Inflatable Idols - GET STIFF!

Look out, kids: we've got a live one here! GET STIFF! is the ripper of a debut album from Los Angeles, California's Inflatable Idols. It's such a flaming hot slab of wax that it took three of the heaviest hitters in the game — Take the City Records, Ghost Highway Recordings, and your home of the hits, Rum Bar Records — to properly release it into the wild. Jim Perrault (The Legendary Swagger) is on lead vocals and bass, and he is joined by a murderers' row of Southern California punk rock royalty. Joe Jennings (JJ and the Real Jerks), Frank Agnew (Adolescents, T.S.O.L., Legal Weapon, Social Distortion), Brian Coakley (Cadillac Tramps), Greg Kuehn (T.S.O.L., Exploding Fuck Dolls, The Joneses), Derek O'Brien (Adolescents, Legal Weapon, T.S.O.L.), and Geoff Yeaton (Streetwalkin' Cheetahs) are all on board. They're joined by Tavis Werts (The Cineramas, Reel Big Fish) on trumpet and two of the finest vocal talents in L.A. in Belle Johnson and Mika Lett on backing vocals. To call this a "wow" lineup would be a massive understatement, and the music absolutely lives up to all that pedigree. 

On GET STIFF!, Inflatable Idols power through 12 tracks of gritty, high-energy rock 'n' roll that pulls from classic SoCal punk, garage rock, soul, dirty glam, and proto-punk. Style-wise, the band varies its attack, but the attitude and energy levels are relentless from open to close. Tracks like "Oxygen Thief," "Make Some Noise (Quiet As It's Kept)," and "Narcissistic Twist" are more on the flamethrower punk rock 'n' roll side of things — not too far from The Humpers in their prime. Elsewhere, "Get Up & Get Out" and "Hero to Zero" go the maximum R & B route. "Drunk On Nostalgia" is full fury garage rock cranked to ten. "Imaginary Monster" brings an old school Detroit rock energy that could just about wake the dead. "That's Mr. Motherfucker To You" manages to live up to its title, and that's saying something! 

It can be hard to pull of a record like this that's a wall-to-wall smash-it-up party. But Inflatable Idols do just that. There are no ballads, mood pieces, or departures from the mission to ignite your loins and soul with unadulterated rock 'n' roll. Get Stiff! never comes up for air, and who would want it to? The band is tight, but the spirit is loose. These folks bring it hard and unleash an absolute wall of sound with the horns, keyboards, and backing vocals hitting exactly the way they ought to. And on vocals, Perrault can holler with the best of 'em. Even though this is a studio record, I envision it as a live performance as I listen to it. It has all the sweat, swagger, and electricity of a must-see gig, and so I'm reaching for my dancing shoes and my stockpile of adult beverages. When you have this many super-talented people in a band, it's either going to be super-disappointing or just about the best thing ever. And you know where Inflatable Idols land. The way things are going, Rum Bar is soon going to need an office in L.A.!

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/get-stiff
https://takethecityrecords.bandcamp.com/album/get-stiff-lp
https://ghosthighwayrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/get-stiff
https://inflatableidols.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/inflatableidols
https://www.facebook.com/inflatableidols
https://www.youtube.com/@inflatableidols
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords
https://www.instagram.com/rumbarrecords/

The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs - One More Drink (Deluxe Edition)

Hot on the heels of the The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs' epic two-disc compilation All The Covers (And More) comes Rum Bar Records' deluxe reissue of the band's most recent studio album One More Drink. Originally released by Dead Beat Records in 2021, One More Drink wasn't just the Cheetahs' first proper album in 20 years. It's also one of the band's very best albums — probably the most essential thing the Cheetahs have put out since the release of Overdrive in 1997. In my book it's the one release that's most representative of what The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs are all about: combining the primordial ooze punk style the band is best known for with elements of power pop and classic hard rock/metal. Lots of bands claim to transcend genre, but the Cheetahs walk the walk on this release. "Ain't It Summer" sounds so much like Cheap Trick that I'm still not sure it isn't Cheap Trick. "Fast, Fucked and Furious" is what you'd call "vintage" Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, while "Bad Vacation" nails that poppy '77 punk sound that I'll never tire of. "We Are The Ones (We've Been Waiting For)" brings to mind the mid-'80s heyday of British new wave/classic alternative. "The Rejected" is old school SoCal punk and even features Rikk Agnew on guitar. "Rumblin' Train" is pummeling Motörhead-inspired rawk at its absolute finest. You'll find yourself wondering if there's anything The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs can't do. And that's just the first side of the album! 

As I listen to One More Drink, two things hit me. One is that The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs are really underrated as songwriters. Songs like "Ain't It Summer," "Bad Vacation," and "We Are The Ones" demonstrate that the Cheetahs' melodic side not only exists but it is also a strength. My second big takeaway is that this current lineup (Frank Meyer on vocals and guitar, Dino Everrett on bass, Bruce Duff on guitar, Mike Sessa on drums, and Geoff Yeaton on sax) is a total powerhouse. As the band embraces its '70s/'80s hard rock influences like never before, it definitely has the chops to pull if off. If you're going to worship at the altar of peak era AC/DC, you better have some monster riffs, killer solos, and tight grooves in your bag of tracks. "Warzone" delivers all of that and then some. As a lifetime AC/DC fan, I happily give this song my seal of approval. The final two tracks of the original LP clock in at a combined 12 minutes, yet there's not a dull second in either song. 

While "bonus tracks" on a reissue can often amount to a whole lot of nothing, the songs newly added to One More Drink make a great album even greater. "Escape From New York City" and "Fuck The Future (I Want Now)" (both from a single released in 2014) are blistering shots of punk rock and roll adrenaline. The Red Kross-ish "Victim of the Service Industry," exclusive to this release, is truly an anthem for these times. Altogether, One More Drink is a perfect blend of punk rock, powerful pop, and kick-ass rock and roll. There's something on this album for everyone. The title track is my favorite song ever from The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs. It features a guest appearance from Dramarama's John Easdale, one of the greatest living songwriters in American rock and roll. It manages to be a little reminiscent of Dramarama's "Last Cigarette" without being a copy. And honestly, that same level of songwriting is sustained all throughout the album. There are bona fide hits all over the place. If you've never heard The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs before, One More Drink would be a fine place to start.

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/one-more-drink-deluxe-edition
https://thestreetwalkincheetahs.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/streetwalkincheetahs/
https://www.facebook.com/TheStreetwalkinCheetahs/
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

The Prostitutes - the last two

This is my 11th time reviewing The Prostitutes for this blog, and it looks to be the last. The last two is the title of the latest single from The Prostitutes -- signaling a defined ending to a 27-year institution of American punk rock. And if these really are the last two Prostitutes tracks, it's great to hear this band going out exactly as it came in: with absolute fury. Even with its modern edge in production and guitar tone, "Sick to Death of Myself" has the feel of a classic Prostitutes song. Let me correct myself: it is a classic Prostitutes song. It knocks my head off in the same way that songs like "1-2-3 GO," "Twenty-Two," and "Living Wreck" did back in the day. This is raging, explosive punk rock from a true master craftsman of the form. From Pennsylvania to Ohio to Long Beach, California to Pennsylvania again to Baltimore to Ohio again with an ever-changing supporting cast, Kevin McGovern has kept The Prostitutes going strong for two-and-a-half decades plus. And now is the right time for him to close the book on this musical entity as he moves on to other things (most immediately the truly excellent Trouble Seekers). And so these last two tracks (recorded in 2020) complete a discography that includes two full-length albums, five 7" singles, 12 digital singles/EPs, and one un-released album. If you have somehow been living under a rock since 1996 and never experienced The Prostitutes, I can't recommend the Complete Recordings 1995-1998 compilation enough (in my book, Can't Teach Kids Responsibility is a top five 1990s punk rock LP). For those of you who are longtime fans, I assure you that you will find the last two to be a fitting swan song. Tonight I will drink to the storied legacy of The Prostitutes -- and to new beginnings for the force of nature that is Kevin McGovern!

-L.R.

https://theprostitutes1.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-two
https://www.instagram.com/tutespunk/
https://linktr.ee/TheProstitutes

Deseos Primitivos - self titled

It has been a while since I've reviewed any straight-up punk rock, but I do have something good for you today! Oakland's Deseos Primitivos have just released their debut album on No Front Teeth Records in the U.K. and Going Underground in the USA. On this full-length debut, Deseos Primitivos tear through 12 tracks of powerful and aggressive punk rock that brings to mind first generation LA punk and early '80s hardcore while still coming across as fully contemporary. This my kind of old school punk. It rips hard, but it's got a touch of melody as well. It's got hard-hitting guitars, a blistering rhythm section, and really strong lead vocals. The lyrics, sung in Spanish, address themes such as "revenge, homelessness and gentrification, colonization, and sensual tales of taboo dreams". This band is not fooling around. With passion and fury, they create music that speaks to their reality. If you enjoy fist-pumping, sing-along punk rock anthems, this record is full of 'em!

-L.R.

https://deseosprimitivos.bandcamp.com/album/deseos-primitivos
https://www.facebook.com/deseosprimitivos/
https://www.goingundergroundrecords.com/products/pre-order-deseos-primitvos-deseos-primitivos-vinyl-lp
https://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/No-Front-Teeth-Records-117591658310943/

Know Your '90s Punk: The Stitches

For a long time I've toyed with the idea of doing a book on all of the punk bands I loved in the 1990s. While there was all kinds of great punk music being made in the '90s, I personally gravitated to the more '77-inspired bands of that period. I began touting those bands, and here we all are 25 years later! While I may never actually write my book, a cooler project would be to feature a lot of those bands here - where I can embed some of the actual music. For my "F & L Hall of Fame" series, I've already written about a lot of those groups such as the Dimestore Haloes, Moral Crux, and Dead End Cruisers. So now that I have a little extra time on my hands, I would like to go further with this project. And when it comes to bands of the '90s that sounded like '70s punk, you can't talk too long without bringing up The Stitches. They may have been the best out of that whole lot!

It's kind of weird to be referring to The Stitches in the past tense since they are still an active band. But my focus here is on the band's incredible run of releases from 1994 through 1997. The group's debut 7" "Sixteen" came out in '94 and in my book is one of the greatest punk singles ever released. It was as if the Sex Pistols, Pagans, Dead Boys, and countless Killed By Death favorites had coalesced into one wild and explosive band. The energy, power, and guts just bled out of your turntable speakers! In a single moment, Michael Lohrman and Johnny Witmer emerged as a vocal/guitar tandem of legendary proportion. "Sixteen" arrived at a time when nothing that sounded quite like it had been heard in years, and it inspired the growth of "snotty punk rock" as a genre onto itself in the later '90s and beyond. Six more singles and EPs followed over the next several years, and many of us can recall a time when the arrival of a new Stitches record was always an event (remember how they dominated those Maximumrocknroll top ten lists?!).

While The Stitches never released a proper album until 2002 (at a point when their sound had evolved considerably), their 8 x 12 EP from 1995 is a bona fide classic and still well worth seeking out. I have assembled a YouTube playlist that compiles most of the band's early output. It's basically a '90s Stitches singles collection plus all of 8 x 12. Listening to all of these song comped together definitely brings back memories of a time when my musical education in punk rock was really just beginning. At the same time, I can say that these recordings still hold up after a quarter of a century. If I ever compile my ultimate compilation of '90s punk rock, "Sixteen" will be track one for sure. Listen and love!




