Monthly Mixtape #2

It’s been about a month since the first Mixtape, that means it’s time for the second one. Man can I count or what?!

01. Michael Monroe - One Man Gang (One Man Gang 2019)

Monroe opened last months mixtape as well. The latest Michael Monroe single is so hot I had to do it again. Plus, this one’s got Captain Sensible on it!

02. The Tough Shits - Hombre de la Cocaina (The Tough Shits 2015)

“I’m Waiting For The Man” for a new generation. This song is cooler than wearing sunglasses indoors. Quiero mucho las Mierdas Duras!

03. The Hip Priests - Nihilist twist (Deja F.U./Nihilist Twist Single 2019)

This track is more badass than slam dancing while pissing into the wind. If it’s the end of the world we might as well make a party out of it. The perfect bang before the whimper.

04. The Ponys - Let’s Kill Ourselves (Laced With Romance 2004)

Staying on the subject of nihilism, no one is as poetic about it than the Ponys were. “I'm full of rage / The song of violence sings inside of my mind / And it will tell me things / About the pain of life and how the sad will die.”

05. The Dahmers - Blood on My Hands (Down in the Basement 2018)

Sweden’s favorite horror themed punks The Dahmers rip through your eardrums with this 60’s flavored garage punk track. The catchy chorus will be stuck in your head for years to come. 

06. Crystal Pistol - XXIII (Crystal Pistol 2006)

My favorite CP track, as mentioned before. Gets you off your ass and hopefully makes you stop complaining. 

07. The Cruel Intentions - Borderline Crazy (No Sign of Relief 2018)

The best voice in Scandinavian sleaze is back. First single released by the band, a fun straight-up rocker. Turn up to 11 for full effect.

08. Last Joint - The Tip (The Tip 2015)

I shamefully admit I only found out about The Tip the day I started writing my two-cents on them. What I’m not ashamed of is that I fell head-over heels for this band after the first song I heard. This was that song. It’s about smoking dope. 

09. Criminal Kids - Little Bitch (Criminal Kids 2018)

Criminal Kids lay down another track with their signature “nasty riffs and an attitude problem”. 

10. The Dead Tricks - Don’t Get High (Without Me) (You Should Have Worried About It 2011)

The Dead Tricks is one of those perfect buried gems. This track, as I mentioned before, is a perfectly written and executed instant punk classic, the struggles and drags of getting high and going through withdrawal often make for great songs

11. The Wildhearts - Let ‘Em Go (Renaissance Men 2019)

This year The Wildhearts gloriously returned with Renaissance Men. This track is my favorite of the album. “Let ‘em go, let 'em go / Let the shit filled rivers flow / While your belly burns in anger no one ever needs to know” ‘Nuff said.

12. Trashcan Darlings - I Just Wanna Die (On a Chemical High) (Real Fucking Make-Up 2008)

11 years ago Norway’s legendary Trashcan Darlings released a compilation of their singles and E.P.’s. The same year the band broke up after singer Strange? Gentle said he wanted to quit due to lack of inspiration. Which is the best reason to quit a band I’ve ever heard. This was their first single.

13. The Kids Don’t Want No Rock N’ Roll - The Sharp Lads (Blackout Offensive 2015)

From the Sharp Lads last album Blackout Offensive. Perfect gut-punching punk n’ roll. In one of my latest articles I brown-nosed the band enough for me not to feel obliged to write more about them here.

14. Born to Raise Hell - Bad Mother (Gone 2017)

Chicago’s Bad Mother released their first E.P. 2 years ago, 4 tracks of pure down n’ dirty rock n’ roll. To me, Born to Raise Hell is the best song on the E.P. Hope these guys are still kicking around somewhere.

15. The Humpers - Plastique Valentine (Plastique Valentine 1997)

Starting with a bassline that will make your heart race followed by piano tinkering so fast it will de-age Jerry Lee Lewis. The Humpers are here to make you (slam) dance.

Open up and let The Tip in.

There’s a party going on and everyone’s invited, and once again I’m late to the party, but this time not too late. These guys from Nashville fucking rawk! They look and sound the part, walk the walk and talk the talk.

Formed in the summer of 2014. releasing first album and going on tour the next year, and second album the year after that, The Tip isn’t fucking around. 

Singer Benny Carl sounds like he’s put on this planet to be a rockstar, his raw roaring voice is astounding. In fact this entire band sounds like they were born for this purpose, each and every song is played with so much pizzazz and wild abandon, it’s hard to comprehend this band is from this decade. 

“Rock N’ Roll Man” from their S/T debut record pretty much says it all. From the Hey Ho gang chants and Benny screaming his heart out claiming he’s “Just a Rock n’ Roll man in a Rock n’ Roll band”. Nothing wrong with that. “Outta Control” is pretty self-explanatory, a stompin’ rocker to lose your shit on.  Beautifully juvenile lyrics about sex, drugs, rock n’ roll and fast cars. Nothing wrong with that either. As opening track welcomes us to the night, I can’t help but think about another band that welcomed us to the jungle on their opening track on their debut album. Like GN’R before them, the Tip invites us to come party and never look back, and I don’t think I ever wanna look back on my existence before I found The Tip.

2016’s sophomore album “Sailor’s Grave” is another great rock n’ roll record. Opener “Struttin’” has a great groove to it and just hearing it makes you cooler than you actually are. After taking you to “Rock N’ Roll Heaven” the band assures us, rather unnecessarily that they “Ain’t Fakin’ It”. The band gets down and dirty on blues stomper “Corner Bag Blues”, the riff, piano tinkerin’ and harmonica gel together perfectly resulting in a thick, thick wall of sound that’d blow the roof off of any sleazy honky tonk they play in.

“Whiskey and Coke” starts with an intro reminiscent of Motörhead’s “Rock ’N’ Roll”, I wasn’t checking the track-listing while listening and first thought it was a cover. Seeing the title, maybe it’s a tribute to Lemmy, I don’t have a physical copy yet so maybe it’s in the liner notes or something. If it is, it’s a fitting one, if it isn’t, it’s still a cool song.

Closing the album is title-track “Sailor’s Grave” a lament for all who died at sea. The sing-along chorus sounds like an actual 1700’s pirate song. The beautiful guitar arrangements and haunting outro make this the perfect album closer. 

There’s one thing that bothers me about this record, it’s too short. But then again, maybe they made the right choice by not putting 2 or 3 filler tracks in there.

Can’t wait too hear what they’re gonna put out next.

The Tip is: Benny Carl - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica. Myles Baker - Guitar. Robby Bote - Bass. Dixie Carl - Drums.

Buy their records here.
Sailor's Grave on Spotify: