punk this week: the smarthearts, buio omega, brainbombs + 25 more

Hey, it’s Punk This Week, the punk and rock'n'roll recommendations column that goes up every Friday. There’s new ones from the Smarthearts, BUIO OMEGA, and Brainbombs, but there’s a lot to dig into this week; I wrote about 25 additional deeply sick records. Did you know Kid Congo Powers was going to drop major heat today? I certainly didn’t.

I wrote over 2,000 words today about records from all over the world, and if you want to read about all of this stuff, you have to subscribe and get behind the paywall. It’s $4/month or $40/year or barter. In addition to the weekly column, you get bonus podcasts (like the brand new chat with Ekko Astral) and the full see/saw radio archive of over 50 episodes.

Most importantly, you get the knowledge that you’re helping keep this fully independent love letter to loud and insane music alive. I don’t have investors or a safety net—just the kindness of strangers. Thanks for reading.

The Smarthearts: Not Forgotten [Stupid Bag]

It’s been an unbelievable year for rock’n’roll records out of Philadelphia. The latest entry comes from the Smarthearts—their first new record in seven years. Not Forgotten is an outstanding power pop record that finds a magnificent balance between punk grit and janglin’ charm.

Maybe you’re concerned that the 2025 power pop bubble has burst—that there’s no more juice left in that particular orange grove. I, too, have grown concerned about becoming calloused to fun and danceable guitar music. Alas, the Smarthearts’ new one has me up on my feet and shaking my stupid butt. This right here is some incredible songcraft, powerful earworm writing, and exceptional engineering. No padding, no skips.