The Riot Before – Rebellion
I like The Riot Before’s new album Rebellion better than their last one, Fists Buried In Pockets, which I also like a lot. On first listen, I wasn’t sure, but it’s grown on me quite a bit. Rebellion is a more direct and in-your-face record than its predecessor and relies less on subtlety in the (Read more…)
Rumspringer – Empty Towers
Empty Towers is the Rumspringer full-length that I’d been eagerly awaiting since they released their self-titled EP last year. The band is from Tempe, Arizona but their sound is a universal and completely unhinged from their geography. Rumpsringer’s brand of good old fashioned pop punk is as awesome as it is imperfect. The vocals are (Read more…)
Smoke Or Fire – The Speakeasy
Smoke Or Fire’s got a new album out now on Fat Wreck and it’s a good ‘un. The Speakeasy is the band’s third full length (and first in three years) of fast-paced personal/political punk that’s as edgy as it is catchy. It’s powerful music that’s meant to be played loud as kids sing and shout (Read more…)
12 Days of Christmas MP3′s for 2010: Day 9
Raise your hand if you like ska, punk, or ska-punk music? If you did, then the songs here are for you. It’s just a little something to cheer you up as the temperature (especially here in Chicago) drops. Right now, all I want for Christmas is a Chicago Bears win over the New England Patriots (Read more…)
The Gamits – Parts
For me, one of the most unexpectedly awesome surprises of 2010 was hearing the new album Parts from Denver, Colorado’s The Gamits. Long considered by many to be one of the most underrated/under-appreciated pop-punk bands around, The Gamits called it quits in 2005 after a 9 year run but were reformed just last year by (Read more…)
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks
I’ve long considered myself a fan of Ted Leo and whatever band he happens to bring around, but it’s really only with his latest album The Brutalist Bricks that I’ve actually realized just how much I like Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. I loved Shake The Sheets from 2004 and liked 2007’s Living With The (Read more…)
Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
So I’ve been listening to the newest Titus Andronicus album, The Monitor, for the past few weeks and even after multiple listens, I can’t tell if it is great and pure genius or completely terrible. OK, that opening line was a little untrue, but you get the point, right? I’m leaning more towards great, but (Read more…)
VRGNS – Manimals
Since releasing their first full length Miscarriage in 2008, Orlando’s Vrgns have removed the “I’s” from their name (they were Virgins) and added bassist extraordinaire (and the only guy ahead of me in my division of Punk Rock Fantasy Football) Alex Goldfarb to their lineup. The band is still fronted by Sam Johnson (who, along (Read more…)
Riverdales – Tarantula
Hey! Did you know that the Riverdales released their fifth album of Ramones inspired pop-punk in 2010? Well, they did and it sounds exactly like you would expect it (and want it) to. The album is called Tarantula and in addition to being awesome, it might have the best artwork of any album released in (Read more…)
