Garage Rock

New single: Green/Blue || Worry b/w Gimme Hell

By / / Garage Rock, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Punk / 2 Comments

Green/Blue already released not one but two of the finest records of 2022, and somehow still have gas left in the tank. Here is a double A-side single that only further cements Green/Blue’s reign of the airwaves. Worry and Gimme Hell were recorded in the Paper Thin sessions – the band’s second LP of 2022, but somehow didn’t make the album. Imagine writing songs this great and leaving them out of your record. Imagine being scene veterans and still be this relevant after twenty plus years. What a band. Pre-order the 7″ now through Feel It Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Michael Des Barres and Prima Donna || Ain’t Nothing You Can Do About It

By / / Garage Rock / Leave a Comment

“We take it slow and we make it last // There ain’t no future and they’re ain’t no past.” British actor and rock singer Michael Des Barres (Detective, The Power Station, The Mistakes) knows how to throw a rock ‘n’ roll party in the here and now. In a very enjoyable collaboration with Kevin Preston (lead guitar, backing vocals), “Lights Out” Levine (bass, acoustic guitars), David S. Field (drums, percussion) and Aaron Minton (piano, organ, tambourine), he proves that there’s still room for this kind of music in 2022. Just listen to their new, old-school single Ain’t Nothing You Can Do About It (co-written with Stevie Van Zandt) and its B-side Waves, both as catchy as can be. “We’ll keep on rolling forevermore.”

Ain’t Nothing You Can Do About It b/w Waves is out now digitally and on vinyl 7″ trough Wicked Cool Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: More Kicks || Punch Drunk

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

What a week for musicians called James Sullivan. We already wrote about the highly recommended In The Marigolds by Jim Nothing – a three piece recalling the heyday of Flying Nun led by James Sullivan from Christchurch (NZ). And here we have the new record by More Kicks, a powerpop/altpop three-piece led by James Sullivan from London (UK).

Punch Drunk is the second More Kicks LP. Whereas the band’s self-titled debut (2019) had a more traditional powerpop/mod sound, Punch Drunk has quite a lot in common with James Sullivan’s excellent 2021 solo album. That is, More Kicks are less easy to categorize with Punch Drunk, transcending the usual genres. The press release mentions “classic 60s garage, 70s NYC rock and roll, and jagged 90s guitar pop” as just some of the influences on this record. That sounds about right and fair chance that if you like quality guitar music that is loud and has a lot of melody, you’ll find a lot to like about Punch Drunk. What doesn’t hurt is that as a songwriter, Sullivan has been in the zone for quite some time now. Anytime he picks up an instrument, he seems to turn it into something worthwhile – or perhaps he is just really good in hiding his bad stuff?

Punch Drunk is the kind of record that should sell itself. But if you need another nudge to actually give it a chance, note that it’s co-released by two of the finest labels in powerpop and punk: Dirtnap and Stardumb Records. Do stamps of approval get better than that? I know I’m getting a copy of this one ASAP.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Stardumb || Discogs

New EP: Crocodile Tears || June

By / / Garage Rock, Power Pop / 1 Comment

With a band as great as Crocodile Tears (Austin, Tx), you can’t help wonder why they don’t release music more frequently. I’ve been digging the powerpop rock’n’roll of the band since their 2017 debut EP (Back Alley Boys). Five years later, and here is Junie, still only their third EP. Like their previous two EPs, it has four songs. That makes 12 songs in total – any label releasing them together on one convenient piece of vinyl perhaps? Without exception, the sheer quality of these songs have been amazing.

The Junie EP is all about loud guitars, killer riffs and sweet pop melodies. I absolutely love this band. Three originals, one Tom Petty cover. All good.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: GA-20 || Crackdown

By / / Blues & Roots, Garage Rock / 1 Comment

To be honest, I saw American trio GA-20 purely as an blues revival band, an image reinforced by their previous album (2021) where they honored legendary six-fingered Chicago bluesman Theodore Roosevelt “Hound Dog” Taylor. But now that I replay their debut LP Lonely Soul (2019), I realize that this thought was too short-sighted, that they are more than that. Although traditional electric blues is clearly the basis, the musicians give it their own, modern twist. On their new full-length Crackdown, guitarist/vocalist Pat Faherty, guitarist Matt Stubbs and drummer Tim Carmanand let go of the straitjacket of the old blues heroes even further, I guess more confident than ever because of countless successful live shows. Maybe we should call it soulful garage rock ‘n’ roll with heavy blues influences? The music is still raw and swampy, but the nine new, original songs are stronger and more memorable than ever – the melodies are catchier, the guitars more biting, the drums groovier, the vocals more convincing. I used to like GA-20, now I love them.

