Reviews

Painters Tapes

Billy & the Bad Peach Juiced cassette

These guys do a nice post-punk, slightly noisy thing that at its best reminds me of the CUNTZ or even KILSLUG. They’re from Philly and have been around for a minute. Having the luxury of being able to watch YouTube videos of this band, I can see that they might be able to pull it off live, which is crucial with this kind of druggy dirge. No idea what the unfortunate band name is about, but they coulda been on AmRep way back when in the golden ’90s. Carry on.

Coffer Uneasy Street cassette

Nasty, lo-fi, grimy garage rock from Detroit, MI. Three songs which have a feel to them as if they were written, somewhat learned, and then immediately hastily recorded, which I admittedly dig. With a run of only 25 copies, this wildly blown-out recording would likely disappear into obscurity were it not for the label documenting it digitally. Painters Tapes, self-proclaiming to be “Detroit’s Worst Cassette Label” (though I think they’ve got some competition with Juicy Crack Cassettes) seems to have a ton of other releases, which I will be digging through shortly.

Desborde Todo Es Una Mierda cassette

Fast Argentine punk with synth parts. I don’t want to call it synth punk, as the electronic parts seem to be very appendaged-on for this recording. You hear them in the beginning or the end of a song, but the guitar generally drowns it out once it roars in. Aside from that, this is a tape full of rippers.

Dirt Sucker At the Landfill cassette

Following up their 2022 debut 7” release on Convulse Records, DIRT SUCKER from Laramie, Wyoming returns with an eleven-song cassette. Hardcore punk on the cusp of leaning into screamo/powerviolence territory, but also managing to navigate catchy surf guitar parts. DIRT SUCKER is a three-piece with all members sharing vocal duties, each of whom slightly sounds like a different cartoon character. While a lot of the parts kind of blend together, there are certainly some cool aspects within the first nine songs. The tape really ramps up once the instrumental surf track kicks in, drastically changing the vibes for the final two songs. The surf song “Quicksand” and post-punk intro to “Till Death” are the most memorable part of this cassette and are pretty killer.

Easers Easers cassette

Three-piece garage punk from Grand Rapids, MI. Twelve songs of driving, no-nonsense, SPITS-esque mid-tempo punk. Speed revs up a bit on a couple of the songs, but the real charm of EASERS is in the straightforward, mid-tempo songs. Nasty lo-fi recording fits the band really well. Keep it simple, keep it gross, keep me coming back for more.

Freak Activity Cassette Tape #2 cassette

From the solo bedroom (read: basement) project of Myles Page, the fairly prolific FREAK ACTIVITY drops another cassette. Buzzy guitars greet us on the opener “Come to Me,” with simple backbeat drums, distorted vocals, and a generally pop-forward sound, maybe BILLIAM-reaching. While this is true for tracks one through four, five through nine take a different tone, trading a freewheeling irreverence for a melancholic shuffle. The B-side also brings in the synth, which is at times cantankerous (“Lots of Things”) and at others catchy disco-poppy (“Material World”) like a COBRA MAN song. There’s a cover of DIGITAL LEATHER’s “Physical Man” as well, which is booming, spacious and doom-filled, leading perfectly into the last track “Lost at Sea,” featuring a mesmerizing synth line with lyrics that repeat “I lost my ship along the way;” a sense of loss, despair—insert whichever feeling you like—and is my absolute favorite of the album. From what I can tell previous releases—something like five EPs, a few singles, and an LP—were all self-released digitally or via hand-dubbed tapes or CDs with personalized drawings on each. Cassette Tape #2 marks the first label release on Painters Tapes, self-described as “Detroit’s Worst Cassette Label.” So, congrats, and please keep up this enjoyable FREAK ACTIVITY.

Goblin Daycare Agitprop Hotline!!! cassette

Absolutely incredible solo egg-punk project from Istanbul, Turkey. Fast, quirky, driving, and catchy as hell. An entity known only as Mama Goblin is the mastermind behind this project, doing every single aspect of the process. Mama goes heavy on the catchy synth licks and it really works. This is simultaneously wildly catchy and a bit disturbing. Truly everything one could hope to get from an egg-punk solo project. Agitprop Hotline!! is the first full-length album by GOBLIN DAYCARE after an EP cassette (Q: EP? A: EP!!) and digital releases of singles and remixes, and it truly does not disappoint. Fingers crossed that it isn’t too much to hope for to get to see a live band on a US tour at some point.

H8 Mile Spread the Love cassette

Never trust a band who names themselves after 8 Mile. I get these guys are from Detroit, but c’mon…I honestly had high hopes for this because of the cover, but no, I was let down. This isn’t great. The vocals are annoying and the production is flat. There’s also a confusing addition of a keyboard that doesn’t really make any sense for their sound, but hey, whatever works, I guess. I just don’t understand why the vocalist sounds like he’s gargling water and ranting at the top of his lungs at the same time.

