Bum Kon Make a Racket!
I am not really much of a one for proper punk, although there is plenty that I find myself really liking. Actually at the moment, after all the brilliantly quirky folk pop of the last few years, I am genuinely itching for someone to break the mould and really make some venomous noise.
Now, the last time I wrote something like this some tool left a comment suggesting I try the new Oasis album, so let me get this straight: I do not want fucking kiddie-punk. I don’t want stuff that rawks, I do not want anything with the word ‘core’ in the genre.
I want the same ramshackle aesthetic and venom I like in good, fearsome indie music. Something with some edge, and none of your wanky macho posturing. The problem with a lot of savagely angry music is that it almost inevitably tends to attract dickheaded blokes who seem to have drawn the completely spurious conclusion that listening to music that is a little bit loud in some way makes them hard. Actually, it probably does, but not in ‘that’ way.
Anyhow, I’ve sort of missed the recent lack of genuine noise-merchants. Live shows by iLiKETRAiNS and British Sea Power have been the few exceptions, but it’s been a while since I’ve heard an album I want to put on when I’m in one of those moods and just crank the fuck up to neighbour-bothering volume. Old punk seems to be just about the best avenue to explore, but I am far from an expert on such things. The Dead Kennedys are still my gold standard, and their general fury tends to mask a canny knack for a melody that punk is forever being accused of lacking.
Bum Kon are a band I happened across recently, primarily because of their excellent album cover. They released a couple of things back in the mid-80s and that was that, but any band with a song called Nancy Reagan Fashion Show is alright by me. The album above can be purchased from Smooch here.
Bum Kon – Nancy Reagan Fashion Show
Bum Kon – Giving In
Bum Kon – The Draft
The Dead Kennedys – When Ya Get Drafted
Bum Kon, eh? Interesting name…
Euan should like them.
Named after a genocidal secret policeman from Korea, apparently.
Fortune Drive & their song Into The Rye (introduced to me Fisk) is, for me, a fucking deliriously good slice of modern punk ROCK – it’s all thundering rhythm, exhilarating guitars, with a middle section that goes on forever (apparently when done live it can last up to 15minutes), minimal vocals, & triumphant sense of FUCKING ‘CAUSE WE CAN.
We played them on last night’s show, about half way through. I can’t say much for their other output as I’ve not heard any of it, but Into The Rye is absolutely excellent for blowing any ingrained cobwebs away.
Here’s their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/fortunedrive
Very Nice, Matthew! It fits all my standards of what makes punk good music: fast but not so fast that you couldn’t possibly move to it (no, I’ll not say dance, cause there’s no dancing in punk – insert “there’s not crying in baseball” reference here from that movie with Tom Hanks), vocals that aren’t just screaming all the way through (yes some like that, it’s just not to my taste), and words that are mostly identifiable and are sensible (not that every song has to have a “message” oh lordy no!). Get’s your blood flowing, and er, well… I’m quite hard (insert wink here).
Oh and you got to post the word bum for Euan!
Oh dear, I’m going to be an old man very quickly.
All I can hear is noise. I was so upset I went stright to the last post and played some Bruce Hornsby to sooth my nerves.
Incidentally Dylan, this too will do damage to you ears.
I suspect you’re right, Ben.
But – unlike hopi ear candles – this doesn’t come with a cute girl giving me a head massage, so I won’t be rushing to experience it again.
Matthew
You can namecheck all the seminal american punk bands you want.
The damage is done.
We now know after a hard day at the office you like nothing better than running a hot bath, lighting some scented candles, and sticking the latest Hootie and the Blowfish on the cd player.
and if you’re serious about wanting someone to break the mould and make some venomous noise, there’s plenty of bands kicking about just now that retain the energy and spirit of punk, put push it forward and do something interesting with it, ie:
johnny foreigner
dananananakyrod
super adventure club
triple school
come in tokyo
plaaydoh
hey enemy
Stop recommending Come in Bloody Tokyo. I do not like them Sam I Am.