My Favorite Albums of the Half-Decade

So it's 2025 now. It's crazy that we are now halfway through the 2020s. Remember when we thought 2020 would never end? In commemoration of this half-milestone, I thought it would be fun to look back at my favorite albums of the decade so far. To keep it simple, I just went with the albums I've played the most over the past five years. So some of the 2024 entries are still catching up. And yes, I know that a new decade didn't really begin until 2021. Nonetheless, we're talking about the '20s! Sorry if this list causes you to have to spend more money. 

20. Brad Marino - Looking for Trouble (2021)
Chuck Berry, Joey Ramone, and Keith Richards walk into a bar and play Rockpile on the jukebox.

19. The Melmacs - Good Advice (2022) 
Super-underrated power pop punk from Germany with anthemic hooks and thoughtful lyrics.

18. Shanda & The Howlers - It Ain't Easy (2022) 
This is a classic soul record in any era.

17. Rich Ragany - You Can Get Dark with Me (2024)
One of our greatest present-day songwriters at the top of his game.

16. Hayley and the Crushers - Vintage Millennial (2020) 
This was the album that made me a Crushers super-fan. Poolside glitter trash defined!

15. The Exbats - Kicks, Hits, and Fits (2020) 
The first of three entries from this band. How perfect of a song is "I Got the Hots for Charlie Watts"? 

14. The Cheap Cassettes - They​’'ll Never Forgive You For Pop (2024) 
On their third long player, The Cheap Cassettes give us some great power pop and a whole lot more. Their magnum opus!

13. The Shang Hi Los - Aces Eights & Heartbreaks (2023) 
Many bands would wish for a lifetime retrospective as hit-packed as this one!

12. Kurt Baker - After Party (2020) 
Following Brand New Beat (2012) and Play It Cool (2015), this was the third in the trilogy of power pop albums that Baker co-wrote with Wyatt Funderburk. All three records rule, but After Party is arguably the finest of the three.

11. Autogramm - Music That Humans Can Play (2023) 
The title of this album is all the more poignant at a time when A.I. is starting to intrude into the sacred realm of music. More broadly, it's a reminder that synthesizers in rock music are nothing without the people who program them. While Music That Humans Can Play is clearly inspired by the late '70s/early '80s heyday of new wave and synth-pop, at its core it's a great pop record that I keep going back to.

10. Beach Patrol - Festivus (2022) 
Domenic Marcantonio is about a decade younger than me, but I feel like I gain wisdom and a more profound understanding of the world from him every time I listen to his songs. "Jung-er Than Yesterday" and "Thanks Coach" from Festivus are two of his most remarkable creations, and who doesn't love a song about The Jerk? 

9. The Exbats - Now Where Were We (2021) 
Still fresh off their delightful album 2020 album Kicks, Hits, and Fits, Inez and Kenny McClain took things to a whole other level with this COVID -era garage pop masterpiece, with songs tackling everything from climate change to pandemic life to record stores to Scooby Doo. This is the first of three albums in my top ten that are the fruit of a creative partnership between a father and daughter (one of them is another Exbats album). Clearly there's something about multi-generational family bands that hits me the right way. 

8. Norcos Y Horchata - Forever Disheveled (2022) 
Detroit's finest street punk rock 'n' roll band's debut album is chock full of anthemic, sing-along bangers. "...Out for Smokes" remains the most on-point song yet written about the dystopian shitshow we are currently living through.

7. Juniper - She Steals Candy (2023) 
Working with her dad, Michael Shelley, and a whole slew of talented songwriters and musical guest stars from the indie pop universe, Juniper brought a much-needed ray of sunshine to the world when she released her delightful debut album in 2020 at the age of 15. The follow-up, She Steals Candy, was even better — and it remains one of my go-tos whenever I'm craving retro-pop with modern influences (or is it the other way around?).

6. The Airport 77s - We Realize You Have a Choice (2022)
From Silver Spring, Maryland, The Airport 77s essentially released one of the best late '70s/early '80s power pop albums in 2022.

