Hot Garbage “Precious Dream” 2024. Mothland Records, EXAG’ Records. Limited edition “Ready 4 Blood” variant. Canadian heavy psychedelic rock. We picked up this LP in Toronto this past July, after asking about local music in our preferred genres. The very helpful record store clerk suggested Hot Garbage and I think (or want to think) was pretty impressed when I was like, “Oh yeah, we saw them open for Frankie and the Witch Fingers a couple of years ago in Milwaukee.” It was in July 2022 and back then I wrote about their 2021 release Ride, which we bought at the show, “Holy shit! So so good: swirling and hallucinogenic organ/synths (Dylan Gamble), icy cold vocals (Juliana Carlevaris), hot buzzy guitar (Alessandro Carlevaris) and nonstop hardworking rocksteady beats (Mark Henein). Comparing them to bands I love and listen to: a mash up of Ty Segall, The Limiñanas and Sonic Youth.” Precious Dream seems heavier (though I admit it has a couple of years since I’ve taken Ride out for a….ride) and darker. “Tunnel Traps” in particular is dense and sludgy, more slow head banging than ass shaking, and slothfully hypnotic (that’s not a bad thing). I also really like “Look at My Phone” and “Blue Cat” has an absolutely addictive beat and hook that grabbed me two seconds into the track, layered on top are experimental textures of buzz, fuzz and drone.

Cosmic Psychos “Go the Hack” 1989. Survival Records (Australia)/SubPop Records (US), reissue on Goner Records. The second full length LP from thunderous Aussie punks that one helpful Discogs reviewer calls “the missing links between Australian pub rock, Detroit proto-punk, and the sludgy, beer-soaked attitude that would later define Seattle’s underground…Cosmic Psychos played with the simplicity of Motörhead, the swagger of The Saints, and the reckless spirit of the Stooges, but filtered it through an unmistakably Australian sense of humour and working-class grit.” I’m going to add AC/DC to the above comparison/quote: while trite it’s also important to note their hard, deep sound that not all 80’s punks had. I’m also not convinced with the grunge comparison unless you consider bands like L7 (who covered the Psychos “Lost Cause”) and Nashville Pussy from that era “grunge” (I don’t). Cosmic Psychos are way too punchy and fast to easily be lumped in with the swampy sludge of 90’s grunge.

We saw our first Cosmic Psychos show almost exactly three years ago at The Rave, along with fellow Australian punks The Chats and then again a little over two years ago in Las Vegas at Punk Rock Bowling (The Chats were there, too). Go the Hack is loud, fun, obnoxious – precisely what I expect from Australian punks. The whole record is a banger but my top picks are album opener “Lost Cause,” the Motörhead-ringer “Rip ‘n’ Dig” and the lightning-speed shredder “Back in Town.”

The Rousers “In Without Knocking” 1986. Boat Records & Tapes. The debut LP from Madison, WI based power poppers with a rootsy, Americana flavor. Recorded at Smart Studios, Butch Big mixed and engineered. It is very 80’s sounding – while the is a new-to-me local(ish) band, their sound reminds me of a mix Rousers’ contemporaries including Charlie Sexton, Smithereens, The Plimsouls and Chris Isaak (not his slow stuff). There’s also a lot of  boogie woogie/honky tonk influence: “Don’t Chop My Haircut” and “Got Another Lovin’ Man” – a real 50’s classic rocker – are very rockabilly. (Sidenote: based on the back cover band member photos at least a couple of them were definitely into rockabilly, especially guitarist/vocalist Ernie (aka Dan Conner) who sports a wicked black slicked pompadour with tight sideburns.) My top track is the album opener “Rosalie.” “Livin’ in the Midwest” is a rollickin’ good time though I probably like it for the title and lyrics. The Rousers only released one other album, Full Moon Bad Weather, in 1991. It looks like Ernie and drummer Lee Laski (whose photo on the back cover resembles 80s era Bruce Springsteen) went on to form Waterdogs, a garage surf band who released a single in 1988 and an LP in 2000 on Madcity Records.