AFS

I like to think that I have a broad taste in music. Certainly I don't conform to any one particular genre or style having the simple attitude that - If I like it, I'll buy it. Although I will admit that there is the odd genre that I struggle to really get into and Punk is one of them. I don't know quite what it is that I struggle with. Sure, there are songs I enjoy, namely some classic Sex Pistols and Buzzcocks. And there in lies my problem really. Those were 70's bands but just like any other music form, Punk never died. It didn't go away. People just stopped talking about it in the same way.

My point? I guess naivety on my part. I have caught the odd song here and there by accident and never really thought much of it, although it would seem that these days the arena is split into 2 factions. The hardcore and the faithful. Which brings me neatly to these guys.

Arthritic Foot Soldier or simply 'AFS'. A group that have been on the local circuit for sometime and by all accounts have built up a solid fan base. And why have I singled them out for my little blog, especially as I have already admitted not being particular fond of Punk? Look, let's get one thing straight, shall we? For me, it really doesn't matter what type of music you choose to play. If you can't write a decent tune then I don't have time for you. Whether your an R&B act or an underground Thrash Metal group. No tune, no go.

Punk is no different and AFS seem to have come under fire recently with regards their 'loyalties' to the Punk sound. Having recently returned from a stint in the US where they recorded their latest album Immature Nobodies some factions are accusing them of softening their sound and betraying Punk's hardcore roots. Believe me, AFS cannot be accused of this. Their only crime is being able to string together a decent tune, well crafted hooks and lyrics with bite and meaning.

I can only really comment on my own personal feelings towards this album and I will admit I don't know enough about the modern Punk scene to offer any constructed and critical commentary. But I will say this. I know what I like. And if something grabs me by the balls and shakes me up a little the minute I press 'play' then I'm all for that. The boys have got my attention more than enough to keep me interested and some digging around their archives seem like the next logical step for me. I wanna hear more!

So, if you like your Punk hard but melodic. Loud but tuneful. Deep but meaningful, I suggest you give these guys a blast. Further details on the group are below.

AFS are

Munki Boi - Lead singer
Bret - Bass & Backing Vocals
Rob - Drums
CJ - Guitar & Backing Vocals

Immature Nobodies out now on Turkey Vulture Records available from Tower or Target or Cduniverse
Buy AFS records direct at www.target.com
For full Discography, News and Tour dates visit the official website click here


Woodstock Punkrock
				Band - Arthritic Foot Soldiers CD – Immature Nobodies (USA Import No 03/50) Recorded at Full Spectrum Studios – Fond Du Lac Wisconsin USA Sent to me by Carl the Guitarist who seems to be involved in many top Quality Bands, this one included. So recorded in America for the American Market, is it going to be all soft and whiney? I fucking hope not. Yet another band that have been around along time and have released a lot of top Notch Punk rocking material and are still not known by the amount of people they should be. So out the Cd comes from the cardboard sleeve and into the Player it goes, volume set to Highish and Press Play.. Unite – Bursting forth with a good sounding, well produced music of chugging guitar, rattling bass and pounding drums a power packed punch indeed, and bursting forth a gravel infused vocal, not soppy not sweet, but hard and powerful just as I hoped, catchy pounding chorus complete with woah backing vocals and this short and sweet burst is soon over, leaving you salivating for more 9/10 Chicks, Beer, Fame and Money – following on this song is reinforcing the previous one with more pumping riffage, a sneering growling verse pushes into a softer feel chorus, repeating the title soon gets into your brain cavity the chorus does have a slight American rock under feel and I am not keen on the word chicks haha, but that’s just weird me!! Other than that another decent song 7/10 Attitude – and fucking loads of it!! I love this song from the slidey scratchy scratchy intro with that juicy rattley bass line this fucker means business, snotty sneering gruff vocals beautifully counteracted by the harmonized chorus answer is so catchy it defies description, and the building venom in the vocal sends shivers up ya sick clad throat, as the drums pound to the very last second a must have track for any punk collection 9/10 Invasion – The intro for me is very reminiscent of that American pop punk style with the slap slap drumming that feels as if its about to go out of time haha to me anyway, had me worried and I was thinking that I wasn’t gonna like this one but the boys pulled it round as they slam into the verse of a nice pop punk Uk style song, pleasant sounding and smooth, and although the vocal still has some bite its much softer on this track, it works well, not my favourite but not my least favourite either a good addition to the cd 7/10 Wrong Place Wrong time – An instrumental this one each section is not too long as to get really boring But doesn’t do a lot for me, cant say I am really feeling its groove haha 4/10 The Futility of War – Bass rocks us in to this one, the drums join the onslaught closely followed by rocking guitar, a mid paced rocking punk song here, good vocal as with the others, nice melody and backing vocal on the chorus, and a metal fret melting little solo riff is nice, not too long either, leading into a short bass and drums breakdown before going back into the main song, this is a grower first couple of listens it was an ok track but it had grown so give it a chance 7/10 La la Land – A different feel here has a very American rock feel, not in a bad way haha but with the guitar only backing to the singing and the harmonized chorus works well, its certainly different with Carl taking lead vocal on this and I think this works well on this track which is very Americanized and the normal northern vocal grunt would of not really worked well, bringing the bass and drums in just for the last choruses works very well giving a brief moment of full song before dropping back to finish back just vocals and guitar, a brave move this one and I am sure throws up lots of different opinions but me I like its difference and I think it works 7/10 God Fearing Country - back to the normally expected AFS sound here haha, this song is similar to the others pounding drums and rattling bass, grinding guitars and gravel growl vocal with some nice backing vocals but for me it’s a little too similar to some of the others and I am not keen on the vocal melody on the verses 6/10 Running – Bursting forth a choppy little number, catches my attention straight away, the sliding guitar riff in the verse nicely assists the vocal melody, with the Singalong chorus with its almost nah nah nah nah school playground feel is great, the breakdown leading to the guitar break makes me smile everytime I am glad the drum machime claps didn’t last long thought I was in an 80s electronic track haha, this is another good song with a different feel to the others and so it stands out 8/10 WDWTFWW – Last track on offer here and what a scorcher to end with, a slow intro setting the stall out vocally with the simple message “we do what the fuck we want, we aint nobody’s fools” then bang we drop straight into a nah nah nah Singalong which is nice and catchy and will have you singing along infact this whole song is a Singalong so join in after all we aint nobodys fools…. 9/10 Well I know I said that’s the end but not quite after a lengthy boring gap that is not something I am ever very fond of we get some Cuntry punk western meets northern style haha, its complete with steel geetar and straw from the dungaree clad, bear foot, 6 toed, crooked teethed mouth of cleetus’s brother yeeehar see what you make of that.. So that’s the end of this Cd and I gotta say some highs and some lows for me, as it said in the last track after a very long flight, using borrowed instruments and with jetlag from hell it’s a bloody good effort, its not there best I don’t think and there are a couple of tracks I probably wont listen to again But there are some AFS gems here and they need to be in your collection my copy is No.3/50 so I suggest you get yours quick as apart from these this will only be available in the USA. Till next time These are the Ranted thoughts Of Woodstock Punkrock


				By Stu Taylor 1. AFS (Arthritic Foot Soldiers) - Protest Song If its attitude you want, this delivers big time, all the usual fuck authority, fuck the police you want on this slice of urban punk rock. Angry sneering vocals backed up by a solid guitar and rhythm section to create a thoroughly likeable song that also comes complete with sections that will induce crowd participation. If you like your new wave with attitude style punk rock, this should get hold of ya by the short 'n' curlies sure enough. Also fits in nicely with the official band attitude of..."The band is about having fun, not being PC, not comforming to what a bunch of late 30 early 40 somethings should be and generally sticking two fingers up at society in general." Sums it up nicely in their own words.

				Oi Oi Vincey Boy Track 1 – AFS, a great bunch of guys recently featured on our site with an interview from Harvey Taylor kick this release underway with Protest Song, a track that is right up my street, a solid sharp full on true punk blast, with a bubbling bass throughout – this sounds to me like the punk I grew up with and Jonnys gravely voice tops it off. Some songs are just done right and this singalong is one of these, absolutely love it a classy professional recording with a raw sound.

