The sign of a good album is when it reinvigorates your appreciation for a musical genre or style.
Take Fightmilk. No Souvenirs (Fika Recordings/INH Records) is the latest full-length from the Indie/Pop Punk outfit. The songwriting is enticing and clever; satirical at times but not haphazard or misguided.Continue reading
It is not until a band evolves and transforms their sound that they are able to unleash their fullest potential. With their last album Don’t You Feel Amazing? in 2021, British alternative rock outfit Trash Boat proved there was more to them than Pop Punk. With their fourth album Heaven Can Wait (Hopeless Records), the band has found their footing in their own unique blend of Rock, Metal, Punk, and experimental elements, taking the most captivating aspects of each to bring their brutal and contemplative vision to life.Continue reading
Hitching their wagon to both Ska influences and Pop-Punk/Alt Rock proclivities, Rat Boy opts for colorful and lively compositions all across new full-length Suburbia Calling (Epitaph Records).Continue reading
Celebrated Drummer Dale Crover has been performing with the Melvins since 1984 when he replaced founding member Mike Dillard, since then he’s had stints with Nirvana and collaborated in projects such as Shrinebuilder, Men of Porn and Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends. Furthermore, he performs with Redd Kross, and has embarked on a solo career, first with the Hard-Rock flavoured Altamont and then the eclectic, experimental compositions under his own name. Continue reading
This album is a huge leap of change since Fontaines D.C. released Skiny Fia in 2022. Romance (XL Recordings) finds the band wandering out into psychedelic Brit Pop. Drugs certainly might explain some of the changes, though Producer James Ford whose resume includes Gorillaz, HAIM, and Depeche Mode certainly explains the mix and how the sounds are presented here. When it comes to the groove of “Starbursters” it’s hard to argue with the results. This Irish band might have shelved The Clash influence that marked their more post-Punk flavor previously, but this does not feel like they are selling out. Continue reading
If Noise-Rock, and Punk were musical movements built on no more destructive behaviour than a gigantic excess of sugar, and were intrinsically aligned with computer game soundtracks, the world might have many a Melt-Banana. Continue reading
As one of the highest acclaimed modern Pop Punk bands, The Story So Far has set a high bar for themselves to live up to with every new release. After almost six years since their last album Proper Dose proved their ability to go beyond standard Pop Punk, the band is continuing their legacy with their fifth album I Want To Disappear (Pure Noise Records). Continue reading
New Jersey Alt-Rock stalwarts The Early November are back with the obligatory step in every artist’s career – the self-titled album (via Pure Noise Records). Now just a duo, frontman Ace Enders and drummer Jeff Kummer, The Early November seventh record is a distillation of their signature, emo-meets-pop-punk style of alternative rock with its crunchy guitars, polished hooks and introspective, angst-filled lyrics. Continue reading
The latest band to come out of Epitaph Records’ fine collection of artists is Death Lens. With humble beginnings of being essentially a “party punk” band to today, Death Lens have truly evolved into a whole new beast, bringing politics to the forefront of their music, with all that they’ve experienced since beginning the band in the early 2010’s. Cold World is set to be the culmination of that process. “It’s the desire to thrive in a deteriorating world” stated the band. With the genre being as saturated as it is, what can Death Lens bring to the table of Punk?Continue reading
A new Frank Turner album is an event. One of the preeminent songwriters of the last two decades, we greet it with high expectations. Not unlike Buck in the book The Call of The Wild by Jack London, life around us becomes increasingly more complicated and vicious daily. Do we become more savage, or learn to “be more kind?” That is often the only question that needs asking. Continue reading