Redd Kross

Redd Kross

S/t

In The Red

BACK IN STOCK ON RED VINYL!!! In 1979, two school-kids all hopped-up on punk-rock started their own group in their hometown of Hawthorne, Los Angeles (birthplace of the Beach Boys) and soon found themselves opening shows for notorious scene pioneers Black Flag. Jeff McDonald was fifteen, his brother Steven McDonald only eleven. But that didn’t stop their group from becoming one of the most remarkable, enduring and unique outfits punk-rock ever belched up. 2024, then, marks Redd Kross’s forty-fifth birthday—an important anniversary for any group whose heart pulses at 45RPM—and the brothers are celebrating the event with a veritable multimedia extravaganza. There’s a memoir, Now You’re One Of Us, due in November, author Dan Epstein telling the group’s story in the McDonalds’ unmistakable (and occasionally contrary) voices. A brilliant rockumentary, Born Innocent, directed by Andrew Reich, will premiere later in the year. Most exciting of all, this new album—an eponymous double-album, no less, packed with eighteen of their sharpest, most addictive songs yet. These years of joyful service to rock’n’roll have seen Redd Kross evolve into a killer pop-rock concern, dealing in dayglo power-chords, choruses as tall as skyscrapers and a lyric sheet thick with acid couplets and arch pop-cultural references their loyal following will gobble up like quaaludes.

Redd Kross

Phaseshifter

Third Man

***The MCDONALD brothers are joined by drummer BRIAN REITZELL, guitarist EDDIE KURDZIEL (R.I.P.) and keyboardist GERE FENNELLY on 1993’s Phaseshifter. REDD KROSS leaves the ‘60s and ‘70s pop culture references at the door (well, most of them) and brings their strong melodies, dreamy harmonies, psychedelic punk/bubblegum metal to the front, tearing through 12 new Redd Kross tunes. Every track is a full-on Redd Kross gem, with standouts like "Crazy World," "Dumb Angel," "Pay For Love" and "After School Special."

Redd Kross

Show World

Third Man

***Phaseshifter line-up intact (GERE FENNELLY would soon move on, but plays all the keyboards on the recording), REDD KROSS came back at us with amps turned up and smiles on their faces on 1997’s Show World. The album starts off with a spot on cover of The Quick’s L.A. power pop classic, "Pretty Please Me," and sets the tone for yet another killer album by the thinking person’s good time band. Like all RK albums before and since, this one is all killer, no filler, with special highlights "Stoned," "Vanity Mirror," "One Chord Progression" and the absolutely sublime "Follow The Leader."