Originally released in 2015 as a demo, the debut EP from Benny & The Roids is available now on vinyl in time for their mini-tour to the Bay Area. LA’s Benny & The Roids has been a fixture of house parties and warehouse shows for years now. The lo-fi recording perfectly captures their raw sound. Reminiscent of bands like The Heartbreakers and The Dead Boys but decidedly their own sound, the result is no frills PUNK. Limited to 300 copies. Our take: Demo-on-vinyl from this Los Angeles group. This came out in 2015 as a demo and I don’t believe they’ve released anything since, so this one has been percolating for quite a while. This is some raw and nasty punk rock that sounds straight out of the UK circa 1979. While the gang vocals on the choruses are a clear nod to classic oi!, the riffs have a traditional punk rock sound and there’s more than a sprinkling of Heartbreakers / Dead Boys-style R’n’R swagger to spice things up. If you go to underground shows in Los Angeles, these songs are already anthems to you, but I’m glad they gave those of us who don’t live in perpetual sunshine a chance to catch on.
