[engl] Following their four-song demo from 2022, FUERA DE SEKTOR are back with their debut LP. Sharing members with BARRERA and ALGARA, the Barcelona-based band have carved their own sound, mixing the amphetamine edge of 80’s punk with the angular post punk sensibility. The extremely isolated guitar work takes centre stage, navigating a sea of mid-tempo riffs, and backed by an extremely solid rhythm section to perfectly seal the recording. Think the pop side of LOS ILEGALES or LOS TRAIDORES, the sexuality of DESECHABLES, and the uniqueness of LA’s X. FUERA DE SEKTOR lyrics look at the world from an existentialist angle with a dark and poetic approach to complement their music perfectly. Full of desire, lust, loss and confusion, each song unravels as a very modern anxious tale. It’s an album that stands on its own in the current DIY landscape.

[engl] After a few outstanding cassettes on the Stucco and Impotent Fetus imprints, Sorry State presents the first vinyl from Olympia, Washington’s Fugitive Bubble. While Fugitive Bubble’s raw production, hyperactive drumming, and ragged delivery root them in the world of DIY punk and hardcore, their music hearkens back to a time when hardcore’s boundaries weren’t so clear. The faster bands on Dangerhouse—Rhino 39, the Eyes, the Bags—are an obvious reference point since Fugitive Bubble shares those groups’ scratchy guitar sounds and big chorus hooks. But Fugitive Bubble also evokes classic punk in their willingness to push at the edges of their sound with moments like the wistful closing section of the otherwise furious “Chicken Head,” the brooding “Magic Switch” (which has shades of Paganicons-era Saccharine Trust), and “Motorcycle Slop,” the evocative instrumental that closes Delusion. Fugitive Bubble’s music is suffused with the thrill of discovery, their loose yet assured delivery gluing everything together as they explore a wide range of musical moods and colors, particularly for a 45rpm 12” operating primarily at blistering tempos. With Delusion, Fugitive Bubble will win over anyone who loves great songs played fast and wild.

[engl] Chicago Power Poppers 'The Fur Coats are back with this 4 track EP to coincide with their UK tour. Short-Brain is the latest 7? by The Fur Coats, the musical vehicle of Chicagoan (recently Brooklynite) Marc Ruvolo. Marc has enjoyed a long and storied career as a musician and promoter, from booking his first DIY punk show in 1984, to fronting a number of long-running bands (No Empathy, Traitors, The Atari Star, Das Kapital), to running the Johann’s Face Records label (since 1989 – recently passed the one-hundred-release mark!). Wanting to tour more frequently, but finding the original members of the Coats unavailable, Ruvolo has now opted for a revolving cast of characters in terms of live and studio rhythm sections. Joining him for the four songs on Short-Brain are John Polydoros (Off With Their Heads, Vacation Bible School) along with Chris Mattern on bass, with Kyle Manning (Tens/Costanza), handling drum duties. The 7? also features cover art by the UK’s scribblin’ wunderkind, Wolfmask. The four songs on Short-Brain fall into the realm of pop-punk/power-pop, and showcase Ruvolo’s love for melody, while still throwing in an odd lyrical turn or two. Recorded in Chicago, if you listen closely you can hear the influences of some of his favorite favorite bands: Naked Raygun, The Smoking Popes, and the Buzzcocks.

[engl] European release of the second tape from Futurat called Incinerat ! Futurat are an awesome power trio from St Petersburg in Russia filled with heavy fuzz guitars & bass, loud drums and haunted vocals influenced by heavy 90s Grunge bands and modern garage punk bands such as The Ohsees or Ty Segall. It’s all in the red, it is meant to be played loud and you will probably do like me while listening to these songs : headbang like a teenager in his room listening to Nirvana’s Bleach for the first time. Featuring Tim and Artem from the alternative screamo band Materic that I got to know while on tour in Russia with Baton Rouge. Fans of grungy garage punk in the vein of Metz, Fuzz, Meatbodies or early Nirvana, this one is for you !!

[engl] Unfortunately no new material by the London Snot Rockets, here we have two unreleased cuts straight out the vaults, recorded back in 2016: The A-side explodes in oldfashioned "STITCHES/PAGANS meets early BUZZCOCKS"-Torpedo style, the flipside is gloomy, dark. "Stabbed in the back...too many times". A pleasant dose of L.A. Death Punk feeling, 45 GRAVE and T.S.O.L. meet Jack the Ripper in a spooky Soho Tavern. And he stabs. Way too often. Packaged in a colorful "Punkette goes Dayglo" artwork by GAGGERS-Marco himself. 100% Punk Rawk.

