10 Punk Bands Essential To Me: The 1990's

This is another "tandem" post that I'm doing with my Born Too Late co-host and pal Lord Rutledge. For his list of "Essential 90's Punk Bands, go check out his blog Faster and Louder. This time, I have no idea what he's going to put on his list. This proved to be FAR more difficult than I had imagined. I tried to use completely different bands than the ones I mentioned in our previous tandem post "My Favorite Records of 1996". There was so much going on in the 1990's that it wasn't hard to think of bands, it was hard to narrow it down to only ten(ish)! So below, after hours and hours of inner conflict and deliberation, I present to you my list of bands that were "essential" to me during the 1990's. 

The early 1990's included my high school years. This was also the time I discovered underground rock n' roll/punk rock. I was coming into the decade already being a fan of 50's Rock n' Roll, 60's British Invasion, 70's Glam and Punk, 80's Goth/New Wave and all the junk oozing in between. So when I got an earful of all the underground bands taking their primary influences from this stuff, I was barley able to keep it under control. It was like a shopping spree, grabbing at everything I could get my hands on. 

Also, go check out the Spotify playlist I made at the bottom of this post featuring 50 songs by 50 bands that I loved in the 1990's. If you were like me, your tastes were all over the map. So just play the list, sit back, close your eyes and let it take you back to the days when you didn't worry about rent, you didn't check the weather, or be concerned if that sharp pain in your back would go away on it's own on not. 


Operation Ivy/Rancid

I was at a party that I talked my friend into going because there was this band I wanted to see play. I was supposed to meet him there at this strangers house. Well, that "friend" never showed and the band didn't end up playing. But there was something really interesting coming from this little boom box on the patio. I was so intrigued by this music, I had to go ask what it was. Someone finally handed me the cassette and I took perfect mental notes of what it was. It was Operation Ivy's Energy. The next day I was at my local Tower Records. For whatever reason the tape was in the "Imports" section. I looked as the record label it was on and that day I was whisked away to another world that I have yet to return from. And when I learned Lookout Records was releasing a 7" by a new band called Rancid that half of OPIV was in, I was first in line! 


Supercharger/The Rip-Offs/The Infections

As many of you already know, there's one thing all three of these bands have in common and that's the presence of one Mr Greg Lowery. To pick just one of these bands as the most "essential" to me during the 1990's would be a pointless endeavor. The sass brat behavior and incredibly infectious hooks of Supercharger, The Rip-Off's flaming middle finger in your face attitude mixed with brilliant minimalist lofi punk, to the stunning head turning Heartbreakers meets The Angry Samoans style songs of The Infections Self Titled LP. No way I could do without any of these, they're all as vital to me as oxygen or chesse burgers! Again, and example of moving punk rock forward by taking it back to its roots. Lowery clearly has a masterful knowledge of it, then he pukes it back out with some original flavors mixed in,  and I lapped up every ounce!   


The Stitches 

Oh sure, I was content with the morsel the punk gods had thrown my way, with Johnny Peebucks and The Swingin Utters. Don't get me wrong they were great and I am in no way a blasphemer! But when The Stitches 8 X 12" hit the world like an extinction level asteroid, it didn't just leave a crater in Southern California, is sent a ripple effect felt all around the world. Here was a band that not only took the sounds of 70's punk, pounded them all together but made it faster, snottier, grittier and pretty much upped the ante in every way possible! Was this shit for real, I mean, how could this be?! The fantastic thing was that it was for real, and it ushered in an era that couldn't have been foreseen by even the wisest of profits. An era where similar bands started forming, labels started up to put out their records, and fans like myself stood up to salute the dawning of a glorious new age.


NOFX

I would be lying if I said I don't still put on a NOFX record every now and again. If you were involved in skateboarding culture in the learly 90's, it was nearly impossible to avoid NOFX. They were like that era's JFA or The Faction. The perfect soundtrack to those saturday afternoon skate sessions with your friends. It was cool to have a band that seemed like they "got" you, that was similar in age and kind of dressed like us too. Also a band that you could go to your local club and see up close for like $5. I remember thinking that the Ribbed LP was alright but I still didn't hear the big deal. But when Whiter Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean came out, that too was a major game changer for me. Suddenly it seemed like everyone was paying attention to them and Fat Wreck Chords became a force to be reckoned with.  


Boris The Sprinkler 

I used to be a huge Maximum Rock N Roll dork. Imagine how I felt when I found out my favorite columnist in that magazine had his own band?!? And Boris The Sprinkler was 100% all things Rev Norb for sure. All the humor, sarcasm, obscure pop culture references and underlying sincerity were all present in Boris The Sprinkler's music. All that and add heaping amounts of over caffeinated guitar riffs with Norb's vocals delivered like he was on a relentless sugar high! I mean, who else could make a song called "My Prom Date's Parkin' With Grand Moff Tarkin" work! Not since like The Dickies or The Toy Dolls had I heard a band have humor like this in their lyrics. I never got a chance to see Boris The Sprinkler live, even though they did come to my hometown once or twice. I don't have many, but that's one of my regrets in life.      


Jawbreaker

I remember when my friend played Bivouac for me, I thought it was fine. I really liked the first song "Shield Your Eyes" but the rest, to me at least, was kind of forgettable to be honest. But everyone loved this band so I went to their previous record Unfun and that still didn't do much for me. But when their LP 24 Hour Revenge Therapy hit, talk about yet another asteroid hitting. This record was pretty life changing for me. I don't think there's a bad song on this record and it really holds up. This time around, Jawbreaker added more energy, bigger hooks and that's what my creepy little teenage brain needed from these guys. I will still champion Revenge Therapy as one of the best records of the 90's. However Jawbreaker lost me again with Dear You. I just couldn't get into it, still can't. And I realize it's a "me" problem, I know a lot of people love it.    


Green Day

I mean hey, the kings of Lookout Records right? I think that's pretty undisputable at this point. This was the first band I dug up and purchased after going through the Lookout Records catalog and doing a little research. Green Day's 39/Smooth and Kerplunk! came out in my most formative years and they meant the world to me, they still do. I love Dookie as well but that came later. These records are as much a part of my adolescence as my first high school crush, actually more so because they didn't make me sad! And these records were just the starting off point for these guys, what Green Day did from these days forward was nothing short of astounding. They changed the world with their music forever and made living on this smelly mudball more tolerable for a lost dorky kid quickly being shoved into adulthood like myself. 


The Bouncing Souls

One of the things about Bouncing Souls I really liked was the fact that well, I guess their music could technically be classified as "pop punk" if I were being lazy and like The Dude, I am most certainly that. But along with their pop punk-ness they had a touch of street punk that made them a bit tougher si I wasn't called a sissy pants for liking them. For example, when I told people I liked The Parasites who coincidentally are also from New Jersey. When I needed a small breather from the "pop" part in pop punk, The Bouncing Souls emphasized the "punk" part. Their music was loud, catchy and their songs were pretty cool and they didn't take themselves too seriously like most Street Punk bands. See "These Are The Quotes From Our Favorite 80's Movies." Oddly, I never got a chance to see them live back in the day but I bet they were great.  


Those Unknown 

It's been difficult to choose just one band from all these scenes that existed parallel to each other. Along with the pop punk and lo-fi/garage punk I really got into some Oi!/Street punk that labels like Pogostick, Beer City, GMM and Headache Records put out. Other bands like Those Unknown that I loved were The Reducers SF, The Wretched Ones, and The Bristles just to name a few. But Montague, New Jersey's Those Unknown were my favorite. They're lyrics didn't seem overly political, they just seemed like common sense. Apparently they're accused of being commies now because of Rich Owens (now an accomplished poet and essayist) column in MRR. They also had this weird/wonderful  air of Americana to them too. Along with Bill Owen's insane blood gurgling vocals, the hooks in their songs were so sick, like Cocksparrer sick. It was almost difficult NOT to like these guys. 


Defiance 

One day I got a wild hair up my ass and ordered this compilation LP called Pogo Attack from this label I'd never heard of called Pogo Punk Records. I saw it in an ad in Maximum Rock n Roll so I took a chance. Because that's what you did back then. You stuffed an envelope with cash and prayed to the punk rock gods that it would reach it's destination safely. The cover was really cool looking and colorful and it had a few bands I liked on it like The Pist, The Bristles, Blanks 77, and The Wretched Ones . The Comp also had Aus Rotten, Mankind?, and all these other anarcho type bands that I never heard. Doing some digging down the rabbit hole after I got the comp in the mail, I came across Portland's Defiance. They seemed to straddle the wall between anarcho punk and bands like Discharge and GBH which I really liked. So thus my love for bands like that came to grow and flourish from there.  

The Etters Interview!

 

The Etters are Sjerrie guitar/vocals Leona bass/vocals and Keet drums/vocals

Interview conducted with Sjerrie (AKA Jerry Hormone)

Shock Treatment: Hello Jerry! Thanks for doing my interview! Let’s start by telling me how you all met and decided to form the band?

Jerry: I was going through a debilitating midlife crisis. A shrink told me I had two options: 1) Buy a Harley-Davidson or B) start a stoopid punk band with two life loving, energetic females in their early twenties. Harley’s are expensive, so that’s where Loena and Keet came in and now we’re here, playing sooper stoopid punk and I'm doing a lot better.

Shock Treatment: What bands influenced The Etters sound the most?

Jerry: All that fine fine 90’s lo-fi Rip Off Records kind of punk. Loli and the Chones, most of all

Shock Treatment: If your grandmother asked you what The Etters sound like, how would you describe it to her?

Jerry: It’s stoopid and catchy and you can leave your hearing aid at home, grandma.

Shock Treatment: How come your songs are so short? Why don’t you write longer songs like Golden Earring? I mean, Radar Love is over 6 minutes!

Jerry: We’d love to write our own Radar Love! The royalties could buy us a mansion on the tropical island Curacao next to Golden Earring singer Barry Hay’s!

Shock Treatment: You guys write such mean, angry songs! Have you tried writing more positive songs, like maybe songs about kittens or delicious candy?

Jerry: We do have some songs about liking fries and snacks and the delicious ice cream sensation that is Viennetta. Oh, and about snorting speed. We love that too. Yummy.

Shock Treatment: What are Etters shows like? What do you want the audience to walk away thinking about after seeing you guys live?

Jerry: We pretty much play the whole album start to finish and say dumb shit in between the songs. The audience will either think we’re the best thing in punk since forever or they won’t. But hey, we don’t care, there’s no cure for stupidity or lousy taste.



Shock Treatment: You guys recently played Grauzone 2026 with some other pretty cool bands like Home Front, Die Spitz, and The Chisel! How did that show go for you? Was the crowd getting into and dancing to The Etters?

Jerry: It was at the Zwarte Ruiter, which is one of our favorite places to play. People really get crazy there. Lots of shouting along, pushing and shoving, the whole package. Love you, people at the Zwarte Ruiter!

Shock Treatment: What does the rest of 2026 look like for The Etters?

Jerry: A bunch of shows, at some cool festivals too, like Sniester, Kliko Fest, Get Lost Fest in Hamburg and we also play the legendary The Pit’s in Kortrijk this summer. We’ll be doing some 7”'s too, one on Amsterdam’s Wap Shoo Wap Records and probably one on Fink City from Canada. We’ve got more songs laying around ready to be recorded, so dear record labels: if you wanna lose some money, just give us a call!

Shock Treatment: Tell us where people can go to hear your music and buy your records?

Jerry: Digitally you can listen to us in all the usual horrible places. We’d love to collect that 0,00000000000000001 cent per play. Physically our album ‘The ETTERS maken je hartstikke DOOD!’ is out as a one sided 12” on Fink City (on black and black/yellow and black/yellow/white/clear vinyl), Bachelor (red vinyl) and Plato Utrecht (neon green vinyl). The French Fish & Cheap RCDS might have some copies left of the repress of our one sided three song 7” on clear vinyl, but you’d have to hurry, because they only did (another) 50 of those.

SOFTJAW - S/T LP review

This is my first time hearing this band, and I'm glad they popped up on my radar like an aircraft coming in for an unauthorized landing. This is also my first taste of Dandy Boy Records and I am absolutely astounded by their releases the more I dig into their catalog. I can't believe they've eluded me since 2017! SOFTJAW are from Long Beach, California and apparently only stepped out on to the world's stage in 2024. Since then, they've released a number of digital singles and an EP. This here LP collects all of those digital releases plus a Paul Collins Beat cover of "Working Too Hard" and the 23 Jewels song "Playing Bogart". Both of these classics fit perfectly in the bands repertoire.  

This is THE best straight forward power pop records I've heard in a really long time. When a band attempts the genre, if done right, you don't need any more suffix or prefix words to better describe the music, everything you need is right there in the name "power" and "pop". For me, the "power" usually lies in the guitars and the drums. In SOFTJAW's case, the guitars are front and center, driving those melodies and hooks right into your heart. Meanwhile the drums are shaking you like a roller coaster thrill ride. The "pop" part I feel lies in the vocals and harmonies. And again, SOFTJAW excels in this department as well. The vocals take me away to a place where a cool breeze embraces me like an old friend and the harmonies are like the sweet summer sun kissing my cheek like a loved one welcoming me back home.  



If you're a power pop fan, I can't stress to you enough how essential this record is. If you're a fan of just exceptional rock n' roll that's capable of lifting your spirits from within the darkest of places, then you need this record right now. If I gave ratings to my reviews, this would be 5 out of 5, easily, no arguments. Way to knock it out of the galaxy SOFTJAW. My eyes are now fixed on you guys and what you do next, color me impressed from end to end. 

Get the LP or CD NOW at dandyboyrecords.bandcamp.com

Self Incrimination - Recreation Of An Empty Space LP

Erica Rose (Appaloosa) and Marco Palumbo (Miscalculations) step into the macabre with this new collaboration. The overall tone of this album is shadowy, sharp and striking. It's the perfect blend of desolation and ferocity riding on a stream of melodic guitars and sure fire drum beats. Self Incrimination sounds like a lost late 70's or early 80's 4AD goth/post punk record. Even right down to the minimalist production which makes the songs on Recreation of an Empty Space drip with despair and savagery. Palumbo bellows out some great guitar riffs reminiscent of, but never poaching, Billy Duffy's in The Cult's Love or Wayne Hussey's in The Sisters of Mercy's First and Last and Always. Rose's vocals are remarkably haunting yet cut with a sense of anguish that's like an emotive mix of Nico and Siouxsie Sioux. 

It is my opinion that a lot of bands, especially bands that are now playing dark rock music like this, make music that is way too heavily produced. Although at times it does lend itself well with some bands, but Recreation of an Empty Space showcases the benefits of a more scaled down, reverberant production. I wish more bands would employ the old "less is more" philosophy when recording music. It really adds an edge to rock n roll that is key to it's magnetism, an edge that it was born with.  

