The Ratz – “Split with Damn Broads”
The Ratz are an off-shoot from The Lost Riots who were an off-shoot from the Pure Prairie League.
I could be wrong about that last part. Or I could be lying. Perhaps, I’m just being presidential. It’s so hard to tell.
I’m glad that I picked some lame-o, hippie country rock band out of my ass, there- so, hopefully, this band will have no idea who they are and, therefore, won’t throttle me to death next time our paths meet.
The Lost Riots released my favorite album of the year, maybe two years ago? But seeing Pure Prairie League, I mean, The Ratz, recently live performing one of the best sets I’ve seen all year. (Even if they didn’t play, “Aime.”) Well, it just got me thinkin’, something I rarely do, that maybe I like The Ratz better than The Lost Riots?
And now The Ratz are bolstered with Ines on guitar and vocals, acquired from Damn Broads for two 2019 draft picks. And she bolsters The Ratz quite excellently.
This is actually, the third release from The Ratz that I hold in my mitts. Well, I don’t physically hold it. It’s up on that screen that I stare at incessantly, that I know if I press certain buttons, certain sounds will emit through sound waves towards my ears and my brain! It’s so exciting!
So let’s all try this together and see if you can hear them, too!
I’m confident we’ll be successful in this audio experiment.
With a blistering riff that repeats until a avalanche of feedback engulfs it, “Lisa” blasts forward like a rocket ship of energy with lead singer Jeffrey’s high-pitched, emphatic vocals. It revolves into a more straight ahead garage rock chorus of, “I will never be just the same,” that Ines lends her intense, vocals to, also. The riff reminds me of that great song by The Damned “New Rose” and the song itself conjures up everyone from The Stooges to Circle Jerks to me. But more concisely, this song is like a three train collision between punk, hardcore and garage with all the passengers dying but then ascending to pure bliss punk heaven. Listening to this song makes me feel like I’ve died and gone there.
With feedback and a blood curdling scream, “Poison” crashes in with violent rhythms, slashing guitars and vocals that emit pure emotion. There’s down time between verses where the guitars just strum a chord and the drum beats along, propulsively, building tension and expectancy. After the second verse the vocals spit out threateningly “You’re poison,” a few times. Then the rhythm guitar really goes to work creating, some great energy backed excitement. If this song was really poison, I would still drink it down with out a second thought.
With a chuggin’, rockin’ rhythm setting the pace for when punk met hardcore and both came out slugging- “Fight Tonight” has a cool, Oi like chorus but is backed by music that reflects bare bones, early punk rock. Many genres are poured into the blender that produces this song that is high in alcoholic content but is more high in passion, power and fun. I think of Billy Idol during this song, you may take that as a put down but believe me, it isn’t to me. “Living in Astoria” is repeated many times with the bass clanging majestically. That could be in Connecticut or New York, who the hell knows? But I do know this is a really great song.
The famous poet Yeats has a quote, “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” I find this true is so many facets of life. I find this true in the political reality of today.
This band describe themselves as “a sloppy, three piece” and though, now they consist of four, they still feel modest in what they do, what they play.
But I find they take the best of garage, punk and hardcore, and squeeze it down to create a great sound, that contains all the best of those genres and finish with a style that they can truly call their own.
I, and I’d bet you Yeats, (if he would just answer my e-mails) would put them in the best part of his quote, the part that mentions “the best.”
Because this is music that will never be successful commercially, will never ever make a profit. But to me, it is more successful than any of all that because it provides all the passion, the truth, the beauty- comes from the same source that goes into the best works of art, music and literature.
And that means a hell of a lot more to me than all the profit and successful bullshit that goes on in life. They represent the only part of life that has any real meaning to me.
When you lose at something you might say, “Oh, Rats!”
But now that meaning has changed for me.
Now it means something joyous, means somehow, I’ve won.
And I think I have.
(Slimedog)
