Diaz Brothers - The World Is Yours LP - White Vinyl

Dead Broke / Serial Bowl / Waterslide / Break The Silence (2025)

I have a very hard time coming to grips with the fact that the first Diaz Broithers record came out five years ago already.  I also acknowledge that the old man time-goes-by-so-fast-now trope is also a bit tiring and overused.  But I'm one for a good trope and I feel like it's an easy way to explain that the first album still sounds so fresh, exciting and vibrant I haven't really filed it into 'old friend' status yet.  It's a record I'll put on when I want to hear something new instead of an old standard.  But again, I've been doing that for five years now and that doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

What will definitely move the Diaz Brothers' debut to that 'old friend' status is their new album The World Is Yours.  The fact that anyone is making music like this in 2025 is miraculous and anyone longing for those sounds of the mid 90s melodic punk scene in the UK, your ship has come in.  Sharing members with HDQ and The Jones, you're going to find that electric guitar work that fits so elegantly in the Hammond/Stubbs school of riffage and that's something I find to be in tragically short supply these days.

What sets Diaz Brothers apart from the few bands that do dip their toe into this sort of sound is how the vocals are just head and shoulders above what you tend to hear.  Rather than someone shouting like a malfunctioning Decepticon, Dave "Golly" Golledge has complete control of his vocal apparatus, weaving together melody with a passionate, intense delivery that so excellently complements the guitar maelstrom being thrown around by Mike Jones and Neal Cox.  It all comes together so perfectly and would fit right in with your favorite record of the 90s, while still having the sort of electricity that makes it feel like a new record that's currently relevant, not some nostalgic throwback.

I couldn't possibly say enough good things about The World Is Yours.  It's giving me exactly what I want to listen to when it comes to melodic punk rock.  I only wish there were more bands that could capture this sort of lightning in a bottle in 2025.  It would sure make putting together a top records of the year list a lot easier as Diaz Brothers will certainly be in the upper echelon of this year's list.

Diaz Brothers - The World Is Yours:
https://deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-yours

Shipyards - About Light LP

Waterslide / Imakinn (2024, Reissue)

Here we have the companion to last Monday's post.  About Lights is the second Shipyards full length and has also been lovingly brought to vinyl for the first time by the kind folks at Waterslide and Imakinn.  The album originally came out in 2014 and while it was their sophomore effort, it was the first album of theirs that I had heard.

And I just loved it.  It's that strain of melodic punk that firmly fits into the Snuffy Smile vein that started in the 90s.  It's everything that I love about Japanese punk rock.  They're writing catchy punk songs, but these songs are crafted so expertly and played so perfectly it's just stunning.  Everything about it is pefect.  The recording and performances are rough enough that they're authentic, but it never sounds lo fi or under recorded.  Every song rides that line and the end result is everything that I love about this style of music.

I don't feel that there are many bands making records like this anymore.  To be fair, even this one came out 11 years ago at this point.  Regardless, Shipyards should be lauded and celebrated for crafting the perfect 90s punk record that just so happened to have come out in 2014.  I can only hope that at some point we'll get another gem like this from them.  I'll be anxiously waiting.

Shipyards - About Light:
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/shipyards-about-lights

Shipyards - Night of Fire LP

Waterslide / Imakinn (2024, Reissue)

I couldn't have been more excited when I found out that Waterslide records was going to reissue the two amazing Shipyards records on vinyl.  There's a specific strain of Japanese punk rock that is peerless when it comes to bands that I love, but it is also a scene that has not had nearly as many full length vinyl releases as others that I enjoy.  There's the occasional release here and there, but for the most part, CD is still the king.  I'm hopeful that the release of the two Shipyards records, the first of which I'm writing about today, will usher in a golden age of reissues.

Night of Fire originally was released in 2012, though I didn't hear it until after I had gotten a hold of their second album.  It's a classic melodic punk album that brings together all of the elements that makes me love bands like this.  The album is full of riffs that follow unique chord changes that keep you guessing.  The impassioned vocals that are a little strained at times, but never dissolve into screaming for the sake of it. Everything just feels genuine in a way that keeps me engaged.  And the incredible hooks and choruses always get my head nodding or drumming along on my steering wheel or whatever other surface is around when I'm listening.

I realize that this album is a little old at this point as 2012 was 13 years ago, but this still feels like a new record to me.  It's the sort of thing that I can go back to over and over again and it always sounds fresh and relevant.  I'm glad they have two albums out (the second of which I'll write about next week), but it just makes me wish they had more and that other bands were following suit and making incredible music like this.

Shipyards - Night of Fire :
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/night-of-fire

Roach Squad - Roach Squad LP - Orange Vinyl

Little Rocket / Sounds of Subterrania / Waterslide / Rad Girlfriend (2025)

Roach Squad is a band made of Hugo Mudie from The Sainte Catherines, Alex Keane from City Mouse, Sim Robson from nowhere else that Discogs is aware of and Graeme Philliskirk and Frankie Stubbs from Leatherface.  Graeme and Hugo were also in Medictations with the late Dickie Hammond, and that group is what I see the most similarities to when it comes to the sounds of Roach Squad.  And that's a good thing.

When you have two members of Leatherface in your group, with Frankie being one of them, the odds are really stacked that I'm going to be interested in your band.  And Roach Squad does not disappoint, serving up the sort of gritty, melodic punk that in many ways is my absolute favorite kind of music to listen to.  It has that 90s UK vibe, with gruff, but melodic vocals courtesy of Hugo Mudie on 12 of the 13 tracks.  Now, while there is a definitely a part of me that's thinking to myself, "self, why is Frankie only singing on one of these songs," Hugo carries the vocal duties exceptionally well, just as he did with Medictations.

Frankie does step in on "I Wonder," which is a treat.  But the rest of the time he and Graeme are holding down the band with excellent guitar interplay, with those trademark riffs and dynamics that have made me a fan of this sort of thing for 30 years now.  It's a super consistent record from start to finish and while I wouldn't say that there's a specific song or two that stands above the pack, the pack of songs as a whole is pretty stellar.  An easy recommendation as one of the best albums of 2025 so far.  If you read this website even somewhat regularly, I cannot fathom you not digging this.

Roach Squad - Roach Squad:
https://roachsquad.bandcamp.com/album/roach-squad

Jesse - Complete Discography 2xLP - 3 Versions (UK/US, Germany & Japan)

Little Rocket / Sounds Of Subterrania / Waterslide / Rad Girlfriend (2024, Reissue)

Jesse is the Frankie Stubbs band that released records for a brief moment in time between 1995 and 1998.  It was after the initial incarnation of Leatherface and the band Pope, before Leatherface eventually started playing again.  They released three 7"s, a Japanese tour split 7" with Hooton 3 Car and a full length album that capped things off in '98.  This new double LP discography compiles everything from those releases plus a previously unreleased bonus song.

Let's start out with the music, it's flawless.  The songs album is in rarified air for me as I absolutely love it and have been pretty obsessed with everything the band was doing since those 7"s first started coming out.  It's very much a band that makes sense as being a Frankie Stubbs band, it's not dissimilar to Leatherface or Pope enough to not appeal to fans of those bands.  But at the same time, I always felt there was something a little smoother about the Jesse songs.  

Maybe it's just that they are a touch slower and more melodic than some of the more aggressive Leatherface recordings that proceeded it.  But if you had heard The Last or the Pope record, if made a lot of sense that this is where Frankie was going next.  Just flawless songs and the only complaints I ever had is that I wish the LP didn't also have all of the 7" songs on it. and we had gotten 14 brand new ones instead of just seven.

OK, let's get to the variations.  First up is the standard version on grey swirl vinyl.  It was also available on orange, blue and white vinyl.  Not sure of the pressing information on each of the individual colors, but I'm not aware of any one of them being rarer or pressed in different numbers than any of the others.

