Friday, October 02, 2026

Psychotic Youth - Ready Go


When it comes to power pop and garage rock, Psychotic Youth is at the head of the master class and aging like fine wine. Ready Go is the band's 18th album (and fifth since reforming in 2015). It sounds like...Psychotic Youth! This album is exactly what you'd expect it to be: a perfect blend of power pop, punk-pop, garage, and surf rock (all the best things in life!) that doesn't concern itself one bit with breaking new ground. There aren't a whole lot of bands that can get away with staying in the same lane forever. But when you practically invented this lane, and you can turn out records this good, why not keep doing what you do?! It's a beautiful thing to hear Psychotic Youth in vintage style and vintage form. Jörgen Red Westman remains in peak power as a songwriter, and the band still sounds like it's having a great time making this kind of music. 60 is the new 30! 

Ready Go is not just a passable effort from a classic band. It can stand toe-to-toe with the best of this band's albums. Not quite as lyrically bleak as the last album Happy Songs, this is a full-on return to form. Garage rippers like "Rat Race," "Breakdown," and the surfy "Predator" show that these guys can still rock and roll with the best of 'em. But power pop is the prevailing style here, and that's apparent from the opening strains of the upbeat and irresistibly catchy title track. Likewise, "Back To You," "Can't Get Enough of You," and the smash hit "Girls" are the sorts of songs that Psychotic Youth built its brand on. "Endless Summer" is a joyous callback to the heyday of beach-pop. The band's choices in cover songs (The Plimsouls' classic "Now" and Phil Seymour's "I Found a Love") tell you everything about the vibe and energy it was going for with this record. It's an album to play in the car with the windows down or put on at your next house party. Just push play, and it's summertime any day of the year.  

It's still hard to believe that we went without new music from Psychotic Youth throughout the 2000s and most of the 2010s. But here these guys are in 2026, sounding truly timeless. Is Ready Go a fan-pleasing kind of record? It absolutely is, and let's not make the mistake of thinking that's a bad thing. In this Year of Power Pop, you'll want to be sure to make some room for the OGs!

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Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Pavid Vermin - The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore


Back with an addendum to last year's dandy full-length The Life of a Showgirl, Glenn Robinson delivers a new EP of snappy, crackling, poppy punk rock from his stellar one-man project Pavid Vermin. You know what to expect: crisp, hard-hitting pop-punk tunes with killer hooks and lyrics that are sure to make you chuckle. And this release, with lyrics inspired by Robinson's pals Joey Herbz and Ryan Minter, is particularly well-suited for those with limited attention spans or limited time. With four songs in four minutes, he's not fooling around! You've got songs about barfing up a co-worker's contribution to the company potluck, the city of Cleveland, the dangers of inhaling iodine vapors, and a '90s porn flick called Babylon. Yes, it's clear that Glenn Robinson can write a catchy tune about any topic under the sun! He literally wrote and recorded this EP in just a little over two hours last Thursday morning. I hate to overuse the term "genius," but sometimes it's apropos.

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Josephine Network - Little Spells


Two new albums in six months? It seems we might have entered a portal to 1981, but Little Spells is no contractual obligation from Josephine Network. It just shows that Josephine is on a creative roll, and we are all very fortunate to be able to enjoy it! 

If the last album Hooked was Josephine's lean into the louder, more arena-rocking side of power pop, Little Spells is more of a pure pop record — albeit one that isn't afraid to rock when it needs to. Recorded with Olive Faber from Sunflower Bean over the winter/spring of 2024-25, Little Spells is a charming little guitar pop record that deserves to be appreciated in its own right. Of course Hooked is a hard act to follow, but if you're a Josephine Network fan, Little Spells will not leave you wanting. I might, in fact, like this album a little more than Hooked since I'm such a geek for that '70s by way of the '60s classic power pop sound that looms large here. 

Josephine's knack for writing melodious two-minute pop songs with infectious hooks and clever lyrics is on display from start to finish. "Gotta Get Outta My Heart" is vintage Josephine and a perfect tone-setter. With its blend of sweet melody and playful sexual energy, "Bumpin' Into You" would not have sounded out of place on Hooked. "He's Not Mine" could almost be The Monkees, and I mean that as nothing less than a supreme compliment. "Music Turns Me Round" is giving Stones meet Big Star, and I've got no complaints. The album's middle section finds Josephine in her sweet spot of Beatles-influenced textbook power pop. If you listen to this record, be ready for the jangly "Put A Guitar In Her Hands" to be stuck in your head all week. "I Could Say No" kicks up some Raspberries-style harmonies via George Harrison pop majesty. "Little Spell" is gentle and sweet and simply makes my heart smile. The appropriately-titled "Magnificent" walks a delicate line between '60s pop and '70s AM radio/soft rock. Then to finish the record, we get some pleasing changes of pace with the thoughtful rocker "Tall Buildings" and the stripped-down, piano-driven "Sisters" — an anthem of love and affirmation. 

