Shake Appeal is Pitchfork deputy news editor Evan Minsker’s ongoing survey of garage rock and punk records. Here, in the first of quarterly-ish check-ins, he sums up 2018’s first three and a half months with a rundown of ten garage punk records that you should buy with your money. (And there’s more where this came from—follow the rolling Twitter thread.)

Cold Meat: “Nice Girls” [Helta Skelta/Static Shock]

Everything about the raw new five-track 7” from Perth punks Cold Meat seems designed to grab your attention, starting with its striking cover featuring feminist artist Hannah Wilke and that title, Pork Sword Fever. “Maternity Stomp,” wherein singer Ashley Ramsey snarls about motherhood’s demands, remains a standout, but the record’s high point has got to be “Nice Girls.” Atop some scuzzy power chords, Ramsey barks back at the expectation that she’s supposed to just smile through gritted teeth and carry the emotional load in a relationship. It sounds like she’s trying to smash the patriarchy with the strength of her screams alone; if only.

Lysol: “Teenage Trance” [Neck Chop]

Though their 2016 debut album was released under the lawsuit-proof name L.I., these Seattle punks are once again Lysol—and they’re back with a bang. With its choppy guitars and rapid-fire drums, the A-side to their new single, “Teenage Trance,” opens at a chaotic clip somewhere between hardcore’s intensity and proto-punk’s swagger. Eventually they slow down for a second, filling the void with guitar solos and prolonged screams, proving that Lysol in a trance is just as good as Lysol in a hurry.

Hank Wood and the Hammerheads: “You Wanna Die” [Toxic State]

After 2014’s Stay Home!! cemented Hank Wood and the Hammerheads as one of New York City’s best working punk bands, they made good on all that promise with their new self-titled album. Though there’s no cowbell this time around (and don’t confuse this for sarcasm, the second percussionist on Stay Home!! was crucial), the essentials are intact and at their best on this two-minute wrecker. The guitars and drums barrel ahead with abandon, an organ pipes up in the underbelly, and Hank screams, “You can’t be happy and you fuckin’ know it.” Rarely does straight-up nihilism sound this energizing.

CIVIC: “New Vietnam” [Anti-Fade]

Out of Melbourne comes CIVIC, a new hard rock outfit whose Saints and Dead Boys worship is evident on their debut record. Standout track “New Vietnam” is propelled by stomping percussion, a bouncing opening hook, and a heap of gang vocals from Jim McCullough and his bandmates. There aren’t many lyrics here, but we do get a good idea of the song’s narrator—a self-described fixer-upper who’s dependable but not exactly rolling in it. Consider this his greasy plea to go steady; honestly, with these kinds of beefy solos in the mix, you could do worse.

Rik and the Pigs: “America” [Total Punk]

When Olympia’s Rik and the Pigs released the slimy punk single “Pig Sweat” in 2015, who could’ve predicted that their debut album would flex some power-pop finesse? The songs on A Child’s Gator are both anthemic and heavy, and Erik Meyer (Rik) sings with this affectation where his over-the-top enthusiasm could easily be read as cynicism. This feels especially true of “America,” a track where triumphant power chords are the backdrop for a seemingly patriotic sentiment: “America, it’s red white and blue!” Pretty soon, though, Rik’s singing about facing the noose or the firing squad for speaking his mind. Eventually the song breaks down into a vortex of psychedelia, like some sonic deconstruction of the so-called American dream.

Warm Bodies: “I Need a Doctor” [Lumpy/Erste Theke Tontraeger]

One of the boldest and best garage punk albums of the year is Warm Bodies’ self-titled debut. Like a few other songs on the album, “I Need a Doctor” isn’t brand new—they previously recorded it for the 2017 tape Eat Snot & Rot. The album version breathes new life into the song, though, throwing out the scuzzier, muffled early recording for a clearer, louder version. Come for Olivia Gibb’s shrieks and Ian Teeple’s raw power guitar solos, stay for the campy call-and-response chorus. “I need a doctor,” she shrieks, and then her bandmates underscore it with a hilariously low-energy response: “She needs a doctor.” This chaotic sick-day ripper is an undeniable high point in the Kansas City band’s discography.

Scrap Brain: “MPNQ” [Thrilling Living]

Home to crucial records from gSp, Warm Bodies, and Lemonade, the San Francisco-based feminist punk label Thrilling Living recently introduced the London hardcore band Scrap Brain. The opening track from their Unhappy Hardcore EP, “MPNQ,” begins with a minute-long slow burn—the gradual pound of drums, an ominous bassline, screeching guitar feedback—before picking up in both speed and heft. Singer Camille Rearden’s message is extremely clear: “Chronic mental illness isn’t sexy/You can’t fucking fix me.” They add, pertinently, “Fetishize at your own risk.”

Beta Blockers: “Stiff Prescription” [Static Shock]

Beta Blockers are a noise punk and hardcore band out of Leeds and Sheffield, whose new album Stiff Prescription is full of scream-filled, feedback-laden bashers. On the standout title track, it’s hard to tell exactly what’s being shouted through the maelstrom of droning electronics, crashing cymbals, and blown-out basslines. What’s crucial here isn’t the density or volume, which literally any band can deliver—it’s the ascending riffs that tighten the tension and increase the song’s overall attack.

Rabid Dogs: “No Fun” [Aarght!]

Rabid Dogs make their debut outing with this 7” released by the pre-eminent Melbourne garage rock label Aarght! Records, and the band itself includes some heavy-hitting Australian musicians from the likes of Gentlemen and GELD. Given this level of punk pedigree, it’s no surprise that the careening hook that propels “No Fun” is a muscular tour de force. Kate Curtis isn’t a showy vocalist, and her matter-of-fact performance lends a relatability to a song that cruises by all the red flags in pursuit of an entertaining (if reckless) night.

The Fritz: “Wasted on TV” [Drunken Sailor]

“Wasted on TV” is proof that sometimes the punk essentials—two minutes, some rough vocals, and a raw power-chord progression—are all you need. Of course, it helps that this song from the Northwest Indiana punk supergroup of sorts features some genuinely impressive solos, too. The message, about finding fame while wasted on television, feels weirdly out of time in the world of smartphones and social-media influencers (ugh). Perhaps that only adds to the instant-classic-punk-song appeal of “Wasted on TV.” The Fritz don’t give a fuck if their technological references are cutting edge, and neither should you.