Mr. P. Reviews Dope Music
Hidden Horizons Release New Single: “The Dark Crushing on Me”
Hidden Horizons is a “pop punk” and “skate punk” band from VA and VT. Their new single, “The Dark Crushing on Me” has some of that gothicy punk sound of AFI as well as old school Offspring — like the stuff they did when they were still on Nitro or Epitaph.
Calling Hours Release New Single: “Curtain Call”
Calling Hours first new single, “Curtain Call”, off their forthcoming vinyl release with Revelation Records is a great mix of 90’s Gainesville style punk a la Hot Water Music with some more modern sounds that could fit on a Turnstile set list.
The Snorts Release New Single: “Message on the Machine”
It’s pretty rare that I review a song by a band when I just reviewed a different song a month or so ago, but this song was so catchy, I had to give it some love. Super melodic pop punk without being too saccharine.
Mojiganga Releases New Single: Besos and Cervesas
The opening riffs and horn harmonies are catchy as fuck! Love the skacore growling vocals followed by the more punk melodic vocals. Oh yeah. These dudes are from 1995 when I graduated high school, and I would have sooooo been into that shit.
Friend Release New Single: “All the Money in The World”
This band called themselves “Goblin Punk” whatever the fuck that means. My initial instinct would be something related to AD&D or Lord of the Rings or maybe even Harry Potter. Listening to this music reminds me of none of those things, and while I love those things, I’m okay that they don’t try and do dragonlore based punk because this shit rocks without it.
E.P. Mattson Debut Single: “Automatic Ovulator” is out Now!
From the first chord of this rockin’ new song, I’m taken back to CBGB’s in the 1970’s with a distinct similarity to the New York Dolls with some bubblegum pop thrown in. Besides the obvious essentials in such a song i.e. the guitar, drums, etc. I really enjoyed the accented clapping, the scream and the moaning that certainly fits with this theme of some sort of physical intimacy.
Garland Green Releases New Single: “Baby Blue”!
Tasmania’s Garland Green (I hope they all wear Steve Buscemi masks) play some rad ass melodic skate punk with hints of metal of the type you might hear from Strung Out, Rise Against or A Wilhelm Scream.
The Jack Knives Release New Single: “The Time We Had”!
Every now and then I get to review a straight up rock n’ roll band albeit with some punk rock influences like Social Distortion but also similar to (folk) punk artists like Dave Hause, Chuck Ragan or Frank Turner but with also a very close resemblance to Bruce Springsteen or John “Cougar” Mellencamp (I’ll never drop the Cougar!), and I have to say its refreshing.
Villanelle Releases First Single: “Bury Your Halo”!
Villanelle is a new post hardcore band based mostly in NJ. I say mostly because I think one member is in CA’s Trip Kissing and this is another band they have started while in school in NJ. Incorporating but moving beyond Trip Kissing’s Riot Grrrl roots, Villanelle leans heavily into big chorus and powerful hooks of the posthardcore and emopunk world. It leans a little more toward the Evanescence side of things that I don’t always gravitate to, but this is just some dope ass shit.
Human Dinosaur Machine Releases New Single: “Ventilator”!
I don’t quiet no what to say about this band other than they fucking rock. I don’t know where Northern River is or what Northern Rivers punk rock normally sounds like, but this shit is dope. I’ll be honest, I’m supposed to just review this one song, but I did a dive into their Spotify and its just filled with fuck. Like absolute fuck.
Sweden’s Minimum Rage Release New Single: “One and One”
“On and On” by Minimum Rage opens with a “conversation” that reminds me a little of the opening of “Sour Grapes’ by The Descendents. The rest of this song is a rad mix of dirty gnarly punk rock n’ roll.
Pkew Pkew Pkew Release New Single “Farside Bathroom”!
