REVIEW: BELLA WRECK - s/t LP

BELLA WRECK – s/t
LP | Mirabella Wreckchords | 14 Songs - 36:04 minutes | www.facebook.com/bellawreckberlin

Well, it seems kinda bigmouth if you start your promo-sheet with a sentence like "Finally!! Berlin has a REAL rock'n'roll band!!!" But fortunately BELLA WRECK can keep the high expectations.

The four guys in BELLA WRECK are no newbies for the Berlin rockband-scene - they all did their duty! And for example guitarist Jens played in GODS OF BLITZ, which I saw live a few times back then and surely recognized the RADIO BIRDMAN tattoo on his arm. And here he is again with BELLA WRECK, throwing a good part of this like-minded wild 70ies-Aussierock in the caldron, mixed up with STOOGES-spiced proto-Punkrock, NYC-retro-Glam from the NEW YORK DOLLS/HEARTBREAKERS kitchen and lots of Powerpop, Rock'n'Roll and Garage! Oh, and if you love the later HELLACOPTERS you will definitely like BELLA WRECK, too!

The recipe might not be the newest but BELLA WRECK definitely got the skills to perform it the right way! This sound is screaming for party, beershowers, sweat-soaked shirts, headbangin' and dance-wrecked shoes! Just check out wild crackers like "Fun" or catchy hit-tunes like "1000 Years" or "Trash" - it's perfect service! Punk'n'Roll for the lovers, not the fighters, uff course... ;)

By the way: it's a vinyl-only release - oldschool, no CDs, no downloads! Check it out!
(Bernd)

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REVIEW: The CRY - Dangerous Game LP

THE CRY! – Dangerous Game LP
LP | Taken By Surprise | 10 Songs

I was introduced to THE CRY! in early 2012 when I stumbled across the then-digital only release of their "s/t" debut album. Delivering twelve power pop tracks in the EXPLODING HEARTS vein I was completely blown away by their songwriting skills and impeccable delivery. Well, two years have passed and the band have just finished up recording their second album and had the courtesy of sending me a promo, to which I'm much obliged.

Kicking off with the B.T.O.-esque "Discotheque", the band launches into ten tracks of perfectly written power pop gems with a healthy dose of rock'n'roll, garage and glam thrown in for good measure - and there's even some shuffle to boot! Influences intact I still hear a band that's matured and have taken their songwriting skills to a whole new level. Somehow this affair got me thinking of THE CLASH circa "Give 'Em Enough Rope" - not that they sound anything like it, but I can sense a similar development of their sound as touring, writing and gigging made them gel as a band that in a similar manner let their influences shine through without aping anyone.

The end result is a true party album with ten consecutive hits, a great sounding effort delivered with sweat and passion and every time it ends I find myself wanting to hear more - the tell-tale sign of a truly great record. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if this made Best of 2014 lists towards the end of the year. A+. Get it => release-date: March 1, 2014. (Magnus Sellergren)

REVIEW: Wau Y Los Arrrghs!!! - Todo Roto LP (Slovenly Recordings)

WAU Y LOS ARRRGHS!!! – Todo Roto
LP, CD | Slovenly Recordings | 12 Songs - 30:32 minutes

You know it's true: In the garage(punk)-scene there's so much talking about being "wylde" and "crazy" but in 80 or 90 % of all cases you just get lame farts with all those silly revival-bands. Honestly, nothing is more boring than this cocktail-sipping pseudo-elitist bourgeois retro-Garage-scene with their hipster sixties-weekenders ... bah, stay away from me!

But thank god (or Beelzebub) that there are still some restless and nihilistic Kaputtniks like WAU Y LOS ARRRGHS around!!! "Todo Roto" is the third full-length by these mad Spaniards and I already loved them for their two previous albums! For this album these rampage-brothers added a rampage-sister (on the organ) to their line-up and of course they did a new killer-record!!!

Well, it's hard to describe ... you know, Spanish rock'n'rollers are somehow famous for snorting certain white powders through their noses. If you don't take it for the nose but the ear, these 12 tunes react in your acoustic organ like a sonic first-class powder-delivery from Colombia! I hope you can follow my weird description attempts, errrrm, haha...

