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 

1 comment:

  1. Bang on!
    Great band, full of energy with the songs to back them up. Brilliant live too.
    Very recommended!

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