Friday, January 17, 2025

The Hellflowers - Deluxe


The golden ears of Sir Malibu Lou strike again! One of my favorite things Rum Bar Records does is to do deluxe reissues of releases from the recent past that may have been overlooked, underexposed, or undeservedly slept on. In the case of The Hellflowers from Los Angeles, Deluxe is literally the name of the album! The Hellflowers have been a band for a decade and have released two full-length albums and two EPs since 2016. Deluxe, which collects the songs from the band's long players Por Vida! (2019) and Vamonos (2024), is actually my introduction to this band. I must say that I'm quite embarrassed about not already being hip to The Hellflowers. Where have I been? With its driving, pop-influenced old school punk style, this band could not be any more up my alley. How can I not dig a band that finds the sweet spot where Blondie meets the Ramones and The Go-Go's meet the Buzzcocks, all with a distinctive Southern Californian punk rock 'n' roll flavor? These tracks are catchy and tuneful without being over-polished, and singer/guitarist Christina joins an impressive list of powerhouse crooners already on the Rum Bar roster. 

At 20 tracks, you're getting a whole lot of bang for your back with Deluxe. The title is no lie! And the quality is high from start to finish. While the digital release mixes the songs up, the CD includes the two albums back-to-back. This allows you to follow the band's creative progression. Por Vida! is mostly straight-ahead poppy punk; Vamonos finds the band expanding its core sound and embracing numerous musical genres. I can't decide which I album I like better, and luckily I don't have to. Deluxe lets me have my pastrami and eat it too! If first-rate punk-pop is what you're after, it doesn't get much better than "Come On, Let's Dance" or "Vacation." And with Vamonos, the musical variety is upped in a big way. The title track is an excellent surf rock instrumental. "Little Boogie" is hoppin' hot-rod rock 'n' roll. "Running Through the Fog" is a moody, new wave-ish number that sounds straight out of the '80s. "String" is pure pop at its finest. "Fucked Up Nation" is classic SoCal punk rock with contemporary lyrical urgency. "Girl U Want" is a great take on a Devo classic. "Way Out West" is terrific country rock. 

It's weird to be just now learning about a band that has been putting its blood, sweat, and tears into its music for a decade. But Deluxe allows me (and now perhaps you) to immediately enjoy the fruits of all that hard work and perseverance. It's kind of like discovering a TV show that everyone else has known about for years and then binging it in a month. In the song "Music's My Love," Christina sings the words "Music is love." Nothing could be truer, and that love sure comes through in all these songs. And while this may be a Rum Bar product, let the record show that the very best song on the album is a Mexican-spiced love song to tequila. Lou, you knew I was going to love this album, didn't you?!

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Saturday, January 11, 2025

Total Whine - self titled


When Civil Rats reached out to me about their new tape label, Dummest Records, I knew that anything they put out would likely be up my alley. Their last release, in fact, was Log Flume's Splash Hit!, one of my favorite albums of 2024. Next up from Dummest Records is the latest album from Philadelphia's Total Whine. Now Total Whine is a hard band to research online. No matter how many times I tell Google that yes, I meant Total Whine, not Total Wine, I still get stuff about wine. Luckily the music speaks for itself. Miss Mess, Ian Rubbish, and Eskimo play straight-up punk rock that's raw, catchy, and super fun. They put out their first demo back in 2018 and have amassed an impressive array of releases over the ensuing years. There is a shared spirit with Civil Rats in the respect that both bands' songs are chock full of attitude, humor, and relatable real-life observations. 

There's something about Total Whine that reminds me of the thrill of discovering punk rock back in the '90s — especially from DIY demo tapes. Total Whine is obviously not a demo, but it has that feel of a band recording itself in the rawest, most stripped-down way as possible. I feel like if you saw Total Whine live, it would sound very much like this album. Miss Mess has tremendous charisma and spirit on lead vocals, and all these songs will have you tapping your toes and shouting along. Songs like "1234," "Corpo (Are You Talking to Me?)," and "My Room" (which is my new personal anthem) will get your heart racing if bratty yet tuneful punk is your thing. There are also tracks like "Taking It Home" and "Anywhere" that show a softer, more garage pop side of the band. All in all, this is a fantastic set of tunes. It's my first favorite punk rock album of 2025. Keep an eye on the Dummest Records Bandcamp page for information about a cassette release!


