I could have
easily done a top 30 this year. In fact, I should have. 2017 had a lot of good
releases this year, which made this year even tougher than normal. Again, I
choose off the records we get sent for review to the abandoned house of mystery
known as Audio Ammunition. Enjoy!
Accidente – Pulso LP (Dirt Cult)
It’s great when
you get to hear a band for the first time because you don’t get the baggage or
expectations of previous releases. Yes, Accidente had a couple of releases
before that I missed, it happens. Guns N’ Wankers/Snuff and Soviettes sing
in Spanish instead of English. Accidente, another reason to be bilingual, mixes
socio-political lyrics with fast, energetic, catchy punk-pop. Yes, it’s sung in
Spanish, but don’t let that deter you. Accidente even doesn’t do the one
criminal mistake most political bands do, which is lecture/bark at the
listener. Instead, on Pulso, the
singer sings every song. – Ed
Stuart
Basketball Shorts – This Summer 7” (Jarama)
Jarama released
some cool singles this year, but This
Summer was the best. Basketball Shorts are Texas pizza punks who have a
knack for writing pop hooks. “This Summer” sounds like it’s from ’79 UK while
“Hot and Ready” is their pizza punk anthem. It’s like mixing Undertones/Descendents/Mean
Jeans/Queers/Ramones all together. – Ed Stuart
Black Mambas – Moderation LP (Disconnected)
Moderation is the closest this generation will get
to teddy boy rock ‘n roll bands like Dr. Feelgood. A lot of punk bands will try
for this style and get it wrong. That’s doesn’t sound fair, but it’s the truth.
Sometimes you either have it or you don’t and Black Mambas have it. Most bands
need ten to twelve songs for their LP, Mambas needed only eight for this barn
burner. Imagine Chuck Berry played lead guitar for The Kids or early Saints. If
Buddy Holly carried a switchblade and drove a hot rod these are the songs he
would have written. – Ed Stuart
Booji Boys – S/T LP (Drunken Sailor)
Booji Boys – Weekend Rocker LP (Drunken
Sailor)
Most bands live
off of one LP’s reputation forever. Hello, Sex Pistols, but not Booji Boys. This is
a first for the Top 20 list that I have two LP’s from the same band. Here’s
why, both LP’s were so good that they tied. Booji Boys, self-proclaimed weekend
rockers, sound like a Rip Off records version of ’77 influenced blown-out
punk-pop like Marked Men meets Undertones. They pack hooks into songs like
McDonalds packs nuggets into boxes. Both S/T
and Weekend Rocker are essential. Either
thank or blame Booji Boys or Drunken Sailor for releasing o much music this
year. – Ed Stuart
Cheap Whine – S/T LP – (Drunken Sailor)
So Steve Adamyk,
the guitar player from Feral Trash and the drummer from Crusades get together,
and guess what, they create a killer band. Now the question is Cheap Whine
going to be a side project or another band that releases music on a regular
basis. Cheap Whine fits right into Steve Adamyk Band/Feral Trash territory.
It’s catchy punk-pop with those dark-tinged T.S.O.L. melodies that give Cheap
Whine some edge. – Ed Stuart
The Chinchees – S/T LP (Dirt Cult)
On their cover,
Chinchees look like a group of lost painters running from an increasing happy
purple circle. While the Chinchees are running on the cover, they didn’t run to
take the traditional Ramones route to punk-pop glory that others bands do.
Instead, Chinchees take a Superchunk/‘80’s alternative route, speed it up and
play it without losing the hooks. Originally, S/T was a self-released by the band, but it was so good that Dirt
Cult decided to give it a proper release and you’ll understand why after
listening. – Ed Stuart
Corner Boys – Just Don’t Care 7” (Drunken
Sailor)
Corner Boys nail
the sound of ’77 era Northern Ireland that they could have dropped off their
demo at Good Vibrations record shop. The sound is so dialed you might believe
this is a re-issue. Corner Boys follow up their fabulous Demo with Just Don’t Care.
