P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. (US)
Punk Rock Garage, Portland
"The members of this group are or have been in Defiance, Dead Moon, Resist, Detestation, Pierced Arrows, Severed Head Of State... and about every band to ever come from Portland, but you shouldn't pick up this rad little two-song picture disc because of what these folks have done in the past. P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. stands on it's own merits. The band plays well crafted hardcore punk with a fast and dirty rock'n'roll swagger." - Maximum Rock'n'Roll
The P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. from Portland, Oregon are a 5 piece Rock’n’Roll/Punkasfuck/Hardcore Monster which consists of several punkrock veterans out of Portland. Members have managed to do some mischief in bands like Pierced Arrows, Defiance, Detestation, or current bands like Don’t and Hellshock. That should give you a general idea of what this band is all about. Powerful Punk’n’Roll with sleazy guitars, a tight rhythm section and a frantic singer with just the right amount of snottines.
After several tours in the US, Europe and Mexico and a handful of vinyl and cd releases, they made a name for themselves as a prominent presence not only in Portland's thriving Punk/Garage Rock/Underground music scene.
After nearly 80 European shows in 2015 and 2016 the P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. will come back to Europe in fall 2017 with a new singer, their new single “Enemy Spy” and the brand new LP "Doomtown Shakes"!
Reviews
"Featuring Kelly Halliburton - drummer of the post *DEAD MOON* PIERCED ARROWS -on bass and original POISON IDEA drummer Dean Johnson, this is a powerful blast of Rock'n'Roll fury that few bands actually achieve... If, to paraphrase THE JACK SAINTS, Rock'n'Roll saved your life but is now trying to kill you, or if you just simply love the jet-fuel-infused sounds of THE NEW BOMB TURKS, THE HELLACOPTERS, or Ass-Cobra-era TURBONEGRO, not to mention the aforementioned CANDY SNATCHERS, JACK SAINTS and MOTORHEAD, you're gonna need this 7" right now, this second, chop chop, what are you waiting for?... PS - I've just played this 7" over and over about 20 times while writing this and I’m not sick of it yet. That's good music."
- The Big Takeover Magazine
"So the members of this group have been in PIERCED ARROWS, POISON IDEA, RESIST, DEFIANCE, DETESTATION, SEVERED HEAD OF STATE, and about every band to ever come from Portland, but you shouldn't pick up this rad little two-song picture disc because of what these folks have done in the past. P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. stands on it's own merits. The band plays well crafted hardcore punk with a fast and dirty rock'n'roll swagger. I'm pretty sure this band has only released two other EP's of the same format in limited quantities, so you may have to fight some collector douche bag for a copy, but it is worth it."
- Maximum Rock'n'Roll
"This is P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S.' fourth EP. It is non-stop barreling punk like the shit that the bands that they played in prior did. Punk oozes out of this single in that fast dirty rock'n'roll sound that bands like the HELLACOPTERS perfected. But the subject matter comes from lived experience: 'Why do I sit around in the cold, cold rain?' has to be about Portland. These are the things I know is pretty obvious. NEW BOMB TURKS meets TURBONEGRO. And limited pressing, self-released, clear see-through vinyl and you have a record that is going to be a collectors' item by next month."
- Equalizing Distort
"If the standard for overdrive is: MANOWAR plays on 10, MOTORHEAD kills yer lawn when they move in next door, and SPINAL TAP plays on 11, then this record was recorded at 30 or 40. I think Stan Wright's Buzz Or Howl studio was probably reduced to a smoking pile of rubble in the ground, declared 'toxic' by uniformed federal employees after P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S.'s Apr 2011 session for this album... There's just 9 songs, but there only NEEDS to be 9 songs on this record. This is a set I'd like to see this band do, in this order."
- Sonic Recollections Records
"Wundervoll: Diese 7" kommt so retro daher, dass mir das beinahe Tränen in die Augen treibt: Plastiktüte, darin ein mittig gefaltetes, kopiertes Stück Papier, darin die Single. So werden Punkrock-Singles seit 2000 Jahren gemacht, so muss das sein – wer braucht da irgendwelchen Digitalschrott? Limitiert auf 300 Stück, und fuck, das ist das Traurige an der heutigen Zeit: Früher hatten solche kleinen Meisterwerke die zehnfache Auflage – und heute finden sich weltweit gerade noch 300 Leute, die so einen exzellenten Geschmack teilen? So was macht mir Angst ... Tombstone, das ist das DEAD MOON-Label, entsprechend sind die Aufnahmen hier auch 'nur' mono, gemastert hat Fred Cole selbst, und die fünf Männer, die sich P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. nennen, spielten auch schon bei solch Portland-Autoritäten wie POISON IDEA, PIERCED ARROWS, BURNING LEATHER und RESIST. Entsprechend klingt es dann auch: dreckiger Hardcore-Punk mit der Intensität eines aufgescheuchten Wespennestes, dem man seine Gene klar anhört."
