Diyno Mixtape: April 2024 releases – our suggestions
April 2024 releases selected for our monthly column Diyno Mixtape
Also in this month of April we have discovered and listened to a lot of stuff, selecting for you the releases you find in Diyno Mixtape. We will take you on a journey through many countries such as Italy, Austria, Germany, England, Belgium, Canada, USA, France, Japan, Holland. As always plenty of space for different subgenres: in fact, we will talk about oi!, metal punk, post-punk, hardcore, ska punk, punk rock, crust, d-beat and more. Buckle up!
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 April 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.
A Guy Named Lou – Of Protest and Truism (Grazil Records | 12” LP)
If we were in the 1980s in our local record store browsing through new releases to be inspired in our purchases solely by the cover art, our choice would probably fall on this “Of Protest and Truism.” Aside from the almost literary-sounding titles, in fact, what is striking is the impressive artwork with that eerie faceless man of Magrittean inspiration. Once we put the record on the turntable within the walls of our home, we would derive great satisfaction from the realization that yes, we made a good choice: the Austrian band’s energetic yet refined punk rock is both convincing and enthralling. Instead, it is 2024 and the album was released in February digitally and in April also on vinyl, and if we go looking for the video for the single “The Meritocratic Myth” we find him, the faceless man, intent on clipping the wings of creativity in the name of productivity. “This is for all the songs you couldn’t write, Cause you were working 9 to 5,” goes the refrain. Thought-provoking lyrics then, the icing on the cake of a well-crafted record in all respects, a must-have!
Bobson Dugnutt – Sell me Lies (Radio Punk, Flames Don’t Judge Records, Wrong Disk Records, Rebound Action records, Fresh Outbreak Records | 12″ LP)
A necessary preface: yes, it is our release. And yes, of course we talk about it in the recommended column because it’s clear that if we helped release it, it’s because we think it’s a cool record! End of preface! The band with members between Berlin and Emilia-Romagna comes to its second work and if you like hardcore punk mash up with metal and with a rock n roll twist, we’ll play a nickel that you’ll love it. The vocals are screaming, charismatic and versatile, the sound and riffs are DEVASTATING, the drums beat the hell out of you and the proposal that comes out of it is unique. So are the lyrics and topics addressed. There is room for social and political criticism but also for a broader analysis of so-called toxic behavior, and this “denunciation” is done in a particular way: in fact, the band often impersonates in the lyrics the subject it wants to criticize. This super album is a joy for the eyes as well, in fact the vinyl is orange in color and the cover artwork by Fatgomez is spectacular!
Cock Sparrer – Hand on Heart (Randale Records, Captain oi!, Cherry Red, Pirates Press Records | 12″ LP, CD, Tape)
Supposedly, this eighth album by the legendary band active since 1972 is also the last. I would say that if this is the shape, we can safely hope that these are just unfounded rumors! You never know what to expect from a band that has like fifty years of career behind it and churns out a new album, but this new chapter in their extraordinary story in the middle of pub rock, oi! and punk rock is sublime, magnificent. Perfect sounds, excellent harmonization, catchy songs with just the right street edge that from the first listen, with its devastating singalongs, will make you put your “hand on heart” as per the title and sing your heart out. What can I say, as a friend says Cock Sparrer don’t make bad albums, but this isn’t pretty, it’s just a great record! Long live Cock Sparrer!
Cocks – Superliquidator (Flamingo Records | CD)
Cocks from Genoa, Italy, are a band that has been carrying on an admirable way of doing things for years, and in this album they focus on a concept, that of friendship, which is addressed sumptuously here. This romantic story of four guys who form a band in high school and now as 30-year-olds struggling with a thousand messes continue to express themselves in their own way, with sincerity first and foremost to themselves, moves us. Add then that they come out under their other friends’ city label, Flamingo Records, and it warms the heart even more. With this new work, the band releases a catchy, unique, thoughtful and fresh-sounding punk rock album. A wonderful manifesto of honesty and attitude that makes “Superliquidator” – and here we quote the press release – come across as “A great game where it didn’t matter who was the strongest, we all won and lost together and there was no other rule.” Chapeau!
For I Am – The Righteous & The Wicked (Sbäm Records, Pee Records, Double Helix, Bearded Punk | CD/12” LP)
Pre-announced by the well chosen singles “Power Behind the Throne” and “Devil Undercover,” comes the Belgian band’s new album that certainly does not disappoint expectations. “The Righteous & The Wicked” is a breath of energy that overwhelms with its fast rhythms, catchy melodies and, above all, with the vocals that manage to emotionally involve transmitting from time to time anger, hope or motivation to react. A breath of fresh air that speaks of freedom: individual freedom from toxic relationships and fear of others’ judgments, and collective freedom that can only be achieved through unity against the common enemy. “We are not alone” is the key phrase of this record, also embellished by Mark De Salvo’s remarkable artwork. A must listen on a loop!
Fulmine – Randagio (La Vida Es Un Mus | 7″)
Take the very early Nabat, mix with Basta, Zanzara, Scalpo and the sax of Bromure, add a dash of howling wolves and thunder in the distance and you have “Randagio” by London band Fulmine! A little 6-track gem (+1 available only online) of primitive old-school Oi!, raw and soaked in working-class sweat, with evocative imagery of urban lycanthropy. The vocals, rough and deep, sing hymns to skinhead life in Italian, accompanied by a bass – cool! – with a sound so raw it blends in with the thunder that can be heard at the beginning and end of each song. The drum beats blend perfectly with the punk/80s rock n roll sound of the guitar. Very tasty and interesting 7″, great!
LeTormenta – Le Ombre Più Buie (DIY)
“We have already stopped being a band and maybe one day we will start playing again, but not now. We are thinking of pressing it in vinyl format but we have our (usual) (long) timeframe. We hope it can leave you something, for us it represented so much to be able to do it. Thank you for all these years. It was worth it.”.
With these words LeTormenta release their final album. There are bands formed by people who have a tireless daily practice, a wonderful humanity, an incredible ability to strive for consistency with their values and ideas. LeTormenta perfectly represent this description. Thank you for what you have done over the years, always leaving us with swollen hearts, goosebumps, drawing the line with intense political activity through both practical example and this proposal of unique, original, charismatic and poetic hardcore punk. This record is wonderful in its sounds, lyrics, and compositional sophistication. Mind-blowing!
Narkan – Sorvegliare & Punire (DIY)
With their rough hardcore punk, Narkan were born in 2022 in Milan and with “Sorvegliare & Punire” they are on their second self-produced Ep. Very young and very angry against the system, wage labor, power, and all forms of control and constraint, they spew all this nastiness in 6 tracks of rotten and chaotic punk that will surely make you think of iconic bands like Wretched and Cimex. We like how all their energy emerges, through the edgy guitar and bass sounds played by Alfredo and Gimes, the tight rhythms of Morgan’s drums and the alternating two voices of Irene and Alfredo that relentlessly scream into the microphones. Pure and simple punk hate!
Riviera – Sempre (La Tempesta Dischi, To Lose La Track | 12″ LP)
It is difficult to describe in words this record and the flow of sensations that runs through you as you listen to it. The Romagnoli Riviera make us emotional again this time, with 9 tracks of emotive punk rock super personal and in their own style but still different from their previous works. “Sempre” picks you up, loads you into the passenger seat of an old Fiat from the 2000s and without a precise destination guides you on a journey through the golden landscapes of Romagna. Or maybe the destination is there, and it is hidden just inside the listener of this record. Speaking of the purely musical aspect, guitar, bass and drums manage to blend together perfectly, without overpowering each other, creating a balanced mix of melody and energy. The trumpet, a special feature of the band along with the characteristic singing, becomes the protagonist in several songs almost like a second voice. Let yourself be carried away by this album, its sounds and its introspective and poetic lyrics. For us it is already a cult!
