Lollipop Music Streams

The Night Marchers
Allez Allez (Swami Records)
release date: 1/22/13

After years of silence, Swami returns with this greasy slab of rock'n'roll goodness. "All Hits" may be a little more straight-served garage than latter day hornsy Rocket from the Crypt, but any fan of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion will find the club floor familiarly sticky. Four years since their debut, huffing blues rawk daily, three quarters of Hot Snakes are back in sweaty black as The Night Marchers.

Bad Brains
Into The Future (Megaforce Records)
release date: 11/20/2012

30 years in, do you really expect Bad Brains to blow your mind? Seriously, their punk/reggae/metal/dub hybrid set the bar so high, they couldn't see or even reach it most of the time. In the early '80s, they raged through tunes, dropping jaws. In 2012, well, they have some new songs. Less manic, less solos, less "what the?" lyrics: Just a limping-along version of their former creative, energetic selves. And this title track is one of only three listenable songs on the album.

Aspiga
Every Last Piece (Paper + Plastick Records)
release date: 11/20/2012

Seven song debut from this New Jersey punk band. Inconsistent vocals (pop punk to emo - as in doesn't hit the notes - to bad metal bark) but chunky bass, lively tempos, and some solid melodies and good breakdowns. I have the very first Goo Goo Dolls album, on Metal Blade, believe it or not, which is punky (ditto), hints of lonesome ballads, and has some dumb songs bands but on their debut album cuz they don't know any better. This is like that. Sincere, some nice portions of songs, some talent seeping though, but marred on the whole by inexperience, and no mind-shattering brilliance to over-compensate (uh, not that Goo Goo Dolls did, I'm just sayin'...).

We Are The Union
You Can't Hide The Sun (Paper + Plastick Records)
release date: 10/16/2012

11 songs of punkpop goodness, courtesy of Vinnie Fiorello of Less Than Jake's Paper + Plastick Records. Yes, there are numerous horns and upstroked guitars scattered about, so anyone averse to such things, beware. Comparisons to mid-'90s pop punk, both culture-changing and the bandwagon-hoppers, is inevitable, but if you've ever watched a mediocre opener work a crowd into a frenzy as you stood, wondering how they could jump around with all the cliches weighing them down, you learn to not overthink fun, energetic punkpop.

The Ridgelands
Corey Webster Must Die!!! (Sexy Baby Records)
release date: 3/13/2012

The Ridgelands are straight-forward skate punk from Chicago, and Corey Webster Must Die!!! is their debut full-length (on the same label about to release the first material from The Vindictives since 1999, woo woo!). "No Luck At All" isn't as manic as other tunes, it's mid-tempo and kinda everyman, like Social D. Not harmonied to high heaven, not a ton of whoa-whoa choruses, just served up honest and gritty-produced.

Morning Glory
Poets Were My Heroes (Fat Wreck Chords)
release date: 8/28/2012

"Care of Me" is the hidden track closing out Morning Glory's latest, Poets Were My Heroes. It's an odd duck, even on a political punk rock album littered with horns and strings and piano and driving anthems and group shots. It's a piano-based ballad with Dylanesque folk warble and Kink's barroom philosophizing (ever heard "Alcohol"?), ending with a locked-arm, swaying chorus to make any Irish pub proud.

Propagandhi
Failed States (Epitaph Records)
release date: 9/4/2012

Canadian punkers Propagandhi get more metal as time goes on, but hey, extreme conditions demand extreme responses. The lean, thrash-y "Failed States" is a boot right to the jaw.

Adolescents
American Dogs In Europe EP (Concrete Jungle Records)
release date: 8/3/2012

No introduction is necessary for punk kings the Adolescents, who offer up the perfectly formed gem "Stage Diving Daisy's Revenge" from their American Dogs In Europe EP. Fun fact: Their Myspace profile lists them as hailing from White Castle, California.

Versus The World
Drink. Sing. Live. Love. (Viking Funeral/Concrete Jungle Records)
release date: 7/31/2012

Versus The World frontman Mike Davenport, formerly of The Ataris, wears his heart on his sleeve for the lyrics of "She Sang The Blues," but still finds time for a badass guitar solo. This is from the band's second album, Drink. Sing. Live. Love.

What's Eating Gilbert
The Nashville Session (Paper + Plastick Records)
release date: 8/6/2012

This side project from New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert released the Nashville Sessons 7" this past summer. You'll have to strain to hear Paramore's Hayley Williams' guest vocals on "Babe," but that doesn't make it any less of a good time.

Flatfoot 56
Toil (Paper + Plastick Records)
release date: 7/24/2012

Celtic punkers Flatfoot 56 waste no time in bringing the bagpipes to your ears on "Brother Brother," a cut from their 2012 release Toil. If their driving, aggressive sound feels familiar, you may have heard their music before on WWE wrestling or during the chaos of FX's Sons of Anarchy.

Teenage Bottlerocket
Freak Out! (Fat Wreck Chords)
release date: 7/3/2012

Five albums in, not including a bunch of splits, EPs, and compilation tracks, Wyoming's Teenage Bottlerocket are still perfecting their infectious, positive punk sound. Listen to "Maverick" to get pumped for their upcoming tour with the Dropkick Murphys.

Palmchat
Suck It Up Princess (Concrete Jungle Records)
release date: 6/22/2012

Self-described "heartcore" (read: pop punk) purveyors Palmchat bring the good vibes and bouncy riffs from Saarbrücken, Germany. The deep voice of frontman André B. adds an interesting twist to their sound. Check it out on "Suck It Up Princess," the title track from their debut.

Reel Big Fish
Candy Coated Fury (Rock Ridge Records)
release date: 7/31/2012

"Hiding In My Headphones" is classic Reel Big Fish, with up-strummed guitar, horns, and anthemic chorus. Nice processed girl reggae (Dancehall Crashers on helium, Skindred by dreadlocked cuties in bright-colored skirts), awesome "whew!" and "yeah!" interjections, and an odd Frank Zappa speak/singing I don't recall from the '90s hits, but like! Haters, just try to keep that frowny face intact.

Children 18:3
On The Run (Tooth & Nail Records)
release date: 06/19/2012

A family of home-schooled Christian kids form a punk band in Minnesota. That's not the set-up for a joke, that's the story here. Three albums deep, signed to Tooth & Nail (who else?), utilizing male/female vocals effectively. Not as awesome as Teen Idols, but no one was, so scale back your expectations. "Moment to Moment" is pretty repetitive, but so is life, moment to moment.

Death By Stereo
Black Sheep Of The American Dream (Concrete Jungle Records)
release date: 4/20/2012

Six albums deep, three on Epitaph, from Orange County, now signed to Fletcher from Pennywise's Viking Funeral Records (which often teams up with Concrete Jungle, it seems), blending Swedish death metal with whoa-whoa punk choruses and distinctive hardcore punk vocal attack, what's not to love? Anyone into Avenged Sevenfold should hear "WTF Is Going On Around Here?" and realize where AS got their best ideas.

Millencolin
The Melancholy Connection (Epitaph Records)
release date: 5/29/2012

These Swedish punkers are fresh off a pair of 20th anniversary shows with The Hives and are looking back on their career. "Carry You" is one of two new songs off of The Melancholy Connection, a compilation of rare, unreleased tracks and b-sides.

Pennywise
All Or Nothing (Epitaph Records)
release date: 5/1/2012

Epitaph vets Pennywise rock like they've got something to prove on All Or Nothing, their first album without founding singer Jim Lindberg in two decades. Zoli Téglás, also of CA punk band Ignite, takes over on vox duties. Get a preview on this stream of the title track.