Loose Lips are a rock n roll trio from Melbourne. They boast one hell of a line up; Josh Hardy (Guitar/ Vocals; the Chats and the Unknowns), Ethan Stahl (Bass/ Vocals; Chubby and the Gang, the Prize, Street Sweeper) and Nadine Muller (Drums/ Vocals; the Prize).
They announced themselves in fine style last year with a debut ep and they return today with a debut full album. The album's called Last Laugh and it's available on various vinyl variants and as a digital download : https://staylooselips2.bandcamp.com/album/last-laugh
It's a delight, just check out the title track for example, it's a crunchy power pop winner. I played it on a recent show and I've also featured Too Late To Call and Don't Mess Me 'Round. The album's full of should be hits though so I'll highlight a different track today.
Big riffs, bigger melodies, this is Out Of Time...
It's been many years since I've posted an old song on here but today's update features one from 2005. The reason being is that this week's Just Some Punk Songs show isn't the usual new release showcase. Instead I'm indulging myself by playing 25 golden oldies. It's going to be a killer playlist and I highly recommend you try and catch it either at noon (UK time) tomorrow (Sunday 24th) (https://gpr.mixlr.com/), or on one of the various radio stations it'll feature on during the week or when it gets uploaded to Mixcloud.
This was one of those CD's that the moment the pre-order was announced I threw in. Now you're gonna have to bear with me on this one because there's a ton of history involved here. First off is Lou Mansdorf & Rum Bar Records. You may know him as the head bartender of the Boston scene but once upon a time Uncle Lou was a NYC local who even had a label back then, "Melted Records".
He was a regular at those classic nights in the Village. The "Devil's Triangle" of The Continental, Coney Island High and CBGB's. I say it all the time but those 90's/early 2000's days on St. Marks Place was THE place to be!
Which brings me to The Kowalskis mega star lead singer Lindsey Anderson. As co-owner of the fabulous "Coney Island High" she was "The Grand Dame". If you ever went to a "Green Door" party you know what I'm talking about. And then there's the band. It was a revolving door of musicians but the core line up was Paul Richards on guitar & Jack Steeples on bass, both formerly of the legendary NJ band Adrenalin OD, Drummer Greg Farah was and still is a powerhouse. He & Jack are currently in one of my favorite Jersey Shore bands "FearGods." I've known these guys since we were teenagers!
Decades worth of great bands & times. So there's a little history on The Kowalskis and what an important band they were at such an amazing time period.
Well now that Uncle Lou has another record label he decided to give his old NYC friends their flowers. "30 Years Of Goofballs" is one of the most comprehensive collections I've ever seen put together for a band. https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/30-years-of-goofballs
25 songs in total! Included is the entire "All Hopped Up On Goofballs" LP, some select cuts from "Chinese Democracy", a few quality covers and the best 6 super rare tunes at the end!
So how does the music hold up after all these years? Well let's see....How does a band that's equal parts Blondie meets The Devil Dogs sound to you?!! C'mon man! "First Date", "Goodbye Daddy", the should of been hit song "Kiss Me One More Time"!
I'm gonna post the final song "100% Fun" because it totally defines the message & energy this once in a lifetime band put out into a once better world. NEVER FORGET!
So what do I know about Tommy? Not a massive amount to be honest. They're a (presumably) new melodic punk quartet from Minneapolis with a line up of Audrey (guitar/vocals), Britt (guitar/vocals), Felix (bass) & Mike (drums). They've just released a 9 track Demo 2025.
It's catchy as hell. A masterful blending of energetic punk and power pop. It occupies a similar ball park as other Just Some Punk Songs favourites such as The Prize and Rabbit. High energy, fun, melodic vocals and great guitar work. It's an extremely promising introduction. Check it out...
The music is a perfect blend of his new direction. The "Pop" sensibilities are there in the vocals and structure while also maintaining a fair amount of "Ramonescore". The lyrics are an amazing tribute to one of the best songwriters in the Ramones. Using his song titles to weave a heartfelt peon, you can tell how much Dee Dee meant to Ricky Rochelle. Stellar production as always by his writing partner Gregg Gavitt who also handles the bass duties on this one.
