Faster and Louder
Punk and rock n' roll reviews from Lord Rutledge and friends
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Romance - "Fast Car"
Well here's a track that has been a long time in the making! Sydney-based band Romance recorded "Fast Car" way back in 2019. It was mastered two years later by Mikey Young, and it will finally receive a vinyl release later this year. While Romance are not exactly newcomers, "Fast Car" is their proper introduction to the world at large. And what an introduction it is! It's an absolutely crackling punk track featuring a truly amazing screaming vocal from lead singer Jane. It's one minute, 26 seconds of absolute fury that will leave you wanting more. And luckily, more is forthcoming. Look for the 7" to arrive mid-year! There's nothing I love more than a ripping punk single, and Romance has delivered the goods fiercely!
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
The Shang Hi Los - Aces Eights & Heartbreaks
Can you believe it has already been two years since I first prayed to the music gods for a Shang Hi Los full-length album? Having now had said album in my possession for a couple weeks, I will reiterate one of my core beliefs: music this good is always worth waiting for! Heading into 2023, the Rum Bar Records release Aces Eights & Heartbreaks was hands-down my most highly-anticipated album of the year. Not so long ago, I publicly predicted the album would be a "blockbuster." I must say it has proven to be all that and then some.
Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin - Now With More Rockets
If the name Rob Moss is familiar to you, you likely remember him as a member of D.C. hardcore bands Government Issue and Artificial Peace. Moss stopped playing music in the early '80s and never expected to start up again. For over 35 years, he did not record a single note of music. But a few years back, the inspiration returned. Under the name Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin, he released the album We've Come Back to Rock 'n' Roll (How's that for a mission statement?) in 2020. Now he's back with his second full-length release, Now With More Rockets. If you're expecting this release to sound like hardcore, you will likely be disappointed. But if you're into proto punk glam rock and roll, this is 100% an album for you. Moss set out to emulate (but not reproduce exactly) the music that made him want to form a band in the first place. He has crafted a love letter to the sounds of his youth, and I am here for it. Broadly, Now With More Rockets revels in the influence of Marc Bolan, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Brownsville Station, The Slickee Boys, the Dead Boys, Lou Reed, Sweet, Slade, Mott the Hoople, and many others. I'm hearing some Stooges, New York Dolls, and Johnny Thunders as well. That sure sounds like something I'd be into, right? Of course!
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Civil Rats - Your Dummest Friends
Do you know your Civil Rats? This new-ish trio out of Philadelphia finds Dale and Isaac (formerly of the excellent Canine 10) joining forces with Molly (formerly of The Up! Up! Ups!) to play super fun, catchy-as-hell garage punk. When Dale described Civil Rats to me as "a bit more garage and a bit more stupid" than Canine 10, I knew I would love this band. I wasn't wrong. On their debut EP Your Dummest Friends, Civil Rats blast out five tracks of rocking, high-spirited punk that ought to have you tapping your toes and shouting "Fuck yeah!" If you couldn't already tell from the band name, EP title, and cover art, this is not a band that takes itself too seriously. With songs about craving snacks, not wanting to go to parties, and awkwardly contemplating how to address a person whose name you've forgotten, this EP speaks to me at a very personal level. Even when Civil Rats have something serious to say about the world, they present it in a relatable way. "Too Much Information" is truly a song for our times. "Let's Take a Quantum Leap" is about the yearning to go back in time and make the present less sucky. What a delightful debut from Civil Rats! If you're into the more tuneful side of garage punk, this is 100% a band you need to hear!
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
52 Weeks of "Teenage Kicks"!
Monday, January 16, 2023
The Circulators - self titled
The word is spreading fast on The Circulators: rave reviews on Just Some Punk Songs and Add To Wantlist, airplay on Shake Some Action with Alex Kish, an endorsement on Facebook from the mighty Greg Mongroll....Friends of mine are flipping for The Circulators — and with good reason! This foursome out of San Francisco has come seemingly (but not actually) out of nowhere with a debut mini-album that rips hard in an old school punk rock and roll style. The self-titled release is available on cassette tape from Willow House Records and in digital form from The Circulators' Bandcamp. Of course I'm always a sucker for the '77 punk thing, but The Circulators bring something a little extra to the table. They definitely deliver the raw energy and rock and roll attitude that you'd expect given the band name. But for a band with a "snottier" approach to punk rock, they have surprisingly catchy tunes and an unusually well-developed pop sensibility. The Dead Boys are an obvious inspiration (listen to "Can't Get My Way"), but I love how that influence gets combined with the Ramones on songs like "Living Dead." Some tracks (like "On the Loose") lean more traditional fast and furious punk rock and roll; others (such as "It Won't Be Me") are darn near power pop. Am I the only one who hears "Wired Over You" and thinks "poppier Saints"? All I know is this: any band that reminds me of Teenage Head is cool in my book! This is a great little album from a band that's poised to make some noise in 2023 and beyond. And at just $5 for a download or tape, the price sure is right!
Saturday, January 14, 2023
The Lemon Drop Gang - "Sweetie Pie" b/w "The Party's Over"
There's nothing I love more in music than a perfect single. Give me an A-side I want to play over and over with another hit on the flip, and I'm a happy camper. I was a very happy camper the moment I first experienced The Lemon Drop Gang's new Rum Bar Records release "Sweetie Pie." I played the lead track four times in a row because I couldn't get enough! While the format is not vinyl but rather compact disc, the effect is the same. This is a bite-sized piece of punky pop goodness from one of the best bands out there. These are the first new tunes from The Lemon Drop Gang since they unveiled their debut long player I'm Not the One! seven years ago (Rum Bar released the album on CD in 2020). And they do not disappoint! "Sweetie Pie" and "The Party's Over" will delight anyone craving more of The Lemon Drop Gang's wonderfully weird, fiercely original, and intoxicatingly tuneful desert garage pop.
"Sweetie Pie" is vintage Lemon Drop Gang fare. It will make you want to dance and sing along even as it brandishes a sharp knife's edge. In this disdainful kiss-off of a jerky suitor, dynamic lead singer Steph O'Halloran holds back nothing. Both her lyrics and the way she chooses to emphasize them are pure gold. I love that the song is sharply humorous but also deeply profound in what it has to say about gender inequality. In typical Lemon Drop Gang fashion, this tune brings together all the best elements of garage rock, girl groups, '60s pop, and punk rock in a novel and unique way. Johnny O'Halloran's guitar playing is a true thing of beauty! On the virtual B-side, "The Party's Over" feels like a requiem for pre-pandemic times. The song reflects on our collective loss of innocence in a way that's truthful yet not entirely hopeless. I'm struck by the perfect harmony between Johnny O'Halloran's melodic guitar and Danny Walker's dancing bass. Steph O'Halloran, who has a gift for taking a classic pop song and twisting it into something truly haunting, is in top form on this track. Once the music stops, I find the song's melody and vocal lingering in my head.
The first great single of 2023 comes from The Lemon Drop Gang! I can think of few bands with a better grasp on how to accentuate the contrast between a pure pop melody and a classic punk rock vocal. Then again, there just aren't many living punk singers who can match the guts, power, and sheer personality of Steph O'Halloran. If these tracks are a sign of what's to come from The Lemon Drop Gang, we are definitely in for a treat with the next album. This single was recorded by Matt Rendon, and I don't think there's ever been a more perfect marriage of a band and a recording engineer. For a while, I've considered The Lemon Drop Gang one of the most underrated bands on the Rum Bar roster. If you find "Sweetie Pie" to your liking, do yourself a favor and acquire I'm Not The One! ASAP!