As soon as I heard “Shoo-In,” I knew this was going to be one of my favorite records of the year. These Austin, Texans play fuzzy garage rock that covers such subjects as drinking, sex, partying, break-ups, jerks, and weirdos. In other words, everything.
Cosmic rock keeps expanding, which is great news for people like me who love psychedelic sounds that are fit for exploring the desert or other planets. King Buffalo’s newest album fits the bill and sends you into orbit into the surprisingly warm void of space.
This is the best dance-rock record I heard all year. It’s a groove-filled EP with scathing lyrics about politicians, consumerism, the internet, celebrity, toxic masculinity, and sex.
And here’s the best punk record I heard all year. The Chats came back with a new guitarist and a renewed anger (and sense of humor) after the pandemic and gave us this wickedly sharp and funny album of barn-burners about the price of cigarettes, hot rods, and, of course, getting drunk.
One of the many fun things about The Chats‘ new album, Get Fucked, is that its title can have at least three different interpretations: 1. The Chats (say), “Get fucked.” to all their critics, ticket inspectors, tobacco sellers, stuffed shirts, politicians, and anyone who doesn’t like a good pint or a party now and then. 2. The Chats get fucked over by those mentioned in option #1. 3. The Chats get laid. My theory is that the first option is the closest to their original intention, judging from the album cover and the middle fingers being flipped to everyone – including those of us picking up the album. The cover is supposed to shake you out of your current reality, and the whole record pretty much throws a pint of lager in your face.
The album’s opening track, “6LTR GTR,” gets us off to a gas pedal-stomping start as they rip off a track about a hot rod being driven by a douchebag idiot who doesn’t deserve it. “Struck by Lighting” is even faster and brings to mind both AC/DC and The Ramones with its punk ferocity. You’re almost out of breath by the time we reach “Boggo Breakout” – and that’s only the third track. “Southport Superman” is barely over thirty seconds and feels like a mosh pit erupts in your head.
The build-up of “Panic Attack” gives you a brief respite from the chaos, but soon the vocals are coming at you like a belt-fed machine gun. “Ticket Inspector” has the band railing against a jerk who flaunts power he doesn’t really have. “The Price of Smokes” starts off with blues-like lyrics about not having enough money for rent and smokes and slowly builds into a rager about the Australian economy in general. “Dead on Site” and “Paid Late” keep the fire burning, and “Paid Late” has some of Eamon Sandwith‘s funkiest bass licks. “I’ve Been Drunk in Every Pub in Brisbane” is a great track that we can guess is based on true events.
Not much of your face is left by the time you reach “Out on the Street,” because most of it has been shredded off you by now. New guitarist Josh Hardy has a burning solo on it, and across the whole record. It’s difficult to choose which is best. “Emperor of the Beach” could be an early King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard track with its groove that evolves into a wild, psych-surf punk banger. Matt Boggis‘ cymbals wash over you like ocean waves by the end. The album ends with “Getting Better” – a pep talk of a track that turns into a drag race between nitro-burning hot rods that have time bombs attached to them.
Get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on with this album.
Aussie punk trio The Chats release a new single/video, “I’ve Been Drunk in Every Pub in Brisbane,” from their new album, GET FUCKED, out August 19th on Bargain Bin Records. Clocking in at just 89 seconds, the rip-roaring track is an entirely unironic celebration of frontman Eamon Sandwith’s first year or two in his new home city. The accompanying video was shot under the influence by the band and their house mate, Rick, who is also in a band with Eamon and Josh called Rick and the Sickos.
“Brisbane is quite a bit hotter than the rest of the country,” says Eamon, “so it’s one of those places where it’s more acceptable to start drinking earlier. I reckon there would be 900 or so pubs that you would have to hit, and I have actually been to a good chunk of them, but if you were go to all of them, it would be hard to even remember which ones you’d been to, and which ones you hadn’t, especially if you’d got fucking pissed.”
GET FUCKED is an incendiary, hyper-adrenalized blitz from punk heaven, showcasing an electrifying all-killer-no-filler 13 tracks which perfectly capture the band’s explosive energy. The album, while tackling umpteen eminently relatable beefs ranging from surfer-dude racism to the usual dire impecunity, feels like a classic high-velocity punk-rock party album like they just don’t make ’em anymore – think early Ramones, think MDC’s debut, think invite your mates over and rock hard all weekend. It is, quite simply, another laugh-out-loud, pogo-through-the-floorboards stroke of motherfucking genius.
