RECORD REVIEWS, JULY-DECEMBER 2026.
BARNES & BARNES. Zabagabee CD (Liberation Hall) MTV first appeared in 1981 but initially faced the dilemma that not many music videos were available. It wasn’t until the channel started to become popular that record labels realised that videos were the ideal format to promote their turgid mainstream acts. So, at the beginning, MTV had to fill-up their schedule with clips from bands who already been experimenting with ‘music videos’ for the past few years. As such, bands like The Residents and Devo were suddenly being presented to a much wider audience. Another combo who also enjoyed wider success during this short era were Barnes & Barnes, whose video for the song ‘Fish Heads’ became an unlikely MTV hit. Listening to it now you really wouldn’t expect it to get past MTV’s front-door, but for one short period it was being regularly televised and enough people were curious-enough to keep it rolling. No doubt some of that was helped by the air of mystery surrounding the band. The duo adopted pseudonyms for the project but were in fact actor Bill Mumy (Lost in Space, The Twilight Zone etc) and his associate Robert Haimer. Their humourous and experimental approach to recording would see them produce 11 albums and numerous singles over the next forty years and his compilation was originally released by Rhino records in 1987, collecting together the highlights of the band up until that point (although it’s been out-of-print for many years.) From the nursery rhyme approach of ‘Fish Heads’ through to the minimalist New Wave of ‘I Don’t Remember Tomorrow’ and the joyful bluster of ‘What’s New Pussycat’ (featuring Bob Casale of Devo) the songs will remind you of many other artists (Sparks, Soft Cell, Residents) but always maintain a character of their own. They still sound a little too peculiar for the mainstream but always seem to have some kind of melodic hook to draw you in. Perhaps not for everyone, but I can imagine a lot of people enjoying this album. If your curiosity is piqued, be sure to give it a listen.
DARLING BUDS. Same Sun / Same Sky CD (Cherry Red) Originally together between 1986 and 1993, The Darling Buds were a melodic ‘indie’ band from the Newport area whose brash melodic style quickly saw them signed by Epic records. In many ways they pre-dated the Britplop era but did so in a much more natural and uncontrived fashion which has gave their original material a real freshness and longevity. They first reformed in 2010 to play at a tribute event for John Sicolo (owner of the legendary Newport venue TJ’s) but it wasn’t until 2013 when interest in an intended one-off gig in London persuaded them to continue playing, albeit it at a more leisurely pace. Since 2017, they’ve been releasing new material on an occasional basis, but this is their first full album of all-new material since their reformation and it proves to be an instantly enjoyable and insanely catchy collection of classic pop. I have to admit, I wasn’t a particular fan of the band first time around (there were plenty of noisy bands to keep me busy at that time) but the few times I did hear them, I certainly didn’t dislike them. I just didn’t have enough time to pay attention to everything. But now, their new album bursts into life like the belaboured ‘breath of fresh air’ cliche. Plenty of Sixties influences, from girl-groups through to The Monkees, but also more than a nod towards Eighties pop like The GoGo’s or perhaps Voice of the Beehive. I was hooked on this album from the first time I heard it, probably as soon as the second or third song. The band sound confident and revitalised, while the songs are emotive and insistent. I assume that they’ve handled their reformation in the right way, not rushing to make a new album just for the sake of it but taking their time until it could be done in the right way. I can’t imagine that any original fans are going to be disappointed, but I can see a lot of new ones hearing the band for the first time and thoroughly loving them. If you want to hear some music that by a band with an impressive history behind them but who don’t sound in the least bit dated, then this is an album that deserves a fixture on your own personal juke box.
DEVO. Nitrous Nightmare LP (Futurismo) Another fine release from the Devo archives, this time documenting their infamous performance at the WHK Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio back in 1975. The legend relates that the band, still in their early avant-garde phase, had been working with a respected recording engineer who offered to get them a gig at the local radio station’s Halloween Gala. At first they were joking about the idea, but the prank became reality when they were offered one of the opening slots, under the ruse that they were a Chart covers band… The evening did not go well for the band with many of the audience becoming confused, agitated and aggressive towards the Spudboys, and it’s not until local DJ Murray the K took to the stage to introduce them halfway through the set that the real threat of harm subsides, at least for a while. The band continue their set, consisting of early material including seminal versions of ‘Smart Patrol’, ‘Auto-Modown’ and ‘Secret Agent Man’. But it’s the wonderful, raw debut of ‘Jocko Homo’ that’s steals the show, especially the extended ‘Are We Not Men?’ section, which the audience just don’t get. One irritated punter grabs the mic and yells, ‘You’re not men, you’re fucking assholes’, and over the course of the remaining songs, various party-people can be heard expressing their displeasure in none-too-subtle tones. When the band finally got to the end, equal amounts of jeering, laughter and applause accompanied their exit from the stage, presaging the confusion they would create over the ensuing years. It’s great to hear this complete recording (only a few tracks have been released before, on ‘The Mongoloid Years’ CD, out-of-print for more than 30 years) and while it’s far-removed from their ‘greatest hits’, it’s also a vital glimpse of Devo as they first began to share their De-evolutionary ideas.
