Back with its second 7" on the always great Jarama 45RPM Recs., Outtacontroller continues to set the bar for what poppy garage punk ought to be. Surprisingly, this is Outtacontroller's first physical release in over three years. The band's digital album Come Alive was one of last year's most under-the-radar stellar releases in the punk world, and a couple of singles this year have hinted at more goodness to come. It's weird to talk about an Outtacontroller record being really good considering that all the band's releases are killer. But Just A Scratch is an especially strong showin ..read more

I always fancied myself quite the punk rock geek back in the '90s and 2000s. If there was a great band out there, I prided myself on knowing about it. So I'm quite surprised that I had no knowledge whatsoever of San Francisco-based High School, who were around from 2005 to 2007. How did none of my MySpace friends fill me in? Thankfully, High School has been rescued from the dustbin of punk history. During the COVID lockdown, the band's songwriter Ethan Shapiro (more recently of Rough Kids and Form Rank) found himself with the itch to revisit songs he'd written a decade-an ..read more

This may seem like a terribly insulting way to begin a review of a great album, but my initial reaction to Poppy Robbie's Neighborhood Beautification Commission was astonishment over how amazing it was. Of course I knew Poppy Robbie was talented, and his 2019 EP The Troubled Times of Samuel Heck was quite good. But there's a huge distance between quite good and "Holy crap!", and nothing in Robbie's previous body of work could have prepared me for the bomb he has dropped with this proper debut album. It makes sense, though: a few of these songs have been residing in Robbie's head fo ..read more

I'm always happy to hear new music from The Gee Strings, who have been one of the world's preeminent '77-style punk rock bands for three decades now. Ingi, Bernadette, and the gang have released their sixth LP, Speed Soul Racer, on Wanda Records, Ghost Highway Recordings, Dangerhouse Skylab, KOTJ Records, and Tape or Die. At just eight tracks, this is truly an all-killer, no-filler affair. In typical Gee Strings fashion, these songs ride the more rock 'n' roll side of punk's first wave. Bernadette absolutely kills it on lead guitar, and the band has never sounded tighter. On this releas ..read more

Earlier this year, I reviewed an absolute smash of a single from The Family Township called "Cross the Line (Oh Andrea)." That song and ten others make up The Family Township's new album 20th Century Wasters. This long-running Boston-based band is made up of Marc W. Pinansky on vocals and guitar, John Sheeran on bass, Peter MacLean on drums, Alejandro Necochea on guitars and backing vocals, and James Rohr on keyboards and backing vocals. I would characterize The Family Township as a real rock band — something most people assume no longer exists. On its 7th full ..read more

I absolutely flipped out when I was looking over the new releases from No Front Teeth Records and saw a debut album from a band formed from the ashes of Bladder Bladder Bladder. Bladder Bladder Bladder were one of my favorite punk rock bands back in the '90s, and I was always a bit outraged that they weren't absolutely massive. So it's a thrill to come across The Scunthorpe Yobs — who represent the next chapter in the Bladder Bladder Bladder saga. The mighty Mick Bladder can still shout and offend with the best of 'em! Also on board are some heavy hitters from the last 25 years of California ..read more

Cindy Lawson is without a doubt a legend in the Minneapolis music scene. Yet it would be hard to deny that she's making by far the best music of her life today — nearly four decades into her recording career. Out on Rum Bar Records, Don't Come Crying To Me is Lawson's second solo EP in two years and an absolute gem of a pop record. Again working with producer Steve Price and a super-talented cast of Twin Cities–based musicians (guitarist Jerry Lefkowitz, bassist Dave Randall, drummer Mark Devaraj), Lawson has turned out an all-killer, no-filler collection of songs inspired by '60s pop ..read more

Every year I wrestle with the question of how soon is too soon to alienate my handful of readers with reviews of Christmas music. November 21st does seem a little early to commence F & L's Christmas season, but I couldn't resist acknowledging the special occasion of Vista Blue's double Christmas release. For the first and perhaps only time, Vista Blue and its alter egos Ralphie's Red Ryders have simultaneously released music today. It's remarkable that Vista Blue can manage to be so incredibly prolific yet still delight me with every single release. Clearly these guys are due for a misfi ..read more

  Ralphie's Red Ryders, America's favorite A Christmas Story themed pop-punk band, is back with a brand-new single! And on this release, Ralphie, Flick, and Schwartz pay homage to one of A Christmas Story's most iconic scenes. The song is called "I Didn't Say Fudge," so you know exactly which scene I'm talking about. It's quite surprising that RRR had already released 14 songs but had not yet waxed poetic on Ralphie's uttering of the queen mother curse word. I was excited to hear how this song would turn out, and all I can say is that these guys nailed it. It's pure buzzing energy ..read more

It was just a couple weeks ago that I wrote about a terrific power pop single from Boston-based foursome Shiverlane. Wasting no time whatsoever, Shiverlane already has another terrific power pop single out called "Aeroplane Driver." I really dig the idea of a rock 'n' roll tune about a jetfighter pilot. The lyric "living on jet fuel and steel" is quite memorable, and it could almost be describing the song itself with its booming guitars, hyperactive drums, and soaring sing-along hook. I also appreciate the way the song ends, with silky harmonies lifting the chorus skyward as thunderous power ..read more