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Hi Sorry State readers! Hope all is well. Things are good here. Busy… but busy is good, so thank you for your continued support of the store!
The Hazmats is my pick this week. They’re a brand new indie power pop project released on Static Shock Records, and comprised of members of Chubby and the Gang, Big Cheese, and Game. But it sounds nothing like any of these bands. It packs a totally different kind of punch, and very much worth checking out.
This new UK-based band has been compared to Teenage Fanclub, and that’s not wrong. But I hear more Jesus and Mary Chain, and that’s great for me because I love JAMC. You’ll hear their influence right away in the super catchy hook that introduces the first song, Empty Rooms. You might wonder, “what does this remind me of?” I will save you the time. It reminds you of Head On by Jesus and Mary Chain. It “makes you want to feel, makes you want to try, makes you want to blow the stars from the sky.” Be warned, the song is five minutes long. In punk time, that’s called an EP. But despite their roots, they aren’t on punk time. If you do think the song drones on a little bit, there’s a sick melodic bass line and drum beat in the last 10 seconds of the song that mitigates that issue perfectly.
Today is the second song, and it’s my favorite of the two. Clocking in at just under three minutes, Today is faster, less shoegazey, less fuzzy wuzzy, and more crisp and jangly than Empty Rooms. It’s catchy as hell and I’ve played it many times. You can’t ignore the Brit-pop vibe to both songs really, but I feel like that’s kind of unavoidable when making this kind of music.
Anyway, I’m digging The Hazmats. I think it’s really cool and brave that these guys came together to bring us something different. A lo-fi, melodic, hazy shoegazey, power pop gem.
If you’re into other Static Shock bands like I am (e.g. Boss, Neutrals, Powerplant), or the big aforementioned icons like Jesus and Mary Chain and Teenage Fanclub, or you just want to try something new and support punk dudes not doing punk songs, you should pick up The Hazmats. It’s limited to 300 copies, so hop on it.
Take a listen!