Perhaps you’re familiar with the schmaltzy School of Rock thing (thank you Jack Black). But you know, in the "life is stranger than fiction" vein, a real honest-to-goodness School of Rock does exist, and it… (wait for it) ROCKS. And guess what else – there’s a real honest-to-goodness band comprised of adolescent boys called Residual Kid and they… (wait for it) ROCK. Yep – The drummer is 14, the guitarist is 14, and the bassist is 12.
You can’t make this stuff up. Well, you can, but it’s not as good as the Real Deal. Because if you or I concocted this story, the kids would be heartthrobs and play a radio-friendly brand of pop. You know, like the Bay City Rollers (or, if that’s too old school for you, the Backstreet Boys (Editor’s Note: Scott, I am not going to link the Backstreet Boys)).
But the juicier truth is that these yard apes, these Residual Kid guys, will melt your face clean off.
You’ve been warned. Don’t believe it, do ya? Check out their brand new EP, "Faces" –
Go ahead, jump right in and give the first (title) track, "Faces", a minute, see what we’re seeing. A mean guitar thrash launches a grungy bass/drum groove, bookended with solid guitar work and easy-to-sing-along lyrics. Follow that up with "Friend", a nastily-rumbling bass-ish tune, and you’ll have to admit that No, this doesn’t sound like a bunch of kids. The next track will, however, after the vocals kick in – at that point, after some excellent head-bobbing crunch, you’re expecting something a bit more burly.
The remaining tracks do nothing but seal the deal – "Pulling Through" with it’s relentless lead, "Lab Rat" with it’s dirtied vox over confident melodic pauses, and "Lost Cause" with it’s stabbing guitar/bass pairings and everyman chorus – "I’ve been fighting for a lost cause". Me too – Welcome to the real world, kid.
OK, so seeing is believing? Check it, you can catch them live – They’re playing Fun Fun Fun Fest this weekend. Come back and tell us if that face-melting comment is for real (Editor’s Note: Or not, seeing as your face will be gone). Until then, or maybe afterwards, you can keep tabs on these fine young men at www.residualkid.com and on Facebook.