The 45th anniversary celebration of America’s original indie rockers
For those who may not be familiar, Redd Kross has been an American rock staple for multiple decades, hailing from positive, catchy music. Their subtle blend of pop and garage has rooted itself deeply into Californian rock culture. Redd Kross has a multitude of different pop culture interactions as well, adding an interesting depth to their band’s legacy. One peculiar example of this would be Redd Kross influencing Sonic Youth to utilize mainstream figures and reinvent them into symbols of punk (specifically Sonic Youth’s usage of Madonna’s artistic figure). Sonic Youth’s very own Thurston Moore even once quoted “To me, Redd Kross will always be one of the most important bands of the last 30-40 years” (Thurston). This band inspired a feature film and gave other bands such as Stone Temple Pilots a metaphorical avenue of inspiration to grow through.
Redd Kross’s musical prowess has thrived throughout a multitude of years, and things have ultimately led up to their self titled album Redd Cross being released, which contains a vast array of refreshing sounds. This album portrays ballads (“The Witches Stand”), pop (“The Shaman’s Disappearing Robe”) and even an interesting duet (“The Main Attraction”).
The album overall has a sense of cohesiveness that often ties together a good project. Choruses on this project mostly tend to be catchy and the verses typically are full of interesting lyrics. The mixing on this album is quite clean, with lots of love given to stereo spread. In other words, one listening on headphones or speakers can really get a three dimensional sense from listening due to certain musical elements being placed at different points on the left-right spectrum of one’s two ears.
Redd Kross is certainly a feel good album. A lot of these songs feel like they would be strategically placed at the point of a movie in which everything is okay. The songs feel like a bright summer day in which one does not have to worry. This certainly feels like one of the album’s strongest suits.
Overall, fans of indie rock should certainly check this project out, especially those who are only familiar with present day indie rock. Redd Kross is a staple of the music industry, and their new music should be treated in a similar fashion. To hear a band that has crafted the roots of a musical movement continuing to create through the same movement’s modern and reformed lens is truly a blessing and testament to the beauty of musical growth.
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