today. But I figured I ought to start with this one since I know it's gonna be a fast mover. You better be a fast mover yourself if you want a copy on purple vinyl!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/the-cavemen-lowlife-ep 
https://thecavemennz.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/thecavemennz/ 
https://www.slovenly.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/ 

Tommy and the Commies - Here Come Tommy and the Commies

I've been known to flip my shit over a Canadian band or two in my day. That was certainly the case this past February when I first heard Tommy and the Commies. I literally jumped for joy and ended up sustaining injuries from which I have only recently recovered. What is it about Canada and powerpop/punk? Are there expressways up there that allow you to travel directly to 1979? Tommy sounds like a lad who has religiously listened to the Buzzcocks, Undertones, and Dickies and thought, "Hey! This kind of music always needs to exist!" He smartly enlisted Jeff and Mitch Houle from the mighty Statues to back him in his endeavor. And just like that Tommy and the Commies came storming out of Sudbury, Ontario on a mission to fill the world with punk and pop. Slovenly Recordings, known to scan the globe for premium punk rock talent, quickly inked the band to a multi-dollar deal and lined up a debut album release for this very day. I fully expect to encounter people dancing in the streets in my travels today.

At a lean eight tracks with no song reaching two-and-a-half minutes, Here Come Tommy and the Commies is an album designed for multiple spins in a single sitting. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, and why would you want it to?! All of these songs are catchy as hell and come on with punchy guitars and boundless youthful energy. Technically speaking, it's just a damn fun record! I envision Tommy in the studio, imploring the Houle brothers that not a note will be played until everyone has consumed three cups of coffee. And there's an enthusiasm level to these performances that you just don't hear everyday. They're not just playing fast. They're playing with a palpable love for this style of music. Within the first ten seconds of "Devices", you pretty much know what you're in for. You're gonna be bobbing your head, tapping your feet, and singing along in your best Howard Devoto voice for the next 16 minutes of your life. Then you're gonna play it again! If that doesn't sound like a swell time, why are you reading my blog?

  
-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/tommy-and-the-commies-here-come-lp 
https://www.facebook.com/TOMMYSCOMMIES/ 
https://www.slovenly.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/ 

Moron's Morons - Indecent Exposure

With releases now on both No Front Teeth Records and Slovenly Recordings, Moron's Morons are rapidly ascending to the forefront of the modern-day garage punk scene. I'm a fan of almost anything having to do with the great nation of Poland, and this band is no exception. Honestly, I've loved this Warsaw-based outfit since I first learned the singer was named Philo Phuckphace. The dude is a first-rate screamer! He's joined by drummer Turd Awesome, guitarist John Pauly Shore II, bassist Debbie Lee Moron, and lead guitarist Lance Romance. Issued on Slovenly this month, Indecent Exposure is the band's second EP and first American release. If you're on the Make Garage Punk Trashy Again bandwagon like I am, these four tracks will be music to your ears. I'm talking fast, wild, and gloriously unwholesome noise played savagely and recorded cheaply. What more could you possibly desire? This definitely falls on the Reatards/Sick Thoughts side of the garage punk spectrum, and that's exactly what we need more of these days. If you're so inclined, you can read the song lyrics over at the Moron's Morons Bandcamp. I'll just warn you that they're not for the faint of heart. Would you expect anything else from a band that writes a song called "Devil Sucks My Cock and Swallows" (sure to be the feelgood hit of the summer!)? You can probably surmise that "Rate Your Teacher" is not an ode to instructional excellence. "SS Girls" seems to be a live recording, but it's hard to tell since there's almost zero drop-off in fidelity. That pretty much sums up what makes Moron's Morons so great. If you like the idea of '90s garage punk, GG Allin, and Killed By Death comps all rolled into one, this is the band for you. Play loud and make the neighbors very uncomfortable!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/morons-morons-indecent-exposure-ep 
https://moronsmorons.bandcamp.com/album/indecent-exposure 
https://www.facebook.com/moronsmoronspunk/ 

Häxxan - The Magnificent Planet of Alien Vampiro II

The Slovenly Recordings winning streak remains very much in tact with the terrific sophomore LP from Israeli trio Häxxan. A title like The Magnificent Planet of Alien Vampiro II promises something pretty remarkable, and the album delivers just that! While Häxxan generally fits the garage/psych genre of music, this is one of those releases that cannot be properly categorized. It's all over the place in an entirely good way. On "Intro", the band comes on like a heavy riffing power trio with chops for days (that drumming is unreal!). A single lyric is repeated over and over: "Open up your mind/What you gonna find?" I'd say that qualifies as a mission statement, and it's damn good policy in the year 2018! The band takes a quick turn towards straight-ahead hooky punk on "Jeff Casanova", then nails the indie rock thing with the loud/soft dynamics and sneaky catchy melody of "Silkworms". Up next is "Circle Of Quantum", an instrumental so rocking and riveting that words would have ruined it. So now I've mentioned the entire first half of the album, and none of these tracks are quite what you'd expect from a psychedelic garage band. I like that! Fear not, though. The back half of the album offers up plenty of garage and psych for you to sink your teeth into. "Nothing Ever Changes" is a snappy number that ought to have Black Lips fans bobbing their heads in approval (no complaints about that chord progression reminding me of "Sonic Reducer"!). And the band's musical chops shine again on the nine-minute epic "Hunter" - a plunge into deep psychedelia that seems to take as much from Black Sabbath as it does from Ty Segall.

With Häxxan being so well recognized as a live force, there will always be the question of whether or not its recorded output measures up. In the case of this release, I'd say it absolutely does. If you've never seen Häxxan live, The Magnificent Planet of Alien Vampiro II will make you wish you had. On tracks like "Intro" and "Circle Of Quantum", it feels like the band is right there in the room with you and kicking all kinds of ass. Other songs highlight a songwriting prowess that is clearly a cut above. Of course I could pitch this album directly to the garage crowd, but it seems more appropriate to recommend it to anyone who wants to hear some wonderful rock n' roll. Big thumbs up!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/h-xxan-the-magnificent-planet-of-alien-vampiro-ii-lp 
https://www.facebook.com/xhaxxanx/ 
https://www.slovenly.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/ 

ANMLS - self titled LP

Man, there's nothing that gets the blood flowing quite like a great hardcore punk long player! It has been a good while since I've heard a hardcore record as thrillingly ripping as the 10-song debut from Santiago, Chile's ANMLS. Straight-up, this album hits you in the mouth. And I LOVE it! These guys are clearly huge fans of Black Flag - both the early ("No Quiero Estar Contigo", "Vamonos de la Ciudad") and later ("Instrumental", "Mierda") eras. But there's a lot more to ANMLS than that. "Canto en el Infierno" and "Pacos" integrate surfy SoCal punk influences, while "Odio" brings to mind the darker melodic strains of modern-day Scandinavian hardcore. Any way you shake it, this an absolute monster of a record. The tunes are killer, and the band powers through each one with a ferocity that's off the charts. And with mastering by the almighty Tim Warren, you know this thing is primed to test the capacities of your volume knob! All of the lyrics are in Spanish - largely delivered in the gang vocal style. Does having no idea what they're saying lessen my enjoyment? Not in the slightest! A co-release between Slovenly Recordings and Algo Records, this debut from ANMLS is an essential purchase for fans of old school hardcore, fast n' tough garage-punk, political dissent, and all of the above. A+!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/anmls-anmls-lp 
https://www.facebook.com/anmlsoficial/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/ 
https://www.slovenly.com/ 
http://algorecords.com/ 
https://es-la.facebook.com/Algorecords/ 

The Cavemen - Nuke Earth

Can you believe I made it through the first three months of 2018 without talking up a single release as a potential album of the year? That is so unlike me! But that all changes today. Nuke Earth, the phenomenal third LP from New Zealand miscreants The Cavemen, is out on Slovenly Recordings. The bar for punk rock albums in 2018 has definitely been set!

