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Hey ho! Let’s go!

It is no revelation that Punk Rock comes in many guises. The Rainman Suite have tapped into a very good vein that leads up to the beating and pounding heart of Punk Rock. They are a super hybrid of The Ramones and Green Day, sneering lyrics over short sharp shots of Punk Rock. With catchy harmonies, the band still manage to remain gritty and with an edge despite spitting out rough-around-the-edges melodies from their assortment of mini-anthems…

The opening song, and album title track, ‘Teenage Zombies’ sounds like classic Green Day, with chugging guitars and vocals very much like Billy-Joe Armstrong. Lyrically, we get gems like, “I got some zits on my face // My girlfriend lives in cyberspace // So airbrush me! // I’ve never been in a fist fight // My doctor says that I’m gonna be alright // So medicate me!” Next song, ‘Hurry Up And Wait’ is a little more like Australian rockers The Living End. Things are then more thoughtful in the mid-tempo plod-Punk of, ‘Rich Boys’, whilst we then have an ode to Kate Beckinsale in the aptly titled track, ‘Beckinsale’ that sounds like classic Ramones from the guitar riffs to the “Hey Heys!” Great stuff!

At times there is a hint of the Punk band, Orange, however as that band have struggled with their sound, having started as a Street Punk band and then slipping in to a more commercial niche, you get the feeling that The Rainman Suite know what they like and will only progress along the same path. ‘Running Out Of Bullets’ sounds like Orange at their best. ‘Stay Away’ is simple and yet effective in the way it gets into your head. Then in, ‘Douchebaggery’ we have a teenage angst anthem, with lyrics like, “Here I am staring at the walls again // I don’t really care // C’mon, c’mon, baby, be my bestfriend // I don’t really care // Gimme, gimme, ya gotta give me something // I don’t really care // ‘Cause I’d do just about anything // ‘Cause don’t really care!”

‘No Repy’ is another fine example of what you would get if The Ramones and Green Day morphed within that machine from the film: The Fly. It’s like a classic Green Day with Joey Ramone singing vocals; really, how can that be bad?? Then if that was more like Green Day, then in, ‘Valerie Is A Vampire’ it’s like Billy-Joe singing a Ramones track. Fang-tastic! ‘Maturity’ shows that the band indeed have this with a more grown up Punk-Stomp, before some pounding drums in the intro to, ‘Sundays’ inject us with some nice adrenaline fuelled Punk with classic sing-a-long chorus.

The Rainman Suite don’t take themselves too seriously, springing out fun and a lack of responsibility from each, however we are not totally fooled, as only a band that truly care can produce such a collection of well-penned songs that actually show that underneath they are very deliberate in all that they achieve. ‘I hate Music’ is a perfect example of a track that sounds like a couple of chords have been stumbled on with some shouting lyrics about hating music, when in fact it is a simple catchy Punk Anthem. Then in, ‘Pawnshop Heart’ we have a more thoughtful mid-tempo track that is a little Billy Bragg jamming with The Clash. The album finishes with, ‘Climbing The Corporate Ladder’ that is another great sing-a-long track with some nice bass’n’vocals verses before the guitars kick in.

If you are a fan of any of the bands mentioned above then you will love The Rainman Suite, and really that is the only bad thing that I can say about them. They are not exactly original because on first listen you will think that they are a Green Day tribute band; however on closer inspection you discover that whilst there is a familiarly between Green Day, The Living End and The Ramones, The Rainman Suite do have their own sound. This is not as Pop-py and sugary sweet as Pop/Punk; nor is it as raw and fist pumping as Street Punk; this lies somewhere between that can be both radio-friendly, and anarchic at the same time. It’s Punk, and do you know what? I like it!