Up right now is the new split 7″ on Fone Records which is a relatively new Ohio label! This is my first experience with Bad Trouble (as well as Fone Records). On the A-side you’ve got three tracks of scummy British Invasion-tinged punk rock n roll from Bad Trouble. Their vocal melodies remind ya of those Brits The Adverts or The Sex Pistols a whole lot more than their American contemporaries The Ramones. Maybe some Germs influence in there too? Probably. This is more punk than rock n roll…just like those British trashers like it!

On the flip is Cleveland’s Wooly Bullies playing their jam “Waiting for You”. If you recall I recently reviewed the latest Wooly Bullies tape which doesn’t disappoint (and neither does this 7″)! For fans of all things ITR (especially Black Lips). This is a split that has a nice juxtaposition of styles that fit together really well on a split. This Wooly Bullies track is a psychy garage rock stomper with some ganged up vocals that sound haggard and drunk (aka perfect). I’m not sure if this is the Bullies first stab on vinyl or not, but if it is well…Great Job! This is their jam! They take it to the extreme by jamming on the same riff for maybe a bit too long at the end, but I suppose that’s the point. It gets really messy and full at the end (lots going on for you headphone listeners out there!). I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them jam this track out in person and well it rules live AND on record.

The Wooly Bullies side piques my interest a bit more than the Bad Trouble side (which could have been pared down to just two cuts instead of 3. Seemed overreaching once you realize the Bullies just put one track on their side). Packaging is top notch, the vinyl is thick and comes with a download link and Bad Trouble sticker!

You can hear an alternate 10 minute version of “Waiting For You” by Wooly Bullies here:
Waiting For You by woolybullies

Bad Trouble on Facebook
Wooly Bullies on Facebook
Fone Records on Facebook

(Stop Worrying and) Love The Bomb are a garage/punk band from DC. Not a huge fan of the band name (France Has The Bomb was already taken apparently), but that’s not really worth mentioning more than in passing (since you probably agree with me). This band does indeed rock though. I can get behind this. It’s the type of tracks that you’d expect coming out of the demented minds behind Big Neck: Bombastic throbbing garage-punk, with a few dissonant bass plugs here and there (and some tight walking lines that fill in the dead space nicely). Vocals that sneer and singe. At first you think it’s a guy, but then you release it’s a girl with complete ‘tude, snarl and balls. Growly as fuck on the A-Side, “I’m Haunted”. The B-Side gets way more trashy and honestly just more punk. “Yellow, Black & Blue” switches it up with some male vocals. It’s like the best of Rip Off era punk. Actually reminds me a lot of Milwaukee’s The Catholic Boys. The vocals are really like those turkeys. The second track on the B-side, “Low Hangin’ Fruit” sees front-woman Sal getting more girly with the vocals for a second or two (ha!), with a nice tempo change and a really poppy and catchy chourus, that sorta reminds me of the 90′s but with way more 60′s leanings. And actually her voice on the track really reminds me of miss Shanna Kiel from this band that you all have never heard of Sullen. Not really sure if there’s any reason to check out Sullen anymore, but I did get some of the Shanna vibe from the vocals (Sullen is a band that hinges WAY more on the 90′s than this band). The press release mentions pop-punk but thankfully I don’t think this band ever steps into that territory because the production is so gritty and the songs are so snarly and nasty. And that’s great. I like pop music with punk inflections but for some reason the words pop-punk just give me an icky feeling! A great slab from a great label by a relatively unknown band (Nationally). What’s not to like about that? Big Neck says they’re going to tour. Here’s to hoping for that!

Hear some of the 7″ below:
(Stop Worrying And) Love The Bomb – 7 inch – Preview by bigneckrecords

(Stop Worrying and) Love The Bomb on Facebook
Buy the record from Big Neck HERE!

