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 SLAM
SACRED HEART ACADEMY – “Oh Good! Sacred Heart Academy Made An EP” (self-released)
Remember the Rock N Roll Hi‑Fives? Dad Joe in his super‑cape, mom on bass, and those two kids tearing it up like the Partridge Family on Red Bull and pork roll? Well, those kids grew up. Eilee and Evren Centeno are in their twenties now, calling Chicago home, and making thoughtful, finely crafted indie rock under the name Sacred Heart Academy. Last winter they slipped out a charming Christmas EP; now they’re back with “Oh Good! Sacred Heart Academy Made An EP,” and for once the self‑deprecating title undersells it. This one’s a knockout. Eilee and Evren are musical overachievers in the best possible way. Between the two of them they cover half the orchestra — guitars, drums, bass, keys, clarinet, even theremin — and still find time to sing in harmonies that sound both effortless and uncomfortably intimate. Evren recorded and mixed the whole thing himself, which explains the pristine, lived‑in warmth that keeps these songs humming. If you remember their bubblegum‑punk roots, brace yourself. These tunes hurt a little. “Chicago” rides a gentle jangle and a country shuffle as Eilee sings about love gone pale in the cold light of adulthood. On “Piece of My Heart,” Evren channels his inner Westerberg, confessing over pedal steel and clarinet like a guy who’s spent too many late nights replaying the same voicemail. Sacred Heart Academy have traded their family‑band novelty for something genuine and grown‑up: heartfelt songs, honest emotion, and production that never gets in the way of either. Jersey can be proud of these two — they took that Hi‑Fives spark, carried it halfway across the country, and lit a new fire with it.
HOME RUNS
FAKEYOU – Promise to Disappear (59X Records)
Montreal’s FakeYou’s debut LP offers a bruised, heartfelt take on melodic punk that’s equal parts grit and uplift. The songs don’t reinvent anything, but that’s kind of the charm — they wear their calloused hearts proudly, smudged with distortion and doused in emotion. The vocals rasp and strain like someone who’s lived through every word (and smoked a few too many cigarettes) and the songs move at a purposeful pace, rough around the edges but never sloppy. There’s a comfort in the familiarity here — Jawbreaker fans especially will find much to identify with – but FakeYou make it feel fresh through sheer conviction. It’s loud, sad, tuneful, and genuine. A damn promising first record, from a band you’ll want to keep an eye on.
best dressed ghost – “Let’s Go Home” EP (self-released)
North Jersey’s best dressed ghost may eschew capital letters but they’re all about the exclamation points. The quartet’s new EP “Let’s Go Home” hits like a punch in the eye on opener “Kay, Babe,” as Stef Leo’s shouted/sung vocals and the band’s stinging garage-rock guitars and thrashing drums barely let you breath. “Funhouse” may borrow its title from The Stooges but the track has a wiggy rock vibe straight from the party scene of a cheesy ’60s teen horror flick. Leo brooks no nonsense – Tris McCall described her singing as “teenage belligerence” – on “Garbage Day,” garage rock pushed to edges of metal (or at least Motörhead) as chugging guitars and furious drums accentuate a scorching tirade against mansplaining morons and sexist jerks. “Sorry!” ramps up the band’s innate theatricality with an emotional maelstrom and start/stop riffing, and the EP concludes with the title track, which brings out the surf rock elements of best dressed ghost’s tool kit. “The more emotional that I get, the closer I am to death,” Leo shouts. “Pretty soon, I’ll be kissing the dirt, let’s… go…. home!” as The Misfits, Ozzie, The Fuzztones and The Munsters theme collide in one glorious garage-rock death cult freakout. Check it out, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
NOI¡SE – Fate of the Union (Pirates Press Records)
It’s been ten years since we’ve gotten a LP of new material from Tacoma’s street punk stalwarts Noi!se — not counting last year’s On and On singles collection — and, man, was it worth the wait. Fate of the Union roars back with everything that’s made this band one of the toughest, smartest voices in punk: big anthems, breakneck riffs, and lyrics that actually say something. The lineup’s shifted a bit — longtime frontman and main songwriter Matt Henson is back at the helm alongside guitarists Justin Miller and Kenny Dirkes, with newcomers Aaron Williams (bass) and Mike Parker (drums) locking down the rhythm section. Lyrically, Noi!se stay true to form, railing against corruption, manipulation, and the everyday grind that keeps ordinary people down. The album closes the circle with a fresh recording of “Idle Action” — Noi!se’s longtime anthem finally getting the studio treatment it deserves. A decade is a lifetime in punk rock, but Fate of the Union proves Noi!se haven’t lost an ounce of purpose or power. They’re still fighting the good fight, guitars blazing, hearts wide open — a reminder that street punk, at its best, still has something vital to say.
HEDGE – “Freeze Frame High Five” EP (Best Brother Records)
There’s something inherently right about a three-piece rock band — lean, tense, no wasted motion. Hedge gets that. This Western Mass trio follows up their 2024 debut with five new gut-punchers that take the jittery precision of math rock and slam it hard against the melodic tumult of Hüsker Dü and the caffeine-jacked pop of The Descendents. Ten minutes later, you’re winded but grinning. The songs flash by — bursts of riffs, bass, and unexpected left turns — more about energy and impact than clarity. When the words do cut through, like on “Hey Dude,” a crooked salute to our connection to aging artists, or “Ice Rink,” which captures life’s daily grind with disarming honesty, the hits connect deep. And you gotta hand it to them for “My ValÜable HÜnting Knife” — any band still rocking umlauts in 2026 deserves a tip of my Motörhead cap. At only ten minutes, Freeze Frame High Five barely gives you time to set down your coffee, but that’s part of its charm — no filler, just raw nerve and momentum. Call it an adrenaline shot for the attention-deficit era. More, please.
SINGLES
GENERAL CHAOS – “Busted” (Stomp Records)
Montreal’s General Chaos might still be a few years shy of bar gigs, but they’re already kicking the doors off Canada’s all-ages circuit. “Busted,” a teaser from their next album, makes it easy to see why. Sure, you can spot the Rancid worship a mile away, but what counts is how they’ve bottled that mix of grit, melody, and pure adrenaline, with perfectly balancing singer Constantin Blondy’s crunchy guitar, Aude Deniger’s melodic bass, and Remi Jacques’ thrashing drums. When Blondy sneers his way through “Don’t wanna get caught but I got busted” (for driving without a license) General Chaos sound like they’re having the time of their lives kicking ass and raising hell — and heaven help us when they can drive to their gigs legally.