ALBUM REVIEW: Joe & The Shitboys – Greatest Shits (Alcopop! Records)
I thought I’d stumbled across some long-lost early ’80s US hardcore on my first listen to Greatest Shits.
Imagine my surprise when I read the PR blurb and found Joe & The Shitboys are a very modern band and come from that hotbed of punk … the Faroe Islands.
They describe themselves as ‘queer vegan shitpunks’ and this is their debut album, bringing together three previous 7in vinyl releases and adding a new EP for good measure.
No less a punk rock icon than Iggy Pop has declared them “the most exciting band in the world right now” and asked them to support him on his May 2025 UK tour dates.
Greatest Shits consists of 37 tracks which whistle past in just half an hour, trashing toxic culture and combining politics with pisstaking, and there’s plenty to get your teeth into.
Half the tracks clock in at less than a minute, and the longest just makes it to two. The band kick back against the outdated macho values that persist in their homeland’s music scene.
Their three Reson For Hardcore Vibes EPs showcased the band’s short, sharp bursts of noise and confrontation, and quickly gained cult status. Now they’re gathered for the first time on a single 12in record.
Tracks like Save The Planet You Dumb Shit, Life Is Great You Suck and If You Believe in Eating Meat Start With Your Dog deliver their messages quickly, concisely and with absolute conviction.
Both sides of their new AA-side single are included. Suckboi is a celebration of mutual pleasure in queer intimacy, and shouts out Sir Elton John, whom frontman Joe calls “the biggest crocodile rocker outside of Florida.”
Meanwhile, Labels takes aim at rampant consumerism, and how people define themselves through brands, price tags, and hollow slogans.
Some of their messages couldn’t be plainer: Legalize Everything, Fuck Everybody, and Closeted Homefobe to name just three. They won’t be for everyone, but Joe & the Shitboys have given us food for thought here. 7/10.
