The Restarts, formed in 1995, are a tight three piece, multi-genre punk outfit based in East London. They play thrashy, anarcho, power chord punk laced with Ska breaks and pogo inducing basslines earning them a loyal following of punk lovers of all ages.
The Restarts have been hammering their way through the squats of Europe and DIY house shows across North America with reckless abandon. They lend amplification to unheard voices, playing benefit gigs for various social causes and keeping the DIY spirit of punk rock alive and well.
Their years of hard graft is recognised by them being requested to play along side such heavy weights as Steve Ignorant's Crass, Jello Biafra & GSM, Millions of Dead Cops, The Casualties, Star Fucking Hipsters and The Subhumans.
After several tours over Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and South Asia and over 9 releases the Restarts have found themselves playing a small part in a large world wide network of DIY Punk Rock. They are punks first, musicians second. They feel the social importance of Punk Rock takes priority over the "marketability" of a rehashed trend.
In 2019 they published a split 7" with the Subhumans and their new album "Uprising".
Reviews
Die RESTARTS spielen vor einem total vollen Saal. Kieran, der Sänger schreit seine wütenden Punktexte in die Menge. Die RESTARTS machen Punk mit klarer politischer Ansage weil: 'there are a lot of assholes out there'. Sie spielen immer noch so zornig, wie Anfang der 90er in den besetzten Häusern." - Useless Fanzine, Live Review, Rebellion Festival 2012
Gewürzt mit einer ordentlichen Prise Streetpunk strotzen die Songs vor Rebellion und Aggression. Der Sound ist rau, grob, melodisch und sehr eingängig. RESTARTS sind weder müde noch leiser geworden... Diese Hoffnung ist Antrieb. RESTARTS geben mit diesem Album Mut, den eigenen Weg weiter zu gehen, und das ist mehr, als viele Bands heutzutage schaffen." - Wahrschauer
"The Restarts first crawled out of the North London Squat scene nearly a decade ago. Serial dole scroungers the lot of them, they named their band after the dreaded 'back to work' interviews and set about touting their stroppy four-chord punk to spiky-haired audiences around the world. Yelling out barbed diatribes against the state over chunky metal guitars, they've slowly but surely clawed their way to the top of the underground pile." - Terrorizer
"This is dance in the basement, spanner in the works, back porch drinking, bomb in the police station punk!!! I never knew Steve Ignorant had pregnancy-inducing sex with all of POISON IDEA, but this is some cute baby they had. Oh, also good people. They played at a house in West Oakland last month, and rocked us with energy and astounded us with their good manners!" - Maximum Rock'n'Roll
"Abrasive yet catchy UK punk with raw vocals and plenty of chorus sing a longs. The razor blade throated lead vocalist give this plenty of raw edge while through most of it the music has a much more uplifting energy to it... Oddly enough, it seems rare to come across the bands that play straight forward old-style punk rock and so this is a refreshing cause they've been at it for like a decade. Cheers guys. Good catchy shit." - Slug and lettuce
"I've seen them play many times in London and always rated them pretty highly as a live band but never really got to hear their stuff on record yet. Things have changed now as I got a copy of their latest album. It seems I've been missing out on something very big. This album is the dogs bollocks! This goes right into my top 20 albums of all time I reckon. 12 songs of punk rock how it should be played." - London Punks.co.uk
"I caught the mighty RESTARTS at Brum punx picnic & they rocked the house down w/ their abrasive punk rock... Raging punk rock w/ honest social commentary shows that THE RESTARTS are one class act!... As usual THE RESTARTS win another battle of the bands." - Punk shocker, Newcastle Fanzine
"With ex members of Coitus, Armed and Hammered, and Assrash UK, it was no surprise that the RESTARTS kick-ass!! All three members share the vocals and each deliver them powerfully... These guys plan to tour the US this summer!...I can't wait." - Profane Existence
The Dizzy Brains are a garage rock band, inspired by The Sonics, as there are many around the world, except for Madagascar, one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world and the birthplace of the quartet. Founded by two brothers, Eddy on vocals and Mahefa on bass, the group fights injustice, lack of possibilities and freedom restriction in the everyday life of the islanders.
