punk this week: the sleeveens, heathen axe, puzzlehead, mock execution + 17 more

Happy May Day. It’s Punk This Week, the regular punk and rock’n’roll recommendations column. It’s another week that spills over with treasures—established and brand new bands from all over the world. John Dwyer’s new band Heathen Axe, plus Puzzlehead, No Peeling, Mock Execution, the Sleeveens, Answering Machines, Brendan Wells, Useless Eaters, Memo PST, Fentanyl, Genre Is Death, and IRKED all releasing new stuff in the same week is honestly wild.

I legally have to mention teeter/totter: a see/saw benefit here at the top of the column. It’s 28 previously unreleased punk songs compiled under the aesthetic banner “punk is for the children” with proceeds going to the PCRF and the Immigrant Defense Network. It features Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s new banger “I Need Some Space,” Awesome Snakes’ first new material since 2009, a hard drive pull from Twisted Teens, a demo from the upcoming Eraser album, and way more gold beyond those four. 

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The Sleeveens: National Anthem [Goner]

The title track of the new album from Nashville rock’n’soul barflies the Sleeveens closes out the album, because what could possibly come after it? It’s a scathing criticism of an imperialist country that we’re all deeply fucking sick of. The grizzled voice of Stefan Murphy pulls no “fuck”s. If you’re going to decry a country’s most fucked up policies, we’re cussin’ in here. It’s a sentiment delivered straightforwardly on one of the band’s catchiest songs to date. A couple other exceptional songs on this album really cement what makes the Sleeveens stand out in a field of rock bands with soul shouters up front.

Stefan’s voice does the job well, but this band does not have a Shogun or Greg Cartwright to hurtle them into the stratosphere. On a record where sometimes the instruments and songbook do the heaviest lifting, this dude’s vocals shine particularly on three songs: the title track, “Ernest and Julio,” and “Six Counties Punk.” That’s where you hear the most life and personality behind these incredible hooks that he’s singing—where things really light all the way up. National Anthem is worth the price of admission just for its final song alone, but the journey getting there—including that kickass Walkmen cover—will make you wish that you were shouting along live at the stickiest bar.