Liines – “Be Here”

Catch up time , we tipped Liines at the end of last year and promptly disappeared. That’s us, not them. We really should have featured them before now, our excuse is valid though as 2016 has been an absolute fucking bastard. This year they’ve signed with Reckless Yes , released a couple of stellar singles and gigged up and down the country.  The trio are described as post-punk , which is on odd definition when you think about it ,  isn’t everything released after a certain date by definition post-punk? In the same way as next year’s releases will be “post -2016 .”  Anyway ‘Be Here’ is one of our favourites from the Manchester based trio,  it’s edgy,snarly “post-apocalyptic pop” (which as a definition probably makes less sense than “post-punk”. Expect them to make  Brobdingnagian strides in 2017.

and talking of post- apocalyptic pop

Chemtrails – “Burnt Shadows”

Another special PNKSLM release – this time from London quintet Chemtrails whose  second single “Burnt Shadows”, reflects on dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.  Grim subject matter yes, but Chemtrails manage to imbue it with a heroic (hopefully non-radioactive) warm fuzzy glow.

Lovestarrs – WTF (Pop Culture)

Pop culture eh ? WTF is all that about? Yup 2016 has been the year when pop culture and politics morphed, we’ve gone from seeing Ed Balls making a tit of himself in the House Of Commons on a regular basis to him doing so on an entertainment show. But that pales into insignificance when faced with the reality of  a misogynistic, racist reality show billionaire who resembles a radioactive Satsuma with a mouldy shredded wheat jauntily perched on top preparing to enter the White House and destroy the world. It seems superhero synth poppers Lovestarrs saw the writing was on the wall back in October when they realised this video. It encapsulates the ‘WTF’ nature of pop culture and the morbid curiosity we have with it  .. I mean who can resist a click bait link such as “Donald Trump Takes A Massive Shit On U.S. FLAG!! “.  It’s also a damn fine pop tune and if you look very closely we even make a brief appearance ( for those of you familiar with the Pipster awards ;) . Lovestarrs debut album is scheduled for 2017 and promises to be a kaleidoscope of shiny, dayglow synth pop.