Review / 200 Words Or Less
Mug
Self Titled

Independent (2011) Cheryl

Mug – Self Titled cover artwork
Mug – Self Titled — Independent, 2011

Müg are a pretty new band on the punk scene of London, yet they're already making waves and booking shows left, right and centre. Formed between friends and colleagues and featuring a drummer who had never before drummed, Müg are firmly stamping their mark on the punk rock world. This coming year sees them playing Amplitude Festival, supporting The Flatliners, and hopefully recording more vocals in someone's (their vocalists) kitchen.

"Deadbeat" starts things as off as they're meant to be carried on. Catchy riffs to get your head nodding, drum beats to tap your toes to and vocals you can easily sing along with. It's certainly an excellent start and introduction to the band. All that's missing is a chorus of "woahs." You can always add your own I suppose !

The pace doesn't let up and "Can't Keep Control" hits next. It's fast, super fun and is guaranteed to be a floor filler. Whether in the comfort of your own home (just me ?), or maybe at one their shows. Which I can only imagine are as relentless as this EP. Eight minutes long (and if you download from bandcamp you're treated to an extra track), it's full of tunes in which to soundtrack your summer. "Amnesia" rounds off the EP in the style you've become accustomed to over the course of the three tracks. The boundless enthusiasm for the music they're making is clear as day, these guys love what they're doing and it definitely comes through here.

The bonus track is a live cover version of the song We're In ! by Youth Brigade and other influences on the band include Bad Religion, Alkaline Trio, The Misfits, and Against Me! Though Müg are by no means ripping anybody off here. They've taken all the things you like about those bands and rolled them into a neat little bundle of boisterous energy. Every track catches the attention, it's really quite hard to stay still whilst listening to these guys. And if you're a fan of the aforementioned bands, Müg are for you.

6.5 / 10Cheryl • May 16, 2011

Mug – Self Titled cover artwork
Mug – Self Titled — Independent, 2011

Related features

Joseph Ross Camuglia

One Question Interviews • May 8, 2014

Related news

Introducing Smug LLC (Single Mothers)

Posted in Records on August 23, 2025

Smug Bros coming at ya

Posted in Records on May 15, 2025

Catch the new Mugger

Posted in Records on August 10, 2024

Recently-posted album reviews

Burned Up Bled Dry

Next Stop… Dead Stop…
Prank (2026)

There’s no easing into Next Stop… Dead Stop… No buildup, no warning just impact. Fayetteville, Arkansas’ Burned Up Bled Dry return from decades of dormancy with a debut full-length that feels less like a comeback and more like a long-awaited detonation. Formed in 1996 and tied to that gnarlier mid-south hardcore lineage alongside bands like His Hero Is Gone and … Read more

Blue Ash

Dinner At Mr. Billy’s
Peppermint Records (2026)

Most people treat the Blue Ash story like a collection of "almosts" and they are sure missing the point.Almost famous, almost signed, almost the American Beatles. Forget that, erase that fable from your feeble grey matter. Dinner at Mr. Billy’s—straight from the Peppermint Productions vaults—proves they weren't just "lost" contenders. They were the engine room of the Rust Belt. While … Read more

Luxury Teeth

DCxPC Live & Dead, Vol. 3
DCxPC Live (2024)

There’s something inherently appealing about a record that doesn’t try to hide what a band actually sounds like. DCxPC Live & Dead, Vol. 3 captures Luxury Teeth in two very different settings and more importantly, shows that neither version feels like a compromise. Side A, the “Live” portion, was recorded at the Ottobar in Baltimore while opening for GBH, and … Read more