Boogadas! - Heartbeats and Heartbreaks

2024 has been an excellent year for pop-punk. The hits just keep on coming. That continues with Heartbeats and Heartbreaks, the debut album from Brazilian foursome Boogadas! Agnes, Jennifer, Priscila, and Renata demonstrate what I've long believed about pop-punk: that you don't need to break new ground to excel at this kind of music, and that perhaps, it's better if you don't. Heartbeats and Heartbreaks is pop-punk the way it ought to be, rooted in simple yet undeniably catchy songwriting with strong melodies and heartfelt lyrics. Essentially, this is pop-punk for pop-punk fans. So it's no surprise that one of the biggest pop-punk fans out there, John from Mom's Basement Records, heard this band and quickly signed them to his label. John knows good pop-punk, and he has found us an absolute gem in Boogadas! I mean, come on: How great is "Punching Above Your Weight"? And that's not the only ace song in the bunch. At just eight tracks, Heartbeats and Heartbreaks is filler-free and certain to leave you wanting more if '90s/early 2000s era pop-punk is your jam. Look for a physical release from Mom's Basement in the near future.

-L.R.

https://boogadas.bandcamp.com/album/heartbeats-and-heartbreaks
https://open.spotify.com/album/2TKqcygf25GMn0sjxqfXyH
https://www.instagram.com/boogadas

shiverlane - Sketches from the Departure Lounge

A debut album from Boston foursome shiverlane was on my musical wish list for 2024. And now that it has arrived, I must say it's as good as expected. Shiverlane is one of those bands you talk about and keep saying over and over, "They're such great songwriters!" Maybe that's just stating the obvious. Are there really any great bands out there that don't write great songs? But perhaps you get what I mean. Of course these guys know how to write quality tunes full of earworm melodies. But beyond that, they are storytellers, philosophers, and wordsmiths of the highest order. They are veritable bards of power pop! 

Shiverlane's ability to write highly intellectual pop songs without coming off as pretentious is rare in the music scene, and Sketches from the Departure Lounge is a splendid little debut album. Influences run the gamut from jangly '60s pop to quirky '90s indie/alternative to the late '70s/early '80s heyday of new wave pop. While 37 1/2 percent of Sketches from the Departure Lounge is comprised of standout singles previously released by shiverlane, the other 62 1/2 percent of the album is absolutely at the same level. And while the singles ("I Get Nervous," "Aeroplane Driver," and "Little English Pleasures") worked wonderfully as standalone releases, they are even more enjoyable as pieces in a beautifully conceived series of musical vignettes. Likewise, "Bella Bereaver" and "Hippie Bottom Bell" would have been worthy singles in their own right. Add in a couple of choice deep cuts in the near-epic "Beat Skipper Wings" and grand closer "The King's List," and you've got an album that feels complete and satisfying in spite of its brevity (eight tracks running less than 25 minutes). If you like smart, well-crafted, and undeniably catchy guitar pop, shiverlane needs to be on your radar.

-L.R.

https://shiverlane.bandcamp.com/album/sketches-from-the-departure-lounge
https://open.spotify.com/album/5breDtqeKhWDt2TkrfSX1a
https://www.instagram.com/shiverlanerock/
https://www.facebook.com/shiverlanerock/

Tiikeri - Tee se itse E​.​P.

 

Tiikeri, a band from Turku, Finland, really hits my sweet spot with its Tee se itse E​.​P. This band plays '77-style punk rock with a pop influence, and it does it well. The formula is simple: three chords, two-minute songs, and lots of energy and enthusiasm. The production is minimalist and DIY but not necessarily lo-fi. If you had told me this EP was recorded in 1977 or '78, I would have totally believed you! Catchy, bouncy numbers like "Punkkari oon" and the title track reaffirm my belief that punk rock is still the greatest form of music ever created by humans. Physical copies of the EP are out there if you can manage to track one down. Otherwise it will be well worth your time to check out this free download from Bandcamp!

-L.R.

https://tiikeri.bandcamp.com/album/tee-se-itse-e-p