CANADA'S SLIMEBALL GARAGE-PUNK CHAMP

2022 was one for the books, but we're probably going to be saying that every year until we all die. I made a list of underloved releases last year that wasn't long enough to be worth finishing, with three of the releases on it by one Canadian gentleman. So this one's a freebie, Mr. Cabot.

TJ Cabot and the Artificial Rejects of New Brunswick (Canada, not New Jersey) lost the backing band early in 2022 after their teeth-gnashing garage punk EP, SD Action hit the fan. In the wake of the unfortunate name change to just TJ Cabot, the man himself packed it in and put his nose to the work computer grindstone. Really, it wasn't all negative that Cabot took the reigns completely, playing all the instruments on the next two EPs. Those released essentially brought his total output across 2022 to that of a single full-length record, clocking in at a combined 13 tracks and 1 killer cover of "Spin Out" by the Wonderful Grand Band. Cabot doesn't let anything bloat these songs, with quick, screeching solos and the chorus-verse rinse-repeat song structure of garage rock's finest. There's a bridge section or two here, but most of them end abruptly, sending listeners flying off into the water rather than taking them to the other side, cuz where's the fun in that? The whole mess of songs is reminiscent of the hard-DEVO-core punk of recent no-fi fancy, with its squirrely, distorted guitars. The subgenre's usual plinky synths are utterly absent, in favor of more old-school boogie-rock feel. The third EP's opener, Explanations, especially brings to mind well-aged dad rock bands like good 'ole Motorhead. The big gap is that unlike the work of "real" rock gods, Canada's slimeball Springsteen's spats of lyrics are produced like hot sewage: mostly unintelligible and all better for it. Spray it, don't say it, Cabot seemingly insists, as though his tin-can recording "techniques" don't make the difference irrelevant. Who doesn't love garage punk that sounds just like blowing past a cop on the highway in a shitbox feels? Losers. So get in, TJ Cabot's taking you for a ride.

Start at the beginning with the SD ACTION EP