Punk should be fun. The Antibuddies are fun. I’ve written previously about The Antibuddies’s EP “Oh My Goodness,” which I found to be a pretty good time. Their latest “That’s What I Said,” released September 28, is also a damn good time.
The Antibuddies are a three-piece punk/grunge band out of Detroit, active since about 2021. They move in great unison as a three piece, and tend to tackle feminists issues. They recorded this EP in a hot warehouse near Detroit in summer 2022, setting out to polish their sound, but keep the crunch. I think they succeeded.
If you blink, you might just miss this EP. Generally speaking, I find the cultural drift towards shorter songs to be a bit insulting to our attention spans, but despite going by lightning quick, “That’s What I Said” never feels hurried. Continuing to straddle the line between punk and extreme metal, the tracks on this album are simple and quick. The guitar riffs are crunchy, supported by heavy and deep basslines and the frantic and driving drums. The grooves feel punk at their core, but borrow obviously from thrash (I still definitely sense a bit of Municipal Waste), and more from sludge bands like The Melvins on this album. They really feel like they’ve found the production sweet spot for the vocals on this album. They are clear and understandable, but always carry energy and angst, with an especially impressive vibrato on Jenny’s vocals (reminds me a bit of Marissa from Screaming Females).
The Antibuddies are definitely turning into some of my favorite punk songwriters. They have a genuine nature that is sorely lacking in some modern punk. Their songs are not overly-complicated, and feel full as a three piece. Lyrically, I really like that they don’t take themselves too seriously, but still tackle serious issues. They frequently tackle feminist issues in a way that doesn’t feel preachy, but gets the point across. That being said, they’re songs on lighter subjects are a lot of fun, with Drt tackling gardening, and Malcolm making it very clear that Emily’s cat Malcolm (inspiration for the cover) is looking for trouble.
So what is that, two fantastic releases this year? If you’re not paying attention to the Antibuddies, you’re missing out. The Antibuddies “That’s What I Said” is fun Detroit Punk that never feels preachy, but always has a good message. They’ve honestly, along with my late brother in law Kyle Kaos’s music, been a large part of me getting into punk again. They feel “fresh.” More punk songs about cats and gardening please.
Album Credits:
Recording & Mixing by James Sterling Lees
Mastering by Nate Erickson
Jenny – bass & vox
Cale – guitar & vox
Emily – drums
Art by Scott Thomas Christie & Emily Hanson
Their Socials:
They’ve got a show coming up real soon at The Outer Limits Lounge in Detroit on October 6
My Socials
Dirt Witch Records 
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