Eleven years after it was originally released I think I might have picked it up from Wanda Records when I saw Buzzcocks, The Nerves, The Beat, and The Plimsouls influenced them it was a no-brainer. It featured Justin Maurer as the main protagonist. How could it fail? Well, you’ll be glad to know it didn’t, and it continues to sound fresh and exciting every time I decide to drop the needle in the grooves. Man, that title track is like Audio Heroine it’s so addictive and playing it once just isn’t enough.
Hell, Look at the record jacket these cats look like they know how to have a good time and get up to mischief and do it whilst writing the best in New Wave, Punk rock known to mankind.
The group, featuring Justin Maurer from CLOROX GIRLS and SUSPECT PARTS, James Carman of MANIAC, TELEPHONE LOVERS, THE REFLECTORS, and IMAGES, Cezar Mora from BAD MACHINE, and Johnny “JD” Reyes, formerly of IMAGES and BAD MACHINE, forms a punk/power pop outfit that has pedigree and oozes quality from every pore. ‘Vampire’ just rolls on by with the sweet Bv’s stopping it nodding out its so snotty it should have catapulted the band to big things.
Inspired by the dissolution of CLOROX GIRLS in 2010, Maurer, along with Cezar Mora, and James Carman, embarked on crafting original songs under the moniker LA DRUGZ. A 10-year anniversary edition reissue is always welcome. It’s classic power pop new wave and punk, from the likes of The Briefs and of course Cute Lepers and the likes of Duncan Reid from the Boys. Infectious tracks like “Ooh Ooh Ooh” and “Marina,” are two examples of effortless pop melodies with a rough and ready exterior. Produced by the band in Calimucho, Kevin Carle’s home studio, and mastered by Daniel Husayn at North London Bomb Factory it knows what it’s after and knows the people to deliver.
The only problem with this is still only has six tracks. I would have loved to see it expanded with more music but hey you don’t always get what you want and if you didn’t get on board the first time around then don’t miss it this time – you can’t say you haven’t been warned. It’s a stellar EP chanting the gang vocals on ‘Out On The Street’ is a classic that sounds like it should have been included in The Warriors soundtrack and then it’s done. Buy It! Essential EP Purchase trashy, snotty and a genuine punk rock earworm.
Chubby also Announces signing to Flatspot Records & play live show.
Charlie Manning is Chubby and The Gang. The 30-something-year-old born and bred Londoner, kicked off the project in 2019 with the intention of blending hardcore punk with the most infectious elements of ‘70s rock n roll and doo-wop. Charlie brought in a “gang” of rotating instrumentalists performing on the albums Speed Kills (2020) and The Mutt’s Nuts (2021), both released through Partisan Records. Fast forward to now and Chubby and the Gang joins long-running hardcore label Flatspot Records (Scowl, Speed) and shares the new single “The Bonnie Banks.”
“The Bonnie Banks” is an ode to London and just thinking things are going to be okay. Lead by lively guitar, the song has an infectious, but rough around the edges delivery. Manning’s storytelling nature of the track leads to a repetitive refrain that is begging to be shouted along with.
Chubby and The Gang will performing on June 15th at Flatspot World in London alongside Scowl, Jivebomb, and Stiff Meds. Tickets are available HERE.
Having established himself as a guitar slinging matinee idol fronting Welsh riot starters Trampolene and riding shotgun in Peter Doherty’s band the Puta Madres, Jack Jones releases a new single Breathe through Strap Originals on 12th June https://found.ee/JackJonesBreatheBreathe, which received its first play on Huw Stephens BBC6 Music show last night, is taken from Jack’s debut solo album ‘Jack Jones’ released on Friday September 20th, followed by a UK headline tour in November.
For this album Jack Jones has put away his guitar and embraced a fresh and highly contemporary sound in which to couch his hard-hitting state of the nation poems of existential fear and loathing. His lyrics tackle many of today’s burning issues: mental health, drug addiction, mortality, and the tortuous demands of technology. There’s also joy and hope in there. With some of his catchiest tunes so far, it’s a record that’ll both open up this natural-born star to untapped audiences, and reveal hidden depths to those already ‘on the team’.
Jack Jones says of Breathe:
“I’m sure we all try to slay the beast, conquer the madman and feed the angel living inside us. But I think you can only abuse the body and the mind for so long before it says “No More!” And it humbles you. That’s when you have to make a choice. Is it the end or the beginning? The idea of this song was written after my first panic attack – at a time when I didn’t care about having a career in music or even being a writer anymore, I just prayed to be okay and to make it through the day. Luckily, sometimes, out of the darkest places, glimmers can appear, and that’s what this song is…a chapter of resilience, finding a way to keep going, finding a way to believe in a future, finding a way to BREATHE. It saved me and I would hope it may help others too.”
For the Breathe video Jack Jones decided to go into training to be the first Welsh astronaut, his trip to the moon (in his head) is planned for the first half of the 21st Century. The video was directed by filmmaker Barnaby Fairley, Jack adds: “Who wouldn’t want to roam the streets of London in a space suit…it felt weirdly freeing.”
The album is available on vinyl in multiple colour formats, CD and digital download and was co-written, produced and mixed by Adam French. Also available will be Jack Jones’s new book ‘Tour Diaries’ Volume 1 featuring Jack’s time with Trampolene, The Libertines and Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres. Pre-order the album and book here: https://found.ee/JackJonesALBUM
Jack Jones is a compulsive wordsmith, an obsessive jotter-down of phrases, and weird things that people say. Across three studio albums and a hatful of singles and EPs since 2013, his work with TRAMPOLENE has always drawn from this humungous, ever-accumulating verbal resource. On his own, he has also published a novel (2023’s ‘Swansea to Hornsey’) and recited poems and delivered spoken-word onstage.
The new direction arose out of an introduction to Mancunian artist/producer/songwriter/laptop warrior Adam French. For Jones, French’s way of composing and recording was like being teleported into a parallel dimension.
To coincide with the release Jack Jones has announced the following live shows in November, along with a performance at Glastonbury in June. Tickets for the November Tour are on presale now and go on general sale on Friday 14th June at 10am:https://found.ee/JackJonesTour The full dates are:
JUNE
30th SUN Pilton – Glastonbury (Left Field Stage)
NOVEMBER
2nd SAT Glasgow – The Poetry Club SWG3
3rd SUN Liverpool – Jacaranda
6th WED North Shields – Three Tanners Bank
7th THU Manchester – YES Basement
8th FRI Cambridge – The Six Six Bar
9th SAT Shrewsbury – Albert & Co Frankville
13th WED Bristol – The Exchange
14th THU London – Old Blue Last
15th FRI Swansea – Bunkhouse
16th SAT Cardiff – The Moon
Jack Jones also plays the following shows over the summer with TRAMPOLENE: Glastonbury Festival (28th June), City Summer by the River in London (August 15th) , Y Festival in Ross On Wye (25th August) and Fairwood Festival in the Gower Peninsula (September 7th).
Much like the first Specials album at the turn of the 1980s, you can imagine ‘Jack Jones’ being useful to youngsters in 2024 trying to navigate the problems of today – swap birth control and street violence for mindless hedonism and mental-health struggles, and you have an equally bold and connective roadmap to the pitfalls of contemporary young-adult living.
Jack Jones has enjoyed Top 10 success with TRAMPOLENE on the Independent Album Charts with three Top 10 Albums, hit the road as special guest to Liam Gallagher at the personal request of the iconic frontman, supported The Libertines on an Arena Tour as ‘Tour Poet’ and had the honour of being the first act to headline Swansea Arena.
Returning this summer over four days from the 1st to the 4th of August at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, Rebellion Festival is respected the world over for bringing together the best in new and legendary punk and alternative bands from across the globe every year.
With the line-up for 2024 having been painstakingly put together and selected over the last few months, Rebellion Festival has now arrived at the point where stage times for the many bands playing across the festival’s multiple stages have been announced and now is the time for ticket holders to start organising what bands they want to see!
Head over to the Rebellion Festival website and check out the band times and stages and start planning your four days of punk rock heaven!
In the coming weeks there will be spreadsheets, clashfinders and other kind people posting their ways of displaying and seeing the many bands.
