Hot Rod Circuit

Hot Rod Circuit

The Underground Is A Dying Breed

[3.5/5] When you think about it, as amazing that there’s a new Hot Rod Circuit record in 2007, it’s probably more unbelievable how relevant the band’s fifth full-length is. Call it Piebald Syndrome: While many of the band’s who’ve opened for HRC have gone on to grace the cover of this magazine, Hot Rod Circuit’s brand of anthemic indie rock never caught on with mainstream audiences. While the band admittedly lost a step with 2004’s too-polished Reality’s Coming Through, The Underground Is A Dying Breed is a return to form for the New Haven, Connecticut, act. Sure, the opening one-two punch of “Stateside” and “Vampire” recalls the band’s now defunct late-’90s peers like the Get Up Kids and the Jazz June, but it sounds far less dated than it does refreshing. While the band revisit some of Sorry About Tomorrow’s instrumentation on the disc (like the expertly executed pedal steel on “US Royalty”), ultimately The Underground Is A Dying Breed shows the group stripping things down to their musical core; if nothing else, it proves that Hot Rod Circuit are continuing to evolve-regardless of how many people are still listening. (IMMORTAL) Jonah Bayer



ROCKS LIKE:

The Get Up Kids
Guilt Show

Limbeck’s Let Me Come Home

The LemonheadsThe Lemonheads



IN-STORE SESSION WITH FRONTMAN ANDY JACKSON



It seems like 2002’s Sorry About Tomorrow marked a new era for the band. Do you feel like this album is another sonic shift for you?


Yeah, I think we’ve finally hit a knack. We lost a drummer after Sorry About Tomorrow, and after our last record, our bass player left the band, so it’s kind of a new band as well.



People could have called you an emo band before, but with the recent addition of strings and pedal steel that’s not really accurate anymore.

Exactly. If I had to describe our sound now, I’d say more of an indie alt-country kind of thing. I hate to say country to give people the wrong idea, but I’m originally from the South so it’s definitely got a Southern twang to it.



Which is kind of ironic since you seem to tour exclusively with punk bands.
[Laughs.] Yup, we’ve done everything from Avail to Hot Water Music to American Nightmare tours. I think some of that has to do with the fact that a lot of those people are older musicians who grew up on roots music as well, so I think they see that in us.



Do you think it’s a logical progression for people to grow out of heavier music as they grow up?

Definitely. I feel like our last record was pretty much a failure, and I wanted to try to rekindle a little bit about what people liked about Sorry About Tomorrow, but take it to the next level and make it us and something that maybe could crossover to an older crowd as well.



How was the last record a failure: musically or commercially?

Sonically, I think it’s a great record and I don’t want to discredit it at all. I just think that we tried to crossover with a couple little things, and maybe it was a little overproduced. If you listen to our first two records, they were very rough, and I think our early fans appreciated the out-of-tune vocals and guitars. I think there’s just something about that rawness which is why people liked us in the first place.



You recently collaborated with your daughters for a compilation track; did they make appearances on this recording?

No, they didn’t make any appearances on this record. One of my daughters plays piano and she keeps talking about going out on the Warped Tour and playing some of the keys parts-but I don’t think I’m going to let my 14-year-old daughter do that just yet. [Laughs.] I could just see her at the merch booth with all the little punk-rock boys. -Jonah Bayer

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