punk rock Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

“Punk Rock Christmas”

sfilzen — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 22:30:14 +0000

“Punk Rock Christmas” 2017. Cleopatra Records. 2021 reissue on limited edition clear green vinyl. A comp of some newer and traditional Christmas songs by some newer and traditional punk bands. I’m partial to traditional (punk bands that is, I’m not a big fan of most Christmas tunes, old or new) so my favorites on Punk Rock Christmas are the OG groups. The Godfather Iggy Pop saunters, slinks and winks his way through “White Christmas” in the most over-the-top schmalzy way imaginable and goth-punks 45 Grave dark up “The Snow Miser Song” to make Christmas feel downright evil. Four first wave British punk bands play some really good renditions of old and new: Slaughter and the Dogs take on “Run Rudolph Run,” The Vibrators play “Merry Xmas Everybody,” UK Subs absolutely kill on “Hey Santa Claus!” (“Santa Claus you cunt/Where’s my fucking bike/I’ve unwrapped all this other junk/There’s nothing what I like”) and The Members shred “Silent Night/Hallelujah Chorus” in the very best way (“Hallelujah, hallelujah, oi! oi! oi!”). 80’s California hardcore punks Battalion of Saints add Motörhead speed to “Jingle Bells,” which is awesome and makes that tired carol palatable. I’m not crazy about the nu-punk/ska bands Christmas covers (ie Reel Big Fish’s ska’d up “Little Drummer Boy” — though I really hate that Christmas carol so the lack of lyrics, the inclusion of horns and a poppin’ beat are an improvement – and Smash Mouth’s “Snoopy’s Christmas” – why are Smash Mouth even on this comp?!). As much as I’d like to like Anti-Nowhere League’s (UK street punks from the early 80’s) rendition of “Let It Snow,” it’s pretty bad.

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Amyl and the Sniffers “Amyl and the Sniffers”

sfilzen — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 16:53:54 +0000

Amyl and the Sniffers “Amyl and the Sniffers” 2019, limited edition colored vinyl (it looks like a cracked egg). We picked up this copy of the Aussie punks debut LP last week at the Amyl and the Sniffers’ sold-out show at Cactus Club in Milwaukee – one of the best punk records and definitely the best punk show we’ve been to in a very, very long time. Loud, fast, heavy, ridiculously high energy, mosh pit, stage diving, people swinging from the rafters, beer and water spraying everywhere. Mass mayhem, pure bliss! Also great: each band member sports an epic mullet, singer Amy Taylor’s the best of the bunch: a mix of Cherie Currie blonde feathers and Chrissy Hynde rock-n-roll shag. We missed the first opening band, Rexxx, but caught the second, the local punk band law/less, who were also great: hardcore in the 80′s style and also led by a woman (whose name I don’t know – the band doesn’t have any media presence besides a Bandcamp page). During the law/less set, Amy from the Sniffers was out in the audience dancing along next to me. That white-ish bit on her head that looks like a crown is, in fact, her amazingly flipped mullet bangs.

Amyl and the Sniffers played a lot of tracks from their new LP – which hit #22 in Australia and #91 in the UK – at the show. I’m not sure of the entire set but I for sure remember my top tracks that include “Starfire 500,” “Gacked on Anger,” “Cup of Destiny,” “GFY” as well as possibly “Punisha” and “Shake Ya.” I loved every single moment of every song but I admit that a portion of my attention was focused on not getting crushed by the mosh pit: I had my elbows sharpened and at the ready for the entire Amyl show.

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The Nuclears “The Nuclears”

sfilzen — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 18:53:46 +0000

The Nuclears “The Nuclears” 2011. MegaPlatinum Records. We caught Brooklyn, NY-based The Nuclears this past weekend at our annual neighborhood street party, Bay View Bash and the band was the perfect choice for a gorgeous late-summer afternoon party on the RushMor Records stage. The Nuclears epitomize what good-time rock-n-roll should always be: non-stop pounding danceable beats, loud guitars, tons of stage posturing and lyrics that generally make you want to get down and party. (For example, from The Nuclears: “Get Up!” has the chorus “Oh yeah! Here’s your favorite song and if you know the words, baby, Why dontcha sing along” and “Fast Cars & Loud Guitars” – “I got American muscle, got American speed. I got American rhythm and American lead”). The Nuclears channeled the spirit of The Ramones, KISS and New York Dolls – their stated influences are the Hellacopters, Blue Oyster Cult, Radio Birdman, Judas Priest, the Beatles, Turbonegro and MC5 – with down-and dirty rock. Their line-up has changed a bit since The Nuclears, their first full-length album, with the addition of Briana Layon on vocals (she is a fiercely fantastic front-woman) and a change of drummers.

Despite the lack of Briana on the album, it’s still a great listen. My top tracks, besides the party anthem “Get Up!” are “Pay Yer Dues,” the opening track, an excellent ass-shaker, the punk’d “Get Me Outta Here,” the guitar solo on “Eclipso” and closing track which kinda sums up the band’s philosophy “Rock & Roll Riot.”

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“Punk On the Road (16 All Time Punk Classics Caught Live)”

sfilzen — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 17:39:57 +0000

“Punk On the Road (16 All Time Punk Classics Caught Live)” 1990. Skunx Recordings. Grey and green marbled vinyl. I’m spinning this comp today mainly as an excuse to write about The Exploited who appear performing “Dead Cities” (and we don’t really have The Exploited on anything but comps). I volunteer at a local cat shelter a couple of hours each week and last week was chatting music stuff with another volunteer and she shared the best punk rock story I’ve heard in a long time. Sometime in the mid-1980′s (she figured she was around 11 or 12 years old at the time) The Exploited played Milwaukee, possibly Cabaret Voltaire, and somehow she managed to go to the show. The next day she bused over to Southridge Mall (as one did in the 80′s) to hang out and who did she see? Wattie Buchan, full hawk and all! She told him how great the show was and he offered to show her the professional photos he just had gotten taken. They ended up wandering around the mall for an hour or two, you know, just a mid-20’s Scottish punk chilling with a pre-teen in a Midwestern mall (smelling horrible: my friend said his leather pants were the same ones he had worn for the show).

The rest of the comp is really decent – fairly high-quality live recordings (vocals mostly understandable!) of some of the quintessential punk songs from the early years. Best are 999 “Homicide,” The Ruts “Babylon’s Burning,” Stiff Little Fingers “Alternative Ulster” (which I got the chance to see myself live last year), Sham 69 performing “Hurry Up Harry” and Vice Squad’s “Last Rockers.” Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant” is haphazard: the drums and lead guitar mostly solid, the bass is a bit all over the place (Sid?) and the backing vocals are hit or miss for timing and tune. Johnny Rotten always sounds pissed so his singing is pretty standard.

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