I don't know when I first heard The Raging Nathans. Maybe it was because they were on a bill with Toys That Kill, The Underground Rail Road to Candyland, and Vacation at Ace of Cups(Yes Virginia, there were live shows back in the olden days...). I probably rooted around on youtube or something to find a track or two.
"Why?" you might ask.
Well, not every punk band is awesome. And sometimes the first bands on the bill are not worth rushing through dinner at the bar down the street. But I heard something in those couple of tracks that made me want to show up for the second band on a five band bill. Of course, I showed up too early(What? A punk show started late?) and watched the singer from the first band run around with a trash can on his head but I digress.
The Raging Nathans are based out of Dayton, OH. Their music is put out by Rad Girlfriend Records; owned by Josh Goldman(singer/rhythm guitar) and Brandi, his wife. Rad Girlfriend puts out a lot of other music too but that's for another time. The songs are fast paced and with lyrical topics ranging from goofy stuff your idiot friends do to watching a once prosperous Midwestern town go downhill(Bartending The Funeral). The band has grown musically over the last two albums with some line up changes. Most notably Nick moving out from behind the drums to start shredding on lead guitar.
Their latest album Oppositional Defiance is partially a response to the 2019 shooting/mass murder that happened in downtown Dayton outside the bar where Josh bartends to help pay the bills. The band was on tour that weekend. Josh has mused on fb and elsewhere that he would certainly have been present had it not been for the tour given that it was a Saturday.
The track "Parole Violation" is slightly different for them as they usually have more pop punk sensibilities but this track has a Rancid/Hellcat Records feel. The first time I heard it I immediately wanted to listen to it again. It's a real burner.
Enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment