Rounding up the latest and new tracks that have hit my ears this week. Mrs Homme returns, whilst punk rockers Darko unintentionally reference Arrested Development and Girl Band throw another curve-ball of musical weirdness.
Artist – Brody Dalle
Song – Don’t Mess With Me
Label – Caroline International
Release date – April 28
Sounds like – Sing, Sing, Desert Rock House
As expected, there’s a heavy Josh Homme influence hanging around this. Brody Dalle returns after putting Spinnerette on hiatus and has decided that a slab of fuzzed-out, Hives-garage rock is just what a Distillers-less world needs. This is great in every way – poppy, robot-rock, driven predominantly by a snarling bassline, whilst Brody’s lip-curling, smoke-fuelled vocals wash over this beautifully. Seriously, this reminds me so much of the driving, pound of Regular John and the chorus is deliriously catchy and bursting with colour. Those still mourning the Distillers will find some solace in this hook-laden, crunching desert sound. It might not be the snarling, FUCK YOU punk rock of before, but it’s a worthwhile and rewarding investment of your time.
Links
Brody Dalle Official
Brody Dalle Facebook
Band – Darko
Song – Seaward
Label – Lockjaw Records
Release date – Out now
Sounds like – GOB kick-flipping some bees
Darko are clever dudes – they’ve got emotive punk rock nailed. Their mixture of Four Year Strong-meets-A Wilhelm Scream thrash is packed with half-pipe spinning, summery enthusiasm and razor-sharp guitar lines. The multi-vocal attack and technical punk meets hardcore flails and spills over itself in a flurry of complex and twisting guitar lines, whilst the powerful drumming and odd time changes will keep you on edge. Predictability is cast out of the window – Seaward is another earnest, thrash-pop affair of stabbing, contortions and furious, untamed energy. Punk rock has never sounded so good.
Links
Band – Girl Band
Song – The Cha Cha Cha
Label – Any Other City
Release date – out now (part of Record store day)
Sounds like – Howling mad
To counteract the lengthy running time of their previous release (over six minutes of uncomfortable squeals of feedback-laced noise-punk) Girl Band, have released the 25 second face-punch that is The Cha Cha Cha as part of record store day (today, dudes). It also took three days to record as well. The Cha Cha Cha is as abrasive and paint-stripping as you would expect. Girl Band know how to make a racket and they manage to pack cathartic, barbaric noise rock meets hardcore punk into this brief storm of serrated, see-sawing guitar howls and throaty, guttural vocal howls, over rampant drumbeats. I’ve listened through this eight times in a row now and it’s still surprising me with how much twisted, chaos they managed to pack into such a brief running time. Available for free download from their bandcamp, or if you fancy a physical format, 100 are going to be released (or are on release now!) in wooden boxes, possibly available in Rough Trade.
Links
Lizard Hips
Junior Vice President of Keep It Fast. In other news: I work in social media, talk about dinosaurs, run a book club and have amazing facial hair. I am also a male man who is still not dead.
Follow Me: