Geeky Pop-Punk from SoCal...Uncool in every single way.

DIRECT HIT IS A PUNK BAND

One of the Dillinger Four dudes sent us music from a young band outta Minneapolis, and as usual, we groaned, rolled our eyes, and then grudgingly listened to the songs. WAIT A SEC. Holy shit… this band RIPS! (Super catchy and sounds like The Copyrights playing "Dude Ranch"). A new band with a great demo… is this a trap? We reached out right away and basically demanded that they join us at Red Scare. They’re called Tightwire, and they’re giving you 13 self-recorded blasts on this debut album entitled, "Six Feet Deep", mixed by Matt Allison (Alkaline Trio, Dead To Me, The Menzingers). The two singers, Paul and Tane, offer the kinda dark/poppy jams you would expect from salty MPLS punks: love songs, drinking songs, angry songs, drinking songs, funny songs, drinking songs, etc. This should go down as one of the best pop-punk albums of the year, and you can expect lotsa tours from this Midwest trio as they already have shows booked with Dillinger Four and Off With Their Heads.

The Putz are a pop punk rock band based out of Indianapolis, IN, debuting in 2010 with the self-release of their first full-length album, "Hole In One," recorded at the historic Sonic Iguana Studios with Philip Hill, mixed and mastered by Mass Giorgini. In 2012, The Putz simultaneously self-released two EPs, "The Party of the Century," recorded at Sonic Iguana Studios, and "Beach Bound," record with and featuring Joe Queer. In 2014, The Putz released their second full-length album "Knock It Off" on Eccentric Pop Records. In 2016, The Putz released the remixed and remastered "Hole In One" on Mom's Basement Records and the "Cut the Shit" EP on Something To Do Records. In 2017, The Putz released their third full-length album, "Clinically Inane," which was produced by Joe Queer, on Eccentric Pop Records. In 2020, The Putz released the "Shut Up!" EP and their fourth full-length album, "Rise and Shine", on Eccentric Pop Records. In 2021, The Putz released a collection of out-of-print material called "A Few Beers Younger..., Volume One" on Mom's Basement Records. Most recently, The Putz headed back to Encapsulated Studios to record their fifth full-length album.
The Putz are also the winners of four Punk Rock Night Awards: Best Local Band (2010), Best Release for "Beach Bound" and "The Party of the Century" (2012), Best Pop Punk Band (2019), and best release for "Rise and Shine" (2020).
The Putz have played with an array national acts including The Queers, The Mr. T. Experience, Dan Vapid and The Cheats, Richie Ramone, and The Ataris.

Zoanoids are a Punk band from Kalamazoo Michigan that formed in Spring of 2019. They released their debut album on vinyl in December 2020 through Hey Pizza! Records to critical acclaim. They won the "Best New Band" award in 2020 from the popular Dummy Room Punk Rock podcast. 

Shehehe’s music has always been rooted in heartfelt, autobiographical songs about a band and its life: the things that drive them crazy, the things they love, their awes, triumphs, and humor.
Whether you see Shehehe live or hear them on a record, from that first note to the last you’ll be bouncing and singing along to the infectious, anthemic chants of youth and subsequent struggles with adulthood. Snarly call and response male/female punk vocals, occasional soft, sweet harmonies, and a scream or two paired with thumpy, pounding, aggressive, hypnotic rhythms inspire and cultivate a genuinely honest, nostalgic, yet unique rock & roll scene. A scene not just in their hometown of Athens, GA, but all over the plethora of cities these road tested, road worn, and at times road beaten band members have been during their tenure that started in 2011. Uncompromised, unabashed, uninhibited, a must-see for fans of any kind of music, Shehehe is always a great time! 

A good band name always gives the potential listener some idea what sort of music to expect. (Bad band names are ones that mess with those expectations: a certain artsy-jangly guitar pop band of the early '90s would have been much more successful had they not been called , which sounds like the name of a scabrous hardcore act.) Chicago-based pop-punk band the Methadones is an excellent case in point: methadone -- not to be confused with methamphetamine, aka crystal meth -- being the drug prescribed to recovering heroin addicts who are attempting to get clean through a rehab-type regimen, the listener immediately expects world-weary, sadder but wiser punk rock, perhaps with a rootsy edge, not unlike the best of  or . The Methadones deliver in full on that promise, but also add a bubblegummy power pop side to their music that makes them equally attractive to fans of the post- cadres of mall punk bands.

Musician/Songwriter. Lead singer of Smoking Popes. Worship Leader at Village Church of Barrington IL.

The Hideout Sessions stands as a powerful and highly listenable document of Smoking Popes frontman Josh Caterer stretching out with a new band of accomplished players for a one-night-only, live-to-tape recording. The album is being released by Pravda Records on 12” vinyl LP in gatefold sleeve, CD, as digital download and via streaming platforms on March 26.

On October 28th, 2020, Caterer joined forces with John San Juan (Hushdrops) and John Perrin (NRBQ) to rock out 21st century versions of songs your grandparents used to dance to “back in the day.” They covered a few Popes songs, too. It was an inspired evening of music. The recording took place on stage at the Hideout, one of Chicago’s most beloved intimate music venues. Due to the pandemic, the Hideout’s doors had been closed to the public for several months, and the room had to be empty for this performance, save for the skeleton crew of sound engineers who captured the event. As Josh and his band recorded the album, the entire thing was live-streamed as a ticketed virtual concert.

The result was a high-quality rock show – raw, sweet, honest and cathartic. Harnessing the unique blend of punk energy and Sinatra-style sophistication that has made Caterer’s work with the Smoking Popes so enduring, The Hideout Sessions throws a surprising mix of musical ingredients into the power-pop blender, and what comes out is a truly satisfying and savory sonic experience.

A punk rock band from Chicago, IL led by singer/songwriter Dan "Vapid" Schafer formerly of Screeching Weasel. 

Punk Band From Chicago IL

Poolside glitter trash from California’s Crusherverse, the Crushers bring a tsunami of bad girl fun