5. Beach Patrol - Making Waves (2020)
Listening to this album always makes me think of when I first started listening to this album — in the car every afternoon back in January 2020. I can still feel the chilly air and the thrill of experiencing these songs for the very first time. Domenic Marcantonio is one of my favorite songwriters, and on this record he went with a totally raw, home-recorded style of production. With zero polish, the songs speak for themselves. And what songs they are! "Battlestar Galactica," "Struggle," "Thunder of the Mouth," and the title track are some of the finest songs of his career and some of the finest songs written by anyone in the early 2020s.

4. Miss Georgia Peach - Aloha from Kentucky (2022)
Miss Georgia Peach and Travis Ramin got together with some pals from Nine Pound Hammer & Nashville Pussy and made an old school country record. Aloha from Kentucky demonstrates that making great records isn't just about writing songs. Most of the songs on this album are covers of country classics from the '60s and '70s. But MGP and friends make these songs their own through amazing singing and musicianship — filling them with raw energy and an infectious spirit that oozes fun. Class Out the Ass, the sequel to this album, will be out on Valentine's Day on Rum Bar Records.

3. Hayley and the Crushers - Modern Adult Kicks (2022)
I've always believed that great punk rock bands can mature without losing the attitude and edge that made them great punk rock bands in the first place. Modern Adult Kicks practically writes the manual on how to do that. The quintessential post-pandemic punk-pop record.

 

2. The Speedways - Radio Sounds  (2020) 
Without a doubt, I would rank this as one of the ten greatest power pop albums ever made.

1. The Exbats - Song Machine (2023)
This album fully lives up to its title. Timeless bubblegum pop songs with a modern punk rock attitude for music lovers of any age. If you said this was the best band in the world, I would not disagree.

Honorable Mentions:

Juniper - self-titled (2020)

Indonesian Junk - Living in a Nightmare (2021) 
The Sleeveens - self-titled (2024)
Kurt Baker - Rock N Roll Club (2023)
Rich Ragany & The Digressions - What We Do (To Not Let Go) (2023)
The Speedways - Talk of the Town (2022) 

-L.R.

My Ten Favorite Punk Rock Albums of the 21st Century

So once I published my list of my ten favorite power pop albums of the 21st century, the wheels in my head started turning. I knew I'd be compelled to also list my ten favorite punk rock albums of the 21st century. Now keep in mind we all have our own definitions of "punk rock." I have no interest in defending my definition or criticizing someone else's. And of course I'm not trying to identify the "greatest" or most influential punk rock albums of this century. These are just the ones I love the most personally. And many of these albums would rank amongst my all-time favorite punk LPs, period. So while I'm notoriously geeky about first generation punk and the 1990s revival, I've always made an effort to keep up with the newer bands and never allow myself to get jaded about this genre of music. Hats off to Mick Fletcher, who has been posting new punk rock music almost daily for over a decade and was ultimately responsible for introducing me to the band that holds the top spot on this list! 

It blows me away when I realize that the 21st century already covers a period of nearly 25 years. Picking just ten favorite punk rock albums from that time period was a difficult task. That's why I included a bunch of honorable mentions. But I feel good about these choices. I hope you all discover something new from this list — or at the very least reconnect with a record you haven't heard in a while. On to it! 

10. The Gaggers - Rip You Apart (2011)

Snotty '70s-style razorblade punk rock hadn't sounded this good in decades!

9. The Dimestore Haloes - The Ghosts of Saturday Night (2004) 
My favorite '90s punk rock band actually released one of its best albums in the 2000s.

8. Midnite Snaxxx - Chew on This (2017) 
Dulcinea Gonzalez just might be the most underrated punk vocalist/songwriter ever.

7. The Kidnappers - Neon Signs (2006) 
One of the least "Rip Off–ish" albums ever released by Rip Off Records, and also one of the best albums ever released by Rip Off Records.

6. Night Birds - Mutiny at Muscle Beach  (2015) 
100%, this record can stand toe-to-toe with all the classic beach/surf–punk albums that inspired it. How prophetic was "Left in the Middle"?! 

