SAINTE CATHERINES - Dancing For Decadence {Fat Wreck} A triple-pronged guitar attack drives the Fat debut from this Canadian 6-piece. It's good stuff; not too convoluted or complex just fast, snappy and appropriately rough-edged Punk Rock. Lyrically, it mixes politics with the personal to create thought-provoking and insightful observations. Soundwise, there's defintely a GOOD RIDDANCE feel, if mixed with the gruff, abrasive sound of No Idea Recs and a hint of DILLINGER FOUR dynamics. But, it doesn't convince 100%. Too many tracks sounded like typical Fat Comp filler tracks while 'Get Your Politics Out Of My Hair' and 'Ring Of Fire = 4 Points' in particular counter the low points as they rip and snarl and totally impress; they're also the rougher sounding tracks. It's the band's third long player – maybe #4 will do the business.

SCREECHING WEASEL - Weaselmania {Fat Wreck} Bloody hell, this must be at least the third compilation of stuff by this snotty Chicago legend. In fairness though, this is the first 'Best Of…' that eschews rarities. And man, just how many spit in your eye, belligerent Punk Fucking Rock classics are on here? Well, all 34!! You get an array of tracks from most of the band's albums starting with the arrogant 'My Right' from the 'Boogadaboogadaboogada' slab right up to 'You're The Enemy' from 'Teen Punks In Heat'. In between Ben and the Weasels fire out one 2-minute snot rocker after the other. I did lose a bit of spark for the band toward its final few releases and the earlier tracks on here waft the latter ones - although 'Racist Society' from the blitzkrieg that was 'Major Label Debut' is a vicious slab of Punkage. Given the range of tracks here, this really is the ideal place for the Weasel-curious to start. Good liner notes from Ben, Vapid and Jughead also. A great band and a good comp. But whether it offers enough to entice fans of the band already to buy this remains to be seen.

SHAI HULUD – A Comprehensive Retrospective {Revelation} If there has ever been a comp of rarities that defines ‘For Fans Only’, this is it – 24 tracks from this veritable monster of modern HC. It starts in fabulous form with a 6-track demo from ’95 that displays a closer HC Punk sound than the Metal-influenced HC that has become the band’s trademark. Think TURNING POINT, CHAIN OF STRENGTH and SFA. That’s followed by 3 crushing tracks recorded live in NYC in ’97 (including an SFA cover!). From there, it’s kinda downhill. You get practice tapes, demos and some odd guitar-only rhythm tracks. What makes this a really interesting package are the liner notes, which often mix cutting humour with matter-of-fact asides that kept my interest on those rhythm tracks from dipping just below boredom. As I said, one for fans only – and HC fans at that.

SHAI HULUD - That Within Blood Ill-Tempered {Revelation} The storm clouds are gathering, a raven stands sentinel outside the House Of Scanner, the air is arid and putrid…. Something evil this way comes… Oh, it’s the scathing, odium-laced new album from SHAI HULUD. I usually hate this screamed/growled Metallic HC stuff, but this band offers a totally different vision of the genre. The cynicism, the disgust, the anger and the mind-blowing arrangements are way above the band’s contemporaries. The maelstrom of ‘Let Us At Last Praise The Colonizers Of Dreams’, the social disdain of ‘Two And Twenty Misfortunes’ and the brooding finale of ‘Ending The Perpetual Tragedy’ leave the listener in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, gasping for breath and pleading for respite. Production allows space for each dam-busting guitar explosion and every vocal bellow while the sleeve’s design is another inspirational piece of packing from Revelation. If there is a let down, it’s in the rather obtuse and gore-laden lyrics. Otherwise this represents a band at the very head of its genre.

