Lambrini Girls announce debut album, “Who Let the Dogs Out,” due January 10, 2025.

Photo Credit: Derek Perlman

Lambrini Girls, the Brighton-based duo of Phoebe Lunny (vocals/guitar) and Lilly Macieira (bass), have spent the last few years on a tear in more ways than one, and now share news of their debut album Who Let The Dogs Out released 10th January 2025 via City Slang alongside single ‘Big D*** Energy’ (censored spelling).

Speaking on the new single, Lambrini Girls explain, “Man comes in many forms, from world leaders to tech CEOs and humble softboys. But what unites them? Society has celebrated their supposed massive figurative and literal dicks, which they constantly flaunt. Why? Toxic masculinity.”

They add, “Fuelling their sense of entitlement and insecurities leads to harmful behaviours. Which when left unchecked, means we have to deal with the fallout. The definition of ‘Big Dick Energy’ is a confidence that doesn’t need proving. Which begs the question, how big is that dick in reality? If you haven’t figured this out by now, it’s not that big.”

Listen to ‘Big D*** Energy’ HERE

Who Let The Dogs Out was recorded with Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox with mixing by Seth Manchester (Mdou Moctar / Battles / Model/Actriz), and the record bottles everything wrong with the modern world and shakes it up. If peppering political songs with humour is like sticking a sparkler in some bread, then Who Let The Dogs Out is like a fireworks display in the factory itself: strange, dangerous, exciting.

The album rips through a laundry list of social ills. Sirens blare over a heavy distorted bass and a live drum breakbeat, dancing between upbeat pop punk, dirty grunge tones and discordant post-punk. There’s even some noise-pop cheer for putting yourself first, whether it’s having an autistic meltdown or doing a poo at your mate’s house.

With instrumentals that inhale you like a Level 5 tornado and sentiments that make you want to kick the nearest door through, it’s a take-no-prisoners debut from one of the UK’s most fun and fearless bands.

“You know how Fleetwood Mac almost dedicated Rumours to their cocaine dealer? I think we should dedicate this album to all the booze we bought at Tesco.”

Since releasing debut EP You’re Welcome in 2023, there’s also been a slew of accolades along the way, including a nomination for the Rising Star at the Rolling Stone UK Awards, a Kerrang! cover feature with Sleater-Kinney, and a score of international festival appearances from Glastonbury to Iceland Airwaves. Making a reputation for themselves as one of the best live bands to come out of the UK this side of Idles, their combination of blunt-force punk, scathing social commentary and barbed humour has garnered comparisons to Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear, and seen them share bills with Gilla Band, Shame, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Iggy Pop and more.

Who Let The Dogs Out

10th January 2025 via City Slang

Pre-order HERE

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[Thanks to Amy at After Hours PR!]

Levitation Austin 2024 – Day Three

Like any other marathon, the three-quarter mark is when it really starts to hit you. The same can be said of Levitation Austin, as Day Three is when the festival starts culling the weak and you begin to hear people saying things like, “I tapped out at one a.m.,” “He wanted me to go to another show last night, but I just couldn’t,” and “Austin is kickin’ my ass today.”

It’s also when you start having weird synchronous moments with people you’ve seen at the festival. My girlfriend and I have seen the same woman at all but two of the shows we’ve attended so far. She’s come all this way from England to express her love for a festival cameraman. He’s married, by the way, and this woman’s friend isn’t happy that he’s been dismissive of her. There’s also “blond guy,” who looks and dresses like a character from an early 1990s video game and I think has been on some kind of illegal drug for three days, “Asian guy with a splint on his right index finger,” and “Guy with the big King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard patch on his jacket.”

We started Day Three with some friends and great BBQ (as one does in Austin at least once where you’re here) at a place called KG BBQ that mixes Texas BBQ with Egyptian flavors. It’s great. We then headed to Hotel Vegas for the “Levitation Lounge,” where no one bothered to check out RSVP tickets, and we had free drinks while listening to a DJ set by Death Valley Girls.

Death Valley Girls dropping science.

I was wearing my “Death Valley Girls Official Fan Club” shirt and was spotted by Bonnie Bloomgarden, the leader of DVG. She remembered me as the guy who keeps his phone set on black and white and, in a moment of joy for me, from this blog. They’d opened for Osees the previous night there and I told her I was excited to hear their new “Earth, Wind & Fire-sized line-up” later that night at Parish.