5. Something Fierce - Don't Be So Cruel (2011) 
Basically I liked this album so much that it made me want to write about music again!

4. Hayley and the Crushers - Modern Adult Kicks (2022) 
Over the course of three albums from 2018 through 2022, Hayley and the Crushers progressed from good to very good to truly great right before our eyes and ears. This was no accident: this was a band working on its craft, honing its musical vision, and maturing into something extraordinary. Modern Adult Kicks is the definitive post-pandemic record and proof that punk rock for grown-ups can still kick ass. I actually feel a little guilty about leaving it off the podium!

3. The Bobbyteens - Not So Sweet (2000) 
The '60s girl group–inspired wing of garage punk rock 'n' roll has been a major force in the 21st century, and this is the album that started the party.

2. Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic (2002)
This is the only album to appear on both this list and my corresponding power pop list. Of course the Hearts were a huge part of the modern power pop revival, but to me, Guitar Romantic sounded just as much like '77 punk as it did vintage power pop. The influence of the likes of The Jam ("I'm A Pretender"), The Clash ("Rumors In Town"), and The Boys ("Boulevard Trash") on this record is palpable, and no modern band has been more important in reminding us that so much of the best first wave punk holds up because it was also great pop music. I've lost track of how many times I've listened to Guitar Romantic over the past 20+ years, and I never tire of it.

1. Pale Lips - After Dark (2019) 
I would not fight you if you told me that you prefer Wanna Be Bad. But for me, After Dark has been my ultimate Pale Lips go-to, and it's hard to name many records that are more emblematic of what rock 'n' roll music is all about. This, my friends, is 12 tracks of sheer unbridled joy which prove you can have smarts and substance in your songs and still be all about fun. This was a true group in the best sense of the term. You had the total rock star guitarist, a vocalist who exuded the true spirit of punk rock, and two powerhouse rhythm players who held it all together. In my book, After Dark is worthy of classic status. If you have young people in your life and want them to understand why punk rock is the best music ever and why they should immediately start their own bands, After Dark ought to be part of your gift package. 

Honorable Mentions 

The Prostitutes - Kill Them Before They Eat (2009) 
Stiletto Boys - A Company of Wolves (2000) 
Phone Jerks - self-titled (2018) 
Girl Drink Drunks - self titled (2017) 
The Melmacs - Good Advice (2022) 
The Control Freaks - Get Some Help (2021) 
The Busy Signals - self titled (2007) 
Los Pepes - For Everyone (2014) 

-L.R.

My Ten Favorite Albums of the 2010s

This is the time of the year when I'm always busy finalizing my year-end top tens. But before I unveil my selections for 2019, I thought it would be fun to reflect back upon this entire decade. I'm not saying these are the "greatest" or "best" albums of the 2010s. They're just my personal favorites. These are the albums I keep going back to again and again - the ones I'll probably still be listening to in another ten years. Many of these were albums I highly acclaimed as soon as they came out. Others have grown on me. Let's get to it!

10. Sugar Stems - Can't Wait (2012)
Wisconsin's Sugar Stems were one of the top American power pop bands of the early 2010s. This, their second album, was originally released on Screaming Apple Records before getting an American release on Dirtnap Records. I enjoy all of this band's albums, but Can't Wait is where Betsy captured her greatest magic as a songwriter.


9. Pale Lips - After Dark (2019)
If I measured these releases purely based on how many times I've played them, this one would be at a disadvantage since it just came out this year. But I've got a feeling it will rise up these charts over the years. If After Dark is one of my top ten favorite albums of the decade, it has to be my #1 album of 2019, right? I would never reveal such things before New Year's Eve!


8. Something Fierce - Don't Be So Cruel (2011)
This was my first-ever album of the year for this blog. It still holds up. Kind of like what later Clash could have been.


7. Kurt Baker - Brand New Beat (2012)
I love all of Kurt's stuff. But something special happens when he and Wyatt Funderburk get together and write pop songs.


6. Midnite Snaxxx - Chew On This (2017)
Perhaps the finest modern-day example of how to do '77-inspired garage punk with power pop hooks. 
 

5. The Cheap Cassettes - All Anxious, All The Time (2014)
Chaz and Kevin originally released the bulk of these songs one at a time on their Bandcamp, so it was like we all got to experience the making of an album together. Great rootsy, punky power pop from these ex Dimestore Haloes.



4. The Dahlmanns - All Dahled Up (2011)
Ramones-inspired punk meets power pop carried off to perfection. To this day, this remains the only Dahlmanns full-length album. True story: I was listening to a Dahlmanns song on Little Steven's Underground Garage one day in 2011 and it dawned on me that I needed to start writing about music again. The rest is history.


3. Night Birds - Born To Die In Suburbia (2013)
THE punk rock band of the decade. All of their albums are great, but this is the one I'm most likely to put on when I'm in a Night Birds state of mind.


2. The Cry! - self titled (2011)
A classic power pop album by way of '50s/'60s pop and rock and roll. Hard to believe all of these guys were under 21 when this record was made. A huge influence on the subsequent powerpop/punk of this decade.


1. Nato Coles- Promises To Deliver (2013)
I've been a longtime Nato fan, but I think it was the Rum Bar Records reissue of Promises To Deliver that caused me to realize I loved this album even more than I realized. I first popped the CD into my car player four years ago, and I've never really stopped playing it. The best of Midwestern punk and heartland rock combined into one band. If I were a ball player, the title track would be my walk-up music.

Honorable Mentions:
Stiletto Boys - Liberator (2013)
First Base- Not That Bad (2017)
The Number Ones- self titled (2014)
Shanda and the Howlers - Trouble (2017)
Missing Monuments - Painted White (2011)

Bonus: Favorite Song of the 2010s


Doing a list like this, I can really see my true power pop colors coming out. But the above is definitely a nice overview of the sort of stuff I've enjoyed over the past decade. Man, there sure were some amazing albums that came out in the past ten years! If we bring singles collections into the conversation, I'd say it would be a fierce battle between Sheer Mag self-titled and Fashionism's Smash Singles for the top of that category. I think what I've loved best about this decade of music is the same thing I've loved the least: there's so much good stuff out there that it's literally impossible to hear all of it. To sum up the 2010s, I'd say this was the decade where I stopped complaining about mainstream music being such crap. I mean, come on. It's almost 2020. Who cares what they're playing on the radio?! If you like good music, this is a damn fine time to be alive.

-L.R.

The Ten Greatest American Punk Bands

Seven years ago today, I made a list of the ten greatest American punk bands. I used to do fun stuff like that all of the time back in the early days of this blog when the only people reading were a handful of my friends. I thought it would be fun to re-make that list today and see how my selections have changed. Without peeking at the old list, I worked up the new one and then compared it to what I wrote in 2011. The difference in the two lists in some way reflects how my tastes have evolve (Man, I haven't had the inclination to put on a Bad Religion record in years!). It also reflects me broadening my definition of "punk rock" over time. I did limit my selections to the punk era (1976 to present), so that's why there's no Stooges or New York Dolls. But by all means, I would highly approve of someone else including those two bands on their list! On that note, here we go!

10. The Rip Offs
The Rip Offs only made one album, but what an album it was! Got A Record along with the band's five classic singles helped define a standard for what garage punk ought to be. And while the sound/recording aesthetic is easily imitated, it was the tunes that made The Rip Offs unbeatable. Their influence is still felt to this day.

9. The Humpers
Speaking of influential bands! The Humpers were the best of that entire wave of '90s "punk rock n' roll" bands. They took tried-and-true Heartbreakers/New York Dolls/Dead Boys inspirations, mixed them with the best of early rock and roll, and created something unique and exciting. One of the greatest American rock and roll bands, period. 

8. The Real Kids
Here's a classic case of my evolving definition of "punk rock". The younger me might have argued that The Real Kids were a power pop band or just a rock and roll band. Today I'd say they were/are both of those things - but also a defining band of first wave American punk rock!

