Sunday, September 20, 2026

Jagger Holly - Wet Hot European Summer


So who's the best pop-punk band of the last ten years? Jagger Holly has to be in the conversation — if  not dominating it. On its fifth album, Wet Hot European Summer, Jagger Holly is back doing Jagger Holly things. Jay Dee is a hall-of-fame caliber singer/songwriter in this genre, and he's in prime form on this release. Matt DeeCrack contributes a few ace tunes as he can always be counted on to do, and I wouldn't argue with anyone who says that this is as good as any album in the band's catalog. So yeah, if you want to hear pop-punk done the way pop-punk ought to be done, Wet Hot European Summer will hit the spot. These songs balance just the right amount of pop with just the right amount of punk. Some tracks lean a little more to the former ("Wish I Could See It," "It's Summer Somewhere," "This Kinda Love"), and others lean a little more to the latter ("Everything From You," "Already In Love"). But all in all, this is pop-punk by the book executed to perfection. Jay Dee has a rare talent for writing three-chord punk songs that are impossibly catchy and also hit you straight in the heart. This isn't rocket science, but there's a real science to it. And whatever magic is required to write songs this simple that don't just sound like bad copies of a million songs you've already heard, Jay Dee and Matt sure do possess it. Unlike some pop-punk bands that make their influences ultra-obvious, what we can say about a Jagger Holly record is that it just sounds like Jagger Holly. How perfect of a song is "Anybody Out There"? Who wasn't stoked about the co-ed duet "Won't Catch Me Crying"? 

Getting to its fifth album, Jagger Holly could have gone in a lot of different directions. This could have been a more "mature" Jagger Holly record or an attempted expansion of the band's sound. But if you can stick to what works and still make albums this great, why mess with a winning recipe? While this vintage summer album did not arrive in time for your summer enjoyment this year, you can put it on now and let summer live a little longer in your heart. Get it now from Monster Zero Records in Europe and OUTLOUD and Hey Pizza! Records here in the States!

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Saturday, September 19, 2026

The Goods - Goodbye Summertime


There may be a long list of reasons why it sucks to be a human in the year 2026, but a lack of good music is certainly not one of them. The quality of the releases coming out this year continues to blow me away, and it has been an especially notable year for guitar pop. Goodbye Summertime, the second album from Oakland-based The Goods, is up there with the best of 2026's many long-playing power pop-ish treasures. Largely a solo endeavor from Rob Good, Goodbye Summertime is a stunning work suitable for anyone who loves melody and great songwriting. It pulls from a wide array of influences (Beatles, Brian Wilson, '60s psych and baroque pop, '70s AM radio, '80s/'90s indie pop) that all fall under the umbrella of timeless pop music. It adds all sorts of layers to the band's core sound while still keeping the hooks at the forefront. The album's release in the midst of the transition from summer to fall was surely no coincidence. This is the ultimate fall record: a gentle, melancholy set of songs that seems tailor-made for cozy rainy day lounging and solitary walks with just a touch of chill in the air.  

Much of the magic of Goodbye Summertime lies in its inspiration. Rob Good didn't just write this record; he lived it. "My whole life turned upside down one summer, " he says. "The long-term relationship I was in collapsed, and in the wake of that, I found new love. I was sorting through the grief and failure of my previous relationship and the bliss and anxiety of my new one all at once—all while basically living at my recording studio—and I found myself in an intensely creative state." I love it when songwriters tell their stories, and this story in particular is one I'm feeling deeply. 

Great albums have been written about painful breakups. Great albums have been written about of the thrills and joy of finding new love. But what happens when both things happen concurrently? It's hard to imagine the range of emotions you'd go through and how complicated it would be to process all of that and still be able to function. With this record, though, you don't have to imagine. You experience it vicariously through these remarkable songs. It was as if all that upheaval in Good's life gave him creative superpowers. These songs are absolutely gorgeous, and the bittersweet vibe feels like real life. There's sadness and regret, but there's also optimism and the embracement of what's new. Good doesn't overdramatize anything. He just plays and sings from the heart. And his talent is truly formidable. It's not just the songwriting but also the production and musicianship that shine. Good's guitar work, in particular, is extraordinary. And his longtime collaborators Cherron Arens, Yea-Ming Chen, and Ian McBrayer lend their talents to several songs. Across 14 tracks, there are no subpar moments or unrealized ideas. Every tune is a gem. And it never hurts to have a legend like Bart Thurber mixing and mastering a record! 

Goodbye Summertime is such a relatable album because we can all remember a time when one door closed for us, and then another one opened. Rob Good has taken his own story and practically written a novel in songs. Beyond the personal narrative, the album really does capture that end-of-the-summer feeling where you're wistfully looking back at what has gone and turning a corner to what's coming next. At this very moment, I'm contemplating how yet another summer has passed me by while I was too busy to notice. Change is an unavoidable part of life, and even when it's good change, it takes some getting used to. That's why this record hits so hard. It builds off the broader style of power pop and pushes the boundaries of what it can be without losing sight of why we all love this kind of music. Someday, we're going to look back at 2026 and marvel that Music City's Welcome To Music City, Mod Lang's Borrowed Time, and The Lemon Twigs' Look For Your Mind! all came out in the same year. Goodbye Summertime needs to be on that list as well. This is a marvelous, masterful guitar pop record. It's available now on vinyl and CD from Dandy Boy Records.

