Bangers - Bird

I started writing this post a while ago, but was struggling to say anything particularly interesting about it. It's easy to assume that is a criticism, but it really isn't; I love Bangers and get a similar level of joy from all of their records. They did what they did very well, and I'm happy that they released quite so much in their time. It means I can listen to them a lot and never get bored.

Bird is a great record. At the time, I remember people saying it was a step away from their first two albums, but I still see it as a solid Bangers punk album. It has Roo's strange lyricism (see Mannequin), ridiculously catchy songs (like I Don't Feel Like I'll Ever Be Clean Again) and huge singalong moments (like Half Human and Vibrate). There's a positive spin to a few of the songs too - Partial Eclipse ends the album on a (relatively) upbeat note (it's also worth mentioning the line in the notes: "Hope you like the record. Try not to let everything get you down"); it's at odds with the opener No!, but they book-end the album nicely.

Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 10
Cost: £10 new
Bought: Specialist Subject Records
When: 06/08/15
Colour: Transparent red
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code

Bangers - Dude Trips - Collected Recordings '08-'09

Dude Trips is the collection of songs by Bangers on various EPs and splits from their early days; a few of them I have on the original releases, but most were new to me. The album was originally only released on cd until Specialist Subject repressed it on this very nice blue and white vinyl in 2013.

Most Wanted Men was on the Brits Abroad 7" and was the first (studio) Bangers song I heard (excluding the ones they recorded with Kelly Kemp for the split 7" with El Morgan and The Arteries), and it was quite a way to start. They were very good at writing uniquely catchy punk-rock songs back then - Too Many Dark Knights and Jon Shoe being further great examples. I wonder if it's by the nature of writing songs for smaller releases than a bunch for an album - the songs are designed to individually shine (that's not a criticism of their LPs, which I love dearly). Huddle In from the split 12" with Break the Habit is probably the highlight of the album and one I remember being excited to hear live a bunch of times.

I was pleased the album got re-pressed on vinyl. I'm sure I would have eventually sought out the cd (or all the original releases), but it's nice to have the songs in one place on a 12". Plus, it looks so lovely (especially, in this case, side B).

Format: 12", insert
Tracks: 10
Cost: £13.10 new
Bought: Specialist Subject Records
When: 18/05/13
Colour: Blue and white splatter
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code

Bangers - Mysterious Ways

In August 2014, Bangers spent a weekend in a barn in Cornwall writing and recording a new album. It was something of an experiment - they went in with no songs prepared and the resulting album would only be available to buy during that weekend when it was being made; if it was terrible, at least the damage would be limited and if it was great then everyone who bought it would have something special. The album was available as a cassette and sent out a few weeks later. 358 of us bought the cassette that weekend, mine is number 158.

A year later, they released their third "proper" album, Bird, and then re-released the cassette-only Mysterious Ways on vinyl - over time they'd realised they were quite proud of the recording and wanted it to be available to those who'd missed out on the recording weekend (and offered to reimburse anyone who had bought the cassette and was pissed that they'd changed their mind on how it was to be released). I'm not a big fan of cassettes - they're becoming a necessary evil whilst bands look for cheap (and fast) ways to get their music out - but I do have a few nice cassette-only releases that don't get the attention they deserve. I got this LP copy as part of my Specialist Subject Records subscription, but I would have bought it anyway; it's nice to have Mysterious Ways on vinyl. I've included pictures of the cassette in the pictures below, because why not.

As Bangers albums go, it's very recognisable as Bangers, although I'd say darker/doomier than they tend to be on their other albums. The thing I miss most on it is Roo's often strange lyrical content - here there tends to be a few words repeated a lot and a lot less of the dense lyrics that I look forward to. Where the album is weakest is in the lyrics, but it doesn't take away from the enjoyment overall. Dewey has one of the catchiest hooks and chorus of any Bangers song and I love how Thoughts/Second Thoughts sounds like Bangers if they were a sludge band. Nerves Ending, on the other hand, sounds like they're trying to be Caves, which is great. Mosquito is a strange addition and one I don't really care for. You get the impression they were just having a bit of fun with that one and included it because eight songs isn't really an album.

I enjoy Mysterious Ways, but that's partly in knowing that they recorded it in a weekend with their fingers crossed that people would actually but it; I like knowing I was a part of that. It's not their strongest album, but it's still great. I'd take the worst Bangers album any day over no Bangers albums, which is what we have now they're broken up.

Format: 12", folded sleeve
Tracks: 9
Cost: £10 new
Bought: Specialist Subject Records
When: 21/09/15
Colour: Yellow in clear
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code

Bangers - Crazy Fucking Dreams

A couple of year ago I read an article on the BBC news website that introduced me to the concept of a "gnomic utterance" - a short phrase that is hard to understand but seems wise. For years I'd felt that way about a lot of Bangers' lyrics but never knew there was a defined notion for such a thing. Case in point is Blind Hindsight, the second song and "single" from Bangers' second album - "Do you remember when we invented nostalgia? / What solid proof that the past was really better when there's a word for the feeling". It's such a prominent line in the song and I've spent far too long wondering about whether it's really clever, or just confusing, or maybe I've misunderstood it. I've spent far too long thinking about it in general. I love that it has continued to have such an effect on me over the years.

