mixtape maestro (2.0)

New York City’s Young Lords are one of those great on-the-rise bands that leave you excited for the new, upcoming rock regime. Trained on the bluesy, twang-tinged rock raucousness of ’60’s giants like the Rolling Stones and Kinks, every one of the guitar-chugging tunes from their solid debut full-length Rodeo Songs (due in October) capture the spirit of what it used to mean to be a rock star: living on the road, getting sloshed, scoring oodles of groupies and in the middle of it all, pushing out golden nuggets of good ol’ American rock n’ roll for hordes of equally sloshed fans to sing along to.

The title track provides a good starting point: Slathered in an urgent pummeling of epic guitar lines and relentless drums that bear the cocky conceit of them already being the best band in the universe while vocalist Blair Van Nort howls for the awaiting pleasures of home (“I gotta see my baby tonight”), “Rodeo Songs” never reaches the apex it’s seemingly gunning for, but it’s endless teasing only makes the song’s self-hyping greatness feel more profound (Plus, name one song you don’t like that features handclaps).

We won’t be surprised if within six months’ time, the Young Lords are being touted by every critic, blogger and hipster around as 2009’s Great Rock Hope.

Rodeo Songs will be available October 7th. Head to their MySpace to hear future treasures “Pretty Little Mess” and “Down So Long”.

DL: “Rodeo Songs” (YFH)

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