I thought all hope was lost in the new wave of music coming out today, until I heard the Randies’ sophomore album “Saw the Light.”
The album, released yesterday, is a breath of fresh air in the polluted pop-emo music of today’s MTV genre. This group has not fallen into the hip music wave that is today, but has brought back the punk/new wave feel that was missing.
The band consists of Laura Cataldo (guitar/vocals), Sienna DeGovia (bass/vocals), Laurita Guaico (guitar/vocals) and the lone man in the group Aaron “Rex” Polk (drums). Polk is new to the group, but doesn’t feel he is at all put off being the only man in the female dominated band.
The band showed some dislike toward the new music scene, with bands such as Underoath and Silverstein, “I really can’t tell them apart [and] I don’t know if I am just not in touch with this scene,” Guaico said. “And I remember Warped Tour five years ago and there was that rock, but not so much anymore.”
The group didn’t seem to be too uncomfortable wearing mostly black in the hot July sun, sitting at a picnic bench at the Pomona Warped Tour. The girls resembled tougher then nails/ man-eater type, while Polk looked cool standing to the side, something most drummers normally do.
Track one, “Freezerburn,” gets the album going with the sweet yet tough vocals of Cataldo and backup singers DeGovia and Guaico. You can’t help but to get your toes tapping right off the bat with this number.
The third track “Born Again” opens with a hard punk riff and the eerie vocals from Cataldo, whose voice sounds like a more feminine Exene Cervenka, lead singer for L.A. punk group X. The lyrics to this risky track follow the tale of a girl whose parents force Christianity on her distressed soul, “Mommy, mommy, mommy, won’t you please take me home now/ ‘Cause I’m afraid Armageddon might come and get me.”
“Dig Me a Hole,” is the lone ballad of life’s despair and lost hope. Cataldo’s vocals are haunting and moving, while Polk’s drums keeps an up-beat tempo and it still makes the song danceable.
The group isn’t all about bar brawls and ball bashing, but the Randies still have a great sense of humor and one can see that on their Web site. For only $1,000, anyone can buy a date with Polk or the fabulous Randie women.
The Randies will be performing their record release party Sept. 4 at the Key Club on Sunset Boulevard.