The Lolas “Big Hits and Freak Disasters”
This is not a greatest hits compilation. Tim Boykin, the brains behind The Lolas has been releasing multiple digital-only singles since 2021, and now we get it all together in one beautiful package. Boykin never fails to deliver, whether he’s channeling psychedelic pop, British Invasion, jangle pop, or bubblegum hooks.
The album’s opening track, “Work is the Blackmail of Survival,” is very much like a jangling Byrds tune with great harmonies in the sunny chorus. “Shut Me Down” is pure West Coast bubblegum pop bliss, and “Call Your Name” is a dense guitar attack with a garage vibe. “Trick Myself” is very much like an early Who single, and when it comes to the ideal jangle of ’80s college rock, “From the Start” is spot on. As a singles collection, it varies in style from the mellow “I Wish You A Happy Journey” to the new wave synths meets guitars on “Down We Go.” With songs like these, Tim Boykin reminds us why The Lolas are one of the most reliable—and under appreciated—names in power pop.
Let’s also give props to Kool Kat Musik, which is still putting out tangible power pop CDs in the digital age, supporting musicians like Boykin and keeping the scene alive for both fans and collectors. Highly Recommended and makes my top ten album list for 2025.
The Peppermint Kicks “Pop Rocks In My Chewing Gum”
The great Sal Baglio and Dan Kopko combine their talents with a variety of drummers to create The Peppermint Kicks 2nd album, and it leads to an explosive, heavy punk-pop. “Radio Wham Bam Boom” is a great glam radio show theme song that sets the stage. “Too Sweet” is a great Cheap Trick meets bubblegum track with a kick-ass strutting riff. The garage-rocking “Little Doll (Picolla Pupa)” harkens back to the best of British pop from the 1960s.
Many tunes here follow that template and are fond memories of teen years, “Lollipop Girl” is dreaming about an English magazine model. And plenty of loving references to mid sixties anime with “Gigantor” and “Speed Racer.” Indeed, the enchanting “We Did It All For Rock N Roll” emphasizes the nagging feeling that we all long for that nostalgia when rock and roll was at the top of the cultural zeitgeist. Fans of Sweet, Mott The Hoople, and Queen will love this. Overall it demands to be played loud and its highly recommended.
