Punk rock…good punk rock often comes out of the middle of nowhere. Bored kids in empty towns looking for something to do. Kids from the outskirts. The ones that had to take a bus and two trains to get to the show. The ones that had to earn their leather and studs. I’m not saying Teenage Bottlerocket was born from this cause I don’t know, but how many bands do you know that came out of Laramie Wyoming? I’m not even sure I could find it on a map. And I’m equally sure they couldn’t find Bayonne New Jersey either. I guess what I’m trying to say when you didn’t come up in NY, LA, DC or places like this you always had to work a little harder at the punk rock. You had to start your own zines and bands and create your own scene (even if sometimes your “scene” was just five kids). And it’s because of this that this thing called punk rock is still alive some thirty years on.
“They Came From The Shadows” is Teenage Bottlerocket’s fourth album and their first on Fat Wreck Chords. If you’re familiar with their previous efforts you’ll love this one too. If you’re new to the band this is as good a place as any to start. Fourteen songs in roughly thirty minutes chock full of skateboarding, girls, and science fiction. These guys corner the market on catchiness giving bands like The Queers and Screeching Weasel a run for their money. Two listens and you’ll be singing along with them on every song. They Came From The Shadows is the best horror themed punk song since The Ramones sang about not wanting to be buried in a pet cemetery. Skate or Die marries melody with the phrase “don’t be a pussy”. On Bigger Than Kiss they claim to have beaten up Peter Criss and also hope that Paul Stanley doesn’t recover from a broken hip. Fatso Goes Nutzoid is just a great name for a song. And the rest is about love or a lack thereof. I highly recommend getting the vinyl on this one. It’s clear green marble badassness. Not sure how many were made this way and I don’t see it for sale on Fat’s site anymore so hit up your local record shop to be sure.
The FSS will be hitting up their show in middle of nowhere Long Branch, NJ in a couple weeks. And we hope you search them out in your neck of the woods too.
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I love these guys! People are always underestimating the punk scene in the West. The greater Denver area (Laramie included) has produced some amazing bands and amazing sounds. Im so glad to see these guys finally got signed and are doing well. I saw em live at the Cowboy, and it was one of the best punk shows ive ever seen!