Victory Kid - Clownin'

1.    Who?

Victory Kid are a politically active ska/pop punk band from Los Angeles, California. They have been making music since 2015 and Clownin' (Jun'18) is the lead single from their second E.P. Thrillenials (July'18).

2. What?

Clownin' is a standard issue Californian pop punk effort  thatis enlivened by a deep ska feel courtesy in part by the horns provided by Reel Big Fish's Matt Appleton. 

3. Who do they sound like?

Goldfinger, The Offspring, and Blink-182.

4. What have the press said about Victory Kid?

“Excellent beat and melodies dripping out of the speakers … loved it!” – Punk Online. 

“Incorporate a range of punk and rock influences into their horn-fueled and raucous delivery” – Rock N Load. 

“A blend of punk and ska that is politically charged and full of great melodies” – Rock N Load. 

5. Which bands influenced Victory Kid?

Sum41, Blink-182, Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Weezer.

6. Why should I give Clownin' a spin?

Because the righteous political indignation raises this bands game above their compatriots. Because the ska factor is ace. Because this is a band of very experienced musicians striking out on their own and leading with their best punches.

7. Do Victory Kid have any more bangers?

My World.

8. Any more words?

The trilogy of Victory Kid E.P's was engineered by Allan Hessler (My Chemical Romance, The Used, Goldfinger). 

Goldfinger are one of the most important bands in the third-wave of ska. Formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1994 they have seven albums on their roll of honor. Goldfinger are influenced by bands like Rancid, The Ramones, and Pennywise. Their best song is the cover of Nina Hagen's 99 Red Balloons. Tijuana Sunrise is an album track from their seventh album The Knife (July'17) and is emblematic of their ska punk jive.

Yungblud - I Love You Will You Marry Me

1.   Who is he?

Yungblud is Dominic Harrison a successful punk/ska/rock/hiphop musician from Doncaster, England. I Love You Will You Marry Me (Sept’17) is from his debut self-titled E.P. Yungblud (Jan’18).

2. What's Yungblud got?

A ska tune that juxtaposes romance with commercial reality.

3. Who does Yungblud sound like?

Jamie T, RAT BOY, and Arctic Monkeys.

4. What is the word from the press? 

“It’s catchy as hell” – Beat.

“An astute lyrical ability that leaves a sting in the tail” – Clash.

“Brutal honesty” – Kill Your Stereo.

5. Who are his influences?

Arctic Monkeys, Eminem, The Clash, Kanye West, and The Beatles.

6. Why should I give I Love You Will You Marry Me a listen?

Because you like a good punk/ska tune. Because you like socially conscious music. Because you wanna know what's blowing up in Britain at the minute.

7. Any more cracking good tunes from Yungblud?

Check out King Charles or Polygraph Eyes. 

8. Any last words?

Nah.

“A version of Romeo & Juliet,

This time with Adidas sneakers and cigarettes”

Turnspit are a melodic punk/rock'n'roll band from Chicago, Illinois, who have been playing together since 2015. Their debut album Desire Paths was released Feb'18. Turnspit sound like The Distillers, 131's, Hot Water Music, and Gaslight Anthem. Human Music is from their debut E.P. I Wonder If They Are Happy (2015) and is heartfelt punk rock.

OK Go - Interesting Drug

1. Who are OK Go? 

OK Go are an indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Playing together since 1998 they have recorded four albums. Interesting Drug (Jan'17) is a stand alone single. 


2. What kind of tune is it? 

Interesting Drug is a Morrissey cover that's been funked up with OK Go's 80's pop vibe and a lilting ska-esque undertone. A laid back, gently bouncy, tune to accompany a stinging rebuke. 


3. Who do OK Go sound like?

The Smiths, Two Door Cinema and Modest Mouse.


4. What have the press said about Interesting Drug? 

“Eerily fitting to the current political climate” – Under The Radar.

“OK Go blast Trump” – Vanyaland. 

“A steady rocking anti-Trump anthem” – Rolling Stone.

5. Which bands influenced OK Go? 

Some of their biggest influences are Michael Jackson, Prince, Talking Heads, New Order and David Bowie. 


6. Why should I listen to Interesting Drug?

Because one of the greatest musician's to ever walk God's green earth wrote the song and this great band made it better. 


7. What are OK Go's best songs? 

There is a wealth to choose from. The synthy white boy funk of I Won't Let You Down is king. What an ass shaker. This Too Shall Pass is melancholic happiness. Get Over It rocks. 


8. Any more words? 

OK Go's singer Damian Kulash said, “No matter how anxious or angry you are, try to turn your passion into something good for the world. We’re in this together.”

“There are some bad people on the rise”

Young Romance are an indie pop rock band from London, England. They are a duo and started playing together in 2012. Young Romance sound like The Primitives, Best Coast or Bleached. Pale (2014) is from their debut album Another's Blood (2016). Pale is two minutes of achingly beautiful vocals laid over some gritty fucking guitar and crashing drums. It'll get you by the short and curlies.

“Oh there was a night, long ago,

When I fell from grace”

Beng Beng Cocktail - Fucking Rudeboy

1.    Who are they?

Beng Beng Cocktail are an acoustic ska-punk band from France. They were formed in 2007 and Fucking Rudeboy (Jan’17) is the lead single from their third album Like A Brother (March’17).

2. What kind of tune are they rocking?

An acoustic ska-punk song with Eminem-speed delivery in the first verse, gang vocals in the chorus, and all underpinned by some insanely badass bass. Fucking Rudeboy is a perfect rabble-rouser for shouting along to at a concert.

3. Who do Beng Beng Cocktail sound like? 

The Stupid Stupid Henchmen and Violent Femmes. 

4. What have the press said about Fucking Rudeboy? 

“A fucking barn-burner” – YouTube Comments.

“Insanely badass bass” – The Best Indie Songs.

“Gets the blood pumping” – YouTube Comments.       

5. Which bands have influenced Beng Beng Cocktail?

Their main influences are Rancid, NOFX, The Toasters, Leftover Crack and Big D and the Kids Table.


6. Why should I listen to Fucking Rudeboy?

Because you love ska and a football chant. Because bass is your thing.


7. What are Beng Beng Cocktails best songs? 

Give Why Hip Hop Doesn't Rhyme With Hope a listen. 


8. Any more words? 

No, go get your skank on.  

“Where have you been, where are you going?”

Built To Spill are an indie rock band from Boise, Idaho. They have been together since 1992 and recorded eight albums. They sound similar to Pavement, Spoon and Modest Mouse. Built To Spill are influenced by Dinosaur Jr, Neil Young and Camper Van Beethoven. Never Be The Same was the second single from their eight album Untethered Moon (2015). Never Be The Same is a mellow, rock'n'roll song with a sticky bass note riff.

“I know you got something,

Everybody wants to know”

The Interrupters - By My Side

1.    Who are the crew? 

The Interrupters are a ska punk band with a social conscience from Los Angeles, California. By My Side is the lead single from their second album Say It Out Loud (June'16). 

2. What kind of tune is By My Side?

By My Side is a rabble rousing ska charger with a gang vocals chorus. A party maker, arse shaker, fist pumper, hug maker and beer drinking song. And with a word about solidarity.

3. Who do The Interrupters sound like?

And Out Come The Wolves... era Rancid. Sublime, No Doubt and The Specials a bit. 

4. What have the cut and paste bandits said about By My Side?

“A fist-pumping, tender tribute to outcast solidarity” – Hell Cat Records.

“Guitar driven and melodic” – Havoc TV.

“Undeniably fun and urgent” – New Noise Magazine. 

5. Which bands have put the skank into The Interrupters tunes?

The Interrupters are influenced by bands like The Clash, Rancid, No Doubt, The Specials and Joan Jett.  


6. Why should I give By My Side a lash? 

By My Side is the best party music and would make a dead man dance. End of story. 


7. Do The Interrupters have any more of these solid gold songs? 

Indeed. Take Back The Power embodies the rebel spirit. Actually they are all good. Listen to all the songs.


8. Any more words poppet?

Say It Out Loud was produced by Tim Armstrong of Rancid. 

The bass player, guitar player and drummer are brothers.

“You’ve been there since Queen St in 1993,

Yeah twenty years and a thousand beers and you’re still there for me”

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are one of the most influential ska punk bands ever. Formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1983 they have nine albums on their flag of battle honors. Their iconic album is Let's Face It (1997). It is their most successful, being certified platinum, and the lead single The Impression That I Get went to number one on the Billboard Modern Rock charts. Sputnik Music say Let's Face It is “one of the greatest ska-punk albums to come out of the nineties.”

