Punk – Page 4 – 7th Level Music

Levitation Austin 2025: Day Two recap

“This is gonna be a sweat-fest.”

Those were the first words I heard about Day Two of 2025’s Levitation Austin musical festival as I walked toward the entrance of the Palmer Event Center. Some guy said this to his pal as they steeled themselves for the day to come. The guy was right, as the bright sun was brutal at times — especially at the outdoor stage.

I started indoors, both to avoid the peak sun and to see Hooveriii put on a solid set of psych-rock that bordered on grunge rock a couple times (which was fine by me).

Hooveriii (pronounced “Hoover Three”, not “hoovery.”)

Many of us ventured out into the sun to see Dutch disco funkers Yīn-Yīn play for the first time anywhere in the United States. They had the afternoon crowd jumping and were having a great time despite not being used to such heat.

Yīn-Yīn getting their sweaty groove on, and on all of us.

I had time for a chicken shawarma wrap (possibly the best food bargain at the festival) and some ice cream before heading back to the outdoor stage to see Model / Actriz put on a blistering set of queercore post-punk with lead singer Cole Haden prowling through the crowd while his bandmates played tight, snappy beats and riffs. Guitarist Jack Wetmore knows not only how to play, but the right moments not to play — a skill overlooked by many.

Model / Actriz bringing more heat than the afternoon sun.

I took some more time to hydrate and get a full meal (It’s a marathon, not a sprint.) before heading back indoors to join the large crowd for The Brian Jonestown Massacre, who played to a happy crowd — many of whom (at least around me) hadn’t seen them before now. It was a good set, with only minor issue when, believe it or not, Anton Newcombe decided his microphone had too much reverb.

The Raveonettes were a welcome return to Levitation. I hadn’t seen them since 2013 when Levitation was still the Austin Psych Fest (which has returned in its own form). They still sound great and played classics and newer stuff.

The biggest show of the night, and for the entire festival for me, belonged to TV on the Radio. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see them, so their appearance at Levitation made the decision to fly here a no-brainer. They slayed it and had everyone jumping and moving. Their energy was infectious and immediate, and a great way to close the night.

TVOTR didn’t close my night, however. I was so wired after their set that I walked over a mile to Elysium to see Past Self and Urban Heat. I knew we were in for a treat when Past Self’s bassist started the show by playing his guitar with a bow. What followed was a mix of desert rock (They’re from Las Vegas, Nevada.), New Romanticism, and dark wave.

Past Self. Are they ghosts, musicians, past incarnations of you?

Urban Heat are local heroes who play aggressive shoegaze mixed with post-punk anger. It’s good stuff, and they seem destined for big things. They reminded me a bit of early TVOTR, which was fitting because I bumped into TVOTR’s guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Jaleel Bunton at their show and got to thank him for the great set.

Up next, psychedelia, indie rock, and a couple sets that might cause you to seek a chiropractor afterwards.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Austin 2025: Day Zero recap

I’m going to call the September 25, 2025 Thursday night late shows of Levitation Austin 2025 as “Day Zero” since the official festival doesn’t start until September 26th. “Day -1” would’ve been September 24th when you could’ve seen Mdou Moctar, Beach Fossils, Strange Lot, Water Damage and other good bands.

The main festival has a new home — the Palmer Event Center pretty much in the middle of the city, and only has the “pub crawl” events (shows at various venues downtown) at night. As usual, there’s always at least one good band playing the Thursday night before Levitation to entice you into coming to town early. This year, “Day Zero” had several: Warmduscher and Starjunk 95 among them, and I opted for two other shows out of six you could attend.

I first went to Stubb’s BBQ for what would be the only show I would attend there the whole weekend (which felt odd): Kumo 99, Martin Rev, and Boy Harsher.

Kumo 99 kicking off Levitation with a good start.

I’d only heard one song from Kumo 99 before coming to Austin, so I didn’t know what to expect apart from some electro music. What I got was electro plus synthwave plus Japanese vocal punk rock. I was impressed, and so were a lot of others judging by the size of the line at their merch booth after their set.

Martin Rev will hit you with a key-tar and then put you in the Sharpshooter.

Up next was the legendary Martin Rev — one half of synth / punk pioneers Suicide. He came out in ripped-up leather pants, a sleeveless shirt, and goggles suitable for alpine skiing or for Brett “Hitman” Hart cutting a professional wrestling promo. What followed was a weird, loud no wave noise set that left most of the audience (who didn’t realize who he was) baffled. Rev was hammerfisting his keyboard through most of the set, bludgeoning us with distorted din. He sampled Bon Jovi, ZZ Top, and The Trammps at various points while singing / talking with so much reverb in his microphone that one guy in front of me just yelled, “What are you saying?” during a brief break in the noise. Rev even did a bizarre cover of Sam the Sham & the Pharohs‘ “Wooly Bully” at one point. A woman next to me said, “I hope I can be that cool at (age) seventy-seven. I’m ready for bed by eight and he’s out here doing his thing.” That “thing” being not giving a damn what people think and giving them more of an experience than a performance.

Boy Harsher winning over the crowd at the first note.

The crowd (with a big goth and queer contingent. Hell yeah!) for Boy Harsher was huge by the time they took the stage. They played much the same set as when I saw them at Levitation France months earlier — packing in pulsing synthwave with great electro dance beats. I found out from the woman next to me that they’d played a DJ set from the back of a truck the previous day and had done a record signing at End of an Ear in Austin. That’s way cool.

Speaking of way cool things, I walked a half-block after Boy Harsher’s set to Elysium where I caught Johnny Jewel‘s great set of his film score and other music – which included a set from Drive, a salute to David Lynch, and even a different version of Chromatics‘ “Lady.” He played various clips from Lynch films, Twin Peaks, giallo films, and other oddities throughout it.

Up next, and closing out Day Zero, was one of Jewel’s many side projects — Desire. They played a long set of lovely synthwave and electro-dance tracks, mostly about wanting, finding, and / or losing love. The crowd loved them, and the trio work well together. They even played two New Order covers (“Bizarre Love Triangle” and “Blue Monday” – with Jewel on lead vocals for the second) and Taylor Dane‘s “Tell It to My Heart” — which was a natural fit for lead singer Megan Louise.

It was a late night, but worth it. There’s a lot of good synthwave at Levitation this year, and Day One will end with more…but first there will be a lot of metal.

Keep your mind open.

All right, all right! I’ll get on it…And you spelled my name wrong again, David!

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Circle Jerks set to release a deluxe reissue of 1983’s “Golden Shower of Hits.”

Circle Jerks ~1983 | Photo By Glen E. Friedman

Golden Shower of Hits is a vicious, snotty and vibrant collection of tracks that highlight Circle Jerks’ insane punk chops, and their penchant for anti-authorianism, nihilism and a good ol ‘time. They’ve teamed up again with renowned archival label Trust Records for its re-release – marking the first time that its original tapes have been touched in 40 years.

The announcement of Golden Shower of Hits’ deluxe reissue comes just in time – today marks frontman / punk icon Keith Morris’ 70th birthday! Fans will have the chance to celebrate alongside the Circle Jerks with their return to the Hollywood Palladium tomorrow night, Friday, September 19, in Los Angeles. The show promises to be an unforgettable night honoring his legacy and the enduring power of punk. Joining them on this special night are Ceremony, Rocket From the Crypt, and Negative Approach — a lineup as ferocious as the occasion demands. Attending fans will also have access to two special exclusives available only at the Palladium show: A limited-edition 7-inch single of “When the Sh*t Hits the Fan”, (limited to 300 copies) and a limited-edition birthday poster, (500 copies) designed and signed collaboratively by Morris and Shepard Fairey (Obey Giant). Tickets and more info are here.

The audio for Golden Shower of Hit’s deluxe reissue was remastered from the original analog tapes by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Sound in Nashville and restored and digitized by Dan Johnson at Audio Archiving Services. In addition to the vastly improved sound, this version also features a few different variants and updated artwork which has been given a modern touch by Bryan Ray Turcotte from Kill Your Idols Studio and features unseen photos by legendary photographer Glen E. Friedman.