Vinyl available from: 

No Front Teeth Records

www.nofrontteeth.co.uk

Cassette available from: 

Tape or Die

tapeordie.bigcartel.com

Physicalist - S/T Cassette EP Review

Dirt Cult Records just released the cassette EP of this new project and it's already lodged in my brain so hard that I'm hardly able to think about anything else! When I first started listening to these songs, clouds gathered, tornado sirens began to cry out in the background, and the windows started to shake! This band has unleashed the unmerciful fists of the gods upon us and they're laying waste to the mountains and the seas. Apparently this band began as a one man project from Dave P of Night Court. But he soon realized that one man could not wield the power these songs contained so he quickly called reinforcements Emilor (also of Night Court) and Taylor of Unfun on drums. 



The 6 tracks on this EP are all minimalist production, fuzz coated punk rock with some movie sampling tossed in here and there and some Drive Like Jehu feedback circling around. All the unnecessary weight of these songs has been shed for maximum velocity to effectively pierce the dura mater of your brain. Physicalist fall somewhere between contemporary bands like Pyrex or Puffer if they had been on Dischord Records in the 1980's and chased with a high dose of pure anxiety. These tunes are hard hitting, sledge hammer punk rock but that's still quick and nimble like a trained assassin armed only with knives.The opening riff to the first song "Annihilation so Banal" reveals everything you need to know about the coming storm. It's at cobra strike tempo, tightly coiled and reminiscent of something you'd hear on a an early Wire or Swell Maps song. But then the drums and bass kick in an that's when the wrecking ball begins to swing.I hope we get more of this band soon and maybe a vinyl release down the road. I think 5 songs from this band is about all a small fragile cassette can contain within its frame.   

Cassette available RIGNT NOW on at

Dirtcult Records.com

dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com

The Gee Strings - Greatest Shits LP Review

The Gee Strings are from Cologne, Germany and formed in 1994 with Ingi Pop on vocals and Bernadette on Guitar being for the most part the only constant members through a career spanning 30 years. The band has put out 6 LP's and a fistful of 7" EP's and singles. Now they're back pawing at those guitar strings once again, sort of. As you can guess from the title of this record, this LP is a compilation of their songs.This entire collection is made up of random tracks from their 6 previous LP's. Although this assemblage of sweaty, black leather rock n roll tunes does lean heaviest on the band's 2006 LP A Bunch of Bugs. Collectors and record nerds will rejoice though, none of the 7" tracks or the bands killer cover songs are included on this record. This is a perfect introduction to this band which, if you have the sense of a billy goat, you're already a fan of! And besides, some of the LP's these songs are taken from are long gone. Plus this record comes with a killer collage style inert with tons of color photos and is available on yellow vinyl. And you know how much I love me some colored vinyl! 

The Gee Strings have a unique thing going, they aren't exactly a pop punk band, they have too much loud, rowdy Dead Boys in them. But they're not exactly a full on '77 style punk band either, they have too much melodic Blondie influence in them as well. So here they are, straddling the tall fence of both camps and doing it with style! It's not like fans of either of those sounds will dislike them though, The Gee Strings have got fistfuls of charisma to satisfy even the most cynical of punk rock fans. I know it's hard to imagine, but punk rock does breed the occasional pessimistic fan from time to time. And this is the band that will smile and slap that smug look off their face! This record is made to be played loud, play it until the pictures on your walls start to rattle! 

Available in black and colored vinyl from:

Wanda Records (Germany)
wandarecords.de

Ghost Highway Recordings & Take The City Records (Spain)
ghosthighwayshop.com
takethecity.shop

Dangerhouse Skylab (France)
dangerhouse.fr

Limited Edition Cassette from:

Tape Or Die
tapeordie.bigcartel.com

An Interview with Iris Paralysis

Iris Paralysis is Marco Giacomo Palumbo-Rodrigues (vocals) & Tobias Mariano Schazmann-Zaera (Synthesizers) 

Interview conducted with Marco Palumbo-Rodrigues

Shock Treeatment: Let’s start things off by telling me how you guys met and decided to start this project.

MPR: Tobi and I met in-person for the first time in 2018 when Miscalculations played in Aachen, Germany but we knew each other for a few years before this. I released a 7” by Tobi’s other synth band Gen Null on No Front Teeth the year before we met. Our good friend Peter Eichhorn, who ran P. Trash Records, passed away in 2018 and Tobi and I were in contact a lot that year as we were working on a tribute compilation to honour Peter that we put out with FDH Records. Tobi asked me to sing guest vocals on the Gen Null track that appeared on the compilation which was the first time we worked together musically.

When we met in Aachen we spoke about starting a synth band together and Iris Paralysis was born. It started out as a studio project and then developed into a live band after our first record came out in 2022.

Shock Treeatment: Did you guys have this particular sound in mind when starting off or did it develop after a while playing or writing together?

MPR: We didn’t have any clue about the direction it would take! Tobi worked on the music and I wrote lyrics and I played around with which vocals would fit with the music and our sound developed pretty organically. I knew that I wanted to have layered vocals so that there would be a high voice and a low one but that’s pretty much the only initial idea I went in with. Lyrically it’s very much in the vein of Miscalculations so I continued writing in that mindset.

Shock Treeatment: And speaking of writing, can you tell me a bit about your writing process? How does a song usually develop for Iris Paralysis?

MPR: Tobi and I will work on our parts of a record at the same time, but individually - so while he is writing the music, I will write sets of lyrics and then I will see what fits with which musical arrangement. The lyrics always fit around the music, never the other way around.

Shock Treeatment: Iris Paralysis’ music lies a bit on the darker side, is that fair to say? So along with the music, the lyrics are also a bit ominous. What influences you lyrically?

MPR: For sure it’s on the darker side of things! Lyrically, I mainly write about death, disease, paranoia and a lot of psychological and philosophical questioning. I don’t really see these subjects as necessarily depressing or negative…but rather as inquisitive and naturally interesting topics that are mostly unanswerable. There is a lot of beauty in these ‘dark’ subjects too. Architecture also plays a major role in my lyric writing, both as the physical representation and also in the metaphorical structural form. The most recurring theme is probably the future but I’d say that that encompasses every subject that I think and write about. I can have a very specific theme in mind or even be relaying a situation that happened but I purposefully make it as vague as I can so that anyone listening to it can definite it however they like, or even relate it to a specific event in their life even if it’s the polar opposite of what I based the song on.

Shock Treeatment: You guys have taken Iris Paralysis to the stage! In fact, you opened for Clan of Xymox. A band I assume is a direct influence to Iris Paralysis? How did that gig come about?

MPR: We have been very lucky with Iris Paralysis in that we seem to get offered really good opening slots! I still can’t believe that we got to play with DAF and, yes, opening for Clan of Xymox this month was an honour for sure. It was at an amazing venue called MOVIE in Bielefeld in North West Germany and the turnout was fantastic. We just got asked by the promoter putting the gig on if we wanted to play…and that was it! We actually just got asked by another promoter who also does shows at that venue as he heard good things from the people at the gig so that’s cool.

Shock Treeatment: You guys just released your incredible new LP Extinguish The Sun earlier this year. Tell me about how the recording process went for that and what can fans expect to hear compared to the previous releases?

MPR: Thank you! I think it’s our best work yet. It’s funny because we actually started writing the third album much earlier but it was sounding very different to what we had in mind so we did a 12” in between our second album and this new one. That was the ‘Dormant Visions’ 12” which is the most atypical release we have done: much more stark and cold and I think the darkest record we have made to date. So, in that sense, ‘Extinguish The Sun’ was quite different to the first two records as we started it twice and it really evolved in that entire process. There are also some songs on the new album that don’t sound like anything else we have done, like ‘Eels Of Deceit’ and ‘No Crisis Goes To Waste’. I think this new album in the most cohesive and coalesces the different aspect of what we do…the darkness, the fear, the hope, the starkness and the joy.

Shock Treeatment: What bands helped influence your sound that you think people might be surprised by?

MPR: I think that would have to be Duran Duran…Tobi and I have spoken about this before and ‘Wild Boys’ was pretty impactful for both of us when we were kids…both the song and the video definitely left a lasting mark. Also, I mentioned earlier about layering my vocals - my mid-voice is very much inspired by Simon Le Bon and his delivery that I have always loved.

Shock Treeatment: You guys decided to release the new LP on Kernkrach Records instead of with Hieb & Stitch this time. What led to that decision?

MPR: Hieb & Stich were amazing to us - an absolute pleasure to work with Thomas and we are massively thankful to him for taking a chance on us and I say taking a chance because Hieb & Stich is a black metal/hardcore label but Thomas loved what we were doing and wanted to put our records out. We did our first two full-lengths and the ‘Dormant Visions’ 12” with H&S (the first album also came out on FDH records in the US) and then Kernkrach were interested in the new album so we spoke to Thomas and all agreed that Kernkrach was more suited to our sound. Tape or Die in Berlin put the new album out on cassette which is out already.

Shock Treeatment: What lies in store for Iris Paralysis in 2026?

MPR: More shows…we are talking to some people in various German cities at the moment…we mainly play in Germany as the synth/coldwave scene is so good. Maybe even another release…we will start writing new stuff very soon.

Shock Treeatment: Where can people go to listen to your music and buy your records?

MPR: We are on all the digital streaming platforms and Badcamp too. You can get copies of our records that are still in print directly from us (or from our BC) and directly from the records labels too. Cheers!

Sick Shooters - Super Sonic Rock Saga LP Review

 

From the moment this record starts you know you're in for something special. I felt the hairs on my arm start to stand straight up just from the opening track. Like Sick Shooters somehow managed to electrically charge the air itself, like when lightening is about to strike. And mother nature didn't lie to me, struck that lightening did indeed. Not only is the opening riff for the first tune on this record, "Heartbreaker Soulshaker" impossibly catchy, but the production on this album has that perfect amount of dirty fuzz rubbed all over it. The greatness of this LP doesn't stop there though, these young 20 something Nederlanders punch out 11 songs crammed into one stellar rock n' roll record and not a rotten egg in the carton. Did I mention this is their debut LP by the way! Way to knock it out of the park at first swing!

Apparently these dudes come from the bands Spurn, Ultragoblin, and NO BRAINS. I don't know if that means anything to anyone, it really doesn't to me. All I know is that together, these guys made one kick ass record and me digs it lots and lots. As far as sound comparisons go, think Undertones, Ramones, and I'll even dare throw in Exploding Hearts into that mix. Sick Shooters don't try too hard to be any of these in particular though, they definitely have their own vibe and that's what makes what they're doing so special. Their heart is in it, you can totally tell and that's what really counts. That's what makes or breaks a rock n' roll band really. Do you mean what you say and more importantly, do you hearken the words of past punk poet laureates? I'd like to think I can tell if bands do or don't, but who really knows. If Sick Shooters don't, they sure fooled the hell out of me. The songs on this record are simple, fun and a real good time. And that's what we all need most right now. 

LP Available here from Wap Shoo Wap Records! 

An Interview With The Drags!

Interview conducted with bassist/vocalist Lorca Wood and guitarist/lead vocalist CJ Stritzel

Shock Treatment: Can we start out by telling me who’s currently in the band and what you all do in the group?

CJ: Sure, it’s me (CJ Stritzel) singing n’ playing guitar, Scott Derr playing guitar n’ making weird noises with a variety of machines, Lorca Wood playing bass n’ doing some singing and Ron Skrasek on drums and doing a bit of singing as well.

LW: Lorca here, as CJ said…. 

Shock Treatment: How did rock n roll find you guys out there in the majestic high deserts of ABQ? What bands inspired you to want to pick up an instrument and learn to play?

CJ: Well, I grew up in Tucson, so different desert but same vibe, I guess. I picked up a guitar when I was about 13 or so… I just was a suburban kid into all the really cool heavy metal and stadium rock that was on offer at the time. I just loves me some Rush, Van Halen, Priest, The Scorps, G n’ F’n R, all of it…

LW: I had always been really into music, and even though I grew up in the cultural wasteland of Oklahoma, I was fortunate to live in a college town that had a great record store and I was exposed to amazing touring bands at a young age. I was a cello player in school and plunked around on an acoustic guitar. I was in college in Albuquerque at the time when I met CJ, we bonded over Kiss and Johnny Thunders, I think. He was forming a band and they needed a bass player. I was joking around saying that I would do it, having no experience. He took my offer seriously. My “try out” consisted of learning the Velvets “Waiting for My Man” on the bass, which I had never played before. After that, the rest is history, as they say.

Shock Treatment: Tell me about The Swizzle Sticks. How did that band’s sound compare with what you guys started doing in The Drags?

CJ: Swizzle Sticks was with a couple other people, and it was, I guess, me trying some things that, ya know, some of em worked and some didn’t. We didn’t manage to put anything out, we had a couple of songs that I remember, not sure anyone else does (maybe I should rework ‘em)...

LW: The Swizzle Sticks sound leaned a little heavier. We weren’t as low- fi or stripped down, although the “garage sound” was definitely there. We were still coming off the vapors of The Jesus Lizard and Mudhoney etc era. Then filter that through The Troggs and early Kinks and maybe that's an approximation? I have a cassette somewhere and there are some songs that really hold up, in my opinion.

Photo by Ron Skrasek

 

Shock Treatment: What other bands did you guys enjoy playing with back when you were first starting out?

CJ: Well, ABQ didn’t really have enough bands to have different “scenes,” exactly. There were not enough Mods and Rockers for any credible rumble, ya know what I mean. We were all just under the umbrella of “Bands that are from Albuquerque,” so, as far as bands in town, we’d play with anybody, and (most) anybody would play with us…

But as we started touring and stuff we had a lot of good times with a ton of bands. I really don’t remember any experience of like “ug, those guys sucked,” even if I didn’t, ya know, love every band, people were cool. Gas Huffer were the super fun dudes that we traveled with, as were Rocket From The Crypt. It was just fun travelling and seeing how bands that had been doing it for a while kept it fresh. Really, they were just goofballs like us who didn’t mind sleeping on a floor or two if it meant they could just keep travelling around and seeing weird shit…

LW: The early days we formed tight bonds with a number of Tucson bands. The Fells, Doo Rag, Weird Love Makers and others. The Fatal Flying Guillotines from Houston are still one of my all time favorite bands that no one has ever heard of. Loved playing shows with them. We had a sort of love/hate relationship with The Makers, who were of course, amazing. But you always felt like things could go sideways at any second. As CJ said, Gas Huffer and Rocket From the Crypt were great, and definitely put us in front of a different audience that we might not have had. Memorable shows off the top of my head with Teengenrate, Dead Moon,The Cramps, Guitar Wolf, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The Dirt Bombs. Not an exhaustive list for sure!

From Albuquerque, we loved playing with Lux-o-Champ, Elephant, The Rondelles, Triskadekaphobia, The Shins (Flake Music at the time) Scared of Chaka, The Eyeliners, so many more to name.

Photo by Ron Skrasek

Shock Treatment: I know this was a while ago, but can you tell me what it was like recording and putting out the first Drags 7” I Like To Die back in 1994? Did it all come out as you’d hoped it would?

CJ: Recording it was fun and weird. There was a dude who ran sound at the Golden West (the club in town where everybody would play) and he had a studio in his home. Actually, it sorta was his home. Mixing? Kitchen. Tracking? Living/Dining rm. Overdubs -slash- Vocal Booth? Bathroom. So we recorded and mixed it there. Sent it off to some Czechoslovakian joint to get the 45’s made. Got back a loaf (all records came just wrapped together, we had to sleeve ‘em) of them a month later or so. And then we did some shows here and there, getting farther and farther afield each time. Still just selling em on our own. Sold a couple thousand of em that way, then we decided that we needed some kinda label to be doing some of this work for us.