SHAM 69 – Punk Singles Collection 1977-80 {Captain Oi!} Well, the title says it all! This is a monster 70-minute, 26-track comp collecting all of SHAM’s singles from the mentioned years. Among the songs are, of course, the classics like ‘Borstal Breakout', ‘If The Kids Are United’, ‘Hersham Boys’ and ‘Angels With Dirty Faces’. There’s also the rarity of ‘What Have We Got?’ that was issued as a one-sided freebie to be given away at shows in ’77. As with many bands of the era, it’s only when seeing a continuous run of singles (especially as strong as those here) that the band’s depth of quality is truly displayed. I’ve always felt Jimmy Pursey is a character of sincerity; each time I have met him the man’s genuine qualities always shine through. It’s just a shame that so much negativity attached itself to the band via Right-Wing fanaticism. Thankfully, that was something Pursey always tackled face-on. Respect to the man. As usual with Capt. Oi! releases, the liner notes offer facts that dig deeper than just record labels and chart placings. If you only ever buy one SHAM 69 release, make sure it’s this one.

SHOOK ONES - Facetious Folly Feat {Revelation} I don't recall Rev ever releasing a disc like this; it's closer to the gear Fat Wreck is releasing these days. Think DILLINGER FOUR's style of insistent, catchy clever Punk mixed with the bruising power of LIFETIME and played by WESTERN ADDICTION. SHOOK ONES is, I think, from Seattle and at its most effective the band is a freewheeling cascade of breathtaking Punkage best defined by 'Pheasant', the ferocious guitar interplay of 'Slaughter Of The Insole' and 'Virginia Beach Vanity Plate'. 'Ebb And Flow' slows the pace to just guitar combined with the raspy, seemingly whiskey-ravaged vocal while 'Penn Cove Muscles' closes the disc in vitriolic style. A great slab from a band that seems to have come outta nowhere and is already destined for great things.

SICK 56/ HIGGINS ++ - New Day New Enemy EP {JSNTGM} Neat, yellow vinyl 7" that kicks off with a snappy, urgent and blazing UK82 done 21st Century Punk tune from SICK 56. Killer breakdown too. Flip it over and you get SICK 56 backing former ERASE TODAY man Andy Higgins doing a similar thing, but with a slight US twist and some thought provoking lyrics. The production on both sides is really lively - the guitars virtually char the walls as they fly from the speakers. I've read a lot of good things about SICK 56 and on the strength of this, I can only but agree. This is a limited release too, so be quick!

SICK OF IT ALL - Outtakes For The Outcast {Fat Wreck} The ferocious maelstrom of NYHC that is SOIA continues with this 15-tracker of rarities that collects a bunch of B-sides, compilation and unreleased tracks. Dating back to 1994, this includes five covers originally by SHAM 69 (amusing to hear Pursey’s cockney chirp replaced with a NY growl), LAST RESORT, a great take on THE MISFITS’ ‘All Hell Breaks Lose’ and what must be the best HUSKER DU cover I have EVER heard in ‘Target’ that steals the album. Of the unreleased stuff, two of the three tracks are notable. The live version of ‘The Future Is Mine’ has a sub-AVAIL intensity while ‘Just Look Around’ is remixed by those doobie smoking hip-hoppers HOUSE OF PAIN and provides some balance to the preceding NYHC bludgeon. ‘I Believe’ and the groove-tastic ‘Shall Be Free’ are also worth a mention, but stuff like ‘86’ is just too Metal-driven for me. I’ve always respected SOIA, but this blustering, bellowing NYHC/Metal thing has always prevented the band really grabbing me. For fans though, this is essential and maybe those covers will attract a few new fans.

SIGNAL LOST - Children Of The Wasteland {Prank} Don’t mess with Texas... SIGNAL LOST continues that illustrious list of stunning Texas bands with this 13 tracker. It’s a thought provoking disc that merges a NAKED AGGRESSION style female vocal attack with the structures of DAG NASTY, a hint of J CHURCH and a general, sweeping UK Anarcho feel, which is particularly evident on the track ‘Deus Ex Machina’. Ashley’s vocal textures even brought to mind an early SIOUXSIE SIOUX in parts (especially ‘State Raised’). This is quite a departure in sound for Prank Recs as full-on HC is far less evident here (although ‘Identity Crisis’ rattles along at a fine speed). A really great release from this 4-piece that features former DEATHREAT guitarist Stan.

