Saturday, September 05, 2026

Perilous - "Overwhelmed By Reality"


Buffalo, New York's Perilous, a foursome I consider one of the best old school punk rock 'n' roll bands currently operating, has just unleashed an absolute anthem for these times on its new digital single. A title like "Overwhelmed By Reality" pretty well summarizes the zeitgeist of 2026, doesn't it? At a moment when there are so many things at the personal and worldly levels to make us anxious, fearful, or just plain depressed, coping with reality really can be an overwhelming, emotionally draining thing. It's as if the one thing that actually unites us all is the acknowledgement that everything sucks. In true Perilous fashion, this song pairs this dark, highly topical subject matter with upbeat, hook-laden power pop punk rock that throws it back to the classic music you grew up on. Pauline really pours her heart into that lead vocal, and this song is as rocking as it is relevant. Perilous just keeps on bringing the hits! On the B-side, "Rock & Roll Runaway," Bob Cat takes on lead vocals and really leans into his love for the Ramones and the timeless '60s sounds that inspired them. It's a fun, simple punk rock song that contrasts nicely with the A-side.  

Whether you call this type of music old school punk, classic punk, or just plain rock 'n' roll, Perilous are one of the bands keeping it alive. And they are doing it with joy, passion, and enthusiasm. Anything they put out is in the must-buy category, and of course that's true of "Overwhelmed By Reality"! $2.99 won't even get you a gallon of gas these days, but it will get you this thumper of a digital 45!

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Patton - "The Best of My Love"


Well here's something really amazing! Patton is a musical project formed by, of course, the Pattons, to celebrate their parents' 50th wedding anniversary. You know I love family bands! This single has been in the works for quite some time, but it was kept a super top secret until today. Given that more than a few Vista Blue fans frequent this site, I can say with great confidence that a lot of you are going to love this Vista Blue–related project. Mike is on guitar. Todd is on bass. Brett, I believe for the first time since The Loblaws days, is singing lead! Mike's kids Nolan and Alana both play drums. Mike's wife Donna sings some harmony vocals. Beyond me saying that I hope a full Patton album will one day happen, I'm just so moved by this digital single (a Bandcamp exclusive). Imagine if you possessed musical talent and used it to create something this beautiful for your parents/grandparents/in-laws on the date of their 50th anniversary. That's a sweet and special thing. 

The A-side is a punched-up cover of The Eagles' classic "The Best of My Love." While my 25-year-old self would have been deeply ashamed that I'd ever refer to any Eagles song as a "classic," 55-year-old me is a total sucker for '70s soft rock. So I was pretty stoked by the song choice. If you are familiar with the bittersweet lyrics and are wondering why this song is appropriate for an occasion like this, well, this was the song that the happy couple danced to at their wedding 50 years ago! So of course it had to be the lead track. Man, Brett totally smashed that vocal! 

On the B-side, "Apartment C" is an ode to the old Patton family residence in Chalmette, Louisiana. It's an upbeat, poppy original that's lovingly sentimental without being sappy. Writing a song for your parents' 50th anniversary has to be a daunting task. You don't want to screw it up. You don't want to lay it on too thick. What we have here with "Apartment C" is simply perfect. If this song doesn't have you a little misty-eyed, you might be a robot or something monstrous like a Crimson Tide fan (I kid). And how about a shout-out to Chris for that guitar solo! 

A lesser family band might have claimed its name was inspired by Van Halen, but Patton will tell you that they are emulating Nelson. Since I've been willing to die on the hill of Nelson being a good band for 35 years, I fully endorse the choice. 50 years ago, a couple of teenagers fell in love, got married, and formed a family. This single is a celebration of all of that. Think of all these amazing people playing on this record who would never have existed if these two people had not believed in each other and taken a leap of faith together! I'm grateful that this single, which was created for a private family celebration, has been made available to the world at large. I think people will be moved by it. I think people will tap into the joy it exudes. If you could somehow quantify the amount of love that went into these two songs, Rate Your Music would have to adjust its algorithms and allow six-star reviews. Happy anniversary, Cindy and Mike!

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Thursday, September 03, 2026

Radio Days - Off The Record


It sometimes feels like I've been writing about Radio Days forever, but my first review was back in 2013. So that's not quite forever. Still, a 13-year relationship between Radio Days and Faster and Louder is certainly considerable. This band is one of the surest things in modern music. Every record they put out is a timeless & beautifully crafted work of traditional power pop. If I had to list my favorite 25 power pop bands of all-time, there's a very good chance Radio Days would make the cut. 

