Reviews

Rack Off

Blonde Revolver Red Ruby EP

What we have here is the debut release from new Melbourne label Rack Off, who are looking to shed light on female-identifying and gender-diverse acts, and the debut EP from BLONDE REVOLVER, a new Melbourne six-piece with members from FUTURE SUCK, DELIVERY, and GUTTER GIRLS (among others). They apparently started as a BLONDIE cover band but now play plainspoken, fairly straightforward Aussie punk with a bit of a post-punk edge courtesy of an ever present synth that provides a sinister undercurrent—it sounds like a mix of AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS and the LOST SOUNDS. The five originals here are solid enough, and they do a really cool cover of the URINALS’ “I’m a Bug,” kinda turning it into a GARY NUMAN track. But the highlight of the record (and maybe my favorite moment from any release in 2021) is the little “waaa” that the singer yelps to punctuate the (pretty great) line “I’m an alpha baby, and you’re a beta bitch” on “Pocket Rocket”. Fuck—it’s good!

Blonde Revolver Good Girls Go to Heaven, Bad Girls Go Everywhere LP

If the title of the debut LP from this six-piece, all-female ensemble of Melbourne punkers doesn’t draw you in, then simply hit play. With members coming from BODY MAINTENANCE, CARPET BURN, DELIVERY, FUTURE SUCK, and GUTTER GIRLS, this lot is churning out some snotty, synth-drenched, Aussie-signature tracks that truly make you want to move. The album opens with the theme from Buffy and goes into a song about vampires (“Raise the Stakes”), they lean into their leather and fishnet aesthetic on “Lipstick and Leather,” and in “DOC NRG,” which is my favorite track, shouting the chorus “We’ve got big DOC N-R-G.” Late ’70s rock’n’roll irreverence in a modern, doom-driven context that finds a way to laugh the whole way through. I think of an all-female SICK THOUGHTS, and fans of JUDY AND THE JERKS would definitely enjoy this. Dirty and grimy sounds covered up in bright makeup—what’s not to like?

Future Suck Simulation LP

As their first foray into full-length releases, Rack Off Records issues the debut LP from this Melbourne hardcore act featuring folks from BLONDE REVOLVER and SUPER-X. FUTURE SUCK’s brand of hardcore is hard to peg down. Throughout the record, I would hear snatches of what to me sounded like pre-Crossover D.R.I., mid-’80s 7 SECONDS, or even early DAG NASTY (at least instrumentally). It’s all solidly played, but it’s a mix of sounds that I probably wouldn’t be that into were it not for this stellar, tough-as-shit vocal performance from Grace Gibson. There’s just something about the way that she delivers these lyrics that makes it seem like a genuinely nice person has snapped and things are on the verge of spiraling out of control, adding a welcome sense of danger to what may have otherwise been a pretty standard hardcore record. Cool!

Imperial Leather Heavy Breathing EP

The first twenty seconds of this EP—this Melbourne act’s second following their 2020 self-released debut—sets you up for quite a rug pull. You’re presented with a minimal drums, bass, and keys arrangement accompanied by icy cool start/stop talk-sung vocals, and just as you’re settling in for maybe a “Chaise Longue”-type number—yank!—the song shifts into a higher gear and the muscle car on the record’s cover starts to make sense; you’re actually on your way to party rock city! Some Nuggets-esque guitars kick in, the keyboard that had up until this point merely been pecked at morphs into a sci-fi frat rock organ, and the vocalist slides into a Kathleen Hanna/Beth Ditto full-throated vibrato. It’s like the mashup of “Planet Claire” and “96 Tears” you never knew you wanted until now. “Lewis Lee” and “Smile Now, Cry Later” are still bouncy organ-driven numbers, but they’re closer to post-punk or new wave—the former reminds me a lot of fellow Melbournians TERRY, and the later features guitar melodies that are approaching CURE-like. But the EP saves the best for last—”Creep Stain” manages to split the difference between the rockin’ opener and the cooler tracks that follow, and the end result just sounds like really good punk with an excellent shout-along chorus. Real cool record!

Shove Chopper EP

Killer EP from this Brisbane, Australia band. This is basement punk of the very highest order. Thick, nasty guitars power fast classic hardcore with commanding, confident vocals. Feedback bleeds into every rest, and there is unceasing tension created from how taut the rhythms are. Opening track “Chopper” is such a ripper. Vocalist Bella sounds like a born frontperson, ranting with such energy that a minute and a half is just not enough. “Eddie” has a four-note guitar line that creeps under the directives of “Sort it out / Check it out.” It’s catchy and fast and perfect. Have you ever been to a house show and thought, “What absolute legends?” This is it. SHOVE, please come strike lightning in my basement if/when you visit the States. Highly recommended.

Shove Shove 2 EP

Fucking great noisy, classic Melbourne-style punk that could easily be a bonus track on the Flowers in the Dustbin comp. Equal parts SUICIDE SQUAD, GASH, VICTIMS, and modern contemporaries like AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS. Fucked-up and mean. Every song is great except for the slightly unnecessary remix of the killer opener “Death Admin Machine.” Buy immediately.