My DVG shirt proved to be popular. I had more comments on it than any other shirt I’ve worn all weekend. At least four people pointed at me and said, “Great shirt,” and then told me how they’d seen their Hotel Vegas set the previous evening and were amazed by it.

The surprisingly tall Dry Cleaning walked in not long after my lovely conversation with Ms. Bloomgarden. I thanked them for their set at the Far Out Lounge the previous night, and they told me how much they love playing in Austin. They were all delightful people and played a fun DJ set of their own that dropped in some classic Sade and Wham! tracks.

Dry Cleaning towering over the decks.

We wanted to stay for the Black Angels DJ set, but it was Day Three and we needed a disco nap. It turned out to be the right call because Austin got slammed with rain for about an hour and we would’ve been soaked on the walk back to our pad.

We came back to Hotel Vegas to first see local shredders Grocery Bag take the stage, and they played a wild set of fierce garage rock. Be sure to look them up.

Paper, plastic, or power?

After that was night number three of Osees’ four-night residency at Hotel Vegas. They ripped into it straight out of the gate (as always) and immediately floored by girlfriend, who was seeing them for the first time. She was amazed by their manic energy and how “they just go for it.” They threw in some punk ragers with a couple psych-rock cuts, showing how they can change shape faster than a D&D doppelgänger.

We then walked six blocks along 6th Street, maneuvering around stumbling drunks and people still in Halloween costumes lining up to cram into a small club spinning overplayed dance tracks from the early 2000s, to get to Parish and see DVG perform their heart-lifting yet spooky set of psychedelia. It was strange at first to see them with no guitars (apart from Sammy Westervelt on bass), replacing them with saxophone. “They sound like a spooky version of Morphine,” I thought. My girlfriend loved them and empowerment and spiritual healing messages they convey in their lyrics.

We headed to the Parish’s small lounge after the set and another guy pointed out my DVG shirt. It turned out he and his friend were at KG BBQ and noticed my shirt there. They’d seen DVG’s Hotel Vegas set and fell in love with them. One of them, Shafiq, got my “spooky Morphine” reference, and they were both from Chicago and frequented a lot of the same bar. The other, Imran, had been at the same Slift and Meatbodies show I attended at Reggie’s Music Joint weeks earlier. We all bonded over Gen X bands and chai.

Wine Lips, whom Shafiq had seen before (“First tickets I bought.”) and described as “The Toronto Osees,” came out and just went nuts. That might be the best way I can describe their set of crazy garage-psych. It was damn impressive. They barely let you take a breath.

Wine Lips drunk with shredding.

We stopped at a shawarma food truck on the way back, where I was again complimented on my DVG shirt, and then got back in time to settle down with my overflowing chicken and falafel wrap and watch the opening scenes of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. You can’t wrap up a festival day much better than that.

Up next, doom!

Keep your mind open.

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Lambrini Girls kick their boss in the junk with their new single – “Company Culture.”

Photo Credit: Nicole Osrin

After a busy summer of playing Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Green Man, End Of The Road, and supporting Amyl and the Sniffers around the US, Lambrini Girls show no signs of slowing down and today share new single ‘Company Culture’ as well as announcing a massive EU/UK tour for next year.

Speaking on the track, the band explain the theme “Tired of working twice as hard while white, middle-aged men get credit for your ideas? Afraid to report harassment? Constantly second-guessing to avoid conflict? If you’ve answered yes: you’re probably a woman or a queer person.”

Listen to ‘Company Culture’ HERE

“If these challenges hold you back, it’s entirely your fault. And if you succeed, you’ll feel like a fraud. No matter how hard you work, you won’t be taken seriously. Your boss wants to shag you, HR thinks you’re hysterical—so maybe just shut the fuck up and smile. Many girls would kill for your position, stop complaining or it’s back to the kitchen. Welcome to the boys’ club.”

Recently releasing singles ‘God’s Country’ and ‘Body Of Mine’, both of which were BBC6 Music Playlisted, the two piece are Phoebe Lunny (Vocals/Guitar – she/they) and Lilly Macieira (Bass – she/they) originally from Brighton.