-L.R.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqH36mfe77ObVUaX8GLUaXdd-oRtbRvZB
https://www.facebook.com/thestitches/
https://www.discogs.com/artist/759397-The-Stitches

Suspect Parts - "You Know I Can't Say No" (Video Premiere)

I am deeply honored to premiere "You Know I Can't Say No" - the new music video from Suspect Parts! It has been released in conjunction with the powerpop/punk supergroup's new single of the same name. Following the band's tremendous debut album from 2017, "You Know I Can't Say No" is Suspect Parts' first single in nine years and fifth overall. It's out today on Dirt Cult Records in the USA and Wanda Records in Europe.

Made up of Justin Maurer (Clorox Girls, Maniac), James "Sulli" Sullivan (Ripchord, More Kicks), Chris Brief, and Andru Bourbon (Radio Dead Ones), Suspect Parts represent the union of three countries and several complementary musical aesthetics. The group's brand of buzzsaw powerpop/punk has roots in '60s pop, early UK punk, and the melody-driven punk rock of '70s California/early 2000s Pacific Northwest ."You Know I Can't Say No" is vintage Suspect Parts - a bittersweet pop song with a whole lot of guitar crunch. There are times when I think that Sulli is the new Pete Shelley, and this is one of those occasions! The video was shot at Smail Shock's recording studio in Kaulsdorf, East Berlin. Shock (from legendary Berlin punk band The Shocks) recorded this single as well as the band's LP. You can see him in this video walking down the stairs and watering plants in the control room. I consider myself a big Suspect Parts fan, and this is my favorite track from this band to date. That melody is something else! Accompanying "You Know I Can't Say No" on this release are another brilliant heart-wrenching pop tune in "Song For Sadie" and a really fun cover of "Hundsgemein" by Berlin new wave band Ideal. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you need this record and this band in your life. This is how you do powerpop/punk! My friends in Europe can order the record here! If you're in the States, order here!


-L.R.

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/you-know-i-cant-say-no
https://wandarecords.bandcamp.com/album/you-know-i-can-t-say-no
https://suspectparts.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/SuspectParts/ 
https://www.facebook.com/dirtcultrecords/ 
https://www.facebook.com/wandarecords/ 
https://mailorder.wandarecords.de/ 

Gulag Beach - Potato Mash Bash

Berlin-based Gulag Beach are many thousands of miles from the American West Coast, but everything about their music just screams California. Out on Germany's Rockstar Records, Potato Mash Bash is already the fourth LP from these old school beach punk destroyers. By now, the Gulag Beach sound is well established. And the band does not veer from it here. Think surf-tinged melodic punk with anthemic choruses, Rikk Agnew inspired guitars, and some top-notch rapid fire drum work. I'm hearing the influence of everyone from Youth Brigade ("DINTE, pt. 1") to The Adolescents ("Dollar Hero") to the far more recent Bodies ("Ode To Capitalism", "Generation Maybe"). This isn't anything you haven't heard before, but these guys pull off the textbook Cali-punk sound exceptionally well. There will always be a place for punk bands like this one that bring tremendous conviction and genuinely strong melodies to the table. And at a time when the world needs punk rock anthems more than ever, Gulag Beach sure endeavors to write them. These songs ought to get you fired up to take on the powers that be or...at least jump in the circle pit. Another excellent release from Rockstar! 



-L.R.

https://rockstarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/potato-mash-bash 
https://gulagbeach.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/gulagbeach/ 
https://www.facebook.com/rockstar.empire  

Neighborhood Brats - Night Shift

With Neighborhood Brats being one of the finest punk bands of the early 2010s, it was a major bummer when they announced an indefinite hiatus a few years back. Thankfully that hiatus did not turn out to be permanent. It's with great excitement today that I review Neighborhood Brats for the first time in nearly four years! The band's brand-new EP Night Shift is out on Taken By Surprise Records, and it's exactly what you would expect from Jenny, George, and the gang! What we have here are three killer tracks drawing from that 1977-80 golden age of punk. There's no fooling around here - the band simply kicks ass and leaves you wanting more! With a rhythm section (on this release, bassist Tony Teixeira and drummer Mike Shelbourn) that's fully up to the task, Neighborhood Brats have picked up right up where they left off. You can hear a little more of a Saints/Radio Birdman influence in George's slamming guitars, and that can only be a good thing. Jenny, as usual, sings with a power and conviction perfectly suited to the band's blistering attack. "Comfort Women" is the highlight for me - a powerhouse track that rails against the patriarchy both past and present. This is a true punk anthem for our times, and I hope people everywhere will be blasting it loud and heeding its message.

Night Shift is everything I could have hoped for from a new Neighborhood Brats record. If you like aggressive but tuneful punk music, you just won't find anything better. In celebration of the band's return, Taken By Surprise Records has also re-pressed the band's classic 2013 EP Total Dementia (arguably its best record!). The band will be touring Europe in April and May in support of both of these new releases. Click here for tour dates!