By 1983, Circle Jerks had already established themselves as one of the most crucial hardcore punk bands– not only in their native Los Angeles, but worldwide. Their seminal debut Group Sex (1980) and the massive follow-up Wild in the Streets(1982) had been unleashed on the public along with extensive touring. The remaining original lineup of Keith Morris (Black Flag, later of OFF!), Greg Hetson (Redd Kross, later of Bad Religion), and Roger Rogerson would soon create another landmark hardcore punk release with their follow up, the masterful Golden Shower of Hits.

Golden Shower of Hits was initially released on July 21,1983 via LAX Records, a label owned by producer Jerry Goldstein best known as manager for Sly Stone and The Plugz, as well as the producer for WAR and The Strangeloves. Clocking in under 28 minutes, the album featured eleven new tracks and the infamous title track, a medley that, like the Paul Revere & the Raiders and Jackie Shannon covers found on the previous LP, completely reinvented the originals into a twisted take on AM radio pop favorites. A pair of tracks, “Coup d’État” and a version of “When the Sh*t Hits the Fan” made their way onto the soundtrack for the midnight movie Repo Man, and is forever cemented into that oddball slab of cinematic genius. “‘Golden Shower of Hits’ was recorded after Lucky Lehrer decided he was going to go to law school, so John Ingram filled in after being recruited by Roger Rogerson,” recalls Morris. “We pretty much recorded live on the sound stage. And the really fun part of that scenario was that our engineer had worked with the Grateful Dead– which at the time was odd.”

LISTEN / SHARE “WHEN THE SH*T HITS THE FAN” REMASTERED AUDIO

Upon release, Golden Shower of Hits became just as its moniker inferred– a modern classic that added to Circle Jerks’ already formidable legacy. And more than 42 years later, that legacy’s already long tail stretches further and wider with the release of this meticulously crafted reissue– cementing the LP’s importance in not only punk history, but the cultural zeitgeist as well. “I’d say that this is a cornerstone in the Circle Jerks discography,” says Morris. “When it comes to our setlist, we’re playing at least seven of these songs live. I think that’s a statement in itself. The title track is probably one of the most ridiculous things that we ever recorded.”

PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE GOLDEN SHOWER OF HITS

Circle Jerks Live Dates:
Oct 02: Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
Oct 03: Tacoma, WA – Temple Theatre
Oct 05: Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pub
Oct 06: Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
Oct 08: Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
Oct 10: Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater
Oct 11: Boulder, CO – Boulder Theatre
Oct 13: Kansas City, MO – Madrid Theater
Oct 14: Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theater
Oct 15: Little Rock, AR – The Hall
Oct 17: Dallas, TX – House of Blues
Oct 18: San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Bailey at Another Side.]

The Mendozaz release fun new single – “Late Stage 12 Gauge.”

Toronto’s pop punk rock powerhouse The Mendozaz are back with “Late Stage 12 Gauge,” the first advance single from their upcoming eight-song concept EP The Completely Fictional History of This Great Nation of Canada, out November 3 on Cartridge Heart. Like the rest of the record, the track takes aim at an entirely fabricated chapter of Canadian lore, in this case a web of imagined affairs, a dozen restraining orders, and one very ill-advised bromance cover-up.

A high-voltage burst of 90s-style pop-punk filtered through the band’s signature mix of humour and bite, “Late Stage 12 Gauge” blends galloping rhythms, snotty harmonies, and a chorus that lands like an inside joke you are instantly in on. Beneath the grin-inducing hooks, the lyrics spin a tale of paranoia, jealousy, and shotgun standoffs that feels just plausible enough to make you wonder if it really happened. “As any single guy will tell you, having platonic female friends is a bit of a minefield,” the band says. “Even the most well-meaning of us are going to have to deal with jealous significant others from time to time. The last thing you want is to set off the heat-packing husbands (and weapon-wielding wives) of the world. There’s a whole population of people who think ‘Netflix and Chill’ actually means ‘Netflix and Chill’ and they have no idea the toes they’re stepping on.”