This 2026 is turning into one for the history books for fans of power pop & indie pop, and my attitude is that we should take the time to appreciate the embarrassment of riches that the music gods have blessed us with. "Too much" good music is an absolutely wonderful problem to have. I may have not set any records for speed in getting this review of Little Spells into public view, but the silver lining is that I had a few weeks to simply enjoy the record before I had to start thinking about what I wanted to say about it. If one new album from Josephine Network this year was a cause for celebration, two is even better! There are a few things in life that I literally never get tired of, and a well-written pop song with hummable melodies and an earworm chorus is certainly one of them. And I appreciate how Josephine wears her love for recording and performing on her sleeve. A great pop-rock record ought to be something that you can turn to when you want to feel good, and Little Spells definitely falls into that category. What a gem! 

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Sunday, September 27, 2026

Rob Moss - "The More I Scroll"


Rob Moss is back with a new single that is hitting me really hard. Moss, whom many of you know from his days with Government Issue and Artificial Peace, has established himself as a unique and prolific lead artist in recent years. "The More I Scroll" takes his distinctively gruff punk rock/post-punk style and weaves in the spiritual influence of Johnny Cash. 

Listening to this song, I felt like Moss had somehow accessed my own dark thoughts. As the title suggests, the song is about doom scrolling. Moss sings about how his phone is full of depressing, troubling, and anxiety-inducing content — and the worse it gets, the more he's drawn to it. That's exactly the way it is for me and millions of others. We are literally addicted to technology — even when what that technology has to offer is really bad for our mental and physical health. And as Moss points out in this song, this endless doom scrolling makes us tune out many of the things in our lives that are actually really great. We just keep getting sucked deeper and deeper into the vortex of misery. 

Ultimately, though, the message of the song ends up being positive. There's a way out of this: just put the phone down! Perhaps that's easier said than done given the addictive nature of social media, but it can be done (as Moss sings) if we try. I do see the irony of me talking about the virtues of staying off of smartphones when I do a blog that many of you read and listen to on your smartphones. I often go onto social media to discover new music or find out what some of my favorite bands are up to. But it's the moderation I struggle with. One minute, I'm just going to check a couple things. The next thing you know, I'm caught up in all the rage bait, blatant misinformation, and toxic discourse and feeling really hopeless about the world. So yeah, I sure do see the value in staying off that phone as much as I can. Thank you, Rob Moss, for the jolt of hope! 

While Rob Moss is always going to sound like Rob Moss, "The More I Scroll" does find him offering his own take on a Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three sound (think boom-chicka-boom drums, a walking bass line, and some country-ish lead guitar). Moss also does his best to emulate The Man In Black's vocal phrasing without resorting to straight-up imitation. By singing the song mostly in the first person singular and then switching to first person plural at the end, Moss makes the song immensely relatable. His own battle with social media addiction is something most of us know all too well, and his way out of the hole can be ours as well. A lot of what he's singing about is pretty dark, but it's all pointing towards the light. And who doesn't love some punkified Johnny Cash energy? All in all, this is one of Moss's best songs to date!

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Friday, September 25, 2026

Dany Laj And The Looks - If Looks Could Kill


This should have been a really simple review. If the only vital question about If Looks Could Kill, the new album from Dany Laj And The Looks (out today on Having Fun Records), is whether it moves me, the answer is a big old yes. End of story. Review over. Go buy the record. Time for me to grab a beer. 

Just kidding. 

If you're a longtime Dany Laj And The Looks fan, as I am, you'll sense that there's something a little different about this album — in an entirely good way. I'm not really talking about the style of the music. I'm talking more about the tone of the album. Broadly, this is still a high-energy power pop/rock 'n' roll record (always this band's bread and butter). But — perhaps because it was first conceived as solo album — it feels a little more "singer/songwriter-ish." It's more song-driven and less style-driven, and it seems particularly inspired by the state of the world we're currently living in. Certainly the album has its lighter moments, but overall, Dany had a lot of serious things on his mind while he was writing it. You can really hear him working through all that anger, sadness, confusion, self-doubt, and uncertainty. Of course I dig the super-fun, straight-forward power pop bangers like "Thanks for Ringing Us Up" and "Rock 'N Roll Figurines." But I'm especially drawn to the surprises. "Shelved" starts out a certain way and then takes a very sharp and unexpected turn (I knew The Looks were secretly a jam band!). "You Will Find Love" is a rootsy ballad that's very pretty and poignant. Likewise, "Breaking Down" shows a softer, more directly emotional side to this band. "Tell It To You" is an on-point takedown of a society that no longer values the truth. The epic closing track "Till the End" channels all that empathy for people who are struggling in these tough times into a resounding message of love and gratitude.  

