Unless you spent last summer hiding in a remote cave, you will probably be at least vaguely familiar with Operator Please’s debut single ‘Just A Song About Ping Pong‘. A brilliantly hyperactive burst of punk-pop with semi-rapped verses and handclaps galore, it really should have been an all-conquering soundtrack to the summer. Not that there was much of a UK summer for it to soundtrack, mind you, but such is life.
However, don’t be fooled into thinking that this teenage Australian quintet are a happy-clappy novelty band, as ‘Yes Yes Vindictive‘ will put paid to such ideas. Opener ‘Zero Zero‘, ‘Get What You Want‘ and the title track are all brooding, angular blasts of noise-pop; ‘Two For My Seconds‘ shows the unashamedly melodic flipside of the OP coin, and ‘Ghost‘ is built around a beautifully simple acoustic guitar line and vocal, à la Get Cape Wear Cape Fly. Overall, it’s a record of remarkable depth and diversity for such a young band, and one that looks set to make them plenty of new friends in 2008.
Check out recent single ‘Leave It Alone‘ on the link above. The band have loads of UK dates planned for April and May (including some with Lightspeed Champion), so check their Myspace page for the latest updates.
Alex Gosman
If you ask a Less Than Jake fan what their favourite LTJ record is, there’s a good chance that they’ll go for 1998’s ‘Hello Rockview‘. Arguably one of the finest records to come from the late-90s US ska/punk boom, it effectively kick-started the band’s now-huge following on this side of the pond; not least due to the success of the single ‘All My Best Friends Are Metalheads‘ and the band’s first UK tour the following year.
Reanimator and Prolyphic have put a song from their upcoming album up online.
Black Kids will be releasing their new single I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You on April 7th.
Rancid are currently recording their new album at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch.
Hardcore band Terror have completed their new album.
Fat Wreck Records have a lot going on at the moment with releases and gigs, check it out:
Jimmy Eat World are the latest band to be added to the Download fesitval line up.