Off The Record, the band's new album (out tomorrow on Wild Honey Records and Ammonia Records), isn't particularly surprising in terms of musical style or approach. But why would you want it to be? When it comes to Radio Days, I just want great pop songs. I never tire of the band's approach because they do it so remarkably well. And their sound is so fresh because they infuse modern power pop influences into their classic, '60s and '70's–inspired songwriting foundation. In 2016, I named their long player Back in the Day my album of the year, and I'd do it again if I had to re-evaluate the LPs that came out that year. Off The Record might be every bit as good. Radio Days as a band have definitely matured and refined their talents over the years, but they've never lost sight of those things that matter the most: memorable melodies, silky-smooth harmonies, perfect choruses, and timeless love songs. As a craftsman of melody, Dario Persi is criminally underrated. He's also a wonderful singer. The band's lyrics, written by Paco Orsi and Mattia Baretta, will remind you why you first came to love pop music and why you keep going back to it. 

It seems almost unnecessary to say that Off The Record is a classic power pop record since that's the only kind of record that Radio Days bother to make. But I will say that while many power pop bands kind of grow tiresome if they don't change up their approach over time, Radio Days are on album #5 of pure power pop classicism and are only getting better. With each new album, I keep thinking, "This is finally the one they won't be able to top." And then the next one comes out, and I say the same thing. I'm done doubting these guys. 99.9% of bands would wish for a greatest-hits compilation as good as Off the Record. From the punchy and melodious "I Won't Give Up" to the all-the-feels majesty of "One Heart One Love" to the sun-kissed '70s splendor of "Paralyzed" to the pure pop bliss of "She's My Girl" to the laidback, Weezer-ish stunner "I've Got a Song" and all points in between, this album is all killer and no filler. And it certainly didn't hurt to have Bruno Barcella, one of the finest music producers in the business, recording and mixing these songs. 

While Off the Record will certainly appeal to folks who love their classic power pop, I don't think a word like "retro" correctly captures the vibe. Radio Days aren't trying to bring back power pop — they're simply one of many bands keeping the legacy alive. As 2026 continues to establish itself as an extraordinary year for guitar pop albums, I hope people will realize that one of the very best of the lot has come from Milan, Italy.

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Sunday, August 30, 2026

Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin and TA-80 - Split single


I am very pleased to have yet another opportunity to write about Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin's split singles series, and this latest installment is one I've been especially stoked about! With a lot of these singles, I've become more educated about bands or artists I was not yet super familiar with. This time out, Moss and his band are collaborating with TA-80, one of my favorite bands. So in this case, with me being a big fan of both bands, I was really excited about hearing what would happen when they traded songs. It seems an unlikely pairing on the surface, but that is what makes it so intriguing. 

Moss and Skin-Tight Skin (which, on this release, finds lead guitarist Marshall Keith joining bassist Tom McNally and drummer Steve Naff ) take on TA-80's "Black Glitter" from the 2018 album of the same name. Moss notes that he saw Marshall Keith playing with The Slickee Boys back in late 1979 or early 1980. And the impression that that performance made on him was massive. Says Moss: "They were having so much fun on stage that, even though I had yet to pick up a bass or a guitar, I knew I had to start a band. So, for me, Marshall playing on my songs now is a treat." The original version of "Black Glitter" is a typical TA-80 pop/punk rock 'n' roll party-starter. Moss and his band transform it into a grittier old school punk sing-along with snotty vocals and ripping lead guitar. It's a killer take on a fantastic song! Both versions of the song are chock full of attitude, but they are definitely different kinds of attitude. If you heard this track on a playlist, you'd have no reason to suspect Moss didn't write it.  

On TA-80's half of the split, the band tears into "Two Slices of Bread," which originally appeared on Moss's excellent 2022 album Now With More Rockets. Moss wrote the song as an homage to Willie Alexander and The Boom Boom Band. TA-80 has taken the song and run with it, turning into something that sounds like early '80s Southern California hardcore punk! The energy and speed are dialed way up. The band's affection for the original version is undeniable, but I love that it brought its own unique energy to this version (replete with some obligatory guitar shredding). 

In keeping with the spirit of this entire series, both bands here were not at all handicapped by a fear of changing the songs they were covering. They both really went for it, and what results is a single that's a lot of fun to listen to. It's like watching two monsters swap brains and get up and try to dance. If you're a fan of both bands as I am, this single is an essential purchase. If one of these two bands is new to you, I imagine you'll be inspired to dig into their back catalog! This is another winner in a series that continually hits the mark.

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Saturday, August 29, 2026

The Speedways - "All Bets Are Off"


If The Speedways keep releasing new singles, I'm going to keep writing about them! "All Bets Are Off" is the third new track the band has released this year in advance of its forthcoming album The Magic Comes & The Magic Goes. It's a perfect little pop song that really leans into a late '70s/early '80s UK new wave style. It pairs an upbeat musical energy and soaring chorus with thoughtful, self-aware lyrics about trying to be a better person. If you slotted this song between "Back of My Hand" and "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" on a "best of 1979!" playlist, a lot of people would be none the wiser. The music video is quite delightful, and I got a real kick out of the Michael Jackson "Thriller" allusion at the beginning. As a band, it's so hard to have perspective on your own music. But hearing the members of The Speedways talk about this soon-to-be-released LP, it's obvious that they are pumped out of their minds to put these songs into the universe. They know they have something special cooking. All these advance singles (including last year's "Visiting Hours") have been smash hits. If we end up with the best Speedways album yet, I will not be surprised. Look for a new 7" next month!