This year got off to a great start with singles, but I was still waiting for a full-length record to really make an impression on me. Well Nuke Earth more than made an impression - it just about knocked my head off! This is absolutely the full-force garage-punk rock n' roll kick in the teeth I've been craving. And while that's not particularly surprising given the quality of The Cavemen's prior recorded output, they have really blown me away with this particular batch of songs. The band sounds as savage and scuzzy as ever, with frontman Paul screaming his guts out while his band-mates gleefully pound your eardrums into submission. Kicking off with the storming 1-2 punch of "Lust For Evil" and "Criminal Love", The Cavemen come out raring to flatten anything in their way! They could have padded the rest of the album with xylophone instrumentals and Right Said Fred covers, and it still would have been an essential purchase. But beginning with the third track, "Janey", the album shows off a side of The Cavemen that often goes unappreciated. While still as boisterous and frenzied as a Cavemen tune ought to be, this one is downright catchy! The band's love for '50s rock n' roll really comes through, and you might want to check yourself for a pulse if you're not singing (or more likely screaming) along by the close of the first chorus. This, my friends, is a genuinely great rock n' roll song. So if it hasn't been said before, let it be said now: The Cavemen are damn fine songwriters! And throughout this album, they skillfully mix up musical styles to avoid the "sameness" that can sometimes afflict rowdy punk n' roll records. "Batshit Crazy" brings to mind a '60s garage rock party if it took a highly demented and severely drug-addled turn. "Concrete Town" is punk rock n' roll so dirty and vicious that you'll swear the '90s never ended. "The Night Jimmy Savile Died" comes on with a dirgy, Stooges-like intro, then erupts into a blaze of pounding, maniacal fury. "Elvis Is Alive" sounds like the best song The Replacements left off of Stink. "Don't Wanna Hang" could easily have come out on Rip Off Records in 1995. The psychobilly-ish "Gimme Beer Or Gimme Death" beautifully articulates my primary philosophy of existence.

Aren't most bands supposed to be in their "mature" phase by the time they make their third album? Thank god that's not the case with The Cavemen! In terms of ferocity and pure wild fun, Nuke Earth is right there with its two predecessors. If this release doesn't immediately compel you to engage in dangerous and possibly illegal activities, you probably need to turn up the volume louder. But The Cavemen have far more going for them than just unsavory reputations and an unquenchable thirst for mayhem. They have songs too. Nuke Earth is all hits and no shit! Avoid at all costs if you can't handle some real rock n' roll!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/the-cavemen-nuke-earth-lp 
https://thecavemennz.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/thecavemennz 
https://www.slovenly.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/ 

Proto Idiot - Leisure Opportunity

My quest to acknowledge the best releases I didn't get around to reviewing in 2017 could last for months if I really went all-out. But if I had that kind of time, I would have already reviewed all of this stuff in the first place! With that in mind, I'm trying to focus on the releases from last year that I'm most embarrassed to have missed. In that category is Leisure Opportunity, the latest album from Manchester, U.K.'s Proto Idiot. It was released in November on Slovenly Recordings, so I suppose this review could qualify as "almost" timely. Proto Idiot features Andrew Anderson of The Hipshakes on guitar and vocals along with Callum Darley (drums) and Michael Seal (bass). Anderson's work in this band allows him to step a little outside of the garage realm and really embrace a fondness for the arty side of '77 Brit-punk and musical strangeness in general. On this album, Anderson again proves himself to be a witty lyricist and a wonderfully playful songwriter. Songs like "Better Way of Life" and "Do It the Same" hit that Wire/Buzzcocks minimalist punk sweet spot, while "What Is My Purpose?" suggests what Devo might have sounded like if they'd been English. I like that "Yes Yes Yes Yes" is super weird yet totally irresistible. And "Angry Vision" is a definite highlight, sounding like a weirdo punk re-write of Vicki Sue Robinson's disco smash "Turn The Beat Around" (yeah, really!).

You may already be familiar with Freak Genes - Andrew Anderson's brilliant collaboration with Charlie Murphy. If you liked the Freak Genes record, you'll dig Leisure Opportunity as well. These "side" projects really show different dimensions of Anderson's musical talent, and that growth seems to be bleeding a little into The Hipshakes' music as well. If you like your punk music full of quirks and distinctively British humor, you're about to discover a real gem!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/proto-idiot-leisure-opportunity-lp 
https://www.facebook.com/protoidiot/ 
https://slovenly.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/ 

New Cavemen single on Slovenly!

