Sunday, December 21, 2025

Vista Blue - Christmas at Wrigley

The other day, I was thinking that, for some reason, Christmastime hasn't felt like Christmastime this year. But perhaps I was just waiting for some Vista Blue Christmas songs. I haven't experienced a Vista Blue-less Christmas since 2015, when the band was not yet on my radar. Out today, the single "Christmas at Wrigley" is the band's 11th annual holiday release.  

"Christmas at Wrigley" sounds like the title of a future Hallmark movie, which I hope the band will take as a supreme compliment. Mike originally wrote the song back in 2013. He didn't really have a band at the time, but after hearing The Ueckers' Rocket to Wrigley album, he found himself inspired to write some baseball-themed songs. "Christmas at Wrigley" was the first of these songs that he demoed. The demo ended up on Merry Mooster Mix-Mas, a Mooster Records compilation, and later, Still No Apostrophes, a compilation album of Mike's band The Robinsons. But Mike always wanted to properly re-record the song for Vista Blue, the band he originally formed to release all the baseball songs he had started writing! So that makes this song quite significant in the history of Vista Blue. 

When real life got in the way this year and Mike and Mark didn't have time to arrange and record the new Christmas record they'd written, they decided to dust off "Christmas at Wrigley." And sure enough, this is a snappy little number in classic Vista Blue fashion. I had to chuckle at the timing of this release right in the middle of baseball hot stove season. This really is the time when baseball fans start to look ahead to next season and when optimism abounds. Although Mike kept the original lyrics, "Christmas at Wrigley" still feels current. Any Cubs fan enjoying the Christmas season in an empty ballpark might ask Santa for an outfielder who steals and hits and perhaps an upgrade at the hot corner (Alex Bregman, perhaps?) — and of course, an NL Central divisional crown. I love that Mike kept the line about bringing back Ryne Sandberg, which suddenly becomes a poignant tribute. Vista Blue might not be a baseball band or a Christmas band, but they've given us the definitive baseball Christmas song.  

Backing "Christmas at Wrigley" is a lively arrangement of Billy Beau's adorable early '60s novelty number "Santa's Coffee" (penned by Dorsey Burnette and Joe Osborn). Mike has always loved the song and wondered why more people don't talk about it. So he and Mark have given it the Vista Blue treatment in hopes that some people will give the original a listen. I think the reason I love this band is because it makes music for people like me who have an adult's intellect but a child's spirit. "Santa's Coffee" definitely fits into that category, and there's no doubt this single will delight anyone who streams Vista Blue's Christmas songs every year. And hey, it suddenly feels like Christmas in my world. Time to get that last bottle of Abita Christmas Ale in the fridge for later!

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Saturday, December 20, 2025

Regal Beagle - Take it Back


Out now on the always fabulous Mom's Basement Records, we have the first album in over 18 years from Los Angeles–based pop-punk veterans Regal Beagle. The band is best known for its 2007 Joe King–produced LP A Little Tide Up, but it has been around for more than 30 years now. Also produced by Joe King, Take it Back legitimately finds Regal Beagle sounding the best it ever has. With this being a Regal Beagle album on Mom's Basement Records, you ought to know what to expect. This is first-rate pop-punk in the vintage Lookout! Records by way of the Ramones mold. And a la label mates Goin' Places and The Young Hasselhoffs, Regal Beagle smashes the myth of pop-punk being strictly a young person's genre. Proper adult life provides all kinds of inspiration for songwriting. And while a few of these songs might follow the ever-reliable "dumb in a good way" recipe, many are quite thoughtful and profound. With its just-right blend of silly and serious lyrics, Take it Back really hits the sweet spot for what grown-up pop-punk ought to be. From start to finish, these songs are sure to get you singing along and vigorously bobbing your head. Good pop-punk is never really about originality. It's about enthusiasm and execution, and this album earns high marks in both departments. This is a fun album to listen to, and you can tell these guys had fun making it. It's hard to go wrong when you start from there. And yes, the producer's influence on this record is undeniable. If you thought that was a bad thing, you would not have read this far. 

One thing I appreciate about Mom's Basement Records is that this is a label that knows its pop-punk history and respects great tunes above all else. This is a label that will not only go out and find some of the best new talent in the pop-punk world but also put its weight behind veteran talents that deserve to be heard. It can be fun to seek out the hot new thing, but sometimes you have to give the masters their due. In a world that sometimes fails to value quality over quantity, Regal Beagle offers up a model worthy of emulation: put out two albums in 30 years and have them both be totally killer. If you love pop-punk, Take It Back is not to be missed!

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Classic Pat - Christmas Mania


In a conscious effort to not to be super-annoying, I always like to limit my Christmas-themed reviews. But that makes it fun in the sense that I get to be very selective (as I am with my reviews in general). I knew Classic Pat's Christmas Mania would have to be one of the ones I reviewed this year. It's a very simple concept. The songs are all holiday classics (I like that) done in the signature musical style of Classic Pat (I like that too). What else needs to be said? Pat does an amazing job with these songs. There's no trace of irony or cynicism here: just pure Christmas song love infused with a punk rock spirit. If you're looking for a pop-punk album you can enjoy with the parents and grandparents while you're opening presents or roasting chestnuts by the open fire, here you go. This album gives me the feels because it reminds me of when I was in my early 20s and always played the Ramones Mania tapes while I was wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. And who knew that we'd get to experience something as cool as Classic Pat covering George Frideric Handel? In the spirit of the season, Christmas Mania is a free download via Bandcamp. I'll be adding this one to the yearly rotation!

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The Bacarrudas - "Ring-A-Ding-Ding!" b/w "Christmas Struttin'"


A Christmas single from Philadelphia's finest frat rock band has become a proper tradition, so why should 2025 be any different? The Bacarrudas are back with a perfect 1-2 punch of new holiday standards.  "Ring-A-Ding-Ding!" is all about joy and nostalgia. Think jingle bells, sugary treats, bright lights, and kids anticipating the toys they'll find under the tree. This is a straight-up rocker to get everyone up and dancing at the Christmas party. If you snuck this song onto any of those all-Christmas radio formats, people would just assume that it was some lost classic. On the virtual flipside, "Christmas Struttin'" is more of an anti-Christmas song. This one goes out to everyone who is down on their luck at this time of the year or simply not feeling the Christmas spirit. The Bacarrudas are such a great party band, but here they show their ability to move into more poignantly soulful territory. Adam's vocal is quite redolent of Peter Wolf, and that's not a bad thing at all. Whatever your mood might be this holiday season, this single has got something for you. If you're going to bother to write new Christmas songs in 2025, you ought to do it this well!

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Friday, December 19, 2025

Barpinson - Population


Well here's something I think you all will like! Barpinson is the solo project from Prabu Pramayougha, whom you might know from Indonesian pop-punk greats Saturday Night Karaoke. Population is the name of the debut EP. If you just glanced at the cover art, you might not have any idea what kind of music awaits you when you push play. No, this is not an emo record at all. It's classic power pop with just a touch of '90s pop-punk and alt rock influence. On this EP, Prabu really shows his love for Stiff Records and late '70s/early '80s new wave/power pop in general (he even covers "Foreign Girls" by The Tours). 

What I appreciate about these songs is that they go a little deeper lyrically than power pop songs typically do. "Freaky Adoration" reflects on why so many people spend so much time attacking and demonizing people they don't even know. "Don't you think it's kinda odd to hate someone a lot?" is a perfect lyric that really hits the nail on the head. In the most thoughtful way, Prabu asks all the hate-mongers out there to reflect on their choices....and to get a life! "Dance Off!", driven by the refrain "Baby, baby, baby, keep on dancing," is pretty self-explanatory. Inspired by the research of psychologist Dr. Clare Mehta's, "Mid 30s" finds Prabu reflecting on his own experiences navigating "established adulthood." Again, this is heady stuff for a power pop song, but the music and lyrics never feel disjointed. 

All in all, Barpinson's debut EP is a highly promising effort that ought to please fans of both power pop and pop-punk. It shows a slightly different side of Prabu Pramayougha — reflecting both his musical and personal growth in recent years. I myself have aged past that "rush hour of life," but I can sure remember being there like it was just yesterday. I really dig this record and hope this is not the last we hear from Barpinson!

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The Kung Fu Monkeys - Surfer en France!


What a glorious thing it is to have another surprise holiday single from The Kung Fu Monkeys magically appear just when the world needed it the most! There are not many things that could make 2025 feel like an encouraging year for Planet Earth, but this is certainly one of them. For this release, James Cahill and co. are Les Kung Fu Monkeys, and "Surfer en France!" is sung entirely in French. Clocking in at one minute, 47 seconds, this particular single has a bit of a KFM throwback feel to it — right down to the jaunty surf-pop vibes and Dyna Moe cover art. I'm pretty sure as I stepped outside the other morning, the faint echoes of celebration I heard in the distance were the collective gleeful exclamations of every late '90s/early 2000s pop-punk kid discovering that this song now exists. And of course it's an earworm of epic proportions. The song's bridge, an homage to Bobby "Boris" Pickett, cleverly suggests that this is something more than just a happy-go-lucky surf rocker (assuming my understanding of French isn't way off-base). 

It was never bearable to go through life referring to The Kung Fu Monkeys in the past tense. And now that I have it on good authority that the band has a bunch of songs written that may indeed be recorded one way or another in the very near future, it's somehow easier to feel just a little more optimistic about everything under the sun. Avec une hache, faisons une haché des monstres!

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Monday, December 15, 2025

The Control Freaks - TV Generation


Here's what you were waiting for, kids! Back with their fourth album, The Control Freaks do what The Control Freaks do best. I couldn't quite put my finger on why I enjoy this band so much until Greg Lowery himself described the music he writes as "fast, catchy, stupid punk rock." YES! That's it! TV Generation, out today on Sweet Time Records, is 12 tracks of fast, catchy, stupid punk rock done to perfection. To me, there's nothing harder to do in music than write simple songs. So the genius of Greg Lowery should not go unappreciated. If you liked the first three Control Freaks album, you are sure to like this one as well. And if you didn't like the first three Control Freaks albums, there's almost no way you're reading this right now. 

It has occurred to me that today's punk rock scene would be far better off if there were more bands out there still ripping off Greg Lowery. But in the absence of that, at least we can count on Greg Lowery to still sound like Greg Lowery. For TV Generation, the band lineup has changed. Amy Munoz returns on rhythm guitar and vocals. Matt K. Shrugg (Zodiac Killers, Losin' Streaks) is on lead guitar. New drummer totally Mike kills it, but you might not want to get too attached to him since he has already left the band. As for the album, you know what to expect. Every song clocks in somewhere around two minutes, and there's no messing around with a winning formula. This is fun and brilliantly dumb three-chord punk rock with a fuck-you attitude and songs that will have you bobbing your head and singing along. With the opening 1-2 punch of "Burn It Down" and "TV Generation," you are quickly assured that the G.O.A.T.'s magic touch remains fully in tact. No aspirations of modernization or maturity are apparent. Songs like "Pathetic," "Panic Attack," "Please Don't Hate Me," and "You're So Revolting" live up to their promising titles. 

Leave it to Sweet Time Records, which has become THE label for primo garage punk in the 2020s, to have the good sense to put out this record. Is this the best Control Freaks album yet? Well I certainly won't say that it's not! The first 100 copies are on neon green vinyl. And in case you've been living in a cave since 2017 and don't own any of The Control Freaks' albums, you can get all four in a very limited edition box set for just 80 bucks. Now that's a deal and a steal!

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Sunday, December 14, 2025

Matthew Julian - The Wayside (songs that fell)


