Dear Landlord: The new guys. Equal parts Rivethead and The Copyrights (literally), this band is a fucking powerhouse. I’m calling it pop punk, but with more raw power than 1-4-5. They’ve also figured out a nice loophole to the eternal “do we want to double our vocals when we record?” by having up to three dudes (again, who can belt ‘em out) all singing at once at times. We’ve got a strong contestant for best band of the year. Chinese Telephones: The established guys. You’ve probably heard the name before, particularly if you’ve read this magazine before. Still fun, catchy, and upbeat punk rock that kind of reminds me of the one God Hates Computers song I heard. Now get that proper full length out. Overall: A pretty great look into what’s going on in “somewhere in between pop and straight-up punk rock.”
–joe (It’s Alive/ Recess)