Kurt Baker - "Inner Demons"

Back swiftly with a follow-up to his previous single, "Delusional," Kurt Baker again throws it back to his pop-punk roots on the new release "Inner Demons." Originally conceived as a possible song for the Australian power pop band The Stanleys, "Inner Demons" was first written during the dark times of the pandemic. The song, originally called "Keep Wishing," was eventually re-worked with bandmates Wyatt Funderburk and Geoff Palmer. If you're a fan of Palmer's, you will be happy to hear his influence all over "Inner Demons." Like "Delusional," "Inner Demons" is a very introspective song. But it's basically the other side of the coin. While "Delusional" is about confronting the possibility that you're fooling yourself when you think everything is going great, "Inner Demons" is about letting go of negative thoughts and embracing the positive — in essence, sending your inner demons "back to Hell." I'm really loving this direction Baker has been taking lately — where his lyrics have been thoughtful and self-reflective but the music draws from the pure energy and perfect simplicity of '90s/2000s punk rock. Looking at the matching artwork for "Delusional" and "Inner Demons," I can't help wondering if these two digital singles are destined to be combined into one vinyl single in the near future. Or maybe they're the first two installments in a trilogy! All I know is that Kurt Baker is on a roll, and I can't wait to hear what he does next!

-L.R.

https://kurtbaker.bandcamp.com/track/inner-demons
https://open.spotify.com/album/6eZ7txap9ldO2B468AysjB
https://www.instagram.com/kurtmiltonbaker/
https://www.facebook.com/KurtBakerMusic/

The Circulators - Insufficient Fun

It was nearly two years ago that San Francisco's The Circulators seemingly came out of nowhere to melt the faces off of garage geeks and old school punks across the globe with their smash hit debut cassette release. Total Punk Records took notice and now proudly presents The Circulators' proper debut album, Insufficient Fun. On this ripping long player, the band tears through 14 tracks of '77-style punk rock 'n' roll that spews attitude and hooks in equal abundance. This, my friends, is pure, unadulterated, no-bullshit punk fucking rock. If you like your punk snotty, rockin', and catchy as hell, this record is going to be in heavy rotation in your bedroom, garage, basement, party pad, beer garden, sex dungeon, or wherever else your turntable might reside. Only one track exceeds three minutes, and the majority don't go far past two. When it comes to this style of music, Insufficient Fun is about as good as it gets. Play this fucker loud and remind yourself why you fell in love with punk rock in the first place.

-L.R.

https://totalpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/insufficient-fun-2
https://thecirculators.bandcamp.com/album/insufficient-fun
https://www.instagram.com/thecirculators/
https://totalpunkrecords.com/

Lùlù - "Lùlù"

Oh boy, you all are gonna love this one! Lùlù is a French power pop band based in Lyon and Marseille. The band, in its own words, plays "love songs for the anxious and glam rock nuggets for the dreamers." Now that speaks to my soul! Lùlù's lyrics are in French and Italian, but you don't need to be bilingual to appreciate the greatness of its debut single, "Lùlù" (I always love a band with its own theme song!). This tune is chock full of hooks, and it exudes feelgood vibes all day. When I think of the term "power pop," this is exactly the kind of song that comes to mind. It touches on themes of heartbreak but channels it all into positive energy. I want to brush up on my French so I can sing along properly! My god, this song is a banger. The video is really fun too. Something tells me this is going to be a totally huge band in power pop circles, so you might as well get in on the ground floor. "Lùlù" is out now on Howlin' Banana Records. A full-length album is coming next year!

-L.R.

https://allocestlulu.bandcamp.com/track/l-l
https://howlinbananarecords.bandcamp.com/track/l-l
https://www.facebook.com/allocestlulu
https://www.facebook.com/Howlinbanana
https://www.instagram.com/allocestlulu/

Night Court - $hit Machine

The mighty Night Court, already on its fourth full-length album, continues to stand out as one of the most unique and exciting groups in contemporary punk music. Out now on the venerable Recess Records, $hit Machine finds Emilor, Jiffy, and Dave-O growing more creative and ambitious than ever without the slightest diminishment in songwriting quality. Depending on which track you landed on, you might peg Night Court as garage punk, indie rock, post-punk, pop-punk, new wave, or hardcore punk. Of course Night Court manage to be all those things and none of them at the same time. They just sound like themselves, and this is a great example of a band where every member is crucial to the group as a whole. Night Court would not be Night Court if it weren't these exact three individuals working in harmony, and it's their collective talent and worldview that sets this band apart. 

As always, these three prove to be masters of writing with efficiency. $hit Machine squeezes 17 songs into less than 27 minutes (that's a minute and a half per song). Yet all these songs sound complete and fully realized in spite of their brevity. From start to finish, it's nothing but awesome tunes. There are not a whole lot of 27-minute albums that feel this epic and sprawling. So you get the auditory experience of an hour-long sonic adventure in half that time — which is ideal considering how precious time has become in a world where the amount of things we can choose to consume it are virtually limitless. The skeptical person might wonder why this band finds it necessary to release such a large volume of music. But $hit Machine, like its predecessors, is devoid of anything close to filler. If these folks did write a couple sub-par tunes for this album, they left them on the cutting room floor. And speaking from my own experience of struggling with inspiration, I must commend this band for striking while the iron is hot. If the songs keep coming to you, you ought to keep recording them and keep releasing them. It's better for you as an artist to get your creations out there while they still reflect your recent experience, and it's better for the world to not have to wait additional years to hear such great music. Don't bother questioning the roll Night Court is on —just enjoy it! All the band's albums have been great, but $hit Machine is without doubt the best of the lot. The vinyl is limited to 300 copies, so act now if you want this bad boy in your record collection! 

-L.R.

https://nightcourtpunk.bandcamp.com/album/hit-machine
https://recessrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hit-machine
https://open.spotify.com/album/3lJW6bMryIRJLShALqyqhi
https://www.instagram.com/nightcourtpunk/
https://www.facebook.com/nightcourtpunk

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