Niek

New album: Whimsyland || Whimsyland

By / / Punk / 1 Comment

I don’t like theme parks. Still, as someone who played simulation games like Theme Park and Rollercoaster Tycoon, I’m no stranger to the unadulterated fun of building your own theme park. Here is Chadd Derkins though, taking the concept to a whole other level by imagineering a concept album about the fictional Whimsyland. Derkins uses a simple and slightly outrageous formula: Theme Park + pop punk + Summer which he multiplies by getting a lot of his musician friends involved. The bottom line? Max fun. Whimsyland is a celebration of the inner kid in all of us and reignites that spark of discovering pop punk for the first time.

Envisioning this concept is one, but making it into something great is something else. You’ve got to appreciate Derkins for that alone. But I think I appreciate Derkins’  generosity the most. Whimsyland could have been a maniacal solo ego document. Instead, Derkins involved close to 50 of his musician friends to make the record happen. Whimsyland is very much a pop punk (dirt pop!) fest, and that wide cast of characters gives each and every song a distinct sound or vibe. Simmering underneath these songs are bonds of friendship and a shared love for pop punk.

Send this record to all of your pop punk friends and challenge them to discover the most musicians involved in the project. To get you started, here are some bands that are involved: The Ergs, Copyrights, Science Police, Dear Landlord, Big Eyes, The Steinways, House Boat, Short Attention, For Science, Full Of Fancy, Dirt Bike Annie, Triple Bypass!, J. Prozac, Weird Skin, The Soviettes, Sea Lilies, Lipstick Homicide, Jabber, The Kung Fu Monkeys, and The Young Rochelles. Find the complete list of contributing artists by clicking on the individual tracks on Bloated Kat’s Bandcamp page.

True story, I hate Theme Parks, but I can’t wait to visit Whimsyland again.




Whimsyland will be available on CD and vinyl through Bloated Kat, Worst Idea, and Waterslide Records – pre-order now, this one will go fast.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Bloated Kat

Gimme 5! Peter Matthew Bauer (The Walkmen) Shares 5 Recent Favorites In Anticipation Of His New LP Flowers

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Psych / 1 Comment



With ‘Gimme 5!’ we take a peek into the collections of artists we admire. The premise is simple: artists WE like share five records THEY love.

Depending on your frame of reference and location, The Walkmen were either wildly succesful in the ’00s or criminally underrated. I, for one, am a huge fan of the band’s discography. Unlike other bands, the Walkmen’s demise did not end the musical careers of its individual members. In fact, they continue to gather critical acclaim with their solo (see Hamilton Leithauser, Walter Martin, Paul Maroon, and Peter Matthew Bauer) and band careers (Matt Barrick with Muzz). A close look at all of these projects reveals the diverse talents and musical interests of the individuals that made up the Walkmen.

In anticipation of his third record (Flowers), we reached out to The Walkmen’s bass player Peter Matthew Bauer to provide a Gimme 5 feature. He kindly obliged, and his list is as diverse as I’d hoped it would be. Part of this has to do with his own record label (and management company) Fortune Tellers Music. The Flowers LP, which will be out September 23 on Fortune Tellers – pre-order now) is a reflection of the different artists Bauer works or has worked with. Currently, three teaser singles have been released and none of them sound alike, yet all of them are of interest. Whereas Skulls has hints of The Walkmen, Knife Fighter starts out as an acoustic folk song that grows into something bigger and more exciting along the way. That also applies to Miracles, a gorgeous and particularly powerful track where Bauer constantly builds and releases tension. Continue reading below to hear the song and discover Bauer’s Gimme 5.

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Gimme 5! Peter Matthew Bauer (The Walkmen) Shares 5 Recent Favorites In Anticipation Of His New LP FlowersRead More »

New EP: You’re The Best || You’re The Best

By / / Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Besides their hard-to-googleness, I have few facts to share about Portland (Oregon) catchy and jangly indie(post)punk four-piece You’re The Best. But here are some thoughts on their self-titled debut EP:

* If you have time to listen to just one song today, make it Lonely In The Streets. It’s one of my favorites of late.
* The band is sonically diverse. Oak Parks has a tasty bouncy B-52’s vibe, Rise Up and Blue Lives Don’t Exist have the instant rush of the lo-fi underground pop of bands like Neutrals and Mick Trouble, Fuck You Ted is laid back slacker rock.
* I absolutely love this EP. What a stellar debut.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Jansen || Banal Semakin Binal

By / / Power Pop, Punk / 1 Comment

The Jansen may be an unusual name for an Indonesian band, but the three-piece took their name from the track Hey Jansen by Bogor legends The Kuda, a major inspiration to start the band in 2015. Now, seven years later, The Jansen return with a bang with their third full length. Without a doubt, it is their best work to date. Whereas Say Say Say (2019) and Present Continuous (2017) were full of sloppy and ramshackle charm, on Banal Semakin Binal the band’s garagey pop punk sounds tighter and more focused than before. Relative to the band’s previous output, the songs are slightly slowed down, but still uptempo. That slower pace helps to showcase the growth in the songwriting of The Jansen. What also helps is that The Jansen, for the first time, sing exclusively in their native language, and if anything, it makes the band sound more natural and comfortable.

