More from Impo & The Tents!

If you read my review of Impo & The Tents' latest LP, you know I'm crazy for these Swedish ambassadors of powerpop/punk. Again working with Alien Snatch Records, the band has released a follow-up EP called Anxious Times that picks up right where that last album left off. And you know what that means: fast, catchy, and unstoppably exuberant pop songs that will put a huge smile on your face and have you dancing around the house like a child on a sugar binge. Why mess with a winning formula? As always, these gentlemen hit that Dickies/Undertones/Pointed Sticks sweet spot right on target. And I love the added '80s new wave vibe that comes from Lars' peppy organ work. The first two tracks here are pure dizzying fun (how about those harmonies on "Do The Things You Wanna Do"?!). Then on the back end, the band takes the foot off the pedal a little and really shows off its songwriting chops. "Summer's End" is exactly what the title suggests - a throwback to '60s surf & pop with just a touch of melancholy to it. Barracudas fans, take note! And to close out the record, "Stay The Night" is pretty much perfect power pop. What a damn fine EP! If you love powerpop/punk the way I do, you need to get your mitts on Anxious Times (along with all of Impo & The Tents' stuff)!



-L.R.

https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/impo-the-tents-anxious-times-45
https://impotents.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/impoandthetents/
https://www.facebook.com/ALIEN.SNATCH.RECORDS/

Lexxi Vexx and The Modern Gentlemen return!

It's been well over a year since I first reviewed Portland, Oregon's Lexxi Vexx and The Modern Gentlemen, and I've been craving new material like mad ever since. This is definitely one of the most exciting new bands to come down the pike in recent years - a punk/rock n' roll powerhouse with an absolutely dynamite lead singer. While it still may be a while before we finally get a debut album from LV & TMG, the band has given us a nice little treat to tide us over through the cold months ahead. Snow Madness is sort of a Christmas record and sort of not. I prefer to think of it as a "winter record". After all, Christmas music isn't really useful past New Year's. Winter songs, on the other hand, remain relevant for 2-3 more months!

If you're not yet familiar with Lexxi Vexx and The Modern Gentlemen, think good old Pacific Northwest garage rock n' roll meets hard-charging '70s punk with strong, soulful vocals. Snow Madness features the title track plus covers of Murder City Devils' "364 Days", The Damned's "There Ain't No Sanity Clause", and Motorhead's "Rock & Roll". The latter selection was chosen due to Lemmy's birthday being on Christmas Eve. In the wake of his death, it becomes a wonderful tribute. The band did a great job of picking cover material that fits both the spirit of its music and the theme of the record. You hear this EP, and right away you know this is a band that would be a hell of a lot of fun to see live! All three covers are totally killer, and the original "Snow Madness" kicks things off in style. It's great straight-up rockin' punk that highlights both blazing guitars and Ms. Vexx's powerful pipes. If you're already a fan, Snow Madness is guaranteed to please. And if this is your first time hearing Lexxi Vexx and The Modern Gentlemen, check out the band's first EP as soon as possible!



-L.R.

http://themoderngentlemen.bandcamp.com/album/evolution-of-the-modern-gentlemen
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lexxi-Vexx-the-Modern-Gentlemen/1405708886362046

Unfinished Business: Royal Headache's High

Concluding my series of posts on releases I should have reviewed in 2015, I take a look at a record that just might have been my 2015 album of the year if I'd only heard it sooner. Royal Headache's sophomore LP High is a rare case of the mainstream press (NME, Spin, Rolling Stone, The New York Times) actually going nuts for an album that isn't total shit. How about that! Arriving four years after the group's acclaimed debut album, High found Royal Headache making the leap from a very good band to a genuinely great one. These Aussies did not veer far from their signature blend of garage-punk and soul, but they stepped up the songwriting and production in a major way. High delivers one stunning song after another, and Shogun is a stone cold star on lead vocals. By turns reminiscent of the Buzzcocks ("Another World"), The Reigning Sound ("Need You"), The Replacements ("Carolina"), and the New Wave of New Wave ("High"), these songs are a wonderful mish-mash of everything I've ever loved about punk, soul, garage, indie rock, and Brit-pop. Seriously: how many bands are capable of both the '77 punk adrenaline of "Electric Shock" and the brilliant blue-eyed soul balladry of "Wouldn't You Know"? No "best band on earth" conversation is complete at this point without mention of Royal Headache. There were a number of albums from 2015 that I expect to be listening to for years to come, and High is definitely one of them.

 
-L.R.

https://royalheadache.bandcamp.com/ 
http://royalheadache.com.au/ 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Royal-Headache/136799649689670 

Unfinished Business: The Hex Dispensers III

Continuing with my series of posts on releases I should have reviewed in 2015, I turn my attention to Austin, Texas standouts The Hex Dispensers. Their latest album, III, was released this past summer on the world-renowned Alien Snatch Records. And let me tell you: this thing will melt your face off! The Hex Dispensers are one of the most unique punk bands of the past decade - and also one of the very best. This is what all "horror punk" bands should aspire to be - a group that grounds its dark sensibilities in a foundation of incredible songwriting and insidiously tuneful melodies. This band manages to combine the best aspects of The Ramones, Wipers, and Misfits and adapt them to the world of modern-day garage punk in a way that's both exciting and completely original. And while the band's lyrics are intriguing and wonderfully disturbing, I don't think you need to be a horror punk fan to appreciate The Hex Dispensers. You only need to have a taste for poppy punk rock with balls - which probably describes the majority of individuals who follow this blog! To me, III is one of those albums that you'll love regardless of how you approach it. You can delve deeply into the lyrics and really experience all that death and depression, or you can just blast the volume and bob your head to some of the catchiest punk rock you could ever hope to hear. What an awesome record! Vinyl and CD are still available from Alien Snatch!



-L.R.

https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/hex-dispensers-iii
https://thehexdispensers.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ALIEN.SNATCH.RECORDS
https://www.facebook.com/thehexdispensers

Unfinished Business: Baby Shakes' Starry Eyes

Continuing with my series of posts on releases I should have reviewed in 2015, we come to a band I've been touting for over a decade. Seriously: how did I manage to not be aware that New York City's fabulous Baby Shakes released a new album this past August (their first in six years!)? That's just nuts! The 11-track Starry Eyes reminds me of why I came to love this band in the first place. In no way at all have Baby Shakes attempted to "mature" or mess with a winning formula. They've stuck with what they're so very good at: high energy power pop/rock n' roll in the vein of Nikki and the Corvettes. Starry Eyes is the quintessential summertime record - which makes it ideal listening in frigid January. I just close my eyes, and suddenly I'm beach bound in a convertible on a sunny 83-degree day. These songs are just so catchy, and you know I'm a sucker for those girl group harmonies! This is the best Baby Shakes album yet - and an absolute must for any fan of power pop!



-L.R.

https://babyshakesny.bandcamp.com/album/starry-eyes
https://www.facebook.com/babyshakesny/

Unfinished Business: The Barreracudas' Can Do Easy

Continuing with my series of posts on releases I should have reviewed in 2015, I turn to what was probably my most inexcusable omission. I've been a fan of The Barreracudas for a number of years. They had my #6 album of 2011 and my #1 single of 2014. Somehow, these Brooklyn/Atlanta based greats released a sophomore album last year without me realizing it. Shame! Shame! Anyway, Can Do Easy would definitely have made my top ten for 2015 if I'd heard it sooner. It's 100 percent essential listening for anyone who follows this blog. The album is exactly what you'd expect from The Barreracudas: fun rock n' roll inspired by '70s power pop, The Ramones, and the Cheap Trick/Thin Lizzy strain of classic rock. What's not to love?! The hooks on this thing are enormous, and there's not a dud track to be found! This is the kind of record that speaks to the sex-crazed teenager that still exists within all of us. Crack open a cold one, crank up the volume, and enjoy the hell out of life!



-L.R.

https://oopsbabyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/can-do-easy-lp 
https://www.facebook.com/Barreracudas-220096098409/ 
http://oopsbabyrecords.com/ 

Unfinished Buiness: Slow Faction

2015 was another fantastic year for punk rock, garage, and power pop music. And I only covered a small fraction of it! I'm deeply embarrassed that I missed so many amazing releases last year. So my first order of business for 2016 is to try and catch up on a lot of stuff I should have reviewed in 2015. First up is London's Slow Faction - true heirs to The Clash in both a musical and lyrical sense. Having already released an album and an EP in 2014, Slow Faction followed up with an outstanding two-song demo this past May. The songs are titled "Under Heavy Manners" and "In God's Name", and the sound is classic '77 style U.K. punk. Think anthemic & hook-laden punk rock with a powerful political message. That, my friends, is my kind of music! After hearing Slow Faction, you will surely be wondering why I haven't been all over this band for the past two years. I wish I had a good answer for that! Enjoy!



-L.R.

https://slowfaction.bandcamp.com/album/under-heavy-manners-in-your-gods-name-demo 
https://www.facebook.com/slow.faction/