San Francisco's The Junior Panthers are a fresh young band on The First Time Records. Their self-titled debut is now available with the band slated for tours throughout the summer and the fall.
Rock n' roll swagger and nasty guitar riffs reminiscent of punk icons The New York Dolls open the debut record of The Junior Panthers leaving one to think that they might be the next in a rising crop of musical acts that have been paying homage to the legendary glam punk band as of late. That is, until the vocals drop into the mix bringing to mind a more nasally Joe Christmas than David Johansen's lip pursing vocal delivery.
"California" is pure catchiness with plenty of hooks and guitars that are more Rembrandts jangle than anything else. Old time rock n' roll is a major contender in the musical mix of The Junior Panthers with a major tip of the hat to The Rolling Stones and even The Stooges. "Defy Your Radio" is a prime example of that as it swings like Jagger and Richards on a sugar high. "Damsels Getaway" carries more fuzz on the guitars than a Neil Young record while maintaining a poppiness that's undeniably easy to sing along to while "Countdown" is the closest thing to balladry that these guys are probably going to get with its clean cut vocal harmonies and slow moving drawl.
"Exhausted" opens with a funky bassline before a fuzz drenched guitar joins the fray and the band kicks into even more irresistible indie rock noise. The band seems to be walking the fine line between their reverence to classic rock sneering and indie rock introspection. "Midway" and "Broken Down Ruse" continue in this vein.
The Junior Panthers are easily a band of promise and I'm very interested to see which side they succumb to in their future records - the straight ahead rock n' roll side or the indie rock one. Either way, they're making fine music that's bound to be a hit. Why this isn't on the radio yet is beyond me.
B
