Sunday, August 31, 2025

Trevor Blendour - Breaking Up


Three years ago, Trevor Blendour released one of the greatest power pop albums of recent years, and not nearly enough people noticed. Now he's back with his second solo album that finds him again exemplifying what pure pop music ought to be. Breaking Up, like its predecessor Falling In Love,  combines the spirit and sound of 1950s & early '60s pop and rock 'n' roll with the energy and attitude of pop-punk and power pop. It's hard to clearly define where this music fits in today's scene, and that's why I love it. It sounds like the music your parents or grandparents grew up on, yet it's not trying to be retro or kitschy. As a person who has loved pop-punk my entire adult life, I can say this album represents just about everything I've ever loved about the genre. Yet I could imagine people who usually hate pop-punk being really into this album. Trevor Blendour is a master at writing melody-and-harmony driven, two-to-three minute songs about love and heartbreak. Whether you call it power pop, pop-punk, or simply rock 'n' roll, it can't be denied that this is a timeless art form. He also writes some of the smartest, funniest, and most brutally honest lyrics you'll ever have the good fortune to hear. 

The title of this album suggests that it pairs well with the last one, and I would absolutely say that any fan of one would also be fan of the other. But Breaking Up is a big step forward from its predecessor. Every single one of these songs is an absolute gem. In addition to the expected love songs, there are several very personal songs — including a few where Trevor sings openly and honestly about his blindness. "Totally Blind" is such a powerful song because it's so deeply heartbreaking yet delivered with wickedly self-deprecating humor (the lyrics are so amazing that I won't even dare to spoil them for you). "I Don't Want To Rock" is an honest and unflinching reflection on what it's like to be in a hopeless place in your life. "No One To Love" articulates things I've felt so many times in my life but could never properly put into words. "Sucks to be Me" is the kind of song you almost feel bad laughing at until you realize that the whole point is that you're supposed to laugh. Certain things in life are so hard to face that they'd totally destroy us if we couldn't find the humor in them. 

If we're talking about the finest songwriters currently working in the pop-punk/power pop universe, Breaking Up makes it clear that Trevor Blendour belongs in that conversation. So much of the talk about him centers around his influences, but it's his formidable talent as a singer, songwriter, and storyteller that makes his music so enjoyable to listen and so easy to like. Breaking Up is that rare album that could appeal to music lovers ranging in age from 9 to 99. It's a perfect pop record and is sure to land a spot in my year-end top ten. It's streaming now at the usual places; click here to buy a CD or digital download.


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Friday, August 29, 2025

Snakeheads - Belconnen Highs


Now this is what I'm talking about! Belconnen Highs is the posthumously released album from Snakeheads, and it's the epitome of thrilling, high energy punk rock from the old school. Snakeheads were formed in 2016 by James Roden and Pete Lusty, who were high school mates in Canberra and friends for over 35 years. The two played together in Morticians and The John Reed Club, and they both went on to great success in the Aussie music scene. Roden was in City Lights, and Lusty founded Ivy League Records in addition to managing bands such as The Vines, Jet, and Empire of the Sun. Roden and Lusty eventually reconnected and again started playing music together — purely for the joy of it. They set out to play the kind of music they loved when they were 15. Lusty died of very aggressive lymphoma in 2020, and Roden decided that the album the two had started working on together needed to be finished. With the help of Kit Warhurst (drums), Graeme Stanley Trewin (drums), and Harry Roden (bass) as well as producers Wayne Connolly and Jason Whalley, Roden has seen the project through over a period of five years. What results is something truly special — and a tremendous tribute.  

Belconnen Highs is everything it was intended to be. It's the creation of two kindred spirits who shared a love for The Clash, The Jam, Stiff Little Fingers, The Who, and the classic Aussie garage rock of the 1980s. Roden and Lusty, with all the accomplishments they had had in the world of music, just wanted to take it back to where it had all started at Belconnen High School all those years before. If you remember what it was like to be a kid and discovering punk rock for the first time, this record will give you all the feels. Of course there are still bands who make music in the style of 1977 punk rock, but this feels like the real deal. It's not just that they captured the spirit of pure, unadulterated three-chord punk rock 'n' roll. It's also that the songs are absolutely brilliant, and the production is truly perfect. Sometimes punk groups lose a little of their edge when they go from the stage to the studio, but Belconnen Highs practically explodes from your speakers with a raw energy that's truly infectious. These are songs you can crank loudly as you exuberantly shout along and pogo around the house like a maniac. Tracks like "Smash Hits," "Shit I Don't Have Time For," "Top of the Pops," "Exocet," "Cheap Thrills," and "Love My Friends" are veritable jolts of energy that you will have you fired up to take on the world. This is one of the best punk LPs I've heard in recent years and certainly one of my favorite albums of 2025. 