- Ox fanzine
"Geboten wurde schneller, rauer Punk-Rock, der allerdings über jenes gewisse Etwas verfügte, das auch Bands wie ZEKE, ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN, die frühen NEW BOMB TURKS oder NINE POUND HAMMER ausmacht und keinen der Besucher unberührt ließ."
- Rockstage-Riot-RheinMain.de
"WOW!! Mal wieder eine All-Star Band aus Portland und vor allem endlich mal eine, die die großen Namen nicht braucht, sondern durch Qualität überzeugt! Nach einigen beachtenswerten EP´s ist das hier die erste LP der Problems. Deren Mitglieder sind bzw. waren unter anderem bei 'Pierced Arrows', 'Poison Idea', 'Resist', 'Defiance', 'Detestation' und 'Severed Head of state' aktiv, unter anderem ist hier Tausendsassa Kelly am Start. Ganz wunderbarer Sound an der Schnittstelle zwischen Punkrock und Hardcore, Killermelodien, super Schlagzeug, sehr geiler und packender Gesang, hier stimmt einfach alles und die Platte ist eine Granate!"
- Twisted Chords
"Laut aufgedreht ein echtes Fest... Offensichtlich auf dem DEAD MOON-eigenen Label erschienen, limitiert auf 300 Exemplare."
- Plastic Bomb, (Gotta Get Away From You 7“)
P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. – Afterburner
Upcoming shows
No shows booked at the moment.
Band
- Jonny Jewels – Vocals
- Kelly Halliburton – Bass
- Scott Williams – Lead Guitar
- Hopper – Rhythm Guitar
- Timmy Rokket – Drums
Discography
Full Length LPs
- 2017 – Doomtown Shakes LP (Doomtown Sounds, US / Rockstar Records, Germany)
- 2015 – Another Day LP (Doomtown Sounds, US / Static Age Records, Germany)
- 2011 – Make It Through The Night LP (Doomtown Sounds, US + Static Age, Germany + released on cassette for Southeast Asia by Cactus Records, Malaysia)
Singles
- 2017 – Enemy Spy 7″ (Doomtown Sounds, Portland, Oregon)
- 2014 – Hit and Run / 45 Minutes 7” (Doomtown Sounds, Portland, Oregon)
- 2013 – Split 7” EP With the Chemicals (Taken by Surprise Records, Munich, Germany)
- 2013 – I Hate TV / Oops… 7” (Gasmask Records, Czech Republic)
- 2012 – European Tour 2012 7” Flexi-Disc (Doomtown Sounds, Portland, Oregon)
- 2012 – Split 7” EP With Modern Pets (Doomtown Sounds, Portland, Oregon)
- 2011 – Cold Cold Rain / The Things I Know 7” Picture Disc ( Doomtown Sounds / Powerblaster Records, Portland, Oregon)
- 2010 – Buzz Off / It Don’t Have to Be Like This 7” (Rock N’ Roll Disgrace Records, Boston, Massachusetts)
- 2010 – Sweet Little Thing / I Got Nothin’ 7” (Label: Doomtown Sounds Records, Portland, Oregon)
- 2010 – Gotta Get Away from You / P.R.O.B.L.E.M. – 7” (Label: Doomtown Sounds Records, Portland, Oregon)
CDs
- 2015 – Hot Tracks From Dead Wax CD (Nikt Nic Nie Wie Records, Poland)
- 2013 – Mexican Tour 2013 CD (Self-Released)
- 2010 – Six Song Demo CD (Self-Released)
Compilations
- 2012 – V/A – Portland Mutant Party Vol.3 7” (Label: Johnny Cat Records, Portland, Oregon)
- 2014 – V/A – Anarchy in Little Beirut CD (Label: Sliver Records)
Also check out:
P. BENTHAM & THE DINNER LADIES (UK)
Garage / Kitchen Core / Punk Rock
Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies are a four piece from Liverpool. Pete on Guitar, Paella Fitzgerald on Bass, Sonny Rollingpin on Saxophone and Tony Calzone on Drums. Plus The Dinnerettes. They are at the vanguard of current Liverpool music scene
The band was formed in 2006. Pete wanted to form a band that was a pure rock & roll band with modern lyrics about real life. They have clever, witty songs about working class life that feature Night Club Bouncers, Lorry Drivers, Cats & Dogs, always telling the truth and they speak out against things they oppose like consumerism and racism.
The music is raw punk rock and roll reminiscent of the The Cramps, The Fall and the Velvet Underground.
They have so far released three albums, toured the UK and Europe and have played many festivals including Rebellion Festival, the largest punk festival in the world alongside bands such as The Damned, The Beat and the New York Dolls.
A band who actually sing about things they know and believe in and always with sense of humour. This is Kitchencore!
Reviews
"It’s an utterly joyous spectacle. The songs are defiant yet fun odes to rebellion, with the likes of ‘Do the Don’t providing a suitably fun two-fingered salute to conformity. There’s a tune about being a ‘Hip Potater’ and a blistering, Billy Childish-esque tribute to their hero ‘Marcel Duchamp’. The set ends with the two dinner ladies having a mock fight on the floor and in the middle of the audience. If we weren’t already standing I’m pretty sure the band would have got a standing ovation."
