Fat Wreck Tour 2011

Fat Wreck Chords. You may not them, but you'd probably know most of their artists. They are the punk label of labels in this modern age. It helps that it's owned by Fat Mike of Nofx. What they do though is sign some of the best modern punk bands, and give them a great go. So it's good to see a tour coming over to Australia of some of their smaller bands. So you could say I'm a little more than excited for this tour:

Pour Habit was one of my favourite bands of the last few years. They are one of those bands that just combine partying, skating and punk into a great fun package. And Smoke or Fire are just a good all around punk bands I've been enjoying for a long time. They will be playing two shows around our area, in very small venues. You'd be an idiot to miss this great punk show.

October 8, Miami Shark Bar, Gold Coast
October 9, Step Inn

Smoke or Fire
Pour Habit (Check out the song Bad Luck Drunk, it's one of my favourite drinking songs)

Free new tracks (Flooging Molly and Peter Bjorn and John)

Today brings you not one, but two new free tracks from great artists. The first one is from Flogging Molly, one of my favourite folk-punk bands. Featuring a huge Irish influence and 7 excellent musicians playing all sorts of folky instruments, they are always one to get me up and dancing a jig.

You can get their free new track, Don't Shut 'Em Down, by signing up to their newsletter here. It's less folky than a lot of their other songs and I think they are going for a little more of a mainstream rock sound, but it's still good. Especially the accordian. There needs to be more accordian in rock.

The other track is from Swedes Peter Bjorn and John, probably best known for that damn song with the whistling that always gets stuck in my goddamn head. Their new song, Breaker Breaker, can be streamed and downloaded from this website. If all you know is the song Young Folks (with the whistling) this will be different for you. It's short, it's distorted, it's faster and it's a lot noiser indie. There's no folk here. With my leanings towards noisy music, I like it of course.

PUNKFEST

Ohhhhhhhh punkfest. There's nothing like it. Cheap entry, lots of great local and Australian punk bands, reasonably priced beer and steak and a bloody awesome time. This year, the big draw cards are Victoria's celtic punkers, the Go Set.

Joining them from the local scene are two of my favourite Brisbane punk bands Mouthguard and the Black Market. Mouthguard do hardcore punk and weren't meant to be playing anymore shows this year. I guess they lied. Black Market do ska/folk punk, much in the style of Rancid. Both have excellent live sets.

All this goes down on the 20th of November at the Jubilee Hotel. $15 entry.

The Go Set
Mouthguard
The Black Market