Subculture: I Heard a Scream 12” (Puke N Vomit) This North Carolina hardcore classic gets an official reissue on Puke N Vomit Records. It’s appropriate that this reissue comes on a California label, because while Raleigh bands like COC and No Labels were indebted to the DC scene, Subculture always sounded more like a California band to me. While the reference to Green Day and Bad Religion in the label’s description is overstating the case, Subculture remind me of early west coast punk bands like Social Distortion, Channel 3, and TSOL in that there’s a lot of British punk in their sound, albeit simplified and sped up. There are a few moments (like “I Thought You Knew” and “Stomp Your Ass”) that edge toward the full-on thrash of early DRI, but Subculture did a great job of balancing energy and complexity on this LP. Revisiting this I’m also impressed with how strong the recording is, heavy and present without sounding slick. Thankfully, this reissue preserves the super cool original artwork and you even get a new insert with photos, flyers, and some liner notes. I know a lot of mediocre 80s punk has seen reissues over the past few years, but this is a great record that’s more obscure than it should be, and Puke N Vomit's reissue is well-executed and faithful.

Gonzo: Do It Better Again 12” (Anti-Fade) Second album from this Australian band, though it’s the first time I’ve heard them. With a pronounced Neu-type Krautrock groove, Gonzo reminds me of Light Up Gold-era Parquet Courts, Uranium Club, and Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s less pop-oriented songs. I love this sound—it’s propulsive, energetic, meditative, and melodic all at the same time—but you have to be a great band to pull it off. First off you need an outstanding drummer, but everyone in the band needs to be a metronomically tight but very restrained player. Gonzo, despite their name, have all of these. They also have a great vocalist and one of the best-sounding recordings I’ve heard, all of which contribute to Do It Better Again being a perfect record for a warm spring day like the one we’re having here in North Carolina right now.

Corner Boys: Waiting for 2020 12” (Drunken Sailor) After two 7”s here’s the debut album from this Vancouver punk band. Waiting for 2020 has UK 1978 written all over it. Like the Lurkers, the Users, or the Cortinas, Corner Boys attack their music with rambunctious energy and an obvious love for simple and catchy pop songs. While the vocalist is monotone and the rhymes can be leaden, the lack of professional polish only increases the record’s charm. And when they hit upon a striking melody (like the lead guitar riff in the Undertones-esque “Norman”) you root for them like they’re an underdog team. That’s not to say that Corner Boys are sloppy and amateurish, rather that there’s a human touch to their music I very much appreciate. If you loved ’77 throwback from the early 00s (particularly the Briefs) but eventually found that sound too polished, this is well worth a listen.

Negative Space: Cruelty 12” (Drunken Sailor) Second 12” from this excellent UK hardcore / post-punk band. Their brand of heavy, anarcho-fueled post-punk (or is it the other way around?) might not be what we expect from Drunken Sailor (a label like Iron Lung or La Vida Es Un Mus would seem more appropriate), but hopefully copies of this record find their way into appreciative hands. If you like Bad Breeding, Institute, and/ or Ex-Cult your hands may qualify as such, because Cruelty sounds kind of like those three bands thrown into a blender. Like Institute and Ex-Cult they’re fond of riding a groove for a long time without getting monotonous, and as with Bad Breeding they layer distorted, echo-drenched whooshing noises over their jams. It’s sort of like if Flux of Pink Indians jumped on stage at a Gang of Four gig and everyone locked into a dense and psychedelic super-jam. My only complaint about Cruelty is that it’s so short, but it’s always a good policy to leave the audience wanting more.

