On that fateful day that Johnny Ripe traded his deodorant stick for quaaludes and became Johnny Rotten—punk was born. Punk has since continued to pack basements, bars, and DIY spaces full of sweaty, spikey, and exuberant young folks ready to climb the walls and ceilings, repelling off each other like shrapnel. And for more than a decade, Bandcamp has been a hub for punk music lovers and musicians to come to and share their uncontainable passion for this explosive and intoxicating art form. In November’s edition of Best Punk releases on Bandcamp, Sims Hardin highlights the pneumatic propulsion of Straw Man Army, the fresh glamour of Brower, the vicious melody of The Circulators, and many other new and exciting rippers!
Straw Man Army
Earthworks
Vinyl LP, T-Shirt/Shirt
After the release of Age of Exile, punk lovers far and wide were consumed by the rigorous framework that NYC punks Straw Man Army use to map their thoughtful and explosive take on anarcho-punk. They dug their heels in with SOS, sharing a record with even more depth and focus. Now, with Earthworks, SMA completes its trilogy of records exposing the endless atrocities historically and currently committed by the Western world’s fascist and imperialist regime. Earthworks combines the grit of the first record with the holistic vision of the second, resulting in their best effort to date. The music and lyrics are equally plotted and provocative, harnessing the experimentalism of bands like This Heat with the biting aggression and melody of the Crass Records catalog. While the lyrics are wrought with heady content, the music is hyper-infectious. So your head will be bobbing away while you stockpile your Molotov cocktails for the fight against the pigs in Washington.
BROWER
Flour
Vinyl LP
Nat Brower, founding father of the great New York City rock ‘n’ roll band Nancy, returns with another hip-shaking, glam-y explosion with his solo vision Brower and the latest contribution Flour. Brower Flour is a furious combination of the sounds of bands like Thin Lizzy, Bowie, and KISS harnessed and embellished with big laughs and catchy, decadent arrangements. Modern bands so often—very tragically—fail at reviving glam, but Brower does it in unmatched style and with great ease. If Todd Rundgren surfing on a banana peel through a glitter factory and crashing into a vat of blow-up dolls sounds like a good time to you, Give Brower Flour a righteous spin.
Circulators
Insufficient Fun
Vinyl LP
I never considered myself a religious man, but I’m pretty sure Johnny Thunders escaped from hell and was reincarnated—Little Nicky-style—and started The Circulators. Or maybe these fellows just happen to be making some of the best riff-y ’77 punk in the game. At any rate, Insufficient Fun is anything but insufficient in fun. This record features a whopping 14 tracks of no-frills, unfiltered rock ‘n’ roll madness á la Zeros, Dead Boys, and The Saints. Nothing is overplayed or extraneous. The hooks are huge here. This record is an unadulterated exploration of letting the good times roll. In my mind, The Circulators open their beer cans with switchblades and sleep in leather pajamas- these dudes are the real deal. Is life feeling boring? Don’t be a wimp, and snag Insufficient Fun.
Alvilda
C’est Déjà L’heure
Vinyl LP
Parisian punks Alvilda drop their pipe bomb of a debut LP titled C’est Déjà L’heure—a masterful exploration of power pop and rock ‘n’ roll. This record has a diverse, ultra-catchy array of songs that will charm fans of Dolly Mixture, The Nerves, and The Heartbreakers alike. The mix is incredible with a decadent palette of studio tricks that really make these songs pop—no pun intended. The recording is bright and punchy, featuring gorgeous harmonies, bouncing basslines, the occasional wonky synth, and tons of RnR guitar-riff magic. This record sold out quickly, but c’est la vie—I’m sure there will be repress coming soon.
Naked Roommate
Pass The Loofah
Vinyl LP
From out of the ashes of legendary San Francisco band The World came Amber Sermeno and Andy Jordan’s Naked Roommate, a deep examination of futuristic pop and art-y new wave. With their sophomore LP Pass The Loofah, this ensemble uniformly builds focused and coordinated arrangements—an ideal canvas for Sermeno’s blasé croon. Sounding like a mixed bag of lost Giorgio Moroder demos, The Units, Kraftwerk, and some ’80s B-movie soundtrack, Naked Roommate crafts something that is equally absurd, fun, and objectively good. But mostly fun. If you aren’t familiar with this crew’s laundry list of other projects—including Famous Mammals and Non Plus Temps—it’s time to jump on the proverbial Trans-Europe Express…or Autobahn…or whatever. But start with Naked Roommate’s Pass The Loofah.
B.I.C.
B.I.C. 8 Song Demo
Cassette
No one executes the SoCal punk sound quite like these folks in L.A. Punk band B.I.C. hits the nail on the head with their visceral and vile eight-song self-titled debut EP. I can smell the sunburn, smog, and saltwater all over this one. Thrash-y punk with intermittent follow-the-melody style vocals, but it’s never overdone here. While this tape has that ’80s L.A. sound, these songs have their own unique and fresh take. The blistering drums and near-clean guitar save a perfect sonic space for the snotty vocals. B.I.C delivers no-brainer jams, so feel free to pop this on and let the seagulls eat Doritos out of your ears—you’ve got nothing to lose.
The Smashing Times
Mrs Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys
Vinyl LP
Behold the analog glow of Baltimore band The Smashing Times, and their latest LP Mrs Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys. This collective of mods saunters into town with yet another fist full of jangle. This record features 14 tracks, each with their own colorful pallet of stylized arrangements. This release brings to mind bands like Television Personalities (obviously), The Velvet Underground, and Syd Barrett, steeped in psychedelic substances, sitting on a Persian rug, taking pulls from a leather bag of wine, and plucking away at a lute. From start to finish, Mrs Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys is overflowing with vibes. If you’re looking to take a vibrant trip through a looking glass or just to take a walk to the corner store, this record is an excellent companion.
Body World
S/T
Philadelphia supergroup Body World bring a hammer to a knife fight with their debut self-titled ep on MF Records. This band is ridiculously stacked with members of Soul Glo, Gen Gap, Raskol, Z-pak, and many, many other ripping Philly punk bands. This tape offers up five primitive and noisy rock ‘n’ roll leaning hardcore tracks that will surely melt your brain into a gelatinous pile of goo. Perfectly lo-fi and trashy—the ideal fidelity for shotgunning PBRs in the pit. Body World has invited you to their picnic, and they are serving up heaps of knuckle sandwiches. Chow down, legends.
Fogbank
[REDACTED]
Cassette
Cincinnati punks Fogbank deliver a nuclear blast with their debut tape [Redacted]. While this tape is mostly hardcore-leaning, I would say that these songs have a specifically melodic component, with almost post-punk delivery. No surprise as this band is composed of members of post-punk band Choncy, who are a personal favorite from the many, many great bands that comprise the Cincinnati scene. So, no surprise, this is a very interesting punk offering. Would likely be well-suited for fans of the Midwest hardcore sound á la Q, Gas Rag, etc. Snotty, noisy, and hellishly blown out. Can’t see the forest for the trees? I guess you’re stuck in the Fogbank, and you just stepped on a landmine. Don’t blow it… Grab this tape today.
Yankee Bastard
FUCKING USA
Yankee Bastard, Fucking USA sort of says it all. This Richmond punk band offers up lightning fast, no-frills hardcore designed to roast the USA on a spit. The music has a perfect crispy, lo-fi capture. I can’t say it enough—hardcore needs to sound like this in order to be good. These folks get it. Fucking USA is fast, feral, and rude with some particularly noisy guitar á la The Shitlickers. I’m looking forward to more from these maniacs. Snag Fucking USA or eat my shorts, and remember: all Yankees are Bastards!
