Upstarter – PUNK | SKA

The Pretty Flowers – Never Felt Bitter

As I’m sure anyone who finds their way to Upstarter can attest to, we all have certain bands in our lives that are absolutely timeless. Heroes of our youth, names we wrote on our backpacks with permanent marker. Bands we saw in their prime while in our prime. They were foundational building blocks of how we shaped our identities, and the soundtracks to some of the best nights of our lives, as well as the ringing in our ears to the worst hangovers of our lives (those actually come later when you’re 46 and have three IPAs in the sun, but that’s not relevant right now). I think for most people, the all-time favorite bands lists pull mostly from our younger years.

Despite the present day affording us the privilege of having nearly every song ever recorded in our pockets, it’s instead the shallow pool of bands that we have ancient personal history with that wind up tattooed on our arms, brains, and hearts forever. Every few years or so though, a new one breaks through. A first ballot hall of famer. A group of people who perhaps draw from a similar library of classics, and are able to incorporate those ingredients into something equally perfect, but also entirely new and their own. The Pretty Flowers are one of those bands for me, and Never Felt Bitter is their new album.

I feel like I need to preface this by saying I’m about as much of a writer as I am a musician. I’m just a middle aged man with Google Docs and a guitar. I wish I had the proper skill to explain to you how and why everything on here is so fantastic. If I leave out any individual member’s contribution, I’m sorry. I don’t really have the vernacular to explain the minutiae of song craft. It sounds very good and I like it a lot, and I’ll probably just have to resort to saying this in as many different ways as I can think of. Get your own friend named Jerry with a URL if you think you can do better.

In preparation for writing this review I queued up the album, and hopped on my bike for a nice springtime tour around Southeast Portland. Just as difficult as it is for me to not get carried away by a new PF record, it is equally hard to not be swept away by the city on one of the first truly warm days of the year. Cherry blossoms everywhere, people walking their dogs and drinking coffee, the low hum of lawns being mowed. During this unbelievably shit time in human history, on this tiny lone droplet of water in the endless dark vacuum of space, I find myself surrounded by beauty just as the opening track “Thief of Time” transitions into the full throttle “To Be So Cool”. I start pedalling faster.

Now, the last two Pretty Flowers albums come out of the gates hot with immediately gripping superhits on track one. On Never Felt Bitter, although “Thief of Time” is a fabulous song, it is more of a slow, meandering opener and clocks in at more than four minutes. As with much of the record, it dabbles in more elaborate instrumentation and song structure, but loses none of the craft that’s made their other output so memorable. It also tees up “To Be So Cool” so well. Sequencing has always been a strength of this band.

“Ocean Swimming” comes on next, and although I’ve only had this album for a few weeks, I can’t believe how familiar with it I am already. Even though some of these songs are slightly different from the rest of their catalog, they fit so seamlessly into it that they’re already occupying the same space in my brain. I even glanced down at my phone thinking that I may have accidentally put an old song on a PF shuffle or something. How do I know this song so well already? These songs almost immediately demand to be sung along to.

“Came Back Kicking” is track four, and I guess you could say it’s the single of Never Felt Bitter. You know it’s a hit ten seconds in, and nothing that happens for the next three and half minutes dissuades you otherwise. I don’t want to disparage it with words, it’s perfect. It’s like the Jaws of songs.

Side A finishes off with two absolute rippers in “Big Dummy” and “Convent Walls”. Both with huge leads, massive hooks and choruses. The traditional Pretty Flowers sound is like a confluence between Promise Ring, Mrs. Magician, and Bum. On Never Felt Bitter, I feel like they’ve also (very successfully) added some Teardrop Explodes into the mix, making the songs a bit more odd while maintaining all of catchiness. This really shines through on these last two songs. Side A = A+.

Side B opens with “Ring True”, my current favorite track on the album (it has changed as many times as there are songs). Thundering rhythm section, and effects laden guitars pound out something fairly different sounding than their other output, but equally excellent.