This fall, The Chats will open for Guns N’ Roses on a Australian and New Zealand tour. A full list of dates can be found below.
Australian punks The Chats announce their new album, GET FUCKED, out August 19th on the band’s own label, Bargain Bin Records, and share a new single/video, “6L GTR.” The announcement arrives in the midst of their North American tour (tickets on sale now). Their debut full-length, High Risk Behaviour, dropped just as the pandemic struck, and The Chats have duly been through the same frustrating two years of broken dreams and shredded itineraries as every other combo. Undeterred and now stocked to overflowing with frustration and fury, they strike back with GET FUCKED, an incendiary, hyper-adrenalized blitz from punk heaven, showcasing a rockin’ new guitarist, and an electrifying all-killer-no-filler 13 tracks which perfectly capture the band’s explosive energy. It is, quite simply, another laugh-out-loud, pogo-through-the-floorboards stroke of motherfucking genius.
The Chats took lockdown as a chance to plan their next move, which is when they enlisted Josh Hardy after the departure of their last guitarist. Sometime in ’21, Eamon Sandwith, Matt Boggis and Hardy decamped to southern Queensland to write at their friend’s place, Vinny’s Dive Bar. Once they’d worked up a rollicking batch of new tunes, they had actually planned to record again near Melbourne, with Billy Gardner, who produced High Risk Behaviour, but due to pandemic border closures, they nailed it instead in six days at Brisbane’s Hunting Ground facility with Cody McWaters, who’d worked on a single for Eamon’s other band, Headlice.
“They weren’t like hardcore working days,” Eamon reveals, “we would start at 11 and finish at 4, and in the middle of that we’d go to the pub for lunch for two hours, and have a few beers. Then we’d go, ‘Oh shit, we better go back and do some recording!’ Our work etiquette wasn’t great.” Consequently, GET FUCKED, while tackling umpteen eminently relatable beefs ranging from surfer-dude racism to the usual dire impecunity, feels like a classic high-velocity punk-rock party album like they just don’t make ’em anymore – think early Ramones, think MDC’s debut, think invite your mates over and rock hard all weekend.
GET FUCKED opens with “6L GTR,” a swingeing takedown of a speed-crazed status-symbol driver – a critique piqued when Eamon spotted the titular licence plate in an airport carpark. “I don’t even know if the car itself was actually a six-liter GTR or anything,” he chuckles. “To be honest with you, I don’t even know what a car like that would look like! I can’t drive! That was the thing, we were just trying to get into this dude’s head.” The video was made by animator and illustrator Marco Imov who spent days creating the band in character form. “They hinted that it would be cool if instead of being directly about the car, it should be about the band wanting the car,” explains Marco. “From there it kind of wrote itself down.”
The more you listen to it, the more you realize that there was only one plausible title for this second Chats album. After all the incarceration and boredom, The Chats are in peak match fitness to deliver the excitement we all crave for the months ahead.
GET FUCKED TRACKLIST 1. 6L GTR 2. Struck By Lightning 3. Boggo Road 4. Southport Superman 5. Panic Attack 6. Ticket Inspector 7. The Price of Smokes 8. Dead on Site 9. Paid Late 10. I’ve Been Drunk In Every Pub In Brisbane 11. Out On The Street 12. Emperor of the Beach 13. Getting Better
THE CHATS TOUR DATES Mon. Jun. 27 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie Tue. Jun. 28 – Brussels, BE @ La Botanique Fri. Jul. 1 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter 2022 Mon. Jul. 4 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Tue. Jul. 5 – Berlin, DE @ SO36 Wed. Jul. 6 – Hamburg, DE @ Moltow Backyard Thu. Jul. 7 – Cologne, DE @ Gebäude Fri. Jul. 22 – Adelaide, AU @ Adelaide Showground Fri. Jul. 29 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rotondes Sat. Oct. 8 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
Keep your mind open.