From the four iconic, genre-defining headline artists The Stranglers, Sham 69, Cock Sparrer and Stiff Little Fingers, to the young upstarts kicking up a racket in 2024 like The Chisel, The Meffs, Grade 2, Bar Stool Preachers, HotWax, and Meryl Streek, these join many other highlights including Tom Robinson Band, UKSubs, Lydia Lunch, Toyah, Dead Boys, Ruts DC, GBH, Cockney Rejects, The Alarm, and The Men TheyCouldn’t Hang and so much more.
Since its original inception in 1996 as the then named Holidays In The Sun festival, Rebellion is still a family-run, family-orientated ALL AGES event and children under 12 are admitted free of charge (accompanied by an adult).
The legendary New York band is one of the most famous hardcore music groups in the world. Inter Tony – Festival of Twin Towns in Chojnice, Poland, will take place on 15 June.
Agnostic Front was established in 1980 and is known for their socially aware songs, standing up for those oppressed and deprived of their own voice in the public space. The Festival will also host many other independent metal, punk, hardcore, and rock bands: Massive Assault (from the Netherlands), Peter Ullrich and Tortured Spirit (both from Germany), Praïm Faya (France), as well as Polish bands like Narbo Dacal, Super Potwor and Tyran.
– ‘Music Against Racism is a campaign which brings together diverse music genres. Its core message fits perfectly with the main idea behind InterTony which is to establish friendships between people from different countries, Lukasz Jakubowski of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association explains.
InterTony is a project based on collaboration of international youth associations which operate in twin towns in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Poland. The organisers say, ‘We try to show the benefits of international cooperation based on mutual involvement, openness, and willingness to share good practices among democratic societies’.
The organisers of InterTony were inspired by DettenRockt, a festival against racism and discrimination in Emsdetten (Germany), supported many times by the Polish volunteers from Chojnice.
The ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign was launched in 1996 by the founder of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association Marcin Kornak (born 1968, died 2014). From the age of fifteen, due to an accident, Marcin lived with a physical disability. He was a poet and songwriter who cooperated with independent rock bands. The campaign was followed by ‘Music Against War’, announced on the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, and joined by musicians who want to express their solidarity with the refugees and to protest against violence in the world.
The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association invites musicians, record labels and promoters who are interested in releasing music tracks or videos as well as organising concerts with the promotional support of ‘Music Against Racism’ / ‘Music Against War’ to get in touch via email: info@neveragainassociation.org .
The ‘Music Against Racism’ album was first released in 1997, and on the 20th anniversary of that fact it was also uploaded on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-PA6SjB2EA
In 2021, the double album ‘One Race – Human Race. Music Against Racism, part 2’, got its first LP edition, with the original CD release back in 1998. You can listen to it on YouTube, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5m2-fFk2zk
‘NEVER AGAIN’ is an independent anti-racist organization founded in Warsaw in 1996. It has campaigned for peace, intercultural dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally.
Rancid have released their debut self-titled EP on streaming services for the first time ever. Exclusively released on 7-inch vinyl back in 1992 on Lookout! Records, the inaugural Rancid EP is the band’s seminal five-track induction to punk rock that set the tone for a prolific and subversive thirty-plus year run.
Recently, Rancid’s B Sides and C Sides compilation of early works was also made available on streaming services as a collection for the first time. Originally released in 2007, the blistering 24-track set features songs that span 1992 to 2004. From the raging chest-beating punk rock anthems that are the band’s signature sound of ragged riffs and Matt’s thunderous flurry of bass notes, they don’t just thrash they also pull off a rather convincing gutsy Rock n Roll like on ‘Devils Dance’. Early Rancid were a breath of fresh air and continues to this day to deliver punk rock of the every highest standard. To think these songs didn’t even make the cut for LPs bu were rather kept for hardcore followers who collected singles and limited editions. Armstrong is and was a prolific writer and never let his standards drop be in Rancid or side projects or download only solo tracks but it’s rancid when he shone the most.
