Maniac Interview

(photo by Mandy-Lin)

The Gentlemen punks are back with their new LP, Dead Dance Club, and it’s available for all the bored and thirsty ears. If you’ve read this blog, you’ll realize the Maniac is no stranger to its digital pages for good reason. These CA natives/Pacific Northwest transplants have taken their brand of Briefs meets Dickies meets Weirdos into the sordid LA back alleys and made something entirely catchy and memorable. Listen up, turn on your ears and you shall not be disappointed.

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who is answering the questions?

This is Justin Maurer, guitar and vocals

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

Zache Davis - bass, vocals

Andrew Zappin - lead guitar

James Carman - drums, vocals

Justin Maurer - guitar, vocals

Give us the band’s origin story, some other bands the members have played in and currently do play in?   

Me and Zache played in bands in the Pacific Northwest in the early ‘00’s. Zache played in The Girls and Cute Lepers from Seattle. I played in Clorox Girls and Red Dons in Portland. Maniac was born in L.A. in 2012. Zache and Andrew worked in West Hollywood at a fetish shop, which is how they met one another. Ardavon Fatehi was the store manager.

Ardy played in Portland, Oregon’s Goons of Destruction and went to high school with the Exploding Hearts guys. He’s currently working on a documentary about them. Ardy was extremely busy working as a gaffer on some adult movies in the Valley, and I ended up replacing him as the rhythm guitarist.

Maniac’s original drummer Richie Cardenas played in Plastic Letters, Clorox Girls, Rough Kids, and Neighborhood Brats. James Carman from Images and LA Drugz replaced him. We’ve had this current lineup since about 2013. Fortunately, Ardavon stuck to filmmaking and DJing underground fetish parties. He’s also DJing our record release party this Saturday. Richie now works as a mechanic at the Post Office and is a rabid LAFC fan. Final note, Andrew officiated Richie's wedding as the padre, and I interpreted the ceremony in Spanish. Padre Zappin and I were a pretty damn good 1-2 punch so if anyone wants a wedding in English and Spanish, I still have the script in the trunk of my Honda Civic. Maniac is also available for weddings, bat mitzvahs, and quinceaneras.

 

(photo by Zach Mcaffree)

Describe the band’s sound in 20 words or less.

Cheap Trick and Wire meet all of our previous bands in a bar. David Lee Roth shows up with his entourage. We all have a wild night on the town spearheaded by Diamond Dave.  The night becomes a 3 day bender that is part feminist snuff film, part homoerotic fever dream set in the industrial wastelands of Los Angeles. We purgatory our torsos night after night with dreams, drugs, alcohol, cock, and endless balls. Sorry, I think that was over 20 words.

Some bands have a musical game plan when starting. For example, we want to sound like Buzzcocks meets The Jam. Did Maniac have any plan ahead of the time or did you just starting writing songs?

We all bring our own individual influences as ingredients into the Maniac kitchen and then prepare an exquisite hearty meal.

A lot of interviews, I have read have made note of the band having four songwriters. Sure, the band will never run out of song ideas, but how do you decide which writer’s songs get on the LP?

The best songs make the cut!

(photo by Kasey Elliot)

To piggyback of the last question, I think one of the secret weapons of Maniac is that the band has the three vocalists. It’s kind of like The Boys or a punk rock Beatles. On “City Lights” this multi-vocal attack works great. How do you figure who sings which songs? Or is it “I wrote it, I’ll sing lead and everyone joins in during the chorus.”

The second thing you said! Although it’s important to note that Andrew comes up with a lot of the original riffs too, and he only sings in the shower.

Why the decision to re-record some of the previously released songs like “Midnight Kino,” “Calamine” and “Precision Accuracy?”

Because after we played those songs on tour in the US, Canada, and Europe they sounded a lot tighter and tougher.

Maniac has been described as quintessentially a Los Angeles band. How do you feel about this considering LA is the adopted home of half of the members?  Before moving to California, did you have any preconceived ideas about the people or the state?  

¾ of Maniac were born in California. Andrew was born in Ohio but has lived in CA for about 20 years. I think people perceive Zache and I as being “from” the Pacific Northwest because we both lived there and started our music “careers” up there, but Zache was born in Oakland, me in LA, James in Carson. I moved to the northwest when I was 11. Moving back to LA 9 years ago was a trip, it was interesting to get a completely fresh perspective on the place as well as connect the dots on this massive sprawling map and how they related to the ghosts of my childhood.

Maniac is a friend to many labels. The band has worked with La-Ti-Da, Modern Action and No Front Teeth. At this point, do labels come to you with offers or does the band still send out new songs to labels?  How did you get together with Dirt Cult and Hovercraft?

We had to shop our stuff around. It’s real hard as most independent labels have their next 1-2 years of releases already committed. “Dead Dance Club” is a split release with Dirt Cult and Hovercraft. Our friends who play in the Portland band Piss Test had some really positive things to say about Chris at Dirt Cult and they were right. Clorox Girls and LA Drugz both worked with Tim and Mark at Hovercraft in the past, hopefully we have a winning combo! It’s fantastic to have both Chris and Tim in our court.

With a zillion digital avenues presented to musicians nowadays (Bandcamp, blogs, Spotify, YouTube, etc.) what do you feel are the best parts and worst parts of these digital avenues?

The best part is that people from around the world can hear your music. The worst part is over saturation. People don’t have much of an attention span these days and it’s very hard to get people to check out your music or get excited about your message. It's ironic because new music is easier to listen to than ever, but it's much harder to get people to take the time to listen.

There is a little trend going on with bands opting to hire a PR agency and self-release their songs through Bandcamp instead of sending songs to labels in hopes of a release. Some bands have had some success using this method, which have led to proper re-releases by labels. Maniac seems to operate in a more traditional method of label release, play live, tour. Can you talk about the reasons to stick to the more traditional method?

Hiring a PR is usually prohibitively expensive, so more power to the bands that can afford to hire one. It’s generally a solid investment, but like I said in the last question, the over saturation of underwhelming Internet bands these days is completely overwhelming. Every online music publication receives a gazillion emails per day from not only PR’s, but the bands themselves, labels, etc.. A lot of press coverage seems like it’s done as a favor, mutual back scratching. That’s how the world works!

