The Family Township - "Rosie Come Back"/"Autumn Bell"

The long-running Boston rock band The Family Township is back with a killer double A-side single on Black Sword Records. On "Rosie Come Back" and "Autumn Bell," TFT finds the sweet spot where power pop and '70s FM rock meet — a sound the band has dubbed "sweet rock." If sweet rock is an actual genre, count me in as a huge fan. "Rosie Come Back" is a mid-tempo rocker, while "Autumn Bell" is ballad in the classic style. Both songs grab me with their sweet melodies, memorable hooks, and smooth vibes. In some alternate universe where great rock songs still get played on the radio, both of these tracks are in heavy rotation. They're beautifully-crafted tunes, and of course the singing and musicianship are top-notch. Marc Pinansky is one hell of a songwriter! The Family Township is working on a new album, so we'll have that to look forward to. In the meantime, you can crank the heck out of this new single. Warning: these songs are highly addictive and darn near unshakable.

-L.R.

https://township.bandcamp.com/album/rosie-come-back-autumn-bell-2
https://open.spotify.com/album/0L7RbMAueNj6GIVLUbKMXW
https://www.instagram.com/thefamilytownship

Hakan - EP #2

What Hakan has done over the past decade is quite extraordinary. Without ever significantly altering its musical style or approach to songwriting, this Bergamo, Italy–based trio has delivered four equally great full-length albums. At no point have I tired of the band's hard-driving yet totally poppy punk rock sound. If almost any other band were this repetitive stylistically, the returns would inevitably diminish. But Hakan leaves me wanting more every time. In my book, this is one of the best punk rock bands of modern times. Perhaps Hakan has questioned exactly how long it can keep pulling off this trick, for its new EP does mix things up a little (in a way that will still please longtime fans). Out now on Jarama 45RPM Recs, EP #2 is a work of remarkable efficiency. It packs six songs onto one 7" record, with no track running longer than a minute and a half. Songs like "The Only One" and "Give It a Try" (which brings to mind labelmates Neon Bone) find Hakan going all-in on pop-punk. "Dead and Gone" sounds like the best song the Buzzcocks never wrote. "Another Man" has me hearing Weezer, and I'm not mad about it. "Rocco Baroque" is anthemic old school punk that will have you jumping around and shouting along. And if you're still seeking some classic Hakan, "Living in America" will not disappoint. Six songs on one 7" is a swell deal, and all these tunes are first rate. This EP makes me really excited for Hakan's forthcoming fifth LP. Clearly the band has found a way to expand its core sound while still continuing to marry punk and pop in a most satisfying way. Vinyl for EP #2 is limited to 300 copies, so hop to it if you want in on the action!

-L.R.

https://jarama45rpmrecs.bandcamp.com/album/ep-2
https://hakanbeibi.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1sILWPB9pqb5rUQKxEYq1B
https://www.facebook.com/wearethehakan/
https://www.instagram.com/jarama_45rpm_recs/
https://www.facebook.com/jarama45rpmrecs

The Peawees - One Ride

What really needs to be said about La Spezia, Italy's The Peawees? They are the epitome of class and quality in the punk/rock 'n' roll universe. Hervé Peroncini is one of the finest songwriters of his generation. Fast approaching 30 years as a band, The Peawees are aging like fine wine. One Ride, their seventh album, is out now on Wild Honey Records, Spaghetty Town Records, and FOLC Records. How many bands would kill to be able to make just one record this great? The Peawees manage to do it time and time again, and that's something we should never take for granted. The Peawees certainly didn't take it for granted. They started working on One Ride five years ago. And then, of course, the world changed. So did the lives of the band members and eventually the band's lineup. The album got put on hold. Touring got put on hold. Life got put on hold. But the band persevered. Six years after releasing their previous album Moving Target, The Peawees are back with a vengeance. One Ride again finds the band playing the perfect mix of punk rock, garage, soul, and old style rock 'n' roll. This is me listening to a Peawees album: "What a great song! There's no way the next one could be as good!" And then I keep saying the same thing over and over until the album is finished. One Ride is an absolutely bulletproof set of songs. There's not a sub-par track in the bunch, and the band (now with Dario Persi on guitar) sounds fantastic. These songs have energy, guts, timeless style, and hooks all day long. 

