Teenage Bottlerocket - I Never Knew

  A few days ago I commented that there'd been some great pop punk releases already this year and how there were several more upcoming. A song from one of those features today.

  I'm sure you all know Teenage Bottlerocket by now. 7 studio albums (plus the Stealing The Covers homage to some of their favourite obscure songs) of top quality pop punk. Their sound hasn't changed much in the last decade and a half (maybe the production is a little more polished) but as far as I'm concerned that's a good thing. The latest of those albums, Stay Rad! dropped last week on Fat Wreck Chords and it's another winner. You can get it on vinyl in various colours here :  https://fatwreck.com/collections/new-releases/products/stay-rad or digitally here :  https://teenagebottlerocket.bandcamp.com/album/stay-rad

  There's more mature tracks about parenthood and how singer Ray misses his late brother Brandon as well as fun rockers like Night Of The Knuckleheads and I Want To Kill Clint Carlin. This is the only song on the album about a girl. It was written by bassist Miguel Chen about his wife Lily and it's called I Never Knew....

Teenage Bottlerocket - Alien Motion Technology

 

  I guess you can say this has been a totally radical week. Teenage Bottlerocket have released not only a new single (Goin' Back To Wyo) but there's also a new album in which the guys cover a bunch of songs from obscure and unsigned bands. It's out now on Fat Wreck Chords, it's called Stealing The Covers and you can check both album and single out here :  https://teenagebottlerocket.bandcamp.com/

  With almost all of Stealing The Covers' songs being unknown to me, it comes across pretty much like an album of original material. There's plenty of catchy stuff on there that'll appeal to long time fans, not sure it'll attract many new ones as they set the template for their sound way back on day one and aside from production quality nothing much has changed since (and hopefully it never will). What you get is a bunch of fun ear worms, tracks like Why The Big Pause, The Way I Know, Hat Nerd etc will burrow their way into your head and refuse to leave.

  The idea to record an album of covers was Brandon Carlisle's so even though he's tragically no longer with us he's still very much been a part of this project.

  They'll shortly be heading over to Europe for a lengthy tour, you can check out dates here : https://www.facebook.com/teenagebottlerocketofficial/

  Two of my favourites from the album are It Came From The Radio (which I'll play on Sunday's Just Some Punk Songs show (https://www.facebook.com/events/914668678673332/) and the song you'll find below. Originally released by The Mugwumps on their 2007 Banana Brain album, this is Alien Motion Technology.....

Glenn Robinson - Don't Want To Go

  A big thank you to Ramone To The Bone head honcho Mark Ramohn today, for several years now RTTB Records have been releasing Ramones influenced old school pop punk compilations showcasing the music of bands from all corners of the globe. Marc also does his best to stream as many great new releases as he can get his hands on. His latest love letter to the scene is a massive 59 track tribute album to Teenage Bottlerocket. Not only does it feature totally radical music, there's also superb cover art courtesy of the mega talented Ole O'Brian. Oh, and did I mention it's all name your price! Go snap it up here : https://rttb-records.bandcamp.com/album/rttb-41-16-a-tribute-to-teenage-bottlerocket-skate-or-fly and whilst your there check out some of the other RTTB releases.

  Earlier this year it looked as though Ramone To The Bone was no more. Marc was seriously ill and not only did it seem the label was a gonna, it looked like he was too. Fortunately not only for Marc but for the pop punk world his health improved and he rapidly returned to doing what he does best. As he's doing this to promote music as opposed to make money, RTTB have paid for 15,000 free downloads so hopefully everyone who wants the comp can grab it for free.

  Selecting a song for this update was far from easy as there's plenty to choose from but as I've already featured several of the bands involved (Prozacs, Batfoot, The 99ers, Kobanes, The Decline, Silver Foxes etc etc etc...) I decided I wanted to go with someone different. I'd not heard much by Glenn Robinson but I was mightily impressed with the Desk Job ep that came out earlier this year so I wasn't surprised to discover that his contribution was a grade A winner.

  From Rhode Island, he's "been having fun making music since '97". You can check out his Bandcamp page here (I need to listen to more of the releases on there myself) : https://glennrobinson.bandcamp.com/

  This is Don't Want To Go......

The Prozacs - Bottlerocket/Crashing

   It's a year since the tragic passing of Teenage Bottlerocket drummer Brandon Carlisle. He was found unresponsive by his roommate on 3rd November 2015 and despite the prayers of family, friends and fans his death was announced on Nov 7th. The outpourings of grief were testament to the high esteem in which he was held by fans worldwide, he's greatly missed but his music will live on forever.