But hey why not wind back to the beginning and The Rancid EP with it gruff vocals and frantic drums, the avalanche of bass they had it all right from the off. The trademark street punk sound that they’ve honed and experimented with throughout the years always revisited their roots.
Formed in 1991 with founding members Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman (formerly of Operation Ivy), they brought Armstrong’s roommate, drummer Brett Reed along for the wild ride.
Having these early entries available on streaming platforms new fans can immerse themselves in those early recordings. the production might not be what they became but the songs are there and that intensity and energy is timeless. ensures that their legacy is even more accessible than ever before, allowing access for a new audience to experience the raw energy and rebellious spirit that has made Rancid a household name.
Throughout the last three decades, Rancid has remained fiercely independent, never losing their loyalty to their community or each other. Their music confronts political and social issues, while balancing personal tales of love, loss, and heartbreak with attitude. By carrying on the traditions and spirit of the original punk rock bands that came before, Rancid has become a legend and inspiration to punk bands that have come after.
Never afraid to stray from their punk roots the Ska flavours mashed with the rock n roll is here and songs like ‘Media Controller’ sit nicely alongside ‘I’m Not The Only One’ hit that EP up.
‘Killing Zone’. ‘Thats Entertainment’ and the thrash of ‘Sick Sick World’ are majestic and a band in full flight at the peak of their power a peak that must have lasted more than a decade (that’s no exaggeration) Now with more bang for your buck you also have ‘Blackliste’, ‘X Mas Eve’ and the succinct and beautiful ‘Fuck You’ Get on it now you won’t regret it if this has passed you by or if you was it streamed then go fill yer boots.
This year the legendary Asian Dub Foundation celebrate 30 years of career and activism, marked by memorable concerts all over the world, 9 studio albums and a host of iconic collaborations.
As well as an anniversary tour across Europe, Asian Dub Foundation are preparing the release of a compilation celebrating 30 years of collaborations, with previously unreleased tracks, remixes and versions rearranged for the occasion. And who better to unveil the first extract from this project than the one and the only, Iggy Pop. The Stooges singer reinterprets their classic ‘No Fun’ on an arrangement by Asian Dub Foundation, with new vocals and alternate lyrics.
Recorded in Miami in 2007 and originally released on the ‘Punkara’ album the following year, this is an ADF30 anniversary version re-arranged, remixed and remastered by Bernie Gardner at Warm Puppy Studios.
Dubbed the ‘best band in England right now’ by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong (right before he was spotted wearing Bad Nerves merch at the Grammys Gala), Bad Nerves announce their biggest UK and EU headline tour to date. Consisting of 33 dates, tickets for all shows will go on sale Friday 10am // 14th June with a pre-sale going out on Wednesday 12th June at 10am to all mailing list subscribers. Ticket link can be found here.
Starting 5th November in Netherlands and ending 17th January at Camden’s legendary Electric Ballroom, Bad Nerves will be bringing their sophomore album Still Nervous to fans across UK and Europe, concluding with their biggest headline to date.
Following critical acclaim for previous singles ‘USA’, ‘You’ve Got The Nerve’ and ‘You Should Know By Now’ the band released their second album Still Nervous (31st May, 2024) which received unquestionable support from BBC Radio 1 (Rock Show, Indie Show, Future Artists, New Music Show) Classic Rock, Kerrang!, Dork and also saw the band find new fans in the form of Iggy Pop and Billie Joe Armstrong. Following this, Bad Nerves then announced an album release show at The Garage (8th June) which sold out a month in advance. 2024 also saw the guys join The Hives across their sold-out UK tour as well as them being invited to join The Hives again across their US tour in September. Listen to Still Nervous here.
Written and recorded in the same spider-infested garage that spawned their self-titled debut, Still Nervous was poised to be the ‘greatest follow-up record in the entire recorded history of recording follow-up records’. And it was. It was a record that had been bubbling away in the background whilst Bad Nerves dragged their frenetic live show all around the world. A sophomore album that was never meant to exist, the release is packed with break-neck speed sing-alongs and is a record that will outlive me, you, and whoever else is reading this.
