BAD NEWS
Do the Dead / Do You Love Me 7”

Italian garagerock in a Cramps kinda way. Two guitars and drums. One original and a cover of the Contours “Do you Love me”, which of course has been covered way too many times. They do an okay take on it but you just can’t help thinking that they would’ve been better off with something else to cover. “Do the dead” is an okay song but nothing too memorable.

(Thomas)
Psych-out Records

 

BLACK LIPS
Katrina / Italian Sexual Frustration 7”

The onslaught of Blips singles continues, and I can’t say I don’t like it. I mean, you obviously already have “Katrina” but what a fucking song that is. It deserves it’s own space on a 7” and the b-side is cool too, an outtake from the latest LP. A sped up, punky little ditty about just what the title says. Not the most memorable of their songs, but cool. P

(Thomas)
Vice

 

CRETEENS
Cocksucker 7”
4-track Blues 7”

One of the best European bands around. Reatards-style punkrock from this French wunderkid with band. And when I say Reatards-style I mean it kinda sounds like the Reatards but is done more than well enough to stand on it’s own. Both 7”s has three new hits and this band should be unmissable for those that love bands like Oblivians and Reatards/Jay Reatard. Check ‘em out for chris’sakes.

(Thomas)
Boom Chick Records
Contaminated Records

 

DEAD CLODETTES
Flou / La Sueur Coule 7”

New French garagerock by three girls. Very simple and sung in french. Not terribly exciting unfortunately. A bit too stiff and unrocking.

(Thomas)
Trashmondain Records

 

HAUNTED GEORGE
Pile o’ Meat LP

Easily one of last years best records and Haunted George has to be the biggest breakout of the year. Prolific like no other and with a quality control that’s out of this world. Haunted George is of course Steve Pallow from the Necessary Evils and the Beguiled, and here he’s gone one man band and mixes horror, country, blues and sci-fi into an excllent mix of garagerock. Very similiar to what both his abovementioned bands did but in a new way and “Pile o’ Meat” is awesome and a must-have. Buy this!

(Thomas)
Hook Or Crook

 

HEARTATTACKS
Stay Away 7”

Their prenultimate release I guess. They have another one out on Plastic Idol that will probably be their last. Don’t miss their last liveshow with Cococoma & Headache City in Stockholm february 22/2008. Here’s three more patented punkrockers by the Heartattacks, Sweden’s best punkrock? Yeah, I think so.

(Thomas)
ken Rock Records

 

HIBACHI STRANGLERS
Our City Doesn’t Stink All the Time 7”

Kinda Angry Samoans influenced, maybe throw in some Aussie stuff too. Pretty cool. Crappily recorded but with a lot of energy. For fans of Final Solutions for example.

(Thomas)
Florida’s Dying

 

JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
Jukebox Explosion LP

The band that got me into r&r. And what can I say.. I’m in awe of how great this shit still is. It doesn’t sound a bit dated even though some of this stuff hearkens back to the early 90’s. Explosive (of course) rock and roll is what you get in the trademark Blues Explosion style. This is the five jukebox edition singles on ITR and some assorted hard to get stuff. Perfectly fit together on this comp that actually sounds like the missing link between “Crypt-style” and “Now I Got Worry“. Fucking awesome stuff. If you haven’t heard their version of “Son of Sam” for instance – then you must buy this.

(Thomas)
In The Red Records

 

KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW
S/t DBL-LP

I love these two guys! And even though this is the third version I own of this same LP I still find it exhilarating to listen to again and again and again. This version sounds great, you get some bonus tracks (from the Goner and Hazlewood albums) as well as an extra lp of unreleased Factory sessions recorded in Berlin. I’m not gonna claim that these are indispensible but if you love the Show then you’re gonna want to own this too. And the extra tracks on the regular LP just makes it even better. Now I’m just gonna hafta buy another copy of this album so’s I can cut out all the stuff I need to play the game that’s included in the gatefold. Beautiful package!

(Thomas)
In The Red Records

 

LUIS & THE WILDFIRES
Brain Jail LP

Rockabilly without sounding retro? And fucking great rock and roll? When was the last time you heart that? Look no further. First issued on Californaia’s Wild Records then snagged by Norton for glorius vinyl release. Four hispanics outta California I think.. they’re just out to rock and roll and while they seem to sport all the rockabilly grease that the retro-scene does they just skip over almost all the trappings. Going for a wild, furious approch to their rockabilly and not going for any sort of retrosound. This is just wild over the top vocals, trashy guitars and awesome songwriting. I can’t recommend this enough to everybody out there. Forget your preconceptions of the genre. Cause that’s what Luis & the Wildfires does and that makes it fun for everyone!