-L.R.

https://takenbysurpriserecords.bandcamp.com/album/night-shift-7 
https://neighborhoodbrats.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/neighborhoodbrats 
https://www.facebook.com/takenbysurpriserecords/ 

Black Mambas - Moderation

Oh boy! A terrific year for punk albums just got even better with the arrival of Black Mambas' second LP. The L.A. foursome has again worked with producer Johnny Witmer - a man who knows a thing or two about high quality pub punk rock n' roll. At just eight tracks, Moderation is an all-thriller, no-filler affair that marries a classic '77 punk sound to high-energy, Chuck Berry inspired rock n' roll. You might see the "punk rock n' roll" description and expect something straight out of the '90s. So it's a really cool twist that Black Mambas are so indebted to first wave punk. My first impression of this band was that they sounded like a cross between Teenage Head and the Buzzcocks circa Spiral Scratch. Does that sound like something I'd be into? You're goddamn right! The lead guitar work is as ripping and rocking as you would expect it to be, and the energy level comes out at a 10 and never lets up. You can really tell that the band made every effort here to duplicate the feel of their notoriously wild live shows. But the songs themselves stand up too - with quality hooks and sing-along choruses that continually make me wanna get off my ass and thrust my fist in the air. What an incredibly fun record! I always love a band that understands that you don't have to reinvent the wheel. With any pretense of originality thrown out the window, Black Mambas are free to focus on just playing exciting rock n' roll. If you love the first Boys album, pub greats like Eddie and the Hot Rods, and Witmer's mighty Crazy Squeeze, Moderation is well worth picking up from Disconnected Records. It leaves me wanting more, which is exactly the way I like it!



-L.R.

https://blackmambas.bandcamp.com/album/moderation-2 
https://www.facebook.com/blckmambas 
https://disconnected-records.bandcamp.com/ 
https://disconnected-records.com/ 

Suspect Parts - Self Titled

After a decade as a band, the international supergroup Suspect Parts finally has a full-length album to its credit.  And it's an absolute must-buy if you're a fan of powerpop/punk! The band is Justin Maurer (Clorox Girls, Maniac) and James Sullivan (Ripchord) on guitar and vocals, Chris Brief on drums, and Andru Bourbon (Radio Dead Ones) on bass. With Maurer's name on this project, you would not be wrong to expect music influenced by the poppier side of first wave punk rock with a particular emphasis on southern California. But this band is a true collaborative effort that highlights the talents and influences of all of its members. Musically and lyrically, Maurer and Sullivan both bring phenomenal songs to the table. And all in all, Suspect Parts really set themselves apart from most of the bands playing this kind of music today.

Suspect Parts describe their music as "a cotton candy meets razorblade concoction that goes down surprisingly smooth". If you're thinking that sounds like something I'd be totally into, I'd say you're very correct! But while Suspect Parts completely hit the sweet spot for powerpop/punk, they bring something really unique to the style. They're far more '60s-inspired than just about any band you'd think to compare them to, and they manage to take all of their influences and bring them into the now. Out on Taken By Surprise Records in Germany and Oops Baby Records in the U.S., the band's self-titled debut LP is without question one of this year's finest. The album sets a tone with a terrific 1-2-3 punch of textbook powerpop/punk ("Madmen With Guns",  "Electrify Me Honey", "Live Over There"). But just when you think you know exactly what this record is going to be, it starts to take wonderfully surprising turns. "Alright With Me" and "Run For Your Life" dial back the punk influence and prove that Suspect Parts can craft finessed pop songs as well as anyone. The latter just might be the high point of the album - a song that manages to feel epic even with a running time under three minutes. "Change Your Mind" is a perfectly executed stab at a punked-up Beatles, while "Out of Place" delivers the heart-racing jolt you'd hope to get from a band with a Briefs and Clorox Girls pedigree. And "No One From Nowhere" has a neat new wave vibe and features some of the most honest and powerful lyrics I've heard in quite some time.

Two Americans, a Brit, and a German walked into a recording studio on a sub-freezing January day in east Berlin: sounds like the start of a joke, right? But actually it was the start of something special. I would imagine it's difficult for a band to get together when its members are separated by oceans. But I'm glad these gentlemen went to the trouble to get an album made. This release may have been a long time in the making, but it sure delivers the goods! Is this punk rock for people who love pop, or is it pop for people who love punk rock? I'm not quite sure! Those of you in Europe should be sure to catch the band on tour beginning tomorrow!



-L.R.

https://takenbysurpriserecords.bandcamp.com/album/suspect-parts-lp 
https://oopsbabyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/suspect-parts 
https://www.facebook.com/SuspectParts/ 

New Maniac 7"!

Hey! How about a brand spanking new 7" record from one of the best bands in the powerpop/punk universe? Maniac, L.A.'s favorite gentlemen punks, authored one of the finest albums of recent memory in 2014's sizzler Demimonde. And the singles they've released since then just keep getting better. New 7" "Midnight Kino", issued by Modern Action Records, continues in the band's signature style. The title track is a fast and frantic stormer with top-tier hooks and wonderfully strange lyrics that I can only describe as genius. While by no means the only band walking the fine line between first wave punk rock and the herky-jerky new wave of the same period, Maniac always manages a fresh take on these classic sounds. Zache Davis is one of the most underrated songwriters out there, and James Carman is an absolute ball of fire on drums. I also love the way Andrew Zappin and Justin Maurer combine their talents on guitar. If Wire crashed a party thrown by the 1977 Ramones, it would sound like the last 45 seconds of "Midnight Kino".

On the B-side, "Precision Accuracy" slows the pace a tad and really lets those melodies breathe. The guitars are as punchy as ever, but you can really hear some '60s California pop sensibilities bubbling under. I'm reminded just a little of L.A. Drugz - which is hardly a surprise given the incestuous relationship between the two bands (now featuring three members in common).

Last year, I credited Maniac with having one of the most outstanding singles of 2015. Take it to the bank that the band will also be in the running for top single of 2016!



-L.R. 

http://wearemaniac.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/wearemaniac 

New Radiohearts EP!

