Storm the Streets
Last seen recording for Look Out! and opening for Green Day in 1995 at enormodomes everywhere, Riverdales are back with a vengeance, sporting a new label, the same ol' snotty attitude, and the requisite Ramones-style buzz on their second album (14 songs in just under 32 minutes, and not one of them a stinker). Beyond the fact that Dan Schafer sings some of the tunes and Ben Weasel uses his real surname, I've never been able to tell the difference between Riverdales and Ben's other (semi-legendary) punk combo, Screeching Weasel. Not that it matters: Both bands deliver catchy, high-energy punk that will have you pogoing around the living room like a idiot. And "Riverdale Stomp" is one of the best anthems Ben has ever had a hand in. --Jim Derogatis