BRAD POT.

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Here’s a band to properly smack you in the face- Brad Pot. They come from Melbourne, and they are loud. Insanely loud. A proper treat for the ears.

They make you want to throw your furniture out of the window, smash up some cars and be a nuisance.  There’s other ways you can do this that doesn’t result in getting a criminal record, of course. Just depends how far you are willing to go.

Brad Pot are a band that are ruthless with their sound and lyrics. They aren’t a band to make you want to change the world and protest- you don’t always need that. What they do is just cut out all the bullshit in the world, and make something you can just lose your mind to. Sometimes you just need to listen to something that just frees your mind, which then causes your limbs to work in an OTT fashion.

Brad Pot are the saviours we desperately needed, and will always need. They are so effortlessly brilliant. They just have this way of making you want to cause a load of trouble, and deny it all.

Something I adore about them is their way of giving off this real DIY sound. They are a band who do not care for overproduced and hyped up nonsense- everything they are is on their terms. They aren’t hear to impress anyone or whatever; they are doing this because they naturally can. I honestly cannot think of a band past or present that I could link them to. They’re a Garage Rock/Punk band, but genres are just pointless for a band like Brad Pot. They have a really rugged sound that is just meant to be heard as loud as possible. I’ve got them on as loud as I can on my dinner break at work. Their glorious sounds are sailing through my ears and making me annoyingly tap on my desk occasionally. I love these guys, and I just want to do nothing but listen to them.

I love that Brad Pot are basically sticking a middle finger up to all that is expected from bands and how they don’t care for what you think about them. I love how they can easily burst your eardrums within seconds but have you coming back for more. I love it when a band does this. I’ve not felt it often, but Brad Pot do it in a way that you cannot help but respect and basically, idolise.

Brad Pot are the kind of band you’d play at a house party- all through the night. Their songs are the soundtrack to any and everything. They make you want to trash stuff, they make you want to laze about at home and they make you want to wander around aimlessly for hours listening to them, and soaking up everything around you. Their songs ARE for the faint-hearted because they’ll just kick-start you right up. They are this brilliant ball of explosive energy that just makes you wish you could see their shows every night. Imagine that! Imagine just how wild their live shows are!

The band is a wonderfully hyperactive and chaotic musical explosion, and with one listen- you’re just totally hooked. Their music is an absolute pleasure to listen to, and I can’t wait to hear more from them. And I hope they only get louder and louder.

DUMB PUNTS: The Big One.

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On the other side of the world resides a record label that is home to one of the most exciting Punk bands around. This band, yesterday, finally released their debut record and it is such a solid debut record, and I can’t get enough of it.

Melbourne is home to a band called Dumb Punts, and the label they are on is brilliantly called Pissfart Records. Alright so some may turn their nose up at the name and label it immature. If you know anyone who does that, ignore them. They’re probably a right fun sponge. You don’t need that. Pissfart Records have some really great bands on their label, and I’ll end up writing about most of them soon enough. But for now- Dumb Punts.

With a name like Dumb Punts you probably think they’re a super snotty and obnoxious band. You might think they’ll sound like Dead Boys or Sex Pistols. Push that right out your mind- they sound nothing like them. Dumb Punts are a great Punk band, but they’ve got something about them that goes beyond what is expected from a Punk band- especially Punk in 2018.

The record opens with No Use which is like a massive wake up call to the system when it kicks in. The vocals are real snarly on this. It’s definitely got the echoes of New York in 1977, but there’s something else going on and you can’t help but wonder- is this how Punk is in Melbourne? If it is, then we have ignored it for far too long. There’s nothing relaxing about this record, it’s a proper kick in the face kind of record- but not like what you’d expect. There are moments on the record where the vocals change up and become a little tamer, but for the most part this could be the blueprint of how Punk should be from now on.

What I am crazy about on this record is how the vocals can really make the record. The snarly and shouty vocals are what moves you the most- but that does not mean that everything else is overshadowed. The vocals is what lures you in, then the rest just puts you in a chokehold and you cannot help but go along with it. The songs are full of this energy that you wish you could put into your daily life, but it can only kick in when you play this record. Loud. So loud.