Right from the first song it sounds as if there's a horde of maniacs fled from an Iberian mental hospital. The raw rhythm-section pushes forward a raging guitar-fuzz-thunderstorm, accompanied by the trashy squealing of the Farfisa organ. Well, some call it "garagepunk", I think their frontman Juanito Wau once called it "Lamento Punk". And above it all there's of course this incredible voice of Juanito again - every time I hear it I'm deeply impressed how a single man can squeeze out such insane sounds out of his body! He really sounds like a weird mixture of Jerry "nutty professor" Lewis, the incredible Hulk, Chris Barnes on acid, and a warlock on the stretching-rack of the Spanish Inquisition, with sheer madness dripping from his tongue! One of the craziest vocalists in the world! He even released a solo-EP once, where he appears as a "one-mouth-band" and "plays" every instrument with his mouth/voice. Sounds weird? It totally is, haha!!!

The dozen of new hits is sung again in the band's native language. Well, my Spanish is a little rusty but if I try to do correct interpretations of the songtitles they deal with rotten fruits, rescues for Greece, corvids, bad manners, house, job, car, and death and of course destruction in general. The usual stuff, haha... The song "Rescate Griego" even picks up the Wu-Tang-"Gravel Pit" hook, I'm going crazy! Even though I do not know, where the WU TANG CLAN has stolen it, haha ...

To sum it up: once again a blast of a album by WAU Y LOS ARRRGHS!!! Extra points for the cool comic cover, I like that. I got a pretty digipak-CD for the review but "Todo Roto" is of course a record that I would buy again on the royal vinyl-format, without thinking twice about it! It's really a shame that I've never seen this band live, but on their tours they always leave out Germany. This has to change immediately!!! Alemania se ha roto! (Bernd)

REVIEW: THE KIDNAPPERS – Pills 7" (Secret Mission Records)

THE KIDNAPPERS – Pills
7inch | Secret Mission Records | 3 Songs

Alright, THE KIDNAPPERS gotta new slab o' wax here. Very nice, coz u know they are not the busiest guys around when it comes to new releases, hehe... I got this 7inch from their drummer who gave it to me at a drinking-party in our home-county Emsland as a X-Mas-gift. Thanks bro, but vinyl and alcohol aren't good companions, haha... Don't worry, the record is still playable, but I won't say that the cover still has a "mint condition", d'oh...

But well, I'm not the biggest collector-nerd in the world, I take care for the music! And the KIDNAPPERS-dudes deliver three nice new tunes here. Even though they weren't actually "new" for me, coz I witnessed the rehearsal sessions about one year ago, where they first practiced those songs. If you understand German you can read it on my other blog, just click HERE. If you don't understand German - well, there are still some vids of the very first rough versions of those songs on that blog-page.

Hmm, I've been at that first rehearsal ... but why didn't they put me on the thanx-list for spiritual guidance? Jerks! One point off, gentlemen! But anyhow, this is of course a great record in the best KIDNAPPERS-tradition. Finest snotty, simple and catchy Punkrock with a nice dash of Powerpop (maybe a little bit reduced to the latest releases, but still there). So, if you wet your pants if you hear names like RAMONES, UNDERTONES, RIP OFFS or TEENGENERATE, you know what to do! Well, what am I tellin' ya... You can't go wrong with a band that has burkas, trendy kinds of sport, naked men and Swabians in there videos. Watch it and get yourself the EP!
(Bernd)

P.S.: I'm also looking forward to those other releases that are announced on Secret Mission Records. Great stuff to come!

CRKO Fanzine #3/4 (double-issue) - incl. 7inch by STRANGE ATTRACTOR (2013 and beyond...)

CRKO Fanzine #3/4 - double-issue (Still available, write a mail if you want one!)
Includes the "Beat on the Bratwurst" 7inch by Canada's STRANGE ATTRACTOR
The 7inch is a cooperation with P.Trash Records, thanks for that!
Published in January 2013!