Cheap Freaks are a relatively new band from somewhere in Europe. Not really sure where since they recorded this in Dublin but some of the other shit was done in Berlin, so it’s a toss up. Somewhere across the pond. You get the idea. But what they’re shaking at is COMPLETELY American. Total sleazy rock-a-billy stomp punk n roll, with poppy elements such as Farfisa, tambourine and straight up great vocals. The debut LP Bury Them All starts with “Naked In The Rain”. The singer sounds sorta Crampsy in the delivery, and DEFINITELY in the rockabilly slapback on the vocals. It’s got that countryesque shuffling drum feel, with some squealing organ. Retro in many respects but sorta melting it all together in a new and exciting way. Kinda like how DMZ did it (and this band definitely owes a bit to DMZ). It’s not often you get guitar chord hooks in songs (ya know where there are just 4 chords in a row without any vocal, key, or lead guitar hook. That’s great). Uncommon and caught me offguard, but still catchy as shit. Get more growly and low endy, like a happier Spits with an accent and less Mongoloid bashing. Maybe it’s more Jon Spencer than the Spits. Especially with how country the inflection of the vocals are. There’s a really simple but gnarly guitar solo in this burner too! And it throws in some psych delay shit about 2/3rds of the way through. GREAT. Other standout moments are the guitars inverting and the Farfisa slaying on “Cryin’ Shame”, and the ballady “Cruel World” where the singer channels his internal Lux Interior. But everything about this record is ripping. There are so many genres tugging at the soul of this band, and somehow they manage to put it all together really impressively. Bury Them All is a collection of songs that all have their own thing going on while still having the common thread of great songwriting and instrumentation scattered throughout. In the simplest terms this is dark punk-a-billy that centers on garage and punk production. Some of the stuff is pure country blues, and some of it is straight rock-a-billy, some of it’s surfy, and some of it’s psychy….but it’s all rock n roll with soul AND FUZZ. FUZZ THIS OUT. PLAY LOUD.

ps. I should mention what a great band name I think “Cheap Freaks” is…cuz I’m one of em.

Hear “Asaharas Nightmare” below:
Cheap Freaks – Asaharas Nightmare by cheapfreaks

Cheap Freaks on Facebook
Buy the record from Big Neck HERE!

Love Handles are a Florida band I have no experience with before. This is some hot weirdo church key synth punk with heavily effected guitars. Members of Cop City/Chill Pillars. I really liked that band’s LP but it didn’t get as many repeated listens as I thought it would and I caught onto the record quite late so I never got around to reviewing it. I definitely dug what they did on it though. This band has elements of the former but with a more twee pop approach. It’s like the Cali sound with way more hard drugs and binge drinking. Think elements of Thee Oh Sees just with a lot heavier and dronier keyboard parts. The guitar has more of a flange or phaser effect on it than Dwyer’s trademark delay, so they differ from Thee Oh Sees in that respect. And it’s definitely not as boppy-poppy as the cali counterparts. The third track on the A-Side is the winner here. Plodding and completely simple bass holds it all down, while the guitar flanges in and out. I sorta get a Woods feeling from the band as well, but definitely without the production or mass instrumentation that Woods hinges on. The B-Side starts off hot and heavy compared to the lazy feeling of the A-Side. But it quickly brings you back to the drugged-out haze by tweaking with the tempo and drive throughout the track.
This is twee-pop for anyone who wants to be challenged and/or bludgeoned by extremely effected guitars. There are elements of all sorts of the best garage, noise, psych and pop you can image, with a lot of twists and turns along the way. A challenging but enjoyable listen throughout.

Hear “Phony Folk Singer” (Best track on the EP) below:
Love Handles Phony Folk Singer by West Palm Beotch

West Palm Beotch!

