Gentlemen Rogues - S/T 10" - Blue Vinyl (/300)

Gentlemen Rogues - S/T 10" - Blue Vinyl (/300), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Shifting Sounds (2013)

Gentlemen Rogues is an Austin, TX based band whose singer Danny has spent time in quite a few other bands that I've enjoyed over the past decades. I first came to know of his music through his 90's pop punk band Jill. They released a CD EP and a few 7"s that I just adore. After Jill had run its course, Danny was in a band called Quimby. Aside from a compilation appearance, I don't think they released anything else, but I could be mistaken. Lastly a band called The Fall Collection made an appearance with a CD EP in the mid 2000's. I hadn't heard anything from him since, but as soon as Gentlemen Rogues showed up on my radar, I immediately picked up this 10".

I really enjoy this EP and I hope it's the first of many records to come. While there is obvious growth and maturity compared to some of Danny's earlier bands, he absolutely has not traded in his ability to craft a heck of a pop song. While Jill was more Sicko or Zoinks inspired; Gentlemen Rogues explore that punky indie rock area that you can hear from bands like Tugboat Annie or Indoor Living - Come Pick Me Up era Superchunk. Maybe a little Ted Leo, especially considering that the songs are all over 4 minutes long. A lot of bands couldn't pull off something that long; but Gentleman Rogues keep it interesting and aren't just retreading the same 2 minute long song over and over.

Again, this is a really great EP. To the best of my knowledge, Danny hasn't been in a band that has released a full length album. If there was ever a band of his ready for the long album format, this is the one.

Gentlemen Rogues - S/T 10"
gentlemenrogues.bandcamp.com/album/gentlemen-rogues-ep