REVIEW: The Kendolls - Diablo Gringo 7"

THE KENDOLLS – Diablo Gringo EP
7inch | Alleycat Records | 4 Songs - 11:39 minutes | www.thekendolls.bandcamp.com

Being a German I was always confused when I read the slogan of this Swedish band, cuz I always read THEKEN DOLLS (which means something like "bar dolls" in German) instead of THE KENDOLLS. So I always had the "bar-connection" instead of the "Barbie-connection" with this band, haha...

But that's not totally wrong, cuz the 4 songs on this EP could excellently serve as a soundtrack for a wild night at your local booze-shack. Actually you can also do some excellent knuckle-fighting to this platter, cuz these Swedes seem to be veeeery angry!

I only listened to their "Jerking Class Era" CD once and from that I was expecting some quite good but "standard" Scandinavian Punk'n'Roll, if ya know what I mean...But I was kinda positively surprised that THE KENDOLLS sound so aggressive on this EP. They really have something like a raw Hardcore-Punk edge here, combined with a certain feel of TRBNGR-deathpunk and/or POISON IDEA-ish darkness. Cool, I really like that!

But after all they still write good songs, so don't forget to listen to those tiny melodies here and there and their snotty Garage-catchyness, while thrashing your room, haha...

-bernd

REVIEW: Tough - Four LP

TOUGH – Four
LP | Monster Zero | 13 Songs - 17:01 minutes | www.facebook.com/ToughPunkRock

I didn't know this band before, but after 30 seconds of listening to this record I knew they were from Italy, haha! Okay, one quick look in the info-sheet says that we have one guy here who was in the STINKING POLECATS and another guy who was in THE POPSTERS before. Those two bruddas just added another Italian Poppunk-devotee to their line-up and out came a classic RAMONEScore-threepiece.

The first song starts out like a straight forward RIVERDALES tune, the second song sounds a lil bit like THE APERS and these guys keep shredding like this through the whole album. Well, it's kinda the same beat and the same chord-shredding over and over again, so if you're not really devoted to the Poppunk-genre this might not really thrill you. But all in all TOUGH do a good job here. I don't really need the cover-versions on the album ("Pleasant Valley Sunday" by THE MONKEES and "I Get Around" by THE BEACH BOYS) but there are also some cool rippers ("It's alright then" or "Your Bloody End") on this platter... And I think they needed tunes to fill up the playing-time of the record, cuz it's only 17 minutes long, haha... No prisoners to be taken!

A good genre-record with Italian accent! My Poppunk-addicted wife voted 7 out of 10 points for this album. It seems as if the guitarist left the band recently, so we'll see if and how the band will continue in the future.

-bernd

REVIEW: Zatopeks - About Bloody Time CD/LP

ZATOPEKS – About Bloody Time
CD/LP | Monster Zero | 12 Songs - 36:05 minutes | www.facebook.com/zatopeks

Uh, this is a tough one... You know... I always liked the ZATOPEKS. And I really loved all their live-shows! Monobrow-Poppunk to the max!!! Now I have their album here and ... I dunno... It's actually a good album. But maybe my expectations were too high?!? I think that kinda describes my situation with the new ZATOPEKS album. It's still the ZATOPEKS, they still have good songs. But there are no real "hits" on this platter... Nothing that really sticks to my ear...

Maybe it's just a "coming of age" thing... Personally I can say that I just grew out of this Poppunk-sound a little bit. Years ago I was really a freak for this music, when we were still with that ratpack that was travelling around with our friends of the BACKWOOD CREATURES, FAVORATS and BATTLEDYKES. But times changed, bands split up, and it's just natural that you listen to some other music today as you did 10 or 15 years ago.

But I always had and still have my Poppunk-favorites and the ZATOPEKS always were on of them. So what to do now? Being disappointed about an album that is "just good" (still better than 80% of everything that calls itself Poppunk today) but not the über-hit I expected? Or just wait for the next show: Drinking beer and pogo-dancing all nite long with the ZATOPEKS on stage!