This is the most attacky I’ve heard Pink Reason since the Borrowed Time 7″. This is a nice addition to Kevin Failure’s catalogue. As you can expect from the title of the record, “Desperate Living”, it’s more mood altering, life intensifying music. Pink Reason is always going to be around to remind you how shitty or (more rarely how great) Kevin’s life is at the moment, and that’s great. That’s where his real art comes from. I think this 7″ will surprise more than a few people (although anyone who knows anything about Kevin can’t really be suprised at this point. Dude is a loose cannon and he aims for the starts and usually connects, so you know what to expect people….Kevin raising the bar and doing it right…DUH!). Pick this fucker up. It’s a quick burn and I’m sure it will be gone fast! The B-Side is more bombastic than I’ve ever heard Pink Reason. Really recorded well. I like the false start and the false sense of safety it gives you. Nope…yr never safe with Kevin.

Hear “The Song With No Name” below:
Song With No Name by pinkreason

Pink Reason on Facebook
Buy the 7″ EP from Almost Ready!

Alright, by now you know the drill. Seth Sutton is the man. Period. Fans of Seth Sutton’s previous output in Useless Eaters will definitely be fans of this. Besides this new band Feral Beat with whom he enlists Allison Waid on drums for the record, Seth’s also found himself in another Nashville heavyweight Heavy Cream these days. Which makes sense since it appears Seth has added Mimi from Heavy Cream to the live setup of Feral Beat. This debut Feral Beat 7″ definitely has its own thing going on, but doesn’t stray too too far from the Useless Eaters project. As usual this worked it’s way into my mind as one of Seth’s best singles to date (and he’s got quite a few in contention!). “Cold Lover” is pure sleaze genius with a clean guitar riff that holds it all together. I love it. It’s a song about a trampy slut. So yeah I can dig on this for sure. And I can definitely dig on the groove during the verse. A lot more Crampsy/slightly surfy than most of Seth’s angular riffs in Useless Eaters. Still remiscent of the new wavey trash rock (demented Devo) he normally teeters on, and still fronted by Seth’s direct and confrontational vocal style…so honestly you definitely have heard this kid make this racket before. But fuck, he’s good at it and why stop now? The B-Side is a more chord driven dirge…at first…then it drops into the typical Useless Eaters plod. This 7″ sees Seth stepping further away from Jay Reatard’s shadow. A move that’s sure to excite a lot of people out there (myself included – I like that this kid is getting credit his own for his own thing instead of just being linked to Jay all the time). We’re all definitely waiting to see what this kid does next! This is yet another fine slab of vinyl from the long-running Seth Sutton and Tic Tac Totally combo.

Hear “Cold Lover” below:
Cold lover by Feral BEAT

Feral Beat on Facebook
Buy the 7″ from Tic Tac Totally!

Brand new all-girl surf inflected garage punk from Minneapolis…Elements of the Trashwomen and The Gore Gore Girls but L’ Assassins never get quite as heavy as either of those bands…Sorta like a toned down Cramps maybe? The Cramps minus their filth and minus Lux’s outrageous howl. The intro to the 7″ starts with some nice surfy ‘tude talking. She’s in charge and you know it from the get go. And then she comes in singing all raspy with a sharp tongue. This girls got soul yo. A really good Joan Jett meets Blondie (at Debby Harry’s scuzziest) take on the vocals is what stands tall as the focal point of this 7″. Then the vocal harmonies come in after the breakdown to melt the hearts of all the tattoo lovin’ boys out there. A banshee scream brings you back to the intro and the ‘tude is back, I dont’ think I want to mess with this chick. The second track has a more elaborate surf based riff with really minimal drums. Again the vocals take the stage front and center, because they’re the most exciting thing about this release for sure. I’ve heard surf done to death, but there’s not too too many girl surf groups currently infecting the airwaves…especially in Minneapolis. They seem to be playing a lot up in the Twin Cities so you should catch em while you can and pick up a 7″ from them at the show or from the label via the link below!

Hear “Backseat Bomp” below:

L’ Assassins on Facebook
Buy the 7″ from Big Action Records!