They’ve made a name for themselves through unforgettable live performances and support from the likes of Variety Magazine, BBC Radio 1, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, KEXP, Consequence, Evening Standard, CLASH, So Young, and covered Kerrang! Magazine alongside Sleater-Kinney, bagged a nomination for Rolling Stone UK’s Rising Stars Award, and even Iggy Pop is a fan.

Lambrini Girls announce live dates for Europe and the UK next year, with tickets on sale now.

Tour Dates


Fri Sep 19 – Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg – Germany*
Thurs Oct 10 – Zinnober Festival, Essen – Germany*
Sat Oct 12 – Keroxen – Canary Islands*
Sat Oct 19 – SWN Festival – Cardiff*
Sat Oct 26 – Croc The Rock, Etagnières – Switzerland*
Tue Nov 5 – Mutations Festival – Brighton (DJ Set)*
Fri Nov 8 – Iceland Airwaves, Reykjavik – Iceland*
Sun Nov 10 – Sonic City, Kortrijk – Belgium*

Fri Nov 29 – Alexandra Palace – London #
Sat Nov 30 – Alexandra Palace – London #


Tue Dec 3 – Brooklyn, NY, Union Pool – USA

Tue Feb 25 – Lille, Aeronef – France
Wed Feb 26 – Nantes, Stereolux – France
Thu Feb 27 – Paris, La Maroquinerie – France
Sat Mar 1 – Ravenna,  Hana Bi – Italy
Mon Mar 3 – Prague, Bike Jesus – Czech Republic
Tue Mar 4 – Leipzig, Moritzbastei – Germany
Wed Mar 5 – Berlin, Neue Zukunft – Germany
Fri Mar 7 – Stockholm, Hus7 – Sweden
Sat Mar 8 – Oslo, John Dee – Norway
Sun Mar 9 – Goteborg, Pustervik – Sweden
Tue Mar 11 – Copenhagen, Ideal Bar – Denmark
Wed Mar 12 – Hamburg, Nochtspeicher – Germany
Thu Mar 13 – Rotterdam , Rotown – Netherlands
Fri Mar 14 – Amsterdam, Melkweg – Netherlands
Sat Mar 15 – Eindhoven, Effenaar – Netherlands
Mon Mar 17 – Cologne, Bumann & Sohn – Germany
Wed Mar 19 – Luxembourg, Rotondes – Luxembourg
Thu Mar 20 – Reims, La Cartonnerie – France
Fri Mar 21 – Rouen, Le 106 – France

Tue Apr 1 – Bristol, The Fleece – UK
Wed Apr 2 – Southampton, Joiners – UK
Thu Apr 3 – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds – UK
Fri Apr 4 – Birkenhead, Future Yard – UK
Sat Apr 5 – Dublin, Whelans – Ireland
Mon Apr 7 – York, The Crescent – UK
Tue Apr 8 – Leeds, Brudenell – UK
Wed Apr 9 – Glasgow, Stereo – UK
Thu Apr 10 – Manchester, Gorilla – UK
Fri Apr 11 – Nottingham, Bodega – UK
Sat Apr 12 – Brighton, Chalk – UK
Thu Apr 17 – London, Electric Brixton – UK

# supporting IDLES

*Festival 

Tickets available HERE

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Amy at After Hours PR.]

Rewind Review: The Damned – Damned Damned Damned (1977)

There are records and there are records that change the game. The Damned‘s debut album Damned Damned Damned is one such record. People hadn’t heard anything quite like it before 1977. This album made people sit up and pay attention.

Comedian Craig Ferguson once described punk rock as “sounding like a fight…and that made me feel happy,” just before he introduced The Damned on his show in 2008 to play the album’s opener “Neat Neat Neat.” It’s a great description because the song instantly ignites a fire wherever and whenever it’s played. “Fan Club” has a swaggering danger to it. Rat Scabies‘ crashing cymbals on “I Fall” sound like a thousand breaking windows.

On “Born to Kill,” Brian James‘ guitar roars and soars at the same time. “There’s a brand new kid in town,” Dave Vanian declares on “Stab Your Back.” He was right because The Damned’s frontman inspired thousands to come after him. “Feel the Pain” dips its toes into psychedelia.

