When a TGEFM staffer just doesn’t have the time to write up a full review for an EP or LP, they can do a quick one for the Drive-by Reviews feature. Think of it like a Cliff’s Notes for reviews– You’ll get the gist of it without all of the verbiage.
Have an album or release you want reviewed? Send it to us HERE.
The Aquabats! – Finally!
Gloopy Records – 21 Jun 2024
The Aquabats! Have always had a knacky for wacky and this continues record the trend
Why you want it: This is a kid-friendly, silly and fun little album, just like each Aquabats! release before it.
Why you don’t: Don’t come for substance, this is an Aquabats! record after all. There is nothing new under the masks here, and we do not know if there are any pineapples left in Detroit.
Top Tracks: “The Ballad of the Shapeshifting Pilgrim Boy” “Algebro”
Review by Bad Dad
Backyard Superheroes – Mass Hysteria
Jump Up Records – 28 June 2024
I feel kind of bad for only doing a short DBR for this album as it fucking rocks! This could be ska album of the year, it’s amazing. 10 tracks of energetic ska, pop punk, and all kinds of other styles woven together that I can’t even explain that hit you like a pack of black cat firecrackers, the big ones, not the small tiny ones. The horn section explodes, the guitar electrifies you, and the drumming smashes the leftover ashes. The multiple vocals jump between each other mixing and flipping and harmonize at other times and if that wasn’t enough throw in some gang vocals.
Why you want it: Even if you don’t think it’s great (which isn’t possible), 25% of all online says go to the NJSPCA.
Why you don’t: You don’t like ska at all or dogs.
Top Tracks: “Going Nowhere Fast”, “At Least My Dog Thinks I’m Cool”, “Mass Hysteria”
Review by RIZCHEX
Carly Cosgrove – The Cleanest Of Houses Are Empty
Wax Bodega – 14 June 2024
Carly Cosgrove stares down the Sophomore Curse with the sincerity and brilliance of a Jeanette McCurdy memoir.
Why you want it: Their debut was a flawless record, the follow-up is just as perfect but more mature and somehow more perfect.
Why you don’t: Shut up, you want it. Go listen, try to convince yourself it’s not delightful.
Top Tracks: “Here’s A Fork” “You Old Dog” “Zoloft”
Review by Bad Dad
Chaser – Small Victories
SBAM Records, Thousand Island Records – 28 Jun 2024
Ignore the album title, this record is a big, BIG fucking win for melodic punk rockers.
Why you want it: Like the best from No Use For A Name, Chaser are certain to be Making Friends with More Betterness like this slice of Sly
Why you don’t: Do you have melodies, fun and/or happiness? If you said yes to any of those, get help but you should listen to this killer record too, it may contain the secret to change your mood… worked for me.
Top Tracks: “Small Victories” “Brand New Enemy” “Just Breathe”
Review by Bad Dad
The Early November – The Early November
Pure Noise Records – 14 Jun 2024
The 2 remaining originals of the Jersey emo vets set out to remind the world of their talent, and may have accidentally released the most relatable record of their careers.
Why you want it: Ace Enders has always had a knack for songwriting that he would sometime muddle with pretentious, this time though he stays out of his own way and creates undistilled beauty
Why you don’t: This record did not win me over right away and is more like a cyst in the way it grows on you
Top Tracks: “What We earn” “The Magician”
Review by Bad Dad
Hockey Dad – Rebuild Repeat
Farmer and the Owl – 14 Jun 2024
Summery indie-pop that works just as well for a grocery store soundtrack as an afternoon of day drinking
Why you want it: You can put this on, put yourself in a beach chair and down the white claws and hard lemonades all goddammed day and have a great time thanks to its perfect background noise aesthetic and intriguing melodies.
