“rx_bandits”
Rx Bandits
Halfway Between Here and There
Drive-Thru
This band can’t decide if they want to be called the Rx Bandits or the Pharmaceutical Bandits – both names are even on the CD – but I wouldn’t care if they called themselves the BMX Bandits, as long as the record’s good. And it is! Halfway Between Here and There is loaded with little pop-punky ska gems that should appeal to fans of Less Than Jake or Slow Gherkin, the latter especially – tracks like “Wrong With Me” and “Andrea” wouldn’t have sounded out of place on the Gherkin’s last record. While the Bandits aren’t quite at the level of those auspicious bands, they make up for it in enthusiasm and variety – unlike your standard LTJ record, you’ll find plenty of material here that’s designed for actual dancing, rather than pogo and pit action. Highlights include “Cornered” (with its tasty, tight harmonies), “What If,” “Gun in Your Hand” (which could be a lost Smooths tune), the Spring Heeled Jack-like “Walk Away,” and David Lee Beowulf’s new theme song, “Metal Man.” Oh, and make sure you stick around for the hidden track featuring Jimmy Pop of the Bloodhound Gang – it’s worth waiting for! All in all, a good record – no matter what the band’s called this week!
Drive-Thru Records, P.O. Box 55234, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413; http://www.DriveThruRecords.com