A brand new slab by Milwaukee’s premier female-fronted power pop combo, out on the Certified PR Label (A Florida based label that has a huge love affair with the lovely state of Wisconsin and the many talented and great musicians living in it!). Sugar Stems features members of countless great Milwaukee bands from the past decade. Seasoned pros at this point. And “Greatest Pretender” is by far my favorite Sugar Stems single to date. Probably my favorite Betsy song ever! Even beats out the insanely catchy “Beat Beat Beat” single that Bachelor put out a little while back. Like their previous output it’s still the same sound: upbeat power-pop with slight country and punk inflections…usually fronted by the powerful voice of Betsy with backups by Drew. On their debut LP for Dusty Medical the band proved they had their countrified midwestern power pop sound down to a science. This band is completely comfortable in the way they sound, and they definitely work that fact. Why fix/change/fuck with what’s not broken, right? To be bluntly honest…this is the best I’ve heard Betsy belt it out. I like the quickness in the lyrical delivery. I like the melody, and it’s a beast all its own that fills out the verse riff extremely well. This is a really tight pop package that leans on a lot of bands you already know and love…so there’s no reason you won’t love this!

Hear “Greatest Pretender” below:

Sugar Stems on Facebook
Buy the limited edition version from Certified PR Records!

Another Brooklyn trio of females wearing all black playing indie inflected garage shoegaze rock/pop? Yeup. It’s about that time for another one I guess. The first track is about the “American Sun”. Hmmm. Made me try to figure out what was different about the sun in the states than in Europe or South America. Seems to be the same sun to me. Still gets the job of lyrics done just fine since I’m writing about em here. I like the song itself enough…I just wish the production brought the vocals down in the mix and that they took more time ensuring they produced a good guitar tone. The guitar is SO muddy on this recording. Maybe that was the point (some sort of shit-fi)? Not sure. The bass is a lot more fuzzed out than most of the indie-garage girl-group brethren (sisteren?). The second track honestly reminds me more of the 90′s Riot Grrl movement shit than the current outpouring of garage-shoe-gazing-girl-groups. A nonsense guitar solo fills out the song nicely to remind you that (just like most of the current girl-group garagers) the girls aren’t too seasoned to be boring. Still I think naivety and innocence is getting a little played out for me in 2012. When are we going to hear a group of girls just throw down and prove they are better than the guys? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this 7″, the genre just doesn’t get me as excited as it once did when the Vivian Girls and the Dum Dum Girls were fresh a few years back.

Hear “American Sun” below:

American Sun on Facebook

Slow Walker is a pretty new four-piece from Milwaukee. They’ve been playing out a lot and seem to be getting on some pretty righteous bills over in Cream City (Bare Wires), so they’re obviously doing something right! They released a tape a while back called Good For Business, and I’m just getting around to doing the review of it now (Sorry about that guys!)! It’s drugged out, perpetual SF dreamin’ garage pop. The fuzz and scuzz of Jeff The Brotherhood meets Ty Segall. Not as heavy as either of those bands, and definitely more spacey/cosmic than both. They somehow dropped that sound into a puzzle that meshes well with the 80′s sincere Midwestern rock n roll of The Replacements. Maybe some power-pop influences as well (Nerves/Plimsouls). And these boys definitely dig on what the Black Lips do (as well as Thee Oh Sees most likely). A good reference point would be anything related to Matt Melton (Bare Wires on steroids) or Nobunny, I even hear some Younger Lovers in this (“Creep Down The Street”), while getting way jammier than either of those two Bay Area transplants. It’s like the best of Atlanta Garage-Trash and The Bay scene (The Psych of SF, the garage-pop of Oakland) melted together. This tape is a pretty solid grouping of 11 cuts and will serve as a great introduction to this band. The production is fuzzy but still clear and thick in many ways. It was recorded by Kind Turkey friend Josh B over at Sounds Ok! Obviously lots of verb and double tracking on the vocals. It sounds great like that. Not sure if Butterscotch Records has any more copies of this. Best bet to track one down is probably via the band themselves…

Check out a track from the tape below:

Slow Walker on Facebook
Slow Walker on Bandcamp (You can hear the whole tape here!)