Right off the bat, you need to know that Back Alley Riot brings it. Their 2015 release Damned If You Do rocks, it cooks, it takes no prisoners. The danger in all music, but somehow a bit more in the musical zip code where Back Alley Riot lives, is repeating what's come before and merely going through the motions. That type of lazy genre re-tread two-step just isn't good enough for bandleader Mike Nakis and his band of scowling scallywags. Their punkabilly songs are full of energy, passion, and grit. They even dare to tackle bigger issues like the disappearing middle-class. Nakis sings with such passion that you can't help but believe that every word of "Lake Street Lockdown" is true, even if they embellished. "Piss and Pride" and "Blue Collar Army" are full of swagger and confidence, autobiographical without being pretentious. Live, they kill it as well. Do your music collection a favor, and pick up the latest Back Alley Riot CD. And get ready to let yer adrenaline flow.
Right off the bat, you need to know that Back Alley Riot brings it. Their 2015 release Damned If You Do rocks, it cooks, it takes no prisoners. The danger in all music, but somehow a bit more in the musical zip code where Back Alley Riot lives, is repeating what's come before and merely going through the motions. That type of lazy genre re-tread two-step just isn't good enough for bandleader Mike Nakis and his band of scowling scallywags. Their punkabilly songs are full of energy, passion, and grit. They even dare to tackle bigger issues like the disappearing middle-class. Nakis sings with such passion that you can't help but believe that every word of "Lake Street Lockdown" is true, even if they embellished. "Piss and Pride" and "Blue Collar Army" are full of swagger and confidence, autobiographical without being pretentious. Live, they kill it as well. Do your music collection a favor, and pick up the latest Back Alley Riot CD. And get ready to let yer adrenaline flow.
