Diyno Mixtape: the best of December 2024 releases – our suggestions
December 2024 releases selected for our monthly column Diyno Mixtape
Also in this month of December we discovered and listened to a lot of stuff, selecting for you the releases you find in Diyno Mixtape. As always ample space for different subgenres and bands from various countries around the world. Happy listening!
NB: The list is in alphabetical order by band/author and is not a chart.
Be curious and if you have advice or opinions to give us on December releases, feel free to contact us on our social media or via email!
If you’re interested in the physical copy of any of these albums you can write to info@radiopunk.it. Some are in our catalog, some could be available on demand.
Ska-punk
Los[K]soS – Là pour en découdre
We had discovered and appreciated them with “Dans l’urne jusqu’au cou!”, and now Mr. De Penande and co. a.k.a. Los[K]soS from Saint-Étienne, France, take the field again with their second full-length. As per the program, the watchword is satire: political and social, fierce and merciless, pulling no punches. In each track, the protagonist speaks in the first person, from the corrupt politician to the violent policeman, from the conspiracy theorist to the denier of the horrors of colonialism. And there is also the fearsome virus that threatens the existence of the planet but will eventually self-destruct, and it is none other than the human being. What is most striking about this album is the attention to detail: the skillful balancing of instruments that decline ska-punk into nuances ranging from ska-jazz to ska-core, and the nonchalant playing with words, never chosen at random, that create exhilarating but also painfully poetic effects, as in the splendid lyrics of “Frontex: Mon Partenaire Horreur,” about the tragic odyssey of migrants. Lovers of the genre, by no means let this brilliant little gem pass you by!
Hub City Stompers – Drinking Rage (Jump Start Records | 12″ LP/CD)
With an energetic tailspin, this 2024 gives us an album that will not struggle to rank among the best of the year and will delight those who love all kinds of ska. Because this new work by the historic New Jersey band, born more than 20 years ago from the ashes of Inspecter 7, is a small encyclopedia of ska from every era, from rocksteady to two-tone to ska-punk, with suggestions of reggae, oi!, punk rock, hardcore, hip-hop and jazz. Witty and irreverent lyrics, skinhead attitude, and great experience and mastery of musical and vocal expression help make each of the 14 tracks a potential single. From “Won’t Loose Sleep,” featuring Jenny Whiskey’s stunning vocals, usually on tenor sax, to “All the Young Droogs,” an irreverent reprise of Bowie’s “All the Young Dudes.” “The Short but Brilliant Life of Seymour Baruch,” based on the short film of the same name (video made from parts of the film here) directed by Chris Nelson, late brother of singer Travis, tells the bizarre story of a man who tries unsuccessfully several times to end his life: the paradoxical moral of the tale can be summed up in the line ”when a loser tries to lose they always win.” Masterpiece!
Punk rock
The Downstrokes/The Prozacs – Better late than never (Punkerton Records | 12″ LP/CD)
Two veteran U.S. punk rock bands reunite under the aegis of Punkerton Records for a not-to-be-missed split. Among the Downstrokes’ 6 tracks, energetic punk rock with garage influences, the first single taken out is “(Call me) Bartleby,” a punk reading of the enigmatic protagonist of a famous Melville tale, who passively resists all imposition with a polite and unsettling “I would prefer not to.” A version of the super classic “Police on my back” is also featured. On the Prozacs side, 90s-style melodic punk rock, the first single is the catchy “Getting Bored,” which stays in your head from the first listen. The two EPs are also available separately.
The Bolokos – Tropikal Noise (Bokit Production, Wolverine Records | 12” LP/CD)
If you love the blending of cultures, languages and musical traditions this is the record for you. In fact, this trio from Guadeloupe blends punk rock with Creole and Celtic music to create a highly original sound supporting lyrics with strong political and social content. The main topic is the condemnation of colonialism, which has created tropical paradises for tourists in the Caribbean at the expense of the local populations, effectively despoiling and poisoning those lands. The album includes features by artists who are exponents of Gwo Ka, which is not only a genre of traditional Guadeloupe music and dance, but also a movement with political connotations for the preservation of the island’s cultural identity.
