Nö Class - Here Comes Trouble

1. Who are Nö Class? 

Nö Class are an Oi, Punk, Pub Rock band from New Zealand who fight out of Melbourne, Australia. The band have been creating havoc since 2014-ish and have one or two long players to their name Painted In A Corner (2018) and The Early Years (2021). Here Comes Trouble steams off the E.P. of the same name Here Comes Trouble (May, 2022). 

2. What kind of tune is Here Comes Trouble? 

Here Comes Trouble is a pub punk rock song that charges out of the blocks like a greyhound after the rabbit and with the sound of a full pub cheering on their favorite horse in the Melbourne Cup. The opening verses are reminiscent of Jim Carrol's People Who Died (or the GWAR cover) which I assume is no accident as it is dedicated in memory of a fallen comrade. The chorus lands like a well placed footy kick and with the exuberance of a crowd at the MCG cheering a surprise goal propelling their favorite team to an unexpected victory. There is something intimate and yet universal in this celebration of a genuine character and Here Comes Trouble is the kind of rowdy banger to accompany a triumphant arrival in Valhalla.

3. Who do Nö Class sound like? 

There is a bit of early Kiwi punk about them like No Tag and they have covered The Enemy/Toy Love. Others have suggested there's a bit Motörhead in there (because of the name I guess) or Rose Tattoo. I'm hearing a bit of The Angels and RIXE too.

4. Which bands have influenced Nö Class? 

Motörhead, Rose Tattoo, The Business, Cock Sparrer and ...  AC/DC (which is a bit like crediting the Beatles and the Stones when you're a Kiwi or an Ocker but whatever). They have plenty of love for MESS and RIXE too.

5. What have the cut and paste bandits said about Here Comes Trouble? 

"Booze fuelled Aussie pub-rock, punk and Oi! and rock'n'roll" - said the wordsmiths at Epidemic Records.

"The perfect blend of ratbag Aussie rock, fist pumping British Oi, and an outer suburban pub car park fight" - VICE.

"Not as shit as I thought given you are sheep molesters" - YouTube Comments. 

"Hey! You better get out of the way!

He's been on the piss all day,

Here comes trouble again"

Béton Armé - L'Union Fait La Force

 

1. Who are Béton Armé? 

Béton Armé are an Oi band from Montreal, Canada. They have been playing together since 2018 and L'Union Fait La Force is from their fourth EP Second Souffle (June, 2023).

2. What kind of tune in L'Union Fait La Force? 

If you liked old school eighties Oi like Infa Riot, Sham-69 or Cock Sparrer but you thought they it could be done better if the band just stuck to the Oi's and the sticky choruses then L'Union Fait La Force is the song for you. All the good part of classic Oi concentrated into one sweet concoction. 

3. Which bands do Béton Armé sound similar to? 

The Chisel, Violent Way, MESS, Syndrome 81, Claimed Choice, and RIXE. 

4. Which bands influenced Béton Armé?  

Some of the bands they enjoy are Camera Silens, RIXE, Trotkids, and Collabos. 

5. What have people said about L'Union Fait La Force?

"Harder than hell" - Stereogum.

"Ear worm choruses, buzz-saw guitars, and gang vox" - Maximum Rock'N'Roll.

"This is proper stomping, lift your knees up to your chin and fist pump the air Oi!" – Band Camp.

HOME FRONT - Nation

 

1. Who are HOME FRONT?

HOME FRONT are a punk/new wave (they call themselves bootwave) band from Edmonton, Canada. Formed in 2021 with members from other bands Nation (March, 2023) is a single, and most popular song, from their debut alnum Games of Power (March, 2023).

2. What kind of song is Nation?

Nation contains enough hints of HOME FRONT's new wave foundations to make it fresh exciting and interesting, combined with lashings of boot-boy-running-down-the-streets-shouting-Oi-Oi-Oi rebellious energy. Nation gives an intriguing and alluring boot in the balls to two old genres and of course it features vocals from Cal Graham of The Chisel. It's pure fucking genius and like a breath of air to a drowning man.

3. Which bands do HOME FRONT sound like?

Comparisons have been made to High Vis, Suicide  and Syndrome 81. Hell throw in that TURNSTILE song while we are at it. They have also kept company with Béton Armé, The Chisel and Conservative Military Image.

4. Which bands have influenced HOME FRONT?

Information is thin on the ground so let's rolls with Joy Division, Devo, and Blitz.

5. What have people said about Nation?

"Stuffed to the brim with icy synths and righteous indignation" - Maximum Rock'n'Roll.

"A shouty Oi anthem" - Just Some Punk Songs.

"Nation lets a massive gang-chant hook guide it's chorus with fist-pumping vigor" - Exclaim!

"We're poor as fuck,

So they lock us up,

Throw away the key"

MESS - Don't Look Back

 

1. Who are MESS? 

Mess are an Oi/Street Punk band from Mexico. They have been playing since 2020 and have recorded one album and a couple of E.P's. Don't Look Back (Nov, 2022) is from a split E.P. they made with The Chisel.

2. What kind of song is Don't Look Back?  

Don't Look Back is pretty, chill and mellow. It reminded me of indie rock songs like BRONCHO more than anything else. The vocals are delivered in a "listen up cunt, step outside" manner well known to Oi bands though. Honestly it's the way this song wormed it's way into my unconscious that made it stand up head and shoulders above the masses; just reading a book and the words and melody kept running through my head. 

