Last year, I started a series based around underground punk music. I’ve decided to resurrect the series this year, with this being the third installment. All the bands on this list have elements of punk in their music, with a full playlist at the bottom.
Review by Jane Howkins
Picture by Danny Wright
Danny Wright – TRAIN WRECK
Danny Wright’s latest song TRAIN WRECK combines a number of different genres together – chiefly pop-punk and hip-hip. The chorus opens the song and has a typical pop-punk singing style to it, with the the vocals on the first verse sounding rapped, with more of a hip-hop vibe to the beats. The second verse goes back to a more traditional punk style, with chugging guitars leading into the anthemic chorus.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram.
Jesse Grossi – The Crown
I’ve featured Jesse Grossi here a few times now, with his music having a great sound that fits many different genres. The Crown is the title of his latest release, having more of a pop-punk vibe to it. The riffs are fast, with some noodly guitar melodies being played underneath the rest of the music. Jesse has utilised his vocals to great effect, with some incredible harmonies appearing along the way.
Social media: Linktree, Facebook, Spotify, Youtube, Instagram.
Molly Baker – Runaway
Runaway is upbeat from the start, with a programmed percussive beat kicking things off, before the guitar melodies appear. Molly Baker has a great singing voice, with some cool backing vocals appearing during the chorus. The track is rather poppy at times, especially on the verses, but the chorus soon ramps things up, having more of a pop-punk feel to it. Those into their softer styles of punk should check this out.
Social media: Spotify, Youtube, Instagram.
scxtty – I Don’t Think You Love Me
scxtty has quite a variety of different genres contained within his latest song, I Don’t Think You Love Me. Whilst it definitely has elements of punk in there, it’s a little slower than you might normally expect from the genre (on the verses anyway), with moments of alt-rock, surf rock, modern rock and even a hint of classic rock and roll in there. The chorus changes the tempo up a little, but it’s the verses I kept coming back to, with the unique rhythm sounding really catchy at times.
Social media: Twitter, Spotify, Instagram.
Bleach Boy – Walk
Bleach Boy are a band from Manchester who describe themselves as having a post-punk/grunge sound, although I felt Walk still had some punk stylings to it. It starts off fairly slowly, with deep vocals and a low guitar melody, fitting the grungy aspect well. It sounds pretty eerie at times, with fuzzy guitar riffs being added over the course of the song. The chorus explodes in a huge mass of sound, fitting the hardcore punk genre well, although it does have a fairly slow time signature for that genre, making the music sound very diverse.
Social media: Facebook, Spotify, Youtube, Instagram.
Chase Bennett – Toxic
Toxic is a track by Chase Bennett, also featuring Cole Bennett, who I can only assume is a relative of sorts. Toxic is another pop-punk song that also has links to the hip-hop genre, especially in terms of the vocal effects and the beats that are occasionally used. However, the song does have enough to offer for those into the punk genre, with a classic pop-punk rhythm contained within it, due in part to the guitar melodies. The vocals use a lot of autotune, but again, this suits the hip-hop/pop-punk stylings well.
Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, Instagram.
The Hell Beings – Court Of Appeal
The Hell Beings are a heavy band from Brighton, with latest release Court Of Appeal exploding from the start with an extreme punk sound. It’s one of the most hardcore tracks on this list, with discordant rhythms and riffs combining well with the largely shrieked vocal style. It all sounds very intense, with the raw production quality adding to the hardcore punk techniques – those into their heavier music should check this out.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram.
9 o’clock Nasty – Playboy Driver
Playboy Driver starts out with some impressive guitar motifs, sounding very groovy at times. The vocals have a call and response manner to them, before harmonising in infectious style on the chorus. 9 o’clock Nasty’s music has garage rock vibes to it, not just being a punk song. It also has a sense of attitude to it that marks the punk scene well, with the guitar riffs making the track sound pretty catchy too!
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok.
Big Troppy – Always On Our Minds
Always On Our Minds is an amazing punk rock song from Big Troppy – the opening guitar riff will get stuck inside your head almost immediately. The song is catchy throughout, although it still has a punk rock sound (rather than a pop-punk one), due to the vocal style and the heavier sound of the music. The change of dynamics going into the chorus works really well – these guys are definitely ones to watch!
Social media: Twitter, Spotify.
College Elite – I Might Fall Apart
I Might Fall Apart is the last song on my list, but it’s no less worthy of your time. College Elite are a lo-fi garage rock project created by Joshua William from Manchester, also containing elements of alt-rock, indie rock and grunge. The vocals have a recognisable pop-punk quality right from the very start, opening the track in style before the rest of the music kicks in. Again, this song is more of a pop-punk track, but you can hear the other genres the band make in there too, making for a nice overall sound.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram.