What's this? A new post?! I bet you thought I'd died! It has been 16 days since my last review, and since then I've been inundated with schoolwork, occupational duties, grueling workouts, etc. But I did want to sneak in a quick write-up on the awesome new Radiohearts EP - which you can order from No Front Teeth Records or download directly from the Long Beach foursome's Bandcamp page. I had many good things to say about Radiohearts' last EP in 2014. But Lot To Learn, their newest release, is even better! On these four tracks, the band could easily pass for some forgotten sensation of first wave U.K. punk. But while you the influence of certain bands (Clash, Buzzcocks, Generation X) is palpable, Radiohearts don't sound like they're trying too hard to be those bands. They have their own sound, and I love how their songwriting is clearly informed by power pop but still unmistakably in the corner of '77 punk. Lot To Learn comes on with buzzing guitars, meaty bass lines, and hooks that just can't be denied. These four songs will have you bobbing your head and tapping your feet in no time, and the feel of the production/recording is spot-on for a punk rock record. This is pop-savvy punk music with some real bite to it, and you probably could convince your friends that this EP was originally released by Raw Records in 1977! If you, like me, believe in the eternal glory of the sound of '77, Lot To Learn is an essential purchase.



-L.R.

https://radiohearts.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Radiohearts-270582719083/
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/#!product/prd1/4395621941/nftr-155

Maniac is back!

The last time I discussed Maniac, I proclaimed the L.A. band's debut LP one of my top ten albums of 2014. It would probably rank even higher if I had to re-do that list today. That's how much I like Maniac. For the uninitiated, this is the band featuring singer/bassist Zache Davis (Cute Lepers, The Girls) along side Andrew Zappin, Justin Maurer, and James Carman (all currently in the great L.A. Drugz). Maniac had the unenviable task of having to follow such an amazing LP. But new single "Chola Queen", out on No Front Teeth Records, does not disappoint. It's an absolute crackler - and probably the best release yet from this fantastic band. Maniac takes that '77 punk/powerpop thing I'm so into and totally makes it is own - infusing frenetic, new wavey guitars and pushing tempos that will leave you breathless. Few other bands could cover '70s Swedish pop star Harpo and make it sound like one of their originals. "Chola Queen", featuring Davis on lead vocals, is a scorching reinterpretation of Harpo's 1974 single "My Teenage Queen". Oddly enough, this cover tune is the perfect introduction to what Maniac is all about. It's pure energy from the jump, propelled by super-punchy guitars and Carman's exuberant drumming. "Calamine", featuring Maurer on lead vocals, somehow kicks the pace up another notch. There's a cool Clash-y riff at the heart of this tune, and Zappin's guitar solo is sheer perfection. If you're having a lackluster day and need a quick jolt of awesome, this song will be good for whatever ails you. It's like aural Red Bull!

Before I sign off, I must mention how incredible "Chola Queen" sounds.  It was recorded by Mark Rains at Station House Studio in L.A. and mastered by Daniel Husayn at North London Bomb Factory. If someone ever asked me to describe the way a punk rock record ought to sound, I'd simply advise that person to go listen to anything that's ever come out of the NLBF studios. This Maniac record would rule no matter what. But that Daniel Husayn magic mastering touch takes it over the top. This is one of your prime contenders for single of the year. It's right up there with the latest from - you guessed it - L.A. Drugz!



-L.R.

https://wearemaniac.bandcamp.com/album/chola-queen-b-w-calamine
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreManiac
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/#!product/prd1/4131898791/nftr-165

Neighborhood Brats nail it!

I have reviewed Neighborhood Brats on four occasions previously - and the last time I ended with the hope that 2014 would finally bring us a proper album from this fantastic L.A. band. Well, sometimes wishes come true! Recovery is the long awaited debut long player from an outfit that quite a few people are calling the best punk rock band out there. I would, on the strength of this album, maintain that Neighborhood Brats are indeed in the thick of the "best punk band on the planet" conversation. Recovery, arriving with considerable expectations, does not disappoint!

What I like about Recovery is that it pushes Neighborhood Brats' sound forward without straying from the band's mission to play straight-up, undiluted punk rock in the style of the late '70s and early '80s. Jenny, George, and outstanding new rhythm players Mike Shelbourn (drums) & Dan Graziano (bass) don't mess much with a successful recipe. Seven of 12 tracks clock in at under two minutes, and no song exceeds three minutes. The band for the most part continues to play aggressive and powerful punk rock, and Jenny remains a dynamic force on vocals. But compared to the band I first heard three years ago, this incarnation of Neighborhood Brats sounds far less like a hardcore band - now embracing more of a classic California beach punk sound replete with darker sensibilities and surf-influenced guitar work. Energized by its new-and-improved lineup, the band sounds ferocious and downright inspired on this crackling debut album.

Recovery hits the ground running with "Year Of The Brat" - the kind of mission statement/anthem that most punk bands spend their entire careers trying to write. I've never seen Neighborhood Brats live, but surely this is a song that sends crowds into a frenzy. It's got a chorus you just have to sing along with - and a great message of leaving the past behind, taking control of your life, and just going out and kicking ass. At some level, everyone can relate to that. If you're not turning up the volume and wildly shaking your fist by the end of the song, you may not be human! Seizing the momentum of such a fast start, the band proceeds to rip into high-speed burners like "Boys For 20 Years" and "50 Shades Of Fuck You". Neighborhood Brats have built their brand on fast & furious songs like these - and at this point they've truly perfected the formula. The production really plays up the power of the band's attack - accentuating George's scorching riffs and a veritable neutron bomb of a rhythm section. On vocals, Jenny excels at delivering acidic lyrics with full-on fury. She's especially compelling when the subject matter is intensely personal ("One Wasted Year"). And even at her angriest, she finds clever ways to articulate her rage (the chorus to "50 Shades Of Fuck You" is so priceless that I won't dare spoil it for you).

