The Brixton Riot is the kind of good natured power pop that could only come out of my home state of New Jersey. Like the bands I used to see at Birch Hill back in the day, before it turned into a country club of sorts, Brixton Riot finds the heart in otherwise embarrassing experiences, tying together these experiences into relatable anthems so you don’t have to.
From ‘Hipster Turns 30,’ to ‘Strange Matter,’ singer Jerry Lardieri echoes his awkward journey into adulthood for all to hear. No matter if he prefers to ‘Keep It Like A Secret,’ as their album’s closing track implies with its peaks and valleys reminiscent of some of the Lemonheads’ best work. Check out the quartet’s debut full-length ‘Palace Amusements’ on their Soundcloud page and see them when they play at Maxwell’s (Hoboken, NJ) on August 25th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)