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Friday, January 10, 2025

The Roxies - "Animals"


Ah, The almighty Roxies! There are not sufficient words in the English language to convey how much I love this Berlin-based band. They have a new album called Keep You Up At Night releasing in March on Flight 13 and Dirt Cult Records — and I'm stoked, of course! In advance of the album, new single "Animals" is vintage Roxies — a head-on collision of power pop and old school punk with infectious hooks and thoughtful lyrics "about self-determination, humanity and equality." What's not to love? Once again, the legendary SmaiL ShocK is on hand for recording and mixing duties, and the track sounds great! This is music that will have you both dancing and feeling inspired! With some bands' pre-album singles, I might endorse waiting for the album. But come on: this will only cost you €1, and two months is way too long to wait! But if you do want to pre-order the album, hit one of the links below!

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Monday, January 06, 2025

Night Candies - Rock'n'roll Fantasies


I always enjoy an exciting new band that seemingly comes out of nowhere. Night Candies popped up on Bandcamp yesterday with a digital EP called Rock'n'roll Fantasies. It's seven tracks of really cool girl group–inspired power pop/punk from a Spanish-based band with lyrics sung in French and English. As far as I can tell, Night Candies have no social media presence. So the band is a bit of a mystery, but I sure like the music! All these songs clock in under two minutes long and are catchy as heck with rockin' lead guitar and a hoppin' beat. Who can't relate to a song called "1981 Again (I Wish It Was)"? It will cost you zero dollars and nine minutes of your time to check out this EP, and I recommended doing just that!



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Saturday, January 04, 2025

My Favorite Albums of the Half-Decade


So it's 2025 now. It's crazy that we are now halfway through the 2020s. Remember when we thought 2020 would never end? In commemoration of this half-milestone, I thought it would be fun to look back at my favorite albums of the decade so far. To keep it simple, I just went with the albums I've played the most over the past five years. So some of the 2024 entries are still catching up. And yes, I know that a new decade didn't really begin until 2021. Nonetheless, we're talking about the '20s! Sorry if this list causes you to have to spend more money. 

20. Brad Marino - Looking for Trouble (2021)
Chuck Berry, Joey Ramone, and Keith Richards walk into a bar and play Rockpile on the jukebox.

19. The Melmacs - Good Advice (2022) 
Super-underrated power pop punk from Germany with anthemic hooks and thoughtful lyrics.

18. Shanda & The Howlers - It Ain't Easy (2022) 
This is a classic soul record in any era.

17. Rich Ragany - You Can Get Dark with Me (2024)
One of our greatest present-day songwriters at the top of his game.

16. Hayley and the Crushers - Vintage Millennial (2020) 
This was the album that made me a Crushers super-fan. Poolside glitter trash defined!

15. The Exbats - Kicks, Hits, and Fits (2020) 
The first of three entries from this band. How perfect of a song is "I Got the Hots for Charlie Watts"? 

14. The Cheap Cassettes - They​’'ll Never Forgive You For Pop (2024) 
On their third long player, The Cheap Cassettes give us some great power pop and a whole lot more. Their magnum opus!

13. The Shang Hi Los - Aces Eights & Heartbreaks (2023) 
Many bands would wish for a lifetime retrospective as hit-packed as this one!

12. Kurt Baker - After Party (2020) 
Following Brand New Beat (2012) and Play It Cool (2015), this was the third in the trilogy of power pop albums that Baker co-wrote with Wyatt Funderburk. All three records rule, but After Party is arguably the finest of the three.

11. Autogramm - Music That Humans Can Play (2023) 
The title of this album is all the more poignant at a time when A.I. is starting to intrude into the sacred realm of music. More broadly, it's a reminder that synthesizers in rock music are nothing without the people who program them. While Music That Humans Can Play is clearly inspired by the late '70s/early '80s heyday of new wave and synth-pop, at its core it's a great pop record that I keep going back to.

10. Beach Patrol - Festivus (2022) 
Domenic Marcantonio is about a decade younger than me, but I feel like I gain wisdom and a more profound understanding of the world from him every time I listen to his songs. "Jung-er Than Yesterday" and "Thanks Coach" from Festivus are two of his most remarkable creations, and who doesn't love a song about The Jerk? 

9. The Exbats - Now Where Were We (2021) 
Still fresh off their delightful album 2020 album Kicks, Hits, and Fits, Inez and Kenny McClain took things to a whole other level with this COVID -era garage pop masterpiece, with songs tackling everything from climate change to pandemic life to record stores to Scooby Doo. This is the first of three albums in my top ten that are the fruit of a creative partnership between a father and daughter (one of them is another Exbats album). Clearly there's something about multi-generational family bands that hits me the right way. 

8. Norcos Y Horchata - Forever Disheveled (2022) 
Detroit's finest street punk rock 'n' roll band's debut album is chock full of anthemic, sing-along bangers. "...Out for Smokes" remains the most on-point song yet written about the dystopian shitshow we are currently living through.

