Spiritual Cramp aren’t looking for a soapbox. The San Francisco-born punk experimentalists are here to flash a big smile, flip you off, deliver a burst of musical adrenaline, and then keep on walking. “But at the same time, that’s something that I’m working on,” vocalist Michael Bingham knowingly grins. And on their upcoming sophomore album, RUDE (due TK via Blue Grape Music), Spiritual Cramp discover a newfound balance between that impish cheekiness, emotional vulnerability, and rabid energy. “When you focus on yourself and the people around you, you can keep your side of the street clean,” Bingham says. “And when I see the opposite of that, I get kind of offended, which is what a lot of these songs are about.”
From the very first seconds of RUDE’s opening track “I’m an Anarchist”, Spiritual Cramp make it clear what their side of the street is. The record is framed with the tuning of an FM dial and the voice of DJ Crash (played by percussionist Jose Luna), introducing Wild 87 Radio and the “San Francisco rude boy sound.” The fictitious radio station takes its name from the band’s original moniker prior to renaming themselves after a song by southern California rockers Christian Death, and recurs on the album as a way to keep the band grounded in their SF roots. “My foundation is in San Francisco, California, and from there I can go anywhere and be who I am,” Bingham says. The song that follows the radio intro similarly grounds listeners in the Spiritual Cramp musical language, Bingham delivering tongue-in-cheek sloganeering (“I’m an anarchist, so leave me alone”) over clap-along sunshine punk.
While Spiritual Cramp have perfected their kaleidoscopic take on rock over nearly a decade, the gleeful RUDE marks the start of a new era for the band. Bingham and bassist Mike Fenton have been the band’s constants in that time—not to mention having worked on other projects together prior—and wrote the majority of Spiritual Cramp’s songs on their own across a series of lineup changes. But after a seemingly endless tour in support of their self-titled 2023 debut, their new lineup of Bingham, Fenton, percussionist Luna, guitarists Nate Punty and Orville Neeley III, and drummer Julian Smith gelled to the point that the co-founders decided to bring everyone into the room for the writing process. “It really helped give color and energy to the whole record,” Fenton says. The results are nothing short of ecstatic, bounding between new wave burn, indie rock swagger, old-school punk, and even dub and hip-hop flourishes.
The thumping rhythm and chunky guitar riffs of album highlight “At My Funeral” showcase that evolved fusion, as well as Bingham’s trademark self-deprecating sense of humor. “At my funeral/ Nobody came/ Everybody knew/ My shit was lame,” he deadpans, as Punty and Neely’s guitars ping-pong to each headphone. The following track, “Automatic”, utilizes similarly muscly, Clash-indebted guitars, though this time pairs a neon dance punk swagger with a Killers-esque soaring chorus.
Another major factor in RUDE’s amplified genre experimentation came in the studio, with Spiritual Cramp working with a producer for the first time. After chatting with a few different potential collaborators, the band were passed Grammy-winning producer John Congleton’s information. “I didn’t know if it would be a good fit. I’m a high-intensity guy and he seems pretty mellow,” Bingham says. “I like working with other insane people, but I learned he’s crazy in the studio. When we met he started talking about Stiff Little Fingers, the Stranglers, and Public Enemy, and I know he’s done everything from indie rock to hip-hop. We’re basically a ‘70s punk band inspired by rap, so it was a perfect match.”
That collision is exemplified in the giddy, DEVO-addled “Young Offenders”, where pulsing electronics and a stuttery bridge underpin a fist-pumping punk chorus. “Expensive clothes/ Explosive fights/ There’s no better place everything will be just fine/ Just another warm San Francisco night/ Where everyday is the best day of my life,” Bingham rahs, like a sarcastic anthem for yuppie expansion. Throughout RUDE, the tracks feel dense and lush, though always full of light and life. “We got crazy in the studio this time,” Fenton says.
