Hey now.. what the hell is going on in New Jersey? Well, right now floods but I mean musically in general. There is a rumble in the toxic vats and its producing some of the most wonderful sounds.
Hands on The Stereo is a silly name for an amazing bunch of guys from Bergen County, NJ. So often I am introduced to bands that I often become jaded. For the first time in a very long time I was stopped in my tracks by a 5 song EP. Usually it takes a whole lot of hype yet this subtly introduced work of real pop punk art is amazing. They with the descriptive of fast riffs, hard breakdowns, and melodic tunes, they miss the boat.
Yes, they have fast riffs, hard breakdowns and melodic tunes but they also have amazing lyrics, gorgeous vocals and energized sing backs that rival vets like Four Year Strong and a teeny twang of Blink 182. Crazy isn't it? As a punk connoisseur can strongly say this is one of the best new bands I have heard in a long time- and although around since 2008, they're brand spanking new to me.
The EP "Teamwork Makes The Dream Work", will capture you from square one. "Ladder Match comes in hard and fast and makes perfect sense. To sing to this type of music and have decipherable lyrics is a gift that Hands On, owns well. It just gets better from there, with the "You've Never Been South of The Boarder" is so old school punk rock that I think I saw a mullet go by- I adore the fresh approach to a classic sound on this- and again great vocals clearly understandable. The crowd will be singing along (well when they're not getting kicked in the head by crowd surfers)
Ending with "Til Death Do Us Part", the release ends too soon- I'm left wanting more.
I do hope these guys hop on a tour- I do hope (and highly recommend) you check them out and well, I do believe there is hope for the future. Stay strong guys its a brutal business, don't give up! You have a fabulous sound!