The Melmacs - "Bad Seeds"

I have a running joke that something is seriously wrong with me if I haven't declared an album of the year frontrunner before the end of February. Well I'm cutting it close this time, but I'll gladly put The Melmacs' forthcoming long player EUPHANCHOLIA in the leader's chair at the moment. The Melmacs already have one of my favorite albums of the decade, Good Advice, to their credit. Now they are poised to surpass themselves. "Bad Seeds," the third single from the new album, arrived a couple of days ago, and it's another banger. Musically, this highlights the way the band has held on to its core punk/powerpop sound yet expanded it with elements of new wave and modern rock. And much like the last single, "Keep On," "Bad Seeds" feels like a pep talk to whomever might be listening. 

"Bad Seeds" is a reminder to take a good, hard look at the people around you and ask yourself which of them are bringing light into your life and which ones might be doing the opposite. "Don't let anyone in the world steal your glitter," says the band, and those are truly words to live by. This song is another inspired performance from The Melmacs. You can hear it in Bimmi's impassioned vocals and the electric energy of the music. And even as the song ruminates on dark subject matter, it ultimately turns it all into hope. By that time the chorus hits, you're shouting along, pumping your fist, and resolving to seize back whatever light has been taken from your life. The Melmacs are on fire! Circle April 10th on your calendar. EUPHANCHOLIA will be out Bakraufarfita Records & Wanda Records in Germany, Spaghetty Town Records in the USA, and Beluga Records in Sweden!

-L.R.

https://themelmacs.bandcamp.com/album/euphancholia
https://open.spotify.com/album/5oOkJye7WxtnisxgkrOpzd
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9-oy2zwoSPGQhPLLQMuXQ
https://www.instagram.com/themelmacs/

Nick Piunti - Solo...ish

When it comes to take-it-to-the-bank certainties in this rarely predictable world, a new Nick Piunti album being guaranteed to be great is right up there with death and taxes. The man is on some kind of roll. Solo...ish (out now on JEM Records) is his eighth album in less than 12 years, and per usual, he does not disappoint. 

The title speaks for itself. After three albums with his band The Complicated Men, Piunti was looking for a different vibe to suit the more personal songs he was writing. So he sent some bare-bones demos to his pal Andy Reed (The Legal Matters, An American Underdog), who proceeded to build the songs from there. The album was recorded in Bay City, Michigan with drummer Donny Brown (The Verve Pipe) filling out the trio. Joe Daksiewicz from The Complicated Men also added guitar on three tracks and co-wrote a couple of songs. By now, you know what to expect from Nick Piunti. He has a signature style when it comes to his singing and songwriting. In the world of melodic guitar pop, he is the definition of class. And collaborating with a couple of the most distinguished players in the Midwest indie pop scene has truly brought out the best in him. 

Is it hyperbole to call Solo...ish Piunti's best album yet? The quality of the songwriting is exceptional from start to finish. This is Piunti doing what he does best: crafting tuneful, hook-laden gems with exceptionally clever lyrics that balance fascinating storytelling with honest and deeply personal reflections. Songs like "Big in Madrid," "Break Even," and "Handshake Deal" are vintage Piunti numbers and certain crowd-pleasers. "Better Songs," a clever play on the idea that some of an artist's greatest inspirations come in their sleep, is, co-incidentally, one of Piunti's best songs. "One Dimensional" is classic Piunti: a song so self-deprecating that it's ultimately self-affirming. Elsewhere, songs like "Darken My Days," "Bruises and Bandages," and the stunning ballad "Tragic Tragedy" find Piunti breaking from his typical power pop style and absolutely shining. The man is not just a great pop songwriter — he's a great songwriter, period. 

Solo...ish hits a perfect sweet spot between a full band rock record and a one-man singer/songwriter experience. Me telling you that Piunti has managed to outdo himself after all these records would be a little bit like saying the the best pizzeria in New Jersey has just now made its best pizza. What was left to improve upon? But somehow Piunti and Reed (who does a masterful job of producing) have found the secret sauce with this release. The thing is truly flawless, and it leaves me crossing my fingers that we'll have many more years of Nick Piunti making records just like this one.

