The Bings - Power Pop Planet (The Lost Tapes)

Here's something you won't come across very often: a new release of early '80s style Los Angeles power pop that's actually from the early '80s! The story of The Bings' new CD Power Pop Planet (The Lost Tapes) is pretty unbelievable. These songs were recorded over 40 years ago. The master tapes, seemingly lost forever, were rediscovered in a bedroom filing cabinet during the 2020 lockdown. The band members, who had long assumed that these recordings had been taped over, suddenly found themselves in possession of a literal time capsule from the golden age of power pop. Around the same time, The Bings' 1981 single "Please Please Please" (the band's only official release) became a hot collectors item on Discogs. With there being renewed interest in the band and free time on people's hands due to the pandemic, the next logical step was to bring these recordings back to life. The original masters were restored and digitalized. And now all of these songs exist as an official release available on compact disc as well as on YouTube and all the major streaming platforms. Power pop fans, lend me your ears! 

The 7" tracks alone ("Please Please Please" and "Oh No!") would justify a purchase of Power Pop Planet. They are bona fide artifacts of classic LA power pop and would fit perfectly on a playlist alongside the likes of The Knack, The Beat, and 20/20. While I'm always eager to discover new bands that sound like this, there's something about a genuine early '80s power pop recording that can never be duplicated. This is, as they say, the real deal. I can't get over how well restored these tracks sound! The album as a whole is very comparable to most power pop LPs released in that era. None of these songs would sound out of place on one of the Valley Girl soundtracks. The wonderful "Don't Stop Dancing" is another A-side worthy cut, while "Close Your Eyes" and "Hold On" demonstrate that The Bings had plenty of solid power pop tunes in reserve. If "Just a Child" sounds like a long-lost new wave hit, that's because it literally is. Elsewhere, the band mixes in some ballads ("There She Goes"), rockers ("She's Got the Power"), and rootsy pop rock numbers ("Billboard by the Highway") to make this an enjoyable, well-varied release. How many hours of my life have I spent combing through record store bins in search of albums exactly like this one? Luckily, you won't have to work that hard to acquire Power Pop Planet. Compact disc and digital purchases can be made through Bandcamp, and you can find the album on just about every streaming site. Follow the links below to read the complete story of The Bings!

-L.R.

https://thebings.bandcamp.com/

https://thebings.hearnow.com/

https://thebings80s.wixsite.com/website

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lvy1LUpHNU4JENejPNdYs-Wrt4KwIHDiw

https://www.facebook.com/thebingsmusic

https://www.instagram.com/bingsband/

https://www.tiktok.com/@bingsband

The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs - One More Drink (Deluxe Edition)

Hot on the heels of the The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs' epic two-disc compilation All The Covers (And More) comes Rum Bar Records' deluxe reissue of the band's most recent studio album One More Drink. Originally released by Dead Beat Records in 2021, One More Drink wasn't just the Cheetahs' first proper album in 20 years. It's also one of the band's very best albums — probably the most essential thing the Cheetahs have put out since the release of Overdrive in 1997. In my book it's the one release that's most representative of what The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs are all about: combining the primordial ooze punk style the band is best known for with elements of power pop and classic hard rock/metal. Lots of bands claim to transcend genre, but the Cheetahs walk the walk on this release. "Ain't It Summer" sounds so much like Cheap Trick that I'm still not sure it isn't Cheap Trick. "Fast, Fucked and Furious" is what you'd call "vintage" Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, while "Bad Vacation" nails that poppy '77 punk sound that I'll never tire of. "We Are The Ones (We've Been Waiting For)" brings to mind the mid-'80s heyday of British new wave/classic alternative. "The Rejected" is old school SoCal punk and even features Rikk Agnew on guitar. "Rumblin' Train" is pummeling Motörhead-inspired rawk at its absolute finest. You'll find yourself wondering if there's anything The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs can't do. And that's just the first side of the album! 

As I listen to One More Drink, two things hit me. One is that The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs are really underrated as songwriters. Songs like "Ain't It Summer," "Bad Vacation," and "We Are The Ones" demonstrate that the Cheetahs' melodic side not only exists but it is also a strength. My second big takeaway is that this current lineup (Frank Meyer on vocals and guitar, Dino Everrett on bass, Bruce Duff on guitar, Mike Sessa on drums, and Geoff Yeaton on sax) is a total powerhouse. As the band embraces its '70s/'80s hard rock influences like never before, it definitely has the chops to pull if off. If you're going to worship at the altar of peak era AC/DC, you better have some monster riffs, killer solos, and tight grooves in your bag of tracks. "Warzone" delivers all of that and then some. As a lifetime AC/DC fan, I happily give this song my seal of approval. The final two tracks of the original LP clock in at a combined 12 minutes, yet there's not a dull second in either song. 

