Words by Jim Testa
Jim Testa founded the highly influential zine, Jersey Beat in 1982 which he continues to edit to this day. Through writing for his own publication and a number of other outlets, including as a staff writer for Hudson County’s Jersey Journal, he has championed local, regional and national up-and-coming bands. Punk has always shunned credentials, but rest assured that Jim won’t lead you astray.
GRAND SLAMS
STAY INSIDE – Lunger (Tiny Engines)
Brooklyn’s Stay Inside flaunt their genre-bending credentials on this impressive collection of tracks that swings from emo to grunge to Americana without ever missing their target. Vocalist Chris Johns can deliver haunting desperation one minute and post-punk, chest-pumping swagger the next, and the band wraps every idea in imaginative arrangements that keep you transfixed trying to keep up with everything that’s going on. The sextet uses its range to mix and match sounds and textures, like juxtaposing a bed of synths with a trumpet or “Monsieur Hawkweed,” which blends elements of Americana and grunge with a straight-up shot of emo. From the bright and cheerful “Counting Electric Sheep” to the languid, laid-back “Oh, Longshoreman” to the unexpected poppy bounce of “See You Next Time, Wild Hogs,” Lunger consistently engages and surprises the listener.
ABSOLUTE LOSERS – In The Crowd (Having Fun Records)
Power-pop, like ice cream and sex, comes in many flavors. Absolute Losers, who hail from Prince Edward Island, Canada, infuse theirs with a rich harmonies, jangly British Invasion guitars, and intelligent lyrics that transcend the usual moon/spoon/June love hooey. Nothing ever descends into the twee or precious either. Check out the muscular, early-Who whomp of “At The Same Time,” the folk-rock reverie of “Your Colors,” or the twangy pop of “Don’t Go,” which invokes both the Beatles and Adam Schlesinger’s “That Thing You Do” theme. The band lays on the shmaltz on “For So Long” but gets spindly and frisky on “Bad Feeling,” consistently finding propulsive tempos and compelling melodies in their pursuit of bubblegum nirvana.
HOME RUNS
RICKY ROCHELLE – Second Layer (self-released)
You might know Ricky as the drummer and vocalist in The Young Rochelles and The New Rochelles, or from his prodigious solo output. Whatever the context, the man can write a catchy melody and his music hovers in a happy place somewhere between pop-punk and power-pop. But even the punkiest of us grow up and Second Layer reflects that, with songs and sentiments that reflect his status as a husband and adult. Sure, there are few Ramonescore throwaways, like the temper tantrum that’s “Psychotic Reaction.” And if Cinderella liked cool bands, she’d be “Scenederella.” But other tracks reflect more mature concerns. Of course there are a few love songs, but now Ricky realizes that even the happiest couple in a committed relationship occasionally needs a date night. He revisits childhood trauma on “Can’t Forget The Terror,” ponders mental illness in “Turbulent,” confronts insecurity and anxiety on “Head Voice” and “Self Doubt,” and recoils from the poisonous effects of “Envy.” Will this album, in classic Ricky Rochelle style, make you smile and bounce off the walls like a 14-year old? Sure. It may also prompt reflection.
THE CAROLYN – Pyramid Scheme of Grief (59X Records)
It’s no surprise that Atlanta trio The Carolyn will be heading to The Fest in late October. Their brand of melodic hardcore (or feisty Americana-tinged punk) epitomizes the kind of music that the annual Gainesville gathering apotheosizes. Fans of Dillinger 4 or Spanish Love Songs need to get their beer cozies and flannel shirts ready to rock, though, because these songs end before you know it. Most clock in at under 2 minutes, and could seriously benefit from some fleshing out, given the strong melodies and rousing choruses. Still, if “Fest Punk” is your thing, get ready to pump your fist in the air and sing along.
THE BACARRUDAS – Bleed Out, Get Pushed Off a Cliff, Sink to the Bottom of a Lake, and Play a Halloween Monster Party! (Mom’s Basement Records)
You might remember Adam Rabuck from pop-punk pioneers Dirtbike Annie, but these days he’s been having fun writing witty and catchy tunes in the deliberately-misspelled Bacarrudas. This 10-track “Double EP” uses classic garage-rock tropes to create Halloween-themed novelty songs that pays homage to those classic Universal Pictures horror flicks (or maybe their rococo apotheosis, “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein”). And so we get songs about Frankenstein’s two monsters (the original and his bride), Dracula, the Invisible Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Mummy – all set to the reverb’d guitar, creepy organ, and spooky theremin sounds of classic Nuggets garage-rock. The idea’s not new – Spike Jones did an album just like this in 1959 that I listened to as a little kid – but it is sorta timeless. Who doesn’t likes Halloween party with a rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack?
UNDER THE COVERS
SALEM WOLVES – Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (self-released)
I don’t usually favor cover bands but I do enjoy original acts who put their own spin on favorite songs. New England garage-rockers Salem Wolves get points for not only picking five ace songs here but also making them their own while retaining the architecture of the original. So you get the Replacements’ “The Ledge,” Husker Du’s “Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely,” Jawbreaker’s “Jet Black,” INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart,” and Tom Waits’ “Dirt In The Ground.” Those first three, well, they’re in my Pantheon of Greatest Shit Ever and the ‘Wolves do them justice, burying the vocal on the ‘Mats tune but still capturing the song’s momentum. They add a great echoey reverb to the ‘Du track and even let the drummer sing it! They rescue the dark, elegiac “Jet Black” from Jawbreaker’s criminally underrated Dear You, making it even darker and heavier than the original. Singer Gray Bouchard digs deep to capture the arena-rock rapture of the INXS track, and they rock out the Tom Waits song (previously unknown to me) like Neil Young & Crazy Horse. If you’re gonna do covers, this is how you do it.