Release Roundup: May 19th
Featuring La Dispute, Maruja, President, and more.
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
For our most recent guest episode, we’re joined by none other than the formidable Chris Penney: Carlton Dry agnostic, N2O evangelist, Mandela Effect proponent, all-round good bloke, and stage-averse vocalist for Naarm/Melbourne party starters PRIVATE FUNCTION.
With a new full-length album on the way–the animatedly titled ¯\_(ツ)_/¯–Chris talks about stadium tours with meh bands, why concept albums are mostly bullshit, getting stranded during cyclones, how to level up the band’s antics from state bans and LP’s full of literal piss, the ecstatic joy of writing simple punk songs, and why Australians are fascinated by big (and sometimes terrifying) statues of inanimate objects.
It’s a ripping chat, and you can check it out below:
SIDE A:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
President – “In the Name of the Father”
Oh, what’s that you say? Another enigmatic group using anonymity and masked mystique to drum up online hype for new music drops? Colour me curious. (Look, if it’s working for Sleep Token, why not?) Post-hardcore outfit PRESIDENT have revealed their debut single, “In The Name Of The Father,” billed as “a raw meditation on existential fear and the inevitability of death, referencing the ‘King of Terrors’.” As the band states, somewhat cryptically:
“Something has been stirring. A growing noise, a ripple through the republic of the underground. We called. You listened. Your curiosity, your questions, your conversation… We have witnessed it all. Here, we make our first proclamation… This is the first crack in the surface. This is your PRESIDENT. We'll be seeing you soon. Godspeed.”
I’m not entirely sure what jacking the Twitching Tongues logo has to do with this… but watch this space, etc., and watch the video below:
Maruja – Pain to Power
Experimental UK punk outfit MARUJA have announced their highly anticipated debut full-length, Pain to Power, due for release on September 12th via Music For Nations. I featured the band last year for their track “Break The Tension” (which ruled), and they also dropped an instrumental EP earlier this year, titled Tír na nÓg. On the album’s lead single, the nerve-wracking “Look Down On Us,” frontman Harry Wilkinson says:
“The first half of the song paints a grotesque and vivid picture of the super wealthy, and the impact they have on our culture. The second half is about the need to come together in solidarity and embrace love as a wider community, especially in times of oppression. The song ends full circle, arching back to where it began as a reminder to the listener of the struggle from which it came, and the struggle that still remains.”
Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Spotify).
Coach Party – “Girls!”
Speaking of previous mentions, COACH PARTY’s 2023 debut LP, KILLJOY, was a standout from that year, and a raucous slice of upbeat indie-punk. On their sophomore follow-up, Caramel (arriving September 26th via Chess Club Records), the Isle of Wight quartet celebrates human connection through “the other side of those truths and shared experiences.”
According to band leader Jess Eastwood, the album’s lead single “Girls!” is a mosh-ready incitement to freedom of expression, feminine empowerment, and hedonistic euphoria:
“When it’s over, you can go back to being whoever you usually are—but for right now, let loose and have fun.”
Watch the video for “Girls!” below:
Consequence – XL Mindset
Shout out to Josh from Gold Coast hardcore crew CONSEQUENCE for sending this one over. The band have prepped their debut EP, XL Mindset, for release later this year, with the title track single out now. The EP was recorded by F.O.T.S. Brendan Auld at Blackblood Audio, mixed by Andy Nelson, and mastered by Brad Boatright.
If you’re into no-frills metallic hardcore with lots of energy, stomping rhythms, and hard-as-fuck riffs, this is for you. Stream the EP’s pre-release single/s here (Spotify).
La Dispute – “I Shaved My Head”
It’s been a long while, but post-hardcore luminaries LA DISPUTE are finally back with their first album in six years. Released in multiple acts over the next few months, No One Was Driving The Car will be available in full on September 5th via Epitaph.
Act I—consisting of “I Shaved My Head,” “Man with Hands and Ankles Bound,” and “Autoficion Detail”—is out now, and finds the group heavily inspired by “malaise in the shadow of the looming apocalypse,” the clash of technology and human agency, and writer/director Paul Schrader’s 2017 psychological thriller First Reformed.
If you’re at all familiar with that last one, then you know this album will hit in all sorts of ways. Watch the video for “I Shaved My Head” below:
SIDE B & FEATURE ALBUM:
I’ll be posting my Side B write-ups on EN MASSE, LIQUID MIKE, CRUST, and THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS on the TPD Patreon. If you want to check those out, please consider becoming a Friend of the Show (for just $3 USD/$5 AUD per month).
By joining, you become part of our alternative music community, get access to our existing bonus content, and have the opportunity to send me a mildly threatening chat message with some new music you like. I’m deadly serious about this. I want your recommendations!!