The Lost Riots – “The Kids You Love To Hate”
The Lost Riots are one of my favorite bands from my favorite music scene we cover- The Connecticut punk scene.
(But just because I like them is no reason for you to hold this against them.)
I’ve always heard a lot of the original punk style in their music but also, some hardcore and even Oi!- or if you prefer, street punk.
(But please don’t hold this against them).
And when you’re dancing with a girl you shouldn’t hold them tightly against you. You should leave enough space for The Holy Spirit.
At least, that’s what the priests used to tell us, right before they went on their “dates” with their altar boy boyfriends.
Maybe you should hold this against them- and the tax-free corporation they’re employed by.
Yeah, the patriarchy is like a multi-headed cobra which, I wait in anticipation, munching on popcorn, waiting for the young to behead each and every one. Which I predict, is coming soon.
But in the meantime, let’s listen to what these hated kids have to say:
“I Just Lied” begins with a rockin’ punk beat and a wonderfully, melodic guitar lick. “Anyway, I’ll be all right. Maybe I, I just lied,” goes the chorus of this song that offers hope and realistic doubt in the same line. “I’m using again… I’m out on the streets till God knows when. Covering up all the lies. You can read between the lines.” A somber, eloquence of pervading doom hangs over this tune. “I’m drinkin’ again, I’m wearin’ thin. You ask me what’s wrong and I say, “Nothing.” This song may seem to predict sadly, a bad conclusion, but as a song, it’s perfection shines like gold. It’s early on but I predict this will be one of the best songs I hear this year.
“Overtime” has an underlying ska beat, a genre I tend to avoid. But here the beat is not too slick and explodes like a freight train powered by too much caffeine. “We were wrong when we were young and it’s okay.” So okay, yes!- this is a ska/punk song but okay, yes!- it has way more passion, energy and grit than most tunes of its’ genre. So okay, yes!- I may not love ska but I do love this song.
Starting with a four chord garage rock intro and a high pitch, highly great guitar lick, “Don’t Think Twice” is not a cover of a Bob Dylan song. But soon ignites with a dynamite lit hardcore vocal. “Everyone thinks that you’re special, everyone thinks that you’re so great. Nobody knows what I know. Don’t think twice when you walk away.” This smashing, bashing song ends with some squealing lead guitar and I do care and I do think this song is something special. In fact, I think that it’s so fucking great.
“When You’re Back In Town”- we’re drinking at the bar,” is about a buddy living on the West Coast now. This song embodies the energy of a fire truck racing to a four alarm fire, along with a great, melodic lick worthy of the Buzzcocks. “Just show your boys in L.A., how the old city gets down.” This song is emotional as well as poignant, has some awesome guitar and a background chorus that could have been taken for a classic, sixties song- pure brilliance.
The Lost Riots contain the passion, the energy, the wild recklessness of the early punk scene when it seemed that we were just moments away from oblivion. But we were sure, we were gonna go out with an exciting blast!
For a lot of us, at the time, this was true. There are not a ton of folks that stood side by side, Andy and I, at the shows in the early Boston punk scene that are not still around.
But what did survive was the music to inspire, the integrity that is now coveted by bands now that don’t play punk music, but call themselves so- it’s something that they want to be! Knowing that the term “punk” means and reflects honesty, realness and of worth.
The Lost Riots don’t have this problem as they’re punk to the core. They need not put on any airs as they are the real thing.
Lots of fancy, subtle guitar on this release along with a couple of acoustic numbers- something you might think would go against the grain of what we cover.
But this is the music that survived the aftermath of Johnny Thunders, Stiv Bators, Dee Dee Ramone. This is the music that was started and supported by all those that didn’t make it out alive.
If I wanted to get melodramatic, I would say this is the music they died for.
No, they died from being creative, sensitive souls thrust into a harsh and cruel world that kills off some of the best people with no thought, no remorse, just with a flick of a finger, just like that.
But their music, their emotions, their art lives on- in no better way than this, with bands like The Lost City Riots.
Their music is their legacy which will live on and continue to inspire and The Lost Riots are part of that chain, to be inspired and hopefully, to inspire newer bands, as well.
And I love this band and I love this release and I love everything that they represent, that they aspire to!
But please, don’t hold this against them.
But please! Do hold me tightly when we dance!
(Slimedog)
