After 25 years, Alien Snatch Records is going stronger than ever and continuing to show why it's one of the most important independent labels in the rock 'n' roll universe. I might even argue that the last few years of Alien Snatch have been its very best. Montreal's Dangereens have been a huge part of that. Their new album,
Chic, arrives four years after their debut,
Tough Luck. I was blown away by
Tough Luck. It didn't really sound like anything else on Alien Snatch or anything else in modern music, for that matter. But from my very first listen, I knew it was something special.
Chic follows it up in an impressive manner. It sounds like the best '70s rock 'n' roll record that never was — absorbing country, R &B, and early rock 'n' roll influences into a warm-sounding mix of '70s glam, arena rock, and AM radio pop that somehow sounds current in 2024. On the album's press release, Daniel suggests that Dangereens are to rock 'n' roll what The Exbats are to pop, and that's really on the money. Somehow this band has developed a sound that's both classic and totally original, and its songwriting talents are absolutely extraordinary. Over the course of 13 tracks,
Chic delivers a non-stop succession of radio-ready hooks, mighty guitar heroics, and irresistible rhythms. It's hard to put a finger on what separates great rock 'n' roll from not-so-great rock 'n' roll. But whatever "it" is, Dangereens have got it in abundance.
Chic reminds us that we're still living in an era of great rock 'n' roll bands and great rock 'n' roll records. There are a lot of factors that have made Alien Snatch Records such an enduring institution of the garage/punk/rock 'n' roll underground, but Daniel's ear for exceptional music remains the stuff of legend. If Dangereens aren't one of your favorite bands, you probably haven't heard them yet.