Why you don’t: The Aussie duo’s name may have you expecting slapshots and violent gentlemen, but this is more a soothe the savage beast type of record
Top Tracks: “That’s On You,” “Back Up Plan” “Still Have Room”
Review by Bad Dad
MakeWar – A Paradoxical Theory Of Change
Fat Wreck Chords- 28 Jun 2024
Take late 90’s skate punk and mix in early 00’s emo and MakeWar have crafted a raspy voiced delightful record full of smarts and heart
Why you want it: Tailor made for Warped Tour nostalgics and Fat Wreck romantics, this is the best record the label has put out in a long time.
Why you don’t: I see no negatives to this jam, so I guess if I have to meet the format and say why don’t want it… umm… I don’t fucking know how you could dislike this… maybe you have auditory deficiencies. Do you have auditory deficiencies?
Top Tracks: “Tell Me” “Underachiever” “P.A.N.”
Review by Bad Dad
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – ¡Blow It… Live at Madison’s Quincenara!
Fat Wreck Chords – 14 Jun 2024
Its the Gimme Gimmes doing Gimme Gimmes things in a live setting.
Why you want it: The preeminent punk rock cover supergroup prove why they remain the standard, even without Fat Mike, even en Espanol.
Why you don’t: My pearl-clutching mother would be mortified to find out a band had this much fun at a teen’s birthday party so she’d probably hate it… but she also wouldn’t be invited, so who gives a shit.
Top Tracks: “Good 4 You” “Love will Keep Us Together”
Review by Bad Dad
Queen Of Jeans – All Again
Memory Music – 28 Jun 2024
Holy shit! A heartwrenching indie/emo journey across the peaks and valleys of an undefined romance, desperately looking to find an end or a beginning
Why you want it: The vocals are haunting, the lyrics are beautiful and the storytelling impeccable. Definite contender for year end best of lists.
Why you don’t: Don’t come to this record looking for resolution, sometimes music, like life doesn’t have any.
Top Tracks: ““Books In Bed” “Horny Hangover” “Karaoke”
Review by Bad Dad
The Story So Far – I Want To Disappear
Pure Noise Records – 21 June 2024
The Story So Far has been around for a little while and this is the band’s 5th studio album since their first release in 2011. If you are not familiar with them, they play melodic pop punk with sort of an exaggerated vocal accent.
Why you want it: The record starts out fast and heavy, slows it down after a few tracks, speeds back up before slowing down again, and ends on a mellow acoustic number.
Why you don’t: If you’re not a fan of the melodic style vocal accent.
Top Tracks: “All This Time”, Watch You Go”, “Nothing To Say”
Review by RIZCHEX
Sunday Morning – Forget Me Nots
Open Your Ears Records – 21 June 2024
Connecticut outfit breathes new life into the melodic hardcore genre.
Why you want it: This album is a start to finish blast of heartfelt lyricism andpassionate riffs. You can almost feel the dogpile crushing you at points thanks to the live energy bottled into the EP.
Why you don’t: Coming in under 20 minutes, this album feels like a tease: I left the record hoping there was more on the horizon.
Top Tracks: “Agonize” “Weight”
Review by Bad Dad
Various Artists – This Is Just A Compilation: Part Deux!
This Is Just A Record Label – 3 June 2024
This is the firs time I have heard a lot of the bands on this comp and I was pleasantly surprised how many fucking rip! I have a big list of new bands now I want to dive into. Most are fast, grungy, raw, old school punk tracks, with a few skate-pop numbers mixed in. One of our own Jason Zero’s band Space Age Zeros has a track on this so at least go check that one out and don’t come back until you do, or you’re not gonna have fun anymore.
Why you want it: It’s 32 tracks with bands from around the globe so they can’t all be great, but the ratio of great to not so great is very high, and it’s only $3.
Why you don’t: I don’t know, maybe you don’t like a good variety of punk bands or may you don’t like that there is two songs with “Wanna” in the title.
Top Tracks: “We Scream”, “One Day Maybe”, “I Don’t Wanna”, “Watching TV At The Gas Station”, “I Don’t Wanna Have Fun Anymore”, “Still Punk As Fuck”, “Coping”
Review by RIZCHEX