[Zoom over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
Australian punks The Chats unleash “Struck By Lightning,” their first new tune and video of 2022. It follows their 2020 debut album, High Risk Behaviour, “an album you can blast on the highway while going 90 or one that you can watch live and get drunk and crowd-surf to” (Consequence). “Struck By Lightning” is a fast, furious, 100-second blitz from punk heaven. It shows the Queensland trio revitalized post-pandemic and toting a ripping new guitarist, Josh Hardy. Following a Chats jam session, singer/bassist Eamon Sandwith went home and wrote a song about getting struck by lightning, like how you would feel, and what would happen. “People can’t grow their hair back and shit,” he says. “It’s weird – especially the whole no-eyebrows thing. That would be really scary! I’m really hoping that this doesn’t happen to me, now I’ve written a song about it.”
Eamon got a taste of the storm gods’ revenge in the accompanying video, directed by NAME.. It shows the band, including drummer Matt Boggis, playing in a shed, before being hit by unexpected bolts of lightning. “It’s a silly video, and I reckon I did like seven or eight takes of this stunt, where I was hoisted in the air at a fast speed, straight off my feet,” says Eamon. “That night, we were doing a show, and I had this headache. I guess the stunt work had fucked with my head, and I started throwing up while I was playing. The thing is, the crowd loved it, and they went off about me throwing up even more than they did for any song we played.”
The Chats took lockdown as a chance to plan their next move, which is when they enlisted Hardy after the departure of their last guitarist. “He’s been a good friend of ours for years. After our old guitarist Pricey left, me and Matt had a conversation, like, ‘If we can’t get Josh, we might just not carry on.’ Luckily, he was willing to join, and we got right into it, writing songs and stuff. We were like, this is unreal – so good!” The freshly-minted line-up broke in their new recruit via a bunch of shows in Oz between lockdowns, and duly cut “Struck By Lightning.”
Next week, The Chats will kick off their UK tour. Following, they’ll bring their live show across North America, where they will play some cities for the first time ever. Then, they’ll continue their tour in Europe. A full list of dates can be found below.
THE CHATS TOUR DATES
Mon. Apr. 25 – El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace Tue. Apr. 26 – Houston, TX @ The Bronze Peacock at House of Blues Wed. Apr. 27 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin Thu. Apr. 28 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues – Cambridge Room Sat. Apr. 30 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East Sun. May 1 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre Tue. May 3 – Columbia, SC @ The Senate Wed. May 4 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage Thu. May 5 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club Fri. May 6 – Warrendale, PA @ Jergel’s Rhythm Grille Sat. May 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw Sun. May 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry @ The Fillmore – SOLD OUT Tue. May 10 – Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Électriques Wed. May 11 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground – SOLD OUT Thu. May 12 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop – SOLD OUT Fri. May 13 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar Sat. May 14 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues Sun. May 15 – St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall – SOLD OUT Tue. May 17 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck Wed. May 18 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Fri. May 20 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre – SOLD OUT Sun. May 22 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville 2022 Wed. May 25 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon – SOLD OUT Thu. May 26 – Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Fri. May 27 – Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre – SOLD OUT Mon. Jun. 27 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie Tue. Jun. 28 – Brussels, BE @ La Botanique Fri. Jul. 1 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter 2022 Mon. Jul. 4 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Tue. Jul. 5 – Berlin, DE @ SO36 Wed. Jul. 6 – Hamburg, DE @ Moltow Backyard Thu. Jul. 7 – Cologne, DE @ Gebäude Fri. Jul. 22 – Adelaide, AU @ Adelaide Showground Fri. Jul. 29 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rotondes Sat. Oct. 8 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
Yes, the beginning of the year means the avalanche of “Best of…” lists from me. This year’s will include singles, albums, and albums of the last five years. Unfortunately, the only concert I got to this year was seeing BODEGA and The Wants in Chicago. It was a good gig, so at least the one show I attended was a blast (even though I might’ve caught a mild strain of COVID-19 there).
Let’s get on with the singles, shall we?
#15: October and the Eyes – “All My Love”
Good heavens, what a sexy track. This cut from October and the Eyes‘ excellent debut album, Dogs and Gods, instantly brought to mind Dum Dum Girls, Bauhaus, and Siouxsie and the Banshees – but somehow with more sweaty lovemaking.
#14: Khruangbin – “Time (You and I)”
This track off Mordechai is so funky you can hardly believe it. Listening to this while walking will instantly put a strut into your step.
#13: The Chats– “Pub Feed”
Coming from High Risk Behaviour, his is one of the most fun punk tracks I’ve heard all year. It’s brash, brazen, and a salute to eating and boozing in pubs. What’s not to like?