Second, we have the Sounds of Subterrania version from Germany.  This one was pressed on good old fashioned black vinyl, but has alternate, screened artwork that is just spectacular.  The picture doesn't do justice to the flap, tuck in thing that closes up the whole package.  The cover art is taken from the Indestructible 7", which also happens to be my favorite Jesse song.

Finally is the Waterslide version from Japan.  This one is on clear vinyl, that is described on the Waterslide website as being "coke blue."  It also comes with a sharp looking obi that I'm a big fan of.

I don't buy as many duplicate copies of albums as I used to.  The variant game is a game I've decided is just too expensive these days.  But for an album as important to me as this one is and the three distinct versions that were made, I just couldn't pass them up.  But hey, I'm showing some restraint.  I didn't get all four different colors of the standard version.

Jesse - Complete Discography:
https://jesselrr.bandcamp.com/album/jesse-complete-discography

Surrender - Summer Never Comes CD

Waterslide (2024)

I am still trying to catch up on writing about 2024 albums and I'm trying to focus on the ones that ended up on my year end best of list.  It's not super common for me to put an EP on my year end album list, but the six songs that Surrender have served up on this EP are so great that it's impossible to listen to it and not proclaim it as one of the very best releases of last year.

Surrender comes to us with a pedigree that immediately catches my attention.  When you've got members of bands like the Hum Hums and CSS coming together to make a new band of punchy, punked-up power pop, it's probably unlikely that I'm not going to love it.  And boy oh boy, do I love this EP.

It's fast enough that you can hear the pop punk influences shining through, but they wrangle harmonies in a way that stands so much higher than most bands, giving it a timeless sound that you can just as easily trace to the Beach Boys as you can some of the more notable power pop bands of the 70s.  

I just love everything about this and the only way that I think it could be better is if it was a full length album.  Hopefully we'll get one of those sooner than later and in the mean time I have to try to get myself a copy of their first EP from 2015.  2015?  I sure hope we don't have to wait another nine years for more Surrender music.

Surrender - Summer Never Comes:
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/summer-never-comes

Mark Murphy & The Meds – Monochrome LP – Gray w/ Black Swirl Vinyl

Bloated Kat / Brassneck / Cat's Claw / Kezy P / Waterslide (2023)

Mark “Guitar” Murphy and his Meds are back for their second full length, Monochrome. Anyone that reads this website knows that I am a long time fan of Mark’s work – having first discovered his band Crocodile God in the mid 90s. Crocodile God and they entire mid 90s Crackle Records scene in the UK really shaped my view of punk rock and what I was looking for out of it. There was something about it that connected to me differently than what I was hearing in America and to this day, those are the sounds I prefer the most.

Luckily, Mark is still writing songs just as catchy and immediate as what he was cranking out with Crocodile God. Monochrome is full of his fast tempo, fuzzed out guitar riffs, insanely catchy vocals and more hooks than a thing that has a lot of hooks. It’s as good as the last record, though I’ll admit it took me a few listens to come to that conclusion.

I can’t call it a criticism, because it’s not really a negative thing, but the first couple of times I listened to the record, it flew by so fast that most of the songs didn’t really hit me. This is a record that’s barely over 20 minutes long and the fast paced songs do kind of fly by if you aren’t paying attention. It took a few times of sitting down and really focusing on the record that allowed the songs to sink in more and connect. I guess what I’m saying is due to it’s brevity, it’s not really best enjoyed as background music. But if given more dedicated attention (or even better, played loud while driving) that’s when you’ll see why Mark is one of my favorite songwriters.

Mark Murphy & The Meds – Monochrome:
https://bloatedkatrecords.bandcamp.com/album/monochrome

Spoilers - There or Thereabouts LP - Green With Purple & Blue Splatter Vinyl

Brassneck / Waterslide / Rad Girlfriend / SBÄM (2023)

I have a major complaint with this album.  I get it in the mail, I'm excited to hear something new by a band that I like and it's only eight songs?  How dare Spoilers write eight perfect melodic punk songs and have the temerity to stop there and not write three or four more?  I am being deprived of more great melodic punk and I won't stand for it.  Sure, sure it's very clear on every label's website that it's a mini album, but do you expect me to admit that I didn't notice that at first?  Am I supposed to cop to the fact that maybe the band didn't release this only with me in mind?  Never.

