punk – Page 2 – Upstarter

Social Distortion Announces Co-Headline Tour With Bad Religion

Today, Southern California punk legends Social Distortion announce an epic co-headlining tour across the US with fellow Epitaph label mates Bad Religion that kicks off in Bakersfield, California on April 9th 2024. With additional support from The Lovebombs, the two iconic bands will join forces to bring their signature sounds and beloved catalogs to stages across the continent, showcasing their enduring legacy and influence on the punk rock movement.

Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness comments, “It gives me great pleasure to announce that in April we will be going on a nationwide co- headlining tour with our friends in Bad Religion. Yes, we are back in action and can’t wait for this tour!! We did this with them in Australia in 2022 and the shows were amazing!”

He continues, “We have also decided in celebration of the 40-year anniversary and re-release of ‘Mommy’s Little Monster’ that we will be playing the album in its entirety. This should be a very special tour and we are all looking forward to it.”

“Bad Religion and Social Distortion first played together in 1980,” Bad Religion singer Greg Graffin adds. “Though we evolved in different directions, we both carried the torch of Southern California punk all along the way. Now we’re so excited to be on the same stage again.”

Formed as rebellious teenage punks in the working-class suburb of Fullerton, California, Social Distortion survived their tumultuous youth to pioneer an undeniably honest and fiery brand of rock ‘n’ roll that would incorporate outlaw country, classic seventies punk and primal blues. Seven studio albums and countless electrifying live shows have earned the band a dedicated worldwide fanbase and catalog of timeless anthems including “Story Of My Life,” ”Ball And Chain,” “Prison Bound” and more. The band’s last release, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes entered the Billboard 200 at #4 and in 2019 they celebrated 40 years as a band. 

Social Distortion also share rescheduled dates for their previously postponed tour with follow SoCal rockers, The Bellrays. Ness enthuses, “I am also happy to announce the tour with “The Bellrays” from last summer will now be happening in September & October 2024. I’d like thank the fans who bought tickets for their patience while we worked on the rescheduled dates. Words can’t describe how happy I am to be back onstage doing what I love. See you all soon.”

Artist Pre-sale tickets are live today at 12 noon local time with codes: BALLANDCHAIN or SUFFER

The general on-sale will be December 15th, 10 AM local time.

All tickets will be available HERE

SOCIAL DISTORTION TOUR DATES

W/ Bad Religion

April 9 – Bakersfield, CA – Mechanics Bank Theater

April 10 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl

April 11 – San Diego, CA – PETCO Park

April 13 – Las Vegas, NV – Virgin Hotels Las Vegas – The Theater

April 14 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Amphitheater

April 16 – Lubbock, TX – Lonestar Amphitheater

April 18 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

April 19 – San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port

April 20 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Greenway

April 22 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center

April 23 – New Orleans, LA – The Filmore Harrah’s New Orleans

April 26 – St. Augustine, FL – The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre

April 27 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live

April 28 – Clearwater, FL – Coachman Park – The Sound

April 30 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre

May 1 – North Charleston, SC – Firefly Distillery Lawn

May 3 – Oxon Hill, MD – The Theater at MGM National Harbor

May 4 – New York, NY – Pier 17 The Rooftop

May 5 – Philadelphia, PA – The Filmore Philadelphia

May 7 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway

May 10 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE

May 11 – Detroit, MI – The Masonic Temple Theatre

May 12 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center

May 14 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/Eagles Club – Eagles Ballroom

May 15 – West Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom

May 17 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater

May 18 – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed – Indoors

May 19 – Columbus, OH – Historic Crew Stadium

w/ The Bellrays

Sept. 13 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox

Sept. 14 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox

Sept. 15 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox

Sept. 18 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom

Sept. 19 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom

Sept. 21 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall

Sept. 22 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall

Sept. 23 – Calgary, AB – Macewan Hall

Sept. 25 – Winnipeg, MB – Buron Cummings Theatre

Oct. 1 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom

Oct. 2 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom

Oct. 4 – Guelph, ON – Guelph Concert Theatre

Oct. 5 – Toronto, ON – History

Oct. 6 – Montreal, QC – M Telus

Oct. 8 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall

Oct. 9 – Hampton Beach, NH – Casino Ballroom

Oct. 11 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount

Oct. 12 – Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theater

Oct. 13 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom

Oct. 15 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva

Oct. 16 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte

Oct. 17 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz

Oct. 19 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall

Oct. 20 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom

Oct. 22 – Albuquerque, NM – Rio Rancho Event Center

Oct. 23 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre

For More Info On Social Distortion Visit:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