Perhaps the wildest surprise, though, comes via guest vocals from a collaborator that might be unexpected for many listeners: Sharon Van Etten. Bingham and his wife became friends with the indie singer-songwriter after their move to Los Angeles, and the unlikely pairing sounds absolutely fated on the slow-burning “You’ve Got My Number”. Bingham and Van Etten trade lines in the smoky verses, building to a thunderous blend of staccato vocals and thumping percussion at the chorus. “You’ve got my number/ But you won’t call me,” they sigh on the deftly heartbroken track, before transforming some wordless “ba da ba” into the musical equivalent of putting on a brave face after a breakup.
“People sometimes think of us as ‘just’ a punk band, but we love indie rock and were so honored Sharon would sing on one of our songs,” Bingham says. “For whatever reason I thought a reggae song with a big rock chorus would be perfect for her, and she sounds incredible.” And for the Spiritual Cramp singer, it’s more than just vocal admiration. “I’ve always said I want to be the Sharon Van Etten of punk,” he smiles. “She’s the coolest, and it’s all about doing things thoughtfully and with integrity instead of being some famous celebrity.”
Whether it’s on the riotously fun self-loathing anthem “I Hate the Way That I Look” or the delightfully dubby “Violence in the Supermarket”, it’s clear not only that Spiritual Cramp are following that honest artistic path, but they’re doing so by constantly pushing the boundaries of their musical world. “Sometimes we’d write something and everyone in the room would think it was totally nuts,” Fenton laughs. “And then we’d finish it, and it was great to realize we weren’t crazy.” And while they continue evolving, the witty, fun-loving heart of Spiritual Cramp keeps the engine running. “As a band, we have a cool thing that people like, but we can always get better,” Bingham says. “People who listen know where we stand, and this record paints a picture of what it feels like to be in Spiritual Cramp.”
The cast of Radioactivity reads like the credits to an all-star lineup of Texas punk and garage rock royalty, including members of The Marked Men, Mind Spiders, Bad Sports, Wax Museums, The Reds, VIDEO, and The Novice. Jeff Burke is one of the most distinctive songwriters in the punk rock underground, and these songs will sound instantly familiar to any fans of the aforementioned.
Radioactivity’s first LP was rightly hailed as a sort of sequel to The Marked Men’s remarkable run through the first decade of the millennium, and while Silent Kill bears the unmistakable hallmarks of that band’s tightly wound “Denton sound,” Radioactivity can now lay claim to a sonic territory of their very own. Burke’s distinctive hooks dig as deep as ever, but the scope of his vision has expanded.
Although the twelve songs on Silent Kill abide one strict rule–providing garage punk pleasure at all costs–Radioactivity bend that mandate in myriad ways. Breathless ragers like “Battered” and “No Alarm” are as fleet and raw as anything in the combined canon of Radioactivity’s members, while mid-tempo heartbreakers “Way Out,” “Connection” and “Where I Come From” find Burke and company opening up their sound to let in a little tenderness. And then there are songs like “Not Here” or “With You,” which enact perfect unions of melody and kinetic energy.
Admirers of Burke’s legacy will be not only satisfied, but pleasantly surprised.
Give Restraining Order a room, and they’ll whip it into a frenzy.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a basement, a house, a club, or a festival stage. They bring the same unbridled and unrestrained energy everywhere they go, leaving their mark (and the crowd hoarse from screaming along!).
Hailing from the underground music hotbed of Western Massachusetts and Connecticut, the collective — Pat Cozens [vocals], Dylan Tobia [guitar], Kyle Beaudreault [guitar], Jake Miller [guitar], Keith Freeman [bass], and Will Hirst [drums] — play hardcore punk with purity and panache. After amassing millions of streams, earning acclaim from the likes of Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, and more, and igniting venues, the group level up on their third full-length offering and debut LP for Blue Grape Music, Future Fortune.
“This is a natural evolution,” notes Will. “We leaned into seventies punk, glam, and classic rock in some of the songs. We’ve always had a rock element in our music, but we weren’t afraid to add more of it to the sauce. On each record, we’ve gained confidence. It’s the next organic step.”
