So here it is boys and girls, the seventh (or eighth if you include the ‘Hooray! Hooray!’ compilation) studio album from those lovable punk rock anti-heroes Dirt Box Disco and it’s also their first since the departure of singer Weab.

With news of the frontman’s decision to leave the Disco sending shock waves through the punk rock community back in early 2019 masked guitarist and songwriting dynamo Spunk Volcano decided (with the help of his bandmates; Maff Fazzo on drums, Deadbeat Chris on bass and Danny Fingers on guitar) that the time was right for him to step forward and grasp the microphone with both hands and ‘TV Sex Show’ is the result.

I guess some of you will probably be thinking, “oh it’ll just sound like Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions now”, and yes, on one of two occasions like on the foot to floor mosh pit fight starter ‘VDTV’ and (the first of two bonus tracks on the CD version) ‘Tizwatitiz’ you might have a point, as both of these tunes could (to my ears at least) very easily have been written as Eruptions songs. But, and this is huge BUT, within the context of the fourteen songs (there’s twelve on the vinyl) on ‘TV Sex Show’ this is still very much a Dirt Box Disco record.

Kicking off with ‘Unstoppable’, this a song that is destined to be an immediate live hit. It actually reminds me in many ways of ‘Rum & Cola’ from the band’s ‘Are You Ready?’ EP released back in 2011. It’s a rousing call to arms, a song of solidarity, and a clear message that Dirt Box Disco are not going to be messed about with almost a decade into their career.

‘Insomniac’ which is up next is where ‘TV Sex Show’ really shifts up through the punk rock gears though, and coupled with the trademark Volcano/Fingers six string chugger that is ‘Barebones’ I have to admit that after thinking I might well me doing a Judy Collins by now and asking “where are the clowns?, send in the clowns”, I’m not, and this has to be down to the strength of the songwriting with the likes of ‘I Want Out’, ‘Reminisce’, ‘3 Bottles Down’ and ‘Bitch Full of Stitches’ being some of the catchiest songs the band have ever recorded, and I’m not joking when I say that the Disco sound positively supercharged during the likes of ‘Dickhead And Hype’ and album closer (well if you have the CD anyway) ‘Wake Up’.

There are a couple of tunes that I’ve still yet to fully get my head around, namely ‘The Count of Monte Cristo Lives in San Francisco’ which whilst insanely catchy still has the ominous spectre of ‘Reminisce’ looking over its shoulder, and the same could be said of ‘Ain’t Life Grand’ which is the LP closer that has me thinking I’ll have to buy the CD too just to hear ‘Wake Up’ which really is this set of songs very own ‘Dirtbox Days’.

It would have been all too easy for Dirt Box Disco to have called it a day after Weab left, but it is to Spunk, Maff, Danny and Chris’ credit that they have risen to the challenge by releasing their strongest set of songs since their err.. legendary 2012 album ‘Legends’. So, my advice to everyone is get off your arses check it out sharpish. Pre-sales for ‘TV Sex Show’ are live right now via and if you want to secure one of the mega limited 500 only vinyl LPs you best get your skates on and get clicking the linky.

 

Buy ‘TV Sex Show’ Here

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Author: Johnny Hayward

 

Released on April 4th those Motherfuckin’ Motherfuckers are at it again this time with a coloured 7″ EP containing four blasts of punked-up Garage Rock and Fuckin’ Roll.

Its three originals and another cover this time it’s ‘Crash Landing’ from the Violent Femmes.  There are only 170 of these bad boys available on coloured vinyl so be quick or be left out in the cold paying silly money on some record auction site in the months to come. Don’t say we didn’t warn ya.

Who are they you say? Four members of two of your favourite bands The Hip Priests and Bitch Queens from Shit Island and Basle Switzerland respectively. after their initial EP that was Fuelled by hangovers, More Lager, Nicotine, Bread and Cheese they tossed out six glorious sonic slices of Primetime, Pedal to the motherfuckin’ metal Overdriven, OD1 Scandi garage noise – smashing strings, skins and yellin’ as if their bullshit lives depended upon it. It was so good they reconvened and did it again first releasing the follow-up single ‘Trillion $ EP’ and now this ‘Dance Motherfucker EP’  so what are you waiting for get on it.

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ANVIL have released their new music video ‘Legal At Last’, the title track from their upcoming album. “Legal At Last is our way of telling the public: ‘It’s okay, Anvil are okay, you’re allowed to like us at last!’ ”states Lips.

‘Legal At Last’ will be released via AFM Records and the album will be available as digipak, digital, black vinyl and some limited colored vinyl.
ANVIL got busted, back then when they were touring in Nebraska & this is what their new pounding and powerful single is about. The reason?

When it comes to virtues such as endurance, unconditional commitment and a thoroughly down-to-earth attitude, Anvil are the measure of all things. Like few other metal acts, the band surrounding founding members Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow (vocals, guitars) and Robb Reiner (drums), plus bassist Chris Robertson have earned their laurels of blood, sweat and tears.

Since their 2009 documentary film The Story Of Anvil which revealed the unvarnished truth about the music industry, the world has been aware that the day-to-day life of most musicians doesn’t consist of MTV Awards, Grammy ceremonies, red carpets, champagne and caviar but mainly of energy-sapping tours with little sleep, junk food and meagre earnings. Yet these difficult conditions have made Anvil what they are today: a band that stands rock solid in the turbulent waters of a musical genre that produces music like no other, by fans for fans.