SINCE BY MAN - Pictures From The Hotel Apocalypse {Revelation} Infinitely better 12-tracker than the turd below. Not that this is particularly good - it’s still a dismal CONVERGE meets AT THE DRIVE IN mix but drenched in self-indulgence. Why is it better than ‘We Sing The Body Electric’? Well, this is - at times - focused with ‘Lactating Teens’ featuring some great riffage and ‘Match On Action’ actually packing a punch with decent vocals and sucker-punch guitars. It’s still a band for the Metal mags though and personally I’d rather dine on tapeworms than listen to this again.

SINCE BY MAN - We Sing The Body Electric {Revelation} This starts with the most unlistenable array of notes and Metal screaming I have heard in an age. From there, it kinda goes into a ‘just-missed-the-bandwagon’ approximation of AT THE DRIVE IN. ‘A Kid Who Tells On Another Kid Is A Dead Kid’ is not only a great song title but has some intense dynamics, but the rest? Imagine a dreary, clueless Nu-Metal band playing ‘In/Casino/Out’ for the first time and then stealing all the ideas - badly.

SINKING SHIPS - Disconnecting {Revelation} Now, this is HC as I see it in 2006. It’s progressive without incorporating any shit Metal breakdowns or growled vocals. It’s faithful without being simple regurgitation. Think DAG NASTY played by SOIA; BOLD played by LIFETIME; NAKED RAYGUN played by AVAIL. Yep - THAT good! The vocalist has a powerful bellow that’s angry, embittered and passionate while the guitars can thrash with the best (see ‘Deadlocked’) or create huge barrages of sweeping sound as on ‘Comfort’. Production is huge too allowing room for everything but being tight enough to imagine each instrument fighting for individual space. One of the best releases on Rev for some time and if this debut album from these Seattle rockers fails to ignite your belief and love of genuine HC... Well... I guess you better stick with those dismal Metal albums packaged as HC.

SKIRMISH - The Crooked And The Cavalier {Engineer} Debut 5-tracker from this UK 5-piece. It’s interesting stuff too, taking the HC styling of BOYSETSFIRE, infusing a distinctly British FIVE KNUCKLE feel and adding a topping of apocalyptic JANE’S ADDICTION-style histrionics. Odd moments did grate a little to these Punk-attuned ears, such as the wah-wah guitars and funky bridge of ‘Therapist’, but those moments were few and far between. The EP opens with the monster that is ‘Finding Pace’ which carries more weight than Pig Champion’s bar stool while careering along at an unstoppable pace. Disc highlight is the impassioned ‘Thick As Thieves’; ‘Efrafa’ sees the band tackle politics head-on also. For a debut, this is a hugely competent release and I shall be keeping an eye on the band’s progress from here. I just hope they follow the dominant HC vein of the band’s sounds - it’s certainly their strongest facet and one they approach with a stylish new dynamic.

SMOKE OR FIRE – Above The City {Fat Wreck} Formerly known as JERICHO and coming outta Richmond, VA after a move from Boston, MA, this quartet offer a debut album that can be summed up in one word – monumental. The confidence and conviction these guys exude is stunning for such a new band and the sound captures the best of HOT WATER MUSIC (think ‘No Division’ era) mixed with AGAINST ME! with a hint of the unbridled, angry genius of fellow Richmondites AVAIL thrown in for good measure. The 12 tracks here fly past in 24 minutes and combine huge fist-in-the-air anthems like ‘Filter’ with the acoustic sincerity of ‘Cryin’ Shame’ with caustic arrangements as displayed on ‘Goodbye To Boston’ with barbed political commentary as highlighted by ‘Culture As Given’. There’s a great sense of placement about the lyrics too, vividly bringing to mind America’s cities and dynamic geography. This is easily the best band Fat have signed since DILLINGER FOUR and one that holds just as much potential.

