@@@ Hans Condor: Pent Up Aggression (Dial Back Sound, 2021) A little bit from the heavy punk side of the tracks, and both tracks today come from music publicists. It’s got a bit of hillbilly rock but the biggest influence here is early Clash business. Big shoutalong vocal hook, lots of power chords, ramped up garage punk/early punk energy. This is a very familiar formula and they bring a lot of caffeine and other stimulants to it. I could use any sort of new twist on it, but that is not to be.
@@@ Frank Turner: Non Serviam (Polydor/UMG, 2021) A major label sorta post punk punky sound. I know post punk punk sounds oddly up its own ass but it doesn’t sport the classic simplicity of the first wave of punk and hardcore. There’s more of an updated sound with some metall-ish grinding at certain points and some section changes that have references outside of punk. He just went into a bridge that was mainstream but not mainstream before he went back into the grind. The punk energy is there, the major label production sound is there for sure and that’s pretty much where it’s at. The player clicked through and the next pre release track has plenty of thinly disguised Thin Lizzy and mainstream vocal hook action. No shame in it, just don’t broadcast punk when it’s only half the game being played here.
Deep In the Music 