Pop punk champion record label Monster Zeros Records are bringing us 3 hot releases for this winter: Neon Bone "Make It Last"Punk pop from Germany with songs going from RAMONES influenced punk rock ("Number One", "I'm Coming Home", "Another You") to 90s sunny pop punk ("I Got A Friend".) You also get to think of... Continue Reading →
Pavid Vermin “The Beach Boys Never Surfed” 7″
PAVID VERMIN is a pop punk from Rhode Island. They start this 7" telling us "The Beach Boys Never Surfed" with good melodies and all the best ingredients you can find in that style. Their sound isn't too polished, which is a good thing in that style! "Give It A Rest" is faster, bringing bands... Continue Reading →
Jagger Holly/The Windowsill “Saving The Genre, And You Know It…” Split 10″
I haven't reviewed any split records in a while, so here's one of two punk rock bands, JAGGER HOLLY (US) and The WINDOWSILL 'The Netherlands.) JAGGER HOLLY plays pop punk the way it has to be played, short songs with sweet melodies, sometimes with a RAMONES touch ("Out Of Luck") and a bit of late... Continue Reading →
The Hallingtons “Hexed” EP
Norway might be famous for TURBONEGRO and black metal, but The HALLINGTONS are more influenced by American bands, especially the RAMONES ("Not My Deal") and pop punk (listen to the chorus in "Jesus Freak" or the song "Pretty Neat" that reminds me a bit of The GROOVIE GHOULIES.) There's more vocal harmonies in "The Witch"... Continue Reading →
The Yoohoos “Up Goes The Rocket”
Pop punk is always better with some bubblegum added to it, and The YOOHOOS from Germany definitely know about this! This German power trio with both male and female vocals are influenced by GROOVIE GHOULIES, CHIXDIGGIT and 90s indie college rock, but songs like "Hello", "Planet Heart", "Spread The Magic" or "Decisions" could have been... Continue Reading →
LATTE+ “Next To Ruin”
22 years, 8 albums... This Italian band isn't really new, but they are back with a 13 song self-produced album. The record starts with "Next To Ruin", an up-tempo punk rock song reminding of The QUEERS or SCREECHING WEASEL, but songs like "Phocomelic Boy" or "Everybody Likes Your Wife" have a RAMONES-like energy while "Waiting... Continue Reading →
The Hangups “No Expectations” 7″
This is the second EP of this Swedish band. They play pop punk the way it used to sound on Lookout! Records in the early 00s, but this 7" is out on Monster Zero Records (based in Austria.) They don't try to change the world, or even the style, but they do it really well,... Continue Reading →
Wassup Rocker Radio Presents: Sick Sounds V/A
Wassup Rocker Radio/Alex Kish (Ohio) have decided to gather some of their favourite tracks on a free 32 song compilation. This is a good idea to promote these underground bands as well as the radio! If you regularly read these pages, then you must be familiar with names like RAZORBATS, The CRAZY SQUEEZE, FAZ WALTZ,... Continue Reading →
Radiohearts “Lot To Learn” 7″
Californian punky power pop, mixing the energy of the RAMONES, the snottiness of the BUZZCOCKS, and a good dose of UNDERTONES ("Decisions.") I never heard of the RADIOHEARTS before, but it seems like they already released a couple of EPs before. The raw production, powerful bass, and guitar melodies bring The JAM to mind on... Continue Reading →