The Lacking Permanence

The macabre sounds of The Bad Man will appeal to those who like dark carnivals and shadowy ringmasters rasping out bits of polka, sea shanty, ska, and more.

Another all-out rock-and-roll assault from Japan … they never get bored and neither do I.

If you like bands with Brothers in the name, the kind that pluck guitars, plunk banjos, and sing in close harmonies, here’s some more great stuff.

You can call them EFFED UP if you like. A solid and expansive set of music that draws from psychedelia, hardcore, punk, rough-cut ska, and many more.

Strutting around in Seventies duds, these songs get to the heart of the matter in 9 mile-per-gallon, leaded-gas-only style.

Somewhat screamy post-punk filled with jagged stabs of guitar and a thundering rhythm section that casually locks in weirdly-metered fills.

The Neanderthals of the Seattle “grunge” sound remain in top form with eleven angry, buzzing indictments of modern living.

This is the old Low turned up to 15. All hail the new Low! Note: This is very noisy and distorted. The machinery is not acting up.

Short blasts of raw fury, seething with rage, dirty keyboards, and quite a lot of fun.

Spencer delivers another trash-talkin’, leg-humpin’, hip-grindin’ album in his particular inimitable style.