Hard Action - "Yours Truly"

If you think you know what to expect from Hard Action's new single, you just might be surprised! The Helsinki-based foursome is closely associated with action rock, and you'll still hear punk and hard rock influences coming together on the brand-new 45 "Yours Truly". But this is by far Hard Action's most pop-oriented release to date. Both "Yours Truly" and the B-side "Walk Away" crank up thundering rock with massive FM radio hooks. Think less Hellacopters and more Thin Lizzy or Sammy Hagar! But even on this more consciously pop outing, Hard Action has never rocked harder. Those guitars absolutely blast! The band really benefits from the "bigger" production, and both tracks have me in air guitar heaven as I fondly recall late '70s/early '80s AOR. This is the sound of heavy rock flirting with power pop, and I dig it! "Yours Truly" is limited to 500 copies. Get it today from Open Up And Bleed Recordings!



-L.R.

https://hardaction.bandcamp.com/album/yours-truly
https://www.facebook.com/hardaction/
https://www.discogs.com/label/1652747-Open-Up-And-Bleed-Recordings

Foxycontin - This Time You're On Your Own

Now here's a debut LP that can truly be called "long-awaited"! Philadelphia's Foxycontin formed in 2003. Out now on Sister Raygun Records, This Time You're On Your Own is Foxycontin's first album after nearly 18 years as a band! This foursome features some big names from the Philly underground rock scene. Richard Kaufmann (The Electric Love Muffin, Rolling Hayseeds) is on vocals and guitar. Michael Barndt (Krhissy) is on drums. Over the years, Kauffman has been associated with musical styles as differing as pop-punk and country rock. Foxycontin definitely leans more towards the former - blending the influence of Stiff Records pub rock/power pop with the pop-leaning side of '70s punk and a little garage rock. This merging of styles really works well. If you like pop and you like punk but have had your fill of "pop-punk", this album might be exactly what you're craving. 

On record, Foxycontin sounds like the seasoned live band that it obviously is. Its songs are well-crafted, tightly-executed, and bound to stick in your head. Coming on strong with the soulful title track and the Stiff Little Fingers inspired "The Whole World Knows I'll Never Get Over It Now", This Time You're On Your Own will grab you from the get-go and keep you hooked to the end. You would certainly expect a veteran band like this to show a good range of material. And in that respect, songs like "Starting To Show" and album closer "Shiver" are master displays of how to rock with maturity and sophistication. Yet at the same time, this band is not reluctant to lean on the simplicity and pure energy that will forever be the lifeblood of rock and roll. "Alive In Interesting Times" is melodic punk at its most urgent and satisfying, while "But You'll Never Listen" summons the spirit of a young Elvis Costello and The Attractions. "Fine...Fine!" is straight-up garage rock that really hits the mark. On its several cover selections, this album pays homage to significant influences (Nick Lowe, The Sweet) while also bringing attention to some lesser-known but truly great songs. The band's version of the Chris Farlowe B-side "Headlines" is one of the album's highlights. "Junk Passion", another standout track, was written and originally recorded by the very talented (and fellow Philadelphian) songwriter Brian Seymour. While it might be a little unusual for a full third of a band's debut album to be covers, I think it was a smart choice for Foxycontin. It gives the album the feel of a live set, and it really shows off the band's chops (you don't dare cover "Headlines" if your drummer isn't an absolute beast!). 

This Time You're On Your Own was recorded, produced, and mixed by Pete Rydberg at his south Philly studio 1935. Rydberg put his usual magic touch on this album, but he sure had a lot to work with! The material is strong, and the musicianship is lights out! You would expect a lot from a debut album that was essentially a decade and a half in the making. This Time You're On Your Own delivers in full. If you're into great American indie rock and roll bands like The Figgs and The Safes, Foxycontin is highly recommended!