Besides being my friend I'm also a huge fan Of Ricky's. His solo work is constantly evolving as to what can be done within the "Pop Punk" genre. I put him in the same category as Kurt Baker. Someone who started out playing in a straight up Pop Punk band but also had the ability to write songs & music that transcended that bubble. It's rare that an artist can leave an established band and carve out a successful solo career. Ricky Rochelle is on his way to stardom.
Leatherman are the Melbourne power pop quintet who I posted on here about 18 months ago https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2023/10/leatherman-telephone.html. I mentioned I could hear traces of a few bands in their sound, one of them being Thin Lizzy, and Thin Lizzy were mentioned again yesterday in the chatroom when I played today's featured song on the show.
The song is the opening track on their debut album Turn You On. The album is a collection of catchy gems, most if not all would make great singles. This band don't do filler. Harmonies, riffs, big choruses... this band excel at all of them. Let Leatherman turn you on, get the album here : https://leathermanridesfree.bandcamp.com/album/turn-you-on-3
Since then they've slimmed down to a trio; Allan Stacey (Guitar/Vocals), Ethan Stahl (Bass/Backing Vocals) & Abe Pedroza (Drums). If I've got this right The Doze and Joe Steele leaving after that debut release and former Chubby And The Gang bassist Ethan Stahl joining up in time for last year's Don't Wait ep.
A couple of tracks from the Don't Wait sessions, recorded at C Block by Jack Knife, have just surfaced on the Twin Turbo single. The band say they're "clearing the cache" in preparation for them to get back in the studio to record a debut album. The single's available as a name your price download : https://streetsweeperruleok.bandcamp.com/album/twin-turbo
Or so the promo blurb goes for a new band from Seattle called Taste Testors (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558819749110). What they do admit to being are a Ramones influenced outfit that "will tickle the record nerds taste buds with hints of garage, bubblegum, early so-cal punk, and doo-wop."
They may be a new band but they ain't no scene newcomers; they feature members from the likes of The Briefs, Rabid Dogs, The Piniellas, The Greatest Hits, Clean Lines and more. Their sound is timeless and with vocals by Steve E. Nix (The Briefs, The Cute Lepers) they're instantly familiar. The other band members are Nils Larson (guitar), Leif Larson (bass) & Vic Sanchez (drums).
I've played a couple of songs from it already on the Just Some Punk Songs show and this week I'll play this one, it's called She Didn't Tell Me She Was A Dopehead...
J Prozac (https://www.facebook.com/jprozac) is back today with a new single. The frontman with long running punk outfit The Prozacs is certainly no stranger to this blog, no surprise when he effortlessly keeps turning out catchy earworms. The full band line up is J Prozac (Vocals, Rhythm Guitars, Tambourines & egg shakers), Greg Russian (Bass), Mark Pena (Drums) & Angelo Quaglia (Guest lead guitars).
If you get in quick, you can grab this single on yellow 7" vinyl (200 pressed on Lighthouse Records (Germany) with 100 made available in the USA). It's also available digitally : https://jprozac.bandcamp.com/album/take-me-away
The flip side of the single is a cover of a song originally released by The Bates back in 1996 on the album Kicks 'n' Chicks and there was a video for it a few months ago. It's great so check it out : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Be5BeWYkM
The other song is equally impressive, it hits the sweet spot between pop punk and power pop and it features J wishing he could go to a place far away from here. It's called Take Me Away
So what happens when you see a promotional blurb that says... "11 minutes of Buzzcocks meets The Nerves with a little splash of The Sweet! Seattle's Clean Lines are a bit of 70's punk, power pop and rock and roll. Clean'n'catchy power pop lines with sugar-sweet harmonies and sweetheart pop appeal."
You get a little excited and decide to check things out. Especially when you hear that Steve E. Nix (The Briefs/Cute Lepers) is involved.
Clean Lines are from Seattle, they formed in 2018. The members of the band have graced acts such as The Briefs, Circle Jerks, Geraldine Fibbers and Boss Martians and they've shared a stage with the likes of Mean Jeans, Tommy & The Commies, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes and The Kids. That line up is Tyler Brey (lead vocals), Josh Dale (guitar/vocals), Steve E. Nix (guitar/vocals), Ricky Gonzalez (bass) & Nick Schultz (drums).
Their new ep has just been released by Spaghetty Town, Wanda Records (Germany) and Ghost Highway Records. It's available on 7" vinyl and should be streaming today so keep an eye on those Bandcamp pages.
Now they return with a tour (which includes both US & UK gigs).
THE BRIEFS: USA live dates:
Nov 06 Portland OR @ Twilight Cafe
Nov 07 Seattle WA @ Freakout Fest (no Fan Club)
Nov 08 San Francisco CA @ Bottom of the Hill
Nov 09 San Diego CA @ Casbah
Nov 10 Long Beach CA @ Alex's
Nov 11 Los Angeles CA @ The Moroccan
THE BRIEFS: UK live dates:
Dec 04 Bristol @ SWX Dec 05 Norwich @ UEA
Dec 06 Wolverhampton @ KK's Steelmill
Dec 07 Newcastle @ NX
Dec 08 Glasgow @ Garage
Dec 10 Manchester @ New Century Hall
Dec 11 Nottingham @ Rock City
Dec 13 London @ Electric Brixton
They'll also be reissuing their debut single Poor and Weird b/w Rotten Love (with a 1st vinyl pressing since it's original release 25 years ago).
And if that isn't enough, next month will also see them treating us to a new single. Punk rock wrapped in a power pop fist, you know these guys will never disappoint. The High Society ep will be available from TKO Records.
That 2nd appearance was heralding the release of their debut album Summer Soon. And now they're back yet again ahead of album number 2, Snotty Angels. It sees the band lining up with Sami (guitar/vocals), Franki (drums/backing vocals) & Feli (bass/backing vocals) and it'll be out on 27th September on vinyl (several colours will be available) and digital download from Wanda Records (EU) and Spaghetty Town Records (US). We're promised "15 songs filled with infectious energy, jubilation and catchy-as-ever hooks."
Delivering on the promise of catchiness, this is the lead single. They say it's about the current times and how it's becoming more difficult to make sense of everything going on. It's called Devolution...
As it says on their Bandcamp page, Food Fight are a four-piece combo from Rennes, France, made up of vets from the local scene (with ex- or current members of Headliners, Abuse, Ready-Mades, Cheap Riot…). Despite them being 3 years down the line from the release of their debut single (you can find it here : https://foodfightpowerpop.bandcamp.com/), they're yet another band that I've only just come across.
It's pitched as 70s style Punk Rock and Power Pop that'll please all fans of the Good Vibrations sound - think Undertones, Protex, Moondogs…
Upon hearing the teaser single (the one you'll find below) I was also hearing strong traces of The Clash (never a bad thing to be honest). I've been lucky enough to get an early listen to the album and can say the single isn't the only "hit" on there. If you like your punk music to conjure up memories of all your school playground favourite bands then you're in for a treat.
Get this in your lugholes, it's called Justicin' The Deploables...
No messing around today, just an instant toe tapping modern day rock n roll classic.
Hailing from La Spezia, Italy, The Peawees (https://www.facebook.com/thepeawees) have been around since 1995. They've built up a strong following over the years and those fans will no doubt be eagerly anticipating the release of a new album on September 6th. It'll be titled One Ride and it's going to be available via Wild Honey Records (Italy) as well as FOLC Records (Spain) and Spaghetty Town Records (North America).
To get us in the mood they've just released a single, it's about "authenticity, the importance of staying true to yourself, and trusting your instincts: when you live life trying to be something you're not, you're just like a kid playing cowboys with toy guns and plastic bullets" and it's a catchy little devil. You can get it on 7" vinyl (magenta, white/marbled or black) or digital download here : https://thepeawees.bandcamp.com/album/plastic-bullets
It's called Plastic Bullets...
Whatever it takes
So now you say goodbye
to the role you played
til you ran out of time
now you're the winner
of a gold box full of nails
but you know you've got what it takes so
Plastic Bullets x 2
Have you read the new tips in the magazine?
How to feed your ego and your self esteem
now you're the winner
of a gold box full of nails
but you know you've got what it takes so
Plastic Bullets x 2
And you missed that train again
Waiting for someone to tell you where to go
And you missed that train again
while you're trusting everybody but your gut
Plastic Bullets
You've already had an update today and I was preparing this for tomorrow but it's such a good song I'm gonna bang it out now...