(Thomas)
Norton Records

 

MAHARAJAS
In Pure Spite CD

They’re kind of Sweden’s answer to a lot of 60’s and 60’s inspiredbands but the one they remind me most of is the Swingin’ Neckbreakers. Not the wild stuff but the slower and more rock-stuff. And it’s pretty good too. Now, this isn’t my fave kinda style but some of the songs are really good, the production is cool and the performance is above par so yeah, if you’re into this kinda music, or liked the Maharajas earlier records, then i think you’ll dig this too.

(Thomas)
Low Impact

 

MAKEOUTS
Street Tonight / Still Love You 7”

Radio Obligato continues to bring you Stockholm bands on black 7” vinyl. This is the Makeouts second single (first one on Bachelor). They’re growing by leaps and bounds and heading toward their own sound more and more. This single is kicking their debut’s ass bigtime. The songs are great might have benefitted by some tweaking here and there. Although I do love the rawness this radiates of. For those that haven’t heard them, they’re sorta taking their cues off the Spaceshits but infused with the Black Lips and King Khan & BBQ Show. Great garage rock’n’roll!

(Thomas)
Radio Obligato

 

NOVELTIES
Instead of a Hug 7”

An assortment of ex-band people out of Stockholm join forces for some stoopid punkrock a’la Spits, ’77 punk and budgetrock. Some cool and fun stuff some swenglish and some that I don’t dig at all, like “Miniskirt” which is just boring. Keep it shorter and a little faster and I’ll prolly hop on board.

(Thomas)
Ken Rock Records

 

PLEASURE KILLS
Smash up the Radio / Over and Over 7”

Powerpoppy stuff kinda akin to what MOTO’s doing. Nice female vocals, good production and all in all okay stuff but somehow it fails to really grab me. Maybe it’s just my problem with this stuff not going wild enough for my primitive tastes. This is nice and catchy and all but shit, I need it to cut loose and just go wild and crazy. More guitars, faster and some screaming would have done it. Punk it out!

(Thomas)
Polypore Records

 

TRASHIES
Fartstorm? 7”
Blue Tarp 7”
What Makes a Man get Trashed? LP

Stoopid monotonous mid-tempo punkrock. Doing what the Spits does in a way. And the Spits does it better, even if I don’t love the Spits either. Okay musicwise, funny? Yes. But definitely not rising to any heights. “Nuke ‘em” is the hit on the Ken Rock single. The Rehab one is a bit wave-ier and darker/moody. The b-side is okay but nah, still not my cup of tea. The LP is better, has better songs and sounds more coherent. More like a concept. Better recordings too.

(Thomas)
Ken Rock Records
Rehab Records
24/7 Records

 

V/A BLACK LIPS / KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW
Merry Christmas 7”

An absolutely classic x-mas single. The Black Lips turn in the best x-mas song since Bing Crosby and the Show turn in a delicious little instrumental tune. This is single you’re gonna wanna be spinning every x-mas from now on!

(Thomas)
Norton Records

 

V/A SICK OF BEING SICK LP

Comp of mostly Italian punkrock and garage. Falls a bit short on the information bit but I know for sure that Sonny Vincent isn’t Italian and he’s on here so there might be more that.. This is on an Italian label and feels kinda like a presentation of the scene. There’s a bunch of the more prolific bands on here and some that I haven’t heard before. The Tunas,  Movie Star Junkies and Honey Don’t are the standouts and a few more might make the cut but all in all, a kind of redundant comp I’d say. Good for checking out the scene but not much more..

(Thomas)
Primitive Records

 

V/A BLONDSAI / THEE LEXINGTON ARROWS 7”

Blondsai is punk with female vocals, nothing too exciting. Sounds very 90’s. Doesn’t grab me and the music sounds like any punkband could’ve done it. Lexington Arrows is more garagerock but kinda boring too, the tempo is too low and the sound really boring. Think Headcoatees but muddier and lacking the flair.

(Thomas)
Raped By Records

 

V/A LAMPS / HAUNTED GEORGE 7”

Excellent tour single from two of my fave bands. Trashy loud garagerock. Lamps cover Haunted George’s “Gonna Lynch U” and HG cover the Lamps “Ron Campbell”. Lamps is dirty as fuck and loud and nasty just how I like ‘em. HG’s version is slower and stompier. Really nice, might even outdo the original. It’s like it was made for him. Great single!

(Thomas)
In The Red Records (available only on their website)

 

WILD BILLY CHILDISH & THE MUSICIANS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
Christmas 1979 7”

My introduction to Billy’s new band featuring the drummer of the Buff Medways and his wif on bass. And it’s really great stuff. Pounding hard and of course it sounds exactly like Billy’s stuff always do. Here’s two fucking awesome songs on green vinyl (also available on red) that you need to hear. Hard as hell lyrics about girls leaving and drunken fathers on x-mas. “Christmas 1979” is slow, creepy one and “Ho Ho!” is a real pounder.

(Thomas)
Damaged Goods