The Dirty Virgins have surfaced from the Allston basement to bestow upon their fans and friends a 7” that merits its own kegger. In their year of shaking up parties with rock ‘n roll tunes that get people to move, they’ve recorded songs that’ll break any reservations one might have about suddenly breaking into the twist. “Tapped Out” starts by paying its dues to the Kinks, but with more PBR. “Cheap Talk” is a rare breed of new song that combines all the rawness of the 1960’s garage and renders it as legible dance music. As the 7” progresses, the individuality of musicians who claim to be a harmonious blend of Hawaii, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey blend together to bring a hard edge with some almost surfy melodies, but it’s hard to believe no one’s from the South. “Straight to Hell” pays homage to the blues, if the blues were strung out on heroin and hitchhiking through the Bible Belt. The reverb and fuzz amply dose the listener with a cool, indifferent brand of soul.

Perhaps they’re just stoned. During “Crazy High”, getting heavily baked never sounded so intense. Just go with it. The indifferent lyrics spin a rock tune that should serve as a motto to anyone who finds themselves in a similar predicament: “why, oh why, did I get this high? It’s alright.” Pre-order it online at dirtyvirgins.bandcamp.com, and you’ll spend a good ten minutes shaking and baking to a band that gives the modern night out a vintage context for booze-soaked house parties.
-BD