Ryan Cassata and The Top Surgeons Release New EP: This Machine Kills Transphobia
Released by the always dope record label, Kill Rock Stars, This Machine Kills Transphobia, is a poignant and powerful album worthy of the homage its title pays to Woody Guthrie. Ryan Cassata with band, The Top Surgeons, provide us an EP that is a dope mix of punk, folk, grunge, indie rock, and a pure fucking awesome.
"The Truth, The Life, The Way" opens with a Chuck Berry sounding riff before bouncing into a classic punk style riff which is then overlaid with vocals whose phrasing makes me think of traveling troubadours like Matt Pless, Austin Lucas or Mischief Brew. Lyrically it’s an attack on those who use religion to claim that they can save or change LGBTQ+ people. The song’s use of the Bible’s John 14:6 is a way to reclaim faith from Christian conservatives who use their faith as a way to keep others down.
"Queers to the Front" is my kind of track! It’s got a bit of a hardcore feel in its pacing and energy, but it’s also super melodic and catchy. It reminds me a bit of posicore bands from the early 2000’s like It Takes All Kinds whose singer later went on to be in I Object. Lyrically it’s not just denouncing homophobic and transphobic people, it’s also calling for action within the LGBTQ+ community. The time to move forward and demand change is now!
"This Machine Kills Transphobia (Burn the Cis-Tem)" has a more grunge feel to it in the beginning that reminds me a bit of L7 or Year of the Fist. As the title track to the EP, it’s a clear denunciation of transphobia but also of sexism with the “cis-tem”. Love the soaring backing vocals. My favorite part is that rad fill that happens just past the one minute mark. What does that rad fill sound like? Guess you’ll have to listen to find out.
"T4T" stands for Trans for Trans love, and it’s a celebration of that love and gives me a Bratmobile type of vibe. Clocking in at just under a minute this song is straight to the point and holds back nothing. It’s got a rad video below that they shot at Masseria Wave, a queer space in Lecce, Italy.
"What's With Straight Dudes Claiming They're Straight?" I love the energy of this as well as the pointed humor of the song. From what I can tell it seems to be calling out straight dudes who have sex with trans men but then still claim they are straight like they can’t adjust their own understanding of their more fluid sexuality and are stuck in binaries that their own actions demonstrate as false.
"Saturn is Returning" is a powerful song that has a cool ethereal and ambient part towards the end to break up the song. I admit that I had to look up the meaning of Saturn return, but unless I’m just reading the wrong info, it’s about that time in your life when you define or develop clarity about who you are.
Give them a listen and buy their shit on Bandcamp:
You can also check them out on their Spotify or on my Punk Playlist or my (Folk) Punk Playlist
Also follow them on IG, TikTok, FB, and check out their website!
And of course since I’m a live album vinyl record label, I had to find some dope live footage:
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