7. Juniper - She Steals Candy (2023) 
Working with her dad, Michael Shelley, and a whole slew of talented songwriters and musical guest stars from the indie pop universe, Juniper brought a much-needed ray of sunshine to the world when she released her delightful debut album in 2020 at the age of 15. The follow-up, She Steals Candy, was even better — and it remains one of my go-tos whenever I'm craving retro-pop with modern influences (or is it the other way around?).

6. The Airport 77s - We Realize You Have a Choice (2022)
From Silver Spring, Maryland, The Airport 77s essentially released one of the best late '70s/early '80s power pop albums in 2022.

5. Beach Patrol - Making Waves (2020)
Listening to this album always makes me think of when I first started listening to this album — in the car every afternoon back in January 2020. I can still feel the chilly air and the thrill of experiencing these songs for the very first time. Domenic Marcantonio is one of my favorite songwriters, and on this record he went with a totally raw, home-recorded style of production. With zero polish, the songs speak for themselves. And what songs they are! "Battlestar Galactica," "Struggle," "Thunder of the Mouth," and the title track are some of the finest songs of his career and some of the finest songs written by anyone in the early 2020s.

4. Miss Georgia Peach - Aloha from Kentucky (2022)
Miss Georgia Peach and Travis Ramin got together with some pals from Nine Pound Hammer & Nashville Pussy and made an old school country record. Aloha from Kentucky demonstrates that making great records isn't just about writing songs. Most of the songs on this album are covers of country classics from the '60s and '70s. But MGP and friends make these songs their own through amazing singing and musicianship — filling them with raw energy and an infectious spirit that oozes fun. Class Out the Ass, the sequel to this album, will be out on Valentine's Day on Rum Bar Records.

3. Hayley and the Crushers - Modern Adult Kicks (2022)
I've always believed that great punk rock bands can mature without losing the attitude and edge that made them great punk rock bands in the first place. Modern Adult Kicks practically writes the manual on how to do that. The quintessential post-pandemic punk-pop record.
 
2. The Speedways - Radio Sounds  (2020) 
Without a doubt, I would rank this as one of the ten greatest power pop albums ever made.

1. The Exbats - Song Machine (2023)
This album fully lives up to its title. Timeless bubblegum pop songs with a modern punk rock attitude for music lovers of any age. If you said this was the best band in the world, I would not disagree.

Honorable Mentions:

Juniper - self-titled (2020)
Indonesian Junk - Living in a Nightmare (2021) 
The Sleeveens - self-titled (2024)
Kurt Baker - Rock N Roll Club (2023)
Rich Ragany & The Digressions - What We Do (To Not Let Go) (2023)
The Speedways - Talk of the Town (2022) 

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Ghoulies - Shafted By The Algorithm


Holy hell: 2025's first great punk rock album is a ripper! Ghoulies hail from Perth and kick up a tremendous racket on their new long player Shafted By The Algorithm. These 12 tracks will batter you senseless in a way that's positively thrilling. Style-wise, this is fast and frenzied garage punk with demented synthesizers. Alec Thomas and Charles Wickham takes turns writing and singing these songs, which blaze by at 100 miles per hour and smash everything in their path. It's hard to even put a label on this record. Is this egg punk on amphetamines? Is this hardcore with synths? All I know is that the intensity, unrelenting weirdness, and pure fury of this record are off the charts from wire to wire. And these songs aren't just wild and crazy —they're genuinely good. Out of 12 tracks, only one of them needs to go past two minutes. If a few of these songs had gone any longer, someone might have gotten hurt. What a brilliant album! Vinyl will be out on the German label Erste Theke Tontraeger in March.


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Friday, January 03, 2025

The Kickboy - “Visions In My Mind (eyeball soup)”


Delaware-based old school punk rock band The Kickboy has released some excellent singles in recent years. I highly recommend its blistering 2022 single "Kids" and its 2023 tracks "Sanitized" and "Abrupt Drug Holiday." Its modern holiday classic "Christmas with the Clash" is now up on the streaming sites as well. The Kickboy's latest single is actually a resurrected version of an old song. "Visions In My Mind (eyeball soup)" is a tribute to Vince's friend Adam Smith (Love Muscle, Das Kickboy). The song was originally demoed by Love Muscle back in the early '90s. Vince has reimagined it as a new recording for The Kickboy, and it's quite a stunner. You can hear various influences intersecting here: reggae, punk, and even some old school goth/death rock. The playing and production on this track are truly top-notch. I love the way those bass lines dance in unison with the guitars, and Bobbi's vocal really hits the mark. This is a powerful, hypnotic tune, and I'm glad Vince brought it back and re-worked it. If you're not yet following The Kickboy on Spotify, what in the world are you waiting for? 



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