Wonk Unit
Good Good Glad to Hear It (Pirates Press Records)
This week, we're dropping the needle on two underground punk bands, albeit two very different underground punk bands. Wonk Unit are DIY underground champs from Croydon, South London. Their sound somehow touches a few unlikely bases, including Crass and the Toy Dolls.
Their wonderfully leftist leanings are revealed on "Luxury Flats"--a rallying cry against the wealthy elites. Meanwhile, "Rapidly Declining Dignity" is a tragic song about addiction.
"There are no rules in the Wonk song book other than everything has to have meaning and is important to me. These songs need to be written. They all had, for whatever reason, a burning desire to be released from my head,” says singer/songwriter/guitarist Alex Wonk.
Job done. It's a great, diverse, journey of a record and should be heard by way more people than will actually hear it.
Unlettered
Five Mile Point (Unlettered)
Unlettered is the post-punk project spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist Mike Knowlton. There's a glorious drone to new album Five Mile Point, but the melodies are also overt. As such, it's quite reminiscent of Girls Against Boys.
The bar is set high right from opening song "Dither," which blends into "She is Inside You" without fanfare but not without glory.
Regarding that single, Knowlton said, “'She Is Inside You' explores the fine line between holding onto memories and being trapped by them. When a loved one is gone, we often cling to their belongings, hoping to keep them close. But when do cherished mementos become emotional baggage? This song digs into the burden of sentimental hoarding and the freedom found in letting go.”
Knowlton has roots in the vibrant '90s N.Y.C. experimental music scene, and that desire for artistic exploration raises its welcome head throughout this record like a fuzzy prairie dog.