				So here we have it, the first of 100 releases featuring the underdogs of punk rock called simply ‘underdog morsels’. The cd contains 4 tracks from 4 different bands for £1 - a bargain and a collectors item no less. 1.AFS – ‘Protest Song’ What a way to start, crash, bang, wallop and here we are in the midst of a punk anthem. AFS are a great band and this is a typical song of theirs. Gritty, growling vocals with tuneful woah, woah backing vocals, it’s a simple straight edged angry punk song with added mood creating guitar solo work. Taken from their Trash Vegas CD if this doesn’t switch you on to AFS then nothing fucking will - I love it. So there ya go a piece of history - the first of one hundred releases so by the end you will have 400 quality tracks from 400 quality underdog bands and if this first is anything to go by what a collection it is gonna be! So get out there and get a copy, support this new venture. At £1 what possible reason have you got for not getting one, this shows the wealth of talent there is out there screaming to be heard and so it should be, let’s face it if you don’t get this you ain’t punk. Well done to all involved, I for one am gonna support this to its conclusion.

				AFS – Trash Vegas CD (Voltage)-Mass Movement Zine I’m constantly amazed by the fickle nature of the music industry and how bands who are, lets face it, talent less bags of old toss, manage to sell shed loads of records and luxuriate in splendour and fame, surrounded by mountains of coke, hookers and cash, while other bands like AFS (that’s the Arthritic Foot Soldiers to you and me) go largely unnoticed. See, AFS are one of the best bands in the UK, playing their strange, but thoroughly addictive tunes that effortlessly blend street punk, Pop Will Eat Itself and the Urban Dance Squad, and if I was going to spend a tenner on a an album, I’d definitely invest it in ‘Trash Vegas’ rather than the tattooed, preening, useless fops that Kerrang and their ilk constantly try to force on the world. Spend our money wisely, get some great songs and help lonely Carl fulfil his hooker dreams… Tim

				Having heard the AFS single released earlier this year which featured two tracks from their, then, forthcoming album I was looking forward to hearing if they had produced two gems for that red slab of vinyl with something kept in reserve for the rest of the long player or had they peaked with nothing to keep the momentum going. The opening track, “No Wonder” is off the single and despite the inclusion of some ska-like guitar is a worthy starting point for this album. AFS provide a sound that is drenched with the history of Bad Religion in as much as there are bucket loads of tunes and melodies, with a lot of “Oohs”, “Ah’s” and “Woahs” for backing vocals. However, the difference is that lead singer Munki Boi has a gruff singing voice that means the band do not sound like one of the many BR soundalikes that have crawled out of the woodwork over the past 30 years. The second track then is “Lies”, not one to feature on the single and pleasingly it’s already better than what came before so AFS do have more than the single might have indicated. With “TV Minds” coming next this provides the highlight of that single and also of the album. This is the song that has had me humming more than any other on the album and it’s no surprise that it was featured on the single. The message behind it is obvious – we’re in danger of becoming obsessed with television as it fights to become the way we are all informed of what is right and/or wrong in the world. It still amazes me how many people live their lives through what happens on a small (well, not so small in the days of 48 inch screens) box and are so heavily influenced by what they hear and see. So, a hummable song and one with a message I can relate to – always a bonus. From here on in the album is a tale of mid ranged peaks and some shallow troughs. None of the peaks reach the lofty heights delivered in the opening trio of tracks although that’s not for a lack of effort as “Protest Song” is a decent song but just not good enough to stop me hearing “TV Minds” playing repeatedly in my head. Similarly “Another Whiskey”, a song written about Wilf, the singer/bassist in The Bullet Kings and sung by Carl Arnfield, the guitar powerhouse in both AFS and The BK’s, breaks the album up a bit offering a significantly less gruff vocal. I always liked it when Stiff Little Fingers ‘allowed’ Henry Cluney to sing a song on an album as it gave them the feel that they were more than just a one trick pony so hats off to AFS for doing likewise. However, there are a couple of occasions where the quality of song is lacking a bit. The lowest point of the album is reached with “Radicals” – I don’t like this song and I think it’s a case of how so many punk bands are slowing things down with more of an acoustic approach. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t – this comes into the latter category for me. “”Freedom Ain’t Free” has a nice metallic guitar riff that lifts me out of the depths plumbed by “Radicals” and despite it’s fairly basic construction and approach it works well and comes in as my fourth favourite track on the album. Oddly, the title track is sequenced to appear last – I’m not sure I’ve encountered this before – and is obviously giving Las Vegas a hard time for luring people into handing their money over as they gamble to improve themselves, whilst in reality the bank is always the winner overall. Good sentiments again but not the strongest of songs. Apparently this album was written and recorded in nine weeks. To me that seems quite a short time span and perhaps that has stopped the album from being as consistent as its predecessor “Immature Nobodies”. However, it would be wrong to write this off as a release to avoid as there are a handful of really good, gritty and tuneful punk tracks to get your ears around.

