Bikes - S/T (Vinyl LP)

Last night I went out with some of the other office lads to see the mighty Ty Segall and his band doling out their relentless hi-gain garage pop and it was totally awesome. One of the best things I've seen in ages. I was kind of dreading coming back into the office today and getting back to the inevitable carousel of experimental records which, no matter how worthy, can seem like hard work when you’re in review corner sometimes.

When I spied this little beauty on the top of the review pile, however, things started looking up. I mean, there's a biker dude with the head of a startled-looking parrot in a leather hat and vest and a big spliff in his hand and the band name written in big buds of tasty green weed...mmmm, weed...and happiest of all the music contained on this 45rpm LP bears more than a passing resemblance to the man I was watching last night - '60s-style hi-gain garage-influenced tones all the way, paired with a classic pop songwriting streak that makes for a bright, lively, obnoxious record.

Apparently these guys are from Berlin and there's almost no information about them in the press release or on the sleeve. By the sounds of it there's either three or four of them. Raucous power-pop that’s reminding me of classic bands like the Ramones and Buzzcocks as much as contemporaries like Marked Men, King Khan & His Shrines, Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Mad decent weed garage that you freaks are gonna lap up.