-L.R.

https://foxycontin.bandcamp.com/album/this-time-you-re-on-your-own
https://www.facebook.com/FoxycontinPhiladelphia/
https://www.instagram.com/foxycontinphiladelphia/
https://sisterraygunrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.sisterraygunrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sisterraygunrecords/
https://www.instagram.com/sisterraygunrecords/

TJ Cabot - Dick Charles EP

The mysterious TJ Cabot, now apparently separated from his difficult band mates Thee Artificial Rejects, has returned to the lab for further experiments in low fidelity. This time his mission was to investigate what it might have sounded like if the Ramones had recorded Dee Dee Ramone's song "I Don't Wanna Get Involved With You" in 1975. Great detail was paid to recreating the speed, sound, and general production value of the Ramones' Dick Charles Studio demos (not the easiest thing to do with little more than a state of the art 2010 laptop at your disposal). All in all, it sounds like mission accomplished to me. You could fool more than a few people (perhaps ones in a deep state of inebriation) into accepting this as a genuine '75 Ramones demo. Additional songs like "Let's Get Unaffiliated" and "Sheila's Done Everything (Now She's Done)", were ripped off  written in a similar style and fully fit the Dick Charles theme. Also cool is "Green Tartan Beret" - an homage to Ramones songs such as "Havana Affair" and "Commando". Other tracks fall closer in line with the weirdo budget punk you've come to expect from TJ Cabot. The Afrika Korps and The Penetrators were particular influences on some of these tracks, which is an oddly specific and probably unprecedented pairing of inspirations. While the pop-punk community can get pretty territorial about the Ramones, this EP makes a strong case for the Ramones being just as integral to the identity of garage punk. If you've had your fill of '77-style punk, perhaps you are ready to embrace '75-style punk as the next hot genre. Send TJ  Cabot cards and letters urging him to cover The Dictators!



-L.R.

https://tjcabot.bandcamp.com/album/dick-charles-ep

Hellebores - Hellemenopee

Sydney-based Hellebores give me an '80s/'90s melodic punk vibe on their debut album  Hellemenopee. That makes a whole lot of sense considering that Gina and Glenno from Lawnsmell share vocal duties. Also on board are Jonny T from Chinese Burns Unit and Evan from Amateur Drunks, Obat Batuk, etc. Originally recorded as demos, the 18 tracks comprising Hellemenopee were too good to not be an album. Stamp Out Disco has released the LP, which is limited to 250 copies (50 on red). If you like raw, catchy punk songs with a ton of energy, Hellebores ought to be right up your alley. Call this pop-punk if you like, but be aware that it's just as much punk as it is pop. I can hear the influence of everything from the Fastbacks to Husker Du to good old Aussie punk. This record just makes me smile, and it kind of reminds me of a demo tape I would have totally flipped over back in the '90s. What a fun band. Vinyl available from Stamp Out Disco's Bandcamp!



-L.R.

https://hellebores.bandcamp.com/album/hellemenopee
https://www.facebook.com/Hellebores-2046984372181712/
https://stampoutdisco.bandcamp.com/album/hellemenopee
https://www.facebook.com/stampoutdiscosydney/
https://www.discogs.com/seller/Stamp-out-disco/profile

Rock N Roll Manifesto 7" series Vol. 1

Hey rockers! I've got something really special for you today! You are probably familiar with Rock N Roll Manifesto - the long running radio show which runs Wednesday nights on Real Punk Radio. For now over 500 episodes, Greg Lonesome has been championing the best new punk & rock and roll bands out there (as well as many of my favorite Central PA breweries, but I digress!). He recently teamed up with Sydney-based label Stamp Out Disco to release his first-ever 7" record. Rock N Roll Manifesto 7" Series Vol. 1 is the first in what is intended to be an on-going series of killer compilation records. And what a way to start! Volume 1 features four of the top bands from today's garage/punk/rock and roll universe - several of which I have featured on this blog before. The lineup includes the powerhouse proto punk rock and roll of Portland, Oregon's Tiger Touch, the Detroit rock inspired fury of Minneapolis's mighty Fret Rattles, the sleazy punk rock and roll of L.A.'s JJ & The Real Jerks, and the snotty '77-style punk rock of Adelaide, Australia's Missile Studs. All four tracks are exclusive to this release and have never been issued on vinyl before. Just as importantly, all four of these tracks are absolute rippers. This isn't your usual comp where bands contribute whatever leftover songs they had lying around. I'm especially partial to the Tiger Touch track "Problems", which just about blew my head off. And The Missile Studs' track "Spazz Out" does nothing to diminish this group's standing as one of my favorite new punk bands. It has had me pogo dancing all over the house!

What I love about this first volume of the Rock N Roll Manifesto  7" series is that it shines attention on a cool radio show, a great record label, and four amazing bands. The record comes in a full-color package designed by Rob Sheley. It's limited to 500 copies on three colors of vinyl (opaque red, bone and black), with a lyric insert. It officially releases on September 1st. You can order now from the Stamp Out Disco Bandcamp. You can also hit up these bands individually to order a record - which will help them make their money back. If you are not yet familiar with these bands, I highly recommend checking out their back catalogs via the links below. And for more information about Rock N Roll Manifesto, head on over to the show's web site!



-L.R.

https://stampoutdisco.bandcamp.com/album/rock-n-roll-manifesto-7series-vol-1
https://tigertouch.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tigertouchpdx/
https://jjandtherealjerks.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jjandtherealjerks/
https://dirtyflairrecordcompany.bandcamp.com/album/hey-were-the-missile-studs
https://www.facebook.com/missilestuds/
https://fretrattles.com/
https://www.facebook.com/fretrattlesband/
https://rnrmanifesto.bandcamp.com/
http://rnrmanifesto.com/
https://www.facebook.com/stampoutdiscosydney/

Gallows Birds - "My Lambretta"

Hot new single alert! Arriving in advance of the forthcoming Rum Bar Records release Quaranteenage Kicks, "My Lambretta" is the second single from North Carolina's Gallows Birds. You may know guitarist Travis Woods as head dude at the most excellent Eccentric Pop Records. On their debut 7" from last year, Gallows Birds proved that poppy punk rock could totally kick ass. "My Lambretta" features more of a power pop rock and roll sound. Back when this project was still in the "top secret" stages, Malibu Lou sent me this track and was wondering if I could guess who the songwriter was. I only knew because I looked it up! On first listen, my guess was actually that Gallows Birds had a Boston connection! "My Lambretta" brings to mind the Real Kids or Dogmatics by way of the early Beach Boys. It was recorded under quarantine and inspired by a longing for fun times at the beach. If it doesn't put a smile on your face, I don't know if anything will. The "B-side" is an awesome cover of Graham Parker's "Local Girls". If you don't know the original, please be advised that Squeezing Out Sparks is the best album ever made!

It seems to me that Gallows Birds have a very bright future in the power pop/punk/rock and roll universe. "My Lambretta" could not be any more perfect of a summertime pop song. We all know that this has not been the summer anyone wanted. But there will be magical summers returning eventually, and you know our playlists will be ready! For now, you can still crank this song while you drive the motor vehicle of your choice in solitude and enjoy what's left of the warm weather. Be on the lookout for Quaranteenage Kicks due out this fall!



-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/my-lambretta-b-w-local-girls-advance-single-stream
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

Death By Unga Bunga - "Trouble"

Oslo's favorite power pop arena rockers are back! And isn't that exactly what the world needs at the moment? Out on Jansen Records, "Trouble" is the latest single from the mighty Death By Unga Bunga. "Trouble" is about "all the bad things you do to yourself, because it feels good". Who can't relate to that! In typical Death By Unga Bunga fashion, it's loud, catchy, and a whole lot of fun. This is uplifting music for tough times. When that chorus hits, your own "Troubles" will be temporarily forgotten. This is definitely a summertime anthem that can be enjoyed in all seasons. New album now in the works!



-L.R.

https://deathbyungabunga.bandcamp.com/track/trouble
https://www.facebook.com/deathbyungabunga/
https://www.deathbyungabunga.no/