Ausmuteants: Present the World in Handcuffs 12” (Anti-Fade) For a while there you couldn’t walk into your local record store without tripping over a new Ausmuteants release, but the band has been quiet for the past couple of years. The World in Handcuffs breaks the silence, and I think it’ll please existing fans while also giving them something a little different. Ausmuteants is very much the same band playing the same jittery, confrontational synth-punk that gained them worldwide popularity, but this album feels a little more mature. The tempos are less manic, the songs more varied, and the big, melodic synth lines that used to be Ausmuteants’ calling card sit further back in the mix. Most interestingly, this is a concept record from a cop's perspective. The ten tracks on the album present a three-dimensional portrait, but it’s clear that the author is not a fan. Another noteworthy fact about this record is that the same music appears on both sides, albeit in a different running order and one side has skits and the other doesn’t. When I read this, I thought said skits would be long and/or annoying, but they aren’t. I prefer the side without the skits, but only because the running order seems to have a more natural ebb and flow to it. Even if you feel like you already have enough Ausmuteants records in your collection, I’d encourage you to check this out if you’re a fan, as it shows the band progressing without losing what you liked about them.

Brandy: Clown Pain 7” (Total Punk) While this is Brandy’s second 7”, this is the first time I’ve heard them and I know virtually nothing about them. Their meat and potatoes garage-punk is a good fit for Total Punk’s roster, though. While these two songs aren’t brimming with surprises, they’re built around cool riffs and vocal melodies, the playing is loose and full of swagger, and the recording has noise rock levels of density. This is the kind of record that seems to go in one ear and out the other, but then when you’re humming one of the tracks three days later you realize it’s awesome and it secures a place in your regular rotation.

Knowso: Like a Buzz 7” (Total Punk) In case you don’t know, there are three bands—Knowso, Perverts Again, and Cruelster—that share members and have a similar sound, which is one of the weird, most distinctive, and most fascinating sounds in contemporary punk. They use stiff rhythms comparable to early Devo and they share that band’s dark sense of humor, but they sound nothing like the Coneheads or other contemporary bands who rep their Devo influence. You just have to hear them to understand, and either you’ll dismiss this whole crew as total idiots or you’ll hail them as the geniuses they are and greet each new release with Christmas morning levels of excitement. I’m in the latter camp. This music is so unique, but aside from saying it’s great I can never seem to find the words to describe how cool it is. So give this a listen. If you like it, there’s more where this came from. And hopefully this crew will continue to bend our minds for a long time.

D7Y: S/T 12” (Iron Lung) Debut vinyl from this new Icelandic band featuring members of Daudyflin and ROHT. I love that in 2019 we’re all just sitting around listening to artsy Icelandic hardcore like it’s no big deal. What a world we live in! Anyway, D7Y lies somewhere in the gulf between Daudyflin’s progressive hardcore and ROHT’s bleak, aggressive noise. They’re more straightforward and hardcore than either, but D7Y’s music is still pretty out there by the standards of contemporary hardcore. My favorite track is the first one, “Martraðaveröld,” which starts with a manic, Confuse-esque pogo beat while the guitarist wails pure Albert Ayler-style nonsense over it. From there the record covers a surprising amount of ground in its short run-time, with moments edging toward Broken Bones-esque metallic hardcore, more chugging later Cimex-style parts, and plenty of straightforward bashing. Throughout D7Y seems to teeter right on the edge of chaos, making this is a gripping listen all the way through.

Diät: Positive Distintegration 12” (Iron Lung) This record has been out for a bit, but vinyl has been so scarce that we haven’t had copies in stock long enough for me to write about it. As I’m writing this, the second press has sold out from the label, so this record’s momentum shows no signs of abating. Which makes sense, because this album rules. When I first listened to Positive Disintegration I worried that it wasn’t as good as their previous record, Positive Energy, but if I remember correctly that one was a grower too. While they’re a melodic and pop-oriented band, Diät is sneaky with their hooks. They layer each song with so much rhythmic and melodic complexity it can take a few listens for your ear to make sense, but once it does each track is like a feast, with as much killer, memorable music as most bands spread across an entire album side. I could spend all day highlighting brilliant moments like the intertwining guitar lines on “Foreign Policy” or the electronic gurgling on “W.I.G.T.D.W.M?” because the album is chock full of them. I also want to point out the track “Missed the Bus,” which finds guitarist Josh Neutron sharing vocal duties. If you liked Josh’s Itchy Bugger LP that came out last year you’ll be all over “Missed the Bus.” I can’t praise this record enough. Certainly it's one of the best of 2019 so far.

