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Mariachi El Bronx

IV
ATO (2026)

As I review Mariachi El Bronx's latest album, IV I'm not going to pretend I'm well-versed in the deep cultural tradition that inspired The Bronx to adopt this project well outside of their fiery hardcore "main project." Instead, I'll grade it on "do I like it" merits. And I definitely dig the rhythmic and festival Latinx flavors. If you're familiar … Read more

Hoaxed

Death Knocks
Relapse (2026)

There’s a fine line between dark rock that feels theatrical and dark rock that feels transportive. On Death Knocks, Hoaxed land firmly in the latter. This is an album that doesn’t just flirt with atmosphere but commits to it fully, wrapping heavy riffs, melodic hooks, and occult-tinged drama into something that feels natural and not staged. Three years in the … Read more

Carnivorous Flower

Carnivorous Flower
Dead Broke Rekerds (2025)

There's a time to be cerebral and there's a time to tell it like it is. Carnivorous Flower lives by the latter. Their debut has 10 songs: 18 minutes in total. Each of the songs is catchy as heck and you can pretty much singalong on your first listen. It's "simple" punk with peppy energy and a lot of heart. … Read more

SUB/SHOP

Democatessen
Independent (2025)

Richmond, VA has always had a way of bending punk into something sharper and stranger, and Sub/Shop feels like a direct product of that tradition. Their EP democatessen isn’t a debut in the wide-eyed sense but a statement from musicians who’ve already spent years inside heavy, confrontational music and are now choosing precision over spectacle. Across six tracks, Sub/Shop delivers … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Guerrilla Teens

I Cyclops / Pride of the Savanna-7"
Heavy Medication Records (2024)

One-eyed wind-up dancing eyeballs boppin' and weavin' with Scott "Deluxe" Drake and Jeff Fieldhouse from the one and only and never replicated the almighty "The Humpers". I was lucky to see them back in the 90's in Toronto at a hot, sweaty club in the dead of summer, back when there was a blue hue of cigarette smoke, a faint … Read more

Joyce Manor

I Used To Go To This Bar
Epitaph (2026)

Surely by now, you’ve heard their name. Joyce Manor have been writing soundtracks for heartbreaks and hangovers for nearly two decades now. They create short songs with their hearts on their sleeves, while sticking to that distinct Southern California mix of self-deprecation and sincerity. From the lo-fi charm of their 2011 debut to Never Hungover Again’s cult-classic status and the … Read more

La Luz

Extra! Extra!
Sub Pop (2026)

Formed in 2012, La Luz built their reputation on hypnotic surf-noir, eerie harmonies, and a uniquely supernatural warmth that made them one of Sub Pop’s most consistently compelling bands. Their 2024 full-length News of the Universe marked a major artistic shift. The sound became lush, cosmic, dust-covered, and produced by Maryam Qudus, whose work helped push the band into its … Read more

Dead Boys

Night Of The Living Dead Dolls
Cleopatra (2025)

Dead Boys, or should I say Dead Dolls (no, not those creepy little Dolls that were mass produced for wannabe Wednesdays). Johnny Blitz had just been stabbed on the streets of New York. A benefit was created to raise funds to help the fallen comrade, known as the Blitz benefit. Look it up, plebeians. Anyways cue in snot, attitude and … Read more

Crystal Lake

The Weight Of Sound
Century Media (2025)

Formed in Tokyo in 2002, Crystal Lake have spent more than two decades shaping their own high-velocity hybrid of metalcore, hardcore, and atmospheric chaos. Few bands of their era survived the genre’s shifts with their identity intact, and even fewer survived a complete vocalist change. But instead of slowing down, Crystal Lake sharpened. Now fronted by John Robert Centorrino, the … Read more

Tired Radio

Hope In The Haze
Red Scare Industries (2025)

I knew of Tired Radio, but I didn't really know the band's work. When Red Scare announced they'd signed the band, I figured it was a good excuse to dive in -- and I'm glad I did. Hope in the Haze is the title of their Red Scare debut and that title kind of sums up their general vibe too. … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Resinators

Recorded In 2005 By Jay Reatard
Independent (2024)

Interesting little slab we got sent to SPB by a Mr. Ed Young. Two originals and a cover, recorded in Jay Reatard’s living room back in 2005 as the title suggests. So that would be around the time of The Reatards’ Not Fucked Enough for anyone keeping track. Jay had apparently just switched from analog to digital recording but it … Read more

Various Artists

Bombs Away!
Rad Girlfriend Records (2025)

Split records have always worked best when they feel intentional rather than convenient, and Bombs Away! lands firmly in the former category. Bringing together East Bay veterans Tsunami Bomb and Oakland’s The Hammerbombs, this six-track split (three songs per band) doesn’t just unite two names but captures two complementary approaches to Bay Area punk that still feel vital decades into … Read more

Floating Boy

Perfect Place
Independent (2026)

Sarasota, Florida’s Floating Boy have been grinding for seven years, quietly shaping themselves into a band that lives and breathes the ethics of Fugazi (if you couldn’t tell by their track inspired name) and the emotional chaos of DIY punk. Their debut full-length, Perfect Place, is the culmination of that time. There are ten tracks of anxious, politically charged emo-punk/post-hardcore … Read more

The Brokedowns

Let's Tips The Landlord
Red Scare Industries (2025)

I've reviewed a lot of Brokedowns records over the years. First, I'll say I love the band and I honestly feel like they keep getting better. Second, I'll say that this record threw a couple of surprises at me. The band play multi-vocalist poppish punk in the school of Dillinger Four or Errth, albeit more on the angry side. There … Read more

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