I wanted to get a quick post out about this very cool news – Wicked Cool Records just released this ten track set on October 31st and it is worth picking up right away. I had the good fortune to be able to preview the music and was impressed not only by the songs themselves but also by the production quality. This album sounds great – loud, clear and just as boisterous as anything else the Chesterfield Kings ever put out. My personal favs are “Pictures of Matchstick Men” (a bit on the psychedelic side) and “Rosalyn” (just a killer rock n’ roll tune) but there is a lot to like here.
If you are new to this band you might have to work a little harder than usual to get a full feel for their sound as it goes all the way back to 1982’s Here Are The Chesterfield Kings (if you ever see this on vinyl…please get hold of me!) and spans 11 albums and a wide collection of singles and EP’s. There have also been a good number of musicians in and out of the group over that time period but the music has stayed consistently good and accessible. If you want a quick tour through the years I would suggest that first album (if you can find it), Drunk On Muddy Water (with a pretty cool version of Robert Johnson’s “I Got Ramblin”), 2007’s Psychedelic Sunrise and their most recent album, We’re Still All The Same.
Once you check it on your usual places and see what you think!
Yes, yes, I know…this is an album from quite a long time ago…15 years to be exact. I had not listened to it for a good stretch of time either when the press release from Earshot Media hit my inbox announcing that Seahaven was headed out on a special tour. This short run (which will span eleven dates in January and February 2026) will feature them playing the album in full. Considering that Winter Forever contains a really great collection of emo / pop-punk songs this sets up to an event worth attending.
Back in the day (2011) when I first heard the album I was struck by a few things:
The unique voice of Kyle Soto (who also plays guitar) which adds a layer of texture to every song; kind of a heartfelt, ironic, slightly cheeky overlay that will stick with you.
Interesting and varied arrangements; these range from the change-of pace groove of “Goodnight” to the hammering choppiness of “Thank You” and on to the simple, stripped down “Honeybee.” There is a lot of musical talent going on within these tracks.
Very cool guitar sounds – I have always liked the tone on this album – a simple thing but notable to me.
Musicians on this (other than Soto) are: Cody Christian (guitar), Mike DeBartolo (bass, piano) and Eric Findlay (drums).
Check it out on your favorite streaming channel and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂
And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand.
There is also a pretty cool acoustic EP on Bandcamp that is worth checking out (including a version of “Goodnight “ which is also on Winter Forever) – link below:
Very nice to see this track drop on October 17th (via Punkerton Records) which follows the release earlier this year of “Turn This Up” which I reviewed here back in July.
This new single is a great follow-up and starts on a quick drum fill backed up by powerful guitar riffs and a pulsing bass accentuating every beat. Lead singer Dizzy Doll’s vocals, snarly and soaring all at the same time, punch through the music nicely and there is also a ripping guitar moment around 2:08. A really good, melodic punk style tune with plenty of volume and power!
These two singles definitely have me eagerly anticipating Yard Sale which is set to come out on December 12th. Described in the Earshot Media press release as a “raw and reflective punk rock scrapbook — a record built from the pieces of a life lived loud, lost, and learned the hard way,” I believe this one should be well worth the wait.
Musicians (in addition to Dizzy Doll) are: Daniel Marchelewski (guitar, vocals), Mason Cohen (drums), Mitchell Rhein (lead guitar) and Mina Maziekis (bass).
Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂
This group is a new one to me and they just dropped this single October 17th on Sell The Heart Records. The press release from Earshot Media noted that the group channels “the energy and urgency of punk rock through stripped-down, acoustic-driven arrangements.” Well, that sounded pretty interesting so I gave it a listen and was impressed.
It definitely has a spare and grassroots vibe right from the start; a couple quick, bare guitar chords and then a raw and edgy vocal that spells out some pretty basic life moments and experiences such as “trying to figure out what our body has left.” That general groove stays true throughout the song which also features some dual vocal parts that feel anguished and hopeful all at the same time. This is a good tune in the tradition of punk but with the interesting acoustic style and arrangement.
