Adult Books
Adult Books | Credit: Cassandra Marquez
Adult Books are a lo-fi, surf punk band in the vein that only California can produce. All at once they conjure up sounds reminiscent of the Ramones, the Beach Boys, the Smiths and garage punk bands like the Black lips. Their approach to the shoe- gaze, surf punk vibe lends itself more to chilling on a beach with a radio and a beer than slamming in a pit, but this is 2016; who said that the punk spirit has to exist solely in sweaty, smoky bars. It’s hard to think that with the name Adult Books and their being from L.A. that there isn’t some reference to the band X in there too.
The band was hatched out of the prolific DIY house show scene in Orange County and the songs on their debut E.P. are intimate and urgent. They literally sound like a bunch of your friends who you would see at an overcrowded house show, where the sound is terrible, the beer is warm and the vibe is awesome. Since dropping their self titled E.P. in 2012 they have shared the stage with an impressive number of talented folks in the punk and indie scenes: FIDLAR, Tijuana Panthers, Mike Watt, Off! and the Vibrators, to name a few.
Their new album, and first full length, Running from the Blows, comes out March 4 on Lolipop/Burger Records. Judging from the first track they’ve released, Casual Wrecks, it sounds like they continue to mine the sun drenched, pop with an attitude that brought them attention to begin with. However, the production is full and the songwriting seems to have taken a bit of a turn towards early Cure era melodies and that will only help their cause in hooking casual listeners and converting them into fans.
With the new release Adult Books are taking the party to parts unknown after finishing up their February residency at the Echo in L.A. Their sometimes melancholy take with an upbeat vibe may very well be what we all need to get us ready for Spring after a bummer of a Winter.
MARCH 2: Adult Books play with Plastic Pinks, Chaucer and Mo’Booty at Propaganda
MARCH 1: Adult Books play with Gun Hoes, Denudes, Johnny Mile & the Kilometers at Kill Your Idol
~Tim Moffatt
