A Britpop Revival Done Right.
San Diego’s Pleasure Pill are stepping into the spotlight with Hang A Star, their debut album arriving June 27 via à La Carte Records. After years of slowly releasing singles and building a devoted local following, the five-piece — Jonah Paz (vocals), Ethan Paz (rhythm guitar), Luke Blake (lead guitar), Ivan Delgado (bass) and Dom Friedly (drums) — are ready to bring their Britpop-inspired vision full-scale.
Pleasure Pill dives headfirst into the rich tapestry of British music history, weaving together infectious punk energy, soulful grooves and shimmering guitar noise. You can hear echoes of The Undertones’ punchy melodies, The Style Council’s polished flair and the dreamy feedback layers of The Jesus and Mary Chain all in their sound. Their true heartbeat, however, pulses with the spirit of ’90s Britpop legends like Blur, Oasis and The Stone Roses — combining catchy hooks and swagger with a fresh twist that feels both familiar and excitingly new.
Jonah Paz’s vocals toe the line between homage and satire — nasally, impish and confidently aware of their place in the Brit-rock lineage. Yet Pleasure Pill is not just a bunch of imitators – they’re believers. Their music is as much a celebration of rock tradition as it is a bold attempt to stake their claim in it. “Rock and roll has its history and its traditions,” Jonah says. “You’re gonna hear some ’60s, some ’90s, some late ’70s punk” (via sandiegomagazine.com).
Recorded in Los Angeles last fall, Hang A Star delivers ten tracks —plus a hidden bonus— that fuse classic pop sensibility with gritty panache. Songs like “Wonder How” and “Favorite Color Gold” pulse with fuzzed-out energy and infectious hooks, made for shouting in packed clubs and late-night singalongs. The band’s deep-rooted chemistry, shaped by years of playing together since childhood, gives the album a raw, cohesive feel that’s both tight and effortlessly lived-in.
Pleasure Pill is not just borrowing from the past — they’re channeling the raw energy and unapologetic confidence that made that era unforgettable. In a music landscape often dominated by electronic beats and polished production, Pleasure Pill nods to its musical idols with the intent to unmistakably reignite the spirit of big, bold, guitar-driven rock and bring it back to the spotlight.
Ambitious? Certainly. Jonah Paz even compares the album’s potential to Oasis’ Definitely Maybe. Whether Hang A Star reaches those heights remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: Pleasure Pill has the chops, the charm and the conviction to make a serious mark. If this new generation is ready to fall in love with rock and roll again, Pleasure Pill might just be the band to lead the charge.
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