“Safe & Secure” is next, and contains my favorite line on the record, “You can always call your mom until you can’t”. Another banger, and has an excellent bridge and solo bit that makes it one I frequently come back to.

Another fast one for the title track comes in as song #9. It’s maybe the most aggressive sounding PF song to date, in all the best ways. Often bands will throw in a fast one on their difficult third album to compensate for the change, but this one feels right at home. Some absolutely sick bass lines make it very special.

“Feel A Little Vague” and “Tough Love” follow this up with another example of how strong the sequencing is on here. The former is a slow jam that’s very reminiscent of Mrs. Magician, with a great lead that wouldn’t sound out of place on Starfish by The Church. It pairs so well with the more upbeat and danceable “Tough Love”.

The closer “Not Dissolve” distills down the newer elements of the band that makes Never Felt Bitter an expansion of their sound. It’s long and slow, orchestral, kinda weird, and fantastic. A perfect closing track to this record.

Never Felt Better is absolutely everything you could want from a third album of one of your favorite bands. They “mature”, but all of the elements of what makes them a perennial favorite are still there. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to do, pulling off a run of albums like this to start a band’s career. It’s obviously the highest possible rank of highly recommended. I can’t wait to catch them again on a west coast swing next time they tour. A friendly reminder that I am out of town July 13-17th, so please don’t come then.

Closing thoughts: I feel I need to shout out Tim Pop Kid for introducing me to The Pretty Flowers first record when it came out. Without his persistent enthusiasm, they may have slipped through the cracks. Tim is patient zero for so much of my favorite music, and I owe him a lot for that.

Cheers.
Zach Nellis-Tessmer

Harry Katz and the Pistachios Announce East Coast Tour

LOS ANGELES based Ska outlet HARRY KATZ AND THE PISTACHIOS announce
East Coast Tour in support of their upcoming EP Last to Know.

“It’s for people who like who feel like they have discovered a magical whole other world and community when they find you.” Katz affirms on the EP. Their music is entirely designed for the whimsy they bring to the stage. The band has been hosting an annual circus style festival Pistachioland for their community over the last 4 years.

Katz, originally from Yonkers, New York, began as a punk bassist before hitchhiking west and developing a catalog of original songs while busking. The Pistachios evolved from his rotating group of friends on the L.A. live circuit. Their sound fuses ska rhythms, surf swing, and big-band brass with a tongue-in-cheek theatrical edge, a self-described “rock-and-roll show” built for dancing and storytelling.

The band is slated to perform in 6 cities in the Northeast USA.

The Cheats debut new video for “The Only Thing I’m F*cking Is Up”

After jumping through several hoops today, the new Cheats’ video for “The Only Thing I’m Fucking Is Up” premiered on Vive Le Rock Magazine’s website. It seems YouTube put an 18+ restriction on it making it unable to be shared publicly. Also viewers had to actually log into their YouTube profile and confirm their age to see it. So we scrambled and uploaded it to Vimeo and so far so good. Here’s the link.

https://vivelerock.net/blogs/news-1/25-years-of-cheatin

Pittsburgh’s barroom heroes, The Cheats celebrate their 25 years of Punk Rock by teaming up with Western Maryland’s snotty young Dystopian Punks, Wayward Brigade for a killer 4 song 7″. Each band offers up an great original and a classic punk rock cover. This four song, 33 rpm 7″ entitled “Split It Up” will be limited to 150 Black (Retail version) and 150 Ice Cream Splits (Pink/Chocolate).

The Cheats
A1 – “Only Thing I’m Fucking Is Up”
A2 – “Fun City” (Tuff Darts cover)

Wayward Brigade
B1 – “LNT”
B2 – “Situations” (Slaughter and the Dogs cover)

Recorded and mastered by Johnny Razorblade.
Cover art by Alex Hagan.
Layout by Eric Corbin

www.therealcheats.com
https://www.facebook.com/waywardbrigade

The Bobby Lees Announce New Album ‘New Self’

Originally hailing from the iconic Woodstock, NY music scene, The Bobby Lees – led by singer and guitarist Sam Quartin, drummer Macky Bowman, and bassist Kendall Wind – bring wildness and danger back into punk rock. Today, they announce their new album, New Self, due for release on June 12th. For their fourth full-length and Epitaph debut, the record marks a thrilling new chapter for the band while doubling down on what’s always made them so magnetic.

After revealing their move to Epitaph last Fall with the seething, fiery single “Napoleon”, The Bobby Lees preview the album with its raucous and bittersweet title track, out today. A jagged, desert-hazed confession that turns teenage chaos into sharp self-reckoning, Quartin reveals, “This song feels like a diary entry that I’m letting strangers read, it’s kinda weird to share – but fuck it. We were listening to late 90’s Hip Hop and Nu Metal when we wrote it. We told Dave Sardy, who produced the track, that sound was our goal, that kinda feel.”

Accompanied by an erratic performance video set in a seedy motel, check out “New Self” below:

Watch the “New Self” music video HERE

Pre-Save/Pre-Order The Album HERE

The Bobby Lees don’t need much in the way of introduction. Within a few seconds of exposure to their furnace-blast live shows or their bottled-lightning studio records, it’s easy to hear why they’ve earned fans in legendary musicians like Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, and Henry Rollins. They’re as uncompromising in their sound and generous with their energy as any of their punk ancestors who first rewrote the rules of engagement back in the 1970s.

The members of The Bobby Lees first met in Woodstock, NY, in 2017, and officially released their debut album in 2018. Since then, they’ve toured extensively on both sides of the Atlantic, building a dedicated following year by year. Their ferocious presence has always been undeniable, but New Self elevates their sound to even brasher heights. Produced by Dave Sardy and Alex Pasco in Los Angeles, the album sets The Bobby Lees’ signature bravado loose across a wide and reverberating soundscape. They’ve never sounded quite this expansive or emboldened before.

The record arrives after a period of deep uncertainty for The Bobby Lees. Toward the end of 2023, the members went on an indefinite hiatus: The deepening economic pressures of the music industry weighed heavily on them, and the labor of touring edged the group close to burnout. “We hit a ceiling with the cycle of funding our own records and then barely breaking even on tour,” says Quartin. The band took a break from performing and started trying to find a sustainable balance instead of working at their limits with no end in sight.

After they announced their hiatus, The Bobby Lees received an outpouring of support from their fans — including actor Jason Momoa, who contacted the group and offered to fund their next record. “That was such a gift for us,” says Quartin. “It made the whole experience of making the record a lot lighter.” Returning to writing was a welcome relief to the musician, who begins to feel ill, “spiritually and physically,” without a creative outlet. With creative energy reignited, the band joined forces with Epitaph Records and are now barreling into an exciting new chapter.

Sometimes when you give up control, you end up claiming more power than you ever knew you had. On New Self, you can hear the Bobby Lees easing into a new confidence — one that’s both looser and more towering. This is the sound of a band who’s scrambled over shaky ground only to come back stronger than ever: more confident, more connected, louder and fiercer and secure in their own skin.

New Self Tracklisting

1. Give
2. Napoleon
3. The End
4. 50 Ft
5. New Self
6. All I got
7. Got me good
8. Red Hot

The Bobby Lees Online

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

Happy Birthday to Upstarter.com

Upstarter.com turns 27 years old today.

It amazes me every year that this thing is still around. As always there are ebbs and flows, but it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience.

Thank you to all the bands and labels that have sent things in for review over the years. We couldn’t do it without you.

Cheers!
Jerry Actually

Druglords of the Avenues Announce New LP Gotta Light, Share Single “Ghetto Sidewalks”

San Francisco, CA – January 23, 2026 – Bay Area punk rockers Druglords of the Avenues have just announced pre-orders for their new LP Gotta Light via Pirates Press Records. The LP is scheduled for release on March 20, and features the single “Ghetto Sidewalks,” along with nine other new songs. The album is available for pre-order from Pirates Press Records. “Ghetto Sidewalks” is now streaming on all major platforms! Click here to stream the single.

