7" Vinyl                                        Reviews L-O

MAUDE Grace Beats Karma                                                                                                             

I'm not sure what you youngsters in with-it circles would call these guys, but I'll call it punk (if that's allowed?). In the groovy US tradition of early 7 SECONDS, late MINOR THREAT, or even mid-career SCREECHING WEASEL! 5 numbers, inc. lots of catchy riffs, 'wooahhh' backing vocals, and funky bass bits, all wrapped in a great 8-page                  booklet sleeve. An underrated classic platter (with a big centre 'ole) from the                           admirable Youth Power Records. 

ME FIRST & THE GIMME GIMMES In Your Barcalounger                                                 

Dunno who originally did these (Fire & Rain and You've got a Friend), but Fat Mike and the madcap boys certainly do 'em justice… This has got to be for the old obsessed  completist, as it's an expensive import, but we're floggin' it as cheap as possible! Seems a lot for a coupla' tracks, but hey, it's vinyl, it's manic & it's blinkin' good. This time, on Alternative Tentacles Records (howzabouta discount for the punx, eh, Jello?).   

MUTT Retro                                                                                                First release from Peter Bower Records which sold-out in a flash last time round and deservedly so. 4 utterly  brilliant tracks frighteningly reminiscent of BLITZ (circa "Voice of A Generation"). I cannot rave enough about this bunch who, sadly, don't seem to have done owt since. I can't say more than the BLITZ comparison but unlike second-rate imitators, this has a passion and power of all its own. Should become a classic under its own right in years to come, so get yer copy now and brag about it to the kids. Totally recommended.

NAILBITER/VIIMEINEN KOLONNA split EP

I first encountered Brazilian London-based 3-piece NAILBITER at a DISORDER gig in Tottenham and was fair blowed away, Olive! They have that same big-sounded appeal to me (oft breakneck, lapsing into slow & doomy) which you also gets with KURU, DREAD MESSIAH, THE RESTARTS and DISSOBER… Awesome, load & rumbling - 2 tracks. VIIMEINEN KOLONNA are, as the handle suggests, yet another band from Finland (why Finnish punks want to come to the UK is anyone's guess… it seems like every other person there is a punk… hmm, maybe that's why). What you gets are 5 stormers of a shorter, faster flavour; kinda POISON IDEA played by HIATUS. Yeah, I like that. 'Translations suck - learn Finnish' - I like that too.

Oi POLLOi Guilty                                                                                 

This is the greatest EP (even Deek thinks so!) by those near-legendary Scottish                      anarchopunks. Profane Existence rated it better than the last LP! 15 minutes of punk rock protest and cider-fuelled chaos at 33rpm. Songs: Guilty (political prisoner                            support), Break the Mould (how the media determines how we should look) +                            showstoppers Bash the Fash & John Major - F*ck You (speak for themselves, really). All wrapped in a 16-page booklet crammed full with lyrics, art & essential information.                                                                                                                             

Oi POLLOi Let the Boots do the Talking                                                                             

3 years after the release of "Guilty", the constantly touring international punk stars of the underground have finally come up with a worthy sequel! 5 raging tracks of undiluted anarchopunk anger and protest: It Doesn't Have to be Like This, the subversive Stay Alert, awesome anti-nazi title track, anti-police funding Threshers - F*ck Off and the cryptic F*ck the National Lottery. Over 13 minutes of powerful anti-system punk rock + 16-page booklet with info., addresses, photos, cuttings & 'free pull-out 'Dis-band' song generator'!                                                                                                                                           

Oi POLLOi T.H.C. 7" EP                                                                                                 

Do I really need to try & sell this to you? 4 storming tracks about                               sex'n'drugs'n'warfare: T.H.C., Sex with Strangers, Simon Weston & Meine Augen.                   Brilliant.   

100,000 BODYBAGS Last of the New Wave                                                                                                100,000 BODYBAGS sounds like they're some raging holocaust of noise, which couldn't be further from the truth! What the Welsh 3-piece power-pop-punk combo gives you are 2 gems harking back to such loverlies as GUNS'N'W*NK*RS, THE QUEERS, THE WILDHEARTS, APOCALYPSE BABYS and even shades of THE PIXIES. This is real, boppy, summertime punk, which you wanna play over and over again…

OVERFLOW The Worm 7" EP                                                                                                                                                                                               

This is great! 4 wonderful tracks from a gem of a DIY punk outfit from Croatia,                      released on Adam (of ZIPS & CHAINS zine) from Italy's Good Will Records. All sung'd in English, with a brilliant US style, very much akin to THE DOLPHINS (who were                       actually from Finland, but no matter, you know what I mean!). It's all tuneful stuff with ultra-catchy choruses, kinda Epitaph-esque and DESCENDENTS-ish, but don't panic, this is real DIY punk!                                                                                                                                               

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