All kidding and stupidity aside, whether this release was two songs or twenty songs long, it would be in the upper echelon of albums I've heard this year.  I've liked Spoilers for a while now and have all of their other records, but this one is hitting me differently this time.  There's so many amazing hooks and melodies in this album.  In the past I'd compared them to Demma-era Snuff, but they've evolved a bit from there and while that Snuff energy is still there for sure, I'm really hearing a different kind of melody, a Crocodile God/Mark Murphy style delivery that punches me right in the face.

I really can't say enough good things about this album and I was serious when I said every song is pretty much perfect.  I very selfishly wish there were a few more songs on here, but only because I just want more once the record ends.  Hopefully Spoilers are hard at work and have more songs in the hopper ready to for a full or maxi or whatever we need to call the album type to get me more of these great songs.

Spoilers - There or Thereabouts:
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/there-or-thereabouts

Shoplifters - Second Nature LP - Orange Vinyl (/250)

PopKid / Brassneck / Rad Girlfriend / Waterslide (2023) 

It’s been four years since PopKid records has had a release.  That’s a long time and I’m sure that it is obvious that the label isn’t something we’re able to make a huge focal point of our lives at this stage.  It’s expensive to do a record label and we don’t often sell too many records through a combination of many factors.  A key one is probably that we tend to want to work with bands from other lands.  Bands that often don’t have the ability to come to America to show the locals just how good they really are.  But this is where my heart is when it comes to music. 

It’s easy to look at the unsold records I have hanging around from past releases and not be enthusiastic about adding more to the pile.  But then a band like Shoplifters comes around. Shoplifters inspire me to get back in the game.  So here we are, PKE030 – Second Nature.  This is the third Shoplifters release on PopKid, following up on the Forgiver 7” and 2019’s Secret Free World LP.  Everything that made me love and get involved with those two prior records is still here.  This is a band that has somehow found the exact strain of melodic punk rock that I want to listen to. 

If you’ve read anything I’ve written about Shoplifters before, you’ll see I’m always mentioning Bob Mould, Snuff, Big Drill Car, Leatherface and the clearest comparison to me, China Drum.  It’s like they went into a lab to try to create the exact band that would appeal directly to me.  Second Nature is such a great album, and the band has really put together an incredible group of songs.  “Hungry Lions” has that perfect chugging guitar during the verse that makes the payoff in the chorus even more triumphant.  It’s probably my favorite song on the album, but there is some stiff competition. 

The vocal melody throughout the entirety of “The Ones” is so strong and catchy, it kind of makes the entire song feel like one big chorus.  The guitar work on “Braced for Fall” reminds me so much of The Last era Leatherface, with an ethereal vocal hook.  Then there’s the piano punctuated pop of “Do What You Want” with a singalong chorus that has been stuck in my head for months now.  Every song on the album is like this for me, they're just a perfect band.

Today is the album’s official release date and the entire thing is available to listen to on Bandcamp now. Please check it out and pick up a copy if you enjoy. 

Purchase the record from our webstore here: 

https://popkid.limitedrun.com/products/748603-shoplifters-second-nature-lp

Purchase a specially priced bundle Shoplifters bundle that includes the Second Nature LP, the Secret Free World LP and the Forgiver 7": 

https://popkid.limitedrun.com/products/748709-shoplifters-vinyl-extravaganza 

Buy the vinyl, bundle or digital version on our Bandcamp page here (and get instant mp3s): https://popkid.bandcamp.com/album/second-nature

Shoplifters - Second Nature LP - Test Pressing

PopKid / Brassneck / Rad Girlfirend / Waterslide (2023)

I have mentioned a few times this year that I hadn't bought as many new records as I have in the past and that I've had a hard time finding those albums that I really connect with.  So I decided to do something about it.  PopKid Records is back for 2023 and we teamed up with friends far and wide to release the new Shoplifter album.  

