The Rich White Males come courtesy of Cheapskate Records, though unlike most bands on the label RWM hail from San Diego rather than the Northeast. If you're not familiar with the band, you're probably familiar with the band members, Dangerous Dave of The Queers/Bugs plays bass while Russel, also from The Bugs, plays guitar and sings.
Being that the band is comprised of 2/3 of The Bugs, the Ramones-esque riffs should come as no surprise, however Russel brings to the table a nasally singing style reminiscent of Johnny Rotten, a style mostly forgotten in bands these days that is much appreciated here. This voice fits perfectly with the bands nihilistic lyrics in songs like "Back On Smack", "Everybody Hates Me" and "I'm On Drugs" to name a few. In addition to the spews of hatred and junkydom, the band has two "love songs", both still played at standard Ramones speed and sound (you could hardly call them ballads). There's the tongue in cheek "In Love With A Nazi Girl" which opens with Hitler soundbites, and "Invisible Girl" a nihilism free song that shows the band at its most diverse (as limited as that may be), it wouldn't sound all that out of place on an early Green Day album.
Rich White Males are infinitely more interesting than their sister band The Bugs, or anything that The Queers have done in recent years. If you enjoy the fast paced anti-everything sound of the first two Screeching Weasel albums, or want '77 influenced punk that can actually laugh at itself this band is for you. You can get their debut album "We've Come To Kick Ass and Play Bubblegum" here.
No comments:
Post a Comment