Amoebas! Amoebas!

Pat Grindstaff recently joked that – now that I’m writing again – he should revive Pelado Records. Well if Pelado were to be rebooted at some point, Amoebas ought to be the first band Pat signs! Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan (home to America’s greatest beer, Founders), Amoebas are without doubt one of the best up-and-coming punk bands I’ve heard in recent years. Their sound takes me back to the glorious mid-‘90s - when The Stitches dominated Maximum Rocknroll top ten lists and an upstart label out of Coasta Mesa, California unleashed the almighty Prostitutes upon an unsuspecting punk world. You just don’t hear many bands like this anymore - which is part of the reason why I stopped doing Now Wave Magazine in the first place! Amoebas take that classic “snotty” punk rock style and infuse it with a touch of early ‘80s California proto-hardcore (they may or may not have taken their name from the Adolescents song). The “hit” is “I’m A Nervous Wreck”, a flat-out ripper of a tune that combines fuck-off attitude and simple catchiness in all the best ways. It’s got everything – cool bass lines, melodic guitar leads, a raging rock and roll backbeat, and a supremely snot-nosed lead vocal. Killer! Also great is “Gimme a Fix”, the A-side from the band’s sold-out debut 7” on Gimme Gimme Records. Young, loud, and snotty never goes out of style! I dig those Steve Jones by way of James Williamson guitars, and I always love a band that can deliver a ripping tune in two minutes or less. I really like what I’m hearing so far (the song title alone tells you that “Perverts and Rats” is gonna be an awesome track!), and at this point the only question is whether or not these guys can keep the killer songs coming. I really hope they’ve got a full album in ‘em, because the world needs more bands like this. I’ve always wanted to visit Grand Rapids so that I could finally taste a Founders Dirty Bastard on draught. Now I have a second reason!

- L.R.

http://www.myspace.com/wearetheamoebas