Being fashionably late for a party with a trio of female Rimini punks, their album, Five Things released in April last year on Area Pirata Records, mightn’t be as bad as it sounds, because post-1973 this music is timeless, recapturing the genre’s very essence and roots; welcome to the world of Smalltown Tigers.
Because, the punk the era was a short-lived explosion which although never toppled the rise of disco and funk, surely stamped its mark on everything which followed in its aftermath, from fashion, tenet and sound. Yet the aggressively modern attack of the first wave of punk rock in the face of hippie culture perpetually allowed itself to be watered down and fused. Just as every popular genre tends to do. Concluded new wave and avant-garde art-punk through to the skater contemporary fusion with metal, or oi ska, it’s warped into many guises. Yeah, they’ve got edge, but as dicey as the original simplicity of early seventies punk? I think not.
That’s where Smalltown Tigers pack their sucker-punch, from the hip of the original garage formula, as if post-punk never happened. They cut their teeth playing Ramones songs at squats and beach parties, spreading their love for surfboards and punk rock. Tommy Ramone stated on the lineages of the youth culture, “punk rock had to come along because the rock scene had become so tame that [acts] like Billy Joel and Simon and Garfunkel were being called rock and roll, when to me and other fans, rock and roll meant this wild and rebellious music. By 1973, I knew that what was needed was some pure, stripped down, no bullshit rock ‘n’ roll.” And from the off of Five things this notion resonates to modern day.
But it doesn’t allow you time to contemplate any of this, it doesn’t wait for you to come up for air, it doesn’t causally drift in, and it certainly doesn’t stop to excuse itself. It detonates eight under three-minute tunes of punk noise in your face before you’ve time to take cover, and while their energy might leave adolescents jittery and flabbergasted, craving for what they consider a crazy new sound, punk diehards will wink with acknowledgement and welcome its blissful eruption with open arms.
While you won’t find this mini-album settling down to a ballad, or suddenly branching out to experimentation, as time passes obvious influences of Patti Smith and the Ramones slip into elements of Joan Jett and the B52’s fashioned rockabilly, but remain elusive at best. Mostly of what you have here is no nonsense, high-energy, fuzz box punk rock n roll with a calling to its roots, and in this much, it absolutely rocks my world!
Recorded mostly live in the studio with no overdubs, mixed by analogue master Roberto Villa on 2” tape, and mastered by Detroit garage-punk guru Jim Diamond, these eight songs testify that these girls are no Dolce Vita. Time to forget your Busted and Blink 182s; punk has never been so retro or raw since its incarnation, the opening for Smalltown Tigers is gaping.
Trending Now…..
Does Wiltshire Council’s Climate Strategy Lack Ambition and Commitment?
A month after Wiltshire Council’s Climate Strategy was criticised by the Wiltshire Climate Alliance for lacking “ambition and commitment to achieving its goal of seeking … Continue reading “Does Wiltshire Council’s Climate Strategy Lack Ambition and Commitment?”
Female of the Species Blow the Roof of The Assembly Hall, for Carmela
Entertainment events in the county blossoming out of lockdown came to a pinnacle this weekend. We were spoiled for choice, and without cloning technology the … Continue reading “Female of the Species Blow the Roof of The Assembly Hall, for Carmela”
Boo! Spooky Halloween Happenings for Everyone!
Fantastic and spooky image of St Johns, Devizes, used with permission from Simon Folkard Photography I say everyone, but it’s the inbetweenies always at a … Continue reading “Boo! Spooky Halloween Happenings for Everyone!”
The Devizes Eisteddfod for November; Closing date for Entries is Tuesday
Closing date for Entries is Tuesday 12th October, for The Devizes Eisteddfod, a five-day competitive festival of music, drama, speech, dance, writing, art and photography … Continue reading “The Devizes Eisteddfod for November; Closing date for Entries is Tuesday”
Barry Reviews Strange Folk at The Southgate!
Well, what can I say? They might lose a couple of brownie points for the singer continuously referring to me as “Barry,” but Somerset-Hampshire psych-folk … Continue reading “Barry Reviews Strange Folk at The Southgate!”
Nought to 60 with the Near Jazz Experience
Fooled by my own fool proof system must make me more of a fool than I give myself credit for. It’s an elderly memory malfunction … Continue reading “Nought to 60 with the Near Jazz Experience”
Freya Beer’s Beast
Driving my inner-goth, I’m comfortable with this, because London-based Freya Beer’s voice is hauntingly alluring, similar to Nina Persson of The Cardigans, or more obviously, … Continue reading “Freya Beer’s Beast”
And the Winner of our Gary Delaney Competition is….
And there we have it, our competition to win two tickets to Gary Delaney at the Corn Exchange has come to closing date for entries; … Continue reading “And the Winner of our Gary Delaney Competition is….”
CSF Professional Wrestling celebrate 23 years of live events as the Corn Exchange
23 years of wrestling, is a lot of wrestling, I’ve got to wonder if I’d manage 23 seconds in the ring. Because if you know … Continue reading “CSF Professional Wrestling celebrate 23 years of live events as the Corn Exchange”
George Floyd Statue, Defaced, Because, of Course, That’s the First Time Anyone Made a Statue of Someone Who Committed a Crime…..?!
The media reports the bust statue of George Floyd in New York has been vandalised for a second time since its erection, and eager after … Continue reading “George Floyd Statue, Defaced, Because, of Course, That’s the First Time Anyone Made a Statue of Someone Who Committed a Crime…..?!”
One thought on “Five Things of Smalltown Tigers”