The Vice Rags
The Vice Rags | |
|---|---|
 The Vice Rags at Stosh's in 2018. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Jersey City and Asbury Park, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Alternative rock, garage rock |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Labels | Mint 400 Records |
| Associated acts | Acid, The Blakes, Kid With Man Head, Mars Needs Women, Readymade Breakup |
| Members | Joe Chyb Gay Elvis Jack Roberts Paul Rosevear |
The Vice Rags are an American rock band that is from New Jersey.
History[edit]
Paul Rosevear and Joe Chyb grew up in North Brunswick, New Jersey, while Jack Roberts and Gay Elvis grew up together in Hillsborough, New Jersey. They met while performing in prior bands, and together they play a blend of "tribute to the '50s and '60s sounds that influenced the '70s and '80s," and are classified as bluesy, garage rock and fuzz rock.[1][2] They draw comparison to U2, Echo & the Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs and the Clash. The Vice Rags describe themselves as a "breath of fresh, New Jersey Turnpike air," and Phil Shephard of Speak Into My Good Eye calls them "a little Jersey, a little Petty and a lot of Rock-n-Roll."[2][3]
They released a self-titled EP in November 2017, which was produced by Paul Ritchie and recorded at Insidious Sound Studio in Neptune.[3][1] It includes "some warm, classic-sounding tracks that will satisfy your most staunch rock 'n' roll crate-digging purists[,] alongside wilder, brasher songs," as described by Olivia Sissini for The Deli.[2] The Vice Rags is music editor Jim Testa's favorite EP of 2017. In his review, he commends "riffs that make you feel like you're out in the middle of the desert one second and rollin' through Beverly Hills the next, there's bar room boogie and a little bit of Springsteen, and that Petty thing comes back loud and clear[;] with a couple of more tracks, it would have been a contender for album of the year."[4][5]
Mint 400 Records[edit]
In 2018, the Vice Rags signed with independent label Mint 400 Records. They released the seven-track EP Hope the Neighbors are Lookin' on 27 July 2018. The EP is a re-release of their self-titled EP, with a rendition of Little Richard's "Lucille" as a bonus track. In a 2018 interview with Spill, Rosevear explains their cover was "one of the first songs we jammed on at our first ever practice; we were so happy with how we changed the cover that we kept it that way and put it on the album."[6] It was listed in New Jersey Stage's Best NJ Indie Records of 2018, and Chyb is the recipient of the Asbury Park Music Awards' Top Drummer award.[7][8]
Members[edit]
- Joe Chyb – drums
- Gay Elvis – bass and vocals
- Jack Roberts – lead guitar
- Paul Rosevear – vocals and guitar
Discography[edit]
- EPs
- The Vice Rags (2017)
- Hope the Neighbors are Lookin' (2018)
- Appearing on
- NJ / NY Mixtape (2018)
References[edit]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Asbury Park Music Awards Staff (2018), "25th Annual Asbury Music Awards 2017-2018" (PDF), Asbury Park Music Awards, retrieved 25 March 2019
- Harris, Gerrod (3 May 2018), "Petty, The Blues, and The Vice Rags: A conversation with Paul Rosevear of The Vice Rags", Spill, retrieved 30 January 2019
- Makin, Bob (4 January 2018a), "Makin Waves' Record of the Week: "The Vice Rags"", The Aquarian Weekly, retrieved 30 January 2018
- Makin, Bob (21 November 2018b), "Makin Waves Best Indie Records 2018", New Jersey Stage, retrieved 31 January 2019
- Shephard, Phil (20 December 2017), "SIMGE On The Scene: Jo Smith, The Vice Rags, Adam Bird and Yawn Mower played Happy Mondays", Speak Into My Good Eye, retrieved 30 January 2019
- Sissini, Olivia (18 December 2017), "Garage Rockers: The Vice Rags drop self-titled EP", The Deli, retrieved 30 January 2019
- Testa, Jim (2018), "The Vice Rags - "The Vice Rags" EP", Jersey Beat, retrieved 30 January 2019
- Testa, Jim (2018), "Jersey Beat's Top Albums", Jersey Beat, retrieved 30 January 2019
