Sometimes you hear a band name and you have a good idea of what they might sound like before even listening. Teenage Cool Kids were one of those bands for me. Granted the name sounded more pop/punk to me at first. But, with a name like Teenage Cool Kids it just had to be a fun, right? And I was correct. Queer Salutations flashes by in a garagey lo-fi haze that recalls the great, but tragically underrated Scared Of Chaka. The band hails from Denton, TX but geography certainly plays no part in the band’s sound. Echoing bands as diverse as Meneguar and The Thermals to Built To Spill and Superchunk, the band is covering ample scenic territory here. But, where the band makes the greatest impression is when they slow the tempo down. On songs like “Reasons Why” and “Prose” you can see those Built To Spill comparisons truly coming to life. Other than a few songs that show a real depth, Queer Salutations is just a fun stab at lo-fi rock n’ roll. Teenage Cool Kids might come off as a bit amateurish but that is the band’s charm as well. This is all in good fun but it certainly is not going to change the world. I suppose with a name like Teenage Cool Kids, that was never the band’s purpose though.
Genre: Garage/Pop/Punk
RIYL: Meneguar, Oxford Collapse, Built To Spill
Label: Protagonist Music
Reasons Why
[...] been a lot of drama in the Teenage Cool Kids camp since the release of their fine debut, Queer Salutations. They recorded this fine piece of wax, a brand new LP and oh, they were sued by that shitty rap [...]
the built to spill comparison is spot-on. like a poppier/punkier version of that same sound.