More power to any band who has any success using any method! I think 95% of bands lose money, about 4% break even, and 1% or less actually make any money. The poverty line in the US is about $12K per year. For a band of 4 to break even and pay each member in their band a poverty line wage, they'd have to make $48K as a band per year after expenses. That is a pipe dream by far for most people. I personally lived under the poverty line as a touring musician for many years.

As far as the traditional approach: write a song, rehearse, play live locally, record in a studio, label release, then tour, We’re following in the tradition of our grandfathers. From Black Flag, Minutemen, and X touring in a Ford Econoline, to Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs touring in a hearse, to Van Halen playing backyard house parties in Pasadena. I know I’m getting long-winded here, but a band is like a political campaign, in order to get people excited about your message, you have to go to their town. Some politicians put millions of their own dollars into their campaigns and unfortunately substantially more impoverished musicians do the same. That’s why a lot of touring bands coincidentally happen to be trust fund kids. Maniac pays for our touring by working like 10 jobs between 4 guys. This band could be your life, but be glad that it’s not!

How has touring shaped the band’s view?  

This is a pretty vague question! :-) Touring is hard on the body and mind and expensive, but it’s usually fun, especially international touring! It'll knock a few years off of your life, but at least you'll have some stories to tell.

What are some of the best places/best shows the band has played?

Germany, Spain, and Canada I’d say are the highlights of Maniac’s tours so far.

(photo by Niffer Calderwood) 

When not playing music, what does the band like to do?

Eat, Drink, and be merry! Wine, women, and song! Andrew is a photographer, filmmaker and writer. Zache has studied lots of languages and is a fan of the Dodgers and Raiders. James and I both like playing pick-up basketball. A bunch of us are going to go see LAFC on Wednesday. LAFC games are a bunch of inmates running the asylum. I think it’s fair to say that we all are fascinated with women and their mysterious ways. James digs the ganja and recently has been engineering some bands in his home studio called IMG HQ AKA Carson Drift Studios. I’m a sign language interpreter, dig Latin languages, classic film, and all of the fucking amazing food you can find in LA… just watch the Jonathan Gold documentary “City Of Gold” and it will make you want to try every hole-in the wall restaurant in LA.

Where can people hear the band?

In a shitty bar, in your car, at home, on your phone, on your laptop, on Spotify, Bandcamp, on Jonesey’s Jukebox, Henry Rollins’ radio show, in a Carl’s Jr. Superbowl commercial, on endless loop in Urban Outfitters, and on your analog record player.

What’s next for Maniac?

We’re going on a west coast tour later this month, maybe an east coast tour in the fall. Probably Europe next year, hopefully Japan and Australia sometime in the near future! Also, our brand new tunes are sounding pretty bitchin’!  We’ll probably record ‘em at some point. Our demos at Carson Drift Studios sound killer so far.

Thank you very much Ed and Audio Ammunition, and thank you for reading! Be excellent to each other!

May Reviews 2018

Amyl and The Sniffers – Big Attraction/Giddy Up LP (Homeless)

Amyl and The Sniffers are the hot shit, mullet wearing, mullet cutting, garage punks from Melbourne, Australia. Big Attraction/Giddy Up is a combination of the band’s first two EP’s. Amyl and Sniffers play a rudimentary ’77 influenced punk that leans more towards the Lurkers than the Saints. According to the many written stories, the first EP was written and uploaded to Bandcamp in a four to twelve hour session after work. Big Attraction shows off the Sniffers style sound, “’70 Street Munchies,” while Giddy Up tries to grow it up, “Mandalay,” slightly. In the last two years, the band has garnered a lot of attention and 2018 should be a big year for the band.  – Ed Stuart

Archie and The Bunkers – Songs From The Lodge LP (Dirty Water)

Is organ punk a thing? In this endless sub genre world of underground music, I’m not really sure, but I’ve seen it used to describe Archie and The Bunkers. The Bunkers, actually two brothers from Ohio, are a two-piece band that only features organ and drums. Songs From The Lodge mixes ‘60’s garage, psych, and blues with Stranglers, Screamers and Cramps influences throughout. Archie and The Bunkers even cover “122 Hours of Fear” on their second release. There are parts of me that misses a guitar and bass especially on a song like “Laura”, but on other songs like “Bill’s Bad Day” the other instruments aren’t that missed at all. – Ed Stuart

Broadway Lafayette – Subway Zydeco LP (Hound Gawd)

This is a bit of a left turn for Hound Gawd. Usually, Hound Gawd deals with bands like Lovesores, No Tomorrow Boys and Born Loose. Broadway Lafayette features Mick Collins of Dirtbombs with members of Heavy Trash and Mama Resin. Subway Zydeco goes straight into the Creole heart to bring back true zydeco music back. If you’re a fan of Gogol Bordello or want to step outside punk, but not leave it’s periphery, Broadway Lafayette could be for you. The band sings in several languages and features traditional zydeco influences along with early ska/reggae as well. – Ed Stuart

The Cavemen – Nuke Earth LP (Slovenly)

No one should really be surprised that a band named The Cavemen is primitive garage. Nuke Earth, the band’s third LP, mixes 50’s rock n’ roll, Stooges, Cramps, Back From The Grave punk and ‘90’s era Rip Off Records in one raw scuzz filled bag. Most of the time the songs are fast, wild and loose with the notable exceptions being “Thug” and “Jenny.” It sounds like this record was recorded direct to cassette 4-track. The Cavemen are all about energy and rock n’ roll abandon and the boys from New Zealand capture that on Nuke Earth. – Ed Stuart

CROM/DAM – Black Nylons EP (Screen Test)

Art damaged synth punk from Victoria, Canada. CROM/DAM are a two-piece band from former Line Traps members. Black Nylons is a lo-fi homage to Screamers, Los Microwaves and Normal run through scuzz, grime and other non hi-fidelity means. The EP is three songs of unrelenting synth punk from this boy/girl duo.   – Ed Stuart

Dusk – The Pain of Loneliness 7” (Dirtnap)