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Saturday, September 12, 2026

The Speedways - "Angela Sincerely"



Well how was this not going to be great? "Angela Sincerely" is the new single from The Speedways. Matt Julian co-wrote the song with the legendary Paul Collins, who also contributes some vocals. Collins was a big admirer of Julian's solo song "Sarah I Dare Ya" and inquired about the two of them working on a song together. Imagine what an honor it must be when the King of Power Pop comes calling about collaborating. I will say this: Paul Collins has good taste! Julian had recorded a rough demo (just a verse, chorus, and guitar solo) of "Angela Sincerely" onto his phone last Christmas. Earlier this year, Collins arranged the song and added some bridge parts. And here we are with a Speedways song featuring Paul freaking Collins! This is one of the most Beatlesque songs The Speedways have ever put on tape — a timeless two-and-a-half-minute pop song with magnificent guitar hooks, an instantly memorable chorus, clever lyrics, and a melody you'll be whistling all week. The song will not appear on The Speedways' new album. It's an exclusive B-side to the band's vinyl release of "All Bets Are Off," which will be out this coming Friday. So yeah, if you're a Speedways fan, the new 7" is gonna be a must-have!

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The Trouble Seekers - "Blackout"


It's hard to believe that it had been two years since The Trouble Seekers had last released a single! Time just keeps on ticking, doesn't it? Well, Kevin and Hillary are back with the absolutely raging "Blackout," and they haven't missed a beat. This one's short and not so sweet — 102 seconds of frenzied future punk that slashes away at your senses and then abruptly drops the mic. As always, Kevin and Hillary are in perfect chaotic harmony. You can surmise that a song called "Blackout" is not the feelgood hit of 2026, and of course that's the whole point. You know The Trouble Seekers aren't afraid to summon their demons and wrestle them in the cage of madness. The universe continues to plunge into darkness, but the soundtrack sure is hot!

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Friday, September 11, 2026

Freak Phone - Fresh Set


Are you ready for some killer straight-up punk rock? On its new EP Fresh Set, Portland, Maine's Freak Phone tears through six tracks of totally ripping late '70s/early '80s–style punk rock 'n' roll. You know what I mean: simple and catchy tunes with attitude and guts out the wazoo. The singer, Rosie, can really belt it and is the absolute epitome of a bad-ass. Of course older folk like me are going to freak out over the fact that punk music like this is still being made. But this is no retro, "Let's try and turn back the clock" type deal. This is a new and exciting band that will have punks of all ages bobbing their heads and shouting along to the lyrics. What's super-cool is that this is all new material. None of these tunes are recycled from the band's demo from last year (which also rules). I also like that these tracks are well-recorded. Lo-fi works for some bands, but a cleaner, crisper production really highlights the power in Freak Phone's attack. This is the no-nonsense rock 'n' roll you've been craving, kids. Bring on a full album!

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Wednesday, September 09, 2026

Botox - You Need Botox

I am not worthy of reviewing Botox's new instant classic '77-style punk album in the wake of the masterpiece that my friend Jay Castro has already unleashed. Seriously: There is nothing left for me to say. The world has been put on notice. So go ahead and read your scripture, blast the album so loudly that it enrages your friends, foes, and neighbors, and do whatever is necessary within the bounds of the law to secure the vinyl from No Front Teeth Records. This has been a public service announcement. 

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Monday, September 07, 2026

Weak Hands - We Can’t!


The best thing about the underground music scene right now is that there's so much great music out there. That can also be one of the greatest challenges of the underground music scene right now. How do you stay on top of all these bands and releases? Where do you find the time to even listen to everything? The answer, of course, is that you can't listen to everything. And I certainly can't write about everything. But if I hear something that knocks my socks off and leaves me utterly wowed, that's going to be prioritized. A couple of my influential friends have pointed me in the direction of Weak Hands' new album We Can't!, and I could not be more grateful. Had this release evaded my detection, as so many great albums do, it would have been a tremendous shame. 

Although this Toronto-based band has been existence since 2017, this is its debut record. And it's extraordinary. Seriously: I'm living for this album! Broadly, I could call this a pop-punk record. But I could just as easily describe it as indie rock. It manages to co-inhabit those two worlds with complete success. Both literally and figuratively, singer/songwriter Nat Manzocco has a powerful and unique voice. From the instant she sings the album's opening line "I count one two three four twenty-one floors," she commands your attention. The way she manages to dissect a painful breakup and how its connects to her sense of self and her growth as a human is simultaneously deeply personal and highly relatable. I wish I could have been this wise and self-aware in my 30s. I'm not even sure I'm there yet at 55! Musically, this record is both unassuming and epic. The songs are thoughtful and reflective yet don't shy away from bright melodies and big, soaring choruses. As devastating as some of these lyrics would be if you just read them on paper, they hit significantly harder due to the anthemic quality of the music. Back when "emo" still meant what it used to, that term would have nailed the essence of this record. Music doesn't get any more visceral than than this. If "I Miss the Dress That I Wore the First Time You Took Me Dancing" doesn't tear your heart out, you might not be human. Ditto for "Summer Sometimes." 

And so the great albums of 2026 continue to pile up, and that can be nothing but a good thing. My top 20 list of albums from this year is already 40 titles deep (ha ha), but We Can't! is a lock for one of those spots. And the shorter length (only 8 songs) works in its favor. Nat Manzocco didn't allow anything resembling a sub-par track to make the final cut. She lived these songs, and with the help of her bandmates, forged them into something remarkable. Her ability to tell her story in a way that makes us feel like it could also be our story shows what a formidable songwriting talent she is. This is an album I'll listen to many times and experience like it were a favorite movie or book. What an assured & masterful debut!

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