Ben Katzman’s DeGreaser opens Rock N Roll Community College with a conversation between two students wondering why their assigned textbooks are characteristically bland and lacking in rock and roll (“Where’s The Art of Transcendental Shredding?”). What follows are similarly theatrical and comical tracks with some not-so-subtle tips of the hat to The Ramones and Grease. Though distinctly lighthearted and packed with joke-heavy songs, the album explodes out of its musically minimalist, shred-heavy rock. “Virgo Babe In A Maiden Shirt” is a love melody about a band tee-wearing, heart eyes-inducing girl that it nevertheless manages to be one of the hardest tracks on the album with dramatically irrelevant yet essential guitar solos and charming amateurship reminiscent of late-80s rock and roll or heavy metal. Honoring predecessors like Iron Maiden, and Van Halen, DeGreaser’s Rock N Roll Community College will transport you to a time where all matters of the heart were expressed through raw, straight up rock and roll.
Rock N Roll Community College will drop on February 7 as a co-release between BUFU Records (Japanther, Free Pizza) and West coast-based Gnar Tapes (White Fang, The Memories). You can stream it below.
