Quaker Wedding – Total Disarray

I enthusiastically volunteered to review this new Quaker Wedding record when the opportunity came up. I enjoyed both their previous full length that came out in 2020, and especially the “Russian Hill” single that came out last year. Those two songs also appear here, and the band continues its upward trajectory on their forthcoming LP “Total Disarray”.

Providing some context to this record helps to understand where it’s coming

from. Quaker Wedding are from NYC, but frontman/bassist Marco Reosti returned home to Detroit for an extended period of time during the pandemic, and discovered that he had left some things behind. Namely, feelings. Although he is five years removed from a divorce, coming back to the scene of the crime has reopened a lot of those old wounds.

The album opener is about coming across his ex-wife’s wedding dress in a closet. On the following song he sings, “Now I know how it feels to be a ghost. To haunt the place I love without the people I miss most”. This trip home is not an easy one.

The band are able to capture the same quality of sadness that Jawbreaker, Tiltwheel, and Broccoli are able to, which really puts them in the high society of melancholy punk rock. That ability stems not just from subject matter, but also (and maybe even especially) the way a properly played sour note can evoke an emotional response. A lot of bands can SOUND like Jawbreaker, but not very many FEEL like them. Put on “Staten Island Ferry” by Quaker Wedding, and you’re going to FEEL the Jawbreaker.

Another stylistic comparison that’s hard to ignore is Needles//Pins. The most notable difference being that Quaker Wedding have a couple more gears to their vocals, making the gravelly parts more effective, rather than tiresome after repeated listens. This is an unpretentious, honest, adult human record about loss and complicated recovery. The lyrics, instrumentation, and overall vibe come together in a nice way through the uncomfortable vignettes the band illustrate for us in the songs.

I hope this album has provided Marco with some cathartic relief, and that time has provided him with something better. If nothing else, his band has provided us with what will definitely be one of my favorite records of 2022.

–Zach Akenson

Street Punk Icons THE CASUALTIES Ride The Storm On East Coast U.S. Tour!

Street Punk Icons THE CASUALTIES Ride The Storm On East Coast U.S. Tour!
Los Angeles, CA – When last we caught up with street punk legends, The Casualties, they had just released a brand new “live in the studio” album recorded in 2019 called Until Death – Studio Sessions on which the band unleashed their fury on some of the biggest songs from their extensive catalog, songs such as “Unknown Soldier,” “We Are All We Have,” “Punk Rock Love” and more! The band then followed that up with a nationwide tour with Strung Out just before the world was engulfed in the COVID-19 pandemic. But you can’t keep a good punk down so the band regrouped at the end of 2021 and launched a new tour called All Out Tour, which was rapturously received by the pit-starved punk rock faithful.
Now, The Casualties have returned for the inevitable sequel! Bigger and better than the previous iteration, All Out Tour II features a rested and rejuvenated Casualties line-up plus two special guests, Rotten Stitches and Stolen Wheelchairs. Whereas the first All Out Tour focused primarily on the western half of the U.S., Part II finds the Four Horsemen of the Punk Rock Apocalypse galloping deep into the eastern states. So get ready to join the pit – it could be your last!

TOUR DATES:
Feb 08 – Mercury Lounge – Tulsa, OK
Feb 09 – 1867 Bar – Lincoln, NE
Feb 10 – Lefty’s Live Music – Des Moines, IA
Feb 11 – Sounds Of The Street Festival – Chicago, IL
Feb 12 – The Sanctuary – Detroit, MI
Feb 13 – Legends – Cincinnati, OH
Feb 15 – Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH
Feb 16 – Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY
Feb 17 – Empire Underground – Saint Albans, NY
Feb 18 – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA
Feb 19 – QXT’s Night Club – Newark, NJ
Feb 20 – Our Wicked Lady – Brooklyn, NY
Feb 22 – The Bunker Brewpub & Cadence Hall – Virginia Beach, VA
Feb 23 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
Feb 24 – 1904 Music Hall – Jacksonville, FL
Feb 25 – Las Rosas – Miami, FL
Feb 26 – The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
Feb 27 – Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL

Order CD/Vinyl of Until Death – Studio Sessions:https://cleorecs.com/store/?s=casualties+until+death&post_type=product

Rotten Flag – We Are…

So I had a chance to check out “We Are…” the sophomore album by Gothenburg Sweden’s very own DIY punk rock band Rotten Flag. Trying to put this band into a category was a little difficult, and I landed on Punk. They are a punk bands punk band. Picture Cock Sparrer and Angelic Upstarts with a splash of Ramones for good measure. This album is twelve short tracks of simple riffs and alternating vocal stylings that range from hoarse growling to a semi-melodic tone that will keep you invested. 

Boasting a somewhat apolitical stance with the first track Oxymoron Stereotype, you’ll get the impression that they’d rather spend the short time given to each song (averaging well under two minutes) discussing the more important things in life like drinking, doing drugs, and having promiscuous sex. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But they do take a more political stand later in the album with the songs When We Attack, and Damnation. The song The Evil of Religion sounds exactly like you’d expect from the title. 

This album embodies that classic punk attitude of railing against conformity and giving the middle finger to authority figures with a shit eating grin. It’s the kind of punk your parents tried to warn you about. Rotten Flag clearly doesn’t give a shit about your PC sensibilities, so if you’re easily offended by a little off-colour language then this might not be a great choice for you. Personally I find it refreshing. They seem like they’d be either the most fun guys at the party, or the most terrifying. 

All in all, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable album. My personal favourites include We Are…, You Didn’t Hear It On The Radio, and Do You Wanna Be My Anarchy. I will definitely be looking for the LP when it finally comes out, and will be keeping an eye on these guys for their third album. And considering that their first release “the band from the pubs” came out in December 2021 I Will be expecting something possibly in early 2023 or so. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part though. 

Keep up the good work guys! 

Jëffy 

The album will be released on streaming platforms on January, 31st 2022, with a vinyl release to follow as production allows.

Special Duties – 7 Days A Week

So I had a chance to check out the new album 7 Days a Week by English punk band Special Duties. If you’re in the mood for an old-school Oi! sound that’s been polished up and produced in a much more modern way, then look no further, 7 Days a Week is exactly that. 

This album is chock full songs about social issues, addiction, and class struggle, as well as some songs that feel like you should be singing along to while tipping back pints in an English pub. And that is exactly what you’d expect from these guys.

At first pass the album kinda falls flat and seems like the lyrics were put together in a hasty, hap-hazard fashion. Subsequent listening will have you singing along to the better constructed tunes like the albums namesake 7 Days a Week and Punks and Bootboys. The songs Fight Back, Rebel and Time Bomb show a more aggressive side of the band and are my personal favourites from this release. 

At times the high quality of the recording feels like it takes away from the expected “punkness”. If that’s a thing… but this is just wishful thinking on my part I suppose. It’s not like we can expect modern engineers to deliberately make a band sound like shit… can we? 

All in all it’s a passable album, and if you grew up listening to the older British punk of the early 80s you should definitely at the very least, give this a try. I won’t be running out to get the first pressing or anything, but it might be fun to catch the live show at some point.

–Jëffy

Milquetoast – Caterwaul

I can’t pretend like I’m ever terribly excited to hear a band that has descriptors like “doom”, “stoner”, and “sludge”. This is mostly because modern bands who fall into these categories often take themselves too seriously, and frankly I just don’t understand why you’re so goddamn negative and serious if you’re blazing up all the time. Thankfully, Milquetoast does not fall into this genre trapping.

They have instead crafted a modern day album of AmRep-style bangers that sometimes even veers into old school hardcore goofiness, a la Flag of Democracy. Before grunge was called grunge and ruined by shit bands like Alice In Chains, it kind of sounded like this. There is definitely some excellent Mark Arm howling going on. I’m also hearing Cows, particularly in the way Milquetoast throws instrumental curve balls at you to keep things interesting.

I’m listening to this via a YouTube link, so it’s difficult to refer to specific tracks, but there’s enough variety on here to make the whole thing worth your time. This is a quality I’ve found lacking in other “doom” and “sludge” bands. Unless your band is exclusively marijuana referencing in the name, I don’t get the “stoner” part either.

Historically, AmRep, Mudhoney, and proto-grunge bands like Cosmic Psychos (who invented that blown out sound) have been way more famous for beer consumption. To me, this is drunk music more than stoner rock, and that’s a good thing. Whatever you like to do to your brain when you pretend like the world isn’t ending, do it while blasting Milquetoast. This is a super fun record that I wish I had a hard copy of. Highly (or drunkenly) recommended.

