The term Chicago punk or (rather) the sound of Chicago punk means a certain thing to me even though there are countless bands (both good and bad) that have at one point or another been labeled as a Chicago punk band. In my mind the first wave included bands like Naked Raygun and The Effigies with their heirs being the likes of The Bollweevils and 88 Fingers Louie. To me, all those bands have what I consider a Chicago punk sound. We now have another band to add to the list and that is Shot Baker. Even though Shot Baker has been around for more than half a decade, it is only now that the band is finally getting their due and becoming more well known outside of Chicago. The band is made up of vocalist Tony Kovacs, guitarist John Krohn, bassist Nat Wright and drummer Chris Gach and their sophomore album Take Control was released just last year to rave reviews. I’ve seen the band live twice and can confirm that they also deliver the goods when playing live. They are a band that takes the “less is more” approach to their own pummeling brand of punk rock that often draws comparisons to the pioneering work of Naked Raygun. It is a valid comparison considering the straightforward nature of Shot Baker’s metallic guitars, the matter-of-fact vocal delivery, and their melodic “woah oh” backing vocals. Not as lyrically complex as Raygun and with a tad more melody (i.e. Weasel) but the heart is certainly in the right place.
MP3 | Shot Baker – Falling Apart Take Control
MP3 | Shot Baker – Sick Of Promises Take Control
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I’ve been meaning to look into these guys for a while now.
I love Shot Baker. They do fit into that Naked Raygun kind of sound with beefier vocals. They are going to be a break out band this year. The more people see them, the more people love them.
hmm how to say it… These guys suck… Riot Fest is trying to force this band onto people by making them open for Naked Raygun every show possible….