Fist City / Piss Test

Split [7-inch] (2013)

Rich Cocksedge

What is it with Drunken Sailor Records and the ability to put together cracking split releases? This is not the first time the label has come up with the goods in respect to split seven-inchers, and I expect it won't be the last. This time it's two bands from North America that are featured on the informal and non-existent series.

Fist City are from Alberta, Canada and crank out a particularly strong pair of punk rock songs: "Endless Bummer" is off the band's 2012 sophomore album It's 1983, Grow Up! and is fuzzy and catchy, as well as being easy to sing-along to after just one listen. Their other offering is a cover of Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge" and this is a pretty good version, which sees Fist City taking on a distinctive song and giving it a sense of their own identity, neither losing the charm of the original nor copying it exactly.

Piss Test, from Portland, OR, have quite a basic, garage-punk-style sound with snotty (both in quality and the message being delivered, even if it could be regarded as dumb) vocals, choppy guitar and songs that are crammed full of gritty tuneage. Being the simple soul that I am, those ingredients are more than enough to whet my appetite and there is no doubt that the three songs Piss Test provide here satisfy my cravings to a degree, although I have to keep replaying them as they are of the catchy variety that demand repeated listens. Basically that means they should get off there arses and record an album!