What began as a side project with legendary San Francisco punk singer Johnny “Peebucks” Bonnel (Swingin’ Utters, Filthy Thieving Bastards, Primitive Heads) and guitarist Matt Grayson quickly evolved into a fully fledged band with a life and perspective all its own. Now releasing their third full length, the band are locked in and firing on all cylinders with their unique brand of rollicking, storytelling streetpunk.

On past albums, influences from the fiery grit of punk & hardcore classics like the Dwarves & Circle Jerks to the ramshackle folk chaos of The Pogues and the dark complexities of The Pixies have been spotted in the mix.

What truly sets Druglords of the Avenues apart is the combination of that punk rock energy with the folk tradition of songwriting as storytelling. While the guitars and the rhythm section – where Bonnel & Grayson are joined by guitarist Rob Pierce, bassist Michael Mininger, and drummer Robert Faria – may be blazing at a breakneck pace, the lyrics are relating street level tales of poor and working class people doing what they have to to survive.

On the single “Ghetto Sidewalks,” primary lyricist Bonnel engages in complex wordplay alongside straightforward snapshots of urban decay with declarations such as “We need some light on the ghetto sidewalks / We’re always stumbling in the dark.” Indeed, Bonnel’s one-of-a-kind, dense but direct lyricism calls to mind a character he describes in “Gutter Roller Mart”: “He’s a street poet / Aggressive misbehavior.”

The characters that populate the streets and sidewalks of Gotta Light have their struggles, mistakes, conflicts, and grudges, but for the most part, they are presented without value judgements. These are simply the stories of lives lived hard, and Druglords of the Avenues are here to tell them.

Gotta Light by Druglords of the Avenues is available from Pirates Press Records on two different 12” Picture Disc editions: both feature the same art by Bonnel on the A-side, while the B-side art is available with both a black & white spiral or a limited edition pink & black spiral. The album will be available everywhere on March 20, 2026!

Death Lens Announce New Album ‘What’s Left Now?’

Out April 24 via Epitaph Records

WATCH The Music Video For Lead Single “Monolith”

“The latest serves an uplifting release that chooses positivity amongst chaos and, despite the odds, journeys the desire to thrive in a deteriorating world, all while making sure there’s no one left behind to come along for the ride.” – Remezcla

“Cold World features catchy riffs and an authentic punk attitude that’s both nostalgic and refreshing. It’s an earnest homage to the garage rock scene, packed with tracks that demand to be played loud.” – Knotfest

“Whether or not they want to be lumped in with the current rise in popularity of hardcore as a genre, the punk influence in their music doesn’t go unnoticed — Death Lens make explicit effort to weave social and political activism into their lyrics and live shows.” – AltPress

Death Lens might be the perfect punk band for the moment: four working class, multicultural musicians from Southern California who write stage-dive anthems for the oppressed, wielding a message of resilience and a sound of sweat-soaked celebration that appeals to outsiders of all stripes. Today they are announcing their new album titled What’s Left Now? due for release on April 24^th. Their first since 2024’s Cold World and their second for Epitaph Records, it was produced by Zach Tuch (Knocked Loose, Touché Amoré, Movements) for the band’s most fully realized record yet: crunchy, urgent, melancholy, raging and so goddamn easy to headbang along to.

Album opener “Monolith” is out now, beginning with an acoustic guitar and lyrics crooned in Spanish, it explodes into a frenzy of churning guitars and anthemic howling. Vocalist Bryan Torres says of the new song:

“Born with stones in my hands, I carry the weight my parents left behind. Forged under pressure, hardened by everything I had no choice but to bear.” He continues, “Monolith is born from a lifetime of hardship, weight and repetition. It’s my revelation that the role life gives you isn’t the only one you have to play. A testament to how being born with nothing became the source of my strength.”

Stream “Monolith” here
Watch the “Monolith” music video here

What’s Left Now? is the product of two tumultuous years for Death Lens, both as people and as bandmates. The year Cold World dropped, the band toured for nine long months, honing their craft as live performers and increasing their fanbase tenfold. However, all of that time on the road stress-tested the band as an interpersonal unit, and Death Lens ended up shedding two members from the subsequent growing pains. Ultimately, they bounced back stronger than ever, gaining guitar virtuoso Ernie Gutierrez into the core lineup of frontman Bryan Torres, guitarist Jhon Reyes, and drummer Tony Rangel. Now, Death Lens are closer as friends and more musically in-sync than they’ve ever been, and What’s Left Now? is a testament to their glow-up.

“Every time we feel like we’re gonna implode, we end up expanding,” Torres exclaims. “We thrive on stress and the energy of anxiety.”

What’s Left Now? is an honest record by a band who’ve always cut the bullshit. Growing up in lower-income homes 20 miles east of Los Angeles, Death Lens’ members weren’t afforded the privilege to effortlessly ascend in the music scene. They’ve had to grind for every opportunity they’ve gotten, and they continue to write music for people just like them. “Our messaging is towards those who always feel like they don’t have a voice,” Torres explains.

Their new record includes songs about first breakups (“Am I A Drug To You?”) and learning to be genuinely, uncomfortably true to yourself (“Out of My Skin”), but also tracks about trials that are far more challenging to conquer. “Saints in the Panic Room” speaks to a present-day nightmare that Death Lens’ own families and communities are facing on U.S. soil. “I’m talking about the ICE raids, things close to home,” Torres says. “Immigrant families who don’t have papers. These are the struggles that we talk about every day.”

What’s Left Now? captures that dichotomy with creativity and candor. A fist-pumping punk-rock escape, and a hard dose of reality. Because for Death Lens, one doesn’t exist without the other.

Death Lens ‘What’s Left Now?’

Tracklisting
1.   Monolith
2.   Power
3.   Out Of My Skin
4.   Waiting to Know (feat. Militarie Gun)
5.   Drown
6.   Am I A Drug To You?
7.   Saints In the Panic Room
8.   Off The Edge
9.   Useless
10.   Last Call
11.   Pulling Teeth
12.   Debt Collector

Death Lens Tour Dates
w/Seahaven
Jan. 21 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory

w/ Drug Church & White Reaper
March 14 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
March 15 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theater
March 16 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
March 18 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
March 19 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
March 20 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
March 23 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
March 24 – Porland, OR – Aladdin Theatre
March 25 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Fest*
March 27 – San Francisco, CA – August Hall
March 28 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre
March 29 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
March 31 – Las Vegas, NV – Area15 Portal
April 1 – Phoenix, AZ – Walter Studios
April 3 – Dallas, TX – Ferris Wheelers
April 4 – Austin, TX – Mohawk

*Festival play

Follow Death Lens
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

The Casualties Return With New Single “People Over Power”

The Casualties Share New Single “People Over Power” First New Music In 8 Years Via Hellcat Records

Today, punk lifers The Casualties break an eight-year hiatus with their blistering new single “People Over Power”, the band’s first release via Hellcat Records. Starting off the year with a lethal right-hook to the chin of the system, the track’s roaring bark is a call to action imploring us all to fight back against injustice.

“We’re getting stomped by the world, by the government, by the bad news,” vocalist David Rodriguez says of the new song. “We want systemic change, total transformation, degradation to the state. ‘People over Power’: It’s as simple as it sounds.”

LISTEN TO “PEOPLE OVER POWER” HERE

“It’s a protest song through and through,” drummer Marc “Meggers” Eggers adds. “We want the vibe to be: You listen, get angry, get your crew together, and get out on the streets.”

The Casualties are the voice of the disenfranchised, the disillusioned and the dispossessed of this planet. The band originally formed in 1990, but these street fighters are still angry, still political and are still keeping the heart and spirit of punk alive. Founded on a mission to revive the sound of punk pioneers like The Exploited and The Sex Pistols, they lyrically weave in scathing denouncements of authority into frantic anthems of resistance, totaling to eleven studio full-lengths, three EPs and three live albums so far.

The Casualties are David Rodriguez (vocalist), Jake Kolatis (guitarist), Marc “Meggers” Eggers (drums) and Doug Wellmon (bass).

FuckFuckFuck – Fun

Drenched with the sweat of the New York Dolls and pumping Cheetah Chrome’s blood through their veins, add a dash of Eddie Rabbitt and you’ve got Amsterdam’s garage punk rockers FuckFuckFuck. These songsmiths are just about to drop their debut full length release, “Fun”.

The album offers twelve tracks of rock and roll, and a fresh take on a tried and true sound. It’s very reminiscent of what was coming out of the American Rust Belt in the proto-punk days. Sure you’ve got lo-fi guitar grit and bouncing off the concrete vocals, but the love songs are about Anal, and Drinking. See, it’s Fun!

While there is definitely a solid 70s punk vibe, some tracks like “Anal” sound like a nod to The Chats and “Geo Wizzard” brings an older Kinks vibe.

I think the new album is absolutely FUN!, but check out the band for yourself.

–Jerry Actually

Tracks:
01 AAA 1:46
02 Problems 2:12
03 Anal 2:03
04 Geo Wizzard 1:47
05 Drinking 3:07
06 Fun 2:22
07 Hard Rock 2:27
08 Jaren Mee 2:35
09 DJ 2:30
10 Bad Habits 1:53
11 Amsterdam Moord 2:28
12 Get Rich 2:52

Bio:
Destructo-rock ‘n roll ensemble FuckFuckFuck started out in 2016 in Amsterdam. Consisting of 2 brothers, Colin (drums) and Jits Vlaar (vocals) and two brothers from other mothers, Hugo de Jonge (guitar / vocals) and Joris van Roozendaal (bass).

Hugo and Joris already spent time playing together in bands before, but it wasn’t until FuckFuckFuck released their first two singles “Anal” and “Bad Habits” in 2022 that things really started to roll. The songs and the accompanying videos (singer Jits is also a music video director and editor) quickly made an impact in the Dutch underground scene for their sense of humor and their raw, no-frills style of garage-punk music.

After setting stages on fire with their chaotic live shows in The Netherlands and supporting bands like Black Lips and Dirty Fences, the band was ready in 2025 to record their debut album, titled “Fun” which was released on Wap Shoo Wap Records this December.

TeethOut Drops Brand New EP “Here We Go”

Charlottetown punks TeethOut have released their latest EP in its entirety after dropping the lead single 2 weeks ago. It’s available now digitally on High End Denim Records.

After exploding onto the scene with their debut EP Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (which caught attention for its “explosive, melodic… punk rock gold” vibe) and following that with the sharpened, emotionally deeper second EP Brittle But Elite (described as balancing “chaos with clarity” while digging into themes of survival and regret), TeethOut now steps into a third chapter with Here We Go.

The first EP introduced the band’s skate-punk roots and hooked listeners with urgent melodies and raw energy. The second refined that sound while exploring survival, stumbles, and midnight worries. The new record takes that foundation and moves it forward. With songs like Here We Go, Lifeline III, Down on Richmond, Friend of a Friend, and Whales, the themes stretch wider than before. These tracks talk about travel, connection, loss, and the rush of late-night drives. They carry a sense of time passing and the instinct to keep pushing forward anyway.

The lyric in “Here We Go” – (“Here we go… There’s no sleep when on the road… How fast can we go from here?”) captures the band’s current mindset. The energy is still high, but the songs now come from lived experience. Lifeline III touches on scars and second chances, Down on Richmond reflects on small-town shows and memory, and Whales slows things down to explore loss and distance.

The earlier EPs were about introducing the band and finding their footing. Here We Go feels like the sound of TeethOut embracing who they are. The songs are fast, honest, and built around stories that matter. It’s the sound of punk lifers chasing the same rush they always have, only now with more heart behind every note.

They also released a lyric video for the song “Whales.”