• Underground Excavations: “Suitcase” by Joy Ryder (1981)

    “Suitcase” and other selections off Joy Ryder’s self-titled debut album incorporate underground touchstones from her native New York– Ramones, Talking Heads, no wave, new wave and of course saxophones. Born Denise Whelan and sometimes billed as Joy Rider, our subject was a firecracker of a vocalist whose range suited many styles, from peculiar party punk…

    Written by

    Addie Unlikely

  • Best New Punk Songs: Bramwell, K.O. Queen, Lemongrab + Oust

    “Standing on Stones” by Bramwell Bramwell’s mix of UK guitar rock influences comes out here sounding like the Buzzcocks (must be the vocals?) but as a sugary sweet indie pop band. “Standing on Stones” and its equally lush flipside, “British Rails (Are Long and Fast),” make up a 7-inch released in June by Gob Nation.…

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    Addie Unlikely

  • CorMae Goes 8-Bit in ‘Time Deleter’ Music Video

    Austin’s riot grrrl/egg punk masters CorMae flexed their and their support system’s creative muscles yet again with the brand-new music video for “Time Deleter.” It’s a throwback to 8-bit beat ’em ups (think the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game, Bad Dudes, etc.) which was created by Sketchy Dumpster. A quick search engine look into…

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    Addie Unlikely

  • Underground Excavations: UK Kids Show Regulars Fuzzbox

    Our latest reading recommendation has a whale of a title: We Had a…Fuzzbox…And We Used It!!! The Story of the UK’s Most Successful All-Girl Band (Who Play Instruments) by Martin Tracey. For the uninitiated, Fuzzbox (short for We’ve Got a…Fuzzbox…And We’re Gonna Use It!!) formed in 1985 when three-fourths of their lineup were high schoolers.…

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    Addie Unlikely

  • Best New Punk Songs: CorMae, The Freebies, Lady Lazarus + Mesh

    “RUT” by CorMae “RUT’s” about the constant and degrading search for menial labor, simply because someone’s got to pay the bills. It’s a punk rock tale that dates back at least to Patti Smith’s “Piss Factory.” Austin’s CorMae add fresh voices to that evergreen chorus on this cut from Everything is SO GREAT!, a no-skips-warranted…

    Written by

    Addie Unlikely

  • Book Review: ‘The Dead Milkmen’ By Tyler Sonnichsen

    At just under 200 pages, Tyler Sonnichsen’s definitive biography of The Dead Milkmen can be read across a couple of mundane weekdays. However, there’s a lot to digest as the author digs deep into lore that far predates the band’s early ’80s emergence from Philadelphia’s hardcore scene. Even diehards should learn a thing or two,…

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    Addie Unlikely

  • Best New Punk Songs: Cel Ray, Doom Club, Judy, PLRLS + Radon

    In the start-and-stop history of No Spectators, we’ve tried a few different ways of reviewing new music. For this go-around, let’s revisit our playlist idea from 2024, minus the icky Spotify bootlicking. “Treat Economy” by Cel Ray One of the better albums of the year, Cel Rayzer makes Cel Ray sound like a force in…

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    Addie Unlikely

  • Team Dresch Release New Song and Video ‘Growing Underground’

    Portland queercore trailblazers Team Dresch’s latest call to arms, “Growing Underground” arrived today (Thurs., Aug. 8) along with its shadow puppeteered music video. Band member Kaia Wilson gets credited as one of the visual artists along with Ponyboy, Robbie Claxton, Rhianna “Free” Atwood and two talents from Coraline and ParaNorman: Cynthia Star and director Jason…

    Written by

    Addie Unlikely