So Robb Reiner refers with a sense of justified pride to Anvil’s latest release Legal At Last simply as “one more Anvil album”. Because quotes such as this show that the band has
survived despite all adversities, losing none of its musical style or sense of reality. Kudlow, Reiner or Robertson would never use clichés such as “harder, faster, louder” or attempt to present their own accomplishments as superhuman feats. Robb Reiner is right: Legal At Last is simply an impressive new statement by a band that stands for the same values in 2020 as it did when it was first launched in autumn 1978.

This new album is very special to Anvil: “Legal At Last is mainly about two things,” Reiner explains, pointing to the cover artwork with a grin. “We celebrate the legalisation of the Anvil bong because Canada changed its marijuana laws last year, which means we no longer sail close to the wind all the time. That’s why the album title announces that Anvil are legal at last.
Our fans have always known that, but the public at large treated us like criminals for a long time.” 
Kudlow adds: “Legal At Last is our way of telling the public: ‘It’s okay, Anvil are okay, you’re allowed to like us at last!’”

Kudlow is referring to songs which highlight Anvil’s great creative power. Be it the steam hammer flair of the title track, the unmistakably tongue-in-cheek ‘Nabbed In Nebraska’ with its driving mid-tempo groove which brings to mind the Anvil classic ‘Metal On Metal’, the critical undertones of ‘Plastic In Paradise’, the doomy orientation of ‘Said And Done’ and ‘Gasoline’, or fast and hard numbers such as ‘No Time’, ‘Chemtrails’ and ‘Food For The Vulture’: Anvil always get to the core of their characteristic sound. Which also applies to ‘I´m Alive’ and ‘Bottom Line’ – both rock numbers in the best sense of the term – and the comparatively catchy ‘Glass House’.

Talking of sound: For the first time in a career that spans more than forty years, Anvil have worked with the same producer on three consecutive albums. Like its predecessors, Anvil Is Anvil (2016) and Pounding The Pavement (2018), Legal At Last was produced by Martin ‘Mattes’ Pfeiffer (U.D.O., among others). Jörg Uken was in charge of mix and engineering at his Soundlodge studio in Rhauderfehn, Germany, where Pounding The Pavement was also finalised. Says Kudlow: “As a band, you need to surround yourself with people who share the same passion and commitment. Martin and Jörg have both, that’s why we make a perfect team.” And that’s exactly what every single note on Legal At Last oozes!

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Ladies & Gentlemen!

Bitch Queens can take a break when they’re old! For now, here’s the second Single with video off they’re still steaming hot and brand new Album – It’s “Süperböy”!
A beautifully ironic Clip with pictures larger than life, a stadium-sized hookline and a completely new facet for the the death-punk bitches from Basel. The lyrics are as usual on point, reckoning with all the bullshit artists surrounding us day in and day out.
Enjoy the video

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2m2pPon
Website: http://www.bitchqueens.com
Shop: http://bitchqueens.bandcamp.com/merch

The Kritikal Beatdown continues as Black Gladiator and Slovenly Recordings present the second album from Athens via Crete dynamic duo HAND & LEG. The new LP is called “Lust In Peace” and it advances the post-punk infused concoction of blazing garage and art-driven destructo-rock as established on their grinding debut. Murky shades of sexual negativity plow forth with the help of white-hot distortion, alternating between soul-crushing fuzz bass dirges, ungodly squalls of noise, and occasional playful rhythmic rituals that offer brief respite from the saturation of musical sadism.” 

That’s the labels blurb taken care of as we turn up the speakers to furniture shaking levels to get the full experience of this headfuck of a record. after ‘Faux’ sort of give you a peek behind the curtain its ‘Softyhead’ where shit gets interesting as we get the ying and yang of the garage rock clashing head-on with the post-punk grind but that’s only the aperitif for ‘L.I.P’ (fuck knows what’s going on here) but its loud and I mean LOUD! as the guitar fuzz hacks and slashes whilst the vocals are Numan like monotonous and flat in their delivery until the chorus when things sound like a nuclear reactor gone out of control.

This album twists and turns as it tries to find a comfortable place whilst scratching at the listener.  I daren’t ask what the lyrical content is about I’d rather just enjoy the noise pouring out of my speakers.  Take ‘Grave Gravy’ for instance its creeps into existence and your just waiting for the breakout but its more subtle than that or so you think.

At times this ten-track assault on the ears can be a challenge as the brain struggles to cope with the audio bombs going off left right and centre and the duo revel in the attack. ‘Shoplift’ doesn’t sound like a good experience and not a soundtrack you’d have liked playing whilst fingering the pick and mix in woolies.  Having said that ‘Peter Pancake’ is someone we’d all like to get to know.  Iro and Stelios have delivered a post-punk garage meets art-rock album that will fuck with you play after play. I’m guessing they like to fuck with the listener but with a cheeky wink here and there and some serious ringing in one’s ear.  The art rock crowd of the lower east side would have been all over this one and a perfect touring partner for VU has finally arrived decades too late ho-hum check out hand and leg the crazy fuckers.

Author: Dom Daley

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