The members of London’s Hazmats come from the UK’s punk and hardcore world; they’ve played in bands like Violent Reaction, Big Cheese, Game, and Chubby And The Gang. But the Hazmats don’t sound anything like those bands. Instead, they make bright, jangly indie-pop that calls back to the halcyon days of college rock. Last year, the Hazmats released their debut single “Empty Rooms” b/w “Today.” Now, they’re back with another one.
The Hazmats announced their new two-sided single last month, and they already shared A-side “Skewed View.” The single is out today, which means we get to hear the B-side. “Wondered” is a fast, shimmering jam with at least a little big of Stone Roses in its soul. It’s always fascinating to hear hardcore musicians make music that’s decidedly non-hardcore, and “Wondered” has the same thrumming background energy as a band like High Vis. This isn’t mosh music, but it could be mosh music in the right circumstances. Check it out below.
In related news, the Hazmats share a label and at least one member with Powerplant, a London band who makes truly bugged-out and synth-addled post-punk. You could almost think of Powerplant as the British cousins of MSPAINT — musicians using the hardcore scene as a delivery mechanism for true freak shit that doesn’t sound anything like hardcore. Today, Powerplant have also released their delightfully strange new EP Grass, and you can hear it below.
The “Skewed View” b/w “Wondered” single and the Grass EP are both out now on Static Shock Records.