#12: Kelly Lee Owens – “Night”
This is one of two Kelly Lee Owens’ songs from Inner Song that made my top 15 singles of 2020. This one, like pretty much anything else she puts out there, almost makes me want to throw my digital turntables in the trash because, good grief, why should I even bother?
#11: Too Free – “No Fun”
This Washington D.C. band came out of nowhere for me and, like Ms. Owens, dropped two of my top 15 tracks of 2020. This one, despite its title, is a lot of fun.
Who makes the top 10? Come back tomorrow to find out.
Australian punk band The Chats will release their debut album, High Risk Behaviour, on March 27th via Bargain Bin Records/Cooking Vinyl Australia. Ahead of their North American tour, which kicks off next month, they present a new single, “Dine N Dash,” and its accompanying video. Following lead single “The Clap,” “Dine N Dash” is fierce, funny, and sweaty. The video, directed by Matt Weston, finds The Chats in an unfamiliar environment, eating a succulent steakhouse meal while embracing the piss poor status of their wallets and outright brazenness to get a decent feed.
“We filmed at Walters steakhouse in Brisbane,” says Josh Price. “It was the best steak I’ve had. Definitely gave the bowlsie a run for its money. No mushy gravy though.” Eamon Sandwith adds: “Ya know you’re in a fancy restaurant when the chips and salad aren’t included.”
The Chats – made of Eamon Sandwith, Matt Boggis, and Josh Price – formed in 2016 while still in high school. Since then, they’ve released a self-titled EP in 2016 and 2017’s Get This In YaEP, and have accrued a fanbase that includes Dave Grohl, Queen of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, and Iggy Pop – the latter two who asked the band to open on their respective Australian tours. And despite being the subject of a record label bidding war, they’re releasing High Risk Behaviour on their own label (Bargain Bin Records). It’s indicative of a band that has embraced DIY culture since day one. Their determination to do things “our way” extends to their music, which is why High Risk Behaviour delivers everything you’ve come to love from The Chats – only more of it – and confirms their status as Queensland’s greatest ever export.
To create High Risk Behaviour, the band worked with engineer Bill Gardner in his studio on the Australian coast. It took nearly 18 months to finish and several, quick-paced sessions. “If we’d just done a week and slogged it out we could have had an album before now but we just kept going in there and making newer and better songs so it’s hard to put a stop on it,” says Sandwith. WATCH VIDEO FOR “THE CLAP” https://youtu.be/POM_98oi0oo
THE CHATS TOUR DATES: Fri. April 10 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Sat. April 11 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre Sun. April 12 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades Mon. April 13 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom Tue. April 14 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon Fri. April 17 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Sat. April 18 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park Sun. April 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom Mon. April 20 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf Wed. April 22 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Thu. April 23 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Fri. April 24 – Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock at House of Blues Sun. April 26 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre Tue. April 28 – St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall Wed. April 29 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues Thu. April 30 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In Fri. May 1 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre Sat. May 2 – Charlotte, NC @ Epicenter Festival Sun. May 3 – Washington, DC @ The Fillmore Silver Spring Tue. May 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts Wed. May 6 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club Thu. May 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw Wed. Oct. 7 – Amsterdam, BL @ Melkweg Max Sat. Oct. 10 – Paris, FR @ Maroquinerie Sun. Oct. 11 – Cologne, DE @ Gloria Mon. Oct. 12 – Hamburg, DE @ Gruenspan Tue. Oct. 13 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Fri. Oct. 16 – Southampton, UK @ 1865 Sat. Oct. 17 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City Mon. Oct. 19 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Tue. Oct. 20 – Belfast, UK @ Limelight Thu. Oct. 22 – Glasgow, UK @ Galvanizers Fri. Oct. 23 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Academy Sat. Oct. 24 – Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop Sun. Oct. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus Mon. Oct. 26 – Brighton, UK @ Dome Tue. Oct. 27 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Wed. Oct. 28 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton Thu. Oct 29 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton THE CHATS ONLINE: https://www.thechatslovebeer.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thechatsband/ https://thechatslovebeer.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thechatslovebeer/?hl=en
Keep your mind open.