While Dusk may be lead by Amos from Tenement, Dusk is not in the musical background as them. Yes, both bands hail from Appleton, Wisconsin and contain members of the expanded version of Tenement, but that is where the similarities stop. This 7-inch features the band’s mix of early Stones, honky-tonk, alt-country, blues and ‘70’s singer/songwriter influences. “Pain of Loneliness (Goes On and On) encapsulates this musical concoction from its sweet slide guitar to Badfinger vocal harmonies. The B-side “Go Easy” is steeped in the same musical stew, but showcases the more breezy side of ‘70’s singer/songwriter duties with Tyler taking over vocals instead of Amos. Dusk is part of the new Wisconsin focus of Dirtnap since the label moved from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest. Dusk has an LP coming out later this year, which hopefully will be as good as the single.  – Ed Stuart

Favorite Things Band – Coming Clean LP (Self-Release)

The Twin Cities seems to be carving out a sound all their own. Minneapolis scene musicians decided to form back in 2014 and create The Favorite Things. Coming Clean, the band’s debut, is full of later Replacements meets later Husker Du with a heaping of alt-country, Americana and bits of old R.E.M. Favorite Things have put the melody at the forefront of Coming Clean and have created songs that would have challenged for the charts in the ‘90’s indie, guitar pop world.  – Ed Stuart

Faz Waltz – Double Decker LP (Spaghetty Town)

Now, I’ve reviewed Faz Waltz a few times over the years and the band definitely has stuck to its guns. Double Decker, the band’s sixth LP, is what Faz has been doing best for the last decade. Faz has taken the sounds of ‘70’s glam and Bovver rock and brought them to the modern era. Now, one thing I’ve noticed with Double Decker is the slower songs like “Is this The Way” and “Sleepy Head” definitely have a real “Cosmic Dancer” feel. What about the rest of the LP? Faz is strutting their glam rock riffs as if punk never happened and the show Marc was never went off the air.  – Ed Stuart

  

The Fritz – S/T LP (Drunken Sailor)

Short songs for short attention spans? The Fritz hails from Indiana and feature members of The Liquids, CCTV, Pentas and Punkoid. This S/T debut is the ballpark of early ‘80’s punk hardcore played by a minimalist no frills band. It’s like Killed By Death meets parts of Circle Jerks, 7 Seconds and sped up Posh Boy punk recorded lo-fi.  – Ed Stuart

Kensington Hillbillys – Belly of The Beast LP (Boppa Do Down)

Punk meets country might be the best way to describe Kensington Hillbillys. The Hillbillys have been kicking around Toronto for fifteen years and building a following in that time. Hillbillys do like their punk as evidenced by their Clash covers LP, The Crooked Beat. Belly Of The Beast is not the wild abandon of the first Gun Club. The guitar distortion is geared to the twangy sound of country, but infused with punk spirit. “Down In the Dirt” is a good example of this. I wonder if the band switched out their Telecaster sound for a Les Paul sound what would happen?  – Ed Stuart

King Kong Blues – Make Rock N’ Roll Again LP (Le Passage)

King Kong Blues or KKB is a three-piece rock n’ roll blues driven band out of France. If you’re thinking class power trio, you will have to make a modification. KKB has two guitar players, no bass and drums. Make Rock N’ Roll is guitar driven rock heavy on big riffs and big chorus that are yelled a little more than sung. KKB sings in three languages on this LP, French, Spanish and English. The majority of the vocals is sung in French, which will make it difficult to join in the sing along or shouts unless you speak French. KKB is probably closer to a better playing White Stripes mixed with ‘70’s rock. – Ed Stuart

Knifey – Beached LP (Self-Release)

California influenced beach punk pop by way of Toronto. What? That’s right, you read that correctly. Knifey fuses early Weezer, surf leads, Pixies, ‘80’s alternative and punk-pop into one glorious package. Beached really is a surprise, mainly that’s it’s self-release and has got so much press. Your first thoughts about a band named Knifey are not melodic surf-pop, but in this case it is. The band reminds of the Chinchees a lot and eventually a label gave Chinchees a proper release. Its not like Canada is short of good bands, but here is another to add to the list. – Ed Stuart

Impotente – Demonstrative Opnamens 7” (Drunken Sailor)

Impotente is a two-piece lo-fi band from Montreal that sings in Dutch. The members have been in the Nodes and Omegas. Demonstrative Opnamens is rudimentary lo-punk that has been described by others as ugly. If you were looking for melody, I would search elsewhere. This 7-inch is a re-release of the Swollen City cassette.  – Ed Stuart

Lawrence Arms – We Are The Champions Of The World LP (Fat Wreck)

Twenty years and these Chicago mainstays are still kicking around. We Are Champions Of The World serves as introduction, compilation and testament to the band. We Are Champions pulls from all their releases, six LP’s and five EP’s, on Asian Man, Fat and Epitaph that range from 1999 - 2014. Lawrence Arms play a Midwestern pop-punk that features dual singing styles of clean and throaty/raspy. Lawrence Arms sound has always blended more traditional rugged straight-ahead pop punk “The Devil’s Taking Names,” with Jawbreaker/Get Up Kids melodic influence “Alert The Audience” to their advantage.  – Ed Stuart

Maniac – Dead Dance Club LP (Dirt Cult)

Round two for the oft-described Gentleman Punks. Now, you probably have read in the past, in the abandoned halls of this blog, that Maniac has been on many of the top year-end lists and if you listened to the band, you’ll understand why. Dead Dance Club, LP two, is a transition record, but the transition is slight at best. It’s like growing up from 21 to 27.  This time around is less “Hello, alcohol. Keg handstands are a great idea because beer is my new water” to “Sure, I can sit at the bar to order drinks with my friends and get to work tomorrow.” Maniac still has the elements of what makes them Maniac. The frantic high energy, wild abandon, Briefs/Dickies/Weirdos ’77 LA sound with group vocals is still there on “Midnight Kino” and “City Lights,” but ‘80’s influenced songs like “Modern Love” and “Neutral Libido” find a home on Dead Dance Club too.  – Ed Stuart

Neighborhood Brats – Night Shift 7” (Taken By Surprise)

The Brats are back after a hiatus, so enjoy it because it might be for a limited time. Neighborhood Brats had called it quits after their LP, but have decided to get back together to bring the world Night Shift. I don’t think there was really any danger that this wouldn’t be any good. I think the surprise may of how good this is. It reminds me more of the earlier Brats material. They seem light and carefree and less influenced by ‘80’s hardcore and more by ’77 LA punk instead. Maybe it’s a guitar switch or the attention to the melodic riffs. It sound like riffs are played on Telecaster or just more favoritism given to the treble then I remember in previous releases. Night Shift is classic Brats. Brats are notorious for delivering amazing singles that required repeated listening because the songs are so good.  – Ed Stuart

