What the fuck is slacker rock? It’s a misnomer. I get it– slacker rock is supposed to be sloppy rock for slacker people in moldy basements that smell like old cigarettes and cheap beer. But despite its crude native habitat, slacker rock often holds a lot of hidden complexity, of which Rick Rude’s Bald and Smelly in Waxy Texas is chock-full. The two tracks on Bald and Smelly are both thickly layered instrumentals with teeming with grungy guitar grooves, relentlessly pounding drums, and chunky bass lines. The melodies are a deeply emotional release of seemingly endless angst. If only high school had sounded this cool.

Also, note: RICK RUDE is a band, not a person, from Maine/New Hampshire. Maybe you caught their set at the NEU MF a few months back?! If not, or, if so, stream Bald and Smelly in Waxy Texas below via the band’s Bandcamp page.