The debut, self-titled 7” from No Label Collective’s Manic Shakes is a great little platter of gritty, angsty rock n roll. Lead track “Batshit Crazy” has a mean groove to it, while the A-side’s other offering, “Fire Hazard,” is a balls-to-the-wall rocker, both with aggressive, pained vocals by David Skene. The B-side’s “Fall” eases up on the throttle a little but still delivers the goods. Vocals on this one are handled by David Van Den Bossche, which provides some variation over the short-but-sweet three tracks on this disc, though the tone and the vibe remains cohesive throughout. Guitars sound full, the bass solid and propulsive, the drums large and in charge when they need to be, but knowing when to cool it down. Overall, this is an impressive debut from the local group. The artwork is great too, and the vinyl is a beauty shade of green! With luck they’ll pump out another EP, or even a full-length, early in 2013. Until then, make sure to check out their intense live show soon. (No Label, themanicshakes.bandcamp.com) Sheldon Birnie