MEAN JEANS ANNOUNCE NEW FULL-LENGTH, BLASTED

IN STORES AND ONLINE VIA FAT WRECK CHORDS ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9th, WITH PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW

“I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ANYMORE” NOW STREAMING ON ALL PLATFORMS

AUSTRALIAN DATES ANNOUNCED WITH THE CHATS

Photo credit: Jacob McCann

(November 29, 2023 – San Francisco) Today, we get to share some truly radical news! There’s a brand new Mean Jeans jam, and it’s oozing with all the pop punk slime you can handle. “I Don’t Give a Shit Anymore,” is streaming wherever you hang out digitally. This track serves as a sneak peek of their upcoming album, BLASTED, which hits the streets on February 9th! Plus, you can pre-order it now, and grab a color variant or this sweet MJ headband. 2024 is shaping up to be an epic year with a new album, an Aussie tour on the books, and more dates in the pipeline. The Mean Jeans party bus is going full throttle! Check out what Billy Jeans had to say below:

Getting back on tour post-pandemic and doing 9 weeks with The Chats in the US and Australia reignited our appetite for shredding. We got home, wrote a new album, and recorded it by ourselves in Portland over 5 days. Blasted’s got more fast + wild loser anthems, a couple tearjerkers, more Houndy singing, and I finally figured out how to do a guitar solo. We’re kicking the year off with another Australian tour, this time a punk cavalcade of 6 bands.

From the moment they started 15 years ago, Mean Jeans have been creating their own slime punk fantasy world. Study their six previous album covers and you’ll find junkyards full of bongs and yo-yos, macaroni galaxies, Jägermeister spaceships, alien saxophonists and pink slugs in bondage dripping ooze. On their newest full-length album Blasted, the goofball trio have clearly been through wild years and seen some shit—on the cover, the three members peer out of toxic waste bins, no longer cartoons of themselves but instead incredulous country-fried maniacs who are still following a slime punk dream, and dealing with where it’s led them.

Which isn’t to say the Jeans are jaded. In fact, the band—Billy Jeans, Houndy and Junior Jeans—seem to be having as much fun as ever on this record, ripping through these 15 rapid fire ear worms without coming up for air. They seem equally focused on tight catchy songwriting and packing in Easter eggs and absurd lyrical references, including (but certainly not limited to) Tim Armstrong’s X-Filescameo, Mike Schank’s PCP overdose story in American Movie, multiple songs with lyrics about their space-obsessed kindred pop-punker Tom DeLonge, a chorus borrowed from Seal, and a not-very-legal piano collage of well-known pop-punk melodies.

Anyway, this record is a frantic and frenetic joyride, though probably one made in Rick from Rick And Morty’s Space Cruiser and through time and space, rather than any form of road-based vehicle here on Earth. But that energy was probably enhanced by the fact the band recorded Blasted all by themselves here on this planet. Well, at The Trash Treasury in Portland, OR, at any rate—the city where the band first got together and which is one of the least Earth-like cities on, well, Earth. At their own behest, the trio were left entirely to their own devices, putting themselves through their own physical paces by trying to be in two places—the control room and the recording room—at once. One of Rick’s portal guns might have helped make it easier, but who needs a producer or engineer? It’s just another cook waiting to spoil that delicious, fluorescent green, slime punk broth.

“Studio time is just more fun when no one’s in charge,” says Billy Jeans. “To some extent, I know what I’m doing, and to some extent the other dudes know what they’re doing, but none of us are pro at all. Like, Junior would have to run over to the control room, hit the record button and then run back, all while holding the bass, and then we’d play. It’s idiotic, but when it’s just the three of us fucking around, the vibe is there.”

You can hear that all throughout Blasted. It’s a weird, wonderful and wacky album, but also not without its occasional serious moments. Mean Jeans are—still, after all these years—a band that love to party, and that’s what they continue to do on these songs. Every once in a while, though, you might catch a little regret about doing so, if not a full-on hangover. Opener “I Don’t Give A Shit Anymore” might sound like a statement of nihilistic intent, but it’s more what Billy calls an “underthinkers anthem”, a direct response to him overthinking everything all the time, while “Look What Punk’s Done To You”, “Took Too Much” and “I Don’t Know What I Did Last Summer” all address the comedown of life lived in the fast lane. But then there’s also “Something’s Going On”, which is the best (and possibly only) song that’s ever been written about the cult 1986 comedy horror b-movie Class Of Nuke ’Em High.