The Scaners – S/T LP (Dirty Water/Adrenalin Fix/Casbah Records/Dangerhouse Skylab/ Strychnine Recordz/Teenage Hate Records/Trokson Records)

It would be easy to dismiss Scaners as a synth punk band and leave it at that, but there is a lot more going under the hood. Yes, this a global release and a stellar effort of collaboration if you read the label list. Scaners, from France and with one n, mix Spits, Dickies, Screamers, Devo and Epoxies mayhem in a ’77-’79 blast of camp and punk with all phasers set to fun. There is a definite B-movie sci-fi aesthetic running through the LP, but it doesn’t get in the way of the songs. Scaners may “Want To Talk To Your Leader” on a “Checkpoint Planet,” but what they really want to do is have fun. – Ed Stuart

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Audio Ammunition Podcast 3

Podcast #3 features:

Battered Suitcases – Alone

Maniac – Dim Sum

The Bloodtypes – Alien Eyes

Midnight Reruns – Summer Smoker

Tight Bros. – Not What You Asked For

Makeouts – Time Will Tell

Vegas With Randolph – Salt Water Taffy

Benny The Jet Rodriguez – Aloha Mr. Hand

Headspins – My Way or The Highway

Dead Uncles – Playing Along

The Junk – Society and The Robot

Brandy Row and the Truebadours – Dirty Street

Radioactivity – World of Pleasure

Teledrome – Antenna

Average Times - Glitch

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Reviews

Jail Weddings - Meltdown: A Declaration of Unpopular Emotion LP (Neurotic Yell Records)

You’re on a serene train ride at night through the mountains and wilderness of the west.  Now imagine the train suddenly being robbed by Butch Cassidy and The Hole in The Wall Gang. That’s what I see when I listen to this album. A mixture of beautiful dark songs peppered with some dynamite explosions that at times are off in the distance and move gradually closer and even sometimes explode in your face. It does sound Nick Cave-y mixed with some Spanish Bolero type undertones which blend quite well together, adding to the mystique. Why Butch Cassidy? I don’t know I just love that movie.  – Jay Castro

When singer Gabriel Hart states, “There is a distance,” he is not kidding. The distance is in the strides Jail Weddings have taken over their previous LP, Love Is Lawless. I am a fan of the Jail Weddings previous LP, but Meltdown is a different animal. Jail Weddings, at this point, are just effortlessly mixing Shangri-La’s, Phil Spector inspired arrangements, call and response guy/girl vocals with snippets of Ziggy-era Bowie grandeur, Pogues and early Springsteen’s earnest storytelling to provide a grandiose, operatic, ambitious and exceptionally done LP. – Ed Stuart

Steve Adamyk Band – Monterrey 7” (Hosehead Records)

On Monterrey, Steve Adamyk Band is sticking to their guns and there will be no complaints from me. When your musical bullets are consistently hitting the target why bother changing what’s working. Over the last few years Steve Adamyk Band has been writing and releasing Ramones/Boys inspired power/punk/pop at an ever-prolific rate. It seems just a few months ago that Third LP was just released and now this gem of a 7”. Monterrey picks up where Third left off. Punchy, hooky, melodic guitars wound tightly under pop choruses that beg for repeated listening. – Ed Stuart

Superb melodic punk and dare I say “poppy” punk. I think this band has so much more to offer than a lot of other groups that fall into this category though. The hooks are definitely there, but not in your face. Steve Adamyk Band somehow writes hooks that are catchy enough to make you come back for more, but you don’t get sick of the songs after repeat listens. The thing I really like about this record is the production. Mixed terrifically for this type of music, not over produced which leaves a lot of punk records sounding like a bucket of sap. The record sounds tuneful, hard hitting, and raucous all at once. Yummy! -– Jay Castro

           

 Abolitionist – The Growing Disconnect LP (Hahaha cool!/Different Kitchen Records/1859/Lost Cat/Sex Sheets/Tour Van)

Another band that at times sounds like it would have fit in perfectly in the Lookout Records Can of Pork compilation. Hints of heroes from times gone by like Monsula, Jawbreaker and Fifteen, this record is far from dismissible though. The thing about punk music, especially scenes believing in the DIY philosophy like Lookout Records/924 Gilman St Project/MRR, is that it lights a fire in the soul, it inspires. It makes these younger kids want to get up and play, not just mimic their heroes. Sure your influences are going to show, that’s inevitable, but the music of Abolitionist is most definitely their own. That’s why punk will truly never lie down and die.  -– Jay Castro

On The Growing Disconnect, Abolitionist leans heavily towards an equal parts Midwest and Bay area musical influences. Underneath the social and political landscape they cover lyrically beat the heart of Dillinger Four, Jawbreaker, Avail, Fifteen and punker Lawrence Arms. There is a mid to late 90’s work ethic in these aforementioned workman style bands that exudes passion and commitment as if every chord they play is their last. Growing Disconnect is not just a throwback to that era, but also a vigilant reminder that deserves to not be swept aside. – Ed Stuart

           

 The Pelvis Douglas – The Pelvis Douglas LP – (Self-Release)

This is charismatic punk pop from France that runs along the same rails as say The Rezillos. In fact, every time I listen to this record I like it more and more. France has sprouted some pretty great punk in its day, if memory and my Bloodstains/Killed By Death records have served me right, so it’s really no surprise to me that a record like this can come out of there. For some reason the band told us that this record was not only recorded in a basement, but a flooded basement. Soggy galoshes and all, a pretty enjoyable listen! – Jay Castro

Imagine Poly Styrene singing for the Toy Dolls and you wouldn’t be too far from describing this record. Instead of Germfree Adolescents it’s a Far Out Disc. Toy Dolls were always a fun band to listen. Their brand of infectious punk/pogo/pop has influenced Pelvis Douglas on their self-titled self-release. Pelvis Douglas is no mere one-trick pony as the band adds parts from The Rezillos, The Adverts and early Art Brut to make Pelvis Douglas a fun listen. – Ed Stuart

French Girls – 7” (Self Released)

