CC Voltage – ‘Berliner Pilsner’ (Snap Records) Vancouver-based songwriter C.C. Voltage has just released his newest single ‘Berliner Pilsner’ b/w ‘Bummer Party’ on Ausländer Music and on 7-inch vinyl via Spain’s Snap Records. Voltage has a penchant for power pop. The song comes from when Voltage lived in Berlin and his favourite Beer company had a contest to write a theme song. Whats not to like I ask you? Beer and Rock n Roll its timeless and classic. Its Berliner Pilsners loss they never picked this one. It sounds like its been poured outta a can of cold 7.5 and you get carried away on the fizz and froth as it spits out of the can. A good time in a beer can what could possibly go wrong? Hang on a minute because the flip side is a slab of street fighting power pop with added 70s Lizzy happening for good measure. Go check it out and get involved CC knows how to pen a banging tune.

The Dahmers – ‘Ghouls In The Garage’ (Ghost Highway Records / Spaghetty Town Records) Gotta love some Horror Rock n Roll and nobody does it better then The Dahmers. Its a limited run so don’t muck about or you’ll miss out. Its sharp – to the point and packs a punch. I love ‘Bats Need Friends’ its a banger but thats not to say the others aren’t because they’re not.

With their back catalogue getting a reissue on various coloured vinyl this is a good time to get into The Dahmers. As for this EP its four tracks of glittery goth power pop and these tunes are excellent as an introduction to the band. Get on it kids you won’t regret it.

Civic – ‘End Of The Line’ (ATO Records) One of the most hotly anticipated albums of 2023 is ‘Taken By Force’ and if you’ve been paying any attention over the last few years they’ve been top of the pile outta Australia along with Stiff Richards, this is a slow burner that will wet your apetite for the album thats just been released. Hopefully this album will set the band on fire far and wide and everyone will sit up and pay attention. This and ‘Blood Rushes’ are smouldering classics. Get on with it and pre order, Civic are coming you wont be able to ignore them.

Civil Rats – ‘Your Dummest Friends’ (Bandcamp) Straight outta Philly this three piece of nerdowellers rock up with their EP of Ramones inspired Punk Rock. Its rough as a badgers arse but its a lotta fun as most of this kind of punk rock can be. They’ve grown up on Ramones melodies and Dee Dees style of playing. They’re aren’t going to change the world but they’re gonna have a good time as much as is humanly possible and thats always cool with us at RPM HQ.

‘Don’t Know Your Name’ is from the Undertones playbook who were all worshipers at the altar of da Brudders so you know the drill. ‘Party Mood’ if I was lazy (which I am) is in the ball park of Joan Jett and again thats always cool. There are an endless supply of riffs to write songs in this vein and bands like Civil Rats can geep mining those riff forever, so keep being you and keep going. 1-2-3-4 Go!

RILEY’S L.A. GUNS – ‘Rewind’ (Golden Robot Records) The other La Guns have also been in the studio it seems and kicking up a shit storm of hard rock n sleazy roll. Rileys version features Steve Riley, Kelly Nickels, Scott Griffin and Kurt Frohlich. Lifted from the forthcoming album ‘The Dark Horse’. You know the drill by now they play sleazy hard rock and to be fair they do it really well and the last album was impressive, not that we should be suprised. A tale as old as time ‘Rewind’ is about somethign so sweet turning sour according to Riley. Click the title to pre save on a streaming platform of your choice.

The Damned – ‘Invisible Man’ (Ear Music) The Damned releases the first single from their forthcoming album ‘Darkadelic’ and another reinvention of the finest band shit island has produced with Vanian in fine voice and Sensible knocking out his psycadelic Riff-a-rama throughout, it’s a bit of a grower and not a shower maybe if the Doors were from Sarf of the river and not San Fran and grew up in 70 England they’d sound a little like this. Hopefully the album will deliver yet more delights from the Damned.

Brock Pytel – ‘Anemic Heart’ (Scamindy Records) Sounding not a million miles from former Husker Du frontman Bob Mould on this dreamy slice of alt rock for ex Doughboys drummer Brock Pytel. Hit up this single and his previous release on Bandcamp hopefully, an album is somewhere down the tracks because this is a fine slice of music that gets better on each play. Its a real ear worm burrowing into your brain building as it meanders out of the speakers.

Automatics – ‘I Swear’ (Self Release) A dreamy ballad from punk survivor Dave Philip who has kept the Automatics band name alive and kicking over the last few years with a string of releases. Dave has covered the spectrum of rock n roll and this more gentle and dreamy number will resonate with a lot of power pop fans far and wide. Hit em up at the link.

Les Lullies – ‘ Dernier Soir’ (Belugar Records) Belugar don’t release bad records (look at their roster) this slice of European power pop is a wonderful terrace chanting slice of bop – n – power pop. I haven’t a clue what their singing about but it doesn’t matter because it makes me happy to hear an uptempo bit of loud pop with fist pumping chorus sing a longs. Les Lullies, hail from Montpellier France, they play with passion and style and make great tour partners with th elikes of the Speedways from the UK or Guida from Italy. They have the chops alright – get on it and turn the collar up on your jacket and suck on your lucky strike Les Lullies are coming and a full album will be here springtime on the wonderful Slovenly Records.

Catholic Guilt – ‘Live For The Rush’ (Wiretap Records) Melbourne alt-rockers Catholic Guilt mark their return with the new banger “Live For The Rush,” off their upcoming sophomore LP due out later this year on Wiretap Records.