88 pages, written in English. Features articles about:

Reverend Beatman/The Monsters/Voodoo Rhythm Records, Straight Arrows, Night Birds, The Gits, Mickey Leigh - Joey Ramone, Nikki Corvette, CANADA-SPECIAL Part 2 (with Needles//Pins, Tourdiary: Strange Attractor/No Problem in Europe 2012, Crusades, Ottawa Explosion 2012), Imperial State Electric - Nicke "Royale" Andersson, Trouble In Mind Records, Ben Lyon, Occult Detective Club, Tyred Eyes, Impo and the Tents, Sing Sing Records, Stencil Trash Records, Two Tears, Wild Mustang, Brat Farrar, Gary Wrong Group, Certified PR Records, Hysterese, Uzbeks / Twintoe Records, Food-column: Modern Pets in the US of A, Bloodstains, Burger Boogaloo 2012, Gravys Drop, Golden Helmets, Erotic Devices, The Jimmy C, Black Hole Records (Tokyo)
plus columns and tons of reviews...

Three versions available - all requests to crkozine(at)gmail(dot)com:

• SPECIAL for the first 100 copies only available directly from CRKO Fanzine:
  CRKO Fanzine #3/4 with 7inch by STRANGE ATTRACTOR and flexi-disc by REVEREND BEATMAN ("Militürk") - no wholesale, only direct-buyers, only one copy per customer - thanks to Squoodge Records for the flexidisc!
  Price: 9,- Euro (postage not included, please ask)
• Regular version:
  CRKO Fanzine #3/4 with 7inch by STRANGE ATTRACTOR!
  Price for direct-buyers: 8,- Euro (postage not included, please ask) - wholesale possible, please ask.
• P.Trash version for clubmembers:
  Please only ask P.Trash for this, I don't trade with this version. Members of the P.Trash Club get it automatically. Limd. 100 different color splitted wax with blank black or white labelsfor P.Trash Club-members.

Double-cover for CRKO-Fanzine #3/4: Artwork on the left by Bernd, artwork on the right by Magnus Sellergren.

Here's a song by STRANGE ATTRACTOR: Döner Zeit!!!!!!!

CRKO Fanzine #2 - incl. 7inch by THE TOYOTAS (summer/fall 2011)

CRKO Fanzine #2 (Still available, write a mail if you want one!)
Includes the "Radio Off" 7inch of the TOYOTAS
Published in Summer/Fall 2011!

80 pages, written in English. Features articles about:

• CANADA-SPECIAL Part 1 (feat. NOMEANSNO, Ian Manhire and tons more)
• On Tour with: WHITE WIRES / MEAN JEANS
• STRANGE ATTRACTOR
• LE VOLUME ETAIT AU MAXIMUM
• McRACKINS
• RIVERDALES
• Burger Records
• PERSONAL & THE PIZZAS
• BAD SPORTS
• Bobby Hussy (THE HUSSY / Kind Turkey Records)
• Ty Segall
• Gonerfest 7
• MEGACHURCH
• TERRIBLE FEELINGS
• DERBY DOLLS
• MODERN PETS
• CYANIDE PILLS
• KIDNAPPERS
• SONIC SURF CITY
• DIE ERSTEN MENSCHEN
• THE TOYOTAS

plus columns, tons of reviews and the infamous Heavy-Metal-Rip-Out-Pages...

Here's a song by THE TOYOTAS. Not featured on the 7inch with the zine, but that record is also filled with some solid hits. of course. Once again the 7inch is a collaboration with P.Trash Records.

CRKO Fanzine #1 - incl. 7inch by GLOW KIT (fall/winter 2010)

CRKO Fanzine #1 (Still available, write a mail if you want one!) 
Includes the debut-7inch of GLOW KIT from Denmark
Published in Fall/Winter 2010!

96 pages, written in English. Features articles about:

• THE DANISH MONSTER (big special on Danish Punkrock: past and present)
• AMDI PETERSENS ARMÉ
• GORILLA ANGREB
• FDH Records
• MEAN JEANS
• BABY SHAKES
• THE MONTESAS
• THE STATUES (Euro-tourdiary)
• ZYGOTEENS
• SUGAR STEMS
• THE MIGHTY STEF
• A tribute to Jay Reatard
• THE MAKEOUTS
• ZODIAC KILLERS
• Squoodge Records
• tons of reviews, some columns, another focus on Punkrock-food (Dixigas BBQ sauce!) and some more blah blah blah...

Here's a song by the 7inch-band GLOW KIT. This song is not on the single for CRKO Fanzine #1 but featured on their longplayer that came out some time later. But the CRKO-7inch has their freshest outstanding tracks of course, hehe... Including the awesome "Television Too"! Once again this is a collaboration with P.Trash Records