Twenty-five years ago Bruce Springsteen was king of classic rock. Now, there seems to be a whole generation of young punk bands that claim The Boss as their own. And in hindsight, they just might be right. Brooklyn’s The So So Glos share Springsteen’s meat ‘n’ potatoes sound while remaining steeped in punk rock’s golden age. Vocalist Alex Levine sounds an awful lot like Joe Strummer. “Son of an American,” from the band’s 2013 release Blowout, is a working-class anthem recalling The Clash’s “White Riot.”
The blue-collar, this-town-sucks sentiment carries through “Diss Town” — complete with a killer shout-along chorus reminiscent of fellow proletariat punkers and Springsteen acolytes, Titus Andronicus. The track “Blowout” references ska-punk bands like Operation Ivy and classic 2-Tone ska bands like The Specials. “Everything Revival” satirizes the neo-soul, ’60s girl group trend, as well as The So So Glos’ own punk pastiche, with a Phil Spector-esque intro that’s also just a little bit Springsteen circa “Born To Run.”
As a band, The So So Glos convincingly play the part of dockworkers turned band mates: torn skinny jeans, scowls and greasy bed head. Musically, these guys are tight and reckless in all the right places: loud, brash and (like the best punk rock should be) relentlessly tuneful.
The So So Glos play with Diarrhea Planet and Eugene’s Best Friends 8:30 pm Sunday, Sept. 15, at Tiny Tavern; $5.