While "bonus tracks" on a reissue can often amount to a whole lot of nothing, the songs newly added to One More Drink make a great album even greater. "Escape From New York City" and "Fuck The Future (I Want Now)" (both from a single released in 2014) are blistering shots of punk rock and roll adrenaline. The Red Kross-ish "Victim of the Service Industry," exclusive to this release, is truly an anthem for these times. Altogether, One More Drink is a perfect blend of punk rock, powerful pop, and kick-ass rock and roll. There's something on this album for everyone. The title track is my favorite song ever from The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs. It features a guest appearance from Dramarama's John Easdale, one of the greatest living songwriters in American rock and roll. It manages to be a little reminiscent of Dramarama's "Last Cigarette" without being a copy. And honestly, that same level of songwriting is sustained all throughout the album. There are bona fide hits all over the place. If you've never heard The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs before, One More Drink would be a fine place to start.

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/one-more-drink-deluxe-edition
https://thestreetwalkincheetahs.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/streetwalkincheetahs/
https://www.facebook.com/TheStreetwalkinCheetahs/
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

Rimmingtons - Rocket To Rimtown

I don't write about pop-punk as much as I used to. Perhaps that's because bands like Rimmingtons set such a high standard that just about anything else in the pop-punk world seems lackluster in comparison. Rocket To Rimtown is the debut full-length album from this Sydney-based trio, and it's a classic pop-punk album all the way. It's Ramones influenced, but it's not "Ramonescore." It's a throwback to '90s pop-punk, but it's not trying to clone The Queers or Screeching Weasel. I'm reminded more of bands like Teen Idols, The Young Hasselhoffs, Darlington, and early Lillingtons. The recipe is nothing new: write catchy three-chord pop songs with buzz-saw guitars and lyrics about girls. Yet somehow Rimmingtons make the formula exciting again. They understand that what they're doing isn't rocket science (no pun intended), yet they also realize what it takes to write a perfect pop song. Rocket To Rimtown is a super-fun album from start to finish. The band's execution of the pop-punk style is powerful & tight, and I love how these songs perfectly mix heart and humor (How can you not love a band that writes a love song to a burger?). "Wasted Time" is honestly one of the best "happy" love songs I've ever heard. There's nothing original whatsoever about Rimmingtons' sound, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment. If Rocket To Rimtown had shown up in my mailbox in 1996, I would have run into the street screaming for joy. I can't do that sort of thing anymore now that all the neighbors have cell phones. The album is available on LP from Endless Detention Records and Hey Pizza! Records, on compact disc from DUMB! Records, and on cassette from Memorable But Not Honorable!

-L.R.

https://rimmingtons.bandcamp.com/album/rocket-to-rimtown-2
https://www.instagram.com/rimmingtons1234/
https://www.facebook.com/rimmingtons
https://www.heypizzarecords.com/product/rimmingtons-rocket-to-rimtown-lp/
https://www.endlessdetentionrecords.com/product/rimmingtons-rocket-to-rimtown-lp/
https://www.mbnhtapes.com/product/rimmingtons-welcome-to-rimtown

Miesha & the Spanks - "It's My Year"

Coming off a single on Reta Records that was one of my favorites of last year, the fantastic duo Miesha & the Spanks is poised to release an amazing new album this spring. And when I say "amazing," I mean minds will be blown. In advance of the album release, Miesha and Sean have unleashed another smash hit single called "It's My Year." With it still only being mid-February, we can all take something meaningful from this song about the endless possibilities lying ahead of us in 2023. And even if you're cynical about New Year's resolutions, you'll find this song's message to be far more universal than that. It seems weird that I'd mention the lyrics first, but I don't think you can separate the music from the lyrics. "It's My Year" is a song about overcoming personal struggles, self-doubt, and that feeling of not fitting in. It starts out with a haunting verse, and then a huge sing-along chorus propels the tune out of the darkness and into the light. What begins as a bummer song turns into an anthem of optimism and determination. This is a theme as old as time itself. But with Miesha & the Spanks selling it, I'm totally buying all of it. Time to break out the bucket list and start checking off boxes! "No, I will not stand in my way" is a valuable mantra for all of us. Perfectly in line with the music and lyrics, the music video tells a story that reinforces the message of the song. If you like heavy guitar garage rock with a punk influence, you're gonna go crazy for the new album Unconditional Love In Hi-Fi (releasing April 14 on Mint Records). For now, enjoy "It's My Year" and remember it's never too late to demand more out of life.

-L.R.

https://mieshathespanks.bandcamp.com/album/unconditional-love-in-hi-fi
https://mieshaandthespanks.net/
https://open.spotify.com/album/4DQqqsHmPELRbUZKFHmORv
https://www.instagram.com/mandthespanks/
https://www.facebook.com/mandthespanks
https://www.instagram.com/mintrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/mintrecords
https://mintrecs.com/

Street Sweeper - Mama I Can't Do No Time

How about another great new band from Australia? Perhaps I need to hold on to the previous sentence so I can re-use it as needed. Something tells me I'll be breaking it out again repeatedly! Street Sweeper hails from Melbourne and has just released its first single — a straight-ahead pub rock banger called "Mama I Can't Do No Time." While many of the hottest Aussie bands of the moment are more on the punk side of things, Street Sweeper leans more in the direction of pure rock and roll on this high energy debut track. On the strength of an irresistible driving beat, a gutsy vocal, and lead guitar work that's pure fire, this tune emphatically announces the arrival of a band that's poised to be a force. The single is available now from Legless Records' Bandcamp as a name-your-price download. What are you waiting for? Go get it! 

-L.R.

https://streetsweeperstrength.bandcamp.com/releases

Moron's Morons - High​-​Tension Situation (Album Premiere)

It is my pleasure to premiere the brand-new (and best-yet) album from Warsaw's garage punk rock and roll destroyers Moron's Morons! Releasing next Friday on Sweet Time, High​-​Tension Situation is an absolute monster of a record which oozes attitude and energy from the first note of "Knife at Your Throat" to the final strains of "You Make My Nightmares Wet." This album delivers everything you've come to expect from a Moron's Morons record: speed, aggression, a killer beat, and lyrics so wrong that they have to be right. The vibe here is a perfect mix of dark and deviant, but the songs themselves never take a back seat to the edginess of the lyrics. Moron's Morons is a freaking great rock and roll band firing on all cylinders. High​-​Tension Situation rolls together all of this band's stylistic influences ('60s garage rock, '70s punk, '80s hardcore, and '90s trash) to create one of the most savagely thrilling garage punk albums of recent memory. Just listen to songs like "Psychosis Diagnosis" and "Fueled By Hate." Those would be ripping tunes even if they singing about weather patterns or cat food. Surely you can surmise that "Possessed To Fuck" is not a ballad. I'm picking up a lot of Damned/old school death punk influence on this record as well, which is especially palpable on the terrific "Nightvisions" and a great cover of TSOL's "Nothin' for You." Sweet Time has graciously provided a full album stream below. Give it a listen. If you like what you hear, you can pre-order High​-​Tension Situation on vinyl or CD. The album will be officially out February 24th! 

-L.R.

https://sweettime.bandcamp.com/album/high-tension-situation
https://www.facebook.com/sweettimebooking/
https://moronsmorons.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/moronsmoronspunk

Dross - Nightmare World

This blog doesn't often live up to its name, but today's post ought to do the trick. You may recall I was crazy about a band called Dead Meat back in lockdown times. The London-based foursome released two great EPs of Bloodstains/Killed By Death style punk/hardcore and then called it a day. Band members Adrian Alfonso and Fisher announced the intention to start another group along the same lines. A couple years later, Dross has emerged from the ashes of Dead Meat. Adrian and Fisher found the perfect partners-in-crime to sustain the musical vision that began with Dead Meat. On vocals is the mighty screamer Paul Froggatt from The Cavemen. Cunha from the brilliant Trash Culture is pounding the skins. On its debut release Nightmare World, Dross kicks up a sound so bleak and ferocious that it makes those Dead Meat records sound like easy listening. Meeting at the intersection of trashy punk and early '80s hardcore, Nightmare World races through ten blistering tracks in less than 19 minutes. Froggatt, one of the most extraordinary punk vocalists of contemporary times, is fully in his element singing these songs about despair, misery, rage, violence, and the utter hopelessness of modern existence. The song titles alone ("End It Tonight," "Drug Fucked," "Losing My Grip," "Hateful Hellhole," "I'm Worthless") tell you pretty much everything you need to know about this album. And in case there was any doubt about Dross's modus operandi, a faithfully raging cover of Tapeworm's classic Killed By Death cut "Break My Face" makes it all crystal clear. Oddly enough, Dross will already be playing its farewell gig in less than two weeks as Froggatt readies a move to Melbourne. Nonetheless, Nightmare World is a thrilling debut that is absolutely for you if fast, scuzzy, and super-intense punk rock gets your heart racing. A vinyl release is coming later this year on No Front Teeth Records! 

-L.R.

https://drossdrossdross.bandcamp.com/album/nightmare-world
https://www.instagram.com/dross.uk/