Hello and happy Tuesday, punks! Welcome back to another week of Punk Prism, the series that brings five underrated bands straight to your ears. Sit back and relax as Cosey Mueller, She, Self Improvement and others take you on a sonic joyride.
This week is all about lo-fi, minimalist production that leads to punk excellence. Artists spanning from the 60s to the present day demonstrate that DIY sounds allow creativity to shine through. We hope you’ll love these five tracks as much as we do, and that you’ll support these artists’ past and future projects. Enjoy!
Cosey Mueller – “Constructed”
Bass-heavy and straight from Berlin: meet Cosey Mueller. Expertly combining elements of Euro-House, post punk and electronic sensibilities, this track is impossible not to dance to. The detailed, yet lo-fi production style creates a uniquely cinematic and atmospheric feeling to the track. Close your eyes and imagine yourself as the main character in a high-speed chase movie, because “Constructed” is all about adrenaline.
Geneva Jacuzzi – “Clothes on the Bed”
Suddenly it’s the 80’s again, and you’re listening to a tape of your Walkman as you bike through the suburbs. At least, that’s what it feels like to listen to Geneva Jacuzzi’s “Clothes on the Bed”. A multimedia artist and performer, Geneva Jacuzzi employs rudimentary-sounding synths, electronic elements and droning vocals to produce this deliciously nostalgic track.
She – “Bad Girl”
An all-girl garage rock band from the late ’60s, She was one of the first examples of female proto-punk. Powerful, belting vocals lay atop distorted guitars and syncopated drums. The result is a richly textured and sonically captivating track that sounds as future-facing as it is nostalgic. One of the forgotten predecessors to punk, She demonstrated how talented women laid the foundations for future genres to come.
Self Improvement – “Visible Damage”
Hailing from California in the present day, Self Improvement sounds like they may as well have come from 1970s New York City. If Kim Gordon and the Slits met for drinks at the Met, it would sound like “Visible Damage”. Short but punchy, this track illuminates drum-heavy and swirling rhythms to achieve post-punk perfection.
Mike Krol – “Like a Star”
Deeply distorted and minimal, Mike Krol exemplifies the true ethos of punk in “Like a Star”. Muffled vocals paired with jangly guitars make this track irresistibly cool, and perfect for summer gatherings with friends. Krol channels the energy of LA music history while adding his own creative flair.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s rendition of Punk Prism, and found new bands to love amongst She, Mike Krol, Self-Improvement, Geneva Jacuzzi and Cosey Mueller. With roots in punk history and combinations of personal style, each artist has successfully crafted a DIY sound worthy of all your summer playlists.
Stay tuned for our next Punk Prism feature in two weeks, and until then, check out our coverage of Punk in the Park: An American Roadtrip. As always, feel free to send in submissions any time to kyleewiens11@gmail.com or @respectmyregion.usa on IG. See you next time, punks!