We're putting up the album for preorder today (don't worry, I have them in hand and the release date is in two reeks on October 20th) and to celebrate that I'm writing a little bit about the record, though just a bit to start.

The picture you see above isn't the actual artwork, this is the alternate cover for the test pressing that the labels and bands got.  It's very cool, but the actual artwork looks even better.  I've never been a huge test pressing guy, but of course the PopKid ones are very near and dear to my heart.

The record is really wonderful.  Tight, catchy, melodic punk rock that makes me smile every time I listen to it.  I'm going to take a picture of the actual record and write a bit more about it in two weeks, but I wanted to put up a little something special in honor of the preorder kicking off today.

Please check it out and I hope you love it as much as I do.  Or at least like it enough to buy a copy.  Also, it's Bandcamp Friday, so there really isn't a better day to buy it from me if Bandcamp is your scene.

Purchase the record from the PopKid webstore here:
https://popkid.limitedrun.com/products/748603-shoplifters-second-nature-lp

Purchase a specially priced bundle Shoplifters bundle that includes the Second Nature LP, the Secret Free World LP and the Forgiver 7":

https://popkid.limitedrun.com/products/748709-shoplifters-vinyl-extravaganza

Buy the digital version (and/or the vinyl) on the PopKid Bandcamp page here: 
https://popkid.bandcamp.com/album/second-nature

Skimmer - All Fired Up CD

Bloated Kat / Waterslide / Council Pop (2022)

It's possible that I'm going to write a few things that might sound vaguely like complaints, but I want to assure you that I mean them as compliments.  This is a great album and the only thing that I could say that might be a complaint is that I wish it had come out on vinyl in addition to CD.  But as far as the music goes, this is just what I want from a Skimmer album.

Skimmer has been around for quite a long time.  Formed from the ashes of The Sect, they were one of the corner stone bands of UK melodic punk that really captured my attention in the mid 90s.  Along with Broccoli, Chopper, Hooton 3 Car, Crocodile God and Travis Cut, Skimmer was a band whose singles I desperately sought out in a (mostly) pre internet era.  I even had to go to England eventually to round out my collections of most of these bands.

Skimmer was always the fast, melodic buzzsaw pop band.  At times I felt they were vocally similar to Mega City Four, but almost always playing twice as fast with the guitar distortion permanently locked as high as it would go.  In the intervening nearly 30 years, Skimmer reliably kept putting out records and their sound never really changed that much.  That's the thing that I worry could be construed as a criticism.  But I can't tell you how great it feels that as the years go barreling by, I can still get a new Skimmer release and I'm immediately transported back to 1997.

This isn't one of those 'the songs all sound the same' deals, but they certainly all have an interconnected feeling.  Flat out, they're just one of the best and most consistent bands to come out of my favorite scene in the history of the earth.  While many of their peers packed it in, Skimmer persevered and the fact that they are still releasing killed melodic pop punk in 2022 is nothing short of a miracle.

Skimmer - All Fired Up:

Bloated Kat (US)
https://bloatedkatrecords.bandcamp.com/album/all-fired-up

Waterslide (Japan)
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/all-fired-up

Council Pop (UK)
https://council-poprecords.bandcamp.com/album/skimmer-all-fired-up-with-exclusive-badge

Piggies - ...And Now CD

Waterslide (2021)

I really needed to listen to something like this.  Piggies hail from Japan and have been kicking around for over twenty years.  They haven't released a ton of records during that time period, but here we are in 2021 and they have a five song EP on Waterslide records.  It's such a blast of fresh air and is one of the best things I've heard all year.

