Young Francis Hi Fi - The Young Generation

When I reviewed Young Francis Hi Fi's digital track "I Wanna Hold You Tight (Tonite)" three years ago, I was excited to hear tuneful punk music with such tremendous energy. Little did I know that it would be three years before the Brighton-based outfit would get an album out. But this is a full-length debut that has proven to be well worth the wait. Years later, Young Francis Hi Fi's sound has toughened up considerably while still retaining all its original charms. Out on 14th Floor Music/Dirty Water Records, The Young Generation is a raging firecracker of a record that's thrilling to the finish. On paper, this seems like it would be a pop-punk album. Most of the songs are about girls and run around two minutes. But more than anything else, this is a rock n' roll record. Young Francis Hi Fi play fast and furiously, blending pure pop music with blistering garage punk and bulldozing hard rock. I can't think of another band out there that does this sort of thing this well. The Young Generation is pure fun and excitement meets raw power. With the opening 1-2 punch of "I Wanna Hold You Tight (Tonite)" and "Baby You're Braindead," the band affirms that punk rock music can be super poppy yet still melt your face off. Later on, the back-to-back pairing of "Do You Like Good Music?" with "Dance If You Wanna" is a veritable mission statement! Listening to "Don't Break Mt Heart," I can imagine a few action rock bands wishing they could kick this much ass! If you're looking for an album that will get your heart racing, your toes tapping, and your head bobbing, The Young Generation is it. Young Francis Hi Fi have delivered a debut LP that will remind us all why we fell in love with punk rock in the first place.

-L.R.

https://youngfrancishifi.bandcamp.com/album/the-young-generation
https://www.instagram.com/yyoungfrancis/
https://www.facebook.com/yyoungfrancis/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCwBKU5d0w6hEVJg3g8F1XA
https://dirtywaterrecords.bandcamp.com/

Kurt Baker - "She Don't Wanna Be Alone"

We are now just another month away from the release of Kurt Baker's hotly-anticipated new album Rock 'N' Roll Club! One final teaser for the album was just released this past Friday. "She Don't Wanna Be Alone" will appeal to fans of Baker's early power pop stuff. The track, co-written with Wyatt Funderburk, is pure pop at its finest. It finds Baker and Funderburk channeling their inner Beatles (in particular John Lennon). We can certainly expect a whole lot of rock from the new album, but this tune is slower and built on a foundation of gorgeous, hummable melodies. What a splendidly-crafted pop song! I love that all three advance singles from Rock 'N' Roll Club have been very different. Baker is promising that this will be his best release yet, and he has never given me any reason to doubt him. The album will be out September 29th on Wicked Cool Records!

-L.R.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3nypBSfKTnwVghgfTs4Qe2
https://kurtbaker.bandcamp.com/
https://kurtbakerwcr.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KurtBakerMusic
https://www.instagram.com/kurtmiltonbaker/
https://www.facebook.com/WickedCoolRecords
https://www.instagram.com/WickedCoolRecords/

Girl Drink Drunks - After 9pm

It's hard to believe that it was already six years ago when I first wrote about Portland, Oregon's Girl Drink Drunks. In my book, Joel Jett (The Flip-Tops, The Minds, Jetpack) is an all-time great in the garage punk universe. When I discovered he had a new band going with members of The Hot LZs and Piss Test, I was super stoked. And when I heard Girl Drink Drunks, I totally flipped (no pun intended). I consider the band's 2017 debut long player one of the most underrated punk albums of the previous decade. It is my hope that new album After 9pm will be properly rated and hailed as one of 2023's most essential punk rock releases. This album (which marks the triumphant return of Jett's record label Sonic Jett after a decade plus pause) is an absolute monster. Obviously this band has a huge garage punk pedigree, but the record sounds too good to be classified as budget trash. The band rips through 13 tracks of aggressive but catchy punk rock with a rock n' roll influence and a hardcore intensity. Jett, as always, belts out his vocals with fury and force. The rhythm section is tight & powerful, and the lead guitar is pure fire. Simply put, this is a killer punk rock record. Lyrically, it's very in tune with the tenor of the crazy times we live in. While the band name comes from one of the greatest comedy sketches of all-time, you can be assured that these songs are no joke. With the majority of the tracks coming in under two minutes and the longest running just two minutes, twenty seconds, After 9pm is like a series of punishing blows that will leave you battered and still begging for more. The vinyl release is a 12" record spinning at 45 RPM. Grab a copy now along with a download of the first album if you don't have one already!

-L.R.

https://girldrinkdrunks.bandcamp.com/album/after-9pm
Sonic Jett Records on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/girldrinkdrunks

Brad Marino - "Lucy"

The man is back! Brad Marino is set to release a new album called Grin and Bear It this fall. Out today is "Lucy," the first single from the new record. For this track, he's mining the gold of classic '60s pop. Marino's ability to write fantastic new material in this old school rock n' roll style is quite impressive. "Lucy" manages to evoke the joy and timelessness of oldies radio without trying too hard to be "retro." This track is a total earworm with instant sing-along appeal. Marino does triple duty on guitar, bass, and keyboards. Zack Sprauge on drums is awesome as always. This song is a stone cold hit! Grin and Bear It will be out November 3rd — on vinyl on Sioux Records and compact disc on Rum Bar Records!

-L.R.

https://open.spotify.com/album/2aOHfyJAmglcwbNJILTPe9

https://music.apple.com/us/album/lucy-single/1703365640

https://www.facebook.com/bradmarinomusic/

https://bradmarino.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/brad_marino/

https://www.facebook.com/SiouxVinyl

https://www.instagram.com/sioux_vinyl/

https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

https://siouxguitars.com/records/

The Prize - "First Sight"

After I (like most everyone else in our international underground power pop/punk/garage bubble) totally flipped for The Prize's debut single last year, I immediately found myself wanting more. The Prize, to me, had the most promising debut release not just of 2022 but of the last few years. And thankfully, the wait for new material was fairly short. The Melbourne-based five-piece is back with its second single, a co-release between Anti-Fade and Drunken Sailor Records. "First Sight," the A-side cut, is another smash hit of powerful pop meets classic rock n' roll. The track comes out blasting with three hard-driving guitars and a beat that's impossible to resist. And when that "Tonight! Tonight! Tonight!" hook comes in, you'll be residing in Sing-Along City! The song tells the story of an instant, magical attraction —  pretty familiar territory for a power pop tune. But let's just say this tale takes an unfortunate turn, and what results is an immensely relatable, true-to-life song. On the flip side, "Say You're Mine" has a punky new wave circa 1980 feel to it. This is the stuff of classic power pop: mixing lyrical themes of heartbreak and longing with a bouncy, uplifting musical energy. Who doesn't love a bitter pill with a sweet coating? All in all, this single is a more-than-satisfying follow-up to last year's Wrong Side of Town EP. There is no repress planned, so grab a copy while you can. If power pop is your thing, aural bliss awaits!

-L.R.

https://theprizemelbourne.bandcamp.com/album/first-sight-7
https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/first-sight-7
https://www.facebook.com/theprizemelbourne/
https://www.instagram.com/theprize___/
https://www.drunkensailorrecords.co.uk/products/745988-the-prize-first-sight-7-drunken-sailor-records-drunkensailor-167

Tomb City - "Girl" b/w "Ramones"

Pop-punk for me is a hit-or-miss thing. But when it hits, there's not much I enjoy more in music. Iowa's Tomb City plays Ramones-inspired pop-punk, and perhaps that doesn't sound so inspiring. But there's something really unique and appealing about the band's debut single on Laptop Punk Records. "Girl" is fast-paced pop-punk, but the lo-fi/blown-out recording and endearingly dorky vocals are interesting touches you don't often come across in "Ramonescore" type music. I can't quite put my finger on why I like this song so much, but I'm compelled to keep pressing play. I dig that blend of catchiness and rawness. And how often do you come across pop-punk bands that play this fast? The second song, "Ramones," is a tribute to (you guessed it!) the Ramones. Luckily, this song manages to celebrate the Ramones without trying to be the Ramones. And that is the best possible tribute. With the entire single running just a little past two minutes, there's little room here for anyone to get bored. This is a very promising debut, and I hope to hear more from Tomb City!

-L.R.

https://laptoppunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tomb-city-you-were-the-only-girl-i-liked-b-w-ramones
https://tombcity.bandcamp.com/album/girl-b-w-ramones

Dennis Cometti - Suburban Condition

Oh boy! Here come the Aussies again! Suburban Condition is the new album from Perth's Dennis Cometti — yet another band from down under playing blistering old school punk rock n' roll straight out of the pub. Released on Bargain Bin Records, this is a stone-cold banger of an LP which is without doubt one of the best punk rock records of the year. There is nothing fancy or innovative going on here: just pure punk rock that zealously punches you in the mouth. These 11 tracks deliver attitude and energy for days. It would be so easy for a band like this to sound run-of-the-mill, but Dennis Cometti have tapped into what is timelessly great about punk rock songwriting. These guys know their way around a sing-along chorus and a beat that gets the toes tapping. Suburban Condition is a super-fun record to sing along with, and of course it begs to be played loud. If you (correctly) maintain that the Cosmic Psychos are one of the most important bands to ever exist, this latest generation of Aussie garage/punk groups is providing vehement confirmation.

-L.R.

https://denniscometti.bandcamp.com/album/suburban-condition-2
https://denniscomettifc.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dcometti/
https://bargainbinrecords.bandcamp.com/