7. Dead Boys
Every time I revisit this band's catalog, I'm reminded why I came to love 'em in the first place. I've flipped-flopped 26 times over which album I prefer, but man the music sure holds up! The real deal! 

6. Black Flag
In the past, I would have qualified this selection with "Keith Morris era only". But screw it...I have come to not only appreciate the Rollins era stuff but also sometimes prefer it! The Complete 1982 Demos blow my head off! The greatest hardcore punk band to ever walk the earth.

5. Avengers
I recall my quest as a younger lad in the '90s trying to track down a copy of the pink album. And when I finally did, that record became a permanent staple of my turntable. Now thanks to the wonders of modern technology, this essential part of music history is available to everyone. These songs still give me chills.

4. Zeros
When it comes to '77 era teenage punk with a pop sensibility, this is a band that ought to mentioned with the best of 'em.

3. The Dictators
I mean, come on: what's the name of this blog?! 

2. Pagans
THE definitive Midwestern American punk band. Its influence on what would later become "garage" punk was immeasurable. No punk music collection is complete without a proper Pagans best-of. I highly recommend this one.

1. Ramones 
The greatest punk band from any country!


So there you go. Honorable mentions go out to The Heartbreakers, Devil Dogs, Wipers, Adolescents, and Angry Samoans. There were ultimately six bands in common between this list and my 2011 list. I recently posed a similar question on my Facebook feed the other day (look me up: Josh Rutledge, York, PA) and got a lot of great responses. Maybe I'll do this list again in seven more years!

-L.R.

My Top 20 Favorite Bands: 2000 to Present

I fully acknowledge it's weird that after spending so many years touting new music, my list of all-time favorite bands is still comprised almost entirely of artists from the '70s. So I got an idea: what if I wrote a massive list of my all-time favorite bands and then deleted everything that was pre year 2000? What would that look like? It was an easier exercise than I expected. I had no trouble coming up with a long list of bands from the present century that I totally love and still listen to on a regular basis. For bands that were active prior to 2000, I only considered their post-2000 output. For more recent bands, I had to factor in that their recordings may have not yet been subjected to the "test of time". With all of that in mind, here we go! 

20. Phone Jerks
I know what you're thinking. "Didn't their first album just come out?!" Fair enough. But in a world without Teengenerate and Loli and the Chones, Phone Jerks are the next best thing. Plus there was no way I could write a list like this and not represent multiple bands from Canada.


19. The Cry!
First album is a bona fide power pop classic. Second one isn't bad either! I anticipate we will finally get a new album from this band in 2019.

 
18. Something Fierce 
Don't Be So Cruel still sounds like the best album that the 1980s Clash never made. Rumor has it that Something Fierce is now on the verge of releasing new music for the first time in eight years. 

 
17. The Dahlmanns 
I've reviewed this band on seven occasions. It actually seems like more than that! The gold standard for the marriage of pop and punk. 

  
16. Sugar Stems
Super underrated extra awesome power pop group. I highly recommend all three of their albums. Does pop music get any better than "Love You To Pieces"? 


15. The Figgs - As the '90s turned over into the 2000s, The Figgs were at the top of their game. I probably listen to Sucking In Stereo as much as I listen to any Figgs album. Badger is my favorite Figgs EP by far. The early stuff gets all the love, but this band's post 2000 output is no less impressive.


14. The Unlovables
Crush * Boyfriend * Heartbreak is one of the greatest pop-punk albums ever made.


13. Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band
Promises To Deliver is my most most listened-to album of this current decade. 


12. The Kidnappers 
A decade before it was fashionable, The Kidnappers concocted a peanut butter cup mashup of garage punk and power pop, peaking with the "Spanish Girls" single and Neon Signs LP. I have enjoyed the twins' more recent outfit Küken, but I must admit I still miss The Kidnappers!  


11. Night Birds 
For my money, this is the best punk group of the last ten years. Favorite album: Born To Die In Suburbia. Second favorite: Mutiny at Muscle Beach. If you like old school hardcore punk with brilliant lyrics and a ton of melody, you need to own this band's entire discography. Little-known fact: I have consciously inserted a Seinfeld or Larry David reference into four different Night Birds reviews. I'm saving "These pretzels are making me thirsty" for the next full-length.