For the first time since 2023, Matt Julian from The Speedways has chosen to share some of his private demo recordings with the world. As many songwriters do, Julian keeps a folder of rough or unfinished demos of songs that were never properly recorded and perhaps never will be. As a creative person, you sometimes have to explore all your idea ideas and see what works and what doesn't. The Wayside (songs that fell) is the title of Julian's latest collection of demos. These are songs that literally fell by the wayside. While these recordings were never intended for outside ears, there must have been something promising in each track that compelled Julian to let the world hear them. As a massive Speedways fan, I really enjoy hearing demo recordings of songs that didn't quite become Speedways songs but probably could have. Four of these songs were written this year, and one ("Best Friend") has been around forever. It might be fun to guess which of these songs (if any) got the closest to being properly recorded. I'm quite fond of "A Leg to Stand On," which is jangly and rainy-day melancholy in that distinctive Matt Speedway manner. I hear a little Buddy Holly shining through in "She Likes to Dance." With a proper recording budget and full band, "Nothing I Understand" could almost be a Def Leppard power ballad. "Bodies of Lovers" finds Julian in rare form lyrically. And certainly there has to be a reason why "Best Friend" has been rescued from the dustbin of history. 

The next Speedways LP has been written and should be completed at some point next year. By the time it's released, we will have waited nearly four years in between albums. So we've got something big to look forward to in 2026. In the meantime, The Wayside is well-worth £3 and 12 minutes of your time.  "____ is so talented that they piss away better songs than most people will ever write" is the joke we sometimes make about certain songwriters. Perhaps that's no joke at all.

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Saturday, December 13, 2025

Perfect Buzz - Happy Trails


From Portland, Oregon — one of the greatest music scenes in the universe — we are now introduced to the aptly named Perfect Buzz. Perfect Buzz are Petey, Luke, and Wes. Petey was in Pure Country Gold and the Suicide Notes, so the pedigree is undeniable. With Perfect Buzz, he has crafted a unique sound that fits nicely into the Pacific Midwest garage rock lane but also incorporates elements of first wave punk, power pop, post-punk, and the louder side of '90s alt-rock. Happy Trails, the trio's new EP, ought to appeal to readers of this publication without necessarily sounding like other bands I review. These tunes definitely put the rock in indie rock with heavy guitars, slamming drums, and aggressive but melodic vocals. Whatever's in the air in the Pacific Northwest is deeply embedded in this band's musical DNA. "Mess Around" and "You're Wrong" open this record with a formidable 1-2 punch of sonic thunder. "Here Come the Cowgirls" is excellent tuneful garage rock. The post-punk influence is more apparent on "Gonna Make You Sweat," but the song still rocks hard enough to peel the paint off the walls. In a good way, my reaction to hearing any of these songs would be, "Did this come out in 1993?" This is super-cool stuff that's well worth a listen. A physical release on 10-inch vinyl is coming early in the new year!

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The Lemon Drop Gang - "My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own!" b/w "Wine Song"


There's nothing I like more than a nice surprise, and a brand-new single from the mighty Lemon Drop Gang seemingly released out of the blue on the one-and-only Rum Bar Records certainly qualifies as such! Since I've been so willing to die on the hill of The Lemon Drop Gang being perhaps the best band on the entire Rum Bar roster, I had to hope that Steph, Johnny, and friends weren't going to take a musical left turn and suddenly start sounding like Blues Traveler or something. So I'm thrilled to report that the new single, "My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own!" b/w "Wine Song" (or Mind and Wine for short) is 100% vintage Lemon Drop Gang. The band remains in its signature lane of punk-influenced, endearingly odd desert garage pop for hopeless romantics or the just plain hopeless. And as you'd expect from a band that has concentrated on releasing music in the singles format, the quality of the songs is as stellar as ever. 

"My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own!" is one of the band's most wildly rocking tunes: think early Kinks meets class of 1966 American garage rock with a pinch of that Lemon Drop Gang secret sauce. Who can't relate to the sentiment of this song? Sometimes we think we're controlling our brains, but really our brains are controlling us. Is this the stuff of science fiction or just an honest reflection of the human condition? You be the judge! This is an A-1, five-star Steph O'Halloran vocal performance as she manages to pull us all into the depths of madness. And the band is right there with her, kicking up a righteous racket that will have you dancing all the way to the edge and beyond. What an absolute stomper this song is! On the virtual B-side, "Wine Song" infuses the band's deliciously dark pop sound with old school music hall vibes. This is the band's most sincere love ballad to date — an ode to a glorious, venerable beverage and its numerous magical powers. Remember when singles were always two songs? The Lemon Drop Gang still abides by that. Remember when B-sides were usually filler? The Lemon Drop Gang does not subscribe to such nonsense. If they're going to go to the trouble to release a single, you better be emotionally prepared for two hits! 

By my count, Mind and Wine is The Lemon Drop Gang's fifth single in the last three years, and the band's hot streak remains very much in tact. With this latest offering, the band is kicking on all cylinders, and both tracks are out of this world. To say I'm not disappointed would be an understatement. I was expecting a ten out of ten, and they found a way to take it to eleven. If a better way to spend $2 exists, I sure haven't heard of it!

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Sunday, December 07, 2025

Dimmicks - self-titled EP


Dimmicks from Toulouse, France are here with a debut release that practically defines perfect pop-punk music. There's little else that needs to be said about this EP. This is the way this type of music ought to be played. These songs are catchy as hell yet hit plenty hard, and they're the epitome of high-spirited sing-along fun. If three-chord tunes chock full of peppy harmonies, cool pop culture references (these folks really like Quentin Tarantino movies!), stick-in-your-head melodies, and super-tasty guitar hooks sound like your cup of tea, Dimmicks are absolutely the band for you. I just love this band's energy, and all six of these tracks are stone-cold earworms. Anyone looking for some infectious pop-punk that totally rocks will want to turn their attention to southern France!

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Lesser Creatures - "People Suck!"


"People Suck!", the feelgood new hit from Lesser Creatures, is not quite the bitter pill you might be expecting. If you were thinking this was going to be Nick ranting maniacally for 100 seconds about how awful and unendurable humans are, well, that's not quite what we have here. The song is more about the wisdom of accepting that people suck and not allowing yourself to get too worked up about it. Expect people to be jerks and go on with your day (as the faux-Latin phrase says, Nolite te bastardes carborundorum). It's hard not be reminded of Wiggle/My Brain Hurts era thinking man's Screeching Weasel with a spicy side of The Vindictives. That description would have had 23-year-old me sprinting to the record store. Maybe some of you will be sprinting to the streaming sites. The icing on the cake is that Amy and Jamin from the very awesome TA-80 appear on backing vocals and bring their usual "turn everything into a party" energy. The fact sheet tells me that I have not reviewed Lesser Creatures in a year-and-a-half, so this is kind of a big deal. People may suck, but this song certainly doesn't.

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Saturday, December 06, 2025

Reader Top Tens 2025: First Call!


Well, here we are well into the final month of 2025! As I did last year, I plan to post reader top ten lists on December 30th, the penultimate day of the year. It's fun to get some outside perspectives on the music that came out during the year. So I'm asking you, if you're so inclined, to contribute a list. I figured I would make the first call now to give people time to think about their selections. You can certainly wait until the last minute if you want. Again, the format is up to you. You can list your top ten favorite albums of the year, your top ten favorite tracks of the year, your top ten favorite releases of the year, or anything else that suits your fancy. Once you have completed your list, you can submit it to me in either of the following ways:

You can also message me directly if you're friends with me on Facebook. 

Thanks!

-L.R.

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Friends of Cesar Romero - Cars, Guitars, Girls

I was just thinking how this has been a great year for singles and albums, but I could go for a couple more ace EPs before we close the door on 2025. Right on cue, we get a new EP from one of my favorites, Friends of Cesar Romero. J. Waylon Porcupine is one of the greatest songwriters in the contemporary underground/indie/whatever-you-wanna-call-it music universe. And every time he releases something new from FOCR, it's always a bit of surprise. He can pull off everything from garage rock to power pop to punk rock to classic pop rock 'n' roll to pop-punk to low-fi indie stuff, and he does it all equally well. And ultimately, it always sounds like him. We are blessed to be living in the time of Friends of Cesar Romero, and the Doomed Babe Series ought to go down as a milestone in music history. 

Cars, Guitars, Girls is installment #47.5 in the series, and it ought to be received warmly by regular readers of this blog. J. Waylon was definitely in a power pop state of mind when he made this EP, and I'm sure not complaining. "Pro Yearner" is big crunchy power pop with typically fantastic lyrics. Perhaps this babe isn't doomed, but any fella who falls under her spell certainly will be! "Nine Pound Hamer®" falls in that sweet spot where the line between power pop and pop-punk is blurred, and again the theme is heartbreak with a side of despair. "Just another fur coat suicide in a Cadillac" is certainly one of the best lines of the year. "Headlight Queen" is 73 seconds of perfect power pop with lyrics that twist the usual moral of the story in FOCR song. Our protagonist knows it can never end well with the object of his desire, so he's freeing her to go torture some other poor sap. My god, this guy is a genius. 47 1/2 installments into singing about doomed romance, and he's not even beginning to run out of inspiration! 

As is typically the case with Friends of Cesar Romero releases, Cars, Guitars, Girls is a free download for a limited time only. And if you like what you hear, the purchase of the complete discography on Bandcamp is the best $100 you'll spend all year!

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Beatnik Termites/The Putz - split 12"


A limited-edition split 12" involving Midwestern powerhouses the Beatnik Termites and The Putz certainly grabbed my attention in a very big way. The Putz is one of my favorite current-day pop-punk bands. The Beatnik Termites are legends in their own right and certainly one of the biggest influences on the "oldies-core" sub-genre of pop-punk that I am quite fond of. This split, out on Mom's Basement Records and the Italian label I Buy Records, is, in fact, an oldies-core fan's dream. The two bands team up to cover some of their favorite songs from the golden age of rock 'n' roll — mostly from that post-'50s, pre–Beatlemania period of the early 1960s. This record goes for a very particular vibe. Think soda shops, drive-ins, jukeboxes, hot rods, leather jackets, and pretty girls in poodle skirts. And musically, this is a great tribute to the harmony-laden radio hits that were so foundational for pop-punk music. 

On this record, the Beatnik Termites and The Putz transport you back to the time of Brill Building pop, teen idols, surf rock, Motown, and the early British Invasion. The Beatnik Termites tackle Neil Sedaka's classic "Next Door to an Angel" (1962), The Who's "I Can't Explain" (1964), and the Beach Boys' "Surfer Girl" (1963). The Putz covers The Contours' "Do You Love Me?" (1962), Manfred Mann's "Do Wah Diddy" (1964), and Buddy Holly's "Rave On" (oddly enough, the only song on this '50s-themed record that came out in the '50s!). You pretty much know what this record is going to be. Both bands give these songs a little bit of a pop-punk twist, but they don't stray too far from the original versions. Both bands play to their strengths. The Beatnik Termites are all about the harmonies and the perfect execution of timeless rock 'n' roll. The Putz put a little bit more attitude and oomph into their tracks while still keeping that golden oldies appeal. For anyone who misses what oldies stations used to be (before they tarnished the format with songs from the '80s, ha ha!), this album will hit all the right retro notes. It's a super-inspired throwback to a glorious time in music and culture. You'd have to be in your 80s to have actually lived through these times as a teen. But I defy anyone of any age to listen to The Putz's version of "Do You Love Me?" or "Rave On" and not immediately start to dance like a maniac. Grab this record, fix yourself a malted milkshake, and have yourself a party by the turntable. The Fonz would absolutely give this split a resounding "Ayyyy!"

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Tuesday, December 02, 2025

Soda Pops - Sweet Nothing


I don't often quote band bios in full, but get a load of this one from Helsinki duo Soda Pops:
"Bubbling with bright riffs and bittersweet vibes, Soda Pops bring a sugar-coated chaos with their garage pop tunes with distorted guitars, tongue-in-cheek lyrics about serious issues like substance abuse & mental health problems, sing-along hooks, and enough sweet nothings to keep your heart warm while it breaks."

Hot damn! Where do I sign up? Leave it to Finland to bless the world with a band this delightful. On the four-song EP Sweet Nothing, Cherry Twist and Candy Crash deliver four tracks of exuberant budget garage punk by way of '60s girl groups with pop hooks galore. What's not to love? I always enjoy a band that can write songs about serious topics in a way that's fun to listen to. All four of these tunes are legit, and producer Ville Valavuo does an excellent job of preserving this band's raw edges without downplaying its undeniable pop charm. This is a band that's gonna be pretty special, so stay tuned, kids!

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