Recovery, while hardly a complete break from Neighborhood Brats' previous output, does show signs of musical growth. Right around its mid-point, it begins to surprise in entirely pleasant ways. "Suburbia" slows the pace a tad and captures an Adolescents/D.I. style old school punk sound, while "Escape The City" is a surf punk instrumental that would make Night Birds envious. And having loved the band's recent cover of The Go-Go's "Lust To Love", I get a similar vibe from the dark beach-pop of "Painted and Gutted". By the time the band brings it home with a trio of sub two-minute blazers ("The Pharmacy Is Closer Than The Liquor Store" has to be the best song title of the year!), I'm left with the satisfaction of having experienced a truly great punk rock album. It delivers so much of what you were expecting - and does it well. Yet the things about it that were somewhat unexpected do not seem out of place. Recovery captures that signature Neighborhood Brats sound without sounding like a copy of the band's earlier releases. The songwriting and production are the best of the group's career, and all in all this is every bit the amazing record I was hoping for. I'd put it right up there with a lot of the classic albums that surely inspired it. I'm pretty sure, in another 20 years, that more than a few bands will be trying to emulate "that George Rager guitar sound."



-L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/neighborhoodbrats
http://takenbysurpriserecords.bandcamp.com/album/recovery-lp
http://derangedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/recovery-2

Your F & L Crazy Squeeze primer!

If I had to list my top five favorite present day bands, The Crazy Squeeze would definitely make the cut. This Hollywood supergroup was one of the first bands I ever reviewed for this blog, and the ensuing years have brought us a number of fine recordings from Johnny, Frankie, and the gang. Of all the bands out there playing trashy glam/rock n' roll, The Crazy Squeeze to my mind delivers the best combination of amazing songs, musical chops, and devastating handsomeness. Sometimes with "all star" bands, chemistry is a question. But these guys sound like they were born to play together. Admittedly, my Crazy Squeeze coverage has been somewhat inadequate since that first post back in 2011. I reviewed two singles but failed to inform the populace of a debut LP for the ages. I have let you down, planet Earth. The good news is that said LP is still in print and can be yours for just ten bucks. And with a brand-new single on the way, The Crazy Squeeze is again poised for world domination. With that in mind, I now present a complete listener's guide to The Crazy Squeeze. Use it prudently.

"Gimme A Kiss" b/w "I Need A Witness" single (Rapid Pulse/No Front Teeth, 2011) 
The classic debut single featuring Johnny Witmer (The Stitches) and Frankie Delmane (Teenage Frames) on guitar, Chris B. (Richmond Sluts) on bass, and Johnny Sleeper (ex Stitches and Superbees) on drums. The A-side is super catchy punk rock n' roll with the most magnificent guitar hooks this side of Thunders/Sylvain. And with the band being so heavily inspired by the intersections of glam, pub rock, and early punk, the Cock Sparrer cover on the B-side was a perfect choice. And they nailed it! I believe this title is out of print - but you still win since both songs are on the album! 

The Crazy Squeeze self-titled LP (Vinyl Dog/Wanda Records, 2012)
Had I actually heard this release before the end of 2012, it may have been my album of the year. Combining glam, pub rock, and '77 punk influences with power pop hooks and red hot rock n' roll guitar, this is one of the true classic albums of recent memory. It's just pure sonic excitement - and every track is a hit! "Sexual Activity Girls" is so catchy and fun that it ought to have inspired a worldwide dance craze (perhaps it still will). I'm pretty convinced at this point that it's the greatest song of the last ten years. "Boys Are Gonna Be Here Soon" sounds like the baby the Beach Boys could have made with the New York Dolls. "Outta My Head" is one of the best Heartbreakers rips ever. I could go on all day! This album is your pre-game soundtrack for glorious nights of drinking, dancing, and marathon shagging. If you dig the rock n' roll, stop whatever you're doing and go buy this thing!

"Younger Girl" b/w "Terminal Love" single (Rapid Pulse/No Front Teeth Records, 2013)
The long-awaited second single. The A-side is the best song The Boys never wrote, and the B-side is one The Boys did write. Honest John Plain himself guest stars on "Terminal Love"! Both tracks are on the CD version of the album, but "Terminal Love" is not on the vinyl LP.

"Red Rosie"/"The Lonely Ones" single (due out this fall on Pure Punk Records)
Although not yet out on vinyl, this single can be streamed in full over at The Crazy Squeeze's ReverbNation page. This might be the band's best single yet - and the first to feature current bass player, the electrifying Dat Ngo (ex Superbees). "Red Rosie" is a rip roaring shot of glammy boogie woogie with vocals that sound like Wolfman Jack risen from the dead. Taking cues from Mott the Hoople and vintage Bowie, "The Lonely Ones" is a bona fide fists-in-the-air rock anthem. Look for the band to debut it on a nationally televised stadium performance. Okay, I'm just kidding. But wouldn't that be something?

Your one-stop shop for Crazy Squeeze merchandise is http://www.thecrazysqueeze.bigcartel.com/. There you can order T-shirts and all in-print Crazy Squeeze releases. New single is due out in September. Get crazy! 



 -L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/thecrazysqueeze
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazysqueeze
http://thecrazysqueeze.bigcartel.com/

Stitches v. Miscalculations!

Talk about a clash of the titans! I can't think of two bands in the world that are better suited to collaborate on a split than The Stitches and Miscalculations. Musically speaking, they are true kindred spirits. When I heard that they'd done a split, I thought that had to be the best idea since the deep-fried Oreo. So, then...does the actual product (out on No Front Teeth Records) live up to expectations? Of course it does! The concept is that both bands take a signature song of theirs and do it two different ways. There's a "punk" side and an "electro" side to this split - each featuring both bands. And what blows my mind is that I don't necessarily prefer the punk side!

