Bands included are:- Urchins of Menace, AFS, The Scabs, Flat Back Four, The Fractions, Most Likely To Fail, Mafafi, Suspicious Stains, Crouch Mog (RIP); The Guilty Pleasures, The Bullet Kings, Strait Jackets, One Man Stand, Revenge of the Psychotronic Man, Nomatrix, Koncept, Boredom AD and Social Schism.

Review 1

Always championing the underdog , Fungalpunk, aka Dave OMD, has put together this fine collection of the finest punk rock this region has to offer. In true punk tradition, all of the tracks here end before the 2 minute mark, with most barely passing 1 minute, although some seem to fade out too early. The best and most memorable tracks here are by bands most local gig-goers will be familiair with such as AFS, The Scabs, Suspicious Stains, The Guilty Pleasures, The Bullet Kings, The Strait Jackets and Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man, although the standard right through is pretty high. My only complaint would be that the album is of a similar pace and mood (pretty fast and aggressive) throughout, until Nomatrix's closer.

Reviewed by Kerry, (Burn Out Fanzine, June 07 (UK)

Review 2

Dave/OMD has put forth a fine collection of bands on his Underdogs Vol 1 compilation.  The feeling throughout is one of urgency and mayhem with classic punk sounds with new twists filling the album.  Standouts are Flat Back Four, Most Likely To Fail, Boredom AD and Suspicious Stains.  While listening to the CD I found myself thinking of External Menace and the American band The Generators (which is a compliment).  The last song was a bit of a Buzzkill but overall the frantic pace and agressive stlye is worthy of belonging in everyone's collection for sure.

Reviewed by Mr Nobody, August 07 (USA)

Review 3

The punk scene has to have new blood to have a future and 'Fungalpunk Underdogs' volume 1 shows just how good some of these bands for the future really are. This CD gives a platform to these bands who might have stayed in the wilderness. There are 18 songs by 18 different bands and there is a good range of music with punk, ska and hardcore all being covered.
The CD kicks off with 'Psychotic Surfer' (SAS Intro/Finale) an accoustic instrumental by Urchins Of Menace that is exclusive to this CD. I just can't seem to stop humming it since I heard it. Next comes the unmistakeble sound of AFS with 'Happy People' a catchy punk singalong that will have fans joining in at all their gigs. The Scabs come next and 'Blades Beat Fists' is what I consider to be the best song from the material they've done so far. With aggressive vocals and superb lyrics The Scabs, Cumbria's finest are definitely one of the best punk bands on the scene at the moment. 'Psalm 23' by St Helens based Flat Back Four is my choice for the best song off the entire CD. There is a definite US feel to the song and it would stand up against any of the songs by the bands we all know from across the pond. Rochdale based The Fractions come next with 'Let's Get It Right'. Currently one of the best young ska bands around this is classic ska and their excellent brass section is amongst the best and it is very well displayed in this song. Next comes just over a minute of hardcore madness in 'Dirty Pillows' from Mafafi. These guys deserve huge credit for travelling all the way from Perth to support the SAS Tour. If you are a fan of hardcore you certainly won't go far wrong here. Next up are South Yorkshire's Most Likely To Fail with 'Killing Time'. A great punk song by a band who are one of the best live bands i've seen in the last year. OMD must have had difficulty choosing a track by them because they have so many great songs. Suspicious Stains another band based in Rochdale are next with 'ASBO' which I consider to be the best song off their recently released album. An excellent old school punk song with good female vocals. Next up are the sadly now defunct Crouch Mog. 'Billy Boy' is a mixture of ska and punk which is blended together very well and hopefully there will be some incarnation of Crouch Mog back in business soon. 'Stand Up' the next song by hard gigging Lancaster punks The Guilty Pleasures is another good singalong by another very talented band. Bolton punks The Bullet kings who are 3 members of the late Oi band Churchill have ditched the Oi label they were well known for and come up with a different sound that is in my opinion more appealing. Wilf's gravelly vocals work well for this tuneful band and this is just one song from a collection of fine songs they are amassing. I have seen Liverpool's The Straitjackets live a few times recently and they are a good live band who are known for their psychobilly sound. However 'My Baby Got Killed By A Landmine' is punk through and through and shows how versatile this band is. I think if they can mix a few more punk songs together with their staple psychobilly material they will attract more fans from a wider spectrum. 'Becky Want' is by Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man, one of the best Manchester punk bands plying their trade at the moment. These guys are one of the best live bands i've seen recently and they have come on at a fearsome pace. This is a quality song and these guys are one of the bands that I can see taking over the mantle from the bands that were plying their trade in the 70s onwards. Stockport's One Man Stand are next with 'Black Hole'. A favourite band of mine who are off touring in Japan early next year. Hopefully with new addition on bass Chris this tour will bring this band up to a new level. Southend punk/hardcore band Social Schism are one of the bands I have heard the least by. 'Fight' is an excellent song which was one of my favourites off this CD. Pure aggression in a nutshell and i'll be on the hunt for more by them. Another band i've not heard much by is Belgian punks Koncept, in fact 'Grown Up Bully' which is a great old school punk song is the only song I have by them. I did see them live earlier this year but I was a bit bladdered and sadly can't remember much about the gig. The penultimate song on the CD is 'Lowlife' by Boredom AD (Formerly Boredom). Taking over from Dani on vocals is Barnsey (Bassist with UK Subs) who has swapped his bass for a mic stand. I have the demo CD that includes this song which I must say wasn't great but the improvement in quality in this version is dramatic and this is a good effort. Finally come Emerald Isle punks Nomatrix with 'Reflections Of The Popular Minority'. I have their recent album and this was what I thought was the best song from it.
A lot of people reading this might have just returned from Rebellion watching bands that everybody knows about. It's all well and good watching these bands but if the punk scene is to survive in a healthy state we need these lesser known bands to be supported.
I have many compilation CDs but 'Fungalpunk Underdogs' is right at the top of the pile. This is a CD that has something for everyone, musically varied, well produced and at a price (£3) you won't better anywhere. This CD is a triumph for a guy who has constantly championed the cause for lesser known bands.

Reviewed by Tim 'Punk4Life' Davies, August 2007 (UK)

Review 4

The much anticipated 'Underdogs Vol 1' was well worth the wait from the tuneful intro to the final track by Nomatrix it is quality punk with a bit of ska mixed in. I have only seen one of the bands live being from the (until recently) punk desert that is Cumbria the band being the mighty Scabs who have one of the best tracks on the CD. Other particular favourites being Boredom AD, Suspicious Stains and who can fail to like a song called My Baby Got Killed By A Landmine by The Stait Jackets. One stand out track for me is Psalm 23 by Flat Back Four and if there was any justice this band would be massive along with the Scabs. All in all a good CD and if I can make some suggestions for future releases it would be Gimpfist, The City Kids, No Thrills and more Scabs as all these bands played in Penrith recently and are well worth a listen.

Reviewed by David Bell, August 2007 (UK)

Review 5

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this CD as it has been put together by one of the most under-rated people that deserves more accolade & support for his efforts to keep the real punk spirit alive, and printed on a label by another that deserves more support in his efforts to silence the nostalgia punks and the armchair critics alike.

On first play of this CD I was very surprised at the first track, a somewhat classical piece to me by Urchins of Menace.  On subsequent playings I can say that this is just to clear your mind for the onslaught of pure street punk by some of the best bands on the scene for a long time!

18 tracks makes this CD superb value with class groups such as AFS, Mafafi, Suspicious Stains, The Guilty Pleasures, Strait Jackets, One Man Stand and also not forgetting Boredom AD to name just a few.

The best track for me is ‘Baby Got Killed By A Landmine’ by The Straitjackets (just you lot remember I raved about this band when they first came on the scene).

Yes there is a couple of tracks that don’t go down well for me but then how many compilation CD’s do you all own that you can honestly say that you love all the tracks ??? now come on be honest?   I have seen all these bands live (well apart from Urchins of Menace) and this epitomises the real punk scene, full of effort, passion and above all class music!

Above all this is worth more than the price and is for real punks by real bands produced by real people that don’t want to rip you off and want to make the scene as freely available as possible.  Next question is , “When is Volume2 being released?’.
Or maybe another stupid question from someone who does not apparently know or is not classed as punk by some “ how about 'Underdogs' DVD PART 1 “GO BUY IT - - YOU WON’T REGRET IT".
                                                           

Review 7

Many of you have read about the bands that Fungalpunk mentions here in Distorted - he has now put out a compilation with a collection of great bands including Koncept, The Scabs and Most Likely To Fail. Support the Underdog and get it.

Reviewed by Distorted Magazine - October 2007 (UK)

Review 8

I managed to get my hands on the mastered version of the compilation at a “That’s Not Skanking” gig in Manchester and knowing that Fungalpunk Dave who compiled the CD was the Spit and Sawdust promoter with years of experience watching and dealing with the cream of unsigned UK punk and ska bands I was looking forward to the drive home where I could get to listen to it for the first time. The guy likes his punk the way it was meant to be and I wasn’t surprised with the quality of the tracks on offer and my journey home was a most enjoyable one.

Compilations can be an awkward affair and it’s all about keeping the listener entertained all the way through and Dave has managed to do this with 18 tracks of punk mayhem with a splash of ska and and hardcore. I played the compilation three times back to back and resisted to reach out for the fast forward button (which can be tempting with some compilations) so it gets my seal of approval and for £3 is an absolute bargain.

The tracks that stand out and get the 5 star treatment on my ipod are:

Happy People by AFS, which will have you singing along after the first play
The amazing punk / metal crossover sound of Psalm 23 by Flat Back Four
ASBO by the now defunct old school female fronted band Suspicious Stains
Revenge of the Psychotronic Man’s Becky Want with Andy Psychotronic’s strummeresque vocals
Lowlife by Boredom AD with it’s pop punk chorus and excellent production

Overall it’s a cracking effort, but with Fungalpunk involved I always knew it would be!

Reviewed by Dean, SLit Records and Promotions - October 2007 (UK)

Review 9

Well another compilation and another good one. Full of DIY punk and not one well known band. Just as it should be, no frills, no bullshit, just pure Punk bliss from the social gutter and full of bands with plenty to say. Best keep this to your self or every one will want a piece of the action. All styles are there for everyone - punk ,oi, touch of psycho, a dab of ska - lets say a bit for all concerned. Boredom AD give a good account and are well worth a listen or maybe get off your arse and catch em' live around Blackburn. One Man Stand also stand out, but its fair to say not one bad band in the whole 18 tracks. It's very enjoyable and very DIY but most of all its from bands who believe in themselves.

Reviewed by Andy for Punk and Oi in the UK - January 2008 (UK)

Bands included are:- Paul Carter, Urchins of Menace, AFS, Suspicious Stains, Boredom, Crouch Mog, Lowlife UK, Churchill, The Guilty Pleasures, Headclinic, Rip Off UK, Kamikaze Sperm, One Man Stand, The Poor Kids With Guns, The Monday Club, Middle Finger Salute, Slash Monkeys, Ambush UK, The Phlegms, Dying For Toto, The Scabs, The Day Man Lost, The Excuses

Review 1

If you like real punk, played the way it was meant to be played then you NEED this cd. Currently touring the north west and beyond, the concept of the Spit & Sawdust Tour is to reclaim punk, drag it away from the stadiums and back into the pubs and the clubs, charge a nominal fee, rotate the line - up avoiding rock star egos, get pissed and have a great time in the process.

This compilation of 22 of the bands appearing during the Spit & Sawdust tour is, like the 'Vibes From The Attic' cd we reviewed earlier, a true snapshot of the scene it represents. On this showing, the future of punk is in safe hands.

This cd dispels the myth that punk is an irrelevance, this is some of the most vital music I have heard in years and represents punk in all its many colours. Bands such as Boredom, The Guilty Pleasures and One Man Stand do some great old school punk; Churchill, Lowlife UK and Arthritic Foot Soldiers give us pure oi whilst the likes of Crouch Mog, The Slash Monkeys, The Scabs and Middle Finger Salute represent the new wave of young punk bands who incorporate a more metal edge. The stand out tracks for me are Kamikaze Sperm's 'Riot In Town', a hefty blast of pulverising punk, the acoustic punk warnings of Paul Carter's 'Don't Fall In Love' and a band that you have to see and hear to believe, Day Man Lost with 'Song 13' which at 48 seconds is probably their equivalent of a concept album. Saying that, there isn't a bad track on this compilation.

Visit the bands' websites and listen to their stuff, furthermore attend a Spit & Sawdust gig and get hold of this cd, you know it makes sense.

Reviewed by Ralph Malf - June 06 (UK)

Review 2

'Spit & Sawdust Tour 06' CD contains 22 of the bands that are playing on the 'Spit & Sawdust' tour which runs from 20th May to 9th july this year. The tour which is the brainchild of FungalPunk OMD and Noize Anoize Records is about getting back to the real ethos of punk. On the tour all bands are considered equal. No prima donnas here, which is how it should be. Fuck the known bands with their big paydays this is real punk.

This is an excellent CD and you might not have heard of some of the bands but I can assure you they are all good bands. I'm a supporter of this kind of stuff because it is what punk should really be about, not just the nostalgia that so many punks are always on about. Some of the bands featured on the CD are AFS, Suspicious Stains, Boredom, Crouch Mog, Lowlife UK, Churchill, The Guilty Pleasures, Headclinic and Middle Finger Salute. We need new bands coming through to keep the punk scene healthy in the future. These bands are the future.

Reviewed by 'Tim Punk4Life' Davies - July 06 (UK)

Review 1

Instead of the usual split between 2 bands, this is 4 bands…and 4 countries. England’s Gimp Fist, Stuntface from Wales, Belgians Koncept and my fellow Scots the Red Eyes.

Gimp Fist have the two opening tracks. They are one of the best current UK bands and these two tracks show their full potential – ‘Brotherhood’ has more of an Oi sound (think Cock Sparrer and the Business) and ‘More War Stories’ with it’s reggae vibe wouldn’t sound out of place on a Clash album.

Stuntface are next, the only band on here I hadn’t heard and they are great too. Love the harmonies on ‘Every Dog Has It’s Day’ and fantastic hate song ‘Go To Hell Blues’. Nothing fancy here, just catchy as fuck punk the way it should be.

And it leads nicely into Koncept, who sing in both English and Flemish. There is one of each on here and both are great, fast but melodic punk. ‘World Today’ is over in a flash. I think ‘Belspelltjes’ is the better of the two and not just because the phone noises confused my boyfriend who didn’t realise it was on the CD.

Last, and totally different from all the others on here, are The Red Eyes who play classic 77 style punk. I don’t know how anyone can not like them. These two are among their finest – ‘Norah Louise Kuzma’ is the one everyone knows but I prefer the final track ‘Wake Up Call’.

This split is a great idea – a way to hear some new bands without shelling out for all their albums. I hope Volume 2 isn’t far off.

For more info go to www.slit.me

Reviewed by Jean Marie - January 08 (Scotland)

Review 2

This various artists complitation is a collaboration between Fungal Punk and the newly formed Slit Records. It features two tracks each from four bands, each representing a different country. First band up are England's Gimpfist a band who are right at the top of my list of bands to see live. 'Brotherhood' their first track is a good old school singalong with some nice guitar riffs but their second track 'More War Stories' has distinct similarites with reggae tracks by The Clash such as The Guns Of Brixton. I must say that I thought this song actually surpassed The Clashes reggae offerings for quality and this band also have The Clashes ability to diversify which is always the hallmark of any good band. One of the best songs I have heard in the last year.
Next up are Welsh trio Stuntface. I wasn't sure about this lot when they first went from a foursome to a trio but now it seems like they have managed to retain their great sound. 'Every Dog Has Its Day' and 'Go To Hell Blues' are both fast, furious and catchy songs that bridge the gap between punk and hardcore. Two great songs from one of the best bands to come out of Wales.
Belgium's Koncept are the next band to display their talents. I'd not heard much by Koncept but after hearing 'World Today' and 'Belspelletjes' two fast paced, aggressively sung songs i'll be on the hunt for more by them.
Finally come 'Norah Louise Kuzmah' and 'Wake Up Call' two tracks by Scotland's The Red Eyes. I'd put both these songs in the pop punk bracket, they're more melodic and tuneful than raw and aggressive but as with most pop punk tunes they're very catchy. At only £2 for this well produced CD this is a snip from two guys who are motivated by music and not money.

Reviewed by Tim 'Punk4Life' Davies - January 08 (UK)

Review 4

A four way split CD, three bands from the U.K. mainland (Wales, England and Scotland) and one from Belgium. First up is from England, GIMP FIST.  The song 'Brotherhood' is a sing-along anthem for all the punks not dead. “More War Stories” is a well crafted reggae styled song about the futility of war.

The next band from Wales is STUNTFACE and their first song called 'Every Dog Has Its Day'. A hardcore burst with positive and never gives up type lyrics. 'Go To Hell Blues'. This song is in the title, a song telling someone to go to hell with music full of energy and some decent guitar riffs.

Off to Belgium we go with KONCEPT. 'World Today' is a hardcore song touching on the American style, about being confused about the world. 'Belspelletjes', no idea what the song is about (possibly a phone call) but what a great hardcore song. One of the best I’ve heard in ages, loads of aggression and a delivery of a boot to the face!

Back to the mainland and up north to Scotland and THE RED EYES. An ode to 'Norah Louise Kuzmah'. A very melodic song and what seems to be a childhood crush on this woman back in the 60’s.  The next and final song on the CD is 'Wake Up Call'. An upbeat, and a bit surf-like song about a revelation in a relationship.

Overall it’s a fine CD with a fine selection from each country, lots of good tunes and for only £2 it’s a steal!  

Reviewed by Hugh, February 2008 (Ireland)

Review 5

As soon as I received this CD from Fungalpunk my anticipation that it would be good music rocketed as here is a guy who is one of the greats, a true believer and one of the few that love the music and the scene. So to the CD - first up is Gimpfist from Darlington and having seen these 'live' I got exactly what I expected - quality Oi Punk Gimp style! The first track 'Brotherhood' blasts through with a catchy chorus sticking to your head like Superglue and the second track is the Rancid/Clash feeling 'More War Stories' another quality track with a great pumping ska feel and haunting lyrics showing the diversity that is Gimpfist.

Next up is Stuntface from Wrexham - Welsh Punkers who I have not heard before. First up is 'Every Dog Has Its Day' cracking in from the start with no prisoners taken as the song builds to the chorus and what a chorus - complete with harmonised backing vocals - this I have got to hear live! Next up from them is 'Go To Hell Blues' a kind of street metal song fat fast guitar riff backed by solid pounding rhythm - it Rocks is all I can say!

Third band up is Koncept from Belguim - Blistering Bulldozer punk and the first track is 'World Today' and it steams through at a great pace and really gives you something to think about. The second track 'Belspelletjes' sang in their native tongue adds an extra edge and although I don’t understand what they are singing about I prefer the way it is sung and this track is even quicker but loses none of the quality.

Final band on this CD are The Red Eyes from Glasgow! 'Norah Louise Kuzmah' reminds me of early Business in sound mixed with late 70s Punk - more melody then fury and its quality - so much so I wanna know who she is! Great sing along track and then to their second track and the final track of this CD 'Wake Up Call' another great sing along song that rocks along nicely and again, another band I must see live.

So to sum up as I expected time and effort has gone into picking 4 top bands and Fungalpunk shows again his passion for quality bands he obviously loves. Everyone should get this CD and support all four bands as they are out there doing it for the love of it and we should fucking well acknowledge that by supporting them. Long live the Gutter Cult and Long live FungalPunk for helping these bands get to a wider audience roll on Volume 2!

Reviewed by Woodstock, February 2008 (England)

Review 1

Here it is, the second offering in the 'Slit And Sawdust Split Bits' collection. As with volume 1 the format is the same, with four bands from four different countries. The bands in question on vol 2 are The Jesters (Belgium), Born To Destruct (England), Global Parasite (Wales) and Nomatrix (Ireland). Each of the bands contribute 2 tracks.
Belgians The Jesters are first up and 'Tonight The Bar Is Ours' their first song is an anthemic drinking song with a slight leaning towards the Irish style. 'A Joker's Gift' is more like old school punk with a difference, the major difference being the saxophone which is also very prevalent in their first song.

Next up are England's Born To Destruct. I'd never even heard of this lot and 'Roadtrip' and 'Bollocks' whilst both being very simple songs are both delivered well by their female singer. Welsh hardcore band Global Parasite are next and 'Smash The NWO' and 'Prejudice' display what a good band these guys are. Both are good hardcore songs and after seeing these guys live a few times myself they are definitely worth a live viewing.

Ireland's Nomatrix wrap the CD up with 'A Memory' and 'Unsure'. Both these tracks can be found on the band's excellent album 'Ugly'. Most of their album has an Irish flavour but but the tracks chosen for this CD are definitely more towards the punk end of the spectrum, with 'Unsure' being what I thought the best track off this CD.
The Slit And Sawdust collection, which is destined to go to many volumes will hopefully take in many more bands from foreign shores as it's probably most people's only chance to hear these bands. At 2 quid a copy it's well worth starting this collection.

Reviewed by Tim 'Punk4Life' Davies - April 08 (UK)

Review 2