IT'S summertime and the livin' is easy – so there's no better moment to enjoy a putrid blast of grimy garage punk rock from down under in the form of the self-titled debut LP by Kiwi cacophonists The Cavemen.
Released last year on the NZ label 1:12 Records and now available in GB and Ireland via Dirty Water Records, The Cavemen offers a comically nasty, nihilistic take on '77 punk rock, turbocharged with the attack of early '80s US hardcore and laced with the fuzz pedal-enhanced 'whoop-it-up' wildness of your favourite garage rockers from The Sonics to Mudhoney.
The trio's first record is a funny, tuneful rampage of hedonistic juvenile delinquency, grave robbing fantasies and substance/self abuse-themed anarchy, from the opening blast of Mentally Ill to the climactic kiss-off Trash Talkin' Paint Huffin' Girl.
The stand-out tunes include unconventional break-up anthem Rides With The Reich ("I dont wanna kiss ya, I'm in love with Adolf Hitler"), the shouty Motorhead-name checking alcoholic celebration of At The Pub ("I was born (at the pub), went to school (at the pub), fell in love (at the pub), had my kids (at the pub), had a beer (at the pub), had a fight (at the pub)") and manic mid-term meltdown School Sucks ("kill the teachers, burn the homework, smash the classroom").
There's pretty much a racket to suit every form of deviancy, from the sex, drugs and punk rock self-abasement of Rock N Roll Retard and Glass Breakfast – frontman Paul Caveman giving good Lemmy on the latter – to the necrophilia-based antics of chucklesome, worryingly catchy shock-rocker F*** For Hate and Stand By Your Ghoul's ode to cadaver-based love.
We should expect no less from these self-proclaimed F***** In The Head ("I don't want a wife, I don't like you, all I wanna do is sniff some glue"), Drink Driving ("kiddies in the backseat, missus in the front, standing on the pavement covered in blood") Scumbag ("I'm a scumbag baby, **** you!")s who you would be unwise to let near your dog, never mind your daughter.
The whole record clocks in at under 30 minutes, making it the perfect rude 'n' crude warm-up music for any imminent crime spree.
Find it at Thecavemennz.bandcamp.com – just add export lager, speed and a bad attitude.
Now, just in case you weren't feeling old and decrepit enough already, let me remind you that Co Down rockers The Answer are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut LP Rise tonight with a special show at The Limelight.
It's hard to believe Cormac Neeson and co have now been making 'proper' records and touring the world for a whole decade now – I still remember when they were sending me CD-R demos in between dates at local watering holes like Katy Daly's, back when all this were fields and everything was in black and white – or the 'early noughties', as some insist on referring to it.
If you fancy hearing old faves like Be What You Want, Memphis Water, Come Follow Me and the rest of Rise played in album order, plus an encore featuring previews of new tracks from the band's upcoming LP, Solas, then be sure to be in position at The Limelight in good time for this evening's early doors show.
A special 10th anniversary re-issue of Rise is planned for later this month, so stay tuned to Scene for an imminent interview with The Answer's frontman about re-visiting the record that kick-started their continuing rock and roll adventure.
Finally, if you don't yet have tickets for Mudhoney's Belfast engagement at The Black Box next Tuesday, forget it – the date has been sold out for ages, and the following night in Dublin has also just hit capacity.
However, why not console yourself by seeing auld Neil Young at the SSE instead?
Tickets were still available at time of press, so you've definitely still got a shot at catching 'the godfather of grunge''s Belfast debut.
Get on it.
