Review / 200 Words Or Less
Puppy and the Hand Jobs
I Hate Everything

Black Gladiator / Slovenly Recordings (2019) Andy Armageddon

Puppy and the Hand Jobs – I Hate Everything cover artwork
Puppy and the Hand Jobs – I Hate Everything — Black Gladiator / Slovenly Recordings, 2019

It'd be quite easy to write off (the fantastically named) Puppy and the Hand Jobs for making self-described “trash rock and roll.” Much as is the case with bands like The Dwarves however, while the band does produce vulgar rapid-fire punk music that seems to have been recorded as “hot” as possible, there’s an undeniably catchiness to their music. 2019’s I Hate Everything demonstrates this quite nicely.

Certainly tracks like “Cocksucker” and “Predator” would have some clutching their pearls (hell, the former track has a music video released through, gulp, Pornhub, and no, I'm not linking it), but midway through this 10-minute EP, the band uncorks “Plan 9” and shows that they can, in fact, deliver genuinely infectious tracks that aren’t overtly offensive. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised by this: frontman Jamie Paul Lamb had some of his previous work featured on the excellent We’re Loud compilation a few years back. I don’t know that I’d go so far as to call I Hate Everything a masterpiece, but it also isn’t remotely trying to be. It’s simply an energetic and fun album for those with, ahem, refined tastes.

Puppy and the Hand Jobs – I Hate Everything cover artwork
Puppy and the Hand Jobs – I Hate Everything — Black Gladiator / Slovenly Recordings, 2019

Recently-posted album reviews

The Phase Problem

The Power Of Positive Thinking
Brassneck Records (2024)

I spent a good part of the late ‘90s annoyed at the abundance of Ramonescore. I’ll stand by my word: many of the bands of that era were carbon copies that didn’t bring anything new to the format. But time has passed and what was overdone is now a refreshing change of pace. For whatever reason, when I hear a … Read more

Totally Slow

The Darkness Intercepts
Refresh Records (2024)

I find Totally Slow a hard band to categorize. Their brand of melodic, hard punk is familiar and comforting -- rooted in ‘80s hardcore, ‘90s skatepunk, and post-something guitar-driven rock. The press release namedrops Dag Nasty and Hot Snakes, among others, which I think are good starting points. But while it’s familiar, it’s absolutely not a carbon copy. Like their forebearers, the songs … Read more

Steamachine

City of Death
Records Workshop (2023)

City Of Death is the third album from Polish noise makers Steamachine. Having dabbled in a few metal styles over their career, City Of Death has a heavy carnival influence to it which I have to say I really like. It's interesting just how much more sinister things sound when you pump eerie, jingly circus sounds amongst very dark, heavy, … Read more