There are two perfect occasions to put on a punk song: when you’re angry at the “man” and when you want to express destructive behaviors (the more friends involved the better). If you’ve ever felt this way, FIDLAR (F–k It Dog, Life’s A Risk) and its new major self-titled debut is a perfect soundtrack to the buck-wild, physical venting that makes up the two perfect occasions mentioned above.
The band’s shredding rants are simple and direct. School is boring? Unemployed? Need booze? Welcome to the FIDLAR club. The youthful energy provides an outlet to let all the frustration explode into a fun frenzy. Riffs cross paths of fat surf and straight-up punk, making sure the floor is covered with stomping feet and moving bodies. FIDLAR crafts its frustration into golden hooks to chant not only on the record, but whenever your job sucks.
Problems and vices laid out on the record may sound teenaged, but the angst and the subsequent freak-outs are universal. The band’s hooks are a rewarding fix—way more powerful than the drugs mentioned. Instead of the hunt for drugs, the band thrives because of songs such as “Stoked and Broke,” that emphasize FIDLAR’s ability to channel its visceral needs into a hammering melody and chorus. Drugs and alcohol may not thrill you at all, but FIDLAR’s songs might.
SINGLES OF THE WEEK
“Buried Alive” by Veronica Falls
After sliding in 2011 with its self-titled debut with the Slumberland Records label, indie rockers Veronica Falls have been prepping a sophomore offering called “Waiting for Something to Happen.” “Buried Alive” is the second single off the record, continuing the jangly sweetness of pop rock that Veronica Falls pushes. The band jumps headfirst into a fun romance, strumming a feel-good tune along with a duet. When the bridge hits singing, “I wanna get sick / I wanna catch everything you’ve ever caught,” Veronica Falls seals the deal with an infectious rush and the feeling of falling head over heels.
“Studio 9 (Just Like That)” by XXXY
XXXY has a new EP titled “Got Me So” on the way from Rinse in February and the producer flexes his tricks via vocal twists and bouncy funk. “Studio 9 (Just Like That),” one of the three tracks from the EP is another drop of XXXY’s exciting energy. Warped vocals pouring “just, like, that” stretch throughout the course of the record as the song’s main fix, combined with trigger-fingered clicks and a gust of airy melody. Drumrolls and more manic synth hits pound through the track’s second half. If the drum work doesn’t impress, XXXY will at least get you to repeat the three distorted words in a hypnotic drawl.