The bastard child of a Ramones/Strokes one night stand, Bad Nerves drew acclaim with their debut releases ‘Dreaming’, ‘Baby Drummer’, & ‘Can’t Be Mine’. It would appear to be in the DNA of rock music, particularly punk music, that their self-made debut put them in the hearts and minds of the cream of the alternative crop; from UK tastemakers such as Dan P Carter to Alyx Holcombe to Jack Saunders, to rock legends such as Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong (adding the band to his Oakland Coffee playlist) and Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard (labelling them as one of his recent favourite bands). Drawing comparisons to Supergrass, Ramones and Jay Reatard, the band have been supported extensively by Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, BBC Radio 1, BBC 6music, Radio X, Classic Rock, Kerrang! and Dork.
Shortly after recording ‘USA’ (which was mastered at the famous Abbey Road Studios), the band were invited to America to support Royal Blood which presented a perfect opportunity to introduce the song to an American audience. The band then were invited personally by The Darkness to join them as special guests across their sold-out UK tour in December. After catching the attention of The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins who, when speaking of the band on his YouTube stream, said “How can you not like this band? They’re so fucking cool”, Bad Nerves were personally invited to join them on their tours this Autum and Winter. Special guest slots for the band in the past year also saw them touring alongside Black Honey, Creeper, Salem, Tigercub, and The Struts whilst they played an unforgettable show at BST Hyde Park this year with rock legends Guns ‘n’ Roses.
With their loyal supporters of the industry, the band have also built a dedicated fan base since their debut album release in 2020. With two BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale sessions and an Amazon Live Scene stream also under their belt, the band have garnered an overwhelming amount of support with only one album to their name. The five-piece dropped a limited edition run of 10” vinyls from their iconic Sebright Arms show in April 2022 whilst Classic Rock Magazine summed the night up as ‘this is what we needed. Go and see Bad Nerves. Do it now”. With bodies falling from the ceiling and the recording equipment blowing up half way through the set due to the heat of the room, the night was one that will go down in punk’s history books.
With their new album release and tour announcement, the clock is ticking- what is it you desire? What is it you dream about? Have you got the nerve to chase it down until your legs give way? Bad Nerves don’t think you do.
UK + EU HEADLINE TOUR
NOV 5 Doornroosje, Nijmegen, Netherlands
NOV 6 Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam, Netherlands
NOV 7 Vera, Groningen, Netherlands
NOV 8 Molotow, Hamburg, Germany
NOV 10 Bar Brooklyn, Stockholm, Sweden
NOV 12 Loppen, Copenhagen, Denmark
NOV 14 Cassiopeia, Berlin, Germany
NOV 16 Rock Cafe, Prague, Czech Republic (**Embargoed – TBA**)
NOV 17 Flex, Vienna, Austria
NOV 18 Covo Club, Bologna, Italy
NOV 19 Magnolia, Milan, Italy
NOV 21 Kiff, Aarau, Switzerland
NOV 22 Kulturzentrum Gaswerk, Winterthur, Switzerland
NOV 23 Kranhalle, Munich, Germany
NOV 25 MTC, Cologne, Germany
NOV 27 Botanique, Brussels, Belgium
NOV 28 Le Grand Mix, Tourcoing, France
NOV 30 Petit Bain, Paris, France
DEC 1 Rock School Barbey, Bordeaux, France
DEC 4 Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao, Spain
DEC 5 Purple Weekend Festival, Leon, Spain (**Embargoed – TBA**)
DEC 6 Sala El Sol, Madrid, Spain
DEC 7 Jimmy Jazz, Vitoria, Spain
DEC 11 The Waterfront, Norwich, England
DEC 12 CHALK, Brighton, England
DEC 14 Mama Roux’s, Birmingham, England
DEC 15 Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, England
DEC 16 The Leadmill, Sheffield, England
DEC 18 The Key Club, Leeds, England
DEC 19 Gorilla, Manchester, England
DEC 20 King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, Scotland
DEC 21 Thekla, Bristol, England
JAN 17 Electric Ballroom, London, England
Bad Nerves’ new album Still Nervous is out now. Streamhere. Buy tickets for UK and EU dates here.
