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!
I am not a believer in diminishing the value of art by assigning it a numerical rating. But if I were, I would award Classic Pat's new album Won't Back Down a ten out of ten. If you love pop-punk, you will love this album and should run through a brick wall if necessary to acquire it. That should be the end of this review, but it would be out of character for me to be that succinct.
Almost anyone who has bothered to read this far will be familiar with Classic Pat and the many great bands he has played in. With Won't Back Down (out today on Mom's Basement Records), he has delivered a royal treat for eternal fans of Lookout! Records inspired pop-punk. This is a particular genre with which I have a very complicated relationship. 70% of the time, I'm pretty "Meh!" about it. But the rest of the time, there's no music in the world I'd rather listen to. Won't Back Down is obviously in the latter category. On the first day of this year, I described "Sadie Hawkins Dance" as "one of the greatest pop-punk songs ever written." You may have suspected that I wrote those words under the influence of recency bias, temporary insanity, or a bad hangover, but now it's nine weeks later, and my opinion hasn't changed. When I reflect on why some pop-punk hits the spot for me and some of it doesn't, I can identify several qualities that tend to win me over:
I enjoy a likeable singer and funny, relatable lyrics.
I like to hear the influence of classic pop and rock 'n' roll.
I prefer a little variety over the course of an album.
The poppier the better!
I'll take catchy songs over new ideas any day of the week.
Let me tell you: if that's my rubric, Won't Back Down checks off every single box! Emulating the old school Lookout! sound without coming off like a cheap knockoff is a tricky task, but Classic Pat totally pulls it off. And the secret is that there's really no secret. It's all about writing perfect three-chord punk songs with earworm hooks. If "Seeing Triple" were any catchier, the CDC would be raiding the Mom's Basement headquarters at this very moment. "She Don't Care" is basically the best Screeching Weasel song in decades. "The Next In Line" is bubblegum perfection a la The Queers circa Don't Back Down. "No Telling At All" (featuring Canaan from Barbariettes on lead vocals) hits the pure pop side of the Ramones bang-on. Clearly Pat is transparent about his biggest influences. But rather than making me wish I were listening to the Ramones, Queers, or Screeching Weasel instead, Won't Back Down has reignited my love for pop-punk. And these songs are just so much fun. Over the course of the album, Pat reflects on the strain that responsible adulthood can place on friendships, waxes poetic on girlfriends who are awful and sometimes outright scary, romanticizes the golden age of rock 'n' roll, pays tribute to the cinematic classic Mallrats, and recounts an obviously true story about having to choose between dancing with a pretty girl and making it to the opening night screening of Demolition Man with some best buds. Now that's what I call relatable music!
With song styles ranging from snotty ("Creeped Out") to super-poppy ("Trend Setter") to oldies-influenced ("Do You Remember," "Goin' Nowhere") to classically pop-punk ("He's a Daddy Now"), Won't Back Down has something for every fan of pop-punk. Sometimes with a really good pop-punk album, I talk about how I would have totally flipped out if I'd heard it when I was 25. But Won't Back Down has me flipping out now. CDs are limited to 100 copies and available now from the Mom's Basement webstore. While you're over there, you can pre-order the vinyl for the new Yum Yums album (which is freaking awesome!) coming out next month on Screaming Apple Records!
One cool thing that happened to me in 2023 was that I got really stoked on pop-punk again. Of course I've always liked pop-punk. This was the type of music that got me into punk rock in the first place way back when. But this past year, it just felt like I was into pop-punk way more than I'd been in a long time. And that momentum carries over into 2024. Classic Pat has released a couple teaser singles for his forthcoming solo album on Mom's Basement Records, and I am totally obsessed! I guess this is not surprising since his band The Putz has been a longtime favorite of mine. But man oh man, this latest single "Sadie Hawkins Dance" is what I live for: pop-punk that's super-poppy but also heavily influenced by traditional rock 'n' roll. Plus you have to love a song that tells a story! I imagine John from Mom's Basement laughing like a diabolical cartoon super villain when he heard this — realizing that he had one of the greatest pop-punk songs ever written in his possession. Hit up Classic Pat's YouTube channel to hear "Sadie Hawkins Dance" and "She Don't Care," which sounds like the best Queers song in years. The full album will be out soon!
Out today just in time for Halloween is the exciting debut single from the eagerly anticipated super(natural) duo Mike and Pat! Mike and Pat is not a popular fruit candy. Nor is it a comedy team from the '50s or a pair of rival cheesesteak moguls. Rather it's a joint venture between Mike from Vista Blue and Pat from The Putz. That sounds like a dream tandem on paper, but I've been cautious about seeming dream tandems ever since Joel Embiid & James Harden floundered in consecutive post-seasons and Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter came out tasting like watered-down Yoo-hoo. Yet apparently the third time is the charm as members of perhaps my favorite two pop-punk bands have come together to knock their debut release out of the park. "That Zombie Stole My Girl!" is a splendid shot of monstrous pop-punk goodness that tells the story promised in the title (wonderfully depicted in Johnny Badgrammer's cover art). Horror and heartbreak in the same song? What fun! I couldn't have imagined this single getting even better on the B-side, but somehow it does! "I Like 'Em Tall, Green, and Rotting" tells the same story as the A-side but from the point of view of the girl. And hearing her tell the story, you just can't blame her for falling for that zombie. Far from just another gimmicky horror-punk act, Mike and Pat are here to teach us valuable life lessons. One person's heartbreak is sometimes another person's magical romance. And if a zombie can find love, certainly that means there's hope for everyone. All in all, this is an A+ pop-punk tune and an A+ horror tune, and you can hear the distinctive presence of both Mike and Pat coming through in a major way. Man, those harmonies are to die for. Bonus points for the Oxford comma! Have a happy Halloween, and be sure to make Mike and Pat part of your festivities!
Now this was a super cool idea! Classic Pat (guitarist in one of my favorite bands, The Putz) has covered the La Bamba movie soundtrack in its entirety! It's the second installment in his Why Not? series (he previously covered Tiffany's self-titled album from 1987). The La Bamba soundtrack was an absolutely crucial album in my musical education. In 1987, I was 16 years old and still a classic rock/metal kid. After purchasing the La Bamba tape and listening to it daily, I became fanatical about listening to oldies radio and learning about early rock n' roll (the rest is history, I suppose). And of course I became a huge van of Ritchie Valens, who remains one of my favorite first generation rock and rollers. Because I listened to that soundtrack so many times, returning to it now is like catching up with an old friend. Classic Pat does a great job with these songs. His renditions are faithful, yet they've also been punked up a little. And that makes perfect sense when you think about the way '50s rock n' roll and doo wop influenced so many pop-punk bands. As groups like The Beatersband are demonstrating today, pop-punk and early rock n' roll belong together (pun fully intended). And Pat's interpretation of this material acknowledges that. His version of Valens' "Donna" fits in just as nicely alongside The Young Hasselhoffs or Vista Blue as it would on an oldies playlist. I've often claimed Buddy Holly as the true father of pop-punk, and this album's version of "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" evidences that idea fully. Pat's take on "La Bamba" (which, as arranged by Valens, would massively influence garage rock and punk) is totally killer. While "Why not?" may be the concept, this album is no joke. If you grew up on the La Bamba soundtrack (and movie) as I did, this version will give you warm feelings. But anyone who loves timeless and tuneful rock n' roll should enjoy the heck out of this release.
