Brad Marino - "Even the Score"

We recently discovered the old school power pop of Rochester, NH's Brad Marino, and we're completely sucked in by this discovery. His latest single, "Even the Score," is pure vintage 70's style power pop. It's a mid-tempo rock song that is completely catchy, from just the jangly guitar riffs to the chorus, to the "Ohhh-oh!"s. Plus the twangy slide guitar adds just the slightest country rock twinge that's going to make an even bigger fan out of you. It's the fun kinda rock song we all want for the summer, to either cruise around to or just hang out at an outdoor gathering (if that's possible this year).

You can listen to "Even the Score" below. Looking for Trouble is due out April 30. In the US, you can get a vinyl copy from Spaghetty Town Records. In Europe, it will be via Beluga Records and Ghost Highway Recordings. CDs will be available through Rum Bar Records. You can find all options (including digital) over at Brad Marino's Bandcamp. For more on Brad Marino, check out the artist on Facebook.

The Shang Hi Los - "Skipping Records"

Boston garage rock supergroup The Shang Hi Los boast members of Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents, The Downbeat 5, The Neighborhoods, and Eddie Japan. If you're a fan of any of those bands, you're going to love "Skipping Records." It's this impossibly catchy garage rock/pop song that is rarely made this side of the 1960's. This sounds like what could have been the hit song The Oneders would have made in That Thing You Do! 2 after they had gotten a little more edge in the 1970's. "Skipping Records" is the rare perfect song, and you owe it to yourself to check this out.

You can listen to "Skipping Records" below. Kick It Like a Wicked Bad Habit, the upcoming EP from The Shang Hi Los, will be out January 15 on Rum Bar Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on The Shang Hi Los, check out the band's Facebook.

The Shang Hi Los - "Sway Little Player"

Photo via Facebook

"Sway Little Player" may be the debut single from The Shang Hi Los, but this band is comprised of Boston garage rock 'n' roll royalty. The band features Jen D'Angora (Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents, The Dents, The Downbeat 5), Dan Kopko (Watts), Lee Harrington (The Neighborhoods), and Chuck Ferreira (Eddie Japan, Lonely Leesa & the Lost Cowboys). "Sway Little Player" is classic rock 'n' roll. It's as groovy as humanly possible and has the same earworm quality the best pop songs of the 60's have. But, as 60's vintage as this song is, it somehow still has the tiniest bit of a modern edge to it. It could be that Jen D'Angora keeps a little punk edge to her voice that would have been missing five decades ago, but The Shang Hi Los have given us a modern garage pop classic.

You can watch the video for "Sway Little Player" below. The song is available as a single now via Rum Bar Records. For more on The Shang Hi Los, check them out on Facebook.

Natalie Sweet - "Lip Service"

Natalie Sweet has spent some time in bands, serving as the singer of The Shanghais and guitarist and singer of Control Freaks. Now she's going out on her own with a new single, "Lip Service." "Lip Service" is a sugary sweet pop garage rock song. It has all the sweetness and pop you'd find in a song like "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies, but fuzzed out garage rock guitars. For many of us, that combination is an absolute dream, all wrapped up in a two minute package. 

You can listen to "Lip Service" below. Oh, By the Way... It's, the new album from Natalie Sweet, will be out October 23 on Rum Bar Records. You can pre-order it via the label's Bandcamp. For more on Natalie Sweet, check out her Bandcamp.

The Short Fuses - "The Pink"

Picture via Facebook

The Short Fuses are one of those bands that I just discovered only to find out that they're releasing their first new music in fifteen years. According to their Facebook profile, they're "Blondie, MC5, and Motorhead in a blender." You can't argue with that description, and I have no idea how anyone can resist that. "The Pink" is a perfect example of that. It's loud and fast rock and roll with more edge than you could possibly want, and just the slightest bit of pop sensibility to somehow make this combination catchy. So... yeah. It's literally as they advertised. 

You can listen to "The Pink" below. Dawn of the Deaf, the first new album from The Short Fuses in fifteen years, is due out on October 23 via Rum Bar Records. You can pre-order the album via Bandcamp. For more on The Short Fuses, be sure to check out their website.

Muck and the Mires - "She Blocked My Number"

Muck and the Mires are continuing their streak of classic sounding garage rock with modern topics. The latest is "She Blocked My Number," a song about getting your number blocked by a romantic interest, and finally realizing that this means the relationship is over. Combined with the classic 60's garage rock sound, "She Blocked My Number" could feel like a dad trying to still sound hip, but somehow avoids that. (Plus, we can relate to the dads trying to stay hip just a little more than we care to admit...) Plus, "She Blocked My Number" is significantly more groovy than the previous songs we've heard from Muck and the Mires's upcoming release.

You can watch the video for "She Blocked My Number" below. Take Me Back to Planet Earth, the upcoming EP from Muck and the Mires, will be out September 25 on Rum Bar Records. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp. For more on Muck and the Mires, be sure to check out their website.

The Lemon Drop Gang - "Georgie"

At this point we might all associate the name Georgie with It, but The Lemon Drop Gang's newest song isn't about the Stephen King classic. Instead it's an answer song to The Seekers's 1966 song "Georgy Girl." While "Georgy Girl" was an Academy Award and Golden Globe winning folk classic, "Georgie" is a garage rock ripper. It's a song imploring a woman to not change for polite society and to keep being herself. If it wasn't for the growl in singer Steph O'Halloran's voice, this could pass for a 60's garage rocker. Instead, it's a 60's style garage rocker infused with some punk edge. Now we'll just have to wait to see if Homer Simpson uses this song to sadly sing about missing out on a blimp ride.

You can listen to "Georgie" below. The song is currently available as a free download via Rum Bar Records's Bandcamp. I'm Not the One!, the upcoming album from The Lemon Drop Gang, will be out in the Fall. For more on The Lemon Drop Gang, check them out on Facebook.

Muck and the Mires - "Zoom Breakup"

Boston's Muck and the Mires have been keeping busy in self-isolation. They've written and recorded a new EP, and have made the latest song available from it. "Zoom Breakup" is an obviously very specific to 2020 title for a song, all about breaking off a relationship on Zoom. As specific as the year for the song is (let's all hope it only works in 2020...), the song is timeless. It's that groovy garage rock that we love Muck and the Mires for. Could it be from the 60's? 70's? 80's? 90's? Now? Yes to all of those. "Zoom Breakup" is perfect for fans of bands like The Beach Boys, The Lyres, ? and the Mysterians, and The Prefab Messiahs.

You can watch the video for "Zoom Breakup" below. Take Me Back to Planet Earth, the upcoming EP from Muck and the Mires, will be out September 25 on Rum Bar Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Muck and the Mires, check them out on Facebook.

Muck and The Mires - "Take Me Back to Planet Earth"

Muck and The Mires are "Boston's international ambassadors of garage rock 'n' roll." Their latest single, "Take Me Back to Planet Earth" brings back the alien/space age garage rock trope, which is never not welcome. It's a groovy song with fuzzy guitars that longs for the good old days. It hearkens way back to the days that you could lay out in the sun without sunscreen, smoke in public places, and before cell phones. The quarantine recorded video adds to the alien feeling by showing many Boston landmarks completely empty. If it wasn't for the subject matter, you'd mistake "Take Me Back to Planet Earth" for a song at least forty years old.

You can watch the video for "Take Me Back to Planet Earth" below. Take Me Back to Planet Earth, the new EP from Muck and The Mires, will be out September 25 on Rum Bar Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Muck and The Mires, check out their website.

Friday Freebie: Somebody Out There Is Having A Party Vol 2 (Free Digital) Summer Sampler

If you miss free label compilations like we do, you're in luck! Boston based Rum Bar Records specializes in old school rock 'n' roll. Last week they released Somebody Out There Is Having A Party Vol 2 (Free Digital) Summer Sampler, a thirty-three song featuring "Garage, Punk, Glam, Greaser, Power-Pop, Paisley Rock, Heartland-Punk, Blue Collar Pub Rock, Twang, Dirty Blues, Cow Punk, Surf's Up!!" Within these thirty-three songs is literally something for everyone, especially if you were raised on 50's rock 'n' roll like some of us (ie: Me). With this many songs it's truly impossible to cover every aspect of it, but some highlights are Justine & The Unclean's powerpop meets doo wop, Muck and The Mires's groovy garage rock, Jittery Jack & Amy Griffin On Guitar's sock hop ready rockabilly, and The Dents's blistering garage pop.

You can listen to Jittery Jack & Amy Griffin On Guitar's "Dance Adrianne Dance" below. Somebody Out There Is Having A Party Vol 2 (Free Digital) Summer Sampler is available as a free download on Rum Bar Records's Bandcamp. For more on Rum Bar Records, check out the label's website.

Friday Freebie: If it ain't Rum Bar Records it ain't worth the shot. Winter 2020 (Free Digital Download) Sampler

If you're of a certain age, you'll have a fondness for label samplers. These were free (or maybe a few bucks) CDs you could pick up at your local record store that would be filled with a bunch of artists on a particular label. It was usually a great way to discover new bands and sometimes get rarities for bands you already loved.

Those don't really exist these days, but every so often we'll find one available as a free download. This brings us to If it ain't Rum Bar Records it ain't worth the shot. Winter 2020 (Free Digital Download) Sampler, a sampler for the bands on Boston based Rum Bar Records. It's twenty nine tracks of garage rock and power pop with absolute gems included. We're going to recommend The Heartdrops ("Coming Back"), The Cheap Gunslingers ("Please Kill Me"), Justine & The Unclean ("Picking a Fight"), Spanking Charlene ("Find Me Out"), The Dogmatics ("I Love Rock and Roll"), and Jittery Jack & Amy Griffin on Guitar ("Tell Your Story Walking"). But, despite this being a nearly thirty song compilation, you aren't going to find a stinker on it.

You can listen to "Tell Your Story Walking" by Jittery Jack & Amy Grifin on Guitar below. You can get your copy of If it ain't Rum Bar Records it ain't worth the shot. Winter 2020 (Free Digital Download) Sampler via Bandcamp.