And so, five years later, we finally get a new album from Dany Laj And The Looks. I will never say a band has topped its prior output unless I really believe it. This time, I can say it and mean it: If Looks Could Kill is the best album Dany and Jeanette have made together. I'm feeling it the way Brad Marchand felt P.K. Subban's check in 2010. It will remind you why you came to love rock 'n' roll in the first place. Every single song is a keeper. These tunes have heart, soul, and hooks galore. This may have started out as a solo project, but it came to life when Jeanette and David stepped in to help. And then the magic happened. I know I'm always trying to lure you into spending more money on records, but I promise this one is worth it. It's a power pop album. It's not a power pop album. And I love it.

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Lorne Behrman - If Heaven Didn't Hurt

"Ain't it funny
How the good comes when the bad dies
The love comes when the hope is gone
You live on in a story"

Since launching a solo career five years ago after a quarter-century as a guitar slinger extraordinaire, Lorne Behrman has truly seized the day. If Heaven Didn't Hurt (out today on the illustrious Spaghetty Town Records) is already his fourth release and his third full-length recording. The album finds him further refining an artistic vision that is undeniably unique in the punk universe. While still very much punk rock in spirit, If Heaven Didn't Hurt is about as far removed as you can get from the trashy three-chord rock 'n' roll that Behrman is largely known for. Building on the promise of 2024's excellent Blue Love, this 10-song set is as much about a vibe as it is about a sound. It finds Behrman evoking the feel of 1970s cinematic New York and excelling as a storyteller, poet, and chronicler of the human condition. On these songs, he transports us into a world inhabited by characters whose stories are in many ways intertwined with his own: haunted souls reckoning with being chronically misunderstood and deeply disappointed in the hand that life has dealt them. So much of life is about persisting through the dark patches and emerging resilient if not triumphant. For me, this album really speaks to that. 

After four releases, Behrman has fully grown into his signature sound: a half-spoken, half-sung, effortlessly cool vocal delivery; an honest, soul-searching lyrical approach; and a musical style that is as warm & melodic as it is cool & modern. Working with one of the best music producers in the business, Matt Chiaravalle, and a superb cast of musicians (Howard Alper on drums, Matthew Jacob Dougherty on bass, Rob Clores on keyboards, Danielle McCullough on backing vocals, and the legendary Uptown Horns), Behrman had everything he needed in place to really go for it and make the record he envisioned in his head. I would describe If Heaven Didn't Hurt as a really chill, easy-like-Sunday-morning kind of record. These songs don't try to hammer you over the head; they build atmosphere and warmly invite you in. "They Won't Take Us Alive," a bona fide anthem, forms the most direct line to Behrman's punk roots. Elsewhere, the powerful & profound "Ain't It Funny" is a moody rocker meets infectious R & B jam. "Take a Little More Time" and "Bitter Town Blues" are smooth and jazzy. "Pink Cocaine" is primo hipster disco that couldn't be any more New York if it tried. "Every Motherfucker She Sees" is funky blue-eyed soul and a real standout. Closing track "After the Ramblin' Is Done" is Behrman's finest ballad yet — a stunning, ethereal number that brings a gentle but deeply felt finality to an absolutely tremendous album. 

A semi-autobiographical rock album of linked song-stories inspired by the heyday of big screen New York is certainly the kind of thing I'd be into. When Lorne Behrman arrived as a solo artist back in 2021, it was as if he had found an instant identity as a singer and songwriter. He has never needed to search for his place in the underground music scene. What he has done is build on his style. If his previous releases weren't for you, If Heaven Didn't Hurt won't be either. But if you liked his first two albums, you're going to love this one — an even better version of those prior efforts. I love songwriters who aspire to make art, and this album is absolutely a work of art. It's sophisticated and thoughtful as it spins relatable tales of desperation and redemption. Yet it never comes off as pretentious or bloated (even the longest tracks barely cross three-and-a-half minutes). This is a soulful, deeply human record. All of that stellar production and amazing musicianship are there strictly to serve the songs, and it's Behrman's words and voice that remain front and center. This is not some sideman cosplaying as a lead artist. This is one of the most exceptional songwriters in our world doing what he was always meant to do. He's on one heck of a creative roll, and we are fortunate to be privy to it.

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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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