On first listen to the French Girls 7”, I was taken back to the basement rock days of Rip Off Records, Mummies, Bobbyteens and Supercharger. The production is spot on from that era and so are the songs. Lo-fi garage that’s sounds like the band recorded straight to one-track. Punk/garage/rock-n-roll that isn’t pretty, but still cool much like a dirty white Converse shoe. – Ed Stuart

Quick sonic blasts of guitar driven garage punk Rock N’ Roll seem to be the modus operandi on the debut 7” from Tempe, Arizona’s French Girls. I wish I had the ear to listen past the female voice and not compare this record to other female fronted garage punk bands. Sadly I don’t, and the first thing that comes to mind is bands from the Rip Off Records roster like Loli and The Chones, The Spastics or even The Dirty Sweets.  Not a bad comparison in my opinion, after all it was the soundtrack to my high school/college years so anything that sounds remotely like this I gravitate towards.  French Girls is not a piece of nostalgia though, its Rock N’ Roll done up right in any decade. – Jay Castro

 Stitches/Gaggers – Without You/Gag On This 7” (Rapid Pulse Records/No Front Teeth)

In the movie A Few Good Men they described people known as mirrors. For every U.S. Guard standing on the U.S. side of the border at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base there was a Cuban guard standing opposite of him on the Cuba side. That’s kind of how I viewed the Gaggers and The Stitches, as U.S./UK mirrors. So the concept of this record really blew my mind. Here are two bands that carry the banner high for ‘77 snotty, snobby, snooty what have you punk. Both bands are in top form here. Could you ask for a better record? Only if you were asking for more tracks from each band, but let’s not get greedy, it’s unbecoming of a punk.  – Jay Castro

On a recent Regular Show, there was a food truck selling a burger called The Ultameatum. This burger, which was highly desired by Mordecai and Rigby, was only offered for one day every 100 years. In some ways, this Stitches/Gaggers 7” reminds me of this because this combo of bands together on a single was a great idea, but something listeners might not see for a long time again. I can’t think of a more highly desired current single where the bands are so evenly matched. I’m sure by the time I finish typing this review the 7” will be sold out. Both bands play punk in the Pistols/Heartbreakers/’77 tradition and neither disappoint on this single. “Without You” is classic Stitches and “Gag On This” is a ripper with one hell of a memorable outro guitar riff. – Ed Stuart

 The Junk – Society & The Robot/The Patch 7” (Rapid Pulse Records/No Front Teeth)

Looks like Rapid Pulse is taking a page straight out of Hostage with this release. Biggest change for The Junk is that Riky Barners of Pushers/Naughty Monkey is now handling the vocals and he definitely makes a difference. He had a similar effect with The Pushers. He just brings The Junk to another level. Remember The Junk features ex-Smut Peddlers who can already play and know this music inside and out, but this Junk 7” with Barnes signing is electric. This is Hostage style punk Rock N’ Roll with no fillers. Well done. – Ed Stuart

Riky Barnes (of the Pushers fame) now leads this Southern California punk outfit with personality and vigor to spare, along with some members of Smut Peddlers who don’t do such a shabby job themselves! It’s a terrific blend of hard driving, super catchy Southern California punk rock that rages like a comet jetting into your ear canal. In the song “Society & The Robot,” Junk hurl the sword like William Wallace signaling the instigation of the anti-tech wars “disconnect from your mainframe and reattach to your thinking brain” well said Mr. Barnes, well said!  – Jay Castro

 Crazy Squeeze – Younger Girl/Terminal Love 7” (Rapid Pulse Records/No Front Teeth)

The Crazy Squeeze is at it again, throwing out more delicious goodies to the Rock N’ Roll starved masses like bread loaves from the back of a truck at a depression era food line. Johnny Witmer and Co. crank out two more classic Glam/Power Pop/Pub Rock/Rock N’ Roll gems. Including a track off the debut LP, “Younger Girl,” and a flawless rendition of The Boys “Terminal Love” featuring original Boys guitarist Sir Honest John Plain himself and a newly updated fallen rockers tribute interlude. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Crazy Squeeze is one of the best bands out there right now, and this record only adds evidence to that. – Jay Castro

If you didn’t listen to Crazy Squeeze’s self-titled LP, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Crazy Squeeze completely nailed in both songwriting and production the punk/glam era where Slade, The Boys, New York Dolls and Sweet blurred lines to create one hell of a good debut LP. This single is no different. “Younger Girl” was on the LP and sounds as just as good as it does on the LP. The B-side is the Boys classic “Terminal Love,” which is so faithfully redone that they even brought in John Plain to help out on guitar. In some circles, Crazy Squeeze is regarded as a super group and with releases like this I’m tempted to agree.  – Ed Stuart

 Neighborhood Brats - Total Dementia EP (Erste Theke Tontrager)

Total Dementia was pressed to coincide with the Brats European tour, but why let the Europeans have all the fun. Right now, Neighborhood Brats are on fire. Total Dementia might not have Birth Right’s production power, but it still has The Brats trademark buzzsaw, shredding guitars, mixed with Angelillo’s Avengers style vocals and kick in the face rhythm section. Brats could arguably be the heirs apparent to the early LA/Dangerhouse sound. Just when you think you have Neighborhood Brats figured out, they throw in a surprise like covering “Lust For Love” and making it sound like they wrote the song in the first place. Right now this band can do no wrong and Total Demetia is proof. – Ed Stuart

This band has a hand full of 7”’s and an LP out in the world and completely rage through all of them without any let up in volume or quality. This new EP is no exception to that.  Neighborhood Brats remind me of a lot of a band from San Francisco called The Loudmouths that was around in the mid to late 1990’s. They played a brand of blazing fast, tuneful punk Rock N’ Roll capable of laying waste to any living animal or vegetation within the blast radius of their amps. Neighborhood Brats is pretty similar and are also capable of such destruction. Ferocious female vocals, guitars in your face, and a rollercoaster thrill ride of a record.  – Jay Castro

 Dead Uncles – Stock Characters LP (86’d Records/Different Kitchen Records/Hip Kid Records/Lost Cat Records/Sad Punk Records/Shitty Present Records/Trends Die Records/You Look Like Shit Records)

