Onlooker – ‘Cleveland’ (Serial Bowl Records)

Onlooker – ‘Cleveland’ (Serial Bowl Records)

Cleveland was recorded, mixed, and shaped entirely by the band in studios, lockups, and living rooms, with only the final mastering handed to Graham Thompson at Soundschitty. The fact that it’s on Serial Bowl is something of a badge of honour, and these guys fit in perfectly with Diaz Brothers and Dealing With The Damage. It’s a post-punk landscape mixed with a caustic garage rock thump. It’s got a thick Bass sound that fits right in with that abrasive, slashing guitar that sounds like a low-slung, battered Telecaster being given no respect. Think Hot Snakes, Minor Threat mixed with the New Wave CBGB scene, early Talking Heads, and that alt punk scene the Americans do oh so well, but the Brits have caught up and, to be fair, are delivering it in spades with a twist of originality.

‘Cleveland’ is packed with songs that move between anxiety, joy, protest, and how to make a cup of tea and some disco biscuits to dunk in to said tea, no doubt. The bottom line is it’s brimming with energy and well-constructed songs of everyday life, bristling with raw energy.

I can imagine a sweaty room with ‘Peaceful Protest thumping through a workhorse PA coming on like a cross between Fugazi and Jane’s Addiction is something special. It’s not all one pace or style either because the northern ‘Wishing Wellaye’ is taking on Hot Snakes and winning with its muscular thump, complete with some excellent screams. I’d even say something like ‘Carpool’ is influenced by the sparse bleakness of Joy Division in full flow.

Every song is a twist to the left or right. This record isn’t at all one-dimensional or bland, it packs a hefty punch and creates some mega colours with its brutal soundscape and smooth lows to complement those soaring highs. With most songs being served in your rapid, perfect couple of minutes, there is one curveball in the shape of the epic six-plus minutes of ‘Suburban Dreams’ with its lengthy intro before breaking out into a garage rock fever dream that Australia has captured the market of. Lurching one way then the other its a bit of a sleeper – stick with it, you shall be rewarded in spades.

Fast-paced, edgy, and frantic, Cleveland is an album full of twists and turns and doesn’t disappoint at all. Hit the link and get involved, this is one smart as fuck album full of top tunes.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

Jack Saint – ‘Reap What You Sow’ (Heavy Medication Records)

Jack Saint – ‘Reap What You Sow’ (Heavy Medication Records)

Mutant voodoo blues noise is a great description of your music and a pretty good one at that – sure it’s obvious that the Gun Clubs Jeffrey Lee Pierce looms like a shadow over Saint but there’s more to this artist than that.

It’s been over two years since the debut album on Heavy Medication, and now Warsaw’s Jack Saint is back

 

Its dark,  Tom Waites meets Jim Jones dark as is obvious on “Reap What You Sow” from the outset.  The swampy ‘Worry Blues’ is edgy and experimental as the devil in Saint bellows from the vocals with the needle in the red, their Gun-Club-meets-Beasts-of-Bourbon vibe is darker and heavier than before, as the band mixes it up with new sounds and new textures. but even before that, the record opens with the smooth Jazzy ‘Hair of my True Love is Ice-Blond’ something even Nick Cave has dabbled with.  Sprawling over five minutes long is a brave opener and you realise straight away that you have to go on this journey with Jack Saint or it’s not worth bothering.

 

It’s raw and in your face. the more Cramps like ‘Moving On (Freight Train)’ is a bit of a stomper and the more experimental ‘Music Against Nature’ is a messed up hybrid of styles that does and doesn’t work so much as it staggers like a late night with Olly Reid.  One of the best tracks is the bruising ‘Severence Till You’ again stuttering and staggering with its heavy guitar sounding like an artillery volley before falling back into the groove.

 

The album closes with the Fuzztones like keys and guitar funk attack and a head explosion of an album is done.  I did enjoy it and will dip in and out over time I’m sure of it.  Late-night absynth induced experiences might help make sense of this record more than just playing it on some streaming site it was made to be indulged after dark and I like that and so should you.

Order yours from heavymedication.com. / Bandcamp
Author: Dom Daley

Civic – ‘Future Forecast’ (Flightless Records)

Civic – ‘Future Forecast’ (Flightless Records)

I first came across the work of Melbourne Garage Punks Civic when I happened to be browsing Bandcamp and ‘New Vietnam’ leapt out on me and I duly ordered the cassette tape (hipster) resisted growing a beard but had the EP on repeat for a while.  The band then emerged releasing a trio of singles over the past few years, including a cover of The Creation’s garage classic ‘Making Time’ Time really does fly by even during a pandemic as ‘New Vietnam’ was out in 2018 its now 2021.

They’ve made a considerable leap to the cleaner, sharper more purposeful sound on display here. the band brings a melodic edge to their muscular Garage punk without losing any of their intensity or grooves.

‘Future Forecast’ moves through the gears with ease from the more catchy songs like the single and opening ‘Radiant Eye’ through ‘As Seen On TV’ to the lap steel guitar and brutal riffs of ‘Tell the Papers’. It’s a really confident record that has a swagger and a cockiness that says Civic knows they’re good and ‘Future Forecast’ will have many people sitting up and paying attention to what they’re hatching down under.

 

 

If you (like me) loved ‘New Vietnam’ and are worried they might have moved on and left behind the punk and power then fear not because ‘Another Day’ is straight out of the ‘Young Loud and Snotty’ songbook,  ‘Hollywood Nights in Hamburg‘ with its retro proto-punk leanings is a real blast of energy, ‘Just a Fix‘ (with its raw riffage is a blast) and ‘Velvet Casino‘ all crackle along with the attitude and snot of their humble beginnings. Making this album an absolutely essential purchase.  If you love your music with riffs, attitude and above all great songs then this is for you.  It’ll breathe life into the Garage Punk Rock and Roll fraternity and give other bands a jolt and a tap on the shoulder because these boys are moving in and taking over.

 

Many of us have been heralding a new dawn for Australian music, ok sure The Chats and Amyl & The Sniffers grabbed a lot of overseas plaudits and rightly so but scratch the surface and there beats the heart of the beast and bands like Civic are rising up with killer albums like ‘Future Forecast’.

 

I’ll make a prediction, along with Stiff Richards, civic are the dingos danglies and more dangerous than 90% of the wildlife also residing on their island.  Get on it before it’s too late. Civic is the band ‘Future Forecast’ is the album so pour yerself a cold VB and get on it.  Now if they could get some UK and Europe Distro the job would be a good un and my work here would be done.

Buy Civic Here or Bandcamp

 

Author: Dom Daley