Enter Estrus. We didn’t know anybody there (or anybody that did, we were in NM, what the heck?). So, we just decided to send Estrus our same package that were sending out to book shows. That consisted of, a) the I Like To Die 45, b) a t-shirt (maybe, if we had one around), some stickers and a postcard from our local diner (your local diner had postcards? Yep, they had an old timey looking photo of a sweet roll, their specialty, on 'em, and only cost .25 cents. I bought 200 of ‘em.) with a note from me that said “you should hire us to play at your club” or whatever.

Fast forward a month: I get a message on my machine from Dave Crider (Estrus honcho) that I believe to be Keith (Herrara, Drummer) fucking with me. “Hey, I got your record, I love it, it’s real good, I wanna do a record with you guys…” I think to myself that, ya know, Keith, what a scamp, he got me. And sorta forgot about it…

Little while later (not too long, week), we’re talking after practice and I says to him, “hey, nice one with the pretending to be Dave Crider on my machine,” he convinces me that no, that wasn’t him, which means HOLY SHIT, WERE GONNA DO A RECORD WITH ESTRUS! We kinda couldn’t believe it…

So, that was funny.

Part two, did it come out like we wanted it to? Dunno, wish it woulda been mixed a little hotter.

LW: I think CJ said it all. I was really surprised how much traction it got. I think it sounds great.

Shock Treatment: You guys recorded the Dragsploitation Now! 10” with Jim Waters over in Tucson, AZ back in 1995! I believe this was the first time the band recorded with him, yeah? What was your experience like there at Waterworks West?

CJ: First time being in a real studio. So, that was kinda crazy for me. Wait, there’s a piano here? We can just fuck around and try to get a piano into that track (didn’t work, spent a half a day on it, tho)? But, great experience, Jim (Waters) was a great producer in that he could get it outta ya even if you were tired, or not there yet, or just fucking over it. He’d give you pep talks, needle ya, make it like and fun in the studio, whatever the situation called for it seemed like he was a step or two ahead of it. Really positive experience, for both records.

LW: Jim is one of my favorite curmudgeons. He’s hilarious and so loveable in a round about way. He really pulls out the best in you, even when you can’t see it. He knows where you're going and how to get you there. Recording with him was a great experience. I’m a fan.

Shock Treatment: The first time I saw you guys was when you were with the amazing Sore Losers tour. How did the band end up on that bill?

CJ: Where’d you see that show? Phoenix? LA? Simple answer for that one, we did a song for the soundtrack and he was touring with the movie, it just kinda fell together. 

Shock Treatment: Yeah, I saw the show in Phoenix. 

CJ: That being said, that tour was a bitch. It’s freaking HARD to follow a movie. People are in a really different head space and here we come, clanging up the place. Great move, super fun, but man, some tough rooms…

Photo by Ron Skrasek

Shock Treatment: For The Drags mind blowing third record, Set Right Fit To Blow Clean Up, you guys switched things up a bit on us! I feel like that record was ahead of its time in so many ways. What influenced that change to The Drags signature sound?

CJ: Another easy one. Two new people coming into a three-piece band will shake it up pretty good.

LW: I think having Scott and Ron in the band was not only an injection of new life, but Scott especially, brought this experimental vibe and kind of gave us permission to try new things that we may not have before. I feel that record was the most collaborative. Speaking for myself, having that new energy freed me up to advocate and push for sounds and approaches that we hadn’t used in the past. We have never been an overly serious band, but the two of their senses of humor made the whole writing and recording process really fun and light and also stretched us. The “garage sound” and expectations for what people had come to want and expect from us had become a little stifling in my eyes, so it was really refreshing to play with people who were free to just play rock n’ roll and let the creativity flow, without the pressure or weight of repetition. This is by far my favorite and most satisfying record. I was surprised when so many people panned it. An old fan actually said to me in a very serious tone “What the fuck were you guys thinking?!?” It definitely alienated a lot of people. But I love when people now say that they hated it when it came out, but it’s become their favorite album of ours. So that’s validating and a good reminder that trusting your instincts and trying new things is always the way to go. You’re not writing for an audience, you’re ultimately doing it for yourself. People may get it, or not.

Shock Treatment: Tell me about this crazy Mosswood Meltdown gig? How did you guys get involved with that?

CJ: Not sure if this is the first time that they have tried to contact us to play, but it was the first time that I was interested. I wasn’t really into the whole ‘reunion’ thing. Dunno, I think I was pretty hung up on it “not being the same” and that whole line of thinking. Just a fear about being old, really. Scared that I wasn’t up to it…

But, I had a bit of a health scare last year that changed my opinion on a lotta stuff. I just started thinking, well, if someone thinks that there is a group of people who would like to hear these songs again, maybe I could quit being a weirdo about it for long enough to listen to their offer. And hey, confession time: I’m a bit older than I was then. But so’s everybody. And once that got outta my way, it was just fuck it, let’s rip.

