The Tommyknockers – Legacy

Punk music has done a lot for a lot of people. Yes, for most people outside of those who listen to the music or are involved in various scenes supporting it, Punk Music is made by knuckleheads who lead reckless lives and usually don’t live past 30. 

The sad story of Sid Vicious is a powerful one for sure, and it still dictates the way in which this culture is viewed in the mainstream. But, let us not forget about the proactive approach of early hardcore bands, about the positivity of ska-punk, or the life-affirming power of 90s pop-punk.

Many punks grow up into responsible adults with a code of honour to guide them. Tommyknockers’ Legacy is about facing the obligations of being a parent for the first time and learning to use one’s experience to guide someone else through life. These toddlers will be wearing Misfits t-shirts and hoodies in no time. 

Brett Newski – Life Underwater

Why do people go nuts for heavy metal with voices resembling aggressive banshees? If you’ve ever joined concerts celebrating such music, you’ll remember people shouting themselves hoarse, and usually out of key, to this kind of music. 

Perhaps, it’s a matter of gaining control, connecting with the primitive self, shouting in the face of troubles. Gee, I was practising this kind of screams all morning, and I tell you what, I felt pretty primitive myself. 

Brett Newski doesn’t exactly scream, at least not in a high-pitched voice, but Life Underwater sounds like a tune born out of the same kind of energy and anxieties. Frankly, it sounds like a tune the writer may have pitched to a big-name punk band before deciding they were gonna butcher it anyway. He’s settled on a mild attack that favours his expressive voice and an arrangement that favours harmonies and gentle drumming. We like it, and we hope it raises the barbarian in you as well. 

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