At the same time, the album also serves as a kind of meditation on pop-punk, about what it means to be a punk band as opposed to a band playing music in the style of punk. Can you be both? Does it even matter? Maybe. Maybe not. What matters is that, with Blasted, Mean Jeans have made a record that defines what they are and what they’re not at the same time. Most importantly, it was fun for them to make, and it’s an absolute joy to listen to. For Billy, that’s always the aim.

“We’re a band in it for the good times,” he says. I’ve always thought if we’re not having fun, then it isn’t Mean Jeans. Which isn’t a recipe for success in the music biz, but I could bitch about that all day if you want. What’s the difference between being a bitch and being punk?” He doesn’t answer his own question, but it might be found somewhere in these songs.

Mean Jeans Tour Dates – Tickets Available Here.

9 Feb 2024 in Maroochydore, QLD, Australia @ The Solbar
10 Feb 2024 in Brisbane, QLD, Australia @ The Tivoli
13 Feb 2024 in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia @ The Northern
14 Feb 2024 in Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia @ The Hoey Moey
15 Feb 2024 in Newcastle, NSW, Australia @ King Street Band Room
16 Feb 2024 in Gosford, NSW, Australia @ Drifters Wharf
17 Feb 2024 in Sydney, AU @ Metro Theatre
20 Feb 2024 in Castlemaine, VIC, Australia @ Theatre Royal
22 Feb 2024 in Frankston, VIC, Australia @ Pelly Bar – Pier Hotel
23 Feb 2024 in Melbourne, AU @ Northcote Theatre

BLASTED track-listing

1. I Don’t Give a Shit Anymore
2. Let’s Go
3. Diagnosis
4. Lost My Mind
5. Blasted to the Moon
6. Something’s Going On
7. Reggie
8. Taco Bell Parking Lot
9. Look What Punk’s Done to You
10. Slugs
11. Break up With You
12. Took Too Much
13. I Don’t Know What I Did Last Summer
14. Living Large on a Credit Card
15. Pop Punk Casualty

Barefoot Engineering – Left to Wander

I liked “Left to Wander“, the first full length by Barefoot Engineering, almost immediately after putting it on. Sometimes you can tell right away whether something is your kind of music. After reading their bio, which describes the band as a trio of childhood friends-turned-40-year-old-dads from a large Midwestern city, who are influenced by Seaweed, Knapsack, and Jawbox, I knew I was in for a real treat. If I had to honestly describe what type of band would most likely appeal to me, it would probably be something very close to that.

The core of this band has been playing music together in various iterations around Indianapolis for almost 25 years. A couple of those bands include The Brokenhearted, and Project Bottlecap, the latter of which also included the original guitar player for The Ataris. With some breaks in there while people started families, this current lineup put out their first EP under the Barefoot Engineering moniker in 2017, and recorded this full length in 2021, the physical release of which was put out on Radio Cake Records earlier this year.

Although they definitely have their own thing cooking, there is an instant nostalgic familiarity to this band that’s super appealing to me (also a Midwestern born dad in his 40s who likes Seaweed, Knapsack, and Jawbox). “Left to Wander” sounds like something I’d mail cash in an envelope to Doghouse Records in 1998 for. I don’t really know enough about actual “music” or “words” to properly describe this style of music without resorting to comparing them to other bands with whom they share similarities, so let’s just do that for a minute. We already mentioned Knapsack, Jawbox, and Seaweed, all of which are reasonable comparisons. Sort of a cross between the last Jawbox record and Knapsack, but with the bounce of Seaweed. 90s guitar heavy Midwestern emo like Braid and “Purity and Control” era Giants Chair weigh in as well.

The vocals are clean, and have a nice range, being able to emote aggression without screaming (an underrated strength, imo). It’s vocally reminiscent of Rob from Bum/The Suitesixteen in tone, but laid over something like Silent Majority. I listen to this music and picture myself at their show, surrounded by bobbing heads in rolled up beanies with poorly dyed black hair curling out of the bottom. It smells like cigarettes and I’m 20 years old, it’s glorious.