A long time ago, The Peawees released an album called This Is Rock'n'Roll. Although the group's progression from those humble beginnings has been extraordinary, that title still captures what The Peawees are all about. From all the best parts of the past 70 years of rock 'n' roll, they create something that sounds fresh and totally their own. One Ride was a long time in the making, but it has proven more than worth the wait. Hands down, it's one of the year's best albums. If you're hunting the colored vinyl, hit the links below for further details!

-L.R.

https://thepeawees.bandcamp.com/album/one-ride
https://open.spotify.com/album/3P5NwjUGO23JMDkWl0Nf44
https://spaghettytownrecords.bigcartel.com/product/the-peawees-one-ride-white-vinyl
https://www.folcrecords.es/producto/the-peawees-one-ride-edicion-espanola-preorder/
https://www.facebook.com/thepeawees/
https://www.instagram.com/thepeawees/
https://wildhoneyrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wildhoneyrecords/
https://www.instagram.com/wildhoneyrecords___/
https://www.facebook.com/SpaghettyTown/
https://www.instagram.com/spaghettytownrecords/

Junior Varsity - Where The Groove Is

Junior Varsity, the newest band from punk/rock 'n' roll legend Mighty Joe Vincent, has debuted with one of the year's best EPs. If someone with impeccable taste like Palmyra Delran is championing this band, you know it has to be great. And how could it not be? Vincent (The Devil Dogs, Swingin' Neckbreakers, Prissteens) gets to show off his songwriting and producing chops with Junior Varsity, and he has assembled an all-star cast of veteran rock 'n' roll musicians from the New York/New Jersey area. Let's be honest: this is no JV team. All these guys have earned their varsity letters many times over. Paul Bertolino (The Sleaves, Atomic Jones) is on lead vocals. Mike Fornatale (Dot Wiggin Band, The Left Banke, Mark Lindsay, Moby Grape, etc.) and Mike Dudolevitch (The Nuclears) are on guitar. Alec Morton (Raging Slab, Monster Magnet) is on bass. Dave Lieb (Rebecca Carter Burke & Blame The Whiskey, The Vinyl Skyway) is on keyboards. Now that's a hot band! 

Where The Groove Is, out now on Rum Bar Records, may surprise people who only know of Vincent from his work in garage and punk bands. With Junior Varsity, he has crafted a more sophisticated brand of rock 'n' roll with a well-refined pop sensibility. I love the big sound here —  replete with backup singers, keyboards, guitar solos, and arena-sized lead vocals. I always have a sweet spot for classic rock with great hooks, and these songs totally hit the mark. I love that you can hear many different influences at play: glam and power pop in the title track, a little Rolling Stones in "Back to Reno," some swinging garage rock in "Everything," and classic '60s pop with hints of E Street swagger in "Show Me What You're Made Of." This, my friends, is songwriting and musicianship of the highest quality. All of these four songs could be considered "the hit," and they only get better with repeated spins. Mighty Joe Vincent has brought his musical vision to life, and he couldn't have picked a better group of players to make it happen. If you like your rock 'n' roll with hooky choruses, catchy melodies, and a groove to die for, Junior Varsity is definitely the band for you.

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/where-the-groove-is
https://open.spotify.com/album/3A094CX6ZPckoLwkD51GLb
https://www.facebook.com/juniorvarsityallstars/
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords
https://www.instagram.com/rumbarrecords/

Kurt Baker - "Delusional"

Welcome, Kurt Baker, to the Faster and Louder twenty-five timers club! This is my 25th review of Kurt Baker as a lead artist (the number goes way higher if I include the other bands he has played in). That tells you that he has released a lot of music since this blog launched, and it also tells you that I've been a huge fan of his work. When it comes to melody-driven pop and rock 'n' roll, in my book Kurt Baker is one of the greats of his era. He has shown an ability to work across various sub-genres and embrace a wide array of influences. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pumped about him going back to his roots on his new single "Delusional." Backed by Wyatt Funderburk, Rich Kelly III, and Geoff Palmer, Baker has turned out a perfect pop song. The first thing I thought when I heard this track was, "Wow, this is vintage Kurt Baker!" Through the process of writing this song, Baker was reflective of his time in his pop-punk band The Leftovers. Musically, this is the vibe that first made me a Baker fan: big hook power pop with roots in '90s pop-punk. Lyrically, this is a song that really hits me hard. I love that Baker has written so openly about self-doubt and what it's like to wonder, "Am I full of shit when I think everything is going great in my life?" I have similar moments of self-doubt sometimes. Actually, I have these moments frequently. It wouldn't be a normal week if I haven't reflected on whether my life has been a failure and I've squandered my potential. If one of the basic values of music or any form of art is that it makes people feel less alone in the world, "Delusional" is the perfect illustration of that. Of course the song is incredibly catchy and a total banger, but it does not dispense empty calories. A lot of us will be feeling these lyrics in a major way. This is a stone cold hit and the best Baker tune in a good while!

-L.R.

https://kurtbaker.bandcamp.com/track/delusional
https://open.spotify.com/album/5cqMaagWmw8sL9do7Ftn7C
https://www.instagram.com/kurtmiltonbaker/
https://www.facebook.com/KurtBakerMusic/

The Dogmatics - "Library Girl"

Well here was a really nice surprise: a new single from one of my favorite bands of all-time that appeared on Rum Bar Records' Bandcamp the other day without my prior knowledge! "Library Girl" is The Dogmatics' first new music in nearly a year. If it hadn't been for the Infinite Jest reference, I might have thought this track was recorded in the '80s! It's 100% vintage Dogmatics and vintage Jerry Lehane — a mid-tempo punk-pop banger straight out of the Boston garage rock textbook. A song exploring one of the most timeless fantasies in the history of the male psyche is something you'd definitely expect from The Dogmatics, and "Library Girl" does not disappoint. It's definitely a song made for repeat spins. And some of those lyrics made me laugh out loud! More new music from The Dogmatics (perhaps even a full-length album!) is coming in 2025. Those of you who are big Dogmatics fans will also be stoked about Rum Bar releasing an album from Hotbox (Jerry Lehane's early '90s band with Pete Mulford from Last Stand) next month. Stay tuned! 

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/track/library-girl
https://open.spotify.com/album/4lgZfEEZPYxaIQaoIrQmDM
https://dogmatics.bandcamp.com/
https://thedogmatics.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thedogmatics/
https://www.facebook.com/thedogmatics/
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords
https://www.instagram.com/rumbarrecords/

Vista Blue - Vista Blue Are the Pop Punk Preservation Society

"Dr. Frank said it, and it's our manifesto: 'The Ramones are gods; we're the only ones who know.'"

It has been a minute since I last reviewed Vista Blue. And I mean literally a minute. Of course Vista Blue Are the Pop Punk Preservation Society gets the award for the cleverest title for a single in 2024. As a huge Kinks fan and a huge pop-punk fan, I was bound to give this record a big thumbs-up before I even heard it. As you would expect, this single finds VB leaning into the punkier side of its sound. And while there's an obvious sense of humor to "The Pop Punk Preservation Society," the song is anything but snarky. It's essentially a tribute to all the bands and individuals who've kept pop-punk alive and going strong for decades out of sheer love for the music — in spite of all the criticism and negativity and self-righteous dismissiveness that often gets heaped upon this genre. I love how this song allows Mike to poke a little fun at himself and other songwriters in this community but to do so in a way that ultimately celebrates this style of music that so many of us love without irony. Fittingly, this a ten out of ten pop-punk tune that any Ramonescore executive would gladly download to their personal listening device. On the virtual B-side, "Nobody Told Me It Was Bandcamp Friday" is a sequel to VB's 2023 smash "Bandcamp Friday Is Here." Like any good sequel, it introduces an unforeseen and somewhat dramatic plot complication. Perhaps you yourself lived this very nightmare last week. Wouldn't it be hilarious if the band someday pressed "Bandcamp Friday Is Here," "Bandcamp Friday the 13th," and "Nobody Told Me It Was Bandcamp Friday" onto a 7-inch record that was not available digitally? Somebody make that happen! 

-L.R.

https://wearevistablue.bandcamp.com/album/vista-blue-are-the-pop-punk-preservation-society

https://www.facebook.com/wearevistablue/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wtk5nIPa1lkJ2kksHc1zk