SNUFF – Six Of One, Half A Dozen Of The Other {10 Past 12/Fat Wreck} For a spell of about 18-24 months back in ’86, SNUFF was the most essential and exciting band on the UK Punk circuit. Then guitarist Simon left and the descent into being one of the most overrated began. That said, this double-disc, 50-track whopper of a comp has a surprising consistency. Disc One is a ‘Best Of’ deal spanning from the classic debut 7" ‘Not Listening’ through to 2002. All the classics are there (bar ‘That’s Fine’ and ‘Bran Flakes’) and it’s only the last 4-5 songs that really jaded me. But it’s Disc Two that has all the stuff to get really excited about – B-sides, rarities and unreleased tunes. Of the highlights are a few tracks off the, quite frankly, stunning ‘Caught In Session’ release; a cover of ‘I Will Survive’; the unreleased ‘Any Old Iron’ and the band’s seminal take on ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’. It’s without a doubt this package acts as a very impressive testament to one of the great UK bands of recent times. It’s a package made to appeal on every level – new fans can instantly access the band’s best and old fans have Disc Two to salivate over. I just think it’s a shame the band never bettered that ‘Not Listening’ 7" and the awesome ‘Snuff Said…’ album.

SOCIAL DISTORTION – Sex, Love And Rock ‘n’ Roll {Time Bomb/Kung Fu} Eight years on from the majestic ‘White Light’ disc, Ness and the boys (albeit minus the departed Dennis Dannel and Chuck Biscuits’ heavy-hitting beats) are back with a lighter disc that has more in common with the ‘SD’ disc than the dark, embittered ‘White Light’ album. That lightness resulted in me taking a little while to reap the full qualities of this disc, but after about six spins it hit home – big time. The full range of SD is presented here, from blasting rockers like ‘Reach For The Sky’ and ‘Nickels And Dimes’ through to fist-pounding anthems like ‘Winners And Losers’ and onto the country-tinged expanse of ‘Highway 101’. Of course, the much-copied-never-equalled Fuck You attitude of Ness continues to shine with the fantastic ‘I Wasn’t Born To Follow’. It also seems that Ness is still soul-searching on certain tracks, asking for some kinda self-redemption while not asking for any faceless pity. SD, without a doubt, would be in my Top 10 bands of all-time and on several occasions I have asked myself if this has been worth the 8-year wait. One spin of the closing ‘Angel’s Wings’ stomps such a stupid, dumb-fuck question into the ground.

SOFAHEAD - Pre Marital Predicament {Boss Tuneage} UK band from the late 80s-early 90s that formed outta the ashes of Anarcho band DAN and also featured Lainey who went on to be in LEATHERFACE. This huge 30 tracker compiles the band's two albums, 'Pre-Marital Yodelling' from '89 and 'What A Predicament' from '90. I only ever had the latter album and, while it started in fantastic form with the breathless, bouncy Punk of 'Make It Worse', I never really enjoyed the rest of the disc. The debut disc is way better: less arty, more focused and faster. LUNASUIT would be a good modern comparison, only with better and more political lyrics. Vocalist Claire had an exceptionally strong voice and wrote some intelligent lyrics about sexual abuse, meathead male dominance, social apathy, environmental issues and much more. The albums sound fresh too - no doubt aided by being remixed by Britt from ASSERT. A real neat history lesson and one that's still surprisingly relevant.

SOLEA - s/t {Golf} Let’s face it, Emo has been almost as much of a scourge on Punk and HC as Ska has been. No band has ever matched either the RITES OF SPRING or TEXAS IS THE REASON albums, both of which still define what Emo is and how good it can be. Many bands have tried, none have succeeded. That pairing of bands could now well be transformed into a triumvirate with this, the debut album from SOLEA. Not only does this feature former TITR singer Garrett Klahn, but also SAMIAM’s guitarist/writer Sergie Loobkoff. The style of the two bands always seemed a good match and this collaboration is nothing short of breath taking. From the opening buzz of ‘Apotheke’ through to the closing hypnotic swirl of ‘The Last Word’, all 11 tracks capture the ears and never let them settle in complacency. In terms of sound, it relates more to SAMIAM’s ‘Astray’ era - that’s to say well structured, intelligent rock rather than the discordant, angular swaths of sound of TITR. Each track is a sublime example of dynamics in writing, be it the strident ‘So Far Gone’ or the harmonic grace of ‘Frankie Machine’. A debut album that should certainly NOT be viewed as the weaker, younger brother of the musicians’ former bands. JIMMY EAT WORLD – eat your heart out!