[Dash over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
Australian punks The Chats announce their debut album, High Risk Behaviour, out March 27th on Bargain Bin Records/Cooking Vinyl Australia, and a North American tour. In conjunction with today’s announcement, they present a video for lead single, “The Clap.” High Risk Behaviour buzzes like an out-of-control chainsaw, propelled by spoken-spit-sung vocals, their three-chords-is-one-too-many approach, and an exacting combination of youth, vigour and drunkenness. It’s a perfect name for an album that does not f*ck around – one that’s over in 28 blistering, funny, sweaty, unforgettable minutes. WATCH VIDEO FOR “THE CLAP” https://youtu.be/POM_98oi0oo
LISTEN TO “THE CLAP” https://orcd.co/highriskbehaviour The Chats – made of Eamon Sandwith, Matt Boggis, and Josh Price – formed in 2016 while still in high school. Since then, they’ve released a self-titled EP in 2016 and 2017’s Get This In YaEP, and have accrued a fanbase that includes Dave Grohl, Queen of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, and Iggy Pop – the latter two who asked the band to open on their respective Australian tours. And despite being the subject of a record label bidding war, they’re releasing High Risk Behaviour on their own label (Bargain Bin Records). It’s indicative of a band that has embraced DIY culture since day one. Their determination to do things “our way” extends to their music, which is why High Risk Behaviour delivers everything you’ve come to love from The Chats – only more of it – and confirms their status as Queensland’s greatest ever export.
To create High Risk Behaviour, the band worked with engineer Bill Gardner in his studio on the Australian coast. It took nearly 18 months to finish and several, quick-paced sessions. “If we’d just done a week and slogged it out we could have had an album before now but we just kept going in there and making newer and better songs so it’s hard to put a stop on it,” says Sandwith.
Its lyrics are drawn from everyday experiences; from paying attention to the kind of stuff so banal that the rest of us don’t even notice it. Such as its lead single, “The Clap,” sung by Sandwith and Price, which is both a cautionary tale and the closest you’ll ever hear The Chats get to write a love song. Its accompanying video was directed by Matt Weston and features the band.
“I just want people to have a good time,” says Sandwith. “I want them to dance around and have a beer and enjoy it. We don’t make songs for people to look at in a fucking emotional or intellectual way. We just make songs for people to jump around and have fun to.”
In support of High Risk Behaviour, The Chats will embark on a North American tour later this spring. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale Friday, January 24th at 10am local time. PRE-ORDER HIGH RISK BEHAVIOUR https://orcd.co/highriskbehaviour
HIGH RISK BEHAVIOUR TRACKLIST: 1. Stinker 2. Drunk N Disorderly 3. The Clap 4. Identity Theft 5. Guns 6. Dine N Dash 7. Keep The Grubs Out 8. Pub Feed 9. Ross River 10. Heatstroke 11. Bill Backwash’s Day 12. 4573 13. Do What I Want 14. Better Than You
THE CHATS TOUR DATES: Fri. April 10 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Sat. April 11 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre * Sun. April 12 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades * Mon. April 13 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom * Tue. April 14 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon * Fri. April 17 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Sat. April 18 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park * Sun. April 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom * Mon. April 20 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf * Wed. April 22 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues * Thu. April 23 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s * Fri. April 24 – Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock at House of Blues * Sun. April 26 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre * Tue. April 28 – St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall * Wed. April 29 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues * Thu. April 30 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In * Fri. May 1 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre * Sat. May 2 – Charlotte, NC @ Epicenter Festival Sun. May 3 – Washington, DC @ The Fillmore Silver Spring * Tue. May 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts * Wed. May 6 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club * Thu. May 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw * Wed. Oct. 7 – Amsterdam, BL @ Melkweg Max Sat. Oct. 10 – Paris, FR @ Maroquinerie Sun. Oct. 11 – Cologne, DE @ Gloria Mon. Oct. 12 – Hamburg, DE @ Gruenspan Tue. Oct. 13 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Fri. Oct. 16 – Southampton, UK @ 1865 Sat. Oct. 17 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City Mon. Oct. 19 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Tue. Oct. 20 – Belfast, UK @ Limelight Thu. Oct. 22 – Glasgow, UK @ Galvanizers Fri. Oct. 23 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Academy Sat. Oct. 24 – Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop Sun. Oct. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus Mon. Oct. 26 – Brighton, UK @ Dome Tue. Oct. 27 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Wed. Oct. 28 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton Thu. Oct 29 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton
