The Parasites

Berkeley bubblegum punk-pop that blends the usual Ramones/Descendents influences with razor-sharp pop hooks courtesy of The Beatles and The Raspberries. Main Parasite Nikki has a hell of a talent for writing great little power-pop songs and we highly recommend his many releases on labels like Shredder, Munster and Go Kart.

Produced by Bay Area po-punk guru Kevin Army, this snazzy single is a perfect slice of fuzzed-out pop with roaring guitars and an indelible sing-along chorus. The cover of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" on the b-side isn't exactly disrespectful, but the multi-layered guitars on the fade definitely kick up a bigger racket than the original.