Schedule 1 – Crucible (Council Records, Mendeku Diskak | 12″ LP)
Those of you who follow us every month will have noticed that the post-punk quota can never be missed, so for this month we bring you “Crucible” by Canadians Schedule 1! 10 tracks of somber and sentimental post-punk with 80s references and with a great punk drive, both in the rhythm and in the urgency, that gives the record the right energy. Gloomy, icy but also pounding drums, accompanied in the rhythm section by a really interesting and equally dark bass line. The guitar also contributes to lowering the “temperature” of this splendid work thanks to the mix between distorted and other clearer parts. The singing then, is clean and has the ability to give this very 80s flavor. This is not the usual post punk / new wave record, it is instead a catchy album full of personality, so lovers of the genre, don’t miss it!
Also keep an eye on…
Conservative Military Image – No Squares In Our Circle (Triple B | 12″ LP). The band is back with a new 5-song EP and does so in the shredded and explosive hardcore/oi! style to which they have accustomed us. Another great addition, in a very few years, in their discography that is now already a cult.
Cran – Rejet (Une Vie Pour Rien | 12″ LP). The band from Paris comes out with this new EP ( enclosed by really cool artwork) of aggressive Oi! punk with vaguely post punk overtones. So good that it makes you say “we want more!”
Cuir – Album Album (Offside Records | 12″ LP). One-man band synthpunk project sung in French, loaded with badassness and character. All seasoned with shocking pink latex imagery!
Empire Down – Vengeance: Death To Moral Apathy (Tape | 31RECORDS). 6 oi!/hardcore songs with just the right melody and power that find a new physical and graphic form since the first 5 were previously released in the split album with Liberty & Justice and the last one was released years ago in a cassette in Asia but not online. These 6 anthems are addictive, watch out!
Fucking Angry – …Still Fucking Angry (RilRec | CD/LP/tape). 12 tracks, some in English, some in German, ranging from punk rock to reggae and hardcore and surprising with unexpected elements such as a samba drum or banjo. Very incisive lyrics between the introspective and the political.
the Hope Conspiracy – The West is Dead (Deathwish Inc. | Single). This atomic single is a foretaste of the historic band’s long-awaited album, due for release at the end of May… If the other tracks can keep up with this blast of energy, we’ll be back on these pages to talk about it!
Ink Bomb – Saudade (Horn and Hoof, Keep it a Secret | CD). New album by the Dutch band, DIY ethics and 11 songs poised between skatepunk and punk rock, fast and energetic sound with a touch of melancholy.
Kriegshög – Love & Revenge (La Vida Es Un Mus | 12″ LP). Fourteen years after the debut album and five years after the last song released, the Japanese hardcore punk band is back. Raw riffs and hammering drums, stoner echoes and fierce screams. Turn up the volume beyond the limit!
Runaway Ricochet – Diminishing Returns (Ska Punk International | 2LP). Being released on April 30, we have not had time to explore it in depth. Instead, this double album by the Minnesota quintet in its complexity definitely needs multiple listens to be fully appreciated. An incredible mix of ska-punk, jazz and prog, amazing!
Slang – Free Gaza. 3 very fast hardcore punk songs with a very strong impact both musically and politically. In fact, the Japanese band immediately makes clear their desire to support the Palestinian struggle through artwork, title and lyrics.
Strung Out – Dead Rebellion. Strung Out led by Jason Cruz returns with this album in line with the band’s latest work. 12 tracks for the tenth work, combining melodies and more aggressive tones.
Ultra Razzia – Collection ( Primator Crew | 12″ LP). Compilation by the Montréal oi! punk band featuring songs from the split albums, those that appeared on other compilations (Tribute to Nabat, No Fuss tape, Oi! l’album vol.2, Montreal Tombe) and the flexi promo. A blast for lovers of these dark, aggressive and raw sounds!
Les Zéclopés – Jimbo (CD). Anti-capitalist ska-punk from Normandy, sung in French with a hint of reggae, lots of rhythm, hard-hitting horns and singalongs perfect for the live dimension.