A Bunch Of Jerks “The Long Arm of Professor Kittenpants”

We must admit that we weren’t exactly enamoured by this band’s name. But the fact that this is being released on the awesome Rum Bar Records label and promised a band that “will rock your socks and make your pants dance as they meld punk, glam, garage, and nu-wave into one ear-worm after another” meant we had to check it out.

The moment we hear opener “Diner Song” we were certainly glad we had. A brilliant fun track which messes up a fifties girl group sound with a punk rock attitude. We’re a sucker for a kind of fifties influence in a punk band and this is delivered in spades on this release by songs like “Top Secret TP” and “Lay Down and Die”. A highlight though is the slinky feel of “Serpents Drinking Whisky”, surely written as a stripper tune!

We guess that, as the band’s name suggest, the group don’t take themselves too seriously. So, songs like “Gorilla Monsoon”, “CIA On My Back” and “Kalifornia” are based on being fun and sound tracking a good time. They follow a lineage of bands like The Ramones and The Cramps in delivering punk rock with a sense of fun and mischief alongside the sneer. That’s not to say they can’t deliver a rawer and in your face sound, as shown by “Let It Go” or the New York Dolls sleaze flavour of “You Lied”.

They may describe themselves as a bunch of jerks but whilst fun is clearly a top priority, they also know how to deliver some decent punk n roll. So, if you fancy a slice of sleazy rock n roll then this is definitely a band for you.