-L.R.

https://nickpiuntimusic.bandcamp.com/album/solo-ish
https://open.spotify.com/album/4mkvFThUS7uDqeU5B59PaN
https://www.nickpiunti.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063708696522#
https://jemrecordings.com/

Private Lives - "Think I'm Coming Around"

So Montreal's Private Lives released a really tremendous sophomore LP last year that somehow evaded my detection. I quite often regret reviews I didn't write, but that particular miss had me feeling like a goalie who lets in an easy one and ignites a deafening chorus of boos. Rarely will you hear a more satisfying cocktail of power pop, new wave, post-punk, garage rock, and punk rock pulled off in such a fresh and contemporary way. How did I miss that boat? On the bright side, I know for sure I won't sleep on the next album! In the meantime, Private Lives' new single on Bachelor Records is a rocket blast of awesomeness headed straight through your ears and into your heart. "Think I'm Coming Around" is very much in the classic punk rock mold. It's driving, energetic, and bursting with hooks. Jackie and Chance play off each other beautifully on this track, and the rhythm section really lays the pedal to the metal. If powerpop/punk is your thing, this song 100% needs to be in your music library. B-side "Television Faces" is giving major punky new wave vibes, and I'm sure not mad about that. The feel is more modern yet still plenty urgent. I love a band that can deliver music with a message and still put the music front and center. Man, this really is a perfect single. My friends in Europe will want to snag a copy of the vinyl. And by all means, if you don't yet own Salt of the Earth, that's an absolute, positive mandatory must-buy!

-L.R.

https://privatelivesmtl.bandcamp.com/album/think-im-coming-around-2
https://open.spotify.com/album/5AHPnHjtov66hLMZsTm70D
https://www.instagram.com/private___lives/

The Genetics - self titled

Well, I've certainly heard of recording an album and then not releasing it for a year or two for various reasons. But how about having an album in the can for nearly three decades? That's something! The debut album from Moscow, Idaho's The Genetics was released yesterday — 27 years to the day after it was recorded. Even if this record stunk, it would be an essential piece of Pacific Northwest punk rock history. Active from 1988-99, The Genetics were the band Joel Jett fronted after Jetpack and before The Flip-Tops, The Minds, and Girl Drink Drunks (who are still the best American punk band you might not know about). The group also included Lucas Jones (The Pills, The Electric Eye), Sarah Epstein (The Hunches, Jimmy Flame & The Sexxy Boys), and Dan Mohr (VIC-20, The Bismark). All these individuals were young and still learning how to play, but this record shows how undeniable their raw talents were. Even if this a record had been made by four people you never heard of, it would still be a prime artifact of late '90s garage punk. It's everything that made the budget punk of that era great: trashy, lo-fi, primitive, and exploding with attitude. I'm pretty astounded that it took this long for these recordings to see the light of day. This is an excellent album that would have been warmly received on the eve of Y2K. Now you can own it on vinyl (limited to 100 copies). Original songs like "It's a Fright" and "Psycho Love" absolutely foreshadow the greatness of The Flip-Tops, and covers of Supercharger and Teenage Head are an absolute blast. If you're a fan of Joel Jett or later '90s garage punk, you will want to move fast on this purchase!

-L.R.

https://thegenetics1.bandcamp.com/album/the-genetics
Sonic Jett Records on Facebook

Miss Georgia Peach - "The Hockey Song"