“New Rose” was the second A-side of the split single with “Neat Neat Neat,” and it’s another punk classic full of pent-up anger (“A got a rage inside of me, hormones, and frantic energy (“A got a feeling inside of me. It’s kinda strange, like a stormy sea. I don’t know why, I don’t know why. I guess these things just gotta be.”). James’ guitars on it trade shredding and growling throughout it.

No Damned album review would be proper without mentioning Captain Sensible, who played bass on this record before later switching to lead guitar. Sensible’s bass line on “Fish” is full of heavy fuzz that hits you like a mackerel upside the head. “See Her Tonite” is another rager, burning down everything around it. Scabies’ drums on it are just bonkers.

Sensible continues the heavy bass thuds on “1 of the 2,” and Scabies throws in so many wild fills that you lose track of them. “So Messed Up” absolutely crushes, barley giving you time to get ready even with Vanian’s three-count to start the song. The album ends with their cover of The Stooges‘ “I Feel Alright,” which somehow matches the original’s intensity and ups the madness.

This album is a classic and shouldn’t be missed.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Meat and Bone (2012)

Meat and Bone was the first album in eight years by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion when it was released in 2017. The trio (Jon Spencer – guitar and lead vocals, Judah Bauer – guitar, Russell Simins – drums) had worked on various side projects here and there and thankfully returned for another wild ride.

Opener “Black Mold” drops you right back into that solid grove the JSBX can only seem to pull off – chaotic yet tight at the same time. You can tell that they felt like they wanted to make up for “lost” time and unleash plenty of power in just three minutes or so.

“Are you ready for your new career?” Spencer asks at the beginning of “Bag of Bones,” prompting us to wonder if we need to tip over our desks and cubicles and strut around like the rock stars we are instead of the tired, locked-in-the-past worker bees we’ve become. “Boot Cut” has a great, gritty grind all the way through it.

“Get Your Pants Off” is a wild, wicked track about wanton women doing naughty things. The bass tone on “Ice Cream Killer” is as cool as its namesake. “Stranger Baby” has Spencer and his mates screaming the chorus and growling the verses. “Bottle Baby” has some of Simins’ wildest drumming. He seems to switch tempos every thirty seconds and yet he’s in the groove all the time.

“Danger” is a vicious rocker, and “Black Thoughts” has so much guitar fire in it that I’m not sure if Spencer or Bauer is putting out the most volume. “Unclear” is a fast, fuzzy cut, and “Bear Trap” snaps hard and has a heavy, swaggering menace to it. Spencer’s vocals are often distorted almost to the point of becoming just weird sounds, which is often the point.

I love that the album ends with an instrumental, “Zimgar,” showcasing the band’s wild and sometimes weird sounds. The JSBX returned from an eight-year hiatus and showed they hadn’t lost a thing. It’s almost like they went into cryogenic hibernation, shook off the frost, and walked into the studio and proceeded to melt everything around them.

As they always did.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: The Damned and The Dictators – Concord Music Hall – Chicago, IL – June 02, 2024

I hadn’t seen The Damned in a while, but when I heard that their 1980s lineup, the lineup from when I’d discovered them (via The Young Ones airing on MTV in, most likely, 1985), was doing a tour, I knew I had to catch one of their shows. Who knows when I, or anyone else, would get to see Paul Gray (bass), Rat Scabies (drums), Captain Sensible (guitar), and Dave Vanian (vocals) together on stage again? It was the first tour they’d played together since 1989 – the year I graduated high school. Long-time keyboardist Monty Oxymoron had also joined them for the tour.

The Dictators, legendary punks in their own right, opened the show with a great dose of garage punk and had a fun banter with the crowd with tracks like “Pussy and Money” and a cover of Blue Öyster Cult‘s “Dominance and Submission” – which was all the more of a treat when you consider that their drummer is BÖC founding member Albert Bouchard.

Getting a good spot to see the stage at Concord Music Hall means you need to get there early, so we scrambled for a spot upstairs where we could see The Damned launch into their fun set and my girlfriend could lounge on a bench seat when she wanted.

The Damned broke out with a good mix of older and newer tracks, opening with “Ignite” and “Wait for the Blackout” (always a cool tune) and “The History of the World (Part 1)” and “Melody Lee.”