While both releases had the monster hit “Joke Of The Neighborhood,” Corner Boys
don’t rest on the press and laurels of their demo. Instead, Corner Boys
listened to their cache of Northern Ireland power-pop records and Powerpearls
comps to write two more catchy ’77 influenced songs to go with the monster hit. – Ed Stuart
The Crazy Squeeze – Savior Of the Streets LP (Wanda/Disconnected)
Super groups are
super for a reason. When ordinary bands record they get ordinary records. When
Squeeze records they produce Savior Of
The Streets. It would have been enough for Crazy Squeeze do replicate their
S/T debut, but these Stitches/Teenage
Frames/Gaggers guys decide to not just stop at ’77, but go back to ’72 and ’75.
What? That’s right Crazy Squeeze takes the ingredients of NY Dolls, Slade, T.
Rex, The Boys and Eddie and The Rods to make a one hell of an audio meal. – Ed Stuart
Dirty Fences – Goodbye Love LP (Greenway)
Dirty Fences
knew what a lot of the ‘70’s NYC bands did. You can look and act tough on the
outside all you want, but on the inside there is a pop heart that hooks the
listeners. Heartbreakers, Ramones, Dictators all had it in their songs and so
does Dirty Fences. Goodbye Love dials
back the tough, a little bit, to let the hooks rise to the top. Dirty Fences,
who gladly play the part of reckless party punk rock n’ rollers, show off their
musical chops and education in their songs. – Ed Stuart
First Base – Not That Bad LP (Drunken
Sailor)
If you’re
worried about getting gum on your shoes then don’t listen to Not That Bad. This LP is so full of
bubblegum that your friend will have to cut it out of your hair. First Base
takes Beach Boys, Ramones, Undertones and 1910 Fruitgum Company to make the
power-pop LP of the year. First Base has the feel of a band that takes their
woody and surfboards to the beach until you realize Toronto, where First Base
lives, borders a lake. Power-pop this good should be criminal, but thankfully
it’s not. – Ed Stuart
Gorilla – It’s All Pop EP (Hidden Volume)
Who knew it
would take a band from Japan to nail the sound of ‘70’s/’80’s American
power-pop. Gorilla, on It’s All Pop,
really goes for it too with their dedication to Flamin’ Groovies, Raspberries,
Big Star, The Beat, Romantics, Nerves, and Plimsouls forefathers sound of
yesteryear. Gorilla plays a shimmering pop influenced rock n’ roll that doesn’t
bother with distortion or playing with power like their UK brothers. Instead,
Gorilla lives and dies on the melody.
– Ed Stuart
Lost Balloons – Hey Summer LP (Dirtnap)
In some movies,
the main character must leave his/her home to find out what he needs to become
a better version of himself. In 2011, Jeff Burke (marked Men/Radioactivity)
left Texas, headed to Japan and met Yusuke Okada (Suspicious Beasts). Together
this East West duo formed Lost Balloons. Hey
Summer takes what this East West duo does best and takes them a little out
of their comfort zone of punk and garage. Instead, Lost Balloons create a slice
of indie Americana with ‘80’s college rock thrown in. What you realize when
listening to Hey Summer is these guys
are pop songwriters that dress up their songs with rock dressing, but when exposed
can stand on their own. – Ed
Stuart
MAMA/Private Interests – Split 7” (Pinata)
There were
splits that got far more attention and hype then this Split from MAMA and Private Interests. The split 7-inch format is
rarely used much anymore, but this release could bring it back off life
support. MAMA play a Detroit style of wildman rock n’ roll with MC5 proto-punk
riffs and power-pop hooks so effortlessly they could compete with any band from
those genres. On the flip side are Private Interests, Minneapolis’s answer to
The Plimsouls and Nerves. Private Interests, on a 7-inch of pop hooks, might
have the written the most memorable one on “Finest Hour,” which in a
pre-auto-tuned world would own the radio.