The Stitches' contribution to the punk side is a previously unreleased version of "Automatic" mixed by Pete Dee from The Adicts. Miscalculations answer with "Factory Life" - a great track in an early Buzzcocks meets Warsaw vein. Even if those had been the only two songs on the record, I would have been totally happy. I love this alternate mix of "Automatic", and "Factory Life" is one of Miscalculations' best songs to date. But the electro side pushes this split from good to truly great. Both tunes from the punk side are reinterpreted in a synth-punk/new wave fashion, and it's like they're entirely different songs! The Jet Set electro version of "Automatic" is the closest thing I've heard to The Screamers in a long time, featuring one of Mike's snottiest vocals ever and utilizing synthesizer with the seeming intention of ripping open your eardrums. Brilliance! Meanwhile, "Factory Life" gets an icy Gary Numan style makeover. In art, film, and music alike, I've always been a huge fan of 1970s visions of the future. That's what this version of "Factory Life" reminds me of, especially combined with the stark minimalism of the packaging and artwork. I'm struggling mightily to determine which of the two versions I prefer. Five years ago, I would have picked the punk version just on principle. Today, I'm calling it a tie. Good on Miscalculations for constructing a song that works equally well in both modes!

As you might expect, vinyl copies of this highly collectable split are going fast. So get on it now it if you still need a copy. Having received word that Miscalculations have already completed a second LP, I am understandably psyched! Hopefully we'll be hearing that in a few months. In the meantime, be sure check out their first one if you haven't already!



-L.R.

http://miscalculations.bandcamp.com/album/7-split-with-the-stitches 
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/

Disguster!

Given that I attempted a retirement from writing between late 2007 and mid 2011, I missed a lot of great music while I was out of the game. So one of the things I'd like to do with this blog from time to time is to get caught up on some of the essential stuff I missed. Over the next couple of months, I'll be writing quite a bit about Zodiac Killer Records. Looking at the list of releases that have come out on ZKR in recent years, I definitely put this label among the very best in the punk world. ZKR has worked with everyone from legends like Electric Frankenstein and The Supersuckers to international sensations like Dead Vikings and Sonic Negroes to modern-day greats like The Hitchhikers and Stiletto Boys. I fully support Ron's mission to keep punk music dirty and dangerous. And one of the most representative releases of what his label is all about has to be Disguster's superb 2009 album Not So Sweet.

Disguster is notoriously one of the most acclaimed live bands in southern California. If you enjoy the gloriously unwholesome stylings of the Dead Boys and Dwarves or the classic SoCal sounds of The Humpers and Black Flag, this is definitely a band for you. I also hear strong hints of Bon Scott era AC/DC, which can never be a bad thing. Factor in two killer guitarists, a couple of Hitchhikers, and a creepy degenerate peeping Tom front man named KC, and you've got yourself some first rate sleazy punk rock n' roll! What I like about Not So Sweet is that it takes the wildfire energy the band is known for on stage and finds a way to capture it in the studio. Close your eyes while you're listening to "End of the End", and you're immediately transported to some club or dive bar that's about to have its roof blown off. And while I love the full-on ferocity of this track and the face-smashing cover of Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown", this is far from a one-dimensional record. Not So Sweet finds Disguster working with a number of different tempos and really showing off their songwriting chops. "Feelin With A Dealin" is up there with the best of The Humpers' stuff, while "Secret Shame" is truly a punk classic of its time. And even if you've never ingested an illicit chemical in your life, you'll be hard pressed not to jump out of your seat and shout along loudly to the chorus of "Drugs". It's that catchy.

As the name suggests, Disguster is not a band for the easily offended. If you're ultra-PC or prefer your punk rock to be "nice", you might wanna steer clear. Not So Sweet is appropriately named, and it's darn near a masterpiece of its genre. This is punk music the way it was meant to sound - raw and nasty, with real guts and a sick sense of humor. I'm embarrassed to have been unaware of this great album for so long, but I've been making up for lost time in recent days...with the volume cranked way up! Check out http://www.zodiackillerrecords.com/ for ordering information!



-L.R.

http://www.zodiackillerrecords.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DISGUSTER/97402473773 
http://www.reverbnation.com/disguster 

That's right - a new Shattered Faith 7"!

Here's one you won't want to miss. You've got Hostage Records - hands down the greatest California punk record label of the last 20 years. And you've got Shattered Faith - one of a handful of bands that truly defined the Orange County punk rock sound. Out now on Hostage is just the band's second 7" ever (hard to believe, eh?). It includes "Power To The Kids" - the first new recorded song from Shattered Faith since 1985! That's right: the last time these guys put out a new song, Ronnie Reagan was still president. Some of you weren't even born yet! If you're expecting this release to pale in comparison to the band's prior recordings, clearly you don't know a whole lot about Shattered Faith or Hostage Records. As anyone who's seen the band recently will gladly attest, Shattered Faith is still on top of its game and representing proudly for O.C. punk. It's not often that bands go 33 years in between singles without missing a beat. But this record is classic Shattered Faith all the way. In addition to the aforementioned ripper, you get the "lost" 1981 track "Suburban Boredom" and the previous live-only number "Mirrors Reflection". That signature style is still in tact - driving melodic punk with killer lead guitar work and lyrics that really have some something to say. "Power To The Kids" looks to the youth of today to fix this mess we've made of the world. "Suburban Boredom" is short and scathing and as relevant now as it was three decades ago. "Mirrors Reflection" is upbeat and tuneful and a nice switch-up from the band's more worldly statements. If you read the liner notes, it's obvious how humbled these guys are by all the love they still get from fans after all these years. They are grateful that they are remembered and hopeful that future generations will know of the music they're making now. Shattered Faith waited a long time to get a new 7" out, and clearly they've made the most out of the opportunity. This record, like the band that made it, is pure class. Great songs, great sound quality (it was pressed at the legendary Rainbo Records!). It's limited to 700 hand numbered copies. Get one before this release goes out of print in two blinks of an eye!