“Generals” and “Stranger on the Town” were nice to hear, and their cover of Barry Ryan‘s “Eloise” was a big hit. Vanian’s voice, as always, was in great form, and pretty much perfect on “The Invisible Man.” They had stomped the gas pedal to the floor by the time they hit “Noise Noise Noise” and never let up after it.

It took a while for a pit to get started, but it was in full swing by the time I joined it during, of course, “Neat Neat Neat.” I’m happy to say that the pit was started by people at least thirty years younger than I and that I wasn’t the only guy in his 50s in the pit and the young’uns loved having us older folks in there.

After ending the main set with “Smash It Up,” the band came back on and the young folks started an appreciation chant for Rat Scabies, who was humbled by it and stood up from his kit for a bow. It was great to see and hear that, as he’d been long missed by fans (although he has released material on his own, mind you).

Ending with “New Rose” and a psychedelic cover of MC5‘s “Looking at You” was a great way to send all the punks, goths, and weirdos out on a high note. They’ e wrapped up their U.S. tour, so I hope you got to see them. Go see them in the UK and Europe this fall and winter. You won’t regret it.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go!]

The Hope Conspiracy release punk rager – “The West Is Dead.”

Photo credit: The Hope Conspiracy

he Hope Conspiracy will release their long-awaited new full-length album, Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception on May 31st.  Today, the group has shared the record’s dystopian, hook-laden second single, “The West Is Dead.”  Vocalist Kevin Baker states, “Politicians in the west, whether they are on the left or right, all eat from the same pig trough. Corporations own every single one of them. The working people were sold down the river decades ago. The professional liars are not concerned with fair wages, human rights, affordable healthcare or the poison in our air, water and food. Both sides play on everyone’s sensitivities to keep us hating one another while they take lucrative donations and marching orders from rent seeking billionaires. The tent cities and rampant homelessness would go away tomorrow if they really wanted it to be so. The system is designed to crush the common people. If you don’t feel it now you will. If you don’t see it now you will. It’s the approaching storm on the horizon and there is no escaping it. The west is dead and our end is near.”

Watch / share “The West Is Dead” on YouTube.

True sonic violence aimed at political division, economic manipulation, war profiteering, media propaganda and other vile forms of global oppression, Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception  is an ominous soundtrack to the steady decline of our modern age.  There is no question, The Hope Conspiracy is back to make a cold hard statement about existence in the end times.

Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception was engineered by Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks at God City Studios, and artwork for the release was created by acclaimed artist Alexander Heir (Death/Traitors).  The album is available for pre-order here and The Hope Conspiracy will be playing select shows this summer and fall.  

The Hope Conspiracy, on tour:
June 7  Cambridge, MA @ Sonia
June 8  Brooklyn, NY @ The Meadows
June 9  Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
July 20  Chicago, IL @ Cobra Lounge – The Rumble
September 6  Los Angeles, CA @ 1720
September 7  Berkeley, CA @ 924 Gilman
September 8  Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
September 9  Giant Rock, CA @ Ask A Punk
September 12  San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
September 13  Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
September 14  Portland, OR @ Dante’s
September 15  Tacoma, WA @ Real Art

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Stephanie at Another Side.]

Chicago post-hardcore wackos Lollygagger, believe it or not, to release an introspective song about religion on April 12th.

Chicago’s Lollygagger are releasing a new single, “Found in the Dirt,” on April 12, 2024, which they describe as “an anti- and pro-religion song in the tradition of early Black Sabbath.”

The song has plenty of punk rage vocals from singer / guitarist Matt Muffin, heavy bass riffs from Kinsey Ring, frenetic drumming from Michael Sunnyicide , and, yes, introspective lyrics on mortality, the afterlife, and using religion to find peace instead of getting tied up in dogma and using it to push one’s personal or political agenda.

I think. I mean, it’s hard to pay attention to the lyrics when Lollygagger just shred for over three and a half minutes.

They’re having a release party for the single at Chicago’s Liar’s Club with Boybrain and AWEFUL along for the ride. Be there or be square!

Keep your mind open.

[Quit lollygagging and subscribe!]

[Thanks to Matt from Lollygagger!]

The Monsters announce first tour of Mexico and the western U.S.

