This now defunct London based band amalgamate the sound of the Smiths-Indie guitar style with 80’s style punk vocals. Sounds a strange combination but actually makes for catchy tunes with attitude. There’s a whole bunch of tracks on here, sixteen in all, including a cover of the UK Subs classic "CID". It is still available for a tape or £1.

(Yol, 7 Grove Street, Hull, HU5 2UF, UK. )

What a cracking band, this is the first airing for me and they are one hell of a band. Ampersand crank it up with a cohesive blend of emotionally charged power punk/ HC. From crunching guitar riffola to some cool subtle clean chorused guitar licks that send tears down your face over a solid rhythmic backbeat and those cool emotive vocals. There’s an array of influences on here from Dagnasty to Fugazi, Leatherface to the Ruts but overall they have a sound of their own and we tip them as being pretty bloody popular in the next few months. "Black and White" has a great Batman-style horn section that shows that Ampersand are not limiting themselves and in fact are moving ever forward in the quest for great songs.

(Golf Records)

This tape version of the CD dropped through my door the other day and what a little gem it is too. An album of cracking punky numbers with a faint leaning towards the early sound of Stiff Little Fingers. There are some fine tracks on hear and some classic tunes. The only problem I found was that they didn’t mix the classic tunes with the other tracks very well which at times left you waiting for another classic and getting a filler track. That aside the Babys are a great group and I’m looking forward to hearing more from them.

(Smokin’ Troll)

3 cuts of metal edged hardcore with interesting guitar riffs that give a Rage Against The Machine feel to the first track "Wolf In Sheep's Clothing". The gravel vocals do have the uncanny sound of Lemmy from Motorhead to them and the whole recording sounds really good. I didn’t like track 2 but the other two I enjoyed -this sort of thing isn’t usually up my street these days but Assert’s interesting arrangements made for an interesting listen and a good tape. £l/$2 (inc post).

(Assert, 45 Chilton Gardens, Dawley, Telford, F4 2QQ, UK.)

The latest release from the excellent Dr Strange label - can this guy ever release anything’ that’s crap??? It seems not and Brown Lobster Tank are yet another ode to Doc’s cool taste in class bands. Since their Descendents influenced "Static" 7" which was great B.L.T have now put this great album together which while retaining the Descendents influences now has the added bonus of their own unique sound. The cover art is excellent with an upside down mouth/chin being like a face) and a ton of dodgy dental instruments ready to do their worst. Tooth Smoke is a great punk album with harmony hook laden pop overtones that will have you melting - so stick it on your walkman the next time you visit the dentist to ensure pain-free drilling !!

(Dr Strange Records)

The Instigators that great Huddersfield band now long since removed were one of our favourite bands here in the Happy camp long before we did this zine or the label. They were by far one of the greatest live bands with so much energy and some corking songs. Anyway many moons latter the ’gators singer/lyricist Andy Turner has taken his mic out of the broom cupboard, dusted off the cobwebs and brings us Capability Green. On first impressions your gonna think "Instigators" due to Andy’s definitive vocal style that made the Instigators so different from many run of the mill bands of the time. With Capability Green this remains true but the music has much more crunch and the lyrics are great. If anything C.G have a more hardcore sound and they do it with style "5331761" is a fine CD with powerful tracks of varying pace backed by distinctive vocals and a great cover of the Stones "Sympathy for the Devil" - I can’t wait to see them live.

(Golf Records)

Well this one’s been along time in the making but at last it’s here. We got the rough mixes for this one back in April 1994 and put "Blink" on our Save Our Sabs comp. This is the final mix and needless to say these guy produce four great tracks of pop-punk of the highest standards, Gan have been cranking these ditties out for as long as I can remember and should have received more attention than they did. Anyway "Blink" is a luvvy duvvy melodic number that rocks your socks, off. "Top Secret" is full pelt melodi-core and there’s also a cover of Bad Religion’s classic from the "Back to Known" EP "Yesterday". This 7" comes in a nice fold out sleeve and cute PVC bag, sits pretty on your turn table in clear vinyl - just turn that volume up baby!