-L.R.

www.hostagerecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/ShatteredFaithBand
http://shatteredfaith.bandcamp.com/

Retro Reviews: The Simpletones - I Have A Date

If you start naming all the most underrated and overlooked bands of first wave punk, you turn to southern California and the list starts to fill up fast. While maybe not as good as The Gears, or as important as The Dils, or as influential as The Crowd, Rosemead, California's Simpletones may have been more underrated than all of the above. Among the band's members were Snickers of The Klan, Jerry Koskie and Rabit from The Cheifs, and Jay Lansford of the Stepmothers, Channel 3, and Rik L Rik. Considering that they were kind of precursors to what would be later termed "pop-punk" (albeit with an authentic early punk edge), the Simpletones merit a special place in history. It's absolutely shocking, then, that their music has not been kept in print. Immortalized on Poshboy's 1979 Beach Blvd compilation, the Simpletones are loved by record collectors and original So-Cal punks but completely unknown to the more casual fan. That's a damn shame.

I can't tell you for sure if The Simpletones were an influence on the Descendents, but I'll bet you a six-pack that Milo, Bill Stevenson, et al owned Beach Blvd and played it 'til it wore out. While a number of bands beyond the sea were incorporating melody into the punk rock sound, the Simpletones were one of few American punk groups of their era to be overtly "pop" both in sound and sensibility- wearing a Beach Boys influence on their sleeves and writing songs about girls. But while these lads were typically hormonally-driven teens with designs on the fairer sex, they weren't nice, clean-cut kids…they were punks! If the Beach Boys in the '60s typified the bright sun and innocent fun of Southern California life, the Simpletones were like their wayward sons a generation later – going to school high on drugs, chasing girls of ill repute, and unable to really enjoy the beach because of all the smog polluting the air. And although the band's anthem "California" reads lyrically like an early Beach Boys song, it's sung with such disdain and irony that it leaves no doubt that these kids believed they lived in a shithole. As redolent as "Tiger Beat Twist" and "Kirsty Q" may be of Dick Clark approved teen idol rock n' roll, this was not your grandfather's beach band. "I Have a Date" is so wholesome and cute on the surface, but you just know that this date is going to end not with a kiss on the front porch, but rather with a sordid coupling under the boardwalk or a drug binge at some stranger's house. And like the Ramones, whom they clearly emulated, the Simpletones were not against using the three-minute pop song as a vehicle for twisted social commentary. Note the black-humored environmentalism of "Dead Meat (Killer Smog)" or the way-ahead-of-its-time statement "TV Love".

Released back in 2002, the 22-track retrospective I Have a Date gives you EVERYTHING the Simpletones recorded during their original run – the Beach Blvd tracks, the "Kirsty Q" 45 (which was Poshboy #2 – how's that for historic?!), and all sorts of outtakes, which if not quite first-rate, are still a hell of a lot of fun (e.g. "Nasty Nazi" and a disco rendition of the Dickies' "You Drive Me Ape"). Featuring three different lead singers but held together by Lansford's superb songwriting and guitar work, these songs just sound like late '70s southern California – the half-spoken vocals that manage to convey boredom and anger, the melodic sensibility that's practically imbedded in the Californian's DNA, and the chip on your shoulder that can only come from having to watch entitled tourists frantically descend upon your home turf like they own it. As such, these songs have as much in common with the Adolescents or early Social Distortion as they do with any modern pop-punk band you could name. The best of these songs – "I Like Drugs", "I Have a Date", "Don't Bother Me" – are as classic as anything in the annals of punk rock. Lansford reformed the band a few years ago, and they even released a new album in 2010. But there's nothing like the classic material. Considering that dozens upon dozens of lesser bands have been given the full reissue/anthology treatment, it seems high time for I Have a Date to return to print. In the meantime, happy hunting. Land yourself a copy of the 1991 CD reissue of Beach Blvd, and that will do you almost as well!





-L.R.

The Junk!

I recently declared the Stitches/Gaggers split the punk rock single of the year. Running a close second place is the third 7" from Costa Mesa, California's The Junk - another co-release between Rapid Pulse and No Front Teeth Records. Let me tell you: this record is a monster! I'm talking about a slab of wax so hot that it sold out in just a few weeks (seems to be a recurring theme with this band!). If you can somehow get your hands on a copy of "Society & The Robot", do not pass on the chance! This is a killer single in the classic Hostage Records style - featuring three former Smut Peddlers and Riky Barnes from The Pushers on lead vocals. This is The Junk's first release since Barnes joined, and no doubt the band is sounding better than ever. The title track is a scathing statement on the role of technology and the government in the dumbing down of society, and it absolutely rips. It's textbook So-Cal punk: ferocious and rockin', yet totally melodic and full of fist-pumping sing-along moments. It'll have you longing for 1995, when The Humpers and U.S. Bombs ruled your turntable. I love the added dimension of Barnes's snotty vocals, and the lead guitar work is on fire! B-side cut "The Patch" is another stick of O.C. dynamite that might be even better than the A-side. I don't know. It's a close call. I might have to flip a coin. Given how quickly this band sells out of product, I'd urge you to "like" The Junk over at Facebook to keep up to date on all their future developments. If you're into the So-Cal sound and The Junk is not on your radar, you are seriously missing out. Let's all close our eyes, cross our fingers, and wish for a full album!

https://www.facebook.com/thejunksite
http://www.undergroundmedicine.com/rapidweb/
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/