No stinkers on this one, but my favorites so far are “Out of the Darkness”, “Book of Faces”, “Meaning”, and the excellent closer “Dancing in the Stairwell”. I love that there are still old friends out there making music like this. It’s very well done, and highly recommended.

–Zack Akenson

MDC Tour Dates

November and December 2023 Tour Dates!

From MDC:

Hey there, MDC fans!

We’re thrilled to announce some exciting updates and events coming your way from your favorite hardcore punk band, Millions of Dead Cops! First off, we’ve got some explosive tour dates on the horizon, with shows in the wild heartlands of Oregon and the lone star state of Texas. This is your chance to catch us live and in action, so don’t miss out! Tickets are already available for pre-sale at selected venues, so be sure to grab yours while they last.

But that’s not all, folks! Mark your calendars for a night of sonic rebellion as we celebrate the release of our brand-new album, “War Is A Racket.” Join us on November 11th at the Twilight Cafe and Bar in Portland for a record release party you won’t forget. Expect high-energy music, electrifying performances, and a taste of the raw, unapologetic MDC sound. It’s going to be an unforgettable night!

And finally, looking ahead to 2024, we’re hard at work putting together our tour calendar for next year. We can’t wait to bring our blistering live shows to even more cities and fans. Stay tuned for updates on when and where we’ll be hitting the stage in 2024 – your city might be next! Keep the punk spirit alive, and we’ll see you at our upcoming shows and the “War Is A Racket” release party. Get ready to rock out with MDC!

Stay fierce,Millions of Dead Cops

Sgt. Scag – Everest (Official Video)

On Friday, September 8, Sgt Scag released the single “Everest” off of At Least More than Half-Way Dead. The music video was directed by Mike DeMatteo of Sgt. Scag. About the “Everest” music video, vocalist Steve Lonergan says, “‘Everest’ is a song for all the people who ever had to attend a company kick off meeting or industry conference. Tony Robbins, Gary Vee, Snake oil salesmen, organized religions that pass a hat. All bad. All predatory. All nonsense. Plus, ain’t New Haven pretty from up there?”

The Pretty Flowers – A Company Sleeve

I’m going to preface this review by outing myself as a massive fan of this band prior to even hearing this release. Ever since the reliable Tim PopKid turned me onto their debut record “Why Trains Crash” in 2018, I’ve had them on pretty regular rotation. It seems surprising to me that it’s been five years since their last full length because I still listen to it so often. Over time it’s become one of my favorite records of the last decade. In fact, when my copy of “A Company Sleeve” arrived in the mail the other day, it was none other than “Why Trains Crash” that I removed from my turntable to make room for it.

I had the pleasure of meeting these guys in person this Spring when they came through Portland. I’d interacted with Noah on Twitter a little bit, discussing J Church, and him turning me onto some great music (Church Girls and Creeper Lagoon, namely). It was such an excellent show, and they couldn’t have been nicer. Perhaps because we were both riding the euphoria of having just unexpectedly met Toody from Dead Moon moments earlier, but conversation flowed smoothly, and it was fun to talk music with someone who you enjoy their own output so much.

You might think all this enthusiasm would shatter any objectivity I have on a new record, but the flipside of that is the crushingly high expectations you have from a band whose most recent album you hold in such high esteem. The situation was ripe for a letdown. 25 seconds into it, when the lead off track “Young Gray Enemies” opens up and explodes into everything that makes The Pretty Flowers great, all concerns for a sophomore slump were alleviated.

For those of you who have been paying attention, The Pretty Flowers have been hinting at their progression as songwriters with new songs and unreleased tracks being added to their Bandcamp page. This band is also extraordinarily good at doing covers. Their version of “Doom Town” by The Wipers rips so hard, especially live. Also, although you might not think you need it, their take on Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns, and Money” is one of the best covers of any song I’ve ever heard. Anyway, all the potential hinted at with the material released since “Why Trains Crash” has been realized on “A Company Sleeve”. I think I even like it better.

I hope this analogy doesn’t turn anyone off because I might be in the minority on this opinion, but the progression of The Pretty Flowers between these two albums reminds me of The Promise Ring between “Nothing Feels Good” and “Very Emergency”, the latter of which I consider to be their masterpiece. I remember how excited I was by “Very Emergency” when it came out in 1999. I loved it immediately, and remember calling my friends before I even got to the end of the first listen. That I’m able to access that same kind of evangelical excitement from a new album when I’m 44 years old with “A Company Sleeve” is pretty cool.