(Pop Kid Records, 16 Raleigh LN. Wayne, NJ 07470, USA.)

I got this one for my Birthday so it sort of counts for review. Garbage are making it pretty big at the moment probably due to their Nirvana connections but I really like this. The sultry, rasping vocals of Shirley Manson really send shivers down your spine and the music is excellent and diverse. The use of guitars, keyboards, samples and effects create a haunting atmosphere to most of the songs on here. "It Only Happens When It Rains" is a fantastic and this album I love.

(Mushroom)

This is classic punk rock, energetic Clash-style songs with great tunes. From the title track the CD hooks you into a world of bouncing, sweaty bodies pogoing the night away on a diet of lager and sulphate. As the emphatic words of Billy Bragg’s "New England" are regurgitated and rocked out by the Strummers you’re left with a feeling of pure adrenaline circulating your veins. Incidentally that Damned man, Mr Scabies twiddled the knobs on this one. Great release.

£3. 50(inc post in uk/Cheques to: D.Floyd)

(Riot/Clone Records, PO Box 2795, London, NW10 9AY,UK)

Greg Ginn’s Gone release this their fifth album of instrumental punk, jazz, funk, metal, techno, noise fusion. Very proficient musicianship and some very interesting arrangements appear on this well produced album. The only problem for me is that it's not something that I could sit down and listen to all in one go unless it was purely as low background music. It would be great for a soundtrack but not as sit back and listen music.

(SST)

It’s fucking ace!!!! Well Ok we’re a bit biased aren’t we? But we couldn’t resist it, it really is good though - 4 cool tracks, great sound and a great full colour cover. We’d recommend that you send a mere £2.50(inc post in UK/Cheques to; R.Keightley) to the Happy House address - you can’t go wrong.

(Smile & Be Happy Records)

This is another back taken from their excellent "Life on a Plate" CD, this is just so catchy and a testament to this great band. You also get a two other tracks "Entrance At Rudebrook" and "An Elf And His Zippo" of their punky-ska-pop fusion which are just as hot also the artwork is really cool.

(Burning Heart)

I’ve been awaiting this little bugger and it’s been worth it. This absolutely surpasses "How to Clean..." which was good but this is ace. Propagandhi have finely honed their sound and sound less like NOFX now and they have produced an album extravaganza in their own manic way with lyrics sharp enough to cut your own throat. This is a top way to spend your pennies if you like it fast, political and furious.

(Fat Wreck Chords)

Well what a great title and the photo is so cool - Real scenario: A down and out guy in Germany is stood by the roadside with the above title painted on a board, when it is illegal to drink alcohol in the streets. The Riches want to be the Ramones musically but they’re more harmonic vocally and present a great cover of Blondie’s "Hanging on The Telephone". In fact I really enjoyed this and I hate to be sacrilegious but they piss on the Ramones.

(We Bite)

After the cool "Too Long" EP we were awaiting this little gem and what a cracker it is. Fast pumping hardcore with cool melodic vocals that will have you stage- diving in your living room and pogoing on your bed. From the top speed tunes of "Red Champagne", "Happy As A F#@*ing Clam" and the title track "Clobberer" to the slow Mexican charms of "Bombs For You" and the class hooks of "Too Long" and "Girl With the Purple Hair". Another fine release from the cool Dr Strange label - buy baby, buy!

(Dr Strange)

Great packaging and a 40 track CD with a 142 page booklet, the cover art is superb and the articles in the book are by many worthy causes. Riot/Clone have been around on and off for a bloody long time, I remember my first brush with them was on the "Punk And Disorderly: Further Charges" compilation LP in the early 80s. They’ve had several EPs and compilation appearances, but the one thing that set them apart was their loyalty to self reliance and political causes. After many line-up changes and solo projects the band has finally got together with Paco (ex-Conflict) and continued where they left off. Here is a testament to sheer hard work and dedication, recording an entire back catalogue of songs plus some new ones in a short space of time. The music is fast and furious with Dave’s inimitable vocal and lyrics that time seems to have forget This release is

excellent Only £8(inc post in UK)