10. Bobbyteens
This band would have ranked higher if I'd allowed myself to consider its early singles and debut album from the late '90s. Still, top ten ain't too shabby! 2000's Not So Sweet is my favorite of the band's albums - a definitive mixture of the Ramones, girl groups, and power pop.


9. Midnite Snaxxx 
Is there any punk musician of the last 25 years more under-appreciated than Dulcinea Gonzalez?


8. The Connection
I've referred to The Connection as "America's best rock n' roll band", and I think that sums it up pretty well. 


 7. Beach Patrol
 I've been a huge fan of this Green Bay outfit since 2006, when I named its full-length debut my album of the year. Over time, the band has only gotten better. Domenic has become one of our finest songwriters. The recent Levity is, in my opinion, the best album he's ever written.


6. Pale Lips
It seems like only yesterday that I was hearing this band for the very first time. It was actually four years ago! Pale Lips' debut LP was officially listed as my #2 album of 2016, and the band's latest is almost certain to be my #1 for 2019. Definitely my favorite active band.


5. Exploding Hearts 
I don't think much explanation is required here.


4. Kung Fu Monkeys
The creation of a Kung Fu Monkeys Bandcamp page officially remains the best thing to ever happen to The Internet. I recently decided to put on School's Out, Surf's Up, Let's Fall in Love to see if it still holds up after 18 years plus. Boy, does it ever! There's never been another album quite like this. It's like pop-punk meets twee meets meets surf meets kiddie pop meets bubblegum meets '60s teenage dance party, propelled by James Cahill's seemingly impossible vocal range and a rhythm section that plays as if it's hopped up on Pixy Stix. Music more joyful than this has never been produced by humans. The early 2000s saw the band moving into its "mature" phase, which produced several less punky yet still totally delightful 7" releases. More recently, 2012's Son Of... The Incredibly Strange Case Of The Mysterious Mystery 7" arrived seemingly out of nowhere and delighted longtime fans with some gorgeous and masterful baroque pop. 

  
3. Stiletto Boys
Yeah, I know this band had a home field advantage. But I would have been a fan even if they'd been from thousands of miles away. It's funny how time changes your impressions of things. When the Stiletto Boys made their first album, I was like, "I love it, but I kind of miss the rawness of the singles". When their second album came out, I was like, "I love it, but I kind of miss the rawness of the last album". Looking back all of these years later, I am awed by the way the Stiletto Boys pushed themselves to get better and better with each new release. I can still put on A Company of Wolves and find myself stunned by its greatness. Sean Wolfe was so driven to make Liberator perfect that he was willing to scrap a completed album and start over. It ended up being 13 years between albums. And it was worth it. Liberator (2013) proved to be the band's masterpiece - a must-own for fans of power pop influenced punk rock with insightful and intensely personal lyrics. If you lost track of the Stiletto Boys after the year 2000, you've got some serious catching up to do. R.I.P. Sean.


2. The Ergs 
If you want to see me when I'm angry, call the Ergs a generic pop-punk band. Sure, they were Descendents fans. They were also into hardcore, jazz, and obscure indie rock. They were unabashed music and book geeks, which I related to on a personal level. They fully understood that Dirty Work is one of the true cinematic masterpieces of our time. How can you not appreciate a band that releases a single called "Blue" and backs it with a cover of "Blew" by Nirvana? Only a person well-versed in the road signage of northeastern Pennsylvania interstates can appreciate the humor in writing a song called "Ashley Sugarnotch". Most importantly, the music still holds up. Dorkrockcorkrod is an all-time top five pop-punk album in my book. f'n remains one of the most impressive demo tapes I've ever heard. And don't even get me started on the singles. On my Mt Rushmore of New Jersey rock, I have The Boss, The Shirelles, Dramarama, and The Ergs!