Legendary garage punks The Monsters will tour through Mexico and the US West Coast in late April through May, beginning their trek in Mexico City and concluding up the Pacific Coastline in Seattle. This string of shows is their first-ever tour through western America and marks the band’s return to the New World since their 2014 Midwestern tour anchored by a headlining appearance at the Muddy Roots Festival. In two, with the Swiss quartet, Slovenly Recordings founder Pete Menchetti will DJ punk, garage, and exotica 45s during the pre-show and after-parties.

It’s common to read names like Celtic FrostLiLiPUT, and The Young Gods as pioneers of Switzerland’s fringe rock movements. However, The Monsters are justifiably well deserving to be included in this category due to their creation of an off-branch rock genre they dub “trash rock, a subgenre that’s influenced a whole new generation of underground punk groups since the band formed in 1986. This genre is a strange mix of rockabilly grooves fused with chainsaw-fury speed punk, and The Monsters have only become faster, funnier, and more furious with age with their proof on their recent album, You’re Class, I’m Trash, which saw release via Voodoo Rhythm RecordsSlovenly Recordings, and Sounds of Subterrania.

The Monsters have performed on stages across the continents of North/South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Their first run across the West Coast holds special meaning for the quartet, with the band sharing their thoughts below. 

The Monsters are a Garage-Trash band out of Switzerland. We’ve played almost everywhere in the world, from Tomsoe, Norway, above the Arctic Circle, down to Buenos Aires, Argentina. From Japan to Mexico and to unusual places like Vietnam, Sicily, and more.  But we never played the US West Coast, although that’s where a lot of inspiration for what we do comes from. Time to change that, for good!

The Monsters have a long history with the West Coast of the USA. Jan – the drummer –  was born in San Luis Obispo in the summer of love, and Beat-Man – the CEO – even has family in Los Angeles. It’s like coming home, and we wanna show what we do and present to you our Super-1-Riff-Rock’n’Roll-Boogie-Trash.

The Monsters were formed in Berne, Switzerland, and that’s as un-American as a town can be. From the very beginning, we were unsatisfied with the music scene in general, and spezialy the music scene in Switzerland. At first, we were against pop music. Now it’s the copycats, the bands living and celebrating the past. We can’t stand it and hate it today as much as we hated it yesterday. 

But instead of complaining, we create new music, a new listening experience for you and your brain, and it will be so loud that we can’t hear you complaining about it.  

That’s our goal; you’ve been warned. – Beat-Man, Janosh, Swan Lee, and Pumi.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Matthew at Shattered Platter.]

Review: Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol – Big Dumb Riffs

Aaron Metzdorf, the bassist for Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, described the writing process of their new album, Big Dumb Riffs, as “What if we just played two notes the whole song? What if we tuned down to almost unusable string tension? What if we write a record that will make everyone say ‘Wow, that is dumb.’?”

That record would be a fun ride, that’s what would happen.

RBBP are never short on heavy riffs, goofy lyrics, and projecting a raw, fun energy, and this time they’ve gone all-in with that idea. Right away, “Clowntown” unleashes chugging, charging mania and you can’t help but laugh as you’re moshing. “1-800-EAT-SHIT” is just as fun, and I’m sure causes phone number chants whenever it’s played. “Papa Pop It” has early Primus-like bass licks all over it.

Leo Lydon‘s guitar on “Peanut Butter Snack Sticks” sounds like he’s pulled it out of a deep fryer and is playing it with a belt sander. Sean St. Germain‘s drum groove on “Whip It Around” immediately grab you and make you pay attention. The song transitions perfectly into “Body Bag” – which hits harder than a good number of doom metal tracks.

“Brat” stomps along like an angry elephant as Lydon calls out haters who can’t and won’t back up their words. “El Sapo” is a quick roughie, leading into the almost-panicked “Bastard Initiated.” I’m sure the pits during this song are bonkers (and, really, I’m sure their entire shows are just plain nuts). “Blue Collar Man” throbs, growls, and snarls as Lydon sings about a woman in love with a blue collar worker, but the lovely dream seems to turn into a nightmare.

They save the longest track on the record, “In a Jar” (at three minutes and thirty-eight seconds), for last. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” Lydon almost croons as he and his pals slow down the pace, but don’t relent on the fuzz.

Again, Big Dumb Riffs is a crazy ride that’s over in a flash – a bit like a roller coaster that only slows down at the end but your brain is still foggy from the adrenaline rush and your body is a bit sore from banging around in the car.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]