Piggies are playing a very pop forward strain of punk rock.  It's not quite as straightforward pop as something on Mutant Pop and it doesn't lean into hardcore at all the way you'd expect from the golden era of Snuffy Smile releases, but it's somewhere in the middle.  The co-ed vocals are incredible, with sugary sweet harmonies and backing vocals on every single song.  The hooks are gigantic with probably the catchiest choruses that I've heard all year.

The real selling point for me on this EP is just how much fun it is.  There's a lot of bleakness in the world these days and it's pretty easy to get wrapped up in dour feelings and angry music.  That's not Piggies. They are here to make you remember the good times and how much fun you can have with some guitars, drums and a pile of great, great tunes.  I only wish it were a full length instead of an EP.

Piggies - ...And Now:
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/and-now

Saturday Night Karaoke - Millennial Kicks 7" - Pink Vinyl

Waterslide / SP / Bloated Kat / Monster Zero / Quickening (2021)

Saturday Night Karaoke are a band that has been cranking out a good amount of releases over the past few years, this 7" is their most recent and was released on quite a few labels from around the world.  So chances are if you are reading this, there's probably a label close by that you could pick this up from if you wanted it.

I've written about Saturday Night Karaoke before and I kind of stand by my prior statements that they really feel like a Mutant Pop band to me.  They've got that Ramonesy sing-song version of pop punk going on, but I do really like this particular 7" more than a lot of other bands that go down this path.  I hear elements of bands like Walker and there's definitely a kinship with The Hum Hums that I can't not hear.  

It's very easy for this style of pop punk to end up sounding kind of generic and just fade into the background, but Saturday Night Karaoke manage to avoid those traps.  They write genuinely great pop songs with great hooks, killer backing vocals and sweet, sweet melodies. 

Saturday Night Karaoke - Millennial Kicks 7":
https://saturdaynightkaraoke.bandcamp.com/album/millennial-kicks

Custody - II LP - Orange Vinyl (/300)

Brassneck / Waterslide / Combat Rock / Shield (2020)

Ah Custody, proud member of the PopKid family.  When I sit down and listen to this record I can't help but be a little sad that it's not a PopKid release.  These gentlemen from Finland are everything I'd want in a band on our dumb little label.  I'm very happy that we were able to help put out a 7" of theirs a few years ago, but I wish that we had pockets that were deep enough to be part of everything they put out.  Such a great band.

On to II.  This is their second full length album and I can say without hesitation it is every bit as good, if not better, than everything I've heard by them so far.  Custody is a band incapable of writing a dud song.  Everything they do has this amazing energy, from the rushing guitar riffs to the pounding drums to the soaring vocals.  The band that I always hear the most when listening to Custody is prime Clumsy-era Samiam.  But Custody takes those sounds and blends them with the influences of the very best of UK melodic hardcore with Leatherface inspired leads and Snuff style melodies.

Add in a vocalist with a true mastery of his instrument, melding the sort of power you'd hear in Iron Chic without resorting to any unseemly yelling or screaming. Gah! These guys are just too great.  Custody is one of the absolute best current bands going these days.  As I've said several times, their music is pretty much perfect when it comes to the sort of thing I want to listen to.  All I can do is hope that Custody stays together for a long, long time and puts out album after incredible album.  Maybe even another on PopKid someday...

In a conflict of interest moment, I do have a very small amount of copies of this record in the PopKid Distro.  There are very few of these in America, so if you want to avoid the costs of international postage, I recommend grabbing one quick.  I also have copies of their killer split 7" with Phoenix Foundation and of course their PopKid 7" - home of the BEST song they've ever written!  Grab what you need:

PopKid Distro:
Custody II LP - HERE
Custody/Phoenix Foundation split 7" - HERE
Custody PopKid 7" - HERE

Custody - II:
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ii

Shoplifters - Secret Free World LP - Clear Ochre Vinyl

PopKid / Brassneck / Waterslide / Bartolini / White Russian (2017)

Here we are. 2019 and another release for PopKid Records.  2019 is the 25th year that PopKid has been a thing and even though we haven't put out records every year, it's been a really important part of the past twenty five years for us.  Being able to put out this Shoplifters LP certainly feels like the sort of celebratory event that one would want to commemorate their silver anniversary.

