Silver Screams - Defective Machines 12" EP

Silver Screams - Defective Machines 12" EP

It is hard to believe that the Boston area band, Silver Screams, has been together for 5 years now.  Defective Machines, was released this month (May 13, 2017) and is their follow up to the 2014 CD EP, Creep Joint Scratch.  This 6 song DIY recording comes on a beautiful radioactive orange 12 inch vinyl that compliments the color on the cover art.  The artwork reflects the dark, moody, apocalyptic tones of the lyrics.

The band has upped the anti on their sound since their first release.  While they both have dark vocals, the first release was more up tempo post punk with splashes of The Church, The Stranglers, and UK Subs Flood of Lies era sprinkled in.  "Dead Air", the opening track on this beauty, punches you in the face with its driving bass and drums.  This continues through the remaining 2 tracks on the A-side.  It is over in about 8 minutes and you feel wore out from the pace.  It throws me back to the reunion show I saw of The Effigies at the Empty Bottle in Chicago in 2004.

Side 2 has more guitars than its flip side, but still has a nice back beat. The tempo decreases and the songs get a bit longer.  I hear touches of The Church, The Bomb, and the experimental B-side of the UK Subs Endangered Species LP.  Finishing off the record is a cover of Joy Division's "Disorder" from their 1979 Unknown Pleasures LP.

If you checkout their Bandcamp site, you can get an additional two songs on the EP download.  Silver Screams adds some punch to cover songs from the 1995 release "Freak Show" by The Freeze and the 1980 debut of "Crocodiles" by Echo & The Bunnymen.  Interestingly enough, the range of influences of the band covers the spectrum between these two songs.

When you mix the style of the music with the darkness of the lyrics, you get a new genre of punk rock - POWER GOTH!  I have enjoyed the growth of the sound of the band over the years.  I can't wait to get up to Boston to witness their power live.  Keep up the good work boys.  Looking forward to the next release.  Don't take so long to get it out this time.

To keep up with where the band will be playing live follow them on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SilverScreamsBoston.  To buy their music, follow them on their Bandcamp page - https://silverscreams.bandcamp.com/music.

Boycott Cancer - John Stabb GI Benefit

https://www.gofundme.com/boycottcancer

Please donate if you can.  A lot of our punk rock heroes have not had the luxury of having corporate sponsored medical insurance nor have been able to make a living off of their music proceeds.

John Stabb, lead singer of Government Issue has not had fun and games lately as he was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer.  Boycott Cancer not Boycott Stabb.

UK Subs - Another Kind of Blues

Artist: UK Subs

Title: Another Kind of Blues

Format: Vinyl (light blue, 180g)

Year Released: 2015

Label: Demon Records

Cat. No.: DEMREC69

# Tracks: 17

Genre: Punk - UK 70’s

Origin: London, England

Similar Artists: Vibrators, Urban Dogs, Chelsea

Rating: 5

Rating Scale:

5 = Classic

4 = Worthwhile Owning

3 = Some Decent Tracks

2 = Collector’s Only

1 = Trashbin

This is a re-issued version of the first UK Subs LP that was originally released on September 14, 1979 on GEMS Records (GEMLP 100) and recorded in May-June 1979 at Kingsway Recorders Ltd.  Demon Records in association with Captain Oi! released this in 2015 as part of the reissue of the first four UK Subs LPs.  This version is on heavy 180g vinyl and is a light blue color that matches nicely with the blue, deluxe gatefold cover.  The inner portion of the gatefold has the lyrics for the LP printed on it.  This also comes with record sleeve cover art.

The lyrics on the LP cover the usual for the era - crime, war, sex, poverty, and drugs.  Three singles were released from this LP - C.I.D. (all 3 tracks), Tomorrow’s Girls (title track), and Stranglehold (all 3 tracks).

Overall, this LP has a great sound that I feel has held up well over the years.  There are a few tracks in the middle that I just never got into (I.O.D., TV Blues, Blues), but the rest are classics that over shadow those few numbers.  I really wish that they would have added the B-sides from the Tomorrow’s Girls 7in to the original LP (Scum of the Earth and Telephone Numbers).  But, back in those days they tried to sell singles with non-LP tracks to make some dough too so I get why they were not included.  In fact, I am quite surprised that the other two singles from this LP had their b-sides included.

Vocals, Harmonica - Charlie Harper

Guitar - Nicky Garratt

Bass - Paul Slack

Drums - Pete Davies

Track Listing:

1. C.I.D.
2. I Couldn’t Be You
3. I Live in a Car
4. Tomorrow’s Girls
5. Killer
6. World War
7. Rockers
8. I.O.D.
9. TV Blues
10. Blues
11. Lady Esquire
12. All I Wanna Know
13. Crash Course
14. Young Criminals
15. B.I.C.
16. Disease
17. Stranglehold

Alphabet City

Check out my new website.

https://sites.google.com/site/alphabetcitypunk/

Hope to have new letters every two weeks or so.

