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CIRCLE JERKS - Live At The House Of Blues {Cleopatra} Originally released on Kung-Fu Records back in 2004 as part of their ‘Show Must Go Off’ series, this is what one of the best does... best.  Surely you don’t need an introduction on the importance and greatness of CIRCLE JERKS? Vocalist Keith Morris introduces the band at the start and then we’re off into ‘Letter Bomb’. 27 tracks follow with Morris in particularly chatty form between tracks, his repartee including a vitriolic attack (and justified) on the ‘Punx’ spitting, a neat spiel about the “pricks in Washington DC that have half-a-brain” during ‘I Wanna Destroy You’ and refusal to show his dick before ‘Operation’!. Of the tracks you get a few covers including excellent takes on CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL’s ‘Fortunate Son’, SOFT BOYS’ ‘I Wanna Destroy You’ and something called ‘Nervous Breakdown’ that has Morris revisiting his own past. Of the originals, well, it’s one US Hardcore classic after another - ‘All Wound Up’, ‘Beverly Hills’, ‘Trapped’, ‘Deny Everything’, ‘World Up My Ass’, ‘Red Tape’, ‘Wild In The Streets’, ‘Shit Hits The Fan’... Endless list. I’ve always wondered why they never play ‘Wonderful’ - that’d make this about perfect had it been included. Besides the live disc, you get a DVD of the gig that includes band commentary, photo gallery and additional footage. It’s all packaged in a smart fold out sleeve - if I am being picky, an additional booklet would have made this reissue that much more essential - but honestly, if any one is reading who doesn’t own a CIRCLE JERKS release - this is the ideal place to start cuz ya get sound and vision (thanks David B for that!!). And us old heads? Fucking essential stuff. (22.02.23)

COME CLOSER - Pretty Garbage {Pirates Press} Debut album from TILTWHEEL/ DAN PADILLA main man, J. Wang. It’s a bit of a ‘name’ band already as it also includes TILTWHEEL’s Davey Quinn and ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT’s Chris Prescott. You get 11 tracks of utmost Power-Pop, Punk Rock cool taking their ques from J CHURCH, ‘Warehouse’-era HUSKER DU, TOYS THAT KILL and a less distorted DINOSAUR JR. Plenty of ringing, tonal guitar lines, laconic and melodic but slightly snotty vocals and more focused energy than a fucking Duracell battery factory! Plenty of highlights be it the acoustic lilt of ‘Arms Up’, the sublime vocal arrangement of ‘The Last Time’ and the freewheeling ‘Photograph’ that you can almost hear GRANT HART performing, while highlight could well be the urgent and soaring ‘Never Say Goodnight’. Not even mentioned the stellar guitar jams of closer ‘Rings’. A hugely enjoyable record, not a single duff track, superb production... I think this will most definitely be the soundtrack to Summer BBQs at the House Of Scanner. Fantastic stuff. (19.11.22)

CRAZY ARM - Dark Hands, Thunderbolts {Xtra Mile} Oh - this is good! The band’s outta Devon, England and this is their fourth album, although first in seven years! Opener ‘Montenegro’ blasts like HOT WATER MUSIC but with a distinctive vocal that makes the sound rather unique and original. Next up, ‘Blessed And Cursed’ starts acoustic, has some added brass and then ignites into a bombast of solid, tough Rock. From there, you get another 12 tracks that fuse incisive, intelligent Post-Hardcore, Punk, Americana Rock and solid Roots Rock. Best bits include ‘Fear Up’ that moves with an intensity that could be AGAINST ME! having a bare knuckle fist fight with FUGAZI, the bass-driven ‘Loose Lips’, the fury and message of ‘Trail Of Meds’ and closer ‘Health Is In You!’. This is quite visionary as you have that roots, folk-Punk feel - but not in the cheesy REAL MCKENZIES way - this is way more in line with Americana. Great use of brass and fiddle - and coupled with piledriving Post-Hardcore, it’s a genuine thrill. (04.10.22)