This record is really frontloaded with hits. Any song on side A I could see being the single. The aforementioned first track comes in at just under two minutes, but is the perfect opener. It goes from a distant muddled recording to a full blast banger, like when your headphone jack was partially unplugged and then you’d push it in all the way. It’s such a catchy tune, and that effect really puts it over the top. It’s followed up by “Another Way To Lose”, which is another absolute ripper, and just a perfect punk/power pop jam of the highest order. It briefly feels like we’re getting a break in the action with “Hit Nothing”, but the huge chorus and overall instrumentation make this another great example of what this band can do. “Baby Food” is next, which picks the tempo back up and provides the listener with not only another barn burner, but also some poignant commentary on the rental market in Los Angeles. “Bucket Beach” and “Agendaless” close out the first side, the former having rightfully been released as a single in 2021, and the latter being slower but also a definite album highlight.

Side B, much like their last record, has just as many hooks, but they tend to lay just below the surface and be a bit more subdued. “The Long Con” in particular, is maybe my current favorite song on the record. Sitting second to last, it has a nice dreamy/surfy vibe and is just unbelievably catchy. Including a few songs I haven’t mentioned by name yet, there are absolutely no skips to be found anywhere on this LP, and new things to appreciate with each passing listen.

All the other bands I’ve mentioned in this review (Promise Ring, Church Girls, Creeper Lagoon, and J Church) I can all see as worthwhile comparisons to The Pretty Flowers’ sound. I also really hear post-reunion Superchunk in the incredible layered quality of music and song structure. The songs are good, but so are all the people who are playing them. Everyone is doing something interesting, the lyrics are smart, and there’s so much special detail to every swirling hook and chorus. Their melody and sound reminds me a lot of Mrs. Magician as well, in that there’s an essence of Beach Boys, and again the songs are just so strong.

If anything you’ve read has sparked your interest, you really need to check out The Pretty Flowers. All of it, and especially this record. I give no recommendation higher than this one. Tell your friends, they’ll thank you. It makes absolutely no sense at all that these guys aren’t bigger.

–Zack Akenson

Billy Batts & the Made Men – My Empire Is Crumbling

I’m checking out a breakneck new release from Atlanta Georgia’s Billy Batts and The Made Men. Produced by Joe Queer of the legendary punk band The Queers, My Empire Is Crumbling dispenses snotty punk rock ala Queers, Screeching Weasel, or perhaps a Jon Cougar Concentration Camp. The straight ahead punk is interwoven with more hardcore elements on several tracks, all fused with the balls out speed of Bomb The Music Industry.

15 mostly brief tunes and one long-ass epic ballad. (Rent A Friend is only 4ish minutes long, but that’s like forever, right?) None of the songs disappoint. Vocals, as mentioned, are snotty. There is a nice call and response on “The Day I Became A Man.” Chugging guitars are complemented by a handful of not entirely untasteful solos. The bass glues everything together with the ratta-tat-tat drums in an able fashion.

There’s a song entitled Paul Belinni. I truly hope this song is about Paul Belinni from Kids in the Hall. Maybe it’s not, but I’m going to pretend it is. Furthermore, I’m going to pretend the band won the “Touch Paul Belinni” contest, all those years ago and got to touch Paul Belinni. It’s a kickass song either way.

The track “Change” gives me Leftover Crack vibes for some reason. I’m down with that.

Look, this is a damn fine album and if’n you like Punk Rock, which you do, check it out. Like it. Love it. Show some support and buy it.

Cheers!
Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Gotta Leave 02:37
2. Dan Is Awesome 01:43
3. People Are Shit 00:46
4. Maniac 01:12
5. Andy Doesn’t Read Much Book 01:17
6. 9am 01:00
7. Over Again 01:43
8. Behind My Screen 01:43
9. Drowning 01:48
10. Weird Al Wrote Propaganda Songs 00:26
11. Paul Bellini 01:53
12. The Day I Became A Man 01:14
13. Change 02:07
14. Never Comes Easy 02:09
15. I Bleed 01:27
16. Rent A Friend 04:13

Band:
Brody – Guitars, Lead Vocals
Stag – Bass, Backup Vocals
Nub Nub – Drums, Backup Vocals
Additional backup vocals by Joe Queer