Junk Guts Get Trashin’ cassette

High-energy punk. I originally thought the drums were programmed, but I think there’s a person behind that kit? Someone smarter than me is gonna need to wise me up here. If it’s the latter, then this drummer is one of the tightest I’ve ever heard. The singer does a ton of heavy lifting here; their energy is what carries this album throughout. Otherwise it’s pretty typical cut-and-dry punk rock. Twelve tracks seemed daunting at first, but the album really picks up midway through and ends strong. I’m starting to question whether the drums are real or not again. To quote JUNK GUTS, “sometimes I think my brain is broke.”

Mènage Dètroit I’m a Fool / Would You Say (I’m in Love) cassette

This Detroit-based guitar-and-drums duo delivers two tracks, “I’m a Fool” and “Would You Say (I’m in Love),” firmly rooted in ’60s/garage rock influences. The playing is loose and raw, with a gritty, unpolished energy that fits their sound but the muddy production doesn’t do them any favors. Lyrically, the tracks delve into themes of love, loneliness, and heartache, capturing a classic melancholic vibe. If you’re into the rough edges of rock, this pair would be right at home opening for any number of bands from the Crypt label from the ’90s. I’d love to hear them revved up to eleven, but they’re currently at about four.

Munchkin Head Not Gonna Cry Dad cassette

Imagine music set to a Bart Simpson side-scroller arcade game, and you might come close to MUNCHKIN HEAD’s sound. Drum machine, Casiotone keys, dirt-chewing guitar crunch with little derivation, and high-pitched vocals with a filter that makes it sound like dude’s gotta clear his fucking throat! I like the DIY nature of the magazine clip-out cassette cover and of the music itself, and the earnestness of the “devotional cockrock” tag, but the music is grating, and not in a good way. I’m a little annoyed, and clearly that’s what the band was going for, so, good job?

NightFreak Speed Trials cassette

Gruff rock’n’roll stewing in a suburban storage unit packed with knuckle-dragging, burnout used-to-be-punks all half-drunk on Beast. Things are getting tense—it’s sweaty and it smells like shit, motherfuckers are running low on warm beer, and no one is brave enough to walk to the store alone because the night is about to get a lot hotter. The NIGHTFREAK is coming. They launch into “I’ll Show You Heaven” and everyone in the room questions their life choices in unison, but it’s too late. The doors are locked and the stench feels like it’s going in your ears but it’s just another guitar solo. There’s no escape. This is your life.

OK Satán Master of Neglect cassette

Copenhagen’s OK SATÁN’s latest cassette release consists of five tracks of garage punk with vocals reminiscent of CHEETAH CHROME MOTHERFUCKERS or even Darby Crash at times. Fuzzed-out, lo-fi trash punk from the city with too much daylight or too much darkness, with noise punk vibes of FLIPPER, NO TREND, or KILSLUG. Soundtrack to slowly losing our minds. It’s a matter of time.

Secret Agent Headcheese Escapes From Alcatraz cassette

One-man UK operation that is as eggy as cyberpunk with traces of sci-fi could be, offering five tracks filled with monotone videogame synth drums and characteristically pinchy vocals with that “submarine telephone” effect that egg-punk people crave. Coming from Barnsley but jailed in Alcatraz for a brief moment, this cassette is meant to be some sort of pardon, or at least an argument to be offered a chance to escape. It seems that this secret agent may be dangerous, avoid if approached by this creature. Favorite track: “Elektrik Chair.”

Susans Susans cassette

SUSANS are a three-piece bass/drums/ukulele combo out of London, Ontario. It appears they’ve been active for a few years now, and this is their first full-length. This is art-punk with an aggressive, occasionally demented edge. Vocal duties (largely delivered in a declarative shout) are split between bassist K. Cuz and ukulele player Gabe Nestor. Nestor’s ukulele adds a spindly, classically DIY quality to the whole affair—it doesn’t really rock, but it suits the paranoid songwriting. Tracks like “Nine,” “Impress Your Neighbors,” and “Too Much Info” are anxious and wiry, while “Hands” and “Toro” find the band sounding messier, less restrained. “Hands,” an ode to handwashing written at the outset of the pandemic, incorporates both melodica and sampled speech. They end it all with the buzzing, feedback-laden noise-punker, “It’s Okay (To Be Weird.)” I happen to agree.

Toeheads Animal House cassette

TOEHEADS are an angst-filled Detroit band. There’s lots of screaming and jerky rhythms and anxiety-inducing beats. But they also have a lo-fi garage rock undertone. “Graveyard Walk” reminds me so much of CHEATER SLICKS. This would be perfect if I was still driving my dad’s ’80s Pontiac that had that great cassette deck in 2001. The sound reminds me of the perceived freedom of my youth. Give me more.