- Soundblab magazine
"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."
- little indie night
"Classic Liverpool Rock & Roll. Songs about things you've observed and experienced. Fun and upbeat."
- Sound City
"Third album from Pete & The Dinner Ladies, the Liverpool based ‘kitchencore’ outfit who with this offering have produced their most accomplished release to date... somehow The Dinner Ladies have not just pulled this off, this is a triumph – played with due respect but also with that ‘fuck you’ punk attitude that certainly Syd Barrett expressed; I get the feeling Barrett would chuckle if he had heard The Dinner Ladies, instantly responding to their free-spirit DIY take on rock ‘n’ roll."
- Louder Than War Magazine
"It’s a shame John Peel is not with us any more as Pete & The Dinner Ladies would certainly have been taken to the great mans heart and been regular favourites of the twilight airwaves. This album has pretty much been on constant repeat for the last month and protest has never sounded so great. This should feature highly in the end of year best of albums that we so love to compile and read about."
- Never Loved The Shovel Blog
"Best performance of the year thus far due to nothing more than the aforementioned points and the downright commitment to the cause. A fitting exclamation mark to a fine day that provoked much thought and much pleasure."
- Fungalpunk fanzine
"We were starting to flag at this stage but Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies rev it up with an entertaining set back at the Art Academy and prove punks not dead, it just wears a shiny 80's suit and is surrounded by Dinner ladies, it also proves that you can write a decent protest song without being a po-faced navel gazer, or tortured poet with a shit beard. “Do The Don’t” “Part Time Punk” and ” Hip Potater” are all crowd pleasers, but if you listen and pay attention you’ll find that behind the “fun” façade Mr Bentham’s got plenty to say and raises some very salient points."
- The VPME, Live Review
"To have spent many a gig in the company of Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies is not going to prepare you for just how good they sound, just how wickedly delicious and note-worthy they are tasty a band when allowed the freedom to wax lyrically in an anarchistic scrumptious style... The idea of David Bowie performing it with David Gilmour is one to feel goose bumps appear, to hear Pete Bentham and The Dinner Ladies play it is to almost understand the gender blurring of fun, slight majestic sleaze and sex appeal that runs through each line. You can only imagine the curly haired music genius who shone too brightly would have raised a smile towards the band, for it is a piece of art."
- Liverpool Sound and Vision
"Their infectious fusion of ska, folk and, er, circus music (that’s the only way to describe it, honest) seems a good enough reason to work off Pete’s (legendary) free Veggie Scouse via the medium of boogie... Pete begins by inviting everyone to pray for more good weather 'so we can riot in shorts and t-shirts'. Comedy is as much a part of Pete's act as the music; he enthusiastically explains the meaning behind songs, such as 'Nature', which was inspired by a conversation with a self-righteous hippy...
By the second encore, it's turned into a right old organic cider-fuelled knees-up; everyone obeys Pete's command to kneel on the floor before leaping back up for one chorus. Despite a lone stage invader almost spoiling proceedings, the show is a triumph."
- Purple Revolver, Live Review
"When all of the band kick in, the sound is tremendous; Pete thrashing away on his guitar trying to wear out the scratch plate (and his elbow); Gabrielle bashing the hell out of the drums. Marigoldy thunderously playing the bassiest bass possible and John 'The Caretaker' Lewis going cross-eyed trying to inflate either the sax or clarinet. The crowd loved them... Those diehards resisting the kitchen assault were all to be reigned in with the totally interactive 'Hip Potater'. Here, Pete had the crowd in the palm of his hand, ordering them to shout back the words 'Hip Potater, Hip Potater' at his command. A truly marvellous spectacle… You must give this band a listen, preferably live."
- Roomthirteen, Live review
"Wow, ich bin echt begeistert und habe mir das Album zum Besprechen sicher 10x angehört."
- Kink Records
"Bentham und Co. schaffen es, sich von allen Genrekonventionen zu lösen und Pubrock mit der Tanzmusik von Holly Golightly zu verbinden, Chuck Berry und Punkrock zu kombinieren, Saxophon und Klarinette einzubinden, eine entschärfte Version von THE FALL in Richtung KINGS OF NUTHIN’ zu lenken, mit einem kleinen Schlenker Richtung TOY DOLLS, und dabei dann doch nie wie eine der hier erwähnten Bands/Musiker zu klingen..."
- Ox fanzine
"Ihre Scheibe 'Hip Potater' läuft bei mir schon den ganzen Sommer lang... Trotz der frühen Uhrzeit ist sehr viel Publikum anwesend. Live sind sie eine Spur härter und schneller. Ein richtig guter Auftritt."
- Useless fanzine, Live Review
THE DIZZY BRAINS (MG)
Garage / Punk Rock
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