“Or has it come down to do-or-die,

You need a strength most don’t possess”

Luke Top - Lucky Penny

1. Who is this cruiser?

Luke Top is a solo artist and frontman for the Fool's Gold band. Lucky Penny (Jan'16) is the second single that sashays off his first solo long player Suspect High (March'16). Mr Top calls Los Angeles home.

2. What kind of tune is Luke Top peddling?

Lucky Penny is not quite white boy reggae but it is close. Organ to the fore in a quirky piece of nonsense. Rolls by like the breeze through your car window on a sunny day. 

3. Who does Luke Top sound like?

Foster The People's cover of Machu Picchu comes to mind. The Kooks, She Moves In Her Own Way.

Bootleg Theater nails it comparing Luke Top to Beirut, Al Bairre, Trails and Ways and Vampire Weekend. Austin Town Hall were feeling Albert Hammond Jr.

4. What is the good word from the cut and paste bandits?

“Organ-drenched sway in a tropical breeze” - Buzzbands.

“A tropical pop, perky Afropop, and drafty bossa nova suffused chamber pop” - Bootleg Theater.

“Smoothing out vocal notes with pop doses; there’s a nice bounce coming in too from the organ” - Austin Town Hall.

5. Who are this champs influences?

Luke Top has expressed love for African music, Krautrock and 1980's dance pop.

6. Why should I give Lucky Penny a swish past the ears?

The organ chords supplying the ska feel. They just don't get old. A free floating, happy go lucky feeling.

7. Does  the good man have any other ripping tunes?

Yes.

8. Any more pearls of wisdom?

The lass who did the production on the new album Suspect High is Ariana Morgenstern and she has put nose to grind for Jimmy Cliff, Guster and Continental Drifters in recent years.

 

“You talk about it plenty,

But at the time there’s nothing to be known,

I’m sure you’re a lucky penny”

The double dip is from euphoric indie folk pop Eliza and The Bear. They sprung out of London town in 2011 and Lions Heart (July'15) is the first single from their debut self-titled album Eliza and The Bear (April'16). Lions Heart  is a tune Clash Music said has “a triumphant, euphoric air.”

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - MisterWives

MisterWive’s Best I Can Do sounds a bit like the ska band Save Ferris’s cover of Come On Eileen. Pretty damn good in other words. Brass pulls us into a verse where the singer coos over soft guitar pop and then the chorus where she gives it the tits accompanied by fantastic trumpets. Lovely jubbly.

Best I Can Do is a light, bubbly, sunny-day song about the pain caused by trying to live up to others expectations. Regardless of the melancholy lyric it’s a song to get your arse bouncing and, fuck me Frank, undeniably one of the best indie songs of 2015.

“I am down on my knees
Begging for release...”

 

 

MisterWives are a New York indie band making sweet indie pop since 2012. Best I Can Do is the fifth single released from the band’s debut album Our Own House(Feb’15). Fifth time right I suppose.

Shit you need to know:

Best I Can Do was called the album’s most, “…chaotically appealing,” song.

Billboard were on something when they described the album Our Own House as having, “…panels bursting with rock 'em, sock 'em action.”

This reviewer said the album was, “...a collection of rousing anthems that have showy vocal hooks, crisp production and choruses packed with youthful enthusiasm.”

The long player Our Own House was produced by Frequency, best known for his work with Eminem.

The band have been often compared to Ellie Goulding and Taylor Swift. Others have mentioned Chic and Capital Cities.

Popped Music thought, “...their sound borrows heavily from the 80s pop era but it’s injected with a syringe full of optimism.”

The band’s influences include No Doubt, ABBA, The Smiths, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, The Police, Walk the Moon, Regina Spektor, Sublime, Radiohead and Of Monsters and Men.

Misterwives topped the chart on Billboards emerging artists and were MTV's Artist To Watch for 2015.

The band do a good cover of old eighties singer Cyndi Lauper’sbiggest hit Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

The singer studied international opera.

 

 

 

Let’s crack on with some Sublime seeing as they influenced MisterWives. This is one of the legendary Californian ska bands greatest hits Caress Me Down (1996).

“Mucho gusto, me llamo Bradley,

I'm hornier than Ron Jeremy”