The Marked Men- Ghosts

The new year is only a few weeks old and I already have what will likely be one of, if not my favorite record of the year so far.

It seems that no matter how many years pass, my love of pop punk will never fade. In the years since buying my first Descendants album to today it is a love that has weathered countless obstacles. Even after growing my hair out and developing a continuing fascination with noise and pot, I remain true to my original sugar high. So when I find a band liked the Marked Men, there is a certain feeling that it evokes, one that seems nostalgic but is strikingly current. In punk rock, you never really grow up, you just get older.

So yeah, this is the new Marked Men record and one that continues the bands winning streak. If you haven't heard their self titled LP or Fix My Brain, you should grab those records as well. The Marked Men walk the same line between punk and bubblegum that The Ramones did on their best songs. Everything is fast, tight and catchy as hell and sounds like it was recorded in a garage in the late sixties.

Like what if Michael J. Fox was playing "Judy is a Punk" in that scene in Back to The Future and it was Eric Burdon's cousin in the phone. It's like that. It's that good.