If you've been following the international garage-punk scene closely in recent years, you have likely already experienced the savage sonic assault of The Cavemen. And for damn sure, you liked it! This wild and primal foursome out of New Zealand has to date released two albums and several singles that would have been right at home in the '90s heyday of degenerate trash garage-punk rock n' roll. Slovenly Recordings proudly presents what I believe is the band's first American release - a raging nut-kicker of an EP featuring the wholesome family values anthem "Dog On A Chain". Fans may be familiar with "Death Row" and "Killing Myself To Live" from a cassette release last year that was limited to (of course!) 69 copies. "Dog On A Chain" is exclusive to this release and will melt your face completely off should you fail to wear protective headgear. It's the epitome of what great garage-punk ought to be: raw, scuzzy, and certain to disgust the average person. "Death Row" channels the Stooges by way of the Candy Snatchers and Spider Babies, with frontman Paul Caveman pushing the insanity factor to a level unsurpassed even in this realm of music. Any claims about the lyrics being in extremely poor taste ought to be construed as the highest possible praise. If it has caused you great distress to contemplate that punk music is no longer as dangerous or depraved as it ought to be, this EP will surely be the most uplifting thing you hear this year. Play some goddamn rock n' roll!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/the-cavemen-death-row-ep 
https://thecavemennz.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/thecavemennz 
http://slovenly.com/ 

Here are Control Freaks!

So we literally waited a dozen years for new music from Greg Lowery. Just based on the sheer passage of time, there had to be cause for concern. Would the 2017 version of Greg Lowery still be the guy we so fondly remembered, or would he have reinvented himself as a serious "artist" backed by his own orchestra and choir? What if he'd been spending the last dozen years writing a triple LP rock opera about his feelings? What if he'd decided to go electronic? Okay, I'm lying. No one ever had cause for concern. Greg Lowery will never make "serious" music, and he will never call himself an artist. That is why we love him, and that is why we already knew that Control Freaks' Mindless Entertainment would be one of the year's mandatory punk rock purchases. In fact, I must recommend bypassing the rest of this review and proceeding immediately to the Slovenly Recordings web store or Bandcamp page to secure your copy. Seriously: go buy the thing! If you're still reading right now, you are stubborn and disobedient. I must say those are qualities that I admire.

If you were one of those individuals who could never get into Lowery's terrific Zodiac Killers because they deviated from the Supercharger/Rip Offs/Infections blueprint, Bay Area sensations Control Freaks should be much, much more to your liking. Mindless Entertainment fully lives up to its title - delighting all who crave the sort of trashy and wonderfully stupid punk rock goodness that made Lowery a household name. And with so few bands even trying to pull off this type of thing today, it might as well be the g.o.a.t. who steps up and shows the kids how it's done. What's cool about this band is the way Lowery and his co lead singer Natalie Sweet (The Shanghais) play off of each other. The two take turns on lead vocals, and some songs are straight-up duets. That snotty co-ed vocal blend brings to mind many of my favorite Rip Off Records releases, and clearly this was a band formed in the spirit of the glory days of garage-punk. The band finds that-just right mix of raw, obnoxious, and epidemic-level catchy. The theme song "Control Freaks" launches a rocket straight back to the Rip Offs' heyday, and then the fantastic "PTSD" features a star turn from Sweet on lead vocals (the one-sheet hilariously likens her singing to an "Edith Bunker impression"!). If that 1-2 punch doesn't have you sold on Control Freaks, then I'm going to surmise that the rest of the record will not sway you to the dark side. The rest of us, however, will bask in vintage Lowery bangers such as "Hollywood" (a song so dumb that you might not realize how smart it is) and "Crime Wave". Being such a sucker for good old '77 punk, I'm also quite partial to "Blowtorch Love" (which brings to mind the almighty Infections) and the band's terrific take on Jack & The Rippers' "No Desire". And if I say that "Sweet Dreams" sounds like it could have been a Shanghais song, that should only be construed as high praise!