The same concept feels to come up throughout Crazy Fucking Dreams - most lyrics if you give them a second thought tread that fine line being confusing or genius. If I had to say what the biggest change from their (excellent) debut album was, it would probably be that Roo's lyrics are far deeper (or, at least, appear that way). Musically, it's just what I'd come to expect and love about Bangers - tight, interesting punk-rock songs. This album came out over three years ago, and I bought it fairly soon afterwards. I've seen the band what feels like countless times over those years and these songs have all become live favourites.

Bangers decided to break up last year and I, along with many others, was really saddened by the news. Over the years they were together they put out some of the most enjoyable British punk records and were always a great band to see live. I'm still upset about it, to be honest. I love listening to all their albums, but now it's with an extra bit of sadness.

Format: 12"
Tracks: 10
Cost: £13 new
Bought: Banquet Records, Kingston
When: 25/01/14
Colour: Black
Etching: None
mp3s: no

Bangers - Small Pleasures

I've been putting off writing about this record for a while, mostly because there's no particularly exciting tale to go with it. The record is great but, from the point of view of this blog, there's nothing that dramatic to say - I saw Bangers a bunch of times, liked them a lot and eventually bought the LP. Pretty much exactly how these things are supposed to work. I have no idea when I first saw them, but they played South Wales a bunch of times when I lived in Cardiff and it was definitely sometime in those two years.

I was looking to spend some money in Banquet last February and figured it was about time I picked up Small Pleasures. I had a couple of other Bangers songs on the Brits Abroad 7" and the 7" with Kelly Kemp, El Morgan and The Arteries so I decided it was a safe bet (I also ended up buying Furniture by Fugazi and Handholder by Grown Ups that day). I liked it but the first few listens I thought that lyrically it was just about, you know, stuff 'n' things and broken computers. However I then listened to it with the lyrics in front of me and there's a lot more going on; there's a lot of self-doubt and confusion, and it's always nice to be reminded that other people haven't quite got it all figured out yet either. The line "The last thing I need is any more things" always comes to mind whenever I move house.

Slightly off-topic, but the song Church Street in Ruins made me realise that the Cut Ups album Paris Street in Ruins (which I assume they're referencing, and not just a coincidence) is about a street in Exeter called Paris Street rather than, as I'd thought for years, an arbitrary street in Paris. Whenever I thought of that album, I pictured a Parisian street full of rubble, probably caused by the guy on the cover with the small head and huge guitar. I've never been to Exeter, so it's harder to picture the Paris Street that The Cut Ups were actually (probably) talking about. So there you are, an interesting story related to this album did appear after all.

I'm pretty rubbish at reviewing albums for their musical content, so I tend not to. Small Pleasures is very good and I recommend you check it out.


Format: 12", insert
Tracks: 10
Cost: £11 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 22/02/12
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no

Kelly Kemp + Bangers + El Morgan + The Arteries - Split

I have a tendency to overly praise records on here, but I say this genuinely: this is my favourite 7" of all time. I saw it in Banquet one day and hadn't heard about it at that point. I was a big fan of The Arteries and Bangers already, but hadn't heard of Kelly or El. I thought it looked interesting and bought it along with a couple of other records. I was amazed when I took it home and played it.

It's not a normal arrangement for a split, but a great one nonetheless: four new recordings of two Kelly Kemp and two El Morgan songs with Bangers and The Arteries playing the music. Both singers have great voices and the times I've seen them live since have been really good. Given that they were written as acoustic songs (or so I assume) they all work incredibly well with a band behind them.

Bridges Over Broken Hearts is my favourite on the Kelly Kemp and Bangers side, but Still Our Dream is really good too. I've been told she used to play in No Comply, who are a name I recognise but little more. Either way, side A is great on it's own. However, its side B that I really love. The Arteries lend backing vocals to the mix, which works brilliantly. Miles only sings a few bits on Blah Blah Blah but it sounds great.

But I forget about all of this when Ballroom hits, a song I just can't get enough of. It starts off so slowly and nicely, but then builds into this incredible punk song and keeps going after that. The layered vocals at the end are perfect. I've listened to El's album on bandcamp a bunch of times (it's a go-to when I'm after streaming music on the internet) and the version there is great too. It's a great song done in an awesome way. It's become a staple of my mixtapes since I heard it.

I think the surprise added a lot to it as well. I had no idea what to expect when I took this record home, so had no idea how much I'd enjoy it. I realise I'm gushing praise once again, but the whole record is brilliant and has one of my favourite songs of last year on. I really can't recommend it enough. Banquet still have it in stock and I'm often tempted to get another copy in case I wear this one out.


Format: 7"
Tracks: 4
Cost: £4 new
Bought: Banquet
When: 17/01/11
Colour: Black
Etching: no
mp3s: no

The Arteries + OK Pilot + Brothers + Bangers - Brits Abroad

Brits Abroad was a four-way split that Specialist Subject put out when the four bands went over to Gainesville for Fest in 2009. I'm a fan of all four bands, although I'm not sure Brothers put out much other than this. All I really know about them is that Reza from the Cut Ups plays drums and I saw them once supporting Fucked Up in the Peel.

I think the OK Pilot song is my favourite of the four. Their 10" Nerves is very good too. The Arteries song still sounds like them, but comes across a lot more wild than anything else they've done. Bangers get quite a hook going in their few minutes and close it with a catchy chorus.

I downloaded this at the time with the intention of buying it sooner, but ended up putting it off until a while later when I did a huge order with Specialist Subject (a lot more of those records will appear on here today).


Format: 7"
Tracks: 4
Cost: £3.80 new
Bought: Specialist Subject Records
When: 31/08/11
Colour: black
Etching: no
mp3s: no