Following up on their incredible Forgiver 7", Shoplifters have returned. The boys from Novi Sad, Serbia have turned in eleven songs of the sort of hook filled rock and roll that keeps me up at night singing the songs back in my head.  I think that Shoplifters have managed to string together the sort of melodic vocals that China Drum perfected and have mixed the with energy and pop mastery of Snuff and the bouncing bass lines of Big Drill Car.

It's nearly impossible for me to pick my favorites on this album as I love the entire thing so dearly.  For those looking for a straight forward blast of catchy hooks, I'll direct you to "Eraser," Secret Free World" or "Fortifier."  If you are looking for something a little bouncier and poppier "Overdoser" and "Fortifier" will likely scratch that itch.  If it's something a little more melodic, with perhaps a darker edge to it then look no further than "Between Us" or "Saved By The Bell."  And of course if you are looking for a perfect, anthemic singalong album closer, you'll be hard pressed to find a better one than "Do Better."

I do realize I am biased as I am helping to put this record out into the world, but let me assure you that my love of this record is so genuine.  Even if I had nothing to do with it, this would be my favorite record of the year.  It's hits that perfect sweet spot for me bringing together sounds from the 90s that I know and love and mixing them in with twenty additional years of influences.  I cannot say enough great things about this record.  Shoplifters have hit it out of the park and I can only hope others will like it as much as I do.

Now for the conflict of interest stuff.  This record is available to purchase on vinyl right now.  It would mean the world to me if you would check out the record and pick up a copy if you like it.

Purchase the record from our webstore here: 

https://popkid.limitedrun.com/products/647470-shoplifters-secret-free-world-vinyl-lp

Purchase the LP and the Shoplifters Forgiver 7" as a specially priced bundle:
https://popkid.limitedrun.com/products/647471-shoplifters-lp-7-bundle

Stream all 11 songs and buy the digital version on our Bandcamp page here: 

https://popkid.bandcamp.com/album/secret-free-world

PopKid is the lucky label releasing this record in North America.  If you are from another land, there may be a label close by that is co-releasing this great LP with us:

Available in North America from PopKid Records 

Available in the UK from Brassneck Records 
Available in Japan from Waterslide Records

Available in the Netherlands from White Russian Records 

Available in Spain from Bartolini Records 

Wild Animals - The Hoax CD

Waterslide (2018)

I really liked the last Wild Animals record Basements: Music To Fight Hypocrisy.  It was a record that caught me by surprise and one I've subsequently spend quite a bit of time with.  They had high expectations to live up to when they released their follow up, The Hoax, but they've met those expectations and then some.

I still think the best comparison to make would be to bands like Silver Scooter, though with much fuzzier guitars and significantly better vocal harmonies. The record starts off with an ode to traveling to Japan, "Lost In Translation," which makes me yearn to go back myself.  From there, The Hoax is off to the races with song after song of catchy indie rock with just enough pop punk influence to keep things moving along nicely.

I really dig this record a lot.  It's every bit as good as their last album and there are moments where it even exceeds it.

Wild Animals - The Hoax:
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-hoax

The CSS - What A Coincidence! CD

Waterslide (2018)

The CSS is another in a long line of great bands putting out releases on Waterslide records.  There are several albums on Waterslide that use the same sort of artwork layout as the old Mutant Pop 7"s, but almost every one of the bands on Waterslide are better than most of those old Mutant Pop records. (Well, except for Underhand maybe, those are some of my favorite 7"s ever).

The CSS most remind me of The Hum Hums.  Both band have a bubblegum pop lean to them and both have outstanding backing vocals and harmonies.  Where CSS differs for me a bit is that I feel like they have more guitar chord progressions that remind me of older Lookout bands like Squirtgun.  But The CSS are so much better than Squirtgun ever was.

