Punk Rock Saturday!
Do you have any idea how fucking hard it is to find decent punk rock these days? A good chunk of the submissions we receive are filled to the brim with autotune, digital gloss, and borderline-AI slop from “punk” bands who believe sounding like the next Blink-182 is the answer. It isn’t. In fact, this commercial aesthetic goes against everything the genre once stood for. I have long believed that musicians would ultimately lead the rebellion against the AI overlords, but after hearing some of these songs, it feels like they’ve simply fallen in line. That’s pretty devastating.
Arcane Arcade – “3 Black Cats”
Luckily, there are still some bands out there who completely ignore the convenience of modern digital production. Instead of shooting for mainstream appeal, they make music that embraces a lo-fi, DIY ethos, often sounding like they're crammed into your garage with the amps cranked to eleven. For example, Florida’s Arcane Arcade write tunes with three essential ingredients: guitar, drums, and bass, just like our forefathers intended. Their latest single, “3 Black Cats,” is an intense, melodic punk banger about finding your way through life’s unpredictable setbacks, cast across a tattered canvas of hard-hitting drums and a barrage of power chords. This is the kind of music that rattles venues like Fireside Bowl or Doll Hut, and while “3 Black Cats” would likely sound great on larger stages, Arcane Arcade’s refusal to sand down their edges is exactly what makes the song so compelling. Connect with Arcane Arcade: Spotify | Instagram | Bandcamp
Vagabond – “Forever”
From the UK, Vagabond also checks most of our boxes when it comes to raw and authentic punk. They have a new one called “Forever,” which is epic as all hell, and after hearing it, we can totally understand how the band has been selling out shows around York and Hull. Pressing the play button is all the proof you need for this, but there is an unmistakable anthemic quality to the track which could have easily been pushed over the edge (ruined) in a big-budget studio. Packed tightly with soaring riffs and a relentless rhythm section, we also get the “whoa oh oh” gang vocals that always seem to win us over. If you’re looking for some glimmer of hope in a new generation of punk bands, this one will fill your cup. Connect with Vagabond: Spotify | Instagram | Bandcamp
Wasted Youth Club – “Pink Sludge”
Finally, we’d like to offer up Wasted Youth Club from the Netherlands, who’ve just released “Pink Sludge.” This is the kind of tune that wonderfully bridges the gap between punk and post-punk, maintaining the raw, gritty aspects of the former while embracing all the experimental appeal of the latter. “Pink Sludge” is built atop the foundation of a bass line soaked in the deep warble of a phaser pedal, an unwavering beat, melodic guitars, and a deliciously overdriven vocal performance. And even with all of these effects in place, listeners will never doubt that the track was crafted by actual human beings, which is the entire fucking point of music. Connect with Wasted Youth Club: Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify
Bye.
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-O.Meaney