[engl] Brand new 4-song 7” from this Arizona powerhouse. Every time I listen to Gay Kiss my mind is boggled that a band can sound so uniformly heavy and aggressive, yet simultaneously so original. While their previous LP on Sorry State, Preservation Measures, was a real achievement, these four new songs take things even further into the depths, fusing hardcore, riff-driven noise rock, and a hint of industrial music into one of the most distinctive and gripping sounds out there. While their intricate songwriting can take a handful of listens to decode, once your ear is acclimated you quickly realize that each one contains enough memorable parts to sustain an entire record by your typical hardcore band. However, Gay Kiss won’t just hand it to you, they’ll make you work for it, pushing yourself as a listener in the same way they’ve continued to press forward relentlessly as a band. If you like the heavy, intense, and forward-thinking hardcore of bands like Bad Breeding, the Lowest Form, or Nasa Space Universe you’ll want to check this EP immediately, then acquaint yourself with Gay Kiss’s equally impressive back catalog.

[engl] Raucous Australian synth punk set recorded during their great livestream Gonerfest appearance in 2020.

[engl] On not-so-distant horizons, when we've all heard everything, what aesthetic flavors will prevail? The era of good taste is upon us everyone. Your play-acting rendition of that Brazilian d-beat demo or British long-haired mace-wielders or Midwestern pocket-protector-perverts does not impress me, as I too have an internet connection and as a matter of fact my little sister uploaded all that to Youtube upon her 12th birthday. I swiftly gave them all a thumbs down. Gen Pop, on the other hand, gets a thumbs up. This band sounds like they've been raised exclusively on the synth/female-oriented KBD cuts, but with the confidence of those mid-00's Scandinavians who came over to our big trailer park knowing exactly how good they looked and sounded. It has some in vogue Australian elements, but luckily Olympia does not swelter to the point of their guitarists simply walking a clean telecaster around like a tenured poet at community college, butterfly kisses, pulling your knob switch foot. Catchy, snotty old-world flavors served up cold in the fusion restaurant that is our futureless American paradigm. Wonderful!"" - Brandon Gaffney

[engl] In just half a decade Olympia’s Gen Pop have forged a singular style over the release of several EPs and the aptly titled, 2020 full length, “PPM66”. The group draws water from the disparate wells of early 80’s American hardcore and late 70’s UK post-punk, filtering it through the shitshow chaos of the early 21st century international cultural, political, and environmental climates. A sound fully realized and on display here in the ninth volume of the infamous Beat Sessions, presented by Shout Recordings. Precise, punchy, yet dynamic and fluid drumming underlie a cascade of tones, textures, styles, and voices to form a repertoire of songs where change is the only constant. The music cycles between uplifting, romantic, distressing, aggressive, and disjointed. Tempo and feeling will shift on a dime, and songs often exhibit romance, buoyancy, aggression, and anxiety simultaneously. This performance was captured by Shout’s Mike Kriebel in December 2021 at LA’s Golden Beat Studios. The line up was supplemented on this session by Anthony Gaviria, of the fellow Washingtonian oddball outfit Lysol, on bass guitar.

[engl] The Generics were a group shrouded in the darkest corners of punk rock obscurity. Only 200 copies of their lone 7" single, 'The Bitt' b/w 'Cost Cutter' were pressed in 1983 - with the majority of copies being pre-sold and distributed to...get this - their Junior High School classmates! It wasn't until 2019 that a collector turned up a copy of the 7", eventually locating a band member that had the foresight to copyright the record back in '83. A grip of stock copies from the band began to circulate, blowing away even the most seasoned punk rock collectors. "How the hell has this never been comped on a volume of Killed By Death?!" was a thought surely echoed among those that were hipped to the record. The story behind the band is just as great. The Generics formed in Cross Lanes, West Virginia - a small town surrounding Lake Chaweva, just outside the state capital of Charleston. It was a tight-knit scene of bored kids growing up in the early years of Reagan-era America. Early skateboard culture - and it's close ties to punk rock - became a major influence on the three 12 year olds who would form The Generics, their first band. They bummed money at school and cut grass to buy gear, playing to their classmates in the Junior High gym, at parties, half pipe jams - wherever and whenever they could. With the help of a couple older siblings, the band booked one day at Barnhill's Recording, just over the state line in Ashland, Kentucky. They recorded seven tracks total - picking 'The Bitt', written about a classmate's deranged mother who bred Shih Tzus and the harder rocking 'Cost Cutter' for the single. After pre-selling enough 7"s, the band returned to Barnhill's who pressed up 200 copies on their studio label. Shortly after the release, guitarist Steve Sadler's family picked up and moved out of state, putting an end to the group. However, The Generics left behind a few tracks from the Barnhill's session, the best two of which have been rescued from tape and included on this expanded reissue EP for the first time ever. The "Cost Cutter" 7" EP is packaged in a hand-stamped picture sleeve featuring an insert with photos and band history given by all three original members, plus a download code.

