Recent releases bring to mind teenage classics

Two recent indie releases may be new, but they hearken back a decade to the mid/late ’90s. Both the Golden Age, from Orlando’s Go Rydell, and Get Safe, by the Cold Beat of Allston, Mass play with the sound of the ’90s underground, albeit from different angles.

cover-go-rydellGo Rydell’s the Golden Age goes for the throat, with a youth crew hardcore sound that owes a lot to Kid Dynamite. Granted, they’re cool enough to cop to that in their press kit, but Go Rydell is still a band that wears its influences very prominently on its sleeve. It’s also somewhat surprising that the band hails from Florida. Rather than taking the sound of Sunshine State bands like Hot Water Music or New Found Glory, Go Rydell sounds like a band straight out of New England. That New England guitar tone, shared by bands from Kid Dynamite to Edna’s Goldfish, shines through on the Golden Age, especially on “Levittown, LI.” This is a fantastic debut, and the guttural vocals and upbeat, breakdown-laden tracks on this album are stellar. It’s out now on LP from the Black Numbers. You can pick it up from the Black Numbers webstore on either blue, white, or green vinyl.

MP3: Go Rydell, “The Golden Age”

cover-cold-beatThe Massachusetts-based the Cold Beat takes their sound from the mellower side of the ’90s underground, opting instead to go for the sound taken on by bands like the Get Up Kids. You listen to a track like “Hook, Line & Sinker,” and it’s impossible not to immediately flash back to the first time you heard “Red Letter Day.” That strummed electric is always a clue to the fact that the lyrics to follow will be heartfelt. While at points the Cold Beat veer into alt-rock radio, they still manage to charm. However, it’s when their songs are most unpolished, that they’re most apt to be gems. The ragged edges of “Copper Green” recalls the harsh beauty of the Pinehurst Kids, and with that second track on Get Safe the band had my attention. No clue as to how to get this — there’s an image on the band’s MySpace page, but no ordering info. I’d hit ’em up for a copy ASAP.