Mean Jeans - Gigantic Sike

I've reached the point where Ramones-inspired bands are an all-or-nothing proposition for me. Either I totally love 'em, or I am completely uninterested. There's not much middle ground. I've always considered Mean Jeans to be one of the better Ramonescore/pop-punk bands out there, but I must admit that my interest in this trio had been waning for a while. Well let me tell you: just when I thought I was out, Mean Jeans have pulled me back in! Their fourth LP Gigantic Sike (out today on Fat Wreck Chords) is the kind of album that affirms the eternal awesomeness of buzzsaw pop-punk. Singer/guitarist Billy Jeans has admitted that the band "tried to hard" on its previous release Tight New Dimension. For Gigantic Sike, Mean Jeans simplified their approach and just tried to bang out killer punk tunes. What results is an exciting and totally fun poppy punk record - but with a surprising lyrical depth.

What happens to America's definitive party punk band when it's time for responsible adulthood to kick in? That's the general theme of Gigantic Sike. It's a record about the "bleak existence of a party boy", with songs exploring the grave consequences of long-term substance abuse and the loneliness  that awaits when all your old pals outgrow the party-hard lifestyle. On opening track "Party Line", Billy Jeans goes as far as to sing out his actual phone number. The sad twist is that no one's calling. I must say I really love this particular iteration of Mean Jeans. I am notoriously a non-fan of party anthems. But this darker, sadder, and intensely self-reflective songwriting angle is totally up my alley! The "gigantic sike" referenced in the album title is the idea that a band trapped in an identity it never fully intended to create can free itself by playing its entire existence off as a joke. You find yourself yearning to jump in a time warp and re-do the entire past decade of your life. But while this is certainly the most "serious" record Mean Jeans have ever made, they've never sounded more like themselves. They stick closer than ever to the Ramones blueprint - mixing no-frills three-chord slammers ("Stuck In A Head", "Buddy's Leaving") with poppier numbers that'll stick to your skull like glue ("WTF Is Up Tonight", "Time Warp"). These guys really wrote a strong batch of tunes here, and they execute the tried-and-true pop-punk style to perfection. And even with the somewhat bleak point of view, this record won't cheat you out of a Wayne's World reference, a little profanity, and a visit to outer space. This IS a Mean Jeans album, after all!

I would never discourage bands from trying new things and progressing creatively. But I must admit that I'm extremely delighted to hear Mean Jeans embracing simplicity on Gigantic Sike. The aversion I sometimes have to Ramones-inspired bands is that they just make me wish I was listening to the real thing. But a band like Mean Jeans proves that it's still possible to start with a Ramones influence and do something interesting and unique with it. Thankfully, Gigantic Sike doesn't actually void the entire existence of Mean Jeans. It adds a new chapter to the band's story - one I find incredibly compelling. If Gigantic Sike was the first thing you ever heard from this band, it would make you want to hear a whole lot more!



-L.R.

https://meanjeans.bandcamp.com/album/gigantic-sike 
https://www.facebook.com/themeanjeans 

Baby Shakes - "Love Song In Reverse"

It's hard to believe I've been writing about Baby Shakes since 2005! Over these past 15 years, Baby Shakes have become the definitive modern-day power pop punk rock and roll band. And I've become...much older! Having fully perfected its signature sound over three terrific albums and numerous singles, this New York foursome is poised to try some new things on its forthcoming long player Cause A Scene. While by no means abandoning their love for Chuck Berry, the Ramones, and '70s power pop, Baby Shakes have some surprises in store for us on this album. Cause A Scene promises to be a back-and-forth ride through a myriad of rock and roll styles. They've given us a sneak peak with an advance track called "Love Song In Reverse". This isn't so much a love song as it is an anti-love song - a snappy rocker with sweet hooks and some not-so-sweet lyrics. I find the idea of a love song in reverse to be a pretty neat concept. The heartbreak is not something that's eventually arrived at - it's promised right off the bat! Propelled by a bad-ass, surf-tinged riff and the instantly memorable lyrical couplet "You're outta your mind/Don't put your heart on the line", "Love Song In Reverse" sounds like the song of the summer for an eternal 1980. Ya gotta love it. And you gotta be stoked for the full album! It releases September 20 on Baby Shakes' own label Lil' Chewy Records!



