Teenage Casket Company - Best Kept Secret

Looking for some great rock music for your summer soundtrack? Look no further than the Teenage Casket Company; power-pop punk done right.Well, it happened again! I found a band that has totally kicked my ass. Teenage Casket Company [TCC] pack a power pop punch unlike any band I have heard in a while. In the late 90s and early 2000s there was an influx of bands that were just one-offs that didn't stick around long enough to really make a name for themselves.  TCC was one of those bands, having formed in 2003 and putting out a couple of releases before sinking into obscurity. Fortunately, there was enough of a demand for the band to strap on the guitars again, resurfacing in 2012 after a 6 year hiatus thanks to a small but loyal following. 

TCC is a hard rock, power pop, trio with a punk edge (sounds cool, doesn't it?) making for a fusion of 80s alternative and hard rock (imagine a punk version of Cheap Trick). Their recent release, Best Kept Secret, is a best of collection consisting of their only 2 releases: Dial it Up and the Eat Your Heart Out EP.  This CD is chock full of melodic songs with catchy-as-hell choruses. From start to finish there is no shortage of killer tracks. 

I think I dig the mid-tempo rocker Cocaine the best, ably driven by a killer riff and an infectious chorus. I really like how these guys blend in the 80s alternative to their sound, as heard in the INXS-flavored Thank You for Nothing. Killer stuff. This CD reminds me a lot of the soundtrack for Not Another Teen Movie from a few years back, itself a compilation of power punk/rock bands doing covers of classic 80s alternative songs.  TCC has that power punk feel, over a solid foundation of 80s alternative mixed with hard rock.  I think this is my official CD for the summer. Great party rock!

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The Bottom Line:  Power pop with a punk attitude. Well-written, fun songs that will stay with you and leave you wanting more.

Standout Tracks: Cocaine, Best Friend is My Radio, Down on Luck and Don't Look at Me Like That

- Ragman recently dyed his hair green. "But you're bald"? Uhh, then don't ask...