The first single from the record, Mereguk Anti Depresan Lagi (translation: Drinking Antidepressants Again), made some waves in Indonesia. It’s one of many killer tracks on the record – my favorite track right now is Ku Bukan Mesin Lotremu, and I’m rooting for this band to achieve global acclaim. Truly, Banal Semakin Binal is packed with mid-paced pop punk hits for fans of Dirtnap and Alien Snatch Records and the late ’70s sound of Buzzcocks and Undertones. It’s a strong candidate for pop punk record of the year.

For now, the record seems to be only available on CD and Tape. Let’s hope some Western label is picking this one up for a vinyl release.


Add to wantlist: Demajors 

New EP: The Green Hearts || Oh Heidi +3

By / / Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Admittedly, judged by their band picture on Bandcamp one could mistake The Green Hearts (Richmond, Virginia) for office clerks going out for drinks after work. I am not ruling out if that’s false, but what I do know is that they sound way more rock’n’roll than expected. The four songs on their latest EP are no dad rock, but classic power pop that ranges from pretty good to pretty great. Of the four tracks I am rather fond of Wicked, but the absolute standout here is Oh Heidi. RIYL: The Whiffs, The Speedways, The Reflectors and Nick Piunti.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Los Andes || Backgammonesque

By / / Indie Pop, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Juan C. Marioni and Sebastián Rubin are the main characters in Los Andes, a powerpop band from Argentina. Following up their debut Obras Cumbres (2017) is their new mini-album Backgammonesque. Take that title as highly indicative of Los Andes’ sound: Los Andes are Argentina’s answer to Teenage Fanclub – fans of The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness should also take note. The eight songs on Backgammonesque are strummy, sunny and sugary sweet. The band had me at opener Julie which is a jangly powerpop hit that is as concise as it is effective. From there on out, Backgammonesque is smooth sailing. An easy band to like, Los Andes is!



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Dust Star || Open Up That Heart

By / / Indie Rock, Power Pop, Punk / 1 Comment

Cende were a short lived band channeling the short and infectious songwriting qualities of Mark Ryan and Jeff Burke (Marked Men) – and yes, the band name was a reference to Descendents. If you haven’t heard Cende, go listen to songs like Don’t Want To, Bed and End. SO GOOD! So when I read that Lame-O Records were releasing a new “roll your windows down” powerpop project by Cende’s singer Cameron Wisch, my expectations went through the roof. That project is Dust Star and amazingly also includes Justin Jurgens, who not only played in Sirs but is also one half of the amazing new punky powerpop band Ingrates.

Given the people involved and the mark of approval by the ever reliable Lame-O Records, Dust Star is everything I could hope for. Open Up That Heart is a killer debut with instant likeability and infinite replay value. Jurgens and Wisch visit every corner of the powerpop universe on the record. They go from Marked Men/Dirtnap Record territory (Back To The Start, Too Late) to Teenage Fanclub country (Open Up That Heart), to Pixies area (Can’t Stop Thinking Of You) to ’70s arena rock (Work It Out), to garage pop (Feel It Without Trying, Turn Up The Heat). And then there is I’m Waiting For You, which sounds like a mashup of The Zombies and Velvet Underground. Whatever route or direction Dust Star takes, they never get lost. They pile on strong melody after strong melody, and pointed song after pointed song.

Open Up That Heart is the kind of record to skip the wantlist and add to your collection straight away.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Lame-O

New EP: Curfews || Psalms To Strip To

By / / Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Summer break’s over, which means it’s been at least three weeks since we last covered a band from Marquette, Michigan. Curfews is an indie rock outfit started by Corey Sustarich aka Corey Curfews in 2017. The Psalms To Strip To EP is the band’s latest and greatest release to date. Joined by Mike Maple (Liquid Mike) on guitar (Maple also recorded and produced the EP) and Nick Erickson on drums and bass, Sustarich’s songwriting shines brightest on Death In Spring, Yesterday’s Flowers and Throphy Case. Curfews are in no rush to get to the sweet parts, but when they do, the rewards are easy pickings. Good stuff!

“Sun starts shining on the dawn of a new age // And I start saying bitter things I thought I’d never say // Yesterday’s flowers wilting in the vase // Can you still look at me the same?”



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Summer Break!

By / / Uncategorized / Leave a Comment

Hi. We are offline for a summer break. We’ll return in a couple of weeks with recharged batteries.

Still thirsty for new music? Check out our Recommended New Music (2022) and Dusted (featuring the finest covers of 2022) playlists on Spotify. Or check out awesome blogs like Faster and Louder, Janglepophub, & onetwoxu.

See ya soon. Have a great Summer!

New EP: Continental Lovers || Dale Arden Vs The World

By / / Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Power Pop, Punk / 1 Comment

Here is another band that knows how to find the sweet spot between powerpop, r’n’r, punk, garage and glam. Continental Lover reside in London (UK) but based on their sound I assumed they were an US band. The band’s new Dale Arden Vs The World EP is a celebration of all things good about r’n’r. It’s catchy, it’s sleazy and it rocks. They even pay tribute to Joan Jett (on St. Joan). My favorite track is the mid-tempo Really Doesn’t Matter. It’s a massive hit. By the way, given the whole Brexit fiasco, how timely awesome is the band’s name?

Above all, the six song Dale Arden Vs The World EP is a sign of things to come. Four of these songs will also be available on 7″ through Snap! Records (Spain) in September and a full-length album should arrive before the end of the year. Can’t Hardly Wait.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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