				AFS - TRASH VEGAS I have followed AFS since their early days (I think I saw them play their 2nd gig) and in truth have fuckin' loved the journey thus far. They were SAS stalwarts and entertained along the way and although things of late have slowed down on the gigging front (due to the bands many personal commitments) I still always keep abreast of what they are up to (usually via the ginger megaphone man and top dude that is Carl 'Get It Done' Arnfield). This is the 8th silver circle I have had the pleasure of reviewing from this fine band as well as numerous 'live' appraisals. Fungal expects here and the bigger the fan the bigger the fall when a favoured crew produce a turkey. With pressure and apprehension set at maximum I spin the disc once more and review as follows. 'No Wonder' is a neat opener and a track I have reviewed before. Sub-skankoid, pure AFS in inflection and with extra production beef this is a strong yet questioning opening statement. The progression the band make is maintained and here we have the result. Spacious verse, full on saturation of chorus, 100% reliability of musicianship and a nice, brief instrumental this is a song built on an intrinsically basic framework but adorned with various sonic baubles so as to stand out. 'Lies' is fuelled harder and the main component I am aware of is hatred. There is genuine venom into the tone and from the initial slapped drums through to the intent of the riffage and the 'I give up on you' whoa hoa's this is intense stuff. Munki Boi delivers hard and states rather than sings which adds to the general impact. A fuckin' marvellous song that one can really get into and all you frauds out there had better worry because if AFS find out you'll have a song coming your way (as good old Umberto Gonzalez found out ha, ha). As though the song isn't emotive enough the inner break where instruments are bared is almost pitying and sorrowful which only emboldens the opposing rage - sweet touch be it lucky or meant! 'TV Minds' deals with the bonehead box many worship and run around for. It is a wicked contraption and those that claim that it has 'no effect' are the most truest of victims. Electrified, numbed and almost in essence of a robot at times this song marches forth and gives you a tale of idle sofa shits drenched in waves of media puke. The chorus is somewhat sarcastic and is almost celebratory with a slightly concealed hidden gesturing. The sonic landscape is easy to lie in and the whole song soaks through the permeable layers and into the inner core thus creating appreciation. Matured and punk - a good combo I reckon! '50 Shots' eases its way in with casual drums (what's new there then from this accomplished stick bastard), rumbling bassism and slightly encrusted guitar. A very typical Arthritic number that gains a foothold and finally breathes joyous life during a wrap-around chorus of the sweetest order. The song plods on regardless and is easily digested - the weakest so far but not half bad. 'Another Whiskey' follows and has a grand opening riff. But what's this - a different singer strutting his stuff? Hark, is that a baldy I hear a-crooning! Man yes - its none other than Carl Arnfield and what a fuckin' good effort it his. A nostalgic, look-back, drive-along ponder is nailed as good old Ming the Merciless (remember that one) finds his vocal balance and produces a stunner. Tinged with a drunkards regret and hopelessness this one hits the right areas (as I heard the said piss-pot did) and is an accomplished piece shining bright from a galaxy of attractive stars. AFS never fail to raise a few brows - they are still doing it folks! 'We Don't Care' is a typical title for a typical punk song but alas this is nothing run of the mill. What AFS do is blend melodic colours and make up their own minds as to how the end result will be. Rather than a dirty doodle AFS create a polished picture and instead of the expected Kandinsky-esque harshness come out with a meticulous kind of gentleness somewhat similar to Monet piece. The inner artistry shows care and be it a sweeping brushstroke or delicate intricacy the band display forethought and this is reflected in a very tidy song. 'Protest Song' screws it up the ones who claim to care and understand but really don't have a clue. The chorus is superb punk in the fact that it opposes, creates imbalance and questions - that's how it should be and if discomfort is felt then so much the better. The song has clarity, has structure, has melody but most importantly has...anger! One of my chosen chunks to add to the overflowing AFS bucket I so often dip into to. 'Radicals' is a beautiful campside croon absorbed with acoustica and scored with emotive despair. Think REM meets Mr Angry over a Greenham Common cup of herbal tea. It is a sweet soulful song and a new approach for the AFS crew to take and I am all for the 'chance yer arm' approach as ye should know! Mellow and with an inner strength - very applaudable. 'Freedom Ain't Free' is very regulated rhythmic fare from this band and although with a more progressive sound and of finer production value I find myself not really getting in to this one. Not enough stuffing has been rammed up the jacksie of this little bird and so I feel somewhat unsatisfied by what I am served. The level I suppose has moved along on this CD to such a stage where anything just falling short stands out like a gobbling goose in a Prime Poultry Awards Ceremony. This isn't so disastrous but just lacks that extra sonic sage and acoustic onion. Sorry dudes! 'Trash Vegas' is a tidy closure and just gets the task in hand done with very little fuss. It has light texture, holds no serious threat but is a song to pick up, simply not get too carried away by and then switch off and think 'well that ain't too bad'. Nowt to gush over, nowt to gripe about - just a steady Eddie of a ditty. The hidden track is a superior effort and has just that gilt-edged touch that gives it extra class. Tones of retrospective fondness, overlays of feeling and careful attention create a decent listen and so the farewell is stronger than at first suspected. So another good un' from the Arthritic Foot Soldiers and it is worthwhile that this review is done by someone who has followed the band since the beginning. I am still taken and I reckon if you are a newcomer to the band you may be attracted a little more - don't know for sure but a dip in the AFS pool never did anyone any harm - well not that many!

