The Last Gang - Turn The Record Over

1. Who are they?

The Last Gang are a punk rock band from Orange County, California, playing together since 2004. Turn The Record Over is from their debut album Keep The Counting (March'18).


2. What have they got?

Punk rock with gang vocals. Derivative and concise. No reinventing the wheel here.


3. Who do they sound like?

The Interrupters, Rancid, and The Distillers. 


4. What have the keyboard punchers said?

"Not afraid to cram in hooks alongside the singalong choruses" - New Noise Magazine.

"High energy, pop-infused street punk" - Dying Scene.

"Crisp production and good songwriting throughout" - Punk News.

5. Who are they influenced by?

Rancid, The Clash, and Misfits.

6. Why should I give the tune a spin?

Because you remember when Rancid sounded exciting.

7. Do they have any more good uns? 

Blood Drunk.

8. Anything else?

Zip. 

“I got my radio blaster, I got my one telecaster”

RVIVR are a punk rock band from Olympia, Washington. They have been playing together since 2008 and have two albums in the bag. The Tide (Dec’16) comes from the E.P. of the same name. The Tide is a fist thumping, lo-fi punk song with catchy riffs, traded male/female vocals, and an honest lead guitar break. As gritty as her crack when you are fucking on the beach. 

“Choking on your words like the cops are coming”

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - Mates of State

Mates of State's Staring Contest (Apr’15) is one of the best pop records of 2015 and never mind the ‘indie’. The track starts with singer Kori Gardner saying,“Hey! I like it like this,”as a big atmospheric beat is laid down. No wonder she liked it. Synths and drums lead a nostalgyic tour de force of carefree youth in love, sample lyrics “...we once were wild," and complimented by spectacular alternating female and male vocals and a crashing staccato rhythm. Movement magazine called Staring Contest "a fist-pumping opener" and regardless of what you're pumping, Staring Contest is one of the best indie songs of 2015.

Mates of State are a husband and wife indie pop duo from Connecticut, by way of San Franciso, with seven long players in the vault. Pop Matters calls them, "...valid and essential pop."  Mates of State's influences are Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Metallica, Neil Diamond, Neil Finn and Fugazi.  Mates of State have been compared to Feist, Los Camposinos! and St. Vincent but prefer not to be shoe-horned into a genre.

“Climb higher on the chain link fence
It's all about you, I'm wild about you”

 

Shit you need to know:

"Staring Contest" is the debut single from a five song short player "You're Going To Make It” (June'15).

NPR said Staring Contest, "...bursts with giddy excitement."

Movement Magazine said the new EP is, "...nothing but choice cuts; five anthemic and emotionally-rich songs..."

Of the band in general Pop Matters felt, "...musically they are like no one else around."

Not everyone is feeling the love. Pitchfork said "You're Gonna Make It" is "...out of time at best, irrelevant at worst."

Mates of State have toured intensively internationally and have performed fluffer duties for bands like The Postal Service, Spoon, Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab For Cutie.

Mates of State released an album of covers called "Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) (2010) with a Belle and Sebastian cover, Sleep The Clock Around, and others by Death Cab For Cutie and Nick Cave.

If you need more Mates of State check out Gonna Get It.

 

Todays tag team effort is from Mates Of State's 2005 tour mates, the Ariziona rock band Jimmy Eat World.

This is Jimmy Eat World's biggest hit, a raucous punk pop banger, The Middle (2001).
 

"Hey! Don't write yourself off yet

It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on"