The golden era of pop punk in America was definitely in the 90s, but Japan continues to carry the torch today.  The CSS are just the latest band that I've heard playing the sort of music that I've always loved.  It's wonderful.

The CSS - What A Coincidence!
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/what-a-coincidence

The Hum Hums - Battle Line 7"

Waterslide/Eccentic Pop/Monster Zero/One Chord Wonder (2018)

I really love The Hum Hums.  They are one of my current favorite bands and the fact that I got to see them play while I was in Tokyo will always be something that's very special to me.  Battle Line is a four song 7" that highlights everything that I love about this band.

"Baby Mine (No One But You)" starts things off with an uptempo chord progression and a hooky chorus with the band's trademark backing vocal harmonies that give any band a run for their money.  "The Girl From Romania" slows this down just a bit, and has a feel to it that reminds me of mid 90s era The Mr. T Experience.

First up on the B side is the title track "Battle Line."  This one is a punchy blast of crunchy guitar and is a pretty straightforward pop punk song.  The final song, "I Can't Take It," is my personal favorite of the bunch, once again because of the absolutely tremendous vocal harmonies.  I've definitely caught myself singing along to the chorus on this one.

The Hum Hums are great.  I've yet to hear a song by them that I didn't love and I'm glad they keep putting out more records.  Hopefully they'll have another full length coming soon.

The Hum Hums - Battle Line 7":
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/battle-line

Suspended Girls - Pop Punk Is Back CD

Waterslide (2018)

I'm trying to figure out if there's an album title you could come up with that would draw my attention more than Pop Punk Is Back?  While I think the term pop punk has undergone many changes and meanings over the years, at this point I've really embraced it as a catch all term for the kind of music that I tend to like.  Will some people think of terrible bands when you say 'pop punk?'  Sure, but why let a few bad apples spoil the bunch.

Suspended Girls are from Japan, like most of the great pop punk bands of the moment.  They feature some punk rock veterans who have done time in bands like Disgusteens and Nobodys and the album artwork is essentially made of of smaller images of other pop punk album covers, predominantly from the 90s.  If this doesn't give you a vague idea when Suspended Girls sound like, I'm not sure what words I could write to clue you in.

I will of course alert you that the songs are very catchy and upbeat, drawing huge inspiration from the 90s era bands that drew inspiration from the Ramones.  If anything, their sound seems more indebted to America bands than the sort of Japanese bands I was listening to in the mid 90s.  They use simple, snappy chord progressions and top them off with melodic vocals along with occasional shouts or 'ooohs' in the background.  It's a real blast from the past, even though this album just came out in 2018.

Suspended Girls - Pop Punk Is Back:
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/pop-punk-is-back

Rad Owl - Madison Beast LP - Red Vinyl

Boss Tuneage / Waterslide (2018)

In what is rapidly becoming a recurring theme, this is another 2018 album that I wasn't able to get until after the new year had passed.  As a result, I'm beginning to feel like my end of the year list is becoming woefully inaccurate as the weeks go by.  I'll once again blame it on moving into my first house and some tightness in the wallet for the second half of the year.  No matter what the reason, the fact is that Rad Owl should have made an appearance on that list as Madison Beast is a pretty great album.

While the artwork on the album cover may lead you to think this is either some sort of foreign metal band or a lost 70s prog rock album, Madison Beast actually pays homage to the 90s sounds of bands like Big Drill Car and other Cruz or C/Z records acts.  There's a distinct 90s feel to the album with the perfect mix of chugging guitar riffs and secondary guitar leads.  These guys have chops for sure, but they use them for good and not for evil, overdrawn guitar wanking.

There are folks in this band that were in Samiam, The Stereo and PopKid alumni Marble (as long as I live, I will never tire of listening to their cover of "Holiday Road").  Rad Owl feels like a conglomeration of those past experiences.  It's good enough to hang with any of those 90s bands, but is still forward thinking enough to keep me thoroughly engaged in 2019.

Rad Owl - Madison Beast:
https://radowl.bandcamp.com/album/madison-beast