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Steve McDonald Remembers the Earliest Days of Redd Kross

Steve McDonald talks about the year that produced the first Redd Kross EP, an early eighth-grade graduation show with a then-unknown Black Flag, and a punk scene that welcomed and defined him.

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On Their 2003 Self-Titled Album, Buzzcocks Donned a Harder Sound and Wore it With Style and Taste

Buzzcocks, the band's fourth album since their return to touring in 1989, changed their sound but retained what made them great in the first place

Music

'Modern' Is the Pinnacle of Post-Comeback Buzzcocks' Records

Presented as part of the new Buzzcocks' box-set, Sell You Everything, Modern showed a band that wasn't interested in just repeating itself or playing to nostalgia.

Music

Buzzcocks' 1996 Album 'All Set' Sees the Veteran Band Stretching Out and Gaining Confidence

After the straightforward and workmanlike Trade Test Transmissions, Buzzcocks continued to hone their fresh identity in the studio, as exhibited on the All Set reissue contained on the new box-set Sell You Everything.

Music

Buzzcocks' 1993 Comeback 'Trade Test Transmissions' Showed Punk's Great Survivors' Consistency

PopMatters' appraisal of Buzzcocks continues with the band's proper comeback LP, Trade Test Transmissions, now reissued on Cherry Red Records' new box-set, Sell You Everything.

Music

'Sell You Everything' Brings to Light Buzzcocks '1991 Demo LP' That Passed Under-the-Radar

Cherry Red Records' new box-set issued in memory of Pete Shelley gathers together the entire post-reunion output of the legendary Buzzcocks. Across the next week, PopMatters explores the set album-by-album. First up is The 1991 Demo LP.

Music

Diet Cig Hit the Post-College Slump on 'Do You Wonder About Me?'

Diet Cig's Do You Wonder About Me? shows that they're looking to move beyond the sound of their early 20s and into something a bit more serious.

Music

Go-Go's Bassist Kathy Valentine Is on the "Write" Track After a Rock-Hard Life

The '80s were a wild and crazy time also filled with troubles, heartbreak and disappointment for Go-Go's bass player-guitarist Kathy Valentine, who covers many of those moments in her intriguing dual project that she discusses in this freewheeling interview.

Love in the Time of Coronavirus

All Kinds of Time: Adam Schlesinger's Pursuit of Pure, Peerless Pop

Adam Schlesinger was a poet laureate of pure pop music. There was never a melody too bright, a lyrical conceit too playfully dumb, or a vibe full of radiation that he would shy away from. His sudden passing from COVID-19 means one of the brightest stars in the power-pop universe has suddenly dimmed.

Music

Ash Compile the Indie-Disco Classics on 'Teenage Wildlife'

Ash harnessed their teenage angst and energy and built a career on it, as you can hear on Teenage Wildlife, a career-spanning, hit-filled compilation album.

Music

Grrrl Gang's 'Here to Stay!' Is a Tremendous Rejection of Cultural Conformity

While Here to Stay! points to their Riot Grrrl and indie-pop influences, Grrrl Gang methodically transcend redundancy to chisel a concrete space for themselves.

Music

Punk's Spanish Love Songs Urge 'Brave Faces Everyone'

Punk rockers Spanish Love Songs know that even on the darkest, desolate morning there's hope in waiting for the sun to come up. Brave Faces Everyone feels like a defining moment for the band.

Music

Green Day Struggle to Survive on 'Father of All'

Green Day's Father of All is too short, superficial, and samey to have any lasting impact.

Music

The Revillos Reprise Their DayGlo Pop-Rock on ​'Compendium of Weird'

A collection of ragged rehearsal recordings, out-takes, and alternate versions that is actually worth the price of admission? The Revillos have pulled it off.

Music

Dune Rats Strike Back with More Grown-up Sound on 'Hurry Up and Wait'

Dune Rats are, without a doubt, a rebel-rousing bunch whose call-outs, curse-outs, and amateurish stunts have earned them mass appeal with an audience just as eager to stick it to the man alongside them.

Music

Brits in Hot Weather #20: Sea Girls, Redfield, Peaness, Natty Wylah, False Heads

This week features smart indie rock from Sea Girls, kaleidoscopic house from Redfield, fizzing indie pop-punk from Peaness, neo-soul-tinged hip-hop from Natty Wylah, and a full-on, monolithic rocker from False Heads.

Music

Beach Slang Hit a Wall on 'Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City'

On Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City, James Alex's (Beach Slang) homage to his heroes sounds exhausted.

Music

Comet Gain Make Their Most Punk Record Ever with 'Fireraisers Forever!'

Like most of the world right now, the members of Comet Gain seem to have a knot in their stomach that they're trying to break loose. As such, they've created their most punk effort yet with Fireraisers Forever!

Music

Get Married Seek Purpose With "Adam West" (premiere)

Pop-punk's Get Married recently released Songs For the Sleepless, and the video for "Adam West" puts the band's sturdy blue-collar punk sound on full display.

Music

Donaher's Pledge of Love and Fidelity "Before Anyone Else" Has Edge (premiere)

Love songs don't have to be sad or overly sentimental. Sometimes they can make their case and be clear-eyed about it as pop-punk's Donaher prove on "Before Anyone Else".

Reviews

LIFE Are Sardonic and Raw on 'A Picture of Good Health'

Hull, UK punk rockers, LIFE offer stripped down sound and creative arrangements that make A Picture of Good Health a compelling second album.

Music

Dude York's 'Falling' Is a Candid, Pop-Fueled Ode to Falling in Love

Despite being compared to bands from the '90s, Dude York prove they can carry the indie torch of Generation X, but with their own unique and updated sound.

Music

Talay Confronts Getting Ghosted on "I Want U 2 Call" (premiere)

On "I Want U 2 Call", former folkie turned rocker Talay offers up a slice of visceral power pop to confront the emotions of being ghosted and the travails of modern dating life.

Music

Tiny Stills Take on Odd Robot's "Schadenfreude" on New Split EP (premiere)

Power pop bands Tiny Stills and Odd Robot cover each other's songs, offer up new, original material on upcoming set. And, yep, there are kittens involved.

Jedd Beaudoin
Music

18th & Addison Bemoan "Leeches" in New Video (premiere)

Punk and pop energy collide in the new infectious single "Leeches" from New Jersey duo 18th & Addison.

Jedd Beaudoin
Music

Bleached Sneak Up on You with Their Brand of Power Pop

Bleached's Don't You Think You've Had Enough? is a summer record with big sing-along power pop songs that deliver.

Music

Taking Back Sunday Revisit Their 2011 Self-Titled Release in New Album-By-Album Video (premiere)

Taking Back Sunday continue to celebrate 20 years together throughout 2019 with their recent compilation, Twenty, tour dates stretching into autumn, and a video series about each of their albums.

Jedd Beaudoin
Music

Otoboke Beaver Is Loud, Fast, and Fun on 'Itekoma Hits'

Otoboke Beaver's songs run the punk gamut from raging hardcore to bouncy pop-punk and hit most of the points in between on Itekoma Hits.

Music

Tacocat Blesses This Mess

Seattle's Tacocat returns with This Mess Is a Place, a stellar new album in which the band confronts existential crisis and embraces widescreen guitar-based pop.

Music

Pop-Punkers the Dollyrots Get Celebratory With New Single, "Everything" (premiere)

Making music doesn't mean you have to grow up and growing up doesn't mean you have to stop making music. Punk outfit the Dollyrots remind us of this with their latest single "Everything".

Music

PUP's 'Morbid Stuff' Revels in the Cynicism and Self-Doubt of Modern Living

Morbid Stuff is the sound of Vancouver-based band PUP forging rousing, anthemic punk from the most jagged rocks mined from the depths of frontman Stefan Babcock's psyche.

Music

No Win Shows Off Big Hooks and Big Guitars on 'Downey'

If you can tell the difference between indie rock, power pop, and pop punk you will likely enjoy No Win's Downey.

Music

The Happys Showcase Their High-Energy Rock 'n' Roll on "Cut the Rope" (premiere)

Recovery, rebuilding, reclaiming and the fight for personal independence at the core of the energetic new single "Cut the Rope" from Bay Area quartet, the Happys.

Music

Doing a Good Thing For Other People: An Interview with SWMRS

Bay Area political punk band, SWMRS talk about changing their name, recording in conference rooms, and committing to social justice as a rock band.

Music

Brits in Hot Weather #11: Brand New Friend, Leisure Society, Guest Singer, Dancing on Tables, FEET

This week we have fizzing, pop-punk from Brand New Friend, candid indie from Leisure Society, '80s new wave-influenced Guest Singer, affecting indie pop from Dancing on Tables, and spiky indie from FEET.

Music

Calva Louise Find Their Authentic Sound on 'Rhinoceros'

Calva Louise's Rhinoceros is an album filled to the brim with barely contained, charging pop-punk songs replete with fizzing melodies that snake their way under your skin.

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