There’s been a lot of renewed interest in the 90s recently. From the opening credits in the premiere of Carrie Brownstein’s awesome new show Portlandia, to Pearl Jam turning 20, It looks like its now safe to bring the flannel out of the closet once again.
To that end, Sam Siegler from CIV (remember them!??), Walter Schreifels, my favorite vegan and frontman from the grossly under-rated bands Quicksand and Gorilla Biscuits, along with members from Youth of Today and Iceburn, have come together as supergroup Rival Schools.
Though it may not feel like it, Rival Schools have actually been around in one form or another for quite some time now. After disbanding shortly after the release of their first full-length in 2001, they’ve now come back together to carry their ‘post-hardcore’ torch for all who miss the quiet-loud-quiet-loud rock of their youth. Lyrically, they remind me (oddly enough) a bit of the Foo Fighters’ later songs that discussed redemption and acceptance, topics that get by well enough on their honesty, but sound a bit tired to me after hearing these themes for so long.
The real draw here is what a great sound these guys have when they all come together. While none of this material will surprise fans of many of their other projects, maybe that’s not a bad thing. Listening to Rival Schools’ new single (video embedded) heading off their forthcoming second full-length album Petals (Photo Finish Records), the band sounds confident and fun, like no time has passed at all. This record may be a decade too late, but better late than never.
Join them when they stop by Santos Party House on March 8. – Mike Levine