It certainly could not have been easy for Roden to finish this album after Lusty's passing, but his persistence and dedication have culminated in something quite extraordinary. The magic you can hear on Belconnen Highs dates back not just to 2016 but to the early '80s. It's a magnificent tribute to Pete Lusty and a wonderful celebration of friendship, punk rock, and friendships that form because of punk rock. These songs deserved to live on, and now they will. Vinyl is available now from Cassell Records/Impressed Recordings!

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Tin Foil - "Sadonka" (Video Premiere)


Detroit's Tin Foil has a new album out today on Almost Ready Records and Sweet Time Records along with a brand-new music video for the track "Sadonka." The album is called Chicken Sandwich, and it's the band's third full-length. The album title was inspired by what the band members ate for lunch every day when they were recording it! This record was literally powered by Nashville hot chicken sandwiches! As you may have surmised, simply Googling "Tin Foil Chicken Sandwich" is not likely to lead you to much information pertaining to this record. Thankfully, the music speaks for itself. I am delighted to premiere the "Sadonka" music video. When I first heard this track, I couldn't quite put into words what I was hearing. But I knew I liked it! This song brings to mind old school Midwestern proto-punk but with a more modern, slacker-ish edge to it. It's weird in a way that's genuinely endearing and noisy in a way that's pleasing to the ear. In all the best ways, Tin Foil sounds like a band from Detroit ought to. If you dig this song, you will certainly want to check out the whole album (which totally rules).  You know Sweet Time never puts out a bad record!

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Sunday, August 24, 2025

Norcos Y Horchata - "Carbondale"

With a lot of bands that have an album coming up, I might wait for the album to actually come out before I write anything. But come on: we're talking about freaking Norcos Y Horchata, one of my favorite bands. If they released the soundboard recording from a live performance in an Arby's parking lot or a cover of the Vernors ginger ale radio jingle, you know I'd be reviewing it. It's actually a poorly-kept secret that you can go listen to precious little album on Bandcamp already. But the official release date is September 5th, and that's when I'll review it. Today I want to talk about "Carbondale," the closing track on the album and the second single in advance of its release. It's a love note to Carbondale, Illinois and more specifically The Lost Cross House — the oldest punk house venue in America. The band had a memorable gig in that "dark and sweaty basement" a couple tours back, and it has been immortalized in this song. I love that the song celebrates not only one particular show but also the lifestyle choice of being in a band and going on tours. Why does anyone do this? It's not to make money. It's not to become famous. It's about going out there, meeting like-minded people, and experiencing something magical and intoxicating when crowds connect to your music. Like a lot of songs on the new album, "Carbondale" finds Norcos Y Horchata building and expanding their sound yet holding on to the anthemic punk rock style they're so known for. Pre-orders for precious little album are now open. Take The City Records, Eccentric Pop Records, and Rust On The Blade will be joining forces on this release, which I can assure you will be one of the year's best!

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The Sleeveens - "Downtown"


It would be an understatement to say I had high expectations for a brand-new single from The Sleeveens. Out on the iconic Goner Records, "Downtown" is the Nashville and Dublin–based band's third single and first new release in over a year. One of the most gratifying things about 2024 was to witness the worldwide garage/punk community go absolutely nuts for The Sleeveens. There's nothing better than seeing a band at this level of greatness get properly recognized by fans and reviewers alike. The band's self-titled album was one of the most remarkable debut punk LPs of recent memory, and "Downtown" is absolutely of the same caliber. This was actually one of the first songs Stefan Murphy ever wrote. He released it with his band The Mighty Stef back in 2009. And while that original version is great in its own right, this tune just hits different as a Sleeveens song. So much of the allure of this band is that there's no other group out there that sounds quite like this. You've got the Irish poet laureate of the underground fronting a blistering American garage punk rock 'n' roll band, and it's absolute magic. Eli Steele on guitar, Ryan Sweeney on drums, and Jamie Mechan on bass pump new life int "Downtown" without downplaying the substance and soul of its lyrics. The first verse alone is enough to give you chills: 

You know, the nine-to-five is eating us alive
Eating us alive
We are not kings, we are foot soldiers
On the road to nowhere
This is not the way it was supposed to be
We promised ourselves a revolution
But we ended up walking out in the cold again

I love how the song starts out seemingly despairing, but by the end, it's defiant and hopeful. When Murphy sings, "We're ok, we can roll with the punches any day because we're made of steel, we're made of stone," you'll be ready to run through a brick wall. This, my friends, is a freaking anthem! And very quickly. The Sleeveens are becoming known for anthems! Imagine one of your very first attempts at writing a song being something this profound. And while the song seems particularly relevant in the light of recent events, its message is truly timeless. What a brilliant idea it was to revive this song! On the B-side,  the band does an excellent rendition The Reigning Sound's classic "Drowning." When Murphy was just starting out as a songwriter, he was a massive fan of Greg Cartwright. That influence might not have been palpable in his music at the time. But fate brought him into contact with a Tennessee-based garage band, and the idea of The Sleeveens covering The Reigning Sound was just too perfect to pass up. Suffice it to say that if you consider Greg Cartwright as one of the finest songwriters of his generation, you probably view The Sleeveens as the next great hope for rock 'n' roll. And you'd be correct on both counts.


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Sunday, August 17, 2025

Melvic Centre - Trawler


Some of my influential friends have been touting Melvic Centre's new album Trawler. Having given the album a few listens, I feel compelled to do some touting of my own. Seconds after pushing play, I found myself instantly transported back to the '90s in a way that practically gave me chills. Remember all those old college radio favorites who walked the fine lines between fuzzy alternative rock, emo-ish melodic punk, and noisy power pop? Well that's where Melvic Centre lives, and this Aussie foursome pulls off this sound to perfection. With Melvic Centre, it's not just the vibe. It's also the quality of the songwriting, which is first rate all the way through the album. The brainchild of vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Will Mitchell, Trawler delivers the perfect blend of punchy energy, mellow grooves, and infectious hooks. If you had told me this album was recorded 30 years ago, I would have had no reason to doubt you. Yet I wouldn't describe Trawler as a copy of past sounds as much as I would call it a reinvigoration. Sometimes these younger bands have a way of injecting something genuinely fresh into seemingly tried-and-true musical styles. Coming up with a filler-free 14-track album is a high bar to clear, but I can find no fault with any of these songs. This is that rare modern album that not only reminds you of classics from decades past but can also stand toe-to-toe with them. Hands down, this is one of the year's best long players.

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The Sino Hearts - Mondo Paradiso


Mondo Paradiso, the fifth album by international power pop sensations The Sino Hearts, continues the musical progression that was first evident on 2022's Lightening The Darkness and even more pronounced on 2023's Phantom Rhapsody. With each new album, Mocca Chung's songwriting shows greater development and a wider range of influences without losing its grounding in '70s power pop and punk rock. For this album, he reunited with guitarist Ned Moffit, whom he hadn't seen in nearly two years. The two then traveled to Brescia, Italy to record with the brilliant producer Brown Barcella. With Italian drummer Carlo Manzoni rounding out the lineup, The Sino Hearts created this absolute gem of an album. The band's origins as a straight-forward power pop/punk band now seem like light years away. As much as I like those early records (Leave The World Behind and Mandarin A Go-Go), this is clearly a case of a band that has benefited from finding its own identity and sound. 

While it's a power pop record at its core, Mondo Paradiso does not limit itself to any particular genre or defined musical style. Like the two albums that preceded it, this one seems to effortlessly merge the world's of power pop, post-punk/new wave, and modern rock. Also in the mix are a love for '60s pop, garage & surf rock, and even some Chinese and Italian pop. That's a unique blend of musical inspirations, and it all comes together in a way that's cohesive and satisfying. Even as he has matured and evolved as a songwriter, Mocca Chung has held to an approach that's melody-driven and very much rooted in pop classicism. He's taking inspiration from the past but truly aspiring to make something new, and Brown Barcella was certainly the perfect producer to guide the process. Even when it leans into '60s grooves, Mondo Paradiso sounds perfectly in place with the best of today's garage pop. Sonically, there's a sunny warmth to these recordings that really fits the material. "Taste of Romance" is dreamy pop bliss. "Dragon Lady," with its mix of surfy guitars, '80s synths, and power pop energy, encapsulates what The Sino Hearts are all about. "Revolver Club Stomp" is a throwback to the Badfinger/Big Star heyday of power pop. "Arkansas Valentine" is a pretty ballad — the kind of song that is becoming a Sino Hearts specialty. On "Viva La Heartbreak" and "Teenage Hearts," you get classic power pop and punk-pop, respectively. "Love Is Like a Catwalk" and "Whatever Is All the Time" show a softer touch, highlighting this band's flair for pure melodious pop music. "Peking Bikini" and "朝日総動員" close the album with a double shot of adrenaline, proving that this band can still rock with the best of 'em when it wants to. 

The secret for a band like The Sino Hearts (or any band in the punk/power pop neighborhood) is that you can keep growing and evolving your sound without having to throw out what already works well. With these last three albums, The Sino Hearts haven't lost anything that was appealing about their first two albums. They've just added more elements and more influences — and grown more skilled at executing the old elements. If you like this band doing power pop or punk-pop, about half this album will be exactly what you wanted. If you wanted this band to try new things, about half this album will be exactly what you wanted. If you, like me, were hoping for the best of both worlds, Mondo Paradiso is precisely that. This is the best Sino Hearts album by a mile. And even after five albums now, it leaves me hoping for more.


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