Crackdown is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP through Karma Chief Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Colemine || Discogs

New album: Mad Mojo Jett || Get Your Mind Straight

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Early this year, we first heard from Minneapolis rock ‘n’ roll quartet Mad Mojo Jett. Their first four tracks on the Partyville 7″ (Chaputa! Records) left us wanting more. And lo and behold, they’re already back with double output on Get Your Mind Straight – in their own words an EP, but with 8 tunes in 22 minutes you may call it an album in my opinion – on which the title track of the single is present but strangely enough the song from which the new release took its name is not.

Eric Levy (vocals, guitar, drums) from Jett Kick, Joe Holland (bass) from Low Rats, and Madalyn Rowell (vocals, drums) and Monet Wong (guitar) from The Toxenes play raw, rattling and raucous garage rock in which punk but also soul, doo-wop and bubblegum influences seep through. What makes them stand out, is that brilliant melodies and golden hooks shimmer beneath the gritty lo-fi sound. Very exciting, very catchy, very energetic, very cool.

Get Your Mind Straight is out now digitally and on CD through Rum Bar Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: The Sorels || Love Your Rock N’ Roll

By / / Garage Rock, Glam Rock / Leave a Comment

Rock-‘n’-roll needs no saving, but if it did I’m pretty sure we could count on The Sorels. There is not a second on their latest EP that doesn’t reveal The Sorels’ devotion to and love for rock-‘n’-roll. The Canadian trio start the EP (and the title track) with a classic drumroll that’s the heartbeat of glamrock, before introducing loud guitars, bass, and a vocal delivery full of soul, conviction, and hints of the best pop music of 5 to 6 decades ago. Enter track two (The Jerk), a ’60s girl group throwback that takes a tour of the dance moves of a different era but rather than a party song it’s full of melancholy of days gone by. The Sorels then show their most soulful side in Make Me Party, a song with a particularly strong vocal performance. The fourth and final track is Another School Day, a fun cover of British ’70s glamrockers The Hello.

I liked the Sorels previous single a lot, but the Love Your Rock N’ Roll EP is a major step up in every way! Another strong co-release by Reta Records (Canada) and Surfin’Ki (Italy).



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Surfin’ Ki

New album: S.U.G.A.R. || II

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Berlin three piece S.U.G.A.R. don’t care much. They are clearly not worried about production values. If you like your music full of polish and shine, look elsewhere. They don’t care about album length neither. Like their self-titled LP, there are only 8 songs on their sophomore record. Album titles? Not really something S.U.G.A.R. makes a fuss about. Their new LP simply is called II. Your ears? Not their problem, they will turn their amps all the way up regardless of your ear protection.

The only thing S.U.G.A.R. seems to care about is making wild and sleazy garagerock’n’roll (RIYL: MC5, The Stooges, The Dictators) that is dirty and loud. Luckily, they excel at doing exactly that and we should be grateful to Alien Snatch Records who have a way of digging up and releasing bands like these.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: The Midnight Confessions || The Midnight Confessions

By / / Country & Folk, Garage Rock, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Look what a cool new band I found today! Here are The Midnight Confessions from Brooklyn, New York, featuring songwriter Anna Blumenthal (guitar, vocals), Holly Nance (guitar, vocals), Sacha Chernoff (bass, vocals) and Meredith Klein (drums, vocals). On the three songs of their self-titled debut EP you can hear their love for 60s girl groups, 70s power pop, rock ‘n’ roll, country, glam and garage rock, but the way they combine those influences is fresh and uplifting. They wrote and recorded three delightful tunes, with catchy melodies and powerful vocal harmonies, that leave you wanting more.

The Midnight Confessions EP is out now digitally via Secret Family Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Itches || Kingdom Upstairs

By / / Garage Rock, Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Wow, Vorselaar (Belgium) three-piece Itches hold nothing back on their EP Kingdom Upstairs. It’s a wild and loud affair of ramshackle garagerock that the Belgians bring to the table. If you are into modern garageacts like Ty Segall and Oh Sees, I’m pretty sure you’ll like this one. What I’m even more sure of: Itches sound like they are a must see live act when they are in your neighborhood. Put on Down The Drain, play it loud and get swept away by this exciting act.

Out now digitally through Ronny Rex, vinyl coming sooner or later.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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