Headfuck is a minute and a half of sheer ferociousness in your ear, this is then evened out when Heating Up starts. The record is full of equal balances of loud and tame. The Big One is the name of the record, and it’s a bold name for a debut record. Truth be told, it’s worthy of that and more. It is a phenomenal record, and since it came out yesterday it has been all I have been listening to. I love how you don’t know if you’re going to get a real rowdy song or a more lo-fi feel. It keeps you on edge, and it adds so much excitement to such an incredible record.

Listening to this record, it is hard to believe that this is Dumb Punts debut record. They have a sound that makes you feel like you have been listening to them for years, decades even. You just know that this band are nothing short of amazing in a live setting. On record they just have this insane ability to mess with your head, but I reckon live they’ll take over your body also. Going absolutely wild and throwing your limbs and drinks about. I really can’t get enough of this record, and I am so happy with how great the record has turned out. I’ve listened to Dumb Punts for a bit now, and to finally hear this debut record is so great. I honestly couldn’t be prouder of this band, and I cannot wait to hear more from them.

What you take from this record is that Dumb Punts are a band that’ll test themselves, and also the listener with how far they will go with their sound. If a band isn’t going to push themselves, what’s the point? And if a band aren’t going to leave you in awe with their debut record, then again, what’s the point? The Big One is, like I said, a brilliant debut record. Get yourself a copy and play the damn thing as loud as you physically can.

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS.

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I’ve waited far too long to write about the best Punk band around, Amyl And The Sniffers. A band that deserve all the praise imaginable. A band that have been sent to rip open your guts and tear your eardrums. Sounds vicious, but when you listen to them- you’ll understand why.

Amyl And The Sniffers are such an incredible band, and in the time they’ve been putting music out into the world they have truly showed themselves to have the real essence of Punk about them. They have songs that rarely hit over the 2 minute mark. Big Attraction & Giddy Up came out this year, and the record doesn’t even hit 20 minutes. Their songs are as fast as the Ramones with the obnoxious smuttiness that the Sex Pistols had. I absolutely love this band, and they’re just so brilliantly cool. They make you want to sack everything off and start a band, and live outside of society for the rest of time. The release that came out in May is basically two of their EPs put together, and both are a punch in the kisser. The songs are amazing regardless of how you hear them.

The snarl in Amy’s voice is something that stays with you. She yells the lyrics, and my god you better listen.  Dec and Bryce keep up the aggression via guitar and drums. Then Gus comes along with his slick bass playing skills. You can’t pick your favourite, that’d just be stupid. You can pick your favourite moments in the songs though. I love the punchy sound in Balaclava Lover Boogie that Dec produces with his guitar, and they all just play this vital role in making it such a rowdy song.

Sadly, I’ve yet to see the band play live. I can’t help but feel that their live shows would be something that just sticks with you because on record they have this power to just make you feel like it is you and them. They have this way of making you feel like you’re in a dive bar with them covered in various fluids and whatnot. All in the name of Punk. All in the name of Music. I honestly can’t give you a band to put them against in terms of who they are for fans of. They’re for those who want something off kilter and something that they haven’t heard before. Something loud to take away how much of a drag daily life can be. There is something so soothing and relatable about the song Caltex Cowgirl (which does hit the 3 minute or so mark) and it just takes you somewhere nothing else has done.

One of my favourite songs by them is Stole My Pushbike. I love the fury in Amy’s voice. I love how she can make something like having her bike being stolen sound like one of the worst crimes a person could commit. In one minute she absolutely rips apart the culprit that took her bike. Bryce, Dec and Gus with their sounds make it seem like they are part of the gang that are going to fuck you up once Amy finds you. But to be honest, Amy will handle herself. Her buddies will be there just to make sure you can’t steal anything ever again. It’s a great song to let any frustration out to.

If you’ve ended up going through something recently that has left you battered and damaged- this is the band for you. I couldn’t stop listening to them before, but now it’s become a ritualistic listen that tames parts of my mind certain things can’t touch. I guess that’s just how powerful music is you know?  Amyl And The Sniffers are band to really invest in and to become obsessed with, and to play as loud as possible.