The New Frustrations - Lifetime

It's hard for me to believe that Plymouth, Massachusetts' The New Frustrations have been a band for 17 years. But the math sure works out! Brian, Rick, and Tom have been through a lot, but they've kept The New Frustrations going through three iterations of the band. Through it all, they've remained one of the most dependable power pop groups out there and one of my favorite bands, period. To say these guys are underrated would be the understatement of the year. The band has had to reinvent itself a little with each new lineup, but fundamentally you know what you're getting with The New Frustrations: well-written, hook-laden pop songs with lots of punch. The band's new EP Lifetime is only its third. If we've learned anything about New Frustrations EPs, it's that they only happen every 7-9 years and always leave us wanting more. Lifetime was produced by the great Dave Minehan, and you can definitely hear his influence on this release. Clearly this was a case where the band and the producer were on the same wavelength, and what results is an absolutely tremendous EP. 

As a lean power trio, Brian, Rick, and Tom have developed a sound of their own. Lifetime mostly leaves behind the '70s punk influences of the band's early releases. The vibe I'm getting from these songs is '80s college radio meets classic Boston power pop. "Won't Let U Down" is rockin' power pop straight out of the textbook. The title track and 'I Can't Be" sound like the best songs Grant Hart and Bob Mould never wrote. "Words You Never Said" recalls the power pop side of The Replacements. "Diane (Happy Hunting)" is a moving character sketch and one of the catchiest pop songs you could ever hope to hear. The surprise track is "Laura," which finds The New Frustrations going all-in on bar band rock 'n' roll. It's a song you never would have anticipated based on the band's previous releases, yet it's great fun and not at all out of step with the timeless garage rock that has reigned supreme in New England for decades. I've been spinning this EP in the car for weeks, and I just can't get enough of these songs. Luckily I've been spared the impossible choice of deciding which songs to embed below. The EP doesn't come out until next weekend, and "Lifetime" is the only track currently available. But trust me: if you like "Lifetime," you'll love the whole EP.  It will be available Saturday on Bandcamp and Spotify!

-L.R.  

https://thenewfrustrations.bandcamp.com/album/lifetime
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2f1ZRhD2EW632ooJxFguv5
https://www.facebook.com/thenewfrustrations/

The New Frustrations: brand-new EP!

So if I had to list my current favorite bands, The New Frustrations would be way up there. The group formed a decade ago when ex johnnies Tim, Scag (RIP), and Brian joined forces with Rick and Tom and rechristened themselves The New Frustrations. I was a huge of The johnnies, and I quickly found that I loved The New Frustrations just as much. In 2006, the band recorded one of the best demos I've ever heard. A debut EP called Power Pop Rocks arrived a year later - although I had fallen off the face of the Earth at that point and was not around to review it. So now, for the first time in ten years, I have the pleasure of reviewing new material from The New Frustrations. Christmas has come early!

The new EP Dee Bacle, released just last week, sounds like it could have come out nine days after Power Pop Rocks as opposed to nine years. The New Frustrations haven't lost the plot at all! They still bring that classic mix of power pop, '70s punk, and straight-up rock n' roll. And while Scag is gone, his presence is still felt through the inclusion of his song "Too Scared To Kiss You". The band hooked me off the bat with "Radio Generation" - a song that celebrates a time when they still played great music on the radio (and laments what a shit show commercial radio has become). Having come of age listening to the radio and buying records in the late '70s and early '80s, I'm always a total sucker for songs like this. It's a perfect mission statement to open the record, and that hook is fittingly radio-worthy. "Right As Rain" follows, and it sounds like a classic Replacements song. You'd think that that sort of tune would be easy to write, but I've not heard it done this well in a long time. Is this the band's best song yet? Maybe! "Not Anymore" is something we haven't heard previously from The New Frustrations but suits these guys so well: kick-in-the-ass rock n' roll with hooks. Reminds me of The johnnies (Duh!). And to close the EP, the band honors Scag beautifully by absolutely crushing "Too Scared To Kiss You". This track is everything that a great pop/punk love song ought to be, and the lyrics are so spot-on that they leave me misty-eyed every time. It's always nice to come across a song that makes me wanna jump out of my chair and pump my fist while I sing along loudly.

I really feel that within the power pop by way of classic punk realm of music, The New Frustrations are one of the very best bands out there. If you're a regular follower of this blog and haven't taken advantage of free downloads of the band's first demo and 7" over at Bandcamp, you are seriously missing out! And Dee Bacle, available on CD or digital EP for just four bucks, is worth every penny and then some. Given the crap year that 2016 has been, 2017 can make amends by granting world domination to The New Frustrations.



-L.R.

https://thenewfrustrations.bandcamp.com/album/dee-bacle
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Frustrations/211400712204920 

The New Frustrations have a Bandcamp!

Hey! I've got something really great for you today! Thanks to the modern miracle of streaming music, I'm re-encountering beloved releases of yore that I feared were gone forever. When I found out that The New Frustrations had put their existing catalog up on Bandcamp, I literally screamed for joy. A decade ago, I viewed this Massachusetts-based band as the best thing going in all of music. Formed from the ashes of criminally underrated '90s punk greats The johnnies, The New Frustrations were the best parts of power pop and '70s punk rolled together in a manner reminiscent of classic Boston bands like the Dogmatics, Neighborhoods, Real Kids, and Outlets. Their demo, titled The Canton Sessions, absolutely floored me when I first heard it ten years ago. Listening to it again today, I totally get why I made such a fuss over this thing! It totally holds up, and now you can download it for any price of your choosing. A band made up of several talented singers and songwriters (including the late, great Mike Scagliarini), The New Frustrations were modest in calling The Canton Sessions a "demo". Each of the five original tracks could have been a single in its own right - and "Way Out" was in fact re-recorded for the band's 2007 debut 7" Power Pop Rocks. The 7", like the demo, is a name your price download over at Bandcamp. All of this music has been re-released in anticipation of a brand new EP from The New Frustrations due out this fall. These guys are the best dudes, and new music from them will put a perfect cap on what has been another tremendous year for power pop. Check out the tunes and stay tuned for more!



-L.R.

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