-L.R.

https://babyshakesny.bandcamp.com/ 
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/babyshakes3 
http://baby-shakes.squarespace.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/babyshakesny/ 

The Battlebeats - self titled

I can always count on Alex Kish to know what I like! On his recommendation, The Battlebeats sent me their debut EP. I pushed play and was immediately blown away! I suppose "their" is a misleading pronoun since The Battlebeats are actually just one guy. His name is Andresa, and he hails from Bandung, Indonesia. Andresa recorded this debut using only a Jaguar guitar through a 15-watt amp, floor-snare, and tambourine. On a regular basis since I started this blog, I have complained about all the modern-day garage punk bands that are neither garage nor punk. Well, my friends, The Battlebeats are garage punk the way it ought to be! Teengenerate is a huge reference point here, and how can you go wrong with that? Fifi gave Andresa the band name, and Fink gave him permission to cover the classic track "Dressed In Black" (the greatest garage punk song ever made!). In keeping with the spirit of raw and wild lo-fi trash, four of the five original songs here were written within five days of the recording session! From the moment I heard Andresa scream "Are you ready to rock and roll, motherfucker?!" at the beginning of "You Stabbed Me In The Back", I knew this EP was going to be great. Andresa tears through these songs with an energy and attitude that are off the charts. The '90s budget punk influence is undeniable, but I'm also picking up old school '60s garage rock vibes on tracks like "I'm A Piece Of Shit". Don't let the "one man band" thing scare you off. It would ordinarily take at least three people to kick up a racket this raucous! If you long for the days when the likes of Teengenerate and The Reatards reigned supreme, The Battlebeats will be music to your ears. Don't let me catch you playing this at a low volume!



-L.R.

https://thebattlebeats.bandcamp.com/album/the-battlebeats 
https://www.facebook.com/thebattlebeats 
https://www.instagram.com/thebattlebeats/ 

Indonesian Junk - "City Lights"

It's always a damn good day when I can talk about new music from one of my favorite bands! Milwaukee-based trio Indonesian Junk has been a mainstay on this blog for five years now and would definitely make my top ten list of present-day bands. Malibu Lou and Rum Bar Records have been all over IndoJunk from the start - releasing both of the band's albums as well as last year's wicked good digital EP Darkness Calling. A new album titled Spiderbites is due out on Rum Bar next month, and its lead single "City Lights" releases today. What can I say about this song other than that it's vintage Indonesian Junk and absolutely killer? It's perfect glammy pop with hard-rocking riffs and a whole lot of sleazy punk swagger. When Daniel James opens his mouth to sing, you know exactly who you're listening to! The band channels everyone from Stiv Bators to The Only Ones to The Replacements on this mid-tempo rocker. It's just a top-notch tune. That chorus will stick in your head upon first contact, and that guitar solo is pure fire!

After hearing the Darkness Calling songs last year, I asked myself, "Is it possible that Indonesian Junk is getting even BETTER?" I'd say it's very possible! Spiderbites looks to be the band's best album yet! Pre-order link is up now over at Rum Bar's Bandcamp. And if you enjoy going out to see high quality live music, you might want to check out Indonesian Junk on one of the tour dates listed below. Now excuse me while I go crack open a cold one and play "City Lights" on repeat for an hour!

THU 8/22 - Milwaukee, WI (High Dive)

FRI 8/23 - Chicago, IL (Liar's Club)

SAT 8/24 - Indianapolis, IN (Healer)

FRI 9/20 - Green Bay, WI (Lyric Room)

SAT 9/28 - Milwaukee, WI (Circle A) (Spiderbites release party)

FRI 10/4 - Racine, WI (Evelyn’s)

SAT 10/5 - Detroit, MI (Outer Limits)

MON 10/7 - Cambridge, MA (Charlie's Kitchen)

WED 10/9 - Washington, DC (Slash Run)

THU 10/10 - Baltimore, MD (The Crown)

FRI 10/11 - Richmond, VA (Fuzzy Cactus)

SAT 10/12 - Cincinnati, OH (Northside Yacht Club)

SUN 10/13 - Columbia, MO (PDM)



-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/spiderbites
https://indonesianjunk.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/indonesianjunk/ 
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords/ 

Johnathan Pushkar - "Isabella"

It's been only a little over a month since the legendary JEM Records signed up-and-coming power pop sensation Johnathan Pushkar and released the underground smash single "The Girl Next Door". In advance of Pushkar's forthcoming debut album Straighten Up (due out September 27th), another single called "Isabella" has arrived. What "Isabella" makes clear is that "The Girl Next Door" was no fluke! Johnathan Pushkar is the real deal - a natural born pop craftsman with a flair for melody and a knowledge of music history far more thorough than you might expect from any 23-year-old. The music video for "Isabella" (embedded below) really does a fine job of conveying what Johnathan Pushkar is all about. This guy is a true believer in the timeless art of the three-minute pop song. And in these times of cynicism and casual hookups, he's proving that there's still room in this world for us romantics! There's an innocence and genuine sweetness to his persona that seem to come from another time. Yet these qualities don't seem outdated so much as they seem worthy of resurgence. Let someone else reinvent the wheel. Meanwhile, Johnathan Pushkar will set out to craft perfect melodies and write lyrics that give us the warm fuzzies. Just wait until you hear the full album!



-L.R.

https://www.facebook.com/JohnathanPushkarMusic/
https://www.facebook.com/Jem-Records-607560186079388/ 
https://ampl.ink/goqBp 

Trampoline Team - self titled

Here we go! I've been dying for a new Trampoline Team full-length ever since the New Orleans trio released the absolutely raging "Drug Culture" single a couple years back. In my book, "Drug Culture" is one of the top ten punk singles of the current decade! And now we get a full album in a similar vein - a self titled smasher out on HoZac Records. This is Trampoline Team's first album in four years, and it's a total ripper! Blurring the lines between early '80s hardcore and snotty low-budget trash, these 12 tracks hearken back to garage punk's later '90s glory days. The songs are short, snappy, and as subtle as a punch in the mouth. I know it's always a reviewer cliche to refer to a band as a "breath of fresh air". But can you possibly deny that this is exactly the kind of record we need more of in 2019? This is punk music the way it ought to be: raw, blistering, and exuding fuck-you attitude! If you're looking for a punk rock record that'll get your toes tapping as you revel in your contempt for everyone and everything that pisses you off, this album ought to spark your joy. Highest recommendation!



-L.R.

https://trampolineteam.bandcamp.com/album/trampoline-team
https://www.facebook.com/trampolineteamm/
https://hozacrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/hozacrecords/

Flashlights - Shadows and Lights

Secret Mission Records has been bringing music from some of the best bands in Japan to American shores for a number of years now. That very much continues with the vinyl release of Flashlights' acclaimed full-length Shadows and Lights. This Tokyo foursome plays indie pop with a tremendous Japanese punk pedigree (members of Rock-A-Cherry and The Knocks are involved). Originally released on CD in 2016, this album has been remastered for vinyl by the one-and-only Jeff Burke. Who do Flashlights sound like? Well they don't really sound like any other band, and that is part of what makes them great. They can go from jangling, twee-ish pop to moody indie/punk - sometimes within a single song! Listening to the bittersweet punky pop of "Midnight Carboy", you could understand why Jeff Burke would "get" this band. Yet for the most part, this album follows a path that is impossible to pigeonhole. It's not quite power pop, but I think power pop fans would dig it. It's not quite punk rock, but the punk influence is quite palpable (especially on a song like "Neo City"). It sounds completely original, yet it still satisfies in a way that only a really good pop record can. The sequence from the haunting "Stormy Night" to the easy, breezy "Time" to the Velvet Underground influenced "Shadows" is the perfect encapsulation of this album's appeal. This really is one of those releases that stands out from the pack - not just because it's different, but also because it's so well-done. The songwriting is brilliant, the guitar work is exceptional, and the vocals are overflowing with charm. Flashlights are one of the most celebrated underground bands in Japan today, and now you have the chance to find out why. If you like what you hear, you'll want to pounce on the vinyl. Only 500 copies were pressed, and less than half of those made it to the U.S.A. You know what to do!



-L.R.

https://secretmissionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/shadows-and-lights 
http://www.secretmissionrecords.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/secretmissionrecords/