The Energy - The Energy's First Album [2010]

Houston's The Energy share members with No Talk, The Secret Prostitutes, Bloody Hammer, Black Congress and a bunch of other talented bands from all over Texas. The new Autistic Youth record and this one are probably my fav full-lengths of the year 2010. 

The Energy are quite unique at what they do and they are everything but yet another generic and predictable rocknroll band. First, most of the songs on The Energy's First Record are over four and a half minutes long and Stabbing In The Dark goes on for more than eight minutes. The songs structures are repetitive but always fueled with sonic & riff-heavy garage punk rock parts which are written intelligently, and I'm not saying that in a pretentious way. Repetitive riffs are always accompanied with background noise & feedback, killer solos and melodies which reflect the psychedelic side of the 60's and 70's garage rock, and you can even hear some glam rock influences (Girls Don't Like Me At All).

The effects of strange and weird are the main thing that makes The Energy great and that factor is provided by Bates' (he calls himself Wicked Poseur) vocals, which are flat and repetitive (don't give a shit vocals?) and accompanied by lyrics that sound like they were copied from the diary of a serial killer. The Energy's First Record has this drugged up psychedelic vibe. It's like lurking into someone elses bad trip, but to you, his worst nightmares are a whole lotta fun. But you must be careful, 'cause The Energy's First Record is a so convincingly dangerous & dark piece of punk rock it might make you go ape crazy, unleash the evil in your paranoid mind, make you wanna stab your neighbour in the dark, chop his legs off and store them in your fridge for a couple of days. Or at least Wicked Poseur wants you to think about doing stuff like that while listening to his loser punk group.

This is released via Team Science. 3rd press is out right now so go get  it here.


Download it here.

M.

Steve Adamyk Band Singles

I was really into this band when Steve send me the songs from the first three singles but i couldn't find the time to post them here, so sorries go to Steve for the delay. 

Steve Adamyk Band are 3/4 members of now defunct Sedatives playing songs Steve Adamyk wrote solo while he was in Sedatives. This is some pretty fast and neat three-chord powerpop punk backed up with plenty of energy and hooks that are so catchy & sweet you'll end up desperately wanting for more songs after you repeat these a few times in a row. What this band is doing reminds me a lot of melodic side of 77 style of british punk (Pointed Sticks, Buzzcocks, The Real Kids, Undertones) and some newer bands who are or were into this sound (Exploding Hearts, Sonic Avenues, latest Jay Reatard solo stuff). As we speak there's also a full-length out on german P Trash.

Also, Steve did a interview for Exclaim magazine and you can read more about his amazing band there.

Steve Adamyk Band - Better Off 7'' (2010) - Buy at Red Lounge Rec.
Steve Adamyk Band - Speed It Up 7'' (2010) - Buy at P Trash Rec.
Steve Adamyk Band - Desacrate 7'' (2011) - Buy at Taking By Surprise.

M.

Blank Stare - Self-titled LP [2008]

When I walk the streets at night, I usually listen to Blank Stare. Why, you may ask. I'll tell you why - the city I call home is full of dumbass violent thugs who've got nothing better to do than harass and beat up nice and handsome guys like me. For some strange reason, the overall pissed off-ness (is that even a valid phrase?) of this record rubs off on me and makes me bold enough to tell those assholes to fuck off, but I digress. Anyway, Blank Stare were a hardcore punk band out of Boston, and a great one. Actually, one of the best bands of the last decade, I dare say. Unfortunately, life sucks and the band is no more, but this record is just too damn good to go unmentioned here at Teenage Lobotomy.

Guess I have to say something about the actual music, eh? See that guy on the cover, shooting at the world from his window? Well, that's exactly what this record sounds like, if you know what I mean. No?
I thought so. Basically, what you will find recorded on this album is 9 songs of pure fuckin' hate plus a Last Rights cover. The riffs are tight, the drummer's a maniac and the vocalist sure does sound pissed, which is pretty much awesome! Another thing I like about this record are the lyrics - smart and to the point, but never getting too naive or direct, and that's a pleasant surprise, coming from a sXe band.

Speaking of which, I'm sick and tired of all these "modern" sXe hardcore bands with "deep", "personal" and "inspirational" lyrics that trendy hardcore hipsters usually quote on their Tumblr pages - the lyrics are just pathetic and the bands suck balls. On the other hand, Blank Stare keep things real and therefore do not suck balls.

Yeah, whatever. Enjoy this record here.
Spend money on it at Third Party or Refuse Records.

J.


P.S.
Some Blank Stare members are currently in Social Circkle, Confines and Positive Reinforcement, so check those bands out!

Night Birds Singles & Demo

Night Birds are my favourite new band featuring Ergs members. Well, i must say Psyched to Die are pretty rad too but NB somehow manage to take the best from the OC hardcore punk (Adolescents, D.I., Agent Orange) and spice that sound with a surf rock touch and maybe with a little bit of early NOFX and some JFA & DK feel. All singles plus demo are total fucking killers. Latest single titled Midnight Movies is not out yet but you can preorder your copy via No Way Records. There's also a limited tape version of Midnight Movies which is probably sold out (try to get the tape directly from the Ergs website here) but is floating arround the interwebs and you can hear it here at this great blog.

Night Birds - Demo (2009)
Night Birds - Selftitled 7" (2010) Buy it here at Grave Mistake Rec.
Night Birds - Killer Waves (2010) This was out on Art of Underground but unfortunately it's all gone.

M.

Confines - Withdrawn 7'' [2010]

Hi, my name is J. and I'm the new guy at Teenage Lobotomy.
M. and L. had a hard time updating this thing regularly, so they called in for reinforcements and here I am! Anyway, I'll start off my career by posting a fine 7'' by Confines.

In short, Confines are a hardcore fuckin' punk band straight outta Massachusetts and this record rules! No wonder, having in mind that members of Confines are or were in other rad bands such as Social Circkle, Cut the Shit and Blank Stare. As for the music, it sounds the way hardcore punk should - raw, ugly and so pissed off it makes you wanna punch holes in the wall. Works for me.

Anyway, go and get this record - that's an order!

Download it here.
Buy it at Side Two or Labor of Love.

J.