1. Dimestore Haloes
The Haloes coming in at #1 will surprise no one. Granted, I had to remove their first two albums from consideration. But their last two albums are actually their best, in my humble opinion. The Ghosts of Saturday Night was the perfect transition between what the Haloes had been and what The Cheap Cassettes would later become. Wait, you don't own it yet?! Get on over to Bandcamp and rectify that immediately!


So there you have it. There were quite a few other bands that just missed the cut (too many to mention, in fact). But I'm pretty satisfied with this list, and I plan on updating every year!

-L.R.

Annual Birthday Post 2017!

I've had a recent yearly tradition of doing annual birthday posts where I list my ten favorite bands of all-time. But since the list only undergoes very minor changes from year to year, I decided it was time to try something a little different for this particular birthday (my 46th). Instead of listing my ten favorite bands of all-time, I will pick my four favorite bands from each of the past six decades. I figured this would be a fun project to undertake and perhaps a good way to "spread the wealth" since my all-time favorite lists are usually dominated by bands from the late '70s. And given that I've been reviewing music since 1995, I am obviously a fan of quite a few more recent bands. So without any further ado, I now present my favorite bands by decade from the '60s up to present day!

1960s:
The Who
Rolling Stones
Kinks
Zombies

1970s:
The Clash
AC/DC
Ramones
Generation X

1980s:
Husker Du
Replacements
Pretenders
Dramarama

1990s:
Material Issue
Dimestore Haloes
Prostitutes
The Muffs 

2000s:
Bobbyteens
Exploding Hearts
Ergs!
Kidnappers

2010s:
Night Birds
The Cry!
The Connection
The Cheap Cassettes  

So there you have it. Limiting it to just four bands per decade led to some painful omissions (Teenage Fanclub, Vapors, Dictators). But I suppose that's half the fun! For the record, my favorite band of all-time is still The Clash (followed by AC/DC and Material Issue). Congratulations to Joe Keller and Chaz Matthews for being the only two individuals to be represented on this list in two different decades. Your commemorative medallions are in the mail. Possible idea for next year's birthday post: naming a favorite album from each year of my life! 

-L.R.

Top Ten Albums of 2006!

Can you believe that we are now a decade removed from 2006? I sure can't! My mind perceives 2006 like it was just yesterday, but the calendar says it's been ten years. Consider the evidence. In 2006, Barack Obama was still a first-term senator for the state of Illinois. Drake was just a kid actor dabbling in music. MySpace was still a thing. A BlackBerry was a cutting edge smartphone. People still went to video stores to rent movies. And I was still doing a webzine on a Geocities page builder - reviewing music that I listened to exclusively on records and CDs. 

So here we are a decade later. I decided to go back and re-do my top ten from 2006. I think it's pretty neat that the majority of the bands on this list remain active today. Those of you who've been following my writings for a long time will likely remember these albums well. And if these releases were a little before your time, I totally recommend seeking them out. You can hear most of them in their entirety on YouTube. On that note, let's get to it: my top ten punk/garage/powerpop albums of 2016!

10. Shock Nagasaki - Year of the Spy  
Shock Nagasaki's one and only album, Year of the Spy was one of the great overlooked punk releases of its time. Out of Syracuse, New York, this band sounded more like London 1980! From start to finish, it's punk anthems galore in the vein of Chelsea and The Professionals! Listen to the full album over at YouTube.

9. The Gee Strings- A Bunch Of Bugs
Still going strong after 22 years, Germany's '77 punk torchbearers The Gee Strings just put out a new LP this year. A Bunch Of Bugs is up there with the strongest albums of the band's career. You can stream it now from The Gee Strings' Bandcamp.

8. Mind Controls - self titled
Mind Controls were led by Mark Sultan (Spaceshits, Les Sexareenos, The King Khan & BBQ Show). I like this album as much as anything in Mark's catalog - which makes sense given the pure '77 punk style of the record. This turned out to be the only album Mind Controls ever made. Listen here!

7. The Suspicions - self titled
It was still pretty rare a decade ago to hear a band doing a 50/50 mix of garage punk and power pop. That sort of thing is common today - proving The Suspicions to be a band ahead of their time. The Suspicions' debut album was one of Rip Off Records' last - and most influential LP releases! All ten tracks are on YouTube.