If you have loved just about every piece of music that Greg Lowery has ever attached his name to, Mindless Entertainment will not disappoint. This is my favorite record he's played on in two decades (and I did really like Zodiac Killers). The fact that he shares the spotlight with one of the top punk vocalists of the present day really adds freshness and relevance to what Control Freaks are doing. And with so many newer "garage" bands lacking the rawness and fun attitude that ought to be considered essential to this genre, Mindless Entertainment most definitely fills a void. Sing it with me: C.O.N.T.R.O.L!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/control-freaks-mindless-entertainment-lp
https://www.facebook.com/ControlFreaksSF/
http://slovenly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/

Debut LP from Moral Panic!

The almighty Livids, while one of the most exciting punk rock n' roll bands of recent memory, proved to be a sadly short-lived outfit. So it's fantastic news that Livids guitarist Daniel Kelley and drummer Gregory Collins have formed a red-hot new band with bassist Mark Brei. The new group is called Moral Panic. If you liked Livids, you will love Moral Panic. Slovenly Recordings just released the trio's debut album, and the thing totally kills! Don't let the band name fool you into thinking this is some sort of 1980s political hardcore type deal. Instead think '90s breakneck garage punk rock n' roll a la Teengenerate/New Bomb Turks.

I love a band that storms out of the gates in attack mode and never lets up, and that is Moral Panic's m.o. for sure. They tear through 10 songs in 20 blistering minutes, and every second is pure pummeling rock n' roll. "Ripped Jeans" is impossibly catchy for such a wild & manic number, while the scorching "Harbor Fitness" brings to mind Tokyo 1994 via Cleveland 1978. And kudos are in order for a face-smashing rendition of The Nils' "Fountains" that fully bears M.P.'s high velocity signature. Kelley and Collins have picked up right where they left off in Livids. No attempts at refinement or progression have been made. They're bringing it fast and furious, and anything that steps in the path of this steamroller is toast! If you've been depressed for years over the realization that there will never be a Livids full-length, this album will cheer you up right fast. Crank up the volume until the neighbors complain!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/moral-panic-moral-panic-lp
https://www.facebook.com/moralpanicnyc/
http://slovenly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/

New Raydios smash!

Is it just me, or are The Raydios beginning to approach the greatness of Teengenerate? Perhaps that sounds like crazy talk, but the proof is in the pudding. It seems that The Raydios are on one of those runs where they can do no wrong. When the "Do You Wanna Walk With Me?" 7" came out in 2013, I thought it was by far the band's strongest single yet. Then "No Expectation" proved to be even better. Now "Brand New Kid" comes along and raises the bar another notch higher! The story is that Fink was so energized by playing a Teengenerate reunion that it inspired him to start writing punchier material for The Raydios. And if that was his intention, this single proves he fully succeeded! While not quite the lo-fi trash of Teengenerate, "Brand New Kid" is certainly the hardest-hitting track I've heard yet from The Raydios. The guitars are raw and absolutely ripping, and who doesn't love to hear Fink shout like he really means it?! And hidden behind those scorching leads and exuberantly shouted backing vocals is a melody you can whistle all the way home. Top notch! This is the kind of tune that we've come to expect from The Raydios: straight-up rockin' punk with quality hooks. But while "Brand New Kid" doesn't re-invent this band, it begins to wipe away the notion that The Raydios are merely the next best thing to a full-on Teengenerate re-boot.

On the flip, "My Way Back Home" opts for a pummeling slow burn a la the Dictators or Stooges. Monster riffs meet angular lead work in a way you could describe as uniquely Raydios-ish. And once that sing-along part arrives, it's pretty much impossible to avoid joining in. All in all, an ace B-side!

A co-release between Slovenly Recordings and Tokyo's Mangrove Records, "Brand New Kid" is another opportunity for those of us outside the Japanese market to score some Raydios vinyl. And if you haven't bought a Raydios release in recent years, this is definitely the one to get!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/the-raydios-brand-new-kid-ep
http://www.slovenly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Raydios/153062848082743