Punk Rock Saturday!
This week, we’re taking a trip from the skate park to the factory floor with three bands keeping punk loud, melodic, and gloriously unhinged: ASKWHY, Making Friends, and State Power.
Photo by Kaat Steukers
ASKWHY – “Dear Me”
For those of you who yearn for the spirit of early-2000s Alkaline Trio, Belgium-based emo quartet ASKWHY have recently revealed “Dear Me,” a song that very well could have fallen out of the back of the van on the way to record From Here to Infirmary. Bursting with thick power chords, multilayered vocals, and dynamic production that doesn’t pander to the mainstream, “Dear Me” is perfect for the inner-city rock club or the suburban skate park. Connect with ASKWHY: Spotify | Instagram
Making Friends – “Anyway”
You might recall us briefly mentioning Making Friends in our interview with High End Denim Records, but these blokes from Brighton are making waves with the recent release of “Anyway.” They’ve maintained a steady churn of skate-punk singles in support of the body of work known as Home Is Where the Heart Was, and it behooves us to make sure this one shakes hands with your ears. Melodic, polished, chaotic, and energized, “Anyway” is a dynamic scorcher with twists and turns and vocal harmonies to spare. Connect with Making Friends: Spotify | Bandcamp | Instagram
State Power – “The Sin of Empathy”
If you hear a rumbling coming out of Holland, chances are that someone has pressed play on State Power’s new track “The Sin of Empathy.” This song does something we’ve never heard before: imagine the crunchy chords of D.R.I. combined with the industrial menace of Al Jourgensen, effortlessly blending the rosters of Epitaph and Wax Trax. The result is a relentless, riff-heavy, blood-soaked effusion of fury, complete with gang vocals and an “I’m mad at the whole fucking world” attitude. Connect with State Power: Spotify | Instagram
Until next week, trust your ears more than your feed.
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-O.Meaney