				Arthritic Foot Soldiers – Trash Vegas (Voltage) Ten blistering tracks of punk rock that came blasting out of the stereo and grab your attention right away. Stooped in a deep, growl of a vocal that is street punk over the top of music that would be skate punk rock, making this a really interesting mix. It works! The songs seem to follow a socially aware format showing that AFS have something to say, I like that! It’d be great to see AFS live as I really like this band’s sound and reckon they’d be a pretty impressive force on the stage. My favourite tracks on here would be “Protest Song”, “Lies” and “Another Whiskey” – which seems to feature a different vocalist, or at least it sounds like it does. There’s even time for AFS to crack out an acoustic number “Radicals” to put the mod into a mellow state before “Freedom Ain’t Free” hits you with its fast paced rock n roll riff and speeds things right back up. This is really well recorded and definitely worth your time listening too. Mr. T

				Nice gruffy punk rock with some unexpected ska upstrokes before kicking back into some decent punk rock. AFS are a fun band to liosten to and this new single is on limited edition red vinyl The B Side "TV Minds" is a more mature slower affair.

				Ten pretty flash fists 'n' violence punk rock numbers with harmonious vocals, a swish drummer and featuring man mountain Carl, guitarist from The Bullet Kings & Great St Louis, covering the same lyrical territory with plenty of "dont fuck with me buddy" action and by comparison leaving them lost in the supermarket. This is good stuff, oddly recorded far from home in Wisconsin, in the US of A.

