The Red Hearts  “I think being boring is a sin,” says Lenny Pops. If boredom were a disease, the remedy would come in the form of The Red Hearts, a riot of a band stemming from the riot capitol itself, Los Angeles. The Red Hearts are an anachronism in a time when anachronisms are just what the world needs. Lest we start to actually believe that bands like Good Charlotte are the actual definition of punk, along come these three punker-than-thou lads with a pocketful of pop-licious melodies and ragged riffs that are just at home in an arena as they are in an all-age firehall. “It’s controlled noise with a good hook,” singer/guitarist Lenny explains. “Really, it’s all about the song. If you write a good song, you can play it any style.” Forget posturing, forget trends, and especially forget Hot Topic. The Red Hearts are a bunch of guys who actually learned to play and appreciate punk music before they learned where to shop for the best studded belts. “I’d like to see an era when people stop being elitist fashionistas with no taste or knowledge of history, and start getting into bands with heart and soul that don’t strictly fit a definition of what punk is,” chimes in Farfisa organ player Dan Collins. Yes, I said Farfisa. The Red Hearts have a deceptively simple approach to rock and roll: write what you know.What they’re achieving is the resurrection of a punk spirit that’s been dwindling since 1977, and they’re doing it effortlessly. It’s not their skinny ties that make The Red Hearts interesting; it’s the fact that they can mine the sounds of early punk – the Buzzcocks, The Clash – take what they like, and still end up with something fiercely authentic. “I think people want something raw and real,” Lenny says. And as a former member of buzz-group The Brian Jonestown Massacre, he holds an honorary doctorate in “raw and real.” “Let’s face facts: life ain’t sugarcoated. Why should music be?” he figures. “It’s happened through the ages: people look back to earlier art and music, take what they like, make something new out of it. We’re not trying to recreate an era or a sound. That would be a waste of time. I’m just trying to make the kind of music I’d like to listen to. You’ve got to be yourself.” One listen to The Red Hearts’ new single, “More and Faster”, and you’ll know exactly what Lenny means. His junked-out talk-sing vocals punctuate the jagged melodies of bandmates Collins and Danny C. to form the kind of hook-heavy, devil-may-care rock and roll alter-call that will make a believer out of you. “Basically, we just want to go out on stage, party, have a good time, jump around and play some rock and roll,” Lenny says. “We want to be true to ourselves. We’re really excited to fuck some shit up!” If boredom is a sin, look to The Red Hearts for some rock and roll redemption. |
Releases
Band Members LENNY POPS - Guitar/Vocals DANNY C - Bass/Vocals DAN COLLINS - Farfisa/Vocals |
|---|
 |
|---|