The Goons of Doom, Bikey Zomby

There was a time when garage rock was considered a thing of the past. Fortunately for its fans, it was reborn earlier this decade with bands like The Strokes and The White Stripes. Since then, however, so many other neo-garage rock bands have emerged in the shadow of such bands that the whole movement could be pretty much considered a fad and dismissed as such. But fear not, rockers, for a new group in the genre has put a twist or two on the “garage” label and made things more interesting — they call themselves The Goons of Doom.

Consisting of some former pro surfers, these Aussies play the standard three/four/five-chord rock song, but they occasionally throw in some punk rhythm and vocals. They also stain the not-so-proper-but-still-somewhat-clean image of their genre cohorts, by writing songs with titles like “She Wore Rat Skin Boots” and “Blood on the Streets,” and they spend no time dressing to impress anyone.

The Goons combine the song structures of virtually any garage rock band, the aesthetics of The Sex Pistols, the themes of The Misfits, and the sound of The Ramones. Simple though it is, this EP is a fun listen that few rock fans would dislike. So, if you tire of sappy, lovey-dovey rock songs and avoid peppermint-clothing motifs, put Bikey Zomby on your stereo, listen to it, and call me in the morning.