Death Strike: Fuckin’ Death 12” (Me Saco Un Ojo) Re-release of this cult 80s death metal demo on London’s Me Saco Un Ojo label. Death Strike was a short-lived project featuring Paul Speckmann from Master. Death Strike’s 1985 Fuckin’ Death demo, collected on the a-side of this LP, is a crucial piece of early death metal’s history, and if you love the sound of first-generation American death metal, it should be in your collection in some form. While there’s still one foot planted in Slayer’s world of dark, heavy thrash, Death Strike inject Venom-style looseness and Celtic Frost-inspired brutality into the equation and inch American underground metal a little further toward the definitive death metal sound. The b-side of the LP is another Death Strike session recorded in 1991, and while these tracks benefit from a thicker sound and more sophisticated songwriting and arrangements, they’re still coming from the same place. Essential listening for all you metalheads.

Shit Coffins: Termination 12” (Iron Lung) Hardcore is a young person’s game, so when I saw that Shit Coffins featured members of No Statik and Talk Is Poison I wasn’t jumping out of my chair to grab it. My mistake, because this RIPS. If you’re a fan of Talk Is Poison and Deathreat, you need to grab this record because it has a very similar sound to those bands’ classic records, and it’s just as good. Those bands always felt like a reaction against the artsy and progressive direction that underground hardcore went in the 90s, getting back to the genre’s roots in pure, seething anger. While Shit Coffins’ context is different, they’re just as pissed. The recording is big and burly, and while there are a handful of mid-paced parts (side note: the drummer’s habit of using a disco beat during mid-paced parts gives them a unique, Killing Joke-type feel), you’re never a few seconds away from a full-bore assault when you’re listening to Termination. This band isn’t trying to impress you, and they aren’t trying to follow any kind of trend; they’re just embodying pure savagery.

Khiis: Bezoar 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) After an earlier 7” on Distort Reality, Oakland, California’s Khiis make the jump to the great La Vida Es Un Mus label for their debut LP. While I don’t want to make Khiis seem like a soundalike or derivative, Bezoar’s approach and execution are similar to fellow Bay Area rippers Torso. Like Torso, Khiis combine intricate, Totalitär-inspired riffing with big, pit-worthy mosh parts, wrapping the whole thing in production that’s so clear and heavy it’s almost (but not quite!) slick. They handle both the songwriting and the production with the care and precision of a master carpenter; there isn’t a note that sounds illogical or out of place, and every instrument has its own precise frequency range in the mix, rendering every sound Khiis makes clear and audible. My ear gravitates toward the moments when Khiis expands on the formula, like the haunting melodic guitar lead that closes the LP, but you could drop the needle anywhere on this record and find the band ripping it up. If you’re a fan of airtight, meticulously constructed hardcore records like Torso’s Sono Pronta a Morire or Blood Pressure’s first LP you’ll love this.

Jackal: S/ T 7” (Painkiller) After an earlier demo (which we still have in stock as I’m writing this), Florida’s Jackal deliver their debut vinyl on Painkiller, and it is a total rager. It’s fitting that Jackal share their name with YDI’s frontman, because this 7” has a similar quality to the blind rage-out that is that band’s legendary A Place in the Sun EP. The recording is super raw (with audible tape his between the tracks), but somehow this doesn’t dilute the band’s power. The drums are full of that analog crunch, which accentuates how Jackal can move from a Negative Approach-style ripping part to a punky riff that reminds me of the first 86 Mentality EP to a blistering, hyper-speed convulsion a la Straight Ahead. The record doesn’t have an ounce of fat and it’s over before you know it. Highly recommended if you ride for the early 80s USHC sound.

EEL / Radioactive: Guilt by Association 7” (Doomed to Extinction) EEL’s Night Parade of 100 Demons LP was one of my favorite records of 2017, taking the classic Kyushu noise-punk sound to new, more psychedelic places, so I was very excited to hear new material from them. Their three tracks here do not disappoint! The formula is largely the same. EEL would be a great hardcore band with just drums, bass, and vocals, but when they add in their element of harsh noise over that rock-solid foundation it shoots them into the stratosphere. Japan’s Radioactive aren’t as texturally rich, but they’re great too. While they have the classic Disorder-style dentist drill guitar, they also seem to take a lot from classic Japanese hardcore, dirtying up the sound of early Paintbox or DSB with harsh noise-punk elements.

