The chance to write a Blondie review in 2026 is giving me all the feels. Parallel Lines was my first-ever purchased album, and that was so long ago that it was an 8-track tape. I can't think of many bands that have been more important than Blondie in influencing the general style of music that this blog centers itself around. Due out in February, High Noon will be the first new Blondie album in a decade. It will also be the last Blondie recording to feature the late, great Clem Burke on drums. "Spectral Eyes," the advance single, is an instant fan-pleaser. Although the song was written by Johnny Marr (who also plays guitar on the track), it sounds uniquely like Blondie. There's no question about what band you're listening to, and you're just grateful to live in a world that still has Blondie in it. Glen Matlock guest stars on bass, so this track is truly star-studded. But it's the ageless Debbie Harry who shines the brightest. My friends, she has still got it. What a glorious four minutes of music we have here! I can't wait to hear the whole record!
One thing that always brings me joy is being able to follow a band from the very start — to hear that initial promise and experience the group's progression and growth in real time. I swear it feels like it was just a couple years ago that Self-Cut Bangs emerged as one couple's pandemic home recording project and one of the most pleasant surprises of 2020. But no, that was six years ago (yeah, really!). And the project was such a smashing success that Self-Cut Bangs became a bona fide, permanent band. And now another four years have passed since the band released its second and most recent album, Circle Around The Free. So what have Self-Cut Bangs been up to since 2022? Quite a lot, actually! Two pairs of band members got married. One of them had their first baby. And so the title of the new album, Growth Spurts, makes perfect sense. The band says the record is "inspired by and about the rapid musical, romantic and familial growth within the band." What's not to love about that?
To recap: Self-Cut Bangs feature two married couples in Cayley and Shawn Petsche and Nicola and Dillon Cavanagh-Whitfield along with Joel Nye. They describe themselves as "like Fleetwood Mac, but replacing the drama and drugs with more guitar solos." Sign me up for that, please! I notoriously love family bands, and I notoriously like Canadian bands. And on this third long player, SCB has fully realized a sound that's super appealing to me, one that lives at the intersection of the power pop/indie rock/arena rock Venn diagram. On this release, the band noticeably expands its repertoire but doesn't stray from its love for simple, hooky rock songs that are just the right mix of thunder and sugar. A band that's equal parts Redd Kross, Blondie, New Pornographers, and April Wine is either going to be an absolute mess or just about the best thing ever, and this evolved, more adult-oriented version Self-Cut Bangs is truly firing on all cylinders. Of course more power pop-ish tunes like "Stonewalled" and "Be My Shelter" have become fast favorites, but I'm just as keen on pure rockers such as "Witness" and "Baby Blues." Elsewhere, the likes of "Ouroboros," "One Day," and "Hot for Me" acknowledge post-punk, glam, and butt-kicking garage rock influences that have become defining pieces of the modern-day indie/punk underground.
Growth Spurts is the work of five talented individuals who have grown as both musicians and people since we last heard from them. I love the idea that you can become more serious and self-reflective in your songwriting without abandoning that fundamental mission to make the kind of music you wish they still played on the radio. This is an album that's simple and satisfying and at the same time deeply relatable on a human level. Somehow these songs pull from the past and still manage to sound like the present and future of rock 'n' roll. File this under "well worth the wait"!
Here's a review that I almost don't need to write! You see there's a new EP out from Guerrilla Teens, and you already know it's going to be great. This is my eighth time writing about this Portland, Oregon–based rock 'n' roll powerhouse, and I never tire of further spreading the gospel. There's just some kind of magic that happens when Scott "Deluxe" Drake and Jeff Fieldhouse write songs together. That's a history that goes back decades. And with Saul Koll, Tim Connolly, and Anna Andersen lining up with them, they continue to rip it up relentlessly. You can still hear those familiar influences running from '50s rock 'n' roll through the Stones, garage rock, and early punk. But this isn't The Humpers. This isn't Lovesores. It's Guerrilla fucking Teens, and they're cooking up the real-deal rock 'n' roll of today. These folks have the fire and the fury, the chops, and the tunes. At a lean five tracks, Sympathy for the Decibel is a quick-hitting, all-action affair. The title track is the fist-pumping, shout-along anthem you hoped it would be. Songs like "Ghost of New Orleans" and "You're Looking Good" tear into the old school punk rock 'n' roll style with a vigor and a venom that decades-younger bands would hope to emulate. "Spider Bouquet" has that darker garage rock edge that has been a signature for Guerrilla Teens.
Sympathy for the Decibel delivers the goods just as you knew it would. Last year's Monkey's Paw was probably a new high point for Guerrilla Teens, and this follow-up keeps the momentum going. It's amazing to think that a band that came into existence as a pandemic project has blossomed into one of the defining bands of modern-day punk rock 'n' roll — a reminder that this kind of music is still very much alive and kicking all kinds of ass. If you're balking at the steep price for a Bandcamp download, there's a reason for that. This thing is coming out very soon on 10" clear pink vinyl on Sonic Jett Records, and that's the purchase you ought to be waiting for. Stay tuned for the ordering details!
I can't decide if reviewing a cover song is the easiest thing I've ever done on this blog — or the hardest. It would be simple enough to say, "Hayley and The Crushers have covered one of the greatest pop songs ever written and made it their own," direct you to the music video, and point in myself in the mirror in appreciation of a job well done. But what fun would that be? We're talking about Hayley and the freaking Crushers — who are on my Mt. Rushmore of present-day bands. I can't phone this one in!
So let's start with the obvious: covering the utter perfection that is The Primitives' 1988 single "Crash" is a gutsy move, but would you expect anything less from a band that has previously had at The Ramones' "Teenage Lobotomy" and X's "Los Angeles"? There is no fear in the Crusherverse. You can acknowledge a song is unfuckwithable and still put your signature on it. The band points out that it has always loved "songs that feel like candy with a switchblade tucked inside," so "Crash" was a perfect candidate to be properly Crusher-ized. This cover has the original's spirit, but it's a little louder, a little punchier, a little more glittery, and a lot punkier. Of course you're starting with majestic material. But the band's own DNA is all over this track. This is music that energizes and uplifts, music that has you shouting "Yeah!" as soon as the song starts. In a world full of "meh" music, we need a lot more "Yeah!" And the music video has me in stitches. I can't say much more without spoiling it, but man, I just about choked on my Cheerios. You want bands with humor and personality? Well here you go. Dr. Cain deserves an Oscar!
With a new album releasing on Kitten Robot Records in 2027, Hayley and The Crushers have been nice enough to give us a little taste of what's to come with the singles "Jewel Case" and "Cringeworthy," both of which are gold-certified bangers. And now "Crash" amps up the excitement even more. I've made so much about how great this year has been for new music, but who says next year can't be even better? Drive safely, kids!
Bands like Wisconsin Anger Team are the reason why I never lose the fire for writing about music. In a world where (perhaps by necessity) many bands have to put as much effort into self-promotion and a social media presence as they put into their music, Wisconsin Anger Team lets its music speak for itself. It doesn't do social media. It's not all over the streaming sites. In very old school fashion, the band communicates with fans and friends via email. The focus is on making really great albums and releasing them without fanfare via Bandcamp.
True Spleen is the band's sixth full-length album in six years. Like the previous five, it's extraordinary. It contains 14 powerful tracks in a style reminiscent of the melodic punk, pop-punk, and louder indie rock of the '80s and '90s. Yet this is not just punk rock — this is art. Every song is essentially a poem, short story, or the first page of a novel you'd never want to put down. I'm blown away by the amount of time and effort that must have been invested into bringing every one of these songs to life. And the fact that the band includes the lyrics on Bandcamp tells you how much they mean. Every word was carefully considered. Every song title was an artistic decision. But those lyrics aren't there to overshadow the music. They're part of the music. You push play, and you can feel the energy, heart, and guts of what Wisconsin Anger Team has captured on tape. And then you start reading the lyrics and get the deeper meaning of each song. At a time in which so much music being released into the ether is just "content" meant to go in one ear and out the other, this band is making records that demand your time and attention. This is music, visual art, and literature all in one package. This is an album that you ought to experience the way you'd experience a movie or a book. How can you not appreciate a band that oil-paints a digital album cover on a canvas board? Yet there's nothing even slightly pretentious about this album. As smart and literate as it is, above all else, this is music full of feeling and life.
In some better, alternate version of the universe, True Spleen would be a vinyl release and be selling like hotcakes. It almost seems too good to be true: How is music this good available for a free download? But if you feel that guilty about getting it for free, you can pay whatever you like. Most importantly, Wisconsin Anger Team has puts its heart and soul into making a record, and it deserves to be heard. We live in an odd time where the "cost" of listening to new music is often just the opportunity cost of not doing something else. You have podcasts to listen to and Reels to watch and reality shows to stream. I get it. So here I am, week after week, year after year, pounding the table for bands I think are more than worth your time. If you are a regular viewer of this blog, you most likely gravitate to a certain type of music. Wisconsin Anger Team plays that certain type of music at an exceptionally high level of quality. Again I pound the table. One of these days I might make my knuckles bleed. It will be a reasonable sacrifice for the cause.
The Summertimes, an Australian pop group I enthusiastically reviewed in 2023, are back with a new EP that picks up where their excellent debut album left off. Out on Golden Robot Records, Luminous puts on a master class in jangling, melody-driven guitar pop. Led by two exceptionally talented songwriters in David Beniuk and David Challenger, The Summertimes also feature Stephen O'Brien (Tumbleweed), Steve Bull (ICEHOUSE), Marco Forlano (The Mustard), and Ashley Naylor (The Church, Paul Kelly) in their lineup on this EP. Amanda Brown of The Go-Betweens makes a guest appearance, and five-time ARIA Award winner Paul McKercher returns as producer. With all that talent involved, you know the musicianship and production on this record are going to be immaculate. But as usual, it's the songwriting that shines the brightest. The two Davids are in fine form on these five tracks — crafting lovely, hook-laden songs that live on the more sophisticated, easygoing side of power pop. I put them in similar company with a longtime favorite of mine, Nick Piunti (who also has a new EP that I'll have something to say about very soon). Every song is a keeper, which is exactly the way it ought to be on a five-song EP.
When it comes to bands like this, I'm sometimes at a loss for what else to say beyond talking about the sheer excellence of the songwriting. But perhaps there's not much more that needs to be said. A band like The Summertimes isn't trying to reinvent guitar pop or usher in a new era in music. But what the Davids do so well is to work within a timeless style of music and execute it so splendidly that you wouldn't tire of it in a thousand years. Writing "simple" pop songs is one of the toughest things to do in music, but The Summertimes make it seem effortless. They excel at crafting melodies that soothe the ears, choruses that linger in your head, and lyrics that say something meaningful about life. A lot of pop bands have the sound, but not all of them have songs. The Summertimes have songs all day long. "Save You Now" and "Luminous" bookend the new EP in quintessential guitar pop style. In between, "Horses," "See Me," and "Falling" are marvelous deep cuts that stretch the band's signature style in gently elegant fashion. With the longest track barely eclipsing three-and-a-half minutes, The Summertimes remain a pop-rock band through and through. However, their ability to make every song sound distinct and memorable puts them in a rare class. If "power pop for adults" is a real genre of music, "Horses" and "Falling" epitomize it.
If you are already a fan of The Summertimes or a fan of '80s & '90's inspired indie power pop in general, Luminous ought to be on your must-buy list. It's a wonderful little EP chock full of radiant melodies and gorgeous guitars. As good as the album was, this set is even better — yet another feather in the cap of a remarkable year for guitar pop.
When I talk about this being an epic year for power pop, part of that is the great variety of bands/artists who fall broadly under that banner. So it's not like all this stuff sounds the same. On its debut album When I Lost My Heart, Germany's Nonchalant meets at the intersection of power pop and '70s punk with a touch of new wave. Well now you're really speaking my language! This album is absolutely a throwback to 1979 or '80, and I've got no complaints. Once again, I will reiterate that punks aspiring to write great pop songs is my jam. And Nonchalant nails that vibe perfectly. It's as if this band hailed from the heyday of Good Vibrations Records, lived through the early years of synth-pop, and then hopped a time machine to today. The melody, hooks, energy, and romance that make this sort of music so appealing are all there. This band leaves no doubt as to which lane it wants to occupy, and it carries off the sound with reverence and vigor. If O.G. punk/powerpop is your thing, you won't be nonchalant about this record!
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