There's big news cranking out of the She Rides headquarters these days, as the Providence-based quintet have nailed down a new label (NC-based Rusty Knuckles, also home to J. Berndt) and an official sponsorship with Narragansett Beer, received another invite to SXSW in 2011, and is wrapping up an EP of new material.
She Rides is the self-proclaimed "soundtrack to partying," though the party we're talking about would be a drug-fueled 3:30 am sweatfest in an unfinished basement, with the windows covered with aluminum foil to fend off the paranoia. The music is the aural equivalent of Andrew WK and Lemmy face-planting into a punch bowl of fishscale coke, and frontman Dan Brown, who joined the band last year, is a perfect fit. We're lucky to get two chances to see She Rides straddle the lightning in the next two weeks. New cuts "Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride" and a beefier version of "Party In the Piss Kitchen" are addictive, riff-heavy rumblers, and we anticipate a whirlwind 2011 for these guys.
The band hit the road hard last year, from their SXSW debut to a string of shows supporting Every Time I Die and acclaimed local metalheads Howl. Guitarists Radford and William Kalalas serve up the dual-action riffs, while a vicious rhythm section featuring Andrew Steverman on drums and bassist Chan Hong provides the low-end thump. As for Brown, call it kismet: he was built for She Rides and, with a new EP scheduled for February, the band's fifth year in business may be their biggest yet. ("Our first singer quit while we were touring the first record," Radford told me. "He just didn't want to be on the road anymore.")
Expect a mix of old and new cuts at the forthcoming She Rides shows; invariably, shit will get nuts when Brown gets cooking on "Woah Dude!" and "Oh, Providence" from the new EP II (get a free taste at last.fm and soundcloud.com). The devil's giving chase on "Party In the Piss Kitchen," and the pace is pure hellbent fun.
"I'm the one with the microphone/I've been livin' my life on center stage," screams Brown, chased by searing chords and the howling, haymaker hook, "Forget I ever existed, because I'm never comin' home."
The leadoff track, "Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride," is She Rides at its best. And I'll be looking forward to Brown's take on some of the cuts from their self-titled 2008 debut LP (available at iTunes and stillbornrecords.com), like "Coke Frenzy" and personal faves "Faceride" ("Take this said the man in the white coat!") and sludgy album closer "Temptress" that eventually pins the throttle behind a chant of "We' re out of control, so fucking out of control."
" 'Temptress' and a few others kinda fell through the cracks with the [old] lead singer, but we're gonna pull out some old jams with Dan," Radford promised.
Given the band's momentum, I can only imagine what will transpire once again between here and Austin.
"Yeah, if you're envisioning tons of partying, fighting, and fucking, then yes, it gets pretty crazy," guitarist George Radford said, who has toured the globe extensively with Provy punk legends Dropdead (and Sin of Angels) since 1990, "but, they don't call me dad for nothing.
Ironically, it was Radford who lined up the partnership with 'Gansett ("Go figure, the straight-edge guy in the band pushed for it") and, for a crusty punk veteran, he has certainly embraced the social networking, including a new one-stop feed site (rageforever.com). And Radford is ironing out a full tour to coincide with the Austin trip.
"We're trying to play as may DIY spots as possible. We love playing bars and real venues, but some of our best shows have been in basements and living rooms," he said.
"And let me just say — no one plays has hard as we do and no one has as good of a time doing it as we do," Radford said. "Every time we get up we put everything we have and then some into playing. If you catch us in front of 2 or 200, you're going to see the same passion and fire in our playing.
"There is nothing we'd rather be doing."
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She Rides - Buy The Ticket by RustyKnuckles