SON OF THE MOURNING - Forest Bank {Engineer} Five atrocious tracks of dismal Metalcore/Emo gubbins. I really don’t get any joy out of this kinda Metal-boys-seeking-credibility/Emo-boys-seeking-muscle stuff. You get those vocals that are screamed like the guy is being butt-fucked by a frozen carrot, juxtaposed against a ‘nice’ whimsical vocal of below par choir boy standard. Musically there’s disjointed rhythms, hideous double bass drumming, Metal guitars and the odd burst of jingle-jangle formality. On the positives, it’s really well produced, especially if listened in headphones. Generally though, this ain’t for me. Fans of CONVERGE and HIMSA may find its groove, but so may fans of The Darkness! Me? I’d rather face the frozen carrot than listen to this again.

SOVIETTES - LP III {Fat Wreck} A conspicuously catchy, fantastically frantic, severely snotty and perfectly Punk 13-track release from this new Fat band. Obviously, it is the band's third LP, but it's the first one I have crossed paths with. On the evidence here, I'm gonna be checking out the previous discs also cuz this is, quite simply, fucking great. Imagine the gals from DANCE HALL CRASHERS fronting SCHREECHING WEASEL. Yep - snotty Punk with a seriously melodic edge, much like the old NRA band SQUAT, but with a strain of originality and freshness so few bands achieve. Highlights are many but special mention has to go to '(Do) The Stagger' and the feisty 'How Do You Like That'. The closing 'Gotta Decide' slows things a little and evokes JAWBREAKER at their best. Yep, this trio of gals (and solitary guy!) have released a blinder here and one that'll be blasting outta the House Of Scanner for much of the forthcoming NZ Summer.

SPACE COWBOYS - Dead End Streets and Devil's Night {Sonic Swirl} Dunno what it is about Nordic bands that make them so proficient at quality Punk Rock 'n' Roll, but this 4-piece outta Sweden have just upped the stakes. These 13 tracks hurtle along with a total disregard for whatever head the songs may smash in to. Think early NEW BOMB TURKS played with the attitude of 'Stink'-era REPLACEMENTS and the intoxicated charm of HANOI ROCKS and you're close. Add on the dirtiest and most pulsating bass sound heard in years and you're closer still. The energy of the songs is unreal - the opening 4-track salvo in particular leave the listener hung, drawn and sonically quartered. Awesome apolitical Punk Rock 'n' Roll played with a conviction that 99% of bands in this genre can but dream of.

THE STEAM PIG - Potshots (Punk Shit) Third album from Dublin's finest sees Boz and the guys head in a slightly different direction. While the band's sound is still laced with caustic, bitter Punk Rock tuneage, it now finds diversity in depth via the viscous HC leanings of 'Granny Bomb Blast' and 'Bloodbath On Blessington Street' and the more experimental workouts of 'Destructive Forces' and the opening instrumental 'Bad Coddle'. Lyrically the band is still as wonderfully virulent and cynically spiteful as ever and, as with the previous 'Deep Fried Obedience', each track cuts and thrusts until the listener is rendered defenceless. What this album does make abundantly evident is that THE STEAM PIG now has its own sound and it is a futile effort to compare it with any other band. Essential and vital Punk Rock played with verve, passion and intelligence. £6.50ppd from the DOGSHIT SANDWICH review address.

STRIKE ANYWHERE - Dead FM {Fat Wreck} It’s been a three year wait between discs for this third long player from Richmond’s other greatest band! If you don’t know the score with STRIKE ANYWHERE by now, then it’s kinda futile describing it here, but... You get some of the most politically charged lyrics in Punk Rock today that are intelligent and enlightening without being preachy or conceited; you get a blazing, nuclear powered welding of Punk and HC with an emphasis on song construction; you get barbed melodies, acidic anthems and vitriolic vocals. Put simply, it’s one of the most addictive, sincere and convincing sounds - and messages - in Punk Rock. Period. It’s produced by the ever dependable Brian McTernan @ Salad Days, includes explanations of some of the more pertinent tracks and is probably the main contender for 2006’s best album. Need more persuasion? Check out ‘Prisoner Echoes’, ‘Speak To Our Empty Pockets’ and ‘House Arrest’. Still not convinced? Then I pity you...