Crust punk
Lifeless Dark – Forces of Nature’s Transformation (Side Two | 12” LP)
The Boston band pulls a sensational record out of its hat. 9 tracks that exude frost and darkness, perfect the choice therefore to release in December. The proposal is a mix between thrash/death metal and crust punk more tending to stenchcore. The record flows along wonderfully thanks to its versatility, due both to the powerful and sharp riffs seasoned with some typical metal virtuosity, and to Elaine’s screaming and heartbreaking vocals, all accompanied by solid drums in both the cadenced and faster parts. The artwork is the icing on the cake of this great record!
Punk hardcore
Putkipommi – Tuhottu Tulevaisuus (Nobody 99 Records | 7”)
If you are looking for a punk record that sounds like something out of 1980s Finland, see Kaoos and Riistetyt above all, you will fall in love with these 10 tracks that are short, intense and raw to the point. A hardcore punk / d-beat album with singing in Finnish as direct as it is explosive!
Pyrrhic – Total Hell (Tape – 1753 Recordings)
Pyrrhic from Long Beach (California) come out with their second record, an explosion of raw and powerful hardcore punk contaminated by crust. 6 fast and rage-laden tracks characterized by sharp riffs. Even the somewhat raw recording creates the right atmosphere! A real gem!
Lumpen – Exterminación (Discos Enfermos | 7”)
New work by the Barcelona punk band that gives us 5 tracks, 4 of which are sung in Spanish and one in Italian entitled “Finirà Mai?” A 7” focused mainly on anti-militarism and the horrors of war, as can be easily guessed from the cover depicting death in the foreground and in the background completely disintegrated cities. Musically we are faced with violent, old-school hardcore punk with a touch of UK82. A must listen at full volume!
Coldwave / Post punk
Justice Divine – S/T (Destructure Records, à La Carte Records | 12” LP)
An “old” acquaintance, indeed, now a Radio Punk regular returns to visit us after a while with his new project. Directly from Brest, Brittany, here is the new band of Lionel aka Jackie Cadiou, already present in Syndrome 81, Coupe Gorge, Prisonnier Du Temps, Grisaille… and brilliantly carrying on the At The Movies recording studio in Brest. This album arrives in late 2024 and is a maddeningly beautiful record. The post-punk influences are all there, but here we are faced with a darker sound, more goth in some ways, with electronic veins and these glacial, mystical choruses that alternate with the scratchier, more punk vocals. A coldwave record that will also blow your mind because of this magical feeling that persists throughout the entire record. Despite the thousands of projects that have sprung up in recent years exploring the vast galaxy of post-punk, this record manages to be something absolutely fresh, new and original. A blast!
Oi!
Klaxon – S/T (Lionheart Records | 12″ LP)
Hailing from Rhode Island is this oi! punk band of the historic Roman punk rock group. Already noticed some time ago for some of their earlier work, the skinheads bring out a mighty, gritty record of pure U.S.-style oi! with powerful choruses and rapid-fire singalongs. Catchy yet pissed-off riffs behind typical working-class lyrics make this 10-track record a great oi! The vinyl record will be released in 2025, we can’t wait to put it on the platter!
Post hardcore
Leep – Patience (Contraszt! Records | 10″ LP)
The Berlin-based band comes out with this 10” consisting of 4 post-hardcore tracks that drag you into a dark and gloomy vortex. Slow drum rhythms combined with a very present and gloomy bass line together with a clear and sad guitar alternate with faster and charged parts where everything increases in intensity; finally the two voices sing, speak and scream heartbreakingly into the microphone. A mood, rather than a record, made of darkness and fog to listen to on repeat until you get into it. Amazing!