Their influences come from bands from their fathers’ generation (The Kings, The Stooges, The Vines etc.). That’s where they found their love for unbridled rock’n’roll (choosing Little Richard over Presley), garage style and psyched atmosphere. They even covered Jacques Dutronc’s "Les Cactus" in a version full of thorns. And it’s more than music. They are sharing a piece of themselves including their bravery and vulnerability.
They are the face of the opposition in their country, Madagascar’s youth trying to survive while going against the political system. This is their passion for life that shines off during their concerts.
The Dizzy Brains are regular guests in French TV and have toured in Germany, the Netherlands, France, the UK, South Korea etc. In 2019, they will bring their brand new second album "Tany Razana" to Europe, like the first one published by the French label X-Ray Production.
Reviews
"Garage rock by its nature is simple to play – its the entry point for nearly every guitar mangler on the planet and consequently can be a hit or miss afafair but when it is played with this much fire, intensity and imagination it can sound like one of the most thrilling types of music on the planet. Try and magazine watching the Stooges at their feral pre fame best complete witha skinny Madagascan hanging from the mic with his shirt stripped off like a youthful Iggy, or try to imagine the garage end of the Dead Kennedys cranked through the superfuzz of Mudhoney and that thrilling rush of early Nirvana and you are in the ballpark witha band who pique your curiosity with their home country but transcend it with their unrelenting power and twitching energy. With each song being a lesson in tension and dynamics The Dizzy Brains could actually be the best garage rock band in the world, they are that good…" - Louder Than War, May 2017, Live Review
"Check it out. Its easy to see why they are a great band to have at any festival, as they bring with them energy, up beat rock songs to have any crowd dancing about. A young rock group from Madagascar The Dizzy Brains is capturing the imagination and attention of the music scene in Europe. The band’s unique style is a blend of punk and garage rock and their provocative lyrics tell stories about politics, power and protest in Madagascar. Since their songs challenge authority, the band was shunned from most concert venues and radio stations in Madagascar, but the band developed quite a following underground on social media and outside the country... The Dizzy Brains grabbed audiences in France after their appearance on the popular French television show 'Le Petit Journal' on April 14, 2016. During the show, one member of the band sparked a buzz on Malagasy social networks and blogs because he openly challenged Madagascar’s new prime minister, urging him on to do more for the country: 'just do your job, man!' This bold and spontaneous plea was the talk of the town in Madagascar for a while and fitted quite well with the group’s musical identity based on protest and civic engagement... The group continues to tour Europe and the young musicians continue to educate the world on their home country of Madagascar." - 5shouts.com
"These kids absolutely rock. They are going to make the fire, I’m sure of it. Because rock, in the end, is the vehicle of rebellion, and that’s without a doubt a little lost in the West. While in Madagascar, what they’re singing has meaning. This is coming from the streets." - Jean-Louis Brossard, director of the Trans-Musicales festival in Rennes
Since 1989 Citizen Fish has been touring the world: turning gatherings, benefits, and social gigs into an international never-ending weekend. They have created a blend of punk, ska, and straight up rock'n'roll that appeals to the sing-a-long music fans and even the "muso" musician types that typically dismiss punks as not being able to play their instruments.
But it's not so much the fact that these dudes are the most talented musicians in England, it's what they say and how they say it. In a fun loving, all inclusive way, Citizen Fish (and their previous outfits Culture Shock and the legendary Subhumans) have brought working class radical politics to generations of questioning minds. Leaving aside the typical screaming rants of boring political punk bands, the Fish offer a hopeful, danceable alternative.
Whereas other bands have fans, admirers, and flavor-of-the-month teenyboppers hoarding to their concerts, Citizen Fish have established an open and always growing family. The idealistic unifying tone of Dick's lyrics, coupled with the catchy driving riffs of the band, allow the Fish to appeal to a wide variety of folks.
Familiar dancing faces in every town, beers and vegetarian meals, and local activists filling the gig halls with information, ideas, and inspiration for positive change is what Citizen Fish are all about.
Reviews
"Its scary how much a sound this rare and aged can suddenly be dragged kicking and screaming into modern relevance.