Musicians on this are: Jeremy Quitko and Travis Johnides
This should be out there to listen to on your favorite channels now.
And if you have the inclination…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand.
Well, I have to admit that I was not expecting to see this song pop up in any new way as it had been a very long time since it was originally released. This album was a regular monster of punk awesomeness back when it was originally put out on A-F Records in 2003. I definitely found them back at that time because of their association with Duane Peters from U.S. Bombs. He produced this album for them which was a follow-up to their 2002 debut What Are You Afraid Of? which I never found a copy of after hearing it one time at someone’s house in SoCal.
The good people at Punkerton Records are now putting Blastin’ Away! out again both digitally and on vinyl. That is all set to drop January 2, 2026 but you can check this great throwback (and still relevant) punk anthem on steaming here:
I had the chance to preview it thanks to Earshot Media and Punkerton and it was just as I remembered it. Coming in on a chant of the song title over a raw drum line it quickly kicks up on ripping guitars and bass. The vocals are raw and loud with a feisty rhythm and a call & response section worthy of Rancid. This vintage track is still strong today and it is great to see it getting some new exposure and hopefully some new fans.
Pre-saves help the label and the band and you can set yours up here:
And also get a pre-order of that cool vinyl (with limited edition colors …of which the blue, black and white splatter is pretty sweet and what I ordered) here:
My first exposure to this band was earlier this year when they released a split with Heartwells containing “The Squid” and “Killin’ Me Now.” I read about it and then never had a chance to give it a listen. The fact that they were working with Heartwells though was interesting as I am already a fan. I later went back and checked out Stoke Signals 2024 album Make Dying Fun and was impressed. My favorite track there is “Burning Daylight” with “Nothing to Worry About” a close second.
There is something delightfully chaotic about this new single which starts on plenty of volume and energy. In addition to a drum line that sets a feisty tone this song also features some nice pace changes. Melodic guitar riffs and bass grooves fill space between the vocal sections which, other than the bridge, are delivered at a fast clip. This is a good song and a bit more aggressive and edgy than their previous work. The album comes out October 31st on Hey! Fever Records.
Musicians on this are: Jordan Calhoun (bass), Giuliano Messina (vocals, guitar), Chris Perez (guitar, vocals) and Michael Nusbaum (drums).
This band’s 2018 full LP release Splatter is now out on vinyl for the first time – unfortunately both limited runs of 100 have already sold out…but maybe the label (Quiet Panic) will gift us with another release?
The first track off of that album (“Flesh”) has also been remastered and is out as a single with the b-side being a nice acoustic take on “Hit the Ground” which can be found on their 2021 album Underneath the Shade.
I thought “Flesh” was great when I first heard it back when it was originally released and this remastered version gives it just a little more lightness than the original. It also has a cleaner edge to some of the sound without taking away from the gritty, booming texture that makes it such a good song.
If you get a chance to listen to the Shade version of “Hit the Ground” you will hear a track with quite a bit of frontal distortion and a slightly discordant melody popping up occasionally in the background. It is a song with a loud, tragic story and the music matches that vibe. The acoustic take on the b-side of this release takes a different approach, smoothing out the sound and delivering the same story with a more reflective and soft tone. The edginess is gone but still hits home. The two songs here are also good counterpoints to each other in style and composition.
Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂
As you may already know, the well-deserved hype about this upcoming album has been building for awhile. It will be out on Punkerton Records October 10th, and was announced back in July via several channels including their label and Earshot Media. Since then they have released the singles “Break the Cycle,” “Panic! Panic! Panic!” and “Dead Inside” and were a late addition to the Supernova International Ska Festival. Those singles were great music and really highlighted the best thing about Joker’s Republic; namely that while they are often categorized as a ska band (and have plenty of chops in that genre) they really are this pretty cool blend of ska, punk and rock & roll.
