Mr. P. Reviews Dope Music
BAÏKI Releases New Single: “Les boites”
My first exposure to this song was just the pure audio, and it was a fun punk jam with a big chorus that I’d sing along too if only I knew the words. Good shit indeed. Then I watched the video with English subtitles, and I was even more taken with the song. Visually it looks like a kid’s TV show like Yo Gabba Gabba, but content wise, despite it’s humorous composition, it is actually sort of dark as the four actors in the video eventually rebel against the director and put him in his own box—ostensibly forever.
Friend Release New Single: “Bored To Death”
Friend is back with another rad ass single. I reviewed “All the Money in the World” back in October, and this song, “Bored to Death” is even better.
Strange Men Release New Single: “Hot Nights”
Strange Men had me from the get go with the dope opening riff and the screamed group vocals that remind me a bit of X if they were on some DIY tape recording during riot grrrls hey day in the 1990’s.
Twisted Limbs Release New Single: “Battery”
Twisted Limbs from Ottawa bring a dope mix of punk and grunge. Musically you’ve got muted guitar riffs with anguished vocals that build into a big chorus and even more cries for relief from the misery that occurs in life.
Frightwig Release New Single: “Redistribution of Wealth”
So I’m a little surprised this is the first I’ve heard of Frightwig. They’ve been around on and off since the 1980’s and could easily be considered forerunners of the riot grrrl scene that was part of my teens in the early 1990s.
Jersey Calling Releases New Album: Parasocial Security
Jersey Calling has released their new album Parasocial Security on all digital streaming platforms on 11/1/2023, and despite being from Jersey, it’s a kick ass collection of pop punk rockage! (Just kidding—Jersey’s okay…”if you like saxophones”!). Okay enough of me making with the jokes lets get to the review:
Mark Vennis & Different Place Release New Single: “Small Town Vampire”
The second I hit play on “Small Town Vampire” by Mark Vennis and Different Place, I was taken back to 1992 when I bought a two tape punk rock compilation with bands like The Vibrators, The Buzzcocks, The Members, The Adverts, etc. This band’s mix of brit pop with 70’s punk rock would have fit right in on those compilations.
Outerloop Releases New Single: “huracán”
First off, I have to acknowledge my own bias—not only is this a DC band which means I’m emotionally connected to where they are from, but I’m also going to be releasing a live album with them in 2024, so I already think their music is sick as fuck. With that being said, I’ve loved many a band or album and then been disappointed by subsequent releases, but that is not the case here in the fucking slightest.
Al'Tarba & Senbeï Release New Single: “Back Again”
This hits with my love of the Beastie Boys both their hip hop and their forays into hardcore punk. This French group mixes DJ Shadow, Fatboy Slim and Prodigy with classic 80’s style hardcore.
Irish Basement Releases New Single: Black Cat
Besides the fact that I love the Joy Division/Cure sound coming off this song, I was totally in as soon as I heard the lyrics talking about one of my favorite DC venues: The Black Cat! And mentioning Bmore is just an extra plus.
Crushing Planes Releases New EP: Odd Numbers!
Indie rock band, Crushing Planes, just released a new five-song EP, Odd Numbers, on all streaming services, and it’s totally worth a full back to back five or seven good listens. Hailing from Houston, this three piece mixes garage rock, grunge, punk and just straight ass rock n’ fucking roll into something for the whole family to love. Except your cousin George, and you know why, so don’t act like you don’t.
Heartbent Release New Single: “Agony”
Heartbent…are you a metal band? An emo band? A hardcore band? Oh…all of those huh. In one song? Okay. Let me hear it. hmmmm. Can I say one word: Fuck.
Dream Nails Release New Single: “Sometimes I Do Get Lonely”
“Sometimes I do Get Lonely” by Dream Nails is a little outside of my usual musical undertaking, as it doesn’t fit an easy description or within the boundaries of what is often considered “punk” but I just really dug the energy and emotion of this track of their new album Doom Loop.
Bradley Palermo & the Shadow Queens Release New Single: “Ash+Smoke”
I reviewed “The Devil Finds a Way” by Bradley Palermo and the Shadow Queens back in early October, and I became an instant fan. This new single off their “Satanic” folk punk album which became available on vinyl on 10/13/23 (Order it on Bandcamp), is another killer folk tune with a punk rock soul infused throughout.
pulses. Release New Single “Them Phones” (feat. JER)
It’s high energy and has a grab bag of all of your punk and ska sub genres in one fucking song.
Teenage Halloween Release New Single: “Melodrama”
Hells yeah! Stoked to review another Teenage Halloween song. I did one a review for Takeaway back in August and that was a banger. This one is just as rad. Definitely more on the Menzingers side of things. I could see this band ripping shit up a Fest and watching the crowd go all fucking fuck over their shit.
Bloomsfield Release New Single: “Moffat”
What if the Toy Dolls were a post-punk band on Dischord? Answer: Bloomsfield! What a great fucking band. The song is full of energy with great builds, a great breakdown and vocals that besides sounding like Toy Dolls even had a moment where they sounded like a British Jello Biafra.
Lost Legion Release New Single: “Dressed Up Like a Warrior”
You can tell a lot from a band by the influences they site. For a band like this that’s a collective of Chi punks that have been bringing it as if they were born during 1980’s, I’m lesson concerned with the classic punk bands they site such as Poison Idea, Black Flag and Agnostic Front and more concerned that they referenced a more recent band like End It—a favorite Bal-More band of mine and Lion’s Law who I admit I hadn’t heard of. What I mean to say is that people can reference the classics all day, but to see their real influence its always rad when they tout more recent and less known bands.
Tornādo Tornädo Release New Single: “Splinter Alone”
As you all know if you read my blog, I’m picky about my pop punk. Whether it’s the clapping in the middle or just the vocal delivery that reminds me a little of Atom and His Package, but this band made my pop punk cut.
Windley Releases New Single: “Uno Mas”
So as I say this next statement keep in mind that I enjoy the Menzingers, but I’m not a fanatic and don’t own a single album by them: This band is way better than the Menzingers (Sorry Jason—He’s my best bud that loves the Menzingers).