Ever since they rose from the dark streets of New York’s Bowery via Queens, the Ramones have been worshiped by punks and pop fans alike. And rightly so. The faux brothers — make that bruddahs — invented a completely new sound, blending outsider angst with bubblegum pop…

The second solo outing from Sundowner, the side project from Chris McCaughan of Chicago punk outfit The Lawrence Arms, suffers from SPS — Side Project Syndrome™ — which is to say the material just isn’t as compelling, nor the sound of the band as well defined as material from his primary group. Sundowner’s first outing, [...]