In Rotation: Butchered - Butchered

The four songs that comprise Butchered's new self-titled EP won't take much of your time to listen to and if you are into punk and ska, this is how you should spend your time. Opening track "Doesn't Matter Anymore" has summer firestarter written all over it. "Cut Me Off" might be the strongest song here. It will get you skanking and it has the pop punk vocal hooks to plant the tune in your head.

These are songs to crank up and enjoy, but perhaps more than that these are songs to catch live. Butchered, from Chicago, puts on the energetic performance that ska/pop punk songs like this need. If you have not seen them yet, you can get a taste of it by listening to the set of live songs they released a few months ago on their bandcamp page. Those recordings come from their session on the Friskie Morris & Friends podcast.

By the time Butchered wraps up, I'm left wanting more, which has led me to several repeat listens. Vocalist Nick Cvijovic says "I'm the Chicago Cubs of doing well" on "Cut Me Off," but hey, those Cubs just might make the playoffs this year. Stream Butchered below or head to their bandcamp page for a pay-what-you-want download.