(Riot/Clone Records)

Wha-hey!!! The Scarper-boys have another tape out and it’s pretty darn good too. The manic-pop shenanigans of this band have progressed somewhat since their debut demo and "Target Practise" has a more China Drum-cum-poppy, punky fed to it. The evolution seems to have come since the appearance of new drummer Jamie whose love of things ska and punky has placed it’s obvious, overtones into Scarper’s tunes. Four tracks on this baby and they’re all cool including a great cover of one of the Happy House’s have programme theme tunes "Prisoner. Cell Block H". Yeah - "He used to bring me roses..." £2

(Scarper, PO Bar 43, HULL, HUI 1AA, UK.)

This band have been spewing there aggressive, hard hitting stuff out now since 1984 and have seen most of their releases on the US label Wreck-Age Records along with other such bands like Yuppiecide. Now SFA have taken their Whatever to the German label We Bite and "Solace" is the result. A crunching in-your-face attack with the power of a Bulldozer, for those not familiar with this band they sound a bit like Judge only better. There was no tracks list with this so I can’t really say which tracks were the best, all I can say is that it is cool NYHC stuff from a classic band.

(We Bite)

Robert Newman’s timeless dialogue from the wild ice hockey film of the same name graces the start of this CD - the coach is trying to enthuse his boys with tales of old time hockey with blood and guts... and then in cuts the raging, aggressive guitars that is Slapshot. Chanting choruses coupled with the Boston sound that stands to salute the old school of hardcore that produced a flock off fast, raw bands which sped from start to finish. Negative FX was one of these with intense 1000mph, 1 to 2 minute ditties which completely blew me away when I heard it for the first time on John Peel many ’moons ago. Slapshot came on where they left off with Jack Kelly being ex-Neg FX’s vocalist or should I say gravelist. Also includes a cover of SSD’s "Get It Away".

(Century Media)

This is a free single-sided flexi that came with Smitten #4 and contains a track each by Wact - "Losing It" and Skimmer - "Smitten". Flexis are never excellent quality but the two tracks on here sound cool and the obvious crackles at the start always add that bit of character anyway. Both tracks are really good melodic numbers and both bands are worth contacting for further releases, the Wact track is taken from their demo and Skimmer’s from their "Happy" 7" on Crackle Records.

(Smitten see Zine Reviews Issue 5 for details)

This is a cheap price sampler of all the bands on the UK Golf Label. Featuring two tracks each by Shutdown, Brainless, Capability Green, Ampersand, Funbug and Stab Happy. First to tee up are Shutdown providing an emotive vocal coating to a bitter-sweet overdriven laid back guitar, their first track reminds me of the recent Farside material and 2nd track has twinges of Fugazi. Onto the fairway and Brainless give out some back to basics punk rock with a raw 80’s style vocal reminiscent of the UK Subs, this stuff is best sampled live with ten pints of lager and a packet of crisps! Stab Happy are the newest club in the Golf bag and deliver two tracks of powerful skatecore-funked up metal-hardcore that is not unlike Rage Against the Machine only with more power and attitude. The next 4 shots towards the 18th hole are by Ampersand with their emotion laden vocals and strong guitar riffola and Capability Green who ARE the Instigators but with harder hitting guitars. Bringing up there rear are Redditch’s resident nutters Funbug who supply the last (drinking) hole in the clubhouse. Cool pop-punk with humour, attitude and a case of beer.

(Golf Records)

This compilation is of varying quality and like most compilations there’s something for everyone. The main host of bands on here are metal/hardcore or punk/hardcore - unfortunately I found some of the metal bands a tad boring all that chugga-chugga-cha chugga-chugga-cha-cha stuff sounds so much alike. But there’s some great stuff on here by Resist, Chaotic Babys and Inkisicao and it's worth sending off for them alone £2(inc post)

(Bad Apple Distribution, 5 St George's Close, Evesham, Surrey, WRII IJA, UK.)