				Northern gruff vocal punk with a festival ska guitar on the verse of "No Wonder" and a "Leatherface" anthemic chorus. The flip is a slow burner that reminds me of "Terminus" mixed with "The Jam" believe it or not. ... (and share Carl of The Great St Louis & The Bullet Kings)


				AFS-NO WONDER/TV MINDS(CD-VOLTAGE RECORDS VCD 410) (Swedish) No Wonder starts out as I really want a song to do and when the skatunes shows up themselves so become I really happy because I thought this would be pure punkrock. Cool and an odd punksong- TV Minds is more straight punksong which have som poptunes in it too butwith a singer which sounds really tough...it´s really worth chekcing out and the song have a refrain which is really good. 14/10-2010

				A really lovery deep red 7" record by AFS came winging my way. The A Side "No Wonder" really did impress me, it had an almost "polka-ska" feel, but with old school punk vocals over the top. The singers voice did get a bit of getting used to (imagine the cookie monster/Matt Friedman) but i certainly warmed to it the more I listened to them, and the chorus has got one of these molodies that you cant get outta your head untill you put summat else on, which again must be a plus! The B side was probably my least favourate of the 2 tracks, but it's kinda Goldblade-esque punk with a hint of Rock n Roll still didnt have me reaching for the off button. Great production and tight musicainship wins out again and proves sometimes just because it's punk it doesnt mean you can just approach it with a slap dash manner
				Arthritic Foot Soldiers “No Wonder/TV Minds” 7” (Voltage Records) At the start of 2009 Arthritic Foot Soldiers (AFS) released the “Immature Nobodies” album, having recorded it in, and it being with a sound redolent of, the USA. It had a great feel to it, with some cracking singalong tunes that was suitable for fans of any number of the genres that reside within the punk world these days. So, with their latest long player, “Trash Vegas”, soon to drop this two track red vinyl promo gives an insight into what can be expected from quite a prolific band if you look at their discography. “No Wonder” kicks off with a melodic gruff vocal intro followed by some ska guitar that moves easily into the more punked up chorus. The sentiment of the song appears to be about how easy it is to be in a mess when you don’t fit in. I reckon this is still relevant today as someone into a punk lifestyle, although it’s probably a bit easier today as it’s no longer deemed as much of a threat to society in general (which is a bit of a shame). “No Wonder” will get you singing along and humming the chorus after just one listen and that is never a bad thing. Next up is “TV Minds”, a slightly slower and much longer track, which, quite rightly, highlights how television is such a bit part of the world today, both in terms of being omnipresent throughout society and also being the driving force so much of what people believe and follow. This song took a while to get into my head but after a few plays it’s firmly rooted and tucked away in my mental musical library. Once again, the vocal stylings of Munki Boi and the exceptional guitar work of Carl Arnfield are what help make AFS a band to be reckoned with if you like tuneful punk rock. There is obviously a wealth of experience that allows AFS to keep making good records and also to produce music that isn’t dated which comes through in these songs and with the previous album. AFS’s forthcoming album is a release to be eagerly awaited. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nice one!! Rich

				Arthritic Foot Soldiers - Immature Nobodies (Turkey Vulture) Anything that starts off with a bunch of "Woahs" has to be good, surely. At times this sounds almost Wildhearts-y. Lyrically, it deals with socio-political issues such as racism, religion and war. There's some nice solos thrown in, too. Is it the most original release you are going to hear? god no. but it is fun to listen to?.... DEFINITELY.

				Issue Punk Zine No.49 Arthritic Foot Soldiers - Immature Nobodies (Turkey Vulture) I cant help but love this "geeza punk" - a cross between old-school and the Ramones, it's just great fun to listen to. The songs have a pleasing simplicity to them, very catchy and entertaining, but with an underlying political message. I feel certain that their live shows are pretty raucous affairs, with the stage invaded and the umpteen fans crowded round the mic belting out the lyrics as best they can. This is an album straight from the heart , but via the gut. It's brilliant that stuff like this is still being played and recorded

				Woah, this kicks off with a beyond frantic pace, skate punk mixing with some older sounding street punk. Some snotty vocals which you don't normally get over the skate punk stuff. This really is an album of two halves though. The second half slows down pace wise and leans more to the street punk side and the first half is like I said, skate punk. The second half is good but not as much my thing as the first few tracks, they totally kick butt! Some ace riffs and decent use of backing vocals too. Oh and there is a hidden country based track! AFS are definitely a band I'll be keeping an eye on, a strong album and worth a listen! Mr. T

