Reviews

Kanal Hysterik

La Fraction De L’Autre Côté LP

The last LA FRACTION album came out in 2007. I drove the band on a North American tour that summer and I saw them play a few dozen times, so I should have known what to expect when I dropped the needle on De L’Autre Cote fifteen years later in 2022, but I was not prepared. Not at all. When Magali’s vocals opened “Tout Va Bien,” I fucking cried. It wasn’t something I could control, and I didn’t try. There is a magic here, and it’s not something I can describe, but the band sounds (appropriately) older, wiser, and more angry than they ever have before. Their fourth full-length is arguably their best—Magali sounds like she is doing battle with DeDe’s guitar while Boris’s drums push everything forward. It’s a perfect band, really…it always has been. And while I knew that before I started listening to this record, I was still, somehow, not at all prepared. Bands (particularly punk bands) are simply not supposed to get better with age, but LA FRACTION have defined themselves with this album, and I feel like I don’t want to listen to anything else. Ever.

Oi Boys Oi Boys LP

OI BOYS are a French coldwave band from Metz. They specialize in creating desolate atmospheres, ideal to enhance the acid sadness of the de-industrialized panorama of a decaying West. And they do it being absolutely melodic, joining their ability to create small personal hymns with a tendency to nostalgia and drowned hatred. An album that grows with every listen.

Punky Tunes We Are in the Future CD

I’m nearly 40 and have listened to a lot of skate punk. It’s extremely formulaic, lots of hi-hat/snare doodle-bap, and typically singing about girls, booze, and boards. Not PUNKY TUNES. For me, they’re incredibly refreshing. This is the kind of punk that attracted me to the DIY umbrella long ago. First off, their singer Marie has a strong voice with a clear tone and excellent range. PUNKY TUNES is a five-piece from France, but they sing in English. They even have their own band theme song! Bands like the BOLLWEEVILS, GROOVIE GHOULIES, and the LILLINGTONS all have songs where they mention the band name in the song, some even spelling them out. PUNKY TUNES does this with the song “Punky Family,” but it doesn’t feel well-worn or tired. This group has a refreshing passion for making good music in a genre that has been trying to stay young and relevant since its beginning. PUNKY TUNES is checking a lot of boxes for me. They’re political on purpose, catchy, dynamic, talented, and it comes through their music that they really give a shit about what they preach. Their website proudly calls out their “anti-fascist, pro-feminist, animal-friendly, LBGT+, Earth protection, and DIY values.” By the way, their 7 SECONDS cover on this record is fabulous. I also highly recommend you listen to their RANCID cover of “Fall Back Down.” Honestly, everything I’ve heard from their catalog is a certified banger.

Punky Tunes Still Going Strong CD

If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if the DISTILLERS met KIDZ BOP, this EP is it. Still Going Strong by PUNKY TUNES delivers the sound-blasted confection key to pop punk sounds. The band caught on quickly to what makes a good bubbly tune, with electrically charged drums by Matthias on every song and great melodic guitar by Laurent on tracks like “Keep On” and “Still Going Strong.” Coming from Sélestat, France, this EP calls back to the country’s roots, making the past proud with the politically charged lyrics of “Eco-Anxiety” and “Attitude” calling for a revolution, hailed energetically by vocalist Marie. Though nothing standout or provocative, this is certainly the right EP if you’re in the mood for a fun hit of upbeat music.