Formed in 2017, The Mendozaz consist of Jonny (vocals/guitar), Michael (vocals/bass) and Dic (drums). They have carved out a reputation for relentless live shows and obnoxiously catchy songwriting. Their three previous albums (Two Days to Retirement, Up and At Them and Loafers) earned critical praise and steady campus radio play, while sharing stages with Dayglo Abortions, Chuck Coles and The Anti-Queens and making festival stops at Pouzza, NXNE and KW Long Weekend Band Crawl.

Described as “the sound of a Fat Wreck comp smashing violently into a copy of Big Shiny Tunes,” The Mendozaz channel the spirit of early Green Day and late 90s Fat Wreck alumni while avoiding the syrupy pitfalls that plagued pop-punk’s commercial boom. It is an approach that has drawn comparisons to The Weakerthans, PUP and The Dead Milkmen, bands that can make you laugh, think, and shout along in the same three minutes.

With The Completely Fictional History of This Great Nation of Canada, The Mendozaz lean into their love of Canadian storytelling by making the stories up entirely, from murderous werewolves in London, Ontario to the sea captain who may have seduced Death herself. “Late Stage 12 Gauge” is just the first taste, a wink, a wallop, and a reminder that in punk rock, history is always written by the loudest.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Chad at No Rules PR.]

Review: Man…Or Astro-Man? – ROYGBIV (deluxe edition reissue)

As the story goes, Man…Or Astro-Man?‘s Brian “Birdstuff” Teasley send a demo of the band’s music to legendary BBC DJ John Peel along with a note telling him to never play it on air because they didn’t want to be discovered and then forgotten like so many other bands who had been played on his show.

The trick worked, because Peel came to love MOAM? so much that he invited them to play on his show over a dozen times between 1993 and 2000. Many of those recordings were released as a limited box set, ROYGBIV – which quickly sold out in 2024. Thankfully, a deluxe second edition of it was released this year.

It’s jam-packed with MOAM?’s signature sci-fi surf, launching with “Rocketship XL-3.” “Invasion of the Dragonmen” samples an old Spider-Man adventure record. “Nitrous Burnout” is a tribute to the dangerous world of outlaw racing. “Transmissions from Venus” is one of their heavier tracks and loaded with fuzz. “A Mouthful of Exhaust” is another fun one about the smash-up racing lifestyle.

“Sadie Hawkins Atom Bomb” pushes the bass to the front and takes on a slight rough edge. The theme from The Munsters has been a long-time favorite of surf bands everywhere, and MOAM?’s version is a wild stomper that’s over before you can catch your breath, and “Gargantua’s Last Stand” is as raucous as its titular monster. “Name of Numbers” and “Special Agent Conrad Uno” feature some of the wildest guitar on the entire collection.

“Time Bomb” and “Put Your Finger in the Socket” are punk-surf, with the latter having a dangerous growl throughout it. “________ (Classified)” brings in a Theremin for good measure. “Sferic Waves” gets a little bit into horror-rock territory (which is fine by me).

MOAM? play tribute to Mr. Peel on a couple tracks in the collection, the first being “Inside the Head of Mr. John Peel” – which makes you think Mr. Peel had constant drumming and surf guitar on his mind. “Inside the Atom” is as fast and wild as you’ll hope it will be. “24 Hours” slows things down, but not by much. What’s the “Maximum Radiation Level”? I don’t know, but it sounds like MOAM? reach it on the track. “U-Uranus” is one of the few tracks with vocals and it’s about the seventh planet from the Sun…for the most part.

The guitars on “Man Made from CO2” warp like something teetering on the rim of a black hole. “9-Volt” is another rare track with vocals and “Television Fission” is a blast of rocket fuel that burns out almost before you notice it’s happening. “Welcome to the Wicky Wacky World of John Peel (The Wayward Meteor)” is a great one, mixing funky guitars with weird sounds, solid surf bass, and surf-punk drums. “Lo Batt” reminds me of early Devo tracks with its mix of odd synths, punk riffs, robotic vocals, and snappy drums.