In honor of the two-time Walter Cup champions The Minnesota Frost and the gold medal–winning U.S. Women's Olympic Hockey team, Miss Georgia Peach has released her own version of Stompin' Tom Connors' iconic "The Hockey Song"! This single is backed by a cover of Sonny James' "A Little Bit South of Saskatoon," a song featured in the movie Slapshot. So we've got ourselves a fully hockey-themed release here, and it was recorded in Eveleth, Minnesota, home of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame! This Travis Ramin production features MGP on lead vocals, Baby Grant Johnson on lead guitar, John Ewing on guitar, Mike Bennett on bass, Ramin on drums, Steve Sokola on piano and accordion, and Germaine Gemberling on background vocals. MGP and her medal-worthy teammates make "The Hockey Song" their own, giving it a full-on country feel with a touch of upper-Midwest chill. Of course the vocals are stellar, and overall this is a wonderfully robust rendition of a classic. MGP took a shot from the point and really sniped it! This makes me wish I could have a six-pack of Surly Hell! If you've worn out your copies of Aloha from Kentucky and Class Out the Ass and are still left wanting more of that '60s/'70s country music magic, "A Little Bit South of Saskatoon" will be everything you want. This is a fun single that arrives at the perfect time, as its release came just one day after the U.S. Women captured Olympic gold — and just two days before the U.S. men play for Olympic gold. A special shout-out must go out to Kendall Coyne Schofield, Lee Stecklein, Kelly Pannek, Grace Zumwinkle, Britta Curl-Salemme, and Taylor Heise — who play for the Frost and the Olympic team! A vinyl release of this single is in the works. In the meantime, the digital release is available from Rum Bar Records just in time for the NHL stretch run. Now that Georgia and Travis have proven themselves masters of the novelty record, perhaps we can convince them to cover "Go Joe Charboneau" one of these years!

-L.R.  

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-hockey-song-ep
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3fmYErr1YHg3VpwiVGkcZb
https://travisraminproducer.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords/
https://www.instagram.com/rumbarrecords/

The Refraints - Badminton

I can't tell you much of anything about The Refraints, a trio out of Bellingham, Washington. But I can tell you this band has made a debut album that's going to be one of my favorite things released this entire year. If you like catchy-as-hell pop-punk with a bit of a late '80s/early '90s indie rock edge and endearingly clever lyrics, Badminton is a must-hear. 

The Refraints are Aaron Rayborn on guitar and vocals, Molly Russell on drums and vocals, and Brandon Juntunen on bass. They've delivered a 10-song, 23-minute long player that's just an absolute delight from start to finish. I love that this band writes relatable songs about love and life that are heavy on self-deprecating humor. At times they delve into classic pop-punk themes like high school crushes, unrequited love, and failed relationships. Elsewhere, songs reflect on more varied topics like intentionally alleviating the stress of college by intentionally contracting mono, dealing with an overbearing mother who continually sabotages your love life, attempting to bathe a cat, and savoring that moment when you get home from work and finally get to take off your shoes. This is the kind of album that you'll want to play on repeat — I played it four times in a row yesterday and could have gone for five if things like eating and personal hygiene hadn't gotten in the way. Silly-smart songwriting is my jam, and these folks are clearly masters of that. And unlike the typical pop-punk band, this group makes it hard to figure out what their specific influences are. The Refraints have their own sound, and it's one I very much hope to hear again. This is an A+ debut! 

-L.R.

https://therefraints.bandcamp.com/album/badminton
https://open.spotify.com/album/2uDECPPhvGtrnDm6NpDgyi

Brad Marino - "Calling Your Bluff"

The man is back, and he's bringing the heat! "Calling Your Bluff" is Brad Marino's third teaser single from his forthcoming fifth proper studio album, Agent of Chaos. He's been doling out something for everyone with these singles. "Voodoo" was probably the most straight-up power pop song he's ever done. "Murder and Violence" was like the Ramones meet the Jesus and Mary Chain (or maybe the other way around). And now "Calling Your Bluff" is nothing more and nothing less than hard-driving, kick-you-in-the-ass rock 'n' roll that'll get your toes tapping into next week. If you loved Marino's early solo stuff or his later songs with The Connection, this tune will be right up your alley. Bobby Davis and Gene Champagne lay down the rhythm with gusto while Marino wails away on guitar and spits fire. This is classic Brad Marino, and I am here for it! We've been waiting more than two years for another Marino solo long player, but all these recent singles have made it clear that our patience will be very much rewarded. Agent of Chaos will be out April 3rd on Spaghetty Town Records, Ghost Highway Recordings, and Beluga Records!

-L.R.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3VqYRPoaYMifcZTD2vbdi3
https://www.facebook.com/bradmarinomusic/
https://www.instagram.com/brad_marino/
https://bradmarino.bandcamp.com/