Despite what their name might suggest, Uzbeks are not from Uzbekistan. In fact, this five-piece garage punk outfit is actually from Israel. Their LP Goggles & Flipflops was released toward the end of last year, and features a really interesting take on classic, 70s-style punk music.
It's a humorous and fun record, with surprisingly clean production and tight musicianship. The gang-shouted hooks are memorable, the vocals are clean, and the lyrics are mostly indiscernible because of the singer's accent. Best of all, the melodies and guitar riffs on this record sound fresh and unique, which is probably because of the influence of Middle Eastern music undoubtedly affected the band's songwriting process. Whether that influence was conscious or not isn't that important; what matters is this doesn't sound like plain old American or British rock.
If you want quirky, self-aware punk with hilarious, semi-serious song titles like "Satanic Bible" and "Electro Man & High School," then Goggles & Flipflops is for you. Stream the record in its entirety above. If you want a physical copy of the record, head to the band's blogspot here.
It's also worth noting that Uzbeks will be playing a string of shows in Europe in the next few months with Trash Talk, OFF!, and Canadian hardcore luminaries Fucked Up. The tour starts in Wiesbaden, Germany on August 18th.