We’re still a bit woozy from our Memorial Day celebrations here at the singles club, but rather than take it easy and talk about Captain & Tennille or Air Supply records, we’re diving head-first into a grip of blitzkrieg hardcore bangers. Since the tinnitus from last week’s list probably still hasn’t subsided, we figure that this week’s crew should either finish the job, or prove, once and for all, that you truly are one tough S.O.B. Onto the mayhem…

We batter down the door this edition with volatile Houston trio No Talk and their “Confusion” b/w “Outside World” single on Going Underground Records. Limited to a scant 150 copies on clear wax, this two song stinger hits like a loogie to the face, or an “X”d out knuckle to the chin. These boys like to keep their releases scarce and brief, and the pair of stumbling scumfuck punk tunes they deliver here are no exception, which, for what it’s worth, ain’t so bad. Not sure if these are still around or not, but if they are, Puke ‘n’ Vomit will be the folks to get ‘em from.

Our second batch of vagrants this week are none other than Cleveland’s infamous Inmates, with their new-ish Now We Talkin Hardcore EP on Kangaroo Records. Fronted by the legendary Paul E. Wogg, these boys only release a record every once in a while, but damned if they don’t do skull-splitting punk rock just as well as anyone on the planet. They race through a clutch of obnoxious, nihilistic and just plain offensive tracks here, with Paul’s trademark fake cockney snarl leading the charge over a steamroller drum charge and guitars that spew vomit and vitriol. It’s all completely off the rails, not stopping until Paul smashes his head into a brick wall, with the others following suit soon after. These should still be around at some distros, but last we checked, Fashionable Idiots definitely had a few.

The final blow to the skull of good taste this week comes courtesy of Italy’s Smart Cops, with their Cominciare a Vivere EP on Sorry State Records. Formed from the ashes of hardcore behemoths La Piovra and Ohuzara, the Cops are less abrasive (and screamy) than either of those outfits, and have mastered the fine art of writing a decent hook. The follow up to their self-titled EP, Cominciare a Vivere tells the tale of a woebegoten officer of the law that, in an attempt to find himself, become addicted to heroin. All of this is delivered at a rocket-fire pace in an abrasive-yet-tuneful ’80s hardcore style that should please fans of Negative Approach or gutter trash punk rock in general. Still available from the label as far as we know.

We’re crawling back into our cave to nurse our perpetual hangovers now, but not to fear, we should be ready to see the sunlight again by the time next week’s collection rolls around.