“With everything we put out, we push another boundary,” agrees Keith. “We’re doing different things that still fit who we are and sound cool. The thought was, ‘What do we have to lose? Let’s have some fun with it.’“
Emerging in 2017, Restraining Order hit their stride with 2019’s This World Is Too Much. The latter spawned the fan favorite “Don’t Really Think,” which amassed over 1.1 million Spotify streams and counting. The 2023 follow-up, Locked In Time, incited tastemaker applause. Stereogum hailed it as “a great entry point for the present-day hardcore landscape,“ and New Noise Magazine celebrated how, “Restraining Order introduce a new flavor of hook-filled, catchy tracks.“ Plus, Revolver christened them one of “7 Bands Leading Massachusetts Hardcore’s New Wave.” Along the way, they shared stages with the likes of Angel Du$t, Citizen, Drug Church, Fiddlehead, Fucked Up, Kublai Khan TX, LustSickPuppy, and more. The group eventually caught the attention of Blue Grape Music in 2024 and signed to the label.
During early 2025, the musicians hunkered down in Sonelab Recording Studio for ten days and recorded Future Fortune with Will behind the board as producer. The band enlisted GRAMMY Award-nominated Tom Dalgety [Ghost, Pixies, Royal Blood] for mixing and Brad Boatright for mastering.
The musicians embraced an outlier perspective, allowing it to inform the process.
“We’ve always been a black sheep, but we’re also in this weird position where we can play with a lot of different artists,” observes Will. “We don’t limit our sound. The basis is early first wave hardcore punk, but we never cared about rules or limits. We were like, ‘Fuck it. If it’s artistically satisfying, let’s do it.’ It’s put us in a position to branch out with our music.”
They come out of the gate swinging with the opener and first single “Know Not.” A head-nodding gallop holds the tempo as a hummable guitar riff buzzes. Pat counts down and launches a peppy bark on the verses, bleeding into the irresistibly chantable chorus, “You know what to say and you know what to do, so put it all together before life turns around on you!”
“It’s definitely inspired by seventies punk and glam bands,” says Will. “Thematically, it’s about personal reflection, pointing out your flaws and self-improvement. It’s a bit like our older material, so you can hear a seamless progression. We all found ourselves singing along.”
The guys rev up “Free Ride” with swaggering guitar and a driving beat, culminating on an infectious refrain, “You got a free ride. Well, I’m gonna take the long way home.“
“It was one of the last songs, and it came together quickly,” recalls Will. “It’s simple, but the hook is huge. We didn’t overthink it. Lyrically, it could be about not taking the easy road. We’ve been a band for eight years, and we’ve taken the long road. We booked our own tours, recorded our own records, and even printed our own merch for a while. It was D.I.Y.”
“‘Free Ride’ makes you think, ‘Where am I going?,’” adds Keith. “You’re working towards a goal; it’s not being given to you. We think this road is better instead of being handed everything.”
Then, there’s “Time To Go.” A thick bass line gives way to a frenetic punk freakout fueled by frantic guitars and guttural vocals. However, it ultimately twists and turns through a psychedelic climax complete with free jazz piano, fret-burning solos, and organic percussion.
“The basis is a four-on-the-floor punk song, but it goes crazy in the end,” smiles Will. “There’s some cool guitar leads and Floyd-esque percussion moments rounding out the song.”
“Were You There” concludes the album with one last blast of emotion and another arena-size vocal.
“Our records typically end with a banger,” Keith states. “This is no different. ‘Were You There’ has a ton of energy and passion. Pat said it’s representative of friendship. It’s relatable. You’re trying to convey someone’s importance.”
In the end, Restraining Order are just the jolt we need to push hardcore punk into another renaissance.
“We take this shit seriously, but we hope everyone else has fun with it,” smiles Will. “We tried to make a catchy rock album, and I think we achieved that.”
“I can’t wait to play it live,” concludes Keith.