6. The Checkers - Running With Scissors
Who remembers Teenacide Records? This was the hot label for female-fronted So-Cal power pop in the mid-2000s (Rocket, The Holograms), and The Checkers were the best of the lot. If Blondie and the Buzzcocks had made a baby...

5. Something Fierce - Come For The Bastards 
Sure: In 2006, I could not possibly have foreseen the heights that Something Fierce would achieve on its later albums. But even then, I sensed that this Houston trio was on to something special. If you listen to this formidable mix of scorching garage numbers and hook-laden '77 style punk tunes, you'll conclude that the band's eventual signing with Dirtnap Records was inevitable. A truly great debut, and you can hear the whole thing here!

4. The Tattle Tales - Hearts In Tune 
This is one of those albums that has stayed with me through bad times and good - a wonderful fusion of pop-punk and '90s influenced alt rock power pop starring the immensely talented Christian Migliorese. Listen and download here - the best five bucks you'll EVER spend! A pop masterpiece.

3. The Mojomatics- Songs For Faraway Lovers 
Every time you turned around in the mid 2000s, it seemed like The Mojomatics had a new record out that you just had to own. Songs For Faraway Lovers remains the duo's masterpiece - precisely the album you would hope to get when a couple of Italian guys obsessed with American roots music endeavor to write perfect pop songs in the garage. Check it out! 

2. The Kidnappers- Neon Signs
The Kidnappers were one of my favorite bands of the 2000s, and Neon Signs is the album of theirs that I turn to the most. If Ransom Notes and Telephone Calls was garage punk leaning towards power pop and Will Protect You was power pop with a trace of garage punk, Neon Signs was the best of both worlds. Seriously: how can you beat "Trainticket" and "I Hate Your Band"? I would like to thank Germany for bratwurst, Helles lager, and The Kidnappers.

1. Beach Patrol- It's Only Greener 'Til You Get There 
I can still remember pulling this CD out of the mailbox and thinking, "Who are these guys?!" But once I popped the disc in my car player, it was instant love. It's Only Greener 'Til You Get There was my album of the year for 2006, and it holds its ranking a decade later. Give it a listen, and be sure to check out the band's brilliant new album Eudaimonia!

Honorable mentions:
Shop Fronts - self titled
Buzzcocks- Flat-Pack Philosophy
The Steinways- Missed the Boat
Modern Machines - Take It, Somebody!
Kevin K- Rockin Roll Dynamite
The Fe Fi Fo Fums - Shake All Night 

So there you have it! For my thoughts on the best records of twenty years ago, check out this list I did back in 2012!

-L.R.

The Top Ten 2016

I have a birthday tradition of updating my top ten list of all-time favorite bands. I think it's been interesting to track how this list does or does not change from one year to the next. I've even learned some things about myself. For example: I've always considered myself a big power pop guy. Yet the only power pop band on this list is Material Issue. A full 40% of my top ten is comprised of first wave punk bands. And that doesn't even include the Dictators and New York Dolls - bands that a lot of people would lump in there with '70s punk. So when push comes to shove, I guess I'm still more of a classic punk guy than a power pop guy. 

I could probably update this list every year until I'm 90, and it still wouldn't change much. Perhaps some older bands would start showing up more often (I've been on a huge Who kick lately, hence the entry at #10). But truthfully, I'm pretty well set in my ways. The list I've come up with at the age of 45 isn't too far off from the one I would have come up with at 25. Even if I expanded the field to 20 bands, it would still be predominantly '77 punk and '60s/'70s classic rock. Ultimately I base these selections on which bands I listen to most often - although I also factor in each group's importance in my life. Does a band from this century finally crack the top ten next year? Probably not, but you never know! 

On to the list:

1. The Clash
2. AC/DC
3. Husker Du
4. Material Issue 
5. Dictators
6. Ramones
7. New York Dolls
8. Sex Pistols
9. Generation X
10. The Who 

-L.R.