Tenement - Napalm Dream

Tenement - Napalm Dream

Tenement are a punk band from Wisconsin who are totally killing it. Napalm Dream has hooks for days and sounds like Hüsker Dü mixed with the Descendents and Bracket. Good luck getting these tunes out of your head, cuz Tenement write some syrupy-sweet jams bro. One of the best releases of 2011 for sure. Go buy the 12" of this bastard from Mandible Records and look for their new 12", Blind Wink, out this month from Cowabunga! Records.

Static Radio NJ - We Are All Beasts

Static Radio NJ - We Are All Beasts

This is one of the best albums that I've heard all year. We Are All Beasts sounds like Samiam and The Draft mixed with a pinch of Seaweed and a dash of Nirvana; Gruff and emotional punk rock with just a touch of 90's heaviness. There isn't a bad song on here, every track is a serious banger. These dudes used to sound like Lifetime/Kid Dynamite but have grown by leaps and bounds on this new one. You need to be into this.

Big Biz - Quadruple Single

Big Business - Quadruple Single

New EP from one of the most consistently rad bands around. This time out they've added a fourth member (Scott Martin, guitar) and he just fucking shreds all over this. Its like just when you think Big Biz couldn't get anymore rad, they go and release this EP, tipping the scales of radness.

CLOUDS - B Chuggas May Be Logging EP

CLOUDS - B Chuggas May Be Logging EP

The last four songs these guys ever recorded and every last one of them is a serious banger. I wish these guys were still around. Awesome stoner rock from members of Cave In and The Hope Conspiracy (also the underrated A-Team). Clouds is not a band for everybody. Either you get it or you don't, and I fucking get it.

The Electronic Anthology Project

The Electronic Anthology Project EP

This is Doug Martsch and Brett Nelson from Built To Spill doing 80's synth pop versions of BTS songs, and it fucking kills. This is like all the totally rad remix EP's you've heard but ten times better because they are Built To Spill songs. These aren't remixes they are totally new recordings (vocals and all). One song from each of their seven studio albums gets the synth treatment here. Party time.

PULLEY

Pulley - Esteem Driven Engine

Pulley - Sixty Cycle Hum

Pulley - S/T

Pulley - Together Again For The First Time

Pulley - Matters

Pulley - Time Insensitive Material EP

Pulley - The Long And The Short Of It 7"

Fucking Pulley. One of the best melodic hardcore bands to ever grace the earth. Scott Radinsky (Ten Foot Pole) on vocals, Matt Riddle (Face To Face, No Use For A Name) on bass, Jim Cherry (Strung Out) on guitar and Jordan Burns (Strung Out) on Drums. A bona-fide punk rock super group. The line-ups shifted for subsequent releases but Scott Radinsky stuck around on vocals (despite a lucrative MLB career). Every one of these albums totally fucking slays. These guys played a major part in my youth and are definitely one of the 90's best punk bands. Life-changing tunes right here dudes.

Best Song Ever

Maritime - Human Hearts

Maritime - Human Hearts

Like a fine wine Davey Von Bohlen's songs just get better with every passing minute. Human Hearts is a pop masterpiece if ever there was one. If you don't know and love all of this man's songs then you are probably a fucking nazi bastard. This album is so fucking good I can't even put it's greatness into words. Home. Fucking. Run.

Big Kids

Big Kids - Hoop Dreams

Big Kids - Don't Be A Baby EP

Big Kids - Phone Home

Big Kids are the fucking shit. Try and remember the first time that you heard Weezer.... That is what hearing these dudes for the first time is like. Big Kids play emotional punk rock that sounds like Small Brown Bike, Bear Vs. Sharks and Hot Rod Circuit mixed together. Every one of these dudes' jams is a total banger that begs repeat listening. I jam this shit on the regular and you should too. Buy whatever these dudes put out and press a beer in their hands when they play your shit town. Life changing punk rock right here.

Spraynard - Funtitled

Spraynard - Funtitled

New on Asian Man Records. Mike Park has a great ear for bands (i.e. Alkaline Trio, The Broadways, The Larry Arms). This sounds just like Latterman. Fun and snotty punk rock that even an old fuck like me can get behind. Jam this and remember what it was like to get totally rad with your bro's. This album totally slays.

Dear Tonight - We're Not Men

Dear Tonight - We're Not Men

Dear Tonight were a punk/hardcore band from NY who existed from 2001-08. They sounded a lot like Drive Like Jehu, Angel Hair and Ink And Dagger. Lead singer Ryan Duffy used to write for Vice magazine back then as well and was one rad dude (just check out his segment for vbs.tv on donkey fucking) he was most recently seen on the MTV show the Vice Guide To Everything. This band never really toured behind this, as they called it quits immediately after it's release, which is too bad because I think they could have gone far behind it. If you like End Of A Year and Brainworms you will totally dig this album.

Kicking Spit - Psychrockbullshit

Kicking Spit - Psychrockbullshit

Former members of the New Jersey band Seasick playing rad 80's influence hardcore punk. This three-piece sounds a lot like Dinosaur Jr. and Hüsker Dü, and I mean a lot. Tons of fuzzed out guitar solos, great melodies and a killer rhythm section make this EP one of the best I've heard in a while. Tankcrimes Records released this on LP and CD, so go grab it from them (they also have this as a free download right now on the label's bandcamp).

GG Allin - Hated In The Nation

GG Allin - Hated In The Nation

Everyones favourite shit-smeared-nihilist-micropenis flashing-punk rocker. GG (born Jesus Christ Allin) was one wild dude who obeyed no laws, not even those of basic human hygiene. Serial killer John Wayne Gacy remarked after meeting GG that he "loved that guy, but God damned if he didn't smell like the worst pissy-assed wino I'd ever met". This is outcast music made by the most famous outcast in rock and roll. J. Mascis plays lead guitar on three of these tracks (as part of The New York Superscum), he was originally going to record a whole live set but in typical GG fashion the plug was pulled on the show after only three songs (GG shit all over the stage, rolled around in it and began attacking the audience). BITE IT YOU SCUM.

Scared Straight

Scared Straight - Born To Be Wild EP

Scared Straight - You Drink, You Drive, You Die

Scared Straight were a Nardcore band (even though they were actually from Simi Valley) who changed their name to Ten Foot Pole and signed to Epitaph Records in the 90's. Lead singer Scott Radinsky (who also went on to front Pulley) was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1986 (right out of high-school) and pitched in the majors for almost 20 years. Both these records were released on Mystic Records, which meant the band never got paid any money for them and they sound pretty shitty. Despite all that Scared Straight were a pretty rad band who thankfully stuck it out and, as Ten Foot Pole, released Rev which is one of the 90's best skate-punk albums. Thrash.

V/A - Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010

V/A - Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010

This album was released by Matador Records at the start of 2010 and it compiles the best and brightest new bands from Austin, TX (with a few ringers from Denton, TX). This was assembled by Matador co-founder Gerard Cosloy who moved to the city a couple years ago and fell in love with the local scene (he's since signed Harlem to Matador). Great songs from Woven Bones, Wild America, Harlem and The Young. "Casual Victim Pile" is an anagram for "live music capital", which is what Austin is. So if you thought Texas was all honky-tonk and Stevie Ray Vaughn worship give this a spin and see how fucking punk the city is.

Guided By Voices - 1993-95

Guided By Voices - The Grand Hour EP

Guided By Voices - Vampire On Titus

Guided By Voices - Static Airplane Jive EP

Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand

Guided By Voices - Get Out Of My Stations EP (Reissue)

Guided By Voices - Fast Japanese Spin Cycle EP

Guided By Voices - I Am A Scientist EP

Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes

Guided By Voices - Tiger Bomb EP

Dayton, OH's Guided By Voices are one of the most prolific bands of all time. Even in selecting a three year period of the band from which to post they had eight releases (they really had nine, but I don't have the "Clown Prince Of The Menthol Trailer" EP, sorry). This was the bands more lo-fi period where they recorded on the cheap in Robert Pollards laundry room and self released almost everything in small quantities (500 copies or less). Around this time they caught the ear of Matador Records who helped to distribute the album Bee Thousand and fully released Alien Lanes (which is said to have been recorded for only $10 once you subtract the cost of beer). Alien Lanes has some of my favourite GBV songs, especially "Game Of Pricks" and "Motor Away". GBV head honcho Robert Pollard knows how to write a great song and even when that song is covered in fuzz the hook and melody still shine through. These releases all pretty much contain the "classic" line-up of the band: Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Kevin Fennel, and Greg Demos who were all well into their thirties by the time Alien Lanes was released. It is this line-up that reunited earlier this year to play Matador Records 21st birthday celebration in Las Vegas and subsequently tour as well.

Smoke Or Fire - The Speakeasy

Smoke Or Fire - The Speakeasy

Their new one, more great gruff (both in sound and appearance) and melodic punk from these RVA lifers. This is their first album with Gwomper from Avail playing bass and Ryan Parrish from Darkest Hour behind the drum kit. These guys put on a great live show and I hope I'll be able to see them again some time.