Stock Characters reminds of equal parts mid-80’s DC era and early to mid-90’s Bay Area style bands; more specifically bands like Gray Matter, J Church, and Crimpshrime. Dead Uncles is full of muted guitars that can explode at any second couple with rapid fire chord progression changes would have fit right into the early Lookout Records roster. Back in those days the aforementioned bands really kept their pop and punk separated without combining them into pop-punk. Stock Characters is the first and last LP for Dead Uncles. This LP is a well-done testament to a band that is no longer around. – Ed Stuart

More 1990’s Bay area influenced blasts from this New Haven, CT band. They would have rounded out the bill well at a 924 Gilman Street show back in the day with bands like Monsula, Pinhead Gunpowder and Crimpshrine. This is some fun, fast, and catchy punk rock with growling vocals. There aren’t a lot of clunkers in here, the album keeps its quality pace pretty much from beginning to end and isn’t front or rear loaded. In fact my favorite track Playing Around lays pretty much smack dab in the middle. – Jay Castro

 Doug Mason – Boogazi/Sonic Juice 7” (Noyes Records)

All I know about Doug Mason is that he has half a dozen fantastic LP’s out and he is from the east coast. He plays hook filled, mid tempo, indie pop similar to Sebadoh, Pavement and early Flaming Lips. The songs display the heart on the sleeve, thinly masked by irony and sarcasm, a lyrical trademark of the above bands. These two songs brought to you here by Noyes Records are alright. Neither really shines out though. They are a good starting point, but to find some real gems pick up Doug’s last couple excellent LP’s Naked Wine and Gravy Nights. – Jay Castro

This is the latest release from Dartmouth legend Doug Mason who since 2006 has released six LP’s. This 2 songer opens with a semi-ode to Fugazi called “Boogazi.” The song features such lines as “Their name is Boogazi and they don’t like money,” which seems to be a jab about Fugazi’s strict $5 ticket price policy. Mason definitely has an alternative feel reminiscent of early Guided By Voices and Sebadoh with a lazy hook riff that is catchy on “Boogazi.” On the other side, “Sonic Juice” is a Cars/Devo rocker with crunchy guitars.  – Ed Stuart

Josh Berwanger – Strange Stains LP (Good Land Records)

Don’t call this LP a comeback or maybe you should. Berwanger, who most notably was in The Anniversary, had dropped out of the music scene for quite a few years only to come back stronger than ever. First, if you’re hoping this would be another Anniversary record, you would be way off course. Instead, Berwanger mixes ‘60’s pop, T. Rex, Bowie, folk, and Flamin Groovies effortlessly to make Strange Stains an excellent debut solo LP.  – Ed Stuart

These are some pretty catchy songs of irreverent folksy material from the former Anniversary front man. It’s got the intimacy of a singer/songwriter release and also reminds me of All Shook Down era Replacements stuff, which in my opinion is a criminally overlooked record in their catalog. One thing that really struck me when reading Josh’s bio is his tenacity and commitment to being a musician. His former band The Anniversary ended in a nuclear mushroom cloud of a break up and he even got a “regular” job for a while, but the dude didn’t give up. This says a lot about his spirit and love for music. This mood translates into this collection of well-crafted songs that seem to come from deep within the soul. – Jay Castro

Ketamines – So Hot! 7” (Hosehead Records)

This is one peculiar, sloppy and cynical ride with Toronto’s own Ketamines. Slow to mid tempo shots of psyche/bubblegum hybrid songs that never take it to a serious level.  According to their bio, they love Kim Fowley and there is plenty of that Sunset Boulevard avant-pop packed in here. You can tell their lack of sincerity just by looking at the cover of this EP! Not that that’s a bad thing by any means, the world already has too many pompous world crusading musicians. No soul saving of starving African children for the Ketamines. All they can offer is their hand in welcoming you onto their bizarro fun bus ride, and it’s hard not to accept that invitation.  – Jay Castro

So Hot is number three in four part 7-inch series from the Ketamines that involves four different labels releasing each seperately. Ketamines have several styles on this 7”, which range from garage, to Los Microwaves synth pop, to sparse power-pop Pink Flag Wire. My favorite track off this single is “Summer Mothers,” which is the Wire influenced pop song. – Ed Stuart

LA Drugz – Outside Place 12” EP (Hovercraft Records)

Outside Place is one hell of debut from LA Drugz. Mixing Teenage Head and LA power-pop like Plimsouls and The Beat, LA Drugz have quite a standout 6-song EP. “Marina” is a power pop gem that could have fought for a place on any Powerpearls compilation while the title track and “Ooh Ooh Ooh” have the pogo energy of a Teenage Head song. Highly recommended. – Ed Stuart

The punchy, power pop/glam hits just keep on rolling out of this part of the country with no end in sight and L.A. Drugz keeps the barrel of fun rolling on. The first song and the title track kicks the saloon bar doors wide open with unrestrained pogo energy that doesn’t let up. This is for fans of early Damned and Vibrators records. If you have any sense at all you count yourself among those ranks.  Goes well with The Crazy Squeeze!  – Jay Castro

Maniac – Dim Sum/Pepe 7”  (La-Ti-Da Records)

Described by La Ti Da records as “gentleman punks” and looking like a bunch of Mafioso contract killers in some of their promo pictures, I will go ahead and agree.   Maniac is a virtual super group of Los Angeles punk bands consisting of current and past members of bands like Cute Lepers, Images, Clorox Girls, Rough Kids and more. The music is reminiscent of The Undertones or something that could have been on Belfast’s Good Vibrations records in the late 70’s. There’s riffs-o-plenty, it’s well poised, and the energy is barely contained and bubbling over the sides like early Who records. I eagerly anticipate more!  – Jay Castro

This band has quite a musical heritage. Members have been in such bands as The Girls, Clorox Girls, The Cute Lepers, Red Dons, and LA Drugz. Maniac reminds the most of the early Vibrators/Undertones/’77 UK punk that is both irreverent and instantly catchy. Maniac has set the bar pretty high with this 2-song debut. Now all we can do is wait to see what these gentlemen punks do next. – Ed Stuart

The Thirteen – LIFT-OFF! LP  (Self-release)

This LP was released as a self-release, but finally made its way to Audio Ammunition for review just recently. Pretty solid mid-era Replacements/Husker Du style power pop Rock n’ Roll from this Philly trio. Stephen Egerton, Descendents guitar player, produced LIFT-OFF!, and as with Descendents he has placed the hooks out front to listen. Hopefully for this trio, it won’t be another five years between releases. – Ed Stuart