Bad Crime are from Milwaukee and feature a line up of Patty (vocals/guitar), Alex (bass), Joe (guitar) & Logan (drums). I featured them on here almost a year ago when they introduced themselves with the release of a Demo ep : https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2023/05/bad-crime-content.html
I mentioned that they reminded me of Marked Men & Tommy And The Commies and said how I was looking forward to hearing more. Well that wait is over as they've dropped one of the tracks that'll feature on a split album with Brooklyn quartet Heavy Lag. It'll be released on April 5th by Bloated Kat Records and you can find more info on Bandcamp :
I notice the tags for the album include pop punk and power pop but the one I like most is sugar metal. It's a sweet way of describing this song which this time around puts me in mind of The Clash and The Exploding Hearts. It's fizzing with hi octane energy and has melodies to die for. It's called Same Thing...
How's this for a press release... "They blend masterfully 77 punk, power pop, glam, indie rock and much more. For fans of 999 , PROTEX, RUDI, THE WASPS, THE BUZZCOCKS, THE UNDERTONES, THE PLIMSOULS, CINECYDE, THE OUTCASTS and even such different bands like SLADE, GIUDA or HUSKER Du."
Well it made me want to listen...
NO SPOILER (https://www.facebook.com/NoSpoilerBand) are from Rome and I think they're new to me though to be honest, I listen to so much music it's equally likely that I've played them on the show years ago and forgotten about it (this seems to be a regular occurrence!).
Anyway, the press release was announcing the band's upcoming album Ghosting. It'll be out on March 15th and available on vinyl (white or black) and digital download via the ever reliable Take The City Records. You can check out 3 of the tracks from it here : https://takethecityrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ghosting-lp
All 3 are great so it doesn't really matter which one I highlight but I'm going with this catchy as fuck blending of 77 era punk and power pop. It's guaranteed to have you singing along and it's called When It's Over...
One of my favourite new bands are Melbourne quintet The Prize. A song from their debut ep topped the Just Some Punk Songs 2022 chart and they also featured in last years list. Will they reappear this year? I wouldn't be surprised.
They've a split single coming soon on Bargain Bin Records with The Unknowns (another great Aussie band who made last year's JSPS chart). 2 songs per band and definitely worth treating your ears to.
As you'd expect with The Prize, we get gloriously catchy melodies. It's power pop mixed with garage punk, it's 70's guitars and great vocals, it's a sure fire winner. This is One Day At A Time...
The Shitfits (https://www.facebook.com/the.shitfits.2023) are a female fronted, three-piece Power Pop Punk band settled in Portland, Oregon. They feature a line up of Tiff O'Knee (guitar/vocals), Jose (bass) & Bowden (drums). I played a song on the show by them last November and made a mental note to watch out for the release of their debut album.
That album is now with us and it was a wise idea to watch out for it. It's titled Collateral Damage and it's 10 tracks that combine catchy melodies with something a little more grittier (just how I like my pop punk). It's available on vinyl or digital download https://theshitfits.bandcamp.com/album/collateral-damage
A topical hot potato, this track's about women having the right to choose in a world dominated by men. It's called My Right...
A Happy New Year to you all. Inspired by the song I'm featuring today, I've decided to kick 2024 off with a tribute to all those people who are toiling away in relative obscurity releasing great new music that 99.99% of the general populace will remain forever unaware of. But to those band's I say, there's at least one person out there who loves you and is grateful for your efforts.
I mentioned yesterday that it was this blog's 10th birthday and it's also 10 years since Vista Blue started crafting their oh so catchy power pop/pop punk earworms. I've not checked but I'm pretty sure they've featured on here more often than anyone else. That being the case I don't need to tell you anything else about them, I can just use this update to say thank you to all the under appreciated musicians out there who brighten up our lives with their creativity.
It's a theme that Vista Blue run with on their new ep. Alongside a great cover of one of my favourite Queers' songs they have 2 original compositions. One implores all of us to make our own record. Make something that guys like myself can play on our podcasts or enthuse about in our end of year lists. The other, the title track, pays homage to a "nothing special" band that no one knows but must be someone's favourite.
Bad Nerves (https://www.facebook.com/badnerves) are a band that exist in the place where power pop and garage punk converge. They're a UK 5 piece (Bobby Bird, Will Power, Jon Poulton, Sam Thompson & George Berry) that are bubbling over with energy. And they've just released a new single (the 2nd from a new album pencilled in for next year).