Lizard Brain Trust – The David Christ Memorial Indoctrination Fund for the Cure

Twitter can be a pretty dark place. The name itself lends most people an immediate visceral reaction of disgust, conjuring up an image of Elon Musk’s stupid head, and blue check mark American fascists hating on, and blatantly lying about, all that is good and decent in this world. Yuck. However, it’s not all bad, and there’s a reason a lot of us are still on there. Meeting interesting people from around the world to share music with is still pretty fun, it turns out. That’s how I wound up writing reviews here on Upstarter (thanks, Jerry). It’s where I met my main lasagna man, SST. Without Twitter I wouldn’t know a bunch of cool guys named Steve, a mysterious international man of leisure named Scotch Chalice, fellow China Drum and Leatherface enthusiast Dave, a guy with a hybrid Miami Dolphins/Strung Out tattoo, friggin’ Seaweed Pat, chef Dan in France, the real kings of New York Pedro and SJ, Mike, Green Corn, PhD, Alex, Kenosha Andrew, a bunch of cool people in Japan, Branch, 62 lb, Broken Locker Mike, the list goes on and on. A couple weeks ago, one of these Twitter acquaintances named Seth, whose band Lizard Brain Trust just released a new album, was nice enough to mail me a physical copy of their new CD. Not to be reviewed, but just because he’s a nice guy who wants to share his music. I’ve been listening to it so much in the past few weeks, I thought I should tell you about it.

Lizard Brain Trust are a punk band based out of Lawrence, Kansas, and this is their first full length. As its bizarre title might suggest, “The David Christ Memorial Indoctrination Fund for the Cure” is pretty weird, and falls into the Pere Ubu/Butthole Surfers side of punk. The CD has a mission statement of sorts underneath the clear plastic of the digipak that I think pretty accurately captures its vibe. It reads, “You can stockpile every option until it’s meaningless, trade it in for your own void. Does the world just spin out of orbit, throwing all of us, the shitty monkeys, back into space to freeze or fry, choking on our stupid plans? American exceptionalism, jingoistic propaganda pumped down our throats. Some is subtle and some is Lee Greenwood’s corn nightmares. We’ve tried to do something that speaks to our anxieties as humans living through this shit show, hoping for better things and pretty bummed out about how they are.”

Although abstract and corn-nightmare-referencing at times, “The David Christ Memorial Indoctrination for the Cure” is quite topical and lyrically poignant. The album touches a lot on far right political toxicity in American culture, but more specifically on the human response of anxiety from living through this incredibly stupid timeline of history. I think it can sometimes be difficult to write songs about omnipresent current events without being vaguely cringey, but Lizard Brain Trust manage to do so in a manner that’s relatable and effective. On the song “Honest Liar” in a Travis Shettel from Piebald-style vocal, “If you really think you’re right, why are screaming?”. I also enjoyed the line from the third track on here, “Evangelical tiki torch burning in the lawn, traded your god for a gun.” There are other allusions to the politics of gun control on here as well. “Now close your eyes, just like your mind. Your thoughts and prayers have made you blind,” from This Place is Cursed says a lot about what’s going on here.

Not all of “David Christ” is so serious. There’s a short acoustic number where the only chorus is repeating the name of the principal from Saved by the Bell, and a mysterious Pixies meets Pere Ubu number called “Southern Bulgarian Milk”. “My Brain is Sick” is straight up 80s hardcore, but opts to only have electric guitar and vocals. It all works though, and despite the darkness of some of the content, there is a real levity to the songs. The pacing, variety, and style of the album reminds me a lot of a Tenement record, or even Zen Arcade. Some songs come across as just demoed fragments, but they’re all pieced together nicely along with the more polished gems and some cool horror/8 bit video game interludes. I hear a lot of Love Battery here too, which is definitely a good thing. “Beach Day” is probably my favorite track on the album, a super catchy upbeat number with a sweet bassline.

Even with all the oddities, there is really no significant dip in this album from front to back. Most of the time I put it on, I find myself listening to it all the way through. With repeated listens, this has come to also include singing along and dancing. There’s something about this album that’s just so enjoyable. What I can find of them on the internet seems to suggest that they live up to their self-described moniker of “weirdo rock band” when playing out too, adorned in religious robes and upside down crosses. They have some summer shows lined up in Kansas and Colorado that I would suggest you check out if you’re anywhere nearby. Otherwise, pick up a copy of the CD from Dumb Ghost Recording Enterprises (who also released the excellent Curious Things album this year) on Bandcamp, or give it a listen on any of the major streaming platforms. Highly recommended.