– Ed Stuart
Moral Panic – S/T LP (Slovenly)
Sometimes you
want a punk band to be just a punk band, enter Moral Panic. Moral Panic picks
up where the Livids left off and torch everything in sight. It’s like the
Consumers and The Saints are playing a wild backyard that has gotten way out of
hand before someone even thinks of calling the cops. This S/T LP is full of slash and burn riffs and high energy that gladly
will leave scorched ears. – Ed
Stuart
Radioactivity – Infected 7” (Wild Honey)
I keep seeing
these Masterclass ads when I watch YouTube. It made think why haven’t they
offered Jeff Burke a Masterclass yet? He could run the class on writing
punk-pop classics that take equally from ’77 UK and The Ramones. Infected feature songs that Burke had
sitting in the can just waiting for the right time to release. Bands would kill
for this to be their debut single while Radioactivity has the luxury of picking
and choosing which songs to use because of their master class worthy songs. – Ed Stuart
Role Models – Dance Moves LP (Glunk)
Wow, three for
three! Role Models have released their third good LP in three years! Role
Models Dance Moves, doesn’t stray
from what they do best. Role Models play a glammy NYC influenced punk that is
tough and tender. Take the best of NY Dolls, Heartbreakers, Replacements, Hanoi
Rocks and D Generation wrapped into one. These London Boys are definitely on a
hot streak. I wonder if 2018 will be four for four? – Ed Stuart
The Safes – Tasty Waves LP (Hidden
Volume)
The Safes are
the modern day Kinks meets The Beach Boys. It’s like the O’Malley brothers are
the new Davies or Wilson brothers. Tasty
Waves is full of simple, classic ‘60’s pop melodies and songs that focus on
craft. What’s interesting about Tasty
Waves is that The Safes had a record already recorded and kept coming back
to these songs. After further listening, they opted to make these songs the LP
and Tasty Waves was born. Great
choice! – Ed Stuart
Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs – S/T LP (Dine Alone/Burger)
Four years is a
long time between records. In that time Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs turned
their open chords into crunchy power chords, bought jean jackets and Marshall
amps. What happened Coffey channeled his inner rock lover combined Thin Lizzy,
‘80’s pop-metal, Cheap Trick guitar-pop and arena guitar rock anthems on this S/T LP which never takes itself too
seriously. – Ed Stuart
Suspect Parts – S/T LP (Taken By
Surprise/Oops Baby)
Suspect Parts is
like a Bond movie with all the international cast of characters and exalted
resumes. The band consists of two German, an American, a Brit and members of
Clorox Girls, Briefs, Red Dons and Radio Dead Ones. Their Bond is Justin
Maurer, who only seems to be in all-star groups these days, has got the crew
back together with the mission of making an LP at an undisclosed German
location. What makes this S/T LP
works is that Suspect Parts don’t rely solely on ’77 punk-power-pop they
incorporate ‘60’s California pop and ‘70’s/80’s Plimsouls melodies. – Ed Stuart
Wyldlife – Out On Your Block LP (Wicked Cool)
I usually don’t
pick a number one, but if I did this would be it. Song for song, Wyldlife’s Out On Your Block is a killer. If
Underground Garage had the listeners KROQ did, Wyldlife would be a household
name. Third LP’s aren’t traditionally this good, but someone forgot to tell
Wyldlife. These NYC boys have always had a great knack for writing Beat style
power-pop hooks over gritty NY Dolls/Dictators/Hanoi Rocks 1970’s style punk. Out On Your Block, has Wyldlife writing
their strongest songs ever without losing what rock n’ roll hearts. – Ed Stuart
Honorable
Mentions:
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Dr. Boogie – She’s So Tuff 7” (Spaghetty Town)
Fashionism – Back In The Day 7” (Neon Taste)
Gee Tee – Thugs In Cars 7” (Goodbye Boozy)
Hollerado – Born Yesterday LP (Royal Mountain)
Kuken – S/T LP (Drunken Sailor)
Pale Kids – Holy Mess 7” (Drunken Sailor)
RMBLR – Territory 7” (Fat Possum)
RMBLR – Territory 7” (Fat Possum)
The Rubs – Impossible Dream LP (Hozac)
Sore Points – Don’t Want To 7” (Hosehead)
The Stanleys – S/T LP (Off the Hip/Rock Indiana/Pop Detective)
TV Crime – Clocking In 7” (Drunken Sailor)
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