Showing posts with label The Roxies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Roxies. Show all posts

Saturday, February 08, 2025

The Roxies - "Reflection"


Well, my friends, we've got another brilliant single from The Roxies in advance of their forthcoming album Keep You Up At Night. "Reflection" finds the Berlin-based foursome again hitting that sweet spot where power pop and old school punk-pop become one. What's not to love about a German band with a British singer playing music inspired by the sounds of late '70s/early '80s UK and California? To use an American sports metaphor, The Roxies are a fastball blazing over the center of the plate of my musical tastes (and likely yours as well). "Reflection" is a song that will get your toes tapping and your head bobbing, but beyond that it's full of vocal and lyrical substance. I always love bands that can say something meaningful in their music even as they entice you with irresistible hooks and exhilarating energy. When it comes to the power pop/punk style of music, you just won't hear it carried off better than this. From the songwriting to the musicianship to the vocals to the production, "Reflection" is nothing but pure class. The full album will be out March 7 on Dirt Cult and Flight 13 Records, and you will not want to miss it!

Friday, January 21, 2022

The Roxies - Don't Wanna Dance Because I'm Told To (Album Premiere)


I am beyond stoked to premiere the long-awaited debut LP from The Roxies! I had the privilege of featuring this Berlin-based foursome (with an English lead singer!) twice in 2020. Back then I mentioned that the band hoped to record a debut album later that year. Well here we are in 2022, and that album is finally a reality! A co-release between Dirt Cult Records in North America and Family Spree Recordings in Europe, Don't Wanna Dance Because I'm Told To is exactly the record you would expect from one of Europe's most fun and energetic punk rock bands. The album was recorded and mixed by the legendary SmaiL ShocK at his analog studio in Berlin, and it sounds absolutely crackling! If you like high energy punk rock and power pop with infectious hooks, these 11 tracks will hit you just where you like it. Dirt Cult recommends this album to fans of The Briefs, Fashionism, and Clorox Girls, and I totally concur! According to the band, its lyrics focus on "contemporary life, personal demons, and social and political problems whilst also getting ready for a party". How can you not love a band with a mission like that? Running the gamut from the sing-along punk of "Underdog" and "Catcaller" to the perfect pop of "Bad Parenting" and "Down" to the new wave brilliance of "Filmriss", these songs are sure to lift your sprits and get you up and dancing. Chris from Dirt Cult has graciously provided a full album stream for me to share with you today. So give this a listen or three and discover your new favorite band! Vinyl available from the order links below!  

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

The Roxies - live at the Wild At Heart

Back in March, I wrote about a delightful 7" record by Berlin-based punk group The Roxies. This band is three quarters German and one quarter English, which sounds an awful lot like my DNA. The musical DNA is a match as well: I can never get enough of high-energy old school punk with a touch of pop. At the time of my review, The Roxies were fresh off of a well-received tour of Northern England and building all kinds of momentum. Then came the pandemic. And like every other band in the world, The Roxies found themselves grounded. While they have not yet had the opportunity to play for live crowds again, they did perform at the legendary Berlin club Wild at Heart a couple weeks back without an audience. The entire performance was live-streamed, and you can now view the whole thing on YouTube. Watching this video, you'll get a great feel for the energy of The Roxies. Even though there's no crowd directly in front of them, they give an enthused and lively performance. Plus you get to see what an incredibly cool venue the Wild At Heart is! Having only heard a few songs from this band before, I was pleased to hear more. If all goes well, some of these newer tracks will turn up on the album The Roxies plan to record later this year. For now, check out this amazing set which also features a fun little interview with the band. They sure seem like lovely human beings! I want to drink beer and eat fish and chips with these people! The Roxies are all about spreading the love and giving people the chance to get out and have a sweaty good time. Someday the actual live shows will resume, and this is a band you're gonna want to see!

(You will need to click on the link to watch the video on the YouTube site. Action starts at 3:45!) 


-L.R.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHLVssanLpg&feature=emb_err_woyt
https://roxies.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theroxiesberlin/

Friday, March 20, 2020

The Roxies Are Coming!

The Roxies Are Coming! is a great title for a record because you don't know if it's a warning or a promise. I would say it's the latter based on what I know about this (mostly) German band. The Roxies strike me as a band that loves nothing more than to get out to the live crowds and deliver a high energy, fun-filled punk rock show. And while the world will have to wait a while to again dance to The Roxies in person, the band's debut 7" will give you a nice taste of that live energy. The Roxies Are Coming! was recorded and mixed by the legendary Smail Shock at his analog studio in Berlin. Three of The Roxies are from Berlin, while singer Matthew Conway is from Barnsley/Yorkshire/northern England. I instantly became a fan of the band when it was mentioned that any money earned on its recent tour of England went to "the next (expensive) beer". Now there's a band that speaks straight to my heart! A-side "The Beat of the Street" is an upbeat jolt of catchy '77 punk that had me furiously tapping my toes upon immediate contact. If you love old school poppy punk, this track is guaranteed to please. You can have your own little punk rock dance party listening to this one! On the flip, "Down" slows the tempo quite a bit with some jangling Brit-pop vibes. I'm reminded a little of later '90s Supergrass/Ash type stuff, which is definitely a good thing in my book. I like that the two sides of this record show two sides of The Roxies. You've got the instant punk smash backed by the tuneful pop grower. The Roxies released this 7" on their own, which you can buy through the Wanda Records mail order. The group also made a video for their song "Stereo", which was recorded in the same sessions that produced the 7" tracks. Check out the video here. I dig this one too. It brings to mind a poppier Clash! Digital versions of all three tracks are available from The Roxies' Bandcamp. Check 'em out! This is a band that really lifts my spirits in these dark days. All I can say is thank God for music!

  
-L.R.

https://roxies.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/theroxiesberlin/ 
https://mailorder.wandarecords.de/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30_31&products_id=14228