Liquids – ‘Life Is Pain Idiot’ (Drunken Sailor Records)

Liquids – ‘Life Is Pain Idiot’ (Drunken Sailor Records)

Liquids recorded this album with the help of Erik Nervous. Then Erik mixed, mastered and released it via his label Nail Biter Records. It is distributed by Drunken Sailor Records (for the UK) and Australia’s finest Computer Human Records. In the United States the record is available from Violent Pest Records and is limited colour pressing. That should be all the background you need when investigating this album.

Ok Ok maybe not all the info you need to make an informed choice but its like the seal of quality. Liquids’ Mat Williams seemed like one of those creative punk rockers who was going to release what he wrote and as often as the weeds grow in my yard. Prolific is another word you could useif you kept your ear to the ground but don’t take your eye off social media or you’ll miss a release. Two albums (one a double) and a whole lot besides were pumped out of Indiana between 2015-18. You know the drill hardcore, Ramones pop, A splash of Devo, and more but that gives you the gist. I guess I’d align with Alex Wonk for quality of output maybe even more prolific Then it went quiet. then after several years of nowt, it was a new album last year this fucker but this has some added junk in the trunk and on vinyl. Twenty-seven tracks to be precise. Sure it’s Lo-Fi it’s not going to be high fidelity half-speed remastering but to be fair most of the songs only last under a minute with a couple barely stretching out over two FFS! Hell, how did I miss this even as a digital release it’s got a cover of Meat Loaf ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ that is almost prog length reaching out over three minutes although I’m sure Meat would have liked this version much better than his bloated anthem. It reminds me of The Briefs goofing around, Genius? Hell Yeah!

Some of the jerking rhythms are like a sped-up Undertones ‘Nobody Likes You’ is like a fucked-up Scooby Doo tune The Briefs meets NomeansNo at times and some of these songs are so rapid that even some speed metal bands would bow down with respect. ‘Life Of Oi’ is a pair of 18-holers moon stomping all about the place. The covers don’t end there as ‘Strutter’ is taken to school and given a proper punk rock makeover even Gene would raise an eyebrow for. The four bonus tracks are also all killer and no filler. A hot mess of an album that I can’t recommend highly enough. It’s punk rock baby but not of this earth what a top top record! Buy it!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

Erik Nervous – ‘Bugs’ (Drunken Sailor Records)

Erik Nervous – ‘Bugs’ (Drunken Sailor Records)
After numerous releases on Drunken Sailor, Total Punk, Neck Chop, then teaming up with The Beta Blockers for his last full release, Erk is back, this time on his own.
‘Bugs’ was released on cassette tape back in 2020, So it makes sense to follow it up a year later on vinyl. It might be a solo recording but damn, you wouldn’t think it, right from the total punk of the opening track ‘Our Hungry Fruit’ there is something of an outpouring a relentless no let-up – full audio assault from the weird headfuck opening introduction of ‘Bugs’ its full-tilt throw a grenade and see what happens musical journey.
Erik has that Devo influence, but with a “new new wave” sound Distorted, frantic, not afraid to run with a Bontempi synth rather than a thrashing guitar and the pots and pans drum machine as well, Erik knows what he’s doing. It’s punk for sure but with unashamed pop music thrown in with equal amounts of gusto.
It is packed with frantic schizoid punk like ‘Instant This Instant That’ followed by the more trad punk of  ‘Futurekick Again’ ‘Bugs’ is the sound of another pandemic summer that’s equal amounts of shit and enjoying the isolation you didn’t think you would get. Erik sounds like he’s had the best of times every time be it 202 or 2021 it still sounds fresh and fantastic.  ‘Wrong Weird’ probably sums up this record weird in a good heads fucked way of course and again followed it up with something completely different like the fantastically named ‘Piss Eyed Sleazoid’. We sort of end up where this record began with the ‘Bugs!!’ outro.  a Weird and slightly wonderful slab of work from the talent that is Erik Nervous so if you’re looking for some punk rock that’s impressive whilst being different and left of center then ‘Bugs’ is for you.
Buy Here
Author: Dom Daley

Erik Nervous & The Beta Blockers – ST LP (Drunken Sailor Records)

Erik Nervous & The Beta Blockers – ST LP (Drunken Sailor Records)

Erik Nervous is a new one on me as are the Beta Blockers but they’ve joined forces for this self-titled album.

‘Violent Dreams’, Is first out of the traps with its angular punk rock borrowing from the USA wave of punks like Minutemen and maybe a little Devo with something that’s not a million miles away from Tubeway Army and the angular early Buzzcocks.

‘Gravure’ is more of the same it’s intense and sparse but well-produced and not at all tinny sounding but full fat or should that be full phat (as the kids would say)

But it’s not at all one-dimensional dum punk that people might expect on hearing the “hanging on by a thread” ‘Richard’ with its basic one-note guitar breaks and thumping bass line. As the Bontempi is plugged in and early Human League gets exercised on ‘Blasted Heath’.

It all goes a lot Devo meets Kraftwerk on ‘Want To Not Wanna’ the vocals get treated and the sampler goes into overdrive before the distorted guitars go off-piste on this captivation and interesting midway point.

 

It’s not a safe record by any means there are challenges for the listener as Erik leads the players through some difficult runs both high and low. Titles make me giggle like a school kid as the Joy Division inspired ‘(I’ve Got A) Desklamp For A Hand’ is up next.  what inspired the title? God only knows but it doesn’t envoke lampshades or missing limbs. You crazy kids…Treat the record as something of a voyage of discovery some bits will stand out whilst others don’t quite work  I’ll let you decide which is which but it’s well worth checking out.

‘No Chorus’ strays into Fall territory whilst ‘Make Up To Break Up’ is more straight forward punk rock. ‘Horseshit’ and ‘Stateline’ are both worthy slices of new wave punk rock and are really well delivered. Hop onboard kids – Erik and The Beta Blockers offer an alternative to punk rock and twist it out of shape using the past to progress to the future.  Another great release from Drunken Sailor Records one that shouldn’t make anyone Nervous except Erik that is.  Go check it out.