Carbonas' self-titled third album offers proof that "punk-pop" needn't always be associated with adolescence, Fat Wreck Chords, or poor choices in piercings and facial hair. Instead, Carbonas recall The Descendents, Buzzcocks, and the vintage influences currently being trumpeted in Atlanta's fiery young underground-rock scene (Black Lips, Beat Beat Beat, Deerhunter). The nine-song disc is also the first to accurately evoke Carbonas' simple, nearly perfect live performances, with Dave Rahn's production chops adding a needed fullness to a genre known for absence of fidelity.
CoCoComa is a newer name than Carbonas, but the Chicago trio features slightly older scene stalwarts. Guitarist Lisa Roe and keyboardist Mike Fitzpatrick hail from garage-rock known-unknowns Headache City, and singer-drummer Bill Roe played in Stag Party. Their self-titled debut offers an incredibly loud, fast take on Nuggets-indebted organ/guitar/drums cave-rock, leaving very little "proto" in their punk, especially on "I Swear" and "Desperate Situation."