				AFS - NO WONDER/TV MINDS SPLIT SINGLE On red vinyl the Carl Arnfield fetish for VD (vinyl disks you nobs) continues. The whole spectrum awaits the raping sonic todge of Mr A and his coat of many tunes, and so one wonders when the striped one will appear (it's just gotta happen). This latest offering is from his most excellent band, namely AFS, an outfit I have grown with and have always adored. The band are maturing all the time with different textures and layers added as time goes by. This is their latest effort and a little taster from their forthcoming album 'Trash Vegas' - ooh I can't wait! The initial safety net that is offered in the first few bars of 'No Wonder' has one thinking if AFS are going all retro on us. No sooner are things assumed then the net is whipped away and a sub-skank sound is tinkled out that has one on the back foot. Neatly played and against Munki Boi’s gruff and rough sub-stated utterances the mix is quite a contrast. Between the first two skankoid verses is typical AFS chorus puke with a likeable melody that sticks. Ad a bit of showman guitar and back around we go. A very, very nice effort and although the singing and guitar are a fraction short of complete harmony one can't help but applaud the new move in the AFS routine. No genuine gripes and a formula to stick at and hone at leisure. A bit of brass is surely an option worth considering too and as long as the band are reaching out the better they will be. 'TV Minds' bounces in with a two boom salute between a reception gone dodgy (repeat). The first chorus is highly textured and has MB stretching his vocals against the squelched guitar back drop. The pace is unhurried and very self-assured and this is a real gem in the Acoustic Foot Soldier catalogue and one I have listened to over and over. A real progression in a sound done many times by this band but in this instance with a more verdant and polished end vibrancy that can be felt through the many layers. Love the verse, love the chorus, love the song. So two efforts showing how AFS have grown and what new pastures they are willing to tread in order to keep things challenging and enjoyable for player and punter alike. If this is a taste of 'Trash Vegas' then bring me the whole album as soon as please.

				Arthritic Foot Soldiers “Immature Nobodies” (Turkey Vulture Records) So, as the name implies, Arthritic Foot Soldiers (AFS) appear to have been battling for the cause of punk rock for quite a while with two of their numbers in the early forties and two more a decade or so younger, so these are no spring chickens. However, despite the advanced years of the members of the band and the fact that it would be quite easy for them to produce a fairly generic and dull album of punk rock, these old timers have other ideas. Imagine this – a mix of old school and new school punk, with a hint of heavy rock, a dash of metal, a liberal splash of bubblegum pop with a final touch of polka, and that is what AFS deliver in abundance. Okay, I might have been adding one too many types of music into that mix but if polka had turned up, needless to say I wouldn’t have been totally surprised. There is no doubt that this album has benefited from being recorded in the USA as there is a great sound to all of the songs, reminiscent to the EpiFat types of bands – a clean and crisp production that is powerful and ballsy but that holds an integrity that fake punk bands like Good Charlotte could only dream of. Even well trodden lyrical subjects are given a new life at times although without moving off a punk rock path and with Munki Boi’s vocal style giving it a ‘street punk’ appeal, this adds to why AFS should not be dismissed as just another band. Don’t think for one minute that this is purely a punk record and as such will only appeal to those of the spikey or no-haired persuasion. The songs are catchy and varied with plenty of opportunity to singalong, whether you’re in your car, the bath or stood in front of the band at a gig. What adds to the whole package is the guitar work that can be subtle and intricate to damn right in your face, without ever going over the top – for me it’s the selling point of this album. Top tunes includes “Chicks and Beer”, “God Fearing Country” and the excellent (99.9%) riff laden instrumental, “Wrong Place Wrong Time”. As stated above these guys will address issues they feel angry about but you do get the impression that they’re not above a bit of humour and don’t take themselves too seriously. It is unlikely that AFS will become new standard bearers for punk rock but they do deserve to be heard and given the accessibility of some of the songs on this album there is no reason why some tracks should not get some radio airplay. To paraphrase (and mangle) a line from David Mitchell’s excellent book “Cloud Atlas”, AFS are putting up a rearguard action against decrepitude that shows all of us of advanced years that we should not give up do what we enjoy and believe in. Long may they limp, sorry, I meant live!!

AFS - Just Another Punk Band?