“using weaponised incompetence to start a war. Grow up! Have some hot milk, cool yourself, put it in a Sippy cup and shut the fuck up”
One of the best lines from a song I have heard this this year, taken from ‘What!’ with the sneering vocals accompanied by the menacing stomp of guitar, bass, and drums. It opens Never Been Cheddar the new EP from Liverpool-based band Tits Up. I often describe sifting through submissions in the Joyzine inbox as panning for gold, and this EP shone brightly from the first track. They are Norwegian Amanda on drums and vocals, Canadian Jen on guitar, and American Bridget on bass.
Trios have to work harder work create musical cohesion and Tits Up sound like they have 2 drummers, 3 bass players and 6 guitarists. Their fuzzed-up punk rock is splashy, angular, nearly-out-of-control, febrile and raw. The band cite their influences as The Cramps, L7, Bikini Kill, and The B-52’s (just listen to the opening “sh’dooops” of ‘Rat’ or the mid-section of ‘Horney Hornet’) and I also heard some of the jagged power of The Stooges and early Killing Joke (check out ‘Change’ or ‘Follow the Leaders’), and they would complete an explosive night on the same bill as Deap Vally, CHROMA, and Bureau de Change. They describe their music perfectly, as “high-energy, low-tolerance tunes that sound like a sexy punch in the face”.
After listening to all five tracks, you get the same sensation as driving with the brake cable cut. The band’s garage rock houses drag racers and muscle cars alike, all 50’s V8 snarl, 60’s surf decals and 90’s neon. Tits Up don’t just get the party started they ignite it and keep it burning like thermite. The songs cover the rigours and ridiculousness of modern life: ‘What!’ “takes aim at malfunctioning adults, i.e. fully grown people throwing temper tantrums “acting like big ol’ babies”, ‘Fat Meat’ covers consensual cannibalism and the band’s love of hot sauce, ”cause hot sauce is amazing and can be put on anything”, ‘Rat’ “captures a kind of dissociated modern survivalism”, and ‘Cheese Wife’ closes the EP with a “joyous ode to cheese”.
Tits Up exude fun, serious fun. The energy radiating from this EP is exhilarating and I doubt they will have any trouble elbowing their way into pole position as your new-fave-band. Watch out all you pretenders to the punk throne, Never Been Cheddar ferments the band’s position as future stars. All other bands should brie afraid, brie very afraid.
Tits Up: Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook
Review by Paul F Cook
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