Loud mid-tempo Rock N’ Roll offerings from the Philly band’s second LP; following 2007’s The Secret History of the Thirteen. This album sounds rawer as compared to their debut, a good fitting production style considering the direction the band wants to go in, which according to their bio is power pop Rock N’ Roll. This came out last year, but barely found itself at the doorstep of Audio Ammunition Command Center. The Thirteen kind of remind me of The Joneses, only with a bit less of Jeff Drake’s charisma and drunken merriment. Fun, catchy bar room Rock N’ Roll that would probably sound great live.  – Jay Castro

Utter Failure – Eroding Forces LP (86’d Records/Lost Cat Records/HaHaHa Cool Records/Say-10 Records/Shit Starter Records/Smart Ass Records/Vinehell Records)

The brothers that brought you Krupted Peasant Farmers are back with there new band Utter Failure. Eroding Forces is the follow up LP to last year’s Utter Failure EP, 7”. By definition, Utter Failure is nuts and bolts melodic punk/hardcore. Eroding Forces is full of tough guitars, raspy voices and raw production to make this LP full of punch and bite. This LP showcases the band’s tough exterior, but ever so often reveals it’s melodic side with catchy hook riffs and 7-Seconds “Ooh-Ooh” style choruses. – Ed Stuart

More Lookout Records inspired music from former Krupted Peasant Farmers!  This San Jose band sounds like a more serious Love Songs for the Retarded era Queers.  Instead of singing about “Granola Heads” and “Noodle Brains,” Utter Failure throws in some more political and socially conscious lyrics. The music is fun and fast paced, the recording is a bit raw so these messages don’t seem thrown in your face, which is definitely a good thing! – Jay Castro

Guida – Let’s Do It Again LP  (Damaged Goods)

Those feisty Italians are stirring it up once more, with great results! Their first album, 2010’s Racey Roller was crammed full of Gary Glitter worship. This time around the band seems to have expanded their sound on some of the songs, ever so slightly I might add, to include other glam influences like a dollop of New York Dolls and Hollywood Brats flavored Rock N’ Roll to spice up the pot. Hooks and enjoyment run wild and plentiful.  – Jay Castro 

Yes, it’s finally here after three years! Let’s Do It Again is the follow-up to the much-heralded Racey Roller. If you haven’t been existing in the punk orbit the last few years, Racey Roller was all the rage by both fans and press and as a result, re-issued numerous times. So the ex-Taxi boys are back with more of their Slade/Sweet/early Cocksparrer/Bovver Rock influenced tunes. In some ways, this is more of what Racey Roller made so damn good. No frills, insanely catchy sing-along anthems that is somehow instantly memorable. This time around on Let’s Do It Again, Guida has the complete feel and sound of the UK glam era. Where Racey Roller still had punk traces, Let’s Do It Again is comfortable in it’s own boots or should I say roller skates. – Ed Stuart

Happy Noose – Amagosa EP (Dead End Social Club Records)

At first listen, I was briefly reminded of Christian Death’s Only Theater of Pain, due to the melancholy of the vocals and dark guitar tones, but that gave way to a more Joy Division/Bauhaus/Echo and The Bunnymen early goth influence with nods to My Bloody Valentine/Swervedriver 90’s indie drone pop. On Amogosa, Happy Noose is writing songs that are equal mix of the previous mentioned bands without ever straying to far from its roots.  – Ed Stuart

Wow, what we got here is a dark Rock N’ Roll record similar to Christian Death’s Only Theater of Pain. The record is definitely rocking, but doesn’t quite cross the punk rock threshold. Don’t get me wrong; this is totally fine. There are a few bands around now taking queues from early goth bands: TV Ghost and A Place To Bury Strangers come immediately to mind. The problem that a lot of “goth” bands have is that their front men become so pompous and vain they take the rest of the band down megalomania hell, see Andrew Eldrtich and Peter Murphy, so these great bands have a couple good releases and a parade of crapola afterwards. This is a great record, here’s hoping everyone in Happy Noose keeps their heads on straight!  – Jay Castro

Benny The Jet Rodriguez – Home Run LP (Recess Records)

San Pedro’s BTJR cranks out a highly infectious brand of catchy, punk-y, doo wop-y influenced lo-fi Rock N’ Roll similar to Brentwoods or the Donnas; when Darin Raffaelli had them Donnas under his Kim Fowley-esque hypnotic control. So that’s to say when The Donnas were actually worth listening to. Benny The Jet Rodriguez has more sweetness and melancholy than both of the above-mentioned bands though. If anyone remembers Kamala and The Karnivores, add a pinch of that band in there and you got yourself a closer match. Great record!   – Jay Castro

Highly catchy garage pop with girl vocals that seems like it would be more at home on Burger than Recess. San Pedro though, like Long Beach, is a big city that acts in some ways like a small town where everyone is connected and after catching the ear of Todd C. (Toys That Kill) at a show, he decided to supply keyboards for this LP. Home-Run is poppy without gunning for that ‘60’s girl pop sound. Think early, pre-Lookout Records, Donnas than Peach Kelli Pop. – Ed Stuart

Subsets – Ape Facin’ EP (Granado Records)

Ape Facin’ is straight ahead no frills punk rock just like how the Pagans and The Germs used to do it. Head-bopping, pogo punk from these Cincinnati guys. Subsets are not into wasting time; they just get right to the point. Pagans/Killed by Death/The Germs style songwriting propels this Ape Facin’ through four songs in less than 10 minutes. The main riff of “Make You (Do It Again)” sounds like the counterpart to the Germs “We Must Bleed.” This EP is both an homage to that era while making it all new again. – Ed Stuart

This is some solid hard hitting gruff/tuff street punk similar to some of those old GMM or Pogo Stick New Jersey bands that were making a fuss up there a while ago. The songs come at you hard right out the door with thick guitars and catchy hooks among the punk chaos being hurled at your face. Makes me want to throw a pack patch onto my jacket and break out my old Bristles and Wretched Ones records! A good quality street punk record, hope there’s more to come!  – Jay Castro

 

The Socials – The Beast Bites 7” (Centsless Records)

