Caught in the Crossfire

Photograph shot in 1987 by Stephen Marc. Buy it here.

Alvvays – ‘Archie, Marry me’ (Transgressive Records)

As indie ‘hits’ go Canadian pop crew Alvvays have crafted a stunning contender for the best laid-back summer tune of 2014. Melt this into your ears on a sunny day for best results and look out for the album dropping on July 21st. – Zac

Iggy Pop & Nick Cave feat. Thurston Moore – ‘Nobody’s City’ (Gun Club cover)

The coolest, second coolest, and third coolest rockers of all time covering the fourth coolest rockers of all time. One’s the leader of the Stooges, the other the leader of the Bad Seeds and the third the leader of Sonic Youth. Together they pay a mighty tribute to Jeffrey Lee Pierce, leader of the chaotic blues-punk outfit The Gun Club. If you enjoy this little number, get a copy of Miami and Fire Of Love. Immediately. Describe the track? Fuck that, this needs to be heard to be believed. – Ross Horton

White Lung – ‘Snake Jaw’ (Domino)

Hot on the trail of gnarl left behind their shit kicking new single ‘Drown With the Monster‘, White Lung have just dropped the equally stonking B-Side, ‘Snake Jaw’. If you need it loud and you need it now, hit play for a snarling fix. – Dave Palmer

Eight Rounds Rapid – ‘Stalker’ (Cadiz Music)

Hailing from Southend and featuring rhythm and blues punk rock legend Wilko Johnson’s son Simon on guitar, Eight Rounds Rapid’s debut album ‘Lossleader’ is a perfect and very British slab of strutting pub punk rock. Vocalist David Alexander has the perfect ice cold vocal sneer, distilling the essence of Alternative TV, Wire and Dr Feelgood and making it sound totally NOW. Check them out quickly before they fire off all eight rounds. – James Sherry

Chain & The Gang – ‘Devitalise’ (Fortuna Pop)

Ian Svenonius always does good party manifesto. I first heard his “13 Point Plan To Destroy America” with Nation of Ulysses then got to interview him as leader of Gospel influenced MAKE-UP for my old grunge fanzine Velvet Sheep when he said “the only reason we make music is cos what can poor people do to fight against the context they’re forced to live in, in terms of capitalist society? The great promise of rock & roll is the idea of self-creation”. And he’s created yet another brilliant band Chain & The Gang who return after a triumphant MAKE-UP reunion (I was there, I testified as Ian repeatedly smacked a microphone into his Steptoe-esque teeth) with the brilliantly understated “Minimum Rock & Roll”. To call it lean is an understatement.

On the brilliant teaser Ian intones that this record does not contain the following: “Extraneous words, unnecessary sounds, frivolous notes. Fewer Words — Fewer Notes — Fewer Beats. You’re tired of hearing them, we’re sick of making them”. Like The Cramps this is cut to the bone. Still funky, still sexy, still incandescent. But made from rubbing two sticks together rather than with a flame thrower. If politics is about personality these days, I say we should all clamour for Ian’s immediate election. – Nick Hutchings

Perspex Flesh – ‘S/T’ (Static Shock Records)

Hailing from Leeds, Perspex Flesh play a particularly ugly and thrilling mutant form of hardcore punk that is bathed and smothered in so much feedback that pain is as much a part of the listening experience as pleasure is. However, underneath the swathes of noise lay some killer punk rock riffs and rhythms. Excellent new hardcore that looks forward as much as it does to the past.- – James Sherry

Jack Ruby – ‘Hit & Run’ (Cargo Records)

On his liner notes for this remarkable reissue Thurston Moore says “Jack Ruby may be the most influential punk band from New York City that no-one ever even knew about”. He first wrote about them with Byron Coley for his ace book “No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York 1976-1980” and now with the help of the internet connections have been made, and the rediscovered sound is like the connections of two live wires unearthed. The band’s George Scott III went onto become the bassist of the kinetically brilliant Contortions, but if you’re familiar with James Chance’s sound then you’re only half way there. Think of Crime – the rediscovered roughcut diamonds in police uniforms who proclaimed San Francisco to be doomed, with a dose of Electric Eels “Agitated” and Sonic Youth’s “Shaking Hell” and you are nearer the compelling carnage of this proto-punk “Hit & Run”. – Nick Hutchings

Lee Baines III & The Glory Fires – ‘The Company Man’ (Sub Pop)

Need something to put the swagger back into your step? Maybe this Alabama quartet can help. ‘The Company Man’ is Southern rock at its finest; underpinned by a fuzzed-up beast of a riff, topped off with Mr Baines’ rootsy road-dog drawl, and probably an absolute belter when played live. Here’s hoping for some UK dates soon. – Alex Gosman

Lola Colt – ‘Vacant Hearts’ (Black Tigress Records)

Lola Colt’s sonic explorations never fail to satisfy. Live, or on record, the past couple of years has seen this six-piece consistently deliver the most mesmerising, psychedelic soundscapes you could ever wish to indulge in. Now approaching their highly anticipated debut album, scheduled for release at the end of the year, Lola colt have dropped their third single ‘Vacant Hearts’. As per, this track oozes cool, and is laced with that hot desert sand ‘Colt fans will be oh so familiar with. – Dave Palmer

Wonk Unit – ‘Lewisham’

New Wonk Unit album Nervous Racehorse is melodic, indie-tinged punk at its finest, and ‘Lewisham’ evokes the same feel as the best that Fat Wreck or Epitaph had to offer in their mid-90s heyday. A ridiculously hook-laden ode to the South London borough that is bound to get you out the door and on your skateboard. – Jono Coote

Wussy – ‘Teenage Wasteland’ (Damnably)

Taken from Wussy’s fifth album, Attica! Lead track ‘Teenage Wasteland’ is the perfect introduction to the Cincinnati five-piece’s restrained rock ‘n’ roll. A slow burner that builds on a quaint piano riff to an uplifting crescendo. Prepare for howling pedal steel, throbbing Hammond organ, and an obligatory theremin thrown in for good, psychedelic measure. This is a summer haze to be fully embraced. – Dave Palmer

Arctic Flowers – ‘Anamnesis’

Playing gothic-tinged hardcore punk in the vein of TSOL/45 Grave/Nerve Agents, Arctic Flowers often stray closer to UK ’77 and 80’s post-punk sounds than the aforementioned comparisons. ‘Anamnesis’ finds the group at their fastest and loudest, but they are equally at home creating foreboding, gloom laden dirges. – Jono Coote

If you would like to contribute tracks next month or write for us then don’t be shy, get in touch.