If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Honza DFL started back in 1993 when Monty Messex asked Adam Horovitz of Beastie Boys to form a punk band. After releasing their debut album My Crazy Life , Horowitz stepped away to focus on his other band, but DFL (which stands for Dead Fucking Last) kept going. Now they're back with a new single, "No U Don't." This is pure classic punk, particularly in the early 80's style of Los Angeles bands like Circle Jerks, Bad Religion, and Descendents. The song clocks in at just over one minute, so it might take you longer to read this blurb than listen to it. If you like OG fast and furious classic punk, you're going to love DFL if you don't already. Guitarist Monty Messex says of his band's latest single: “This is more like a classic DFL song.  It’s about pent up frustration about… uh… God knows what. I’m angry.  ‘No U Don’t’ is all classic DFL with vocalist Crazy Tom howling while I crank out a high speed, charging riff. The track is more about the ...

Mad Caddies are ska punk legends and will be celebrating thirty years next year. The band just released a new single that defies your typical ska or ska punk sound. "Baby" starts off more in the vein of country rock, kind of like the more country side of Supersuckers or Social Distortion. And then the horns kick in. Once they do kick in, the song just launches into a whole different direction and energy. As much of a soft spot as I have for ska, the genre can get pretty stale after a while, so it's great to hear legends mixing up the sound in unexpected ways. Singer Chuck Robertson says of the new single: "This is a super fun country Rock song shining light on the golden era of this style of music. It reminds me of Elvis with the production, and how the horns came out. When I first started dating my girlfriend and we fell for each other. I just told her to call me baby and not say my name. I think you get the point." You can listen to "Baby" below. Arr...

The latest press release for Public Serpents refers to them as "New Jersey crust-ska punks," and that might be my new favorite band description of the year. The band is lead by Skwert Gunn (ex-Choking Victim) and just released a new single, "When Pigs Lie." This new song sounds a little more like traditional ska punk than the previous "Not Forever," but it's definitely a little more rough around the edges. Most ska is bright sounding and positive, but Public Serpents just sound grimy. This is ska that has seen some shit. And you can assume this one isn't about farm animals. You can watch the video for "When Pigs Lie" below. The Bully Puppet is due out March 24 on SBAM Records. For more on Public Serpents, check out the band's website .

We don't get to dust off the term skacore very often, but we get to with the latest from Public Serpents. The New Jersey band have released "Not Forever," which recalls the glory days of the genre. Led by frontman Skwert (who was the drummer for Choking Victim), Public Serpents are decidedly ska, but ska isn't normally this abrasive. A horn section tends to turn anything into a party, and "Not Forever" is definitely party friendly. But there is also tons of the more discordant side of punk in this song, in the best possible way. This song is a lot of fun, and is going to appeal to ska heads and people who hate the genre equally. You can watch the video for "Not Forever" below. The Bully Puppet is due out March 24 on SBAM Records. For more on Public Serpents, check out the band's website .

Photo by Adam Mikolajczyk This might be the first time we've brought you skate punk from Poland, but it's hard to resist a band like CF98. Their latest single, "Double Sunrise," is as energetic as it is melodic. It's a positive and cheery song that is decidedly pop punk. This is even on the more pop side of pop punk, which I normally steer away from. But there is just something endearing about CF98 that I can't resist. "Double Sunrise" isn't exactly mosh friendly, but it's the perfect kind of song to happily pogo to. Singer Karolina Duszkiewicz says of the new song: "We chose that song as our first single because it brings back memories, brings back touring, festivals, meetings with friends, great adventures. We always associated those things with summer, mostly good, positive and memorable things happen in that season." You can watch the video for "Double Sunrise" below. This is Fine is due out September 2 on SBAM Records...

Photo by Jack Grisham Mesa, AZ's The Venomous Pinks are back with some of the most 90's punk you'll hear all year. "Apothecary Ailment" is the kind of song you would have heard back on the Warped Tour in the 90's. It's a heavy song, with driving guitars and drums along with screaming vocals, but there's also an unexpected melody and it's just starting to lean into poppy territory. It's the kind of fast and loud melodic punk bands like Pennywise and Bad Religion were just starting to creep into the mainstream with. This is really making me nostalgic for the summers of my college years. Guitarist/vocalist Drea Doll says of the band's new single: “‘Apothecary Ailment’ is a track about how consuming the cycle of addiction can be. I witnessed someone close to me struggle with severe addiction. It was a matter of life or death. The lyrics are a plea for them to choose life. I’ve had my own personal battles over the years, and facing one’s demons ...

Photo by Jack Grisham Arizona's The Venomous Pinks are back with new music! If you're a fan of theirs, "No Rules" is going to be perfect for you. The new song is exactly what we want from The Venomous Pinks. It's a punk rock song with insanely catchy pop hooks and dripping with attitude. As pop as it might lean, this is hardly pop punk or emo. "No Rules" is more like rock 'n' roll than pop, more in line with artists like Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and The Donnas. This is punk with huge guitars and even bigger hooks. Drea Doll (Guitar and vocals) says of the new song: ""No Rules" is a scorned love letter in song form that attempts to break the vicious cycle of a toxic relationship. It was a fun track to record, because regardless of what stage you are at in life, everyone can relate to a little heartbreak." You can watch the video for "No Rules" below. Vita Mors is due out June 3 on SBAM Records, and can be pre-s...

Photo by Tooney Pham I really, really didn't want to like a band called Captain Asshole. I'm a grown adult with two kids and a mortgage. I only listened to chuckle at how terrible the German band would surely be. But... they're not. "Apocalypse Whenever" is an absurdly catchy melodic punk song. It stops just short of pop punk by being just a little too grungy to truly be pop punk. It's filled with shout along gang choruses that have a "whoah-oh" behind them just to be even more catchy. This is fun punk that is much, much better than the band name could ever hint at. I'm still not going to be wearing a t-shirt that says "Captain Asshole" on it, though. You can watch the video for "Apocalypse Whenever" below. Successfully Not Giving Up is due out April 15 on SBAM Records and SAY-10 Records, and can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp . For more on Captain Asshole, check out the band's Facebook .