Song: “Lovers Lane”
Artist: Hunx and His Punx
Label: Hardly Art

Comments: “Lovers Lane” is the first single from the upcoming Hunx and His Punx debut album (their first release was a singles compilation and a great one at that!- Gay Singles), Too Young to Be in Love, set to be released in March.  I can’t wait! If the rest of this record is as solid as this first single then we are in for a real treat. I am a huge Hunx fan and I haved followed this song as a demo and as a favorite Youtube video of mine for nearly a year now. Before I could tell there was something definitely special brewing, but now finally hearing the completed studio version I am confident this will go down as one of the finest Hunx singles ever released. Okay, so  to the music itself. This shouldn’t be any surprise for Hunx devotees, it’s still the same old Hunx and Seth Bogart’s vocals are typical in this sense, but are top notch as usual.  His singing recalls 60s girl groups, which the group perfected in their previous release, and in this tune Seth really wraps himself in the song instead of simply being the Hunx persona. Though, you totally have a Hunx feel here, it definitely expands beyond that, and I’d say this is their most “60’s” song so far.  Much of this is due to the incredible vocal range of singer , Shannon Shaw of Shannon and The Clams. I’d wager her vocals are the star of the show and they truly sound exactly like the female bubble gum pop singers of the 60s.  Overall, I’m hardpressed to find anything I dislike about the production or any specific aspect of the recording. Other things I noticed were the guitar “solo” toward the end of the song, which didn’t feel pretentious at all and simply added to the song’s awesomeness , for lack of a better word. Erin Emslie’s drumming is spot on as well; simple, but certainly effective and makes the song feel almost epic in a way. In terms of lyrics, I honestly was so enthralled by the music itself, it just hit me now after countless listens that this is a  Teen Tragedy, a staple of the aforementioned decade/era and a favorite of mine. And just like “Leader of the Pack” and “Dead Man’s Curve” the lover parishes and will be missed for the rest of time. In short,  I will be listening to this obsessively in anticipation for the forthcoming LP, until then I can be found at Lovers Lane…

Grade: 9/10

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Tour dates (Boston = TT The Bears Sunday April 24! )
4/2 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom Of The Hill
4/8 – Los Angeles, CA – The Ech
4/9 – San Diego, CA – Tin Can Ale House
4/10 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
4/12 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
4/13 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
4/14 – New Orleans, LA – Spellcaster Lodge
4/15 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
4/16 – Nashville, TN – The End
4/18 – Durham, NC – Duke Coffee House
4/19 – Baltimore, MD – Golden West Cafe
4/20 – New York, NY – Cake Shop
4/21 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
4/22 – Swarthmore, PA – Olde Club
4/23 – Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands
4/24 – Cambridge, MA – T.T. The Bear’s
4/26 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa
4/27 – Toronto, ON – The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
4/28 – Detroit, MI – The Old Miami
4/29 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
4/30 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club
5/1 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry
5/3 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
5/4 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown Jr.
5/5 – Kansas City, MO – The Record Bar
5/7 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive