One of the bands that I had the pleasure of seeing over the weekend at the Warped Tour was New Haven, Connecticut's Hot Rod Circuit. The band played old favorites as well as a number of songs from their stellar last album The Underground Is A Dying Breed as the crowd gladly soaked in the sun and the sound. Hot Rod Circuit's sound is an unlikely combination of alternative-pop and post-hardcore punk that is tied together with a bit of country twang that comes together like rootsy emo and sounds not unlike Blackpool Lights, Brand New, or even Midtown at times. However you want to describe their sound, Hot Rod Circuit's The Underground Is A Dying Breed is full-on rock assault that has more hooks than a tackle box. Melodies are carried by the jagged punk guitars and yearning vocals of frontman Andrew Jackson as well as the warm melodic tones of "Spacey" Casey Prestwood's pedal steel. It is an unusual genre-defying sound that really separates the band from the pack, but also perfectly illustrates why many of the teenage fans in the Warped Tour demographic may be confused by the band.
Picture the front porch swing of a house in a small town on a warm and sunny summer afternoon. Instead of an old man in a straw hat listening to the ballgame on transistor radio, a kid wearing black jeans and Buddy Holly emo glasses is listening to Hot Rod Circuit. HRC's stylistic convergence is unique. It as a sound that is honest and unpretentious and is permeated by Midwestern and Southern warmth. It is emo before it became all fashion and Fall Out Boy.
The Underground Is A Dying Breed is amazing and it is out now on Immortal Records.
MP3 | Hot Rod Circuit - Stateside The Underground Is A Dying Breed
MP3 | Hot Rod Circuit - U.S. Royalty The Underground Is A Dying Breed
More MP3's at The Hype Machine or buy from Amazon
| Insound | eMusic
1 Comments ↓
every album they have put out has been awesome. sorry about tomorrow being my fav.
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