punk this week: panel, self improvement, puffer + 18 more

Hi there, it’s another installment of Punk This Week, see/saw’s weekly punk and rock’n’roll recommendations column. The debut of Minneapolis’ Panel is upon us, as are new ones from Self Improvement, PUFFER, the Bug Club, Pure Terror, Bloodshot Bill, Pyrex, Smart Shoppers, and so many others.

With so many incredible records to hear and learn about, it’s another perfect week to subscribe to see/saw! Punk This Week, bonus podcasts, and the full see/saw radio archive are available to $4/month or $40/year paid subscribers (and those who barter their way across the paywall). Free subscribers still have access to weekly offerings including interviews, podcasts, and new radio shows. Please consider a subscription, free or paid, to help grow this reader-supported endeavor. 

Panel: A Great Time to Be an Empath [Don’t Sing/Anxious and Angry]

Seeing Panel live at the Eagles in Minneapolis, “Victoria” and “Neurotica” instantly wormed their way into my brain. The assured howl from Annie Sparrows (Green/Blue, the Soviettes) mingled and harmonized with her bandmates Zac Mayeux and Kat Naden for these perfectly written hooks. But even after falling for the stripped-back solo demo of “Victoria” (released on the see/saw benefit compilation), my heart wasn’t prepared for “Two Little Dogs.” It’s intimate: Annie singing by her piano, dogs barking in the background, and some gentle multi-tracked closed-lipped harmonies. 

This is a record about a nervous breakdown—about the heavy shit you’ll never shake, the stuff that rocks you to your foundation when you’re living through it. As a band, Panel is a total mood ring, subtly shifting aesthetics from song to song but never sounding like they’re putting on a mask. They drift from vulnerable quiet to powerhouse full-band rock’n’roll, from scrappy garage punk to coolly speak-sung no wave. Writing songs through a crisis is inspiring, especially when the songs are unbelievable.