Browsing Tag

Surf Punk

Surf Punk’s Up in The Dead Beast Initiative’s Latest Single, Small Things

Posted on 19 December 2023

The Dead Beast Initiative’s surf punk hit, Small Thing, is a rancorously electrifying track that cements the Athens-based duo as indomitable purveyors of antagonistic rock. Orfeas Georgakopoulos on guitar and Sotiris Georgakopoulos with vocals and drums have concocted a sonic cocktail that is as magnetic as it is confrontational, echoing the protestive bite of Rage Against the Machine and the rolling rhythms of Eagles of Death Metal.

Small Thing is a masterclass in controlled chaos. The track opens with gritty, riff-centred guitars that immediately grab your attention. The energy is relentless, driving forward with a ferocity that is both thrilling and intimidating. Sotiris’ vocals are a force to be reckoned with – loud, scathing, and dripping with disdain. His delivery is a perfect match for the in-your-face percussion, creating a sound that is as raw as it is refined. The song’s message is clear and potent: don’t be a passive bitch. This ethos is woven into every aspect of the track, from the lyrics to the unyielding instrumentation.

The Dead Beast Initiative’s influences – ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Audioslave – are evident, yet the band has managed to create a sound that is uniquely their own. Their music is a refreshing take on rock n’ roll, blending elements of hard rock with a sincerity that is often missing in the genre. It will leave listeners kneeling at the altar of rock n roll.

Small Things hit the airwaves on December 12th; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jump Jump Joan made sparks fly in their vintage tone-wrapped pop-punk hit, This Night

Posted on 6 November 2023

Jump Jump Joan cruised in on a riptide of surf punk with their stylistically exhilarant standout single, This Night, taken from their debut EP, This is Us, which hit the airwaves on September 1st.

By the time the palpitatingly sweet chorus hits, you’ll be wishing that all pop-punk hits were as vintagely hued as This Night; as momentum drives through the overdriven guitar lines, the lead vocals drape seductively magnetic harmonies over the rancour to create a natural anchor amidst the chaos.

There aren’t many outfits that can hold vocal candles to the likes of Debbie Harry and Dolores O’Riordan, but if any powerhouse can hold their own against the icons, it is the Somerset-hailing ensemble who are already making major waves across streaming platforms and winning favour from the likes of Blitzcat Records and Honk Magazine. We’re stoked to see Jump Jump Joan hold dominion over the UK punk scene in 2024.

Stream This Night on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

dogbeach stuck it to the facade-preferring masses in his progressive melting pot of genre, Fake It

Posted on 24 December 2022

Traversing people’s proclivity to convince others to plaster a fake smile over valid emotions, the solo artist dogbeach (Bob Maschio) created a sardonically protestive hit out of his latest single, Fake It.

To stick it to the façade-preferring masses who wouldn’t know what hit them if a drop of empathy crawled between their synapses, dogbeach released a sun-soaked progressive alt-rock lament to their selfish ineptitude with compassion.

Switching between post-hardcore vocals and melodic pop choruses and playing with punk and alt-90s pop tones, he efficaciously encompassed the bemused rage that comes to fruition in the face of the audacity that adds to the stigma around mental health.

It is a sure-fire hit of vindication for anyone that knows the frustration of other people’s expectations. The playful reprise of “why would I do anything for you” hits the nail on the head with satisfying precision.

Stream Fake It on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tommy Freed and the Sound laments his ‘Waste of a Summer’ in his surfy no-wave anthem

Posted on 8 October 2022

The solo artist Tommy Freed and the Sound treated the airwaves to another off-kilter burst of violent optimism with his latest single, Waste of a Summer. The high-energy amalgam of sunny surf rock, garagey power pop, no-wave and ska is a subversive sonic palette for the titular entropy, but we certainly aren’t complaining.

The anthemically discordant hit perfectly encapsulates the bitter regret which creeps in with the colder weather that allows you to retrospectively lament your summer existence being leagues apart from the narrations in the plastic pop tracks. Ironically, Waste of a Summer is just as catchy as those try-hard hits endeavour to be; better yet, it doesn’t leave you with any FOMO.

Waste of a Summer was officially released on September 22nd. It is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The LA alt-indie duo, Doxy, speak to the psychologically detached in their debut single, Autopilot

Posted on 19 February 2022
Doxy

“Autopilot” is the latest jazzy avant-garde feat of lo-fi surfy punk rock from the LA duo Doxy. It’s a refreshing reprieve from the earnest tracks that force your subconscious into a state of lament; Doxy’s playful yet pessimist flair mixed with their ability to offer something that is truly euphoric and endearing, make them utterly infectious. Autopilot should be on every Pavement fan’s playlist. The angularly off-kilter guitar notes are just absorbing – if not more.

They poured plenty of the LA sun into the synthy jangly bop-worthy track. The discernible sweet spot hits when they declare a “freak out” interlude and follow with an absorbingly obscure breakdown which allows you to truly appreciate the jazzy nuances in this hazily blissful defiance against depersonalisation and detachment.

Check out Doxy on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

North Carolina’s Snatch the Snail are set to release their warped and wavy surf punk single, Sunk

Posted on 6 January 2022
Snatch the Snail

North Carolina’s most psychedelic retro surf outfit, Snatch the Snail, is set to release their warped and wavy alt-rock track, Sunk. Instead of sending you under as the track title suggests, the Avant-Garde nuances in the colourfully mellow track feed the dopamine with the same generosity of Pavement’s album, Brighten the Corners.

While the bent to the point of distortion guitar notes ring through plenty of wobbly echo and delay, the deadpan vocals sweeten the track that has all the hallmarks of a vibe-out playlist staple. With the experimentalism of Mike Patton and the punk surf vibes of Fidlar, it doesn’t take a genius why Snatch the Snail are thriving in their niche.

Check out Snatch the Snail on their website, Bandcamp and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Good Korpse Bad Korpse provide a fresh hit of Psychobilly Surf Punk with “Trailer Trash”

Posted on 25 June 2019

“Trailer Trash” is the latest single from the Australian Psychobilly duo Good Korpse Bad Korpse who possess talent deft enough to revive the greasy raucous genre while adding punchy contemporary energy.

As soon as the anthemic drum rolls kick in and introduce Ginger’s vocals which contain the same unapologetic feminine attitude as Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill), it’s impossible not to be drawn into the track.

Trailer Trash contains impossibly mesmerising rhythms carved out by the double bass and guitar; I’ll forever remain in the belief that no one can rip a fretboard better than a Psychobilly guitarist. The face-melting walls of pure Rock n’ Roll may not be something you hear in the mainstream all too often, but it’s bands such as Good Korpse Bad Korpse who prove that the airwaves would be markedly improved with the raw wild energy.

Anyone fans of the Horrorpops, Creepshow, Tiger Army, the Meteors, or the Radiacs won’t want to hang around putting Good Korpse Bad Korpse on their radars.

You can check out Trailer Trash for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast