Sunday, June 22, 2025

The Smart Shoppers - SHOP AMONG US


One great album could have been a fluke. Two definitely established a trend. But after three great albums, it's irrefutable that you're dealing with a truly great band. Such is the case with Green Bay, Wisconsin's shrewdest consumers, the almighty Smart Shoppers. On SHOP AMONG US, they don't just match the weirdo surf-punk-pop new wave brilliance of their previous output — they outright surpass it! 

The band that invented the musical genre of dorkwave has now fully mastered it, and SHOP AMONG US is an album that will have you thrashing about, singing along, shaking what you've got, and geeking out to your heart's content as you fervently peruse the aisles of your favorite retail outlet. In this economy, it has never been more important to shop smartly. So this is not just the album we want. It's the album we need. Having already committed deeply to song title alliteration on 2023's LEFTOVERS FROM TOMORROW, The Smart Shoppers have gone to the obvious next level: every song title on SHOP AMONG US starts with the letter S. You have to be a really brilliant band to pull off an idea that stupid, and sure enough, The Smart Shoppers make it work to the point where you wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Not only has this band more fully realized its sound over the course of three albums, but it has also upped the quality of its songwriting with every new release. The 16 tracks comprising SHOP AMONG US are the band's catchiest, best-crafted, and (yes) smartest songs to date, weaving together the best parts of old school poppy punk, oddball new wave, nerdy indie rock, and contemporary garage punk in a manner that no other band could even attempt to duplicate. Much credit goes to front man Joey Shops for managing to find that perfect level of dorkiness where any more would be annoying and any less would even more annoying. Meanwhile, Aaron, Norby, and Jash have got the right chops to create this wonderful music that hits the sweet spot where fun and danceable meet genuinely original and wonderfully weird. This is easily one of the best albums of the year. It's streaming now with a vinyl and CD release coming soon!

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Second By Second By Minute By Minute: The Songs of Rick Springfield


Curry Cuts, an Oregon-based label specializing in indie-pop tribute compilations, has delivered an absolute doozy in Second By Second By Minute By Minute: The Songs of Rick Springfield. Rick Springfield is one of those guys who never gets enough credit as an artist and a craftsman. We all know his hits, and we all know he sold a ton of records in the '80s. But not enough people acknowledge that in the world of power pop and pop-rock, Rick Springfield is a freaking god. The dude knows how to write a song, and 20 of his best tunes are the subject of this splendid compilation. Interpreting this material is a stacked lineup of heavy hitters from today's indie pop universe. 

My interest in this album was largely due to the involvement of two of my favorite pop-rock singers: Lisa Mychols and Juniper. But I have to say I love the whole album. It's full of fresh and highly inspired takes on Springfield's songs. Of course his remarkable run of chart hits in the '80s is well-represented. But the album also digs back into the '70s with the inclusion of the largely unknown gems "Speak to the Sky," "Believe in Me," "We're Gonna Have a Good Time," "Take a Hand," and "Old Gangsters Never Die." I really dig the idea of a bunch of indie artists tackling tunes that are widely perceived as "commercial" rock songs. That really underscores the enduring quality of this material. As for the songs I was looking forward to the most, I must say I was not disappointed. Juniper takes on Springfield's iconic cover of Sammy Hagar's "I've Done Everything for You" and truly makes it her own — imbuing the song with an understated DIY charm and making it sound genuinely contemporary. If I were Rick Springfield or Sammy Hagar and heard this version of this song, I'd be absolutely delighted. Lisa Mychols, as she has been known to do on tribute albums, steals the show with a harmony-drenched, new wavy transformation of "What Kind of Fool Am I?". Other highlights for me are Splitsville's largely faithful yet indie-fied version of "Love Is Alright Tonight," Popdudes' yacht rock-ish rendering of "Don't Talk to Strangers," Ken Sharp's gorgeous baroque take on "Believe in Me," Andi Rae Healy's extraordinary re-working of "Human Touch," and Linus of Hollywood's silky smooth AM gold spin on "I Get Excited." 

Andrew Curry deserves tremendous credit for putting together a top-quality tribute to the music of Rick Springfield. All these bands and artists are exceptional in their own right. And even as they represent a nice variety of musical styles within the indie pop scene, they all share a love for melody and perfectly crafted pop songs. Looking at some of the other tributes (Andy Gibb, Paul Williams) assembled by Curry Cuts, I can sense a pattern. Great songwriting is great songwriting, and not every indie artist is influenced only by other indie artists. Whether you're a fan of Rick Springfield or just a fan of great pop, you are sure enjoy this compilation. I'll probably have some of you fighting mad that I even dared to put "Rick Springfield" and "power pop" in the same sentence. But I would kindly ask that you give this album a listen before you come for me.

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Revisiting JEM Records Celebrates Brian Wilson


In the wake of the passing of Brian Wilson, JEM Records has encouraged us in the media to share its 2021 release JEM Records Celebrates Brian Wilson with our audience. So that's exactly what I'm doing today. I'm not trying to get you to buy anything. I just want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an incredible tribute to a true musical genius. As I stated in my original review, I loved this tribute because it accomplished precisely what it set out to do: truly celebrate some of the greatest songs ever written. As I've revisited this album myself, I'm just impressed as I was four years ago. Listening to so many extraordinary bands and artists interpret this material has given me an even deeper appreciation for how great these songs truly are. If you've got a spare 40 minutes, JEM Records Celebrates Brian Wilson is well worth checking out. We can talk all day long about this man's legacy, influence, and importance. But sometimes you just have to let the music speak for itself. Kudos to Marty Scott for putting this collection together and for giving everyone the chance to hear it.

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Friday, June 20, 2025

The Dogmatics - "You've Got What I Want"


In advance of their first full-length album in nearly 40 years (due out next month on Rum Bar Records), the mighty Dogmatics have treated us to an advance single that brings new meaning to the term "long-awaited"! Jerry Lehane wrote "You've Got What I Want" way back in 1981. It was an attempt to sound a little bit like The Outlets, one of the most influential bands ever in the Boston garage/punk scene. The song became a staple of The Dogmatics' live set, but they never got around to recording it during their initial run. Yet clearly they liked it enough to bring it back in 2025, and it's exactly what you'd expect a Dogmatics song influenced by The Outlets to sound like: garagey, poppy, and punky in all the best ways. Clocking in at just 97 seconds, it's a perfect display of songwriting efficiency. 

Of all the legendary bands in history that have reformed after long breakups, The Dogmatics have had one of the most successful second acts. They've pulled off an extremely difficult feat: coming back decades later with an evolved sound —  yet still sounding distinctively like themselves. In recent years, they've built a body of work that rivals their classic output without trying to recreate it. A lot of bands from The Dogmatics' era would have a hard time pulling off a song written in their formative years. They would either try too hard to recapture their youth, or they would re-arrange the song to the point where they lost the plot. But neither fate awaits "You've Got What I Want." You can definitely hear the influence of The Outlets when you listen to the song, but the track is very comparable to the songs The Dogmatics have been releasing in recent years. They embrace the song's energy and simplicity without pretending that they haven't become far wiser and more accomplished musicians over the past 44 years. I'd put this up there with anything this band has ever done. It's an exhilarating blast of three-chord rock 'n' roll. It sounds like The Dogmatics, and it sounds like Boston. I can't wait to hear the whole album!

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Saturday, June 14, 2025

Friends of Cesar Romero - "Can't Get You"


I could probably write a book about why Friends of Cesar Romero is one of my favorite bands. But the main thing is that this one-man musical force of nature is the perfect blend of all the things in music that appeal to me. FOCR is everything I love about pop, punk, power pop, garage rock, indie rock, and rock 'n' roll distilled into one cohesive project dedicated to exploring the depths of doomed romance with lyrics you wish you had written and vocals you can feel in your soul. And since Johnny is so good at writing songs in so many different styles, every new release is like a little mini-surprise. What we're getting on new single "Can't Get You" is absolutely perfect power pop. From the first note, this song had me in a state of bliss. Listen to the way those crunching, punching guitars contrast with those dulcet, bittersweet melodies. Listen to that hooky chorus exploding from your headphones. Listen to those lyrics that take us all back to that one person we could not let go of no matter how much we wished we could have. How amazing is that line "If looks could kill I'd come complete/With a graveyard ghost in a white sheet"? Here we are at number 45 in the Doomed Babe Series, and the well is far from running dry! On the virtual flipside, "Busy Signals" is also in the power pop vein — a little more restrained in tempo but still steeped in the ringing melodies and romantic sentiments of classic guitar pop. What a gem of a single this is — but that's hardly a surprise, is it?

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Loose Lips - "Don't Mess Me 'Round"


One of the things I was hoping 2025 would bring us was a debut album from Loose Lips. Well guess what: it's coming! Last Laugh will be out September 1st on Dig! Records, and a debut single has already been unleashed! Loose Lips are Josh Hardy (The Chats and the Unknowns), Ethan Stahl (Chubby and the Gang, the Prize, Street Sweeper), and Nadine Muller (the Prize). They put the super in super-group, and new single "Don't Mess Me 'Round" does not disappoint. This track is a perfect shot of energetic punk rock 'n' roll that's satisfyingly raw but still catchy as hell. There's little doubt that Last Laugh will be one of the top albums of the year, and I'm delighted we've got an early single to whet our collective appetites. Crank this bad boy and keep watching the calendar!

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Friday, June 13, 2025

The Peppermint Kicks - "Radio Wam Bam Boom"


And they're back! The last time The Peppermint Kicks released new music, we were all walking around wearing masks. It's hard to believe it has been four years since Sal Baglio and Dan Kopko unleashed the supersonic, intergalactic glam rock transmission that had hips shaking and toes tapping from here to MoM-z14. As The Peppermint Kicks prepare for the release of their second long player, they've treated us to an advance single just in time for summer. Out on Rum Bar Records, "Radio Wam Bam Boom" is a tribute to the medium that has always meant the most to rock 'n' roll: the almighty radio! Don't we all have memories of growing up when radio was everything — a magical entity which brought us the hottest sounds from all over the globe and compelled us to gleefully descend upon the nearest record store in search of that magic wax that set our souls on fire? And what I love about "Radio Wam Bam Boom" is that it doesn't just celebrate the heyday of rock 'n' roll radio. It also gives kudos to all the D.J.s and radio programs that continue to fill the world with music via the internet, satellite, and left of the dial stations. How could a song called "Radio Wam Bam Boom" NOT be awesome? It's all big guitars and big hooks — a glam-rocking, power-popping, radio smash earworm launching like a rocket from your headphones or speakers. If you can get through even half of this song without frantically bobbing your head and thrusting your fist in the air, you might want to check yourself for a pulse. And check it out: they got the world's #1 radio personality, Palmyra freaking Delran, to appear on the track as the voice of radio! And that's Kevin Rapillo, who has played with Baglio in The Amplifier Heads, absolutely killing it on drums. I was not sure that the first Peppermint Kicks album could ever be topped, but if "Radio Wam Bam Boom" is any indication, it seems these guys have found another gear. In the immortal words of Hesh Rabkin, "Now that's a hit!"

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