Maze: S/T 12” (Lumpy) Debut 12” from this Japanese band. While most Lumpy releases have me breaking out adjectives like “raging,” “raw,” and “weird,” Maze pushes me to reach for words like “haunting,” “evocative,” and “twee.” Is Lumpy growing up? Well, not really… Maze is still primitive and punk-y, but in an early Rough Trade Records kind of way. While the whole record is upbeat and snappy, there’s a woozy, dreamy quality that seems very English (even though the band is Japanese). Whether it’s the early Mekons-esque pop tune “Eight Channels,” the punkier “You Can’t Win,” or the early Joy Division / Warsaw-esque closer “The Cobwebs,” Maze always sounds like they’re not in a hurry to get anywhere. It’s a vibe I don’t hear much from contemporary punk-influenced music, but it’s just as just as interesting and addictive as the bands I mentioned above.

Attack SS: Welcome to Deathdust Island 12” (Distort Reality) Discography-to-date from this Japanese noise-punk band. Calling Attack SS a noise-punk or crasher crust band seems like a disservice because, particularly on the 2012 and 2013 releases collected on the a-side of this LP, they are a shit-hot band that has as much power and flexibility as any legendary Japanese hardcore band. They’ve always ripped, but the a-side tracks (which come from the No Nukes EP and the split with Attack SS, which they must have recorded at the same session) have a clear and powerful sound that highlights the great playing. The drums are big and clear and the bass is thick and burly, the two instruments leaping and lunging in unison a la later-era Gauze, while the guitar is a Kyushu-style wash of white noise. The singer also has an interesting style; I like how on the track “Warning” he yells “AAAAAH!,” a bunch of times, not like a typical punk or hardcore band, but like he’s just been surprised by a big cockroach running across the floor. I know there are a million d-beat bands out there and everyone’s attention span is different, but this is worthy stuff.

Protruders: Poison Future 12” (Feel It) Debut vinyl from this Montreal band on the always-reliable Feel It Records. The Protruders’ music, to me at least, sounds like the members have spent a lot of time with the music of the 1970s, whether you’re talking about the primitive art-punk of Electric Eels and Pere Ubu, the psychedelic explorations of Amon Düül II or Hawkwind, or the driving proto-punk of Rocket from the Tomb or the Saints. (Note I’ve stolen most of these references from the label’s description, which is spot-on). I love that they can write a song like “Fruit Hang,” which could have been the a-side to a great 70s punk single on a label like Raw or Chiswick, but they’re so much more than just a pop band. The dense, intertwining chords of the title track are about as Pere Ubu-esque as I’ve heard a band from the 2010s get, and the lazy groove and dense chords on “No Stone” are great too. I don’t love the heavy distortion on the vocals (even if it makes them sound even more like the Electric Eels than they would have otherwise), but that’s a minor quibble. If you're modern punker with a soft spot for the more out-there sounds of the 70s check this out.

Cutie: S / T 7” (Perfect Music Recording Corporation) Debut 7” from this punk band out of New York. With 11 tracks you might think this will be ripping hardcore, but that’s only part of the story. In fact, I’m surprised the band looks so young on the back cover because it sounds like some beamed this record straight from the 90s. While the songs are uniformly short, confrontational, and aggressive, stylistically Cutie blends 90s noise rock with 90s garage like the New Bomb Turks. They’re also catchy, which means they resemble Bleach-era Nirvana at points. This 7” has a lot of music, but the songs come at you machine gun-style like the a-side of Pink Flag, which is a winning recipe in my book.

Crisis Man: The Myth of Moderation 7” (Digital Regress) Second release (and the first on vinyl) from this California punk band. With a fast and punky sound, Crisis Man remind me of bands like Formaldehyde Junkies and Career Suicide that toe the line between amped-up garage-punk and 80s-style hardcore. When they lean a little more toward the garage end of things they can sound like the Dwarves at their most furious, while the more USHC tracks have an Amde Petersen’s Arme energy. I know this description is just a flurry of band comparisons, but what I mean to say is that this is hardcore punk and you’ll like it.