There’s a moment at 1 minute 46 seconds into Taking A Fall, the second song of Coral Springs‘ Always Lost, Never Found, that made me realise that this album is a keeper. It is a brief, catchy breakdown that bounces along and radiates a feeling of pure joy. It’s not slow, or even particularly heavy, but goddamn does it elevate a good song into a great one. It’s the type of artistic genre-melding movement that New Found Glory produced in Not Without A Fight, but it’s applied with a more deft touch.
Coral Springs, despite their name, influences and general aesthetic, do not hail from So Cal, but rather the West Coast of the Netherlands. Cartological pedants amongst you might point out that most of the coastline in the Netherlands is technically west coast – that it doesn’t even have an East Coast – but that’s beside the point.
Why drive all day to play one set? The Human Project make a trip full of in-jokes and good times go quickly, en route to Coral Springs’ album launch in Leiden, Netherlands.
05:15 and I’ve accidentally set my alarm for 5pm, so Luke Yates, guitarist in The Human Project has to knock on my door to wake me up. I have one job (to get out of bed on time), and I’ve failed it.
It’s an early start, as are many of these trips. Loading merchandise into the back of a van at 5am, after staying in Luke’s spare room in Leeds the night before, I start considering why we bother. As a teenager, I imagined going on tour would involve a big Nightliner – a tour lorry with bunks beds, big screen TVs and a bar. As an adult I look forward to jumping in the back of a Mercedes Vito to travel in boredom for 10 hours, just to watch a band play for 30 minutes.
There’s an acceptance to it. It’s not glamorous, but it is fun. Luke jumps in the drivers seat of the van and we taxi round Leeds in the pre-dawn darkness to collect the rest of the band.
Sometimes punk rock goes through a drought. Other times, it’s a flood. February has been a tsunami of top-drawer punk rock records, more than we’ve been able to keep up with!
The hotly tipped debut album from London ‘regret-punks’ Burnt Tapes has received some sterling reviews in the weeks leading up to its release. Crafted over the last couple of years, Never Better builds on the solid melodic foundation of their EP Alterations (Shout Louder’s EP Of The Year 2017), harking back to older songs through fleeting lyrical references, while also developing the band’s sound into something greater and deserving of major appreciation. Continue reading “5 Hot New Punk Rock Releases You Should Be Listening To”
Now that we’ve completed our round-up of 2018 (check out our top albums, EPs, festivals and live bands) it’s time to look ahead of the future.
The DIY punk scene is thriving in Europe currently; it’s feels like we’re on riding the crest of a wave that’s growing into a tsunami. Online connections are enabling us to share recommendations and enthusiasm across continents, so word is spread quickly about exciting new acts.
It’s easy to find new music nowadays, however I’ve believe there are two methods that stand out above the others: watching support acts at gigs and listening to recommendations from your friends. In 2019, I implore you to get out and see as many new bands as possible. To get you started, here are Shout Louder’s top recommendations:
Wolfrik
Canadian thrashers Wolfrik are unlike any other band I’ve heard… although it’s safe to say they’re fans of Alexisonfire, A Wilhelm Scream, Protest The Hero and Belvedere. I’ve been keen to get their EP SkeletonCity into the ears of anyone I can find and, so far, everyone’s been bowled over by their awesome sound.
Fortunately Skeleton City also found its way to the ears of the Manchester Punk Festival promoters, who pretty much instantly added them to the bill. If Wolfrik are as good live as they are on record then they’re going to tear the faces off the whole UK punk scene when they arrive in England in April. Erring on the metal / rock end of the punk scale, they combine a variety of genres, but it’s all fast, raucous fun with a healthy dose of experimentation. Continue reading “7 Punk Rock Bands To Stalk In 2019”
What better way to while away a long Easter weekend than an indoor music festival with all your mates? The second iteration of Umlaut Records’ Dugstock festival is a diverse three-day line-up hosted at London’s New Cross Inn. Umlaut Records is a rapidly growing independent label that are integral to the London punk scene. They’re only in their second year so, if this is the sort of line-up they can pull off now, I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us in future.
I’ve been to plenty of gigs at New Cross, but this is the first time I’ve committed to three whole days, staying in the hostel above the venue. As I’m likely to be doing the same for Level Up and Polite Riot festivals later this year, I’m almost as keen to test out this festival-formula as I am to see the bands.
Some braincells were damaged in the making of this review.
Friday
Opening the weekend are Dirty White, a 3-piece that take influence from 90’s stoner grunge bands, although they bring the songs into a cleaner, more modern relief. The singer pulls off a Chris Cornell style that you don’t often hear. They go on to mix in some faster melodic punk songs – a gentle introduction to the weekend’s festivities.
There is already a reasonably good turnout for the Friday night, with a lot of hugs and catch-up chats exchanged. Things properly kick off with Dark Days, who provide vigorous, fun, melodic poppy punk. Guitarist, John Huffman, gets told off by the sound engineer for standing on the drum kit, so he capitulates and pulls out a high stool from the bar to stand on, before flaunting rock-star poses and writhing on the floor. Their sound contains a melee of references to current North American melodic punk bands, with an added dose of Kathleen Hanna inspired harmonies and a fuzzy, experimental guitar mess. They play a full-throttle cover of Nirvana’s Breed – the first of two Breed covers we’ll hear this weekend.
Kiss Me, Killer swagger on stage with a sexy, balls-to-the-wall riot grrl energy. Singer, Holly, steals the show somewhat as she cavorts wildly around the stage, as the band rages. She’s an excellent rock vocalist, which suits the hard-rock element in their sound It’s ferocious noise peppered with short bursts of rock ‘n’ roll guitar solos and enticingly sleazy bass lines. It’s infinitely dance-able from Rat Race to It’s Going Down (which actually sets off an alarm somewhere in the venue). As my friend eloquently shouts at me during the set, it’s also a pleasure to see, “Plentiful vaginas on stage.” Continue reading “Festival Review: Dugstock 2 @ New Cross Inn, London [30/03 – 01/04/2018]”
There is a huge amount going on in March! The biggest treats are over the Easter weekend right at the end of the month, but there is plenty to keep you warm until then.
Without further ado, these are our top picks for the month:
Gig of The Month: Dugstock 2
When: March 30th – April 1st
Where: The New Cross Inn, London
Who: Headliners include Counterpunch, Crazy Arm and The Murderburdgers
This stacked line-up in London has a bit of something for everyone. This is Umlaut Records now-annual celebration of all things fast and fun so , as you would expect, there’s a focus on melodic, upbeat skate-punk in keeping with their label sound.
There are plenty of Umlaut acts showcased on the bill, including Captain Trips, Coral Springs, Burnt Tapes, On A Hiding To Nothing and Strange Planes. I’m particularly excited for Coral Springs, as they’re bringing their anxious, poppy joy all the way from the Netherlands. There’s also plenty of technical melodic hardcore in the form of Fair Do’s, Almeida, Counterpunch and PMX. If you prefer things a bit more ‘punk’ there’s also riot grrls Kiss Me Killer, soon-to-be-gone noise merchants Revenge of The Psychotronic Man, Bogans, Billy Liar and Spoilers. You can even catch our favourites Nosebleed, who’ll be kicking the party into full swing on Saturday.
It is a really diverse line-up with plenty of fun for any punk rock fan. The variation in the bill means you can use this as a great opportunity to catch some new bands, or you can take a breather and grab some food if you need to. Pop in for a day or for the weekend – tickets available from Umlaut Records.
Old Town House Eastervaganza!
When: March 30th – April 1st
Where: The Old Town House, Warrington
Who: Headliners include Popes of Chillitown, Pizzatramp and In Evil Hour
The Facebook event promises that this gig will leave you, “mystified, mesmerized, terrified, exhilarated, enraptured, captivated and captured as we host a manifold carnival of some of the finest in high-octane punk rock, ska, hardcore, prog, funk and many more personalities to keep you moving, grooving, laughing, crying and lashing your heads backwards and forwards.” What more can you ask for? Continue reading “Gig Guide: Bands You Need To See In March”
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