Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Hayley and the Crushers - Blood and Treasure


One thing I love that Hayley and the Crushers have been doing in recent years is releasing a lot of singles. Of course albums and EPs are great, but there's just something special about a single where the focus is on one song that you listen to over and over and really get to know. Today's streaming technology has really brought back the idea of great singles bands, and the Crushers are one of those for sure. "Blood and Treasure" is the third single they've released in advance of Unsubscribe from the Underground, their forthcoming EP on Kitten Robot Records. You could hear the band digging back into its punk roots on the previous two. "Blood and Treasure," on the other hand, is pure pop. And it's glorious! Hayley Cain wrote this tune about her relationship with her husband Reid — whom you all know and love as Dr. Cain ESQ. The song celebrates the couple's "irreplaceable love," and I have to say it gives me chills. Sometimes the most important things in life can be the hardest things to write about well since mere words might not be able to do them justice. But here Hayley writes beautifully about the most important thing of all. Her lyrics are heartfelt and vivid, and she sings the hell out of this song. Musically, "Blood and Treasure" brings to mind '60s Brill Building pop and girl groups with a hint of country. It's the sort of song you can't listen to just once, and it's surely an AM radio smash in some alternate universe where perfect pop songs dominate the charts. The full EP releases in September, but now is the time to enjoy "Blood and Treasure" in all its romantic glory.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Sunday, July 21, 2024

The Sleeveens - "UFOs”/"Bernadette"

The Sleeveens are indeed the "hottest band in the land." Within the first 30 seconds of the Nashville/Dublin–based outfit's debut single, I knew I had just met the next great band in the punk rock 'n' roll universe. Many others felt the same way, and word on the street is that the band's live shows blow away its studio recordings. The second Sleeveens single is out on I-94 Recordings, and something tells me it's gonna sell out in the blink of an eye. "UFOs" is #13 in I-94's Detroit covers 7" series. The title track is a slow-burning rocker with a spacey feel and clever lyrics about alien forces taking control of our lives. Now that's truly a song for our times! If The Sleeveens' album proved that their first single was no fluke, now "UFOs" proves that the album was no fluke. This is another phenomenal tune from one of the most exciting bands to come down the pike in a long time. On the B-side, The Sleeveens tear into The Four Tops' 1967 chart smash "Bernadette." This is a classic case of a band honoring the original version of a beloved tune but also making it its own. The Sleeveens definitely punk up "Bernadette," but they also add some interesting twists en route to remaking the song. Don't sleep on this one, my friends. This is the freaking Sleeveens! Head on over to the I-94 web site and order your copy (or copies!) while supplies last! 

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Saturday, July 20, 2024

Real Rejects - Not Allowed


Well here you go, kids: the garage-trash budget punk rock 'n' roll ear-melting, face-smashing, world-wrecking degenerate masterpiece you've been awaiting with bated breath can now be yours courtesy of the legendary Alien Snatch Records.

A couple weeks back, I proclaimed Real Rejects the "next big thing" in the garage punk universe. This was not just a personal whim but rather the result of meticulous research and consultation with my spiritual advisors. Or maybe I just knew that if Alien Snatch was in on the action, everyone with impeccable taste in music was going to want a Real Rejects tattoo by year's end. Real Rejects are TJ Cabot (Phone Jerks, Nerve Button) on vocals & guitar, Jesse Leblanc (Feral Trash, Outtacontroller) on guitar, Claude Doiron (Nerve Button, Bad Luck #13) on bass, Sonic Hz on keyboards, and Cam Murphy (Thee Requiems, Ghostown Belle) on drums. It was by complete accident that the band name brings to mind two of the greatest garage punk bands of the post-2000 years, The Real Losers and Teenage Rejects (who both, by the way, had releases on Alien Snatch). Yet the shared musical DNA is undeniable. You may or may not consider Not Allowed a full-length album depending on which side of the 10-inch record debate you fall on. But at nine tracks and an 18-minute running time, it makes the full-length cut in my book. I'm no longer a collector of vinyl recordings, but when I was, I thought 10-inchers were the coolest. They have the versatility to be albums or EPs or singles, which is very cool in my book. And I've never been able to understand why anyone would ever prefer 7 inches if they could have ten. Good on Alien Snatch for believing in this format! 

Whether it's an album or a mini-album or a super-sized EP,  Not Allowed is an absolute scorcher of a record. After all those years of solo home recording, Tyler has really hit the jackpot with this merry band of Moncton punk greats. These guys rock l.a.m.f. and take the Rejects' sound to the next level. These nine tracks fully realize the potential of all those really awesome TJ Cabot releases of years past. Think Stooges meet DMZ meets Pagans meet ? and the Mysterians meet Angry Samoans meet Rip Off Records —  or something like that. I'm not saying that the Summer of Spite digital single wasn't full-blown killer. But the thing about Daniel at Alien Snatch is that he has an ear for greatness, and of course the stuff on Not Allowed is the top shelf Real Rejects. I love the blend of high energy, organ-driven '60s garage rock; filthy, attitude-laden '70s/early '80s punk; and quintessential '90s/2000s budget trash. The tunes are great; the lyrics are hilarious and wonderfully spiteful; and the energy level is off the charts. This is the perfect album length for me: it still leaves you wanting more, but it won't leave you feeling short-changed. Is this really an album? Of course it's an album, and it's one of the year's best! 

Jay Castro and I taped a new episode of our Born Too Late podcast last night in which we listed our all-time favorite releases from Alien Snatch Records. As I prepared my list, I was really awed by the sheer volume of amazing records that have come out (and continue to come out) on this label. Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest punk rock record labels to ever exist, and it's incredible that Daniel has kept it going strong for 25 years and counting. So when you head on over to Bandcamp to purchase Not Allowed (come on: you know you're going to!), be sure to take a deeper dive into the Alien Snatch catalog. I know it's terribly irresponsible of me to be compelling you to spend money during inflationary times, but I can't think of a record label or roster of bands that's more worthy of some of your hard-earned dollars. What good is life without music? 

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Fastbacks - "Come On"


There's not much I can say about this one besides "Holy crap!" The mighty Fastbacks, one of the greatest bands to ever exist, are in vintage form on their new single "Come On." This song arrives in advance of the band's forthcoming album For WHAT Reason! — due out next month on No Threes Records. That's right, folks. We're getting a new Fastbacks studio album for the first time in a quarter century! And if "Come On" is a fair taste of what to expect from the full album, you all ought to be VERY excited. This is literally one of the bands that invented the whole punk-pop thing, and they're still showing everyone how it ought to be done. As long as the Fastbacks are around, there is joy in this world. More videos are forthcoming, so stay tuned!
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Vista Blue - Help Me, Ron


When it comes to maintaining that Vista Blue is not a baseball-themed band, I will gladly die on that hill. Don't the numbers show that Vista Blue has significantly more holiday-themed releases than baseball-themed releases? Aren't three-quarters of the band's releases completely devoid of baseball songs? I would prefer to call Vista Blue a band that enjoys themes of all sorts — baseball being one of their favorites. With the release today of Help Me, Ron, the band has extended its streak of consecutive years putting out songs about baseball to ten. That's an impressive feat, and perhaps I'm doing a terrible job of proving that Vista Blue is not a baseball band. But as far as baseball-themed pop-punk releases go, Help Me, Ron is about as good as it gets. It takes a back-to-basics musical approach which really suits this particular release. Fans have been clamoring for Vista Blue baseball tracks since Opening Day. Now we finally get them for All Star Week, and they come with a sense of urgency. The title track, which features backing vocals from the great Perry Leenhouts, is a lovely reminder of the opportunities for redemption that the great game of baseball affords. A fielder is the bane of a pitcher's existence — until he's not! "Travinski's Got a Pencil Bat" is an ode to the (fingers crossed!) soon-to-be-drafted LSU star Hayden Travinski. And yes, he really has a bat that looks like a pencil. "Our Catcher's Back" gives me the feels as I count the days until J.T. Realmuto returns to the field. "Put the Tarp On" is about as timeless as a baseball song can be. "Faster and Louder" is the theme song I never asked for but got anyway — a tune about power pitchers coming out of the bullpen and thrilling crowds with their eye-popping velocity. The song also references pitching phenom Paul Skenes, who's set to start one of the most highly anticipated MLB All-Star Games of recent memory. The Phillies just lost by 15 runs to a team whose ownership ought to be relegated to AAA. But hey: I got a new theme song! Let's cheer for another decade of Vista Blue songs about baseball (and many, many other topics)!

Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , ,

Friday, July 12, 2024

Pack Rat - Life's A Trap


Pack Rat's first album, released in December of 2021, was the solo pandemic project of Patrick McEachnie (Chain Whip, Corner Boys, Hosehead Records). It was a stellar collection of snotty, frantic punk tunes with budget synthesizers. Like a lot of the pandemic projects that came out around that time, Pack Rat was way too promising to simply scrap once lockdown days were over. Not only did McEachnie keep this project going, but he turned it into a full-fledged band. Bella Bebe (vocals and guitar), Ripley McEachnie (bass and vocals), and Tony Dallas (drums and vocals) now round out the lineup. An EP called Bite My Tongue was released last summer, and it quickly sold out. 

Out today on Drunken Sailor Records, Life's A Trap is Pack Rat's second LP and first as a proper band. And while the nervous speed and snotty vocal edge have been retained from that first LP, Pack Rat's sound has definitely evolved. Most notably, this album is influenced by the pop-leaning side of '70s punk and the classic punk sounds of the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver. I have to cite the description from the band bio because it's totally on the nose: "Like if a Canadian Johnny Rotten fronted Vancouver's very own Buzzcocks. If the Briefs and the Hives had a love child that looked just a little like Jay Reatard." Of course that sounds like something I'd be into, and just about anyone reading this will have similar feelings! Life's A Trap sounds genuinely like a modern punk album, yet it has those undeniable classic influences. It's full of bouncy punk tunes with nervous energy and killer hooks. From the hyper fun of "Heart Beat" to the power pop jolt of "Sleepless" to the garagey frenzy of "Ask a Punk" to the infectious blitzkrieg of "Two Makes One" to the new wavey goodness of "Rat Trap," this album features a tremendous variety of standout tracks. And from a vibe perspective, this is the perfect summertime punk record. When I first started this blog 13 years ago, this was exactly the kind of band I envisioned writing about. If you think you'd dig classic Vancouver-style punk with a contemporary freshness, you need to jump on this second album from Pack Rat. The vinyl is limited to 500 copies, so act fast!

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Boris the Sprinkler - Gets A Clue


A punk rock EP based on the board game Clue sounds like a totally ridiculous idea, so of course I love it. Out on Rum Bar Records, Gets A Clue is, to the best of my knowledge, Boris the Sprinkler's first release in the EP format in two decades. There are at most five bands in the world that could properly pull off a Clue-themed mini album, and BtS is one of them. This is the band's first new music to be released in five years, so I will welcome any concept. A tribute to Don Majkowski? A rock opera about Taco Bell sauce packets? A Metal Machine Music cover album using only kazoos and toy drums? If Boris is putting it out, I'm buying it. In my book, Boris the Sprinkler is certainly the most underrated and no doubt one of the very best of all those '70s-style punk bands that formed in the '90s. As the world pauses to reflect with awe on the 30th anniversary of the release of Boris's debut album 8-Testicled Pogo Machine, I can't think of another band that was more important in informing my musical tastes and opening the gateway to so many staples of my record collection. And if the best record label on the planet saw fit to release this group's Clue-themed EP on compact disc, you should be ordering now and asking questions later. 

You may wonder who in the world would want to hear Boris the Sprinkler playing songs about characters from Clue. Well, the target demographic is simple. It's 99 percent Boris fans and 1 percent people who take the game of Clue more seriously than life itself. And of course the people who love the band and the game (which I'm guessing is the majority of Boris fans) will be going nuts for this thing. Musically, this is vintage BtS goofball '77 punk-pop. The band's classic lineup is on board and sounding totally hot. If you're a Boris fan, these songs will remind you why you got into the band in the first place. Tracks like "I Wanna Dance Like Professor Plum" and "No One Loves Mr. Green" are totally giving me Saucer to Saturn/Mega Anal vibes. I must say the execution of the concept is top-notch. This is a fun and wildly entertaining collection of songs that I keep on listening to over and over. Of course there's no other lyricist in the universe like Norb, and here his creativity in writing about the iconic Clue characters is the stuff of delight. This is probably the first BtS release that's appropriate for children, so full family listening parties are not out of the question. Paul #1 never gets enough credit for being one of the true guitar superstars of modern-day pop-punk. Once you solve the mystery of who offed Mr. Boddy, you can get busy trying to figure out if any theft of classic punk riffs has occurred. Ric Six and Paul #2, the unsung heroes of Boris the Sprinkler, are in fine form as well. 

Gets A Clue is available now from Rum Bar Records. Next week, Boris the Sprinkler hits the road with Egghead. and The Ergs! to play tour dates in Somerville, Brooklyn, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. That, my friends, is the holy trinity of geek punk all in one place. History shall be made!

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)