Credit where credit is due, the Urban Voodoo Machine must have played Swansea about a dozen times in the last decade in various venues across the city but the last three or four have been in The Bunkhouse which is where they’ve found their spiritual home. A spruced-up venue that is much better for it as well seems like the spiritual home of The Urban Voodoo Machine. With the stage raised some three feet so everyone gets a great view of this twelve-plus-legged band of Rock Bop n Stroll Gypsies led by the born frontman Paul Ronney Angel tonight they are slimmed down to just six members which if my memory serves me well is the lightest I’ve ever seen them with Paul Ronney taking the sole guitarist role. It matters not how many members to be fir because the songs are readjusted to suit however many be it a one-man band or the full ensemble with brass and strings galore.
The night began with the biggest audience gathered for the band so word must be spreading. After the customary intro of the band marching through the audience to the stage it was away we go. ‘Empty Plastic Cup’ begins the fiesta lifted from the latest album ‘Snake Oil Engine’ which eventually landed on vinyl but it’s well worth the wait that’s for sure. Now I’ve done three shows this week and this was the last of the week and with a chest infection I was pretty much running on fumes at this point but if anyone could lift my spirits it was always going to be the mighty Voodoo Machine. After the rampant ‘Living In Fear’ we reached ‘Fallen Brothers’ of which there have been a few from the ranks of The UVM tonight it would have been Trixie Tassle’s birthday so I raised a glass of Irn Bru to her and the other fallen brothers for a magnificent run through the ‘Hellbound Hymns’ magic moment. You could have heard a pin drop and that was after Paul Ronney had introduced the uninitiated to the rules of the evening and the shut the fuck up and listen to the band moments between songs. Tonight the audience was pretty much respectful of this most non-negotiable rule at UVM shows with only a few outbreaks of chatter.
‘Cheers For The Tears’ was rampant and an emotional ‘Goodnight My Dear’ was immaculate. This stripped-down Urban Voodoo Machine were on fire and delivering one of the best shows I’ve seen them play (and I’ve seen them plenty of times over the years). As the band briefly expanded to seven with the inclusion of Robin Blake on trumpet for a few tunes. The band ran through ‘While We Were All Asleep’, ‘Help Me Jesus’ where the drummers Gary and The Late J-Roni-Moe were on fire turning in mesmerising performances, Its always hard to know who to watch with so much going on all the time on the stage. Finishing with a near-perfect rendition of ‘Goodbye To Another Year’ and we were done. The Bunkhouse had once again been supremely entertained, with one of the best performances from a band who never let you down no matter what and when they are on fire you can just feel it. I think the band knew this had been an exceptional night it was in the air. Hell, Paul Ronney tripped over the drum riser, Bumped his head walking off the stage, Waved the rubber fist in the air, was thrown off kilter with chants of oggy oggy oggy and then returned to the stage with Slim to run through an acoustic performance of ‘Green Green Grass Of Home’ tonight dedicated to his father who passed away last year. It might have had other members of the band perform but the stage power was blown that’s how good Urban Voodoo Machine are they blow the grid.
Can we do this again, please? What a wonderful night of Bourbon-soaked Gypsy, Blues Bop N Stroll that was. If you do get the chance to see this band then do so I urge you, you might wait a long time to see another band this good.
The Zodiac Killers, a punk rock band from San Francisco, was the fourth creation of Greg Lowery, who also formed Supercharger, The Rip Offs, The Infections, and The Control Freaks. After releasing four LPs, they are reuniting for the first time in 12 years to play in the UK. Known for their fast, catchy, and gritty punk rock, The Zodiac Killers deliver wild shows with three lead vocalists. The band features standout drummer Matt K. Shrugg, whose performances often leave other drummers reconsidering their careers. Also in the lineup are original female guitarist Jami Wolf, lead guitarist and vocalist Jeremy Tuman, and Greg Lowery on bass and vocals. Greg has always considered this his favorite band. Don’t miss this rare reunion tour across England and Scotland!
The Control Freaks, Greg Lowery’s latest project, have been making waves since 2017. Released on Slovenly Records and Dirty Water Records, this band is among Greg’s best work. After a successful tour in Europe with The Rip Offs, The Control Freaks are now heading to the UK.
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