This newest release features Billy Smollen (bass) stepping out front to sing a story which is based on a real event, namely an auto accident. In the Earshot Media press release he describes the song this way:
“‘Welcome Back’ is a meditation on the aftermath of a stressful experience and how we recover and push forward. In this case the inspiration was a car accident that totaled my car while the band was on tour. The accident itself was terrifying, and the only thing that helped me get through the resulting financial and emotional trauma was my friends, family, and the ska and punk communities.”
This track leads off with a nice guitar riff and then rises up on drums and bass with a rock groove for the first minute or so. It then kicks out into a ska break with that pattern holding throughout the song. It is a combination that works well and Joker’s Republic deliver a lot of energy via their playing and the vocals. This song is another good example of the unique style and range of this band. Combined with the quality of the other singles released to date I expect the full album to be quite a statement.
Musicians on this (in addition to Smollen are): Austen Grey (guitars, vocals) and Pat Elwood (drums, vocals)
Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂
If you want to get a good idea of where the musicians who make up Sadlands come from you can start with these bands:
Answering Machine – Out of Brooklyn, NY – I first caught them on their eponymous EP in early 2018. The songs on this are powerful alternative music with some different grooves that keep you interested throughout the four song run. “Stadium Dreams” is my favorite here.
Choke Up – The only song I had heard from this Boston band is “Crosses” off of their 2015 album Black Coffee, Bad Habits (cool naming points credited!). This song is quite the musical journey from a jangly tone and kicking beat at the beginning to an elevated vocal and then back down into a a kind of grungy middle. I later checked out the full album and it hits somewhere in the emo-punk genre but trending toward punk. I went back to purchase it on Bandcamp while writing this but no purchase button exists…if someone has a purchase link or a copy to buy please send me the info!
Ellen and the Degenerates – I first encountered this band via “Going on a Trip,” a single they released in 2018. It literally is about going on a car trip and just about a perfect recitation of what a long roadie is like. Definitely punk in style and a sense of humor…always good. They also have a really good album from 2019 called Return of the Herb.
So, some of the talented people from these bands came together to form Sadlands whose only prior release that I am aware of is a self-titled EP from 2023. In my opinion the stand-out track on that is “McClellan” which has a very infectious driving guitar vibe and a vocal track that runs just a little off-pace at times … in a kind of breathless way that works well.
And that gets us to this single from Sadlands upcoming album (on Wiretap Records) which should be out October 17th. “Bad Idea” is a punchy, pop-punk song in the best tradition of the early Go-Go’s. And I am talking about those Go-Go’s songs you probably have not heard much of – the kind they used to play at Whisky a Go Go back in the late 70’s long before Beauty and the Beat came out. I never heard it live but if you can find a copy of Return to the Valley of the Go-Go’s you will hear what I mean.
This track leads off with a great guitar and drum sound that is soon joined by a fast-paced vocal line that seems to be rushing to somewhere. The bass here also booms majestically over every measure, lending a heavy buzz to the music. A really groovy and infectious song…you can play this one and feel good.
Musicians on this are: Jess Lane (vocals, guitar), Sam Campanile (vocals, guitar), Harley Cox (drums) and Louis Rabeno (bass).
Ok, so an unapologetic love song can go several ways once you hit play, not all of them especially pleasant. We all have our own definition of what those not-so-great qualities might be but I tend to steer away from the really sappy side of things. I had reviewed the prior release from this band (“Stick Up”) back in June and liked it a lot. This new single is definitely in a different vein but does not go off the rails for me. Instead it is a positive & breezy track with some cool guitar moments and a catchy hook. Hopefully they are playing this at some of their shows as I bet it makes for a good gig moment.
Note that this track is the third one released from what I understand was a five song session with producer George Perks (You Me at Six, Enter Shikari). I will be interested to hear what comes out next!
Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂
jack mesenbourg 