The Remote Controls - Too Tough

Out on Mom's Basement Records and Fail Harmonic Records, the latest album from Indianapolis's The Remote Controls brings back fond memories of when I was first getting into punk rock back in the '90s. From the moment I pushed play, I was ready to jump in the pit. Too Tough powers through 14 songs in 25 minutes in a high-speed punk rock style that's truly exhilarating. Not quite pop-punk and not quite snotty hardcore punk, The Remote Controls fall somewhere perfectly in between. This album totally could have come out on Dr. Strange Records thirty years ago! These guys have played shows with Sloppy Seconds, The Queers, Descendents, and Screeching Weasel. Suffice it to say that if you like those bands, you'll love The Remote Controls! This album is relentless in dishing out fast, melodic punk tunes that are plenty tough and catchy as hell. You just don't hear that many bands occupying this lane these days, and these guys do it very well. Excellent stuff from the American Midwest! 

-L.R.

https://momsbasementrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-remote-controls-too-tough
https://theremotecontrols.bandcamp.com/album/too-tough
https://open.spotify.com/album/1ggQfl1my4wkjt2FxP2l3v
https://momsbasementrecords.bigcartel.com/product/the-remote-controls-too-tough-lp-or-cd
https://www.instagram.com/theremotecontrols/

https://failharmonicrecords.com/
https://www.momsbasementrecords.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theremotecontrols317/

The Putz - Ho Ho Ho, Let's Go!

Holding strong to my vow to limit my reviews of Christmas music this year to no more than four, today I fill my third slot with the first new music from The Putz in two-and-a-half years. I'm going to come in under budget! Seriously, there was no way I was going to be ignoring new tunes from one of the best bands in modern-day pop-punk! Ho Ho Ho, Let's Go! is the second in what I hope will be an on-going series of holiday-themed EPs by The Putz. 2018's Mad Monster Party has become my #1 Halloween go-to, and now Ho Ho Ho, Let's Go! offers five great tracks worthy of consideration for my Christmas playlists going forward. The style of the songs is exactly what you'd expect from The Putz: textbook pop-punk done right. And while this is a Christmas-themed EP, it's not annoyingly merry or festive. The title track has all the makings of a new seasonal standard. It revisits the timeless theme of eagerly awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. It's a classically kid-friendly tune that grownups will love too because, hey, a Ramones influence is almost always a recipe for a good time. For those less enamored with the holiday spirit, the cynical "Bah, Humbug!" will hit the spot. "(I Need) Eggnog" is not so much about eggnog as it is about needing a stiff drink to survive the drama and dysfunction of family gatherings. Who can't relate to that? "Mission: Mistletoe" imagines the ultimate boss move: throwing a Christmas party and inviting only girls.  

Ho Ho Ho, Let's Go! is available on limited 12-inch vinyl (in two colors: red and black). And when I say limited, I mean it's almost sold out. Considering that amazing Ricky Racket artwork, I can see why you'd want a physical product of this EP. When it comes to any release by The Putz, the best policy is to buy now and ask questions later. This band hits it out of the park every time. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

-L.R.

https://theputz.bandcamp.com/album/ho-ho-ho-lets-go
https://www.facebook.com/theputzrock/
https://www.instagram.com/the.putz/

Webcam Teenz - M.A.F.

Webcam Teenz have very quietly released one of the greatest trashy punk albums of recent memory. I speak figuratively, since I don't think Webcam Teenz do much of anything quietly. Famously, this foursome is Muncie, Indiana's only punk band. M.A.F. is the band's first album, and it's a true work of garage punk perfection. Drawing equally from the worlds of snotty punk and budget rock, it's full of the simplest, catchiest, and most brilliantly stupid three-chord tunes you could ever hope to hear. The opening title track is an instant classic of Midwestern punk rock, and the rest of the album carries on in the same spirit. This album is tremendous fun. It ought to be played obnoxiously loud while you sit on your porch drinking the cheapest beer you can find. At a time when "garage punk" bands disappoint me nine times out of ten, Webcam Teenz are a true breath of fresh Indiana air. This album could have come out on Rip Off Records 20 years ago! Be very careful when you Google that band name...



-L.R.

https://thewebcamteenz.bandcamp.com/album/m-a-f
https://www.facebook.com/webcamteenz

The Putz - Shut Up!