–Zach Akenson

Tracks:
Intro
Dead Inside
Recognize
Matapacos
Stoner Safari
Step Off
Space Force
Fake News Blues
Wall
Forgotten Death

Bio:
When Milquetoast (milk-ˌtōst) is used as an adjective, it means timid, meek, or unassertive. But you only need a single distorted power chord or unhinged howl from the Indiana trio’s punked-up party sludge to get sucker-punched by the band name’s irony. Milquetoast will kick 2022’s front door off its hinges with their debut LP mastered by Chris Fielding of the mighty Conan, appropriately named Caterwaul.

Formed in 2018 by vocalist/guitarist Ty Winslow, Milquetoast was devised as an expression of weirdo punk fury. In fact, it was Winslow’s penchant for loud riffs and cheeky vibes that initially lured vocalist/bassist Andy Bowerman as a collaborator.

“In a church 2.5 hours in the middle of nowhere,” Bowerman recalls, “I was looking out into the melee [of a mosh pit] and seeing crossdressing members of [Winslow’s then-band] Battersea riding each other around like jousting mounts. So the friendship came easy—and came often.”

After recruiting drumming dynamo Nick James, the band’s unique impish energy took shape. Gather the mops that soaked up sweat and blood from stages in the ’80s west coast punk and Seattle grunge scenes. Squeeze the fluids into a shot glass…

MILQUETOAST IS:
Ty – guitar and vocals
Andy – bass, vocals, and synth
Nick – drums

The Dynamite Club – Is The Dancefloor Calling?… No.

So I had a chance to listen to the debut EP from The Dynamite ClubIs The Dancefloor Calling?… No.” If you’re unfamiliar with them now, you won’t be for long. This EP hits hard right out of the gate with the opening song “Wake Up” and then keeps you guessing just what kind of band you’re listening to with more anthem styled tunes like “Apocalypse” and “One Sixth” to more pop punk influenced tunes like “Erotomania”. 

This hard working punk band from across the pond with two snarky English singers has been working it out for the past five years in the London area. Their DIY ethics are evident in this recording produced and mixed by James Kirsch

My only complaint about this EP is that there isn’t, as of yet more from The Dynamite Club to listen to. If you’re in the mood for a band that is a little different than you’re used to, but would fit perfectly on a playlist with your favourite SoCal punk bands, Is The Dance Floor Calling?… No. might just hit the spot.

-Jëffy

Tracks:
1. Wake Up
2. Apocalypse
3. Erotomania
4. Lights Out
5. Third Eye
6. One Sixth

The Dynamite Club is
Sam – vocals and guitar
James  – vocals and guitar
Luke – Bass 
Steven – Drums 

Bio:
Been a band for about 5 years, with James and Steven joining in last couple. Everything you see and hear is done totally DIY (with a little help from our friends). 

​We’ve played shows for the likes of the Garageland club, Camden Rocks and South London Punk Collective.

​Influences: fast punk n roll from 1950s to present day.

LARS FREDERIKSEN TO RELEASE DEBUT SOLO EP

LARS FREDERIKSEN TO RELEASE DEBUT SOLO EP “TO VICTORY”

STRIPPED-DOWN SIX TRACK EP

TO BE AVAILABLE ON VINYL, CD, & CASSETTE

Emeryville, CA – LARS FREDERIKSEN, from legendary punk band RANCID will be releasing his debut solo EP To Victory on November 19. It will be available for pre-order from Pirates Press Records this Friday, October 15th.


This solo venture for Frederiksen started back on March 7th, 2020 when he sold out the landmark Oakland club Eli’s Mile High Club. Frederiksen performed a Billy Bragg-esque set. The lucky fans attending the show [which was supposed to be the first of many, including an appearance alongside Dropkick Murphys on St. Patrick’s Day in Boston] had no idea that they would be the only ones to witness this unbelievable performance for quite some time… (Thanks Covid!)

The surreal performance was treasured by the lucky few who got to see it, and has given Lars even more confidence and validation to pursue this venture. Frederiksen headed into the studio to record these tracks in the vein of his live performance – simple, raw, emotionally charged, and powerful.

“So much happened in my life starting in 2018 and is just now sorta wrapping up here currently in 2021. This entire period, especially during my mom’s passing, was a great reflection point for me and a time to dive deeper than I’ve ever been into my Pagan roots,” remarks Frederiksen.

The album has six tracks, featuring a mix of covers and songs from his other bands – each song carrying personal meaning for Frederiksen, and each a standout performance in its own right.

With three videos on the way, and touring planned for 2022, this is just the beginning of a new venture for Frederiksen.

“There will be more to come ’cause I’m not done yet. I don’t think I’ll ever be. As long as I have breath I’ll unapologetically use my voice,” he remarks.

TRACK LISTING:
1. God and Guns (The Old Firm Casuals)
2. Army of Zombies (Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards)
3. Tomorrows Girls (U.K. Subs cover)

4. Motherland (The Old Firm Casuals)
5. Comin’ Home (KISS cover)
6. Skunx (Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards)

Dan Vapid and The Cheats Share New Single “Runaway Jane”

DAN VAPID AND THE CHEATS SHARE NEW SINGLE, “RUNAWAY JANE” OFF UPCOMING ALBUM ESCAPE VELOCITY

OUT NOVEMBER 5
ECCENTRIC POP RECORDS

Artwork by Justin Santora

STREAM
SPOTIFY  |  SOUNDCLOUD

1. Come Find Me
2. Burning Questions
3. Middle America
4. Cyber World
5. The Talk
6. Guilt and Relief
7. Runaway Jane
8. Robots
9. Teenage Wallflower
10. Tears are Falling
11. Bitter and Sour
12. Maybe Tomorrow
13. Midnight Blue

(WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13 2021) — In January of 2020, Dan Vapid and the Cheats began recording their fourth full-length album at Encapsulated Studios in St. Louis, Missouri. They opted to stop the session due to the Coronavirus pandemic and it sat in limbo for over a year. Upon receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, singer Dan Vapid continued the session in the summer of 2021. Now they are ready to release their fourth full-length, Escape Velocity, due out on November 5th via Eccentric Pop Records. Listen to the single “Runaway Jane” here.

“Escape Velocity exemplifies the trials and tribulations the Coronavirus pandemic has had on all of us. But life goes on. And the year hiatus made clear that this life is too short to not do what you love. The single, ‘Runaway Jane is inspired by John Updike’s novel, Rabbit, Run. I thought about what it would be like if a woman from a small town in Illinois left her husband without giving him a warning. I pictured a woman who felt she lived her entire life serving the prescribed roles in our society, only for it to blow into a middle-age existential crisis.”  – Dan Vapid

Dan Vapid And The Cheats is a punk rock band featuring singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dan Vapid. A veteran of the punk scene who has played in influential bands such as Screeching Weasel, The Riverdales, Sludgeworth, The Methadones, Noise By Numbers, The Mopes, and The Queers. The current lineup features Dan Vapid (Vocals/Guitar), Simon Lamb (guitars/vocals), Dillon Dunnagan (bass/vocals), and Gabe Usery (drums/vocals).

In 2013, they released their self-titled debut (recorded by Justin Perkins), a sophomore LP titled Two, produced by Matt Allison (Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms), a split 7″ with Masked Intruder, a split 7″ with The Jetty Boys, and made an appearance on Our Lips Are Sealed – A Tribute to The Go-Go’s. Three, the band’s third full-length and first in six years, was released in 2019 via Eccentric Pop Records. Escape Velocity was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Gabe Usery at Encapsulated Studios in St. Louis, MO., and produced by Dan Vapid and Gabe Usery.  

The Muslims Announce New Album

THE MUSLIMS
ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM

FUCK THESE FUCKIN FASCISTS
OUT DIGITAL SEPTEMBER 24
& ON CD/VINYL NOVEMBER 5

SHARE NEW TRACK “UNITY”
WATCH |
LISTEN

ARTWORK BY CRISTY C. ROAD

Durham, NC punk band The Muslims have announced their forthcoming album Fuck These Fuckin Fascists. The band’s Epitaph Records debut is out digitally September 24 and on CD/Vinyl November 5.

Taking inspiration from classic punk and afropunk roots, they have successfully synthesized the “fuck you” energy of the oppressed into an ass-kicking, head-smashing, fascist-punching sonic experience. Fuck These Fuckin Fascists, is the ultimate sing-along anthem against all forms of oppression. It’s the perfect balance of humor, tenderness and political rage, wrapped in affirmations for oppressed peoples. Musically, The Muslims continue to bring dynamic melodies to the foundation of classic punk riffs, sprinkled with out-of-this-world rhythmic outbursts. Lyrically, the band unapologetically uses music as a vessel to call out racism, the American political landscape, and white supremacy.

The band’s leader and resident bad Muslim, Sheikh QADR, draws songwriting inspiration from trailblazing Black artists, such as Bobby Hackney Sr. (Death), Nina Simone, Jimi Hendrix, and Poly Styrene (X-Ray Spex), while drummer Ba7Ba7 and bassist Abu Shea blend their diverse musical backgrounds to drive a noisy-melodic truck into your face.

Today, the band share their new single “Unity,” a song dedicated to activists fighting to make change and call out the hypocrisies in government policy. “Love is an action word that demands of us to speak up and fight, passionately, for the future we all deserve,” proclaims vocalis QADR.  “I’m so tired of their belligerent screams for ‘UNITY,’ corny dances and symbolic gestures. We don’t want Harriet Tubman on a fuckin $20, we want reparations and no more racist police.”

CHECK OUT “UNITY” NOW
WATCH |
LISTEN

FUCK THESE FUCKIN FASCISTS TRACKLIST
1.    Hands Up, Don’t Shoot
2.    Crotch Pop A Cop
3.    Unity 
4.    Illegals 
5.    Kill Your Masters
6.    Fuck These Fuckin Fascists
7.    IDGAF 
8.    Coronavirus
9.    GCDC 
10.  Froot of The Loom 
11.  Live Laugh Lead 
12.  John McCain’s Ghost Sneaks Into The White House And Tea Bags The President

The Muslims formed in 2017, brought together by the aftermath of the 2016 election. They have since released three albums The Muslims (2018), Mayo Supreme (2019), Gentrified Chicken (2020), and one EP Inshallah: Tomorrow We Inherit the Earth (2020).

The Muslims are QADR (vocals/guitar), Abu Shea (bass), and Ba7ba7 (drums).

THE MUSLIMS BY CHRIS CHARLES

For more information on The Muslims, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

SUZI MOON DEBUTS VIDEO FOR “NUTHIN’ TO ME”

WATCH EXCLUSIVELY AT GRIMY GOODS

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Los Angeles, CA – SUZI MOON has just released her video for “Nuthin’ To Me” which can be seen exclusively over at GRIMY GOODS. The song comes from Moon’s critically acclaimed Call The Shots 3 song EP, the debut solo release for the former CIVET member and TURBULENT HEARTS frontwoman. The video, like her others, was self-directed and edited.

It is available to watch here: https://www.grimygoods.com/2021/08/06/premiere-punk-rocker-suzi-moon-drops-new-video-for-her-single-nuthin-to-me/

“Nuthin’ To Me is a classic “fuck you” song about running into an ex-lover and realizing that they no longer hold a place in your heart. In fact, you can’t remember why you fell in love with them in the first place. It is one of those tunes that wrote itself in 10 minutes, the words & melody came pouring out of me. The chorus was so direct & straight to the point that I felt like there was no reason to add extra lyrics. I said what I needed to say. Repeating the hook over and over again continues to be a cathartic and empowering mantra,” says Moon.

The video, which once again showcases Moon’s directorial and editing chops, highlights her love for old B horror movies & weird burlesque videos from the 60s. “Visually, I knew I wanted a black & white video to reflect the mood of the song. I definitely see a story in there, others may see something completely different. It’s up for interpretation! I hope that viewers enjoy the weird, wild ride,” Moon adds.

Since the release of her debut EP to rave reviews, Moon is finally getting ready to hit the road. Moon and her crew will be playing songs from her EP plus a few more surprises!


Catch SUZI MOON live:
09/09/2021 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fire
09/10/2021 – Brooklyn, NY – Our Wicked Lady
09/11/2021 – Artemas, PA – Four Quarters – Camp Punksylvania

Find SUZI MOON online:

https://www.instagram.com/thesuzimoon
https://www.facebook.com/SuziMoon
https://www.youtube.com/user/SuziMoonOfficial