–Zack Akenson

Social Distortion Postpone Summer Tour

Today, legendary OC punks Social Distortion announce that they have postponed their upcoming North American headlining tour due to the stage-one tonsil cancer diagnosis of vocalist Mike Ness. As he recovers from a recent surgery, the band is also temporarily halting the recording process of their eighth studio album. The previously announced tour, set to kick off on June 30th with support from fellow California rockers The Bellrays, is now being rescheduled for future dates. Check out the emotional statement from Ness below:

“We think that life is going to go according to our plan, but it has a way of saying “I don’t think so!”

In the midst of pre-production, I was diagnosed with stage one tonsil cancer. I was feeling well enough to continue with recording in the studio up until the very day before surgery. The band and I were so inspired and excited to lay down these tracks, which by the way sound f-ing AWESOME!

The recovery from surgery is a day-by-day process and in three weeks we start radiation and that should be the last therapy I need. The team of doctors are certain that once finished with this course, I will be able to start the healing and recovery process. We expect a full recovery enabling me to live a long and productive life.

It breaks my heart to post pone tours, and this album release, but time is required to heal. I can’t thank our loyal fans enough who have been waiting so patiently for this. While it will take a little longer-I promise you that it will be delivered and it will exceed your expectations.

I want you all to know that this has opened my eyes to a whole new struggle. I know it’s one that many of you or your loved ones have personally endured, and my heart goes out to you-because I now know what it’s like from this heavy experience.

I’m surrounded by love and support from my friends and family ESPECIALLY my lovely wife and incredible boys (oh and don’t forget my 3 dogs and kitty) THANK YOU ALL in advance to our unbelievable fans for YOUR love and support right now. ♥️

We WILL get through this….”

For More Info On Social Distortion Visit:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

ZEKE – New single “Ride Hard Ride Free”

Short, fast, loud, ZEKE!

New single “Ride Hard Ride Free”
due out June 9

Seattle punk legends ZEKE return with new recordings. “Ride Hard Ride Free” contains two tracks laced with ZEKE’s signature mix of turbo-charged thrash-punk and Motörhead possessed rock n’ roll and provides the first taste of ZEKE’s new album, which will be released later this year.

In 2022, ZEKE was unexpectedly reborn with founding members Blind Marky Felchtone (vox/guitar) and Donny Paycheck (drums) returning to the drum kit. They went into the studio with Jason Freeman (bass) and Jeff Hiatt (guitar), they were with ZEKE before and got back in, to record a new album. The first single “Ride Hard Ride Free” is everything you’ve come to expect – or want to hear from ZEKE.

A full-on thrasher celebrating speed in more ways than one, “Ride Hard Ride Free” has a very sharp style, with the band takes cues from old Motörhead rlffs, then fusing it with hardcore punk roughage. A modern ZEKE classic. They tie in here stylistically with “Death Alley”.

Produced by Jeff McNulty (Screamers, Blöödhag, Hell Bent For Letters) at Soundhouse in Seattle, WA, and mastered by Joe Bozzi at Bernie Grundmann in Los Angeles, CA. Cover photo by Mike Mitchell.

“Ride Hard Ride Free” will be released via Hound Gawd! and distributed by Amped (US/CAN), Rough Trade (DE/AT), Phonag (CH), Plastic Head (UK), Kuroneko (FR), Compact (PT), Border (Scan), PIAS (BeNeLux), Gran Sol (ES), Heathen Natives (GR), Audioglobe (IT), Hangfelvetelkiadó Kf (HU), Matrix (SI HR, RS) and Disk Union (JP).

The tracks are not available on Spotify, Apple Music and other digital platforms.

ZEKE recently completed a successful West Coast tour. The band also has a number of high-profile European performances scheduled in the coming months, including Sjock Festival in Belgium and appearances at Pitfest in the Netherlands and Sardina Fest in Spain. The group will return to America later this year. Stay tuned to www.zekeyou.com/tour for further details.

Ride with Zeke!

“Zeke are the dive bar that’s survived onslaughts of gentrification, knowing that the charm of lawless riffing and broken bottles never fades.“

– Pichfork

Visit ZEKE online:

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