I have so many questions. The minute I heard the title about the a “Farside Bathoom” I was taken back to my favorite comic strip next to Calvin and Hobbes i.e. The Farside. So was this song about reading The Farside in the bathroom? If so, I could 1000% relate. As the song plays, I realize the the Farside is a place with a bathroom covered with comics, if the image on their social media is accurate, there is an old G.I. Joe comic in there which is perfect for a band named Pkew Pkew Pkew. (On a side note, I had to dig out my old G.I. Joe vs. Transformers where G.I. Joe killed Bumblebee who later returned as Goldbug—ah memories).
Self-Described Latin Riot Grrrl, Karen Dió, Release New Single, “So Funny”!
Brazil’s Karen Dió mixes a healthy does of early 90’s alternative a la Veruca Salt with mid 90’s pop punk and just a touch of pure infectious rock n’ roll. Karen’s newest single, “So Funny” is the sort of anthem I could hear any of my past students or my daughter belting out loudly alone in their room or even better a live concert.
Reefeater Releases New Song: Patriot!
With a band name like Reefeater, I’m not inherently looking for a serious song since I take the name as either relating to weed i.e. reefer or to surfing/scuba/beach shit. But this song speaks to my soul. I’m a former social studies teacher who is getting his PhD with a focus on social justice and one of my big areas of study is the effects of uber patriotism that borders or spurns outright into nationalism vs. a reflective patriotism that focuses on acknowledging the failures of the past and present and working to achieve the aspirational ideals that might exist which is heavily related to the lyrics of this song.
Red Kate Release New Single, “Home of the Slave”!
When I was 16 in 1992, I picked up these two comps on tape: Faster Louder Hardcover Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 with bands like D.O.A., M.D.C., DYS (No they weren’t all acronym bands) , The Subhumans (Canada), Zero Boys, and more—you can look the albums up on Discogs if you want to know the rest. Anyway…the point of my intro is that this band would fit right on that comp. It’s got that 80’s hardcore punk sound and the lyrical topic fits right there with D.O.A., M.D.C. and The Subhumans (either of them).
Out Control’s New Single, “Apocalyptic Calamity” is Out Now!
Another rad Aussie punk band! The last one I did was La Familglia and then there was From the Other Side. Glad to keep getting this stuff. Makes me want to visit Australia more and more. The more punk bands I know, the more chances I can catch a rad show at least one night of the vacation—and these dudes would be great to see.
Dryerfire’s New Single, “Brain Rot”, is my anarcho punk song of the month!
Dryerfire is my kind of hardcore punk - raw, fast, aggressive and yet somehow still catchy while also fueling my soul with righteous anger from their anarcho lyrics all the while causing me to somehow still smile because the song is so fucking fuck!
A.N.J.A.’s New Single “Stimulation” Hits You So Good in The Right Spot, that You’ll Feel Almost a Little Bad about How Good it Feels!
My wife and I couldn’t get a sitter tonight, so we couldn’t travel into the city to see L7. As such, I’m stuck at home, and I’m gonna dig in and enjoy A.N.JA. - a garage rock, grunge, torrent of awesome that reminds me at least a little of L7 and other riot grrrl-esque bands while also throwing in some horror punk and maybe even touches of pyschobilly a la The Cramps.
Germany’s Blast Bomb Brings the Proverbial “Hammer Blow” Down with Their New Single!
About 20 years ago, my old harDCcore band did a tour throughout Germany and other parts of Eastern Europe. We were a three piece, so we brought a two-piece band with us not knowing that most nights only two bands played, so I’ve always felt robbed of getting to experience all of the possible Germany, Slovakian, etc. bands that I could have seen. Hearing this brings that pain back but in a good way. Pain in that this is the sort of band I wish we had played with each night but sadly didn’t, and good in that I have found a new band across the pond to fucking enjoy.
Soul Meets Body hailing from the DC/Bal-more scene liken themselves to PUP, Taking Back Sunday and Jeff Rosenstock which makes sense to me, but what I heard reminded more of The Max Levine Ensemble and even a touch of Operation: Cliff Clavin/Disarm/Devil Is Electric and maybe a touch of Run Rabbit Run or Escape from the Zoo. In other words it’s got the Folky pop punk emo sound that DC often generates, and I could see them being on Planet X records back in the day.