“The Miracle of Genuine Pyrex” has one of the goofiest names and some of the most metal riffs. “Jonathan Winters Frankenstein” is a fun poke at the Edgar Winter Group. It’s not a cover of their classic “Frankenstein,” but you can still hear the influence. “With Automatic Shut Off” and “Rovers” are a bit mellow, and “Bombora” is their version of a classic surf-rock ripper. “Max Q” has cryptic vocals hidden behind the fierce riffs and rolling drums. “Don’t Think What Jack” wraps up the music, but there are still four more tracks of Birdstuff reading excerpts from Phillip K. Dick‘s Through a Scanner Darkly. Why? Heck, why not by this point?

It’s a wild, fun collection that flies by you like, well, a rocket. Blast off with it.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dan from Discipline PR!]

Review: Dog Lips – Danger Forward

As soon as Quinn Flanigan‘s bass opens “Brain Feeder” on Dog Lips‘ second album, Danger Forward, you know you’re in for a good time. The song, and all the others on the record, is a no-nonsense rocker that has you pumping your fist in the air, banging your head, or shoving people out of the way (at least in your fantasies).

“Who Knows” is a warped post-punk (the guitars from Griffin Ritzo and Owen Shepcaro!) gem. “I Am” staggers around the room like it’s had a few pints and is getting treacherously close to starting a brawl. The whole band sounds like they’re playing in a fuzzed-out blizzard on “Gush.”

“Voicemail Bomb Threat” is a great call-and-response punk track with Tim Graff having a great time behind his drum kit. As wild as that is, “Human Hybrid” is even wilder. The title track reminds me of some of IDLES‘ cuts with its smashing guitars and drums and half-growled, half-sang vocals.

Then, “The Reason” slides into the room looking and sounding like the coolest thing in the place. It has a bit of a gothic touch to it and Ritzo’s vocals are almost buried in reverb. It shows that Dog Lips could make an entire psych-rock record if they wanted. “Last Ride” turns the volume and anger back up for one last assault that leaves you out of breath.

There is danger on Danger Forward. The danger is that it might cause you to start a mosh pit in your cubicle farm, the pub, the elevator, or anywhere else. Get in and hold on when you play it.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Ksu from Discipline PR!]

Sunflowers release chaotic “Chameleon Kid” ahead of full album due this November.

Today, noise-punk explorers Sunflowers announce their first release through Fuzz Club Records. A jagged, blown-out descent into psychological free-fall, ‘You Have Fallen… Congratulations!’ will be released on November 7th and finds the band refining their chaotic signature while letting go of structure altogether. It’s a record that refuses to look away from the madness of modern existence — choosing instead to laugh, scream, and contort itself into something stranger, louder, and far more unstable.

Sunflowers make noise like it’s a language of survival. Their sound blends blistering punk energy with layers of distortion, experimental chaos, and existential release — always teetering between catharsis and collapse. They are not here to comfort you. They are here to rip the floor out from under you. Their music is a living organism—loud, messy, and mutating in real time. Nevermore-so on this latest outing.

Today they share a first look at the album with the track “Chameleon Kid”. It sets the tone with a high-voltage rejection of social camouflage: a breakneck garage punk anthem for the misfits, channelling the chaos of identity in a world that demands conformity. It’s raw, noisy, and unapologetically wired, a middle-finger to social norms.

The accompanying video, directed by the band’s longtime collaborator Carolina Bonzinho, brings the track’s themes of identity and adaptation to life through experimental, and surreal animated visuals. Described by Bonzinho as “a wandering of camouflages”, the video expands on the shapeshifting energy of the song.

“Chameleon Kid” official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8_tn_wQg7E
Other streaming links: http://sunflowers.lnk.to/chameleonkid

Sunflowers is a band from Porto, Portugal, that’s never afraid to evolve. Formed in 2014 by the duo of Carlos de Jesus and Carolina Brandão, the lineup expanded when Frederico Ferreira joined in 2018, further solidifying the unique chemistry that has become a hallmark of their sound. Just ask anyone who’s seen them live.

