While all the kids in the town of Whittier in California were preoccupied with playing in hardcore en metal bands, a more dance oriented post-punk scene sprouted in the nearby suburbs that housed Funeral Party. They quickly made a name for themselves and made it onto the radar of Lars Stalfors, regular studio technician to The Mars Volta. He invited them to the studio of The Mars Volta for a recording that someone described as ‘At The Drive-In meets The Strokes played with total fury and conviction’. Last summer they were kicked onto a Pukkelpop stage at a terrible time of day but HUMO still saw something in them: ‘play tightly belted post-punk and write impressive songs’. An album will be out in January via Sony and now its time for revenge in the ABClub.

‘Familiar Sounds’ by Buffoon was released on 15 November via very own label Buffoon Recordings with physical distribution by Konkurrent. Originator, composer and pivotal figure of Buffoon is Peter ‘Pi’ Vleugels (guitar & vocals). He's already been forging songs for 20 years, the last decade of which presenting them live together with band members Niels Hendrix (guitar & vocals), Dave Schroyen (drums) and Mimi Van De Put (bass & vocals). After a series of demos and the EP ‘Baloney’ it was high time for a full album, this time mixed by the hippest 'button, switch & dial scourge' in Belgian land: Luuk Cox (Shameboy, Tim Vanhamel, Arsenal and Krakow). Old hand Frank Arkwright mastered it (and previously worked with Belle And Sebastian and The Smiths). Peter himself crafted the artwork. The result is 40 minutes of rock-’n-roll, right in your face, no rubbish and no airs but plenty of class. The songs range from intimate via funny to energetic and fervent but everything sounds 100% Buffoon.