[engl] Erste Theke Tonträger Records is excited to introduce Geo's debut LP, a musical journey that promises to captivate listeners. As a label dedicated to nurturing emerging talent, we are proud to collaborate with Geo and showcase their unique sound and artistic vision. Geo's music blends indie rock and post-punk influences, transcending genres to deliver a refreshing and exhilarating sonic experience. Each track on the album reflects the band's exceptional songwriting skills and ability to craft memorable hooks and captivating arrangements. Geo's ability to seamlessly blend introspective themes with infectious melodies is truly impressive. This LP is a testament to their creativity, dedication, and passion for their craft. Erste Theke Tonträger Records is privileged to be part of Geo's musical journey and believes in their immense potential. The collaboration has produced an album that not only showcases Geo's talent but also underscores our commitment to supporting emerging artists and sharing their music with a wider audience. Geo's debut LP is now available on Erste Theke Tonträger Records, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the band's world and experience a musical journey that is sure to make a lasting impact. Join us in celebrating the rise of this exceptional band and the beginning of a promising musical adventure.

[engl] "To call ‘Remain Intact’ the work of an auteur might not be the proper usage of the term, but I can think of nothing else to call a piece of art expressing a singular vision with such perfection. GG King is a band first and foremost, but this LP is Greg King’s mind cracked open like a melon for all of us to peer into, from the music, to the lyrics, to the carefully constructed artwork. He’s assembled a crack unit of ATL’s finest players to help him articulate this vision, and under the peerless guidance of Ryan (Dinosaur) Bell they have created a record that will appeal to any rocker with a soul, heart and/or mind. Heshers, punkers, hardcores, powerpoppers, garage turkeys, everyone is welcome and should find something to love here. 13 tracks clocking in at around some of the most rewarding 40 minutes of music you’re going to listen to this year, with a companion cassette filled with bonus material that most bands would be releasing as their masterpiece LP. It’s difficult to find a punk record invested with any sort of real personality or emotional heft these days, but King somehow does just that without sacrificing any rock’n’roll power. The title track is slice of upbeat power-pop with a hard punk edge and a King-sized hook. “God’s Chalk” makes me stumble for a description, and instead just blurt out punk-death-rock-metal like some kind of boob. “Golden Horde Rising” is straight garage thrash. Heavy stuff. Visceral thrills aside, it’s songs like “Cul de Sac” that really get your mind cranking – lyrical subtleties about pride in your home and neighborhood and their defense against the spectre of evil we are all too familiar with these days played out aside a dirgey doom-rock background. “Epoch Rock” encapsulates the current American mindspace in a 5-minute garage-punk song. It’s themes like this where the record truly excels – for as much of a rocking affair it is, it also provides plenty to think about – it’s a record indirectly about him, and therefore us – about the fears of growing old and obsolete, the creeping darkness that looms around the current American landscape and seeks to poke its tendrils into our daily lives, the feeling when you realize that your life is probably made up of more memories than it is remaining living moments. Listen to “Timesick (Doom and Gloom Part 3)” and think hard about what you’ve been doing with your own time. And even as though those darker themes recur, there’s also a warmth to the whole proceeding – memories are wonderful things to hold, and I imagine it’s by no mistake the second to last song is a Carbonas tune Greg wrote twenty years ago with his now departed friend BJ Womack, here given a wonderful reprise. And look no further than the insert picture of the band and their families laying together in what I like to the think is the same cul de sac referred to earlier. That’s what this record is really about – no matter what tidal wave of shit is barreling down at all of us these days, don’t let it wash away your life, your soul, what you live for, who you live for – remain intact against it all. REMAIN INTACT. It’s not very often I leave my cave these days and let the sun touch my decrepit form, but crawling to the mailbox to retrieve this LP was a rewarding experience, and trust me, it will be for you as well."- Rich Kroneiss

[engl] 2 Dancers if you know how to dance: Day into nights is a final CARBONAS song that never got recorded/released. Drug induced state is a Ralphs cover, with an organ that will give Digital Leather a run for their money! Very excited about this one...we are excited about all our releases, rest asure but.... Greg used to off course sing for the almighty Carbonas, who are for one reason or another absent without leave!