The New Respects - Freedom

1.    Who?

The New Respects are a rock’n’roll band from Memphis, Tennessee, that incorporate elements of pop, soul and the blues. They started in 2011 and have released one E.P. Freedom (May'18) is a stand alone single.

2. What?

Freedom is a rocker with a shout-out-loud chorus underpinned by groovy, head-nodding riffing, and a solid as rock rhythm section bringing a smidge of funk.

3. Who do The New Respects sound like?

Alabama Shakes, Elle King, and Lenny Kravitz.

4. What have the press said about The New Respects?

“A bright eyed take on throwback rock’n’roll” – NPR. 

“A ferocious sound that embodies all things carefree and radiant” – Local Wolves. 

“A fuzzed out blues rock aesthetic” – Rollingstone. 

5. Which bands influenced The New Respects?

Aretha Franklin, The Jackson 5, Sly & The Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, and Mumford & Sons.

6. Why should I give Freedom a listen?

The New Respects have a modern take on blues rock. Freedom is fresh.

7. Do The New Respects have any more bangers?

Gospel tinged Trouble has a hint of huge hit Jungle by X Ambassadors & Jamie N Common.

8. Any more words?

The band is a family affair; two twin sisters, their brother, and a cousin.

Dirty Sidewalks are a shoe gaze band from Seattle, Washington. They sound like The Jesus & Mary Chain and Swervedriver. Dirty Sidewalks are influenced by bands like JAMC, Oasis, and Echo & The Bunnymen. Rock'n'Roll Save My Soul is track one from their debut album Bring Down The House Lights (Jan'18). Blurt Online described the song accurately as a, “thrumming, shimmering slice of JAMC pop revisionism.”

The Jacks - Wings

1.    Who?

The Jacks are a rock'n'roll band from Los Angeles, California. They have been together since 2016 and have a handful of songs out there. Wings (Jan'18) is a stand alone single.


2. What?

Wings is a rock'n'roll song in the British tradition. It opens with a fat bass solo before turning all smoke, whiskey, dangerous women and lovelorn wisdom floating over an undercurrent of rhythm and blues.


3. Who do The Jacks sound like?

Early Rolling Stones, The Record Company , and The Temperance Movement.


4. What have the press said about Wings? 

“Bouyant bass sound” – Dash N Verve.

“Bringing back the British invasion of the 60’s and 70’s” – Aupium. 

“Unruly, bold and hard to be ignored” – Chant Farrar.

5. Which bands influenced The Jacks?

Cage The Elephant, The Strokes, Oasis, The Black Keys, and The Rolling Stones.

6. Why should I give Wings a spin?

Because of the fat bass. Because you like roots rock'n'roll.

7. Do The Jacks have any more belters?

Just A Little Bit.

8. More words?

Nah.

The Record Company are a blues rock band from Los Angeles. They sound like The Blues Brothers and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. The Record Company are influenced by The Rolling Stones and John Lee Hooker. I'm Getting Better (and I'm Feeling It Right Now) (May'18) is the second single from their second album Life To Fix (June'18). The song is a bluesy, harmonica driven, singalong.

Meg Myers - Numb

1.    Who?

Meg Myers is a popular alternative rock/indie rock musician from Los Angeles, California. Numb (April’18) is the lead single from her second album Take Me To The Disco (July’18).


2. What?

An 90's indebted alternative rock song with a grunge tinge.


3. Who does Meg Myers sound like?

The Cranberries, Sinead O'Connor and Alanis Morissette.


4. What is the good word about Numb?

“An explosive range of alt-rock and perfected angst” – Girl Underground Music.

 “A taut alt-rock ripper” – Buzzbands L.A. 

 “A personal and socio-political depiction of how of how society’s perception of right/wrong can become a toxic prison to our own identities” – Aupium. 

5. Which bands have influenced Meg Myers?

The Police, Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, and Alice In Chains.

6. Why should I give Numb a spin?

Because it is easy listening. 

7. Does she have any more bangers?

Mmm. Lemon Eyes.

8. And? 

Take Me To The Disco was produced by Christian ‘Leggy’ Langdon (Spacehog, Alex Vargas, Kid Symphony).

Superchunk.Indie rock legends from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They have been making music since 1989 and are influenced by bands like AC/DC, New Order and R.E.M. What A Time To Be Alive is an album track from Superchunk's eleventh album What A Time To Be Alive (Feb'18). The album found universal acclaim from critics. AV Club said, “The hooks remain plentiful, but the rage is palpable.”

The Frights - Crutch

1. Who?

The Frights are a garage band from San Diego, California. Crutch (May'18) is the first single from their third album.

2. What?

Standard issue surf punk noise. Mixes melodic, suspenseful, verses with full-tit, rock out choruses; with a modicum of expertise.

3. Who do The Frights sound like?

SWMRS, WAVVES, and FIDLAR.

4. What have the rags said about Crutch? 

“A pummeling, high energy track” – DIY. 

“Chugging guitars come head to head with cymbal smashing percussion” – The Line Of Best Fit. 

“Incendiary first excerpt” – Son Of Marketing. 

5. Which bands influenced The Frights?

The Frights were influenced by bands like Rancid, The Offspring, Black Flag, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Social Distortion.


6. Why should I listen to The Frights?

Because you don't have enough surf punk in your life. Because you like your punk hey diddle, diddle, straight down the middle.


7. Do The Frights have any other good tunes?

Hell yeah. Kids is basement punk with a rockabilly side done right.


8. Anything else?

Nah.

For better or worse State Champs are a popular version of American pop-punk. They are from Albany, New York, and have been playing together since 2010. Bands typically associated with State Champs are All Time Low, 5 Seconds of Summer, and The Wonder Years. Their influences are Jimmy Eat World and Fall Out Boy. Dead and Gone (April'18) is the lead single from the State Champs' third album Living Proof (June'18). Dead and Gone is the type of cotton candy State Champs have teased in the past but, now they have gone all-in. It's bombastic, meaningless, vacuous, trite, shite. As contagious as a hobos foreskin in summer though. A guilty pleasure.

Bloodboy - Sex Crime

1.    Who?

Bloodboy is Lexie Papilion an indie pop musician from Los Angeles.  Sex Crime (Feb’18) is a single from her debut album Punk Adjacent (2018).

2. What?

Sex Crime is a retro-eighties pop song brought up to date in tune and words. A feminist voice in the lyrics is a given, beguiling, not strident. 

3. Who does Bloodboy sound like?

Blondie, Pat Benetar, and Bec Sandridge.

4. What have the plastic punchers said about Sex Crime?

“Continuing to push the boundaries of pop rock music” – Vents Magazine. 

 “Danceable, status-quo questioning indie-pop anthem” – Paper Mag. 

 “Fun retro music” – Fem Music. 

5. Which bands have influenced Bloodboy?

The Clash is Lexie Papilion's favorite band. Then David Bowie, Talking Heads, Ariel Pink, and Elvis Costello.

6. Why should I give Sex Crime a listen?

Because 80's pop is your guilty pleasure. Because you can't abide anything in the Top 50. Because you don't need to hear another song about how much money he has or how many women he sleeps with.


7. Does she have any more bangers?

Checkout Keep Your Disease. 


8. Any more words?

Punk Adjacent is produced by Taylor Locke (The New Pornographers, Sloan, Pearl Charles). 

“She laughed when he told her,
Wishes he was older”

The Howl & The Hum are a hypnotic pop/post punk band from York, England. They have been compared to Portishead and Massive Attack. The Howl & The Hum are influenced by bands like Bob Dylan, My Bloody Valentine, and Kendrick Lamar. They have been playing together for a couple of years and have a handful of singles out there. Portrait I (Jan'18) is the best of the lot. The phrasing and the voice is exquisite and the gradual build finally brings the guitar climax in the third minute. Rewards the patient.

“But angel leaves an imprint on your broken bones”

The Get Up Kids - Better This Way

1.    Who?

The Get Up Kids are an indie rock band from Kansas, Missouri. They started in 1995, rising to fame with the second wave of emo that they later tried hard to dissociate from. The Get Up Kids moved their sound into a more alternative rock realm although they had a large influence on pop punk too (Fall Out Boy and Blink-182 are prominent fans). They have recorded six albums and Better This Way (May’18) is the second single from their E.P. Kicker (June’18).


2. What?

Better This Way is the sound of a band finding a new maturity and sound from new influences. A toned down, grittier, garage rock approach to making a punk song.


3. Who do The Get Up Kids sound like? 

PUP, Cloud Nothings, and The Replacements.


4. What have the press said about Better This Way? 

“The ultra-catchy track barrels towards and anthemic, cathartic chorus” – Consequence Of Sound. 

“An eclectic earworm” – The Fader. 

“Catchy as chlamydia” – YouTube Comments. 

5. Which bands influenced The Get Up Kids?

Weezer, Fugazi, Gang of Four, Jimmy Eat World, and The Foo Fighters.

6. Why should I give this a listen?

These influential old veteran's having another crack at it have created a low-key, but nice, musical moment with the wisdom of age.

7. Do The Get Up Kids have any other crackers?

Maybe.

8. Any more words?

Members of The Get Up Kids played in Spoon and My Chemical Romance.

Spoon are an indie rock band from Texas that started in 1993.  They have influenced bands like Vampire Weekend. Some of Spoon's influences are The Kinks, Iggy Pop and David Bowie. Tear It Down is an album track from their ninth album Hot Thoughts (2017). Exclaim said the album is, “another strong entry in Spoon’s sterling discography” and called Tear It Down a “stomping anthem.” Someone wasn't taking their pills. The tune does have a bit of swagger though.

Victory Kid - Clownin'

1.    Who?

Victory Kid are a politically active ska/pop punk band from Los Angeles, California. They have been making music since 2015 and Clownin' (Jun'18) is the lead single from their second E.P. Thrillenials (July'18).

2. What?

Clownin' is a standard issue Californian pop punk effort  thatis enlivened by a deep ska feel courtesy in part by the horns provided by Reel Big Fish's Matt Appleton. 

3. Who do they sound like?

Goldfinger, The Offspring, and Blink-182.

4. What have the press said about Victory Kid?

“Excellent beat and melodies dripping out of the speakers … loved it!” – Punk Online. 

“Incorporate a range of punk and rock influences into their horn-fueled and raucous delivery” – Rock N Load. 

“A blend of punk and ska that is politically charged and full of great melodies” – Rock N Load. 

5. Which bands influenced Victory Kid?

Sum41, Blink-182, Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Weezer.

6. Why should I give Clownin' a spin?

Because the righteous political indignation raises this bands game above their compatriots. Because the ska factor is ace. Because this is a band of very experienced musicians striking out on their own and leading with their best punches.

7. Do Victory Kid have any more bangers?

My World.

8. Any more words?

The trilogy of Victory Kid E.P's was engineered by Allan Hessler (My Chemical Romance, The Used, Goldfinger). 

Goldfinger are one of the most important bands in the third-wave of ska. Formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1994 they have seven albums on their roll of honor. Goldfinger are influenced by bands like Rancid, The Ramones, and Pennywise. Their best song is the cover of Nina Hagen's 99 Red Balloons. Tijuana Sunrise is an album track from their seventh album The Knife (July'17) and is emblematic of their ska punk jive.