Welch Boys November 15, 2014

I went to the Welch Boys benefit show last year, and had a blast.  I need to figure out how to make it to this one.  I can't believe the Blue Bloods, Beantown Boozehounds, and the Welch Boys all on the same bill.

2014 Riot Fest Compilation

Unfortunately, I am unable to make it to Riot Fest this year.  The reality is that I lost interest when it became a circus and 25,000 people started showing up and crowding my space.  I like to see my bands in an intimate venue.  I don't like being a block away from the stage.

Anyway, while those 25k are in the rain watching the bands tonight, I am sitting at home drinking a beer and listening to some tunes by some of the bands that are playing there this weekend.  Here are two discs to entertain you too.

Disc One:
01 Victory - Built to Last
02 Descendents - Myage
03 Stiff Little Fingers - Suspect Device
04 Bouncing Souls - The Gold Song
05 Rise Against - Heaven Knows
06 All - Million Bucks
07 Offspring - Bad Habit
08 Anti-Flag - Drink Drank Punk
09 Cure - Grinding Halt
10 Face to Face - AOK
11 NOFX - The Brews
12 Social Distortion - Far Behind
13 Naked Raygun - New Dreams
14 Only Crime - Take Me
15 7 Seconds - Young Til I Die
16 Buzzcocks - Oh Shit!
17 Dropkick Murphys - Dirty Water
18 Cock Sparrer - England Belongs To Me
19 Bad Religion - Give You Nothing
20 Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Mr. Moran

Disc Two:
01 New Found Glory - Better Off Dead
02 Jane's Addiction - Stop!
03 Motion City Soundtrack - When You're Around
04 Slayer - Reign in Blood
05 Senses Fail - Calling All Cars
06 Lucero - I Don't Wanna Be the One
07 Cerebral Ballzy - Don't Tell Me What To Do
08 Ex Friends - Model Minority
09 Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me
10 Samhain - He Who Can Not Be Named
11 Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - I've Done Everything for You
12 Menzingers - The Talk
13 Silverstein - Born Dead
14 Weezer - Hash Pipe
15 Murder City Devils - Murder City Riot
16 Patti Smith - Rock n Roll 
17 I Am the Avalanche - Holy Shit!
18 Streetlight Manifesto - What a Wicked Gang Are We Below
19 Andrew WK - It's Time to Party
20 Primus - Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
21 Mudhoney - Into the Drink
22 Lawrence Arms - The Old Timers 2x4
23 Billy Bragg - To Have and To Have Not
24 GWAR - U Ain't Shit

http://gofile.me/27gNj/0dUYifby

Punk Rock n Roll Volume 04

I made another volume of my infamous Punk Rock n Roll compilations a few weeks ago.  I forgot that I had not posted it on here.  As always, this is a collection of tunes I have been listening to for a few months.  You may have noticed a theme.  I try to start every one with "Punk Rock and Roll" and end every one "Going Out in Style."  In the middle you will see a trio of songs started with "Institutionalized" and two others that pay homage to the Suicidal Tendencies song.  There are some new songs by some old school bands from both the USA and the UK.  While I was finishing this up, I got the news that Tommy Ramone had died so I had to add "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." to the comp in honor of him and the band.  They are all no longer with us.  Enjoy, and drop me a comment to let me know what you think about this.

01 Street Dogs - Punk Rock and Roll
02 Beer Intro: Heineken
03 Ray Gradys - If You're Buying, I'm Drinking
04 Tim Timebomb - She's Drunk All the Time
05 Anger Flares - Let's Get Drunk
06 Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized
07 Surrounded by Thieves - Riot
08 Body Count - Institutionalized 2014
09 No Problem - We Got Secrets
10 Meatmen - Dinosaur
11 OFF! - Exorcised
12 Dead Ending - Lifetime
13 7 Seconds - Exceptional
14 The Gears - Everything's Alright
15 Masked Intruder - Crime Spree
16 Bob Mould - I Don't Know You Anymore
17 Lenny Lashley's Gang of One - Hooligans
18 Street Dogs - We're Still Here
19 Hooligan - Cops and Robbers
20 Bishops Green - Another Door
21 Hard Evidence - Bled Dry
22 Last Resort - Fuck 'em All
23 Infa Riot - I'm More Punk Than You
24 Business - Back in the Day
25 Stiff Little Fingers - Liar's Club
26 Stiff Little Fingers - My Dark Places
27 Anti-Nowhere League - So What 2014
28 Pennywise - Violence Never Ending
29 Ramones - R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
30 Dropkick Murphys - Going Out in Style

http://gofile.me/27gNj/5MpCqXNf