  There's been many tribute cover versions of Teenage Bottlerocket songs recorded over the last year. There'll even be what is promising to be an awesome compilation of Teenage Bottlerocket covers released soon by Ramone To The Bone Records (I highly recommend you watch out for it). Possibly the best of the covers I've heard so far though was released yesterday (7th Nov) and you'll find the video for it below.

  The Prozacs are celebrating 15 years of rocking the punk in Western Massachusetts. J Prozac has been turning out consistently high quality pop punk gems backed by a number of different line ups but if this cover and the recent A Little Something ep are anything to go by, this incarnation is as strong as any they've had. As well as vocalist/guitarist Jay there's Matty Prozac (drums/backing vocals), Paul Basile (bass) and Nic Cross (guitar/backing vocals). https://theprozacs.bandcamp.com/  https://www.facebook.com/TheProzacs/

  Anyway, enough chat, just turn up the volume, click on the video and enjoy this totally radical cover. In fact enjoy both these covers. Bottlerocket/Crashing......

Ray Rocket - Do You Wanna Go To Tijuana?

  Here's a new song that I came across yesterday by Ray Rocket. Ray as you'll probably have quickly worked out is Ray Carlisle from Teenage Bottlerocket and the song is the title track from a new album called Do You Wanna To Go To Tijuana?

  It's Ray's first solo venture and will feature acoustic Teenage Bottlerocket songs, a Ramones cover and this brand new track. It's available in April on Rise Records.

  You can get more details here : http://rayrocket.merchnow.com/

  May will see Ray touring in support of the album alongside The Copyrights and The Lippies.

  Poignant and Heartfelt and with a video featuring Ray's son Milo, this is Do You Wanna Go To Tijuana?.......


You got yourself a condition. You need a physician. And then you put me in an awkward position. When you tried to get attention using razor blades to cut up your wrists. You’re running out of ambition. So you called a mortician. I’m getting sick of all your superstition. What am I supposed to do when someone really ends up dead? Do you wanna five-o? With Steve Caballero? Do you wanna practice your karate? With Mr. Miyagi? Do you wanna travel the world with me? So many different places to see. So many different people to be. I wish that you were here with me. Do you wanna? Do you wanna? Do you wanna go to Tijuana with no one?

Teenage Bottlerocket - Radio

R.I.P. Brandon Carlisle  :(

Top 10 Songs Chosen By Miguel Chen (Teenage Bottlerocket)

  Following on from yesterday's update, Teenage Bottlerocket bassist Miguel Chen has kindly provided a list of his top 10 songs of all time (although as he says "Not sure if it's my top 10 of all time, because that changes a lot but I'd say this is a top 10 of part recent, part of all time").

  As mentioned yesterday, Teenage Bottlerocket's new album, Tales From Wyoming, is due out on Rise Records at the end of March and the band are going to be touring round the U.S. and Europe between March 8-May 10.

  Here's Miguel's picks......

 1) Nofx - Leave It Alone
     (see below)

 2) Rudimentary Peni - Sacrifice
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtCn_9_Kvtg

 3) Ramones - Poison Heart
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtJ1Abepy7w 

 4) Flock Of Seagulls - Telecommunication
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3EK02lhMnE

 5) The Spits - All I Want
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OiNy_k_ajo

 6) When In Rome - The Promise
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HI_xFQWiYU

 7) Green Day - She
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA88aMnMzNw

 8) Lagwagon - May 16
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzYOA4-xNaA

 9) Iron Chic - Cutesy Monster Man
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiUUzcL68Mg

10) Tony Sly - Via Munich
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQH964Lq3Hs

Teenage Bottlerocket - Nothing Else Matters (When I'm With You)

  Some things in life are a given, death and taxes being a couple. Another given is the certainty that a new Teenage Bottlerocket album will end up challenging for the number 1 spot in my end of year "best of" list.

  As we entered the new Millennium,  following the demise of their band Homeless Wonders, twins Ray and Brandon Carlisle formed a new outfit. Based in Laramie, Wyoming,  and also featuring guitarist Zach Doe, Teenage Bottlerocket's 2002 debut was the A-Bomb ep. Doe left and was replaced by Joel Pattinson in time for the following year's debut album, Another Way.

  Due to other commitments Pattinson was then replaced by ex Lillingtons and Sack frontman Kody Templeman and the rest, as they say, is history. Further augmented by bassist Miguel Chen, the band went onto release a series of top notch pop punk classics, distinguished by different coloured skull record sleeves.

  After spells on Red Scare and Fat Wreck Chords they're now signed to Rise Records and have announced the release of album number 6, Tales From Wyoming, which will drop on March 31st. Here's a taster, referencing former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and showing that they're still as catchy as ever, this is Nothing Else Matters (When I'm With You)......