LW: CJ and I always felt very clear in never wanting to do a reunion. In fact, we were vehemently against it. But weird life things happen. Loss, health scares, maybe some gained wisdom, and you realize that you’re alive, its all fleeting, and why the fuck not have a good time doing something you love that brings happiness and joy to others? Even if it's brief, you gotta get it while you can. “Better to regret something you have done, than to regret something you haven’t done…”

Shock Treatment: What lies ahead for The Drags in 2026? Can we expect any new music from the band and by any chance do you have any shows planned for your old stomping grounds in Tucson??

CJ: No current plans for a Tucson show (maybe we can get the Fells to reunite?).

Right now, we’re looking at Portland and Mosswood. But if anyone has any offers that are a) in fun or exotic locales, or b) exceptionally lucrative (or both?!??!), let us know!

LW: I will second that. If the right thing appears I’m down

The Drags reissue LP's available NOW from Total Punk Records 

Interview with Continental Lovers!

Interview conducted with lead singer and guitarist Joe Maddox

Shock Treatment: Who’s currently in Continental Lovers and what does everyone do in the band to earn their keep?

JM: Hey!

Continental Lovers are:
Joe Maddox- Lead vocals and guitars
Ben Webster- Lead guitar
Kerri Kaysen- Bass guitar

We are currently between drummers, however our fantastic original drummer, Rokket Rik is behind the kit at the moment. Previously we had Ace Carlton, who is still part of the gang, but doing his own thing for a bit.

Earning our keep?! We do a lot of things, really. Helping others out, making things, playing music…. 

Shock Treatment: How did you guys all meet and decide to play music together?

JM: The band was originally a bit of a solo project for me. I wrote a bunch of power pop songs with no real intention of putting a band together, but there was a lot of interest in them and, after a few early line up changes, Kerri, Ben and I have been together for three years. We’ve played well over
100 shows together in the UK and Europe.

We share similar music tastes, get on really well and just really enjoy being creative together. It’s worked well so far!

Shock Treatment: Tell me about the Continental Lovers sound! Did you guys have a particular direction when you started or did it just kind of form after you guys started playing together?

JM: Most of the songs I write are quite short and fast, but also very melodic. Think of bands like Cheap Trick and you’ll get the idea.

We are renowned for our big hooks and sing along choruses. I guess we have a good ear for a melody. For a rock n roll band, I like to think I write some interesting lyrics too. I love words!!

Shock Treatment: If I’m not mistaken, the band is currently based in Nottingham, England. How does your town treat you guys? Do you enjoy playing in the area?

JM: We haven’t played Nottingham for over a year! That’s probably because we played it four times within 12 months and we thought that was too much. We really do like to get out there, though. We’ve toured Spain and Scandinavia and have more European dates in the pipeline for this year.
Nottingham is alright. We should probably play it again soon. It’s always had a pretty decent rock scene.

Shock Treatment: You guys released your debut full length last year, which I really dig! Can you tell me a bit about the making of it?

JM: It was recorded in bits, really. It’s more of a compilation of singles released 12 months or so prior. I love to write songs as if I am writing for the Top 40.

Over half of the record is mostly me and Rik, with our mate Jonesey playing guitar as well. I ended up playing a lot of bass and other bits too.

Kerri, Ben and Ace then play on the other half of the record, so it’s a bit of a mongrel album.
it’s gone down very well and I love the songs on it, but now we are working on new material, so that’s exciting too.

Speaking of the album, can you tell me about the song St. Joan? I have a guess about who it’s about but I could be totally wrong!

JM: St. Joan was one of the first songs written, and is a homage to Joan Jett. The lyrics are full of Joan references, so it’s not too hard to spot.

The solo even mimics the melody from “I hate Myself For Loving You!”

I am a massive Joan Jett fan!

Shock Treatment: I love that you guys have a song about Dale Arden! What kinds of things typically inspire your lyrics? Do you have any more songs about sci-fi heroines I don’t know about!? Maybe a secret Princess Leia song?

JM: Haha! To be honest, I have very little interest in sci-fi or comic books. That song exists because I was asked to write for a potential Flash Gordan animated TV series that I am guessing never got off the ideas board!

I thought it would be fun to write about someone other than Flash, and Dale Arden is pretty cool!

Shock Treatment: You guys played Rebellion Fest last year! Tell me how that went?

JM: It’s the second time we have played it. It’s a great festival- very welcoming and friendly. I suppose we are your traditional punk band in a sense, but it’s fun to walk around it dressed like we do as there’s not many folks there that look like us.
We aren’t playing this year, but we’d love to come back in the future.

Shock Treatment: What does 2026 look like for Continental Lovers?

JM: Mainly writing and recording with tours planned for September and December. We will pop up with a show here and there, to keep busy.
However, we’ve played a lot over the last two years and have neglected getting in the studio, so that’s the main thing.

We released two new songs at the end of December last year and already have another recorded, so perhaps we’ll have something out by the Summer.

Shock Treatment: Where can people go to listen to your music and buy your records?

JM: Everywhere! Most good online music stores will stock us- in the UK, Europe, US and Japan. Our record is out on Cadiz, so we have international distribution.

Of course you can always stream our stuff everywhere, too!