honeychain - "Pocket Full Of Good Luck"

Oh my god, I am so excited! Honeychain has a new record coming out next month on Die Laughing and Golden Robot Records! In advance of this upcoming release, the band has debuted a lyric video for the song "Pocket Full Of Good Luck". It's hardly shocking given honeychain's prior body of work, but this song is amazing! This is more of that punky powerpop meets '90s alternative rock that you've come to expect from this fabulous LA outfit. But the band sounds even punkier than usual on this exhilarating number. Hillary's guitars blast hard while the bass and drums power along at a rapid-fire pace. The lyrics, of course, are terrific. "Pocket Full Of Bad Luck" is a super fun ride for two and a half minutes, and then it leaves you wanting more. And that's how great punk pop is done! Official release date is June 19th!



-L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/honeychainmusic/
https://honeychainmusic.com/
https://honeychain.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dielaughingrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/goldenrobotrecords/

Poppy Robbie - "Heartbreak Scenario"/"Twist and Pout"

When we last checked in with the great Poppy Robbie, he had just released his excellent roots/Americana record The Troubled Times of Samuel Heck. Like everyone else on the planet, Robbie has had some time on his hands lately. So he's been dusting off some old recordings to share with the world via his Bandcamp page. "Be My Valentine" is the most recent of the bunch. It originally appeared on an extremely limited edition Valentine's Day collection released in 2008. And by "extremely limited edition", I mean he made exactly one copy to give to his then-girlfriend (now wife) as a gift. I suppose we can conclude that this was an extremely successful release! I'm not sure if Robbie will ever make a proper pop-punk record again, but you can hear hints of the old form on this track. I have tremendous admiration for anyone who's willing to take a song this personal and private and put it up on the Internet where literally billions of people have access to it. And a song as sweet and sincere as this one is exactly what I need at this moment in time. "Twist and Pout" is a track from 2007, which of course was re-recorded last year for the Samuel Heck EP. Robbie himself says that this version is better and more fun than the newer one. How do I say I agree without sounding like the typical jerk who only likes Robbie's "old stuff"? I dig the lo-fi '50s rock and roll vibe here. Robbie is great at channeling his inner Buddy Holly, and you'll find the lyrics hilariously on-point if you've ever played live music in front of an entirely disinterested crowd. "Heartbreak Scenario" dates all the way back to 2004. If I recall correctly, Robbie posted it online and I may have made some kind of smart-ass remark about this being the best song Elvis Costello had done in years. Was I wrong?

One really cool thing about this digital age of music is that you can unearth old songs and essentially "repackage" them virtually. Even for a song you're just going to download or stream, it's kind of cool that cover art still matters and is a big part of the overall package. For someone artistically inclined like Poppy Robbie, the cover designs for these new old tracks must have been half the fun. I've gotta say they're really sharp! Downloads are a dollar each and well worth it. If you know Robbie, go harass him right now about re-recording his pop smash "Still Bored on the Weekend"! And if you don't know him? Just ask nicely.

-L.R.

https://poppyrobbie.bandcamp.com/track/heartbreak-scenario

Goldie Dawn - self titled 7"

Well even if summertime fun ends up getting canceled this year, we've still got our first summertime fun record of 2020. Goldie Dawn hail from Glasgow and play the kind of loud, catchy rock and roll that ought to be thoroughly blasted at pool parties, sporting events, and really hip backyard barbecues. Luckily they sound just as good in the privacy of your own home. Featuring the powerful pipes and undeniable charisma of lead singer Kate Rambo, Goldie Dawn serves up a satisfying blend of glam rock swagger, '70s punk energy, and arena rock muscle. The opening chords of "Gone With The Wild" are like a declaration of awesomeness, and it only gets better from there. This tune is a real toe-tapper! The band rocks out like it's on a mission to destroy all that is lame in the universe. You like guitars and drums and bad-ass singers going full force? Yeah, me too! "Crime" is tougher-sounding and crackling with the pure electricity of first wave punk rock. Perhaps you'll recognize some of the influences. "What's Inside (Never Dies)" is the most hopped-up and hooky of these four tracks, which is perfect given how wonderfully nasty the lyrics are. Don't you just love a band that can deliver a resounding fuck-you with joy in its heart? "It's Nothing To Me" is the old school country ballad that seemingly comes out of nowhere yet somehow fits perfectly. All in all, this is a damn good EP from a band that looks to have a very bright future in rock and roll. Drunken Sailor Records jumped all over these hot tunes and will be releasing the 7" at the end of the month. Digital available now. A good time is guaranteed!

-L.R.

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/st-7-5

https://goldiedawn.bandcamp.com/album/goldie-dawn

https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenSailorRecords

Los Stars - Grandes Fracasos

Today I've got something super cool for you all the way from Chile! Los Stars have the sort of '77 punk/power pop type sound that I can never get enough of. The band's new EP Grandes Fracasos was recorded last month. It leans to the pop and glam-influenced side of '70s punk, which you know is a particular sweet spot for me. The songs are sung in Spanish, so I honestly couldn't tell you much about the lyrical content. But that's of little concern to me since I dig the music so much. I hear a great deal of Johnny Thunders influence in the guitar playing. Hard to go wrong there! This is just really good old style punk rock with a clear pop sensibility and just the right amount of sloppiness. These tracks are definitely on the raw side, but only in a way that's totally cool and charming. In spots I'm reminded of the Dimestore Haloes. If you dig sloppy, poppy '77 type stuff, check Los Stars out!

-L.R.

https://losstars.bandcamp.com/album/grandes-fracasos

Matt Ellis - High Risk Assurance/Stays Home

Matt Ellis is quickly becoming one of the kings of pandemic punk! The Hamilton, Ontario based guitarist has already released two quarantine-inspired EPs, both of which he recorded in his bathroom under the combined influence of isolation and the almighty Ramones. Given that he's a longtime member of one of the four or five greatest Ramonescore bands ever, The Vapids, you'd expect him to be well-suited to this kind of project. And you'd be right! High Risk Assurance and Stays Home are exemplary works of low-budget Ramones worship. None of the songs extend too far past one minute, and none of them stray from a winning formula. Ellis (also of PlasticHeads and Flesh Rag) executes that formula to perfection. He proves to be an appealing vocalist as well. This is fun, cool stuff. Why reinvent the wheel when the wheel is so useful? You can download both EPs for free or pay whatever amount you like. All sales from these releases are being donated to Toronto Overdose Prevention and Keeping Six - Hamilton Harm Reduction Action League, a community based organization that defends the rights, dignity, and humanity of people who use drugs. I respect the cause, and I really dig the music. If Ellis keeps going with these bathroom recordings, he's gonna have himself a whole album by the end of the month!



-L.R.

https://mattellis333.bandcamp.com/

Pavid Vermin - Cutting Corners

Pavid Vermin was home-recording albums when home-recording albums wasn't cool! Cutting Corners is the third album Glenn Robinson has released under the Pavid Vermin handle since April of last year. But while the first of the three, Jump! Jive! and Fail!, was on the lower end of the fidelity spectrum, Robinson has mastered the art of DIY recording to the point where you'd think Cutting Corners came out of a "professional" studio. What hasn't changed is Pavid Vermin's general sound: upbeat, super-catchy pop-punk with buzzsaw guitars and killer hooks. The humor in the album title is that Robinson stole all 17 song titles from The Beatles' Abbey Road, then proceeded to write original songs that have absolutely nothing to do with The Beatles. That was a genius idea, but the joke would have worn out fast if this weren't such a kick-ass record. Robinson has fashioned a sound that falls halfway between the Ramones and Descendents. That's a pretty sweet spot, eh? He's got the instrumental chops to keep everything fast and tight, but his greatest asset with this project is his knack for writing simple, fun songs that will stick in your head all day long. If you love pop-punk, you'll rarely hear it done better than this!



-L.R.

https://pavidvermin.bandcamp.com/album/cutting-corners
https://bloatedkatrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cutting-corners
https://www.facebook.com/BloatedKatRecords

Dramarama - Color TV

It feels strange but truly wonderful to be reviewing a new album from one of my all-time favorite bands for the first time in my life. By the time I got into this racket 25 years ago, Dramarama had already broken up after an incredible run in the '80s and early '90s that was never fully appreciated outside of the diehard fan base. I would be hard-pressed to name a single songwriter of the last 35 years that I would put above John Easdale. And while the band's legacy is often closely associated with the "alternative rock" movement, to me Dramarama is just a great American rock and roll band. Notice my use of the present tense. While fans have had to wait a long 15 years for a new Dramarama album, Color TV easily rates as one of the band's finest releases.

Minus any pressure from outside influences to push out a "product", Dramarama has had the luxury of working on Color TV at its own pace over a great number of years. Some of these songs go back a couple decades, and overall this album feels particularly autobiographical. It traces Easdale's journey from childhood to present-day, chronicling his battles with addiction and bad decisions and culminating with his finding inner peace. It's almost certainly an album he would not have been able to write in his 20s or 30s. He and has band-mates (two of which, guitarists Peter Wood and Mark Englert, are original members) did not make the mistake of trying to recreate the "classic" Dramarama sound. Color TV is the work of true masters of the rock and roll craft - who are aging like the proverbial fine wine.

Especially on the back half of Color TV, Easdale favors ballads and quiet, intensely personal numbers. But Dramarama can still rock with the best of 'em, as evidenced on the soaring opener "Beneath The Zenith", the furiously brooding "Up To Here", the bluesy "Swamp Song", and the hard-driving "What's Your Sign". There's something for everyone on this album, which is pretty typical for Dramarama. And it wouldn't be a Dramarama record without a couple of truly remarkable ballads. "The Cassette" is gorgeous and powerful in its simplicity. It's a tribute to Greg Dwinnell, Easdale's best friend whose death inspired much of 2005's Everybody Dies. Complemented by Billy Siegel's beautiful piano riff, Easdale's words and voice give me chills. "You You You", the album's penultimate track, is haunting & atmospheric in a way no Dramarama song has quite ever been. Another hallmark of a great Dramarama record are inspired cover songs (Mott The Hoople's "I Wish I Was Your Mother" never moved me to tears until I heard Easdale sing it). For this release, the band chose relatively unknown songs by Bob Dylan ("Abandoned Love") and Elliott Smith ("Half Right", the album closer). I'm always intrigued by which artists a great songwriter admires, and here Easdale honors a pair of kindred spirits with stunning interpretations of their work. "Abandoned Love" is literally and figuratively a centerpiece of this album, and it blends seamlessly into the story Easdale is telling.

Color TV certainly has its moments of on-point social commentary. In the first two tracks alone, Easdale laments the power that technology, commercialism, and organized religion hold over us. But on the whole, this album cuts deep into the soul of John Easdale. It's the kind of record that great songwriters spend their lives striving to complete. But this was a true group effort - not just a one man show. Dramarama as a rock band has never sounded stronger. Long suffering fans who eagerly awaited this release will not be disappointed. And if you've never heard Dramarama before, it's not necessary to absorb the back catalog before you can appreciate Color TV. This album is an absolute tour de force, and let us hope that we won't have to wait another 15 years for the next one!



-L.R.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8zl_IqDuYE&feature=emb_logo
https://www.facebook.com/TheDramarama/
http://dramarama.us/dramaramanew/2018/