On the eve of their first American tour, Minneapolis label Fashionable Idiots have dropped a new single by Melbourne proto-punk misfits UV Race. That's right, Marcus, Moses, DX, Al, Georgia Rose and Alex Microwave are about to embark on a cross-country tour of the US taking songs like 'I Go Blank' and 'Society' to Buffalo, New York, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. No doubt their set will contain these four tracks, which sound a little different to the ones on their debut LP.

'Knife Fight', which has become one of the band's live favourites, begins with DX's rudimentary, but no less intense, drumming before it all kicks into gear and Marcus is threatening to stick someone in the belly with a steak knife. The lyrics written by guitarist Al and DX include subjects such as scalpels hidden in shoes and the genius line, “You gave my baby head lice/Yeah, I'm gonna take a slice.” Combined with a crazy “nah, nah, nah, nah” back-up chorus and the squeaky squall of Georgia's sax, it might be their best song yet.

The artwork from keyboardist Alex Microwave has the UV Race sun logo dropping out of Marcus like a foal onto sawdust. But if you think that’s disturbing check out closing track 'Garbage In My Heart', a plodding dirge with dark saxophone that sees Marcus chanting out a litany of all things vile and fucked-up: old boots, bloody tampons, a diabetics prick and an old lady’s fake dick.

Like G.G Allin reading Bukowski, he sings of “broken promises and foiled dreams” and rhymes “matted hair” with “used franger that I'm going to wear”. But despite the deranged lyrics and subject matter, listen closely and it seems the song could be more than the contents of a dumpster, perhaps even a metaphor for bad or lost relationships. I'm hoping it's just a song about condoms and tampons, but dare I say it, The UV Race are maturing?

by Tim Scott