CITIZEN FISH are a wonder of nature, they should not be able to inspire these feelings, being as they are 'just a punk band...'" - Subba-Cultcha.com
"There is nothing diluted about Citizen Fish’s musically delivery – As expected of a band with such an extensive history they have got better with age; the Fish now deliver some of the finest ska-punk around, each separate ingredient would in its own right be regarded as exemplary – the blending of full on hardcore with jaunty brass-fuelled ska is joyous; the brass is warm, subtle even, it doesn’t, like many other ska releases overpower the music – this at times is even soulful!" - LouderThanWar.com
"Referenzklasse in diesem Sektor sind und bleiben OPERATION IVY und CITIZEN FISH, und die simple Regel ist: Mach es mit deiner Band so gut wie die – oder lass es bleiben... 'Goods' ist das achte Album der 1989/90 gegründeten Band, deren markanten Frontmann Dick Lucas man vorher schon bei SUBHUMANS und CULTURE SHOCK singen hören konnte. Die klassische Schlagzeug-Gitarre-Bass-Besetzung wird um Posaune und Trompete ergänzt, der Offbeat ist immer wieder, aber nicht konstant zu hören, die Wechsel zu treibenden Punk-Parts sind sehr geschmeidig, und die Bläserparts sitzen perfekt... Die große Stärke von allen Bands, denen Dick Lucas seine Stimme verlieh, waren schon immer die Texte, und das ist hier nicht anders. Keine wohlfeilen Plattitüden, sondern smarte, politische Analysen, das zielgerichtete Hinterfragen von (Fehl-)Entwicklungen in der Szene wie der Gesellschaft allgemein" - Ox fanzine
"As a whole, this album fucking rules. I didn’t expect anything less from these dudes, as most things they’ve released have been SKAtastically entertaining." - PunkWorldNews.com
"Their set was energetic, skilfully imposing with its Ska rhythms, jabbing beat and suitably refreshing lyrics. Led by Dick Lucas, the band turned back time, beyond their early 1990 humble beginnings, to the late 1970’s, early 80’s message of non-conformity and free thinking acceptance. The post-punk phase may be all but consigned to certain bands, which regretfully don’t get the air play they deserve, however this fusion of Ska/punk/rock was very well received and immensely enjoyable... The tracks were pulsating and intense and Dick Lucas bounced and weaved throughout it all. Songs such as Habit, Back to Square One, the brilliantly observed HD Riot and Human Conditioner were simply excellent." - Liverpool Sound and Vision
"As with his other band the Subhumans, Lucas adds political rants and social commentary into Citizen Fish at every opportunity – often blaming the introduction of television as the result in the decline of human development, however whereby the awesome Subhumans are a straight to the point punk outfit Citizen Fish are more uplifting with their horn section and ska-influences making you feel the need to dance along as they blasted through songs drawn heavily from their 2011 release “Goods” as well as earlier recordings. The venue at around one hundred capacity was rammed and although it was stupidly hot the condensation dripping off the walls added to the atmosphere, after all this was good old fashioned ska-punk at its finest and Citizen Fish had the crowd literally bouncing as you felt the floor vibrate underneath." - Mr Teeth Reviews
Swedish quartet True Moon delivers an enchanting blend of dark wave, post-punk, and alternative that eclipses musical trends. Formed by members of Grammy-nominated band Vånna Inget, Karolina Engdahl (vocals/bass) and Tommy Tift (guitar), they have created a charming darkness; together with Linus Segerstedt (guitar) and Fredrik Orevad (drums), they are a force to be reckoned with.
Engdahl and Tift began this project when they were inspired to create something that was more raw and visceral than the songs they were working on for Vånna Inget. “It was like an urge and we just had to do this,” says Engdahl. The result was True Moon’s 2016 self-titled debut, a brooding yet sensual work that garnered attention in the Scandinavian music community and beyond. .
With influences including Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, early Cure, Stevie Nicks, and Heart, they channeled a sound of bittersweet twilight. True Moon expanded their audience with performances in Sweden, the UK, and the United States, playing with bands like Killing Joke, King Dude, MCC, Dead Soul, Nicole Saboune and many more.
Now poised for their next release, titled "II" True Moon has nowhere to go but up. “We want to draw our own cult of believers together and create a little chaos of our own,” Karolina says. “We want this record to be like an infectious poison.” Both "II" and "True Moon" were produced by Jari Haapalainen, who adds guitar to the recordings and also joins the band on stage occasionally.
Lövely Records will released "II" in digital, CD and vinyl formats in 2019.