Barbell Death Squad is a garage pop group made up of Houston Putney (lead vocals/bass guitar), Davis Mincher (backing vocals/guitar), and Darren Smart (backing vocals/drums). The band from Austin, TX recently released a six-song EP entitled Show Me Your Teeth. They mention “The songs on our Show Me Your Teeth EP were written collaboratively over the course of several months during the tail-end of the pandemic and are the result of the many influences of each member, ranging from early punk, garage music, blues, emo and pop-punk.”
The band does a fine job mixing genres. For instance I was definitely picking up on pop punk but it’s subtle. They are able to find this balance and often are able to slightly shift their style even in one song. They get cracking with “Grab The Boys & Let's Start A Party For The Emmys” and don’t waset any time getting into an adrenaline inducing riff. They dynamics pop and the feeling is loose but the playing is tight and in the pocket. The band explores a lot of territory with a chorus that benefits from additional handclaps, a killer breakdown and even a bluesy guitar solo. There’s was a feeling I was getting on early naughts garage rock on “Did You Get A Good Deal? (Charge It To The Game).” This song isn’t far away from The Strokes. One difference is the cascading vocal harmonies which are really well done. There’s also some pop punk infused in the music as well. Similar to the first song this song covers a lot of ground. They switch time with relative ease and swiftly move between transitions. “I Won't Be Caught Dead Buying Gifts” is very catchy. This song felt like the most single worthy song. The band finds a solid groove on the verse and the guitars on the chorus cut threw like knives with a syncopated rhythm. I think the way they find their way back into the verse was seamless. This is arguably the most emotive song. The band continues to hit it out of the park. “Fall Asleep In Vietnam... Wake Up In A Documentary” is a fun one. I loved how the chorus speeds up and the slight nod to bands like NOFX and Rancid. “Bosnian Beachfront Blues” is one the only songs where that keep the BPM fast and consistent the whole. They close with a cover of “Search And Destroy” which I think Iggy would approve of. I loved this band's ability to capture your attention. The songs were emotionally resonant but you also get the feeling that the band is having a blast playing. It came through in the music. Suffice it to say I think they will be an amazing live act. This is a great EP. Recommended.
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