GIGLINGER. Kasakern LP (www.giglinger.com) I’ve received several releases from this Finnish band over the past year or two and they’ve always been interesting, but this latest album is exceptional. They’ve been together since the late Nineties although they don’t play live in public, preferring to develop their songs entirely in the studio. That said, their music does have a powerful natural drive that would seemingly be highly effective onstage, so perhaps one day… Over the years they’ve transformed from basic punk styles through to a more ‘post-punk’ approach, embracing different influences along the way. This album is mostly based around the rhythm section which creates the backbone of the songs, holding everything in place and providing plenty of space for the guitars to create an epic, almost filmic sound. In some ways they work in a similar style to The Stranglers (Black & White, The Raven, Meninblack era) while some of the classic Hawkwind albums from the early Seventies could also be referenced. Add to that some of the guitar-sounds created on the original Savage Republic records and you’ll have some idea of what to expect. The important thing is that, despite the more experimental elements being put to use, the music is still very much rocking and will have you turning up the volume as you jump around the room… This is just the kind of record I need to hear after a bad day at work. Do your best to hear it for yourself.
GUTTERBLOOD. Good Dogs Will Never Die EP (Gutterblood) Let’s get Technical… this is a 12” disc featuring six tracks and plays at 33rpm. Does that mean it’s an EP or a mini-album? It’s a question that has befuddled many a great band over the years, from The Fall (‘Slates’) to Discharge (‘Why’) and I still don’t know the answer. But does it really matter? No, because the only thing you need to know is that this is a great record and you should hear it as soon as you can. Gutterblood describe themselves as a ‘noise collective’ rather than a band, as the various members all seem to be involved (or were involved) with other groups and they come together as Gutterblood as and when appropriate and necessary . As such, some details are difficult to pin-down, but they seem to be based in central Scotland (apologies if I’m wrong) and have previously released a self-titled album in 2022 and the ‘Gardyloo’ 10” EP in 2024. I’m going to leave the rest of the story as a mystery, as that’s more fun! On to the important stuff… as I said before, this is great. With a cast of members coming from different bands and styles, it’s given the band a broad range of ideas and influences to play with. It’s one of those records that will have you thinking of different bands or musicians as you listen through the tracks, but they bring it all together in a way that’s entirely their own and never derivative or blatant. I would certainly suggest hints of Fugazi, Killing Joke, Crass, Die Haut, Gang of Four, some elements of Public Image Limited and maybe even East Bay Ray’s (Dead Kennedys) twangy guitar style. There’s so much going on but they also allow the tracks to develop in their own time in an almost Dub-like manner. Gutterblood don’t rush things, letting the songs find their own passage and conclusion. Equally, the lyrics are poignant and intriguing, with opening track ‘24’ addressing the genocidal Zionist assault on the Palestinian people in minimalistic and repetitive tones. It makes it’s point so much more effectively than entire books could muster. Other songs are more personal or thoughtful, giving you plenty to think about, with topics such as gun-crime and poverty. Seriously, this is a record that tackles modern-day issues in the UK head-on whilst also presenting some truly enthralling music. At the moment, these self-released records seem to be in pretty small editions, so snap them up quickly. I will certainly be looking forward to further releases!
UK SUBS. Demo Kicks EP (In The Red) Henry Rollins has been doing a great job recently, tracking down rare recordings of classic Punk bands and making them available for the fans that love this kind of stuff. In this case, he had bought an original multi-track demo tape from an auction and it turned-out to feature four recordings of which only one (‘Same Thing’) had been previously released. Rollins took the tape to the legendary Inner Ear studios in Arlington and, alongside fellow Subs fan Ian Mackaye, mixed the tracks to allow their full potential. Once completed, Charlie Harper was contacted and gave permission for their release. Originally recorded in August 1979, these may only be demos but they capture the band at the height of their powers. ‘Brand New Age’ bristles with tension, ‘Kicks’ is a surprisingly catchy tune, ‘Emotional Blackmail’ sounds as if it’s about to boil-over (particularly showcasing Nicky Garrett’s awesome guitar style) and ‘Same Thing’ is remixed to give it a different flavour, whilst maintaining the bite that it always had. UK Subs rarely get the credit they deserve for the groundbreaking sounds they brought to the late Seventies punk scene, but if you need proof of just how original and great they were, play this loud and let it blow your ear-drums!