First up, and going that extra yard by adding a commentary, is Kevin Patrick McGovern. Kevin is the vocalist with The Prostitutes (he's currently looking for Long Beach musicians to collaborate with on new material), he's also a writer at Long Beach Independent and editor in chief at Fear & Loathing In Long Beach. Here's his list (in his own words)....
"This past year has been pretty random for music as far I am concerned. That’s not a complaint either, with a back catalogue of every song ever recorded available for free on YouTube, release dates don’t hold the same importance they used to. In fact, I would describe the whole year as “random”. The way I rate individual songs depends on the situations that were going on in my life when I first heard them. I always think an emotional connection to your playlist is crucial, especially in maintaining or throwing away your sanity. The following tunes stayed with me through a year in which I moved four times and travelled through five different states."
1) Neighborhood Brats - 50 Shades of Fuck You
Jenny and the Brats tear it up on their official debut full length. This track in particular exemplifies how sexy anti-social behaviour really is and I’m serious on that one. A pounding beat, chainsaw guitar, and an icy cool vocal smash their way into your face. The world always needs angry anthems to keep things in balance.
(see below)
2) Midnite Snaxxx – Don’t Wake Me Up
Punk as fuck! Nihilistic, monotoned, and slick, this tune has a great early Bags feel mixed with Dee Dee Ramone sensibility. I love stuff like this and it reminds me why I feel in love with obscure punk rock singles to begin with. The real deal and yet another female fronted unit in my list.
https://soundcloud.com/totalpunkrecords/midnite-snaxxx-dont-wake-me-up
3) Chain Letters – Bad Reflection
This fine slice of sugarcoated gutter glam just came out of nowhere. I heard Sophia Dilley of Young People with Faces had a new single out and was pretty blown away by her great voice and the crispy chord crunching of guitar player Chris Parker. This one was on repeat for at least a month. If Paul Collins had the chance to pen songs for the Avengers, it might sound something like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUME32g7_HA
4) Bad Cop/Bad Cop – Asshole
These bad girls from in and around Long Beach have solid and snotty harmonies with a sleek bite of early No Doubt in the vocal department. Musically they’re a throwback to 90's Epitaph fast punk if you know what I mean. It shouldn’t work but it definitely does and the bratty vocals make this band pretty irresistible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tuDIWe1MzI
5) Tunabunny – Coming for You
Strange band with a strange album called Kingdom Technology. I like it. This song is perfect pop rock candy. The rest of the album doesn’t sound like this track. What makes this song so great is that it sounds exactly like Red Five, an amazing nineties band that somehow flew underneath everyone’s radar way back when. Beyond catchy with sinister-sweet song structure. Intense pining and nonchalant brevity. Perfection.
6) Honeychain- Lucky One
A band that Kim Shattuck of the Muffs turned me on to, Hillary Burton summons the ghost of the Ronettes and fuses it with the high energy and rawness of the Runaways. I saw Hillary and her top-notch band play live and they kicked serious ass. The Futura EP that features this shamelessly catchy composition is just as awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnWkFpRZV_Y
7) Miscalculations – Dead Vocabulary
From the United Kingdom comes this angular and moody injection of post-modern post-punk. Indecision and frustration combined with whirling Joy Division inspired leads; create a nice little number with deranged disco vocals that bleed perfectly into the cacophonous mess. Check it out.
http://miscalculations.bandcamp.com/track/dead-vocabulary-2
8) Cars Can Be Blue – You Should be Begging
From Athens, Georgia this band tears it apart from start to finish. Loud and distorted with intellect, this deadly mixture of the Angry Samoans and Negative Approach is a hit. Check out the entire album, which bounces between aggro-core and clever country punk. Worth your while….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwmQmXMYtgM
9) Radiohearts – Nothing at All
A perfect punk/pop tune courtesy of Long Beach, CA…while reminiscent of early Clash, the band adds enough modern stylings to keep this track short, sleek, and tight. Catchy to say the least and a nice entry into the Power-Pop genre that isn’t totally derivative of the Bomp! Records catalogue. Good job…
http://radiohearts.bandcamp.com/track/nothing-at-all
10) The Dwarves – Get Up And Get High
2014 was definitely the year of the Dwarves. Blag and company came back to set the record straight. If you find yourself starting to get too “emo” in your bad relationship habits, just blast “Get Up And Get High” and learn about what you’re really supposed to be doing when you wake up in the morning from a hopefully memorable one night stand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZLe7G7Yhxg
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