Their electrifying stage presence and primal intensity quickly caught the attention of the Portuguese underground, and before long, they were on a relentless tour, spreading their chaos across Europe like the plague in 1346. Their blend of punk, noise, and experimental rock has always pushed the boundaries of conventional genres—combining ferocious energy with introspective, often existential themes. “There’s always something to evolve within our sound,” says Carlos. “We’ve never been the kind of band to cosplay ourselves. We’re always reaching for what’s next.”

Their fifth full-length album, ‘You Have Fallen… Congratulations!’ began as a collection of demos — raw, impulsive recordings laid down without any pressure or overthinking. But when the band listened back, they realized something was already there: something vivid, imperfect, and very much alive. “There was a tension and looseness in those early takes that we couldn’t — and didn’t want to — recreate in a ‘proper’ session,” says guitarist and vocalist Carlos de Jesus. “So we followed it, rather than trying to control it.”

That instinct led to a process that was both intuitive and relentless. There was no roadmap, no template — only a commitment to capturing the noise and nerve of the moment. Drummer and vocalist Carolina Brandão adds: “We were just reacting to life — to stress, to joy, to absurdity. All of that made it in.”

Across eight tracks, ‘You Have Fallen… Congratulations!’ pinballs between noise rock, punk, warped psych, and a sort of mangled pop sensibility. It’s loud and sharp-edged, but with moments of eerie restraint — like falling through a trapdoor into calm, then being hurled back into chaos. Feedback wails like sirens, drums slam, and the bass throbs like a pulse trying to keep steady. It’s a sound that’s constantly falling apart and reassembling in real time.

The title isn’t just tongue-in-cheek — it’s an existential shrug with teeth. A sarcastic trophy for surviving the disintegration. It’s the voice in your head that says, “Congrats, you made it… now what?” And while the album drips with anxiety and tension, it never gives in to despair. There’s a sardonic, almost playful undercurrent running through the whole thing — like dancing in the wreckage just to prove you’re still alive.

Lyrically, the record leans into the absurdity of trying to function in a collapsing world. It’s about burnout and performance, about identity and dissociation, about watching your reflection glitch in real time. But it’s also about the ecstatic joy that sometimes erupts through the cracks — the unfiltered scream, the moment of surrender that becomes its own liberation. “Sometimes the only sane reaction is to scream,” says Carolina. “But screaming can be joyful too. It’s a release.”

‘You Have Fallen… Congratulations! ‘is both a culmination and a reset: the sound of a band doing what they do best while completely reimagining what that even means. It’s raw, it’s restless, and it doesn’t sit still for a second. Sunflowers have never played it safe — and on this album, they don’t even pretend to. It’s music for the overwhelmed, the overcooked, and the perpetually undone. It’s a celebration of the fall. And if you’re going down, you might as well go down loud.

‘You Have Fallen… Congratulations!’, will be out on Fuzz Club Records on November 7th, 2025. Pre-order HERE.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Kate at Stereo Sanctity.]

Rewind Review: Vacation (self-titled) (2011)

Vacation‘s self-titled album is a wild one and chock-full of wild guitar, crazy drumming, roaring bass, punk attitude, and gritty garage-rock chaos.

“Fake It” is a ripper about imposter syndrome (“Well, you’d better be straight if you’re calling the shots, or you better fake it when you get to the top.”). Evan Wolff‘s bass on “Better Days” is so heavy that it feels like it’s going to knock down the walls. “Pile Up” seems to be about getting satisfaction when long-overdue karma catches up with someone. It’s as wild as a car crash, whereas “Try Harder” is almost an acoustic blues track with its subject matter and pace.

Don’t worry if that track puzzles you, because “Bleach Buzz” picks up the mania again and we’re bouncing around the dingy club and crashing into people and things in the process. If that track doesn’t induce a mosh pit, then “Co-Workers” certainly will. Peyton Copes goes bonkers with his guitar on it, practically causing an electrical overload. “People Watching” is almost an area rock anthem about regret and one of the biggest tracks on the record.

