Redd Kross : Classic Or Dud?

Redd Kross will be performing July 1st at the Red Cat Theater in Los
Angeles, CA.

The Red Cat only holds about 200 people and tickets are NOT for sale
yet.

Which is why they had such a loyal cult of similarly aged trash culture fans. To that small group, they were more than a band--more like a state of mind.

'do i have to mention DESPERATE TEENAGE LOVEDOLLS?!?!? and TEENAGE LOVEDOLL SUPERSTAR?!?!? '

Don't forget Spirit of '76 with Keith Partridge himself.

"Now back in the studio, Redd Kross are working on a new release for 2006, and we are looking forward to it as much as you are."

http://www.myspace.com/reddkross

Really hoping for a tour if this is true.

http://redcat.org/season/0506/mus/knock3.php

Don't Knock The Rock!
http://dontknocktherock.com/

Roberts back!!

So this is like the greatest thing ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGPMa6k4mFk

As is the too brief bit of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sIBgP0PLYk

Oh shit. Need to here 'Annette's Got The Hits' and don't have it to hand.
Might go to pub.Do you think it will be on the dukey?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjD5Nm75JfQ&feature=related

Neurotica is one of the best albums of the 80s. And was the start of 4 classic albums

"Start" of 4 classic albums????

Just let it go, dude.

So is that first EP available ANYWHERE? What about the song "Rich Brat" from one of those "Life Is...So Why Not..." comp LPs?

"Kill Someone You Hate" === Greatest Song EVAR

Smashing windows
with a baseball bat

OK I see Rich Brat is on some newish collector scum 7" EP of 79-82 stuff. But that first EP starts at $70 on GEMM, fuck. Can't they just change the name? Who has the rights to Posh Boy these days?

TAKE ME TO YOUR COUCH BABE
RECITE SOME SIGMUND FREUD

goddamm fucking bootlegggers. I bought that 7" through the mail and it basically says right on the back "sorry about the skip in 'Rich Brat' LOL".

buyer beware.

Me + Toronto + Redd Kross = last Saturday night!

I've seen them many times before but not, obviously, this millenium. All their albums were represented (only Bubblegum Factory from 3rd Eye though) plus some stuff I didn't recognise which may well be new material but was also some obscure early stuff judging by certain crowd members' reaction. I missed Gerri on the keyboards but the huge bonus was Robert Hecker back on guitar. Jeez, this guy is a rock'n'roll guitar genius, even if he looks like a jazz nut with his white suit, silk tie and weird little orange guitar slung right under his chin. From power chords to manic shreds he ruled the show, and importantly prevented it from being a "McDonald Bros + yr granny = Redd Kross" type affair.

The brothers look older but not old. Steve's still only 41 and I guess Jeff's probably 44 now but it was just like the old days with sweat-soaked hair flying all over the place, synchronised headbanging and all the usual routines. It was a great, tight set - just a bit over an hour but they played tons of songs. None of those eternal endings or jammed-out Beatles covers. Then just to ram home the fact that they haven't changed, they closed the show with "Good Times" theme with Hecker taking the lead vocal.

This was the most jumping around I've done at a show in years.

Awesome. Would love to see them again. I would imagine the older songs were from the red cross ep?

I reckon so. They must've played about 6 real short songs that I couldn't place. I'm ashamed to say that I've got (a bootleg of) that ep, plus Born Innocent but probably only played them a couple of times each. My Redd Kross doesn't really begin until Teen Babes.

theres rehearsal footage where they play those songs last year on youtube.

the ep is great. born innocent not so.

Those old numbers sounded fantastic. Really sharp. I admit I was getting a little bit impatient when they played Crazy World and Pretty Please Me. I was thinking "fuck it's been 10 years, now I've got 75 minutes with you guys, why are you wasting playing these corny covers when you could be playing Monolith or Shonen Knife." Of course then they would launch into Switchblade Sister or something equally awesome.

Just found the first EP on the Killed by Death site. What an awesome six-songs-in-six-minutes that is. Don't think they were ever better.

^

the ep is great. born innocent not so.

― Herman G. Neuname, Monday, June 16, 2008 9:05 PM

wrong

born innocent is solid good, not great, not a patch on the EP

Not listened to Born Innocent in years. Only one I can remember is Linda Blair.

And out of nowhere:

Redd Kross is back and delivering their signature brand of genuine rock 'n' roll with a vengeance. On August 7, Merge Records will release Researching the Blues, the first new album from Redd Kross in 15 years.

Researching the Blues features 10 new songs clocking in at just under 32 minutes. With songs written by Jeff and produced and mixed by Steven, the album is by far the band’s favorite record. Steve says, “It has the most singular artistic vision of any record we’ve done. It’s just 10 really fucking awesome songs that have the ability to move you in many different ways.”

Founded 34 years ago in Los Angeles during the first wave of LA punk rock by brothers Jeff and Steven McDonald (then respectively 15 and 11 years old), Redd Kross cut their teeth opening for Black Flag at a middle school graduation party. Their debut recordings caught the attention of Rodney Bingenheimer, who quickly became a fan as he spun their Ramones-inspired songs like “Annette's Got The Hits” and "I Hate My School" on the world-famous KROQ.

