Review: GG King - Joyless Masturbation 7”
By Zach Braun
Total Punk, an offshoot of Florida’s Dying label, has been living up to its name since their first couple of short-run, hand-stamped singles came out last year. These things are fast, cheap, and out of control, housing feral blasts of rock ‘n’ roll within flimsy white paper sleeves and plain black labels. My copy of this single, the latest from basement punk madman GG King, has the name of the former Carbonas singer affixed to the record with a label maker. Punk as fuck, right?
“Joyless Masturbation” is a lengthy choice for an A-side, a growling, nasty beast of a track with ranting vocals buried beneath nearly psychedelic guitar leads and endless repetition. It sounds just like its title, with four minutes of tension that evokes both the Wipers and Leatherface. On the flip, “Bag” is a more straightforward punk song, with a motoring bass line that pulls from classic southern California hardcore. Those (like me) who found the more out-there moments of King’s Esoteric Lore LP a bit of a slog will appreciate this more succint sample of what he has to offer.
Grab the 7” now from Florida’s Dying.
Track: Gary Wrong - Pollen Christ
By Zach Braun
Total Punk, an offshoot of the always interesting Florida’s Dying label, kicked off its existence last year with a stellar Personal and the Pizzas 45 and a simple vision: 7” singles from the cream of today’s garage punk scene with DIY-as-hell hand-stamped covers that hearken back to the Killed By Death era or the 90s heyday of Rip Off Records, depending on your frame of reference.
The first Total Punk release of 2012 comes from Gary Wrong, last seen plying his trade under the name Captain Beyonce with Hawkwind-inspired Alabama psych monsters Wizzard Sleeve. The A-side of Total Punk #05 is entitled “Pollen Christ”, and it turns away from the sprawling proto-punk jams of the Sleeve, tappping into a a tighter, nervier sound that recalls the scuzzy new-wave basement punk vibe of GG King’s Esoteric Lore LP. It’s all a blur of effects-laden vocals, crackling fuzz, and an insistent disco beat, and do I hear a touch of prime 80s Butthole Surfers in there? Good stuff. On the flip is a cover of Memphis garage rock super group Bad Times’ 2001 track “Streets Of Iron”, which adds woozy synth textures to the primal orginal. Stream both tracks below and head on over to Total Punk to grab the 7”.
Review: The Sleaze - Called You Once 7”
The current music scene of Minneapolis may leave a little more to be desired when it comes to local garage rock and punk. Minneapolis has had a respectable punk scene, even if most of it (aside from the Replacements and Hüsker Dü) seems to be cherished by so few outside the Midwestern states. Not unlike local stalwarts the Suburbs and the Suicide Commandos, the godfathers of the city’s punk scene, many of the area’s bands come intact an oddball sense of humor. The Sleaze are no exception, and luckily, they keep getting better. Having already released their Weird Truck 7” this year on Three Dimensional Records, they’ve moved on to this Called You Once 7”. From underneath the bug-eyed vermin on the cover comes a thick slab of light-hearted, shitty (in this case, a compliment), lo-fi, KBD-style punk rock. It’s a tiny bit less bratty than past affairs (search for the manic “Crush” and you’ll see what I mean), but “Called You Once” is arguably their best track so far—a snotty, balls to the wall punk song— and its b-side (“Retro Sexy Blue”) sees ‘em slowing down the tempo, but definitely not slacking on the great riffs. Pick it up from Florida’s Dying/Total Punk and enjoy a little slice of Midwestern madness. Here’s to hoping we hear more from these guys soon.
Review: Yussuf Jerusalem - Blast From the Past
By Bobby Moore
Yussuf Jerusalem, the brainchild of former Creteens and Jack of Hearts member Benjamin Daures, is back with a second LP of songs that show off a wide palette of influences, while somehow managing to flow together like tracks on a good album should.
Though the song titles might cause you to expect doom, gloom, and heartbreak, the band mixes in all types of emotions and borrows from numerous musical styles. While the metal-influenced “Evil Rise” sounds like it came from somewhere east of Scandinavia and south of Hell, it is followed by an upbeat, though hauntingly beautiful indie-folk song in “Through Winter’s Darkest Day”. From there, punk, garage, and even Celtic sounds are thrown into the mix. The next to last track, “You Broke My Heart in Two”, even sprinkles in a little spaghetti western twang.
Albums that display lot of different musical influences and styles (see the Black Lips’ 200 Million Thousand or, more famously, The Clash’s Sandinista) often seem less coherent than more focused albums by the same acts. Daures, with what began as a home recording project, has now proven on two albums that he has that rare knack for celebrating the highlights from his entire record collection without releasing jumbled messes.
Available now from Florida’s Dying.
Track: Hungry Gayze - Pins & Needles
Hungry Gayze are punk band based out of Orlando, FL. I don’t know too much about these guys, but their latest song “Pins & Needles” is definitely a ripper. It’s a disconnected piece that’s full of scuzzy, trashy punk rock that’s over so fast, you wonder what the hell just hit you. If their charm and that classy artwork above aren’t enough to steal you, you’re going to miss out on their upcoming 7” to be released on Florida’s Dying Records August 24th.
Review: Personal and the Pizzas - Dead Meat 7”
Not unlike a gang of pimple-faced kids possessed by the Ramones and the Stooges, there’s something charming and lovable about these New Jersey nerds. They’ve been known to use iconic imagery from the aforementioned bands and cover them in slabs of greasy pizza. With last year’s Raw Pie, we realized the no-brainer fact that punk rock nostalgia goes down especially smooth with a delicious pizza and a six-pack. If that sounds like a good manifesto to you, then Personal and the Pizzas could be your new best friend. They’ve released their latest tasty single on Total Punk and you can grab it here. Channeling a little bit of Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys, “Dead Meat” is easily my most played song of the year so far with its chunky riff. It’s simplistic, catchy, and everything a hooky punk/power pop song should be. On “Joanie,” the b-side, they’ve got a thing for the girl in question and sing about wanting to go down on her. The refrain of “Ooh-ooh I wanna be with Joanie” is reminiscent of the Ramones’ sweet “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” Punk rock, pizza, and beer… I mean, what more could you ask for? If you’re looking to indulge yourself in some old-school-styled punk, then dish yourself up a slice. (Note: I make no apologies for any corny sentences.)
Personal and the Pizzas - Dead Meat 7”
Image Credit: Florida’s Dying
Track: Gary With A Circle Around The A - Used Cars
Photo By Tammy Alaniz
If this guy looks familiar to you at all, it may be because you’ve seen him toting a zebra patterned bass rocking out with Personal and The Pizzas. Gary is the newest member of the Pizza family, and his interests include ritalin, chains, Hawaiin shirts, his own chest hair and 10w 40 for his mustache. In addition to all those things he also likes rock n’ roll, which we can clearly hear in his first single “Used Cars”. The track is similar to that of what the Pizzas are most known for, pumping rock songs with loads of humor. Unlike Personal, who mostly embraces The Ramones and The Stooges, Gary has taken notes from the likes of the Flamin’ Groovies and Thin Lizzy. The song is totally rockin’ and already has me wanting more! I’d gladly purchase a used 67’ Mercury Cougar with all 4 doors missing from Gary just to get some more of this!
Keep an eye out for “Used Cars” to be on a future release from new Florida’s Dying imprint Total Punk Records.