“Cop Knock” is about bullies and the disguises they barely keep up (if at all) to hide their inadequacies. “Golden Handcuffs” is a salute to blue collar workers breaking their backs and ankles to provide for their families. “Christopher Columbus Was Not a Hero” takes a hard look at the miseries of suburbia. “Sun and Moon (Wasted)” is, believe it or not, a love song, as is “Talk with Yer Hands” – which seems to be about craving a human connection instead of a cyber one (“You know we’ve got the infection when we’re dying to stay connected. You know we show no affection when we dwell in other dimensions.”).

“Cellophane” is a short one about adapting to change in a relationship (or about prescription meds…or both), and the closer, “Misbehavin'” is a call to a lover to engage in some fun trouble so as to create lifelong memories together. It’s a sweet way to end a loud, raucous record.

Vacation were recommended to me by Screaming Females, and I can see why. Both bands write and play loud, wild songs about the strange maze of relationships across the board. The band has been through a couple lineup changes since 2011, but this is a good ground-level entry point for them.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Menace – Punk Singles Collection (2005)

I discovered Menace while attending an Osees show at the 2024 Levitation Music Festival. The venue, Hotel Vegas, was playing Menace tracks during a break after Grocery Bag opened the show. I heard Menace’s classic “Carry No Banners” and thought, “How have I never heard this?”

Lo and behold, I went to End of an Ear Records in Austin that same weekend and found this Menace collection within moments after walking in the door. It’s a great collection of twenty-five tracks of classic British punk that barely takes a breath between songs. The mainstays of the band have always been the rhythm section of Charlie Casey on bass and Noel Martin on drums. The first eleven songs feature the “classic” lineup of Casey and Martin with Morgan Webster on vocals and Steve Tannett on guitars.

The first two songs, “Screwed Up” and “Insane Society,” pretty much sum up Britain and the world in general in 1977 with sharp lyrics like “If we’re the working class, why ain’t we got jobs?” “G.L.C.” (Greater London Council) is a vicious takedown of said body (“You’re full of shit!”), while “I’m Civilised” is a takedown of working stiffs who look down upon poor people (“Don’t you want to be civilised, too?”).

“I Need Nothing” and Casey’s bass-led “Electrocutioner” were produced by John Cale, no less. “I Need Nothing” is another direct rebuke to upper crusts telling oi punks and other youth they need to join the rat race and achieve certain status to be considered a success. It’s the same today as it was in 1977. “Last Year’s Youth” flips the idea that younger generations are lost onto its head and makes it to fingers up to those who believe it. “Carry No Banners” is a classic call to not make allegiances to causes that would just as soon kick you to the curb after you’ve served their purpose (and Tannett’s solo on it is a bit of fun).

Their cover of Cliff Richard and The Shadows‘ “The Young Ones” is perfect for them, turning the classic early 60s pop-rock tune into a snarling garage rocker. “Tomorrow’s World” “…is just around the corner,” so you’d better “Live for Today” – both songs being sage advice for any generation.

The rest of the compilation features the second lineup of Menace with John Lacey on lead vocals and Andrew Tweedie on guitar. Lacey’s vocal style is immediately different, and not in a bad way. It’s a bit more frantic, it seems. After all, they came back in 1999, nineteen years after Menace’s last album, and rightly proclaimed “Society Still Insane.” Next up are new versions of “G.L.C.,” “Insane Society,” and “The Young Ones.”

“Punk Rocker” has the band encouraging all of us to embrace our inner rebel. “I don’t give a toss if inflation is up or down,” Lacey sings on “C&A” – slapping people who pursue comfort while ignoring others’ suffering. The 1999 version of “Last Year’s Youth” stomps the gas and was important then and now (and in 1979). Their cover of “It’s Not Unusual” is a blast, with Casey’s bass going bonkers the whole time.

Another good cover is their version of “Oi! That’s Yer Lot,” originally done by German punk band Loikaemie. It’s a perfect one for them, as it’s about so many people being told (often by those better off than them) they’re stuck in their bad situation and nothing can be done about it since that’s just the way it is. “Bad Cards” is an embracing of that bad situation and rising above it.

