The Remote Controls
Too Tough
Fail Harmonic Records, Mom’s Basement Records (2025)
There’s a certain kind of punk band that doesn’t overthink things. No reinvention, no genre-bending manifesto, just fast songs, big hooks, and enough attitude to carry it all. Indianapolis’ The Remote Controls lean hard into that tradition on Too Tough, a record that feels less like a statement and more like a well-earned victory lap. Built on a steady diet of pop punk melody and hardcore energy, Too Tough thrives in that sweet spot where everything hits quickly and nothing sticks longer than it should. The band’s lineage is obvious. You can hear echoes of Descendents, The Queers, and Screeching Weasels in the DNA, but it never feels like cosplay. The songs move with confidence, not imitation. From the jump, the album wastes no time getting to the point. Tracks rip by with tight runtimes, driving guitars, and choruses that feel engineered for sweaty rooms and shouted back at the stage. There’s a looseness to the performance that works in the band’s favor. It’s not sloppy, just unpolished enough to feel real. You get the sense these songs were tested live before they were ever recorded. That live energy carries throughout the record. The rhythm section keeps everything moving forward … Read more
Sahan Jayasuriya
Don’t Say Please: The Oral History of Die Kreuzen
Feral House (2026)
For those of us who spent the mid-to-late 1980s navigating basement community halls, churches, and loveable, armpit-smelling dive bars, the … Read more
Sewer Urchin
Global Urination
Independent (2025)
There’s a fine line between crossover thrash that feels dangerous and crossover thrash that just feels like a party. Global … Read more
Burned Up Bled Dry
Next Stop… Dead Stop…
Prank (2026)
There’s no easing into Next Stop… Dead Stop… No buildup, no warning just impact. Fayetteville, Arkansas’ Burned Up Bled Dry … Read more
