The new sound of old-school hardcore

Name: Trash Talk

Where they’re from: Sacramento, California

Genre: hardcore punk

When they started: 2005

Most like: Cerebral Ballzy, Pissed Jeans

Sounds like: Agent Orange, but with even fewer brain cells/fucks given

Odd Future being essentially a gang of skate punks that rap, it was only a matter of time before they brought an actual punk band into to fold. We’d been hearing rumblings about their latest signees Trash Talk: Mainly that they we’re legit dudes we should not sleep on. And, well, lo, for it is all true.

Getting more specific, the quartet/collective plays hardcore like the ’90s and 2000s never happened and it sounds much better than whatever “mysterious guy” outfit you are crushing on this week. They take the proudly maladjusted mind state of Cali punk predecessors like Circle Jerks or Suicidal Tendencies and succeed in not just getting it right but often actually kicking it up a notch. Legit. Further proof of legitimacy, besides being the first non-Odd Future members to sign to Odd Future: Trash Talk recorded their first album with Steve Albini and Keith Morris of both Black Flag and Circle Jerks sang on their 2009 single “East of Eden.” (This is the equivalent of punk setting up a street-cred trust fund in your name.)

Just finishing up a European tour, their fourth studio album 119 is to be released in the fall jointly by themselves (Trash Talk Collective) and Odd Future. Prepare to hear more rumbles about and from them shortly.

If, for whatever reason, you are struggling with the idea of a punk band on Odd Future, watch the video for “Awake.” The manifesto/intro is your last hope for understanding.