3. Which bands do MESS sound similar to? 

They are a bit like Blitz, No Class, The Business, and obviously The Chisel.

4. Which bands have influenced MESS?

I couldn't tell you. Stiff Little Fingers, The Exploited, Blitz, and Cock Sparrer maybe.

5. What have people said about Don't Look Back?

"Their energy and talent is undeniable and they've mastered that adrenaline-charged fists-up singalong style" - The New Times Events.

"It's pure perfection. Shouty vocals with pretty little guitar lines" - DIY Conspiracy.

"Powerful anthems of working class struggle" - Pirates Press Records.

"And we, we care for today,

To stay alive and breathe another day"

Conservative Military Image - Yard Hard

1. Who are they?

Conservative Military Image are a hardcore punk band from Chicago/Boston with an Oi sound and they've been running down the streets since 2022 or there abouts. Yard Hard (March, 2023) marches off their first long player Casual Violence (May, 2023).

2. What is Yard Hard about?

A tune about camaraderie in the music scene bursts out of the traps all street fighting skinhead Oi but lays on the fat riffs for the chorus. Done and dusted in a minute flat but catchier than the Thai clap.

3. Which bands do Conservative Military Image sound like?

No one else? A bit like End It, Scowl, SPEED, Agnostic Front, and Violent Way.

4. Which bands have influenced Conservative Military Image?

The main likes are Warzone, early Acca Dacca (AC/DC), The New York Hounds and there is a bit of love for Henry Rollins and Danzig.

5. What have people said about Yard Hard?

"A ripper, as aggressive as it is catchy"- Brooklyn Vegan.

"This band is blowing up and they deserve every bit of it"- Reddit.

"Tried-and-true punk riffs and tough tales of blue-collared life" - Stay Happening.

"You either walk the yard or you're with the guards,

Get your ass over the fence we're going yard hard"

Chubby and The Gang - Coming Up Tough

 

1. Who are Chubby and The Gang?

Chubby and The Gang are a punk rock band from West London, England, and formed in 2019. The band members have played in hardcore punk bands and Chubby and The Gang have Oi and pub rock sensibilities to boot. Coming Up Tough (June, 2021) is the third single from their second album The Mutt's Nuts (August, 2021). 

2. What has Coming Up Tough got?

Coming Up Tough has a rock riff that wouldn't embarrass an early Acca Dacca (AC/DC) album and hardcore vocals that are furious about the brutal injustice of the prison system. A relentless rhythm reminiscent of a street beating pounds the message home but it's far from one dimensional. This is apex Chubby and The Gang.

3. Who do Chubby and The Gang sound like?

The Chisel of course (Chubby and The Gang singer Charles "Chubby Charles" Walker is the guitarist in The Chisel) but also Motörhead, Blitz, Conservative Military Image, and The Chats.

4. Which bands have influenced Chubby and The Gang?

The Ramones, Dr. Feelgood, Coloured Balls.

5. What have other people said about Coming Up Tough?

“A fist-pumping punk rager” – Louder Sound.

“A prickly take on the older, more melodic genres that punk derives from”- Tune Of The Day.

“A ripper”- Stereogum. 

"They sent you down for far too long"

8. Anything else?

Listening to Chubby and The Gang and The Chisel remind me of this Australian punk gem by Royal Headache. Royal Headache were a garage punk band from Sydney, Australia. They were critical darlings and released two albums, Royal Headache (2011) and High (2015). The band remind me of Cloud Nothings. But Royal Headache never achieved any mainstream success and imploded in 2017. Little Star is a low-fi scuzzy song that has gained punk anthem status among some and has remained one of my all time favorites if only for the lyric...

"What's the point of living if we can't understand the truth?

Not worth it!"

The Chisel - Cry Your Eyes Out

 

1. Who are they?

The Chisel are are one of the finest punk rock bands to ever come out of London, England. Born out of fire and ash in 2020 and with two long players to their roll of honour, Cry Your Eyes Out has two versions, an early 2021 one, and the May, 2023, one from their second album What A Fucking Nightmare (Feb, 2024).

2. What have they got?

The sound of furious punk from the streets and the only thing that matters to me since I put a needle down on Motown Junk in 1991. Cry Your Eyes Out bursts out of the traps like a steroid and cocaine soaked Conor McGregor in a fight ready to to punch a local drunk for disrespecting the pish he calls whiskey or break his own leg in the ring and then call you and ya ma a pussy. It also doesn't spare the rod having a harsh word for anyone who gets handsy with their missus and that's God's work right there. It's Oi but it's melodic and with an earworm of a gang vocal chorus. Done and dusted in two minutes and leaves you wanting more. It's the song I hum when I wake up every morning looking for my jocks and socks and regretting my life choices.

3. Who do The Chisel sound like?

Chubby and The Gang for sure, Cock Sparrer, Booze & Glory (maybe), even a bit of hardcore like Big Cheese or Conservative Military Image if you're feeling it.

4. Who have influenced The Chisel?

The Angelic Upstarts, The Ramones and The Exploited for starters.

5. What have other people said?

"An even catchier version of their already appealing sound, without losing any of their gritty aggression"- Brooklyn Vegan.

"The bands whole sound remains fast, direct, and catchy" - Stereogum. 

"Shards of glorious melody amidst all the the broken glass" - Kerrang.

"Sitting there with your head in your hands,

And you wonder where it went wrong,

After all the shit you put her through,

You wonder why she's gone?"