In my book, The Putz is one of the best pop-punk bands out there. It's been a while since The Indiana trio's last release, the phenomenal Mad Monster Party EP. Billy, Patrick, and Dougie have done us all a solid and made their new EP available as a free download over at Bandcamp. In terms of the pop-punk fan base, Shut Up! has a little something for everyone. It leads off with the upbeat "One and Only", a feelgood love song made even brighter by Cassie Oh's jubilant keyboard contributions. This is my favorite track of the bunch - which is no surprise given the way I lean to the pop side of pop-punk equation. "Suit and Tie" is quintessential buzzsaw pop-punk that reflects on the importance of not wasting your life on soul-crushing endeavors. That seems like a very timely message at the moment. At just 73 seconds, it gets the job done with zero excess. "Shut Up, Kory" is bang-on snotty punk in the Screeching Weasel/Queers vein - something The Putz always does exceptionally well. And of course you know "Swallow My Pride". Sure, you could argue that covering the Ramones is a tall order since it's literally impossible to top the original. But honest to goodness, The Putz do a really cool and satisfying version of a classic here. When I finished listening to this EP and took off my headphones, I shouted "That was fun!" - which I suppose would have been perfectly acceptable behavior if there had actually been another person in the room. But that pretty much sums up this record. It's a blast! Shut Up! reminds me of the days when I would run to the mailbox in hopes that a new 7" from Mutant Pop Records had arrived. If you love pop-punk, this EP will be an absolute treat. And if you don't like pop-punk, there's no way in the world you've read this far! Where did I put my leather jacket?



-L.R.

https://theputz.bandcamp.com/album/shut-up 
https://www.facebook.com/theputzrock/ 

The Fritz - self titled

Not only does Drunken Sailor Records appear to be methodically collecting all of the best punk rock bands (Fashionism and Freak Genes join the roster next month!). It also has the best one-sheet writer in the business in Will Fitzpatrick. He penned a particularly brilliant line for this new album from The Fritz: "The Damned dancing on a circular saw?". Seriously! If that doesn't make you want to listen to the album, I don't know what will! The Fritz hails from the great state of Indiana and features members of Liquids, CCTV, Big Zit, Ooze, Pentas, Scabs, and Pukeoid. Liquids, of course, are already part of the Drunken Sailor family. Now The Fritz joins the fun! If you like Liquids or Drunken Sailor label mates Booji Boys, The Fritz's debut long player should be right up your alley. Think snotty Midwestern punk ripped out hard and fast with trashy lo-fi production. 10 of 12 tracks clock in under two minutes, but don't mistake the band's blistering minimalism for a lack of quality control. These tunes are as catchy as they are raging, and overall this is one of those releases that reminds me why I fell in love with punk music in the first place. Tracks like "Creative Death" and "No I'm Not Alright" accomplish so much in 60 seconds that any further lengthening would seem downright excessive. Drunken Sailor seems to have a particular affinity for these bands that overlap the worlds of garage, '77, and hardcore punk. I'd put The Fritz right there with the best of those. A killer debut!



-L.R.

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/st-lp-2 
https://thefritz1.bandcamp.com/

The Putz - Clinically Inane

The Putz is a pop-punk band for people who love pop-punk. While that might sound like a statement of the obvious, you probably get what I'm driving it. The Putz isn't trying to re-invent a genre of music or mess with a successful formula. If you hate pop-punk, this is not a band that will turn you to the dark side. What the Indiana trio does do is carry the torch for the kind of pop-punk that I (and perhaps you) loved back in the '90s - when every new album from Screeching Weasel or The Queers was an event not to be missed. As far as I'm concerned, the best pop-punk never strays far from the Ramones' master blueprint. Of course that can be a double-edged sword. No one wants to listen to a straight-up copy of the Ramones. But if you can take that basic influence and put your own stamp on it, it's hard to go wrong. The Putz is one of those bands that totally gets what makes pop-punk great. Its new album Clinically Inane is out on Eccentric Pop Records - pretty much THE label for today's premiere pop-punk bands. And with Joe Queer producing the record, you know exactly what's coming!

Clinically Inane is The Putz's third LP and first since 2014. If you were expecting the band to sound older, wiser, and more musically evolved after all of this time, you don't know The Putz! The band is back with 14 more tracks of wonderfully stupid three-chord punk that you'll be itching to crank loud and sing along with. This record is just pure fun from start to finish. And with an average song length of less than 1 minute and 45 seconds, these guys sure aren't messing around! No, The Putz isn't offering you anything new here. But if you have a soft spot for textbook pop-punk executed to perfection, this is the record for you. Billy's vocals are the perfect mix of snotty and likable, while Dougie is one of those drummers who was seemingly born to play this kind of music. And with smooth vocal harmonies being such a crucial component of quality pop-punk, I appreciate that The Putz have those down pat. With material ranging from classic Ramonesy sing-alongs ("I Don't Wanna Go") to upbeat buzzsaw pop ("My Baby and Me") to blistering fuck-yous ("Blast Off!", "Glue Your Mouth Shut") to apocalyptic tales of love ("When The World Ends") to clever odes to dumbness ("My Missing Mind"), this album runs the gamut of the styles and themes that are essential to the pop-punk genre.

If I had heard Clinically Inane when I was 25, I would have run out into the street screaming for joy. The present-day version of myself is only slightly less stoked. This record stacks up quite well with the pop-punk albums I so dearly loved in my youth. While the quantity of bands playing old school pop-punk may have dwindled over the past couple of decades, the quality certainly has not. Good on Eccentric Pop for providing a home for the next generation of true believers!



-L.R.

https://theputz.bandcamp.com/album/clinically-inane 
https://www.facebook.com/theputzrock/ 
https://www.eccentricpop.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/EccentricPop/ 

Thee Tsunamis' debut album!

Out of Bloomington, Indiana come Thee Tsunamis - who've released a debut LP that just knocks me out. Out on Magnetic South Recordings, Saturday Night Sweetheart fully delivers on the promise of a couple of excellent EPs. I always go crazy for these punky bubblegum girl groups, and Thee Tsunamis bring an added element of girl gang street grit. Imagine the New York Dolls if they were all female and managed by John Waters. Taking cues from classic girl group pop and primitive '60s garage rock, Thee Tsunamis fall somewhere in between a punkier Shangri-Las and the second coming of The Trashwomen. And it doesn't hurt that these gals can really freaking sing. If you like girl group harmonies, this album will have you in a state of bliss.

Kicking off with the exhilarant 1-2 punch of "Female Trouble" and "Trash Talk", Saturday Night Sweetheart is one of those albums that hooks you instantly. Two tracks in, you will declare yourself a Tsunamis fan for life. You will want to own everything this band has ever recorded. But it doesn't stop there. "I Know" is the best neo girl group song I've heard in a really long time. "Cry Baby" is transcendent teenage melodrama. "Skip Tracer" and "Shakee Jake" could easily pass for lost tracks from the Girls In The Garage compilations. And when the album closes with a completely unexpected turn into proto-punk, it's a fully pleasant surprise. What can't these girls do?! Their enthusiasm is contagious, and their songwriting chops are truly formidable.

Fun, catchy, and delightfully trashy, Saturday Night Sweetheart is hands down one of the year's best albums. Check it out if you're into garage rock, girl groups, or just great music, period!

  
-L.R.

https://theetsunamis.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thee-Tsunamis/422128274547577 
https://magneticsouth.bandcamp.com/album/thee-tsunamis-saturday-night-sweetheart 
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticSouthRecordings 

Return of The Putz!

If The Putz seems like the perfect name for a pop-punk band, then it makes total sense that this Indianapolis trio has made one of the best pop-punk albums of recent years! Out on Eccentric Pop Records, Knock It Off throws it back two decades to the heyday of leather jacket punk. Building on a foundation of thumping power chords, two-part harmonies, punchy bass lines, and eternal Ramones worship, The Putz prove that pop-punk will never need to be reinvented as long as it's flawlessly executed. Billy, Tyler, and Dougie are one hell of a tight combo, and they bash out those three chords with thundering power and crisp precision. By all means this is a band following in the footsteps of The Queers and Screeching Weasel - a legacy these guys fully embrace without coming off like uninspired copycats.  
Knock It Off is great fun for a couple of reasons. First of all, the energy and enthusiasm of The Putz's buzzsaw attack could win over all but the most fervent haters of pop-punk. And perhaps even more importantly, the material is so genuinely good that refraining from singing along becomes a near impossible task. If you can resist the urge to join the chorus to "That's Okay" or "Lunatic", I might have to ask you to turn in your Chuck Taylors. With songs topics such as fast food, procrastination, crazy girls, and malfunctioning brains, The Putz have clearly endeavored to make a textbook pop-punk record. Yet I don't get the sense that I've heard this album 500 times before. The Putz add their own style to the mix - and there's something distinctly Midwestern about these guys' humor and unpretentious attitude. Even when the influences are obvious ("Two Strikes"), I don't feel like I'd be better off just listening to my well-worn cassette copy of My Brain Hurts.

Sometimes a good record is just a good record, and sometimes a good record makes you want to go out and see a band live. I'd definitely put Knock It Off in the latter category. I can just tell that The Putz are the kind of live band that will put a huge smile on your face. They will be touring extensively across the U.S.A. this month in support of this new album - and you will not want to miss them if pop-punk is your thing. If your record shelf is full of titles by bands like the Riverdales, Teen Idols, and Lillingtons, Knock It Off belongs right there with 'em. Vinyl is limited to 250 copies, so hop to it!



-L.R.

https://theputz.bandcamp.com/album/knock-it-off
https://www.facebook.com/theputzrock
https://www.facebook.com/EccentricPop