2002’s “In Gods We Trust” is almost a grunge track as Tweedie’s guitar takes on a different kind of distortion. A different version of “C&A” follows, and Martin’s drums on “35 Bus” will start a mosh pit anytime you play the track, and Tweedie’s solo is like police sirens flying by you in a high-speed pursuit that’s probably going to end in a crash. The compilation ends with a good cover of The Ruts‘ “Babylon’s Burning.”

This stuff is essential if you’re a fan of punk, oi, or any music that makes you want to tell your boss to stick it or to stand up for the weak.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation France 2025 recap

Levitation France moved to a new venue in 2025. It was still in Angers, France, but no longer at the La Chabada location. It was now at the Lac De Maine park on the lovely lake in Angers, right by this massive pyramid structure that appears to be a reception center, restaurant, or maybe some kind of New Age retreat. The stage was placed in front of it, and it was off-limits to festival attendees, but that was fine. We were there for the music.

We weren’t sure we were there at first, as we got off at the wrong bus stop and had to walk through a dried-up park to get to the main path leading to the festival. Angers, and the rest of France, was in the middle of a heatwave. The grass throughout the park and the stage area looked and often felt like shredded wheat.

Once there on the first day, we arrived about halfway through New Candys‘ set. I’d seen them in France a couple years earlier, and looked forward to catching them again. Their newest record, The Uncanny Extravaganza, is impressive, and their 2025 Levitation France set matched it with strong hooks and solid rock to power everyone through the heat and relentless sun.

Up next was DITZ, who wasted no time in crushing eardrums. The mosh pit was wild, kicking up a massive cloud of dust sometimes as thick as the stuff coming out of the stage’s fog machine. They had one of the wildest, strongest sets of the festival, and the one-two punch of New Candys and DITZ was great. Their lead singer led the crowd to the lake, dove in, and came back covered in lake weeds to finish the set.

We took a much-needed break, scored some merch, water, and pizza (Pickles on pizza? It kind of works.), and found a small sliver of shade for a little while. My neck got sunburned as many others stood either in the shade of the two trees nearby or in the shadow of the tall sound booth at the back of the venue.

We came back for Kadavar. I hadn’t seen the German rock giants since the second Austin Psych Fest I attended in 2014. The lead singer mentioned it was their first time playing a Levitation festival since then. I yelled, “I was there!”, much to the amusement of a guy next to me. They blasted our faces off, of course, playing everything from doom metal to near-prog riffs.

A great return for Kadavar to Levitation.

We made sure to take more breaks on the second day to avoid further sunburn and dehydration. The first set we caught was by Heartworms, who put on a neat show of goth rock, psychedelic guitar work, dark wave (Theremin!), and a bit of performance art. They were my girlfriend’s favorite set of the festival.

We caught part of bdrmm‘s set, but had to get out of the sun for a little while. We enjoyed some chicken tikka masala, booze, and lemonade, and came back to check out Bryan’s Magic Tears – another band I last saw at Levitation France. They’ve only gotten better, creating snappy shoegaze and dream pop for an appreciative crowd.

Bryan’s Magic Tears mixed with audience sweat.

The big set of the night, and the festival, for me was from The Limiñanas. I’d wanted to see them for quite a while and they rarely, if ever, get across the Atlantic Ocean. The French psych-rock legends didn’t disappoint us. They played a great set complete with classics, tracks from their new album, Faded, and even a cover of The Cramps‘ “TV Set.”

When you get a chance to see The Limiñanas in France, you go see them.

We stuck around for the first half of Boy Harsher‘s set. They dropped heavy dance beats, dark bass, and sultry sounds across the night and the water. We would’ve stayed for the whole thing, but we had an early train to catch the next day and public transportation back from the venue was minimal that late at night.

It was another fun year in Angers, despite the heat. I hope they’ll bring in some man-made shade next year if they keep it on the lake. One of the best parts about Levitation France is the opportunity to see so many bands who don’t get to tour outside of Europe much, if at all. All Levitation festivals are great ways to discover your new favorite band. We already plan to go back next year to discover more if the dates work out for us. See you there?

Keep your mind open.

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