STRIVING HIGHER – s/t {Engineer} Jesus H Christ! I bet these 5 fellas from the Netherlands are incendiary live! The 10 tracks on this disc fly past in less than 19 minutes with barely a pause for breath in between. As for the style, well, it’s not really the NYHC stated by the press blurb. Imagine the finest and fiercest slab of Euro hyper HC played with the lacerating intensity of early ARTICLES OF FAITH and given a bang-up-to-the-minute vibe via GRADE-esque dynamics and PROPAGANDHI direction. Yep, it IS that good. Highlights include the sub-one-minute ‘Believing’, the pummelling riffage of ‘It’s Good To Look Back’, the tortured thrash of ‘Sometimes’ and the closing cruise of power that is ‘And You Must Know’. Lyrically, it’s a negative and pessimistic outlook at the future of the human race mixed with the tried and tested HC staples. The breakdowns hit with the force of a car crash without resorting to crap Metallisms. All in all, a fantastic slab of noxious HC.

SUBHUMANS - Live In A Dive (Fat Wreck Chords) Wow - what a turn up! Bar the previous SICK OF IT ALL ‘Live In A Dive’ release (who I’m no big fan of anyway), this series has been pretty weak (C’mon - fucking BRACKET??). This sees the series finally come alive with a whopping 26-track release from what is arguably the best of the 80s UK Anarcho bands. Dick’s brand of intelligent anarchy always held more allure for me than the screaming rhetoric of CONFLICT and musically the band’s borders never seemed as constrained. As with the entire ‘LIAD’ series, the production is awesome with the band clear and the audience audible. You get tracks spanning the band’s entire career with particular highlights being deft takes on classics like ‘Waste Of Breath’, an impassioned ‘Pigman’, an ominous, oppressive and savage ‘Subvert City’, a scathing ‘Evolution’, a portentous album-stealing ‘Religious Wars’ and a singalongaDick ‘Work Rest Play Die’. Add on a CD-ROM interview and you’re looking at a document of one of the most important UK bands of the 80s. Excellent stuff.

SUBURBAN REPTILES - 7" {Raw Power} Another slab of classic Kiwi Punk heritage from this exemplary label. SUBURBAN REPTILES was one of the very first NZ bands to be directly influenced by, and to perform, Punk Rock. Visually, an ace in the band’s collective pack came in the form of vocalist Zero - a stylish, adventurous and iconoclastic Punkette on a par with anyone in the chic PISTOLS cortege. This 7" collects four tracks and kicks off with the previously unreleased ‘Razor Smile’ from ‘77. The sound is raw, slightly nihilistic and raucous. ‘Coup D’Etat’ from the same session follows (although also available on the seminal ‘AK79’ compilation CD) and hurtles along at a similar pace. X-RAY SPEX are an unavoidable sound comparison, especially as SUBURBAN REPTILES incorporate a sax into the sound also. Another good reference is old UK Punks, THE DRONES; both bands share a ramshackle, effortless fluidity. ‘Desert Patrol’, the B-side of the ‘Megaton’ 12" from ‘78 (and unavailable since) keeps things bubbling while the closing, unreleased ‘Razorblade Rosie’, also from ‘78, moves down a gear to the minimalist bass/vocal lead experimentation popularised by PiL and WIRE. Essential stuff for archivists of vintage Kiwi Punk and lovingly wrapped in a full picture sleeve complete with a biographical insert. Roll on the next Raw Power history lesson! Post-paid prices are:- $12NZ, $8US or £5UK from Raw Power Recs, PO Box 7127, Wellesley St, Auckland, New Zealand. E-mail:- rawpower@paradise.net.nz

SUNDAY DRUNKS - On The Prowl {Dead Beat} The debut album from this tempestuous Texan trio seemed a bit inhibited and a tad conservative to me. This follow-up is a totally different bag of THUNDERS' riffs! From the opening 'Here To Stay' to the belligerent closing 'Hey You', this is the sound of a band fuelled on pills and booze, employing every great riff that THUNDERS and ED KUEPPER never wrote and then churning them out with the arrogant, gum-chewing sneer of prime-time Garage Punkers a'la the LEWD. 'Hard Drinkin' Woman' and 'What You're Doin'' are perfect examples of THUNDERSisms while 'Just Some Fool' adds a great barroom acoustic guitar, not a million miles from THE DRAGONS or even the mighty 'MATS. Production is balanced yet raw. Another goodie from Dead Beat which, along with the LOCOMOTIONS disc, make a pair of corking Garage snot rockers.

SWING DING AMIGOS / CIVIC MINDED FIVE - Split {Recess} Recess has a habit of releasing scuzzy, under-produced, noxious and ultimately fantastic 7"s. SWING DING AMIGOS hail from Arizona and churn out a snotty and crazed Punk Rock with a serious blues beat; cranking the guitars, twisting the arrangements and spitting the lyrics. CM5 crawl outta the gutters of Las Vegas to lay down a sleazy, chaotic and discordant thrash noise that's not for the faint-hearted or the dour-faced Emo boy. Each band offers a couple of tracks, both bands compliment each other and both bands would probably gob in the face of Good Charlotte. Now, ain't THAT a recommendation??!!

SWING DING AMIGOS - The Mongolita Chronicles {Wronghole/Rock 'n' Roll Purgatory} Shit! The 7" above promised a lot… but surely not this much frenetic, fuzzed-to-fuck chaos!! This features 22-tracks that fly past in under 24 minutes and throttle the listener with the ferocity of a rampaging serial killer hitting his 21st victim. Think of the crazed melodic genius of TOYS THAT KILL being intravenously injected into FLESHIES while laced with the snotty Punk attack of SAFETY PINS and playing that is sooo hard it would give ARTICLES OF FAITH a run for their money. THEN, put it in a liquidiser, play through a fuzz box and you'll have an idea of the wild noise created here. It does get a bit TOO crazed at times - such as the vocals on 'Hey Genie' and 'Tuba'. 'Gargamel' steals the DEAD BOYS' 'Sonic Reducer' riff and doesn't even try to hide it while 'Mochate Momia' and 'Tyrant In The Tanga' both slay. Great, fucked-up Punk scuz Rock. Good Charlotte fans be afraid - be very, very afraid!

SWING DING AMIGOS - Kings Of Culo {Recess} Already, another 14-track hard-hitter follows the release above! It's an album similar, and just as impressive as that above but maybe a tad more focussed, bringing to mind an early ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT vibe; certainly in terms of all-out rockin' action. It's still a wild ride as the likes of 'Voltron' and 'Tiger Skin'  and the pummelling, insistent 'Sweet Pill' prove. I can't think of another band doing this wigged-out, wired, frenetic, fun and furious Garage Punk with such startling efficiency as the mighty SWING DING AMIGOS. Use that as your reference and ignore this band at your peril!

SWINGIN’ UTTERS - Live In A Dive {Fat Wreck Chords} Wow - another corking band in this rapidly improving series! This band’s first couple of albums stand as minor classics of the 90s for me, but some of the subsequent releases have left a little to be desired. This live release, recorded in 2003 at LA’s Troubadour, sees the band firing out 23 tracks of its now patented brisk, cutting and often volatile Street Punk tuneage. I’m real pleased to hear the band in such incendiary form; the performances (no doubt aided by the awesome production this series has) literally tumble outta the speakers with the freewheeling drive of an outta control Formula 1 pile-up. Highlights include the acoustic charge of ‘Fruitless Fortunes’, a rampant ‘Tied Down, Spit On’, a triumphal ‘Next In Line’, a couple of covers in the shape of COCK SPARRER and STIFF LITTLE FINGERS tunes and an album-stealing, adrenalin-driven nailing of ‘Pills & Smoke’. There’s a couple of sweaty live CD-ROM videos plus an interview to accompany the comic book sleeve. Probably the best in the series thus far, if only because the band is in such devastatingly fiery form.