Frau – Punk Is My Boyfriend

This short sharp blast by London based Frau is the perfect antidote to the daily grind, putting you in the perfect post-work frame of mind with its sloppy, primal anger. Featuring members of Good Throb and Woolf, this is the first time the band has reached my ears and I found myself immediately digging out the demo tape (which is just as good)through pure hype that people are still out there, creating something this rough and raw. There’s no messing around, with the first two tracks clocking in at under a minute and the third at just over two, so sit back and prepare to have your ears assaulted.

The title track opens with a distorted bassline before the rest of the band throw themselves into a song characterised by jerking, syncopated blasts of noise. Vocally this lies somewhere between Crass’ Eve Libertine and The Slits’ Ari Up – musically, though, there is a definite lean towards the former. The primitive musicianship and recording on display are, if anything, a channel for the reckless energy which resonates throughout each song; the band’s race to the finish approach means that go downstairs to make a brew and you’ll have missed it. Third track ‘Orca’ is almost a prog epic compared to the other tracks here, coming in as it does at 2:04 seconds of insistent guitar squeals, passionately hostile vocals and a pounding rhythm section. Very reminiscent of an early Crass Records band, this is lo fi punk at its best – go out and see them live and support DIY music at its rawest!