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Geoff Palmer - "Where Did His Hair Go?"


Geoff Palmer is back doing what he does best: writing some of the most impossibly catchy pop-punk songs you'll ever hear. "Where Did His Hair Go?" is the second time he has given us a nod to The Dickies in his songwriting, but this is no cover song. It's a vintage Palmer-style pop-punk earworm about Billy Corgan and the mystery of the sudden disappearance of his hair in 1995. As someone who has also been bald since the mid-'90s, I can tell you that hair loss is usually something that everyone can see coming. When you finally go full bald, no one is surprised. But somehow old Billy hid it from all of us. What I love about this song is that you can enjoy it regardless of whether you are or (as in  my case) are not a Smashing Pumpkins fan. While it's a really funny song, it's not particularly nasty. It's just searching for answers and pondering possibilities. And I'm always up for some '90s nostalgia! This is classic Geoff Palmer. He and his bandmates Tyler Spatz, Paul Kennedy, and Daniel James sound like they're having a great time powering through this brilliantly stupid song, and I'm having a great time listening to it. Billy Corgan himself would have a hard time denying that this tune is a stone cold banger!

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Friday, August 28, 2026

TA-80 - 25


After releasing three albums in four years, Arizona's mega-awesome pop-punk rock 'n' roll power quintet TA-80 came into 2026 with a clear plan: play a bunch of shows, record a bunch of singles and EPs, and start writing the best album of 2027. Why stop when you're on a roll? 

This is a particularly significant year for the band since it marks the 25th anniversary of its formation. To celebrate its 26th year as a band (yeah, that's how the math works), TA-80 has dusted off four songs from its early years and re-recorded them for 25, a brand-new EP that is out now on Allegedly Records. You can find TA-80's digital catalog online tracing back to 2010. But there's also an early catalog of titles you can only hear if you own the original CD-Rs, cassettes, compilation albums, reel-to-reel tapes, VHS videos, floppy discs, voice mails, etc. The band would be the first to tell you that they hadn't fully found their sound when they wrote and recorded a lot of that stuff. But for this release, the band chose four songs from its early 2000s period that it found worthy of revisiting and re-recording. So they dug out their iPods, guzzled lots of SoBe Lizard Fuel, frosted their tips, and transported themselves back in time. Exactly 26 copies of a CD release were pressed — one representing each year that this planet has had the pleasure of existing with TA-80 in it. Each copy is unique and comes with caringly hand-drawn art representing a particular year in the storied life of TA-80. If you didn't know these were old songs, you might think it was just a cool new EP from one of your favorite bands. These tracks are legit good, and certainly they benefit from the "We know now what we didn't know then" perspective that the band brought to this project.   

"Radio Beehive" (which originally appeared on TA-80s's 2001 album '80-'83) pulls no punches. It's almost straight-up '80s metal. Check that: it is straight-up '80s metal, and it totally kicks ass. It's fun, loud, and sure to rock your face off. These folks always knows how to get the party started, and here they do just that! You think I won't have the intestinal fortitude to choose this track for embedding? Try me! "No Call No Show," originally a 2005 demo for the band's mid-2000s lost album, 40 oz. Rose, takes the EP in a very different direction. It has more of a laidback, fuzzed-out '90s alternative rock/power pop vibe to it, and it shows that TA-80 can do pure pop with the best of 'em. "Super Slob," from the 2003 album TA-80 Are Go!, is vintage 2000s-style pop-punk that's catchy as hell but still packs a punch. "This City Night," also written for the ill-fated 40 oz. Rose, closes things out with anthemic rock energy. TA-80 might not play stadiums, but it sure makes music that could fill them. I love that this release embraces the band's past yet aligns wonderfully with its present vibe. And it's neat to hear four different members of TA-80 on lead vocals (Russ sings "Super Slob," and Jens duets with Amy on "This City Night"). Bandcamp and CD versions come with bonus tracks culled from a couple of split singles the band has done recently with The Femurs and Rob Moss and Skintight Skin (more on that one in a couple days!). 

When I say a release is limited, that usually means 100 copies. But with only 26 copies of 25 made and a few already spoken for, you best not dilly-dally if you want to get your hands on that sweet polycarbonate plastic! Tonight I will drink to the first 25 years of TA-80 and hope I'm still around to review 50 when it comes out. By then, we'll be nostalgic for the good old days before the robots fully took over! 

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