I think I choose the latter ...  And everything will be fine again... ;)

And for sure: With a little time you get more into this album! Coz an important thing about the ZATOPEKS is of course the lyrical content that gave me a lot of cheerful moments. If you think Poppunk is music for dummies just read the lyric-sheets of the ZATOPEKS! Great work! They even work with footnotes and references to famous dead poets. Hats off! And the coverart by Stefan Stardumb is also great, of course!

Bottom line: If you're into Poppunk you should definitely check out this album. Maybe it's not their best but still a good one! I also played it to my Poppunk-addicted wife (cuz she might be a better judge for this music than me) and she voted 7 out of 10 points on our inofficial Three-chord-scale. That ain't bad, huh?!?

-bernd

REVIEW: La Flingue - Discografia / 3 Maxis

LA FLINGUE – Discografia / 3 Maxis
CD | 5-Label-Co-Release | 18 Songs - 30:26 minutes | www.laflingue.bandcamp.com

Okay, this review actually covers the three 12inches by this French band, released in 2013 and 2014 on P.Trash and Crapoulet Records. For this CD LA FLINGUE put all the 18 songs from these releases on one compilation (co-release of the labels Sad Punk Discos, Todo Sana Records, Chica Psicotica Records, Revolver Records and Subterranea Records) for their south-american tour in spring 2014.

If you haven't been hiding in a cave for the last 10 years you definitely know that France not only has fine wine, tasty baguettes and the damn "Front National" but also a buncha excellent bands for snotty 77-Punkrock with a Garage-edge. LA FLINGUE is kinda an all-star band from that scene, cuz here you'll find some dudes in the line-up that played in the HATEPINKS, IRRITONES and AGGRAVATION before. So these monsieurs definitely know their business!

All in all all those tracks don't offer some very new exciting sounds. But I don't think you've been expecting that, huh?!? One of the main "trademarks" for LA FLINGUE might be, that they like to sing some songs in German, which sounds interesting and also makes me think of some old Hamburg bands like BIG BALLS & THE GREAT WHITE IDIOT or the "Paranoia in der Straßenbahn" sampler. And you also find a coverversion of 999's "Homicide" here. Cool! So: No big surprises here, but very well performed - with lotsa snot, anger and nihilism. If you're a bunker kid and dig this sound you sure can do nothing wrong with one of the 12inches or this comp-CD.

-bernd

REVIEW: Masked Intruder - M.I.

MASKED INTRUDER – M.I.
CD/LP | Fat Wreck Chords | 13 Songs - 30:12 minutes | www.facebook.com/maskedintruder

Second album by these colorful dudes. Their debut already was a real good one for all oldschool Poppunk-lovers around the world and I often ask myself if some bands have a special "recipe" for their sound. For MASKED INTRUDER it might work like this: Take 40 parts CHIXDIGGIT and mix 'em with 30 parts NERF HERDER. Take this mixture and add 10 parts WEEZER and 10 parts GREEN DAY. And when you think this doesn't taste exciting enough just take 10 parts PUSSY RIOT ski-masks for the spicing. And there you have it: A tasty and almost perfect album for the Punkrock-summer 2014!

I say "almost perfect" cuz the sound is absolutely perfect but for my liking a little bit too polished. But well, anyways... You definitely get washed away by this big wave of bubblegum-melodies and the totally pointless/dead-serious lyrics about nerd-love, beautiful girls, geek-love, unreachable girls, getting out of prison, weirdo-love, stalking girl's houses, lovers against the law, lonely saturday nights and - of course - love in general. And ski-masks! And with "Almost like we're already in love" MASKED INTRUDER also have a genuine doo-wop a-capella song on this album. Well done gentlemen!

The band also tours Europe this year, I think I'll be there! Here are the dates:

-bernd

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)