Anti-folk what the folk is anti-folk? you might well ask yourself that I did. Me, I’m still not so sure but if that’s what genre they go by then that’s fine by me I loved a new york singer called paleface and he was dubbed Anti-Folk. I would pigeon hole it at a ragged assed punk rock with added Xylophone. There is a bag full of unused (and Used) Ramones melodies as well as a bunch of Clash verses and ideas flying round Crazy and the Brain.
I first got introduced when I ventured down a musical wormhole many years ago and ended up in Brooklyn going to see them whip up a whirlwind of rock and roll in some backstreet club one winters night.
When they recorded as part of the fantastic Baldy Longhair records roster along with The Disconnects, it was exciting and they had plenty of catchy tunes. It’s a pleasure and a joy to see the band is still out there making music and this record is more of the same but better. Sure the xylophone is still prominent in the mix but the songs sound stronger (not necessarily better but stronger) ‘Into The Ugly’ is a lean nine songs that found their way on my blindside at the tail-end of 2018 and only just reaching RPM Towers now (sack out search and destroy bots they’re can’t be working properly).
At times, these Jersey boys are way out there like the crazy ‘Turquoise Flamingos’ but other times they’re on it like Graham Bonnet with the Beastie Boys vibe fest that is ‘Devil Dogz’ or when they take on a cover like blitzing ‘People Who Died’ they really do own the fucker.
Anyway let’s not get ahead of ourselves – rewind to opener ‘Hell No’ and it’s pure Crazy And The Brains with the whirling mesmerizing xylophone and the phat backbeat its a bright and blistering opener. ‘Feng Yuan’ is rockin’ as is the Strummer like ‘Fiesta’. The recordings benefit from the excellent production from fellow Jersey punk rocker and Bouncing Soul Pete Steinkopf.
I’m sure once you give yourself up to the likes of ‘Mine’ you’ll be hooked and wonder where the hell they’ve been all your grown-up life. What they have is special and I love it I won’t neglect CATB again and I’ll keep you posted on any new releases you can count on it. Pay em a visit and tell em RPM sent y’all.
Buy Into The Ugly Here
Author: Dom Daley
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