Green Day – Uno (2012)

Green Day has sold over 65 million records worldwide with 25 million in the US alone. It’s almost 65 million reasons to hate Green Day. They also has won five Grammy Awards and two years ago (2010), a stage adaptation of “American Idiot” debuted on Broadway. This is “iPhone Punk”? Maybe. But I’m too old, to tired to hate, and Green Day are one of the very few bands around who are still capable to write songs, even further, from time to time, deliver great albums. “American Idiot” it’s a huge album. The follow-up “21st Century Breakdown” sounded more like leftovers, but it still won for second time the Grammy for “Best Rock Album”.
In February, Billie Joe Armstrong announced that they are in the studio recording a new album. He also said: “We are at the most prolific and creative time in our lives… This is the best music we’ve ever written, and the songs just keep coming. Instead of making one album, we are making a three album trilogy. Every song has the power and energy that represents Green Day on all emotional levels. We just can’t help ourselves … We are going epic as fuck!” Armstrong suggested making a trilogy of albums like Van Halen’s Van Halen I, Van Halen II and Van Halen III. He stated in an interview that, “The songs just kept coming, kept coming. I’d go, Maybe a double album? No, that’s too much nowadays. Then more songs kept coming. And one day, I sprung it on the others: ‘Instead of Van Halen I, II and III, what if it’s Green Day I, II and III and we all have our faces on each cover?'”
And here we go, the ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré! trilogy, a series of studio albums will be released from September 2012 to January 2013. “¡Uno!” is set to be released on September 21, 2012 in Australia and Europe, September 24, 2012 in the United Kingdom and the next day in the United States through Reprise Records. “¡Dos!” comes out on November 13 and “¡Tré!” is due January 15, 2013. Read more Green Day – Uno (2012)

Noh Mercy – Noh Mercy (2012)

“No answering machines. No computers. No internet. No cordless phones (much less cell phones). No color Xerox. Only DayGlo colored paper for posters. Graphics meticulously cut and pasted out of magazines, newspapers, or clear plastic rub-on letters. All Super 8 movies on film or the new ‘video’ were very expensive to process and you needed to be rich or have access to a school to use the equipment. All photography was either Polaroid or else you needed to have access to a darkroom.
We communicated with posters on telephone poles, sympathetic radio stations, and word of mouth. We visited each other’s homes to draw, paint, and listen to records. We wrote and received letters sent through the mail. We discussed politics, art, music, and philosophy in person.” – confessed Esmerelda, the singer half of the band Noh Mercy.
Meanwhile we are totally alienated and disorientated. And full of Caucasian guilt. Read more Noh Mercy – Noh Mercy (2012)

Pussy Riot

Democracy? Are you joking, don’t you? What an old-fashioned concept! Dictators are highly appreciated characters by the so-called civilized West, it’s enough to think of Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi who not so long time ago was at least the best friend of most of the European leaders and presidents, it’s enough to look closer what a friendly and respectful relation is between all the – once again – so-called Capitalist and democratic world, the Occident, and Vladimir Vladimirovici Putin, or how little dictators as Victor Orban of Hungary or Traian Basescu of Romania are encouraged and supported by the leaders of the European Union – and even by Uncle Sam – and things are pretty clear for anybody who really want to see. But the fact is, nobody want to see, to hear, to give a s*it. The best interest of the West is to keep in office strong leaders (dictators) who are capable by any mean to keep masses under control. Nobody need a second opinion on anything. This is the new age and a new, pervert form of global colonization.
The so-called “free world” Read more Pussy Riot

The Offspring – Days Go By (2012)

Years go by… Actually four years since the release of “Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace” in 2008 and Dexter Holland and his band mates are back now with their ninth studio album due for release on June 26, 2012. 12 tracks, Punk Rock throughout, just like “Smash”, 1994 and selling 12 million copies worldwide was yesterday. But this is not “Americana”, “Days Go By” have a much darker vibe and approach, sounds more like “Ignition” (eventually “Conspiracy of One”), this is pretty heavy in a very rocking (Metal) sense.
Still, we’ve got lighter, funnier – sarcastic? – moments like “OC Guns” or the summer taste-like, possible hit single, teenage anthem “Cruising California (Bumpin’ In My Trunk)” which might be the favorite tracks for those who are looking exclusively for the follow up of “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” and “Why Don’t You Get a Job”. Life is easy! 😆 Read more The Offspring – Days Go By (2012)

Future of the Left – The Plot Against Common Sense (2012)

Future of the Left – The Plot Against Common Sense (2012) I’m a Punk Rocker. Hell yeah! True, in my early forty’s, with considerably less hair and tooth then two decades ago, dragging with me several more or less chronic diseases, but still banging. Sometimes. On the other hand I had never believed in the values of the political left. Getting further, I do not believe there is any value in any political build-up and honestly, I do not trust anybody, sometimes not even my own bloody self.
I like Future of the Left and along with PiL, I think FotL is one of the very rare genuine (Post) Punk bands that managed to merge noisiness and aggressiveness with caustic content, intelligence and coherent message. I don’t think there’s anything left “politically correct” – like it ever was something -, but still, this is about music, and FotL still got both the magic and the bollocks to deliver some banging songs while the mainstream is drowning in its own emptiness. And you might be or not lefty, they have something to say while most of the singers only open their mouth to show their tooth. Definitively there is a plot against common sense while Diplo is considered “one of the most influential music taste-makers”…. 😆 😆 😆 Read more Future of the Left – The Plot Against Common Sense (2012)

Meredith – Debut, EP (2012) – free download!

Fred Lefranc – Guitar, Vocals and Ben Delacroix – Drums formed Meredith in Paris, France and this four track free release available through their Bandcamp page is an excellent mixture of raw (garage) Punk – in the vein of The Stooges – , dark, contorted post Rock with roots back to Joy Division, adding some heavy (Post) Hardcore energy and not at least their own originality with cutting edge experimental taste. As they describe themselves perfectly: “Meredith are the bastard child of a drunken encounter between Dave Grohl and Shannon Wright, the duo Meredith was born on a moonless night, in the back of a filthy cab. Bearing the gifts of raw, uncompromising ruthlessness, with some siblings in Barkmarket, Fugazi and Trail of dead, their lineage is extensive and impassioned.” Read more Meredith – Debut, EP (2012) – free download!

Destroy Nate Allen – With Our Powers Combined (2012)

Nate Allen sounds pissed off. I said pissed off? Very pissed off. “Emergency” is a killer track, and not the only one out of 15 brand new genuine Punk anthems. And I would accentuate the word genuine. This is absolutely honest and breathing music, nothing sounds fake, prefabricated, predictable and tasteless, empty. They put lot of soul and energy into this. This time Nate and Tessa are backed-up by a full band and this definitively gave a plus energy to this songs. And not at least in this dark times, this is fun. What the hell, we talk occasionally On the Internet, don’t we?
Destroy Nate Allen started as the solo/quiet acoustic musings of Nate Allen and has evolved and twisted into a two piece Rock’N’Roll attack, sharply focused on showing people a good time.
Combining Tessa’s impulsive theatrical urges with Nate’s love for early 90′s Pop Punk, DNA play Folk music like Punk Rock and definitively they make you sing, laugh and dance, buy another beer down in the club, and eventually buy their CD. Read more Destroy Nate Allen – With Our Powers Combined (2012)