B-Side Guys

Politeness kills. Detroit trio Antibuddies understand this fundamental truth, transforming the quiet desperation of trapped conversation into a post-hardcore primal scream. Their latest single “Don’t Talk to Me” captures the exact moment when social niceties crumble under the weight of pure irritation.

The band’s self-described blend of riot punk with metal and grunge influences serves this theme perfectly. The progression from initial annoyance (“All I wanted to do / Was enjoy this time alone”) to full meltdown (“Fuck OFF!!!”) mirrors the internal monologue of anyone caught in conversation with an energy vampire.

What makes the track particularly effective is how it plays with dynamics. The verses maintain tight control, like someone counting to ten in their head, before exploding into choruses that release all that pent-up frustration. The repeated mantra of “Don’t talk to me” transforms from request to demand to desperate plea, each iteration carrying new weight.

The lyrics capture the universal experience of social exhaustion with bitter precision. Lines like “You’d fill this time and space / With a bunch of bullshit / That only you find interesting” hit home with anyone who’s ever watched their precious alone time evaporate under an assault of unwanted small talk. By the time we reach “Has it been like 20 minutes? / I will never get the rest of my time back!” the despair feels viscerally real.

For a band that wants their audience to “boogie,” Antibuddies have created something equally suited to moshing and misanthropic meditation. “Don’t Talk to Me” works both as pure punk catharsis and as social commentary on the tyranny of forced interaction. Sometimes the only polite response is a power chord.