Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Lifters - "Are You Ready For The Good Life"

"Are You Ready For The Good Life" is the sort of song title that seems to promise something. You can't call your song that and not deliver a killer track. And deliver a killer track is exactly what Durham, North Carolina's Lifters have done! You might not be familiar with this band yet, but you probably know who these guys are. The group was formed by Colin Sneed and Johnny Valiant after the breakup of Unwed Teenage Mothers. To round out the trio, they recruited the one and only Rich Crook (Reatards, Lost Sounds, Lover). Given the individuals involved, you might expect something in the vicinity of garage punk and power pop with a little of that Carolina sauce. And you'd be right! "Are You Ready For The Good Life" is the band's debut single, and just the second release from Nashville's Uh Huh Records. The A-side is an absolutely crackling number that begs to be played over and over. It ought to have you bobbing your head and tapping your toes and turning up the volume. To my ears, it's like early Replacements meets loud fuzzy pop with a pinch of the Saints. On the B-side, "Plane" is another good, bouncy rocker with cool noisy guitars.

In a good way, Lifters brings to mind the heyday of Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill indie rock. Lifters are a band I am sure will appeal to regular followers of this blog, and yet at the same time they don't sound like any other band. I'll have my eye on this trio going forward, and I will also be closely watching Uh Huh Records. The individuals running it clearly have fine taste. I also recommend the label's first release - a ripping single of catchy punk n' roll from wrestling enthusiasts The Mighty Jabronis!

   
-L.R.

https://uhhuhrecords.bandcamp.com/album/are-you-ready-for-the-good-life-b-w-plane 
https://www.facebook.com/uhhuhrecords/ 

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