In 2006, Jeff and Steven announced their reunion with the “classic Neurotica” line-up, joined once again by guitarist Robert Hecker (IT’S OK) and drummer Roy McDonald (The Muffs). Redd Kross have been playing to enthusiastic audiences at sold-out select shows and festivals such as the Azkena Festival; Coachella; The HooDoo Gurus’ Invitational, "Dig It Up”; All Tomorrow's Parties; and Pop Montréal. More Redd Kross tour dates to come this year!

image description

Track List:

1. Researching the Blues

2. Stay Away From Downtown

3. Uglier

4. Dracula’s Daughters

5. Meet Frankenstein

6. One of the Good Ones

7. The Nu Temptations

8. Choose to Play

9. Winter Blues

10. Hazel Eyes

Redd Kross is:

Jeff McDonald – Vocals, Guitars

Steven McDonald – Bass, Vocals

Roy McDonald – Drums

Robert Hecker – Guitars

I came here to post the press release Ned did... Can this possibly be good?

Jeff McDonald is saying it's the greatest album they've ever made.

i mean, what's his motivation to lie about it???

haha

i just hope they haven't forgotten how to rock

i dread it being an album of ballads with lots of strings

if they do that, it will be an ironic nod to the carpenters or some shit

Saw the band last night in Philly, so much fun! Dale Crover on drums too.
Did the entire Teen Babes From Monsanto album for half the set!

http://scontent.fewr1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18199083_10158625392125597_2311391739190061665_n.jpg?oh=58a21f106147139eed88908c945905bd&oe=59BC595E

http://scontent.fewr1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18341870_10158625383925597_8873527940837437052_n.jpg?oh=2170080d2096a8244c1b494df36b4c6f&oe=59C09FD4

They've got an album of rarities/unreleased stuff called Hot Issue out at the moment. It's pretty good for odds & sods.

I knew I should have seen them in DC the other night. Oh well.

There's a Hot Issue vol 2 came out, which is a brilliant live set from 1997. Has a strong focus on 3rd Eye/Phaseshifter/Showworld - and that material was so great when Gere was still with the band. She's out by this point but the guitars are really beefed up. Recommended.

I looked up Redd Kross because I remembered the song "Annie's Gone" and wondered if I still liked it (I did). I remembered the video being very colorful (it is) and then I watched their "what's in your bag" Amoeba video and they seem like cool decent people.

I guess I don't understand how they even exist -- this video is so weird. Are they wearing pajamas? Are they trying to be sexy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmtbEK7Q4uA

Goofy dudes who like power pop, I think? I think there's an element there of wanting to make a ca 1990 mainstream rock video but not really having much of a feel for what that involves. I think that's part of why I like it.

yeah -- the way they were mugging for the camera and general physical/dance moves are really perplexing. are they trying to be nelson? pee wee's playhouse? femme? the second half of the video (like after the woman starts dancing) seems somewhat "ambitious" for the time too, so are they arty?

and then there is the song, which is super catchy and obviously memorable. i think i like them. they seemed ok in the amoeba video.

i guess it makes sense that they are perplexing. it's part of their appeal!

I think there was a strong sense of wanting to rebel against the punk / hardcore scene they emerged from and increasingly express their love for Kiss, The Beatles and The Partridge Family across their general sound/aesthetic

and now? they're not retired right? in the video they seemed like two relatively approachable long haired duders.
are they still rebelling against something from the scene they emerged from 30 years ago? i am not asking to be confrontational, just because i am curious.

this is from 2013 -- they seem pretty buoyant & energetic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ-VB74qNGQ

are they trying to be nelson?

Revisiting 70s rock was pretty much at the heart of the whole mid-80s SST thing but Redd Kross's particular glam and power pop obsessions gave them a certain oblique aesthetic overlap with hair metal to my eyes/ears too, even though I know it wasn't their intention, not that I mind. I always mentally associated them with Poison in a weird way (although I think they're a much better band).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b7/Poison-Look-What-the-Cat-Dragged-In.jpg/220px-Poison-Look-What-the-Cat-Dragged-In.jpg

to me it seems like they are mirroring different facets of femmey behavior, but the impulse to mirror seems similar
one band's wet-n-wild makeup and hair is another band's bangs and hair flipping

I think they are are one of the all time greats

gosh thats gotta be one of the best songs they've ever wrote. wow wow.

The whole album is chockfull of some of their best songs. Right to the very end of the album.

My red vinyl arrived today

holy cow! i had no idea. amazing song!

The whole album is amazing and these aren't even the best songs on the album!

sweet, i'm checking it out for sure. they're playing my city soon, has anyone seen them?

Not since the show world album where I saw them twice in Glasgow. They only played here once since then (supporting Melvins)

I got into them in 1998 so had to wait until the Melvins support in Glasgow to see them, nearly 20 years. Was far far too brief. Could easily have taken another 45 mins. Ultimate music blue balls

https://reddkross.com/shows/

July & August 2024 North America shows

October and November 2024 UK and Europe

map I saw them in late 2019 w/Melvins, they were great, u should go

Goddamn this hits the spot

I cant stop playing it. The Shaman's Disappearing Robe is prob my fave track but there's so many!

That Mosswood Meltdown festival on Jul 6 has been streamed live for free on twitch before. They do sometimes block certain bands on the stream (Sleater-Kinney I think, a year or two ago). It's been on TheComplexSF, https://www.twitch.tv/thecomplexsf.

I had a ticket to see them in Brighton on their last cancelled UK tour but they aren't playing here this time. Might see if I can get up to London in November

this is such a triumph, brilliant hooks, so much fun

Saw them this week. Absolute joyous blast.