UK Subs: Live in Ljubljana 12” (Rest in Punk) Rest in Punk Records typically reissues killer, vintage Yugoslavian punk, but they break that pattern to re-release this ripping 1986 UK Subs live set from Ljubljana, Slovenia. I don’t think the Subs get enough love from modern punkers, and while I wouldn’t suggest starting with this record (instead, I’d recommend their second album, Brand New Age or their 5th, Endangered Species), it’s a fun one for fans. It sounds like an audience recording as you can hear some chatter from the punters between tracks, but it’s clear and you can hear everything pretty well, including the drums. The band is in fine form, plowing through an energetic set heavy on hits like “Warhead,” “I Live in a Car,” “Stranglehold,” and “Teenage.” If you see no value in live recordings you can move along, but if you like good-sounding audience recordings of rip-roaring, vintage punk gigs, this is a keeper.

Social Distortion: Poshboy’s Little Monsters 12” (Radiation) So, this one bears some explanation. Social Distortion’s first single, 1981’s “Mainliner,” was originally meant to be a 4-song 12” EP. Posh Boy Records got as far as making a handful of test pressings for the 12” release, but scrapped those plans and pared it down to the two-song single that lovers of early 80s SoCal punk know and love. Besides the four tracks that would have been on the 12”, the band also recorded two others. Time Bomb Records compiled all six tracks on 1995’s Mainliner (Wreckage from the Past) LP, which also included the songs from the session whose songs ended up on the band’s second and third singles on 13th Story Records. So, this is basically an abridged version of the Mainliner collection, but that record is long out of print and difficult to find. It’s too bad they couldn't include the later session here, but these six songs are great, and there’s something to be said for presenting them as their own coherent release rather than part of a compilation. If you haven’t heard this early Social Distortion stuff, ignore the flaming dice vibes of their later material and give this a try. Then you’ll need everything up to and including their first LP, Mommy’s Little Monster. 

Svaveldioxid: Dödsögonblick 12” (Konton Crasher) Second full-length from this bruising Swedish hardcore punk band. If you like Swedish crust from the 80s (early Totalitär, Anti-Cimex, Crude SS, etc.) right on through to the 90s (Skitsystem, Wolfpack, etc.) Svaveldioxid are the band for you. With bruising beats, straightforward Cimex / Totalitär-style riffs, and crunchy, metallic production, they are the best of both worlds. Dödsögonblick is a perfectly executed LP of classic Swedish kängpunk, with slight shifts in tempo and complexity to keep you bobbing your head the whole way through. Svaveldioxid are far from reinventing the wheel, but even if it rates low on the originality scale, this is still a crusher.

Haram: Where Were You on 9/11? 7” (Toxic State) Latest 7” from this much talked-about New York band. Haram are a very important band for a lot of reasons. Their singer’s perspective as an Arab is one that has been underrepresented in punk and punk-influenced music, and they’re willing to bring that perspective to bear on controversial, even taboo, topics like 9/11. The lyrics to the EPs title track are great, articulating how that event affected the singer as a child attending a Christian school outside New York. Haram’s words are worth pondering, but I wouldn’t give their strength as musicians short shrift. They’ve been a powerful band since they started, but they grow more adventurous with each release. Moments like when the title track winds down to a steady drum pulse and some abstract guitar noodles, or the swirling guitar lead that starts “Bomb in the Sky” are as great as anything on the many great records that Toxic State has released over the years. Haram is, without a doubt, one of the most important bands of this generation of punk, and if you aren’t following them closely, you’re doing it wrong.

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.

Enzyme: Howling Mind 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) After a handful of EPs here the debut 12” from this Australian band, and it’s quite the face ripper. With a sound that combines the best elements of burly and crusty hardcore and Disorder-inspired noise punk, Howling Mind can get a circle pit going while the aesthetes in the back of the room stroke their chins and nod at the psychedelic guitar playing. The closest comparison for Enzyme’s sound is Lebenden Toten, but on this record they seem even less indebted than LT to the classic Kyushu noise-punk sound. Rather than bubbly and melodic, the rhythm section is both agile and crushing, recalling Gauze with its power and precision. However, rather than the guitarist reinforcing those rhythms, they careen into the cosmos, doing their own thing without obscuring the rock-solid foundation. If you’re into bands like Pig DNA or Lebenden Toten’s more recent material I recommend checking this out.

Polo Pepo: San Felipe Es Punk 7” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Re-release of this Mexican punk obscurity. While the original came out in 1988, it sounds more like a product of the 70s. There’s no trace of hardcore here, with its Pistols-influenced snot bringing to mind the meanest and nastiest of first-wave European punk from the 70s. Johnny Thunders riffs, snarled vocals, loose playing… you get the picture. While the music will interest any KBD collector, the packaging is also lovely, particularly the 12-page booklet devoted largely to an interview with Polo Pepo himself (while the printed insert is in Spanish, there’s a link to an online English translation). A cool obscurity more than deserving of this lovingly executed reissue.

Vermis Sum: S/T 7” flexi (Fear of War) Debut flexi from this new hardcore band out of Southern California. Recorded analog and released on a (great-sounding) flexi, Vermis Sum have the warm, compressed sound I always love to hear coming out of my stereo. Even better, they sound like the 80s Japanese punk I love. I hear shades of mid-period Execute, early Gauze, and Masturbation, but it’s hard to tell whether those are actual influences or not because Vermis Sum doesn’t engage in the obvious hat-tipping you see with a lot of retro hardcore bands. While all three tracks are cool, “Perverted Prisoner” is my favorite with its memorable (and, again, very Japanese-sounding) guitar solo. Cool stuff, and limited to 250 copies so don’t expect it to hang around forever.

Mau Maus: Society’s Rejects 12” (Sealed) Sealed Records is a new label dedicated to well-executed official reissues of punk classics, and after kicking things off with Omega Tribe and Zounds they keep things top-notch for this third release, a small vinyl discography from Mau Maus. Before checking this out I was familiar with Mau Maus first EP, Society’s Rejects. According to the (informative and awesome) insert, Mau Maus took inspiration from US hardcore bands like the Dils and the Middle Class, and when you combine this with inevitable influence from their contemporary British punk scene, you get some of the hardest-hitting, most hardcore-sounding vintage UK82 punk, of a piece with standouts like Ultra Violent and the Partisans. I can’t recall hearing the Mau Maus singles after Society’s Rejects, but in this context I like them even better than the first one. While Society’s Rejects isn’t all that primitive, with each successive record the playing gets tighter and the production gets stronger. By the third and fourth EPs they also move past the more basic riffing of their earlier stuff, incorporating some UK Subs influence without dialing back the intensity. Like the Zounds singles discography Sealed released a few months back, this also functions well as a full-length album without the choppiness that can plague compilation releases.

Gai: Rock N Roll History Fuck Off 12” (Gai Best Punk Band Records) Unofficial collection bringing together a bunch of hard to find material from one of the best bands ever to do it, Japan’s Gai. Rock N Roll History Fuck Off combines the Extermination EP, the Damaging Noise cassette and a bunch of compilation tracks. In case you aren’t familiar with their history, Gai started off as one of the harshest, nasties, and noisiest hardcore bands in the history of punk (a title they shared with Confuse, who came from the same city), but they added more melodic influences (from bands like the Toy Dolls and the Adicts), changing their name to Swankys after they decided to pursue that style exclusively. On this LP, Damaging Noise and Extermination (the latter of which is the band’s best stuff IMO) lean toward the more hardcore sound, while the tracks from the Pinch and Ouch! compilation have a cleaner recording and more of the bubbly bass riffs I associate with the Swankys. The sound on this LP is top notch, so if you need some Gai vinyl on your shelf this release is a great place to start without breaking the bank.

Honkas: Das Lied für Fritz 7” (Static Age) Reissue of this 1982 German obscurity with great sound and full reproduction of the original fold-out cover. While by 1982 the US had switched over to hardcore, this five-song EP from Honkas reminds me more of tough, first-generation European punk like the Rude Kids or PF Commando, though fans of better-known bands like the Dead Boys will also see where Honkas is coming from. The mix is odd and uneven (which, for me, adds to the charm of this era and style of punk), giving this the outsider quality I associate with the best KBD punk. They even speed things up for “Kunst,” which has a proto-hardcore sound a la Teen Idles or even Upright Citizens. A deep cut for sure, but if you love ripping, obscure punk this is well worth your time.

Harnröhrer: S/T 7” (Static Age) This record looks like it could have come from Copenhagen in the early 00s, but it’s a reissue from 1982 Germany. Like the Honkas EP that Static Age has also reissued, Harnröhrer play tough and grimy punk that sounds like it’s crawled out of the gutter just to knife you. Whereas the Honkas EP is left-of-center, Harnröhrer is all power with big, clear production and a beefy sound that leaps out of your speakers. The sound is still mid-paced, tough punk, but the chord progressions are dark and there’s simple but haunting lead guitar that reminds me of gloomy 80s California punk like Agent Orange or early Social Distortion. That I’m still discovering things this good after listening to punk for 25 years is a signal that the well may just never run dry.

Disguise: Bas Fada 7” (Static Shock) Latest release from this Dublin d-beat band. If I had to guess, I’d say Framtid is Disguise’s biggest inspiration. Like Framtid, Disguise’s d-beat is fast but not too fast, finding a careful balance between the feedback and cymbal wash that tickles your ears and the pounding rhythms that make your heart beat fast. Interestingly, the drums and vocals sit back in the mix, the music draped in a shroud of fuzz and distortion. At times Bad Fada reminds me more of power electronics than hardcore in how it allows you to submerge your ears in a bath of distortion. You probably have a good idea already whether this record is for you, and you’re almost certainly correct.

Rolex: L cassette (self-released) Latest cassette release from this California band, and it’s a total ripper… the only caveat is that you have to shell out cash and reserve space in your cassette rack for only three minutes of music. The first track, “Turn Your Money Green,” is a wild ride, a fast hardcore song with an odd (but catchy!) drumbeat that makes you feel like you’re drunkenly falling down a flight of stairs. The second track, “Stripes,” backs off the gas just a little and reminds me of one of the classic Career Suicide songs. A total killer even if the cassingle format is a little annoying.

Fatamorgana: Terra Alta 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Debut vinyl from this Barcelona synth-pop duo composed of Louis from Good Throb / No / Shitty Limits / a million other bands and Patrycja from Barcelona. While both members come from a punk background, you won't find any of that here… this is full-on synth-pop played entirely on synths and drum machines (well, except for the vocals). When music like this is poorly executed it can sound cold, synthetic, and/or flat, but Fatamorgana have none of those problems. The sound is lush and layered, with snappy drums and deep bass. The overall vibe reminds me of a more human, organic-sounding version of early Human League with a dash of Boy Harsher’s noir-tinged futurism, while the songs themselves get buried in your head just as a good pop song should. If you dabble in both punk rock and synth-pop, I can’t recommend this enough.

The Snakes: S/T 12” (Anti-Fade) Debut vinyl from this Australian punk band. While some bands I’ve been hearing from Australia lately have been de-punking their image and sound, this isn’t true of the Snakes. They look like complete mutants on the back cover and the music is suitably aggressive and in your face while still keeping the catchiness that makes us pay attention when labels like Anti-Fade and Aarght! put out something new. They catchy keyboard lines are straight out of circa ’79 Fall, but the music is a little more rock n roll, a little more street, and less intellectual. At their most menacing the Snakes can recall the Screamers, but there’s also something undeniably Australia circa now about it. If you crave a little more grit with your contemporary Australian post-punk, I suspect this will do you nicely.