4-song EP of some pretty tasty late 70’s California inspired punk music rocketing out of Cincinnati, OH. When I heard this I immediately thought of Avengers, The Bags, VKTMS type bands. This fits right there nestled in all that good company, no exaggeration here folks. Vocalist/guitarist Julie Social does double duty laying on the thick, catchy riffs next to her non high pitched wailing yet burning vocal style which makes for some pretty anthemic punk music.  – Jay Castro

From what I have read, this band is a Cincinnati legend. They have existed in various forms for over 19 years, but have never had a proper release until now. The Beast Bites is full of early SF influence where bands like the Nuns, and the Avengers were mainstays of the scene. Julie Social’s vocals remind me of both the Avengers and VKTMS, but that is not solely where the band’s sound lies. Yes, The Socials have one foot in early SF sound, but on songs like “The Future Has Let Me Down” they are content to venture into art-rock territory with full abandon. In a lot of ways, The Beast Bites seems like a lost release from ’77-79 and not a debut release from today. – Ed Stuart

Radioactivity – Radioactivity LP (Dirtnap Records)

Amazing! I really could just leave this review with just that one word, amazing. To quote the bio, Radioactivity is an “all-star lineup of Texas punk and garage rock royalty, including members of The Marked Men, Mind Spiders, Bad Sports, Wax Museums, The Reds, VIDEO, and The Novice.” Radioactivity takes Ramones influence and ups the tempos just a notch with losing the bubblegum pop quality and then peppers Buzzcocks/Rezillos/power pop hooks all over the top. All the hype surrounding this release is definitely worth it, Radioactivity might be the heir apparent to the Raydios LP that came out years ago. Amazing! Yes, amazing indeed! – Ed Stuart

The hype surrounding this LP has been out of control. In a rare instance this record actually does deliver. It’s quick in tempo and highly melodic. The thing that threw me a bit is its air of cheerfulness, no doom and gloom found here. This is quite welcome; don’t get me wrong. The band is another songwriting vehicle for Jeff Burke of Marked Men/The Reds fame. The history of this band is a bit convoluted. Apparently Jeff, who once resided in Denton TX, moved to Japan and formed a band called The Novice. He then moved back to the states and Radioactivity is a continuation of his work with that band. If you are familiar with Dirtnap Records or Denton TX, you know the sound: Think The Ramones Rocket to Russia fused with your favorite Devo record. This is one of my favorite releases of the year.  – Jay Castro

Mind Spiders – Inhumanistic  (Dirtnap Records)

Mark Ryan (Marked Men, High Tension Wires) releases yet another Mind Spiders record, the third in three years! It’s a bit more “Mr. Robot-o” than the previous records.  The synth and drum machines are laid on a bit more thick than the ‘Spiders previous record Meltdown. It ranges from Screamers/Ivy Green ferocity all the way to something reminiscent of Human League or Gary Numan atmospherics. I am torn with the idea that a good band has to evolve and grow to stay relevant otherwise they become a watered down parody of themselves; I’m winking at you Bad Religion. However the Mind Spiders don’t tread any new musical territory here. Just goes to show that so long as you stay inspired, the music will continue to have fire behind it. Another winner for team Dirtnap. – Jay Castro

Mark Ryan is a very busy man. Between Marked Men, Radioactivity and Mind Spiders I’m not how sure he has the time to write all of these songs, but quality songs on top of that. Inhumanistic might be Mind Spiders most straight-ahead record of the three LP’s that the band has released. This time around Mind Spiders go for a quicker Devo sound that has both Ramones and garage influence, but Inhumanistic is not a one-trick pony. Ryan has shown he has more tricks up his sleeves with songs like “City Stuff” by adding effects to his voice; slower tempos and the use of drum machines. Very catchy LP! – Ed Stuart

Crusades – Perhaps You Deliver this Judgment with Greater Fear than I Received It LP (No Idea Records)

Lyrically this concept LP “is a meditation on the life of philosopher, heretic and antichristian martyr Giordano Bruno.” Now, I’m not sure if this LP will change your religious beliefs or not. On the other hand, musically, Crusades is a band that would appeal to both punk and metal fans much like Turbonegro, Off With Their Heads, Rise Against and newer Fucked Up does, but with some more metal influences than the previously mentioned bands. – Ed Stuart

A Wilhelm Scream – Partycrasher LP (No Idea Records)

Within a few seconds of listening to Partycrasher, I had a flashback to the days of when Fat Wreck Chords was consistently putting out releases by Strung Out, Propagandhi, Lagwagon. A Wilhelm Scream is a melodic punk/hardcore/metal band that actually started when the Strung Out Fat era was in its heyday. If you don’t think this style of punk plays well, there is a legion of kids that will vehemently disagree with you. For fans of Strike Anywhere, Pennywise and Strung Out this Partycrasher is for you. – Ed Stuart

This Massachusetts band has been around for quite a while; I remember hearing their name many times before. This has the trademark sound of what Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph built their empires on: Pennywise, Strung Out, Lag Wagon with some Face To Face sensitivity/philosophy thrown in. This is some really fast paced rock punk played by folks that sound like they can actually play their instruments! This band sounds like it would fit right in with the Vans Warped Tour type crowd.  – Jay Castro

Midnight Reruns – Midnight Reruns LP (Good Land Records)

WOW, this is a fantastic good time rockin’ record blasting out of Milwaukee, WI! It sounds like it would have fit right in there with the Twin Tone records family in the early to mid 1980’s. The music rolls around in the glory of all those great Midwest bands from that era like Soul Asylum, Replacements, and Husker Du. This is not however some cheap, standing on the shoulders of giants rip off band though. These guys play their guts out and it’s obvious their hearts are in exactly the right place, which makes listening to this record all the more blissful. The record has sweat, heart and hooks that fizz up uncontrollably like a fine frosty beverage poured into a glass too quickly. It takes more than one listed to try and slurp in all up before in hits the table. Highly recommended! - Jay Castro

Midnight Reruns does have musical odes to mid-era Replacements and Hold Steady, but more so to Weezer’s first LP and early Superchunk than others. Midnight Reruns is full of guitar pop that would fit in the mid-90’s Merge Records catalog as it does now. Midnight Reruns have been described as “aggressive slack” which I can see in the songwriting that simultaneously seems sloppy and tuneful without regard for throwing curveballs in the songs like Tonic For The Troops-era Boomtown Rats used to.  – Ed Stuart