MUSCLEGOOSE “3 Ninjas: High Noon At Musclegoose Mountain” C18 (What’s For Breakfast? Records)

If one were to say Musclegoose was on a hot streak, one would be correct. Six cassettes in thirteen months is Pollard-worthy. However, the real deal with these three fellows is their penchant for punnery. Literally no opportunity is wasted here, down to the unrequired MPAA rating: G for Golf.
Herein lies deep-fried southern hardcore with a humor just slightly to the left of Happy Flowers. This basement show leans pop culture trivia, in that the drum riser is a stack of the entire closeout from the neighborhood VHS rental. The breakdowns get really risky when all the half-inch black tape unravels around your wrists and ankles like Spidey’s alien costume.

Rocky, Colt, and Tum Tum, three lads from Fayetteville, Arkansas are making good on their promise to achieve Dr. Demento/Weird Al/ Rutles/ Cheech & Chong/Spïnal Tap/Mothers/Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah/Dead Milkmen/ Fugs/Conchords/ Tenacious D/Ween/Residents/Country Teasers level satire. Time will tell if Kyle Gass will induct them properly at the annual fête(a full house). Meanwhile we can enjoy the songcraft that I file under Jokecore.

3 Ninjas Gone Wild


--Adam Padavano

THE STOOLS “Milk River Blues EP” C5 (What’s For Breakfast? Records)

Per their WFBR Bandcamp bio, the Stools self-identify as “Detroit punk for chain-smok[ing] art students listening to Iggy Pop comeback albums”, and that sounds about right, save it’s modestly lacking a claim to an unwavering, HEAVY debt to garage rock aesthetics and some SERIOUSLY wicked, peak-meltdown vocals. There are also some interesting pedals being employed that give this appetizer a further appealing edge. I bet their live show is pretty brutal!

https://wfbr.bandcamp.com/album/milk-river-blues-ep

and/or

https://thestoolsdetroit.bandcamp.com/

— Jacob An Kittenplan

SPEED BABES “Orangetape” C21 (What’s For Breakfast? Records)

What’s for the Speed Babes’ breakfast? Well, garage flavored rocks with rock stuffed garages fillets and fuzzy-fried, smoothly sliced garage rock toast. Are you getting the picture? If you want something Garage Rocky (notice the capitalization here), the Speed Babes have your Orange(tape)juice spiked with 80 proof Garage Rock. If you like garage rock, you’ll like the Speed Babes’ “Orangetape”. It’s fairly undeniable.

https://wfbr.bandcamp.com/album/orangetape

and/or

https://thespeedbabes.bandcamp.com/

— Jacob An Kittenplan

COSMIC HALITOSIS “Where is She?” C25 (What’s For Breakfast? Records)

I rarely fawn over pop-punkish bands, but Cosmic Halitosis (what a name!!!) is pretty goddamn drool-worthy. This three-piece is just as rhythmically dialed in as they are deft with dynamic interplay, their consistent change-ups never seeming to show up a single measure too late. The vocals (and lyrics) slide easily back and forth between self-consciously sonorous and grit-edged cathartic, with an easily relatable earnestness in self-deprecatory release. 

If I had to pay an up & coming band to teach pop-punk songwriting to youngsters, this band would easily fit the bill. Think Fifteen-meets-Motley Crüe-meets-90s-No-Idea-Records-roster, but without a trace of pretentiousness or political sentiment to be sniffed. I really hope these folx get as big as they wanna, cz they seriously deserve it!

https://wfbr.bandcamp.com/album/where-is-she

and/or

https://cosmichalitosis.bandcamp.com/

— Jacob An Kittenplan

MALA VISTA / CHARLIE'S STRIPE "Split EP" (WFBR)

What's for Breakfast Records is a punk rock cassette label that tends to pair up an American band with a foreign band.
Their latest EP features Mala Vista from Brooklyn, New York
and Charlie's Stripe supporting the other side of the tape with their Italian punk rock licks.
The Mala Vista side rocks us back to 1977 with
"Locked Away". They then bring us into what could be an 80s rock song with "Shake", it's got kind of a of a Gaza Strippers feel to it

On the B side, oh wait a minute, there's no b-sides! Just two more solid rock songs. anywho, Charlie's Stripe gives us their poppy upbeat song "Jay".
I feel like love is around us too.
They then close the EP with "Waste Your Time", another upbeat punk rock song.
Though, I feel like the EP could have been mastered a bit better, due to the volume being way lower on the Charlie's Stripe side.
I suspect if you are getting this you are supporting one of the bands and will just listen to the mp3 versions.

Cassette comes in a red colored shell, and includes stickers.


http://wfbr.storenvy.com/
https://wfbr.bandcamp.com/album/mala-vista-charlies-stripe-split

-- Chuck Wolfe