Toronto punks PUP play fast and loose on new track, with a ripper video to match.

Sometimes you just can't get your bloody ducks in a row. Toronto punk lords PUP have a brand new song/video for exactly those times, and it's called DVP.

Things have been pretty quiet on the ol' PUP front since their 2014 self-titled debut; an album that had more than a few people worshipping at the foot of the PUP throne, including Rolling Stone, who listed PUP among their Breakout Rock Acts of 2014. The strength of that album propelled them through two world tours, and something like 300 shows, and won them a shitload of nominations for stuff like the Juno Awards (Canada's Grammys) and the Prism Prize (they deservedly scored Best Canadian Music Video for the awesome clip for Guilt Trip). 

Whether you're a long-time punk fan or otherwise, PUP have such a great (and approachable) sound: they seem to sit at the perfect intersection between pop and agression: teaming killer harmonies and emotionally raw lyrics with a ferocious energy. So we're very much welcoming their first new music in around two years: a few weeks back they re-appeared with an official release for single DVP, a track that's been a part of their live set for a bit. The track's already got 120K plays - the people of PUP's kingdom are clearly still loyal.

As usual, PUP completely slay on DVP. The track's title refers to a highway that runs through Toronto - the Don Valley Parkway - and tells the story of its frustrated driver, a guy whose hatin' on himself for his boozy ways while drunk-driving down the DVP. PUP recently chased up the single with a lyric video that brings nerdery and punkery together, taking the format of a collage of pixelated video game footage, with original screens from 90s classic games like Mortal Kombat, Oregon Trail and Pokemon cut in time to the song's lyrics.

The vid perfectly highlights the song's raw lyrics, sung by Steven Babcock, which cut through the bullshit in the most brilliantly concise way: "Three beers and I’m so messed up/ Get drunk and I can’t shut up/She says that I drink too much, fucked up and she hates my guts." The song rips forward with a semi-scary, slurred intensity, cleverly mimicking the loose, out-of-control state of its protagonist. We've all been there; at some point we've all said / done something stupid after too many beers, and maybe got behind the wheel when we shouldn't have (on our respective Australian highways). So this one - much like PUP's music - is for us all. 

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