Launcher: Bone Saw 12"

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Debut LP from this Los Angeles punk band. At times is snotty, up-tempo rocked out punk and other times is more on the noise rock/later era Black Flag. Our take: Bone Saw is the deb ut LP from this Los Angeles punk band, and it’s a unique and interesting record. The core of Launcher’s sound is fast punk that’s either “punk at hardcore tempos” or “hardcore with catchy punk elements.” In other words, it’s in the same pocket as bands like Career Suicide, injected with the grimy vibe of Total Punk Records and a snotty vocalist who is, at times, a dead ringer for Lumpy. It’s clear Launcher isn’t just doing a genre run-through, though, because their songs are so quirky. While there are a handful of punk smashers here, many tracks are built around melancholy chord progressions and that, when combined with quirky flourishes like the upstroke guitar in “Fingers Crossed” or the lead guitar runs in “Shrunken Head,” makes me think of Naked Raygun. Like Naked Raygun, Launcher sounds like they could write great punk anthems, but they can’t help weirding their songs up. While it might make the music less immediate, those of us who value originality in our punk appreciate the move. Bone Saw is too quirky to get sucked into the hype machine, but if you’re a fan of weird records that are really good in spite of the fact—or maybe because—they fall in the spaces between genres, give this a try. Show more