Julez And The Rollerz - Dirty Little Rock ‘N’ Roller (2026)

Debut album by L.A.’s Julez And The Rollerz is a mash of storming glam-tinted power-pop that revels in abandon. A great dose of summer-fun rock ‘n’ roll.

There is nothing like a great dose of pop-punk to kick-start the summer, and, on their debut album, Julez And The Rollerz are sizzling. They crash into our consciousness with the spirit of The Runaways, the glam of T. Rex, the verve of The Bangles, while Ex-Hex wait in the wings. The songs brim and overflow with energy and attitude, while maintaining a tongue-in-cheek wink and a smile as the hooks and harmonies roll on by.

A tumbling Rembrandts-style riff (yes, that one) leads us into opener Time, but we are quickly on solid powerpop-punk ground as frontwoman Jules Batterman leads the quartet through a sure-fire radio-friendly unit shifter. It ticks all the boxes, drenched in that same late-70s/early 80s charmed power that bands like White Reaper have leaned into recently. It is a strong start, perfect choruses and riff-littered breaks stamping their sound. When they flick on the new-wave switch, as on recent single and early standout Phaser, and the wonderful Hot Take with its added synths, they really take flight, the latter ramping up in the final straight to kick up some real dust.

Early single Call Me Up draws more on their stomping glam side, combining it with a high-energy powerpop to prove a swaggering vehicle for Batterman’s fantastic vocal line. They keep that stomp, stripping things back and pushing the synths to the fore on I Need Love, managing to feel somehow loose and tense at the same time. However, it is recent single I Don’t Know You where they really hit that mark, blending a Pretenders’ hue into their pure pop sensibilities. This one is, without a doubt, the hit on the album.

Hot Take keeps things swinging with one of the most direct and powerful songs on the album before Bring It On struts out to walk a tightrope between their new-wave and hard-rock influences. As across many of the tracks, it sings of taking back the narrative, regaining control and using it to your own advantage. There is a restlessness, a neurosis, a need to be grappled with. And it will be done while the good times roll.

For those who have been holding their breath since the early EPs in anticipation, Dirty Little Rock ‘N’ Roller does not disappoint, and for the rest of us still in search of some fresh Cheap Trick thrills, look no further.